"Damn," Orlando growled, scrunching back down on the sofa. "Well, a cheery fuck off to you, too," Josh laughed as he dropped into the chair across from Orlando. "You're not Katie." "Now that you mention it, no. Her ass is much nicer than mine." Orlando squeezed his eyes shut. "I wish you'd stop that. You know how much I hate it when you two talk about each other like that in front of me." "Which is why we keep doing it," Josh replied, flashing a smug grin when Orlando opened his eyes. "I thought you were supposed to be working. Why are you still in your pajamas?" "I was working," Orlando muttered, pointing at the coffee table, and the stack of reports that Viggo had dropped off the previous night. "And the rest is none of your business." The second the words left his mouth, he wished he could call them back. Josh was worse than a dog with a bone when it came to digging up information from people, especially if said people were intent on keeping it a secret. Josh's eyes lit up. "Let me guess. Harry kept you up too late and you're just now crawling out of bed?" "If you must know," Orlando said, sitting up straight and attempting to look down his nose at Josh, "I'm not feeling well today." "Does Katie know? More importantly, do Harry and Karl know?" "Yes. And maybe, I don't know. She threatened to call them, so she might've done." Pulling his knees up, Orlando frowned at Josh, silently daring him to make a joke. "What'd you do to yourself this time?" "Oi, don't make this sound like it's my fault." "You saying it's not?" He knew he should have kept his mouth shut. "Fine, it's my fault. I had a dizzy spell, yeah? Y'know, the shakes, nausea, all that. Katie thinks I'm overdoing it." "Well, she's the one with the degree," Josh pointed out. "She probably would know." "Hmph." Orlando settled back amongst the pillows on the sofa. "I'm on bed rest for the night. I feel like an invalid," he grumbled. "You are an invalid." "I'm getting better." "Not if you keep pushing it you're not, and then you'll never get your fangs back." "Don't say that!" It was a shout born out of sheer panic. "You know it's true." Orlando glared at Josh for a few seconds, then crossed his arms over his chest. No way would Harry do that to him. No way. Not even as punishment. "Are you just going to torment me all night," Orlando finally asked, "or did you actually want something?" "Oh, I thought I'd hang out up here tonight," Josh said with a grin that made Orlando want to throw something at him. "Torture you, flirt with your nurse, you know, the usual." "This is not my life," Orlando sighed, looking at the ceiling and wondering just what he'd done to deserve this. "'Fraid it is, dude." Feet propped on the coffee table between them, Josh slouched even lower in the chair. "You must've been extra good in a past life or something." Orlando snorted. There was no way in hell he was going to dignify that with a response. "Just so you know, Katie's supposed to be done for the night. I thought you were her coming to tell me good night when you first walked in." "Already told you, my ass isn't as nice." Orlando ignored the comment with what he thought was admirable restraint, and continued, "Anyway, it's just me and the night staff, so don't feel you have to hang around on my account." Josh chuckled. "Nice try, but I really don't have any plans, and you know you'll be bored as hell in an hour without company." He paused, then gave Orlando a considering look. "Hey, this may sound nuts, but, um...do you know of a vampire named Joaquin? Karl ever mention him to you?" Orlando shook his head. "Not that I know of. Why, does this person have a petition in to the Council for the Gift?" "No, I don't even know if he's alive anymore," Josh frowned. "Although Karl said he wasn't dead, so who knows." "I'm sorry, what are we talking about? Karl's been talking to you about a dead vampire?" "Sort of," Josh said, sounding nothing like his usual self. In fact, if Orlando had to pin an emotion on him, he'd have said that Josh sounded almost scared. "And it's nothing...well...maybe it's nothing, I don't know." Orlando reached out and placed his hand over Josh's, stilling the nervous movement. "Start from the beginning, mate," he said, not unkindly. All teasing aside, he really did look on Josh as a brother, and knew Josh felt the same about him. If something was going on, he wanted to help if he could. "Right." Josh seemed to visibly pull himself together. "Okay, well, um. It was when we were back in England, right, on our honeymoon or whatever..." Orlando listened intently as Josh quickly sketched out what had happened, his frown getting deeper at every word. "So, hold on, let me get this straight," he said, when Josh had finished. "There's a suicidal vampire out there who used to train with Harry and Karl that they never talk about and Karl doesn't want you mentioning this bloke to Harry or Viggo?" "Pretty much," Josh shrugged. "Karl didn't seem very comfortable talking about him, either. And you can't tell him I told you anything. I sort of promised I wouldn't mention it to anyone." "Huh." Orlando chewed the side of his thumb for a moment, thinking over everything Josh had said. Not a single bit of it made sense, especially the part about Karl wanting it kept secret from Harry. He didn't think Karl or Harry even knew how to keep secrets from each other. Dropping his hand back to his lap, he looked at Josh. "Well..." "What?" "If he's a vampire, he's in the Archives. And as Viggo's assistant, I have full access," Orlando said slowly, then slanted a look at Josh. "I don't suppose you got a last name?" "No, and how are you going to get into the Archives?" Josh frowned, scooting forward to perch on the edge of his chair. "You're on bed rest, and if you think --" "Relax, mate, the whole thing's online now. Dave insisted on it back when he was still running the show," Orlando said, pointing at the laptop next to the papers. He curled his legs up and patted the sofa. "Sit here, and let's see what we can find out. Should be easy enough to pull up all the Joaquins in there. There can't be that many." "We're going to get killed for this," Josh muttered, but he moved to sit beside Orlando as they waited for the system to boot up. "Come on, you wouldn't have mentioned it to me if you thought it wasn't important," Orlando said, and pulled up the Archive Intranet Access and quickly typed in Joaquin's name. "I don't suppose you can give me any other parameters." "Um, well, Karl mentioned him in relation to when he and Harry were still living in England, so I'm guessing this dude would be at least a couple of centuries old. When did they make the move here to the States?" "I don't know the exact date, but it was sometime in the late 17th century," Orlando replied, scrunching his face in thought. "Huh, that long ago?" Josh sounded impressed. "I bet they totally fought in the Revolutionary War and the French & Indian War, too." Orlando just snorted out a laugh. "This is Karl and Harry we're talking about. I'm surprised they're not over in Fallujah right now, to be honest." He typed in a few more keys, then sat back. "Okay, there are only two Joaquins in the database one was given the Gift in 1925, so that rules him out, and the other chose the death ritual ascension thing in 1223." Josh frowned. "Neither of those sounds like our guy." "Yeah, I know." Orlando glanced at the screen again, but nothing changed. "Are you sure this guy was a vampire?" "Positive. Karl and I had this conversation awhile back about his parents choosing ascension when he mentioned the suicidal vampire thing and how ascension and suicide were different, and when he mentioned Joaquin's name while we were in England, he said specifically that Joaquin was who he'd been talking about regarding suicidal vampires." Orlando made a noncommittal noise, then sat back. Every vampire was in the database. The records had been meticulously maintained over the millennia, and Dave and his team had done a thorough job transferring all of the paper files online. It was possible that one name could have slipped through the cracks, but not likely. Especially if this vampire was in a position to be training both Karl and Harry. Not just anyone had access like that to Council members or even potential Council members. "I dunno, mate, this is odd." "Right, he should be in there." Josh tapped the screen. "Shouldn't he?" "Yeah. I wonder..." He hurriedly slammed the laptop shut as the door opened and Sean, with Gerard, of all people, walked into the room. Both were dressed in jeans and button-downs, but, where Sean managed to look relaxed and casual, Gerard, with his ruthlessly slicked-back dark hair and granite set to his jaw, just looked odd. Orlando'd always thought that Gerard could be an attractive man if anyone could just get him to smile once in awhile. Or, at the very least, not look so bloody serious all the time. "Thought we'd drop by and keep you company...and I know that look," Sean said, friendly smile, turning into a frown of speculation. The look he gave Orlando had Orlando reaching for a pillow to cover the laptop. "What look?" Orlando asked, flashing his most brilliant smile as Josh attempted to look everywhere but at the two vampires. Josh was good at a lot of things, but subterfuge was emphatically not one of his strong suits. "That one," Gerard said, dryly. "The one that screams you're up to something that's going to get you in trouble." "No clue what you're talking about, Gerry," Orlando said, with an airy wave of his hand. Then he realized what he'd said and felt his cheeks go pink. Beside him, Josh let out a choked moan. "Uh, Gerard." "No, Gerry's fine. After a decade, I think you've earned the right." For a split second, Orlando thought he saw what Katie meant when she said Gerard was definitely not stuffy. It was there in the twinkle in his eye as he settled into the chair Josh had recently vacated. "So if you're not up to anything, why are you trying so hard to hide that laptop? The two of you downloading porn?" Josh sputtered out a protest as Orlando stared, certain his face was crimson. "No," Orlando finally replied, with as much dignity as he could muster. Which, admittedly, wasn't much. He never needed to think about Gerard and porn in the same sentence ever again. "So what are you doing?" "Nothing," Orlando mumbled. Josh opened his mouth, but Orlando nudged him. There had to be some way he could keep Josh from getting into trouble with Karl over this. "Orlando," Sean said, voice soft, but firm, and Orlando felt his shoulders hunch up to his ears. He hated when Sean used that particular tone. "We were just looking through the Archives," he said, as he realized that, apart from Liv, no one else knew more about vampire history than Gerard. So Orlando took a deep breath, apologized silently to Josh, looked at Sean, then focused on Gerard. "Who's Joaquin?" He knew he'd hit the jackpot when both Gerard and Sean instantly stilled, then glanced at each other. From the corner of his eye, he could see Josh curl forward, but most of his attention was focused on Sean and Gerard and the silent, but intense, conversation they seemed to be having with each other. Finally, Gerard spoke. His voice was dry around the edges, like paper kindling. "Where did you hear that name?" Sean was staring at Orlando and Josh so intently that Orlando was afraid they were both going to spontaneously burst into flames or something. It wasn't a look he was used to seeing on anyone other than Harry, and he suddenly realized just why Sean was on the Council, and why he was behind only Karl and Harry in the hierarchy, despite his relatively youthful age. Orlando cleared his throat, and squeezed Josh's hand briefly in both warning and camaraderie. "You didn't answer my question." He knew he was skating on thin ice, but there was clearly something big at work here. "Answer mine." There was no room for argument or negotiation in Gerard's tone. Then Josh sighed. "Karl mentioned him to me. While we were in England." His shoulders slumped in defeat. "But then he freaked out afterwards and told me I could never mention his name to either Harry or Viggo, which freaked me out, so I, y'know, wondered if Orlando knew who he was." Orlando pointed at the half-buried laptop. "Then we tried to look him up in the Archives, and he's not there. Which isn't possible." He stared back at Gerard as calmly as he knew how, even though he was shaking inside. Something about all of this was completely off. "Just who the hell is this guy?" Sean scrubbed his face with his hands as he sank into the chair next to Gerard. "Well, they were bound to find out about him sooner or later." Gerard nodded, even though his gaze was still troubled. "You know we can't do this, Sean. Viggo's wrath would be Biblical if he even found out we'd said this much." "Okay, seriously, you two are freaking me out. Us out," Josh amended, when Orlando nodded. "What the hell is going on? Did this Joaquin dude murder a bunch of vampires or something?" The corner of Sean's mouth quirked in a bad facsimile of a smile. "No, not that I know of. But what he did was unforgivable all the same." "The reason you couldn't find him in the Archives is that his name has been stricken from all of our records," Gerard continued. "Although I suppose you two won't be content with just hearing that." "I'm sorry, back up." Orlando knew he had to look as shocked as he felt. "You can do that? Strike someone from the records? That's just..." "Fucked up," Josh finished, sounding ill. He didn't look much better. "I've never even heard of such a thing." "That's because it's only happened the once," Gerard explained. "There are only a handful of us who even know about Joaquin and what happened, and speaking of him is forbidden." Orlando exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Josh. This was some seriously hardcore shit right there. "So who was he?" Orlando asked, and held his breath for the answer. Sean let out a slow breath. "Nothing we say here goes further than this room. I'm not joking when I tell you that neither Viggo nor Harry can ever know we've spoken of this." "Neither can Liv," Gerard added. "You cannot mention his name to anyone, but those three especially." "Jesus," Josh breathed. Orlando knew how he felt. "And to answer your question, he was Marton's second in command. And Viggo's mentor." The silence that followed was louder than a bomb. "And Marton was..." Josh finally asked, looking more than a little lost. For a brief second, Orlando came close to reaching for his bond with Harry, but then he pulled himself back. ...But those three especially. Squeezing Josh's hand again, reassured when Josh squeezed back, Orlando tried to tamp down on the emotions he could feel building inside him. "Marton was Head of the Council before Viggo," he said, not surprised when his voice shook. "His death is what put Viggo in the seat." There was a small, faint moment of satisfaction when Gerard gave him an impressed look at proof that Orlando did occasionally pay attention to all of the lectures about the history of their race. But the satisfaction faded at the dark look on Sean's face and the haunted one in Gerard's eyes. "I don't know much more than that," Orlando admitted quietly, half-wishing that Karl or Harry would come home, just so the conversation would end. "No one really wants to talk about it." "But if this Joaquin dude was second in command under Marton," Josh said, slowly, "then how did Viggo end up as Head? Joaquin didn't...he didn't kill Marton, did he?" "Good God no," Gerard replied, looking horrified and sounding so much like his normal stuffy self that Orlando immediately felt a little better. "He worshipped the ground Marton walked on. Not to mention, Marton was his Sire." "Marton was killed by vampire hunters," Sean added, still sounding subdued and very much not like his normal self. "Oh, right, I remember now," Orlando said, as another memory came back to him. "Harry told me a little of the story when we first met Liv. About how a vampire hunter had kidnapped Marton's pet and he'd gone after them and was killed in the battle." "Dude, that's heavy shit," Josh commented. "I had no idea that vampire hunters were real." "Well, I'm not sure they still are, but they were definitely around back when Marton was Head of the Council," Sean said. "Those were dangerous times." "And Billy and Marton were very devoted to each other," Gerard said, giving Josh a kind smile. "Trust me when I tell you that if anyone were to try to harm you, they would feel every ounce of Karl's considerable wrath. He'd go after you with an army if needed." "Right, okay, back up, then. If this Joaquin person didn't actually have anything to do with Marton's death, then why wasn't he named head of the Council when Marton died? And why has he been stricken from the records?" Orlando wasn't precisely certain he really wanted to know, but he figured he and Josh were both in it for the long haul now. May as well ride it out. "Actually, Marton's death has everything to do with what happened to Joaquin," Gerard said. "Joaquin...took it very hard." Sean let out a mirthless chuckle. "Well, you didn't get your love of understatement from him, that's for certain." Josh and Orlando exchanged another look. "I'm sorry, hold on," Josh said. "Who are we talking about?" "Joaquin," Gerard said. "He...he was my Sire." "Do WHAT???" Orlando was vaguely aware he was shouting, but he figured no one would blame him. "I always did wonder why it was Joaquin and not Liv that gave you the Gift," Sean said to Gerard, tapping his chin in speculation. "I think they flipped a coin," Gerard grinned, showing off dimples that rivaled Dave's. Orlando was in too much shock to really notice, however. "Did you just say that, um, Joaquin was your Sire, and that he and Liv were together?" He felt certain he'd fallen asleep and was having the mother of all fucked up dreams. Gerard was, in essence, a grandchild of the former head of the Council. Jesus. "Together for several centuries," Gerard said, grin fading a little. "Together, joined in the iunctum ceremony...." "May as well tell them the rest," Sean said, gently. "My parents," Gerard finished, meeting Orlando's rapidly blinking gaze. "I was adopted, but they raised me from the time I was a small child." His smile returned, only now with a touch of sadness to it. "Liv's your mother? The Elder, Liv?" Orlando wasn't sure that was ever going to sink in, not fully. He peered at Sean, then Gerard, certain they were taking the piss. "She is. And Joaquin was my father." Orlando's eyes narrowed as he studied Gerard. Neither Gerard nor Sean appeared to be laughing. "Just how old are you, anyway?" Sean burst out laughing at that, and even Gerard chuckled. "Is that the question you really want to ask, child?" "Well, no, but..." Orlando knew he was floundering, but it was damned unfair of them to hit him with all this information when all he'd wanted was just to know who Joaquin was. He stopped, unsure of what to say or where to start. Josh saved him, even though Orlando knew Josh was as flustered as he was. "What happened after Marton died?" "Ah, well, that's quite the story." "We've got time," Orlando said, quietly. "And this person was clearly very important to a few of you." He was still dying to ask why Viggo and Harry had been so affected by this Joaquin bloke, but at least he now knew why Liv couldn't be told about the conversation. Just the idea that The Elder was, in essence, vampire married - and to someone no one even knew about was a mind-boggling concept. Gerard sank back into his chair, clearly getting comfortable. "I think a drink or two might be in order if the story is to be told properly." "I think we could all use a drink," Josh muttered, and stood, only to be waved back down by Sean. "It's alright, lad, I've got this," he smiled, and walked to the bar. He snagged a full bottle of scotch and four glasses and set them down on the coffee table. "We need something a little stronger than vodka," he told Orlando, when he sat back down. "God yes," Orlando breathed, and held out a hand. He didn't even care that he still hadn't developed a good taste for scotch yet (although he was getting to like it better); he just needed a drink. "Well, I suppose the first thing you need to understand about Joaquin is that he was always more of a scholar than he was a politician or a soldier, although he excelled at both," Gerard said, once he had a drink in his hand and was settled back in his chair. "He never wanted to take over the running of the Council," Sean continued. "He only agreed to become Marton's second in command so he could groom Viggo to take his place." "Why?" Josh asked, before Orlando could. "I mean, I get that he was Marton's fledgling, but if he didn't want to be on the Council, then why was he the one chosen to groom Viggo?" "Viggo and Joaquin grew up together," Gerard said. "And Marton trusted no one else with Viggo's education." Orlando tossed back his entire drink, grimacing a little at the taste, then held the glass out for more. That explained (sort of) why Joaquin shouldn't be mentioned to Viggo. "So, they were foster brothers?" "Basically," Gerard said, studying the contents of his glass before taking a long swallow. "Joaquin was 10 when Viggo was born. Like Karl, Viggo was an only child, so Marton arranged for Joaquin to be fostered by Viggo's parents. He was hoping that Joaquin would be like an older brother for Viggo." "Was he a born vampire, too?" Josh asked, then nodded when Gerard shook his head. "No, he wouldn't have been, would he, not if Marton was his Sire." "What?" Orlando frowned at them, briefly wondering if he should mention, at some point, that food would be a good idea. "Marton wanted him to ask for the Gift, didn't he." Josh didn't phrase it as a question. "That's why he wanted them to foster together." "Marton was hoping he would," Gerard said, draining the remnants of his scotch. "He thought that if Joaquin was fully immersed in a vampire family, he'd come to want the Gift and ask for it as an adult." "He must've really loved Joaquin, to do all of that for him," Orlando commented quietly, thinking of everything that Karl had told him about what he'd done to keep a mortal Harry close to him until Harry had reached maturity. Gerard's smile was tinged with nostalgia and regret. "Marton was, in many ways, even more clever than Viggo and Karl combined when it came to getting what he wanted. And he wanted Joaquin by his side for eternity." While Orlando was busy boggling over the idea that anyone could be sneakier than Viggo, Josh piped up again. "They were lovers?" "God yes," Sean laughed, for the first time sounding like himself. "They weren't nearly as indiscreet as Karl and Harry have been over the centuries, but they were deeply in love all the same. And they had that sexual pull that so many fledglings have with their Sires." Orlando's eyes narrowed at Gerard. "Oi, wait a minute, you and Joaquin didn't..." "No," Gerard smiled, shaking his head. "Not all fledglings and Sires fall into bed together. Joaquin was more a father to me than anything, much like how Viggo and Dave are with each other." "Got it," he said, then frowned again. "Hold on, did...were Viggo and Joaquin ever...?" When Gerard just nodded, Orlando let out a tiny whimper. "Good Christ, no wonder," he said, floored by the implications. "Was that noise because this Joaquin guy apparently got around or because you're imagining Viggo having sex?" Josh asked, with a cheeky grin. "I'll have you know, Viggo's had sex on this sofa," he said, smirking when Josh almost fell off the sofa twisting around. "And you saw this?" "Ew, God, no," Orlando said, shuddering at the idea. "But Harry and Karl saw the aftermath, so I heard all about it. Now if you don't mind, can we please talk about something that doesn't involve Viggo naked?" "Unfortunately, Viggo's relationship with Joaquin is a large part of why things are as they are now," Sean said. "As is Harry's with Joaquin." "Harry and...no way," Josh said, even as Orlando sat up and violently shook his head. "No," Orlando said, before anyone else could speak. "Neither Harry nor Karl had another male lover before me. They both told me that." Gerard nodded. "True, but in many ways, Harry and Joaquin were closer than lovers. And Marton's death..." He leaned forward and placed his hand over Orlando's glass before it could be refilled again. "Katie told me what happened earlier today, child. Have you eaten yet?" "Uh..." Orlando wondered just how guilty he looked when Gerard just smiled. "I'll take care of it," Sean said, pulling out his cell. "You keep talking." "So, Harry and Joaquin's relationship?" Josh prompted, as Sean ordered enough Thai food to feed a small army. "Joaquin was Harry's mentor," Gerard said. "Everything Harry knows of fighting and philosophy, he learned at Joaquin's side." Orlando frowned. "But I thought Karl --" "You've heard the sanitized version. Karl did have a hand in training Harry, this is true, but we all knew from the start that Harry's fighting skills, even as a mortal, were exceptional. Karl could barely keep up, let alone teach him anything new." "But Joaquin could?" Josh asked. "He and Viggo had spent a few decades in Japan Viggo honing his diplomatic and political skills and Joaquin honing his battle skills. He also spent a lot of time with the monks, learning about their culture you've heard of Bushido?" Gerard asked. Josh nodded. "The Way of the Warrior, yeah. I mean, I don't know much about it, but I've heard of it. It's like a code of conduct, right?" "Skills tempered with serenity," Sean answered, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Chivalry and combat going hand in hand." "Sounds like Harry," Orlando muttered. "It was still a relatively new concept back when Joaquin was learning it, but he took those lessons to heart and passed everything he knew onto Harry," Gerard explained. "I bet Joaquin and Ian got on like a house on fire," Josh smiled. "Karl told you about Ian?" Gerard asked, looking pleased when Josh and Orlando both nodded. "Ian and Joaquin were very close, yes. But Ian died long before Harry was born." "Yeah, Karl mentioned," Josh nodded. "He seemed like a cool cat, though." "I wish I'd gotten to meet him myself," Sean said. "Anyway, it was always understood that when Marton retired his seat, Viggo would take his place as Head of the Council and Joaquin would step aside and Karl would become second. Joaquin and Liv had always talked of going back to Japan and setting up a school there and to continue their scholarly pursuits." "But then Marton was murdered," Orlando prompted, even though he still felt his stomach clench at the thought of anyone killing the Head of the Council. It just seemed so unfathomable. "And the world went to hell," Gerard's eyes were so haunted that Orlando was leaning forward before he realized it to gently touch Gerard's arm. "We don't have to talk about this," Orlando said, mentally kicking himself for asking in the first place. No matter how curious he was, it didn't excuse putting Gerard through this. "No, it's...there are things you need to know." A long look passed between Gerard and Sean, and Orlando knew they were having another discussion. "And you can't ask Viggo or Harry," Sean said, finally, "or Karl." Why not, Orlando wanted to ask, but kept his mouth shut. He'd done enough damage tonight. "Well, I won't breathe a word to anyone," Josh stated, and Orlando nodded in agreement. "I don't know how much Harry told you about Marton's death, but it wasn't pretty," Sean started, in a gentle voice. "Not much, just..." Orlando wracked his brain, trying to recall everything Harry had told him that night. "Just that Marton was killed trying to save his pet from vampire hunters and that he'd tell me and Josh the story another day. I got the feeling it's still eating at him." "I'm not surprised," Gerard commented. "Harry took Marton's death very personally." "Blamed himself, actually," Sean added, "even though Marton had taken off after Billy before Karl or Harry even knew what was going on. By the time they'd caught up to Marton, it was too late to save either Marton or Billy." "And the, um, the vampire hunters responsible...?" Orlando asked quietly, even though he already knew the answer. Sean's gaze was steady, tinged with steel. "They had Harry and Karl after them. What do you think happened to them?" Orlando nodded, throat raw. He didn't need a vivid imagination to picture the retribution they would have laid to anyone who'd hurt one of their own. He was sure it would have been Old Testament ugly. "They wiped out the entire band of vampire hunters," Gerard said softly, "and when they returned to Marton's castle with Marton and Billy in tow..." He stopped, visibly seemed to draw upon some well of strength inside himself. "Joaquin and Liv and I had just arrived for a visit." "Oh man," Josh winced. "You guys had no idea..." "Liv and I didn't, no, not until we got there and the place was in chaos." The still unshaken part of Orlando's brain noted that Gerard had said nothing about Joaquin whether Joaquin knew or not. "How --?" Orlando bit his tongue on the rest of the question. It was none of his business. "Harry refused to say how Marton died," Gerard said, surprising Orlando with his perceptiveness. "He's never said, nor has Karl." "To be honest," Sean said, just as the doorbell rang, "none of us have ever asked." The talk paused as Sean answered the door and returned with bags and boxes that he passed around before returning to his seat. "Viggo and I were hard on their heels," he said, picking up the conversation without hesitation. "We didn't know yet, not that he was dead. We just knew he'd gone after Billy alone." "By the time Marcus got there a few hours later, Joaquin had already withdrawn into himself, and Billy was fading fast," Gerard said. "Jesus." Josh scrubbed his hands over his face, then flashed Orlando a small smile when Orlando reached for his hand. He had a feeling they could both use the comfort. Then Josh looked at Sean. "Just promise me that you won't let anything happen to you, alright?" A small smile flickered across Sean's face. "I seem to remember both Harry and Karl saying the same thing after Dom and I were bonded. I'll tell you what I told them I have no intentions of going anywhere or of letting anything happen to Dom." "Good," Orlando replied, aware that his tone was rather fierce, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't imagine a world without Sean's steadying presence and Dom's cheeky grin. "Now eat," Sean said, pointing his chopsticks at Orlando like a weapon. "Whether you're hungry or not, you need to keep up your strength." "Right." He poked at his yellow curry and rice, and fished out a piece of chicken. "Keep going." "To make a very long, complicated story short, Joaquin just...broke down, for lack of a better phrase," Gerard said, looking like he was a million miles away. "Liv was absolutely the love of Joaquin's life, make no mistake, but the bond between him and Marton was just as important and vivid, even more so because they were bound by blood." "We had to convene an emergency Council session right then," Sean continued, "but we could barely get Joaquin to raise his hand to second Viggo's petition to become the new Head." "Not that Viggo was faring much better, mind," Gerard cut in. "Nor were Harry and Karl." Orlando could only imagine how shell-shocked everyone would have been. Hell, he felt shell-shocked and it was centuries later. "So what happened?" "Right after Viggo was sworn in as Head of the Council, Joaquin resigned. And then, he..." Sean patted Gerard on the shoulder. "I've got this one, Ger," he said, gently, then turned to Josh and Orlando. "He then formally in front of the rest of the Council asked Viggo if Viggo would approve his petition to be unmade so he could die a mortal death. Said he'd had enough of living and didn't want to go on." The piece of chicken he'd been chewing lodged in his throat, and Orlando had to suffer through a long moment of Josh pounding his back and Sean cursing loudly before he finally got it down. "I'm okay," Orlando managed to get out, waving Josh off and reaching for his drink. "He asked..." Gerard nodded, jaw tight. His voice was rough and raw when he spoke. "Viggo refused, naturally, and it...it got rather ugly." "Jesus," Josh breathed. "Precisely," Sean said, quietly, simply. "After Liv walked out, Viggo told Joaquin he was a coward for even thinking of doing that to Liv or to himself, for trying to take the easy way out. Viggo told him that if he wanted to commit suicide, there were easier ways, but Viggo wasn't going to help him or stand by and watch him die." "And Harry was there?" Orlando croaked, knowing there was no need to ask, but needing to hear the answer. "We all were," Sean affirmed. "To this day, I've never seen Harry or Karl that still." "Suicidal vampires," Josh muttered, almost as if to himself, then shook his head and said, louder: "No wonder Karl was so insistent that what his parents went through was nothing like suicide." "When an older vampire chooses to go through the ascension, it's a much different affair. Almost joyous," Sean explained. "That ceremony is...it's a celebration of a life well-lived. What Joaquin was asking for was nothing of the sort." "Yeah, yeah. I get it now," Josh replied, slowly, then blindly reached for his glass. "I can't even imagine what everyone must've been going through. You, especially, Gerard. I mean, he was your father, for all intents and purposes..." "I was as shocked as anyone," Gerard replied. "But not as shocked as I was the next evening." Orlando put his carton down again. "Wait, what happened the next evening?" Sean rubbed a hand across his unshaven cheek. "Joaquin disappeared." "What do you mean, disappeared?" Josh looked from Gerard to Sean, then gave Orlando a puzzled look. "That's not possible. He had bonds - with Gerard, with Liv..." A faint smile crossed Sean's face. "Orlando?" Orlando sighed. Yeah, unfortunately, he knew the answer to this one. "It's possible if the vampire is mentally strong enough," he said. "They can lock down their minds so no one can get in... They won't hear you, and you can't find them. I lived with Harry and Karl for two weeks when Harry locked Karl out," he admitted with a rueful look. "Trust me, if Joaquin didn't want anyone to find him, they couldn't." "My blood bond, Liv's iunctum bond -- they just gave us a feel that Joaquin was alive," Gerard said. "We could have pointed and said he was in a vague direction, but finding him? No, that wasn't going to happen. And even that was gone after a time." A shiver rippled up Orlando's spine at the idea. He couldn't begin to imagine what life would be like if Harry or Karl simply vanished on him. "No one looked for him?" Josh asked, the words a barely veiled demand. "We couldn't." "What do you mean, you couldn't?" Sean cleared his throat delicately. "Gerard means that we couldn't. As soon as Viggo got wind of what Joaquin had done, he convened a Council meeting right then, and put forth the motion that Joaquin be censured. Permanently." "I've never heard of censuring," Orlando frowned. "I mean, not when vampires do it." "We've never done it before. Or since," Gerard said. "Its only purpose is to strip a vampire from all records and to declare him persona non gratis. Joaquin became dead to us we were forbidden from any contact with him or even mentioning his name. It was as if he'd never existed." "Jesus fucking Christ," Josh murmured, jaw dropping to the floor. "This was Viggo's idea? And you all approved?" "Marcus and Karl didn't. But the rest of us did." "Even you?" Orlando asked Gerard, searching his face for answers, afraid he'd hate the ones he'd find. He was even more scared to ask about Harry. "Even me," Gerard replied after a long pause. "Understand, I had lost my father and my Sire at the same time. He wouldn't answer me, or anyone else, and my mother was falling apart. I was hurting, and I wanted to hurt him the same way." "But...Marton..." Gerard nodded. "Marton's death destroyed something inside Joaquin, but I couldn't see that. If we had waited just a few weeks for the vote, who knows how things would have ended. And before you ask, Harry was the first to vote yes." Orlando closed his eyes and tried to remember how to breathe as an almost overwhelming urge to cry swamped him. "Joaquin was his best friend," Sean said, reaching across the coffee table to pat Orlando's hand. "He'd just lost Marton and Billy and when Joaquin left, it was like something inside him snapped. If he hadn't had Karl to shore him up, I think he'd have gone after Joaquin to kill him. And I don't think Joaquin would have stopped him." "Fuck," Orlando moaned, dropping his head as a wave of misery swept over him. He leaned gratefully into Josh when Josh wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "How the hell could I not know about this? Karl and Harry have been living with this for centuries..." "And you never knew because we all did our best to forget that Joaquin ever existed," Sean interrupted, gently. "It was pure survival, for all of us." "And now you know why Karl reacted the way he did when he let Joaquin's name slip," Gerard added, with a kind smile for Josh. "It was probably the first time in centuries that Karl's even said his name." "No wonder he freaked at the idea of me mentioning him to Harry or Viggo," Josh agreed, and tightened his arm around Orlando. "This is some heavy shit." "Who knows?" Orlando asked. "About Joaquin?" "Everyone that was on the Council at the time. The other vampires who would have known Joaquin were told he died along with Marton and Billy. Karl insisted that Viggo give Joaquin that much, and, in many ways, it was the truth." "No one else?" Orlando glanced to Sean. "Not Dom, not Katie, not Dave...?" "No one," Sean confirmed. "You're the first two to know about him since the night we passed the censure." "And we can't tell anyone." Josh's voice conveyed all the misery Orlando was feeling. "I can't lie to Harry," Orlando said, forcing the words past wooden lips. "Don't mention it around him," Gerard offered, but Orlando was shaking his head before the words were completely out of Gerard's mouth. "He knows me too well." Orlando looked at Sean, silently pleading for something he couldn't name. "Tell him the truth," Sean said, fingers curling around Orlando's. "Tell him we told you about Marton and Billy. Just leave Joaquin's name out of it." Josh gave Gerard a hard look. "This happened centuries ago. I can't believe any of you -- especially you -- are still okay with this." Gerard returned the look with a flat one of his own. "We gave him what he so desperately wanted. And no one's seen nor heard from him since." He tapped his temple. "If he wanted to let us know he was alright if he wanted us to find him all he has to do is drop his shields." "Liv's never..." Orlando started, then stopped when Gerard shook his head. "No, she wouldn't. She also voted for censure." "Liv was on the Council?" Josh asked, startled, echoing Orlando's thoughts. "Yes, but after Joaquin disappeared, she asked to be appointed as Elder. Hugo, our last Elder, had chosen ascension, so it was time to appoint a replacement, anyway," Sean said. "I've always suspected she did it to seclude herself," Gerard added, with a wistful look. "She's come so far since then, but she's never fully recovered from Joaquin's disappearance." "Why doesn't she, I dunno, break the iunctum bond? Or get Viggo to do it or whatever it is that has to happen?" Josh asked. "I've never asked." Gerard shrugged. "But, obviously, it's not like Joaquin ever asked to break it, either." "This is so fucked up," Orlando said, wrapping his arms around himself. "Harry...Karl...it's part of who they are, isn't it?" "A large part, yes," Sean said, kneeling in front of Orlando and placing gentle hands over Orlando's. "Harry learned his battle tactics, his code of honor everything at Joaquin's side, and Joaquin threw it all away. This is why Harry doesn't open his heart easily, and that's why Karl is so protective of him." "Harry's never dealt with it," Gerard added, concerned eyes studying Orlando and Josh. "Karl's certainly never dealt with it. Viggo, definitely not. Honestly, I don't think any of us have." Josh's arm still circled Orlando's shoulder, but Josh sat up a little straighter. "Why not?" "Because dealing with it the way we needed to required Joaquin to be there," Gerard said, a ghost of a smile flitting across his face. "And since he'd been censured, that's been impossible." "Would you..." Orlando paused, licked his lips, eyes darting from Sean to Gerard. "Would you know if he was dead?" A pained look crossed Gerard's face and Orlando felt immediate regret for putting it there. He felt like he and Gerard had crossed a threshold tonight, and knew he'd never look at Gerard the same way again. "I'd definitely know," Gerard finally said. "The same way Joaquin knew the instant Marton died, even if he didn't know how or why." "When my Sire was executed, I felt it clear to my toes, and I barely knew the man," Sean supplied. "If Joaquin was dead, Liv or Gerard would have told us. They definitely would have known." Orlando's head snapped up at Sean's words. "Your Sire was executed?" "We did warn you and Dave that fledgling abandonment was a serious crime," Sean reminded him. "Marton wasn't nearly as forgiving of it as Viggo was with Dave. But I think that had more to do with Dave's newly formed bond with Lawrence and the fact that Viggo was his Sire than any true need for leniency on Viggo's part as a leader." "Holy shit," Josh muttered. Orlando wasn't sure how many more surprises he could handle tonight. "I don't think I want to hear any more." "Has your insatiable curiosity finally been sated?" Sean asked. His hold on Orlando eased, but Orlando reached out to wrap one hand around Sean's. "You only know the bare bones of what happened," Gerard said, another faint smile appearing when Orlando gave him a horrified look. "The devil, as they say, is in the details." "Can't we skip those?" "Certainly. But if either of you find yourself with questions, you come to me or Sean and no one else. I cannot stress that enough. The two of us combined wouldn't be able to protect you if anyone gets wind of the fact that you know anything at all about Joaquin." "Understood," Josh replied faintly. "A thousand percent understood," Orlando added. He suddenly, fiercely wished Harry was there with him, but knew it would be the worst thing in the world for him right now. He settled for snuggling closer to Josh and pulling Sean up to sit at his other side. "And on that note, I should be going," Gerard said, and stood. The look he gave Orlando and Josh was fond. "Take care of each other tonight." Sean frowned slightly. "You are going to Rosario's, yes? I don't think you should be alone." "I'd be poor company for her right now," Gerard replied, softly. "I'll be fine, I promise." "I doubt it," Sean said, just as softly. "But you know how to reach me if you aren't." Gerard smiled a little, and he and Sean looked at each other for a long moment. Then Orlando fidgeted, and two sets of eyes settled on him. "I hate it when you do that." "Talk over your head?" Sean grinned and ruffled his hair until a curl fell into Orlando's eyes. "Yes." Orlando huffed for a moment, then darted a look to Gerard. "Take care tonight, okay?" "I will, child," Gerard said with another small smile as he made a tiny bow and put one hand over his heart. "You have my word." "And you'll stay?" Orlando asked Sean, knowing he was coming across as pathetic, but figuring that he and Josh needed a little calming influence. "For a little while," Sean promised as he gently untangled himself from Orlando. "Just let me see Gerard out." Orlando waited until Gerard and Sean had left the library before turning to Josh, who just held up a hand to still Orlando's unspoken question. "I'm totally staying the night, before you even ask." "Okay. Good." Orlando rested his head back on Josh's shoulder. "So many secrets, y'know?" "They're all centuries old," Josh replied, with a kiss to Orlando's hair. "I'm sure we'll both die not knowing everything about them." "I know, it's just..." Orlando sighed. "This is really big. And really fucked up." "Totally agreed. But it happened 600 years ago, thereabouts. And you heard them if this was something either side wanted to fix, they'd have found a way." "I know, and I'm not going to say or do anything. I promise," Orlando stressed, when Josh just raised an eyebrow. "This is way bigger than anything I could tackle. I just wish, y'know, that one day they could all settle it." "Maybe they will," Josh shrugged, then turned his head to smile at Sean when he walked back into the library. "How is Gerard? Really?" "As well as can be expected, I suppose," Sean replied. "Tonight dredged up a lot of memories." "I bet." Josh shifted as Sean sat back down, and Orlando ended up curled against Sean while Josh plastered himself against Orlando. "If I'd known, man --" "Yes, but you didn't," Sean said, reaching over to run a light finger along Josh's jaw. "And the very first lesson pets and fledglings learn is to ask questions about things you don't know or understand. And tonight, you found something you didn't understand." "Boy, did we," Orlando muttered. "Gramps always said snooping was going to get me into trouble." "You've no idea the trouble you two could have found yourselves in if you'd ask that first question to the wrong person." Sean sat up a little, just enough to pin Orlando with a steady gaze. "I really can't stress enough how important it is that either of you not breathe a word of this to Harry or Viggo or Liv, whenever you see her again." "I know," Orlando replied, in a steady voice. "I promise. I mean, this was big enough to get the Council to do something they've never done before or since, y'know?" "I do," Sean nodded. "I was still a fledgling myself when everything happened, so I do know some of what the two of you are feeling. It's a lot to take in." "What was he like?" Josh asked, flipping Orlando's hand over so they could curl their fingers together. "Before Marton's death, I mean. He must've been an extraordinary person to have affected so many lives." "He was," Sean replied, quietly. "To this day, I've never met anyone quite like him someone who could fight when necessary, but who also had the ability to calm any argument, soothe any egos or ruffled feathers. He had a gift." Josh wrinkled his nose. "Uh, I hate to break this to you, dude, but you could be describing yourself." Sean laughed, and Orlando wiggled closer, wanting more of that rumble in Sean's chest. "Who do you think I learned it from? I had several years to watch him before I received the Gift, and a few decades after before Marton was killed. Studying Joaquin was a fascinating thing. And watching him with Harry..." Orlando waited, glancing at Josh after a few seconds. When it became clear that Sean wasn't going to continue, two sets of fingers poked him. "Keep going!" "The two of them together...it was as if Harry had finally found an older brother. You won't believe it, Orlando, but Harry treated Joaquin much the way you treat Harry." "Huh?" Orlando frowned, trying to figure that out, but Josh just snorted out a laugh. "You mean he worshiped the ground Joaquin walked on." Sean smiled brightly at Josh. "Precisely. They were like peas in a pod, really. And if Harry wasn't with Karl, odds were he was with Joaquin, soaking in everything Joaquin did or said like a sponge. They were constantly pushing and testing each other to new limits." He smile grew nostalgic. "I wish you could have seen them sparring together." "You were in love with him, too, weren't you?" Orlando guessed, laying his head on Sean's shoulder. "Joaquin, I mean." "Maybe a little," Sean admitted. "Not like I was with Harry, no, but they were too much alike for me not to feel anything for Joaquin." "And did you and Joaquin...?" Josh trailed off, expectantly. Sean's smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. "Let's just say that we shared a few long nights and leave it at that." "You sly dog," Josh laughed, sitting up long enough to snag the blankets Orlando had kicked off the sofa earlier. "He's a vampire," Orlando said, trying to stifle his giggles at Sean's mock-indignant expression. "It's kinda synonymous with whore. And given everything I've seen the last ten years, I'm pretty sure the Whore of Babylon was a vampire." "Well, now that you mention it..." "Don't!" Orlando practically shrieked, twisting to put both hands over Sean's mouth. Green eyes twinkled at him, and Josh slid off the other end of the sofa laughing. "Next you'll be telling me Liv was born in Babylon or something." "No, not Babylon," Sean managed to say, voice muffled behind Orlando's fingers. "Do I want to know?" "Istakhr. Persia," Sean clarified, when Josh and Orlando just gave him blank looks. "I'm not sure of the exact year, but it was sometime in the early 3rd century. One never asks a lady her age." Josh just laughed. "I'm not surprised she's Persian, come to think on it. Not given her harem and where she's living now." "Liv always did have an eye for beauty," Sean replied. "Although, from what I understand, the first time she and Joaquin met, they hated each other." Orlando couldn't have heard that right. "I'm sorry?" "The story I heard was that he thought she was an ice princess and she thought he was too arrogant and a bad influence on both Marton and Viggo." "Man, if she only knew..." Orlando muttered, shaking his head. "It took them a few decades to figure out what the rest of us already knew." "That the antagonism was really sexual attraction?" Josh guessed. "Precisely," Sean grinned. "But once they did, it was only a matter of weeks before they asked Marton to perform the iunctum ceremony." "Weeks? Wow," Orlando said, settling his feet in Josh's lap and grinning at Josh's flat look. "He moved fast, didn't he?" "Actually, I think it was Liv who did the asking." "Now that I can believe," Josh grinned. "She's a force of nature." "That she is, child, that she is." "So, um, how'd she and Karl end up...y'know, together?" Josh shrugged when Sean gave him a startled look. "Dude, he admitted it in Istanbul when we first met her." "Not that he needed to say anything," Orlando confirmed. "The way he treats her and the way she looks at him? A blind man could have seen it." Sean settled back on the cushions. "Ah, well, I couldn't tell you exactly when it started, but it was a few decades, at least, after Joaquin left. I think it was pure comfort at first, but they do love each other in their own way." "Question," Josh said. He shifted, looking uncomfortable, and Orlando just knew he wasn't going to like whatever it was Josh was going to ask. "If Harry basically worshiped Joaquin and treated him like an older brother, um, well, how'd he take it when he found out that Karl was sleeping with Joaquin's mate?" "Ah, yes." Sean let out a slow breath. "Normally, this is where I'd tell you to mind your own or to ask Harry if you wanted to know, but since that's out of the question..." He sighed again. "I asked him about it once. Delicately, mind, not using Joaquin's name. And I remember he told me that sometimes in life there's a high price for things. And that his blessing had come at a high price for Karl." "Meaning what?" "Well, I obviously can't say for certain, but it was never a secret that Karl wanted to go after Joaquin, drag him back to the fold, demand answers, force him and everyone else to deal with Marton's death. He would bring it up at Council, in private meetings he and Viggo and Harry and Gerard used to have arguments that would shake the walls. But after he and Liv got together, all of it just...stopped. And he's never mentioned it again, not to anyone, not that I know of." Orlando raised an eyebrow. "So, you're telling us that you think that Harry's price for looking the other way while Karl was banging his best friend's old lady was that Karl had to stop looking for Joaquin?" Sean made a pained face. "We do need to work on your word choice. But yes, essentially. That's what I think happened." "Man, that's pretty harsh," Josh said, shaking his head. Orlando sat quietly for a long moment, thinking everything through, turning all the bits and pieces over in his head. The fact that they'd all lived with this for centuries stunned him. He couldn't help but wonder (not that he planned on doing anything about it) if it would ever get solved. As stubborn as Harry and Viggo were, Orlando doubted it. Then something occurred to him. He looked at Sean through narrowed eyes. "You said that Marcus also refused to approve the censuring." "I did." Now Sean eyed Orlando in a way that Orlando knew all too well. "So what's he think about all this? Don't think I haven't noticed that you've very obviously not mentioned his name at all since you said that." Sean scrubbed a hand back over his chin. "Marcus is...well. He's very stubborn, but knows when to strike. I think if he thought there was any way to force the issue, he'd have done it by now, but he'll bide his time. He's good at that." "Were he and Joaquin close? Is that why he voted against the censure?" Josh asked. "Looked up to Joaquin as a much beloved uncle, yes." "Ah, right, Marcus was Viggo's first fledgling, wasn't he?" Orlando said, nodding to himself. "Makes sense that he'd be close to Joaquin." "And Marcus has never had any problems with going toe to toe with Viggo when he felt the need." "Do you think Marcus has people looking for Joaquin?" Josh asked. "I don't know. I doubt it, but I don't know. I do know that Marcus was furious with Joaquin for what he did, but, like Karl, he wants Joaquin to come back on his own terms and face his actions head on," Sean explained. "I think they all of us, really just want to know why Joaquin abandoned us." "If I was Marcus," Orlando said, silently thankful he wasn't such a stuffed up stick in the mud, "I'd have people looking for him. And I wouldn't tell anyone." "Yes, but you're not Marcus," Sean said, ignoring Orlando's not quite muttered "thank God for that." "If he's done anything to find him, he's played it very close. Until the two of you started asking your questions tonight, I hadn't heard Joaquin's name in over 500 years." "Well, you did say he'd bide his time," Josh pointed out. "My aunt once said he reminded her of a leopard stalking prey. You never saw him until his teeth were in your throat." "Marcus, a leopard? He'd have to have that stick surgically removed from his arse first." "Considering how wrong you were about Gerry, do you really think it's wise to make such assumptions about Marcus, given what we've all told you about him?" Sean asked, tilting Orlando's chin up to give him a pointed look. "Stop taking the piss, you're all in this together, I know it," Orlando retorted. "There is no way he's some sort of Lothario or leopard or whatever." "Think what you will." Orlando narrowed his eyes. "You're laughing at me." "Always," Sean laughed, and pulled Orlando close to give him a quick kiss. "Laughing at you is one of my favorite pastimes." "Piss off," Orlando muttered, but he didn't put any effort into it. "Maybe I can talk Karl into having a proper party," Josh offered, turning a nearly demonic grin on Orlando. "Not one of those stuffy Council things. Marcus can come and bring his woman du jour so Orlando can see." "It would be women du jour, but it is an idea," Sean laughed, easily capturing Orlando's elbow before it could connect with his ribs. "Just wait." "Fine, I can wait. But I know I'm right." Josh just batted his lashes at Orlando. "Man, I hope I'm around to see you eat crow." "I'll make sure you're there," Sean promised, and then started to disentangle himself from the two of them. "And now, if the two of you think you might be alright, I should be heading home to Dom." "You're leaving?" Orlando knew he sounded a little panicked, but he couldn't help it. He'd just started to gain a little equilibrium. "You have Josh," Sean reminded him. "And you've told me more than once he's a great cuddler." "Well, yes, but. Can't you just tell Dom to come over here and stay the night with us?" "I'd have to tell him why or lie to him, and I'm not in the habit of lying to Dom," Sean replied gently. "No, you're right," Orlando said. "I won't ask you to lie to him. But tell him to come see me, okay?" "I'll send him over tomorrow," Sean promised. He leaned down to brush a light kiss across Orlando's lips and another across Josh's forehead. "Try to stay out of trouble. Both of you." "We'll try." Josh waited until they heard the front door close behind Sean, then he slid Orlando a look from the corner of his eyes. "You told him I'm a great cuddler?" "I did," Orlando admitted, only half-paying attention as he gathered up the blankets and twisted around to plaster himself against Josh. "You're the only who'll cuddle with me and not try to get into my pants." "Katie doesn't try, either," Josh pointed out as he picked up the TV remote and settled back against the cushions. "Yeah, but I'm just a patient to her," Orlando said, eyes on the TV but not really seeing it. "You sound a little put out by that," Josh said, twisting his head around to peer at Orlando. "What?" Orlando looked at Josh and tried to pick up the threads of the conversation. Something about Katie and his pants, but that wasn't what he wanted to talk about. "So what d'you think of all this?" Josh snorted. "Dude, I think it's beyond fucked up. Just the idea that someone we've never even heard of has had such a major influence on Karl and Harry, and has so much history with them..." "I know, I can't even wrap my head around it." Josh rested his cheek against Orlando's hair. "Well, hopefully one day it'll get resolved. And hopefully we'll both be around to see it." "I hope." Orlando twisted a little to get even more comfortable. "I'd kind of like to meet him one day. Joaquin, I mean. Even though I'm kinda mad at him." "Me too. I'm not sure if it's sheer curiosity or if I want to yell at him for the pain he's caused or to knock his head against a wall for leaving a woman like Liv, but I do want to meet him." "I think --" Orlando yawned, then blinked rapidly before snuggling against Josh. He settled down after getting comfortable, letting his half-closed eyes focus on the TV. "I think Liv can do her own head knocking. But I'd totally watch you yell at him." "Don't want to yell at him yourself?" Josh sounded amused, but Orlando couldn't be bothered to lift his head and see. "Nah, I might hit him, and we all know how well my last fight turned out." "Good point." Yeah, Josh was definitely amused. "Harry might not be around to pull him off you this time." "Bugger off," Orlando muttered, but smiled when Josh pulled the blankets up around them. "I'm just saying, if this dude taught Harry everything he knows, then you're in a world of trouble if you start throwing punches." "Exactly why I'm not gonna." Every word felt like it was coming from very far away. Inwardly, he cursed the fact that he still got tired so easily these days, even though his strength was building. "Still, a fight might do 'em some good." Another light kiss was brushed against his forehead. "Who, Harry and Joaquin?" "An' Karl. Clear th' air, y'know?" Definitely, Josh was a champion cuddler. Karl'd done well for himself in that regard. "And something I'd love to watch. From behind bulletproof glass or diamond-hardened steel," Josh chuckled, then murmured, "Now go to sleep. You're already passing out on me." "Not." "What're you, a toddler? Sleep. Or I tell Katie." "Fine," Orlando grumbled, without heat, and snuggled even deeper in Josh's embrace. Just a short nap, then he'd be ready to conquer the world again, so to speak. The last thing he thought before sleep completely took him was that he didn't think that bulletproof glass or even diamond-hardened steel would be enough to save either him or Josh if anyone got wind that they knew about Joaquin... Onto Invitation
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