Work Text:
Summary: Blair has to tell some stories to keep Jim off his case.
Why Would I Lie?
By Patt
“What do you mean you don’t know where Sandburg is?” Simon was almost yelling by this time.
“Sir, he told me he had some classes at the Academy,” Jim tried to explain.
“He works here. Not the Academy.”
“Well, sir, he is a grown man. He can choose to do something for the Commissioner if he wants to.”
“Hell, the Commissioner just wants to look at his ass. Get with the program, Ellison.”
“Shit…” Jim sat down hard and wondered for not the first time if his partner/lover was fooling around on the side.
Blair bounced off of the elevator and said, “Hey, partner. How goes it?”
“Cut the partner shit. Simon wants to talk to you. He’s pissed off. This is the fourth time this week I don’t really know where you are.” Jim walked out of the bullpen and into the break room.
Blair knocked on Simon’s door and walked in. “Sir?”
“Shut the door, Sandburg, and tell me what’s going on with you.” Simon stuffed an unlit cigar into his mouth and began to chew.
“Well, sir, I wanted to take some extra self-defense classes to better assist Jim in takedowns. I’m sorry for missing work. Sometimes the classes went over the time limit. It won’t happen again, sir.” Blair kept his head down and looked pitiful.
“That’s fine, Sandburg. Just let me know next time. And if you don’t want Jim to know we won’t tell him much. It bugs the shit out of him when he doesn’t know where you are.” Simon laughed at the outraged look he found on Blair’s face. Simon opened the door and said, “Go find your partner.”
“Thanks, sir.” Blair looked across the room and saw Jim sitting at his desk.
Jim watched his partner and knew in his heart that Blair was having an affair. This had been going on for three weeks and Blair never gave Jim an explanation. The older man felt like he was breaking in two. Then he looked over at Blair and saw the man he loved and would love for the rest of his life. If Blair wanted more than Jim could give him, then Jim would have to be all right with that. There was no way he could give him up.
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Two weeks later, Blair was still missing in action. He never missed work again, but after work he would be gone for hours. Jim felt like they should talk about it, but the fear-based responses stood in his way. What if Blair left him? What if? He hated those very words.
Blair came into the loft and threw his things near the front door. “I’m going to catch a shower, Jim.”
“Wait, I want to talk to you first,” Jim pleaded.
“What?”
“Where have you been for the last five weeks, Chief?” Jim looked so sad, it broke Blair’s heart.
“I’ve been taking some self-defense classes. I want to be better able to assist you, man. And I’m also helping one of the teachers at the Academy write a paper.”
“Bullshit.” It was all that Jim said. His eyes called Blair a liar, too.
“Are you calling me a liar? Why would I lie?” It was Blair’s turn to look sad.
“I don’t know, Chief. But you know your self-defense moves better than I do most of the time. Want to tell me the truth now?”
“No.” Blair walked into the bathroom and closed the door.
Jim sat down with a heavy heart. His heart was clearly broken. What will I do now?
When Blair came out of the bathroom he saw that Jim had zoned while sitting on the sofa. He brought him out of it easily with a kiss. Then he took Jim upstairs and made sweet love to him. The entire time he kept telling Jim there was no one else. There was only the two of them.
After he showed Jim just how much he loved him, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
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Blair knew he had to finish what he had started and soon. Jim was going to spoil the entire thing.
“Hey, Chief, you want to ride with me this morning?” Jim called up the stairs.
“Nah. I have to finish some things for that class I’m going to teach at the academy. See you at work around noon. I talked to Simon about it.” Blair hoped this would be his last day.
Okay, you could follow Blair and find out what he’s doing or who he’s doing. Or you could go to work and pretend it doesn’t bother you at all.
Ellison’s don’t do finding out the truth well, so Jim went to work and tried to stay busy all morning long.
Simon called Jim into his office at noon and said, “So where is your partner now?”
“He said he cleared it with you. He’s at the academy.” Jim was scared to death and Simon could see it.
“Hell, I forgot,” Simon clapped Jim on the back and laughed.
“I don’t think he’s actually there anyhow,” Jim said sadly.
“Ellison, you’re such a jerk sometimes. Why would he lie about a thing like that? What? You think he’s fooling around on you?”
“Do you have any better ideas?” Jim continued to look sad.
“He’s taking classes. I know that.” Simon was trying to comfort his friend.
“Except he’s not. I called every single place in town and they don’t have him in their classes.”
“Well, what did he say when you asked him about it?” Simon asked.
“He said I was dreaming the whole thing up. He still loves me and there is only he and I.” Jim never looked sadder.
“So, do you think you’re losing him Jim?”
“Well, what do you think? He must be tired of me. I just don’t know what I’ll do without him.” Jim sat down and put his face in his hands. He stayed this way for a long while.
Simon’s phone rang and he answered, “Banks.”
“What do you mean he’s at the academy? What he doing there?” Simon asked the caller. “Okay, I’ll let his partner know that he’ll be late.” Simon hung up the phone and said, “He’s at the academy and needs to do more work on the papers for the tests. See, you were worried for nothing.”
Jim got up and said, “I don’t believe it. But I’ll leave it at that.” Simon watched his man walk out the door thinking that things couldn’t get much worse.
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Joel asked Jim to work a case with him and the afternoon went pretty fast.
“Joel, could we run by the Academy?” Jim asked almost timidly.
“Want to check on your partner?” Joel smiled at his friend.
As soon as Jim walked into the building he said, “Excuse me, do you know where Detective Sandburg is?”
“Oh yeah, he’s down in the art room. Probably showing off again. He’s great, you know?” the young person stated.
Thanking him, Jim and Joel walked to the art room and wondered what that young man had been talking about.
They looked in the doorway and found a huge poster being painted by Blair. It was beautiful. It was a Motorcycle cop, in uniform, and it was Jim. Joel started to go over to him and Jim pulled him into the hallway.
“Joel. I thought Blair had someone on the side. He’s been missing so much work and never had a good reason. So, that’s why I was checking up on him. I didn’t know about this.” Jim was so ashamed.
“Well, I’m glad it worked out, Jim. Now let’s get back to work and no one has to know about this.”
“Thanks, Joel.” Jim put his arm across Joel’s shoulder as they walked out of the building.
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That night Jim made a wonderful meal and hoped Blair would be home soon. When the door finally opened, he smiled at Blair and whispered huskily, “Welcome home, Chief.”
“Hey! It smells great in here, doesn’t it? What’s the occasion?”
“I just wanted to show you how much I love you, babe.” Jim pulled him into his arms and kissed him soundly.
“You’re not worried about where I’ve been?”
“Nope. I realized last night that you would never hurt me. So I’m okay. I love you, Chief, and I know you would never lie to me. So go get in the shower before I feed you.” Jim smiled as he watched Blair walk away.
Jim heard the shower turn off and set the table and put everything on. When Blair walked out he had a very guilty look on his face. “Jim, there is something I need to tell you.”
“No, Blair. Let’s eat dinner and just make love all night long.”
“I love you, Jim,” Blair whispered, sentinel soft.
“I love you, too, Chief.” Jim could obfuscate as well as Blair could. But not when it came to his love for Blair.
End Why Would I Lie?