lit_gal | Ad Libitum

Ad Libitum 3
Rated: Adult
Kink: Tickling

Guess what?? I thought I had until the END of the month to finish all my bingos. I have until TODAY. My memory truly sucks. Okay, I'll be finishing up the one last bingo I'm working on and then calling it good. Damn... well, I guess I can enter next round because I didn't finish everything I wanted to. *eyes Tony in "The Investigation" with guilt*

Well, here are our boys from The Sentinel trying to handle Alex in a very different way.

Previous parts here: ONE, TWO

"Hey, Simon," Blair waved from the far side of the room. With Jim in Blessed Protector from Hell mode, Blair was pretty much stuck on the couch because one step toward a door or window brought Jim to his side with a growl.

"Sandburg," Simon offered as he shoved a file toward Jim. Blair didn't need to read the evidence, or in this case, the lack of evidence. The police suspected Alex of a dozen different crimes, and with Blair's unpublished information on Sentinels, the FBI was pretty sure about how she'd done her jobs. Unfortunately, opportunity, motive, and ability didn't actually constitute evidence.

"They need to pin her location down," Jim growled as he read through the file standing in the middle of the loft. It looked like Simon wasn't even getting an invitation to sit down.

"Maybe you would like to tell them they aren't doing their jobs," Simon offered facetiously.

"Oh man, ignore him. He's practicing his asshole impression," Blair suggested.

"I've got news for you, Sandburg. He doesn't need any practice."

Jim stopped reading long enough to give Simon a nasty look, and Simon raised his eyebrows. Blair just leaned on the back of the couch and watched the male posturing. Growing up in communes, he'd been around women far more often than men, so this complex dance of hidden emotion and tacit warnings was a world he'd only recently discovered.

"We're just lucky they're taking your research on face value even though it looks outrageous," Simon said. Blair noticed that the captain looked over only after Jim dropped his own gaze back down to the file.

"I documented every test, Simon."

"Dr. Stoddard verified your dissertation topic and spoke highly of you to the Special Agent in charge," Simon nodded. "But I can't help but wonder if this isn't going to backfire on us." Simon ignored Jim's body language and pushed past him before sitting on the couch next to Blair.

Jim narrowed his eyes for just a brief second. Oh yeah, the man's instinctive behaviors were off the chart. If Blair had any objectivity or credibility when it came to Jim, this territorial conflict would make a fascinating chapter.

"Considering that she is a danger to Blair, do you really think I care if I get outted?" Jim demanded, his aggression levels way too high. Luckily, Simon didn't seem interested in taking offense.

"I think you would care about protecting your job and your privacy," Simon said in an entirely too-calm tone of voice.

"Hey, we are totally covered," Blair hurried to say. "There is no way any of my research can be traced back to Jim. Anyone who digs will have to conclude that I am comparing Alex Barnes to the late Clyde Olio."

"And most of the station assumes that Blair is sticking around because he and I are sleeping together," Jim added as he did another tour of the windows, looking out each before checking the lock.

Simon sighed. "Of course, you aren't, because if you were involved, there is no way I would condone that blatant a violation of rules."

Jim stopped and just looked at Simon blankly.

"Nevermind, I don't want to know," Simon quickly said as he held up his hand. "I delivered the file, and now I have a suspect to try and track down. When you're over whatever Sentinel flu you have, let me know." Simon headed for the door. "Sandburg, don't let him do anything too stupid." Simon shook his head sadly. "When Sandburg is the reasonable half of this partnership, we all have to worry."

Blair really didn't have the energy to be offended for himself or on Jim's behalf. Jim was pacing, his hands clenching as though strangling someone. "Yeah, sure thing," he answered Simon.

Without another word, Simon was gone, and Jim immediately headed for the door, closing each lock and touching it before turning to survey the room again.

"Man, you are totally freaking Simon out," Blair pointed out. Jim stalked to the windows checking them again.

"As long as I keep her away from you, I don't really care, Chief," Jim answered, and that was about the longest answer Blair had gotten out of Jim since they'd hit the Cascade airport.

"Are we even sure she's after me?" Blair asked uncertainly. Logically, she should take off with all the police interest in her presence.

"Yes," Jim said shortly. Blair watched as Jim slowly turned to face Blair, his eyes dark with worry and his hands clenched into fists. "I'll kill her if she tries to take you."

"Hey, if even half of the stuff in the FBI file is true, I'm not even going to make the argument about the sanctity of human life," Blair quickly agreed as he held his hands up in surrender. Jim cocked his head.

"I want you," he whispered.

Blair's eyebrows went up. "I thought you were on high alert."

"I am," Jim said as he moved close, his body tight and controlled in every motion. Each step closer widened the grin on Jim's face as he considered Blair with open lust and a dangerous leer. Someone was feeling playful.

"So, I'm only going to get half your attention?" Blair asked with mock indignation. "Forget it Ellison." Blair got up and slid over the back of his couch in a move that would have inspired a lecture about shoes and furniture at another time. But this time, Jim didn't comment as Blair headed for the stairs.

Blair was halfway up the stairs before a tug on his vest slowed him. He shrugged out of his vest. The game was a familiar one, but familiar in a way that made it safe and comforting without ever getting boring. Any game that ended with a naked Jim Ellison could never be boring. When Jim caught his shirt, Blair squirmed, hurrying to unbutton it before Jim lost his patience, pushed Blair down, and just pulled it off.

The last button came just as Jim's arm caught Blair around the waist. Blair twisted and laughed as he slipped out of his lover's grip.

"Too slow, Chief," Jim warned as he pursued Blair who was now walking up the stairs backwards.

"No way. Man, I had it off," Blair argued. He reached the top step and started backing toward the bed.

"I had you, and you squirmed away," Jim corrected him.

"I—" Blair didn't get any more out before Jim tackled him, sending them both crashing to the bed. They bounced, and Blair grabbed at Jim's waist. Jim had lost his shirt somewhere along the way, so he had warm, firm skin to run his hands over as they came to a rest, Jim's body pinning his.

"No cheating, Chief. There's always a consequence for cheating," Jim whispered, the warm air tickling Blair's ear. Jim's knee pressed against Blair's thigh, and Blair happily spread his legs. This was one consequence he was more than happy to endure.

Instead of stripping Blair and claiming his booty, Jim sat up, his strong hands braced against Blair's ribs, holding him down. Blair looked up with a frown. "Jim?"

"Shhh," Jim said, his eyes falling closed in either need or concentration as his fingers brushed across Blair's stomach. The tiny hairs of his body bowed under Jim's fingertips. Blair reached up and grabbed Jim's wrists, not fighting him, but just holding on as Jim outlined Blair's muscles. Sensitive fingers followed the curve of each oblique muscle before following the linea alba up to Blair's throat.

Blair swallowed. Jim's fingers found his throat, touching the Adam's apple gently. Part of Blair was concerned at this strange and silent behavior. Another part was more interested in moving this along because the touch was quickly causing a rather painful problem in his jeans.

Jim's hands wandered down over Blair's shoulders to his arms, and Blair let go of Jim's wrists and let his hands rest on either side of his body. When Jim's fingers skimmed over Blair's sides, Blair twitched involuntarily and laughed. Jim got a wicked smile on his face, and Blair opened his mouth to object just a half second too late. Jim attacked with fingers gently brushing over Blair's vulnerable sides, and Blair laughed manically and twisted as he tried to push Jim's hands away.

Laughter forced the air out of his lungs, and his stomach got sore as Jim moved his tickling up.

"Man..." Blair gasped, and Jim started in on the tender spot just in front of his underarm. Blair's whole body convulsed as the light touch short circuited every muscle and he was left writhing and laughing, Jim's knees pinning him down to the bed so that he couldn't scramble away from the touch.

"Jim, I'm..." One of Jim's hands slipped down to Blair's belly button, sending shivers that made Blair flop his arms until Jim caught both in his hand and pinned them over Blair's head. Of course, this meant that his other hand was limited to tickling Blair's sides, but with his arms up, Blair couldn't protect his underarms at all, and Jim targeted them with a merciless efficiency that left Blair panting and on the verge of peeing his pants.

"Stop," Blair cried out desperately. For a second, Jim hesitated, his hand hovering over Blair's skin. He was breathing hard as though he'd been the one tickled into helplessness. "Man, seriously, I'm going to pee my pants here. Enough," Blair said. He cocked his head at Jim who had a strange and intense expression on his face. "Jim?"

Jim shuddered and laid his hand on Blair's heart, his eyes falling closed. "Oh man, talk to me, here. You're freaking the guide out."

"I want you," Jim whispered without opening his eyes.

"You have me. Helpless guide all pinned to the bed here," Blair pointed out as he shimmied his hips. If he were totally honest, he liked Jim in this mood. For him, sex had always been about courting and tempting and cajoling and pleasing. He'd never had a lover who pursued him, who would pin him down and make him feel like he belonged. When Jim would guiltily admit that he didn't think he could let Blair leave, he would bask in that. He'd spent too long drifting from place to place and pretending he liked it that way.

"Helpless and horny guide pinned to the bed here," Blair repeated even though Jim had to be able to smell the desire. The aphrodisiac effect of asphyxia was well documented, although tickling the partner to breathlessness was a new way to get there.

Jim's eyes slowly opened, the center wide and black with a thin circle of ice blue around it. He studied Blair. Slowly Jim leaned down and kissed Blair breathless again. Blair pressed his hips up and squirmed as Jim took all control over the lovemaking.

When Jim finally pulled back, Blair could feel his mouth tingling. Letting Blair's wrists go, Jim quickly stripped him and then flipped him onto his stomach. Blair arched his back in invitation but didn't do anything else. Maybe with another Sentinel in the area, Jim needed to re-establish territory. Maybe Jim was reacting to Blair's signals because Blair was man enough to admit that Jim was so very pretty when he went all dominant. Maybe Jim just had a kink.

Blair gasped when Jim started pushing in with no preparation. Pressing his forehead to the pillow, he pushed back to open his muscles and then relaxed as the head of Jim's cock slipped past the first ring of muscles. Jim's hands were pinning his shoulder to the bed, and Blair panted as the pressure in his ass made his cock sit up and beg.

Then Jim's cock nudged against Blair's prostate, and after that, Blair didn't have much time to think anything at all as the lust and need built. Jim's hands were all over his back, his thrusts were so powerful that Blair had to use his hands to brace himself on the railing to avoid getting pounded into it. Jim came with a rough cry and he pulled out before he was even finished. He flipped Blair over and swallowed Blair's cock. Blair screamed as his orgasm crashed through him.

Laying limply in Jim's arms, Blair could feel his whole body sending little tingles of pleasure through his body.

"Blair, I’m sorry," Jim whispered, his words a puff of air against Blair's neck that stirred his hair.

"Man, that was incredibly good, so whatever you're apologizing for, stuff a sock in it."

"I don't—" Jim just stopped.

Blair craned his neck around. He was the first one to admit that he was a little more aggressive in the bedroom, teasing and tempting Jim into trying things that Jim might be wary of. Considering that neither one of them had been gay before they'd landed in bed together, they had managed to make up for lost time. And usually, it was Blair who brought the ice cubes, the candles, the finger of ginger, the chocolate syrup, the blindfold... and usually it was Jim looking suspicious until Blair talked him into trying it. And with the spectacular exception of candle wax and chest hair, it'd all turned out pretty mind-blowingly good. But he hardly minded Jim being a little more aggressive. Okay, he loved it. But Jim definitely had a guilty expression on. "Jim? What?"

"Chief," Jim said in a pained voice.

"Oh man, what is it?" Blair demanded as he squirmed around and propped himself up on one elbow as he considered the man who was his Sentinel, friend and lover.

Jim shook his head. "If Alex gets in here, you order her to stop."

Blair raised his eyebrows. "I should just *order* her to stop? The woman suspected of being an international thief? The ex-con? The woman who could bench press me? Jim, no offense, but what the hell are you talking about?"

Jim sagged back and looked up at the ceiling. "Chief, just do it."

Blair frowned as a suspicion crept into his mind on sharp little feet. "Jim?"

Jim's eyes closed.

"Oh man. Fuck." Blair collapsed on the bed next to Jim. This was one part of the Sentinel-Guide dynamic Blair had never wanted to test. He never wanted a definitive answer because he suspected the answer would do more damage that the nebulous fear that it might be true.

"You tried to keep tickling me, didn't you?" Blair asked softly.

For long seconds, Jim didn't answer. His body was still, but he wasn't relaxed and calm in the aftermath of his orgasm like he normally was. "I tried to make you pee your pants," he finally admitted softly. "I did that to Stevie once."

"Oh man." For a second, Blair held his breath, half afraid that Jim was about to kick him out of their bed. "This doesn't change anything. Not anything. We're still just Jim and Blair."

Jim opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Blair with that special brand of incredulity that Jim wielded like a weapon. Blair wilted.

"Do you want me to leave?" Blair asked, his eyes hot and his chest so tight that it physically hurt. But if Jim needed to feel safe... if Jim couldn't handle this, it was better to talk it out and end this relationship before they hurt each other too much. Only this was already feeling like too much hurt. For a second, Jim stared at him blankly, and Blair struggled to breath past the pain that blossomed in his body. Then Jim reached out and pulled him close so that Blair was crushed against his chest.

"Fuck no. No, I don't want you to leave. No, I don't think I can let you leave. And I think that makes me a borderline abusive fuck, but I can't do this without you, Chief."

One of Blair's arms was trapped under his body, but he slipped the other one around Jim's waist and held him tightly. "I don't want to ever leave, and you would never abuse me. Never. And I would never abuse you."

"I know, Chief," Jim answered after a slight pause. Jim had come so far from the man Blair had once told a friend was defined by fear-based reactions, but the fears were still there. Blair could hear them in the silence, and only time would prove to Jim that they were nothing more than phantoms. As long as Jim gave him time to prove that they could get through this, they'd be okay. The light from the skylight faded slowly as they lay in bed and held each other. Blair could only hang on tightly and hope that this was one more obstacle they'd navigate together.