After Lara's Return

[wizard_p_i]

Harry hadn't seen or heard from John for several days--since Lara had returned to the village, in fact. Feeling more than a little worried, he veiled himself and slipped down to the first floor to see if John was all right.

A few minutes later, he was knocking at John's door.

Comments

[gentleman_tiger]

John was mildly startled by the knock-- he hadn't expected anyone. And when he saw nobody at the keyhole, he remained surprised.

He opened the door, though, waiting for the invisible figure to slip inside.

[wizard_p_i]

Once Harry was in and the door was closed, he unveiled.

"Hey, John," he said gently. "How are you? Haven't heard from you since Lara arrived. I was getting worried."

He opened his arms.

[gentleman_tiger]

John stepped into them, wrapping his arms loosely around Harry's narrow waist. "I've been tolerably well. Simply... circling the wagons, as it were, in the presence of a threat. I really was enjoying her absence."

[wizard_p_i]

"So was I," Harry said with a sigh. "I liked her being gone. It felt better. Safer. I'm sorry, John. That's not an apology. It's sympathy.

"Thomas negotiated for my safety and for Mom's. She won't harm us. Or involve us in her plots. Oh, she'll try to get around it, naturally, but that gives us a little leeway, and leaves two of us free to protect the rest. Four, if you count Bob and Winifred."

He gazed down at John. "'The rest' would include you, you know. I'm not letting anything happen to you."

[gentleman_tiger]

"Please, Harry, don't act too rashly. I can defend myself. And she can't know. She can't. If you move without thinking, and you move between she and I..." John sighed and unlinked his hands, bringing them up to Harry's face. "Don't. I've already informed Mister Hendricks."

[wizard_p_i]

"John. Please. Give me some credit. I won't let her know because that would give her power over us and the Council and Chicago. I will NOT give her that kind of power. And I am not handing her my city--pardon me, our city--or the outcome of the war, or you."

Harry grinned sheepishly. "I know I'm shit at power dynamics, but I do realize the danger. I do. Just because I don't care about power myself doesn't mean that I can't guess how she'll think. I lived with Justin for years, remember? It'll be all right.

"Of course, this time there is an added complication."

[gentleman_tiger]

"Hmm." It was a syllable that expressed grave doubts.

"...what complication? Mago mio, I'm not fond of complications."

[wizard_p_i]

Harry smiled. He was going to do his level best to keep from doing anything rash, but that was one of those things John would have to see for himself.

He sighed at the mention of the complication. "Thomas is here. He cares about his sister. She's helped him in the past. Helped him with the whole 'discovering that he was a vampire' thing.

"So...I can't pre-emptively hurt her. Or kill her. I do that, I lose my brother.

"Thomas is the best insurance policy she could possibly have."

[gentleman_tiger]

"And given the deal he has made, he is the best that you could have," John pointed out. "That isn't a complication. That... is politics." He stroked Harry's face. "And you are a bull in a china shop in many respects, politics not excluded. And I love you a great deal."

[wizard_p_i]

"I try not to be," Harry said, relaxing into John's touch. "Politics just isn't something I enjoy. I can figure out how people are going to think--it helps me plan for battles--but playing politics...I'd rather just say, okay, this is what you want, this is what I want, now let's figure out how we can both get some of what we want. No playing games.

"And I love you too, Il Migliore. And you still make me feel incredibly lucky." He pulled John close for a moment, then stroked his hair.

[gentleman_tiger]

John relaxed into his arms without argument, leaning heavily against Harry. "It's never pleasant to be reminded how thin and permeable the border between this place and reality is."

[wizard_p_i]

"No, it's not." Harry lived in dread that one of his mortal enemies would show up. After all, it had already happened with Justin. "I wish I could reinforce the borders. Or keep unfriendlies out.

"Did I tell you that Susan's here too? And Elaine?"

He thought he had, but he wasn't sure.

[gentleman_tiger]

"Susan you mentioned. Elaine I ran into in a bar. I assume your sense of chivalric guilt is working overtime?"

[wizard_p_i]

"No...well, yeah, with Susan. Though she gave me a good chewing out and a punch to convince me that what happened was not my fault. Whether she's from our world or Mom's world, Susan is a stubborn woman.

"So how was Elaine? And do you want to sit down? Couch? Chair? Lap?"

[gentleman_tiger]

"Couch, thank you, I'm not feeling quite so much the swooning damsel today. ...Elaine was pleasant, distant, amiable. No instant hostility or sudden friendship. She's a woman I met in a bar, no more."

[wizard_p_i]

Harry looked affronted. "Stars and stones, John, you're never a damsel! And I wouldn't want you to be.

"I haven't seen her at all." Which bothered him a little. It was understandable that they wouldn't see each other in America--it was a big country--but this was a tiny village.