New
Arrivals
Author-Sorcha
Titles
Beyond the Wind
by Sorcha
Summary: Blair is feeling down during university exam time. Very short. Rated G.
Author's Notes: I actually wrote this story a long time ago but never bothered to post it. Many thanks to Danae, my wonderful beta reader.
Disclaimer: We all know this already but here it goes anyway: I don't own them, I received no money by writing this, and absolutely no infringement intended.
Jim stood at the stove in his floral apron, stirring his homemade chicken soup. It was half past six and Ellison was expecting Blair to be home any minute. It was final exam time and the anthropologist had been burning the candle at both ends, spending long hours at the University. Life had been hectic for Sandburg lately, keeping him away from Jim, and the detective missed his partner's company. However, Blair had told Jim that morning at breakfast that he hoped to finish grading the last of the exams that afternoon, and so now the sentinel was looking forward to having the chance to spend some time with his guide.
Leaving the soup to simmer, Jim got out two bowls and two spoons. As he set the spoons on the kitchen table, the door opened and Blair came into the loft. Hanging up his jacket, the younger man sniffed appreciatively. "That smells great, Jim. Is it chicken soup?"
"Yep," Jim confirmed, as he began to ladle out servings into the bowls. "It's ready if you're ready."
"I'm definitely ready," Blair said, patting his growling stomach and taking a seat at the table.
Jim set a bowl of soup down in front of his friend, then took a seat across from him with his own bowl. "There's a Jags game on TV tonight. Do you want to watch it?" Ellison was hoping that they could spend a quiet evening together.
"Oh, man, I wish I could. But I need to try to grade a few more papers tonight."
"More? I thought you were going to be finished with those by now."
"Well, I would have been but one of the other TA's was sick. So I had to take their place and help a professor invigilate two exams. By the time that was done, I had lost hours of grading time."
Jim was disappointed, but it couldn't be helped. "You'll be done by tomorrow?"
"Definitely," Blair replied. "I have to go to a meeting in the afternoon but if I start working early, I should be a free man by dinner time tomorrow."
"That's good," Jim said, meaning it. He was worried about his friend. Not so much because he was busy and under a lot of stress at the moment -- that happened several times a year and Blair always survived -- but more because he didn't seem happy. The usual light in his eyes and the slight spring to his step were missing. Jim wanted to do something for his partner, but he didn't know what. He figured that he'd have to let things run their own course for one more day and then things would start to get better. Maybe they could go on a camping trip that weekend. It would do them both good.
They finished eating their dinner, then went their separate ways. Blair went off to his bedroom to do some work while Jim washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. When every last dish was put away and the counter was wiped clean, Jim settled down to watch the basketball game alone. As he lay in bed later, he heard the sounds that told him Blair was finally turning in downstairs. There were rustling noises as Sandburg took off his clothes and climbed into bed. Then there was a click as the lamp was turned off, followed by a weary sigh that betrayed the young man's sheer exhaustion. It didn't take long for the sound of deep, even breathing to float up to the sentinel's sensitive ears, and as he listened to it, Jim was able to drift off to sleep as well, knowing that his friend was getting some much-needed rest.
He was finally done. He had worked hard all day and attended the incredibly boring, two-hour meeting, but now he was finished. Finished and free. Blair stood inside the loft door with his jacket still on and looked around. Everything was quiet, and he remembered with low spirits that Jim wouldn't be home for a while yet.
"Free," he said aloud, trying to make the reality sink in, but the word sounded hollow. He didn't feel free. He felt. . .what? Sad? Lonely? Depressed? All of the above, Blair decided. He didn't know why, but he felt miserable. The loft suddenly felt big and empty, and the thought of staying there alone while waiting for Jim to come home was unbearable. Leaving a note on the kitchen table so Jim would know where he was, Sandburg left the loft and headed for the park.
He wandered through the park and down to the beach. Hands deep inside his pockets to escape the chill of the evening wind, he sat down on a log and stared out at the water. He felt weighed down, like his soul was heavy. Everything seemed very bleak, like he had nothing to look forward to. Even the idea of having time off from the University didn't seem to raise his spirits any. This wasn't the way he usually looked at the world, and it worried him. He didn't know what was wrong.
He stayed there on the log as the light faded and the moon became more visible in the sky. Stars began to appear in the darkened canopy, but still he didn't move. The wind had picked up, and it seemed to Blair that it was whispering to him as it moved right through him. As he sat there, huddled in his jacket with the wind cutting through him, Blair began to feel better. It was as if all of the dust and cobwebs that had been weighing him down inside were now all being blown away. It was like his soul was being cleansed.
As he began to feel better, his mind also cleared. He realized now that he had just been overwhelmed by stress and exhaustion, and that he would recover fully after a few days of vacation. He did have things to look forward to. There was the time he could now spend with his best friend, and maybe even a camping trip on Jim's days off.
While he was thinking, Blair heard approaching footsteps behind him, but he didn't move. He knew who it was. A blanket was placed across his shoulders, and Sandburg reached up to pull it more tightly around him. He looked up as Jim sat down beside him. "Hey," he greeted softly, happy that Jim was there now.
"Hey, yourself," Jim returned, then smiled. He had been worried about what state Blair would be in when he found him, but now he was relieved. Sandburg was at peace, Ellison could see it in his eyes.
Anymore words would have seemed out of place at that time, so Jim just put an arm around his friend and pulled him close. Blair leaned into him, grateful for the warmth and comfort of Jim's embrace. Neither man even thought about returning home yet, so they sat there together in companionable silence as all their worries and troubles were gathered up and spirited off to some distant place far beyond the wind.
The End