People Are Talking...
by Mickey M.
© June 1997 

"Hey, Chief--didn't think you were gonna make it today." Jim greeted his partner as he walked through the bull-pen.

"Class got held over, man. Sorry. What've we got going today?" Blair leaned over Jim's shoulder, reading the case information that the other man had pulled up on his computer. Both men missed the raised-eyebrow looks that passed between the other detectives in the room. 

The morning passed quickly for Jim and Blair, both busy with the paper details of their latest case. There were forensics reports to go over; labs to puzzle through, and the seemingly endless list of witness statements to read. 

Blair looked up at 12:30, and realized why his stomach had been growling for the last hour--it was lunch time, and had been for some time. He looked around to find Jim and ask if he was ready when Brown tapped him on the shoulder. "Wanna get some lunch with me and Rafe, Hair-boy?" Brown grinned as he teased Blair. 

"Sure, man. Let me see if Jim's ready." Blair indicated his partner who was currently in talking to Simon. 

"Just leave 'im a note," the other detective said. "He's a big boy, he can manage. Besides, there's something we want to talk to you, without Ellison around." 

"Okaaay," Blair drew out. He jotted a quick note to Jim, then grabbed his jacket and followed the other men out of the bull-pen. 

* * * * 

"How 'bout you and me grab some lunch?" Simon threw his best detective a questioning look. 

"Let me go see what Sandburg's up to," Jim returned, moving to stand up.

"Just leave a note for him, Jim. I've got some things to go over with you anyway, and I'd rather do it with just the two of us."

Jim threw his captain one of his patented "raised eyebrow" looks, as Blair'd been calling them, then said, "Okay, let's go. You buying?"

Simon sighed in his best put-out manner, and conceded. "I suppose I did invite you," he said as he shrugged into his coat. 

"You make more too," Jim agreed, grinning. 

A quick stop at his desk revealed Blair's note, and Jim grinned imagining his partner out with Brown and Ryf. //Hope those two realize what they're in for,// he mused. A throat clearing impatiently behind him pushed him into action. 

* * * * 

Sentinel and guide arrived back at the loft that evening within minutes of each other. Jim grinned at Blair, and joked, "I'm surprised that thing is still running that well." A direct reference to the weekend he and Blair had spent going over the Corvair's engine, changing all the fluids and replacing belts. 

"Yeah, well...it knows who's buying the gas," Blair laughed as Jim's hand gently pushed him toward the stairs. "My turn to cook?"

"I hope so--I'm in the mood for something palatable tonight."

****** 

Dinner ended up being chicken and white bean chili with a tangy-spicy sauce, and cornbread. Jim sat down at the table sniffing the air in appreciation of his roommate's cooking skills. He picked up his spoon, preparing to dig in when Blair caught his attention. 

"Brown and Rafe had some interesting things to tell me at lunch today."

"Yeah?" Jim raised an eyebrow, then went back to his chili.

"Yeah." Blair flashed a grin at his friend. "Seems that most of the station thinks you and I are going hot and heavy." 

"'Hot and heavy'?"

"Their words, not mine." Blair laughed. "I about choked when Brown said that."  

Jim laughed along with him. "What'd you say?"  

"What do you think? I was all, 'what are you *talking* about man?'"

"And?"

"And they rattled off every instance they could think of over the last year that would indicate we're 'hot and heavy', as they so euphemistically phrased it."

"Hmmm." Jim ate some more of his dinner, then looked up at Blair. "Actually, Simon said something of the same sort to *me* today."

Blair choked on his water. "Excuse me?" he asked, when he was able to talk again. 

"Yeah--he asked me what was up between the two of us. All those 'long looks' between us, stuff like that." 

"Oh?" 

"Yeah. That, and I guess we're touching each other a lot--you know, like when you lean over me at the computer...stuff like that."

"Mmm." Blair sat back in his chair, considering his partner's words. "Interesting."  

"Yeah, it is." Jim pushed his bowl back. "That was really good, Chief. What was in the sauce?"

Blair's eyes twinkled with merriment. "You know, a good cook never gives their secrets."

"Yeah, and if you want to live to cook another day..."

"Sour cream based sauce. Goes well with the cumin and hot pepper sauce, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it does." Jim grinned. "See? No secrets can be kept from a sentinel."

"Seems some were, if you had to ask, man."

Jim made a non-committal noise and pushed his chair back. "My night for dishes?"

"Yeah, since I cooked. Unless you've got something else you have to do."

"Nah--you go on. I'll take care of them." Jim quickly cleared the table, and was up to his elbows in soap bubbles before Blair had himself settled on the couch.

****** 

He was engrossed in an article on some recently discovered Aztec artifacts in the paper when he felt the couch shift, and Jim sit down next to him. He set the paper on the table and looked at Jim. "So what do you want to do about those rumors at work? From what Brown and Rafe told me, a lot of people at the station are talking."

Jim moved closer, an inviting look in his eyes; his hands sliding up his lover's arms. "We could always admit to them, since they've been true for a long time now," he breathed just before he covered Blair's mouth with his own. 

"Yeah, we could," Blair gasped when they came up for air. "On the other hand," he continued, shifting so they were stretched out with Jim's body covering his completely, "We could hold out a while longer...see how many more people mention it to us."

~finis~

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