Discovered When You See This: The 37th Autumn [complete]
"Look at that pile of leaves. Just look at it."
"No.”
“What! What do you mean, ‘no‘?”
“No, Bodie. Don’t even think about it.”
“You know, after everything I’ve been through, you’d think that a simple roll in the -”
“It’s Alzheimer’s, isn’t it?”
“What! What are you talking about, Ray?”
“Alzheimer’s gotten to you and made you forget all about your bad hip -”
“Ray. My fractured hip healed years ago. I think Alzheimer’s got you, mate.”
“Oh no, not me, sunshine. Unlike a certain bloke who watches Britain’s Got Talent like a religious ritual and plays Farmville on the iPad I bought him, I read books and maintain a healthy, intellectual brain.”
“Snotty golly.”
“A snotty golly you’ve loved for the last thirty-six years or so.”
“Thirty-six years, five months, two weeks, four days, ten hours and ... nine minutes.”
“What a coincidence, I bought that watch too. For your fifty-eighth birthday, wasn’t it?”
“Is this the part where I call you my sugar daddy and ask you to spank me?”
“Gosh, you know what, I think Alzheimer’s is getting to me. I can’t remember the last time we actually did that out here in the garden.”
“You know what?”
“What?”
“I don’t know if I can even bend over that far anymore without falling over onto my handsome, breathtaking face.”
“Modest, don’t forget modest.”
“C’mon, just let me do it!”
“No! Do you know how long it took me to rake all those leaves?!”
“It’s not like I’m going to spread it everywhere! I just want to roll in it!”
“My god. I’m married to a human Labrador.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment. Everybody loves Labradors.”
“Bodie … Bodie! Don’t lie on the -”
“Look, Ray! I’m making a leaf angel!”
“I swear, Bodie, I’m going to take a picture of you right now and email it to all the lads. And their wives and kids. And grandkids.”
“No, you won’t. You’re smiling -”
“No, I’m not. I’m narked!”
“And you’ve got that soppy look on your face -”
“I do not -”
“The one that says you love me madly, deeply, truly -”
“Are you quite finished, you berk?”
“You know, Ray, after living with you for over thirty-six years, I know all about your defensiveness and inclination to call me names when you’re feeling oh so very maudlin about me and ... uhm ... Ray?”
“Yeh?”
“I ... can’t get up.”
“Is that right?”
“Raaaaaay. Gimme a hand, will you?”
“Hmm ... oh, it looks like Britain's Got Talent is starting in two minutes -”
“Raaaaaaaaay! Help me up!”
“Not until I hear the magic words.”
“I’m hungry?”
“No.”
“I’m your sex slave?”
“Mmm ... no.”
“I’ll kick your arse if you don’t help me up in the next five seconds?”
“Uhm, no.”
“Please, Ray?”
“There, wasn’t that easy - ow!“
“You lied to me. The show doesn’t start for ages yet!”
“I swear, Bodie, your obsession with Simon Cowell is terrifying.”
“No need to be jealous, angelfish. You’re still the one that I love, the only one I dream of, you’re still the one I kiss good night -”
“Do you how old that song is?”
“Do you know how old we are?”
“Old enough to still frolic in a pile of dead leaves and hold hands even though we’re in our garden, I see.”
“Bloody right.”
“Bodie?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m so glad we made it.”
“Yeah. Look how far we’ve come, ‘ey, babe?”
Fin
P.S. The song Bodie is quoting from is Shania Twain's You're Still the One. It's fourteen years old!
Title: The 37th Autumn
Author: Gideon BD
Pros-Lib/Circuit Archive: Yes
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 580
Author's notes: For a discoveredinalj challenge, an impromptu dialogue fic about simple contentment in autumn. Thank you to byslantedlight for the prompt 'autumn'! (I just realized how long it's been since I wrote Pros fic ...) I've also posted it at my LJ here.