FIC: "Consummated" (Part Thirteen) (Dave Wenham/Harry Sinclair/Karl Urban/Orlando Bloom)
Title: "Consummated" (Part Thirteen)
Authors: Brenda (azewewish) & Jo (idiosyncratic)
Series: Claimed
Pairing(s): Dave Wenham/Harry Sinclair/Karl Urban/Orlando Bloom
Click here for full disclaimers.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven | Part Twelve | Part Thirteen | Part Fourteen | Part Fifteen | Part Sixteen | Part Seventeen | Part Eighteen | Part Nineteen | Part Twenty | Part Twenty-One | Part Twenty-Two | Part Twenty-Three | Part Twenty-Four | Part Twenty-Five | Part Twenty-Six | Part Twenty-Seven | Part Twenty-Eight | Part Twenty-Nine | Epilogue, Part One | Epilogue, Part Two | Epilogue, Part Three
"I give in
To sin
Because I like to practice
What I preach"
-- Depeche Mode
Dave studied himself in the mirror one last time. Not too bad, if he did say so himself. Dark blue shirt that set off his eyes nicely, crisp pale blue jeans, hair gleaming and still slightly damp...yeah, he'd make a good impression.
Fuck.
He laughed at his reflection. Good impression. Please. Like he needed to make a good impression at this point. Shaking his head, still laughing, Dave walked out of the bedroom to answer the buzzer.
And just sighed. Karl in a business suit was a thing of elegant beauty. But, the Karl standing in his door, wearing purple silk over sinfully tight black denim, was simply mouth-watering.
"Hi there." Karl's husky voice washed over him as dark eyes appraised, apparently liking what they saw if that grin was any indication.
"Hey." Dave was impressed with himself. He'd managed to speak without stammering. "Care to come in for a minute, or shall we just go?"
"We should go. If I get you alone in that house, we'll never leave," Karl grinned. "And we've got reservations."
"Right." Dave wondered if he was blushing. Probably. He seemed to have developed a talent for it since kissing Harry at the meeting. He patted his pockets, made sure he had his keys. "Let's go then."
Somehow, he wasn't surprised when Karl grabbed his hand as they walked to the car. What did surprise him, continued to surprise him, was the electric jolt that went through his body. Dave had spent so much of his life focusing on Harry and seeing Karl as an obstacle that these new sensations were still disconcerting. But in a good way.
"You look lost in thought."
"Sorry," Dave said, flashing Karl a grin. "It's just...this isn't quite something I expected."
"Life is full of little surprises." Karl stopped in front of a black Viper, opened the door. "You have no idea what I had to do to get my own car back for the evening."
"Get...? Ah, Orlando stole it from you, did he?" Dave slid into the sumptuous leather seat. "So tell me...what exactly did you have to do to get it back?"
Karl didn't answer until he was seated and easing out onto Venice Boulevard. "You want me to tell you, or would you like a small demonstration?" he asked, flashing Dave an intimate smile.
"Can you demonstrate and still drive?"
"Of course." Karl smoothly shifted gears, and in a move so fast not even Dave saw it coming, had Dave's jeans unzipped and was...
Oh God.
One of Dave's hands curled around the armrest, the other gripped the seat beneath his legs. Jesus. Dave's head fell back, his eyes closed tight. Fuck...Karl...
"You want me to continue?"
"Please..." The word was a whisper. Less than a whisper. More of an exhalation really. It was all Dave could manage.
Karl's hand sped up marginally, but that thing, whatever it was, he was doing with his wrist... Dave bit his lip hard to keep from blacking out when he came, fell limply against his seat, watching through glazed eyes as Karl licked his hand clean, merged onto the 405. "Um."
Yeah. So much for coherence.
"I can see why Harry's so addicted to you."
"Jesus." Dave took several deep breaths, waited for his heart to stop racing. "I can see why Orlando agreed to give you the car back tonight."
"He would have given me the car anyway," Karl smiled, white teeth flashing in the dark. "But watching him come is one of my greatest pleasures."
"He is pretty when he comes," Dave agreed, arranging his clothing once more. "So..." He trailed off, at a loss for words.
"So, how's Harry these days? You've been keeping him pretty busy the last week."
"He's good." Dave flashed Karl a grateful smile. This couldn't be that hard. "A little stressed out, but..." A small shrug. "We've spent a lot of time talking."
"Well, that's good." Karl handled the car like it was an extension of his body as they zipped down the freeway, weaving in and out of traffic. "The two of you need to get to know each other as friends."
"We're trying to." Dave watched Karl for a few minutes, admiring his easy grace. "He's...not quite what I expected. Neither are you," he added hastily.
Karl glanced at him. "And what, exactly, where you expecting?"
"With him? I'm not really sure. Just something other than what I see when we're alone, I guess." Dave shifted in his seat, studied the passing billboards. "And I guess I expected you to be more like Vig for some reason."
"Ouch." Karl put his hand over his heart. "That hurts."
Dave grinned. "Sorry. It's just... You were both born vampires, so I guess I expected...hell, I don't know what I expected."
"Well, I'm nothing like Vig except in arrogance and my love for Harry," Karl replied, pulling up to the valet.
"I'm beginning to see that."
Karl was almost out of the car before he turned around, gave Dave a quick look. "You do eat meat, right?"
Dave laughed, almost fell over as he stepped out of the car. "Yeah, I eat meat." He was still laughing when Karl walked around the car and steered him into the restaurant. "I can not believe you bound yourself to a vegetarian."
"This is why it's good to talk before claiming someone," Karl stated, after he gave his name to the maître d' and they were led to a small, corner table.
Nice place. Subtle, understated, elegant. Exactly the sort of place Dave had expected from Karl. Nice to know 80 years of observation was good for something. "Wait," he said as he sat down. "Please tell me you knew Orli's eating habits before the ceremony? Because if not, I'm going to embarrass myself by falling on the floor laughing."
"Yes, I knew," Karl answered, sounding slightly embarrassed. "I took him out to dinner and...well, let's just say the two of us hadn't spent a lot of time talking before that night."
"I'm sure. Should I assume that this wasn't the same night you claimed him or even the next night?"
"No." If possible, Karl looked even more embarrassed. Dave wondered if Karl knew just how erotic of a sight that was. "You sound like everyone else."
"Well, you don't exactly have a reputation for talking to people." Dave leaned back in his chair, thoroughly enjoying watching Karl's expressive face. "So how long did you wait before you talked to the child? No, wait," he held up a hand, "don't tell me. Please...tell me you didn't wait till the night before the...you did?" Dave burst out laughing.
"It's not what you...oh fuck it," Karl managed to say before succumbing to his own laughter. "Now you see why Harry wants to do things differently with you," he continued, smile playing across his full lips.
"I guess so, yeah." Dave was still chuckling. Couldn't help it. Just the idea that Karl would wait until the night before the binding ceremony to actually talk to Orlando was...just so...Karl. "Did you wait until after the ceremony to move Orli in with you?"
"Um...no. No, I didn't. God, don't start that again."
"Start what?"
"Look, let's just talk about something else, alright?" Karl busied himself with perusing a menu Dave was positive he'd already memorized.
"Very well," Dave murmured, attempting to stifle his laughter as he studied the menu. Right. No more discussion of what Dave was sure were Karl's numerous fuck ups when claiming and binding Orlando. Didn't mean Dave wasn't going to imagine them. "So...any suggestions on what to order?"
"The chicken marsala is amazing. And the lamb stew is Harry's favorite item." Karl flashed him a small smile at the last sentence.
"Is that a hint?" Dave returned the smile, went back to studying the menu.
"An observation. He's a man of simple tastes. Remember that."
Dave nodded. "I'll keep it in mind." He laid the menu on the table, studied Karl. "Of course, that begs the question of why he's been with you for so long. You are, after all, not a simple person."
Karl was silent as they placed their order, as the waiter opened their wine and they tasted it. When he finally spoke, his voice was low. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure why he stays with me." He tilted his glass, studied the amber of the liquid. "I had to practically force him to even get him to accept his feelings for me."
"I wasn't aware of that." Dave continued to study Karl as he sipped his wine. "He loves you a lot." Unaware of the wistful note in his voice, Dave dropped his eyes to his glass, watched the light sparkling off the liquid.
Karl reached across the table, covered Dave's hand with his own, waited until he lifted his head before speaking. "Give him time. It took me five years." A smile at Dave's gulp. "I don't think he'll take that long with you, but this is very new to him. He wasn't looking for this."
"Believe me, I wasn't expecting it." Dave gave Karl a weak smile. "But now...I'm holding out hope. I mean if he can come to love your extremely obnoxious pet in just a few weeks, well, I figure sooner or later he'll come to love me, too. At least I hope so."
"He didn't have much of a choice with Orlando," Karl reminded him. "Not that I'm sure Harry doesn't love our pet, but you know as well as I do that the bonds he and I have color everything. Which is why it's important you and I get to know each other as well." Karl gave Dave's hand another squeeze.
"I know." And Dave did. Deep down, he knew Karl's words were true. But the whole thing was still so new and unexpected and just...more than he'd ever dreamed. "Guess I'm still getting used to the possibility of actually having him after so long."
"We all are."
After that, talk became a bit easier. Karl and Dave traded Viggo stories over dinner, talked of Karl's various business ventures over an excellent dessert, talked about the places they'd been. Dave was surprised to discover that he genuinely liked talking with Karl. Liked seeing that quick smile lighting Karl's handsome features, liked the way Karl raised his eyebrow when he was amused, liked the way he was constantly brushing his hair back from his face in the same exact way Harry did. Scary how many mannerisms they had in common. Dave fisted his hands to keep from reaching over and brushing the hair back himself. If it had been Harry, Dave's fingers would have been there in an instant. Somehow, he didn't feel quite as brazen yet with Karl.
"You should smile more." Oh, good one, Dave. God, that sounded so...girly.
Except, Karl didn't seem to mind; he just smiled again. "So should you. Lips that that were made for smiling. Among other things."
"And what other things would those be?" Dave blinked at the sultry note in his voice. Was he flirting with Karl? Christ, how much wine had he had, anyway?
"Are you asking for another demonstration?" Karl asked; purred, really. Yes, that was definitely a purr. And fucked if it didn't get Dave's dick thinking about, well, things. More things. Like those hands. On him. Again. Bloody hell.
"Are you offering another demonstration?" Dave shifted in his seat, wondered just when his brain was going to catch up with his mouth. Because it seemed as if his mouth was determined to get him into a situation that he wasn't sure he could handle. And Dave wasn't sure how he felt about that.
Karl traced his finger along Dave's palm and wrist. "Only if you're willing, child. I won't push you."
"I'm not a child," Dave said quickly, indignantly. His eyes were drawn to Karl's finger and he was struck by how elegant Karl's hands were. And just like that, he was wondering what those hands would look like on other parts of his body.
"I'm sorry." Karl withdrew his hand. "I didn't mean to insult you."
Dave's eyes flew up to Karl's face, his skin missing the contact with Karl's hand. "No, I...I'm the one who should be apologizing." Dave sighed, started to pull his hand back. "I didn't mean to snap like that."
"It's fine." Karl waved off his apology, stood. "Shall we?"
Dave stood, didn't say anything. He felt oddly subdued, as if he'd made a dreadful mistake and didn't quite know what it was or how to correct it. He followed Karl out of the restaurant, hands deep in his pockets, head down, thinking.
They waited in silence for the valet to bring the car around, but it wasn't the same as before. Now it just seemed...awkward. And it continued on the drive back toward Dave's house.
"So," Dave said, voice soft, when Karl stopped the car. "Would you like to come in? For a drink? Or something?"
Karl shook his head, a lock of hair falling across his forehead. "I better not." He cleared his throat. "I think... Well, I had a good time."
"So did I." Before Dave thought about what he was doing, his hand was moving across the space separating them so that his fingers could push the hair back from Karl's face.
Neither one breathed as Dave's fingers lightly trailed across Karl's skin, as Karl shifted into the touch, leaning forward until his lips were a mere whisper away from Dave's. "I know you don't want this, but..." The rest of Karl's sentence trailed off as he closed his lips over Dave's in a light, teasing, much-too-brief kiss.
"I never said I didn't...just..." Dave paused, his tongue flicked across his bottom lip. "Are you sure you don't want to come in?"
"What I want and what I'm sure are best are two different things," Karl replied, his voice subdued, face shuttered. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I know you're only putting up with me because Harry asked it of you. And I hope we can be friends."
Dave watched Karl's face, studied it closely. "I rather thought it was the other way around."
A flicker of puzzlement. "What do you mean?"
"I thought it was you putting up with me because Harry asked you to."
"Not at all." And there was that hint of a smile again.
"Well, then that makes two of us." Dave reached for the handle, paused. He looked back at Karl. "About what happened in the restaurant. I didn't...I'm sorry. I guess I just reacted to all the other times you've called me 'child'. Habit."
"I'll be more careful about using it in the future. Hold on, I'll walk you to the door." Karl got out of the car, and rounded it, holding Dave's door open.
Dave slid out of the car, waited for Karl to walk with him. Fuck. This was not going at all like he'd imagined. He wanted to say something, but hadn't the first clue what he should say. So he remained silent as they approached his condo.
Karl stood, hands shoved in his pockets, looking at him through lowered lashes. "Well, goodnight."
"Um, yeah." Dave glanced at the door, took a half step towards Karl, stopped. "Are you sure you...I mean...fuck. Would you please come inside?"
Karl continued to stare at him, not moving. "If that's what you want."
He was talking about a lot more than coming inside for a drink, and they both knew it.
"I..." Dave took a deep breath, forced his body to relax. "Yes."
"Alright then." And this time Karl's smile was genuine, warm. "I'll come in."
Dave returned the smile, still nervous, and unlocked the door. He gestured Karl inside, followed him, switched on a few lights as he moved around the room. "Would you like something to drink?" He headed towards the bar, glancing at Karl over his shoulder.
"Whatever you're having." Karl strolled around the room, and Dave was almost forcibly struck by the similarities to the first time Harry had come to his house...and what had happened later. Breathe, Dave, breathe.
He pulled out a bottle of Scotch after tearing his eyes from Karl. This was nothing, wasn't it? Perfectly normal, completely okay. Karl was just a lot like Harry, that was all. Right. Dave winced as the neck of the bottle clinked against the glass and steadied his hand. "Sorry about the mess," he said as he handed a glass to Karl. "Still packing, and everything's a bit disorganized."
"You've done a lot in the last week," Karl replied, taking a small sip. He raised an eyebrow, licked his lips. "This is Harry's favorite single malt, but I'm sure you knew that already."
"Yeah." Dave gestured towards the sofa. He hesitated as Karl sat down, and sat beside Karl, perching on the edge of the cushion. "Guess I've just had the right motivation."
"You know, this isn't going to work if you persist in acting like some sort of sacrificial virgin," Karl teased, lounging back on the sofa.
"What? You mean you don't find that sexy?" Dave sighed dramatically, then fell back on the couch, covering his eyes with the back of his hand.
He opened his eyes to find Karl looming over him, still smiling, but the tenor of things had changed once again. "You are utterly gorgeous," he muttered, and captured Dave's lips.
Considering Karl's current bed partners, Dave was extremely flattered by the compliment. He sighed, his lips parting beneath Karl's, and curled one hand around the back of Karl's neck. Definitely like kissing Harry. Only not. Harry devoured, conquered, consumed. Karl was more subtle.
Dave had one last brief thought of Harry, and then he surrendered himself fully to Karl's kiss.
Onto Part Fourteen
Authors: Brenda (azewewish) & Jo (idiosyncratic)
Series: Claimed
Pairing(s): Dave Wenham/Harry Sinclair/Karl Urban/Orlando Bloom
Click here for full disclaimers.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven | Part Twelve | Part Thirteen | Part Fourteen | Part Fifteen | Part Sixteen | Part Seventeen | Part Eighteen | Part Nineteen | Part Twenty | Part Twenty-One | Part Twenty-Two | Part Twenty-Three | Part Twenty-Four | Part Twenty-Five | Part Twenty-Six | Part Twenty-Seven | Part Twenty-Eight | Part Twenty-Nine | Epilogue, Part One | Epilogue, Part Two | Epilogue, Part Three
"I give in
To sin
Because I like to practice
What I preach"
-- Depeche Mode
Dave studied himself in the mirror one last time. Not too bad, if he did say so himself. Dark blue shirt that set off his eyes nicely, crisp pale blue jeans, hair gleaming and still slightly damp...yeah, he'd make a good impression.
Fuck.
He laughed at his reflection. Good impression. Please. Like he needed to make a good impression at this point. Shaking his head, still laughing, Dave walked out of the bedroom to answer the buzzer.
And just sighed. Karl in a business suit was a thing of elegant beauty. But, the Karl standing in his door, wearing purple silk over sinfully tight black denim, was simply mouth-watering.
"Hi there." Karl's husky voice washed over him as dark eyes appraised, apparently liking what they saw if that grin was any indication.
"Hey." Dave was impressed with himself. He'd managed to speak without stammering. "Care to come in for a minute, or shall we just go?"
"We should go. If I get you alone in that house, we'll never leave," Karl grinned. "And we've got reservations."
"Right." Dave wondered if he was blushing. Probably. He seemed to have developed a talent for it since kissing Harry at the meeting. He patted his pockets, made sure he had his keys. "Let's go then."
Somehow, he wasn't surprised when Karl grabbed his hand as they walked to the car. What did surprise him, continued to surprise him, was the electric jolt that went through his body. Dave had spent so much of his life focusing on Harry and seeing Karl as an obstacle that these new sensations were still disconcerting. But in a good way.
"You look lost in thought."
"Sorry," Dave said, flashing Karl a grin. "It's just...this isn't quite something I expected."
"Life is full of little surprises." Karl stopped in front of a black Viper, opened the door. "You have no idea what I had to do to get my own car back for the evening."
"Get...? Ah, Orlando stole it from you, did he?" Dave slid into the sumptuous leather seat. "So tell me...what exactly did you have to do to get it back?"
Karl didn't answer until he was seated and easing out onto Venice Boulevard. "You want me to tell you, or would you like a small demonstration?" he asked, flashing Dave an intimate smile.
"Can you demonstrate and still drive?"
"Of course." Karl smoothly shifted gears, and in a move so fast not even Dave saw it coming, had Dave's jeans unzipped and was...
Oh God.
One of Dave's hands curled around the armrest, the other gripped the seat beneath his legs. Jesus. Dave's head fell back, his eyes closed tight. Fuck...Karl...
"You want me to continue?"
"Please..." The word was a whisper. Less than a whisper. More of an exhalation really. It was all Dave could manage.
Karl's hand sped up marginally, but that thing, whatever it was, he was doing with his wrist... Dave bit his lip hard to keep from blacking out when he came, fell limply against his seat, watching through glazed eyes as Karl licked his hand clean, merged onto the 405. "Um."
Yeah. So much for coherence.
"I can see why Harry's so addicted to you."
"Jesus." Dave took several deep breaths, waited for his heart to stop racing. "I can see why Orlando agreed to give you the car back tonight."
"He would have given me the car anyway," Karl smiled, white teeth flashing in the dark. "But watching him come is one of my greatest pleasures."
"He is pretty when he comes," Dave agreed, arranging his clothing once more. "So..." He trailed off, at a loss for words.
"So, how's Harry these days? You've been keeping him pretty busy the last week."
"He's good." Dave flashed Karl a grateful smile. This couldn't be that hard. "A little stressed out, but..." A small shrug. "We've spent a lot of time talking."
"Well, that's good." Karl handled the car like it was an extension of his body as they zipped down the freeway, weaving in and out of traffic. "The two of you need to get to know each other as friends."
"We're trying to." Dave watched Karl for a few minutes, admiring his easy grace. "He's...not quite what I expected. Neither are you," he added hastily.
Karl glanced at him. "And what, exactly, where you expecting?"
"With him? I'm not really sure. Just something other than what I see when we're alone, I guess." Dave shifted in his seat, studied the passing billboards. "And I guess I expected you to be more like Vig for some reason."
"Ouch." Karl put his hand over his heart. "That hurts."
Dave grinned. "Sorry. It's just... You were both born vampires, so I guess I expected...hell, I don't know what I expected."
"Well, I'm nothing like Vig except in arrogance and my love for Harry," Karl replied, pulling up to the valet.
"I'm beginning to see that."
Karl was almost out of the car before he turned around, gave Dave a quick look. "You do eat meat, right?"
Dave laughed, almost fell over as he stepped out of the car. "Yeah, I eat meat." He was still laughing when Karl walked around the car and steered him into the restaurant. "I can not believe you bound yourself to a vegetarian."
"This is why it's good to talk before claiming someone," Karl stated, after he gave his name to the maître d' and they were led to a small, corner table.
Nice place. Subtle, understated, elegant. Exactly the sort of place Dave had expected from Karl. Nice to know 80 years of observation was good for something. "Wait," he said as he sat down. "Please tell me you knew Orli's eating habits before the ceremony? Because if not, I'm going to embarrass myself by falling on the floor laughing."
"Yes, I knew," Karl answered, sounding slightly embarrassed. "I took him out to dinner and...well, let's just say the two of us hadn't spent a lot of time talking before that night."
"I'm sure. Should I assume that this wasn't the same night you claimed him or even the next night?"
"No." If possible, Karl looked even more embarrassed. Dave wondered if Karl knew just how erotic of a sight that was. "You sound like everyone else."
"Well, you don't exactly have a reputation for talking to people." Dave leaned back in his chair, thoroughly enjoying watching Karl's expressive face. "So how long did you wait before you talked to the child? No, wait," he held up a hand, "don't tell me. Please...tell me you didn't wait till the night before the...you did?" Dave burst out laughing.
"It's not what you...oh fuck it," Karl managed to say before succumbing to his own laughter. "Now you see why Harry wants to do things differently with you," he continued, smile playing across his full lips.
"I guess so, yeah." Dave was still chuckling. Couldn't help it. Just the idea that Karl would wait until the night before the binding ceremony to actually talk to Orlando was...just so...Karl. "Did you wait until after the ceremony to move Orli in with you?"
"Um...no. No, I didn't. God, don't start that again."
"Start what?"
"Look, let's just talk about something else, alright?" Karl busied himself with perusing a menu Dave was positive he'd already memorized.
"Very well," Dave murmured, attempting to stifle his laughter as he studied the menu. Right. No more discussion of what Dave was sure were Karl's numerous fuck ups when claiming and binding Orlando. Didn't mean Dave wasn't going to imagine them. "So...any suggestions on what to order?"
"The chicken marsala is amazing. And the lamb stew is Harry's favorite item." Karl flashed him a small smile at the last sentence.
"Is that a hint?" Dave returned the smile, went back to studying the menu.
"An observation. He's a man of simple tastes. Remember that."
Dave nodded. "I'll keep it in mind." He laid the menu on the table, studied Karl. "Of course, that begs the question of why he's been with you for so long. You are, after all, not a simple person."
Karl was silent as they placed their order, as the waiter opened their wine and they tasted it. When he finally spoke, his voice was low. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure why he stays with me." He tilted his glass, studied the amber of the liquid. "I had to practically force him to even get him to accept his feelings for me."
"I wasn't aware of that." Dave continued to study Karl as he sipped his wine. "He loves you a lot." Unaware of the wistful note in his voice, Dave dropped his eyes to his glass, watched the light sparkling off the liquid.
Karl reached across the table, covered Dave's hand with his own, waited until he lifted his head before speaking. "Give him time. It took me five years." A smile at Dave's gulp. "I don't think he'll take that long with you, but this is very new to him. He wasn't looking for this."
"Believe me, I wasn't expecting it." Dave gave Karl a weak smile. "But now...I'm holding out hope. I mean if he can come to love your extremely obnoxious pet in just a few weeks, well, I figure sooner or later he'll come to love me, too. At least I hope so."
"He didn't have much of a choice with Orlando," Karl reminded him. "Not that I'm sure Harry doesn't love our pet, but you know as well as I do that the bonds he and I have color everything. Which is why it's important you and I get to know each other as well." Karl gave Dave's hand another squeeze.
"I know." And Dave did. Deep down, he knew Karl's words were true. But the whole thing was still so new and unexpected and just...more than he'd ever dreamed. "Guess I'm still getting used to the possibility of actually having him after so long."
"We all are."
After that, talk became a bit easier. Karl and Dave traded Viggo stories over dinner, talked of Karl's various business ventures over an excellent dessert, talked about the places they'd been. Dave was surprised to discover that he genuinely liked talking with Karl. Liked seeing that quick smile lighting Karl's handsome features, liked the way Karl raised his eyebrow when he was amused, liked the way he was constantly brushing his hair back from his face in the same exact way Harry did. Scary how many mannerisms they had in common. Dave fisted his hands to keep from reaching over and brushing the hair back himself. If it had been Harry, Dave's fingers would have been there in an instant. Somehow, he didn't feel quite as brazen yet with Karl.
"You should smile more." Oh, good one, Dave. God, that sounded so...girly.
Except, Karl didn't seem to mind; he just smiled again. "So should you. Lips that that were made for smiling. Among other things."
"And what other things would those be?" Dave blinked at the sultry note in his voice. Was he flirting with Karl? Christ, how much wine had he had, anyway?
"Are you asking for another demonstration?" Karl asked; purred, really. Yes, that was definitely a purr. And fucked if it didn't get Dave's dick thinking about, well, things. More things. Like those hands. On him. Again. Bloody hell.
"Are you offering another demonstration?" Dave shifted in his seat, wondered just when his brain was going to catch up with his mouth. Because it seemed as if his mouth was determined to get him into a situation that he wasn't sure he could handle. And Dave wasn't sure how he felt about that.
Karl traced his finger along Dave's palm and wrist. "Only if you're willing, child. I won't push you."
"I'm not a child," Dave said quickly, indignantly. His eyes were drawn to Karl's finger and he was struck by how elegant Karl's hands were. And just like that, he was wondering what those hands would look like on other parts of his body.
"I'm sorry." Karl withdrew his hand. "I didn't mean to insult you."
Dave's eyes flew up to Karl's face, his skin missing the contact with Karl's hand. "No, I...I'm the one who should be apologizing." Dave sighed, started to pull his hand back. "I didn't mean to snap like that."
"It's fine." Karl waved off his apology, stood. "Shall we?"
Dave stood, didn't say anything. He felt oddly subdued, as if he'd made a dreadful mistake and didn't quite know what it was or how to correct it. He followed Karl out of the restaurant, hands deep in his pockets, head down, thinking.
They waited in silence for the valet to bring the car around, but it wasn't the same as before. Now it just seemed...awkward. And it continued on the drive back toward Dave's house.
"So," Dave said, voice soft, when Karl stopped the car. "Would you like to come in? For a drink? Or something?"
Karl shook his head, a lock of hair falling across his forehead. "I better not." He cleared his throat. "I think... Well, I had a good time."
"So did I." Before Dave thought about what he was doing, his hand was moving across the space separating them so that his fingers could push the hair back from Karl's face.
Neither one breathed as Dave's fingers lightly trailed across Karl's skin, as Karl shifted into the touch, leaning forward until his lips were a mere whisper away from Dave's. "I know you don't want this, but..." The rest of Karl's sentence trailed off as he closed his lips over Dave's in a light, teasing, much-too-brief kiss.
"I never said I didn't...just..." Dave paused, his tongue flicked across his bottom lip. "Are you sure you don't want to come in?"
"What I want and what I'm sure are best are two different things," Karl replied, his voice subdued, face shuttered. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I know you're only putting up with me because Harry asked it of you. And I hope we can be friends."
Dave watched Karl's face, studied it closely. "I rather thought it was the other way around."
A flicker of puzzlement. "What do you mean?"
"I thought it was you putting up with me because Harry asked you to."
"Not at all." And there was that hint of a smile again.
"Well, then that makes two of us." Dave reached for the handle, paused. He looked back at Karl. "About what happened in the restaurant. I didn't...I'm sorry. I guess I just reacted to all the other times you've called me 'child'. Habit."
"I'll be more careful about using it in the future. Hold on, I'll walk you to the door." Karl got out of the car, and rounded it, holding Dave's door open.
Dave slid out of the car, waited for Karl to walk with him. Fuck. This was not going at all like he'd imagined. He wanted to say something, but hadn't the first clue what he should say. So he remained silent as they approached his condo.
Karl stood, hands shoved in his pockets, looking at him through lowered lashes. "Well, goodnight."
"Um, yeah." Dave glanced at the door, took a half step towards Karl, stopped. "Are you sure you...I mean...fuck. Would you please come inside?"
Karl continued to stare at him, not moving. "If that's what you want."
He was talking about a lot more than coming inside for a drink, and they both knew it.
"I..." Dave took a deep breath, forced his body to relax. "Yes."
"Alright then." And this time Karl's smile was genuine, warm. "I'll come in."
Dave returned the smile, still nervous, and unlocked the door. He gestured Karl inside, followed him, switched on a few lights as he moved around the room. "Would you like something to drink?" He headed towards the bar, glancing at Karl over his shoulder.
"Whatever you're having." Karl strolled around the room, and Dave was almost forcibly struck by the similarities to the first time Harry had come to his house...and what had happened later. Breathe, Dave, breathe.
He pulled out a bottle of Scotch after tearing his eyes from Karl. This was nothing, wasn't it? Perfectly normal, completely okay. Karl was just a lot like Harry, that was all. Right. Dave winced as the neck of the bottle clinked against the glass and steadied his hand. "Sorry about the mess," he said as he handed a glass to Karl. "Still packing, and everything's a bit disorganized."
"You've done a lot in the last week," Karl replied, taking a small sip. He raised an eyebrow, licked his lips. "This is Harry's favorite single malt, but I'm sure you knew that already."
"Yeah." Dave gestured towards the sofa. He hesitated as Karl sat down, and sat beside Karl, perching on the edge of the cushion. "Guess I've just had the right motivation."
"You know, this isn't going to work if you persist in acting like some sort of sacrificial virgin," Karl teased, lounging back on the sofa.
"What? You mean you don't find that sexy?" Dave sighed dramatically, then fell back on the couch, covering his eyes with the back of his hand.
He opened his eyes to find Karl looming over him, still smiling, but the tenor of things had changed once again. "You are utterly gorgeous," he muttered, and captured Dave's lips.
Considering Karl's current bed partners, Dave was extremely flattered by the compliment. He sighed, his lips parting beneath Karl's, and curled one hand around the back of Karl's neck. Definitely like kissing Harry. Only not. Harry devoured, conquered, consumed. Karl was more subtle.
Dave had one last brief thought of Harry, and then he surrendered himself fully to Karl's kiss.
Onto Part Fourteen