FIC: Slumming - 1/1, R (Karl Urban/Josh Hartnett)
Title: Slumming
Authors: Brenda & Jo (azewewish & idiosyncratic)
Series: Claimed 'Verse
Pairing: Karl Urban/Josh Hartnett
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Vampires still don't exist. And while Hollywood Hookah and the Mint are real places in Los Angeles, we doubt Karl and Josh have ever been to either place together.
Summary: Karl has a rare night off, so he goes to see Josh's band play. Happens around the same time as Reunited.
Karl could hear the band starting its set while he was still on the sidewalk outside of The Mint. They'd started off with something slow and almost bluesy, with plenty of heavy bass and drums, and the liquid sounds of a tenor sax and the clear notes of a trumpet acting as ballast. Karl could feel the rhythm of it deep in his blood as he slipped inside the club and took a seat at the back bar. The stage was backlit and smoky, giving the illusion of a backwater tavern in the middle of Frenchman Street in New Orleans rather than the middle of Los Angeles, and the crowd, both standing in front of the stage and seated in their booths, seemed to appreciate the atmosphere.
Josh was completely in his element, fingers coaxing each note from the sax like a lover, eyes closed as he swayed to the heavy beat. His forehead was dotted with sweat, and his t-shirt clung to him, but Karl knew that Josh didn't even notice. There was something erotic about the way Josh gave himself completely to each song, and Karl didn't need to be a vampire to know that there were plenty of women - and a few men - in the club that were turned on by the display. Karl was content to nurse his glass of bourbon (the occasion seemed to call for it) at the bar and watch and lose himself in the seduction of the music.
Time stretched out, elastic and easy, and Karl allowed himself to be swept away. The first time he'd seen Josh play, Karl had been too caught up in the need and want and now of the impending pet bond flaring to life, but now...oh, now he was able to appreciate every single note. The way the bass player and drummer beat out a seductive rhythm, the way the guitarist's fingers flew over the strings, wringing out impossibly beautiful sounds...the way the sultry lead singer sang in a whiskey-soaked voice, with Josh and the trumpet player accentuating each note. They were a damn good band. Someday soon, they were going to make Karl - and Josh - a lot of money.
As the set drew to a close, Karl motioned to the bartender and ordered a round of drinks for the band. He smiled at the faint tinge of déjà vu, smiled even wider when a waitress took the drinks to the stage, and the smile turned to a laugh as Josh's head snapped up and his gaze swung around to collide with Karl's. Josh offered him a salute and downed his glass.
//Slumming tonight?//
//Observing the natives in their element.// Karl watched in appreciation as Josh started to slide through the crowd in his direction.
//Is that what we're calling it?//
//It's what I'm calling it.//
Josh was still smiling when he stopped in front of Karl, letting his gaze linger on Karl's casual attire. "I don't think I've seen you in jeans in months," he said. "You should wear them more often. They do great things for your thighs."
"I'll remember that," Karl chuckled, then cupped Josh's unshaven cheek to draw him close for a slow, lingering kiss. Karl could taste the faint mixture of pot and bourbon and beer, but under it was Josh's unique flavor, and it was that Karl sought as the kiss continued.
Josh was slow to open his eyes when they finally parted. "Quite a welcome."
"Maybe I missed you," Karl replied, letting his hand drop to rest on Josh's hip. "You sounded amazing tonight."
"You think so? Thanks." Josh beamed, and Karl couldn't help but smile in return. It still amazed him how easy it was to be with Josh. He watched as Josh flicked sweat-dampened hair off his forehead, then leaned in for another slow kiss.
"What was that for?" Karl asked when Josh lifted his head.
"For coming down," Josh said, fingertips drifting along Karl's jaw before he reached for the beer the bartender set in front of him. "I know how busy you are."
Karl leaned in, winked. "I'm playing hooky," he confessed in a stage whisper. "Don't tell Harry. Or Orlando. Or Viggo, for that matter."
"Seeing as how Harry's still out of town, your secret's safe with me," Josh laughed, holding up his free hand just as he was not so subtly bumped by a petite redhead (the bassist, if Karl remembered correctly).
"Planning on introducing us to your boyfriend, Josh?" she teased, giving Karl a naughty grin and a considering look.
Karl raised an eyebrow at Josh. "Boyfriend?"
"She knows you're more than that, she just likes to rile me up," Josh replied, nudging her with his hip. "Anyway, Karl, this is Aubrey. Aubrey, this is Karl."
Karl took Aubrey's hand and made a production out of kissing the back of it. "A pleasure to meet you finally."
Aubrey flashed Karl a pleased smile, and inclined her head. "I remember you from the Viper Room show. We didn't see Josh for two months after that. I thought we were gonna have to find another sax player."
"Two months?" Karl raised the other eyebrow.
Josh looked sheepish for a split second. "We were busy. You dragged me off to Turkey, then there was the whole thing with Orlando, and, well..."
"Yes, we know, you were busy. With your boyfriend," Aubrey said. She gave Karl a conspiratorial smile as she patted Josh's arm. "I think he thought we were going to steal you from him or something."
"More like he thought you were going to steal his boyfriend," a deep voice said from Karl's left. He looked over to find the drummer looming over them (and the child just might possibly have been taller than Lawrence, if only half as big around).
Karl started to comment on the boyfriend tag, but stopped when Josh bumped his knee. "Guys --"
"I've never stolen a single one of his boyfriends," Aubrey said in lofty tones, clearly ignoring the muttered "Yet" from the drummer. "Besides, if he's with Josh, he likes 'em long and leggy, and I've just got the tits and ass."
"And they're amazing tits and an amazing ass," Josh said, with a friendly leer, then glanced at Karl. "Besides, I don't think Karl's told me his taste in women."
"No I haven't," Karl replied, mildly, more than a little amused (and confused) by the conversation.
"I mean, I know about Liv..."
"Wait a minute." The drummer put his hands up in a time-out motion. "I thought the vampire/pet bond meant no hanky panky with anyone else."
"Gibson, dude, I've told you a billion times," Josh sighed. "All it means is that I'm not going to bang any other vampires. He - " he jerked his thumb at Karl " - can still bang other vampires, and we can both bang mortals."
"Excellent." Aubrey rubbed her hands together. "Threesome, anyone?"
"Didn't you and Josh already do the horizontal mambo once?" Gibson asked.
"Yeah, and it was good, otherwise I wouldn't suggest a repeat. Besides, if the hot vampire boyfriend is part of the equation, I am all about that action."
Josh put his head on Karl's shoulder and groaned. "You see what I have to put up with."
//I have Orlando, I'm used to it.// Karl patted Josh's back and chuckled. Then he studied Aubrey, taking in her fair skin, bright eyes, and very nice curves. Knowing Josh was likely to kill him, Karl reached out and wrapped a lock of fiery hair around his fingers. "A threesome, is it? How do you feel about being bitten?"
"Do I get to bite back?" she asked, with what was probably the dirtiest smile Karl had ever seen curving her mouth.
"If you like," he replied, with a wink that he knew was just lascivious enough to make things interesting.
"Definitely like you," Aubrey stated, then slid her arm through Karl's. "But I'm not cheap."
"Of course not." She really was delightful. Karl could see why Josh had hooked up with her. "Can I get you another drink?"
"Just the question I'd hoped you'd ask."
"You two have fun," Josh said, clapping Gibson on the back. "And don't disappear before I get back. C'mon, let's help Jason and Bill and Cooper break down before they start a riot."
"I promise not to get naked with him while you're gone," Aubrey yelled at Josh's back, and Josh just flipped her off, not breaking his stride. She turned to Karl, head tilted as she pressed closer, jostled by the crowd around them.
"Here," Karl said, pulling her around in front of him until she stood between his knees against the barstool. It was much easier to talk this way, and much easier, with his size, to keep people from knocking into her. "Better?"
She just smiled and rested an elbow on the bar. "I notice you didn't promise not to get naked while he was gone."
"And I notice you didn't promise not to disappear." Karl slid her drink towards her when the bartender set it down.
"Ah, but Josh knows I'll still be here," she said, leaning in a little and resting her hand on his thigh. The new position offered Karl an almost unobstructed view down the front of her top. He definitely approved. She was wearing a very nice bra. "See, he has the weed tonight."
"Good enough reason to stick around."
"Plus, I'm not stupid, I'm not leaving without both of you," Aubrey continued, staring at him through her lashes as she took a sip of her drink.
"So, you and Josh?" Karl had to admit, he was curious. There was still so much about Josh he didn't know.
She shrugged, the motion doing delightful things to her cleavage. "Yeah, once, a little while back. We were stoned, he was there, and well, you've seen him, it's not like he's hard on the eyes. And he's got amazing hands."
"That he does," Karl agreed, giving in to the temptation to run his finger along her collarbone. As he suspected, her skin was baby soft and smooth.
"You're not at all like Josh led us to believe," Aubrey said, hand dragging up his thigh as Karl's finger traced the upper swell of one breast. "I was expecting an exquisitely tailored suit that cost more than I made last year."
"I've been known to relax once in a while." Karl smiled, eyes following the path of his finger as it slid up to her throat and rested over her pulse, the throb of the blood under her skin sparking along his nerves.
"I don't know if I'd call an $800 silk shirt relaxing," she said, flicking a button with her finger, "but the $30 jeans are a nice touch."
"I'm impressed," Karl laughed. "Most people wouldn't know the cost of this shirt."
"I'm not most people," Aubrey said, taking a long swallow of her drink before catching his chin in a light grip. She smiled, leaned in close, and brushed her lips over his in a feather light caress. "And I know lots of things."
"I'm sure you do," Karl assured her, then captured her lips for a deeper kiss. She tasted like wild berries, something tart with a hint of sweetness underneath, and she responded like she'd been waiting for him to make a move.
"I knew you two wouldn't wait for me to come back."
Aubrey lifted her head slowly, as if still savoring Karl's taste on her lips, and gave Josh a slow, seductive smile. "You didn't say we had to wait."
"Good point," Josh chuckled, and tilted Aubrey's chin up to give her his own kiss. Karl contented himself by watching - they really did look amazing together - until they parted.
"Finished for the night?" Karl asked.
Josh nodded. His lips were full and distractingly bruised. "Cooper wanted to know if we wanted to head over to Hollywood Hookah for a bowl or two. She says she's dying to formally meet you."
Cooper must be the smoky-voiced singer, Karl thought. He slanted a look at Aubrey, who just smiled. "Oh," she said, rubbing his thigh again, "I'm definitely going."
"I guess we are, too," Karl said, as Josh laughed. While he was still laughing, Karl slid a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down for a slow, wet kiss that left Josh gasping when Karl finally released him.
"I'm going to enjoy this," Aubrey declared. She slithered between them and rubbed first against Josh, then Karl as she pulled him up from the stool. Before either of them could reach for her, she slipped away with a wicked laugh. "I'll catch a ride with Gibson. Come find me when you finally get there."
Karl watched the sway of her hips as she walked away, appreciating the view the way he knew he was meant to. "I definitely like her."
"I can't say I'm surprised," Josh replied, leaning an elbow against the bar. "You always responded well to arrogance."
"Arrogance?"
"You'd probably call it confidence," Josh chuckled. "But we both know it's arrogance."
"You sound like Harry," Karl grumbled, but without any real heat behind it.
"Speaking of, I take it he's still in Italy with Monica?"
"I'm not sure if they're still in Italy, but yes, he's with Monica." Karl didn't need to touch on his bond with Harry, either, to know that Harry was completely relaxed and enjoying himself. If Karl lived another millennium, he would still be grateful for Monica and the peace she gave Harry.
"Fantastic," Josh said, with a gleeful look. "And I saw Katie at the house when I headed out earlier, so I know Orlando's taken care of...which means you're all mine for the night."
"Conditionally all yours if Aubrey has anything to say about it," Karl replied. He stepped in, pressing against Josh in one long line of heat, pushing him back until he was trapped between the bar and Karl. "I can't say that I'm going to complain, though."
"Didn't think you would." With a tiny shift, Josh brought their hips into alignment. Even if Karl couldn't feel Josh's arousal through their bond, that move would have left no doubt in his mind. "She's been dying to meet you."
"She has, hmm?"
"Yeah," Josh answered, slightly breathless as Karl rubbed against him and leaned in to press a light kiss to the hollow of his throat. "She's always asking me about you, and let me tell you, some of the stuff she wants to know is really obscene."
"I look forward to appeasing her curiosity." Josh tilted his head in invitation, and Karl took the hint, running his lips along the pulse in Josh's neck.
"I am glad you came tonight." The words were a soft murmur, but Karl could hear each one clearly. "It's been awhile since you've taken an evening to yourself."
"Too long," Karl agreed, even though he knew he wouldn't change anything about his behavior the last few months. They'd all known things would change once Orlando went through with the unmaking. But Karl could admit, if only to himself (and Harry), that he was relieved that Orlando was recovering, and that he had Katie watching out for him. "Perhaps we should take a few days sometime soon. We still haven't had a proper honeymoon."
"I'd like that." Josh gently bit on Karl's chin, then gave him another kiss before straightening. "But we both know that's not gonna happen until Harry gets back and Orlando's walking on his own."
"Might be sooner than you think. He's made remarkable progress the past few weeks."
"I know he has, and I'm as happy about it as you are." Josh slid his hand along Karl's back, then down to squeeze his ass. "Did you have any place in mind or is this the type of honeymoon where we never leave the hotel suite so it won't matter?"
"I like the way you think," Karl said, fangs dimpling warm skin as he bit down not quite hard enough to draw blood, then he pulled back. "But I was thinking of taking you home to England, where I grew up."
"Home..." Josh blinked, then stared. "Wow."
Karl shrugged. He looked away, allowing himself a brief second as memory threatened to overwhelm him. "I took Orlando a few years ago. We both had business to attend to, so I decided to take a few extra days and show him around. You, though...there'd be no business."
Pausing, Karl looked at Josh, studied his expression. He was tempted to touch their bond to figure out what Josh was thinking, but he held back. "We can go somewhere else if you'd like, but I want you to see where I came from, perhaps meet some of my family that still live."
"You...you have family?" The space between Josh's brows creased. "I didn't think you had any siblings or children."
"I didn't. I don't. But my mother did have a brother, and he was very fond of mortal women."
"Ah, got it, the randy lord of the manner sort."
"Something like that," Karl conceded, with a grin. "At any rate, there are plenty of cousins with too many greats in front of their names to rattle off who still make their home in the area."
"I can't wait to meet them," Josh replied, then gave Karl a considering look. "I take it your uncle's not around."
"No, he chose the death ritual about a century after my parents did," Karl explained. "Said he was tired of it all."
"And your parents?"
"Started planning theirs not too long after I'd given Harry the Gift. I think they were just waiting until I had someone, so I wouldn't be alone." Time had dulled the worst of the grief, and Karl didn't begrudge his parents or uncle their decision, but he knew that, as with Lauren, he'd carry a little of the heartache over losing them until his dying day.
"Probably just waiting until you had someone around to kick your ass," Josh said, and Karl smiled at the attempt to lighten the mood.
"My mother always did say she didn't beat me nearly enough as a child," Karl replied, briefly nuzzling Josh's neck again before tugging him away from the bar and towards the door.
"That explains a lot." They stepped outside, and Karl could tell Josh was surprised when he started to walk down the street. "Uh, Karl? Where are we going?"
"The car's a few blocks down."
"You didn't valet it?"
Karl stopped and turned. The bewildered expression on Josh's face was so comical that Karl almost laughed. He stifled the urge and just smiled. "I'm observing the natives in their element, remember?"
"Ah, right, gotcha," Josh said, and mimed wiping his forehead in relief. "I forgot for a minute."
"Come on," Karl said, and held out his hand. "You can drive, and I'll tell you more about Shrewsbury if you'd like."
"Drive? Are you kidding?"
"Relax, I left the Viper at home," Karl said, with a roll of his eyes. Really, everyone's reluctance to drive that car was ridiculous. "And I told you, it's not Orlando's."
Josh patted Karl on the back. "Keep telling yourself that, slick. Anyway, you said Shrewsbury. That's where you grew up?"
"Well, it wasn't called that back then, but yes, that area. It's near Wales," Karl explained, and tossed the keys to the Bentley to Josh when they got to the car.
Josh just stared at the keys, then the car, then Karl, and shook his head. "Seriously, you self-parked a Bentley on Pico and you call that slumming."
Karl frowned. "I thought it was. It's not like I drove the Maybach down."
"You really do not think like normal people." Josh shook his head, then climbed into the driver's seat. Karl slid in next to him. "Not that I'm complaining about driving a goddamn Bentley, but dude, valet it next time. Or buy a Honda for slumming."
"Hondas are ugly and lack class."
"Precisely," Josh beamed at him, then smoothly turned the car onto Pico. "Anyway, enough about the cars, tell me more about your childhood. You don't talk about it much."
"It was a long time ago," Karl shrugged, still puzzling a little over the car situation. He resolved to ask Orlando about it, then turned back to the subject at hand. "My parents were around the age I am now when they decided to try for a child. They'd met a few centuries earlier in Spain, and decided to leave once King Roderick was killed, and they settled near Shrewsbury."
"Why'd they wait so long to try for a natural child?"
"My father was reluctant to bring a child into the world when there was so much turmoil going on."
"Sounds like Harry," Josh remarked.
"Harry's reasons are a little different, but yes, they did have much in common," Karl smiled. "It took them a few decades of trying before I was born, however."
"Right, the rituals and all that?"
Karl nodded, relaxing back into his seat as the Bentley's smooth motion lulled him. "It's not easy for vampire women to get pregnant under the best of circumstances. Now, we have drugs that can help the process, as well as advanced medical techniques to boost the ritual. Then..."
"Not so easy, I imagine."
"Not at all," Karl said. "It was mostly a matter of luck centuries ago. Still is, really. Which is why born vampires are so rare. Human women can get pregnant by vampires far easier, which is why Harry and Diane were only together a few years before she became pregnant with Lauren. Though, there are the rare instances were a vampire couple decide to have a child, and the female is pregnant in a matter of weeks."
"It's something to do with the metabolism, right?" Josh glanced over for a second, then returned his attention to the road.
"Partly. No one's sure, to be honest. Metabolism, body chemistry, ritual, who knows." With a shrug, Karl twisted to watch Josh, letting his eyes roam over Josh's profile. "Some of the best researchers in the world are studying it. In fact, Katie's actually spent quite a few years studying the problem."
"Really?" Josh sounded impressed. "I take it she wants kids one day, then?"
"Yes, but that's not the only reason she's done so much research. I think she's fascinated by the differing biology, to be honest."
"Makes sense. She strikes me as the type that likes knowing things," Josh grinned. "But, back to your misspent youth."
"It wasn't that misspent," Karl said. "I spent most of my youth studying."
"Sounds dull."
"I was groomed for a Council position almost from birth," Karl shrugged. "My father sat on the Council until he met my mother and decided to retire his seat. But it was always understood that I would follow in his footsteps."
"So...no rebellious teenage shenanigans or what passed for it in the Middle Ages?" Josh guessed, with a grin.
"Harry was my rebellion," Karl offered, with his own smile. "I'd had no training or preparation for anyone like him."
"So how'd they take that? Your parents, I mean, when you shacked up with Harry."
"Surprisingly well, once they realized there was already a bond there," Karl said, as he remembered his mother's reaction. "Of course, my mother had ideas for my future that didn't exactly include me bonding myself somehow to a human who wasn't a pet, but she loved Harry."
"Even though he tried to kill you?" Josh grinned.
Karl laughed. "I didn't tell her the details about that encounter. My father knew, but my mother...no, I was far more frightened of her than anything else."
"Moms are like that." There was a slight pause, then Josh glanced over with a thoughtful look. "So your parents were still alive when you took the Council seat, or not?"
"They were still alive," Karl replied, briefly allowing the memories of that time to take hold. "One of my first acts as Council member, ironically enough, was to approve their death petition."
"Wow, that seems kind of fucked up."
"All petitions to go through the death ritual must be approved by the Council. Just as we don't give the Gift on a whim, nor do we take it on one."
"Still, your own parents? Isn't that like a conflict of interest or something?"
"Where was the conflict?" Karl asked, feeling more than a little confused. "This was something they'd wanted for decades. What sort of son would I be to deny them their rights?"
"I..." Josh stopped, shook his head. "Nevermind. I keep forgetting that you really aren't wired like we are."
"So Orlando keeps telling me," Karl said, a faint smile curling his mouth. "Educate me."
"Man, I don't even know where to begin." Pulling up to a red light, Josh sat there for a second, then looked at Karl. "I don't know if I can, because I don't think you can even begin to comprehend how that would affect me or Orlando or Elijah. Maybe it's because our lives are so much shorter, but if my parents wanted to die..."
"You wouldn't help them?" Karl said, still confused as he tried to sort it out in his head. "You'd fight them on it?"
"With everything in me," Josh said quietly, turning back to the road as the light changed. "I just...I mean, if they were in pain and there was absolutely no hope, then yeah, maybe. But if they just decided one day to end it? I couldn't."
"But surely it's their right to decide when they would like to die."
"I think..." Josh seemed to be struggling with the right words to say. "I guess it's just that we view suicide differently."
"It's not suicide. I know what a suicidal vampire looks like, and it's nothing like what my parents and others like them have done." He was skating dangerously close to a line he hadn't crossed in centuries, and he knew it, but he knew this was too important a distinction to not correct Josh on it.
"Hey, it's alright." Josh seemed to sense some of his distress, whether in his voice or through the bond, and reached out a hand to squeeze Karl's. "We don't have to talk about this. It's a heavy subject for what's supposed to be a night of playing hooky for you."
"I don't mind," Karl replied, centering himself, using Josh's touch as an anchor. "It's just important that you know the difference."
"So I take it that a, uh, suicidal vampire is, um..."
"Frightening," Karl said quietly, releasing a slow breath when Josh's fingers tightened on his again. "There's no rational thought there, almost like a psychotic break. They...they just want to die, and they don't care who it affects or who goes down with them."
Josh cleared his throat. "Yeah, okay, you're right. Not good."
"Precisely." Karl rubbed his eyes with his free hand and let his head fall back against the seat. Memories threatened to overwhelm him, so he dropped into his bond with Josh for a moment. It was safer. "What my parents chose was different. It was quiet and peaceful, simply moving on to another plane of existence."
Josh nodded, his throat working before he spoke. "I guess I just can't imagine life without my parents. Although I know it'll happen."
"But not for a long time," Karl assured him, lifting Josh's hand to kiss his knuckles. It was a struggle to remain in the present, but he owed Josh nothing less. "And when they do go, they'll know that their son is still being loved and cared for."
Josh choked out a watery-sounding laugh. "I guess a parent can't ask for much more than that, huh?"
"No, they can't." For a moment, Karl just looked at Josh. Then he reached up to brush a light caress along Josh's jaw. "You know you won't have to go through that alone."
Josh reached for Karl's hand again. "Thank you."
"No need. Now, how about we talk of something happier?"
"I could always tell you about some of Aubrey's more particular kinks," Josh said after a long pause, and Karl could feel the tension ease from their bond.
"Oh, I plan on finding out about all of those on my own," he replied, with a wicked grin. "But I have to admit that I'm looking forward to seeing the two of you together."
"That's because you're a perverted old man."
"So Harry's always telling me," Karl replied, feeling more relaxed. Bless Josh for knowing what he needed right now. "But it's still the truth."
"I'm sure you'll get your fill of watching us. She's pretty shameless," Josh replied, and made the slow right onto Hollywood Boulevard.
"I like shameless. Especially in my women."
"And in some of your men," Josh shot back as they pulled into the parking lot of the small strip mall. "And yes, we're going to valet it, so hush."
"You're driving, you're the boss." Karl just smiled when Josh looked at him, and nothing else was said until they were pushing through the door into the dimly lit interior of the bar.
"You know, it's been years since I was in a hookah den," he observed.
"Years?" Josh looked over his shoulder, eyebrows raised.
"Decades, actually," Karl grinned, one hand settling at the small of Josh's back. "And it was in Turkey."
"Really? And how much did it take to get you stoned?"
"A lot more than it's going to take you," Karl replied, and gave Josh a quick kiss before being waved over to a private sitting area by Aubrey.
"About time you boys showed up," Aubrey drawled, looking both men up and down like they were dessert and she wasn't quite sure where to start.
"Did you miss us?" Karl asked with a wink, as he settled onto one of the cushions. Josh sprawled beside him, already looking way more relaxed.
"I'd tell you," she said, crawling over, pipe clasped between her fingers, "but I have a feeling your ego's already big enough."
"It's like she knows you," Josh laughed.
Karl mock-growled and pulled Aubrey into his lap. "Just for that, I should make you watch first."
"Like that would be a chore," Josh replied, plucking the pipe from Aubrey's hand and putting it to his lips. "Besides, you haven't even bit her yet."
"No, I haven't." Karl rubbed a few strands of Aubrey's hair between his fingers as he looked at her. "Should I do it now or wait until later?"
She loped her arms around his neck, and smiled. "It's just intercourse we can't engage in if you haven't bitten me, correct?"
"Correct."
She cocked her head in Josh's direction as he took a long pull from the pipe. "And I can have him without being bitten?"
"As many times as you like."
She brushed a light kiss across Karl's lips. "Then let's wait until we get someplace private. I've got an idea about where I'd like you to bite me that doesn't require an audience except Josh."
"I like the way you think," Karl said, and bent his head to nuzzle her throat, filling his lungs with her scent. She wriggled against him, shifting to straddle his lap as Josh handed back the pipe, and Karl took advantage of the new position to slide his hands up her ribcage.
//Don't be surprised if she wants to watch us together at least once.//
Karl lifted his head to find Josh watching him in open amusement. //Oh?//
//Aubrey's kinky as hell. One of the reasons I like her so much.//
Interest renewed (not that it had ever waned), Karl refocused on Aubrey to find her studying him with a secretive smile in face. "Penny for your thoughts."
"Oh, no need for that. I'll tell 'em to you for free," she said, and took a long drag from the pipe before pressing her lips against Karl's. When she lifted her head, she was smiling. Then she leaned in to whisper in his ear.
***
Authors: Brenda & Jo (azewewish & idiosyncratic)
Series: Claimed 'Verse
Pairing: Karl Urban/Josh Hartnett
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Vampires still don't exist. And while Hollywood Hookah and the Mint are real places in Los Angeles, we doubt Karl and Josh have ever been to either place together.
Summary: Karl has a rare night off, so he goes to see Josh's band play. Happens around the same time as Reunited.
Karl could hear the band starting its set while he was still on the sidewalk outside of The Mint. They'd started off with something slow and almost bluesy, with plenty of heavy bass and drums, and the liquid sounds of a tenor sax and the clear notes of a trumpet acting as ballast. Karl could feel the rhythm of it deep in his blood as he slipped inside the club and took a seat at the back bar. The stage was backlit and smoky, giving the illusion of a backwater tavern in the middle of Frenchman Street in New Orleans rather than the middle of Los Angeles, and the crowd, both standing in front of the stage and seated in their booths, seemed to appreciate the atmosphere.
Josh was completely in his element, fingers coaxing each note from the sax like a lover, eyes closed as he swayed to the heavy beat. His forehead was dotted with sweat, and his t-shirt clung to him, but Karl knew that Josh didn't even notice. There was something erotic about the way Josh gave himself completely to each song, and Karl didn't need to be a vampire to know that there were plenty of women - and a few men - in the club that were turned on by the display. Karl was content to nurse his glass of bourbon (the occasion seemed to call for it) at the bar and watch and lose himself in the seduction of the music.
Time stretched out, elastic and easy, and Karl allowed himself to be swept away. The first time he'd seen Josh play, Karl had been too caught up in the need and want and now of the impending pet bond flaring to life, but now...oh, now he was able to appreciate every single note. The way the bass player and drummer beat out a seductive rhythm, the way the guitarist's fingers flew over the strings, wringing out impossibly beautiful sounds...the way the sultry lead singer sang in a whiskey-soaked voice, with Josh and the trumpet player accentuating each note. They were a damn good band. Someday soon, they were going to make Karl - and Josh - a lot of money.
As the set drew to a close, Karl motioned to the bartender and ordered a round of drinks for the band. He smiled at the faint tinge of déjà vu, smiled even wider when a waitress took the drinks to the stage, and the smile turned to a laugh as Josh's head snapped up and his gaze swung around to collide with Karl's. Josh offered him a salute and downed his glass.
//Slumming tonight?//
//Observing the natives in their element.// Karl watched in appreciation as Josh started to slide through the crowd in his direction.
//Is that what we're calling it?//
//It's what I'm calling it.//
Josh was still smiling when he stopped in front of Karl, letting his gaze linger on Karl's casual attire. "I don't think I've seen you in jeans in months," he said. "You should wear them more often. They do great things for your thighs."
"I'll remember that," Karl chuckled, then cupped Josh's unshaven cheek to draw him close for a slow, lingering kiss. Karl could taste the faint mixture of pot and bourbon and beer, but under it was Josh's unique flavor, and it was that Karl sought as the kiss continued.
Josh was slow to open his eyes when they finally parted. "Quite a welcome."
"Maybe I missed you," Karl replied, letting his hand drop to rest on Josh's hip. "You sounded amazing tonight."
"You think so? Thanks." Josh beamed, and Karl couldn't help but smile in return. It still amazed him how easy it was to be with Josh. He watched as Josh flicked sweat-dampened hair off his forehead, then leaned in for another slow kiss.
"What was that for?" Karl asked when Josh lifted his head.
"For coming down," Josh said, fingertips drifting along Karl's jaw before he reached for the beer the bartender set in front of him. "I know how busy you are."
Karl leaned in, winked. "I'm playing hooky," he confessed in a stage whisper. "Don't tell Harry. Or Orlando. Or Viggo, for that matter."
"Seeing as how Harry's still out of town, your secret's safe with me," Josh laughed, holding up his free hand just as he was not so subtly bumped by a petite redhead (the bassist, if Karl remembered correctly).
"Planning on introducing us to your boyfriend, Josh?" she teased, giving Karl a naughty grin and a considering look.
Karl raised an eyebrow at Josh. "Boyfriend?"
"She knows you're more than that, she just likes to rile me up," Josh replied, nudging her with his hip. "Anyway, Karl, this is Aubrey. Aubrey, this is Karl."
Karl took Aubrey's hand and made a production out of kissing the back of it. "A pleasure to meet you finally."
Aubrey flashed Karl a pleased smile, and inclined her head. "I remember you from the Viper Room show. We didn't see Josh for two months after that. I thought we were gonna have to find another sax player."
"Two months?" Karl raised the other eyebrow.
Josh looked sheepish for a split second. "We were busy. You dragged me off to Turkey, then there was the whole thing with Orlando, and, well..."
"Yes, we know, you were busy. With your boyfriend," Aubrey said. She gave Karl a conspiratorial smile as she patted Josh's arm. "I think he thought we were going to steal you from him or something."
"More like he thought you were going to steal his boyfriend," a deep voice said from Karl's left. He looked over to find the drummer looming over them (and the child just might possibly have been taller than Lawrence, if only half as big around).
Karl started to comment on the boyfriend tag, but stopped when Josh bumped his knee. "Guys --"
"I've never stolen a single one of his boyfriends," Aubrey said in lofty tones, clearly ignoring the muttered "Yet" from the drummer. "Besides, if he's with Josh, he likes 'em long and leggy, and I've just got the tits and ass."
"And they're amazing tits and an amazing ass," Josh said, with a friendly leer, then glanced at Karl. "Besides, I don't think Karl's told me his taste in women."
"No I haven't," Karl replied, mildly, more than a little amused (and confused) by the conversation.
"I mean, I know about Liv..."
"Wait a minute." The drummer put his hands up in a time-out motion. "I thought the vampire/pet bond meant no hanky panky with anyone else."
"Gibson, dude, I've told you a billion times," Josh sighed. "All it means is that I'm not going to bang any other vampires. He - " he jerked his thumb at Karl " - can still bang other vampires, and we can both bang mortals."
"Excellent." Aubrey rubbed her hands together. "Threesome, anyone?"
"Didn't you and Josh already do the horizontal mambo once?" Gibson asked.
"Yeah, and it was good, otherwise I wouldn't suggest a repeat. Besides, if the hot vampire boyfriend is part of the equation, I am all about that action."
Josh put his head on Karl's shoulder and groaned. "You see what I have to put up with."
//I have Orlando, I'm used to it.// Karl patted Josh's back and chuckled. Then he studied Aubrey, taking in her fair skin, bright eyes, and very nice curves. Knowing Josh was likely to kill him, Karl reached out and wrapped a lock of fiery hair around his fingers. "A threesome, is it? How do you feel about being bitten?"
"Do I get to bite back?" she asked, with what was probably the dirtiest smile Karl had ever seen curving her mouth.
"If you like," he replied, with a wink that he knew was just lascivious enough to make things interesting.
"Definitely like you," Aubrey stated, then slid her arm through Karl's. "But I'm not cheap."
"Of course not." She really was delightful. Karl could see why Josh had hooked up with her. "Can I get you another drink?"
"Just the question I'd hoped you'd ask."
"You two have fun," Josh said, clapping Gibson on the back. "And don't disappear before I get back. C'mon, let's help Jason and Bill and Cooper break down before they start a riot."
"I promise not to get naked with him while you're gone," Aubrey yelled at Josh's back, and Josh just flipped her off, not breaking his stride. She turned to Karl, head tilted as she pressed closer, jostled by the crowd around them.
"Here," Karl said, pulling her around in front of him until she stood between his knees against the barstool. It was much easier to talk this way, and much easier, with his size, to keep people from knocking into her. "Better?"
She just smiled and rested an elbow on the bar. "I notice you didn't promise not to get naked while he was gone."
"And I notice you didn't promise not to disappear." Karl slid her drink towards her when the bartender set it down.
"Ah, but Josh knows I'll still be here," she said, leaning in a little and resting her hand on his thigh. The new position offered Karl an almost unobstructed view down the front of her top. He definitely approved. She was wearing a very nice bra. "See, he has the weed tonight."
"Good enough reason to stick around."
"Plus, I'm not stupid, I'm not leaving without both of you," Aubrey continued, staring at him through her lashes as she took a sip of her drink.
"So, you and Josh?" Karl had to admit, he was curious. There was still so much about Josh he didn't know.
She shrugged, the motion doing delightful things to her cleavage. "Yeah, once, a little while back. We were stoned, he was there, and well, you've seen him, it's not like he's hard on the eyes. And he's got amazing hands."
"That he does," Karl agreed, giving in to the temptation to run his finger along her collarbone. As he suspected, her skin was baby soft and smooth.
"You're not at all like Josh led us to believe," Aubrey said, hand dragging up his thigh as Karl's finger traced the upper swell of one breast. "I was expecting an exquisitely tailored suit that cost more than I made last year."
"I've been known to relax once in a while." Karl smiled, eyes following the path of his finger as it slid up to her throat and rested over her pulse, the throb of the blood under her skin sparking along his nerves.
"I don't know if I'd call an $800 silk shirt relaxing," she said, flicking a button with her finger, "but the $30 jeans are a nice touch."
"I'm impressed," Karl laughed. "Most people wouldn't know the cost of this shirt."
"I'm not most people," Aubrey said, taking a long swallow of her drink before catching his chin in a light grip. She smiled, leaned in close, and brushed her lips over his in a feather light caress. "And I know lots of things."
"I'm sure you do," Karl assured her, then captured her lips for a deeper kiss. She tasted like wild berries, something tart with a hint of sweetness underneath, and she responded like she'd been waiting for him to make a move.
"I knew you two wouldn't wait for me to come back."
Aubrey lifted her head slowly, as if still savoring Karl's taste on her lips, and gave Josh a slow, seductive smile. "You didn't say we had to wait."
"Good point," Josh chuckled, and tilted Aubrey's chin up to give her his own kiss. Karl contented himself by watching - they really did look amazing together - until they parted.
"Finished for the night?" Karl asked.
Josh nodded. His lips were full and distractingly bruised. "Cooper wanted to know if we wanted to head over to Hollywood Hookah for a bowl or two. She says she's dying to formally meet you."
Cooper must be the smoky-voiced singer, Karl thought. He slanted a look at Aubrey, who just smiled. "Oh," she said, rubbing his thigh again, "I'm definitely going."
"I guess we are, too," Karl said, as Josh laughed. While he was still laughing, Karl slid a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down for a slow, wet kiss that left Josh gasping when Karl finally released him.
"I'm going to enjoy this," Aubrey declared. She slithered between them and rubbed first against Josh, then Karl as she pulled him up from the stool. Before either of them could reach for her, she slipped away with a wicked laugh. "I'll catch a ride with Gibson. Come find me when you finally get there."
Karl watched the sway of her hips as she walked away, appreciating the view the way he knew he was meant to. "I definitely like her."
"I can't say I'm surprised," Josh replied, leaning an elbow against the bar. "You always responded well to arrogance."
"Arrogance?"
"You'd probably call it confidence," Josh chuckled. "But we both know it's arrogance."
"You sound like Harry," Karl grumbled, but without any real heat behind it.
"Speaking of, I take it he's still in Italy with Monica?"
"I'm not sure if they're still in Italy, but yes, he's with Monica." Karl didn't need to touch on his bond with Harry, either, to know that Harry was completely relaxed and enjoying himself. If Karl lived another millennium, he would still be grateful for Monica and the peace she gave Harry.
"Fantastic," Josh said, with a gleeful look. "And I saw Katie at the house when I headed out earlier, so I know Orlando's taken care of...which means you're all mine for the night."
"Conditionally all yours if Aubrey has anything to say about it," Karl replied. He stepped in, pressing against Josh in one long line of heat, pushing him back until he was trapped between the bar and Karl. "I can't say that I'm going to complain, though."
"Didn't think you would." With a tiny shift, Josh brought their hips into alignment. Even if Karl couldn't feel Josh's arousal through their bond, that move would have left no doubt in his mind. "She's been dying to meet you."
"She has, hmm?"
"Yeah," Josh answered, slightly breathless as Karl rubbed against him and leaned in to press a light kiss to the hollow of his throat. "She's always asking me about you, and let me tell you, some of the stuff she wants to know is really obscene."
"I look forward to appeasing her curiosity." Josh tilted his head in invitation, and Karl took the hint, running his lips along the pulse in Josh's neck.
"I am glad you came tonight." The words were a soft murmur, but Karl could hear each one clearly. "It's been awhile since you've taken an evening to yourself."
"Too long," Karl agreed, even though he knew he wouldn't change anything about his behavior the last few months. They'd all known things would change once Orlando went through with the unmaking. But Karl could admit, if only to himself (and Harry), that he was relieved that Orlando was recovering, and that he had Katie watching out for him. "Perhaps we should take a few days sometime soon. We still haven't had a proper honeymoon."
"I'd like that." Josh gently bit on Karl's chin, then gave him another kiss before straightening. "But we both know that's not gonna happen until Harry gets back and Orlando's walking on his own."
"Might be sooner than you think. He's made remarkable progress the past few weeks."
"I know he has, and I'm as happy about it as you are." Josh slid his hand along Karl's back, then down to squeeze his ass. "Did you have any place in mind or is this the type of honeymoon where we never leave the hotel suite so it won't matter?"
"I like the way you think," Karl said, fangs dimpling warm skin as he bit down not quite hard enough to draw blood, then he pulled back. "But I was thinking of taking you home to England, where I grew up."
"Home..." Josh blinked, then stared. "Wow."
Karl shrugged. He looked away, allowing himself a brief second as memory threatened to overwhelm him. "I took Orlando a few years ago. We both had business to attend to, so I decided to take a few extra days and show him around. You, though...there'd be no business."
Pausing, Karl looked at Josh, studied his expression. He was tempted to touch their bond to figure out what Josh was thinking, but he held back. "We can go somewhere else if you'd like, but I want you to see where I came from, perhaps meet some of my family that still live."
"You...you have family?" The space between Josh's brows creased. "I didn't think you had any siblings or children."
"I didn't. I don't. But my mother did have a brother, and he was very fond of mortal women."
"Ah, got it, the randy lord of the manner sort."
"Something like that," Karl conceded, with a grin. "At any rate, there are plenty of cousins with too many greats in front of their names to rattle off who still make their home in the area."
"I can't wait to meet them," Josh replied, then gave Karl a considering look. "I take it your uncle's not around."
"No, he chose the death ritual about a century after my parents did," Karl explained. "Said he was tired of it all."
"And your parents?"
"Started planning theirs not too long after I'd given Harry the Gift. I think they were just waiting until I had someone, so I wouldn't be alone." Time had dulled the worst of the grief, and Karl didn't begrudge his parents or uncle their decision, but he knew that, as with Lauren, he'd carry a little of the heartache over losing them until his dying day.
"Probably just waiting until you had someone around to kick your ass," Josh said, and Karl smiled at the attempt to lighten the mood.
"My mother always did say she didn't beat me nearly enough as a child," Karl replied, briefly nuzzling Josh's neck again before tugging him away from the bar and towards the door.
"That explains a lot." They stepped outside, and Karl could tell Josh was surprised when he started to walk down the street. "Uh, Karl? Where are we going?"
"The car's a few blocks down."
"You didn't valet it?"
Karl stopped and turned. The bewildered expression on Josh's face was so comical that Karl almost laughed. He stifled the urge and just smiled. "I'm observing the natives in their element, remember?"
"Ah, right, gotcha," Josh said, and mimed wiping his forehead in relief. "I forgot for a minute."
"Come on," Karl said, and held out his hand. "You can drive, and I'll tell you more about Shrewsbury if you'd like."
"Drive? Are you kidding?"
"Relax, I left the Viper at home," Karl said, with a roll of his eyes. Really, everyone's reluctance to drive that car was ridiculous. "And I told you, it's not Orlando's."
Josh patted Karl on the back. "Keep telling yourself that, slick. Anyway, you said Shrewsbury. That's where you grew up?"
"Well, it wasn't called that back then, but yes, that area. It's near Wales," Karl explained, and tossed the keys to the Bentley to Josh when they got to the car.
Josh just stared at the keys, then the car, then Karl, and shook his head. "Seriously, you self-parked a Bentley on Pico and you call that slumming."
Karl frowned. "I thought it was. It's not like I drove the Maybach down."
"You really do not think like normal people." Josh shook his head, then climbed into the driver's seat. Karl slid in next to him. "Not that I'm complaining about driving a goddamn Bentley, but dude, valet it next time. Or buy a Honda for slumming."
"Hondas are ugly and lack class."
"Precisely," Josh beamed at him, then smoothly turned the car onto Pico. "Anyway, enough about the cars, tell me more about your childhood. You don't talk about it much."
"It was a long time ago," Karl shrugged, still puzzling a little over the car situation. He resolved to ask Orlando about it, then turned back to the subject at hand. "My parents were around the age I am now when they decided to try for a child. They'd met a few centuries earlier in Spain, and decided to leave once King Roderick was killed, and they settled near Shrewsbury."
"Why'd they wait so long to try for a natural child?"
"My father was reluctant to bring a child into the world when there was so much turmoil going on."
"Sounds like Harry," Josh remarked.
"Harry's reasons are a little different, but yes, they did have much in common," Karl smiled. "It took them a few decades of trying before I was born, however."
"Right, the rituals and all that?"
Karl nodded, relaxing back into his seat as the Bentley's smooth motion lulled him. "It's not easy for vampire women to get pregnant under the best of circumstances. Now, we have drugs that can help the process, as well as advanced medical techniques to boost the ritual. Then..."
"Not so easy, I imagine."
"Not at all," Karl said. "It was mostly a matter of luck centuries ago. Still is, really. Which is why born vampires are so rare. Human women can get pregnant by vampires far easier, which is why Harry and Diane were only together a few years before she became pregnant with Lauren. Though, there are the rare instances were a vampire couple decide to have a child, and the female is pregnant in a matter of weeks."
"It's something to do with the metabolism, right?" Josh glanced over for a second, then returned his attention to the road.
"Partly. No one's sure, to be honest. Metabolism, body chemistry, ritual, who knows." With a shrug, Karl twisted to watch Josh, letting his eyes roam over Josh's profile. "Some of the best researchers in the world are studying it. In fact, Katie's actually spent quite a few years studying the problem."
"Really?" Josh sounded impressed. "I take it she wants kids one day, then?"
"Yes, but that's not the only reason she's done so much research. I think she's fascinated by the differing biology, to be honest."
"Makes sense. She strikes me as the type that likes knowing things," Josh grinned. "But, back to your misspent youth."
"It wasn't that misspent," Karl said. "I spent most of my youth studying."
"Sounds dull."
"I was groomed for a Council position almost from birth," Karl shrugged. "My father sat on the Council until he met my mother and decided to retire his seat. But it was always understood that I would follow in his footsteps."
"So...no rebellious teenage shenanigans or what passed for it in the Middle Ages?" Josh guessed, with a grin.
"Harry was my rebellion," Karl offered, with his own smile. "I'd had no training or preparation for anyone like him."
"So how'd they take that? Your parents, I mean, when you shacked up with Harry."
"Surprisingly well, once they realized there was already a bond there," Karl said, as he remembered his mother's reaction. "Of course, my mother had ideas for my future that didn't exactly include me bonding myself somehow to a human who wasn't a pet, but she loved Harry."
"Even though he tried to kill you?" Josh grinned.
Karl laughed. "I didn't tell her the details about that encounter. My father knew, but my mother...no, I was far more frightened of her than anything else."
"Moms are like that." There was a slight pause, then Josh glanced over with a thoughtful look. "So your parents were still alive when you took the Council seat, or not?"
"They were still alive," Karl replied, briefly allowing the memories of that time to take hold. "One of my first acts as Council member, ironically enough, was to approve their death petition."
"Wow, that seems kind of fucked up."
"All petitions to go through the death ritual must be approved by the Council. Just as we don't give the Gift on a whim, nor do we take it on one."
"Still, your own parents? Isn't that like a conflict of interest or something?"
"Where was the conflict?" Karl asked, feeling more than a little confused. "This was something they'd wanted for decades. What sort of son would I be to deny them their rights?"
"I..." Josh stopped, shook his head. "Nevermind. I keep forgetting that you really aren't wired like we are."
"So Orlando keeps telling me," Karl said, a faint smile curling his mouth. "Educate me."
"Man, I don't even know where to begin." Pulling up to a red light, Josh sat there for a second, then looked at Karl. "I don't know if I can, because I don't think you can even begin to comprehend how that would affect me or Orlando or Elijah. Maybe it's because our lives are so much shorter, but if my parents wanted to die..."
"You wouldn't help them?" Karl said, still confused as he tried to sort it out in his head. "You'd fight them on it?"
"With everything in me," Josh said quietly, turning back to the road as the light changed. "I just...I mean, if they were in pain and there was absolutely no hope, then yeah, maybe. But if they just decided one day to end it? I couldn't."
"But surely it's their right to decide when they would like to die."
"I think..." Josh seemed to be struggling with the right words to say. "I guess it's just that we view suicide differently."
"It's not suicide. I know what a suicidal vampire looks like, and it's nothing like what my parents and others like them have done." He was skating dangerously close to a line he hadn't crossed in centuries, and he knew it, but he knew this was too important a distinction to not correct Josh on it.
"Hey, it's alright." Josh seemed to sense some of his distress, whether in his voice or through the bond, and reached out a hand to squeeze Karl's. "We don't have to talk about this. It's a heavy subject for what's supposed to be a night of playing hooky for you."
"I don't mind," Karl replied, centering himself, using Josh's touch as an anchor. "It's just important that you know the difference."
"So I take it that a, uh, suicidal vampire is, um..."
"Frightening," Karl said quietly, releasing a slow breath when Josh's fingers tightened on his again. "There's no rational thought there, almost like a psychotic break. They...they just want to die, and they don't care who it affects or who goes down with them."
Josh cleared his throat. "Yeah, okay, you're right. Not good."
"Precisely." Karl rubbed his eyes with his free hand and let his head fall back against the seat. Memories threatened to overwhelm him, so he dropped into his bond with Josh for a moment. It was safer. "What my parents chose was different. It was quiet and peaceful, simply moving on to another plane of existence."
Josh nodded, his throat working before he spoke. "I guess I just can't imagine life without my parents. Although I know it'll happen."
"But not for a long time," Karl assured him, lifting Josh's hand to kiss his knuckles. It was a struggle to remain in the present, but he owed Josh nothing less. "And when they do go, they'll know that their son is still being loved and cared for."
Josh choked out a watery-sounding laugh. "I guess a parent can't ask for much more than that, huh?"
"No, they can't." For a moment, Karl just looked at Josh. Then he reached up to brush a light caress along Josh's jaw. "You know you won't have to go through that alone."
Josh reached for Karl's hand again. "Thank you."
"No need. Now, how about we talk of something happier?"
"I could always tell you about some of Aubrey's more particular kinks," Josh said after a long pause, and Karl could feel the tension ease from their bond.
"Oh, I plan on finding out about all of those on my own," he replied, with a wicked grin. "But I have to admit that I'm looking forward to seeing the two of you together."
"That's because you're a perverted old man."
"So Harry's always telling me," Karl replied, feeling more relaxed. Bless Josh for knowing what he needed right now. "But it's still the truth."
"I'm sure you'll get your fill of watching us. She's pretty shameless," Josh replied, and made the slow right onto Hollywood Boulevard.
"I like shameless. Especially in my women."
"And in some of your men," Josh shot back as they pulled into the parking lot of the small strip mall. "And yes, we're going to valet it, so hush."
"You're driving, you're the boss." Karl just smiled when Josh looked at him, and nothing else was said until they were pushing through the door into the dimly lit interior of the bar.
"You know, it's been years since I was in a hookah den," he observed.
"Years?" Josh looked over his shoulder, eyebrows raised.
"Decades, actually," Karl grinned, one hand settling at the small of Josh's back. "And it was in Turkey."
"Really? And how much did it take to get you stoned?"
"A lot more than it's going to take you," Karl replied, and gave Josh a quick kiss before being waved over to a private sitting area by Aubrey.
"About time you boys showed up," Aubrey drawled, looking both men up and down like they were dessert and she wasn't quite sure where to start.
"Did you miss us?" Karl asked with a wink, as he settled onto one of the cushions. Josh sprawled beside him, already looking way more relaxed.
"I'd tell you," she said, crawling over, pipe clasped between her fingers, "but I have a feeling your ego's already big enough."
"It's like she knows you," Josh laughed.
Karl mock-growled and pulled Aubrey into his lap. "Just for that, I should make you watch first."
"Like that would be a chore," Josh replied, plucking the pipe from Aubrey's hand and putting it to his lips. "Besides, you haven't even bit her yet."
"No, I haven't." Karl rubbed a few strands of Aubrey's hair between his fingers as he looked at her. "Should I do it now or wait until later?"
She loped her arms around his neck, and smiled. "It's just intercourse we can't engage in if you haven't bitten me, correct?"
"Correct."
She cocked her head in Josh's direction as he took a long pull from the pipe. "And I can have him without being bitten?"
"As many times as you like."
She brushed a light kiss across Karl's lips. "Then let's wait until we get someplace private. I've got an idea about where I'd like you to bite me that doesn't require an audience except Josh."
"I like the way you think," Karl said, and bent his head to nuzzle her throat, filling his lungs with her scent. She wriggled against him, shifting to straddle his lap as Josh handed back the pipe, and Karl took advantage of the new position to slide his hands up her ribcage.
//Don't be surprised if she wants to watch us together at least once.//
Karl lifted his head to find Josh watching him in open amusement. //Oh?//
//Aubrey's kinky as hell. One of the reasons I like her so much.//
Interest renewed (not that it had ever waned), Karl refocused on Aubrey to find her studying him with a secretive smile in face. "Penny for your thoughts."
"Oh, no need for that. I'll tell 'em to you for free," she said, and took a long drag from the pipe before pressing her lips against Karl's. When she lifted her head, she was smiling. Then she leaned in to whisper in his ear.
***