"Bloody hell Ray! Smells like someone's died in here. Not like you to let food go off." Bodie said, a touch of sarcasm lacing his voice as he turned to face Doyle his nose scrunched against the pong from the fridge.

"'S not off you bloody philistine, it's supposed to smell like that. Very bloody expensive cheese that is." Doyle retorted haughtily and moved across the room to close the fridge door that Bodie had purposely left wide open.

"Go and get dressed and I'll make you some lunch before you leave, have some bacon here somewhere I think. Bacon sarnies do?"

Doyle was looking in the fridge, scratching his head, trying to locate the bacon, a distraction that Bodie seized upon and quietly moved behind him.

Just as Bodie had planned, when Doyle attempted to turn round he couldn't move, trapped as he was between Bodie and the fridge. Bodie's arms wrapped round him and pulled him flush against his chest sighing at the contact and casually repositioned himself so his already hard cock was resting snugly against the cleft of Doyle's arse.

Not for the first time he was disappointed that Doyle insisted they wear robes around the house during the day or night, only the bedroom was a robe free zone.

It was only here in Doyle's or in his own flat that he enjoyed being naked and even more than that he enjoyed Doyle being naked with him but Doyle insisted. Doyle had been the one to encourage Bodie to feel comfortable in his skin and now that he was revelling in that newfound freedom Doyle had put limitations on it. It was for their own good but still Bodie questioned Doyle, probably just to annoy him, and that brought a smile to his face as he thought about one such conversation they'd had last week on the subject.

"Jesus Bodie, put on a bloody robe," Doyle had said, and not for the first time. "what if someone were to call in."

"Who the hell's going to call at this time of night Ray?" he had asked, for at least the hundredth time.

"The bloody cow that's who Bodie and I don't think the old man's going to buy your bloody naturism story with you standing there in all you glory sporting a massive hard-on."

"Well thanks very much for the massive comment sunshine but Christ Ray, you'd think, to listen to you, that I can't control myself." He replied a little indignantly.

"Ah Bodie, I'm sorry, I know you can control yourself but it's just too dangerous and you know it is." Doyle had said and he pulled Bodie into a hug and placed a rather innocent kiss on Bodie's lips and Bodie's cock had responded in a way that made him question again just how in control he really was.

Still standing in front of the fridge, the warmth of Doyle all down his body, he canted his hips slightly ensuring that Doyle could feel the nudge of his cock where it rested against him and he began to nuzzle Doyle's neck.

"What time you expecting her?" Bodie asked softly between kissing Doyle's neck and sucking gently on his earlobe.

"'Bout seven." Doyle replied wiggling back against Bodie, fanning the flames of arousal.

"That's ages away Ray. Plenty of time to eat lunch after."

"After?" Doyle asked a smirk on his lips.

"Yeah, after breakfast. Come on, back to bed sunshine, have to have my breakfast before I can have my lunch." And he turned Doyle round and kissed him soundly before steering them back to the bedroom. He left much later

On his way home his mind began once again to mull over their situation. It was becoming harder and harder for Bodie to pretend that their arrangement was still working. He was beginning to feel the strain. It was his own fault; he had set the rules at the beginning and had made Doyle agree to his demands before continuing something that had taken them both by surprise.

The op had required them to pose as a gay couple and Bodie was amused to realise that they really didn't have to act very differently than they usually did, more affectionate certainly, especially Doyle and that was another thing that Bodie had found amusing. Doyle threw himself into the part with gusto and Bodie liked this new affectionate Doyle, he liked him a lot.

He hadn't expected Doyle to kiss him though, even after all these years of knowing how immersed Doyle became when undercover the kiss had still been a surprise. Things had become decidedly tricky.

They knew that the guesthouse was being watched and they were careful to only get one room but there was no vantage point for the local constabulary to see into it and a quick bug sweep each night told them that the room was clean. That left the Gay Youth centre. There were plenty of other buildings in the street, facing the offices, where any decent detective could get a clear view inside and so that was where most of the acting went on. They needed to draw out the enemy and evidently Doyle decided he knew exactly how to do it.

The day it had happened Bodie had been standing at the window looking out to the street, willing the bad coppers to make their move so that they could go home when Doyle had come up behind him. He could feel the heat of Doyle's body through his clothes and he remembered thinking that there was no reason for his partner to be standing so close behind him, the proximity of his partner was making him feel hot and slightly uneasy and then Doyle wrapped his arms around Bodie and began to nuzzle his neck all the while knowing they were being watched.

"Naughty Ray. If I didn't know any better I'd think you wanted to give them a real show." He had said trying to put Doyle off as his body began to respond to the warmth plastered against it.

It was the tone of Doyle's voice, as he responded, not the response itself, which shocked Bodie into turning to face his partner.

"Who says you know better?" Doyle had said quietly and without a hint of irony.

Bodie turned, their faces were mere inches apart and Bodie found that Doyle's face was flushed his breathing uneven and Bodie knew he was in a similar state. He wanted to warn Doyle off this course because Bodie had begun, even before this, to get the feeling that they were playing with fire and the game could all too easily get out of hand.

"Ray..." he said in a warning tone. "...don't bite off more than you can chew."

Doyle just smiled then and leaned in towards him and Bodie found that his lips were covered by his partners cutting off any chance of further speech as his senses were assaulted and overwhelmed.

Bodie had wrapped his arms around Doyle, as the kiss became more and more urgent. Bodie could feel his cock harden against his trousers as his arousal grew and grew and he found himself pulling Doyle closer, flush against his body and wasn't shocked to find an answering hardness in his partner's jeans. Doyle's hands' had dropped to his arse and suddenly, violently, Doyle pulled him closer, purposefully ensuring that their crotches rubbed together leaving them in no doubt as to what their body's wanted.

Suddenly, in the street, they heard a screech of tyres and reluctantly pulling apart, saw two cars pull up outside the offices and they realised it was ShowTime, back to work.

One good copper, one good copper had been Doyle's mantra and against all odds his instinct had been right. They were safe, it had been a close call but they had survived and they were both glad that they were going home.

Doyle was driving and had stopped outside Bodie's flat to drop him off but Bodie had felt reluctance in them both, a reluctance to separate and the offer of a drink, extended to Doyle then, had set the wheels in motion for the nightmare of emotion and confusion he was now experiencing.

"It's only curiosity, a taste of the forbidden makes it seem exciting, you know?" Bodie had said when they got into the flat. Better to take the bull by the horns and get everything out into the open he had thought. At least this way he believed he could keep control of the situation.

"Yeah? In that case I'm a very curious person." Doyle had replied with a seductive smile and that coupled with one of Doyle's unfeigned poses that oozed sensuality, Bodie couldn't resist.

"As it happens, so am I." Was Bodie's answer before he went willingly into Doyle's arms and they made their way to his bed to begin exploring one another.

That first coupling had been quick and awkward. Both of them were, strange as it may seem even to Bodie now, unused to men but it had been powerful and something that Bodie could never have predicted and later a slow, sensuous, yet still vaguely awkward, exploration of each other that he could have predicted even less.

"Lust!" He proclaimed afterward, "Happens all the time. Office romance that's all, well not romance exactly but you know what I mean. In our job, the situations we get into, the adrenalin can get you this way. We'll get sick of each other soon and then back to normal. Right Ray?" he waited for an answer from his drowsing partner, but none was forth coming. "Ray?"

"Yeah Bodie, I get it...office romance, be over soon...fine." Doyle had replied sleepily his breath warm on Bodie's shoulder, Bodie's arm around him holding him close in the aftermath and Bodie was almost satisfied.

"Happens everywhere, could happen to anyone." Bodie had said determinedly, not willing to let the matter drop just yet. He didn't know why he needed the situation clarified but he felt as though he wasn't in control and not being in control left him feeling decidedly edgy. "It'll be business as usual with the birds and all till this blows over. Right?" no reply again. "Ray?"

"Yeah Bodie, birds...business as usual." Doyle replied very sleepily and finally placated, Bodie pulled his somnolent partner closer and fell asleep.

That had been two years, three months, two weeks and five days ago and there was no sign of him getting sick of Doyle and no sign of Doyle getting sick of him. God! That fact really got on his nerves. He had given this aberration three or four turns around the bedroom before fizzling out but at every turn had been outfoxed by his own desire and that of Doyle's.

The nakedness thing was only one of many unexpected and unwanted changes he had perceived in himself. He had become softer, more indulgent and protective of Doyle, needy of his partner and the worst of all; he had become settled, settled with Doyle. They had been through a lot in those two years. There had been a hell of a lot of close shaves, too close for comfort, there had been a lot of women and even some that had looked as though they might be keepers but they never lasted. More than once in the last two years, which had flown in his opinion, he had sat himself down and given himself a severe talking to about it all. He had had to remind himself that what went on between himself and Doyle in the bedroom was just sex that was what they had agreed to. Sex was not to be confused with or woven into the fabric of their friendship, which was, incredibly, deeper and stronger than it had ever been and Bodie knew that the heady combination of sex and friendship led to feelings he was not prepared to give into.

Tonight he was going on a date with the lovely Michelle and in reality should have been more than satisfied with his lot. Who could resist those charms? He asked himself. Legs to her armpits long brown hair, a beautiful face and dynamite in bed, what more could a man ask for?

Bodie found himself more and more often asking for the whirlwind of passion who had brown curls with an auburn tint and stubble over an imperfect face and chest hair that tickled his nose as he sucked a nipple and athletes legs and stamina and cock, soft and hard and beautiful in his hand or in his mouth and finally lips and mouth, that did such things to him, he wished sometimes that he would be eaten alive and be done with it.

Michelle and every other bird offered none of these things.

Bodie poured himself a large scotch and turned the tele on before flopping onto the settee. He had wanted to see the football results but found that he couldn't concentrate. He began to pace the room then, his head swimming with questions about himself and Doyle and images of himself and Doyle and then images of Doyle with someone other than himself and he could hear Dickie Davis twittering on in the background along with the sound of the bloody teletype displaying the football results and he thought his head would explode with it all until, suddenly, something snapped, the fog cleared and he knew just what he needed to do in order to keep his sanity.

A while later he emerged from the bathroom, steam billowing from behind him, following him into the hall, he was feeling refreshed and incredibly clear headed, ready to face the music, ready to face Ray Doyle in any temper, this situation had to stop and stop now and he couldn't wait till tomorrow to get it done.

He dressed quickly and made a phone call to Michelle breaking their date, citing work as the culprit, knowing that he wouldn't be seeing her again and then grabbed his jacket and keys and headed out to travel the well worn road to Ray Doyle's flat.

He didn't care that Doyle was entertaining, he didn't care that he had been slaving over a hot stove for most of the day, he didn't care that Doyle would be angry with him and he was ready if things got physical.

He leaned on the buzzer, body humming in anticipation of the fight that was sure to follow his interruption.

"Yeah." Doyle's voice broke through the night air.

"It's me." He replied knowing that was all he needed to say as he heard the click of the latch as Doyle let him in.

When he got to the landing, the door was ajar and he walked straight in closing it behind him and made his way to the living room and to Doyle's little dinner party for two.

He was edgy, agitated and restless. He knew that Doyle could tell, that Doyle could feel the tension coming off him in waves and Doyle rose from the table.

"Trouble?" Doyle asked his face full of questions and concern.

"Yeah," he replied and then just to emphasise the full extent of the trouble he added. "...sorry to break up your evening like this." And he smiled at Doyle's bird, he couldn't for the life of him remember her name but that didn't matter he just needed her to be gone.

He walked further into the living room towards the window leaving Doyle to get rid of the girl. Hearing the door snick closed he took a deep breath and turned to face Doyle who was walking towards him his face full of concern.

"Is it bad?" Doyle asked worry growing more pronounced in his voice.

"The worst." Was all Bodie could say as Doyle turned away from him and grabbed his coat.

"Come on then." Doyle said motioning for Bodie to follow him and when Bodie made no move to go the concern in his face gave way to what Bodie could only describe as puzzlement. "What's going on Bodie?" Doyle asked in a low voice.

"Sorry Ray, it's not work, just needed you to get rid of Suzie or Sarah or Sandra or whatever her name was. I needed to talk to you." He said by way of explanation.

"Pamela, her name was Pamela," Doyle said shaking his head in disbelief before continuing. "...and are you telling me that you interrupted our evening just so you and I could have a chat? This had better be good Bodie." Doyle finished his voice a mixture of curiosity and anger. Bodie nodded his head before beginning to speak.

"Okay here it is then. I...I mean we...I mean I can't go on with our arrangement anymore Ray." He said not really explaining things well and realising that this was going to be harder than he had expected, thinking about it was one thing, saying all he needed to say to Doyle was quite another.

"What are you on about Bodie?" Doyle said struggling to understand what his partner was talking about. "Are you talking about the squad? Do you want to be re-teamed?" he asked and looked straight at Bodie fear now replacing every other emotion on his face.

"No Doyle, It's not that, I don't want re-teamed. I mean our arrangement. Office romance, remember, the fact that we sleep together. I can't go on with it anymore." Bodie said head hung and face a mask of sadness. He didn't think he could continue, after all his bravado in coming here he didn't think he had the balls to go on. He looked up at Doyle and found that his partner was looking every bit as sad and lost as he felt, God! Could this get any worse?

"You got sick of me then? I suppose it was only a matter of time really after all that's what you said from the start, office romance, taste of the forbidden. It's okay Bodie I understand." Doyle spoke in a low sad voice and Bodie was taken aback at this show of emotion but before he could speak Doyle continued. "I'm going to miss it though, not just the sex but us, you know? I'm going to miss us." A shrug of the shoulders then. "But I suppose there was never really an us to begin with, eh Bodie."

Bodie was heartened by Doyle's speech and some of his bravado returned and he spoke with a renewed determination.

"There is most definitely an us and that's why I can't go on with our arrangement." Doyle looked up at him his expression one of confusion. "I want to change the rules Ray."

"What are you saying?" He asked his voice slightly raised.

"I mean no office romance excuse, no forbidden fruit excuse, no excuses for us at all and definitely no more business as usual with the birds." He stopped and looked at Doyle who was looking slightly more hopeful with every word Bodie was saying. "What I'm trying to say is that I don't want to share you anymore, if there is an us I want it to be just us. I don't want to pretend that there are no feelings involved, that it's just sex because it isn't just sex, not for me anyway. I want us to have a proper go; I want us to have a proper relationship." He finished wishing he was better able to explain himself and waited for Doyle's response.

Doyle smiled then, a blinding smile one of the ones that always did things to Bodie's insides and said

"I love you too Bodie."

Bodie just laughed, happiness spilling out from the expression on his face as he walked to Doyle and pulled him into a desperate hug.

"I love you Ray." Bodie said finally and he was relieved it was out in the open.

"I know. I should be happy really it's only taken you two years, three months, two weeks and five days to realise it." Doyle said, humour lacing his voice as he took Bodie's hand and led him to the bedroom.

-- THE END --