Jim was still reeling from the effects of the zone out when his auditory sense was overcome by the loud cheers and laughter. The Sentinel had dialed up his hearing to catch the sound of the unborn baby's heartbeat, but he didn't have time to mentally adjust the level back to normal before he was overwhelmed. It took a few seconds to control and dismiss the pain. With an abrupt shake of his head, Jim turned around to see what the cause of the outburst had been. Scanning quickly around the room, the Sentinel felt his heart skip a beat when his gaze reached the doorway.
Blair.
The sight of his Guide was enough to take his breath away. Nothing in Jim's life, not his rescue from the jungle, not his wedding day, not one single thing had ever filled him with as much joy as the sight of the beautiful man standing not twenty feet away from him. With his jaw hanging slackly, Jim's eyes found those of his Guide, and there wasn't a single force on the planet that could have dragged them away.
It seemed to the detective that hundreds of stray thoughts were all competing for his immediate attention. 'Is this real? How did he get here? Where did he come from? Why didn't he call?' None of the myriad of questions was powerful enough to overcome the one word that drowned out all of the others. 'Blair.'
The deep blue eyes, shone ever so brightly with merriment and a touch of mischief. It never occurred to Jim to try and meet Blair halfway. It wouldn't have mattered anyway since he was frozen in place, terrified that the slightest movement on his part would make the impossible vision before him disappear.
Then suddenly, Blair was before him.
Too lost in each other to pay attention to their surroundings, they never noticed that all movement and conversation in the room came to an abrupt end as every person in attendance turned their attention to the reunion that was about to happen. The only noise came from the CD player that kept on cranking out Christmas carols, unaware of the monumental event that was taking place. All eyes were focused on the two partners, who stood unmoving as they drank in the sight of each other.
For months now, Jim had worried that when he finally did get to see Blair again, the younger man wouldn't be as attractive as the mental pictures in his memory. He was right. Nothing his imagination had created even came close to competing with the breathtaking beauty of the vision now standing before him.
With a quick glance, the Sentinel made mental notes of the small changes in his Guide's appearance. Like Jim, Blair had let his hair grow out, leaving it longer than ever before. The auburn highlights that the summer sun always brought out had faded somewhat, leaving the younger man's long silky curls an almost uniform dark color. The summer tan that Blair had been sporting when he left was long gone as well. It looked as though the younger man was a few pounds lighter, if the tightened belt and slightly gathered waistband of his jeans were any indication.
The one relative constant was Blair's eyes. The mercurial rich blue had always drawn Jim in, like a sailor to a Siren, and it was no different now. Emotions flitted through them at a rapid pace -- elation, joy, a touch of fear, happiness, a little uncertainty, and most importantly, love. Impossibly as it seemed, Blair's eyes began to shine a little brighter as a touch of moisture began to gather. Jim could only watch in fascination as the soft light in the room refracted the normal smoky blue color into a new shade, a vibrant azure that reminded him of the hue of the deepest ocean. Suddenly, Jim's vision began to blur slightly, causing a second of panic before the Sentinel realized that his own eyes were misting over as well.
In reality, the number of actual seconds they stood there drinking in each other's presence could have been counted on a single hand; but to Jim and Blair, it felt as though an eternity had passed. In that moment, the bond that the Sentinel and Guide shared was instantly reaffirmed. This is where they both belonged, side by side, together in all things.
It was impossible to say who moved first. With one mind, Jim and Blair threw simultaneously themselves into an embrace that was so moving to behold, the entire room erupted into cheers and applause. As Jim brought his arms up around the younger man, his eyes slowly closed so he could control the turmoiltuous emotions that were quickly overpowering him. After painful months of withdrawal, almost all his Sentinel senses were inundated by his Guide; the comforting heartbeat that was now racing out of control, the heady mix of shampoo, soap, and the simple scent that was just Blair, and the less familiar feel of the warm figure pressed so tightly to his own larger frame.
When he later looked back on that moment, Jim was surprised to find that, despite the four months that he had lusted after his Guide, desire played absolutely no part in that embrace. It wasn't as though he had been worried about anybody discovering that he was in love with Blair; truth be told, he had completely forgotten that there was anybody else on the planet, let alone in the same room. Instead, Jim was too busy drinking in his Guide's presence to allow his thoughts to wander that far.
Only when the detective's lungs protested from the lack of breathable air that Blair's fierce constricting grip was causing, did Jim loosen his own hold on the younger man. Blair must of been in the same predicament since he drew several deep breaths as he relaxed his arms ever so slightly. However, neither man was willing to let go of the other just yet.
No longer oxygen deprived, Jim's brain slowly began to function again. He couldn't prevent himself from patting the firm back under his hands, not sure if the reassuring action was more for his own benefit or that of his Guide. When Blair whispered his name softly, the Sentinel could easily recognize the tenderness in the tone. For the first time in what seemed like hours, Jim attempted to speak.
"Blair, how...I thought...when...," the detective stumbled. Fine, so maybe his overloaded brain wasn't quite with the program just yet.
It didn't matter, though. As always, his Guide knew exactly what his Sentinel was trying to say. Much to Jim's disappointment, Blair started to pull back out of the embrace, but Jim wasn't ready to let go of the younger man. Apparently, Blair wasn't either. Although they stepped back to put a little distance between their bodies, both men latched on to each other's arms just above the elbow, forming an enclosed circle around the foot or so of space that separated them. The new position afforded each man the opportunity to gaze at the other. As Blair began to speak, Jim easily saw the twinkle of mischief in his Guide's eyes.
"Who said there aren't any miracles these days?" he replied with a grin.
Jim laughed and pulled the younger man in for another hug, this one much shorter than the last. As the moment passed, the noise level in the room was quickly on the rise again as people resumed talking amongst themselves again. As the two men pulled apart, the Sentinel realized just how he had greeted his Guide.
All of the doubts and uncertainties he had been wrestling with for months came back to him in a rush. Turning up the mental dial on his audio sense, Jim used his enhanced hearing to randomly tune in on various conversations around the room. Some of the guests commented on how good it was to see Jim and Blair together again. Jealousy flared in the detective when he heard a few women discussing various ways to lure his Guide into their beds for the evening. Only when his scan of the room was completed without overhearing any accusatory comments on his relationship with Blair, did Jim allow himself to relax slightly and enjoy the elation that came from being reunited with the younger man.
It wasn't long before Simon appeared at their sides with two fresh cups of eggnog. For once in his life, Blair was actually breaking a sweat during a Cascade winter, so he shrugged out of his heavy coat and scarf before he accepted the drink he was offered. They quickly settled back into their old habits, teasing each other good naturedly.
Simon was only the first of many who came over to pay court to the anthropologist. At one point or another, every person in the room came by, exchanging pleasantries, catching up on current life events, introducing new spouses or significant others, or simply to thank Blair for the breakfast he had sent that morning. It amazed the detective how easily the younger man to fit back into this close-knit circle. It was almost as though he had never been away.
Through the next hour and half, Jim never strayed away from Blair's side. The Sentinel reveled in every aspect of his Guide, watching him as closely, inhaling his scent deeply, touching him casually as often as he could manage. However, the most enjoyable part by far was listening to the sound of Blair's voice constantly underscored by the rhythmic beating of that familiar heartbeat.
Jim's attentiveness was far from one sided. Blair made sure that Jim was an integral part of every conversation. The detective lost count of the number of times he felt the anthropologist's gaze on him. Whenever Jim would catch Blair's eyes, the younger man would grace him with a special smile, and as often as not, reach out and touch him on the arm. It was almost as though Blair was reassuring himself that Jim was actually nearby, and not some wishful figment of his imagination.
The continual casual contact only inflamed the growing desire that the Sentinel had been, so far, able to keep in check. However, between the increasingly smoldering glances and the constant barrage on his senses caused by their close proximity, Jim was rapidly losing the willpower to maintain an air of normalcy between himself and his Guide.
The Sentinel split his attention between the younger man and those around them. He watched and listened for any odd glances or whispered comments about their behavior. Jim knew that his fears were irrational, but he for some reason, he couldn't suppress them. As time passed, the detective realized that even if people did notice their behavior, either they refrained from commenting on it, or they simply expected it. With the realization came a feeling of freedom, allowing Jim to finally relax and focus completely on his Guide.
Lost in his own thoughts, the Sentinel was momentarily deafened by his Guide's roaring whoop of happiness as Karen and Ray shared the news about their expected family addition. Standing somewhat off to the side of the trio, Jim looked on as Blair grabbed the mother-to-be in a fierce hug. The detective couldn't help but laugh as the younger man suddenly remembered why he was hugging Karen and released her as quickly as he had embraced her, all the while apologizing for the roughness of his actions.
However, Blair's cautious, protective behavior around Karen, coupled with the younger man's delight at the news brought a joyful glow to his expressive face. In a surreal instant, the younger man turned to his Sentinel and gifted him with a gaze that was more intimate than any caress. The look of pure, radiant love that was clearly shining in Blair's eyes was augmented by an ever so subtle shift in the smile on his Guide's pouting lips. The warmth and desire the younger man was projecting was enough to take Jim's breath away, and for the first time that evening, the Sentinel couldn't prevent the stirring in the lower half of his body.
As if reading the Sentinel's mind, Jim watched his Guide's pupils dilate slowly while his heartbeat increased in tempo. The detective saw Blair's smile falter, and he knew that the younger man was experiencing his own wave of lust as it raced through his smaller form. Jim couldn't stop the quiet moan that escaped him as his skin began tingling; a reaction caused by the mingling of the pheromones they were releasing into the air around them. Without conscious thought, Jim raised his hand to touch his Guide.
"I hate to call it a night, but we need to get moving if we want to get seats at the church."
Both Blair and Jim jumped at the sound of Simon's deep voice. The younger man immediately turned his attention to the Captain, but it took the Sentinel a few moments to shake off the overpowering effects of his Guide's pheromones. Simon said something to the detective before walking away with Ray and Karen.
"Jim, you okay?" Blair asked, concerned over the older man's sluggish response time.
Summoning all of his willpower, the detective was able to ground out a single word. "Pheromones."
Blair's eyes went wide at the short explanation. Pausing for a second to discern the best course of action, his Guide looked carefully into his eyes. When he reached a decision, he informed Jim softly in a determined tone of voice. "I'm going to wait outside for you by your truck, okay Jim? Take whatever time you need to focus your concentration. You need to tone down your reaction to my pheromones. Try to remember back to what we went over in the labs, back when you were affected by Laura. You tuned her out, so you should be able to do it again with me."
Seeing that Blair wouldn't leave without some kind of sign from him, Jim managed a jerky nod of his head.
"Okay, I'll be outside. If you aren't out there in five minutes, I'll send in Ryf to help you," his Guide assured him before he headed out the door.
Damn, if he couldn't control this, Blair would have to tell Ryf what exactly it was that was zoning him out. Shit. Starting the deep breathing exercises Blair had taught him so long ago, Jim found his center and began the process of fine tuning his senses so that they wouldn't be overwhelmed by the distracting pheromones. After what seemed like an eternity, the Sentinel was finally able to run his hand through the air where Blair had been standing moments ago without any effect. Sighing in relief the detective made his way outside still trembling slightly.
There were a few stragglers making their way to their cars, and behind him he could hear Simon jiggling his keys as he fumbled to lock the door to the house. Jim saw Blair next to his truck talking to Brian and his girlfriend, Cynthia. His Guide looked at him anxiously as he approached them, only relaxing when the Sentinel stood right next to him and unlocked the door. Blair's quiet inquiry to see if everything was alright was answered with a subtle nod of confirmation. With a quick goodbye to Ryf and Cynthia, Jim opened the driver's side and got into the truck.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"That was too weird, man. I don't understand why this happened all of a sudden. It's not like you haven't been exposed to my pheromones before." Blair questioned as they pulled up to a red light.
"Chief, I really don't want to get into this now, alright? I mean, I've got control over it at the moment, but it's still a little too new and I'm not really comfortable with it," Jim couldn't help but flinch when he heard the gruffness in his own voice.
The eager, curious look on Blair's face changed quickly into one of hurt and uncertainty. "You're not comfortable with this. You mean with us," he stated slowly, as if the words were causing him pain.
Suddenly Jim realized how the younger man must have interpreted his words, and hastened to reassure him. "Oh God, no Chief. I didn't mean I wasn't comfortable about us. Shit Blair, don't you realize that it was us that caused this in the first place? I mean, pheromones are released when you are attracted to somebody, right? No, what I meant was that I'm not sure just how well I'm going to do at constantly tuning them out."
From the corner of his eye, Jim could see Blair's eyes close as the younger man release the breath he had been holding in fear. The relief that was plainly evident on his Guide's face made Jim smile. Although he was sorry that he had inadvertently upset Blair, the Sentinel was happy to discover just how important this relationship was to the anthropologist. Wanting to further reassure the younger man, Jim reached over to hold one of Blair's hands. The Sentinel smiled when he heard his Guide's heartbeat speed up in reaction.
Hazarding a glance at his passenger, Jim saw an expression that he was very familiar with on Blair's face. The professor was turning the matter over in his head, trying to find an explanation for what had happened back at the party. "I just don't get it. We lived together for three years, you should have been affected long before now." Jim was about to comment, but never got the chance as his Guide continued thinking aloud. Rather than interrupt, the detective just sat back and smiled at the familiarity of this situation. "Maybe you tuned them out and you weren't even aware of it. I mean, the constant exposure, maybe you just treated it like you do background noise. Y'know, like you're aware that it's there, but you're not consciously aware of it. And after we've been separated this long...of course that must be it. Have you been, like super-sensitive to me tonight?" When Jim laughed, Blair rolled his eyes, but he kept going nonetheless. "Of course you were, stupid question."
They were only two blocks away from the church when they came to the next red light. Jim took advantage of it. Leaning over as far as his seatbelt allowed, the Sentinel let go of Blair's hand and raised it to cup his cheek. Blair stopped speaking as the hand caressed his cheek, and raised his deep blue eyes to meet Jim's. They held each other's gaze for only a second before both sets of lids dropped as they moved together as one.
The kiss was soft, just a gentle brush of lips against lips. It was not meant to be passionate, instead it was a reassuring confirmation of each other's presence. As soon as it was complete, Jim leaned back in order to see the expression on Blair's face. The tenderness he saw there echoed what he was feeling in his own heart.
The horn blast from the car behind them ended the moment all too soon. Once again, Jim found Blair's hand as they moved forward to look for a parking spot on the already crowded street. The detective groaned when he saw the flood of people headed towards the massive church.
The silence was a comfortable one while they circled back around for another pass. Suddenly a thought popped into Jim's mind out of nowhere. "How did you get here?"
Blair couldn't help but burst into hysterics. "You want the birds and the bees version or do you want me to draw you a diagram? Geez, man, I'm not surprised you got divorced if you can't answer that one."
Jim rolled his eyes but gave in and snickered right along with his Guide. "You know what I meant, Sandburg." The detective sighed in happiness at the sight and sound of Blair's laughter. He had forgotten just how much he missed it.
Still smiling, the younger man answered. "Steven."
"Steven? Steven is off in Vermont. What did he have to do with it?" Jim asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Last night, after you guys had dinner, Steven called me on my cell phone while I was waiting at the airport to see if I could get a standby ticket somehow. Oh wait, there's a spot," Blair pointed with his free hand, never pausing in his story as Jim expertly parallel parked the truck. "Apparently, he checked to see if the company jet would be free after it dropped him off in Boston, but the pilot had one more trip to make this morning. Anyway, he asked me if I could be at one of the private hangers at 2:00 this afternoon. Yeah, right, like a whole squadron of deranged psychopaths could have kept me away. So I go down there and sure enough, at two on the dot one of the Tomacha Corporation's Lear jets taxies into the hanger."
Slamming the door shut, the pair started walking towards the church. "I can't believe he did that," Jim said, shaking his head in disbelief. With a sharp glance at his Guide, the Sentinel's next words were spoken with a touch of reproach. "And why in the hell didn't you at least call and let me know? Do you know what it was like for me today, thinking you weren't going to be able to make it here? Jesus, you had enough time to fax in a damned breakfast order for the whole department and you couldn't find the time to make a two second call to me? Thanks a lot, Chief."
Holding his hands up in token defense, Blair blurted out his answer. "Hey, it wasn't my idea! Steven said that he wanted it to be a surprise."
"You still could have called, Sandburg!" Jim protested.
"Look, your brother didn't just let me hitch a ride on the company jet, he sent it down to pick me up! What did you expect me to say? 'Thanks for the offer, Steven, but I'm afraid that Jim will be pissed if I actually show up in Cascade without me calling him first?'" Blair's stated, his voice dripping sarcasm. Extending his arms, the anthropologist pantomimed an old fashioned hanging scale. "Hmm, let's weigh the options here, shall we? A luxurious plane ride to see you, provided, of course, that I keep it a surprise verses spending Christmas alone, sitting on my ass in the Richmond airport. I don't know, man. That's a pretty tough call, don't you think?"
One look at the sardonic expression on Blair's face was enough for Jim to see just how asinine his anger was. Instead of being upset by something as trivial as a phone call, he should have just been grateful that Blair was here at all. First the Aspen trip, now this. The Sentinel felt a little guilty at his brother's generosity. He would have to give Steven a call in the morning.
Out of nowhere, a gloved hand clasped his arm. "Oh man, Jim, it was so great. I had the whole plane to myself, sofas to stretch out on, full bar," Blair recollected with a dreamy look on his face. "The pilot even let me have the controls for a few minutes. I gotta tell ya, it's really gonna suck next time I have to fly coach."
"You're breaking my heart here, Sandburg," Jim responded sarcastically. How did the kid do it? Never in his life had the detective ever come across another person who could step in shit and walk away smelling of roses as often as Blair did.
"Oh, by the way, Steven asked me to give you a message," his Guide continued, unaware of the Sentinel's wandering thoughts. Jim turned to look at Blair, prompting the younger man by raising his eyebrows into the universal expression of 'well?' Blair's forehead gathered in puzzlement at the cryptic message. "He said to tell you that you can repay him for getting me here by telling him exactly how you got those tickets."
Jim didn't stop chuckling until they reached the church.
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