Title: Dancing in the Moonlight
Author: Angelee
Disclaimer: Disclaimed
Summary: Sometimes you find what
you need in the most unexpected of places.
Beta: By my sister Anna. All remaining errors are mine-with apologies.
Dancing in the Moonlight
“Oh, man-this is the find of the century. I am so going to make the papers for this
one,” Blair Jacob Sandburg told himself, happily.
Exploring the
He’d just about given up hope on that.
He’d tested dozens and dozens of people.
Some with one or two heightened senses but none with
all five. Right now it didn’t
matter ‘cause he’d found the
“Oh, man-this is so cool. Look
at all these writings. Hmm, what’s
this?” Blair pushed gently at odd little
indention in the temple wall. Jumping back when it started moving.
“Nice. A hidden chamber. Maybe I’ll find me a Sentinel in there,”
Blair said, softly. Wishing the other anthropologists hadn’t high tailed it out
of the site in search of wine, women or man, as the case may be and song. They
hadn’t even bother to ask him if he’d wanted to go. Not surprising though-they really didn’t like
him.
A cold beer would have been nice, though. Maybe a conversation with someone who didn’t
think he was a dweeb, but Blair hadn’t been invited. Leaving him free to explore the temple and
seriously spooked.
“Where’s Fox Mulder when you need him?”
Blair walked into the hidden chamber slowly. Lighting the way with his
flashlight. He slowly and very
carefully walked in.
“Incacha, I said no.”
The Shaman stared at the blue-eyed Sentinel in annoyance. “You must.
You do not have your senses under full control, Enqueri.”
“I told you that I do not want to be a Sentinel.”
“The choice is not yours to make,” Incacha told him, patiently. They had been arguing about this same subject
since the day Enqueri’s father had brought him to the temple.
“I don’t want to be a Sentinel.
Make it stop.”
“I cannot do that, Enqueri. I
have already told you that.”
“You are a Shaman. You can do
anything you set your mind on. You just
don’t want to,” The handsome Sentinel told him, in annoyance.
“You are a Sentinel. A Sentinel
you will be until the day you die.”
Blue eyes flashed at him angrily.
“The fuck you say.”
Incacha sighed softly. “Do not
curse at me, Enqueri. I have already
warned you about that.”
“I will damn well do, whatever the fuck I want and what the hell are you, fucking well going to do about it? And quit calling me Enqueri-my name is
Jim.”
Incacha sighed again. Ruing the
day the tall, blue-eyed Sentinel had come into his life. His days ever since had been nothing but
heartache and turmoil. It was a struggle
to get En…Jim to do even the most basic of training. All the other Shamans at the temple had the
meekest of Sentinels. Giving them no trouble at all. Their Sentinels wishing to
learn.
Not Incacha’s. Oh, no, not Incacha’s.
He had the Sentinel from Hades.
None of the other Shamans would trade.
He had tried. Begged. Pleaded. Trying to bribe for a
different Sentinel. All they did was look at him and laugh. Yes, that was what his life had come to.
Once, not so long ago he was a well respected Shaman at the temple. But
not now- now all the other Shamans laughed at him. He couldn’t even gain sympathy for the way
his Sentinel treated him.
“Do not try me anymore, Sentinel.
You will not like what becomes of you, if you continue,” He told the
angrily glaring En…Jim.
“Yeah, what are you going to do about it, Incacha? Hmm, gonna turn me into a statue? You couldn’t even do that right if they gave
you step by step instructions,” Jim replied, snidely.
“You are trying my patience, Sentinel.
I truly suggest you do not continue,” Incacha said, softly. Turning to go in search of
herbs for the violent pounding in his head.
Rude sounds followed Incacha as he walked away. Thinking of evil ways to teach this young
upstart a thing or two about manners, he made his way into the temple. Sighing
sadly as he went.
The next day was no better when Incacha went early in the morning to
awaken his Sentinel. Hoping
that En…Jim would be more receptive.
He was not. Arguing about being woken so early.
Tired and truly unable to take any more, Incacha waved his hand over
the reclining Sentinel. Smiling at the sudden blessed sound of silence.
Blair shone the flashlight around the room. Eyeing the torches hanging on the walls, he
began lighting them one at a time. Until
he had the chamber so well lit he could see the writings on the wall
clearly. He began studying them until he
accidentally bumped something on the floor.
“Oops, sorry,” He said absently, frowning thoughtfully he looked down. “Hot damn.” Blair jumped back, startled. Eyes widening as he looked down at the most
beautiful statue he’d ever seen. “What the fuck are you doing in here all by
yourself? Not to mention down there on
the floor?”
He gently stroked the heavily-muscled chest. Slightly warm and silky to
the touch. It didn’t feel like
marble or any other material normally used to make statues. “Hmm, what Gods did you piss-off to land you
in here? And on your back even, totally
and completely naked?” He took off his
jacket. “If you and I are going to be
buddies, I can’t have you displaying your worldly goods,” Blair sighed
again. “nice as
they are. They might give me ideas that
aren’t at all good for a heterosexual type like me.”
For reasons he didn’t question too closely Blair didn’t tell the others
about the hidden chamber, much less about the beautiful statue within. He should have, he knew he should have, but
he couldn’t bring himself to. He wanted
the statue all to himself for at least a little while.
On the second day after he’d discovered the statue he lay on the floor
head resting comfortably against its abdomen, reading the local paper. A
thermos of coffee, placed within easy reach as well as a huge stockpile of
munchies. The statue’s nakedness now
covered by a bright, colorful blanket.
“Look at this, the paper says the full moon is in four days. Cool,
huh?” He looked up to meet the statue’s eyes, even though he knew they weren’t
able to see him. Being
a statue and all. “The night of the full moon is a night of magic and
mystery. Did you know that?”
Since discovering the statue Blair had started telling him all his
secrets, even one’s he’d never told anyone else. All his hopes and dreams, triumphs
and tragedies. Holding
nothing back. Revealing what was in his heart and soul.
He never noticed as the nights wore on, the statue was beginning to
glimmer slightly in the light from the torches lining the walls. Or perhaps he simply told himself it was from
the moonlight coming in from the skylight at the top of the temple-if there’d
been an actual skylight.
He may have just considered it wishful thinking on his part. Wanting something he couldn’t have, but
wanting it with all his heart anyway.
Blair was lonely. Sometimes he’d
thought he invented the word. His colleagues on this expedition still didn’t
like him. Shunning
him, quite rudely at times. Leaving Blair feeling isolated and very much
alone and lonely, lonelier than normal.
He liked talking with the statue who never told him to shut up. Or rolled his eyes at him. He wondered occasionally what color the
statue’s eyes where. Had he been model
for someone long since turned to dust?
“Do you think we’d be friends?
You know, if you were real? I’m not saying that being a statue isn’t
real. What I meant to say-human. If you were human-do you think that maybe
we’d hang out together? Have a couple of
beers? You know, like real friends do?”
he asked the statue, wistfully.
Blair sighed, big, blue eyes, sad. “I wish you were human, I really do. What does
that tell you about my life, when my best friend is a statue? A beautiful statue at that. If you were a real man, I’d change my heterosexual
ways and take a dip on the wild side for you.”
Blair smiled slightly. “Just for you, though. No one else. No other males for me, but you.”
He sat next to it, legs folded under him. “So tell me all about yourself. I seem to have been remiss in asking about
your life. Selfish of
me. I do apologize. Talk to me?”
He asked, heartbreakingly.
“Please?”
Silence. Tears filled Blair big, blue eyes. “I wasn’t really expecting an
answer, I was just kinda of hoping-you know.
It’s just-that today when I went back to base camp it was to find that
they’d up and left me. Everyone’s
gone. The only things they left was my stuff. I
should be happy for small favors, I suppose. At least I’ll be able to get back to Cascade. I just wished they weren’t such assholes. I’m really not that bad, am I? To warrant such hatred from people I don’t
even really know. You like me don’t
you?”
Blair moved closer to the statue burying his headed against a corded
shoulder, he began to cry. Not really expecting any kind of comfort, but at
least the statue was something to hold.
He didn’t notice when it began to glow brightly in the semi-darkness of
the room.
Worn out by the day events, Blair fell asleep. His
tears sparkling against the pale smoothness of the statue’s flawless skin,
running down its sides to fall gently into the dirt floor of the temple
chamber.
He woke hours later, weary and disheartened. “Tonight’s the full moon,”
he said, rubbing his gritty eyes with the palms of his hands. “Did you know
that there are people all over the world dancing naked in the moonlight
tonight?”
He laid his head back down against the statue’s shoulder. “There’s a
place in
Blair so lost in his loneliness, he failed to notice the struggle
taking place right under him. A rainbow of silver and gold
twirling all around and through the statue. Suddenly the shimmering gold and silver rose
high into the air, intertwined violently, before falling all around them like
sparkling glitter.
Blair missed it all as he quietly cried against the statue’s shoulder. So lost in his misery he never felt arms
pulling him closer against a body now as warm as his.
It may have been the warm, gentle hands rubbing his back comfortingly.
Or the small rubbles of contentment, that finally cleared the lonely haze from
Blair’s mind. His eyes snapping open in complete and total shock.
He raised his head, meeting eyes the lightest shade of blue. “H…hi,” he said, hesitantly.
“Hello, Blair.”
“Y…you’re real?”
He was given a dazzling smile. “Yes, Chief.”
Blair caressed an angular cheek with trembling fingers, the skin warm
to the touch. “Oh… oh, my God,” he said,
in awe.
The smile deepened. “Jim. My
name is Jim.”
“Jim. You’re real. You’re real,” Blair said, happily. “Oh, MY GOD-you’re real.”
“Yes. As real
as you and just as human. Now anyway. Let me
show you.” Carefully Jim maneuvered them until the curly-haired man lay under
him. Allowing Blair to feel his blanketing warmth.
“As real as me.” Blair’s arms hesitantly came around to hold
Jim close. “And so beautiful,” He
whispered softly.
“Not as beautiful as you,” Jim replied, taking Blair’s lips in a gentle
kiss.
Blair responded hungrily, opening his mouth wide. Allowing Jim to take possession
of him. Slowly Jim pulled away,
licking delicately at Blair’s lower lip.
“Blair?”
Blair’s dazed eyes opened slowly.
“Hmm?”
“I heard everything you said. Never once was I bored. I would never
roll my eyes at you when you speak. I
would be your friend, hang out with you and have beers. Though I’m not quite sure I know what that
means. I heard the sexual part as well.
Did you mean it?”
Blair blush a bright pink. “Y…yeah,
I did,” He replied shyly. “But only with
you.” Blair ran his hands over Jim’s
back. The skin satiny
smooth and so warm, so very warm. “How is this possible?” he asked, the very
real man, nuzzling his neck.
“You. I heard everything you
said. I felt your tears. I wanted desperately to reach you. Touch you the way you were meant to be
touched. Loved you the way you were
meant to be loved. It broke the spell my
Shaman placed on me.”
Emboldened Blair reached up and placed a kiss on Jim’s nose. “Why would
he do that?”
“I was a bit of an ass to him.
Well more than a bit,” Jim said ruefully. “He got tired of my attitude and here I am.”
“Here you are.”
Jim lowered his head kissing Blair passionately. Breaking the kiss he
pulled away slowly. “Blair?” he whispered,
pulling away slowly.
“Hmm?” The curly haired man replied
distractedly, following Jim’s lips for another kiss.
“I want to go outside. I haven’t been outside in so very long. I want to feel the air against my skin. To feel alive again,” the Sentinel whispered,
wistfully after giving Blair the kiss he sought.
Blair ran his hands up and down Jim’s back, loving the way the warm
skin rippled. “Okay.”
Outside Jim took a deep, cleansing breath, stretching his arms he
twirled around. Enjoying the way the
cool night air felt on his naked body. “This feels good. I missed this so much.”
Blair smiled at him. “I bet.” Enjoying the sight of Jim’s beautiful
body as it moved around him in the moonlight.
Jim turned to him. “Blair?” Offering his hand.
Blair took it. “Hmm?”
“Dance with me? Here in the
moonlight. It’s not the white sands of
Blair gave a murmur of deep contentment. “I’ll take you there someday
if you like.”
“On a night when the moon is full?” Jim
asked, gently swaying them both.
“If you like.”
Jim tightened his hold round Blair.
“I like. I’d like very much.” Incacha in an effort to silence Jim’s anger, had unwittingly given the Sentinel something Jim
never knew he needed or for that matter wanted. The hostility
that had driven him gone.
Replaced by a peace and contentment he’d never known before.
Jim knew he love Blair. Loved everything about him.
His quick and witty humor had the Sentinel laughing, even if it had never been
given voice. Loved the
brilliant mind hidden behind the miles of curly hair. The way the big, blue eyes looked down at him
asking for a response, knowing he wasn’t going to get one. Yet asking anyway.
Loved that Blair had thought to cover Jim’s
dignity with a blanket even when he’d thought him only a statue. How the
Sentinel had wished he could have tangled his fingers in all that curly hair
and kiss Blair for his kind consideration.
Blair was a gentle soul and he’d been hurt beyond measure by people who
cared very little to the damage their thoughtlessness wrought. Jim had cried right along with Blair. Cry all the more when unable to ease Blair’s
grief and loneliness.
Jim thanked the all the Goddesses in the universe for giving him a
second chance, freeing him to love Blair.
Giving him the chance to replacing all the loneliness
and heartache with love and passion. Which the
Sentinel planned to do, until the loneliness and heartache was nothing but a
distant memory. And no longer able to hurt.
But that would come later. As would words that spoke of love. It would come later. Not so much later, but later. There was
something else to do first.
“For now…” Jim whispered,
softly.
“Hmm?” Blair murmured softly, burying his
head against a strong chest, contently. Sighing happily when
Jim pulled him closer.
“We’ve got a beautiful, summer’s night.
A full moon.
We’ve got each other. Let’s
dance.”