| 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*
Oh, shit. His eyes flew open, looked at the clock. 1:00. He fumbled for the lamp, switched it on to drive back the impenetrable blackness of the room. Rubbed his eyes as he sat up. Fuck. He had completely forgotten about the party. About Elijah. "Fuck me," he groaned as he remembered that Elijah had stayed over so they could spend the day together. Then he remembered that Karl had made him scream several times during the night. And blushed furiously, wondering if Elijah had heard them. He sincerely hoped not. He'd never screamed during sex. Ever. He blushed again just thinking about it. "You're going to be the death of me." A slightly rueful laugh as he shook his head, dark eyes studying Karl's impossibly perfect face. "But, God, what a way to go." Still laughing softly, he crawled from the bed and dressed slowly. He hated to think of Karl's reaction to the bright orange tie-dyed t-shirt he pulled over his head. It fell into the 'hideous taste in shirts' category, but he'd snuck it in when he packed. Just have to remember to not wear it when Karl was awake. "Right." Long fingers raked through mussed curls, dragged them into some semblance of order. He knelt by the bed; those same fingers traced Karl's cheek, brushed a lock of hair from Karl's forehead. "I don't know if I can do this, Karl, but I'm going to try. I'm going to do my best to be perfect for you tonight. No screw-ups, not in front of all your friends." He softly kissed that lush, full mouth, wished that Karl was awake. Another light kiss, then he stood. And hesitated. Then before he could change his mind, Orlando whispered, "I love you," and left the bedroom. After a quick search, he found Elijah out back by the pool. Stretched again, his back arching like a cat, and tilted his face up to the sun, wishing he could share the tranquil beauty of the day with Karl. "'Bout time you got your lazy ass up," Elijah teased. "Sod off, mate." Orlando laughed as he flopped into a deck chair. Smart move, Orli -- forget that you were just as enthusiastic as Karl last night? "Sore?" Elijah was smirking. Orlando debated swatting him, decided he was too tired. "A little," he confessed, knew he was blushing. Elijah snickered and Orlando blushed more. "But it's good." "So was it everything you imagined?" "More." Now there was an understatement. Nobody's imagination could have come close. "It was...I can't describe it. I was myself and him, and I could feel everything he was feeling -- like I was one person in two bodies. It was like making love to a...a supernova. Last night was the best, most intensely erotic night of my life." Elijah pondered that while he leaned over and touched the two small wounds on the side of Orli's throat. "Does it hurt much?" "It stings a bit at first, but then it's the most amazing thing in the world. It's like sunshine and roses and chocolate and sky diving and cheesecake and sex all rolled into one." Orlando grinned when Elijah laughed. "It's absolutely fucking incredible." "Sounds like it." Elijah scrutinized Orlando's face. He had to admit that his friend seemed more relaxed, more content, than he had two days ago. There was something, almost a glow, about Orlando now, an air of quiet self-assurance that hadn't been there before. Elijah decided he liked it. And if it was because of Karl, well, he'd like Karl, too. "So you're happy now?" Orlando nodded and bounced to his feet, pulling Elijah up with him. "C'mon, I'll show you around the house." "Orli, are you happy?" Elijah persisted. "Yeah, I'm happy," Orlando replied quietly as the cool air of the house washed over them. "I'm happier than I've ever been. Karl completes me and I love him. I'm just nervous about tonight." He pushed open a door. "This is the study. All those --" He gestured at a wall full of journals and ledgers and files and computers. "-- deal with different companies." Elijah let out a low whistle as he looked around. "Nice. You really are rich now, huh?" "What Karl -- what we -- own could fund half a dozen small countries into the next millennium," Orlando stated rather smugly. Okay, yes, Elijah was very impressed now. "Damn, you weren't kidding!" "Told you." The slight edge to Orlando's laugh was back. "Come on, the library's next." "So why are you nervous about tonight?" Orlando ignored the question as he led Elijah into a large room filled with books. He grinned as Elijah gaped at the floor to ceiling -- the 20 foot ceiling -- bookcases that lined all four walls. "Jesus!" "That's what I said," Orlando laughed. Elijah continued to stare in awe. "I bet you love it in here." "It's one of my favorite rooms," Orlando admitted. "Everything's arranged according to subject, and the older books are on the upper shelves. Some of those are over 400 years old. Karl's got experts to preserve them and keep them in good condition. He's thinking about adding a second library soon because this one's full. Want to see the theatre?" Elijah blinked at the sudden topic shift. Did he say theatre? As in.... "He has a theatre?" "We have a theatre." More smugness. If Elijah didn't know better, he'd have sworn that Orlando had lived in the house all his life. Orlando tugged him out of the library and down the hall. "The screen covers one full wall and there are tons of nice, plush chairs in there. And you're not going to believe the movies!" Elijah goggled when Orlando led him into the room. It was...he couldn't think of a single word to describe it. He'd never, in all his life, known anyone with a theatre in their house. "Good lord!" Orlando grinned. "And this isn't all." One slim hand lifted, and he began ticking off things on his fingers. "There's the game room, kitchen, formal dining room, informal dining room, twelve guestrooms, each with full bath and walk-in closets, gym, sauna out back, and...oh! And the basement!" "What's down there?" Elijah was almost afraid to ask. "Karl's -- our chambers. Sitting room, fully tricked out bathroom that's as big as my bedroom in the apartment, and the bedroom. I'll show you that after Karl wakes up." Elijah thought that was a good idea. Thought that was a damn great idea. Thought that was the best idea he'd ever heard. He loved Orlando to death, but he really didn't want to go into the basement while there was a vampire asleep down there. His eyes narrowed as he watched Orlando, noting the almost frantic quality in the other man's bounciness. "Orli...why are you nervous about tonight?" "No reason." Too quick with the answer. "Out with it, dork," Elijah demanded. "What's got your knickers in a knot?" Orlando made a face and dropped into a seat. "Do you know how important tonight is?" Elijah shook his head and Orlando sighed. "The party tonight is to formally present me as Karl's pet and to introduce me to his board of directors and the rest of the Council." Elijah's eyes widened and his mouth parted slightly. "Oh." "Yeah, oh." Orlando tipped his head back against the chair, closed his eyes. He looked exhausted...and very twitchy. Which Elijah knew, from experience, was not a good combination. "That's, um...." "Yeah. There are going to be a lot of important people here. Karl's friends, business partners, the entire Council. I don't know if I can handle it." "Why not? You love parties and I've never seen anyone you couldn't charm. Karl's friends aren't going to be any different." "I'm just so scared I'm going to fuck up tonight." Orlando chewed on his bottom lip and rubbed his eyes. "Tonight is so important. I can't embarrass Karl." "You won't," Elijah said, confidently. "Everyone's going to love you." "You don't know that." "The ones that were here last night seemed to like you okay," Elijah pointed out. He frowned, worried when Orlando covered his face with one hand. "Neither of them was Harry," Orlando mumbled. Elijah's forehead wrinkled. "Who's Harry?" "Karl's best friend." With a soft sigh that turned into a yawn, Orlando stood, stretched again. "Karl's known him practically his whole life, and he's never said it, but Harry's opinion is important to him. I haven't met him yet, but I don't think he's going to like me much." "Why not?" "Dom said that Harry doesn't think anyone is good enough for Karl," Orlando explained. "And if I fuck anything up tonight, Harry will know I'm not perfect, and he won't like me because Karl can do better." "Who's Dom? And Karl picked you, dork." "Dom is Sean's pet. They were here last night. The other witnesses." "Oh, right." Elijah tried to sort everything out as he followed Orlando from the theatre. "So what --" "Let's go to the game room and I'll explain everything while I beat you at the new Tony Hawk game." "You're on!" Then Elijah remembered something. "Orli...in my office...were you serious about me going to Tokyo with you?" "Yeah. Dead serious." + + + Karl rolled over, stretched, allowed his body to drift to consciousness degree by degree. Christ, he felt good. Great. Bloody fucking spectacular. Mind-blowing sex beyond his every expectation, felt almost like making love to... Harry. And his inward grin dimmed a little. //I'm here for you, puppy.// Didn't get an answer, didn't expect one. It was enough that Harry knew. Karl rolled out of bed, padded to the shower. He thought about calling Orlando to join him but figured his pet was probably a bit sore. And he was most likely busy entertaining the young Elijah the Fierce anyway. Ah well, he and Orlando had many years to explore every nuance of this shower. And bathroom. Hell, the whole house. The idea of making Orlando scream in every room brought the smile back to Karl's face, and it was still there when he pulled on a pair of faded jeans and his favorite black silk shirt and went in search of Orlando. He heard the sounds of squealing and cussing long before he stepped foot in the game room. Orlando and Elijah were sprawled on the floor, playing some video game or another, hands furiously flying across the hand-held controls. God, they looked young. Hell, they were young. Karl allowed himself a small rueful smile...and then noticed the screamingly loud orange of Orlando's shirt. Good Christ, was that even a color found in nature anywhere? //I take it back, that is the most hideous shirt I've ever seen.// Orlando whirled around, big eyes widening in a mixture of supreme joy and profound embarrassment. "Karl!" he squeaked, tugging on his shirt. Elijah also turned, glanced out the windows at the sunset, did a double-take. "Um, am I missing something, or is it still daylight out?" Karl laughed, walked into the room. "Yes, it is, young Elijah," he said, dropping to his haunches beside Orlando, giving him a slow kiss meant to remind his pet of all they'd done last night. And all they'd be doing tonight. //Missed you. I wanted to wake up beside you.// Orlando blushed a shade of charming pink when Karl lifted his head. God, he loved that blush. "I'm a born vampire," Karl said, answering Elijah's earlier query, fixing the young mortal with a lazy smile. "I don't suffer the consequences of daylight quite as extremely as a made one of my kind. And I don't have to rest as long. Also, the older a vampire gets, the more resistant they get to sunlight. The allergy isn't as strong." "Oh." Pure cobalt eyes widened just a bit further in that impossibly pixie face. "Any other questions I could answer for you?" he asked. He could already tell he was going to love teasing Elijah. The boy had an openness that rivaled Orlando. No wonder they were such good friends. "Actually, there is one." Karl dropped to the carpet, crossed his legs. One hand came to rest in Orlando's dark curls, massaging them between his fingers. "I'm all ears." "Why does Harry think Orli's not good enough for you?" Orlando groaned, thumped his head on the floor. "E-li-jah." "What? I'm serious," Elijah replied, chewing on his thumb. "I mean, if Karl's best friend is going to hate you, don't you think that's going to cause problems?" "Harry's not going to hate Orli. He can't," Karl stated, looking back and forth between the two mortals with a puzzled expression. Where in the world had they gotten that idea? He turned Orlando's face up to his, gazed down into that purely beautiful face. "He's going to love you. You're perfect." So perfect for the both of them...something they both needed. With a small cry, Orlando rolled up and launched himself at Karl, pitching him flat on his back. Full lips were on his lips, his cheeks, his forehead in light kisses tinged with tears. "What's wrong?" he asked, brushing Orlando's cheek. Orlando just shook his head, kissed Karl again, longer this time, with a soft tongue and a yielding mouth. Never would Karl get tired of kissing Orlando...sunshine and adoration in one delightful caress. He anchored his pet's head with his hand, plundered the soft depths of Orlando's mouth with his own tongue. "Am I going to have to leave the room?" With a laugh that was part groan, Karl lifted Orlando's lips from his. He was pleased to note the shadows had fled a bit from Orlando's eyes. "I don't think so," Karl answered. "We need to start getting ready anyway." "We do?" Karl could feel Orlando's nervousness, wondered what the cause was. Perhaps Tokyo again. The child had been inordinately pre-occupied with it. Karl sat up, bringing Orlando to rest in his lap. "Elijah, has Orlando talked to you about going to Tokyo with him?" Elijah's wide eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. "Yeah, he mentioned it," he said in between bites on his thumb. "Well, I'd like you to do it. As a favor. In return I'm prepared to do something for you." Karl didn't think it was possible for Elijah's eyes to get any bigger, yet somehow they did. They seemed to cover his whole face. "What?" "I'd like to send you to law school." Elijah's hand dropped to his lap. "What?" Orlando turned to Karl, brown eyes almost as wide as Elijah's. "What?" Karl hugged Orlando to him. "I think Orlando will need someone he can trust to help him with legal matters. I'm prepared to send you to law school, provided you work for me as Orlando's legal advisor." "You'd...you'd do that?" Elijah's voice was so faint that even Karl had to lean in to hear him. "Of course I would. Will you?" Karl struck out a hand. Elijah could only take it, shaking it with trembling fingers. "Now I think I'm gonna cry," he mumbled. Orlando laughed, kissed Karl solidly on the lips before flying off his lap to tackle his friend. "No crying, you big girl." Elijah squealed, squirmed, tried to get away from the questing fingers, and Karl just watched them with a kind of stunned amusement. God, had he ever had a friend he was that purely open and innocent with? His relationship with Harry had been complicated from the very beginning and even his friendship with Sean still had layers he'd yet to explore. His fault, he was sure...Karl wasn't a man to open up incredibly easily. But looking at his pet and his pet's best friend, Karl wanted to try. "Now, whenever you two are finished, do you think one of you could explain why that hideous excuse for a shirt managed to wind up in Orlando's possession after I specifically said solid colors only?" he asked, grinning when Orlando and Elijah both look up at him with twin expressions of dismay on their faces. Yes, he could definitely get used to trying. |