Just Like Coffee

Jim/Blair Fanfiction
Title:	Just Like Coffee
Author(s):	Grit Kitty
Date(s):	5 June 2001
Length:	16798 words
Genre:	slash, PWP, First Time
Fandom:	The Sentinel
External Links:	Just Like Coffee on AO3 (locked to unregistered users)
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Just Like Coffee is a Jim/Blair story by Grit Kitty.

Reactions and Reviews

Unknown Date

Exactly. Just like coffee; dark, rich, heady and demanding to be savored. With Sentinel fanfic I've become cautious. So many of them fall into slash clichés. There are so many occurrences of 'Suddenly Gay' or feminizing poor Blair that I've become really picky about what I read. This one doesn't have any of that. Blair is neither feminine, nor some irresponsible fop who runs at the first sign of trouble. If I read one more story where poor Blair gets his feelings hurt and the proceeds to pout of to places unknown waiting for Jim to come find him. I swear I'll scream. He doesn't do that in this one. He faces up to his life and is a cop. Shock. Jim in this one is just too sensual, love him. Grit also brings out an aspect to Jim that is really necessary to his characterization, the aspect that was ingrained in him as a kid and has never left him. The part that focuses on appearances and fears what people think of him. That is a big part of Jim that she brings out smoothly. The conflict between what he feels he should do and what he wants to do. Which wouldn't hurt anyone, but he has been made to feel ashamed of. Gotta hate Jim's dad. Also, both Blair and Jim are bi. Also, shock. Both of them are given small little instances where they delve into memory and we find out that yes they have been attracted to men before. I've said it to others before. It doesn't have to be a big set up to them being bi or gay. Just a sentence sometimes that lets you get clued in or some small memory that allows you the needed insight. It isn't a hard thing to do. Just an acknowledgment. Thank you, God! Grit Kitty does that in this one. It was refreshing in that respect alone, no biggie, she just simply let it be revealed that they were both bi. Thank you, doll. Also, no rush into the heavier aspects of vanilla sex. Just simple things that when your too hot for complicated work out just fine. Loved that, no rush to sexual escapades. Testing flexibility and all. They are just so much guys too. They don't talk things out at great length, just enough to make sure they're on the same page. I loved that too. They are both so totally men in this one. The writing is fabulous. Like I said. Like coffee rich and heady. I got sucked into this one quick and knew I was going to rec it by the time I got half way through it. Oh, she says it's a PWP, but it's a really long one nearly 100k and well...I found some plot in it. So it's not really a PWP, in the technical sense. So don't let that dissuade you.

2003

I guess I like stories that progress deliciously slowly;) I like Blair as cop, too. This one is like courtship over coffee. I'm a big coffee fan so I loved it. Delicious, with lovely dialogue. It's labelled by the writer as a PWP but it's so much more than that and quite lengthy for a so-called PWP. There's some manly schmoop and I love that too.

2004

"Just Like Coffee" uses a narrative structure that could have been cutesy and trite, but through excellent execution makes it something special. The story progresses from one type of coffee to another to explore the moods and themes of the boys' relationship, from rich dark roasts to sweet light roasts. And it has what may possibly be my favorite line from any fan fic, "God invented coffee so people can drink cream."

2010

This story starts out with a great line: “God invented coffee so that people could drink cream.” The talented Grit Kitty uses vignettes centered around various coffees to describe the evolving relationship of Jim and Blair. Sometimes smooth and silky, other times dark and rough, it gave me a hankering for a nice Ethiopian yirgacheffe – with cream!