SquidgeWorld Archive

Rome is a Long Way from Home
By PattRose
Summary: Blair and Naomi go on a three week trip to Rome. She has won a contest and everything is paid for. What will he do in Rome with Naomi?
Warnings: Language
Genre: Pre-slash to slash
Rating: Teen for language
Word Count: 2689

Jim was lounging on the sofa, watching football while Blair was looking over some things for next term in the chair opposite him. Jim cocked his head to the left and asked, "Were you expecting your mother?"

"Holy shit, I love when you do that. And no, I wasn't." Blair jumped up and opened the door before Naomi had a chance to knock.

"Darling, it's wonderful to see you. Hello, Jim. How are you?" Naomi waltzed in, dress flowing wildly along with her hair.

Jim sat up on the sofa and answered, "I'm doing well, Naomi. Nothing is wrong is it?"

"Oh Jim, you silly man. Of course nothing is wrong. I won a contest for two people for three weeks in Rome. I decided I would take my son. He hasn't been on a holiday in years, unless you count camping."

"Hey, I do count camping, Mom. Three weeks in Rome? What would we do for three weeks? And besides I work with Jim while I'm off on summer break."

"Jim, can't you see your way clear to letting him have a vacation without working with you for three weeks?" Naomi asked sweetly and batted her eyelashes.

Blair almost laughed. Naomi was almost flirting with poor Jim. Blair sighed and said, "Naomi, he counts on me to help him at the station."

"Oh Blair, sweetie, he doesn't need you there all the time, do you, Jim?"

"No, you go ahead and go on this trip. You've always wanted to go to Italy. You told me that once," Jim stated very seriously.

"You mean it? You wouldn't mind if I left for three weeks. That's a long time, Jim."

"I've got Megan. She'll pick up the slack, Blair. You go and have a good time with your mom."

"When is this, Naomi?"

"It's in two days, sweetie. I got here as soon as I could. We're going to have such fun, you won't want to ever come home again. No offense to you, Jim."

"None taken, Naomi. Blair, you better start packing and getting things ready. Are you taking your laptop with you?"

"Yes, so we'll email each other every day, Jim. Okay?"

"Blair, you're going to be too busy to email me every day. Just email me once a week to let me know what I'm missing."

"Thanks, man. I appreciate you letting me leave on such short notice."

"You take good care of him, Naomi," Jim said, almost sadly.

"Oh I will, Jim. We're going to be having the time of our lives. I haven't been there in years. It's going to be lovely to show it to my son. Go and pack, Blair."

Naomi sat down with Jim on the sofa and smiled. Jim realized he hadn't asked one thing that he should have noticed right away. "Naomi, where is your luggage?"

"I wondered when either of you would notice that. It's in the hallway. Could you get it for me, Jim? It's pretty heavy."

Jim got up off the sofa and opened the door, grabbed the suitcase from hell and dragged it inside the room. "Naomi, what do you have in here?"

"It's three weeks, Jim. It's not like I can just take a backpack and be good for the trip." She laughed as Jim sat back down, pretending his back was broken from lifting the suitcase.

"So where are you staying in Rome?" Jim asked.

"It's a quaint hotel called Caracciolo near the railway. I guess it's close to almost everything. We'll be doing a lot of walking, that's for sure. Would you like to go out for dinner with us tonight, Jim?"

"No thank you. You two go ahead. I have things to do at the station. I forgot to do a few things today. I'll catch up with you tomorrow night before you leave. When do you leave?" If Naomi had been with it she would have noticed Jim was upset and pretty quiet.

"Tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. Isn't it wonderful?"

Blair came out of his room and shouted, "Tomorrow? I thought you said two days."

"Honey, today is day one, tomorrow is day two. Get with the program. Pack quickly sweetheart."

"Jesus, Naomi. That doesn't even give me any time to cook up some things for Jim to eat while I'm gone."

"Blair Sandburg. Jim is a grown man and doesn't need you fixing him anything to eat while you're gone."

"Do you think you can take us to the airport tomorrow at six, Jim?" Blair asked sweetly.

"You know I can, Chief. Don't worry about a thing. I have to go to work for a few things I didn't do today. I don't want to be behind when Megan takes over. You and your mom have a good dinner and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sure..." Blair walked back into his room and knew that Jim was upset. But damn it, Blair had always wanted to see Rome. He was going even if it broke his heart to leave Jim behind.

Jim hugged Naomi and called out a goodbye to Blair before he left.

Once he was gone, Naomi went into Blair's room and began to help him pack. Before long, they were ready to go out to eat.

*

Blair woke up at 5:00 and heard Jim getting ready for work. Why was he going to work already? As Blair lay there, he thought about how much he was going to miss Jim. He knew that Jim wouldn't miss him, but he wished he would. The next thing he knew it was 7:30 and he could hear Naomi singing as she puttered around the loft. It brought a smile to his face. He had missed his mom, so this was a good thing, right?

*

That evening at 5:00, Blair was worried Jim had forgotten them when the door opened and in he walked.

"Hey, Chief. Are you excited?"

"Yes, I am. But I thought you might have forgotten us."

Jim threw back his head and laughed long and hard. "Chief, there is no way I could forget you or your mom."

"Jim, I hope you mean that in a good way," Naomi teased.

"Of course it's in a good way. No one could ever forget the two of you. They're going to love you both in Rome."

"Jim, here is a paper with all our info on it. It's the hotel's number and address in case you need it for anything."

"Chief, you're leaving for three weeks, not a year. Now let's get your bags into the truck."

*

When they arrived at the airport, Jim parked and helped them get their bags out of the back of the truck. Once he was done, he hugged Naomi and told her to have a good time. Then he hugged Blair, long and hard. "Chief, you take good care of yourself. Come back safe and sound to me."

Blair looked at Jim with his eyes misting and noticed that Jim's were too. They were both getting sappy in their older age.

They walked into the airport and Jim got into his truck and drove home. This is going to be a long fucking three weeks.

*

The first three days in Rome were wonderful, until he arrived back at his room and sat there all alone every night. Naomi was out with a new man every single night. Blair only wanted one man and that man didn't want him. Damn, but I have the worst luck.

He pulled out his laptop and started to write a love letter to Jim. It gave him something to do. He would delete it when he was done.

Dearest Jim,

I know this is out of the blue, but I'm in love with you. I can't think of much else. I'm in one of the most gorgeous cities in the world and all I can think of is you. I'm never sending this to you, so this will be good to get off my chest even if it never leaves this room.

I wish you had come with me. Every time I see something I long for you to be next to me, so we can share it. I don't want you in Cascade with Megan Connor. I want you to be here. I'll tell you more about me and you in a minute, I need to tell you something else.

The bathroom is like something out of Star Trek. The shower makes me giggle every time I'm in it. It's like a ‘beam me up Scotty', tube. You would be laughing if you saw it. Not that it isn't nice, because it is. But, you would still be laughing.

I'm sitting at the table right now, thinking about you, again. I've done little else. In fact, I've bought four things in Rome and they are all for you. I wish you were here. I wish you could calm me so I could sleep all night. I wish you could fuck me until I scream. Yes, I want all of that. And it's not just sex, Jim. I want you. The man. The friend. The Sentinel. I want all of you to be mine. I love you like no other and I will always love you. It's a little depressing to realize I'm finally admitting this and it's to a laptop. Maybe some year I'll get enough nerve up to say something. But until I do, this will remain between me and the computer. I miss you like crazy and would give anything to have you here with me. Being in love sucks.

I am forever yours,
Blair

*

Blair left his laptop open and went to bed for the night. The next morning, he decided to go for a walk by himself. While he was gone, Naomi let herself into his room, since they both had keys for each other's rooms and checked to see if he was all right. She saw his laptop open on the table and turned it on. She couldn't help but read the letter that he had written to Jim. My poor sweet, angel. He's blind. Naomi sent the email to Jim and closed the laptop.

She was sitting there reading when Blair got back. He immediately looked at his laptop and said, "I have to delete something on here."

"I accidentally did. I was going to send an email and I deleted your email. I'm sorry, Blair. I'm not very good with computers."

"Oh, that's okay, Mom. I don't mind you deleting it. I was going to anyhow."

"I think the Vatican sounds good for today, what do you say?" Naomi asked.

Blair smiled and said, "This is so exciting."

"We'll take lots of pictures so that you can share it all with Jim when you get home."

"Good idea. Let's take the camera today," Blair agreed and grabbed it right before they walked out of the door.

*

Jim was miserable. He had been sent home from work by Simon and told he had better get in decent shape for the next day or Simon was going to suspend him. He had zoned and almost gotten killed. Megan was so pissed she told Simon about it. Fuck...I miss, Blair. I want him to come home now. I want him to sleep in my bed. I just want him.

Jim sat down at his laptop and went to see if Blair had time to send him an email. It had been three days and there had been no email. But Jim smiled because today was his lucky day. He opened the email and began to read it, smiling more every moment. Then Jim started to laugh. He must have been drinking wine and doesn't know he sent it.

Jim found out the time difference and waited until it was ten at night there and he called the hotel. They rang his room, but he didn't answer. Jim realized he was probably out having a good time. And what could he say over the phone anyhow?

Instead Jim called Simon and asked if he could take a leave of absence. Simon told him he would gladly give him one. Jim needed a break. So Jim had the next two and a half weeks off. Then he called and got his plane ticket and packed. He was getting so excited, he hoped he knew what he was doing. It had been a long time since he'd been with a man. Oh fuck it. It's time again.

*

When Jim arrived at the hotel in Rome, he was exhausted. He went to Blair's room and knocked, but no one was there. He went downstairs and told them he was Blair's boyfriend and could he wait in the room. Finally, after showing them he was a policeman from the US he was able to get into Blair's room. He laid down on the fainting couch and took a brief nap. He would have to listen for Blair so he didn't scare him.

"Darling, didn't you like dinner?" Naomi asked for the third time.

"Naomi, I'm just out of sorts. I think I'll call Jim tonight. He'll make me feel better."

"I just bet he will," she kidded.

"Oh my God, you read the note to Jim? Have no decency?" Blair noticed that she just smiled and he realized what had happened. "Oh God, you mailed it to him, didn't you? He'll probably fly here to kick my ass."

"Oh sweetie, he's not going to do that. He loves you. He's in love with you. Anyone can see it. You guys are really slow."

"Let's head back. I'll try and call him and apologize. I'll tell him it's all the fucking wine I've been drinking."

She laughed all the way back to the hotel. He walked her to her room and saw her inside and then went to his room. The room was dark. He had forgotten to leave a light on. He locked the door and headed to the bathroom when a voice said, "I want to make you scream."

Blair did exactly that. He let out a blood curdling scream and jumped a foot off the floor.

"Chief, it's me."

"Jesus, Jim. Why not fucking scare a person to death?"

"Do I get a kiss hello or not?" Jim asked, evilly.
"Of course you do," Blair said as he bent down and kissed Jim with a great deal of passion and need.

"I can taste the wonderful wine you had with dinner. Is it too late for us to go have a drink together?"

"Let me turn the light on, Jim."

He turned it on and loved what he saw. He saw a man in love with him. His mother had been right. Damn her, anyhow.

Blair walked back over to Jim and kissed him again. "Let's go have a drink and then you can tell me why you're here."

"Where else would I be after that fucking email? I was hard the entire trip here. Do you know how difficult it was being in that condition behind my zipper for the entire flight? You might drive me crazy, but I love you too."

"Good, are you here for more than a day or two?"

"I'm here for the rest of your stay," Jim answered.

"Oh thank God. Let's go have a drink, decide what we'll see tomorrow and then you can fuck my brains out. Please tell me you brought supplies with you."

"I did bring supplies with me. Come on, let's go have a drink."

And they did just that.

The end