Bearing Witness

by Mickey M.

© October 1998

I didn't want to stay with them, but I knew I was going to like leaving a whole lot less. This was my last official night as me; tomorrow morning I'd become just another number, a member of the Federal Witness Protection Program.

For now, I was Captain Simon Banks' personal problem. And by extension, Detective Jim Ellison's, as well.

It wasn't my fault that I'd been witness to a crime that the federal government chose to pursue; nor was it my fault that those I'd witnessed chose to pursue *me*. But it did put me in a very untenable position, and I was pretty glad when Detective Ellison showed up at the first sign of trouble.

He was a sight, all right. If I'd been less frantic, less worried, I might have drooled over him for a while. His partner was pretty easy on the eyes as well; a younger man (younger than Detective Ellison, though not a *young* man) with hair longer than I'd thought the Department would allow, and an easy-going charm that made me wonder how many conquests he had notched on his belt. "Blair Sandburg," he'd told me, with a warm, smooth smile and a voice like a dream. "Detective Ellison's partner."

"Emily Bryant," I told him, smiling. "For a little while longer, any way." I wondered who I was going to be, when I was could no longer be me.

That was this morning. The problem now was what to do with me for the 24 hours left until the Feds could get someone out to take me into protective custody.

"You and the kid can take her to a safehouse; Rafe and Brown can take second shift guarding, so you can get some sleep." Looking at Captain Banks, even when I was standing, made my neck hurt. He was so tall--and he moved restlessly, when he was up.

"We don't have any not being used right now, Sir." Detective Ellison, I'd noted, seemed to be a man always in control of the things around him. I considered for a moment what it would take to break through that icy exterior, and shatter that control.

"What about we take her home? Does she have to go to a safehouse?" Take her *home*? As in one? I refocused on the three men before me, watching the dynamics and interplay.

"Remember what happened with Amber, Sandburg?"

"She *left*," Blair said, his voice a little strained. "Besides, Maya was *at* a safehouse when she was grabbed."

Well, this conversation wasn't doing wonders for my feelings of calm and safety. I opened my mouth to interrupt when Detective Ellison moved his hand and gave a gentle tug to Sandburg's hair. The younger man only sighed and grinned back at him. I promptly forgot whatever it was I was going to say when I spied the warmth in Sandburg's eyes, and the answering smile in Ellison's. Home, indeed.

"Sandburg has a point, Sir. We couldn't do any worse at the loft."

Captain Banks grumbled like a condemned man choosing what to eat for his last meal, but he eventually gave in. Maybe it was my increasingly wide yawns, or the rumbling of my stomach. Or maybe he was just plain tired of listening to the two partners slowly wear him down.

"Fine. But if anything happens, you two are completely responsible."

I think Detective Ellison actually smirked at Captain Banks a little. "As usual, Sir. As usual."

______________________________________________________________________

"You have a great place!" I couldn't stop the comment; they really did. It was--homey. A very comfortable place.

"Thanks." Blair grinned at me from behind several large bags of carry-out. The two boys (after listening to them argue in the truck back and forth about dinner I couldn't possibly call them men--they sounded like a couple of squabbling schoolkids) had finally agreed on Greek food for dinner, with Blair starting the conversation by saying we all had to eat, and he knew they didn't have anything at home to cook, because someone had forgotten to get groceries.

"Thank you." Jim--he'd said I could drop the formal-sounding 'Detective Ellison', if I wanted--was a little more·closed up. Not as enthusiastic. But his eyes were warm when he smiled at me before taking some of the bags from Blair and carrying them to the kitchen. He unpacked with brisk efficiency and soon we were eating in style. We entertained each other all through dinner with stories about our pasts, and I watched the body communication between the two men closely. Sometimes I thought I was right about their relationship--as a couple; other times I wasn't so certain.

By the time we were finished eating, my yawns were nearly continuous, and my eyes were drooping. Both men regarded me with something that smelled of amusement, and Blair volunteered Jim to clean up the kitchen while he changed the bedding on his bed.

"So you can sleep on clean sheets," he responded with a smirk. "It's probably been a while."

*His* bed. As in alone. Well, maybe I wasn't as right as I'd thought. Still, they gave off the most interesting vibes together. A touch here; a look there. Twice during dinner Jim had shifted his hand, almost like he was going to reach out to Blair; twice he'd suddenly found something else to do with it. Blair had stammered through Jim's name a couple of times, like he wanted to say something else--and had caught himself at the last minute. I was puzzled, I was confused, I was probably hallucinating. Why on earth would I think these two were a couple? Blair by himself had been flirting steadily with me for the last eight hours!

There were so many things that didn't add up…and that did add up. I was probably going crazy and imagining the whole thing; after all, stress can do strange things to the brain.

The bed was changed quickly, and towels laid out for me, and Jim showed me the bathroom and gave me a mini-tour. As I was heading in to shower, I heard Blair's deep voice rumble, "Want me to make you some coffee, big guy?"

"No thanks, Chief. I'm good to go."

When I re-emerged, they were sitting on the couch, at opposite endings, doing separate things, but the feeling of intimacy between them was so strong, so *close*, I couldn't believe I could be imagining it. I just couldn't be.

Why did I feel that intimacy? I don't know. Jim was at one end, his gun laid out nicely on the table, channel-changer in hand, flipping through news, sports, old movies. Blair was at the other end, his nose buried in what looked like a textbook of some sort, scribbling notes on a pad of paper perched on one thigh. He had his legs stretched out; I suppose if Jim had reached over he could have stroked one calf; conversely, Blair could tickle Jim's leg with his toes. It was weird, how strongly I kept seeing these two. They looked like they wanted--needed--to be alone for a while.

"I'm gonna go to bed now." They both looked up, both looking a little guilty. Why guilty? "Thanks again for letting me stay here--I suspect it beats the safehouses all to hell."

Blair grinned and nodded. "It sure does. At least the mattresses here don't have lumps. Er, mine doesn't," he added, almost as an afterthought. I raised one eyebrow, but ignored his comment, otherwise.

"G'night, Emily." Jim looked more serious, almost somber--until you looked closely. I could see little currents of--something--swirling in his eyes. Swirling, but not aimed at me. Ordinarily, at this point, I might have been intrigued--to see if I could get those eyes to aim those currents at me. In this case, I was intrigued--to see if I was right. If Jim and Blair were indeed more than they appeared. Time to see if I could bear witness to anything that might be good.

I nodded and said goodnight to both of them, disappearing into the small bedroom and closing the door behind me. I turned out the light and settled into the bed, prepared to wait for--what? I wasn't certain. But I was prepared to wait.

I fell asleep. Dammit.

_____________________________________________________________________

A faint, shivery noise woke me; I'd been out for a couple of hours, I think, because the moon through the window was higher than it'd been. I shifted a little, and heard the noise again. A low moan. At least, that's what it sounded like. A low moan from someone who was enjoying what someone else was doing to them. A lot.

I got off the bed very carefully, very slowly, and moved to the door, cracking it open. The most erotic tableau I've ever seen was laid out before me, almost daring me to ignore it. Jim and Blair were on the couch, twined together in one of the steamiest embraces I've ever seen. Hands caressing, lips moving, bodies touching everywhere. I could fairly smell the musky scent of sex in the air.

Jim was sitting, leaning back against the couch, his shirt off. I couldn't see his chest well, from my angle, but Blair was straddling him, lips moving up and down the taut column of neck and throat. He moaned softly when Blair paused and bit, then lapped furiously at the spot, teasing him with little kisses to his ear, and hot, half-whispered words. I strained forward, wanting to hear that soft, sexy talk.

"Such a hot, hot man…you want me so bad, don't you, lover." Another nip to the straining neck, another low groan from Jim.

"God…y-yes…bite me, Blair…taste me, baby·" Jim tossed his head backward, arching his throat outward. Blair didn't hesitate, leaning in to taste his lover with an audible sucking noise. When the insistent sucking and licking moved lower, Jim's groans and soft pants got louder. "Blair--baby, please…got…c-company…ohh! Oh yeah…ohgod, suck my tit…ohgod, Blair…please…."

"Want you so bad, lover," there was a loud, sucking noise, and Jim moaned, arching upward. I shuddered in unison with him, imagining what it would be like to see this from the other side. Jim's nipples hard and slick, shiny from Blair's spit, throbbing each time the younger man sucked one it, then let it free slowly. I could picture each bud expanding, growing, and my own low groan joined the others coming from the living room.

"No...oh, oh, there, baby…suck…lick me…oh, I want you inside me… Please, Blair…"

"You beg so pretty, lover," a low, soft chuckle greeted Jim's words, and I watched, entranced, when Blair's strong hands rose to cup Jim's face as he raised himself to kiss the older man. Words were lost in the soft, breathy moans that drifted from the joined mouths.

After a time, Blair released Jim, then sat back on the coffee table, staring at the man before him. I wished for more light in the room--they'd turned off all but one dim lamp shining in the corner, barely illuminating anything. I could imagine Blair's eyes dark with lust; Jim's mouth swollen from those recent kisses. I'd wondered what made him give up control; what could crack the ice--the application of fire, in the form of Blair.

The man embodied heat. He nodded slowly, languidly at Jim, then stood and stripped off the sweater he was wearing. I had a good view of this; of his teasing, fleeting touching as he worked to rouse his lover to fever pitch.

Hands darted everywhere, skimming over a strong, well-filled out chest, pausing to press and rub at nipples there were likely hard and swollen with need. He stroked his fingers through dark, abundant hair that looked like it would be soft and silky to touch. A litany of moans and whimpers came from the couch, interspersed with soft whispers. "Touch yourself. Play with yourself. Let me see you stroke your dick for me, baby. Tease me."

"Yeah…gonna tease you, lover…make you hot, make you beg, make you come. Want you to want me forever, Jim·"

"Always will want you, Blair. Watch me, sweetheart. Look at me. Touch your dick when I touch mine…stroke yourself with me. Pretend you're stroking me· my cock hard and throbbing in your hand. Feel it? Feel me, Blair-baby?"

It was Blair's turn to groan; his hand moved over the front of his crotch, still covered in denim. "Jesus, Jim…ohgod, lover, it's like holding electricity in my hand…." His eyes stared into Jim's, then flickered upward for just a moment.

I don't know if he saw me, and chose to ignore me, or if he honestly wasn't aware of me. I'll never know, probably. But it gives me an extra tingle to think he saw me there, and chose to go on.

"I'm opening my pants, Jim. See…one button…two--oh, god, yeah…stroke your cock, lover. Make it hard, touch it…are you wet for me yet? Are your juices dripping off the tip of that thick piece of meat? Hot and juicy, baby…wanna make you drip faster…"

"Gonna come soon, baby…" A soft rustling, zipping noise--metal snicking on metal--and movement of those broad shoulders. "Gotta…"

"Not yet." Blair stopped his touching, his jeans hanging open, cock pushing boldly through the opening. "Don't you dare come yet, James Ellison."

"Please, baby…"

"*Tease* me, Jim. Play with me. Torture me. Make me watch you making yourself so hot, lover… I wanna watch you shoot sparks, man. Push your pants off, lover. Shove 'em down your legs…oh, man, you look like a hot little slut, spreading yourself like that. Are you hot for me, lover-boy?"

"Hot…so hot, Blair." Jim's voice was a hoarse moan. His head was flung back now, and his shoulders moved almost continuously.

"That's it, that's right. Work that meat for me…lemme see you touch it…spread your legs, babe, wanna see all of you." A low whimper rose into the air, and there was the faint scraping sound of a body shifting, then another, deeper groan from Blair. "God, you're beautiful. All of you. Perfect little hole there, waiting for me to fill it…you want it filled, lover? Want me to put my thick, hard dick inside that tight little rose? Are you clenching right now, Jim--imagining it? Ohh yes, so hot, so tight…clenching back and forth…make that asshole ready for me, man. Work it around, make it loose and open for me. Go on, Jim…wet your fingers and touch yourself."

Wet, slurping sucking noises filled the space around us, and I felt my insides clench tight. I closed my eyes for a moment, to "see" better with my hearing; this was an aural feast; voyeurism at its best. I couldn't see all that much anyway, but between their words and the sounds rising around us, I could supply a picture worthy of the action.

"Oh, baby." The groan that filled those words, resonating through it, sent shivers resonating through me. I gripped the door frame tighter and leaned out a little bit further, my attention focused wholly, fully on the two men in front of me. "Oh, yeah, baby. Work those fingers in that tight little hole…"

"Blair--p—please…taste me…wanna feel your tongue opening me…please, ohgod, lick me…"

The darkness around us was filled then with the sensuous sounds of fabric scraping over flesh, and the hard sound of flesh hitting flooring. Deep, sucking wet noises rose, overpowering the whimpers and soft pleas that followed. Then the voice grew in volume, thick and hoarse, full of hunger and need.

"Yessss…oh—mygod…please…lick me…open me…wa--ohgod, want you…"

"Then get up and show me how much you want me." Blair's voice was about two octaves lower than earlier in the evening and I could hear the roughness of his breathing, even from here. I watched, completely mesmerized, as Jim shifted on the couch, moving to brace himself against an arm, his ass up and facing toward me. The long line of his back and buttocks gleamed whitely in the near-dark, and my groan matched Blair's when the smaller man knelt behind him, stroking those muscular cheeks open.

"Give it to me…hard, baby…want it hard…rough…so hungry for you…"

"You're like a bitch in heat, babe, I swear," Blair leaned forward and licked at Jim's ass again; from the movement of the bigger man, and the shivery sounds he was making Blair was rimming him; wetting him in preparation. I wished desperately to see better, then closed my eyes again, listening to the wet, slippery sounds of Blair's tongue gliding over Jim's flesh.

If anyone had asked me, I'd probably have said that Blair was the bottom-man for this relationship. Jim was so in control, bigger, almost hyper-masculine, in some ways. Not that Blair wasn't masculine, that just would have been the way I'd have gone. So to see it like this, with the smaller man now pulling back, spreading spit and pre-ejaculate onto himself, gave me the shivers in a major way.

"Love you, Jim," Blair bent over Jim's back, pressing kisses along his spine while lining himself up. I heard the grunt; watched both men tense briefly as Blair pushed himself into Jim. "Easy, babe…go with it…you can take it…you can take all of me, can't you lover? That hot, hungry hole just eats me up, swallows my dick whole."

"God, yes…hungry for you…" Jim pushed back against Blair, and I shuddered with them as the whole, thick length of Blair's penis slid inside Jim's body. Groans all around, reverberating through me, within me, like strikes of heat.

"I know you are." Blair's voice was whispery, but loud; almost like a hoarse shout in the stillness of the room. I heard the *squelch* sound as he withdrew, then pushed back in; it sounded faintly obscene, but blended so well with the hoarse grunts and panting, and low growls and moans of desire. "Take me, babe. Take my dick…feel me in you, fucking you, loving you…made just for me, weren't you. My sweet, hot Jim…"

"Yours, Blair," Jim's voice was hoarse; I could almost hear the heat building in him. The ice was melted, for sure. Control gone· I shuddered as they picked up speed.

It was one of the hottest, most fluid, sensual, erotic dances I've ever seen; they rocked together, then apart, moving in tandem, moving counterpoint, always in sync with one another. Heat fairly poured from them; I could almost see electricity shooting out.

"Stroke yourself for me, lover…make yourself come…that's it, ohgod, Jim…you're so good…feel *so* good…"

"Wanna come for you…it's coming, Blair…ohgod, ohmygod…" Jim's body was lurching as he slammed backward, impaling himself on Blair's shaft. I could see the joining of their bodies, Blair into Jim, and just the sight filled me with longing. The large body kneeling on the couch jerked and moaned, his arm moving faster as he pleasured himself while Blair pleasured them both.

"That's it, Jim…do it…cream for me, lover…let me feel you as you come… tighter… harder…ohgodNOWNOWNOW!!!"

"YESSS! OhmygodI'mcomingbabyhereitcomes!!!"

One final thrusting lunge deep inside Jim's hot, willing body, and Blair shuddered through what had to be a powerful orgasm, if the bow to his back and shoulders were any indication. He leaned in and nuzzled Jim's neck, kissing and licking, soothing. Both of them continued to strain and shudder until Blair pulled out of Jim, and fell back on the sofa. Jim turned around then and shifted, freezing in place when he saw me. For a long moment we regarded each other, then I slipped back inside the bedroom to leave him and Blair to cuddle and kiss and sweet-talk.

I heard quiet words as I drifted back to sleep.

"I love you, Chief."

"Love you, Jim. So much·"

"Never enough time."

"No. Need more. Need forever."

___________________________________________________________

They were still cuddled together on the couch when I crept out of the small bedroom the next morning. Jim opened an eye, but didn't seem inclined to shift Blair off of him. Why should he? I'd surely seen more than anyone else had. He flushed under my watchful eye, then shifted a little bit.

"Why?"

"Why what? Why'd I watch?"

He nodded, body tense, uncomfortable. "Yeah."

I shook my head. "I don't know, honestly. I was trying to prove to myself I wasn't crazy--that you two are a couple. But then…I dunno. I woke up, hearing--you. And I wanted to see. And Jim…" I hesitated, not sure how to say this. "It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Truly."

He flushed again then, and bent his head to touch his lips to Blair's head.

"He's the best thing that ever happened to me," he said gruffly.

"I can see that. It shows. Be glad for it."

"I am."

I nodded and went on to the bathroom, ready to begin the day. This would be a new beginning for me; the end of Emily…the beginning of…someone. And to kick off that new beginning, I'd been witness to one of the greatest loves I've ever seen. Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg. I hope they get their forever.

~Finis~

Back to Sentinel Stories