Eating at Home

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Fanfiction
Title: Eating at Home
Author(s): Helenish
Date(s): 19 April 1999
Length: 10931 words
Genre(s): Slash, First Time, Undercover in a Gay Bar
Fandom(s): The Sentinel
Relationship(s): Jim/Blair
External Links: Eating at Home on AO3

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Eating at Home is a Jim/Blair story by Helenish. In 2013 it was imported to AO3 as part of the 852 Prospect Archive import. The story was also hosted on the author's personal website.

Author's Notes

Hey, I thought, wouldn't it be interesting to do a story in which Blair and Jim don't get in a knock down, drag out fight? Actually, no. This, I think, qualifies as the most boring story I have yet written. It is, however, the first installment in the Conventions a-go-go Series, in which Jim and Blair have an undercover moment.

Series

Reactions and Reviews

They're forced but they like it. Adorable dorks.[1]

One of my favorite fandom cliches is the 'pretending to be a couple for a case turns into the real thing'. Usually the couple falls pretty peacefully into the scenario, but Helen never lets it be easy for the guys. Her Jim and Blair are reluctant, and confused, and the story is funny, a little angsty and hot,hot,hot.[2]

What can you expect from me [regarding my recs]? I like snappy dialogue and writers who aren’t afraid to take chances. I despise weepy!Blair, and I have a kink for bottom!Jim. Oh, and if you hadn’t guessed, I’m a big old slash whore. Additionally, I'm a bit of a cranky-pants tonight, so don't let anything I say wound you too grievously.

Anyway – though I am an inveterate slasher, in the spirit of bifictionality, I’ve promised myself to rec at least one gen and one het story this month. (Though that might end up being quite the challenge, given that this is TS, and the abundance of hetfic? Not so much.) Those, however, will come later in the month. Tonight is slashariffic, baby dolls....Remember what I said earlier about my love of snappy dialogue? This story’s got it in droves, and the guys - well, they talk like guys... How can you not love that? Call me crazy, but in it's the tiniest bit schmoopy. Sarcastic and gripey, yes, but schmoopy too. And for all the kvetching, the story's ending always makes me a little misty-eyed.

Things of which you should be aware: Helen can be a little ... unconventional ... in her capitalization. If that sort of thing bothers you, get over it. No, I’m serious. If a red-pen wielding freak such as myself can read through the little things like that, you can too. Oy.

Now then. What are you still doing here? Go read it! [3]

This was one of my fave TS stories back in the day and you gave me a good reason to read it again and remember just why I loved Jim and Blair in the first place! [4]

Eating at Home is one of the *best* TS stories out there. In my top five actually. Hot hot hot!! Undercover, in the dark, on that couch, Jim on top of Blair, dangerous situation...twice! Then Blair on top of Jim (repeatedly). A super sexy story, to be sure. It was my introduction to Helen's other stories, which I also greatly enjoy.[5]

Maybe I have a moral obligation to provide comic relief as well? Helen writes some of the most hilarious Sentinel stories I've ever read, and is currently on a mission to explore slash cliches. In Eating at home, Jim and Blair go to a sex club. Then they go home again. A lot of good dialogue here, too, although the subject matter is somewhat different.[6]

It takes a little while to warm up -- there needs to be the obligatory get-them-together segment (this is the Conventions a-go-go Series, and the convention going is 'Jim and Blair undercover in a gay club') -- but then they start screwing around. Six weeks later, they notice what they're doing. I'm not sure I like the title, but I like absolutely everything else, especially the make-out session on the couch.[7]

Unusual for the fandom, this one has both Jim and Blair a bit confused as to how they got from friendship to friends with benefits, but no significant angst. Of course, they can’t get away without talking about it (but that’s Blair for you!). Enjoy[8]

References