Courtship

by Remma (morennab@yahoo.co.uk)

"Come on, Chief, I don't see the problem."

"I know you don't...that is the problem."

"Look, you said you wanted to go on a proper date, so here I am, all dressed up...see, a tie. I put on a tie for you, what more do you want from me?"

"You were supposed to pick me up."

"You live under the stairs, how can I pick you up?"

"You could at least have knocked on my door, maybe asked me nicely if I was ready. But no, you plant yourself in the middle of the loft and yell 'come on Sandburg, get you butt out here and let's go'...I mean...Sandburg? You couldn't even use my first name?"

"Okay, I admit I could have phrased it better, but it's only a name after all."

"It's not about a name, it's about respect, and the fact that you obviously don't have any for me."

"What? Because I called you Sandburg? I'm always calling you Sandburg, how can that mean I don't respect you?"

"We've never been on the point of going on a date before...our first date I might add."

"Oh, here we are, back to the date again. We've lived together for years, why do we need to date?"

"One date, Jim, that's all I'm asking, just one date. If that's so difficult for you to handle, then maybe we're making a mistake with this."

"But you're a guy."

"So?"

"Guy's aren't supposed to want...uhm...you know, all that kind of stuff."

"What kind of stuff? Consideration, care, a little emotional commitment? I may be a guy Jim, but I need a little more than, 'go move your stuff upstairs, Sandburg'."

"When you put it like that, I guess one date is reasonable."

"Right, that's all I want, one real date to get this thing off to a good start."

"You won't be expecting me to bring you flowers and chocolates, will you?"

"I don't know, maybe I'll be bringing you flowers and chocolates?"

"But I'm a guy."

"What, and I'm not?"

"Well, obviously..."

"Just when did I get nominated as the woman in this relationship anyway?"

"You're not, I didn't mean..."

"It's because I'm short..."

"No, Blair..."

"And the hair...it's the hair and the height, isn't it?"

"No! It's not the hair, the height, the name or anything else. I don't..."

"The name? Now you're dissing my name...what's wrong with my name?"

"Nothing's wrong with the name, it's a great name, the name is not a problem."

"Then why bring it up?"

"I didn't, I only meant..."

"You did, you put it in there with the height and the hair."

"I didn't mean anything by it."

"You think it's a woman's name, don't you?"

"No...well...you gotta admit, it is a little..."

"Is that why you hardly ever use it?"

"No...and I do use it...Blair."

"Only when I'm in extreme danger from wandering psychopaths."

"Chief, what difference does it make what I call you? You want me to use your name, fine, I'll use it."

"Sure, now you use it, now that we're dating...now that it's okay for me to have a woman's name."

"Damn it Blair...okay, yes, I think you're name is a little...uh...ambiguous...but..."

"There, see, I knew it."

"BUT...that doesn't mean I think you're feminine in any way whatsoever. It's only because you're so obviously not a woman that it's taken me so long to realise what it was that I felt for you. Hell, if you were a woman we'd have been headed for Vegas and a quickie marriage ten minutes after we met, because then I'd have known what that warm complete feeling I get when I'm with you was."

"Oh."

"I'd have known that I was in love with you, because there would have been no damn conditioning telling me that I couldn't be, that you were a guy, so anything other than friendship was crazy."

"Oh. Jim..."

"Blair, I know you wanted to do this right, I understand that...this is a major step for us both, and we need all the help we can get."

"Yeah...Jim..."

"And let's face it, neither of us has an exactly stellar record with relationships."

"You can say that again."

"But this is different. All that dating stuff...it's so two people can get to know each other, and we already know each other real well...you know more about me than anyone, and not just the Sentinel stuff either. I never even told Carolyn half the stuff I tell you...that's gotta mean something, hasn't it?"

"It means a lot, Jim. I'm sorry; I guess I'm just really scared of messing this up. Growing up with Naomi taught me was that nothing was permanent, that you should always 'detach with love', but I don't want to detach from you, not ever."

"Good, glad to hear it, and no disrespect to Naomi, but that is the dumbest thing I ever heard. If you love someone you should be attached, that's the whole point."

"That's what I always thought too, but Naomi..."

"Maybe Naomi never really loved anyone, so she didn't get it."

"Maybe."

"Except you of course, I didn't mean she didn't love you, Blair. Anyone can see how much..."

"Jim, it's cool, man. I accepted a long time ago that I was never going to come first with her. She loves me as much as she's able to love anyone. You can't expect more from a person than they're capable of giving."

"I know, but you've gotta know that you're always going to come first with me...you did even before, but now...Blair, I'm not big on the love declarations, so you'd better make the most of this...you are, and always will be, the most important person in my life. I care more for you than I ever thought possible, and if I have my way we are still going to be together when we're both old and grey."

"When I'm old and grey, maybe...you're just going to be old and bald."

"Jokes, he's making jokes...I break the habits of a lifetime and declare undying love and he makes jokes."

"Sorry...nervous reaction. No-one's ever said anything like that to me before."

"Well, I've never said it before either, so we're even."

"No, good...I'm glad, because that's what I want too, to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Are we good now, then?"

"Yes, we're good...better than good."

"Well, there we are then, all settled. So, we'd better be heading off for this date then, or we'll have no chance of getting a table anywhere decent."

"No, you were right, dating really wouldn't serve any purpose for us."

"But if it's what you want..."

"It was, now it's not. I have a much better idea."

"Oh, what?"

"Why don't you get us some take-out and I'll move my stuff upstairs."

"Really?"

"Really."

"There's plenty of room, I already cleared a couple of drawers for you...and half the wardrobe."

"You did? You know, that probably says more than a dozen fancy dinners."

"I thought that too. And about dinner, maybe we could have a couple of candles...and some music."

"That would be nice, Jim...I'd like that."

"I could get out the good china too."

"What, not that stuff you've had packed away for ever?"

"It's for special occasions only, and there's never been any occasion special enough before."

"I take back everything I said, you're quite a romantic in your own way, aren't you."

"I guess it's hard not to be when you really love someone, it just kind of spills over into everything else. I want you to be happy, Blair, but this is still new to me, so I may get things wrong sometimes, think you can live with that?"

"Yes Jim, I can live with that. I'm not expecting happy ever after, that's for fairytales. All relationships have problems, and we're both going to screw up a lot, but as long as we're committed to this, then we can work through any problems that come along."

"What, 'love means never having to say you're sorry'?"

"Man, that's as bad as 'detaching with love'. Love mean's saying you're sorry all the time, think you can live with that?"

"Apologies aren't my best thing, but I'll do the best I can, that I do promise."

"The same goes for me, Jim. I swear I'll do the best I can to forget the way I've been raised. I love you, Jim, and being here with you is all I want...ever."

"Good...I intend to make it my mission in life to see that you get exactly what you want."

"Jim, is it normal to be this happy?"

"It will be for us. Now quit yakking and get your stuff out of that dumpster you call a room and haul it up those stairs, and you'd better keep it neat...hang stuff up."

"I see we're back to normal...I knew it couldn't last."

"It'll last, Blair...it'll last. And don't forget, dirty underwear goes in the hamper, not on the floor."

"Love you too, Jim...and get Thai, but from Thaiphoon, not Thai Rack, they make it way too spicy for you."

"Chief?"

"Yeah?"

"This is going to be so good."

"I know. Poor Naomi, she's never really understood what matters."

"Lucky us...she was a lousy role model."

"Yeah, lucky, lucky us."

***The End***

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