Rating: NC-17 Pairings: Jim/Blair Category: Drama Note: This is dedicated to Helen who sometime ago begged me for a little something special. You got your wish, babe! :-) Thanks to my betas DarkCherry, Monica and Sherri for the excellent work. This story was inspired by "The cloak", a 1939 tale by Robert Bloch. Summary: Be afraid, be very afraid! :-)
"In each of us, two natures are at war - the good and the evil. All our lives the fight goes on between them, and one of them must conquer. But in our own hands lies the power to choose - what we want most to be we are." - Dr. Henry Jekyll
Jim walked down the street and watched the sunset with a sigh. He
looked at the window of the store he was supposed to rent his costume from
and sighed again. 'A costume party. I must be out of my mind!' It was Halloween, All Hallows Eve, when spirits walked and skulls cried
out from their graves beneath the earth. Jim snorted to himself. He was
getting too morbid for his own liking. After months filled with case after exhausting case, Simon had decided
to throw an extravagant costume party for the whole PD. He'd rented a big
hall in a fancy hotel, along with rooms for the those who were planning on
drinking too much for their own good. Finally taking a deep breath, Jim opened the door to the store and
walked in. The place was dark and still, a moldy stench in the air that
reminded Jim of tombs, graves in forsaken places, haunted, decaying
cemeteries... He snorted again. 'I *am* out of my mind! Tombs? Graves and
cemeteries? Where the hell did that come from?' He looked around the apparently empty store. There was a skull on the
counter and Jim stared at it for a while. He had a sudden urge to snatch
it from its resting place and start to quote Hamlet, 'To be or not to
be,' he shook his head ruefully. 'Keep that up buster, and you'll end up
in a nice padded cell.' he chided himself. Finally tired of waiting, he called, "Hey! Is anyone here? Hello?" Silence. Then all of a sudden a shadow appeared in front of the cop,
startling him. His hearing hadn't picked up anything, not the sound of
steps, not the usual sound clothes made as a person walked, nothing. His
senses must be out of whack again. 'Yep. That's got to be it. I can't
hear this guy's heartbeat either, so unless he's dead, which is highly
unlikely, my hearing's definitely out to play. Great, just great!' The shop keeper, a yellowish looking man, smiled up at him. "I'm sorry,
I was asleep. What can I do for you, sir?" He asked, a foreign accent in
his deep voice. To Jim it sounded like Hungarian or maybe Romanian. "I'm here to pick up a Halloween costume. A friend of mine came
yesterday and rented it for me. It should be under the name of Blair
Sandburg." "Ah, yes. The vampire fantasy." Jim raised an eyebrow. "Vampire?" He echoed. "Your young friend didn't mention which costume he'd picked up for
you?" Jim muttered something about his unpredictable lover under his breath,
but managed to smile slightly. "He said it was a surprise." "Ah, I see. You seem a bit reluctant to wear that costume, I
gather?" Jim shrugged. "Don't see myself as the type, that's all." The man seemed to be appraising him for a moment, then smiled. "I
believe there are vampires of many kinds all around the world. You'll do
nicely." "I guess. So, where's the costume?" The man chuckled. "Mere evening clothes will do. What is the American
word, a tuxedo? I will only furnish you with an authentic cloak." "Just a cloak?" Jim queried, half disappointed. He was imagining
something a little more scary. 'Dracula I won't be, that's for
sure!' "Just the cloak," the man replied, with a knowing smile. "Please, wait
a minute as I'll fetch it for you." The strange looking man returned shortly after with a long, black cape.
"Here," he said to Jim. "Try it out." The cold, heavy shroud hung draped around Jim's shoulders, and he
resisted the urge to cough as a faint dusty odor reached his nostrils.
There was a long mirror in a corner, and although the light in the store
was nearly noneexistent, Jim noticed that the effect of the cloak was
amazing, transforming his appearance completely. His face looked thinner,
and his clear eyes shone brighter under the paleness of his fair skin.
"Genuine," the other man whispered and Jim wondered what he meant by
that. "I like it," Jim said with a nod. "How much is it?" "Your friend already paid for it. And as I told him, he can keep
it." Jim turned to the odd man. "Oh?" He raised an eyebrow quizzically. The man drew the cloak from Jim's shoulders, shrugging as he wrapped
the garment. He handed the package to the cop. "I don't need it anymore,"
he finally stated. "Oh. Okay." "Have a pleasant night, sir." "Yes, thank you. You too. Goodnight." Jim left the shop and sighed happily as he felt warmth surrounding him
again. He didn't even think it odd to have such a feeling when it was a
perfectly chilled Autumn night in Cascade.
At eight that night, Jim was finally ready to go, even if he wasn't too
steady on his feet. Blair was going directly from the University to the
party, and Jim had been able to indulge himself and take his time
dressing. He'd found his black tuxedo, donning it with a smooth white
shirt, then draping the black cloak over his shoulders as a final touch to
the fantasy. "Genuine," he whispered to himself, echoing the word of the creepy old
man in the store. A cold feeling seized him, settling deep inside of him, and he
shivered. 'God, it's so damned cold in here! The heating must be off
again.' After a few drinks to warm his body, he felt better, although his
balance was wavy and his senses were going off the chart. He could swear
he was smelling earth and blood, and when he looked at the mirror, his
image was so blurry it was as if it was disappearing. "Yeah, right!" The Sentinel snorted. Thinking that it wasn't too good of an idea to drive under such a
drunken state, he called for a cab and left the loft. As soon as the cab arrived Jim got in and gave the address to the
driver, who just stood there, blinking at him through the rearview mirrow.
"Are you deaf or something?" Jim snapped. "Start this piece of scrap heap
already!" The cabby blinked a few more times and mumbled a "Yes, sir", driving to
the hotel as fast as he could. During the short ride to his destination,
Jim kept thinking about his reaction to the driver's apparent shock. He
finally shook his head, puzzled. There had been no reason for him to talk
that way to the man. 'I must be drunker than I thought!' When they finally arrived at the hotel, Jim left the cab and before he
could even pay the fare, the driver closed the passenger door with a harsh
slam and drove away with a loud squeal of tires. "Boy, I must really look the part!" Jim whispered, watching the cabby's
hasty retreat. Laughing slightly he walked into the hotel, and swept the cloak back
dramatically, enjoying the gasps it drew from the few people at the lobby.
'Seems Dracula's got nothing on me after all! This may actually be a fun
night for a change.' Some people stepped aside to let him pass, as if they were afraid of
his cloak and the fake scowl on his face, their conversations stopping
abruptly. 'What the devil's wrong with this people?! Am I *that* drunk?
Or do I look *that* good? This is getting too weird!' He walked into the PD party, the festivities already in full swing. He
recognized some faces from the other departments, and from Major Crimes as
well. Joel Taggart was on the dance floor with his wife, H was attacking
the banquet table, Rafe and Megan were talking in a corner, drinking
champagne, and Simon was heading in his direction. "Hey, Jim! I see you finally got here! Where's your better half?" Jim searched the crowd for his lover, but Blair wasn't there yet.
"Apparently still at Rainier." "Man, I love your costume!" Simon stated. "Gave me quite a shock! Where
did you get the make-up?" Jim blinked at his Captain. "I'm not wearing any make-up." Simon looked at him for a moment like he was crazy, then barked a
laugh. "Yeah, right! Very funny, Ellison! Get yourself a drink my friend,
and mingle with the natives. I have a few more people to welcome before
the night is over." Simon turned and Jim watched him go, Sentinel's eyes focusing on his
friend's neck. With his enhanced eyesight he could even watch the main
artery pulsing over his costume's collar. Jim stood alone for a while at the hall's entrance, his hearing picking
up the sounds of laughter, music, general party noises. A waiter walked by
and he snatched a drink, taking a careful sip. It was Barcardi Rum. After
all he'd drank before maybe it wasn't such a good idea to drink something
so strong, but he felt like he needed it. He shrugged and kept drinking, his mind puzzling over the strange
reactions he'd been getting all night. First the cab driver, then those
people in the lobby, finally Simon and that make-up shit. Acting on
impulse, Jim stepped over to the long panel mirror at the entrance to
glance at himself. "Oh, shit!" He whispered in awe. He was looking at himself in the mirror, but there was nothing there,
no reflection, no other him to look back at him. Jim blinked for a second
and then started to laugh, a deep throated, cold sound. "I'm drunk! I'm
fucking drunk! The mirror at the loft makes me blurry, this one makes me
invisible! I'm fucking, stone cold drunk!" "Hello, Love!" A voice purred by his side, and he whirled around. "Blair! Great fantasy!" He stated in a drunken glee. Blair was dressed as Mandrake the Magician, his costume very similar to
Jim's in many ways. He was also wearing a black tuxedo with a white shirt,
and a black cloak of his own. His hair was tied back and he was wearing a
top hat and white gloves as final touches. Jim looked at him and could
only puzzle how two fantasies that looked so much alike, could make them
look so different. He apparently looked terrifying, but his lover... Blair
looked like an angel in evening clothes. Innocent ocean blue eyes frowned
up at him, and a tongue travelled through full pink lips, wetting them and
making them glitter. "You look divine," Jim breathed into his lover's ear, feeling the
delicious shudder that ran through the lithe body. Blair laughed a little breathlessly. "You don't look so bad
yourself!" Jim smiled. "I love you, Chief," he stated, all his earlier dark
thoughts about mirrors and drunkenness forgotten. All he could look at
were those ethereal blue orbs, the lush lips, the beautiful face. "I love you too, Jim," his angel returned with a loving smile. "Wanna dance?" The Sentinel asked all of a sudden. Blair looked up at him stunned. "You want to dance with me? Here? What
about all that bull about our relationship having to be kept a secret? How
no one must know about it or you might get in trouble at the PD?" "Fuck it! Come on." They moved through the mass of people arm in arm, Jim nearly dragging
Blair to the dance floor. The stares they caused made the cop draw himself
up to his full height and sweep the cloak about his shoulders. The gasps
heard brought a scowl to his pale face, his eyes stalking the crowd
hungrily. Whispers could be heard throughout the restless mob. "Vampire..." "His eyes..." Simon approached the two partners. "Jim! What the hell do you think
you're doing?!" He queried roughly. "I thought we agreed to keep the fact
that you're lovers a secret for now!" "No, Simon. You talked, I listened. I never agreed to do anything. This
is a party and I want to have fun. What's wrong with that?! Huh?" Simon opened his mouth and closed it again without saying a word. What
the hell was wrong with his friend? Jim had been acting out of character
since he'd arrived. Something was definitely wrong! "Jim, I think you've had a little too much to drink. Maybe you should
go home," he suggested in a soft voice. Jim looked annoyed at his Captain. He was sick of the man telling him
what to do. He grinned to himself, it was time for a little payback. He
drew himself proud, faced the crowd and frowned. That cold feeling made
itself known again, and he brushed his hands on the cloak. Jim looked down and for the first time saw that the shroud was a little
dirty at the edges, muddy or dusty. 'So that's where the earthy smell
came from! At least I know I'm not totally crazy! Oh, well! Time to play
the game.' He opened his clear blue eyes wide letting them blaze, his mouth
slightly open. His stare turned to Simon's neck, to the vein standing out,
red life running on it's way to the heart. Jim felt the audience watching and looked at the neck again, his hands
darting out. Simon was startled and tried to jump back, but it was as if
he was glued to the floor by Jim's intense stare. "Warm blood... Vampires like blood..." Jim mumbled in a strange, deep
voice. His hands wrapped around Simon's neck, searching for that main vein, as
Simon struggled desperately, feeling Jim's grip tightening painfully. Jim's mouth opened wider and he bent towards that neck, that bloody
vein. "Stop!" Blair shouted. "That's enough!" His Guide's voice slipped through the fog in his brain and Jim stopped,
the beloved voice still echoing in his mind, the feeling of a slim hand on
his arm. The Sentinel looked up startled and released Simon, who had
sagged and was panting for breath. All around them people stood frozen, watching in horror what was
happening, not believing their own eyes. Jim struggled to control himself and looked sharply at Simon.
"I-am-not-drunk!" Blair pulled at him. "Come on, Jim. Let's get out of here, you need to
get some fresh air. I'm sorry, Simon!" The young man lead his lover out of the hall, into the now deserted
hotel lobby. They sat at a corner, where a small television was playing
the evening news. Jim took a deep breath and sunk into the chair. He couldn't get rid of
the awful feeling that came over him as he'd seized Simon. It was supposed
to have been a joke, but it hadn't been, not really. Along the way he'd
lost control of himself. If Blair hadn't stopped him... An image on the news stopped his train of thought. It was from the
costume store where he'd gotten his vampire cloak. Still dizzy from the
earlier events, he tried to listen to what the reporter was saying. "Fire... shortly after eight p.m., flames completely out of control...
proprietor unknown... two skeletons found in coffins in the cellar..." "No!" Jim gasped. He remembered the man's voice, things that didn't make sense before
becoming clear. 'I will only furnish you with an authentic cloak...' 'Genuine...' 'I don't need it anymore...' Leaving Blair behind he ran to the long panel mirror again and looked
at what was not there. 'Vampires have no reflections,' he thought, feeling dizzy. 'No
wonder I looked strange, that Simon's neck looked so inviting! My God!
It's the damn cloak!' The stains he'd seen before, earthy stains, earth grave. The cold
feeling that wouldn't go away, that made him feel like a vampire, the
rusty stain on the collar, blood. 'I knew I smelled blood before! Oh
God!' "Jim?" came the hesitant voice of his lover close by. The Sentinel turned and looked at his angelic lover, at the full bloody
lips, the wide innocent eyes... Jim felt a sudden surge of warmth. He
looked at Blair's smooth, white throat, rising above his own cloak and
felt a wide range of emotions. Love. Desire. Lust. Hunger. Blair must have seen it in his eyes, but he simply smiled, his blue
pools returning all those emotions. In an angry gesture Jim ripped the
cloak from his throat, the cool feeling disappearing from within his soul.
He was free. He'd had to fight with himself to take the shroud off, the
power so overwhelming, so intoxicating, but he'd had to. He loved Blair too much to surrender to that power. He'd felt the
impulse to take his lover in his arms, kiss him passionately and then
taste his warm blood, his life's nectar. No more! Without the cloak it was
easy to resist. Blair was safe. *He* was safe. "Tired?" Blair asked kindly, taking his own cloak off. "Yeah," Jim closed the distance between them, and caressed his lover's
cheek. "My Angel..." A sweet smile grazed Blair's lips. "My Devil..." They kissed lightly, lips brushing against lips, moist, wet, warm.
Blair opened his mouth and Jim's tongue darted to the sweet cave,
exploring all the riches within. Their arms wrapped around each other,
hands caressing backs, squeezing buttocks, running through silky hair. Finally the need to breathe was too much and Blair stepped back.
"Jesus! You *really* have the devil in you tonight, Ellison!" Jim laughed evilly. "So, what do you say we take this to a more
secluded place? Like one of those rooms Simon reserved?" "Go get the key. I'll wait by the elevator, my Love," Blair replied
seductively. "Okay." A few minutes later they were on the elevator, Jim with both their
cloaks in his arm, Blair with their room key. They walked into a
magnificent looking room, but neither paid too much attention, they were
lost in each other's heated gazes. With the lights still out and only the
full moon shining through the window, the room looked silent, gloomy,
strangely dark, and Jim felt the Halloween spirit take possession of him
again. And the cold was returning, its cold fingers caressing him, making
him shiver. "Give me my cloak back," Blair asked. Automatically Jim gave him the garment, and the young man wrapped the
shroud around himself, swirling it for effect. Blair's eyes seemed to burn
with an invitation Jim couldn't resist, and he kissed his lover
passionately again, shuddering with something he couldn't name. "You're cold," the young man whispered. "Put on your cloak." 'Yes, ' Jim thought to himself. 'Put it on while you stare at his
throat. Then when you kiss him, you'll want his throat and he'll give it
to you in love. And you'll take it... in hunger!' "Put it on," Blair insisted. "Here, let me." And suddenly Blair's arms were around him, pushing the cloak onto his
shoulders, his fingers caressing Jim's neck lovingly as he linked the
cloak about his throat. Jim gasped as he felt the power again. It was too
late now, too late to stop. The cold took control, the sneer returning to
his face. He looked at his lover, Blair's beautiful eyes inviting, the ivory neck
peeking through his cloak, waiting for Jim's lips. Waiting for his teeth.
"No! Blair, I..." His lover looked up at him with nothing but love and trust in his eyes,
and Jim felt himself waver. It would be so easy... 'No!' "Blair, tonight... That thing with Simon. I *really* wanted to bite
him. Really. I can't explain it, only that it's this cloak. I... it makes
me feel like a vampire, act like one of them. But I... I love you." "I know," Blair's eyes gleamed in the moonlight. "I want to fight this thing. I want to kiss you wearing the cloak. I
need to know my love for you is stronger than this. If I lose, I want you
to run like hell, okay? Just get the hell out," he caressed a smooth
cheek. "Afraid?" "No," came the breathless reply. "Okay." Jim took a deep breath and tried to relax. He bent forward, his love
fighting for dominance against the power he felt coming from the cloak,
the evil he didn't want for himself. And then Blair chuckled, his full lips parting slightly, as his arms
circled Jim's neck gently. "I knew it when I looked into the mirror, you know? I bought both our
cloaks in the same place. There were two coffins found in the store after
the fire. Two skeletons. Two vampires. Two cloaks." Shock froze Jim, and then it was too late. He felt icy lips on his
throat and sharp teeth pierced his skin, a warm feeling washing over him,
calming him before blackness took over.
Jim sat on the bed with a gasp. He took a deep breath and ran his hand
over his short cropped hair. 'God, what a nightmare! Vampires, cloaks,
blood... Christ!' He looked to the other side of the bed and smiled as he saw his naked
lover sleeping soundly, his beauty gleaming under the moon rays that came
through the window. "My Angel..." he whispered. The Sentinel kissed a smooth shoulder and Blair stirred. He yawned and
opened his eyes. "Hey, Love!" He purred with a smile. "Hey." As if sensing Jim needed comforting, Blair opened up his arms and Jim
slid gratefully into them, sighing happily against his lover's neck,
taking in the beloved scent that was unique to his mate. "Make love to me," he whispered, and Blair smiled lovingly. "Always," the young man whispered back, and caught Jim's mouth with his
in a deep kiss. Blair reached for his lover's half-hard cock, rapidly bringing it to
attention. Jim groaned and arched into Blair's touch, pleasure racing
through his body. The young man continued to stroke the now hard shaft,
his tongue playing with the older man's nipples, nibbling, and licking
them, until they were erect in the smooth chest. "I want to taste you," Blair growled deep in his throat, going down on
his lover and licking a straight line from Jim's chest to his groin.
"Yummy..." Jim moaned as Blair closed his lips around the head of his cock, his
body arching from the bed in ecstasy, hands gripping the sheets with white
knuckles. The young man grasped his lover's hips to keep him from
thrusting as he took more of Jim's length into his mouth. Blair continued
to suck and lick Jim's cock, drawing the hard shaft deep into his mouth,
skillfully manipulating the other man until he was begging for release.
The Sentinel ran his fingers through Blair's silky curly hair, all
thoughts of dark nightmares forgotten under the wave of love created by
his lover. He watched the young man reach over onto the nightstand and
snatch a tube of lubricant. "I love you, Jim," Blair whispered against his lover's neck, then bit
softly startling him. Blair squeezed lube onto his fingers as Jim turned over, offering his
lover his naked ass. Not one to turn down such a tempting
offer, Blair slid first one, then two fingers inside Jim's body,
loosening the tight ring of muscle. The Sentinel pushed back wantonly
against his hand, and gasped loudly as Blair's fingers brushed against his
prostate. The young man removed his fingers and after coating his own hard cock
with the lube, grabbed the older man's hips and positioned his cock
against Jim's anus. "Ready, Love?" "Yes," Jim whispered softly. Both men groaned as Blair began to push into Jim, delicate fingers
grasping strongly muscled hips. It only took a few
slow thrusts before Blair was fully inside Jim's body. "Jim," Blair called out, face pressed against his lover's smooth
back. "Yes?" Jim queried, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the
sheets. "You're mine," the young man whispered sweetly, then started to thrust.
He wrapped his hand around Jim's cock and began to pump it in time with
his thrusts, a wave of pleasure starting to spread all over his body as
they moved as one. Jim bucked helplessly against Blair as his lover's cock hit his
prostate. "Yes, yours..." he moaned. Blair felt Jim's shaft swell in his hand, then felt the heat
surrounding him, squeezing him into completion. Both came shouting each
other's names, the young man collapsing onto his lover's back. Later, both sated and cuddling together on the bed, Jim was nearly
asleep when Blair remembered something. "Jim, don't forget to pick up your
costume for the Halloween party tomorrow night. Simon will have a fit if
you don't go, especially after all the work he went through to organize
the whole thing!" Jim groaned, and raised himself slightly to look down at his lover.
"Did you pick a costume for yourself yet?" He asked. Blair grinned happily. "Yes. I'm going as Mandrake the Magician. It's a
totally awesome costume!" Jim gulped noisily. "Mandrake? W-what did you choose for me?" "It's a surprise." "Sandburg, you know I hate surprises! What costume?" "Oh, alright! It's a vampire costume. Satisfied now?" "Oh shit..." Jim whispered. THE END
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