Measure for Measure

Fanfiction
Title:	Measure for Measure
Author(s):	Maggie Hall
Date(s):	1993
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	The Professionals
Relationship(s):	Bodie/Doyle
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Measure for Measure is a Bodie/Doyle story by Maggie Hall.

It is a sequel to Madelein Lee's "Carnal Interests" trilogy in Proslib.

It was published in Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink #2.

Reactions and Reviews

A large drug case is going on. Doyle and Bodie are lovers, but their relationship is troubled - something to do with Bodie having been raped and tortured, though the main problem (or part of it) turns out to be that Doyle won't fuck him and he wants him to. (I think) Pretending that the relationship between them is superficial and casual, Doyle is messing up personally and professionally, even risking their lives because of his stress. Bodie says he is making an end to the affair, but he doesn't mean it, and uses the threat to further seduce Doyle. Doyle tells Bodie that Cowley wants him, and that he resents their relationship. Bodie then goes to Cowley and seduces him, without telling Doyle. Um ... am I getting this right so far? On the plus side, this story had a nice sense of twistiness. All the characters are into double- and t riple-think, and though most of the time I had no clear notion of why they were doing and feeling any of the things they were doing and feeling, it was reasonably entertaining (though perplexing) to see them doing and feeling it I particularly liked Bodie's glee on successfully seducing Cowley, and his fantasy of fucking both Cowley and Doyle every day, as he dresses in clothes calculated to most effectively manipulate Doyle. (Though I must admit that I wasn't sure why he really wanted to seduce this rather unattractive version of Cowley. Aside from the blackmail-manipulation potential, that is; it was clear Bodie enjoyed the act for its own sake, but it wasn't clear why) We don't often see a Bodie as Macchiavellian or as promiscuous as this, and I liked it... Halfway through this rather long story I gave up trying to understand what was happening or why and just sat back and enjoyed the prose. And I really did enjoy the prose. Okay, so it was out of character, to my eyes. Cowley was the most extreme case - if not for the name, I wouldn't have believed this was the character I know and love, especially in the few paragraphs that were (disconcertingly) in his point of view. And the plot, besides not making sense to me, seemed to wander and meander and go around in a few circles and meet a few dead ends before actually getting anywhere, insofar as it did get anywhere. And I couldn't really say where that was. Except that the ride, though jerky, was fun. There were some great byways and sights along the way, like a delightful sex scene when Bodie pulls Doyle into a broom closet Some odd interplay about drug use, some odder references to their working relationship, some lovely glancing references to Murphy. I loved their mental challenges, trying to manipulate each other, lying for effect, seducing over and over in different ways and on different levels - not quite Les Liaisons Dangereuses but a little along those lines. Making love by making war, both intellectually and physically The fisherman's approach to romance: bait, hook, tackle, line, reeling in the victim.