Author's webpage: http://www.ravenswing.com/bas/

Author's notes: Thanks to Laura JV for the inspiration, and bunches of other people for encouragement.

Saturday evening, after work.

Jim spread his arms along the back of the couch. His hand brushed against Blair's hair and he tugged on a curl absently. They watched the movie, tossing the occasional well-deserved insult at the screen.

Blair muted a commercial and turned to Jim, eyeing him in silence. Jim glanced at Blair a few times.

"This would be the time for you to make a move," Blair said.

"Excuse me?"

"You're playing with my hair, Jim. You're making date moves. Just do it."

"Do what?"

"Kiss me, you dumbfuck!"

Jim stared at Blair. He blushed a little. He did that twitching thing with his jaw. He did not kiss Blair.

"Well?"

"Chief."

"Yeah?"

"You're my friend."

"I can still be your friend. I can just be, you know, a kissing friend."

"No, I don't know!"

"C'mon, Jim--" Blair moved closer, and Jim dropped his hand from the back of the couch to hold Blair at arm's length. "Jim. I know you've been looking."

"I have not."

"I've seen the pictures. Of you and that guy. You had your arm around him like you have your arm around me."

Jim glanced away, doing the jaw thing again, then back at Blair. "That was different."

"He was a friend, right? A kissing friend."

Jim just looked away again.

"And maybe a fucking friend, on the weekends or something."

Jim was silent.

"Spill it, Jim. You're not fooling me for a minute."

"No, he wasn't."

"Jim, I can totally tell when you're lying."

"He wasn't!"

Blair grinned.

"More of a hand job friend," Jim said, not looking at Blair.

"Hah! I knew it!"

"It wasn't a gay thing!"

"Jim, give me a fucking break."

"We were just friends. It was a guy thing."

"You are such a cliche."

"It was a camping thing," Jim said, and Blair cracked up. Jim glared at him. "Out in the woods," he said, his irritated tone cutting through Blair's snickers. "Nature. Primal. Us against the elements kind of thing, and quit laughing!"

Jim was blushing again, frowning furiously. Blair controlled himself and beamed at Jim.

"It's not funny," Jim said. "First you want to make out with me and then you laugh at me?"

"Hey." Blair leaned forward. "I'm not laughing at you, man. I'm laughing at your total inability to admit that you had sex with a guy."

"I did not. I fooled around with a guy."

"I'm not getting the difference."

"And you call yourself an anthropologist?" Jim grabbed the remote off Blair's thigh and un-muted the TV.

"Nice dick-grabbing action there."

"What!" Jim whirled back on Blair.

"You're feeling out of control in this conversation, so you seized the phallic symbol of power, which happened to be lying in my lap. By using the symbol of control, you get your emotional power back." Blair folded his hands and grinned.

"Chief, you are so full of shit."

"It's true."

"You're so full of shit it's coming out your ears. I should kick your butt out before you stain the carpets."

"You're just upset because you know, in your heart of hearts, that I'm right."

"Why did I ever listen to you? Tell me this."

"Because you wanted me. Hard and fast. Up against the wall."

"This again?"

"Admit it, it was a dominance gesture based on your underlying attraction!"

"What was?"

"When we first met. You pinned me up against the wall. You wanted me, you just couldn't say it, and so you pushed me around instead. And now you still can't say it. Why is that?"

"Maybe it's because I don't."

"Maybe it's because you're so deeply repressed that you don't even know you want to do me."

"And maybe, just maybe, it's because I don't harbor a secret desire to fuck you, Chief?"

"What if we go camping?"

Jim blinked. Blair grinned. The cable chose that moment to go out. Jim and Blair both looked at the black screen, and then back at each other.

"This would also be a good time to kiss me," Blair said.

"I don't need any help with my seduction technique. Should I choose to employ it."

"Hey, I'm just saying."

The cable came back on with a bright flash of the Coke logo, just in time for the power to go out entirely.

"Dammit!"

"I'll get the candles. I guess that storm blew in." Blair carefully stood and went into his room, while Jim made sure the balcony doors were fastened down. He groped for his stock of candles and lighter, returning to the living room with several. He began setting up candles as Jim fiddled with the battery-powered radio.

"So, Jim."

Jim glanced over at Blair. "What?"

Blair widened his eyes. "This would be a prime opportunity to kiss me."

Jim sighed. He straightened up, looking Blair square in the eye, and took the candle from Blair's hand. He grabbed Blair's shirt firmly and shoved him up against the wall, several inches off the floor.

"I do not want to fuck you," Jim said, and dropped him. Blair stared up at Jim. Jim patted his cheeks gently, turned and headed for the stairs. "Goodnight."

Blair watched him walk away. "Damn," he muttered. Jim's mouth twitched just before he climbed out of view. Blair gave up, blew out the candles and went to bed.