He flopped down on the chaise next to Orlando's prone body, switched off the music, and poked a finger into Orlando's side. "Wake up. We need to talk." "I'm awake." Orlando opened one eye and peered at Dom. "You don't want to fight, do you?" "Um, not unless you really feel like it." Dom tossed off his shirt and grabbed the bottle of suntan lotion. He was here, may as well work on his tan. "No, not really," Orlando said, propping himself up on an elbow. "Had enough fighting in the past couple days to last me a while." "And that's exactly what we're going to talk about," Dom said, beaming at him. "So, spill. What the fuck is going on in Eternal Idiotland? Why did Karl spend the night in our guest room night before last? Why did Karl and Dave get into a fight at Council last night? Details, mate." "Karl and Dave got in a fight last night? He didn't tell me about that." "Sean said it was something about Dave not minding his own business, but Karl challenged him and Dave sucker punched him, then kneed him and walked off. I assume you do know why he spent the other night at my house, though, yes?" Dom asked, flipping his sunglasses down. "Um..." Orlando looked away, watching the wind ripple the pool water for a moment. "Didn't know he spent the night at your place, but yeah, I'm pretty sure I know why he did it. Night before last?" "Yeah." Orlando sighed, studied his fingernails. "He...um...got in a fight with Harry that night." "I see." Although Dom really didn't. Harry and Karl were always fighting. Usually ended up with the two of them grinning like idiots for the next few days, and sporting very interesting bruises. "About?" "Me. Sort of." "What?" Fighting over...no, that wasn't right. Vampires didn't feel jealousy. "Fighting over you?" Dom leaned back in his chair. "I know you're going to explain that." "It wasn't actually over me," Orlando said as he flopped back down on the chaise. "Karl attacked Harry because he thought I was being hurt." "Come again?" Orlando smiled a little. "What part needs explaining? I went over there to talk to Harry, Karl showed up, jumped to conclusions, attacked Harry, and they fought." Dom was very tempted to strangle the man sitting next to him, took a deep breath instead. "You want to try repeating that in slow motion with details? Or something? Because I'm still way lost. And I still want to know where the hell you were that night. Why the hell weren't you giving Karl sympathy or patching his bruises or something?" "I was at Harry's that night. I told you that. And I wasn't with Karl because Harry threw him out of the house, and I stayed to finish talking to Harry." Orlando shifted to the edge of his chaise and watched Dom. Stayed to finish...Jesus. Suddenly, it all made a kind of fucked up sense. After all, this was Harry and Karl they were talking about. Practically one word. "I didn't think pets could be shared," Dom said out loud, trying to wrap that concept around his brain. The mere thought of wanting any vampire other than Sean was wrong beyond words. "Nobody told them that because they're most assuredly sharing me." Orlando relaxed back into his chaise and turned his head so he could see Dom. "At least I think they are. They both said they'd intended to all along, and Harry made a vow to me the other night..." "Made a vow..." Christ, that was serious. "Um, okay. That's, uh...I don't have words." Why the hell hadn't Sean said anything? "Yeah." Orlando nodded and closed his eyes again. "Imagine my surprise when I found out. And then Karl comes in, guns blazing, and it all went to hell." "Okay, so why don't we talk about that?" "About Karl?" "Yeah, about Karl." Orlando had been hanging around the eternal idiots too long; he was evading with the best of them. "About Karl, Harry, sharing and fighting. Because, if they are sharing you -- and don't think that's not completely fucking with my head -- then why would they fight over it? That doesn't sound at all like them." "They weren't planning on fighting. It wasn't supposed to be like this," Orlando explained in a patient voice. "Or so Karl told me. But he thought Harry was hurting me the other night, so he kinda lost it." "Moron." Dom dropped his head back on the chair, lost in thought for a minute. "This is completely fucked. And I mean completely. You've been claimed. By another vampire." And the thought of that made Dom's head hurt. This was not supposed to be possible. "What?" Orlando popped up in the chaise and stared at Dom, stunned. "Claimed? That's not possible! Is it?" He suddenly looked unsure. "None of this is supposed to be possible," Dom stated, with a confidence he was nowhere near feeling. "The pet bond is supposed to prevent you from desiring another vampire and vice versa. Like I said, Harry and Karl would be the exceptions to this rule. It has to have something to do with their bond. It's the only thing I can figure." "Christ," Orlando muttered as he pulled his knees up and rested his head on them. "Karl never mentioned anything about this." "You told Karl about the vow, and he didn't say anything?" Okay, Karl was taciturn, but not stupid. He knew what a vow meant. There was something else going on here. "Um, well..." Orlando lifted his head and peeked at Dom. "No, not exactly." Dom sat up, tapped Orlando on the knee with his finger. "I'm getting ready to tickle the information out of you. Talk to me. What did Karl say?" "He didn't say anything except that they'd always intended to share me and had planned on talking to me about it together." Orlando dropped his head again so that his voice was muffled. "I completely forgot to tell Karl about Harry's vow last night when we were arguing." "Orli..." Dom started, then they both jerked their heads up when the cell phone on the table rang. "Hold that thought." Orlando held up a hand, then reached over and picked up the phone. Fine damn time for someone to be calling. "Hello?" "Hello...Orli? That you?" "Yeah, it's me." Orlando smiled, shifted around until he was comfortable, and glanced at Dom. "Harry?" "Harry?" Dom mouthed, then flopped completely on his side, shaking his head. "Hey, little one, how's it going?" And that low voice wrapped Orlando in velvet heat. He wondered if Harry and Karl ever thought about warning labels for their voices. Belatedly, he found his voice. "It's going okay. Could be worse, could be better. Nothing I can't handle." "How's...how's he treating you?" "Pretty good. We argued last night, but things are better. We talked about a few things." Orlando chewed on his thumb for a moment. "I have a better idea where I stand now." "That's good." Harry sounded relieved. "Well, um...I'm actually calling to...fuck. I haven't done this in awhile." "Done what?" "Asked anyone out on a date," Harry chuckled. "You know, and I just gave Karl advice about that with you last week. So...um...can I take you out when I get back?" Orlando blinked and pulled the phone away from his ear to stare at it. He was hearing things. Because if he wasn't.... "Did you just ask me out on a date?" "A what?!" Dom squeaked, shooting upright. Orlando waved at him to be quiet, pressed the phone closer to his ear. "Yeah, you know, I take you out, we get to know each other over dinner or drinks or something. A date." "Wow, I...um...yeah, I'd like that." Orlando grinned and wondered if he looked as giddy as he felt. He could practically feel Harry's smile through the phone line. Then something else Harry had said registered. "Wait...what do you mean, when you get back?" "Oh, yeah, that. I'm flying to Bangkok later tonight. There's a situation with a new building of mine going up..." Harry sighed deeply. "I'll be gone a couple of weeks. Ten days, minimum." "Oh. That long?" Orlando bit his lip hard and tried not to let the thought of Harry being gone upset him. "Yeah, sucks. Bad timing. I'm sorry." "No, it's okay. Business and all that." Orlando brushed a curl off his forehead. "I'll miss you while you're gone." "I'll miss you too," Harry replied softly, and Orlando felt a hum course throughout his body at the words. "You'll have to take me with you next time," Orlando teased. "Wish I could take you with me this time," Harry replied, sounding serious. Orlando opened his mouth to reply, only to close it again when Dom reached over and thumped his foot. What? Oh. Oh! "Hey...uh...can I ask you something?" "Yes?" "The other night..." Orlando paused, felt Dom's eyes on him. Christ. He had no clue what to say. So he went with the very first thing that came to mind. "Why didn't you tell me that you'd claimed me, too?" "I...fuck...Orlando, do you not know what a vow does?" "Of course I do. I just didn't think another vampire could..." "I told you we'd planned on sharing you. What did you think that meant?" Orlando stared at Dom with wide eyes, his knuckles white as he gripped the phone. "I...I didn't think that was possible...to be claimed by two vampires." Harry's low chuckle had Orlando's brain scrambling, his body humming. "Well, no one's ever had what..." he paused, "...had what we had." "Jesus," Orlando breathed, fingers rubbing his forehead. Harry had claimed him. So now he belonged to two vampires. "So, um, what does this mean?" "It means we're...Karl and I...have equal claim on you. Sort of. And you on us. Sort of. It's um...it's complicated. Especially now." "I see. I think. So I'm pet to both of you now?" Orlando blinked, frowned, tried to untangle his thoughts. "So does that mean you and I can...you know." He flushed, looked away from Dom. "I can't believe you're asking him that!" Dom hissed. "Not quite," Harry replied, with a soft sigh. "We're not bonded yet. And that's...also..." "I know, I know, complicated," Orlando finished, sighing himself. He wondered when his life was going to be not complicated. "I'm sorry. Look, I promise we'll discuss this further when I get back, alright? This needs to be an in-person discussion." "I'm holding you to that promise," Orlando replied with a quiet laugh. "I won't forget," Harry said. "Would you mind if I called you while I'm gone? "Not at all." And just like that, Orlando was back to being dazed and giddy. Harry wanted to call him. Wow. "I'd like you to call me. Every day if you'd like." "Every day sounds nice. So, I'll call you when I get settled in, alright?" "Sounds good." Orlando smiled, wondered if Harry could tell he was smiling. "Take care of yourself while you're gone." "I will. I'll miss you." Harry's voice washed over Orlando in the briefest of caresses. "You take care of yourself." "I will. Don't have much choice with Karl around," Orlando joked, then sighed. "I'll miss you, too." "Just remember, if you need it, my home is yours, alright?" "I remember. And thank you." "You're welcome. Talk to you later, then." "Yeah, later." Orlando waited for the soft click on the other end of the line before pressing the off button. He set the phone back on the table and wrapped his arms around his legs, staring off across the pool. "So, you've got a date with Harry, then?" Orlando dragged his eyes away from the pool and looked at Dom. "Yeah, when he gets back from Bangkok." "He's going to Bangkok?" Dom whistled. "Boy, Karl's going to be annoyed. He tends to get manic when Harry goes out of town for more than a few days." "They're not talking," Orlando said with a sigh, dropping his head to rest on his knees. "Remember? That's part of the whole problem. Harry's blocking Karl." "Whoa, whoa, hold up, he's blocking Karl?" Dom waved his hands in a stop motion. "You didn't fucking mention that. I thought it was just a bad fight." "Karl attacked him, Dom." Orlando ran a hand through his hair. "He thought I was being hurt. Weren't you listening earlier?" Dom looked completely shell-shocked. "This is...Jesus Christ, Orli, do you have any idea how serious that is?" "Yeah, I've got a pretty good idea how serious it is." Orlando fell back on the chaise and closed his eyes. "I'm right in the middle of things, remember? Karl's holding up okay at the moment, but I don't think that's going to last." "No, he's not going to last very long at all," Dom agreed. "You need to talk to Viggo about this." "Christ, I hate talking to Viggo. Fucker ties my brain in knots and insults me." "Yeah, but I think you need to. He's got answers, you just need to find a way to pry them out of him." "I know, I know, it's just...he called me a doormat first time I talked to him and...shit." Orlando yanked on his hair and groaned. "He's going to kill me when he finds out how badly this got screwed up." "Why the hell would he kill you?" Dom asked, puzzled. "Because he kept Karl busy so I could go talk to Harry alone." "It's not your fault Karl was an idiot," Dom pointed out, getting up and sitting beside Orlando. "It'll be okay -- I've never seen a situation Vig couldn't handle." "Yeah, but do you know of another situation like this one?" Orlando sighed and rubbed his eyes. "And I still have to tell Karl that I'm going out with Harry." Dom bumped his shoulder against Orlando's, and grinned. "Yeah, so what are you wearing, anyway?" "Wear? I, um...oh shit." Orlando blinked and thought about that. "I have no idea. I don't even know what we're going to do!" Dom didn't even bother trying to contain his laughter. "You're such a girl." "Am not...and, besides," Orlando laughed and shoved at Dom's shoulder, "Karl and Harry like me just fine this way." "Well, you're going to need all the help you can get, then," Dom said, shoving back. "You have no idea what you're into with the two of them." Orlando jumped and yelped as Dom hit a ticklish spot. "You're just jealous." Dom found the same spot, started tickling Orlando in earnest, grinning at his attempts to squirm free. "I am so far from jealous it's not even funny." He stopped when Orlando was breathless with laughter, and held out a hand. "Come on, then. We've got about an hour before I have to be back, and you need to go shopping." Orlando allowed Dom to pull him to his feet. "Why do I need to go shopping? I've got a closet full of new clothes, and it's going to be at least ten days before Harry gets back." "No, but you might want to still be in something very nice and new and sexy for when you tell Karl about Harry," Dom grinned. "Ah hell." Orlando smacked his hand to his forehead. "Right. Fuck." "Well, you said you could handle it, mate." Dom slung a companionable arm over Orlando's shoulder, steered him toward the house. "Man, Sean is going to fucking love this. I cannot wait to get home." Orlando gave him a pleading look. "But you're gonna help me find something to wear tonight first, right?" "Of course," Dom agreed. "I'm thinking something red. Silk, of course. Karl loves silk..." Orlando snorted in amusement. "Can't imagine why you'd think that. It only makes up 90% of his wardrobe." Dom's grin faltered, and he stopped. "Look, you still need to talk to Vig, okay? And...just...be there for Karl. If Harry's blocking him..." Orlando glanced at Dom and sighed. "I'm doing my best. I really am. I love him so much, and I don't have the first clue how he's going to take this." "Well, considering that Karl's spent almost all of his life in love with Harry, and was going to share you anyway, I have to assume he'll be fine with it. As long as you tell him about it." "Yeah, but that was before things got so screwed up." Orlando shook his head and started towards the house again. "So...red silk, huh? Maybe with black leather?" "Now you're talking..." Dom said, as they disappeared into the house. Onto Part Eleven
|