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Summary: Jim decided to drag Blair from the city for the weekend, get outside and enjoy living in the Pacific Northwest
Word Count: 2,080
Rating: PG-13
Blair woke up in Jim’s truck. The sun was high in the sky. He didn’t know if it was a bit before noon or a bit after. He lay there in the reclined seat and felt the motion of the car. He took in the faint smells of snow and wood smoke. Paper rustled and a bag landed on his stomach.
“Please tell me it’s coffee?” he said.
“Lunch, coffee's in thermos by your feet,” Jim said.
Blair groaned. “How many hours have you been stuck driving while I’ve been out?”
“Hardly stuck, Chief.”
Blair pushed the bag into his lap and pulled the seat back up. The road gently curved left then right through snow laden pines. Blair watched as the scenery drifted by. He looked over at Jim a few times, he looked so relaxed as he watched the road ahead.
“It’s beautiful out here.”
“Yeah, it is.” Jim poked his shoulder. “Eat, get some caffeine in you,”
Blair opened the bag to find a wrapped filled with tempeh, avocado and sprouts. Suddenly hungry, he devoured it along with coffee and water from his bottle. The tempeh was roasted and crunchy instead of mush, it was from a place that knew how actually cook it properly.
“This is amazing,” Blair said.
“Yeah, there is some weird health food wrap place aimed at people going to Hood for snowboarding. I got you the first thing with words I didn't recognize. They also have real food.”
Blair snorted. “I didn’t notice stopping for lunch?”
“You were a log. You’ve been pushing yourself pretty hard recently.”
“You left me in a parking lot?”
“I can keep an eye on you anywhere, Chief, but no. They have a drive through. We can hit it again on out way home.”
“So you would leave me asleep in a parking lot?”
“With me keeping an ear out you’d be safer in a parking lot than most of the places you’ve slept in.”
“Fair point.” Blair shrugged and ate the last bite.
Blair sunk back into his seat and enjoyed the continuously shifting view in front of him. No music was playing, none that Blair could hear at least. It was just them, the truck and the road. He liked that there was no music, nothing to distract from the here and now. He focused on the sounds of the car, the wind, the tires on the wet asphalt and fell into a semi-meditative state, let his mind drift and rest as he enjoyed the view and being with Jim.
With no warning, Jim swung the truck in a tight turn and the view changed. Blair grabbed for ceiling handle, but by the time he had a good grip they were already going down a dirt road. The ride had gone from smooth to bumpy. The bright sunlight had disappeared as the tree canopy closed over them. Trees crowded either side of the narrow lane.
Blair glanced at Jim and saw just a hint of a smile. He was up to something. The path led down a slope deep into the woods. The truck swayed slightly as the tires lost traction for a moment over the rocks and mud, but Jim seemed unbothered. If anyone else had been driving, Blair would have been freaked out. Instead the rise in his pulse was from a thrill of adventure. Food, coffee and curiosity burned away the rest of his lingering sleepiness. He knew Jim was taking him someplace special, but even just seeing this dirt road was worth it. It was lovely in a dark and creepy way.
“I thought we were headed for a town? I’m surprised we aren’t there by now,” Blair said.
“Detour,” Jim said. “That’s what happens when you let me plan trips.”
“This wasn’t a planned trip, you just grabbed me because you were craving some steakhouse in someplace I’d never heard of.” He’d still been studying when Jim had woken up, in the same spot he’d been sitting in when Jim had gone to bed along. Somehow Jim had talked him into leaving his books, notes and laptop behind to go out to eat.
Jim just smiled and kept driving. At the end of the road was a small gravel area with parking spots marked by concrete bumpers. As soon as the engine died, he could hear the rush of a river in the distance.
Jim parked, opened the door and jumped out. He grabbed a duffel from the back and walked off down a break in the undergrowth that barely qualified as a path.
“C’mon,” Jim called, as if him taking off wasn’t a clear enough challenge.
“Yeah, yeah,” Blair replied. He wanted to take things a beat slower. He hadn’t gotten out of the city in so long, and now he was surrounded by green. By the time he followed, Jim was already starting to disappear into the woods.
Dozens of different types of plants were all trying to take over the trail, seal away the path. Vines reached out to tangle with vines like the woods were trying to sew it shut. Working his way down was slow going, even with Jim having gone first. Jim moved so easily through the woods and Blair struggled a bit with the rocks and partially frozen mud.
The going was tricky, but soon he emerged near a small pool of water between a rock wall and a river. Cracks in the rock wall left it striped with dark green moss. Jim sat on the edge of the pool, leaning back and relaxed like he’d been there a while already. The contrast between the turbulent water and the calm pool fascinated him.
Blair paused and took in a deep breath, letting the chill air fill him. This place was amazing and he wanted to drink in everything about it. Then the view got even better as Jim shed his jacket and shirt, then his pants. He quickly stripped in the late-winter cold. Blair blinked and ran down next to him. He was down to blue swimming trunks by the time Blair got there.
“What the hell, man?” Blair said. “No way even you are going swimming today!”
Jim shrugged, a hint of smile on his lips, and stepped right into the pool. That’s when Blair noticed the faint steam rising from it.
“Ring of fire, chief, these mountains are volcanoes. There are lots of hidden springs in the woods, along rivers,” Jim said. “C’mon on the water is … cool on top, but warm underneath.”
“Please tell me the duffel is full of towels?”
“And your swim trunks, and wool socks in case you weren’t already wearing some.”
“You could have-” Blair started.
“Not sniffing your feet to check the material. You probably don’t even know the last time you stopped for a shower.”
Blair laughed. He braced himself and stripped down fast. He found his trunks, towels and extra Nalgene bottles filled with water in the bag. He stepped in cold mud at the river bank, then into cool water, then the next step was warm. The bottom was muddy. He stepped carefully at first, not to wanting to stir up the mud too much. Then he took the next steps in a rush. The cold was getting to him and he wanted to get into the warm. He slipped and Jim grabbed his arm and pulled him close.
“Not bad, huh?” Jim said.
“Jim this is … this place is amazing. I didn’t even see a sign.”
“No sign. Most of these spots are unmarked. You just need to know the area.”
Blair leaned into Jim. The heat of the water was soaking into his feet and legs. Tension he didn't even know he was carrying started to melt away. He wiggled toes that, yeah, had probably been in those socks too long.
He looked around. Some trees were still weighed down with snow and the far shore had chunks of ice washed up on the sand. The day was cold, a bite to the air despite the bright sunshine, but he was warm and cozy.
“This place is magic,” he said, “hidden in the woods.”
“Hippy.” Jim tugged at his curls. “We lucked out a little. A few times I’ve been here I found kids partying or worse. There’s a larger one upstream somewhere. There are historical pictures of the baththouse that was built over it. I never found it when I was a teen. I wonder if I could sniff it out now. There’s a specific mineral scent to the hot water.”
“I’m game for hot springs hunting. That sounds like the most amazing hobby ever. This place though, I don’t think any other place could be this good.”
“”It’s also hard to match how much fun it is to find an unexpected hot spring.”
“Is this why you wanted to go to La Pine? You really just wanted this as a rest stop? The whole craving a steak at a certain restaurant was a ruse?”
“I wasn’t kidding about the steaks, we’re still going there. But yeah. I had a hunch you’d like this.”
“Jim, this is the best. I still feel bad that you had to plan all this and do all the driving while I was conked out.” He kicked his feet in the water, stretching the muscles that had probably gone numb while he’d been working.
Jim looked at him levelly for a moment. “Since we joined up your work has doubled. My cases solve so fast I’ve been able to take on additional cases. Cold Cases sent me a fruit basket, of fruit they stole from the break room, but the thought was there. I’ve been able to make more time for them than any other detective.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s a point.”
“You are amazing at helping people and taking care of those you love. You are complete shit at accepting people taking care of you.”
Blair was silent.
“I love you,” Jim said. “Let me take care of you more.”
“You don’t owe-”
“Of course not. This isn’t about that. This is about me taking care of someone I love. I want to spend time taking care of my boyfriend. This past week when you kept having to stay up studying, I planned this, for us.”
Jim pulled Blair over to the side. There was a large boulder under the water. Jim sat with Blair in his lap.
“I feel like a mermaid perched on a sailor,” Blair said.
“You’ve got the hair for it.” Jim ran a hand through his curls.
“Don’t encourage me, I’ll start singing.”
Jim cupped his cheek and kissed him.
“Shut up, love,” Jim said and pulled him against his bare, muscular chest.
Blair laughed and settled against him. He felt like he was in the center of something, and then he guessed he was. On one side was a giant, jagged wall of rock, on the other a current of freeze water rushed by. He was in this strange spot of warmth, and surrounded by Jim’s arms.
The air was cold. Blair could feel the cold, but it couldn’t chill him.
They lingered a while, trading kissed and shifting how they sat on the rock to take in different views, or let Blair just rest against him.
‘A plunge into the unknown only to find a place of warmth and peace. That’s what my life has been since I started following him, since I started trusting my Sentinel,’ Blair thought. He slid down Jim’s chest to rest his head, close his eyes and just feel the moment, just feel Jim’s arms and the contrasting energies of nature around them, hot and cold, still and rushing. Jim cupped the back of his head with a large hand and held Blair as he rested.
The air grew slightly colder, and Blair could tell that the quality of the light had begun to change, even though his eyes were closed. They’d been in the water a while, and needed to get out before drying off would be painfully cold.
“C’mon, Chief, we can’t stay here forever,” Jim said.
“Actually, I plan to,” Blair said, thoughts still caught up in how this space mirrored his life, his commitment to Jim.
Jim gave him a puzzled look. Then he shook his head as Blair pulled himself out of the water and ran to quickly dry himself. Jim followed his Guide.
Word Count: 2,080
Rating: PG-13
Blair woke up in Jim’s truck. The sun was high in the sky. He didn’t know if it was a bit before noon or a bit after. He lay there in the reclined seat and felt the motion of the car. He took in the faint smells of snow and wood smoke. Paper rustled and a bag landed on his stomach.
“Please tell me it’s coffee?” he said.
“Lunch, coffee's in thermos by your feet,” Jim said.
Blair groaned. “How many hours have you been stuck driving while I’ve been out?”
“Hardly stuck, Chief.”
Blair pushed the bag into his lap and pulled the seat back up. The road gently curved left then right through snow laden pines. Blair watched as the scenery drifted by. He looked over at Jim a few times, he looked so relaxed as he watched the road ahead.
“It’s beautiful out here.”
“Yeah, it is.” Jim poked his shoulder. “Eat, get some caffeine in you,”
Blair opened the bag to find a wrapped filled with tempeh, avocado and sprouts. Suddenly hungry, he devoured it along with coffee and water from his bottle. The tempeh was roasted and crunchy instead of mush, it was from a place that knew how actually cook it properly.
“This is amazing,” Blair said.
“Yeah, there is some weird health food wrap place aimed at people going to Hood for snowboarding. I got you the first thing with words I didn't recognize. They also have real food.”
Blair snorted. “I didn’t notice stopping for lunch?”
“You were a log. You’ve been pushing yourself pretty hard recently.”
“You left me in a parking lot?”
“I can keep an eye on you anywhere, Chief, but no. They have a drive through. We can hit it again on out way home.”
“So you would leave me asleep in a parking lot?”
“With me keeping an ear out you’d be safer in a parking lot than most of the places you’ve slept in.”
“Fair point.” Blair shrugged and ate the last bite.
Blair sunk back into his seat and enjoyed the continuously shifting view in front of him. No music was playing, none that Blair could hear at least. It was just them, the truck and the road. He liked that there was no music, nothing to distract from the here and now. He focused on the sounds of the car, the wind, the tires on the wet asphalt and fell into a semi-meditative state, let his mind drift and rest as he enjoyed the view and being with Jim.
With no warning, Jim swung the truck in a tight turn and the view changed. Blair grabbed for ceiling handle, but by the time he had a good grip they were already going down a dirt road. The ride had gone from smooth to bumpy. The bright sunlight had disappeared as the tree canopy closed over them. Trees crowded either side of the narrow lane.
Blair glanced at Jim and saw just a hint of a smile. He was up to something. The path led down a slope deep into the woods. The truck swayed slightly as the tires lost traction for a moment over the rocks and mud, but Jim seemed unbothered. If anyone else had been driving, Blair would have been freaked out. Instead the rise in his pulse was from a thrill of adventure. Food, coffee and curiosity burned away the rest of his lingering sleepiness. He knew Jim was taking him someplace special, but even just seeing this dirt road was worth it. It was lovely in a dark and creepy way.
“I thought we were headed for a town? I’m surprised we aren’t there by now,” Blair said.
“Detour,” Jim said. “That’s what happens when you let me plan trips.”
“This wasn’t a planned trip, you just grabbed me because you were craving some steakhouse in someplace I’d never heard of.” He’d still been studying when Jim had woken up, in the same spot he’d been sitting in when Jim had gone to bed along. Somehow Jim had talked him into leaving his books, notes and laptop behind to go out to eat.
Jim just smiled and kept driving. At the end of the road was a small gravel area with parking spots marked by concrete bumpers. As soon as the engine died, he could hear the rush of a river in the distance.
Jim parked, opened the door and jumped out. He grabbed a duffel from the back and walked off down a break in the undergrowth that barely qualified as a path.
“C’mon,” Jim called, as if him taking off wasn’t a clear enough challenge.
“Yeah, yeah,” Blair replied. He wanted to take things a beat slower. He hadn’t gotten out of the city in so long, and now he was surrounded by green. By the time he followed, Jim was already starting to disappear into the woods.
Dozens of different types of plants were all trying to take over the trail, seal away the path. Vines reached out to tangle with vines like the woods were trying to sew it shut. Working his way down was slow going, even with Jim having gone first. Jim moved so easily through the woods and Blair struggled a bit with the rocks and partially frozen mud.
The going was tricky, but soon he emerged near a small pool of water between a rock wall and a river. Cracks in the rock wall left it striped with dark green moss. Jim sat on the edge of the pool, leaning back and relaxed like he’d been there a while already. The contrast between the turbulent water and the calm pool fascinated him.
Blair paused and took in a deep breath, letting the chill air fill him. This place was amazing and he wanted to drink in everything about it. Then the view got even better as Jim shed his jacket and shirt, then his pants. He quickly stripped in the late-winter cold. Blair blinked and ran down next to him. He was down to blue swimming trunks by the time Blair got there.
“What the hell, man?” Blair said. “No way even you are going swimming today!”
Jim shrugged, a hint of smile on his lips, and stepped right into the pool. That’s when Blair noticed the faint steam rising from it.
“Ring of fire, chief, these mountains are volcanoes. There are lots of hidden springs in the woods, along rivers,” Jim said. “C’mon on the water is … cool on top, but warm underneath.”
“Please tell me the duffel is full of towels?”
“And your swim trunks, and wool socks in case you weren’t already wearing some.”
“You could have-” Blair started.
“Not sniffing your feet to check the material. You probably don’t even know the last time you stopped for a shower.”
Blair laughed. He braced himself and stripped down fast. He found his trunks, towels and extra Nalgene bottles filled with water in the bag. He stepped in cold mud at the river bank, then into cool water, then the next step was warm. The bottom was muddy. He stepped carefully at first, not to wanting to stir up the mud too much. Then he took the next steps in a rush. The cold was getting to him and he wanted to get into the warm. He slipped and Jim grabbed his arm and pulled him close.
“Not bad, huh?” Jim said.
“Jim this is … this place is amazing. I didn’t even see a sign.”
“No sign. Most of these spots are unmarked. You just need to know the area.”
Blair leaned into Jim. The heat of the water was soaking into his feet and legs. Tension he didn't even know he was carrying started to melt away. He wiggled toes that, yeah, had probably been in those socks too long.
He looked around. Some trees were still weighed down with snow and the far shore had chunks of ice washed up on the sand. The day was cold, a bite to the air despite the bright sunshine, but he was warm and cozy.
“This place is magic,” he said, “hidden in the woods.”
“Hippy.” Jim tugged at his curls. “We lucked out a little. A few times I’ve been here I found kids partying or worse. There’s a larger one upstream somewhere. There are historical pictures of the baththouse that was built over it. I never found it when I was a teen. I wonder if I could sniff it out now. There’s a specific mineral scent to the hot water.”
“I’m game for hot springs hunting. That sounds like the most amazing hobby ever. This place though, I don’t think any other place could be this good.”
“”It’s also hard to match how much fun it is to find an unexpected hot spring.”
“Is this why you wanted to go to La Pine? You really just wanted this as a rest stop? The whole craving a steak at a certain restaurant was a ruse?”
“I wasn’t kidding about the steaks, we’re still going there. But yeah. I had a hunch you’d like this.”
“Jim, this is the best. I still feel bad that you had to plan all this and do all the driving while I was conked out.” He kicked his feet in the water, stretching the muscles that had probably gone numb while he’d been working.
Jim looked at him levelly for a moment. “Since we joined up your work has doubled. My cases solve so fast I’ve been able to take on additional cases. Cold Cases sent me a fruit basket, of fruit they stole from the break room, but the thought was there. I’ve been able to make more time for them than any other detective.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s a point.”
“You are amazing at helping people and taking care of those you love. You are complete shit at accepting people taking care of you.”
Blair was silent.
“I love you,” Jim said. “Let me take care of you more.”
“You don’t owe-”
“Of course not. This isn’t about that. This is about me taking care of someone I love. I want to spend time taking care of my boyfriend. This past week when you kept having to stay up studying, I planned this, for us.”
Jim pulled Blair over to the side. There was a large boulder under the water. Jim sat with Blair in his lap.
“I feel like a mermaid perched on a sailor,” Blair said.
“You’ve got the hair for it.” Jim ran a hand through his curls.
“Don’t encourage me, I’ll start singing.”
Jim cupped his cheek and kissed him.
“Shut up, love,” Jim said and pulled him against his bare, muscular chest.
Blair laughed and settled against him. He felt like he was in the center of something, and then he guessed he was. On one side was a giant, jagged wall of rock, on the other a current of freeze water rushed by. He was in this strange spot of warmth, and surrounded by Jim’s arms.
The air was cold. Blair could feel the cold, but it couldn’t chill him.
They lingered a while, trading kissed and shifting how they sat on the rock to take in different views, or let Blair just rest against him.
‘A plunge into the unknown only to find a place of warmth and peace. That’s what my life has been since I started following him, since I started trusting my Sentinel,’ Blair thought. He slid down Jim’s chest to rest his head, close his eyes and just feel the moment, just feel Jim’s arms and the contrasting energies of nature around them, hot and cold, still and rushing. Jim cupped the back of his head with a large hand and held Blair as he rested.
The air grew slightly colder, and Blair could tell that the quality of the light had begun to change, even though his eyes were closed. They’d been in the water a while, and needed to get out before drying off would be painfully cold.
“C’mon, Chief, we can’t stay here forever,” Jim said.
“Actually, I plan to,” Blair said, thoughts still caught up in how this space mirrored his life, his commitment to Jim.
Jim gave him a puzzled look. Then he shook his head as Blair pulled himself out of the water and ran to quickly dry himself. Jim followed his Guide.
