Word Count:
980
Rating:
PG.
Category:
Humour.
Story Status:
Complete
Summary: Just
a little Christmas fun with Jim and Blair.
Author’s
Note: This story has a passing mention to Rainbow
and her dog,
Star, who appear in the story 'Crash' that I
co-wrote with
Jayne Perry.
Beta:
Thank you to Jayne Perry for the beta-reading and pattrose for the cover art. All other artwork is by me.
Present Time
By Leesa Perrie
It was 6am on a cold, rainy Christmas morning, and Jim was wrapped warm
and snug in his bed, when he heard movement from his not normally
early-rising room mate from down below.
“Chief, get away from those presents!” he shouted,
just
loud enough for said room mate to hear him, not loud enough to disturb
the neighbours. He smiled to himself when he heard Blair give
a
small yell of surprise.
“Oh man, Jim, give me a coronary, why don’t
you?”
“I wouldn’t have to if you’d just leave
the presents
alone!” He heard some indistinct, even for him, muttering,
followed by footsteps heading up to his room. Blair stopped
at
the top, holding a present in each hand.
“What makes you think I was feeling the presents,
anyway?”
he said with a smirk, not the slightest bit embarrassed to be caught,
yet again, in the act of trying to work out what each present
was. “Besides, just because I haven’t
caught you in
the act, doesn’t mean you haven’t been checking
them out as
well. And using your senses too, no doubt!”
Jim tried to look indignant at the accusation, but couldn’t
hide
the slight blush that rose at Blair’s accurate assessment.
“Anyway, it’s Christmas Day, can’t we
open them?” Blair asked.
Jim rolled his eyes.
“Fine. I’ll get up, but we’re
not opening any
presents until we’re both dressed and had
breakfast. And
don’t start with the puppy dog eyes!”
“Puppy dog eyes? I don’t have any puppy
dog eyes! They’re all human, I can assure
you!”
“You know what I mean.”
Blair grinned, and then headed downstairs.
“First dibs on the shower,” he said, rushing to the
bathroom before Jim could argue.
“Damn neo-hippie punk…”
----------------
Blair and Jim were both showered and dressed – Blair had been
kind enough to leave enough hot water for Jim – and breakfast
was
eaten – bacon and the works, as even Blair decided an
exception
to health food could be made today.
Blair was busy gathering his presents into a pile near to the
fireplace, which Jim had lit earlier. Jim chuckled.
“What?” Blair demanded.
“Oh nothing. Just that you remind me of
myself….when I was a kid.”
“Right,” Blair rolled his eyes. “So,
you’re gonna get your presents then?”
“Sure.” Jim gathered his own presents into a pile a
little further from the fireplace, but still close to Blair.
“Let’s open Naomi’s first,”
Blair
suggested. Jim nodded, they both started unwrapping their
present; Jim carefully removing the paper, and Blair tearing it off
with abandon.
“White socks?” Blair looked puzzled.
“Bright blue and red gloves?” Jim looked at Blair.
“I think she might have labelled them wrong,” Blair
suggested.
“Yeah, these gloves do seem a little, um, colourful for
me.” They laughed and exchanged gifts. “Much
better,”
said Jim, looking at the socks. “Okay,
let’s open
Naomi’s next one. It’s between
us, which is
rather worrying.”
They opened the rather large parcel. It was a two man
tent.
Not just any two man tent, but a thermal insulated one, with extra
storage space. A deluxe model, for certain.
“Nice,” Blair said, awed that his mom would buy
this for them.
“Very,” Jim said, touched by Naomi’s
thoughtfulness.
They then proceeded to open presents from various work mates, friends
and family, until there were three presents left.
“Um, Jim, there appear to be two parcels for me.
Both from you.”
“Yeah, Einstein, that’s because I bought two
separate items for you, duh!”
“Thanks.” Blair tore the wrapping off the first
parcel. It was a leather jacket. “Wow,
Jim, this is
so… so cool!”
“Glad you like it.” Jim opened his present from
Blair. It was six Bonanza video tapes and a Jags cap.
“Hey, thanks, Chief,” Jim smiled.
“Yeah, well, I know how much you like Bonanza.
Can’t
imagine why, though. Personally, I think The Magnificent
Seven
was a far better programme.”
“Nope, not a patch on Bonanza,” Jim disagreed.
“Thanks for the cap as well. Though I already have
one.
Actually, come to think of it, I haven’t seen it
recently.”
“Um, well, you see, there was a slight accident with your old
one. Anyway, it was getting a bit frayed around the
edges…”
“An accident, Chief?” Jim asked, trying to look
intimidating.
“Oh, nothing to worry about. It just got, kinda,
um…ripped.”
“Ripped? And just how did it get ripped?”
“Um, that would be, when, erm…. Well, you know
when
Rainbow’s dog, Star, was here? She kinda took a
liking to
your Jags cap, and, well, I tried to get her to let it go, and it
kinda…got ripped. But hey, you’ve got a
nice new
cap, now. And the old one was getting
frayed…” Blair
smiled uneasily.
“You played tug of war with Star and my Jags cap?”
“Um, well, I wouldn’t put it quite like
that…”
Blair said, smiling disarmingly. Jim scowled. Blair
got up.
“Um, I think I’ll just go…”
Jim burst out laughing.
“You should have seen your face, Chief.” Jim
smiled.
“Like you said, it was about time I got a new cap
anyway.
So, thanks Chief. But,” he paused,
“Don’t let
this one anywhere near a dog, got it?”
“Yeah, got it Jim.” Blair smiled in relief.
“So, you going to open your last present?”
“Um, yeah.” Blair opened his last parcel from Jim.
“What the…” He looked
surprised, and then
started to laugh. “Oh man, oh man, this is…
just…soooo me!” he managed to say between laughs.
“That’s why I had to buy it,
Chief,” Jim said,
grinning. “I thought you could put it on the wall
behind
your desk at Rainier.”
“Yeah, man. I think I will.
Thanks.” Still
chuckling, Blair brushed his hand over the hand carved wall
plaque. It read, ‘Vital papers will demonstrate
their
vitality by moving from where you left them to where you can't find
them.’
The End!
