The Birthday Boy

by


It was getting a little depressing, Ray realized as he hung up the phone. This was the third weekend in a row that Bodie had been too busy even to step out for a pint, to say nothing of the week nights off...all the time that Doyle was used to filling up with his partner's company; time that Bodie was apparently filling up with someone else. Fine. So Bodie had some bird he was seeing a lot of. What was the big deal? Was it serious? he wondered. He shrugged that idea off quickly. Bodie would never love anybody but Bodie.

Facetiously he determined that his personal hygiene was not at fault. Then he wondered if it was not perhaps his personality. He could be prickly--Bodie had said so often enough. No, Bodie was anything but reticent about personal grievances. He would have said something.

Had he...the thought struck with the force of a small nuclear blast...had Bodie picked up on Doyle's more unorthodox urges and been put off by them? He had a moment of pure panic followed by resentment. What if he had? Doyle was not the type to push matters. He didn't trip people who didn't want to be tripped. Anyway, it wasn't passionate, unrequited love or anything. Just a good healthy interest in a good healthy body. "Let us be gentlemen at all costs," he muttered.

Was it, he wondered, something terribly wrong? Something from Bodie's past? Something...the thought made him shudder. Something internal? Almost without thinkings he dialed Bodie's number again. "Bodie, are you all right?" he blurted as his partner answered.

"Fine, Ray. What's the matter?" There was the sound of voices in the background. Laughter.

"Nothing. I was just..." He felt like an idiot. "Forget it. I've got to go."

He hung up quickly. "Sod you, Bodie" he grumbled.

"I've got to stop at the Crown and pick up my watch."

"You left your watch there?" Doyle asked as he turned towards the pub.

"No, not at the pub," Bodie said patiently. "With the barmaid. Dressed in a hurry."

"Well, you'll be lucky if she doesn't decide to keep it for her troubles." He stopped the car in front of the Crown and Bodie climbed out.

"No trouble at all, mate. C'mon."

"No thanks, I'll just go on. I'm tired."

"Oh be a sport. I'll stand you a round."

The offer brought no pleasure. He didn't feel like drinking with Bodie. "Not in the mood, okay?"

"No, it's not okay. We came to work in your car, remember? I'm not going to bloody waltz home. You can stop for a minute can't you?" Bodie stood on the pavement looking annoyed.

Ray sighed. "All right, but make it quick. I'll wait here." The door slammed forcefully and Bodie stalked into the pub with the aggressive swagger that meant trouble. Well, tough luck old man; your chauffeur doesn't want to drink with you.

He sat patiently for several minutes wondering if the barmaid was going to surrender the watch. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and checked his watch. Only ten minutes and it seemed that Bodie had been gone for hours.

Ten minutes later he got out of the car and stormed into the pub, muttering curses. Bodie was nowhere to be seen.

"In the back, dear," the barmaid told him. "He said I was to send you back when you came in."

"When," he grumbled. "That bastard, I ought to sit there until the moon turns..." He stopped short. The room was filled with his coworkers; even Cowley was there, and there was a chorus of "surprise" and "happy birthday." Bodie was perched on a stool looking exasperated.

"I thought you'd never come in. I was about to come back out and march you in at gunpoint."

"What is this?"

"Birthday party, you twit. It is your birthday, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," Linda said. She was one of the computer personnel. "Alf spit the date out and Alf is never wrong."

"Tomorrow," Ray said numbly.

"Happy Birthday anyway."

He was hugged and kissed and congratulated by the assembled group. Someone put a drink in his hand.

"Doyle, I expected you to twig long ago. You're slipping" Cowley accused.

"Sir?"

"Are you all right, Doyle?"

"Just surprised is all. Thank you. Thank you all," he said. "This is very nice."

After that it was easier. He had a few drinks and sat down to open his gifts. The first was from Cowley--a small box. "Not a bottle!" Ray said and Cowley grinned. Inside the box was a slip of paper that read: "One extra weekend off." "With pay, sir?" he asked.

"Don't push it, laddie."

The next box was from Linda, and the paper read: "Three hours." "It's a new concept," Glendenning explained. "It's called giving of yourself." Linda and Ray both flushed as the laughter spread through the room.

Betty's gift was a promise of a home-cooked meal, and the others were very much along the same lines. All were promises of some sort -time, help...a few unspecified like Linda's, and not all from the female staff.

The birthday cake was cut and someone put a record on. Cowley said good night and a few people began to dance.

"This is really nice!" Ray said to Glendenning who had pulled him onto the dance floor before Linda could pounce.

"Well, despite that famous Doyle aloofness, we all rather like you," she told him.

"Aloof?"

"Oh, dear me, yes. 'Touch me not, but look what I've got.'"

He chuckled. "Are you calling me a tease?" She nodded. "And your gift was what? Five, six hours?"

"Not bloody likely. I gave a massage. After that...we'll see.

He pulled her close and buried his face in the cascade of wavy black hair that smelled of gardenias. "You smell gorgeous," he told her.

Suddenly he couldn't remember having seen Bodie since the beginning of the party.

"What's wrong?" she asked as he pulled away from her and scanned the room.

"Ah! nothing. I just remembered something." He pulled Murphy away from the bar and pushed them together. "Keep her warm for me, Murph." Bodie was outside. "What are you doing out here?"

"Air's a bit thinner. You know."

"Yeah. So. How long you been planning this?"

"Few weeks. Not me so much as Linda. You ought to be very nice to her."

"I plan on it." He leaned against the car. "Bodie, is this why you've been avoiding me?"

"Was I? I'm sorry. I didn't realize you felt that way."

Nowhere among his gifts was there one with Bodie's name on it. "I'd better get back, eh? My party and all. You coming?"

"Few minutes."

Linda claimed him when he returned. "I've been waiting to dance with you!" she said. "You can collect any time. Tonight even."

"Not tonight, love. I'm knackered. I'd like to be at top form." She pouted prettily, but her blue eyes twinkled. Why in hell was he turning her down?

"You let me know, darling. I'll be waiting."

The party broke up about ten and Ray found Bodie playing darts with Sparks, a cryptographer who looked as though he'd had more that he ought. "That's twenty thousand you owe me, Sparks old son. I'll take a checque if you don't have the cash."

"Oh, bugger" Sparks said as he slid to the floor and passed out.

"So much for a vacation in Bermuda. Having a good time, birthday boy?"

"Lovely, but everyone's going home. I thought I'd shove off too. You ready?"

"For what?"

"To go. I have to drop you home, or have you forgotten? That's why I've been hanging about all this time."

"Oh is it?" Bodie asked with a laugh.

"Yeh. C'mon Sunshine." Once in the car Ray realized that Bodie was far less voluble than usual. "Is something bothering you?" he asked. "Not really. Want to stop up and get your gift?"

"I thought the party was my gift," he said, but inwardly he was pleased. He'd been hoping for a sign that they were still friends. He'd always taken their relationship for granted, but now he wasn't sure about Bodie and it left him unsteady.

"I got you a little something."

"So why didn't you give it to me at the party?"

"Forgot it this morning, didn't I?" Bodie snapped.

They climbed the stairs to Bodie's flat in silence. "Drink?" Bodie asked as he flipped on the lights.

"No, I've had enough. Can I have my gift?" It was there on the table, mysterious and alluring in paper the colour of Bodie's eyes.

Bodie handed it to him. "You can open it at home if you want," he said and turned away to pour himself a drink.

"I don't know what your problem is," Ray muttered as he tore at the wrapping. Inside there was a small slip of paper that read: "One affectionate, semi-faithful, talented, remarkably handsome and very modest lover."

Lover?

At the bottom of the page: "P.T.O." He flipped the paper over. It said: "Or if the idea puts you off, forget it and I'll buy you dinner instead." Bodie had not turned around.

There was no decision to make. Ray slipped his arms around his partner. "How did you know?" he asked. "It's what I've been wishing for."

"The dinner or the other?" Bodie asked, voice as tight as his muscles where Ray pressed against him.

"Sod the dinner. Bodie turn around and give us a kiss, will you? This is no way to start an affair."

Bodie relaxed so suddenly and completely that for a moment Ray thought he might collapse. He turned and put a hand on Ray's face.

"I love you. I won't say it again if you don't want me to," he added before Ray had a chance to respond, "But I wanted you to know. If I was to die tomorrow at least you'd know."

"You plan on it?" Ray asked, kissing the palm of Bodie's hand.

"No."

"Oh, good." Bodie kissed him sweetly. "For what it's worth, I do care for you too. Don't know if it's love."

"It's enough."

"And I've been wanting to get you into bed for the longest time. Did you know?" He nibbled Bodie's lower lip.

"Wasn't sure." Ray was pulled towards the bedroom. "I was afraid that it was my own feelings I was reading. So now," he said as he unbuttoned Ray's shirt with deft fingers, "we both know." His hand skimmed Ray's chest ruffling the hair. "Nice," he said.

He eased the tight jeans downwards, hands lingering over Doyle's backside, kneeling to pull them off along with socks and shoes. Then he took Ray's cock into his mouth, pushing the foreskin back with this tongue, and began a slow, maddening sucking.

"God! Bodie!"

"Birthday boys get special treatment." He stood up and pushed Ray towards the bed. "Lie down. Let me undress."

But Ray indicated that he wanted to do the honours, and bit by bit, savouring the slow discovery, he peeled away the layers of Bodie's clothing - shirt, trousers, tie and jacket, shoes and socks - all immaculate even after a day of work and the party. "Don't you even sweat?" Ray asked.

"Not if I can help it."

But everything smelled faintly, wonderfully of Bodie - a familiar, indefinable smell. Ray's hands caressed the smooth, heavily-muscled body with proprietary tenderness. "You're beautiful," he said. "Like a statue."

"Thus speaks the artist. Myself, I'll settle for remarkably handsome."

"Modest," Ray remarked as he stretched out and wrapped himself in Bodie's arms. "Truth in advertising. What," he asked between long, languid kisses, "did you mean by semi-faithful?"

"Oh, write in haste, repent at leisure, I suspect. I meant that while I'm not sure I want to give up girls for you, I don't think I'll be chasing the boys much while we're together."

Together had a nice sound. Ray raised himself up on one elbow. "Did you? I didn't know."

"I don't make a big deal out of it like some people."

"Pratt. Then why didn't you say something a long time ago?"

"Shy."

"Come on..."

"No, honestly." Bodie rolled him onto his back and began to lick his nipples. Bodie shy? Ray arched into the amazing sensations. "Not in bed at least," he mumbled.

It was slow and sensual and, as the birthday slip had promised, affectionate. The team worked as well in bed as in the field.

"You've never had it so good," Bodie mumbled into Ray's chest.

"You lied. You do sweat." Ray ran a finger over the sweat-sheened skin and licked off the moisture that clung. "You taste good."

"You too, all over."

"Bodie...thanks. It's the best gift I've ever had."

"Thought you'd like it...yeah."

Ray was almost asleep when the memory returned to haunt him. He'd been hurt and lonely in the last month because he thought that Bodie no longer cared for him. He worried at the feelings until the truth of them was laid bare - Bodie was not the only one that loved.

"Bodie?" he whispered. The slow regular breathing of his partner signaled sleep and Ray didn't feel like waking him. It would keep. But another memory shocked him out of his own sleep not long after. "If I was to die tomorrow..."

"Bodie!" He shook his lover. "Wake up."

"What? what?"

"I had to tell you..." Adrenaline raced through his bloodstream. "I love you too." He was breathing hard, as if he'd just run a race. "I wanted you to know," he added lamely, feeling foolish. It was past three and he was babbling about love like some recently deflowered teenager. "Sorry I woke you."

"I'm not."

"No?"

"No."

"Oh." A smile played around the corners of Bodie's mouth and Ray turned his face into the pillow and laughed. What a shame, he thought, that so many of those lovely gifts would have to go begging.

-- THE END --

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