Work Text:
Title: 3am
Author: Kernel
Category: slash
Jim sighed as the muffled cries drifted up from the room below. He had been half expecting this after the day’s events. Slipping on his robe he padded softly downstairs.
Blair’s forehead was beaded with sweat and the sheets were a tangled mess. Jim leaned across the bed and gently shook him awake.
“It’s Ok, Chief,” he murmured. “It’s just a dream.”
Blair fought his way to consciousness and opened his eyes to meet Jim’s concerned gaze.
“Oh, not again,” he groaned. “Sorry, man.”
“It’s all right, Sandburg. What was it this time?” asked Jim.
“Blood and guts and you were shot and I couldn’t get there in time.” He shuddered at the memory.
“You must be sick of this. I’m sorry. You need your sleep. I can’t keep disturbing you like this.”
“Anyone can have bad dreams, Chief.”
“Oh, yeah and when do you have bad dreams? I may not be a sentinel but I think I would have noticed if you woke up screaming in the night. Face it, man, I can’t hack it.”
Jim looked at him thoughtfully.
“You handle it fine during the day. That’s what matters. And yeah, I have bad dreams, too.”
Blair looked at him doubtfully. “Oh, yeah? Like when, Jim?”
Jim gazed at the tear stained face on the pillow. Blair’s heartbeat was still erratic and fast.
“Well, I was having a doozy before you woke me up.”
Blair wiped his eyes and sat up a bit “Oh, yeah, what about, Jim?”
“You really want to know? It was kind of weird.”
Blair smiled. “Weird, how? Spill, Jim.”
Jim smiled back, “Well, it was kind of muddled. You know how dreams get but basically…you were a zombie.”
Blair’s smile widened. “An actual ‘night of the living dead’ zombie?”
“Pretty much. Simon, Rafe, Brown and I were barricading major crimes from an assault by the zombie hordes and I remember wishing that you were with me. I just knew that if you were there beside me everything would be all right.”
Blair blinked. “You mean that, Jim?”
“I wouldn’t want to face a zombie apocalypse without you by my side,” said Jim, firmly.
Blair swallowed and reached out, grasping his hand.
“That goes for me, too, you know, big guy. So what happened next?”
“Oh, I don’t remember,” said Jim pulling away and starting to stand.
“Whoa, not so fast. I want to hear the rest of it.” Blair grabbed his hand and pulled Jim back to the bed.
Jim looked at the eager face below him all traces of his previous fear and uncertainty now gone.
“I’m warning you Sandburg. It pretty much went downhill from there.”
“Yeah? How?”
“Well, a vending machine crashed down from a wall and you appeared behind it but…. it was too late, Chief," he shook his head sadly. "You were one of them.”
“And?”
“Blair. It was a silly dream. Leave it.”
“Damn it, Jim. When have you ever shared a dream with me, before? I want to know what happened, goddammit!”
Jim stared at him with narrowed eyes.
“You sure?”
“Yes, sure.”
Jim, gulped. Oh, what the hell. He was past the point of no return, now.
“Well I grappled with you, you being a zombie an’ all and I ……. well we got up close and personal, Chief.”
“And…” Blair was staring up at him breathless,entranced. There was no way he was going to get away now without the whole story.
"Oh, fuck it," thought Jim." Why did I start this?"
“And you were a zombie and I was horrified but at the same time I was thinking… you were still beautiful, Blair.”
Blair looked up at him in disbelief. “*Still* beautiful?”
“And I kissed you and ….”
Blair seemed glassy eyed.
“Had he zoned?” thought Jim “No, it was only him who zoned, wasn’t it?”
“Eh, Jim, didn’t I smell? I mean all of us, the undead?” asked Blair looking rather dazed.
“I dialed it down, Sandburg,” said Jim, impatiently, wanting to get this over.
.
“Ok,” murmured, Blair in a strangely, strangulated voice.
“So, I kissed you and grabbedyourdickandpulleditoff,” said Jim gruffly.
Blair stared at him for what seemed an eternity then shook himself and laughing, launched himself at Jim, pushing him off the bed.
“You, asshole! You complete, utter asshole. You’re yanking my chain. That’s so much bullshit, man!”
Jim ended up on the floor below a squirming heap of laughing Sandburg.
“ Hey, you really think I’d make this shit up, Sandburg?” he demanded. “You asked me to tell you my dream and I’m telling it, Chief. Not my problem if you don’t like it.”
“Truthfully, you did not grab my dick, man,” said Blair laughing in his face.
“Well, more just gently stroked it,” agreed Jim “ but it still came off in my hand. You being undead an’ all,” he added sympathetically.
“You gently stroked my dick?” laughed Blair. “While the zombie hordes were descending all around,” he said, bashing Jim on the head with his pillow.
“Well, Simon had that under control.” said Jim.” I was kind of wrapped up with you.”
Suddenly Blair was lying on top of Jim, pillow in hand but very aware he was only inches away from his friend.
“Hey, dream therapists would have a field day with you, man.”
Jim wriggled under him trying to get comfortable. He raised an eyebrow and smirked.
“Give it your best shot, Sigmund.”
Blair looked serious. “Well, obviously the hordes of undead at the door mean you are feeling overwhelmed by external influences. And the penis symbolises well…pretty much what you would think, man, sexuality and sexual identity.”
“Why would I care about your sexual identity, Blair?”
“No, Jim. According to dream theory you see me in your dream but really you are just projecting an aspect of your own psyche.”
“You saying I’m pulling off my own dick, Sandburg” growled Jim.
“Well, yeah. You are feeling overwhelmed by something in your life that makes you afraid and doubt your own sexual identity and …..” Blair gradually ground to a halt as he took in the stony expression looking back at him.
“Or it could be we were forced to watch a horror film marathon at Rafe’s the other night and it means nothing at all! Jeez, Sandburg! Remind me not to share any more dreams with you if you are going to analyze them half to death!”
Blair gazed at Jim. “Don’t we Jim? Share any dreams?” he asked softly.
Jim held his gaze then reached up and cupped the back of Blair’s head, pulling him close and suddenly the distance between them seemed to disappear as their lips met, grazing each other softly and then opening and tasting hungrily.
Suddenly Blair pulled away.
“You dialed down smell in your dream? Really, Jim? Has that happened before? What about your other senses?
Jim groaned and pulled Blair over and under so he was lying beneath him.
“You think that can wait Sandburg,” he said, nipping at the skin of his throat and grinding his pelvis into the other man.
“Fascinating as the subject is,” and he gently sucked at Blair’s lips, feeling the blood pulse through them, strong and vibrant and alive and very much, definitely, not undead.