DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS. UPN AND PET FLY PRODUCTION OWN THEM. I'M JUST BORROWING THEM.
Things had been pretty slow at the precinct. Jim and Blair had spent the day plugging away at Jim's back paperwork. The most excitement they'd had all afternoon was when Blair had accidentally blown up a veggie burger in the microwave. They still weren't sure how he'd managed to do that.
"Ellison, Sandburg, get in here," Simon bellowed from his office door.
Blair and Jim answered the summons immediately and filed into the office to find out what Simon wanted. Whatever it was, they couldn't tell from the Captain's face. Figuring it was a new case, Blair flopped down in a chair, earning him a glare from Simon and a very small chuckle out of Jim.
"So, Captain, you have something for us or what?"
"Sit up, Sandburg."
"Yes, sir."
"What is it, Simon?"
"I'm pulling you off your other assignments and putting you on this," Simon said handing a thick file over to Jim, who opened the file and looked through it briefly and then looked back up to Simon.
"You're kidding me right?"
"Hardly. City hall's been breathing down my neck, afraid this won't be the only job he does. As if that weren't enough, last time this guy hit things got ugly, the perp turned violent. .One of the bartenders at the club followed him outside and got shot for his trouble. Luckily, the kid's chances are pretty good. Unfortunately for us he's still listed in critical condition and hasn't been able to give us a description of the shooter."
"Uhm, one of you guys gonna tell me what is going on?"
"Sorry, Chief, didn't mean to leave you in the cold. There was a robbery at a nightclub that matches the M.O. of a guy who has been working the northwest for the last couple of years. It seems he's finally hit a club here in Cascade. The perp replaces the bartenders of specific nightclubs, telling the regular staff that he's a temp or newly hired. He even has the audacity to start serving drinks for a while before cleaning out the register."
"Cocky bastard. Look, Jim, you know I wouldn't send Sandburg under cover if I didn't think it was necessary, but you two will blend in better if you go in together."
"I get to go undercover? Cool."
"Not on your life, Captain. I am not going in there with Sandburg."
"Why not?"
"Check the file, Chief," Jim said tossing the file in Blair's lap. "He only hits gay bars."
Blair thumbed through the file quietly while Jim continued to argue with Simon. He only caught snippets of Jim's suggestions for ways to leave him out of the assignment. He returned his focus to the conversation just as Simon turned down Jim's idea to impersonate the bartender. Simon explained that Jim would be most effective if he was seen as part of a couple. If the perp was casing the place, he'd know the staff but not the customers. The information Blair had just read on the last robbery had hit him hard, and he broke in with fervent
"The Captain's right, even assuming people believed that you were gay, you'd spend half the time trying not to slug the other patrons for asking you to dance. And besides, I want in on this case. I'll do whatever you need me to do to get this guy, Captain."
"He's willing to help and I don't see that you have any other options, Jim. His presence will make your cover much more believable."
"Jim, I WANT to do this. It's important to me."
Simon and Jim both turned to look at Blair. It was the first time Jim had really seen him since the conversation had started. Blair's jaw was clenched and Jim didn't think he'd ever seen him so angry. Mistakenly believing that Blair was upset with him, Jim tried to reassure his young friend that he wasn't trying to keep him from going undercover out of a lack of trust.
"Sandburg, it isn't that I don't trust you as my backup. You know better than that. But there is no point in taking the risk if it isn't necessary."
"Jim, did you notice the information on the bartender he shot?" Simon said quietly.
"What about him?"
"He was a student at the University. I figured I'd better let the two of you in on this since there was no way I was going to be able to keep Sandburg away from this one."
"Thanks for understanding, Captain. I've only met him a couple of times, but I've seen him around campus. I know people who've had him in their classes. Ken is supposed to graduate in May."
"Just be careful, Sandburg. Now both of you better get going. You've
got to go prepare for a night on the town."
Blair didn't say a word as they walked down to the garage and headed back to the loft. Instead, he sat staring out the window, thinking about a nice kid who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just a week ago he'd run into Ken in the departmental lounge. They'd chatted about working your way through school and the joys of student loans and financial aid officers.
"Do you know him well?"
"What?"
"The bartender. Do you know him well?"
"Not real well, no. Just talked a few times. He's an anthro major, but I haven't had him in any of my classes. I know his family couldn't afford to pay for his schooling so he's working his way through. He'd even told me he was bartending, but I didn't know where. Said the money was good, even if the hours were lousy."
"You gonna be okay, Chief?"
"Yeah, just a little bummed out. He could have been killed and there was no good reason for it, you know?"
"There never is. Don't worry, we'll catch him."
"Yeah, I guess."
"You able to handle this?"
"What? Spending Valentine's day working a case in a gay bar with you? Why it's my dream come true, handsome," Blair said, trying to reassure Jim that he was his normal, frustrating self.
"Cute, Sandburg, real cute."
"How kind of you to notice," Blair said, actually cheering up as he watched Jim get more and more agitated.
"Enough!"
"Spoilsport."
"What the hell do you wear to a gay bar?!?" Jim hollered down from his bedroom.
"The same thing you'd where to a regular bar."
"This is ridiculous. No one will ever believe I'm gay."
"Jeez, Jim, you make it sound like you can tell someone's sexual preference from a hundred paces or something. How hard can it be to pick out something to wear clubbing?" Blair murmured as he climbed the stairs to Jim's bedroom.
Blair caught his breath when he saw Jim was standing there in nothing but a pair of sweat-shorts. //Damn! Look at those abs!// He dragged his attention away from Jim's chest and started browsing through the pile of shirts lying on Jim's bed. He picked up a deep, forest green shirt that buttoned at the throat, rather than having a collar, and set it aside. Then, Blair searched through the piles of slacks and jeans until he'd found a pair of faded blue jeans and a pair of nice black slacks.
"Which of these fits looser?" Blair asked, holding both pairs up for Jim to see.
"The slacks, why?"
"Wear these then," Blair said, tossing the jeans at Jim. "You'll make a better impression. Go with the green shirt. You might also want to bring your white noise generators, just in case."
"Thanks, Chief."
"Your welcome. Now can I go get changed?" Blair groused, trying to cover for the attraction he felt tugging at him.
"Sorry."
Blair sighed as he went back downstairs. He wandered back into his room and dug through his closet. It had been quite some time since he'd been in a gay bar. Since before he'd begun working on his doctorate to be exact. One could never be sure what kind of a reception you'd get going into a new situation, so when he'd started at the University he'd decided to stay in the closet until he was sure it was safe. Now, Blair knew that most of the people in the department would be cool about it, in fact many of them knew, on individual basis. Somehow there just never seemed a right time to tell Jim. //Yeah, I can just see that one happening. Oh, by the way, I'm gay. That would go over well.// Grabbing his dusky blue, sueded silk, button down from the bottom of his clean laundry pile and a pair of snug, dark slacks, Blair changed for the night. Then, he checked in the mirror before deciding to pull his hair back and put in his Austrian crystal stud instead of his usual earning.
"All ready, Jim," Blair said as he headed out of his room. "So where are we going?"
"There are only a couple of gay bars in town and he's already hit one of them. So there will be a surveillance team on one while you and I are at the other one."
"Sounds like a plan . . . uhm, Jim, maybe you should switch to your ankle holster. You aren't going to be able to keep a jacket on while we're on the dance floor."
"Dance floor?"
"How else did you plan to blend in?" Blair said heading out the door.
"Dancing?!? I'm going to be dancing? With you? I don't think so,
Chief."
The ride to Escondolo had been awkward. Blair could tell that Jim wasn't really comfortable with what they were about to do, but he couldn't find an easy way to convince him it would all work out okay. It didn't help any that every time Blair looked at Jim all he could think of was how much he wished this was all for real. That they were really going out dancing together for Valentine's day, that this wasn't really just another case.
Blair perked right up once they got inside the bar. There was a good sized dance floor and the music blaring from the speakers was a combination of Latin and pop. He smiled and looked around at all the couples dancing together, and at the various men out looking to meet someone. It had been too long. It felt like coming home. He didn't have to see or hear Jim to feel him coming up to stand behind him. He always knew when Jim was close by. Blair turned and aimed his blinding smile on his friend.
"Isn't this great?"
"Yeah, Chief, great," Jim said over the din of the club. It was obvious that Blair was enthralled and that no matter what he thought of the place it wouldn't matter to him.
"C'mon! Give it a chance. You want a soda or something? My treat."
"Since when do you treat?"
"All the more reason to accept when I offer, man."
"Okay, get me a juice then." Jim smiled as he watched his partner squeezing through the throng around the bar.
Without a description they didn't have much to go on. Jim looked around the bar, trying to see if anyone was acting suspiciously. He'd never had a problem with same-sex couples but it was still somewhat jarring when he saw a couple in the corner playing tonsil hockey, obviously not worrying that they were in a public place. Jarring, but arousing nonetheless. He ran his fingers under the neck of his shirt and turned to look for Blair. Jim finally spotted his roommate at the bar, chatting away with the bartender. He tried to tune his hearing to make out what Blair was saying but there were too many distractions, too many sounds. He couldn't focus, not with the sight of Blair flirting with a man in front of him. Jim just stood there, rooted to the spot, watching Blair. It seemed like an eternity until Blair was walking towards him carrying a cola and an orange juice.
"What took you so long?" Jim growled.
"Just seeing what I could find out from Rich."
"And what did you learn from Rich? The secret of making a really dry martini?"
"I already know that secret. However, I did find out that the shift changes at 9:30."
"That's almost an hour away!"
"That's about the size of it. C'mon, man, lighten up. At least pretend you're enjoying yourself or they'll never believe you came here by choice. Relax a little."
"We're on duty, Blair."
"I'm not suggesting you forget that, I'm just saying you'll be more believable if you at least pretend to be having fun. I know this isn't exactly your kind of place, but it could be a lot worse."
"I suppose," Jim muttered, chugging his juice.
"Take it easy on that. That juice cost me 2 bucks!"
"I'll buy the next round."
"Promises, promises."
Jim studied Blair as they stood by the wall drinking. He could see that his young friend was raring to go, all that nervous energy busting to get loose. He couldn't help but notice all the attention the grad student was getting from the unattached men by the bar. Blair was what his mother used to call "easy on the eyes," especially tonight. That shirt brought out those gorgeous blue eyes and Jim was amazed the kid could move at all with pants that tight. Worried that someone might approach Blair, Jim reached out and grabbed his arm. The feel of the sinfully, soft shirt against his finger tips sent a jolt through him. He gave Blair a tug to bring him closer.
"What's up? See something?"
"Just making sure I don't have to come to your rescue later tonight."
"Huh?"
"Dark brown hair, black leather jacket at 2 o'clock."
"You're kidding? HE was checking me out? I must look better than I thought."
"BLAIR!"
"What? Look at that guy. He could have pretty much whoever he wanted with looks like that. You done with your drink?"
"Yeah."
"Good, let's dance."
"I told you I'm not going to dance with you."
"Come on! I'm bored, we have the time, and it will make us less conspicuous," Blair wheedled as he dragged Jim over to the dance floor.
"There is no way I can dance to this."
"I know, I know, the only decent band alive is Santana. Just let yourself go and move with the music, okay?"
"Blair --"
"Just try. You might surprise yourself."
Jim stood and observed Blair as he lost himself in the music. He started slowly, his eyelids drifting down so that they were only slitted open and his he head rolling in time with the music. Then Blair's body began to sway with the music. //This may be your only chance. If you don't do something now, you'll regret it.// Blair inched in closer and closer to where Jim was still standing. He blocked out the rest of the bar, focusing all of his attention on the man in front of him. His hips swayed in time to the music while he ran a hand down Jim's chest.
Jim squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to dispel his reaction to the vision before him and the sensation of Blair's hand on him. He hoped that what he was feeling wasn't visible on his face as Blair opened his eyes further and quirked an eyebrow at him.
"I can't move like that."
"Sure you can."
"Blair, you may have ball bearings for hips but I don't."
"Trust me on this one, okay. Just do what I tell you."
"We don't have time for this."
"Yes, we do. Now, close your eyes. I mean it, close your eyes." Jim sighed and did as his guide told him to do, just like always.
"Feel the music. Don't listen to it. Feel it. Feel the beat. Let it start at the bottoms of your feet and slowly work it's way up your legs. That's it. Now, don't zone out on me, Jim. That's it! Let the music move you."
Jim slowly opened his eyes and looked at Blair. He was standing there, smiling up at him, as he moved to the rhythms that rocked his body. Although he hadn't zoned out, he knew he wasn't exactly in control of his actions. His senses were running on overdrive and battered against his carefully built up control. A quiet groan escaped him, and he pulled Blair up against his chest. It felt so right to have the smaller man there. Songs came and went but Jim had no idea how long they stayed like that, lost in the music and each other. Jim's mind reeled as he tried to absorb all the feedback his senses were giving him. Some part of his brain was trying to catalog the snippets of information, like Blair using that apple scented shampoo again. He reached a hand up to let Blair's hair loose. Twining his hand in its softness, Jim tilted Blair's head back so he could see his face.
Blair looked up into Jim's face, stunned by the desire he saw in those eyes. //It's the music. That's all it is. If Jim were thinking, there is no way he'd let me this close . . . but I am this close. Oh, man, I want this. I NEED this. He's gonna be pissed tomorrow. But that's tomorrow. I could always say it was an aberration of this little game we were playing here.// Blair reached a hand up to cup the back of Jim's head, reveling in the soft, velvety feel of close cropped hair. It only took a minimum of pressure to convince Jim to bring his head down, to bring his lips into range. Blair licked his lips in anticipation, then stretched up to bring them together. He felt Jim's grip around him tighten as the kiss deepened. Their bodies stopped moving as all of their attention centered on the melding of their mouths.
Tastes blasted their way into Jim's mind. Cola. Fennel flavored toothpaste. Something that was just Blair. Tongue scraping along teeth, tickling the sensitive part of the roof of his mouth -- right behind his teeth. He could feel Blair vibrating against him, a purring rumble shaking the slim body. Jim could have stayed that way forever, if it weren't for his cell phone going off. He forced himself away from Blair, groaning as he looked saw the confused look on his face. //Oh God! What am I doing?!// Those adorable blue eyes, his lips bruised from their kisses. //Who cares?!// The phone rang again forcing him back to the matter at hand. He grabbed Blair's hand and dragged him into a quiet corner before answering the call.
"Ellison," Jim said, his voice gruff.
"Jim, it's Simon. You can call it a night. He's been caught. Don't worry about any paper work. Just go home and get some rest."
"Thanks, Captain," Jim said turning off his phone.
"What's going on?"
"They caught the guy. We can head home."
"Oh." Blair spoke quietly, depressed at the thought of losing the closeness he'd had for a fleeting amount of time.
"Chief?"
"Yeah?"
Jim took hold of Blair's chin and forced him to quit staring at the floor. He could easily read the sadness and the confusion in his partner's eyes. Leaning in, Jim recaptured those lush lips. When he pulled back and looked at Blair's stunned face, he had to chuckle.
"Do you want to stay here or do you want to continue this at home?"
"At home?" Blair choked out.
"At home."
"Oh man, yes! Let's go."
They'd barely settled in the truck before Blair launched himself at Jim. He'd waited too long for this and he didn't want to lose any more time. Pausing to tug Jim's shirt out of his jeans, he started stroking him through the denim. The moan his actions elicited from Jim were like manna from heaven, assuring him that everything was right with the world. Hell, everything was perfect!
"Blair, if you don't stop that we're never going to get home."
"Just drive, Kemosabe," Blair answered as he unfastened Jim's pants, smiling at the fact that there was no underwear to hinder him. "No shorts, huh?"
"Not under pants this tight," Jim groaned. "Blair! Stop it! We're in public."
"We're in a truck. Only buses and big rigs can see what I'm up to down here. You just get us home."
"How am I supposed to do that with you distracting me?"
"If you really want me to start distracting you, you'd better start driving, man." Blair punctuated his sentence with a series of licks along Jim's cock.
"Oh GOD!" Jim moaned as he started the truck and pulled out into traffic.
Jim tried not to think about the sensations that Blair was causing in him with that delicious mouth of his. He tried to focus on his vision and on getting them home in one piece, but Blair had him squirming in his seat. His eyes nearly rolled back into his head as the young man draped across his lap took his cock in so deep felt he had to be half way down his throat. As he came to a stop light, Jim dropped a hand onto Blair's head. The silky hair wound around his fingers, and all he could hear were the slurping sounds coming from his lap. Someone behind him had to honk to let him know that the light had turned green. Once he'd crossed the intersection, Jim turned on the lights and sirens because he knew that otherwise he'd never make it home.
As he pulled into his regular parking spot and turned off the truck, Jim slumped back in the seat. He couldn't believe he'd been able to hold off during the ride home. When Blair pulled away, Jim gasped at the loss of sensation. Blair just smiled up at him and tried to help Jim back into his pants.
"These are never gonna close around that." Blair chuckled.
"You are pure evil, you know that don't you?"
"Who me?" Blair asked while making his eyes go as wide as he could. Jim just grimaced.
"How am I supposed to walk like this?" Jim griped.
"Who said anything about walking? I don't know about you, but I plan on breaking the light barrier getting up to that loft." Blair hopped out of the truck and ran for the building.
In deference to his swollen cock, Jim took it slower. But not by much. He caught up to Blair as the younger man was just opening the door. Pushing the younger man inside, Jim slammed the door behind him. He dragged Blair to him, grinding his hips into him, as he ran his tongue along the contour of Blair's ear. Laughter poured out of Jim as he felt Blair bucking against him and shivering in reaction.
"Like that huh, Chief."
"Oh, yeah."
Jim swung Blair into a fireman's carry and took him into the cramped first floor bedroom. Once he'd dropped him onto the bed, Jim stripped off his clothes and started on Blair's. It took almost no time at all before their naked bodies were clinging to one another in the confines of the twin bed. Jim, deciding turn about was fair play, began to tease his lover. Starting with small love bites on Blair's neck, Jim slowly moved lower and lower. He sucked the flesh over Blair's hip bone into his mouth. His hands tweaked nipples while his mouth took in first one ball and then the other. By the time Jim began licking Blair's cock, the young man was just one massive undulating pile of flesh beneath him.
"JIM! Please!"
"Please what?"
"Fuck me!"
Jim blinked as what Blair said registered. He had expected Blair to demand that he suck him off. Not that he didn't want to do more than that, he just hadn't figured Blair would be willing to go that far so soon.
"I need something to lubricate you. I don't want to hurt you."
"Desk drawer."
"Desk drawer?"
"Yes! Hurry up!"
It didn't take more than a few seconds for Jim to get the tube out of the desk and return to the bed. He looked down at Blair, drowning at the erotic vision he made lying there like that. Jim went to roll Blair over, but instead, found himself kneeling on the bed with Blair's legs around his neck. He squeezed the lubricant out onto his fingers and started to prepare his lover. He heard Blair gasp at the coldness of the jelly.
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize, just do it!"
"Blair, I don't want to hurt you."
"NOW, JIM. I need you now. Please!"
As always, Jim couldn't refuse Blair anything. He pushed in as slowly as he could, trying to let the young man get used to being so full. So tight. Jim wanted to savor the moment, take things slow, but Blair kept wiggling, spurring him on. He nearly lost it completely when Blair pulled his legs back towards his own head, allowing Jim to scrunch him down and reach deeper and deeper inside of him.
"Oooh Blair!"
"Let's hear it for yoga," Blair murmured. "YES! Oh, man, yes! Jim! . . . Deeper . . . oh god . . . oh god, yeah."
Jim knew he couldn't last long, not after all the stimulation he'd gotten that evening. Using the hand he'd stretched and lubricated Blair with, he began to stroke his lover's cock. The last thing he wanted to do was leave Blair behind on this one. Jim reviewed his case load in his head to keep from beating Blair to orgasm. When the young man finally came, and his muscles involuntarily tightened around him, Jim couldn't hold back any longer. He slammed into Blair, over and over, until he came with a shout. Afterwards he dropped down next to Blair, waiting for his breathing to even out.
"I vote we move up to your bed."
"Why is that, Chief?"
"No wet spots."
Even though it was Saturday, and technically Blair didn't have to, he went to the station with Jim. It had been an amazing night. After making love in his bed, they'd done it in the shower and in Jim's bed. Both men were sore, but they were happy. Blair's face was such an open book, it made Jim blush. It was obvious that the young man was in seventh heaven, and even if his face wasn't obvious enough there was always the big hickey he'd accidentally given Blair peaking out from underneath his neckline. They were sitting at Jim's desk attempting to do paperwork and not pay too much attention to each other, when Simon and a young red headed guy with an arm in a sling came up to them.
"Gentlemen."
"Hey Captain," Blair said before looking up. Then he looked up. "Ken?!"
"Hey, Mr. Sandburg."
Jim looked up at Simon and the kid with him. Simon motioned for them to go into his office. Once inside, the Captain shut the door and took his usual seat behind the desk.
"Captain? What's going on? I thought Ken was in critical condition," Blair asked.
"Actually, Sandburg, this was all Ken's idea."
"What was all Ken's idea, sir?" asked Jim who was not at all sure he liked the looks passing between Simon and the student.
"Well, it's like this, Detective Ellison, I overheard some of the grad students in the department discussing the way Mr. Sandburg was mooning over you," Ken said, causing Blair to drop his head into his hands as he felt the blush creeping up his neck.
"And I've had to put up with watching the two of you dance around each other for ages now."
"When I got hurt in the robbery the other night, we thought it was the perfect way to get you two together."
"Wait a minute. How did you two get together to plot this little surprise for me and Sandburg?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Detective Ellison. I guess I should have mentioned. I baby-sit for Darryl."
"But what about last night? The case?"
"Sorry, Jim. We actually caught the perp shortly after he shot Ken in the arm on Wednesday. I'm amazed we managed to keep it out of the news until this morning. I take it you haven't seen a paper yet."
"So you sent us to the club . . ."
"Hoping the two of you would either get your acts together or get it out of your systems. And judging from the looks of you two, you have nothing to complain about. Now get out of my office and go home. You have today and tomorrow off."
Jim, and a still very embarrassed Blair, headed towards the door,
stopping only as they heard Simon call after them. "Happy belated
Valentine's day, you two."