Ad hominem
Blair frowned intimidatingly at his laptop screen. With a huff, he sat back and clutched at his hair. Then he grabbed a cushion, thumped it a couple of times, viciously, and groaned.
"Is there a problem, Sandburg?" Jim finally gave in.
"Yeah! I'm trying to think of the word, and I can't get my finger on it, and it's driving me nuts!"
"Buy a dictionary."
Blair rolled his eyes. "If that was going to work, don't you think I'd already be looking?" Jim shrugged and returned to the tricky business of a Sunday afternoon snooze. "Ellison!"
"What!?"
"You've got to help me with this! After all, it's your fault."
Jim opened one eye, and regarded his innocent-faced friend with deep suspicion. "Whatever you're up to, Sandburg, you can get yourself out of it. I'm not falling for that look again." Both eyes closed firmly.
"I'm perfectly serious here, man," Blair's voice drifted closer, and Jim quashed the urge to twitch one eye open, even just a little bit. By the sound of it, Blair was thumping around in his room. As the seconds passed, the sounds of books being stacked up interrupted his peace, followed by the louder, weighted footprints and a crash. Jim snapped his eyes open and was on his feet before Blair could say a word.
"Hey, you're awake!"
Jim glowered at him.
"You can help me," he gestured expansively at the former stack of dictionaries littered across the kitchen table. "I'm trying to figure out what to call you."
"What to-- don't I have a name or something you could use?" Jim said irritatedly.
"Not for the diss man, not for the diss. It hasn't got nearly enough syllables. And, it's corrupted Hebrew followed by anglicized, corrupted Brythonig. Only Greek or Latin for these guys."
"I'll pretend that I didn't hear the middle bit, just so we can save time. So. You want a name for 'me', or for a Sentinel?"
"A sentinel, Jim. I mean, I can call it a syndrome, if you prefer?"
Jim sat wearily at the table. "What are the options available here?"
"James Ellison Syndrome?"
"I don't think so."
"Sentinelosis."
"Cured with Smints, right?"
"Homo sensus."
"What?"
"Homo Superior."
"That's more like it."
"Homo Neanderthalensis?"
"Sandburg!"
"Hey, just for old times' sake!"
"Get on with the list."
"Homo defensor ducis?"
"Sandburg, what the hell are you talking about?"
"Protector of the Guide," Blair grinned. "Blessed is a bit tricky to fit in there, especially as a scientific term. Though, hey, I could name you after me. Homo Sandburgensis. Or after the place I found you: Homo Cascadensis. How about Homo Washingtonia?"
Jim didn't just look; he turned his entire head, then his body, his expression incredulous. "Homo Sandburgensis?" he said flatly.
"You like that one?" Blair could hardly suppress the laughter bubbling up.
"You are not going to describe me in your thesis--"
"Dissertation," Blair corrected helpfully.
"Whatever! You are not going to name me after you."
"Why not?" Blair leaned back and grinned.
"Because!"
"That's not good enough."
"Because I asked you not, very nicely."
"How nicely?"
"Clean up the bathroom for you?"
"Not good enough."
"Cancel the house rules for a week?"
"I'm not hearing need here. You want it to change, but you don't want to make any sacrifices."
"I'll make a friggin' sacrifice!" Jim muttered darkly. "Your tripes carved up and offered at the next new moon."
"Cool! Who to?" Blair leaned forward, eyes dancing.
"Whatever deity will promise to shut you up for half an hour so I can get some sleep."
"Harsh, man. Harsh but fair." Blair paused and his face lit up. "That's it!"
He typed rapidly, humming under his breath.
"What?"
"Hmm?"
"What are you calling me?"
"You're going to have to ask nicer than that." Blair observed. "Don't you just love find and replace?" He tapped the mouse twice, and leaned back. "Uh-uh, Jimbo, no peeking." He flicked the screen off.
"I wasn't peeking, I was..." Jim rested his hands on Blair's shoulders and slowly slid them down his chest, then up again, "being 'nice'."
He rubbed his hands again over Blair's chest, smiling as he dropped his head back against Jim, then tweaked lightly at Blair's nipples through the fabric of his t-shirt.
"Mm."
"Nice enough?"
"Keep working on it, man." Any further words were muffled by Jim's mouth. He kissed Blair deeply, if awkwardly. The angle was making it difficult, and he pulled Blair up out of his chair and turned him round, wrapping him in a warm hug. He pressed his lips to Blair's in a series of teasing kisses, and smiled unseen as Blair made a discontented noise in the back of his throat and pushed a thigh between Jim's.
Blair's hands were cold on his back and Jim pulled away with a sound that was almost a yelp. He met his partner's eyes and grumbled, "You did that on purpose, you little shit."
"What?" Blair smoothed his hands up Jim's warm back, pulling their bodies closer together. "This?" He pressed firmly with his thigh, then shifted it in tiny movements against Jim's crotch.
His answer came in the deep kiss and the rhythmic response to his touch. Silence reigned, both men lost in the warm pleasure of touching and being touched. Slowly Jim tugged them towards the couch, he stumbled when his calf bumped into it, and they tumbled down, Blair landing sprawled across him, their hands still moving eagerly under clothing. Jim slid his hands up Blair's torso taking the shirt with him. Blair settled back, tugging the shirt over his head unselfconsciously and dropping it to the floor. His hands worked rapidly at opening the buttons on Jim's shirt, and he tugged it open, growling as he saw the white tee underneath.
"What is your problem? Get naked, homo mio," Blair ordered with a grin.
Jim's eyebrows twitched upwards, and he sat up easily, dislodging Blair from his stomach to settle on his lap. "I could say the same," he reached for Blair's sweat pants, pushing them down until they bunched at his ass. "Lift." He tugged, and boxers and pants both tangled around Blair's knees until, laughing, he rested his full weight on Jim's hips and stripped them the rest of the way off, twisting awkwardly to reach his ankles.
"Careful where you're sitting," Jim gripped his waist and as Blair pulled his shorts and pants down lifted himself up, kicking them off.
"Whoo!" Blair cheered. The trousers thudded to the ground out of sight and Blair dropped full length onto him. Blair's mouth tasted of coffee, and the sticky sweetness of the sugar dusted pastry he'd eaten earlier. He was warm, moving against Jim as though trying to find the perfect fit between their bodies. He wrapped his arms around his back, and squeezed tightly. They lay still or a long moment, breathing together.
He drew a deep breath, the deep musk of Blair's body colouring its texture until he could only feel, smell, taste him, nothing else.
"Jim," Blair's voice was rough with emotion, and he opened his eyes lazily to meet his.
"Blair." He hesitated, unsure what more needed to be said: everything was in that one word. And Blair smiled.
"Yeah."
He understood. Of course he understood. He swept a hand down Blair's flanks, and Blair arched a little, and let his head settle in the crook of his neck. A delicate touch left cooling damp on his throat, and he tightened his grip for a moment, a small noise of pleasure sounding. Blair's tongue drifted slowly, investigating his collar bone, and the dips and knots of his throat. He swallowed, his whole world narrowed to the tiny area where Blair lapped over his adam's apple. Odd how vulnerable that felt. His eyes closed and he felt heat shimmer through him.
Blair's hips rocked slowly against him, and he pushed up, hard. "Please?"
A firm kiss filled his senses, and he shifted obediently as Blair pulled him further over, letting Blair straddle him. A hand crept between them, and Jim groaned. Blair's fingers encircled him, and he thrust up again. Blair's hair draped their faces, and he reached up to brush it back, cupping his lover's face. Despite the heat and the pleasure of Blair's touch he felt deep serene contentment, the urgency of sex a ripple on the strength of their love. They rocked together, Blair's body canted up a little to allow himself access to Jim's erection.
"All right?" Jim murmured, and smiled a little, for once, he was the one talking. Blair's silence would have unnerved him, except that it was the familiar silence of rapt concentration, his lover's whole world narrowed to just him, his touch, his reactions, his pleasure.
They moved faster, and Blair lifted his face up gasping for air, each breath moving him in shudders. Jim shifted, locking his thighs over Blair's ankles, holding him so he could feel the soft hair on Blair's inner thighs rubbing against him. "Not going anywhere," Blair smiled blindly. Jim's hands reached his butt and pulled, hard, sliding him up Jim's body a little. He stroked in time with Blair's motion, then let one hand trace the line of his ass, and again, pressing more firmly, shortening the strokes until he felt the heated moisture and softly ridged dip of Blair's anus. He pushed in, a tiny pressure rubbing gently until Blair gasped and collapsed against him, small flecks of sound breaking from his throat, and then thrusting in one burning stroke, almost a finger length. Blair cried out, and Jim felt his cock jerk, slick warmth smearing between their stomachs. A moment later Blair clamped hard on his finger, then relaxed utterly.
"All right?" he repeated, softly, and Blair opened one eye, a sardonic look warring with bliss.
"Take a guess."
Jim pulled out a little, and thrust back in.
"Yeah." Blair inhaled the word. "Yeah. That's all right. Whatever you want."
Jim nipped at his throat, and pulled Blair further up him, releasing his penis from the weight of Blair's body. "Help a little," he urged in a whisper. Blair smiled sleepily and arched his back, canting his hips down until Jim could position himself at his anus. Jim closed his eyes for a long moment. This fit so perfectly; it was hard to think it could be any better, and yet...
He pushed up slowly, his grip on Blair's hips preventing either of them rushing the slow burn of entry. It felt as though Blair's body opened up before him just far enough to let only him deep inside, taking them to a place where only they were. Blair's breath came harshly, and he held them both still, lost. The touches of their bodies against each other, warm and solid, sweaty and silken smooth. The shape of Blair's hips and buttocks cupped by his hands. The hard pressure of Blair's hands on his shoulders, holding him up, and the drift of Blair's hair, moving with each gasp for air. Their lips met again, and they descended into heat and passion.
Jim moaned, and Blair's voice cried out, words mangled beyond understanding, but full of love. He sat up abruptly, flinging his head back, moving faster than Jim's hands could hold him. Jim watched in breathless wonder as Blair rose and fell, the doubled sensation watching himself sinking up into Blair, feeling the warmth engulf him, and withdraw, the cool air of the room dancing against his hard flesh as arousing as the wet grip of Blair's ass.
He pushed himself up to sit, and Blair shifted with him again, until they were wrapped tightly in each other, Blair's rise and fall controlled and supported by Jim's embrace, Jim's body surrounded by Blair, his arms, his ass, his body rubbing, stroking, pushing. Jim gasped, and crushed Blair to him, holding him still. It caught him by surprise, it always did. So lost in his Blair that his own rising burn barely registered until his body took over from his long trained self control, and he cried out.
Long minutes later, the world faded back into reality, and he blew Blair's hair out of his face, pressed a kiss against the damp cheek resting on his shoulder. Blair was draped against his side, legs tangled together. His hand was idly petting Blair's back, and he smiled at the soothing strokes brushing lightly over his arm and side.
"Going to tell me now?"
"Oh man." Blair bit at Jim's shoulder. "I'll think about it." He slanted a wicked look at Jim, who felt his groin tighten.
"Want some incentive?" he asked, and twisted until Blair was underneath him. He smiled and Blair's grin was blinding.
"Sure," he said casually, "But you're going to have to do better than that."
"Is that a challenge?" He settled himself on all fours above him.
Blair smiled back, and tucked his hands behind his head. "Knock yourself out."
Page last updated 18/09/2004.