New Beginnings Part 5
by Ainm

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A/N: Morning has finally arrived, but Blair is still weird from the night before. Someday this will all make sense together; my apologies if it seems totally random and odd at this point. :-/ Maybe next week they'll leave the house and something interesting might happen. :-) New Beginnings archived here.

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"Come on, Chief, rise and shine!" Jim called to his partner as he set the table. Neither Blair nor any sign of life emerged from his room.

Jim set a pitcher of orange juice in the middle of the table, and moved to stand just outside the small bedroom.

"You're wasting the new year, Sandburg. Now get up, I've made breakfast," he said brightly.

Jim laughed at the sound of Blair's dramatic groan, and went to get the toast. Moments later he watched as Blair stumbled from the bedroom into the bathroom without speaking, then finally came to pour himself a glass of juice.

"No offense, but you look like shit, Chief," Jim observed.

"Yeah, well."

"You didn't have that much to drink last night."

"Why are you so perky?"

"Why not? It's a holiday, Simon's given us the day off, the sun is actually shining for once --" He broke off at the sight of Blair looking at him incredulously.

"What's your problem, Sandburg?" he asked, not unkindly.

"I just... I mean, you were really upset last night."

"Yeah..." Jim agreed slowly in an obvious invitation for further explanation, but none was forthcoming. "I had a nightmare, I got over it, it's another day, what's the problem?"

"But..." Blair trailed off.

"I'm confused, Chief. Because you seem upset beyond your usual morning good cheer, and I think I'm missing something. I had a nightmare, we worked it out, now I'm fine and you're not. Was it contagious?"

"What?"

"The nightmare. Did you have a bad night after you went back to bed?"

"Bad night? Yeah, you could say that."

"Sorry Sandburg -- I didn't mean to give you nightmares."

"No, me either, man. It's OK, no problem."

"You don't look OK, you look like someone shot your dog."

"I've never had a dog."

"Oh, is that what is is all about? You can forget it -- we're not getting a dog in the new year," Jim smiled.

"I don't want a dog!"

"Relax -- I'm teasing. Maybe you should go back to bed -- you don't seem yourself this morning."

"No, I've had enough of beds... I don't know who I am this morning."

"Well you're starting to make me nervous, so sit down and eat -- I've got eggs and sausage keeping warm in the oven."

"Sausage? Jim!"

"Relax, Chief, it's low-fat turkey sausage. Now sit down."

Blair sat.

When Jim came back the plates, he found his partner sitting stock-still and staring into space. Setting the plates on the table, he waved a hand in front of Blair's face.

"Hey, wake up and smell the sausage, Sandburg!" Blair blinked, and shook his head slightly.

"I don't understand you, Jim," he said.

"Well I cooked it, you should eat it, and show appropriate appreciation of my efforts."

"How can you be so cheerful?"

"Blair..." Jim looked at him with evident frustration. "What the hell are you talking about? What's with all the melodrama this morning? It's New Year's Day. It's not raining. We aren't going to work. There's great football on later. Everything is fine. Life is good, Sandburg! Wake up! And eat your damned breakfast." He punctuated his speech with a cuff to Blair's head, then sat down and tucked into his food.

Blair watched him eat for several moments, then shook his head again, stretched his arms, and laughed.

"Thanks, man. You're right. I'm being a total drama queen today -- I guess I'm getting old, can't be up drinking in the middle of the night anymore or something, makes me crazy." Jim snorted and kept eating. "But you said it: life is good."

He stopped to take a bite of his breakfast. "The sausage is good too," he added, and they shared a smile before finishing their breakfast in comfortable silence.

Fin

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