FIC: Catalyst (part 50) (Harry Sinclair, Karl Urban, Orlando Bloom, Dave Wenham)

[idiosyncratic]

Title: "Catalyst" (Part Fifty)
Authors: Brenda (azewewish) & Jo (idiosyncratic)
Series: Claimed Universe
Notes: Click here for full disclaimers and pairings.

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 | Part Thirty | Part Thirty-One | Part Thirty-Two | Part Thirty-Three | Part Thirty-Four | Part Thirty-Five | Part Thirty-Six | Part Thirty-Seven | Part Thirty-Eight | Part Thirty-Nine | Part Forty | Part Forty-One | Part Forty-Two | Part Forty-Three | Part Forty-Four | Part Forty-Five | Part Forty-Seven | Part Forty-Seven | Part Forty-Eight | Part Forty-Nine


"No," Orlando said, and winced at how quickly it came out. "Maybe. A little. Sometimes. I'm not a girl."

"Obviously."

"No, I mean, I'm not a girl."

To Sean's credit, it only took him another moment to get it. "Ah. And you think that, because Harry's preference has always leaned towards the fairer sex that he sometimes thinks less of his relationship with you or Karl?"

"Maybe?" Orlando let out a slow breath. He needed a drink. Several drinks. "Sometimes. I dunno, I mean, I never really thought about it until tonight. It's not like I've ever seen how he is with women."

A warm hand closed over his. "Orlando, look at me." Sean's smile was small, but reassuring. "Harry loves both of you, regardless of your sex. It's true, yes, that he is far more attracted to women, but he wouldn't be with either of you if he weren't attracted to men as well."

"No, I know he is...I mean, he's admitted he's bi, it's just." Christ, why couldn't he think? "I just think he'd be happier if Karl and I were women. If I, at least, was a woman."

"I think you underestimate him," Sean replied, and held up a hand to silence Orlando's protest. "Hear me out. I know you've heard the stories from both Karl and Harry about how neither of them had had another male lover until you came along, and that's true. But that doesn't mean either of them aren't comfortable with who you are. It's taken Harry centuries to come to peace with himself. But he is at peace. Never doubt that."

Orlando didn't say anything, and the silence stretched out between them, cut only by the movement of the waiters through the door. Then his shoulders slumped as he looked at the floor. "I don't think he's completely comfortable with me."

"Why's that?"

"Do you know that tonight's the first time I've seen him with a woman when it wasn't business?"

"I..." Sean looked dumbfounded for a second, then the oddest look - part sympathy, part understanding, and part something Orlando couldn't name - crossed his face. "And that bothers you?"

"A little. I mean, I didn't even know Monica existed until a few weeks ago, and he loves her. I just... I never wanted him to think he had to hide anything from me."

"Do you think that's what it is?"

"Maybe? Possibly? I mean, you'd know, right?" Orlando asked, hopefully. "If he was...ashamed, I mean. Of bringing women around."

"Well, he's certainly never said anything to me about being ashamed," Sean replied. "But he has mentioned that you haven't had good experiences with women in the past."

"Try no experience," Orlando muttered. "Other than a couple of blowjobs and making out, I mean. Just didn't do much for me."

"Perhaps it was the girls?"

"Well, yeah," Orlando said, biting off the "duh" that threatened to follow. He knew Sean well enough to know that would earn him a cuff upside his head. "That's the whole point, isn't it?"

"Not quite," Sean chuckled. "I meant that perhaps it was the girls themselves. Not the fact that they were girls. Come on." He stood, snagged a full bottle of vodka from a passing waiter's tray, and headed for the back door.

"Where're we going?" Orlando asked as he followed, fingers already tugging his tie from around his neck and stuffing it in his jacket pocket. "And what'd you mean, the girls themselves?"

"Just that."

Orlando nudged Sean's shoulder, then looked up at the night sky. The stars were out in full force, twinkling overhead with benevolent brilliance. It was a beautiful night. Too bad he wasn't in the proper frame of mind to enjoy it. "I don't follow."

Sean stopped when he got to the gazebo nestled in the back gardens. Orlando (if he was being honest) had completely forgotten that it even existed. "I'm not doubting that you prefer men," Sean said, as he sprawled on one of the benches. "But even the twinkiest of twinks have at least one woman, or type of woman, that turns them on. Same goes in reverse for even the straightest of men - they have a male type that also buzzes their radar. So, maybe the trick is to find that type or that woman for you."

"Well, I don't seem to have found it yet," Orlando grumbled, taking the bottle when Sean offered it. He took a swallow, grimaced at the burn, then handed it back. "Maybe I'm the exception to the rule. It seems to be the story of my life."

Sean laughed. "How does it make you feel when a woman flirts with you?" He held up a finger when Orlando opened his mouth. "I mean when she's really trying to pull you."

"Bored, usually," Orlando said, leaning back on a bench, arms draped along the back. "Don't really feel much of anything."

"Yet Kate scares the bloody hell out of you."

"She looked like she was going to eat me! And she's all..."

"All?"

"All, y'know," Orlando said, and moved his hands in an hourglass gesture that was both unmistakable and slightly obscene.

"Womanly?" Sean suggested. "Overwhelming? Voluptuous?"

"Yes," Orlando nodded before taking another long swallow. This time, he savored the burn of the alcohol down his throat. "All of that."

"And that scares you?"

Orlando couldn't help the shudder that swept through him. "Bloody right it does."

"Do you think it's just because you don't know what to do?"

Orlando opened his mouth, then closed it. "Um. I...I don't guess I'd really thought about it." Hell, he'd never thought about what to do with women. They weren't men, so what was the point?

"Could be part of your problem. Because, I've got to tell you, if just the thought of a one-night stand with Josh's Aunt Kate has got you completely turned around, Monica is going to kill you." Bastard sounded far too amused by that, too.

"You make it sound like I'm planning on, y'know, doing that with either one of them," Orlando muttered, flashing a dark glare in Sean's direction. He didn't see where any of this was funny.

"Perhaps not with Kate, or you'd be in there right now with her and Harry," Sean said. "Monica, though...you haven't even met her yet, and she's got you all in knots."

Orlando fell silent, not yet willing to admit that Sean was right. Damn it. He'd been in Harry's head, he knew how Harry felt about Monica, about their relationship, and it both frightened and intrigued him. Ever since Harry had given him that glimpse into his feelings, thoughts had randomly swum through Orlando's head at the worst times, needling him, getting under his skin.

Now there was Kate, inside with Harry, and Orlando was smart enough to know how that was going to end.

"Bollocks," Orlando whispered, letting his head fall back against the bench with a muffled thump.

A strong arm wrapped around his shoulders, and Orlando gratefully leaned into it. So what if it made him pathetic. He wasn't too proud to admit he needed the comfort. "You know Monica's not a threat to what you have with him, don't you?"

Silent, Orlando nodded, then shook his head. When he looked up, he was certain his eyes had to be red. "But he loves her. And she's..."

"It's not a competition. I know I'm repeating myself, but it's not."

"I know. And I promise I'm not trying to treat it like one," Orlando replied, and managed a small smile. "I'm being stupid, aren't I?"

"Not stupid," Sean said, as his arms tightened around Orlando's shoulders. "Just young. This is just a new situation for you."

"I'll say." Orlando burrowed into the warmth of Sean's side, feeling tense muscles relax. The alcohol was definitely helping. Then he laughed softly.

"What?"

"Just...don't think I could've picked a worse time to start thinking about maybe exploring my options."

"Maybe you picked the best time, did you think about that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you won't be up for strenuous activity for the first few months after you're unmade," Sean replied. "Which means you could take things slowly with...well, whomever it is you choose, if you choose anyone. You're free to explore at your own pace."

Orlando snorted. "According to everyone, I'll barely be strong enough to feed myself for weeks."

"Well, there you go, then," Sean said, patting Orlando's shoulder.

"What's that mean?"

"We'll just find you some nubile young thing with big..." A slight pause had Orlando frowning "...assets to take care of you and feed you and do all that."

"A nubile young thing, huh?" Orlando gave Sean a skeptical look.

"Look, you know you don't have to do anything. Just because Harry loves women doesn't mean that you need to or that you should."

"I know that."

"Do you?" Sean's voice was kind. "He fell in love with you knowing you were gay. He's not expecting you to suddenly develop an interest in women just so you can keep him company. He's got Karl for that, if and when he desires that sort of company."

Orlando pulled his feet up to the bench and rested his chin on his knees. "I know," he finally said, after thinking over Sean's words. "It's just... I don't want him to think he has to keep that part of his life from me. Like he has to hide it."

"I don't think he thinks he has to hide it from you. I don't think he's ever thought that. But he's not the sort to flaunt his relationships, no matter who they're with. If he's not telling you about the women in his life, it's not personal. He rarely tells Karl, or me, for that matter, about them."

"I know." Orlando sighed, and tipped his face forward until his forehead was on his knees. "But you at least know about them. And you've seen him with them. Do you...do you think he'll talk to me about it if I ask?"

"This is Harry, child. You know all you have to do is ask."

"True," Orlando conceded. "I mean, it's not like it's Karl."

"True enough," Sean laughed. "Although I do wonder why you're so concerned with Harry's exploits with women, but you don't seem nearly as concerned about Karl's history with them. Why do you think that is?"

"Because he's Karl." The soft answer earned Orlando a level look. He took a deep breath and sat up, placing his feet on the ground again. "I don't know," he finally said, trying to sort through his thoughts and find the right words. "I'd say it's probably because I'm more Harry's pet than Karl's, but that seems too easy."

"And we wouldn't want to accuse you of being easy."

Orlando shoved gently at Sean's shoulder. "Fuck off."

"Maybe later," Sean winked. "Now, seriously, why do you honestly think that you're more freaked out by the idea of Harry going home with a beautiful woman to enjoy some recreational sex than you would be if it was Karl doing the same? Because I'd wager that Josh could have been a woman, and you'd have handled it better than you're handling Kate."

"Because he's Harry," Orlando said, simply, knowing that explained nothing.

"And?"

He took a deep breath, shifted around a little, and looked at Sean. Who just eyed him back with the oddest expression. "It's the bond," he finally said. "The one with Harry. It's not like the one I have with Karl. It's...I dunno, it's never been as strong, and I know that all of this is supposed to help change that, but...what if it doesn't and that's part of the reason why he won't share this part of his life with me and...?" And there was that look again. Orlando frowned. "What?"

Sean seemed to struggle with himself for a handful of moments before speaking. "It's about your bond. With Harry."

Orlando immediately quelled the immediate urge to panic. "What about it?"

"Let me ask you this. What happens during a pet binding ceremony?"

"Uh, we were just at one."

"Humor me."

"Uh, well...Viggo has the two parties recite their vows, then there's the freaky Jedi mind trick thing he does, then there's the blood exchange, then it's all witnessed and Viggo signs off on it," Orlando recited. He felt like he was back in school.

"Precisely." Sean tapped Orlando's knee. "Now tell me about your ceremony with Harry."

"Well, we...he..." Orlando trailed off, forehead wrinkling as he tried to remember. He could remember his ceremony with Karl clearly, but the one with Harry was a blank. "Well, um..."

Sean just sat there, patient, watching Orlando with that same humorless expression.

Orlando thought harder, struggled to remember, and then he blinked. Eyes wide, he stared at Sean. "There wasn't one," he whispered, and felt like he was going to be sick.

"It's alright." Sean started rubbing soothing circles along Orlando's back. "Just breathe," he said, in a calm voice. "Breathe. In and out, there you go."

Orlando obeyed, shakily taking deep, slow breaths until he could feel the panic attack start to subside. "We're not bonded, Sean."

"I know." Once again, Sean pulled him close. "You've got the vows and the blood between you, but until Viggo does his mind thing to cement it, it's not final. Something I think was easily overlooked by both of you because you're both bonded with Karl and that, I'm guessing, has been a conduit for you. But that's why your bond to Harry isn't as strong."

"Does he know?"

"He realized it earlier tonight. Just before Josh's ceremony. And before you go off half-cocked, he is planning on talking to you about it."

Orlando knew he should be relieved, but he still felt sick. He had to clench his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. "I can't go through with the unmaking," he said, hearing the edge of anxiety in his voice.

"Not until you and Harry complete the ceremony, no." Sean offered a quick grin. "I told Harry he should just do it tonight, since Viggo was here, but he didn't want to usurp Karl and Josh's ceremony."

Orlando let out a watery laugh. "That does sound like him."

"Noble to a fault, our Harry is." Sean cupped Orlando's chin, eyes kind. "This is something that's easily corrected. And, I'm willing to bet a considerable sum that once the bond is fully open between the two of you, you won't be feeling nearly as anxious about Harry's choice of bed partners, male or female."

"That confident, are you?" Orlando managed a weak smile as Sean pressed a light kiss to his forehead.

"Of you and Harry? Absolutely," Sean said, head tilted as he studied Orlando's face. "But all of that can wait 'til tomorrow. Besides, I wouldn't bet the house that Harry's still here."

"Oh, right." Kate. "Yeah, yeah, you're right," Orlando nodded, feeling like an idiot. "It can wait. He knows. And it's not like Harry and I can have a proper ceremony without Karl there, so..."

"That's the spirit." Sean offered a hand as he stood. "Come on. You can come home with Dom and me. I've got some business to take care of, and I know Dom'll be glad for the company. Not to mention it'll do you some good to get out of the house for the night."

"You think Josh and Karl will bother me that much?"

Sean slid his hand across Orlando's in a friendly gesture as they left the gazebo and made their way back inside. "I remember hearing about how loud you were with Karl that first night," he said, and winked, clearly enjoying Orlando's embarrassment. "Ah, Dom, my love, there you are."

"Here I am," Dom said, coming to a halt and accepting the kiss that Sean bestowed upon him. His gaze swept over both of them, lingered for a moment on their joined hands. "You finally ready for that threesome, then?"

"As if you'd have me," Orlando scoffed, immediately feeling a littler calmer. Funny how three seconds in Dom's easy-going company could ease his mind. "I'm a vampire that's not Sean, remember?"

Dom just grinned and rocked back on his heels. "I'm not saying I'd let you at me, but I could watch you and Sean have a go at each other."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Sean asked.

"Do you ever?" Dom countered.

"Bloody pervert," Orlando said, delivering a light smack to the top of Dom's head.

"Can you blame me?" Dom fell into step on Sean's other side and grinned. "The two of you together, mate? It's porn I don't have to pay for."

"And I still get no say in this?" Sean asked, amused. Orlando just resisted rolling his eyes.

"Like you'd say no to getting your hands on the boy wonder," Dom scoffed. "You know you've been curious forever to know if Harry and Karl've been exaggerating his talents. If I wasn't your pet, I'd have been tempted to have a go at him myself."

"Oi, I'm not some blow-up doll you all get to pass around as a party favor," Orlando stated, narrowing his eyes at Dom.

"No, but you'd make a great one. Bet we'd sell millions."

"No one's getting passed around," Sean stated, with a quick, but meaningful, look in Dom's direction. He squeezed Orlando's hand, smile soft, welcoming. "Although if you were in the mood for a little comfort or TLC, we can provide that for you."

Orlando stumbled, then stared at Sean when he'd regained his balance. Had he just...? "I...well..." He flushed, ignoring the laughter coming from Dom's direction. "Um, well, why don't we just, y'know, see what happens."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Sean said, still holding Orlando's hand as he draped his free arm over Dom's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Orli," Dom said, flashing a warm smile around Sean. "We'll take care of you. And you -" he poked at Sean "- can tell me all about why we're taking care of him."

"Harry went home with Kate," Sean told him, as Orlando's face went blank. He wasn't going to dwell on it.

"Ah," Dom said, and nodded. "Then we'll be taking extra good care of you, mate."

"You will?"

"Absolutely."

Sean just brushed a kiss to Orlando's temple. "Relax. Nothing happens you don't want."

"Right." Orlando appreciated the gesture, and the friendship. "And thanks."

"Anytime," Sean said, and led them all out the door.

(To Be Continued)