House Of Cards - 29/35
Table Of Contents
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Chapter Twenty-Nine
All In
Putting all one's money on the table into the pot.
*
Klaus did not even hear the soft click as the door to the large shower opened. He had his head under the spray and looked like he was trying to scrub all the hair from his head rather then just rinse out the lather. The instant a hand touched his shoulder, the reflexes honed over more then thirty years in intelligence kicked in automatically. He spun around, one hand grabbing the wrist of the other man, the other hand taking him by the throat and slamming him into the corner. He had Dorian pinned against the wall before he even realized what he was doing.
“Major, it’s me!”
“Fuck, Eroica!” Klaus snapped, releasing his grip at the same time. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
Dorian took a moment to catch his breath, a hand going to his throat. Great, now I have another bruise to contend with. “I’m sorry! How many times am I going to have to apologize to you?” he demanded.
Klaus reached over to turn off the water and was stopped by a very gentle hand.
“No, I still have to wash my hair.”
Klaus nodded and reached for the door. Again he was stopped. He gave Dorian a baffled look.
“I think we-I-have been going at this the wrong way,” Dorian said calmly. He took the other man by the shoulders, guiding him around so their positions were reversed. He leaned back to wet his hair and then grabbed the shampoo.
Dark green eyes narrowed. Klaus crossed his arms, being keenly aware of the fact that he was still stark naked. He wasn’t sure how intimidating he could be this way, but after what he had just done, he figured it was worth a shot. When Dorian did not elaborate further, he prompted, “The wrong way how?”
“Let me finish this. Then we can dry off and talk,” Dorian said as he lathered his hair. He saw the look on Klaus’s face darken further and sighed, leaning under the spray to rinse his hair.
“Is it really necessary that I wait?”
“Do you know where the towels are?” Dorian asked as he applied a generous amount of detangler to his abundant curls.
“No,” Klaus grudgingly admitted.
Within a few minutes, Dorian was turning off the water and leading the way out of the shower. He felt a little embarrassed when he realized that he didn’t know exactly which cabinet contained the towels, either. He opened up a couple before locating them and then pulled out several, placing them on the counter. He wrapped one around his hair while he dried himself off, watching as Klaus did the same. “There’re robes in there when you’re finished,” he said, pointing to a closet door.
Klaus nodded. Before he even realized what he was doing, he had retrieved a robe and was covering himself with it. Old habits died hard. He turned to see Dorian watching him and realized that he was just as uncomfortable. He wordlessly held out a robe, and was somewhat surprised when it was accepted and put on. Was this to ease his self-consciousness or the Earl's?
“I think…” Dorian said as he pulled the towel from his hair, “the problem is that we’re still looking at this as a minor fantasy.” He reached for a brush, thought better of it, and turned to face the other man. “Eroica was a fantasy. An illusion. A part I was playing. That’s what’s screwing everything up.”
“I see.”
Dorian could not help smiling at the way Klaus seemed to be pouting. He looked absolutely adorable when he was petulant. The instant this observation crossed his mind, he groaned inwardly. I’m doing it again! He forced himself to be serious and moved to stand in front of Klaus, reaching up to touch his wet hair. “Not a fantasy, not a porn film.” He slowly ran the back of his hand down the other man’s face, stroking his rough cheek with his fingers. “A romance,” he said quietly.
Klaus continued to scowl. “Romance?”
“Yes. A silly, sappy romance. Lots of kisses and caresses, not-”
“I’m not reading fucking poetry,” Klaus growled.
Dorian had to stifle a laugh. “I would never expect you to.” He took hold of one of Klaus’s hands, looking at his bruised knuckles. “The only way you know how to touch is with force. It’s…what makes Iron Klaus so dangerous. Formidable. Frightening.”
“I don’t want to frighten you, Dorian.” And I don’t want to force you into doing something you’ll regret. Christ, what am I doing?
“I’m not helping, am I? Putting my foot in it all the time. Sending all the wrong signals. Going from Eroica to Dorian to…” He sighed heavily. “I don’t know who I am anymore.”
Klaus pulled his hand free and took Dorian by the chin, raising his head up so he could look into his eyes. “Then let me tell you what I want and you can tell me if you can…accommodate it.”
Dorian could not help smiling as his own words were repeated back to him.
“May I kiss you?” Klaus asked.
Dorian felt the breath catch in his throat. It was the gentlest voice he had ever heard the man use. He stared into the green eyes looking almost pleadingly at him. Dear God, he’s so vulnerable right now. And like it or not, it’s all my fault. He drew a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, you may.”
This kiss was completely opposite to the one he had received while they were in the tub. It was tender, hesitant, sensual. A powerful hand slid behind his neck, fingers tangling in his wet hair. For a brief instant, Dorian feared he would be overpowered again, that Klaus would lose control and push him back, pinning him against the wall so close behind him. But this did not happen. The hand did not grip him hard, nor was he forced backward. He found himself relaxing, returning the kiss just as hesitantly as it was being given.
The first kiss was followed by a second as Klaus’s confidence increased. Then he stepped back, afraid that he had gone too far by taking a second kiss.
Dorian gave a small smile. “Shall we take this somewhere…”
“More comfortable?”
“See? You are a romantic.”
“You idiot.”
* * *
After drying their hair, the pair exited the bathroom to find a pair of pajamas for each of them neatly laid out on the bed. Klaus crossed to the closet, seeing that day clothes had been placed there. He went to the bedroom doorway and looked out, seeing the dining table had been cleared. The box that he had requested in a note that he’d left with the dishes had been placed at one end.
“We’ve been visited by elves,” Dorian observed.
Klaus gave a grunt.
“Somewhere more comfortable…?” Dorian ventured.
Klaus turned back. What the hell am I doing? “I think the bed would be inappropriate after…”
“How about we get dressed and sit on the sofa for a bit, then?” Dorian suggested.
A quarter of an hour later, they were sitting silently on the sofa, the lights dimmed. Klaus sat at one end, leaning into the corner, his feet up on a large ottoman. Dorian was beside him, leaning back against his chest just as he had done in the tub. He had his feet on the sofa, his knees bent. They had also filled the icepacks Bonham had brought. Klaus held one to his jaw, while Dorian held one to a fast blackening eye.
At some point while they were bathing, it had started to rain. The steady sound of it on the roof was very soothing to their frayed nerves; the intermittent flashes of lightning and rolling thunder strangely calming.
Klaus idly ran his fingers through the other man’s hair and tried not to think. He had fought Eroica’s advances for decades, only to give in at precisely the wrong time. Now his body was screaming at him to give in to his long repressed desires. But there was no way he could do that while Dorian was still in the dark about what his search for the Earl of Gloria had produced. Until the man knew the whole story, he could not-would not-act on his emotions. You are still Iron Klaus, dammit!
Dorian’s own brain was screaming at him. He felt safe and protected, while at the same time was scared to death that Klaus would ask for more. Ask for the things he, as Eroica, had claimed he wanted for twenty-five years while undercover. When Klaus put his arm across his chest, Dorian put a hand on it, making a conscious effort not to send any wrong signals again. Just caresses, and a few kisses. I can handle that.
Suddenly Klaus hugged him very tightly and kissed the top of his head. “Dorian…”
Dorian felt his heart jump. No! Don’t ask for more. I’m not ready. Please, don’t ask me to-
“I can’t do this.”
There was a train wreck in Dorian’s mind, completely derailing his thoughts. “What?”
Klaus drew a deep breath, moved the man aside, and got to his feet. “I can’t do this. Not until you have all the facts.” A clap of thunder seemed to punctuate this ominous statement.
“All what facts?”
Klaus gave him a steady look. “About what I found-”
Dorian practically jumped to his feet, the ice pack falling forgotten to the floor. “I don’t want to know.” He waved his hands, turning away. “I can’t handle it.”
“Yes, you can. You have to.” Before the other man could object further, Klaus crossed to the table and opened the box, pulling out the autopsy file. He drew a deep breath and held it out. “You need to read this.”
Dorian turned back to face him, his eyes falling on the folder. “This is about the real Earl, isn’t it?” he said apprehensively. “You know where he is.”
Klaus looked him in the eye, his expression unreadable. “Yes.”
~
Next: Chapter Thirty - Tell
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Chapter Twenty-Nine
All In
Putting all one's money on the table into the pot.
*
Klaus did not even hear the soft click as the door to the large shower opened. He had his head under the spray and looked like he was trying to scrub all the hair from his head rather then just rinse out the lather. The instant a hand touched his shoulder, the reflexes honed over more then thirty years in intelligence kicked in automatically. He spun around, one hand grabbing the wrist of the other man, the other hand taking him by the throat and slamming him into the corner. He had Dorian pinned against the wall before he even realized what he was doing.
“Major, it’s me!”
“Fuck, Eroica!” Klaus snapped, releasing his grip at the same time. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
Dorian took a moment to catch his breath, a hand going to his throat. Great, now I have another bruise to contend with. “I’m sorry! How many times am I going to have to apologize to you?” he demanded.
Klaus reached over to turn off the water and was stopped by a very gentle hand.
“No, I still have to wash my hair.”
Klaus nodded and reached for the door. Again he was stopped. He gave Dorian a baffled look.
“I think we-I-have been going at this the wrong way,” Dorian said calmly. He took the other man by the shoulders, guiding him around so their positions were reversed. He leaned back to wet his hair and then grabbed the shampoo.
Dark green eyes narrowed. Klaus crossed his arms, being keenly aware of the fact that he was still stark naked. He wasn’t sure how intimidating he could be this way, but after what he had just done, he figured it was worth a shot. When Dorian did not elaborate further, he prompted, “The wrong way how?”
“Let me finish this. Then we can dry off and talk,” Dorian said as he lathered his hair. He saw the look on Klaus’s face darken further and sighed, leaning under the spray to rinse his hair.
“Is it really necessary that I wait?”
“Do you know where the towels are?” Dorian asked as he applied a generous amount of detangler to his abundant curls.
“No,” Klaus grudgingly admitted.
Within a few minutes, Dorian was turning off the water and leading the way out of the shower. He felt a little embarrassed when he realized that he didn’t know exactly which cabinet contained the towels, either. He opened up a couple before locating them and then pulled out several, placing them on the counter. He wrapped one around his hair while he dried himself off, watching as Klaus did the same. “There’re robes in there when you’re finished,” he said, pointing to a closet door.
Klaus nodded. Before he even realized what he was doing, he had retrieved a robe and was covering himself with it. Old habits died hard. He turned to see Dorian watching him and realized that he was just as uncomfortable. He wordlessly held out a robe, and was somewhat surprised when it was accepted and put on. Was this to ease his self-consciousness or the Earl's?
“I think…” Dorian said as he pulled the towel from his hair, “the problem is that we’re still looking at this as a minor fantasy.” He reached for a brush, thought better of it, and turned to face the other man. “Eroica was a fantasy. An illusion. A part I was playing. That’s what’s screwing everything up.”
“I see.”
Dorian could not help smiling at the way Klaus seemed to be pouting. He looked absolutely adorable when he was petulant. The instant this observation crossed his mind, he groaned inwardly. I’m doing it again! He forced himself to be serious and moved to stand in front of Klaus, reaching up to touch his wet hair. “Not a fantasy, not a porn film.” He slowly ran the back of his hand down the other man’s face, stroking his rough cheek with his fingers. “A romance,” he said quietly.
Klaus continued to scowl. “Romance?”
“Yes. A silly, sappy romance. Lots of kisses and caresses, not-”
“I’m not reading fucking poetry,” Klaus growled.
Dorian had to stifle a laugh. “I would never expect you to.” He took hold of one of Klaus’s hands, looking at his bruised knuckles. “The only way you know how to touch is with force. It’s…what makes Iron Klaus so dangerous. Formidable. Frightening.”
“I don’t want to frighten you, Dorian.” And I don’t want to force you into doing something you’ll regret. Christ, what am I doing?
“I’m not helping, am I? Putting my foot in it all the time. Sending all the wrong signals. Going from Eroica to Dorian to…” He sighed heavily. “I don’t know who I am anymore.”
Klaus pulled his hand free and took Dorian by the chin, raising his head up so he could look into his eyes. “Then let me tell you what I want and you can tell me if you can…accommodate it.”
Dorian could not help smiling as his own words were repeated back to him.
“May I kiss you?” Klaus asked.
Dorian felt the breath catch in his throat. It was the gentlest voice he had ever heard the man use. He stared into the green eyes looking almost pleadingly at him. Dear God, he’s so vulnerable right now. And like it or not, it’s all my fault. He drew a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, you may.”
This kiss was completely opposite to the one he had received while they were in the tub. It was tender, hesitant, sensual. A powerful hand slid behind his neck, fingers tangling in his wet hair. For a brief instant, Dorian feared he would be overpowered again, that Klaus would lose control and push him back, pinning him against the wall so close behind him. But this did not happen. The hand did not grip him hard, nor was he forced backward. He found himself relaxing, returning the kiss just as hesitantly as it was being given.
The first kiss was followed by a second as Klaus’s confidence increased. Then he stepped back, afraid that he had gone too far by taking a second kiss.
Dorian gave a small smile. “Shall we take this somewhere…”
“More comfortable?”
“See? You are a romantic.”
“You idiot.”
* * *
After drying their hair, the pair exited the bathroom to find a pair of pajamas for each of them neatly laid out on the bed. Klaus crossed to the closet, seeing that day clothes had been placed there. He went to the bedroom doorway and looked out, seeing the dining table had been cleared. The box that he had requested in a note that he’d left with the dishes had been placed at one end.
“We’ve been visited by elves,” Dorian observed.
Klaus gave a grunt.
“Somewhere more comfortable…?” Dorian ventured.
Klaus turned back. What the hell am I doing? “I think the bed would be inappropriate after…”
“How about we get dressed and sit on the sofa for a bit, then?” Dorian suggested.
A quarter of an hour later, they were sitting silently on the sofa, the lights dimmed. Klaus sat at one end, leaning into the corner, his feet up on a large ottoman. Dorian was beside him, leaning back against his chest just as he had done in the tub. He had his feet on the sofa, his knees bent. They had also filled the icepacks Bonham had brought. Klaus held one to his jaw, while Dorian held one to a fast blackening eye.
At some point while they were bathing, it had started to rain. The steady sound of it on the roof was very soothing to their frayed nerves; the intermittent flashes of lightning and rolling thunder strangely calming.
Klaus idly ran his fingers through the other man’s hair and tried not to think. He had fought Eroica’s advances for decades, only to give in at precisely the wrong time. Now his body was screaming at him to give in to his long repressed desires. But there was no way he could do that while Dorian was still in the dark about what his search for the Earl of Gloria had produced. Until the man knew the whole story, he could not-would not-act on his emotions. You are still Iron Klaus, dammit!
Dorian’s own brain was screaming at him. He felt safe and protected, while at the same time was scared to death that Klaus would ask for more. Ask for the things he, as Eroica, had claimed he wanted for twenty-five years while undercover. When Klaus put his arm across his chest, Dorian put a hand on it, making a conscious effort not to send any wrong signals again. Just caresses, and a few kisses. I can handle that.
Suddenly Klaus hugged him very tightly and kissed the top of his head. “Dorian…”
Dorian felt his heart jump. No! Don’t ask for more. I’m not ready. Please, don’t ask me to-
“I can’t do this.”
There was a train wreck in Dorian’s mind, completely derailing his thoughts. “What?”
Klaus drew a deep breath, moved the man aside, and got to his feet. “I can’t do this. Not until you have all the facts.” A clap of thunder seemed to punctuate this ominous statement.
“All what facts?”
Klaus gave him a steady look. “About what I found-”
Dorian practically jumped to his feet, the ice pack falling forgotten to the floor. “I don’t want to know.” He waved his hands, turning away. “I can’t handle it.”
“Yes, you can. You have to.” Before the other man could object further, Klaus crossed to the table and opened the box, pulling out the autopsy file. He drew a deep breath and held it out. “You need to read this.”
Dorian turned back to face him, his eyes falling on the folder. “This is about the real Earl, isn’t it?” he said apprehensively. “You know where he is.”
Klaus looked him in the eye, his expression unreadable. “Yes.”
~
Next: Chapter Thirty - Tell