Rating: PG

It was one of the quiet streets in Cascade, away from the bright lights and noise, but within the commercial area of the city. Safe enough to park your car while visiting one of the nearby nightclubs, and expect it to still be there, undamaged when you got back. There were a few shops on the street – no bright billboards to illuminate the darkness – which suited his mood perfectly.

At least it wasn't raining.

At that moment the first raindrops began to fall.

Great! He thought. Just fucking great!

He pulled his collar up around his neck and thought about moving.

He registered the familiar footsteps without thinking, but he sighed when they stopped right beside him and a body eased itself down next to him. A black umbrella was raised over both of them.

Neither man spoke.

We must look drunk or stupid, Blair thought... Maybe both, two grown men sitting on the side of the road with an umbrella over them.

Finally Blair felt obliged to break the silence.

"So, what was it? You saw my wolf spirit and had to come and rescue me? Because I really don't need rescuing," he said, purposely not looking at the man sitting next to him.

"So you are quite comfy sitting on the hard, cold, wet curb?" His friend's voice sounded faintly amused.

"Is it any of your business whether I am or not?"

The silence that followed made him feel slightly guilty at his snappy comment.

"Sorry," he said, hanging his head forward. "It's been a shitty night. Why are you here?"

"Karl, the doorman at the Oasis phoned me."

Blair leaned back and wiped his hand over his face. "God! Please tell me you don't have people checking up on me now! What is he, another of your snitches? No, don't answer that. I don't need to lose any more items of clothing."

He sat forward again, his elbows on this knees. He knew he was being a jerk, but somehow he couldn't summon the energy to stop himself.

"For your information, Chief, Karl told me that you had lost your ride home and needed a friend."

Blair looked down at his hands clasped together between his knees. "Did he know why my ride left me?" he asked quietly.

"If he knew, Karl wouldn't have said anything. He's very discreet."

"Know him that well do you?"

"Sort of."

Blair turned his head away, looking, but not really seeing, up the street. "Did he also tell you that my 'ride' was a boyfriend... ex-boyfriend now I guess?" he added quietly.

Jim was silent for a moment.

"Blair," he began, "Karl is the doorman of one of the more up-market gay clubs in Cascade. I don't think you'd have taken a girlfriend in there unless there was a good band playing, and Oasis doesn't have live bands."

"So...?"

"So. What?"

"You don't have any comments to make about me having a boyfriend?"

"Ex-boyfriend."

"Thanks for rubbing it in. Ex-boyfriend."

"Only that he's a jerk for dumping you and that you deserve better."

Blair couldn't help but smile a little at that. "Thanks."

"No problem."

"How do you know Karl anyway?"

"You really want to know?"

"I've got nothing else better to do."

"We could get into my nice, warm, dry truck and go home, you know. My ass is going numb here."

"I didn't ask you to sit down beside me."

"No, you didn't, but I'd have had a sore neck standing over you looking down."

"To return to the subject, Karl?"

Jim sighed. "Karl and I had a couple of dates a while back. We decided we were better friends than lovers – story of most of my romantic relationships," he finished, ruefully.

Blair started at his roommate. He couldn't have been more shocked if Jim had told him he was really from Mars.

"Close your mouth, Sandburg, you'll be catching flies," Jim said, smiling.

"You can't... you've never... You are not gay!"

Jim shrugged. "I prefer men, but I've walked straight too. I guess bi is a better label."

"Beverley...Laura... Sheila...Akiko... Wendy... Elaine and the tent... Lila... God help me, Veronica... the way you looked at my mother..." Blair counted the names off on his fingers, "Carolyn... you were married for God's sake!" He finished with a flourish. "No way were you acting with any of them!"

"Caro thought she could change me. The others..." Jim sighed. "Like I said, I've walked straight. Beside, it's not easy or safe being out as a gay cop."

Blair turned back to the road but every so often he cast a look at Jim, a speculative look. He cleared his throat. "My ex dumped me because he said he was fed up being a substitute, Jim, a substitute for you."

Jim looked down at the curb. "I see."

"You see? Is that all you can say? I spill my guts and... Oh, I see. You're not interested in me that way. I get it." Blair looked back down at his feet.

"That's not..."

"It's okay; you don't have to sugar-coat it, Jim. I understand. I mean, it's a stereotype that gay or bi men are promiscuous and will fuck or want to get fucked by just any man."

"If you will let me get a word in edgeways... I don't just want a fuck!" Jim sighed heavily. "I'm not interested in being another notch on your bedpost, okay?"

"What if... what if I want more?" Blair ventured. "What if I want something more... permanent?"

Jim looked at his friend, studying his face.

Blair tried not to fidget, putting everything he felt for his best friend in his eyes, dropping any attempt at masking his emotion.

"You'd give up your little black book? No more casual sex with either sex?"

"For something special and exclusive with you? Absolu-fucking-lutly! At the drop of a hat, quicker in fact."

Jim stood and held out his hand to Blair, a big smile on his face. "Let's go home. Maybe I can prove to you that there's no substitute for the real thing."