10/20/01

Obsenad: short piece written for the Senad mailing list. 

Some minor injuries bring some major truths to light.

This story arose from a discussion in which is was mentioned that it is possible to put a condom on someone using only one's mouth.

With thanks and apologies to Pet Fly, and proceeding under the assumption that forgiveness is easier to ask than permission....

"Damn ... Jim?"

"Got it."

Jim leaned heavily on his partner and fumbled in the pocket of his jeans for a moment.  The brass "Cascade Jags" key ring was produced, the keys fumbled through, and the proper one inserted in the lock.  The door swung open and two battered, weary men entered #307, supporting each other as best they could and stifling groans of "finally" and "thank gawd".

"Jim?"

"Got it, Sandburg."

Jim lowered himself carefully onto the coffee table, stretching out the leg with the bad knee and favoring the arm with the bad elbow, and lifted Blair's feet onto the coffee table.  Carefully he unlaced the sneakers and dropped them to the floor; moments later, the stockinged feet followed.

"Jim!"

"Well, they stink, Chief.  Don't tell me you have to pee now."

"Ah...."

"Aw, dammit."

And the Blessed Protector guided his Guide to the bathroom, leaned the smaller body back against his chest, unzipped Blair's fly, winced and pulled the soft penis out.  He aimed it at the toilet and struggled for blase.

"Go for it, Chief."

"Sorry, Jim."

"Right."

A few embarrassing moments later, things were back in place and both Sentinel and Guide were slumped on the couch with beers in hand.  Almost.  Jim's beer was in one of his hands, and Blair's beer was in the other.

"Another sip, Sandburg?"

"Yeah.  Thanks."

"Sure. "  He lifted the bottle to the full lips and tried not to watch too closely.

"Ah."

"Yeah.  Ah.  Let this be a lesson to you, Sandburg.  If you see a hot water heater falling over, let it fall."

"But Jim, it was falling over onto you."

"I can dodge a hot water heater."

"Jim, how can I trust you to dodge a hot water heater?  Face it, man, your motor skills leave a lot to be desired.  You drop your gun all the time."

"I didn't drop your gun in the ... aw hell.  Never mind.  Just don't catch any more falling water heaters with your bare hands."

Blair regarded his bandaged hands with a mournful face.  "Okay."  Then his nimble mind, never misdirected for long, backtracked.

"You know, Jim, you're right."

"About what?" Jim asked warily.

"About not dropping my gun.  In the bathroom."

Dammit, thought Jim.

"That was really a nice thing for you to do, Jim.  I mean, a lot of friends would draw the line at that."

"Right."  Jim regarded the two beers he held, bemused; the image that Blair's words had conjured had distracted him, and he couldn't recall which was his and which was Blair's.  He sniffed carefully at the one in his left hand and immediately regretted it, as his sense of smell and his cock immediately confirmed that Blair's mouth had been there.

"I mean, I wouldn't have asked, you know, except...."

"I know, Chief.  You wouldn't have asked," Jim said, almost sadly.

"Right," Blair confirmed, almost sadly.

"More beer?"

"Oh, yeah."

The bottle was lifted to Blair's lips again; Jim pointedly looked the other way as Blair drank.

"Um, Jim, thanks."

"Sure."

"Um, Jim, you can take the bottle back now."

"Oh.  Sorry, Chief."  He did, sniffing slightly at the glass opening before lowering it to his lap, letting his inner thighs hold it upright while he drank deeply from his own bottle.

Blair looked at the deep amber longneck, sitting tall between Jim's legs, condensation trickling down the glass.

"Jim?"

"Yeah?"

"I noticed ... well, while you were ... holding my gun...."

Oh gawd, thought Jim.

"... your hands were ... um ... well, I don't mean to criticize because I'm really grateful but...."

"For gawd's sake, Sandburg, my hands were not ... whatever."

"Yes they were."

"Were not."

 "Were so."

"Aw shit.  No good deed goes unpunished."  Jim took another long drink from his beer and turned to glare at Sandburg.  "I'm not used to holding other guys' ... guns.  All right?"

"Of course not," Blair said, almost sadly.

"I only did it because you needed the help," Jim said, almost sadly.

"I know.  And I want you to know I'd do the same for you, Jim."

"I know that."

"Good."

"More beer?"

"Yeah."  Jim lifted the bottle from between his legs and held it for Blair, tipping it up so that Blair could drain it.  Jim did watch this time, for a moment.

"It's kind of warm, Jim."

"Well, I was holding the bottle between my legs."

"I know."

"My hands were getting cold, holding two beers," Jim said lamely.

"I'm sure they were," Blair said reassuringly.

"Want another?"

"Nope."

"Okay."

Silence fell.  Their own thoughts, and their speculations on each other's, were deafening.  Blair fidgeted.  His hands hurt, and so did his heart, and being silent was not his way.

"Jim?"

"What?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For everything."

"Everything?" Jim said, wary again.

"Yeah.  For kicking that water heater off of me.  Smart, using your foot to do that."

"Watch and learn, Sandburg."

"Yeah.  And for taking down that guy who didn't drop his gun."

"You don't always need a gun to take a guy down, Sandburg."

"I know, Jim.  I watch and learn.  And thanks for listening to me when I said that I thought these guys were after Malidan because of his collection of sacred stones, and not laughing when I told you that the front door was the safest way in because Aldeni cult practices say that you should never put a guard on your front door for fear of keeping the goddess Aldenai from visiting you."

"You were right, Sandburg."

"Of course I was right.  But you listened to me.  And that's what I'm thanking you for."

"Well, reciprocity, Sandburg."

"Reciprocity?"

"I don't mock you, you solve half the cases I get credit for closing.  Reciprocity."

"Symbiosis."

"Symbiosis?

"Two creatures who depend upon each other, and benefit mutually.  I know you thought our association was parasitic for a long time, and I'm glad you see it as symbiosis now."

"Yeah.  Well, it works."  Jim looked out the window, his gaze distant.  Blair licked his lips, and decided to damn the torpedoes.

"Um, Jim?"

"Yes?"  The tone was distracted.  Good, thought Blair.

"You know, this symbiotic thing ... there's another word for it."

"Oh?"

"Yeah.  Love."

"Yeah.  Love," Jim agreed softly.  Then he tensed.  He did not look at Blair.  "Excuse me?" he said.

"Love," Blair repeated, tentatively.  "Two creatures who depend upon each other, and benefit mutually.  And for whom life without each other would be ... difficult.  Bleak.  Even ... unsurvivable."

Jim swallowed hard.  And looked at the two empty beer bottles sitting side by side on the coffee table.  He inhaled deeply, and knew the truth ... Blair's truth, and his own.  But he had no words.

Blair didn't need them.  He could read Jim's face.  "Wait here," he whispered, and with some effort, got to his feet and disappeared into his room.  There was the sound of rummaging, grunts of pain and a loud thump and a quiet curse, and he returned, holding something.  In his teeth.

"Jm ... tkths."

"What?"  Jim said, stunned.

"Tkths.  Nw.  Opnt.  Nd nzp yr jns."

"What?" Jim said again.

Blair rolled his eyes.  "Jim...."

The voice was powerful, even when unable to convey real words.  Obedient, unthinking, Jim reached for the small foil packet.  Blair's lips released it, and he smiled.  "Open it," he repeated, kneeling between Jim's legs.

Obediently, Jim tore the foil.

"Now, unzip your jeans."

Still reacting to the voice, not to the words, Jim obeyed.  The undeniable evidence of his undeclared feelings sprang forth.

"Now, give me that."

Jim's hands complied.  Jim's brain struggled to catch up.  "Chief, what the hell is this all about?"

Blair leaned forward and took the small latex ring into his mouth.

"Rcprcty.  Smbsis.  Lv."

Blair leaned forward, bandaged hands resting lightly on Jim's thighs, hair falling forward over his cheekbones, eyes lowered.  And then those lush full lips that were so quick to smile, to mesmerize, to innocently seduce a Sentinel caught off-guard, pursed and puckered and slowly unrolled the condom down the long length of Jim's cock.

Jim gasped.

"Blair...."

But Blair's tongue was at work now, and the warmth that Jim's Guide had always provided engulfed him in a new way.  Embers that had burned long untended flared suddenly to life.  A sigh, ungentle and unguarded, gasped from Jim and his big hands reached blindly for the brown mane that swept his belly in tantalizing waves.  His fingers tangled in those coffee curls and pulled, rough and urgent, as his cock lunged into Blair's mouth.  A strangled sound went unnoticed as Jim's hips drove him deeper into that burning comfort.  His own throat uttered wordless demands and pleas as he bucked and thrust hard and deep, desperate and dial-less and disregarding of anything but that place so long dreamed of and now his ... his finally and absolutely. 

The skin on his cock burned in the vital heat of that captivating mouth; it felt the grasp of full lips and the caress of an inciting tongue, and Jim opened his eyes to see that embrace, to see that fantasy come to life ... to finally see Blair's lips on him, taking him in, holding him where it felt so right for him to be.

But god....

Blair's eyes were shut tight, lines cutting deep into his temples.  And even as he loved Jim, Jim could see that he was struggling to breath.  And suddenly, Jim's passion left him and he pulled back, softening, reaching for Blair and tugging him gently upward.

But Blair resisted, meeting Jim's concerned expression with huge eyes filled with understanding and love.  "It's all right, Jim," he whispered.  "I want you to want me that much."  And he bowed his head and suddenly his mouth was again on Jim's cock, laving him, loving him, holding him hot and safe and sweet and....

"Ah!" Jim choked, eyes shut tight and shoulders arched back and belly taut, as he came, endlessly.

"Jim?"

Jim struggled for words.  "Mmm," he managed.

"You still with me?"

"Forever."

"Good."

Jim opened his eyes and found Blair struggling to get to his feet.  Big hands slipped beneath Blair's arms and pulled him up and forward.  Jim felt Blair's wrists brace themselves on his shoulders, and then moist denim pressed against his naked belly.  He looked into Blair's eyes and saw happiness there.

"No hands," Blair whispered, smiling.

Jim swallowed hard.

"I know," he said, awed and apologetic and a little sad.  But the joy in Blair's eyes wasn't dimmed.

"Now, we both do," Blair murmured, and let his head drop into the curve of Jim's shoulder. 

Jim nodded, and shifted his body to cradle Blair's, and turned his head to kiss one bandaged hand, and held on tight.

~ 30 ~