Midsummer's Musings - Part Two

	This was definitely not what he had planned.
	Doyle trailed along behind his partner, squinting in the 
summer sun. A young woman pushing a child-burdened stroller 
jostled past him, and he jerked aside, barely missing the man behind 
him. They exchanged meaningless apologies, then Doyle hurried 
forward to catch up with his partner. The big dark man was 
standing still, shoulders back, head held high, features drawn tight 
in concentration. Moving up beside him, Doyle paused and 
followed the line of the intent blue gaze.
	It was a lovely picture. Snow fell through the yellow glow 
of a lantern, lighting a narrow lane. The white crystals bedecked a 
small brick house, glittering around the chimney that gave off a 
gray trail of smoke. The windows were lined with holly, light 
shining through them, giving the air of comfort and warmth. Nice...
	But hardly what Doyle wanted to stand looking at while 
the sun beat mercilessly on his shoulders. London's August heat 
wave seemed to be endless. They'd spent far too many sweat-
soaked days driving around oven-baked streets, sitting in stifling 
cars, sleeping beneath an array of noisy fans. At last they'd gotten a 
day off -- a measly twenty four hours -- and Doyle had held hopes 
of burrowing into an air-conditioned hotel room. It wasn't quite as 
good as his dream of a cool Scottish lake-side, but it was the next 
best thing. They could be spending some time in a swimming pool; 
drinking cold drinks while ensconced in a big wide bed; and...
	And Bodie had suddenly gotten a 'bright' idea. One of the 
older London suburbs was having a massive art show. Artists came 
from all over Britain to display their work amidst crowds of 
Londoners and tourists. To Doyle's surprise, Bodie had dragged 
him out of bed almost before the sun rose, just so they could get 
there in time to beat the crowds. A faint hope that had turned out to 
be. Even as the sun broke over the horizon, hordes of people had 
descended upon the large open commons and narrow, store-front 
line streets. By the time they had parked and joined the throng, a 
dozen languages filled the steamy air, while the smell of fried food 
floated on the faint stirrings of a breeze. The crowd swelled around 
them, a thousand human bodies adding to the heat. 
	No, this was definitely NOT what Doyle had had in mind.
	Sighing, he nudged Bodie forward, gaining a delighted, 
impish grin for his trouble. The big bloody sod was having the time 
of his life. Who'd have thought it? Doyle was the artist of the pair. 
He still painted in his spare time -- and he just as good as some of 
these punters (Doyle grimaced at a display of 'modern' art, giant 
blobs of colors spread randomly over a large black canvas). Ugh! 
He shook his head in disgust. Still, it wasn't that he didn't like art 
shows. He did, but not today. Not when they could have been...
	But Bodie was getting away from him, and, resigned to his 
fate, Doyle hurried to follow Bodie as the man weaved his way 
effortlessly through the mob.
	Finally Bodie came to a stop. He turned, paused, then 
reached out and tugged on Doyle's arm.
	"Come on, Doyle!" he insisted, pulling his partner into a 
long line. Doyle arched his head to try to look over the heads in 
front of him. There was a small stand there, selling something...
	Something that looked rather like sherbert in plastic cups.
	"What is it?" he asked Bodie.
	Grinning happily, Bodie replied, "Frozen, ice-blended 
fruit!" He sounded like he had just discovered a gold mine. His blue 
eyes twinkled with delight. For a moment he looked nothing like 
the hardened ex-mercenary soldier that he was, and more like a ten 
year-old boy at the circus. That childlike joy was infectious and 
Doyle couldn't help responding despite himself.
	"At least it's not chocolate or full of grease," he said 
gruffly.
	"Nope - 100% natural," Bodie offered.
	And it *was* good. Quite good. The sweet icy mixture of 
strawberry and banana pulp slid down Doyle's grateful throat as 
easy as the best malt Scotch. Bodie was slurping his, even as his 
alert eyes darted from sight to sound, absorbing his surroundings 
with obvious satisfaction. Doyle took another delicious sip, then 
took in a deep breath. Relaxing slightly, he began to appreciate 
Bodie's enjoyment of the event, and within a few minutes was busy 
chatting with a nearby artist.
	By the time they returned to Bodie's flat, both were grimy, 
sticky, and laughing. Bodie clutched a treasure under his arm, a life-
like rendition of a merchant marine ship fighting a storm at sea. It 
brought back memories, not always good ones, but images colored 
with the excitement and awe of a young boy exploring a new world. 
	Doyle plopped down on his couch, sighing as he pushed of 
his shoes. 
	"Damn, I wish this weather would lessen up!" Even with 
the fans running full speed, the air was still and muggy in the small 
room.
	Re-examining his chosen painting, Bodie didn't look up.
	"Yeh, but just wait until winter. Then you'll be 
complaining that it's too cold."
	Doyle snorted, but couldn't argue with that. The weather 
was rarely just the way he liked it. Sixty to seventy some degrees, 
clear sky, light breeze... Oh well...
	Bath time!! Heaving himself to his feet, he moved himself 
towards Bodie's small bathroom. His partner looked up just as he 
reached the door.
	"Hey!" Bodie rose swiftly to his feet. "It's *my* flat, my 
bathtub, and I get to use it first!"
	A protest rose in Doyle's throat as he turned to face his 
rapidly approaching partner. Just as Bodie loomed up before him, 
the words died in his throat. Light sparked in his eyes, flashed from 
his teeth. His grin was predatory; his mind settled; his heart 
determined. Something warm rumbled in his groin, even as he 
reached out to take Bodie firmly by the arm.
	"Hey..." Bodie responded in surprise as he was pulled 
almost off balance.
	But without so much as a word, Doyle moved with 
absolute assurance. It took barely a moment for him to drag his 
confused partner into the bathroom, and not much longer for his 
silent intention to penetrate the other man's thick skull.
	Actually, Bodie was quite quick on his feet. A heartbeat 
later, he was assisting Doyle in the rapid removal of their clothing. 
Water filled the big tub, and they tumbled into it like a pair of little 
boys at a swimming pool. A big splash sent droplets flying 
everywhere, but neither man noticed. Settling down into the 
embrace of the wide porcelain tub, they turned absolute attention to 
each other.

End Part Two

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