Title: Nothing to Offer

Author: Angelee

Fandom: The Sentinel

Pairing: Jim/Blair

Rating: Adult

Summary: See title.

Beta: By Bobbie. With thanks. All remaining errors are mine. With apologies.

Nothing to Offer

“I got nothing. Damn,” A frustrated voice hissed in annoyance. “Millions in my bank account and I got nothing to offer. Shit. Shit. Shit.”

Trembling fingers went through short hair, hair that was light brown in color and covering less of his head as time went by. “What the fuck am I going to do?”

Jim Ellison looked in the mirror at his reflection. Icy, blue eyes stared back at him, from a face flushed with anxiety and no small amount of fear. He was even trembling slightly.

“I got nothing,” he told his reflection. “Nothing to offer a man who’s going to make sure I stay sane.”

Jim had just gone on line. Jim Ellison had just now become a full-fledged Sentinel and coming over in an hour was a man who might-might being an operative word-be his Guide. A man who would hold his life and his sanity in his hands. Blair Jacob Sandburg could say no. It was within his right to say no to him.

Jim had already gone through fifteen potential Guides, all of them a no go, except for one by the name of Rafe. Rafe was a gorgeous man who wore expensive suits. Jim would have kept him, if he had turned out to be his Guide. However, spending time with Rafe had set his teeth on edge. The man was beautiful, he was smart and reasonably funny, but not the man for him.

He’d irritated Jim in less than half an hour. There was no way that Jim would have been able to live with him twenty four/seven. He did try, but the more time they spent together, the more Jim realized with sadness, Rafe was not going to work.

He’d heard later that Rafe had bonded with someone named Alex Barnes. Jim wished them luck, but that sure as fuck didn’t help him in his current predicament.

“I could offer flowers,” Jim told his reflection. “But guys aren’t really into flowers. At least most guys, Jeffrey at the flower shop not withstanding,” he said with a snicker. “There’s chocolate. I still have time to go to the candy store and get a big box of candy. If he refuses me, I could always eat the candy afterwards to drown my sorrows. But by then I might be dead, so it wouldn’t really matter.”

Jim had given Rafe season tickets to the Jags, the best basketball team ever, in Jim’s opinion. It was traditional for a Sentinel to entice a potential Guide with gifts. At least it was, according to the Sentinel/Guide book he’d read. Jim had tossed the book across the room, thinking that made the Guide shallow and pretentious if he or she accepted the gifts. Rafe took it readily enough, though.

“Candy’s good, but I don’t want to spend all my time driving my Guide to the dentist. I could offer dinner at an expensive restaurant.” Jim bit the side of his lower lip as he thought about it. “Seems a bit…not enough. Maybe a year’s worth of eating at an expensive restaurant, but then that might be too much, especially if it doesn’t work out. I might be rich, but stupid I ain’t.”

Jim winced as he looked at himself in the mirror. What could he possibly have to offer a potential Guide? Yeah, he was handsome, in a getting older sort of way. That wasn’t exactly a gift. Was it? His body was in great shape. He made sure to keep it that way, especially in his line of work. A cop couldn’t chase the bad guys if his tummy was in the way.

His ex-wife said he was great in bed. Didn’t keep her being his wife, though. Carolyn decided to go with a guy who was more in tune with his feelings. Jim rolled his eyes at that. He was in touch with his feelings. He could hug and kiss with the best of them. He just drew the line when it came to talking about the actual hugging and kissing. There was just something not all that manly about that.

He wondered if he could offer a month’s worth of sex? Would that win him one Blair Jacob Sandburg? But then, what if Sandburg looked like the inside of a trash dumpster? He wouldn’t be able to, you know, get it up. Not even if he thought about the prettiest Playboy models on the planet. Well, come to think of it, he might be able to get it up; keeping it up, if Sandburg did look like the inside of dumpster, would be the problem.

“Damn it, half an hour and I still got nothing. I wonder if he’d like tickets to the Jags? But since I gave Rafe that, that seems a bit unimaginative,” Jim snickered. “Not that anyone would ever accuse me of being unimaginative. Except for maybe Carolyn.” He made a face at his reflection. “She sure didn’t like being in the shadow of my overwhelming handsomeness. I am. I’m very handsome, while Carolyn was just a Plain Jane Carolyn.”

Jim ran his still shaking fingers through his hair again. “What am I going to do if he thinks I’m the creature from the Black Lagoon?” He cupped his free hand in front of his mouth, exhaling loudly. “Don’t have bad breath.” He lifted his arm high into the air and took a wiff at his underarm. “Used deodorant.” He closed his eyes tightly. “He’s going to hate me. I’m too big, too cold, but I can learn to be more open and friendly. I know I can. I can do hugs. Maybe if I offered a year’s worth of hugs. Damn, that’s not going to win me a Guide. What am I going to offer him?” He looked around the room helplessly. “Shit, shit, shit. What am I going to do? He’s my last chance at a normal life. Well, as normal as being a Sentinel can get.”

His eyes lit on something he’d pick up on a whim when he’d gone shopping at the mall. Just then, the doorbell ran. Picking it up, he raced to the door. Taking deep, calming breaths, he opened it.

Standing before him was the cutest man he’d ever seen. A full head of curly hair and the biggest blue eyes he’d ever seen stared up at him curiously.

Jim stared at him in wonder, so lost in the feeling of overwhelming rightness, he didn’t notice he was being rude by not inviting him in. . He wanted to bask in it for a while. Like a couple of centuries.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

“Oh, yeah, sure. But first off, you’re Blair Sandburg, right? I don’t let stranger’s in my home without proper introductions.”

“That’s good, I guess. Yes, I’m Blair Sandburg. It nice to met you, Jim.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too. Did you have a nice trip?” Jim asked casually, trying to cover the fact he wanted to get closer to the really nice fragrance Blair was giving off. He smelled like a cool autumn evening, fresh and clean.

If Blair noticed Jim’s nose wiggling, he didn’t let on. “Just came across town from the university, so it was okay, I guess. There was an accident on Magnolia and Second, but other than that, it was cool. How are things with you?”

“Fine. Sit,” Jim told him, motioning with his hands. “Except for the whole Sentinel thing, I’m fine.” He sighed quietly when Blair’s fragrance rose to tickle his nose again.

The curly haired man looked at him curiously. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine. It’s just that…”

“What?”

“You smell really good.”

Blair smiled at him. “You just gave me the best compliment ever. I’m not wearing any cologne. The soap I used on my clothes and on me is fragrance free. Even my shampoo is fragrance free.”

Jim sat on the couch next to Blair, trying to keep from reaching for him. He wanted to bury his face in all those curls with a desperation that was starting to drive him nuts.

“Would you like something to eat or drink?”

“I’m fine.”

“We can go out to eat later, if you like.”

“Later?”

Jim edged closer, hoping Blair didn’t notice. “Yeah, after we get to know one another better.”

“Ah. Jim?”

Jim nose was twitching. “Hmm?”

“You’re getting way into my personal space.”

“I am?” Jim asked, inches from the spot he wanted to be so desperately.

“Yup.”

Jim nudged a curl with the tip of his nose. “Sorry,” he replied, contritely, feeling anything but.

“Not a problem, I guess. Especially if you’re going to be my Sentinel.”

Jim pulled away from the curl his nose was making happy with. “I’ve got something for you.”

“Yeah, what?”

Jim handed over his gift. Blair took it. He stared at it for a long moment; so long it was starting to make Jim nervous. “Y…you don’t like it?” the Sentinel asked, panicking. He had nothing else.

Blair examined the stuffed wolf, hands caressing the soft fur. “I love it.”

Jim smiled tentatively, still shaken. “You’ll be my Guide?”

Blair returned the smile with one of his own. “Yes, I think I will.”

Jim picked at a lose thread on his couch. “I…if it’s not enough…”

“What?”

The Sentinel looked up, meeting Blair’s patiently waiting blue eyes. “We could always have sex.”

His new Guide blinked at him for a second before breaking out in laughter.