sakura_no_miko

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Jim/Blair, Jim/OFC

Warnings: explicit sex (gay), discussion of homophobia and gay bashings, violence, discussion of domestic abuse, murder case, hostage situation, angst

Other notes: case fic, psychic powers, character study

Length: 34k

Summary: Jim discovers his sixth sense.

Yup–I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: mind reading would never be my power of choice, even with a loved one. It just creeps me right out. I remember an episode of Torchwood–“Greeks Bearing Gifts,” I believe–where Tosh temporarily became able to read minds, and she was shocked by everything she had to hear. Because I have to imagine, if you could read minds, you’d get all of the impulsive thoughts–the anxiety and depression whispering cruel things in your ear, the sudden and inappropriate sexual responses, those moments where you feel like throttling someone. I prefer having the ability to filter those things out, you know?

Man, where to start? This is just a glorious fic–a lovely case investigation, filled with twists, turns, and fairly well developed characters. You have a really detailed look at how Jim’s new powers slowly start to come to the fore, and how he learns how to use them, starts to lose control of them, and ultimately controls them. And you get a desperate, love-affirming sex scene to boot.

I don’t even know what to quote. There is a line–about halfway through, Jim has a sexual encounter with a guy from a bar, and he thinks,

Did guys kiss? Jim had only the vaguest idea about the whole thing, and right now he was remembering entirely too much about latex and nothing at all useful about necking.

It’s–I shouldn’t say absurd. Absurd to me, certainly, but to an otherwise straight guy in the late 1990s? Probably not. Just…really sad.

And I love the end of part one:

But damn it, when he made that decision, he hadn’t known what it was like. He hadn’t known how vulnerable Sandburg would be despite his strength and wiry energy, how easy it would be for some Neanderthal with a Messiah complex to single him out–
He hadn’t known Blair could get hurt.
A sudden pain made him look down, and he was surprised to find his fists were clenched. Breathe, Ellison.

Epiphanies are so–emotionally satisfying.

Ah, this is just such a good read. Can’t find the words for it.

(Looking for more fic recs?)
Originally posted on tumblr on 10/11/13