Title: When Love Goes Astray
Author: PEJA
Fandom: The Sentinel
Pairing: Blair/omc Blair/Jim
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Petfly holds the legal end of ownership. I hold the fanatic end
Warning: Does Blair abuse count?
WHEN LOVE GOES ASTRAY
By PEJA
Leaning against the steering wheel for support, Blair drew a shuddering breath and shut down the Volvo’s engine.
He eased himself back against the seat, letting his head loll back on the headrest and stared up at the dark loft.
He was home. Had actually made it without wrapping the car around something big and hard.
Turning his head without lifting it, he found no sign of the big blue and white truck. Jim must still be on that mysterious stakeout. He could slip in and be in bed before his remote roommate made it back...Ah, bed, something big and soft to lie down on and lick the wounds.
But first he had to get his happy butt up and out of the car.
Reaching for the door handle with an economy of movement, Blair finally touched fingers to the cold metal, and winced. The fiery ripple up his arm from the index finger was intense.
"Damn," Blair sucked in a hissing breath, then coiled over on himself, whimpering. "Oh, damn."
Long moments passed before he could ease himself upright and draw a small breath.
The short walk to the loft never looked so far away. "Maybe I should just take a nap before I...."
A violent shiver ran through him, setting off a fireworks display of agony along his nerve endings.
"Cold." He gasped. "Bad."
Holding his injured finger firmly out of the way, he managed to get the car door open and shoved out of his way. But by the time he’d done it, his forehead was sweat slicked.
"Okay," he murmured, "We have an open door, little feet buddies. Just have to swing out and..." He laughed bitterly.
"Yeah, right. Swing out. For some reason, I’m not feeling terribly sure I could crawl out right now." He slumped back in the seat. "Damn, Dil, why in the hell did ya have to...." His head fell forward. "Ah, fuck....Now, you listen, you battered husk of an anthro TA, buck up. Stiff lip and all that crap. Get your legs under ya and walk."
Easing himself around, Blair managed to get his legs out of the car and his feet on the pavement. A trembling hand swiped at the tide of saltiness dripping into his eyes. He drew a rattling breath and forced himself to his feet. Knees quivering under him, he clung desperately to the car door.
"Ha," he said, smiling weakly. "I’m up. I can do this." His unfocused blue gaze swept the block up and down. "Just hope I can do it before Jim shows."
Gathering his strength, Blair straightened as much as he could, which left him curled in a protective hunch and released his tenacious hold on the car. His body swayed in the light breeze than steadied. "That’s it, Blair, my fucked up, shit head self. You can make it." He gave the door a shove, nearly upsetting his wavering grasp on remaining up-right.
After a moment to stabilize himself, Blair pointed one foot in the direction of the loft and slid it forward. "That’s it, feet, only a bit farther and we can lie down." He told himself, sliding the other foot forward. He shuffled his way several feet toward his goal before his had to stop and catch his breath.
"Damn building’s got to choose tonight to go walkabout." Blair muttered, shaking his head to clear the darkness nipping at his vision.
Breathing harshly, he skimmed a quick glance around the deserted block again. "Damn good thing we don’t have a lively bunch of neighbors." He murmured, shuffling toward his goal once more, and this time he made it to the door before he had to stop.
Lost in an ocean of agony, he rested his trembling body against the door frame until he could draw enough breath to continue.
*
"Half an hour," Blair rasped, fitting his key in the lock and leaning heavily on the door as it swung open. "Half a fucking hour to make it from the car to the door. Has to be some kind of record, for god’s sake."
"I’d have to agree," Jim’s voice came out of the darkness, just before the room was flooded with light.
"J....Jim...." Blair grimaced against the blinding light, raising a hand to protect his eyes. "Thought you...were....still on....eh...stakeout."
Jim rose out of the chair he had been sitting in. "I am."
"You....are?" Blair swayed slightly, peeking out from under his hand. "Oh..."
"Yeah," Jim closed the distance between them like a stalking panther. He caught Blair’s chin in a hard grasp and examined the puffy bruises. "You run into another door, chief?" His glance skimmed over Blair. "No, this looks like a bit more damage than a door. What? You fall down another flight of stairs?"
Blair winced under his roommate’s sarcastic comment. "Remind me to tell ya about it sometime, huh?" he said,
trying to move past Jim.
"How about now?" Jim grabbed his arm
A gasping cry parted Blair’s lips and Jim released him.
"Jesus, Blair, Just how bad is it this time?"
"I’m fine. Fell, is all. Gotta get my glasses adjusted, maybe."
"Blair, who the hell are you seeing, a female gorilla?"
Blair threw him a sneering glare and tried to get out of the line of fire.
"Blair, we have to talk."
A weary sigh parted his lips and he shook his head. "Nothing to talk about, Ellison."
"I think there is, unless you consider being beaten half dead part of the courting ritual now."
Blair turned, stumbled and landed heavy against the wall. A dribble of blood slipped past his lips and he swiped at it with a shaking fist, only succeeding in smearing it over his cheek.
"Jesus, God," Jim pounced on the dazed man, drawing him into a supporting embrace that sent waves of nauseous pain rippling through him.
"Let go. To tight." Blair babbled, batting at him.
Jim released him, striken to the bone. "I’ll call for an ambulance."
"No."
Blair’s shout froze him in place.
"Blair, you need...."
"I said no," he hissed, glaring at Jim. "I won’t go to hospital." A cold, sneering smile tugged at his lips and his hard gaze collided with Jim’s. "I’m not... ready to take that ride with you."
Jim’s head snapped back as if he’d been slapped. "Blair?"
"Look, Jim, let me go to bed, huh?" he said, softening his words. "I kind of stumbled tonight and just want to got to sleep and put it behind me."
He made his slow and painful way across the loft to his room and closed the door behind him, shutting Jim out.
*
Bent and shuffling like a man twice his age, Blair crept out of his room with the rising sun and headed for the bathroom. His hands shook as he adjusted the water in the shower and slipped off the concealing robe.
The full length mirror hanging on the door captured his gaze and he shuffled closer, fingering the reflected discolored side where Dil had sucker punched him as he walked in the door. Twisting his body, he examined the black and blue welts on his back. Blair had never known a belt could do that much damage.
He gave a contemptuous grunt. Course those studs had added an extra punch, hadn’t they?
He leaned his forehead against the mirror, drawing a shuddering breath. "I’ll do better, Dil." He vowed, brushing aside a tear that slipped from under his lashes. "I know I’m not worth the time of day, but I’ll be better."
A sudden knock on the door heralded Jim’s shouted, "You all right in there, Chief."
Surprised, Blair lost his tenuous hold on his balance and he toppled to the floor, crying out as his brutalized side made first contact.
Jim blasted through the door and froze, staring down at his battered, naked roommate. "Blair...?"
The younger man rolled his head, gazing just past Jim. "Fell...."
Jim knelt on one knee next to Blair, running his hands over the bruise splotched arms.
"Leave me alone," Blair rasped, cringing away from the other man’s touch. "Don’t..... touch. I don’t want.... your.... hands on me."
Jim rocked back on his heels at the animosity in his voice. "Blair?"
"Get the hell out of here and leave me alone," Blair growled, covering his groin with his hands. "I’m naked for cripes sake."
Jim glared into his distraught eyes. "Get dressed. I want the name of the bitch that did this to you and to take your statement while this is half-ways fresh in your mind." "You....want?" Blair laughed harshly. "You want, isn’t that classic." Clenching his teeth against the rocking going on inside, Blair forced his protesting body up to lean weakly against the wall. "Just leave me alone, will ya. I don’t want or need you, okay." "Blair...?" "I release you, okay?" Blair growled, mentally licking the wounds from the night before, and the deep tearing ones he was inflicting on himself right now. "You are officially no longer my blessed protector. Feel better now. "
The color washed from Jim’s features, leaving him wane and shaken