Jim Ellison deftly unlocked the door to the loft and stepped inside, instinctively dropping his keys into the bowl on the table and setting down his suitcase. "Blair, I'm...OOF!!!" Jim recoiled backwards into the hallway as a small, energetic bundle of arms, legs and hair suddenly flung itself into his arms. Jim wrapped his arms around the lithe body and chuckled as his unshaven face was covered with rapid-fire kisses. "Nice to see you, too, Chief," he said softly. He pressed his lips to Blair's, and moved one hand up to tangle through his Guide's long curls. God, he'd missed that hair.

Blair wrapped his legs around Jim's waist and pulled back briefly from the kiss to let his lover catch his breath. Then he squeezed his arms tight around Jim's muscular neck and laid his head on the broad, hard shoulder. "I missed you," he said quietly, lips brushing Jim's earlobe. Blair laughed as Jim re-entered the loft, closed the door, and crossed to the fridge for a beer, all the time with Blair wrapped around him like a straight-jacket.

*I would've needed a straight-jacket, if they'd kept me away from him much longer,* Jim thought, grabbing two beers and heading toward the couch, still wearing Blair, who was now engaged in trying to remove Jim's earlobe through suction. He opened up his senses to his young lover. He could detect the smaller man's familiar scent. He cherished the steady drumming of his Little One's heart as it beat against Jim's pecs. He sighed. No matter how much Blair had missed him, he mused, it could only be a fraction of how much he was missed in return. The stakeout had been torture for the detective. An entire week without Blair's endless, endearing chatter. Without that smile, or the sparkling blue eyes that always looked on Jim with such adoration and trust. Worst of all, a week of waking up cold and lonely in the abandoned house, without the comfort of the warm, familiar little body sleeping a few feet away, just waiting to be awakened by a kiss, or by Jim's fingers gliding over his side.... Ellison shook himself, and quickly set the beers down so he could put his hands to better use.

Blair smiled as Jim's hands slid down his back to cup his bottom. He leaned back to take Jim's face in his hands, and gave his big lover another lip-numbing kiss. When he came up for air, he frowned.

"What, Bug?" Jim inquired of the expression on his Guide's face. Jim had come up with the new nickname a few weeks ago. It was inspired by Blair's new round-framed reading glasses, which gave him a decidedly lovable, insect-like appearance.

Blair ran his fingers over the week-old beard covering Jim's usually smooth jaw. "Mmmmm....," he murmured. "Sorry...just not sure I like this." He looked into Jim's eyes with a mischievous grin. "You WERE planning to shave before we...celebrate, right?" He bobbed his eyebrows, and ground his hips against Jim's, letting Jim feel his arousal through his jeans.

Jim looked thoughtful for a moment, and shrugged. "I dunno, I kinda like the new look." He forced himself not to smile at Blair's horrified look. The kid abruptly let go and slithered out of Jim's arms.

"You can NOT be serious," Blair said, taking a few steps away from Jim. He pointed a finger at Jim's stubble. "Do you have any idea how... how... how THAT'S going to feel? Ever gotten head from a porcupine?!" Blair stood with his hands on his hips, looking completely distraught and thoroughly adorable.

Jim laughed, and took a step toward Blair, who quickly scurried away, holding up a finger that said 'No Closer, Man'. Jim sighed, defeated. "All right Chief, all right, I'll shave right after dinner." He smiled as Blair relented and came forward for a kiss. Jim pressed his lips over Blair's, wrapping his arms around the slender waist. The kiss deepened, and Jim suddenly found all thoughts of dinner slipping away. He moved his hands to Blair's shirt and began to pull the garment up over Blair's head. Blair broke the kiss and pulled back.

"Nope, sorry man. Not until the fuzz goes." He crossed to sit on the couch and gazed sternly up at Jim.

Jim sighed, "Have it your way Chief." He picked up his beer and popped it open, taking a long swig. Then he sat down on the couch and began sifting through the mail, waiting for Blair to call his bluff. He'd sensed the kid's unmistakable arousal during the kiss, and knew it had taken every iota of self restraint for the young man not to give in. Now it would just be a matter of time before Blair could no longer fight his need, and would jump on Jim like a wildcat on a fieldmouse. Just a matter of time. Jim watched Blair out of the corner of his eye and grinned as the young man stood up. *That was quick*, Jim thought, laying down his mail. But Blair simply crossed, picked up his own beer, and returned to his seat. Jim went back to the charade of reading his mail. He heard Blair twist the top off the beer, and tried to force down a shiver as he heard his lover swallowing noisily. Jim glanced up at Blair. "So is that supposed to turn me on, Chief?" he smirked. "You shouldn't drink it that fast, you know. You'll get a tummy ache. And a thunderous belch isn't quite what I'd consider arousing," he added. No response, Blair just eyed him over the lip of the bottle. Jim turned back to his mail.

"What makes you think I'm trying to turn you on?" Blair asked innocently. Jim just smirked, not looking at him. Blair glared, raising the bottle again. *OK, Jim, try this....*

Jim was actually beginning to read one of his letters, when a strange sound reached his powerful ears. The sound of... sucking. He risked a glance over at Blair... and found he couldn't look away.

Blair was running his tongue over the mouth of the bottle, trailing his lips down the neck, then inserting the entire neck into his mouth, sliding it in and out. He wasn't looking at Jim. Didn't even seem to be aware of Jim's existence, he was way too involved with the bottle. Jim just watched in fascination as Blair continued, sucking on the neck of bottle, sliding his tongue gently over the rim. He suddenly looked at Jim, and stopped. Then he smiled and raised an eyebrow, all innocence. Jim was agog, mouth hanging open. Blair took a small sip of the beer, and 'accidentally' let a little run down his chin. Looking Jim straight in the eye, Blair slowly slid his tongue out and ran it over his full lips.

The mail went flying in every direction as Jim scrambled to his feet and bolted for the bathroom. He heard Blair laughing victoriously.

"Shaving cream's on the top shelf, man!" Blair called.

The next morning, Jim crossed the loft and picked up the phone after the third ring. "Ellison," he said.

"Jim? It's Simon."

Jim smiled. "Hey Simon, what's up?" He looked up toward his bedroom as Blair disentangled himself from the sheets and came down the stairs, yawning.

"Good news," Simon said. "The boss was so impressed with your work on that stakeout last week, he's told me to give you some time off. "

Jim grinned at his sleepy partner as Blair stumbled around the kitchen in search of caffeine. "Time off, huh? Like a vacation? Sounds great, Simon."

"It gets better, Jim," the Captain added. "How does a week in Hawaii sound? Tyler, the man whose daughter you rescued during the stakeout? Well, as you know he's extremely well off. Anyway, he's told me that he has a bungalow in Waikiki that you're welcome to use. He'll even pay the airfare! How's that for gratitude?" Simon chuckled, waiting to hear Jim's reaction.

Jim closed his eyes and imagined a week of sun, sand and relaxation... without Blair. His eyes opened slowly, disappointment setting in. Sandburg couldn't possibly get a week off from the University at such short notice. Jim sighed and started to speak to Simon, "Well, that sounds great Simon, but...," he broke off as Blair grabbed his arm. "What Chief?" Jim asked.

Blair smiled and knocked himself on the side of the head, as if trying to fix something inside his brain. "I'm sorry, man, I totally forgot. While you were away there was a little accident in one of the Chem labs on campus," Blair spread his arms. "Whole place is closed down for two weeks for decontamination, or something! Can you believe it? What am I gonna do for two weeks?" He sighed and gazed up at Jim. "How about some tests?" he asked hopefully.

Jim felt a slow grin spreading over his face. He spoke to Simon, as he wrapped an arm around Blair and pulled him against his side. "What time does the plane leave, Simon?"

The bungalow was small, but luxurious. Marble floors, a patio with wicker furniture, a huge king-sized four poster bed, and best of all, a big oval-shaped bathtub, easily big enough for two. Jim and Blair just wandered through the house for a long time, exclaiming over the exquisite details of the place. When they saw the king-sized bed, they just turned and looked at each other. Blair cocked an eyebrow at the exact same time that Jim pulled a face. They both started laughing, and joked about plans they could make with those posts. There was a similar discussion following the discovery of the tub. After unpacking and checking that everything was in order, they agreed that it was time to check out the beach.

Blair stood in the bedroom and bit through the little plastic strings that held the tags on his new bathing trunks, then tossed the tags into the trash. He held the little red trunks up and studied them, grinning. He stepped into the trunks and pulled them up shifting his hips a little to straighten the waistband. He could hear Jim thumping around in the bathroom, unpacking their toiletries. Blair turned to study himself in the mirror, rotating to see himself from every angle. He grinned. The trunks fit him perfectly; tight, but not too tight. He wasn't usually a mirror-watcher, but he had to admit, his butt looked good!

The sound of the bathroom door opening pulled Blair's attention away from his reflection, and he smiled at the sight of Jim, stark naked, stepping out of the tiny room with his bathing trunks in his hand. Jim froze at the sight of his young lover.

"What do you think, Jim? They suit me?" Blair spread his arms and turned in a slow circle, showing off for Jim. As he finished the circle, he studied Jim's reaction. Unconsciously, his eyes drifted down to Jim's crotch, where the big man's approval was becoming very obvious. Blair stared for a moment, then bit back an hysterical giggle.

Jim's head snapped up at the giggle, and he quickly held his suit in front of his burning groin, face going red with embarrassment. "Jeez, Chief... do you mind?" He gave Blair an uncomfortable glare. "What's so funny?"

Blair was still trying to stifle his mirth, but he waved his hands frantically. "No no no, Jim! I'm not laughing at your....," he broke off again as another wave of giggles burst through his lips. "Well, not really...," Blair sputtered, holding a hand over his mouth while continuing to eye Jim's crotch. "I'm sorry, it's just...."

"WHAT, BLAIR?" Jim growled.

Blair took a deep breath, still chuckling. "It's just...you remind me of one of those old-fashioned applause meters. You know, the kind with the waving needle?" Blair gave a brief demonstration, holding one arm up horizontally and moving his other arm up and down, imitating the needle. He sighed in relief as Jim relaxed, and began to laugh.

Jim was still laughing as he pulled on his own trunks. "Great Chief," he muttered, "That makes for a rather ridiculous mental picture." Jim smiled as Blair's laughter increased. Jim straightened and put his hands on his hips. It was his turn to model. He turned to let Blair admire his Speedo trunks, black with red piping down the sides. "Well?" he asked, "Do you approve?" He grinned as Blair sauntered up to him and slipped his arms around Jim's middle.

"Let's have a round of applause...," Blair whispered, reaching down to grab Jim's ass.

"C'mon ,c'mon...let's go!" Blair was standing at the back door of the bungalow, gesturing at Jim, who was gathering up the Army blanket and beach bag. The young anthropologist was hopping excitedly form one foot to the other, impatiently urging Jim to move faster.

"All right, Chief, I'm coming. Hold your horses...," Jim reached behind him to pull the door shut, then followed Blair down the path, smiling as he heard his young love's gasp of surprised pleasure as he saw the beach for the first time. Jim came to stand beside him, and they just stood and stared for a minute.

The beach was perfect. No garbage, no pigeons, nothing like the beaches either of them had seen before. The sand was pure white, and the water was the most beautiful shade of turquoise. But best of all, it was deserted. This was a private beach; according to Tyler, the only other people that had access to it were the two spinsters that lived in the bungalow about a quarter mile down the beach. Jim sighed. Private. Perfect. He took advantage of the privacy to lean over and give Blair a kiss on the cheek. Blair turned with a smile that set Jim's heart fluttering, before turning to step cautiously onto the sand.

"Jim, C'mon!" Blair called, continuing across the sand. He'd expected the sand to be unbearably hot, but it wasn't. It felt like cool silk under his feet. He realized that the white color of the sand was probably the reason; it reflected the sun's heat. Blair smiled; this sure beat burning the hell out of soles on the sunny shores of Cascade Public Beach! As he got closer to the water, his excitement grew, and he stripped off his shirt and flung it aside as he ran into the water. Oh, God, it was glorious! Just the right temperature, and clear as glass; he could see the smooth sandy bottom, covered with ridges from the gentle motion of the waves. The beach was in a sheltered bay, so there weren't any of the enormous waves that other parts of the Island were famous for. Jim had commented on this earlier on the drive in from the airport, and mentioned possibly visiting one of the other beaches for some surfing. Blair smiled as he remembered Jim's offer to teach him how to surf. Swishing his hands through the clear water, Blair waded out and stood waist-deep, waving to Jim as the big man set their gear down on the sand.

Jim grinned as he watched his partner bobbing up and down in the water. As he peeled off his shirt, he recalled that the thought of sharks had worried him earlier. It wasn't likely in the bay, but he carefully scanned the water nonetheless, and sighed in satisfaction. His Sentinel sight, plus the clearness of the water, set his mind to rest that he'd be able to spot any potential danger to Blair or himself. He turned away and knelt to spread the blanket out, inhaling deeply as the breeze sent the fragrance of hibiscus through the air.

"JIM!!!"

Jim lunged to his feet, turned, and ran toward the water at Blair's cry, moving without thinking. His heart began to pound as he saw Blair doubled over, fighting to keep his head above water, apparently struggling with something under the water. "Blair!" Jim cried, coming to the water's edge. Just then Blair began to laugh. Jim stopped short, confused.

Blair's fingers snagged what he'd spotted through the clear water, and he stood up triumphantly, glad he was able to keep his hair dry. He didn't even want to think about what the salt would do to his curls. He saw Jim running down the beach toward him, and he held the huge, pink conch shell high over his head for Jim to see. "Check it out, man!" Blair called happily.

Jim deflated, feeling his adrenaline rush begin to fall off. Man, he was supposed to be relaxing! If Blair was gonna do things like this to him all week, Jim figured he would need a vacation from his vacation when he got home. He turned to stride back up to the blanket, listening as Blair came wading out of the water behind him. That wasn't fair, he chastised himself. Blair never meant to scare Jim when he did things like this. It was just part of the young man's character to react to everything with such excitement. Just like it was in Jim's character to feel an overwhelming urge to protect whenever he thought his little Guide was in danger. *I can't change, and neither can he,* Jim thought. *And I really don't want him to!* his mind added as Blair ran up behind him and threw his arms around him, one hand still clutching the shell. Jim grinned and turned in the circle of the adoring arms around his waist to face Blair. Blair gazed up at him with such love, that Jim thought he'd melt into a puddle right there on the sand. "Hey, Bug," he said softly, reaching to brush Blair's hair back from his face.

Blair squeezed him, and smiled. "I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for letting me come with you," he said, nuzzling his face against Jim's chest. He felt Jim's chest rumble as the big man chuckled.

"Why wouldn't I bring you along?" Jim asked. "Surely by now you don't have any doubts of the fact that I can barely stand to be away from you," Jim smiled and kissed the top of Blair's head, as he felt and heard his young friend sigh in contentment.

"I know that, Jim," Blair said, pulling back to look into Jim's eyes again. "I just thought you might like to get away by yourself once in awhile."

Jim laughed. "I WAS by myself, remember? For a whole week! That God-awful stakeout?" Jim looked thoughtful for a moment. "Of course, if it weren't for that stakeout, we wouldn't be enjoying this beach right now, would we?" He grinned as Blair nodded thoughtfully, raising an eyebrow.

"This is true...," Blair replied. He let go of Jim then, and lifted the conch shell he'd risked his hair to acquire. "Look, there's nothing living in it!" Blair smiled. He wouldn't have been willing to kill a conch, just for a souvenir. So he'd been happy to discover that the shell was vacant. "Will this look great on the table by the door, or what?" he asked, running his fingers along the smooth edge of the shell. "We can use it to put the keys in, instead of that bowl."

"Oh yeah, great," Jim muttered, taking the shell from Blair's grasp. "That's fine for you, Mr. Tiny Hands. But me?" He tried to force his hand inside the shell, screwing his face up in mock consternation. "Can't you just see me reporting to Simon with a pink conch shell stuck on my hand?" Jim smiled as Blair laughed. Jim crossed the blanket and knelt to carefully lay the shell inside the beach bag. "You're right though, it will make a nice memento of this trip." Jim was feeling around inside the bag for something.

Blair came to sit beside Jim. "Watcha looking for, man?" he asked. He peered over Jim's shoulder as the detective found what he was hunting for and turned toward Blair.

"Sunblock, Chief," We'll both need it. He glanced at his young lover and grinned. "Especially you, kid, you're already getting red," Jim uncapped the bottle and motioned for Blair to turn around.

Blair turned and laid on his stomach, folding his arms under his chin. He sighed as Jim began to spread the cool, velvety lotion over the backs of his legs. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the feeling of Jim's rough hands gliding over his skin. Then he jumped as Jim stroked his fingers over the soles of his feet. "Hey! No tickling!" Blair said with a giggle.

Jim chuckled. "I'm not, Chief. Trust me, you do NOT want to get a burn on the bottoms of your feet. I've been there," Jim finished smoothing the sunblock over Blair's feet, then crawled up toward Blair's head, pausing to pat him fondly on the backside. He poured more sunscreen into his palm, and began to spread it over Blair's back. He grinned as he felt Blair sigh. "What's up Chief? You getting a thrill from this?" Jim asked quietly.

Blair smiled into his arms. Jim was right, he WAS becoming a little... excited... by the feel of Jim's hands on his skin. But he wasn't going to let Jim know that. "What makes you say that, man?" he asked innocently.

Jim rubbed sunscreen over the back of Blair's neck, as he replied, "Ohhh, I don't know.... Maybe it's the fact that your heart rate speeds up every time I touch you." To test his theory, Jim ran his hands in a feather-light path down Blair's sides, feeling the curves of the young man's ribcage, grinning as he felt and heard the sharp intake of breath from his young lover. "But I'm sure it's just my imagination," Jim added. He gently took hold of Blair's waist and turned him over onto his back. He bit back a smile at the flushed look on Blair's face.

Blair looked up at Jim, trying to control his breathing. He knew Jim could hear his heart, and could even smell the musk of his arousal. And if that didn't do it, the unmistakable bulge in Blair's trunks was a dead giveaway. But it was fun to try and put one over on the big guy once in awhile. Plus he knew Jim loved a challenge. He smiled as he spoke, trying to keep the huskiness out of his voice. "Definitely your imagination, man."

Jim grinned and squeezed more lotion into his hands, easing down to lay on his side next to Blair. *So that's how it's gonna be, eh?* he thought. Jim dipped his finger into the lotion and gently rubbed it over Blair's forehead. Then he traced his finger down the sweet, turned up nose, over the cheeks, and in careful circles around the beautiful blue eyes. Blair just stared up at him, trying to steady his aroused breathing. Jim had to give him credit, he was doing a fair job of pretending to have no interest in Jim's actions.

"Close your eyes, please," Jim said. When Blair obeyed, Jim used his little finger to lightly spread sunblock over his eyelids. Jim took a deep shuddering breath. Now HE was getting turned on as well! He pushed Blair's hair back and went to work on his ears, tracing his lotion-covered fingertips over the curving cartilage and the delicate little lobes. Blair's eyes were still closed, and Jim smiled as Blair turned his head to give Jim easier access to his ears. "Face is done," Jim muttered, reaching into the bag for something else.

"Done?" Blair asked, "What about my lips?" he pasted a look of angelic innocence over his features as Jim gave him a glance. "If I get a sunburn on my lips, you won't be able to kiss me for awhile...," Blair warned, grinning.

"Got it covered Chief," Jim said sitting up and displaying a tube of lipbalm. As Blair watched, Jim opened the tube and spread an ample layer of the gel over his own lips, pursing and rubbing them together to spread it out evenly. Then he smiled down at Blair.

"Well that's fine for you, man," Blair pouted. "But am I going to get some?" He tried not to smile as Jim snickered at his double-entendre.

"Most definitely, angel," Jim said. He leaned over Blair, resting his elbows on either side of the young man's head, and lowered his face to press his lips to Blair's. Jim quickly turned down his sense of taste as his mouth filled with lipbalm. Instead he concentrated on touch, on the feel of Blair's lips, his tongue, the perfect little teeth that grazed Jim's lip. When he was about to pass out from lack of air, Jim broke the kiss and moved to lay on his side again.

Blair frowned in disappointment. "So we're done, then?" he asked, starting sit up.

Jim pressed him down. "No way, Chief, I haven't done your front yet," he said softly. He reached for the sunblock again. He moved back down to Blair's legs and rubbed lotion onto the long limbs, running his hands up to just under the edge of the red trunks.

Blair was beginning to breathe hard again as Jim's hands moved over his skin, coming sooooo close, but not quite close enough. *He's teasing me,* Blair thought, *trying to get me to give in.* Blair arched off the blanket as Jim poured a stream of sunblock across his chest. *And it's going to work in a minute!*

Jim smiled as Blair arched. *Prepare to face defeat, Chief,* he thought. Jim straddled Blair's hips and laid his palms on Blair's chest. He let his hands just rest there for a long moment, feeling the steady pounding of his lover's heart. Then Jim began to slowly move his hands over Blair's chest, spreading a thin layer of the creamy sunblock over his pecs, brushing his hands lightly across the nipples, which were tightening under his fingers. He took Blair's wrists and lifted his arms up over his head, then let his fingertips trail lightly down the full length of the undersides of Blair's arms. He relished the feel of the pulse in both the wrists, and the way the goosebumps erupted under his fingers as they slowly crept over the soft, sensitive skin. As his fingers reached Blair's armpits, Jim leaned forward and touched his lips to the smooth area between his nipples. Blair groaned, and pressed his hips upward against Jim's thighs, and Jim felt himself approaching the brink as well.

Blair was overloading on sensation. Jim had already gone after his back, face, ears, and chest. Blair had been joking before, trying to pretend he wasn't becoming excited by Jim's touches. Now he could only lay there trembling as Jim's fingers trailed their maddening path down his arms. When Jim kissed his chest a moment later, Blair swore he could feel an electric shock jump between them. He arched his neck back, pressing his chest toward Jim's lips, moaning with ecstasy, arching his hips up against Jim, trying to force the big man to put an end to his need. But it seemed Jim wasn't finished tormenting him yet. The touch on his arms came to an end, and Blair waited to see what would happen next. What happened next was the sound of Jim obtaining yet another palmful of sunblock, followed by Jim's fingers gliding over Blair's midriff. *Oh my GAWD!* Blair thought, trying to keep from crying out.

Jim ran his palms across Blair's solar plexus, feeling the ridge of the bottom of his ribcage. *He really is thin,* Jim thought absently, feeling the bones as his hands moved down Blair's ribcage to his belly. As he touched Blair's stomach, Jim felt the tight muscles jump and flinch against his fingers. Gently he ran his fingers over the smooth skin, scraping his fingernails lightly over the twin hollows on either side of the grouped stomach muscles. Jim laid his hands flat on Blair's belly and moved his thumbs in a gentle caress over the navel, then let his long fingers curl and uncurl slowly over the soft flesh, all the while loving the sounds of Blair's moans in his ears. "How you doin' kid?" Jim whispered.

Blair was panting, head thrashing from side to side. If he'd been able to get his vocal chords to work at the moment, he would've told Jim to hurry up and cut to the chase already! But he figured his body language was speaking for him. He opened his eyes briefly and gazed at Jim, pleadingly.

Jim grinned, breath coming in ragged gasps. He spidered his fingers up and outward, touching and teasing every inch of Blair's chest, sides, and belly, assaulting his lover with a barrage of stroking, tickling caresses. Now he stilled his hands on Blair's chest for a moment, letting the young man catch his breath. He knew Blair was close. Then he slowly dragged his hands downward, barely letting his fingertips touch Blair's skin. Jim's fingers followed a straight path down Blair's chest, over his stomach, and drifted down to the waistband of his swim trunks. Jim gently rolled the top of the trunks down and ran his fingertips along the mark left by the elastic.

Continue on to Part 2