Blackberry by D. Rykiel

The sexually appetizing Benjamin Stone, Shambala Green, the ever tasty Michael Logan and Phil Cerreta belong to Dick Wolf/Law & Order.

The suggestion of both Homicide Detectives Frank Pembleton and Timothy Bayliss was a tiny hint of a crossover, which was something I had wanted Benjamin to be part of. The sharing of thought relating these two when Benjamin tells Shambala was from two other pieces of L&O/H:LOTS fanfic I had written. [The two Homicide Detectives have more of a story in the other pieces] This story is simply just another tiny attempt to give these two, Ben and Sham, something to fuss about. Fanfic, I should remind you, is simply fun and I am not claiming to be the best of the best but try to be a bit nice if you feel the need to say something. And oh yes, unfortunately Tim Bayliss does not belong to me either. He belongs, along with the great Frank Pembleton, to Tom Fontana and the rest of the suits.

Benjamin crossed his leg, trying to balance the ashtray on his knee. He paid attention to the running water, the tapping of the razor blade against the basin, the back of her leg and inhaled by degrees. He stared at her, as she emphatically focused upon having her leg shaved and not cut. He still did not move, even after she repeatedly asked to do so, to leave the bathroom. And he asked why, once, in that voice of his, sound of disquiet in the throat, twice, when she chose to overlook him, humming to herself to distract. “You know, it seems easier if you take a shower and shave your legs in there…”

She casually turned her head and offered him an esoteric smile. “Did I ask you for that sir? Did I ask you to state your opinion?”

Benjamin cast eyes, exhaling, and ashed into the ashtray. Perhaps he should withdraw from her, he started to think but when he caught his name, he looked up and felt defeated. He wrinkled his face, leaning his hands onto his knees and cocked his head in curiosity. “You were saying despite my tactlessness…?”

“Ben, I need you to forget the…”

“I told you I was not going to touch that subject again Sham…”

“You still with that darling? I was going to tell you to forget fussing with the boxes. They are not going anywhere… But now that you suggested the forgotten, elaborate to why you are suffering in silence?”

He sluggishly picked up the ashtray and placed it on the edge of the tub, mashing his cigarette as he cleared his throat. “I am not suffering in silence. That was the first thought that came into my head and I apologize for saying it…” he looked onto her rather obstinately, holding onto his suspenders, letting his eyes move along the length of her raised leg. “You will take it back darling. No man of mine is going to apologize for such things. It makes me feel good…” she whispered. He furrowed his brow and grinned oblique. “My… reputed suffering…. Makes you feel good Sham?”

“Of course. Jealousy in the truest definition is not entirely wrong Ben. You should know that. Are you planning to kill Frank Pembleton or Tim Bayliss because you assumed they were both stumbling over their feet to get to me? I think that’s cute…”

Now his white face took a sour expression of incredulity and stretched the suspenders in besetment. “Cute? Are you mocking me Sham?”

“I have heard stories, you have heard stories... You should not worry… Well, not so much on the former but the latter…”

“Because it seems he falls in love with everything and everyone?” he drawled impatiently, shaking his head.

“He’s very sensitive Ben. Frank on the other hand is married. Happily married.”

“And reminding me of this is supposed to instill what kind of emotion?”

“How could you worry? I would never worry about such things.”

“What?”

“I would not be troubled because I am not going anywhere. You are stuck with me. And besides, if the tables were reversed, I would be incredibly jealous to find some woman plotting with you. So, it’s all right to be dwelling in your morbid suspicion or presumed speculations… It shows me how much you care…” she murmured as she stood straight now, drying off her legs. “I will personally tell Logan and Cerreta not to involve other detectives…”

“Well, that’s only if I am there Ben…”

“I am not taking any chances Sham. Oh God, did you hear that?”

“What?”

“I sound like some invidious blockhead who has never been in love before…”

“I hope not Ben.”

He smiled unstrung. She wrapped her hands about his wrists and pulled him close, kissing his throat. Her fingers touched his cheeks, his hair and ruffled it. “I need your help Ben…” she said quietly against his lips. He made some noise in his throat, not wanting to do anything at the moment but kiss her. “Ben, are you listening to me?” but she was doing it on purpose, letting her breath caress his lips, teasing him. “To be honest, I don’t want to…” he drawled in seedy frustration. He kissed her and she allowed it for a full minute until she pulled away. “You my dear, are behaving quite bad…” he breathed, closing his eyes. “You are making me feel extreme yet unnecessary pain…”

“My poor baby…” she taunted, allowing her fingers to play with the button of his trousers. He faltered, grinning in spite of her little game and bit his tongue as her hand passed lightly, very lightly over his eagerness, visible in its painstaking form and he leaned forward. His hand to either side of her, gripping the basin tightly and peered into her green eyes. She was trying to act oblivious to his torture, trying to restrain her laughter that she was stuck and had no place to escape from, now that she was sedentary to his submissions. “Why do you look at me like that Mr. Stone…?”

He gave her one of those twisted, maddening grins she fancied so much, his brows raised in silent question and slipped one hand into her chemise. “I see you are torturing yourself as well… but… there is something more important than this right? You were going… to say?”

She took his hand, removing it from her chemise and drew it downward, giving him a sedated look. “I want you to shave me there… That’s if you have nothing better to do… Ben…”

“Hmmm, sometimes it… is good to stop and hear…” he closed his eyes as she kissed him gently. He nodded. “Anything you need mama…” he whispered, caressing her face. She regained her position, leaning against him as she lifted her chemise and he stared at her face as his hands held her hips, kissing her cheek and knelt down before her, receiving the razor blade from her. He removed her knickers, passing a hand in-between her thighs. He circled his arms around her, to take hold of the soap behind her, to make lather and bite his tongue as she held on to the dress, tightly. To hear her breath when he brought his hands to her sex, letting his fingers wet the hair there. He carefully placed the razor against her flesh, shaving at the edges first, at the hair that took to her skin at the lower part of the abdomen, his other hand holding her waist. He continued doing so, taking his time, wetting the razor blade every now and then and glancing at her. She was trying to be still, her eyes closed but the entity of her flesh was masked with tiny bumps, as if she was cold. He finally revealed the bud of her opening, the folded flesh that embraced the clitoris, his wet finger touching to make sure he was shaving every bit of hair, bothering her with trails of breath along her thigh. “Sham…?” and he slowly, very slowly drew his blue eyes upward, his thumb lingering by her sex. “Yes… Ben…?” she managed. “You must part your legs a bit more… for me…” he drawled. Admiring her sex as she did what he asked, his hands brushing her thighs with obedience.

He let his finger settle close to her lips, passing the blade carefully on each side of the vulva. Benjamin finally managed to rid of the sparse hair and settled in the sincerest form of satisfaction as he could see the perfect other mouth, his finger passing over the lips as he circled her body again, to rinse the soap off the blade, his breath caressing her belly. “Sham…” he looked up at her. “I am finished…” she looked down at him with the most painful of expressions, trying to hold out on her own as she resisted dropping the length of the chemise. She shook her head. He bit the edge of the handle to the blade, his eyes looking at her sex, bothering her with his lack of interest. “What is it that you want?”

“Benjamin…”

“Yes my sweetheart… Tell me what is on your mind?”

He left the blade on the floor beside him, his hands now on her thighs. “I think I got to you already…” he whispered, kissing her there, sucking the lips with force. He felt her fingers entwine the golden strands of his hair, her nails trailing the scalp. She let him for a while but had a desperate longing to kiss his face, his pale mouth. “I love you so much…” she said so quietly, as if she were speaking to herself. Kissed him for long, enjoying his tongue. She unbuttoned his trousers, letting the suspenders fall freely to either side of his skinniness, unzipping him slowly as she kissed and kissed him, letting him support her weight now that he had good excuse against the wall. She was the one that ended up against it as he lifted her up to slip into her. “Why can’t we keep our hands to ourselves…?” she said a moment later after their letting go, after she regained her breath, her green eyes finding his blue in desperation.

“We would not be together if that was the case…” he whispered, grinning against her mouth. “Wait… wait…” he urged, holding onto her as he slipped out of her, zipped and buttoned himself and found refuge on the floor due to the weakness in him then, grunting as she sat herself upon him, the wetness of her staining his trousers. He folded his arms, staring at her as she lit a cigarette. She brought the cigarette to his lips, letting him have a drag and he wearily unfolded his arms, tugging the straps of her chemise. He pulled them down, revealing her breasts. “You are the first I ever had sex with like that… What other secrets do you keep Benjamin?”

His hands came up behind her, touching the smoothness of her back as he pushed her forward. “You inspire me Sham…” he whispered, licking the nipple, his small teeth biting the flesh around it. “I… inspire you… How the hell did I get so lucky? Don’t answer that…” she exhaled, closing her eyes. He pulled her face down, licking all over like a cat and kept her silent laugh. “You would not believe the things I think about Sham…”

“Sleep is not on the menu today.”

“Any more predictions?” he asked distractedly, sucking at her throat.

“A bet…”

“Six…” he said, stopping to look at her.

“Oh, one more today… Well, I say seven…”

“Let me think about what you are going to be doing for me when you lose…” and kissed her chin. But she refrained to ask, giving into the delirium, breathing deep the smell of sandalwood in his hair. She was actually thinking eight but kept that to herself.