Limbo (Professionals story)

Bodie/Doyle Fanfiction
Title:	Limbo
Author(s):	Thomas
Date(s):	1993
Length:	7400 words
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	The Professionals
External Links:	Limbo at The Hatstand Limbo at The Circuit Archive Limbo at AO3
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Limbo is a Bodie/Doyle story by Thomas.

It was published in Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink #2 and is online.

Reactions and Reviews

Stricken with thoughts of his own mortality, Bodie tells Doyle how much he cares about him and is horrified when Doyle's reciprocal affection is expressed in terms of sexual love. Full of homophobic fears, Bodie passively accepts Doyle's sexual attentions when they have to share a bed, and then he copes with the consequences. Well. First of all, Thomas, like some of the other authors in this zine, is stylistically a favourite of mine. I like the way she puts words together. I like the way she weaves feelings in to a pattern. This story amazed me in that she inverted just about everything I like to do with my own Pros stories. I like Bodie as the aggressor and the more experienced in male/male sex. I might have said, 'I like Bodie as the less homophobic character, but the truth is I prefer neither of them to be homophobic or even uncertain about their abstract acceptance of homosexuality, regardless of their level of experience or personal activity. In fact, I am happier by far when the question of orientation isn't even raised. And I prefer it when the characters, brought to face their mutual sexual interest (however unexpected) jump on each other like eager lemmings - or at least don't run screaming. This story falls into the 'run screaming' category... Moreover, I thought the set-up was cliche no. three in the Holden list of 'slash plots so trite they should be forbidden*. Along with 'the visit to the gay bar', the 'cold feet or other appendages needing warming', the 'trapped in small spaces', and the 'undercover as a gay couple' scenarios that make me cringe, we have the 'forced to share a bed' situation that turns up here. It's hard to make that one fresh. And to my delight, Thomas pulled it off. So it is to Thomas' credit that she made me believe in this Bodie, and made me enjoy the story, and had me rooting for both of them. I liked the way it was not told chronologically; the way there was a set-up of the problem and a resolution that was in character, optimistic, and heart-warming without being the least bit sentimental Thomas is one of those masters at producing writing that is full of feeling without being sentimental I don't know how she does it, but I love it Not that I don't like sentiment, you understand. But I prefer this kind of hard-edged gut-wrench. So what we have is a triumph of style over content that had me reluctantly applauding the content Okay, so partners might have to share a bed, and Doyle might well take advantage, and Bodie, if he had all those mixed feelings of repression and lust and shame and affection ... Dammit, she took a situation that I find psychologically implausible and unappealing and made it convincing and moving and - not least - thoroughly sexy.

A spotlight on a Bodie in emotional turmoil by an author whose writing I always enjoy, if not always the content of her stories. In this case, the ending invokes the title and isn't the pay-off I usually crave, but there's room to project my preferred scenario for them, and I do.

Thomas leads us on a penetrating journey through Bodie's conflicted psyche, with some lovely imagery along the way:

Bodie stared at him in dumb misery. All his life he carefully shrouded his sorrows, his joys, his loves and hopes, all the feelings that make a man weak, in a protective veil of unconcern. But now Doyle was ripping the veil, inch by merciless inch, focussing the blistering intensity of his gaze on things fit only for darkness.

I love stories with this type of intense inner focus. Thomas does it well, using a tight pov to limit us to Bodie's mind, Bodie's thoughts, Bodie's views of Doyle and their interactions, present and past.

This story makes me think of a friend I have who loves slash and writes and reads only slash, but finds deep, non-sexual friendship as rewarding and fascinating a topic as romantic relationships. I don't personally find friendship stories--gen, essentially--completely satisfying emotionally. This story, though, could be seen as depicting a Bodie who values that gen relationship and is terrified because other feelings--slash feelings, so to speak--are creeping in and poisoning the well of his life:

Now, anger flared again, at Doyle, at himself. No matter the subject was not mentioned, that life went on as it always had, things would never be the same, ever. His safe harbour proved to be laced with mines. All the secret pleasure he used to take in touching Doyle, casually, egging him with girls, sharing the odd bed or floor during a stakeout, the smell of his hair; all these things, ruined for him, tainted with forbidden fantasies.