Patterns of Light And Shadow by Legion (NC-17)

[bluebrocade.livejournal.com]

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Legion's Place
Why this must be read: Someone's going to a lot of trouble to out Jim and Blair -- but they're not, in fact, lovers. Who's doing it and why? How do they explain it to their friends and colleagues? And will the harassment end up bringing them closer together?


Throwing himself back into his chair, he finished morosely, "Damnit, I thought I was your friend!"

Throughout Simon's tirade, Blair had been picking out the key words and turning them over in his mind and he finally understood why his friend was upset if not how Banks arrived at the belief behind it. "You are," he said simply. "We didn't tell you for a very simple reason."

"What?" the big cop said sarcastically.

"We're not lovers."

Not unexpectedly, Banks snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, right."

Evenly, sincerely, Blair answered, "Yes, right. We would have told you. Period."

Meeting Simon's stare was easy, but it took several minutes to completely soak through the accumulated pain before the big cop relented, reading the truth in Blair's expression.

"Blair," Simon began thoughtfully, "We found you two sharing the same bed, cuddled up against each other like long-time bedmates."

"I went to bed a little after 1am after a shower, by myself, in my own room, wearing boxers and a tank top, like I always have," Blair said definitely.


Patterns of Light And Shadow

Comments

[ken-more.livejournal.com]

Legion's site is here </a. (http://www.squidge.org/~theforest/legion/legion.html)

[wordwitch.livejournal.com]

This is possibly one of my favorite Sentinel stories ever, which if you knew who I normally read would rock your world. Not least for the following section, which I am hiding to preserve those who don't like stories spoiled:

Looking very much like a pink poodle assaulting a great dane, the unknown man stormed up to Jim, slapped at him so lightly Blair didn't think the sentinel even felt it, and bellowed in a startlingly deep and resonant voice, "How could you! Oh how could you!" Tossing a handful of photos at the stunned detective, he went on, "Is this the reason you dropped me cold without even so much as a phone call to say goodbye!"

Granting the seemingly irate man points for dramatic presentation, but deducting a few for bad writing, Blair leaned on the nearest wall and watched the rest of the performance.

"I know I'm not in my prime any more," the questionable actor sniffed, drastically diving from anger to pathos, a move probably inspired by Jim pulling himself together and calmly sitting on the edge of his desk. "But what can this...." He stomped on one of the shots that showed Jim's face clearly, "... this... boytoy give you the kind of devotion and patience I've showed all these years? Does he..."

Jim took a bite out of his candy, munching on it noisily and derailing his quasi-visitor mid rant. Disconcerted, he opened and shut his mouth several times, then found his place. "Does he know how to take care of you the way you deserve? Does he know how to make you happy the way I do?" As Jim continued to chew, the delivery of the speech became more and more hesitant, each word getting weaker and weaker. "Don't you have anything to say?" he finished at last, nearly inaudibly, suddenly becoming uncomfortable aware of the ring of men, policemen, big relatively speaking policemen, forming around him.

Swallowing his current bite, Jim answered, "I'm trying to decide which role I'm supposed to take here. Big hulking Neanderthal cop who beats you to a bloody pulp or totally humiliated straight man who slinks off unable to look his friends in the eye."

*peers crossways at Preview* At least, I'm trying to hide it!

[bluebrocade.livejournal.com]

Hee! Yes, I love this story. Now I'm curious though who you normally read!

[wordwitch.livejournal.com]

Resonant, Cesperanza, Bone, Aristide (who is one scary writer!), Livia, and Sihaya Black are among my favorites in The Sentinel fandom. Great writers. And I like Legion's stuff as well. But this? This is a re-read. rrrrrrrrrread.

[bluebrocade.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info. I'll update the rec.

[tatkreiswok.livejournal.com]

Thanks for rec'ing! I love Legion, but somehow missed this one; thanks for correcting my oversight! :)

And with "The Sentinel" *finally* coming out on DVD this month, this was the perfect story to get me in the mood and rekindle my joy of this fandom!

[bluebrocade.livejournal.com]

Yay! Glad you enjoyed it. Can't wait for my DVDs to arrive!