This time, Blair was very confused. He had no idea why he and Jim were in this conference. It was a drug case, not a homicide. It seemed to be in the FBI's jurisdiction, but it was nothing like he'd ever worked on. It just seemed to be a very long briefing about an East Coast drug lord who wanted in on the Northwest markets. He had listened for an hour and the agents seemed no closer to a point then when they began.

"Victor Balen has proven impervious to any kind of undercover operation," Special Agent Hill continued. "He doesn't let anyone near him that he can't directly trace to a family member or a neighborhood friend. It's a tight circle that hasn't changed since he was in high school."

"What about wire taps?" Jim asked.

"Another problem with this gang's long history," Agent Swanson said. "They have a language all their own. The code talkers have nothing on these guys."

"I must admit that I'm confused, gentlemen," Blair said. "How do Jim and I fit into this equation when you've found success so elusive. The Cascade PD has far less resources than the Feds for surveillance."

"We have discovered one weakness in Balen's armor," Hill continued. Blair sighed. There would be no dissuading this man from the course of this meeting. "He likes men. And he has a powerful weakness for a certain kind of man."

That got their attention. Jim and Blair were riveted on the agents and suspicion was apparent on both men's faces as they listened.

"He's married with kids, but it doesn't stop him from scratching that itch now and then. He's very discreet and particular about his playmates," Swanson said.

"How so?" Jim asked in a tone cold enough to freeze lava.

The agents reacted but it didn't keep them from continuing. Blair realized that this must be a very dangerous situation for them to ask for outside help in the first place. He gave Jim a look to calm him down.

"Balen likes young men, under six feet and very pretty," Hill said matter of factly. He pulled out a file folder of pictures and spread them on the table in front of Jim and Blair.

Blair considered the photographs with a profiler's eye. They were all young. He was certain that all of them were over eighteen but they looked younger. They all had full lips and large, bedroom eyes and an air of sensuality. They were the embodiment of wantonness. Balen couldn't risk his image for anything less than an incredible sexual encounter. Nothing else would be worth the risk. He also saw where the agents were going. And he could tell by Jim's rigid posture, that his lover did as well.

"I'm too old," Blair said quietly.

"Without your glasses, you can pass for young twenties," Swanson said.

"I'm not really his type," Blair persisted quietly. "These men eat and breathe for their next orgasm. They scream sex even in a two dimensional photo. That's not me, gentlemen."

Swanson pulled out another file. These pictures were of Blair. Some were at social functions. Some were candid shots from the lectures. Jim looked at them appreciatively. They weren't of the same wanton nature, but Blair was beautiful in them.

"He's not a cop," Jim said neutrally. "He's a bone man. He's never been undercover."

"He's a trained observer and translator of culture," Hill said. "We just want him to be in their social circle long enough to give us a translation."

"You need a gang Rosetta Stone," Blair said.

"Exactly," Swanson said. "The last thing we want you to do is go to bed with him. We don't even want you alone with him. We would even find a way to keep Detective Ellison close by."

"I can see what you're after," Blair said rising from his chair to pace. "But I'd never catch his interest and hold it. He's used to some major talent."

"I think you're underestimating yourself, Dr. Sandburg," Hill said. "And your help could prevent a whole lot of poison from reaching kids here."

Blair was flummoxed. He looked at his partner who had become strangely silent. "Jim?"

Jim looked up at the agents. "Would you give us a few minutes?"

Both men nodded and left the room. Jim held Blair's gaze waiting for the door to close behind him.

"I can't do this," Blair said. "Unless the man is interested in primitive cultures or teeth marks on femurs, I'm of no interest to him."

"You interested me," Jim said.

"That was different. We have a lot in common," Blair said. "Besides, you seem to have a thing for dorks."

Jim smiled at him. "You are not a dork, Blair. And you have what those guys have. I see it every night."

Blair blushed. "It's easy to be a slut around you. I can't be that for a stranger. I'd feel like an idiot."

"Do you think this is important?" Jim asked. His voice was neutral.

"Yes," Blair said. "The Feds wouldn't ask if they didn't really need the help."

"I can teach you," Jim said.

Blair stared at him for a moment. "What?"

"I can teach you to be like those guys," Jim said quietly.

Blair removed his glasses and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, that sentence makes no sense. And I'm not even talking about how you plan to do that. I'm flummoxed over the idea that you'd be willing to let anyone see me that way."

"Looking is okay," Jim said. "Men and women look at you all the time with lust in their eyes."

Blair snorted at him.

"You don't see it, and I thank god for that every day," Jim said quietly. "But they do look hard all the time. I know who you'll come home with."

"And this is important," Blair said quietly.

"Yes."

"What do you mean by teach me?" Blair asked. His eyes were inquisitive and mirthful.

"In Vice, I had to learn how to present myself in a desirable manner at times to get the job done," Jim replied. "But without giving up the goods. That only happened once."

"So you were a tease," Blair said. His eyes twinkled even more.

"No," Jim replied indignantly. "I was an object of desire. Wanted and attainable by the right individual."

"Who never materialized."

Jim smiled then. "Unfortunately, no."

"And you can make me this sort of object," Blair asked.

"Easily," Jim replied. "And since you've been attained, anyone else is just out of luck."

Blair sighed. He still worried about looking like an idiot, but the proposition was fascinating. It was like doing field research amongst hostile groups in the bush. There was sure to be was a great paper in it at the close of the case.

"Lead on, Mr. Higgins."

 

After informing Hill and Swanson that Blair was going to attempt to interact with Balen, they met with Simon to get time off for preparation. That is, Blair was to have time off. Jim it seemed would be gone from work only part of the day. That made the Guide extremely curious about what these lessons were about. Jim was mute on that subject. He was more intent on stocking up the kitchen with groceries. It occurred to Blair that perhaps he would not be leaving the loft at all during this training. Jim remained silent at his questions.

The groceries were put away. A leisurely dinner of pasta with red wine followed. Blair almost forgot about the lessons the evening was so pleasant. They were relaxing by the fire with their wine when Jim started looking Blair over very carefully.

"What?" Blair asked.

"Do me a favor, Chief?" Jim asked.

"Sure. What do you want?"

"Undress for me."

"Pardon?"

Jim gently took the wine glass from Blair's hand. He smiled warmly at him. "Pretend you're seducing me by undressing for me."

"Just pretend?"

Jim's smile grew. "You'll have to work for it, Chief."

"Okay," Blair replied. Jim was looking very tasty in his soft cream colored sweater and equally soft, worn jeans. A romp in front of the fire seemed like a really good idea.

Blair stood in front of Jim and did his best. He fumbled with his buttons but managed to remove the shirt without tearing it. He even showed a little aplomb with his shoulders as he removed it. The pants were a lot harder. If Blair had known he's be making like Gypsy Rose Lee, he would have worn a looser fitting khaki. He almost fell over trying to get out of his jeans. Thank the deities, Jim didn't laugh. He didn't even crack a smile. His eyes blazed warmly and his attention never wavered.

"Ta Da!" Blair proclaimed. He was red faced but finally naked.

"Very nice," Jim said. "And you get points for humor. I know I'm very excited."

"Yes," Blair said flopping down next to his lover. "But you're always half ready for me."

"True enough. More than ready right now," Jim said glancing down his lover's body. "But your emphasis was on getting naked."

Blair raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't that the idea?"

"Well, that was part of the idea. The other is making someone who doesn't know how wonderful your are in bed want you more than anything," Jim said. "The key to that is to enjoy your own body as much as you want someone else to as you undress."

"Just how did you learn all this stuff?"

"From an old Vice cop. I don't want to know where he picked it up," Jim chuckled.

"Okay, oh wise one. Why don't you show me?" Blair asked.

Jim smiled a lazy, slow smile. "Okay. Watch carefully."

The first thing that surprised Blair was that Jim knelt in front of him with his body angled so that he was bathed in the gold of the firelight. Jim locked his gaze with Blair's as he moved. First he ran both hands over his hair. It moved back into place softly making Blair recall how it felt against his palms. Then, Jim ran his hands down his torso caressing himself through the sweater his face a picture of bliss. He grasped the hem of the sweater, then slowly lifted it over his head exposing the smooth, touchable muscles beneath. Jim tossed the sweater gently at Blair with a saucy smile. He then ran his hands down his body playfully tugging at his nipples as those beautiful hands moved down toward his pants. The path was slow making Blair strain forward in anticipation.

Jim gently arched his back and popped the top button. He slid the zipper down slowly, then turned on his knees so that his back was to Blair. Jim bent over as he slid the pants over the firmly rounded cheeks then down his thighs. Turning again, so that his profile was toward Blair, Jim sat on the floor pulling his knees up as he slid the pants over them then down his lower legs and off. Finally, Jim straightened his legs reclining on one arm then using his free hand to caress his skin.

Jim smiled at Blair. "Well, what do you think?"

The Guide was not thinking at that moment. He was reacting -- powerfully. He pounced from the sofa pinning down his lover to ravage that smiling mouth. Blair straddled Jim's slim hips in near desperation aligning their erections while continuing to kiss the breath out of Jim. The Sentinel took hold of his lover's frantic hips and settled them into a rhythm.

Blair tore his mouth from Jim's to drag in air and moan. "Oh, god, Jim."

He threw back his head gasping out during the powerful orgasm. He felt Jim go rigid a few seconds later. Jim moaned arching off the floor as he came.

Long moments later, Blair was half asleep on Jim's body.

"So, Chief," Jim asked softly. "Do you understand what I was trying to show you?"

Blair chuckled. "That you're the hottest man to ever wear khakis? I already knew that. How's this going to help me?"

Jim sighed. "We'll have to take this from the top."

Blair tried to concentrate on the lesson. He really did. Blair prided himself on being able to study and concentrate in the most raucous surroundings. But Jim bathing him in the shower was not the most conducive to learning. Those beautiful hands and that mouth were everywhere. That sort of made the blood his brain needed to think go elsewhere along with his attentions span. There are some things that did seep through the orgasmic haze. Blair understood why Jim kept eye contact with him as he stripped and while he gently soaped and caressed him into madness. Jim conveyed a lot with his eyes. He conveyed so much that thinking about that hot blue gaze made Blair hard again.

"Eyes... eyes... I got it," Blair mumbled into Jim's chest. He felt his lover chuckle as he pulled the covers up over them. Blair muzzily wondered if he could survive these lessons.

 

The next day was even more puzzling. Jim left for a half day's worth of paperwork after giving Blair explicit instructions not to get dressed unless he had to leave in an emergency. Thus, Blair found himself going about his domestic activities and doing paperwork in the buff. Jim has said that Blair had to learn to feel good in his skin.

"You cover yourself, Blair," Jim has said as he halted Blair's efforts to put on his favorite lounging sweats. "You have no idea how beautiful your body is."

Blair snorted at that, but he left the sweats in his drawer. He knew what Jim meant. There were times he felt great in his own skin. He liked how a hot shower felt after a long day. He loved how freshly laundered sheets felt. And he really relished the feel of Jim's satin covered muscles felt against his skin. But he's never been the sort to revel in being naked. He almost put on the sweats anyway, but the scientist in him decided to give Jim's method a try.

It was weird for most of the day. Blair has never noticed how strange the sofa felt until he was sitting there on his bare bottom. He wondered what Simon Banks would think if he saw this. That notion was struck down immediately. He didn't want anyone other than Jim seeing him like this. The thought of his lover finding him naked made Blair's bare skin tingle. He was suddenly hyper aware of his body. The current of the breeze was stimulating. The afternoon sunshine felt wonderful on his skin. He felt hedonistic almost decadent enjoying the sensations playing across his body.

That was how Jim found him. Blair turned his head and smiled at him as he closed and locked the door. Blair stretched chuckling softly as his lover watched every ripple across his body. He shucked off his jacket allowing it to drop on the floor as he crossed the room. Jim sank to his knees near Blair's head. He looked into Blair's eyes for a long moment then lowered his head to deeply kiss him. Blair felt one of Jim's hands sink into his curls as the kiss ended.

"I feel the sun's warmth along the curls all the way to your scalp," he murmured kissing Blair briefly. The other hand skimmed over his sensitized flesh. "The blood has risen so that your skin is already sensitive to my touch. You can probably feel my fingertips. You're going to feel them all over."

Jim grazed Blair's nipple making the Guide gasp. Jim growled ravaging his mouth this time. Whatever the point of the lesson was got lost once again as the Sentinel made sure that no part of Blair's body would be without a fingerprint or a tongue swipe. Jim followed that up with sucking his brains through his spine and out his penis.

Sometime later -- Blair assumed it was sometime later, because he was dressed and sitting in front of a plate of food in the kitchen -- Jim decided to go over the lessons learned in the last 24 hours.

"You with me here, Chief," Jim asked.

"Yes, I believe I am," Blair said in the same careful and deliberate manner he used when he's been drinking.

Jim smiled at him. "I don't know if you've heard a single word I've said."

"I have, Jim," Blair replied. He suddenly remembered that the lesson in hedonism had somehow not included food. He dug into the pasta suddenly ravenous. "But if you want a chapter by chapter review, I'm all for it."

"Not so fast, professor," Jim said. "I have to find out what you've retained."

Blair chewed thoughtfully. "You keep eye contact to make your intended feel special and wanted for themselves not a body part. But you look at the body as well to make your intended know that your desire is not innocent and to appreciate the person's body."

"Very good," Jim replied. "What else?"

"You had me do things that make me aware of my body so that I would remember it even when I was dressed," Blair said. "You want me to be able to recall that sensual, decadent feeling so it can be read on my face."

"Very good," Jim smiled.

"Then I don't get to do any remedial work?" Blair pouted.

"You don't need it," Jim replied. "But there's always extra credit. But you must finish your dinner."

"Yes, Teach," Blair replied saucily.

Desert consisted of Jim splayed across the kitchen table where Blair had attempted to suck his brains out. The Anthropologist had enticed Jim into getting naked at the table by using that gaze to make Jim feel desired in not so innocent a fashion. When he finished, the Sentinel remained incoherent lying on his back on the table with his limbs dangling off.

"I think," Jim said haltingly while trying to get his breath. "You're ready for a field test."

They chose a nightclub where gays and straights mingled freely on the dance floor and went at happy hour. The assignment was simple enough, or it seemed to be. Blair was to flirt enough to get phone numbers from three men. Jim entered first and took a seat where he could see and been seen by Blair easily. The Guide followed a short while later. Despite the training, Blair still had his doubts. Sure, Jim made it clear in many ways that he looked good enough to eat. He even sensed some reluctance in his lover about putting Blair's wares on display. But somehow, his own confidence fled when the music hit him. He squared his shoulders anyway and ambled up to the bar.

The eye contact thing worked pretty well. Blair was able to attract initial attention, but his gaze faltered when the attention grew intense. He would lower his eyes and turn away from the potential phone number. He felt awkward and dorky. After an hour, he felt like slinking out in failure. That's when someone was at his elbow.

"May I have this dance?" Jim asked.

Blair nodded gratefully. Once on the dance floor under Jim's gave, Blair felt transformed into the hedonist that he was in the loft. He met men's eyes as he moved then returned his gaze to Jim. He flirted with his lover using his eyes and his body. He felt brave and irresistible under that hot blue gaze. When the tune ended, Jim walked Blair back to his bar stool, he gave the younger man his number. It was hard not to laugh. A couple of guys who had been watching him dance wandered over. After a little chit chat, Blair got numbers from each of them. But a half an hour later, his confidence had waned again. He couldn't maintain that irresistible feeling. Once again, he felt Jim at his elbow.

"Let's go home, Chief," he said softly.

 

Blair felt like he'd failed and he waited for admonitions in the car. Instead, he was kissed thoroughly. Jim's eyes were hot when he ended the kiss.

"My god. Blair," he murmured before kissing Blair once again.

The Guide was confused, but this kind of admonishment he could take. When Jim pulled away, he had to calm himself for a moment before starting the truck. It was a deceptively quiet trip home. Jim was obeying all the traffic laws and he wasn't speeding, but Blair could feel that there was a lot of emotion roiling within him. They entered the loft and Jim closed the door and locked it.

Blair was confused. He didn't know if Jim was angry or not. Maybe he had flirted too much.

"Jim..."

The rest of the sentence was swallowed in the kiss. Jim wasn't angry, he was hot and hard. Blair moaned into Jim's mouth. He was expecting to be savaged on the floor by the door. But in spite of the urgency in his lover's touch, they made it to the bedroom. Jim undressed them both then made love to his Guide slowly and reverently. Afterwards, Jim held Blair on top of his sated body stroking his hair absently.

"I know why I don't want you to do this," Jim said softly. "Tell me why you don't want to."

Blair hesitated. He rubbed his cheek against the warm, satiny pec. "I was trying, Jim."

"I know, but it shouldn't have been so hard," Jim replied. "Why were you fighting yourself?"

"I., I flirted so much before you. Sometimes it worked, most times, it didn't," Blair murmured. "I've had so many relationships that were meaningless just to not be alone. What we have is different. I don't want to share the way I look at you or the way you make me feel. I'm sorry to sound so selfish."

Jim held him close pressing his lips to the top of Blair's head. "Then, I'm selfish, too. I don't want you looking at anyone else. I wanted to hurt those who got even a glimpse of what I see when we're alone."

"What are we going to do?" Blair asked.

Jim sighed. "Can't an anthropologist figure out language and such without direct observation?" Jim asked.

"Sure," Blair replied. "Most civilizations aren't around to directly observe."

"Well, maybe you can figure things out from listening to the taped surveillance and studying their histories," Jim said.

"You mean just find the Rosetta Stone for the Feds?"

"Yep, and let them do the rest," Jim said. "I can get the tapes as part of your 'training'."

Blair looked up and smiled at Jim. "I'm willing to try especially if it means more training."

Jim didn't reply. He rolled Blair onto his back and kissed him instead.

 

Blair didn't find Balen's gang that difficult to understand. It took a couple of days work between listening to the tapes and reading their dossiers, but the answers were there. He could trace the histories of the key words they used for various mayhem by looking at their school records and then cross referencing them with their juvenile crime histories. It was all there in plain sight hiding behind slang. The problem that the FBI linguists had was not looking at the histories when looking at the language. That made all the difference. By the end of the second day, Blair had a report that Swanson and Hill could use to translate the activities in Cascade. The report might have been done earlier, but there was the time lost when Jim came home to attack his naked researcher. They both rationalized that behavior as Plan B training in case the translation didn't work.

Blair was in heaven. He was enjoying the research. The Balen gang gave him a merry chase establishing a lexicon. But they were no match for a determined Sandburg who loved a challenge and who sensed a paper. And then there were the decadent afternoons and evenings with his lover. They had enjoyed the sex in their very new relationship, but their unions had found a new level of intimacy and pleasure. Blair speculated that their mutual possessiveness was likely a Sentinel/Guide imperative. The pair bond could not be breached, and it was likely that the bond was for life. Blair didn't really care what the reason was. He was deliriously happy and secure for the first time in his life. He hoped that his supreme confidence in the Sentinel/Guide solution to this problem was shared by the Feds.

 

It had not been an easy sell. The Feds were not pleased that the Professor had presented a solution to their dilemma in a few days when their own linguist could not after months of study. Jim knew how to handle that particular pissing contest. He promised they could have their covert op with Blair if it failed, but emphasized the need for speed in finding out the gang's intent in Cascade. The Police Chief concurred with that aspect of the equation and Blair's translation was used. Neither of their names was anywhere to be found in the press surrounding the resulting bust. Blair didn't care. He would get his paper, and he and Jim kept their privacy.

Blair got something else as well. Jim liked to call it 'naked day.' Every once in a while, usually once a month, they would spend an entire decadent day exploring each other's bodies. Blair told himself it was an imperative to the Sentinel/Guide bonding pair. In more honest moments, he admitted to himself that it felt great to have his primal side unleashed.

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Inevitable 5: Scent of Summer