Dark Approach
By Silk
Part 2
"I'm glad you could
come on such short-" Noticing Jim's distraction, Michael followed his line
of sight across the street to the young man standing there.
Michael was Michael
Samuelle, one of, if not, the best anti-terrorist operatives in Section One, a
covert agency hidden even to the government it protected. Several years ago,
when Jim was in Covert Ops doing intelligence work for the Army, he met and
befriended Michael. They were an unlikely combination, their personalities in
some ways too similar, and yet, that became the essence of their friendship.
Michael had few people
he could call friends. Experience had taught him not to trust anyone. Including
some of the people inside Section. Including some of the people he cared for
most. Now he needed someone who knew intelligence work, someone who wouldn't
require extensive breaking in, someone he **could** trust to work outside the
system he was forced to use.
That person was Jim.
"Problem?" he
asked, his eyes flickering to the side, indicating Blair.
"No," Jim
replied, a little too quickly, a little too loudly.
"You know
him?"
"I-yes. I know
him."
"You trust
him?"
"With my
life," Jim swore, realizing that it was not only true, but he had done
just that thing, over and over again.
"That was your
first mistake."
"Trusting
him?" Jim asked incredulously.
Michael shook his head.
"If you trust him, why is he following you? If you trust him, why didn't
you tell him?"
"You told me not to
tell anyone," Jim said slowly. "I-"
"Do you trust my
judgment over his?"
"Yes, no, I don't
know." Jim raked a hand through his short brown hair.
With a meaningful glance
at the older man, Michael said tersely, "You need to find out."
"I don't want him
involved in this. It's too dangerous. He could get-"
"Hurt?"
Michael almost smiled. "Not trusting him enough to tell him is what led to
him following you to me. **That** was dangerous. For all of us." Michael
carefully tucked his hands into the roomy pockets of his long black coat.
He sighed. He liked Jim.
But for all of his abilities, sometimes Jim didn't use half the perception God
gave him.
"You care about
him." That, in true Michael fashion, wasn't a question.
"Yes," Jim
admitted. But he didn't realize how telling his facial expression (yearning) or
his body language (protective) was.
Michael kept his eyes on
Blair while speaking to Jim, noting how Jim's own gaze kept darting back to
Blair every so often, as if checking on him. "And...he cares about
you."
For some inexplicable
reason, Jim colored. Michael nodded, as if confirming some piece of intel meant
for his eyes only. "Is this going to be a complication?"
"No. No, I'll, er,
I'll handle it."
"See that you
do," Michael commanded.
And to Jim's surprise,
he did. He reacted in the time-honored tradition of so many men before him. He
strode across the street with purpose, and Blair searched in vain for a place
to hide.
"J-Jimmm, I can
explain," stammered Blair.
"Spare me the
obfuscation, Chief. Just hit the road and don't look back."
"Hit the road? You
take off without a word and **I** should hit the fucking road? I don't think
so, man. I don't thi-"
It came out of nowhere.
The kiss. Whether it was because Jim couldn't think of any other way to stop
Blair's imminent tirade or because he had suddenly decided to confess his
feelings and take his chances was impossible to tell.
It was almost dusk. The
street was almost deserted. That was why Michael had picked Cascade for his
meet with Jim. If there were people following him, and he was fairly certain
there were, or would be, he needed to blend into the background.
But here was Jim.
Kissing another man. In public.
He wasn't sure who was
more stunned. Blair...or Jim.
Blair didn't even close
his eyes, those heartstopping blue eyes that tormented Jim every waking moment.
He was so startled, he let Jim kiss him, his full, supple mouth opening under
the sensual onslaught.
When Jim broke away, he
looked almost frightened by the intensity of the feelings he unleashed. But
that emotion was rapidly chased away by the almost desperate need to keep Blair
safe.
His thumb rubbing
absently at the corner of Blair's mouth, Jim stared at the man who meant more
to him than his own life. "You have to go."
"Now?" Blair
squeaked. "Oh, no, Jim, you can't do this to me! You can't-"
Jim's mouth swallowed
whatever words Blair had been about to say, and this kiss was even more
heartfelt than the first. Because it was tinged with the thought of losing that
beautiful spirit in his life.
"Please."
Blair couldn't let Jim
beg for his cooperation. It wasn't in his nature. But he couldn't abandon him
either. He loved him too much to simply let him go.
"Okay."
Blair stared after Jim
as he walked back across the street to where Michael waited. No explanation.
For the meet. Or for the kiss.
But that was all right.
Blair had the patience of a man who had suffered long and hard for something.
And damned if he wasn't going to get it.