I LOVE 1991   by Meirav Rath


"Rather scruffy, aren't you corporal?"
Sargent's poking Corporal with his finger
"Yes sir, scruffy sir, just like you sir"
"I beg your pardon?"
"You sir, scruffy shit sir"
"What did you call me?"
"You're scruffy shit sir", yes sir"
"Oh really? But in 1991 it was fine to be scruffy as three likely lads from a small community in Seattle found"

That was a simple scene and they both acted it perfectly. Bob was amazed every time a new layer in his best friend and soul mate for 15 years now. 15 years went by like wind and so much had happened.
They filmed the little bits of the show in Jims' new garden (the one he had recently moved into) it was quit pampered, Jim worked on it for a long time, in fact, since he moved in.
He always did that, moved and started pampering everything. Now that the T.V show they worked on wasn't something they had to write by themselves they had more time for themselves. They still met as usual, but a bit less and most of the time they took care of the children. No more days of biscuits and fags in Jims' greenhouse, pretending to be writing but actually just talking and making privet jokes no one can understand. No, it wasn't like this anymore, there was no need for that. Looks like they're about to head on the way many creative people go, they did their best, they had their 15 minutes of glory and now it's heading for home building and peaceful life until the end. Bob sighed.
As he stared forward (his uniforms made him stand stiff, hands behind his back like Corporal without even noticing it). After finishing looking back at their past he finely noticed what he stared at. It was a little bit of Jims' garden that people were allowed in, non-of them minded and the fans seemed very happy to be there. A cameraman stood next to the people suddenly grew alert to something in a jump of surprise, he seemed listening to something while pretending he's not. Bob looked at the people to try and trace who he's listening to, as he concentrated and heard a strange language, it sounded something like Dutch, but the 'R's and the 'L's were strangely pronounced. Concentrating a bit more and he could trace down the source of the language. Two girls were talking to each other in that language, they looked first at him (he pretended not to look at them) and then they looked over to where Jim was sitting. They were definitely talking about them, he heard his name and Jims' stage name frequently. Then all they talked about was Vic, their tones seemed to rise and then go down again. They sounded angry and then joking. The general feeling that Bob got from their conversation was anger and something about Jim. The cameraman kept pretending not to be listening to them, he seemed to understand what the girls were talking about. When the girls seemed to be joking the camera man couldn't help a smile appear on his face, and for some times the cameraman seemed to try and keep himself from laughing out loud. But after the girls had finished their serious conversation the cameraman seemed blue. He finished handling his camera and headed straight towards Jim, he asked if they could talk somewhere in privet. Jim agreed, he got up and asked the man into his house, offering him a cup of tea on the way. The camera man was very serous and looked as if he's still thinking about what he had just heard and was thinking it through.
Bob was about to burst with curiosity, what were the girls talking about and what in that was so important the camera man had to go and speak to Jim, he turned to the girls. But what if they were planning on doing something bad to Jim and the cameraman was just trying to warn Jim and get him away from them, better not go speak to the girls. Ten minutes after they got into the house the cameraman returned from the house but Jim wasn't with him. The director wanted to get on with the shootings before the surprisingly sunny sun will regret its wonderful mood today. "Where the hell is Vic?!" he looked blamingly at Bob. The cameraman tried to talk to him but he shooed him away, he went to Bob with an angry look "Go find him! He's your friend". That director was a pain sometimes! Still bob HAD to find out what was in the girls' words that was so interesting and what did they do to Jim, now he was running to Jims' house. He found Jim in the kitchen, near him were two cups of tea, the tea bags were still in them both, Jim forgot to take them out. Jim was with his back to Bob, leaning on the kitchen table. "Jim?" no answer, so Bob tried again, with a bad feeling growing in his stomach. "Jiiiiim?" Jim shrugged and turned to bob, his face was wet with tears, his eyes were slowly turning red with tears, he was crying. Bob never saw Jim crying he heard him cry once, throe the door (understanding it wouldn't very tact-full to come in he didn't) but never actually saw Jim cry, it was a shock, now his brain was a mess of foreign girls, cameramen and great worry towards his best friend, now crying. They hugged, Jim started shaking with tears, he clanged to bob as if he was the only thing that would keep him alive. When Jim finely calmed down a bit he let got of bob. "What happened?" it took Jim some minuets to calm down, wipe his face, blow his nose, dry his glasses and sit down. In the meantime bob took the tea bag out of one of the glasses and poured cold water into it, serving the now ready cup of ice tea to Jim and sitting down next to him, putting his hand on his back. Jim calmed down, he was no longer crying, he just grabbed his cup of tea and looked at it. Bob gave him time to gather his thoughts. Jim took a deep breath and started talking. "The cameraman heard two fans talk about us, at first they just joked about like two fans and then they started talking about me, about my life now and about Sarah" Jim started crying again, thou he didn't make a sound or shacked like before, tears ran from his eyes, all down his face and dripped on to the desk. Bob rubbed his back attempting to comfort him. He went on "they thought I was a sucker for behaving like that, keeping the children for her and Julia, buying houses with my own money and then sharing it with them or just letting them live there. and they think she hurt me deeply and that it wasn't fare to do that because I'm such a sensitive and vulnerable person that it was evil to do this and how stupid of me to just say things to papers not knowing it is tabloid food" Jim broke, he leaned on the table, covering his face with his hands, shaking with his tears again. Bob couldn't see Jim like that, there was so much pain in his mates' heart that he felt it, some tears appeared in his eyes too, he was crying quietly. Jim turned to him and clanged to him again. They held each other, crying.
Years seemed to pass until Jim calmed down, now they were simply in each others' arms. Bob felt his love to his friend flow from him to the man in his arms, he wished Jim could really feel it physically. Jim seemed to have gone to sleep in bobs' arms, he wasn't moving and he breathed deeply, quit reminding bob of his babys' sleep. He slowly grew apart from Jim, trying to check if he was really asleep, but he wasn't. they were still somewhat holding each other. Jim was looking at bob deeply, he didn't seem to be really there, he was looking at bob but he was thinking about something else. Jim looked into bobs' eyes, they were so caring and loving, he looked worried, like this time when his small boy broke his leg and they had to rush him to a hospital But there was more than that sort of worry and that sort of love. bobs' eyes were full of love. Bob still looked at Jim when he noticed Jims' eyes seemed somewhat different. For some reason Jims' eyes always had their pupils very small, making him look constantly crazy, now they were big, like big black bowls with a thin blue circle around them, bob couldn't help himself find them beautiful. Jim was wondering something while looking at bob and he started growing close to him. Bob was deep in Jims' eyes, he didn't notice Jim was growing closer to him but his heart did start beating faster.
Their lips met. Jim closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he felt floating in the air and it felt great. Bob on the other hand was in a total state of shock, Jim seemed to enjoy it. Now Jim was really kissing him, sending his tongue to move all over bob's lips, that felt really good. Bobs' heart now pounded so hard and fast in his chest he was afraid he might get a heart attack but he didn't care, he started feeling like he took off and like it. He deepened the kiss, drawing circles on Jim gums with his tongue Jim held his head and stroke his neck with his thumbs. That was a kiss of love. bob could feel it coming to him from his soul mate in waves. He also felt like something was waking up in his trousers, that was the limit, love or not they better stop this before the directors' head will explode…or something like that.
They parted, looking at each other, a smile grew on the corner of Jims mouth, bob smiled back. "Better get back before the directors' head will explode" said Jim, it didn't surprise bob, it's not the first time they seem to have telepathy between them. Jim gulped down his cup of tea, straightened his uniforms and bobs' "too scruffy corporal, too scruffy!" bob looked at his friend leave the room and back to the set. He was happy he made him happy again and he was even happier they kissed, he felt himself getting so happy he'd become hype soon.
Now they had to shoot the scene about DJs in 1991, the DJ stand shone in the sun (everything seemed to shine now) and bob had to get the joy he felt out of his system before he'll be too hype to be under control. He jumped in the hair, legs folded and spreading, hands waving besides his body "oh, it's a beauty" everyone gave him a startled look besides Jim who knew what made him do that and looked at him flattered, he had this half-a-smile that made bob very excited. Maybe people around them noticed the spirit on the set took off, Vic and bob seemed to have come to life but the people around just thought they finely soaked enough sun to start living again, Like most English do.

"Start dancing again sir, you shit!"
"Thank you"

Nigthfall on Jim's house. They tidied up the yard from all the mess the filming crew left. They insisted that they'd just clear off and that they'd clean all the mess. They regretted it at first when they saw all the leftovers of food and packages of tins simply thrown away. After a long sessions of complaining about it and "Tssk"ing at the already gone crew they started cleaning. Working in silence, with the cool breeze of the forthcoming evening and the sun setting was pleasant, not that bob didn't want to talk to Jim but it was still fun, working together like that without speaking, just them and their thoughts and yet, still together.
Finely, after grabbing a shower that took off all the sweat from the cleaning duties bob started looking for Jim, it was time to talk.
Jim was in his bedroom. The bedroom was big and had a big, round porch. Jim set on a chair in the porch, with his back to bob. There was another chair next to Jims' (Jim took it out and put it next to his knowing bob will come and want to talk to him) and bob set down on it.
For some moments they sat quietly, looking at the suns' last signs for that day, it painted the few clouds in the sky with it's beautiful sunset colors of orange, pink and red, they contrasted the darkening blue skies and made the view from Jims' porch beautiful. "so what are you going to do next?" Jim and to think about the answer to that question. "I really don't know, I guess I won't be such a 'frayer' anymore" he said the strange word with a laugh "a what?!" "frayer, that's what the cameraman told me those girls called me, he said it's something between a slave and a sucker in Hebrew slang" "Hebrew?!" "yeah, the girls were Israeli or knew Hebrew very well" "ah, that's what they were talking, it sounded like some strange Dutch or something, they didn't look very Dutch thou" Jim looked at him "why is that?" "I don't know, they didn't look so 'high' I guess" they laughed. "Come on, I've got lamb leg in my fridge" "I thought you'll have that on Sunday Davie" said bob with his Donald Stott voice and they bursted into laughter again.
Maybe they were both all thumbs in cooking but the lamb tasted great. They sat at the same table they kissed next to earlier this day and they both couldn't keep it out of their mind. They ate and cleaned the dishes and the table quietly. Suddenly, just as he finished washing the last dish bob felt Jims' arms around him, he turned around and was kissed by him, he felt his heart beginning to melt.
"Come upstairs?" Jim sounded sirios and he looked so too, bob never saw him like that but he just blamed it on the fact that he never really saw Jim courting, or that he did but he was too drunk to remember or take notes of behavior. Surprisingly they didn't drink that dinner, they'd usually eat dinner with some bear but now they didn't, at least they'd know that what they'll be doing from now on is not because they got drunk.
Bob read a Randal and Hopkirk fan fiction story about Marty getting secluded from Jeff in a way that both Jeff and Jeanie would not be able to see him and Marty got terribly depress. Wayvern, his teacher to ghastly manors, had comforted him and they had a long chat that made Marty feel better. To bobs' total surprise the story turned into something completely different as Marty decided to thank Wayvern by sleeping with him. Bob stayed away from fan fiction from now on but that story just looked too much like what had happened today and he didn't want that, he wanted Jim to mean it.
"Why are you doing this?" Jim noticed bob became silent and thoughtful so to get his attention again he kissed him again, the question bob asked him right after that was not very clear to him, wasn't it obvious why?! "Because I love you bob" he never thought he'd say it but he meant it.
"We should have done this so longer time ago" jim he thought out loud now but he was so used to do that next to bob "I mean, maybe people wouldn't have loved us that much but we'd still have each other" "but we wouldn't have our kids Jim" "We'd have a Ford Fiesta!" he was joking again. Bob just smiled at him, a heavy weight was removed from his heart, Jim did love him "I love you too". They kissed.
Only now, in Jims' bedroom did bob notice they were both still in their Corporal and Sargent uniforms, were they enjoying this or something?! Bob opened Jims' belt and took his jacket off. Not removing his eyes from bobs' Jim opened bobs' belt. The heavy military coat Corporal was wearing was too hot to start cleaning with so bob took it off back in the garden, now he was in a white undershirt and his military trousers, Jim found that very manly. They kissed again running their hands all over each others' backs. Jim lowered his hand and grabbed bobs' behinds, as he was stroking and massaging him he moved their bodies closer to each other, he was surprised to feel a warm and hard bulge in bobs' trousers appear so quickly, he must have had it there for some time now. Bob enjoyed having his body so close to Jims' he felt so randy he could have ripped all the clothes off of Jim right now and do it, instead he kissed him deeper and more passionately. He did open Jims' trousers and took them off. Jim took bobs' shirt of and ran his hand through bobs' chest hair. he never touched it like that and he noticed it was very soft and sexy, thinking that he started erecting. They lay on the bed and bob took Jims' shirt off. He started kissing Jims' chest. His hairless chest was soft and a bit salty with the sweat from the cleaning earlier. Bob ran his tongue on Jims' chest, feeling it was goose-skined with something, he thought it was the cold of the Egnlish night. Cold was not what made Jims' skin react like that, it was the pleasure of bob's hot tongue running on his chest, it felt so good he nearly came. Instead he made some sort of voice that was something between the admiration cry at the sight of the mythical brow-olive brush and the Stotts' voice. Bob took that as a compliment and was very aroused by it too, he wanted to squeeze more of those voices out of Jim. He took Jims' shorts off (they weren't gray, they were white, he changes them from show to show…).
Now they were both very close to panicking, never mind the excitement and pleasure spreading under their skin. Jim was finely struck by what he was doing and he felt a bit shy and frightened at the fact that he was naked like that, then he looked down, bob looked at him, still in his Corporal trousers, making him look even manlier, that was a great turn on. Bob just realized what he wanted to do and totally freaked out at the sight of the penis in front of him, erected. Still, this was no stranger, this was his best friend and he loved him with all his heart, more then anything in the world, Jim and his children were the only things he loved so much he was ready to die for. As he realized that he was more relaxed, he was ready to do what he wanted to do; show his love to Jim by giving him pleasure. He ducked down until he was face to face with it. Kissing it firstly and then putting it fully in his mouth bob went down on Jim until he could hear Jims' cries again. Jim couldn't help it, it was too good and orgasm held him in his heart just as much as it held him where bob. He cried bobs' name all along and grew softly silent when it all ended. Bob took it like a man, he swallowed. Jim set up, breathing heavily, he hugged bob as strong as he did this morning. Bob was in heaven, it worked, he found a new way to express his great love to Jim. They were on the edge of the bed, looking at each other telling they love each other and kissing. Bob moved forward, making Jim lay down again. He placed himself between Jims' legs. After some probing he finely found where to go. They kissed and bob started making thrusts then feeling them. Although they could make it more pleasurable to Jim if they'd change positions Jim didn't let go of bob for one minute. Kissing and hugging all along bob came, held in Jims' arms, he couldn't imagine anything more loving and warm. They still hugged while bob was resting. They looked into each others' eyes, their noses touching slightly, they were smiling (Jim was smiling that half-a-smile that drove bobs' heart into pounding faster again).
The phone rang, Lissa was on the other end of the line. "The kids are asleep, they loved the visit to their uncles'" bob set up and ran his hand on Jims' chest. He was thinking about his brother, and the other two brothers, how will they react to his news of the turn in his and Jims' relationship. He completely blocked out what Lissa was telling him because Jim was smiling and giggling. Jim was thinking about Sarah, how at the start of the day, when he was crying in the kitchen he hated her so much and now he found new love and gave her a taste of her own medicine, I bet that'll be a big blow to her ego. "Listen Lisa, I'm really tired, the shootings were draining and they left such a mess after them we had to clean after them. I'll go to sleep and talk to you later" he shut the phone. Jim was off to the toilets for a minute. Bob sat on the bed thinking about Lissa, there's no way he'll give up all of todays' gifts for the sake of their aging relationship. Jim was a proof that single-parenting wasn't that bad, he just hoped Lissa wouldn't be bitter towards Jim or something, they were such friends all three of them. Jim surprised him again by hugging him from behind, they were still naked and bob could feel Jim hot against his body, he was erecting again. He raised up a bit to allow Jim in. as Jim was making love to him he took bobs' manhood in his hand and worked it. They came together, close to each other.
Farm noises from Jims' pigs woke bob in the middle of the night. Jims' face were right infront of him, they fell asleep naked in each others' arms. Bob felt more then happy to know they'll be like that for the rest of their life, more shows and seasons of Randal & Hpokirk or not, anything life planed ahead, they'll be together now. He knew he didn't bother to do that with Lissa but laying there, watching his best friend sleep so sweetly and quietly he wondered if Jim wasn't too burned out from marriage life.
He remembered something someone on their part of I Love 19991 said about their parenthood " Vic's living in his own little world and Bob was along for the ride" he laughed quietly and fell back to sleep.

"So Corporal, that was 1991"
"sir"