| Title: Cherished Authors: Jo & Brenda Series: Claimed Pairings: Karl Urban/Orlando Bloom/Harry Sinclair Rating: NC17 Summary: Vampires and pets and sex, oh my. Yeah, it's an AU. Disclaimer: As far as we know, vampires don't exist. Cha. Author's Notes: *Brenda points to Jo* It was all her fault. I just went along with it. *Jo points back at Brenda* Her Karl had designs on my Orli. She liked the idea so we let them play. This is what happened. *mwah* *Brenda & Jo look around, then whisper* But it's really *all* Harry's fault and if he says otherwise, it's a lie! For the other 1/2 of the Quartet. *mwah*
"Okay," Dom said, rubbing his hands as soon as Orlando greeted him. "Ready to work?" "On what?" "This Tokyo thing. I told you, I know a bit about it. I'll help you get the key players worked out." Orlando thought for a horrified second that he was going to cry, but thankfully, was able to suppress it. He settled for crushing Dom's slim body to him in a fierce hug. Dom returned it, and, if he noticed that Orlando was still shaking and nervous, and his heart was beating just a bit too fast, he didn't mention it. "Orli...you told me I could call you that, right?" Smiled when Orlando just nodded against his shoulder. "You'll be fine. I'll help you muddle through this." He tightened his hold, squeezed, stepped back. "Let's go." The next few hours raced by in a flurry of graphics and charts and spreadsheets and figures and talking. Dom explained a bit about the history of the company, the management situation, Japanese etiquette. And yes, Orlando's head still reeled from the sheer amount of information and, yes, he still felt like he was a mere toe-hold away from a very steep drop into insanity, but at least the hold was stronger. And Dom made it sound easy, made it sound like fun, like an adventure. Orlando loved adventure. "Okay, so Donald is the head of the engineering department, and Vince is the development manager...and they've been with the company for awhile?" Orlando tapped the side of his legs in a steady beat as he bent over Dom's shoulder to look at the computer screen. Dom turned, beamed up at him. "See, I told you it was easier than you thought. Now, just remember that..." his voice trailed as he smiled, then laughed. "Jesus, Sean is a perv." He shook his head and bent back down to the papers. "So..." "What?" Orlando blinked and looked up from the paper he'd been studying. His forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Sean's a perv?" Dom nodded. "Yeah, he's talking about a quickie before his meeting tonight." Orlando looked around the room, then turned to face Dom slowly, papers forgotten under his hand. "He is?" "Yeah." Dom peered at Orlando. "You okay?" "Um, yeah." Orlando looked around the room again, fingers twitching on the desk. "You, um...he...you're talking to him?" "Yeah..." Dom looked puzzled. "Up here." He tapped his forehead. "Oh." Orlando studied Dom's face, fingers still twitching, pushing the papers around. "Like Karl talks to me sometimes?" "Yeah, exactly," Dom beamed. "When you're bonded, you'll get to talk back to him. The bond is also mental." Orlando blinked rapidly, stared at Dom. "I will?" A slow smile spread across his face. "Cool." "Yeah, it's great when you want to talk about people in the same room with you," Dom said, his answering grin equally wide. "I can think of lots of things it'd be good for," Orlando said with a soft laugh. Dom winked. "Yeah, it's really great for..." he stiffened, whipped his gaze to the library door. Orlando followed. Karl. "Nice to see the two of you getting along," Karl said, smiling, as he strolled into the room in bare feet, faded jeans and another one of his seemingly endless supply of silk shirts, this one a rich purple that off-set his dark beauty to perfection. He leaned over the desk, placed a small, but intimate kiss on Orlando's lips. "Morning, little one," he said, his voice a caress. "Morning," Orlando replied, touching his hand to his lips. Karl turned to Dominic, smiled. "Dominic. Lovely to see you, as always." Dom didn't smile back. "Karl." Karl's eyes narrowed a fraction as he took in the tension radiating from Sean's pet. "Something wrong?" "No." The voice was clipped, controlled. Dom rolled the chair back from the desk, stood. He turned to Orlando, still standing with his fingers to his lips, looking a bit lost. Dom was absolutely going to make sure that Sean killed Karl at the first opportunity. Christ, the eternal idiot needed to buy a clue. It wasn't like he couldn't afford one. "Hey, Orli, I need to go," Dom said, tapping his friend's arm. "Sean'll be up soon. I'll talk to you tomorrow, alright?" "Yeah, fine." Dom could see he really wasn't paying attention, but that was alright. He pulled the tall, slender body to him for a long hug. "Get some rest," he said, stepping back, smiling into tired brown eyes. Orlando nodded, smiled back. "I will." Dom turned to face Karl. "Put him to bed, Karl. He's been through enough today." He watched as Karl stared at Orlando in speculation. Good. Fucker needed to wake up and smell the toast burning. Without another word, Dom left the room. Karl's gaze continued to burn a path into Orlando's body, but now it wasn't passion. It was something else, something Orlando couldn't quite name. He still stood, body fairly trembling with exhaustion now that he wasn't thinking, wasn't keeping his brain occupied. "Are you feeling alright? You seem...tired." Grateful to his core that Karl didn't believe in pressing into people's minds without permission, Orlando gave a slight nod, put his hand down on the desk to hold his body up. "I'll be fine. Just need sleep." His gaze darted around, not meeting Karl's. "New house and all." Almost instantly, he was surrounded by warmth, as Karl lifted him in strong arms. "Come on, back to bed with you," Karl said, placing a soft kiss on Orlando's forehead. Tears prickled in the backs of Orlando's eyes, and he thought he must be exhausted that this small bit of kindness had the power to undo him. He said nothing, just clutched onto Karl's shoulders, content to hear a steady, but slow heartbeat under his head. He was almost asleep by the time Karl placed him under cool silk sheets, tucking him under the covers with gentle hands and more soft kisses on his temple, his cheeks. Sleep, yes, he'd deal with everything tomorrow. //Rest, little one. I'll be here when you awaken.// Orlando barely acknowledged the words, barely felt the hands that ran over him, soothing him into dreamless slumber. Karl was here, taking care of him. And it was enough. + + + Honestly, the things Sean did for those grey eyes amazed even him sometimes, he thought, as he stepped out of the shower. "Alright, pet, I'm awake now. Tell me what the fuck was going on this morning?" Dom handed Sean a towel and hefted his slim body up on the bathroom counter. Like everything else in their house, it was a sharp mixture of understated elegance and modern convenience. Sean loved his toys. "Orli called," Dom began. "I gathered it had something to do with Karl. The only other person you call an eternal idiot is Harry, and he just got back in the country," Sean grinned, drying the water on his chest. He noticed the hot look in his pet's eyes, thought they might have just enough time for a quick bout before he had to be at his meeting. Dom needed to talk quickly. Dom pulled his legs up and wrapped his arms around them, rocking back and forth in small motions. "Well, he is an eternal idiot -- and a lot worse. Karl dumped everything on him." Sean started rubbing water out of his hair. "Define everything." "The corporation, the CEO bit, the ceremony, the party, quitting his job, meeting you and Vig and Harry..." Dom ticked off everything on slim fingers. "He told Orlando about Harry?" Sean lowered the towel from his hair "Okay, not quite everything. But, Jesus. It's close enough. Love, he's a nervous wreck." "Karl?" Sean's voice held a note of total disbelief. "No, you dolt, Orli. Karl wouldn't know nerves if you bit him with it. He thinks things are perfect." "Don't know what this has to do with me." Sean resumed scrubbing the water out of his hair. Time was getting short. He wanted a fast explanation followed by a faster blow-job. "Orli made me promise not to talk to Karl about what an ass he's being." Ah. Clever Dominic. Pale green eyes now registered amused respect. "You expect me to talk to Karl for you." Dom flashed him a brilliant smile. "Yep." "Sorry to disappoint you, love. It's none of my business. He doesn't interfere with our life, I won't interfere with his." "Oh, but it is your business." Dom hopped down, crossed to Sean, leaned up. The vampire could feel the heat, the blood, coursing through his lover and was rock hard in an instant. "You see," Dom said, toying with Sean's collarbone, peering up at him through lowered lashes "I've decided something." "What's that?" Sean asked, not really paying attention. He leaned down to Dom's neck, teeth already bared -- was stopped by a firm hand on his chest. Startled, he looked down at Dom. Who grinned. "None for you until you talk to Karl," he said. And was out the door before Sean could fully register the words. Comprehension took about two seconds. None for...with a growl, Sean stalked out of the bathroom, naked, intent, a predator in search of his prey. //Save it, Sean. I'm already out of the house.// //Like I don't know how to find you.// Sean heard the quick sound of laughter in his head. //Not if you're going to make your meeting.// A swift glance at the clock had Sean cursing in five different languages. //You will pay for this.// //Talk to Karl.// Oh yes, Sean thought, as he savagely yanked on a pair of slacks. He'd most assuredly be talking to Karl. |