Rating: R

God, I must be mad! Blair thought as he climbed onto the horse's back. And it's entirely my own fault!

He'd been helping at a riding school for disabled children, learning to ride himself as part of the process. He'd picked up the skills pretty quickly, but the school needed resources, both of money and volunteers to help with the children.

Although his friends at the Major Crimes Unit at the Cascade PD were willing to donate money, getting some of them to commit a regular time slot to the school was more difficult. Rafe had 'commitments' whenever he had a free Saturday - usually with his latest squeeze. H had family obligations - though Blair knew that his family only saw Henri during the holidays when his mother cooked for her large clan. Even Simon wanted to keep his time free for his son, just in case they could spend time together. All very worthy excuses, but...

So Blair had come up with a suggestion; if they would all offer to give up just one Saturday a month to help out at the school, Blair would ride, naked, like Britain's Lady Godiva, around a set course - bare backed.

This last was put forward by Megan Conner, with a gleam in her eye.

I'll get her for that, Blair thought, trying to get comfortable and feeling what seemed like every hair, every bone, on the horse's back.

"You sure about this?" Jim stood, his eyes full of concern, as he held the horse's rein.

"No," Blair admitted. "But I can't back down now, can I? The guys would never let me live it down! Anyway, it's only an eighth of a mile, not that far and most of it away from prying eyes."

"I realize that, but 'bare back' Chief? You'll be sore for days and you'll have to use your thighs and heels to control the horse. If you fall, you've not got even the slightest protection!"

"Says the man who once leapt onto the back of a race horse to bring down the bad girl, with only his stubbornness to protect his thick skull!" Blair mumbled. "She's a nice steady mare. She knows the route. I've taken her along it a few times. I've practiced. I've got ointment ready and if there's any trouble, I'll holler for help because I know you'll be listening out for me, right?"

Jim nodded. "Oh yeah! I'll have my ears cocked for you."

"Not too much. You won't be any good to me if you zone out." Blair smiled to take the sting from his words.

"I won't, Junior. Just you watch for low branches, okay?"

"Yes, sir!" Blair said with a grin. He took a deep breath. "Well, here goes." He untied and slipped off his robe, handing it to his friend and shivering slightly as the breeze hit his skin raising goose bumps.

He raised his hand in a salute to the small group of friends there to witness his ride, dug his heels against the horse's flank and the animal obediently began to walk forward.

Jim's eyes followed horse and rider. He wished Blair hadn't come up with this hair-brained scheme, but like everything else Sandburg got involved with, once something caught his interest, he threw himself into it, body and soul. Jim just wished that once, just once, Blair would throw himself at Jim!

He sighed. Blair looked so vulnerable on the back of that horse. He knew how body conscious his friend really was. Jim could count on one hand how many times he'd seen Blair naked and it wasn't as if Blair had an unattractive body, quite the opposite in fact. However, whether it was the fact that Blair was a bit of a geek, and therefore got into the habit of not showing too much skin or drawing attention to himself around more muscular men, or if it simply was that Cascade rarely had the kind of weather which persuaded you to strip off, the fact remained, Blair liked to cover himself up. Yet here he was with nothing but his birthday suit and his courage to cover his assets. At least the weather was kind and had warmed up a good deal.

"I'd better go after him," he said.

Megan's head swiveled around from where she'd been watching Blair. "Why? Don't you trust him?"

"I trust him to run into trouble, Conner. You know Sandburg."

"He runs into trouble about as often as you do!" she snapped back.

"Do you want me to go with you, Jim?" Joel asked, before Jim could answer Megan back and start a fight with her.

"Thanks, Big Guy, but if I'm quiet enough he won't even know I'm there."

"Well then, you'd better get a move on, mate, before he's out of our sight!" Megan was determined to get the last word in.

The White Lady, to give her her stable name, was a beautiful, old, grey mare. She was the favorite horse whenever a nervous or anxious child came for a ride. She was so well trained that she could be controlled with just a gentle pull on her reins. She wasn't skittish, or frisky. She could be relied upon not to bolt at sudden movement or loud noises, but even the most trusted animal could be spooked and Blair, in such close contact with Lady's body, felt her tense up.

"Shhh," he cooed at her. "What is it, girl? What's wrong?" He stroked her neck and drew her to a full halt.

The breeze rustled the leaves on the trees and the blades of tall grass swayed. Blair could hear the distant buzz of traffic on the highway a few miles away from the stables. A couple of butterflies danced over the grass, but otherwise there was no sound or movement.

Blair turned and studied the trees behind him. He couldn't see anyone and yet he knew someone was there - watching.

"Hello!" he called out.

Strangely he didn't feel scared or even apprehensive. In fact, he felt a little turned on at being watched.

"I know you're there. You may as well come out."

For a moment nothing happened and Blair began to doubt his own instinct, then Jim appeared from the shadows and Blair let out the breath he hadn't been aware of holding.

"Hi, man. The guys send you to check I wasn't cheating? You want to check the soles of my feet to see if they are dirty from walking Lady instead of riding her?"

Jim was shaking his head. "You've got it all wrong, Chief. Everyone knows you'd never cheat. I just... We've both gotten a rep for attracting trouble and if anyone came at you out of the trees, well you are kinda defenseless there." He waved his hand at Blair's lack of dress.

Jim's words annoyed and disappointed Blair. He frowned. "I thought we'd been through this, Jim. I said I'd call out if there was anything to worry about and, in case you hadn't noticed, I can ride away from trouble. Okay, Lady is not fast and it wouldn't be a comfortable or an easy ride, but I'm not stupid or hopeless. I do have the means to get myself to safety."

"I know that! I didn't mean to piss you off, Blair. God, I don't know anyone who is more inventive or resourceful."

Blair felt a lump in his throat over Jim's praise. "Thanks, Jim." He cleared his throat. "I appreciate you want to guard me from any Peeping Toms, or Tomasinas, but do you think we could walk and talk? 'Little Blair' is shrinking in the cold here. I'm going to have burns in some pretty sensitive areas. I'd like this ride to be over soon!"

They started to walk

Jim chuckled as he got in step with the horse. "If you need help putting the ointment on..."

"Ah," Blair put the flat of his hand over his heart. "My Blessed Protector! No greater expression of love could one man make than to offer to apply cream to his best friend's privates!"

"It wouldn't be a hardship," Jim mumbled.

Blair pulled in the reins and frowned at his friend. "What did you say? And please don't tell me nothing. Not all of us have sensitive hearing."

"It wasn't important."

"You mind if I decide that?"

"Look, Chief..." Jim's voice trailed off.

"Look where, Jim? If you are going to lie to me, don't."

"Blair, I..." Still Jim couldn't get the words right in his head. This was his worst nightmare come true. Blair would demand to know what he meant and once the truth about his feelings came out, Blair would leave. He hesitated too long.

Blair sighed. He urged the horse forward. "You know, normally I'd push you on this, but, maybe you're right. It's not important."

The disappointment in Blair's voice broke through Jim's reserve and he grabbed the reins, startling both horse and rider.

"No, damn it! You wanted to hear this, so now you're going to! I didn't want you to ride naked. No, don't interrupt. I know it's your body and I have no right to say anything, but, damn it to hell, Blair, I've wanted to be the only one you got naked with for so long and I've loved you for so long, and I've never wanted you to know that because you'd leave..." Jim was running out of steam... "but now you know."

"Man," Blair spoke softly. "You and I have been together too long, you've started to pick up my habits.... Jim, look at me."

Jim finally looked up at Blair's face.

"You, my friend, are one of the fairest minded people I know. Sure, you would have tried to talk me out of this, but I know, once my mind was made up, you'd back me 100%. It's one of the things I love about you. And just to be clear, I've wanted to get naked with you for a hell of a long time, too."

"Seriously?"

"Deeply, madly and truly. Now do you think we can complete this madcap enterprise of mine and get back to the loft? I need a very good friend to help with a private matter involving some medical aid."

Jim couldn't wipe the grin off his face. "Sure, Chief. It'll be a little while before your 'private matters' will be healed enough for me to take you for a ride, but how about you lie back and let me do all the work."

Blair's eyes lit up. "Seriously? You'd let me fuck you?"

"Like I said before, Blair, it wouldn't be a hardship."

"Well, what we waiting for? Let's get this show on the road!" And he urged Lady into a trot.

"Ride her, cowboy!" Jim called out, laughing as Blair let out a groan each time his body came into contact with Lady's.

"You'll be laughing on the other side of your face, Ellison, when I take you for a ride!"

"I look forward to it, Sandburg!"

Blair was lying face down on Jim's, now their, bed. His head was cushioned on his folded arms and he was naked again. Jim was kneeling to one side, also naked and gently rubbing cream between Blair's legs.

Blair buried his face into the pillow and let out a long moan as Jim's fingers skirted over the crack of his ass. "When are you going to stop teasing, Jim, and just put your fingers where I really want them?"

"I told you, let me do all the work this time, Junior."

"You do know that the endorphins produced during sex are a great pain killer, don't you?"

Jim smiled. "After that ride, my friend, you can't possibly be ready to go again yet."

"You want a bet?" Blair half turned to show Jim that 'little Blair' wasn't so little any more.

Jim laughed and shook his head in amusement. "Let me do this first and then we'll see."

Blair snorted. "Oh, we'll 'see' all right! You are in so much trouble if we don't."

"Oh, yeah?" Jim pinched Blair's ass cheek.

"Ouch!" Blair glared at Jim as he rubbed his ass.

"Lie still then."

Blair sighed but did as he was told.

There was a moment of silence, then... "Blair, when you stopped and called out to me in the trees, how did you know I was there?"

"I didn't. Well, I knew someone was there, and I wasn't scared, so I guess I knew it could only be you there... I didn't consciously know it was you."

He turned to face Jim again. "Why do you ask?"

"Your eyes - it was as if they homed in on me and they became, I don't know, brighter, bigger?"

"Probably just a trick of the light, man," Blair replied, but there was a measure of uncertainty in his voice.

"Must have been," Jim agreed.

Suddenly Blair laughed out loud.

"What?"

"I was just thinking about the look on Megan's face when Simon told her he'd removed the film from the camera she'd hidden in her bag."

"Serves her right! We'd all agreed 'no pictures'."

Jim bent to kiss the twin globes of Blair's ass. "So, no more naked public stunts?"

"Nope." Blair turned over again. "The only person who gets to see me naked now is you." He pulled Jim down for a gentle kiss.

"Same here," Jim said softly. "Well, you and maybe one day, my urologist!"

"That's a long way down the line, my friend. It'll be years before you need him and his sort."

"You going a keep me healthy, my little witch-doctor?"

"Mmmm," Blair mumbled, his lips teasing Jim's collar-bone. "Lots of good healthy food, and regular exercise."

"Makes me sound like a horse!"

"I could groom you too," Blair offered, running his hands over Jim's body. "Especially after that ride."

Jim laughed. "You could at least have said I was hung like a horse!"

"When I get it inside me, I'm sure that I will! So, Big Boy, am I going to get it?"

"Oh, you are so going to get it!"

Across town, Lady was enjoying a well deserved feed of horse mix. She tensed and whinnied softly as a shadowy figure took form at the back of her stall.

"shhh." The spirit of the Chopec shaman stepped forward. He caressed her neck gently, making her whinny in pleasure.

"You did well today, my Lady. You have no idea how long or how many different ways I have tried to bring Enqueri and Blair Sandburg together! Finally, finally, today, with your help I succeeded. Now if I could just get the young shaman to trust his instincts more often..."

Lady snorted.

Incacha laughed. "Yes, you are right, it is unlikely. Little steps, one at a time perhaps?"

He patted Lady's neck and then slowly faded from view.