(Written for the_safehouse Livejournal community quotation challenge. Quote: "Why not? I'm used to your snoring." (Val McDermid, The Distant Echo))


Bodie lie next to his deeply asleep lover. The curly head of his partner was just peeking out from under the quilt and so, unfortunately for Bodie, was the noise he was making.

Not only had Bodie tossed and turned for the best part of two hours but also he'd nudged his partner several times, held his nose twice and all for nothing. Ray had just snuffled, wriggled and settled back down into the cosy warmth.

Not that the wriggling hadn't been nice, Bodie decided, a wry grin on his handsome face, but it would have been even better had Ray been awake. As it was, irritation was vying for top spot with arousal, and sadly, it seemed to be winning.

As Ray let out another neighbour-disturbing snore, Bodie growled and, using a couple of fingers, let him have a strong poke in the ribs.

Which, although did the trick of wakening his lover, also had the downside of Ray grabbing for his gun and leaping out of bed, a demented bleary-eyed expression on his still dozy face.

As the cold air hit Ray's naked body, so the vile curses hit Bodie's ear. "Ray, put the gun down. There's nothing to see." he pleaded.

At Bodie's request, Ray gave the room a swift appraisal. Realising that not only was Bodie correct, he was also naked and cold, he crawled back into the heat he'd left shortly before. With a wicked grin on his face, he snuggled up to Bodie, laughing his wicked devil's laugh as his cold limbs made Bodie yelp and shiver.

"Serves you right, mate. Shouldn't have made me jump, should you?"

"If you hadn't been snoring and I had been able to sleep, I wouldn't have been lying here awake. And I certainly wouldn't have had to prod you to stop you." Bodie retorted, indignation colouring his words.

"I don't snore." Ray confidently replied, a smug expression on his face. "You're the snorer, mate."

"Fuck off!" Not only was Bodie well and truly pissed off with his lover, his being sleep deprived didn't help his temper. "I haven't managed to drop off yet."

Evilly, Ray gave Bodie a massive shove over the side of the bed. "Now you have!"

When the swearing and threats died down and Ray finally managed to stop giggling, he realised he couldn't hear anything. Peering over the bedside, he saw his mate there, lying stark naked on the carpet fast asleep, snoring his handsome head off.

"At least you've managed to drop off now, love, even if I caused it." Ruefully, Ray made sure Bodie was completely covered up before returning to the bed.

He spent the next four hours tossing, turning, and listening to the snores of his partner, unable to do a thing about it.

-- THE END --

August 2005