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Lucky in cards unlucky in love

Summary:

Jim gets desperate over the state of his love life; Blair and Simon are more than glad to help.

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Notes: I was lazing in the sun last summer, storing some solar energy for the long and dark winter, and started to think about writing a threesome with Jim, Blair and Simon. Well, the idea would not leave me alone and I wrote the basic storyline during one weekend. The story was left sitting on the hard drive of my computer for the rest of the summer. The draft story survived a move into a new computer and as another summer is nearing I decided it was time to finish the story. This is the result. It was a long process for a basically simple story.
Disclaimers: Not mine, not mine, not mine...

***

Blair Sandburg was in a great mood as he drove to the loft along the still quiet streets of early afternoon. It was Friday, a warm and sunny Friday, a rarity in Cascade even in summertime. In an hour, he would meet Simon for a long weekend of sun and fun. They had been together for months, but he still felt amazed at how well they fit together. Blair considered singing aloud or whistling some silly love song, but it would be a bit too much, a tempting thought though. Blair settled for bouncing. Even the elevator being out of order, still and again, could not hamper his mood.

Blair opened the loft door, and froze. His roommate the big and buff and simply yummy Detective James Ellison was bent over the couch, wearing cut off jeans. Skimpy, small, leave nothing to the imagination cut offs, and no shoes. Somehow it was the no shoes fact that had kick started Blair's heart. *I didn't know I had a foot fetish.*

"Oh, hey chief," Jim said as he straightened, and bent to look under the couch.

*At least he's wearing a t-shirt.* The imminent danger of heart attack over, Blair closed the door.

"Found it!"

"Good," Blair said quietly to himself. He really shouldn't be subject to such temptations. It boded well for the evening though, after all, he needed to spend the hormone rush somehow.

"I'm off for the beach, chief," Jim announced as he walked over to the picnic basket sitting at the dining room table.

"Beach? On your own?" Blair asked stupidly.

*The guy is going to get mobbed.*

Jim checked the beach gear one more time.

"Yep, us singles have to make do the best we can."

Was that a note of bitterness in his sentinel's voice? Surely not.

"Singles?" Blair repeated like a parrot.

Jim looked at him suspiciously. "You know, without an SO. Are you all right? You seem a bit out of it."

"I'm fine," Blair hastened to reassure him. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember the last time Jim had had a normal date, or had gone steady with anyone. Some guide he was if he let something like that slip through his fingers, metaphorically speaking. *Not that it's obligatory to have a girl/boyfriend, but Jim is not the kind to 'flourish' on his own.* Blair shivered as he remembered how the sentinel had been just a year ago: a notorious loner and thoroughly miserable, not to mention a royal SOB.

Jim grabbed his blanket and the basket. "I'm off. Should still have some room at the beach."

Jim put his feet into a couple of loafers lying by the door and was off.

An idea began to form in Blair's overactive mind. Jim was a great guy and a good friend. *I wonder how open-minded Simon is about threesomes?*

***

The sun was setting on a clear sky, the insects were buzzing and a soft warmth had settled on the land. Blair and Simon were relaxing on a bench at the backyard of Simon's house, necking and snuggling on a wicker couch. It had been a calm evening together, one of too few the last few weeks. It had reminded Blair of their first time together. Jim had been off in some conference and Simon had asked him over. It had been the crossroads in their relationship; if the other one was not interested or backed off, that would have been that. Blair smiled at the memories of the evening.

"Simon, have you noticed Jim lately?" Blair asked quietly. *Time to test the waters.*

"What do you mean?" Simon asked just as softly.

"I mean, have you noticed his delicious butt?" Blair asked more firmly, with a leer in his voice. Judging by the reaction of certain parts of Simon's anatomy, he had.

"I admit he's nice to look at, but I prefer you," Simon answered wisely.

Smooching.

"Thanks. But seriously, Jim seems a bit down. We're together, Rafe and Brown have girlfriends, Taggart's married, Megan's seeing that woman from forensics, he's the only one in our group who's totally single, unattached."

"I know," Simon whispered, playing with Blair's curls. "He seems to have the worst of luck when it comes to relationships. Wouldn't surprise me if he took a vow of celibacy," Simon said, only half joking.

"I know what you mean. Would you be willing to try a threesome? Me, you and Jim. I think it would work well. We already know each other and we're good friends." Blair voiced it as a request, something to think about further.

Simon thought about the cons and pros of the suggestion. He was Jim's boss and if certain others found out about the affair they would all be in trouble. *And what about what's right for us?* Simon was past catering to anyone else when it came to his personal life and his libido certainly liked the idea, so did his heart. But his head kept saying it would bring unwelcome complications, both in work and outside it. Then again, they were already friends and knew each other.

"Let's go on a couple of dates, see how it goes. And we take it slow," Simon warned his enthusiastic lover. There was no need to scare Jim off, not if they wanted this to last. And Simon had a feeling they would want it to last, for the rest of their lives.

"Dates, ask before pouncing, got it," Blair reassured his lover, grinning like the cat that got the fat bird.

***

There had still been some room on the beach when Jim arrived. He had found a pretty good spot by the rocks standing about then feet off the waterline. Far enough from the families but still on the soft sand, and close enough to the groups of friends spending an afternoon on the beach.

Jim had thrown his paperback book aside some time ago and was merely soaking up the sunlight. Blair had once said that he resembled a large cat, purring in the sun. So he preferred the light and warmth, so what?

There had been a couple of offers to spread some oil on his back, but he had turned them down. The first was uninteresting and the other was *too* interesting. He was feeling practically paranoid these days, but he felt he was entitled. Any woman he found exciting was certain to be 1) undercover agent, 2) international killer for hire, 3) master thief or 4) looking for someone to kill her old and rich husband. *Maybe I should try men?*

Or maybe not. With his luck he would end up in bed with the heir to one of the Triad families.

He switched to lie on his front.

He had once asked Taggart if he knew anyone ordinary and nice. Taggart had gently but firmly informed him that he did not want to subject his female relatives to mad car races and raised insurance costs. *I wonder if Megan knows any adventurous straight women?*

Hold it. Ask Megan about something like this? No way, he would rather neuter himself. Which might be a viable option before too long.

"Hi, there," a soft but masculine voice greeted.

Someone spread a towel beside him. "Hope you don't mind," a large half-Asian distinguished looking man in his thirties said while putting a large basket at the head of the towel. "But this looked like a good spot. A very good spot," he added quietly checking Jim over.

*Oh, shit. Please, god, goddess, whatever, I was only joking about the Triad. But he does seem a nice enough guy...*

***

Blair returned to the loft Sunday afternoon. He was feeling high, everything had gone well, and he was energised enough to take on the whole anthropology department, including the old and scary librarian. There were bets going on about him, the current #1 opinion was that used to be a hit man for Al Capone.

"Greetings, oh mighty sentinel. How was your weekend?" No need to shout with a roommate who could hear your mutterings from ten feet with no trouble. It was annoying sometimes, but useful.

"Not sure," came from the depths of the couch.

"What do you mean you're not sure? She hasn't called or what?" Blair detoured on his way to his room to stand by the couch.

Jim was spread on the couch like one of his aunt Doria's lazy cats, vicious balls of fur, but lazy.

"He has, twice," Jim stated laconically.

"Move over." Blair planted himself at one end of the couch. Jim slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. Definitely reminded of aunt Doria's cats, except that he would be bleeding and scratchy if he had tried this with one of those terrors from hell. "Now tell your guide everything."

"What are you, my shrink?" Jim asked, irritated.

"That's one of my titles, yes." *That* comment earned him a glare of about 3 on the glare-o-meter.

Jim sighed and leaned back on the couch. "I was lying on the beach and soaking up solar energy when this guy just parks himself next to me."

"Were you lying on your back or front?"

"Front. Why?" Jim asked, irritated and totally clueless.

"Just taking care of details, go on." *The guy is a top and interested in Jim's shapely ass.*

Jim looked at him suspiciously. Blair tried to look as innocent as possible, it actually worked sometimes.

"If you say so. Anyway, this guy, Alan Yung, that's with a singly u, not ou. He's half-Asian and about as large as Simon. He's actually quite nice and we went to breakfast this morning. Says his folks live in Cascade and he's visiting them on a vacation," Jim listed as if telling of his latest case.

"Sounds good so far. So, why are you worried?" Blair had his own suspicions about this guy, but decided to keep quiet, for now. It was quite possible he was just feeling jealous.

"Because something's going to go wrong. I'll have to check him out at the police database tomorrow," Jim said, sounding miserable.

"Jim. You can't have bad luck all the time." Jim just looked at him. "I mean it! Even if this one turns out wrong, the next one might be better. Positive thinking, man." Jim was obviously not buying it. "There's someone for everyone." Blair tried to sound as convincing as possible.

"Mine's probably dead and buried, or serving a life sentence."

***

*I knew it. I just knew it. Oh Lord, why me?*

Jim felt like banging his head on his desk, but settled for burying it on his hands and groaning.

"Jim? You okay?" his guide asked worriedly as he entered the bullpen. He had had a feeling the sentinel might need his guide today.

Jim waved toward the computer screen. Blair shifted to look at it.

"Ouch. Sorry, man. He's good looking, though," Blair commented.

"Why me?" Jim knew he sounded pathetic, but at the moment he did not care.

Blair put his backpack on the floor. He patted and rubbed Jim's back and shoulders. It was lunchtime and the bullpen was all but deserted so he got away with the touchy-feely treatment.

"Remember positive thinking."

"What's positive in this?" Jim asked, sounding totally desolate.

Simon came in from his lunch break.

"What's wrong?" the captain asked as he stopped by Jim's desk.

Jim was about to say something, but as usual Blair had a faster tongue.

"Jim got picked up by a bomb expert," he informed the captain.

"Blair! I did not get picked up!" Jim protested loudly.

"Did he buy you food?"

"Breakfast," Jim said defensively.

"Did he check you out?"

"Well, maybe."

"Didn't he hint he wouldn't mind 'getting to know you better`?" Blair leaned over nearer to Jim's ear. *A shapely ear it was, just made for nibbling. Okay, no pouncing, remember; no pouncing.*

"Er, well..."

"He picked you up," Blair stated as he straightened up.

"Does he know you're a cop?" Simon, the practical one, asked.

"No, it never came up." *At least I've learned something from previous disasters.*

"Good. Get his full file and come to my office. And Jim? This does not mean you're cursed."

"Yes, sir," Jim said quietly.

Blair patted his shoulder.

***

Simon looked over the file about Jim's latest conquest and his criminal record. *Judging from the evidence so far, it's our duty to save Jim and take him into our loving care.* Simon shuddered to think whom he would run into next, an Al Qaeda recruit? That was about the only type left.

"Alan Yung a.k.a Adrian Lin a.k.a David Lui, a Triad explosives expert with half a dozen known blow-ups, so to speak." *Jim never did settle for amateurs*. "Any ideas about why he's here?"

"On vacation?" Jim suggested hopefully.

Blair and Simon looked at him.

"What? It's a perfectly legitimate suggestion. Bombers have to take a day off too. They're as prone to stress as the rest of us. Besides, if they go on bombing pretty soon there's nothing to bomb."

"You're babbling, Jim," Blair said, proud of his student.

"Be that as it may, this is Cascade," Simon pointed out. "Any other ideas?"

"How about that conference on drug trafficking?" Blair suggested. Simon had always suspected he was the brain of the duo. Not that Jim was stupid; he just did not carry around as much raw information in his head as his partner.

"Could be, though I don't remember anyone on the list who would warrant such attention."

"Maybe it's not just one target," Jim said, thinking out loud.

"You're right. Some of the world's best experts are coming to that meeting. And the theme's Asian drug routes." Blair seemed ready to launch into another lecture, warming up to the subject.

"Okay, I'll notify the conference organisers," Simon cut in, earning a minor glare from his lover. "Jim, you try to keep track of your admirer. If he's wooing you, he can't be planting C4." This time he received a major glare from his best detective. "In the mean time, get more information on the conference guests. Did you give him your cell phone number?"

"Yes."

"I'll have the calls traced." Simon reached for his phone and shooed the pair out of his office.

***

Blair was reading the conference info and keeping an eye on his sentinel. Jim seemed down, the guide could almost see the dark cloud hanging over his sentinel's head.

"Jim, where did he take you yesterday?"

"To a hotel restaurant. It was the Sunset Hotel," Jim answered turning to Blair. They were at his desk, going through files on the case.

"That's where the conference is being held this week."

"He was just checking the place out," Jim said, sounding even more depressed.

"Jim, maybe he was just killing two birds with one stone. He would have been there before, and let's face it, male couples aren't that usual." *Nor male threesomes, but we could really make it work.*

"That's not what I was worried about," Jim said totally unconvincingly.

"Of course not," Blair humoured him.

***

A bomber, that was the only one missing in his collection. *Should have known something was wrong and just said no. But he did seem okay, my senses weren't acting whacky and, let's face it, I was feeling lonely. Still am, in fact.*

Jim's cell phone beeped.

"Ellison."

"Hi, honey. Just wanted to hear your voice. Miss you already."

"Er. Hi." He nodded to Blair and signalled to Rafe to have the call traced. Simon had informed the others of what had happened. No one had as much as blinked an eye. Jim was quite sure he should be offended by their non-reaction.

"I liked talking with you yesterday and I'd really like to see you again. How about lunch this time?" a dark voice purred in his ear. That's what had caught his attention; the soft but masculine voice. Not that the package it came with was bad looking, quite the contrary.

"Sounds good. Where are you now?"

"Enjoying the summer sun, and thinking about how much I'd prefer to have someone with me. The most enticing and best alternative of course would be to have you here with me." The voice lowered even more. Jim could feel his cheeks burning. *I can't remember the last time a date had me blushing this much.*

Yung continued to chat with him for some time before suggesting they meet outside the new Japanese restaurant he had heard of. Jim readily agreed, he preferred to meet in a public place, much safer that way.

Jim sighed with relief as he closed the phone. He was sure he would hear of this case for a long time to come. He knew his friends; they would not be able to resist teasing him.

***

Blair was sitting in the cramped surveillance van with Rafe and Brown, watching Jim walk toward the restaurant for his date with Yung. Simon had insisted on surveillance, overriding Jim's embarrassed objections. The captain wanted his best detective covered; there was also the fact that they would need every piece of evidence they could gather. At the moment, they had little more than rumours and circumstantial evidence against Yung.

Their would-be bomber was waiting by the main doors of the restaurant.

"Not a bad looking guy," Rafe commented. "They'd make a good couple."

"Yeah, too bad Jim always chooses the ones guaranteed to get you in deep shit," Brown agreed.

"Hi, hi. He just happens to have had a bit of bad luck." Blair felt the need to defend his best friend.

The dynamic duo looked at each other.

"Riiight," they said in stereo.

***

Jim was actually having a good time. Alan was a well of stories. Correction, Yung, an explosives expert Yung. *I wonder if I'm really cursed? I bet Blair would know.*

Jim checked his watch.

"Is your lunch break about over?"

"Yep, I'm sorry. I've had a really good time," Jim said apologetically.

"Me too." Yung took his hand and stroked it gently. "How about dinner tomorrow? My place. Actually, it belongs to a friend of mine, but he's off on a business trip."

Jim ducked his head. *Oh, god. Think of something. Think.*

"umm... I'm sorry, but... I have to work. There's a big conference from tomorrow until Thursday. How long are you staying in Cascade?"

"Just this week. How about I buy you lunch on Wednesday and take you somewhere Friday evening?" Yung was still stroking Jim's hand.

"Sounds good." *Hopefully, you're in custody by then.*

***

"The guy really wants to get into his pants," Rafe commented.

Brown nodded.

*No need to sound so damned surprised*. Blair glared at the back of Rafe's head.

***

"So, he's busy tomorrow and Thursday," Simon said, looking at the conference timetable.

"He'll probably plant the explosives tomorrow and use them Wednesday or Thursday," Jim thought aloud. He was leaning on the table opposite Simon's desk. The three had gathered in Simon's office to go over the case.

"I'd say Thursday. The closing speech is on Thursday. Most of the guests will be there, after all, since the cocktail brunch will be served afterwards," Blair explained from his position by the window.

"How nice to know you have such a flattering image of your fellow experts," Simon said dryly.

"I blame the time spent at the PD. You guys have corrupted me," Blair complained loftily.

"To get back to the original topic, what's next?" Jim asked. Normally he wouldn't mind the chitchat, but this case was getting on his nerves.

"I'll call the hotel security. What's your uniform size?" Simon asked, taking a PostIt note from a cube on his desk.

"My size?"

"You're hotel security now. I want you able to sniff around, besides isn't that what you said to your love struck date? I'll send Rafe and Brown to relieve you in the evening," Simon explained as if to someone a bit slow.

"And Sandburg?"

"Would I separate you two?" Simon asked, spreading his hands.

Jim was not sure how to respond to that one. The line was delivered so... matter of fact.

***

The next morning Jim was standing in the airy and sunny hotel lobby, keeping his eyes and ears open. Blair was sitting in a comfortable chair beside the admission desk, reading a science magazine and trying to look professorial. He had to admit Jim looked good in the dark trousers and black jacket. Especially since the trousers hugged his form real well.

Blair felt someone's gaze boring into him and turned his head. Yung was standing by the main doors, glaring at him. *Oh hell. He saw me ogling at Jim. Shit*. Blair concentrated on his magazine.

Yung strode into the lobby and went to the conference info desk. *He's a guest at the conference! Why didn't the organisers tell us?* They had received just a list of the speakers, but not the whole guest list.

After a moment Blair rose and went towards the stairs. Jim followed him to the next floor.

"Let's go to the romantic nook in the bar. It should be quiet this early," Blair whispered.

Once there, Blair guided his sentinel through a sense sweep. Yung had not planted anything, yet.

***

Nothing unusual happened at the hotel that day. Mrs Scott's yippity dog ran off and caused havoc in the main kitchen. The cook threatened to make dog soup out of it. A distinguished professor was totally blotched by 2 pm and had to be escorted to his room to sleep it off. Surprisingly, he delivered his speech that evening with no hitches. The evening shift's bartender was nursing a broken heart and threatened to give up the sinful life and become a Buddhist monk, loudly, to everyone within ten feet.

Jim sighed with relief when Rafe and Brown arrived to take over. *If I ever change professions, I sure as hell will not choose hotel security.*

***

The next morning they were sitting in the same nook at the bar going through the hotel sensewise, when Jim suddenly tensed and took his bloodhound stance.

"What is it? What do you smell?" Blair asked. One of his hands was on Jim's shoulder and the other was busy choosing speed dial three in his cell phone.

"Explosives. A mixture of them on the first floor," Jim told him grimly.

Blair tightened his grip on Jim's shoulder to keep him from hunting down the smell.

"Simon, it's Blair. Jim found the stash of explosives... Probably planted them at night or during the bar hours... We'll wait... Don't worry. Bye."

"We'll wait?" Jim glared at him.

"Yep, we'll go down and pinpoint the location. Then we wait."

"What if -"

Blair raised his other hand. "He won't blow this joint while you're here." Jim blinked. "Can't lure you into bed if you're dead," Blair explained as he rose and dragged along his still puzzled and somewhat annoyed sentinel. *Sure as hell hope I'm right.*

***

It did not take that long to find the bomb. Taggart reminded Simon of Daryl when he had gotten the new Xbox as a birthday present. The jovial detective was happy as a lark comparing notes and observations with the forensics team. The conference organisers did not see the event in such a positive light. They seemed to think that the police should have waited until lunchtime before barging in.

"This is simply awful. We have to reschedule the whole day. Not to mention that the main hall is the largest one in the hotel. Where are we going to fit 100 guests?" Mr Pickwick complained.

"You know, just out of curiosity; why aren't you busy organising and rescheduling?" Simon tersely asked the irritating hotel clerk. The large captain made his escape as the other man tried to find an answer to the odd question. The thought had never occurred to him.

Simon walked over to the sentinel and guide. *Wonder if those security uniforms were designed to hug the male form? Focus, Simon, focus.*

"What's the word?" Blair asked.

"Not good. It's some sort of a new combination, made out of commonly available explosives. A bit of this, a bit of that, and no, there's nothing to link it to Yung. At least, not yet." Simon said to Jim, trying to sound positive.

"He's a pro. I doubt the lab will find anything," Jim said quietly.

"No reason to give up. Even his luck is certain to run out sooner or later." Simon did not quite succeed in being reassuring. He had to admit it was highly unlikely they would find any concrete clues to tie this to Yung. The guy was too much of a professional to be leaving fingerprints.

***

The next day, during their lunch break Blair and Simon were sitting in a trendy café, the kind that did not know the meaning of the words ´black coffee`. Simon had eyed the dry muffins suspiciously and stuck to a cinnamon coffee.

"Found any trace of Yung?" Blair asked as they were sitting by the large windows.

"No. He's a smart one. We don't have any reason to issue an APB on him, so he'll just lie low and leave by some other airport and we'll lose track of him." Simon sipped his coffee. He looked at the drink as if debating whether to take it to forensics or just give it to the nearest fake palm.

"Have you thought about Jim?" Blair asked, drinking a green tea, and protecting it from his lover's wandering hands.

"Haven't thought about much else," Simon admitted. "There're a lot of potential problems in a threesome relationship. It's hard enough for two persons to have a working long-term relationship." He sighed. "But Hwe're friends, we know each other. And what you and Jim already have... Sometimes I feel like we're already involved so to speak. It would be just the final seal."

Blair nodded. He knew the feeling.

"I'm willing to give it a chance. Though I'm not sure how Jim's going to react."

"Me neither," Blair admitted. "I'm hoping positively, but with Yung... He might feel offended. Think we're offering out of pity."

Simon nodded.

"How about we ask him for a date this weekend?" Simon asked.

"Sounds good. He should be at the loft. Come." Blair rose.

"What? Now?"

"Yes, now. Before either of us chickens out."

***

Jim had gone to the loft via the grocery store. Since Blair quite often ate with Simon, he was not as up to date with the contents of their cupboards as before so it was left to Jim to make sure they actually had food in the house. Jim preferred the fairly quiet stores of early afternoon to the rush hour.

Jim was wondering what to do the next weekend, if anything, and thinking of the possible whereabouts of Yung, so he did not hear the intruder at the loft before taking the stairs. The heartbeat was not Blair's. *Yung. What's he doing at the loft? Is he nuts? Stupid question, this is my love life we're talking- er, thinking - about.*

He punched the Major Crimes' number into the cell phone.

"Rafe, is Simon or Taggart around?... Okay, alert Taggart and get yourselves here. Yung's at the loft... I'm at the stairs at the moment, but he's gonna smell a rat if I take too much time. He might have seen me drive up... Great, I'll keep him busy till you arrive... Get your mind out of the gutter... Would you inform Simon?... Okay, bye."

Jim took a deep breath and continued up the stairs.

***

"What?!?"

Blair looked at Simon. He wondered if he should speed up the car. Not that it would be easy in the afternoon traffic, but he had learned *some* driving tricks from Jim and that exclamation had sounded serious.

"Okay. Get the teams there as soon as possible and have them stand by. Blair and me will try to diffuse the situation... Okay... Bye." Simon ended the call and took a deep breath. "That was Rafe. Yung's at the loft."

"What?!? Why would he -" A series of possible explanations went through Blair's mind, none of them positive. "If that bastard's hurt Jim, I'm going to kill him. Slowly," he growled.

"I'll help you," Simon promised grimly.

***

Jim opened the door to the loft as normally as he could manage. He was genuinely surprised to see Yung sitting on the couch as if he owned the place.

"Hello, Jim. Do come in," Yung said softly from his perch on the couch.

*How gracious of you.*

Jim put the groceries on the kitchen counter.

"Why did you disappear? And how did you get in?" The sentinel had a lot of questions he wanted answers to, but those two would do for now.

"There was no reason to attend the conference anymore. No one's going to get any work done; the explosives are going to be the only topic of conversation. As for getting in, I have some hidden talents," Yung said with warmth and humour in his voice.

The half-Asian watched Jim as he leaned on the counter.

"Including lock picking?" Jim asked pointedly.

Yung grinned.

"This is my home, my place. You sure as hell haven't been invited here." There was no need to fake the anger. "Mind telling me why the fuck you broke into my home?"

Yung rose from the couch and walked slowly over to the dining room table. He was obviously trying to be as calm and unthreatening as possible.

"For you. Because of you." Yung was looking at him intently, purposefully. "I'd like you to come with me when I leave."

*Where? For how long? Is he serious?* Jim tried to come up with some answer that would not be too dismissive or flippant. Had to keep the guy around and calm until the others arrived.

"Wha - What do you mean? Go, just like that?" The confusion and bafflement in his voice were real. *Is he for real? Does he really think I'd do it?*

"Yes, the two of us, together. Wandering the world." Yung smiled. "Loving each other. Though if you want, we can settle somewhere. You can choose any place, money's no problem."

"You make it sound so simple."

He could hear Blair's car. The others were not far behind.

"Some things are simple."

*He truly believes it. Why do I always attract the nutty cases?*

"You're certain about this now, but how long would it last? I don't want to be dumped in Singapore or Madrid," Jim said, keeping an eye on Yung and listening to Blair and Simon with one ear.

Yung actually looked hurt. "I'd never do that to you, honey. You'd never have to worry about anything and certainly not about something like that."

*Never have to worry about anything? Translation: you want someone to pamper and spoil, not someone to talk with. I sure as hell am not someone's pet.*

Jim shook his head. "You want me to leave everything and everyone I know at a moment's notice. And for someone I've known only for a few days."

"Come on, where's your sense of adventure? We could -"

The door to the loft opened.

Yung's body language changed from relaxed and calm into relaxed and subtly threatening as Blair and Simon entered.

"Just who are you?" Simon asked angrily.

"A friend of Jim's. We were just leaving," Yung said with a glance to Jim.

"No, we weren't. You broke into the loft and I'm not going anywhere with you," Jim said, taking a couple of steps toward Blair and Simon who were flanking the door.

"Jim," Yung warned him.

"You don't think that breaking into someone's home is serious?" Jim could not understand his attitude.

"You want to press charges?" Simon asked Jim. "Yes, I'm a police officer," the large captain informed Yung.

"Yes," Jim said. He was not sure why Simon wanted Yung unaware that Jim was a police officer, but he was willing to go along.

Yung jumped over the counter to get to Jim, dismissing Blair as any kind of threat, which was not very smart of him. Blair swept his feet from under Yung, enabling Simon to tackle him and put the cuffs on him. The two worked well together.

"No!" Yung struggled in Simon's hold. Blair contacted Rafe and Taggart. "Jim, please. I love you." Jim turned away from the eyes full of longing. The look made him feel... uncomfortable, like he was an expensive sculpture on display.

***

The loft was quiet at last. The last of the police had left and the statements had been given, the reports would be finished and signed the next day. Jim was standing by the balcony doors, looking lonely, wrapped up in solitude. Simon and Blair were standing in the kitchen, fixing coffee.

"Simon?" Blair asked softly.

Simon nodded and walked over to Jim whose stance shouted ´keep away`.

"Was he the first?" Simon asked. Jim looked at him in confusion. "Your first boyfriend?" the larger man clarified.

"No. There was one other during my time at the police academy. It never went anywhere, just sort of stayed at the getting to know you phase. He wasn't that interested in me," Jim told him blandly. Simon wanted to pull the younger man into his arms and cuddle his insecurities and doubts away.

"Sounds like someone you wouldn't want to be involved with anyway. There's a lot to know in you. Don't let the few rotten relationships get you down."

"A few?" Jim hissed. "How about every and each one?"

*At last, some life in him.*

"So, maybe you tried with the wrong persons, aimed too high and far."

Jim looked at him suspiciously.

"You've been trying to find the ideal, perfect, far away person when you should have taken your time and looked around nearer to you." Simon made sure to keep any sting from his voice. He wanted Jim to open his eyes - and heart - to him and Blair, not to add to any misplaced guilt the man was feeling. "You might think of yourself as a cynic, but you're an idealist. Too much so."

***

Blair carried a tray of coffee cups to the coffee table. It looked like Simon was succeeding in talking to Jim, drawing him out of his funk.

Blair took one of the cups and sat down on a couch, waiting. Simon led Jim to the couch, discreetly leading him to sit between him and Blair. Supporting the sentinel.

This time the quiet was comfortable. Not the depressing type it had been before.

After a few minutes, Blair asked Jim, "What will you do next?"

"Get back to work," Jim shrugged.

"That's it?" Blair asked. "What about everything else?"

Jim just shrugged.

"We're not going to let you just climb up to your mountain and become a recluse," Simon said in his ´this is the captain's decision and this is going to happen` voice. Blair suspected he used the same one with Daryl. "You're going to come to the Summer Fair with us this Saturday."

"I'm not really in the mood. Besides all the noise and smells..." Jim protested.

"Doesn't wash. We'll just play with the dials. Simon's right, you need to make a statement, get out and rejoin the living," Blair said, using his ´guide knows best` voice. Between the two of them, Jim did not stand a chance.

***

The DA started looking into international arrest warrants suspiciously quickly and a lot more eagerly than usually. Jim suspected he wanted the matter out of his hands as soon as possible, preferably this morning. He could not blame the guy; the Yung case was a lose-lose situation. There was not much on Yung in Cascade, or the US in general. Mainly just the breaking-and-entering, granted it was into a police officer's home, but he had not taken anything or really threatened anyone. A good lawyer would get him out in no time. Since by now it was common knowledge that Yung was a bomber for the Triad, letting him loose would not be good PR for the DA's office. Hence, trying to make him someone else's problem. The Japanese police were willing to take him and the extradition was handled in record time. Simon had his suspicions about how long Yung would stay in custody, but kept them to himself.

There were a few mumblings about Jim's sexual orientation at the PD. Fortunately, those stayed at the level of grumblings. Jim had a pretty good reputation and his own department backed him up. The one cop that was too loud got a talking to from Taggart and Rafe. She got no support from the other officers present either. Jim could hear some of it from two floors up. He considered the incident embarrassing more than anything else.

***

Blair was determined to pull his sentinel out of his hidey-hole. At the fair, he kept his comments about unhealthy food to a minimum and made sure to include Jim in conversation. The strategy seemed to work.

"I can't remember last time I had such fun. Thanks," Jim said as they were sitting on a bench after hours of walking around, talking, eating, trying their hand at target shooting and games, shopping at small stalls...

"No need to thank. You're not the only one who needed a quiet day off with friends." Simon was sprawling on the bench, enjoying the sunlight. His feet were aching.

"We all need to relax and just be idle once in a while. The modern time frame is totally artificial and foreign to human physiology. I mean, from 8 to 5? Who came up with that? Human clock operates by sun and -" Blair stared at his sentinel who was busy laughing his ass off. The all too rare sound warmed his heart. Outside, he was doing his best to look offended, doubly so when he noticed Simon trying to stifle his laughter, and failing miserably.

***

Next weekend they went to a jazz club. Simon loved jazz. He introduced Jim to the other regulars. This time Jim left early when he noticed that Simon and Blair were about ready to start cooing at each other. Jim had to admit he felt... jealous at what the two of them had. Maybe he should try closer at home.

He looked around the bullpen the next Monday. *What does it tell of me that my colleagues are also my best friends?* He shook his head.

Taggart? Nope, happily married. Besides, he was more like a favourite uncle. Brown? Naahhh... Rafe? That one had some possibilities, but Rafe had started to talk about getting married with his current girlfriend. Megan? Jim shuddered to think of what their children would be like. Besides, she was going steady with Deirdre from forensics. Rhonda? Again, happily married. Simon?

*Simon?? Surely, I'm not seriously considering... I am. What about Blair? I'd be in the middle - whoa, as Blair would say; I so don't need that image.*

Jim sat at his desk staring at the files in front of him. Different possibilities were chasing each other in his mind.

He did not know what to do, or if he should do anything. Blair and Simon were happy with their relationship; Jim sure as hell did not want to ruin that. He just wanted to be included. Or did he? Maybe he just wanted a similar relationship, with someone else. But who? It was kind of sad that no one came to mind. *Surely there's someone who's single, interested in me and has no criminal tendencies whatsoever.*

***

Blair was busy getting everything ready for a movie night at the loft. To be honest, everything had been ready for some time but he had to keep the hands busy. The alternative was babbling and the only audience were the houseplants. Plants might be good listeners but they did not exactly make for an interactive audience. Jim and Simon were out getting the drinks and the movie. Tonight would be a 'seduce the sentinel' evening. Hopefully, Blair was reading the signs right. There was always the possibility of something going wrong. Blair said a short collective prayer to any deity who would be willing to listen to a poor nervous guide.

***

"Let me get this straight, they chose to *stay* inside the computer system?" Jim was sure he had missed something, some vital clue.

"Did you notice what the so called reality was like?" Blair pointed out. "Besides, they had won the right to stay. And they knew that world better than the real world."

"They chose both," Simon said, turning towards Jim on the couch. "They could have the dream world as well as the reality. Both were as *real* to them."

Jim thought about it.

"You're just more in tune with your environment as a sentinel," Blair stated. The guide should know.

"But we all need dreams too, and a chance to make them real," Simon said softly.

Jim glanced at the two men sitting on either side of him. Blair and Simon were looking at him intently, hungrily. He could smell the pheromones pouring out of them. Blair put a hand on his thigh, Simon played with the collar of his shirt.

*Please, let this be real.*

"Are you... Would this be long term?" He did not know what he would do if the answer was no. He wanted this so much.

"Oh, yes."

"Very long term."

Simon kissed him softly as Blair stroked his cock through his trousers. Jim eagerly responded to the kiss and pushed against Blair's hand.

*Heaven, nirvana, bliss. Oh, yes. Right there. Soft, tastes good.*

There were two sets of hands roaming around Jim's body, mapping him inch by inch. For a sentinel, it was enough to bring him to the brink of orgasm. Blair could sense it and slowed down.

"Wha? Why did you stop?" Jim asked indignantly.

Simon chuckled. His detective sounded like a petulant five-year-old.

"Wouldn't you like to continue this upstairs? In that big underused bed of yours?" Blair whispered into Jim's ear. The three were a tangle of limbs half on and half off the couch.

Jim nodded.

"Sounds really good," he breathed.

"It will be," Simon promised.

The larger man pulled Jim up off the couch and gently led him upstairs. Blair made a quick foray into his room for lube and condoms. Somehow he doubted that Jim would have a stash of them handy.

The guide paused at the top of the stairs to his sentinel's lair, enjoying the view. Jim and Simon were embracing each other by the bed, kissing hungrily. Blair shook his head and walked slowly to the bedside table, putting the packages on it. He did not take his eyes off the two men, not for a second. He was afraid he might miss something.

Simon pulled Jim's shirt up and off him, revealing the perfectly muscled body. He broke the embrace and nudged Jim toward the bed. The sentinel laid down on it, looking at Simon and Blair who were hurriedly undressing. Simon could feel the heated gazes on him, arousing him even further.

Jim was lying on the still made bed, looking at them warily. It was as if he was afraid they would suddenly leave or vanish into thin air.

"We're real," Blair whispered as he got on the bed.

"We're here and we won't leave," Simon reassured the other man as he moved to straddle Jim's legs. He slowly opened the button of Jim's trousers and carefully unzipped them.

Blair was busy exploring his sentinel's chest with hands and his mouth with a tongue. Jim grabbed Blair's head and enthusiastically encouraged the oral explorations.

Simon lowered Jim's trousers and dark boxers. A fully hard cock bobbed into view, begging for attention. *As well formed as the rest of him*. Simon licked his lips. He pulled the trousers, boxers and socks off and threw them on the floor.

***

Jim was writhing on the bed, awash in sensations. Simon settled between his legs and took his cock in hand. Jim bucked violently.

"Feels good?" Blair asked with a dark voice.

Jim nodded.

Blair licked Jim's lips.

"It can get even better," the guide promised.

***

Blair took Jim's hands off his hair and rose to sit on the bed. He kissed Simon as the larger man stroked Jim's cock with one hand; the other was caressing Jim's perineum. The sentinel was moving restlessly on the bed, moaning and panting. Looking hungrily at the other two men.

Blair turned to Jim.

"Turn around."

Jim blinked, confused.

Simon released Jim's cock as Blair pulled Jim up to a sitting position and kissed him softly. He moved them so Jim was half-sitting with his back to Simon. The darker man embraced Jim from behind.

***

The sentinel was submerged in sensation. Blair was caressing him and kissing, Jim was exploring the guide's hairy body while Simon was nibbling and kissing Jim's neck and shoulders.

"What?" Jim jumped slightly. Simon's fingers had been mapping his ass and the area just behind his cock and balls, but now they were wet, slippery, pushing on the outside his anus. Felt good, though. Just as Blair's cock felt good in his hand.

The sounds they were making created warmth in his ears, the smells were an orchestra of soft sounds, the tastes were a feast in themselves. Though taste did feel left behind, it was hungering for something more.

Jim lowered his head to taste Blair's skin. This was better. He gasped as Simon put a finger inside him. He pushed on the curious finger, wanting more of the intimate touch. Blair was stroking and petting his body. Jim moved lower on Blair, wanting to taste more.

***

Simon put two fingers inside Jim. It was so tight and hot. He could see Blair shaking. He knew the younger man wanted to just fuck Jim's mouth, but they needed to go slow. Jim had to feel he had the right to halt everything. This was too important to spoil with impatience.

Simon lubed up his cock and pushed three fingers into the sentinel. Jim actually mewled, and moved lower on Blair, arriving at the prize. Jim licked Blair's cock.

***

"oh, god, ohgodohgodohgod," Blair moaned as he tried to round up the last of his control and sanity.

Simon took his fingers out, took a better stance and pushed into Jim.

"God's right, this so goood, and so right," Simon declared quietly, reverently.

***

Jim breathed deep, and did his best to relax. Simon was *big*. He nuzzled Blair's cock. It smelled delicious, tasted delicious too.

"Please," Blair begged. The hands on his shoulders were shaking.

***

Finally Simon was all the way in. The hurt surrendered to pleasure. Jim took as much of Blair's cock as he could into his mouth. Taste buds cheered the action.

"Yess!" Blair shouted in relief. It had been pure torture to wait patiently as Jim moved slowly towards his cock.

***

Simon started to slowly fuck the sentinel who was tasting and licking and sucking the guide's cock. Blair allowed his own hips to move, gently at first but picking up speed as Jim was making approving noises. The three were moving faster and harder and faster toward the pinnacle.

Simon roared his pleasure up toward the roof window. Blair came more quietly mere moments after. He was pretty certain he had lost a few brain cells as he shot his load down Jim's throat.

Blair sat on a pillow, panting as Jim licked his cock clean. Simon withdrew from Jim and collapsed on the slightly smaller man.

"You okay?" Blair asked from Jim once he could talk normally.

"Oh, yeaah," Jim purred. He yawned. "Sleepy, though."

Simon kissed Jim's ear.

"No hurry, sleep all you want. We're not going anywhere," he promised. "Might be good to clean up a bit, though."

"No energy," Jim stated, eyes closed.

Blair stretched on laid down on the bed, rescuing the covers from the floor.

"You clean if you feel up to it. I'm going to sleep too."

Blair fell asleep in seconds. His sentinel followed him to the dream world. Simon shrugged and decided to follow their example.

***

The moon was shining on the messy bed through the roof window. Simon looked at his lovers. Lovers, plural, as in more than one. Jim was snuggled to his right side while Blair was sprawled on the left side of the bed. *Who would have thought that Jim would be the cuddly one?*

Simon knew there was an embarrassingly goofy grin on his face, but he could not have cared less. Everything had gone well. It would not be all roses and smiles, but it would be all right.

He tightened his hold on Jim and burrowed deeper into the bedclothes. Everything would be all right, not perfect but close enough. Close enough.

***

End