Bittersweet (Professionals story)
| Bodie/Doyle Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Bittersweet |
| Author(s): | SN |
| Date(s): | 1985 or before |
| Length: | |
| Genre: | slash |
| Fandom: | The Professionals |
| External Links: | |
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Bittersweet is a Bodie/Doyle story by SN.
It is a story on The 1985 Hatstand Express Top Ten Lists.
Reactions and Reviews
1985
Yeah, I know it's slushy and mushy and sentimental as hell, but I like it anyway. I think what makes the story belong on this list, though, is the ending, which is perfect. I applaud the author for knowing when to stop. That ending gets to me every time.[1]
1993
The seduction, such as it is...was pretty much Bodie's fault--again, we have the question if it is more wrenching to suffer, or to watch ones partner suffer. Pretty even handed all around... [2]
2010
This story's mushier than I generally like, but it has some compensating strengths. I reread it particularly because it's a rare example of my favourite kind of hurt/comfort: both of them hurt in turn, both requiring comfort from the other. Why aren't there more hurt/comfort stories that have equal-hurt, equal-comfort?It starts us off with Doyle's discovering he has a blood disease that stops him from working because both the disease and the treatment are debilitating. The pov switches to Bodie as he finds out after Doyle has left CI5. I like Doyle's independence, his refusal to allow himself to lean on Bodie; I love the phone call when he can't take not hearing Bodie's voice any longer, and Bodie's reaction. Bodie is wonderful throughout, doing his own investigating, trying to get a handle on things while coming to his own emotional epiphany. Bodie and Doyle both weep too much for my taste, but they otherwise remain mature adults handling the difficult situation.
Then Bodie is in a car accident....
There are moments throughout that make me smile with their capture of the characters:
Doyle phoned him only three-quarters of an hour later. Cowley frowned at the request of a reverse-charge call, but let it pass. Ray Doyle always did have the cheek of the devil.
While this story drifts closer at the end to romantic sappiness than usually works for me, I always get pleasure from rereading it because of the interesting set-up. It's one of the first stories I think of when I want a hurt/comfort wallow.[3]
References
- ^ In The Hatstand Express #6 from a fan listing what was supposed to be her top 10 Pros stories; the list turned out to be 50 stories long
- ^ Sandy Hereld, quoted with permission at Virgule-L, February 26, 1993
- ^ 2010 comments by istia, prosrecs, Archived version