Fic: An Even Exchange [Slow and Steady Series]

[jade_dragoness]

Title: An Even Exchange
Author: J.D. aka jade_dragoness
Series: Slow and Steady, Story #1
Rating: PG
Pairing: Marcone/Dresden
Spoilers: None
Summary: Marcone exchanges information with Dresden and has to reveal something he’d rather keep to himself.
Word Count: 1,670
Disclaimer: Never ever will be mine. *sadness*
A/N: Yet another fic done for cliche_bingo. For the square # 25 - If Only You’d Notice Me; Yearning and Obliviousness
Feedback is hugely welcomed. Feel free to point out any errors I missed.
*-*-*-*
AO3 Link
*-*-*-*

I was sitting down in an exclusive room of one of my more expensive restaurants. Simply waiting.

I’m not the sort of man that sits around waiting for someone to come to him but when it comes to Harry Dresden, a lot of the rules that I hold for myself are no longer applicable. He drives me crazier than anyone I’ve ever met. There are so many things about him that are unique and extraordinary. I do not solely speak of his eldritch power. The very character of the man is riveting and I have been caught by him against my own will.

I’m both amused and disheartened by the thought that if he knew the true depths of my regard for him then he would be most disturbed. I doubt that he'd find it at all appealing that my thoughts often grow carnal in nature when I think of him. This, more than any other reason, is why I have not revealed a hint of it. I would rather be faced by Harry’s disgust at my professional life than have him reacted in a similar fashion to my personal regard. And facing his negative reaction to this knowledge is possibly more than I would be able take with it damaging a heart I had long thought incapable of incurring such an injury.

Mr. Hendricks’ body stiffening to greater degree of tension pulled me from my thoughts. His reaction was due to the sight of Harry entering the room. The doubtful expression on the hostess’s face as she let him in through the carved oak doors made me stifle a smile.

Harry was hardly dressed for the elegant atmosphere of the restaurant. Even the black leather coat that elevated his sartorial style hardly met the usual standards that the hostess usually saw.

I could hear Mr. Hendricks’ teeth grinding together even from where I sat and I gave him a quelling look with a flick of my eyes. He forcibly relaxed himself but continued glaring at Harry.

“Marcone,” Harry said, sounding disgruntled. He eyed Mr. Hendricks warily. “Down Cujo.”

“Mr. Dresden,” I said lightly. “I do not recommend antagonizing Mr. Hendricks at the moment. He is still on edge over the attack on my person.”

Harry’s head snapped over to me. “You were attacked!”

I inclined my head.

“It was by magic,” Harry said. I didn't inquire at his certainty. His eyes checked the room, looking at the expensive decorations before flickering over to me again. “Where‘s Gard?”

“She has been recalled by her employers for a certain task,” I said calmly. “I would like to hire you for information. Nothing else.”

Harry frowned at me.

It made my heart beat a shade faster than normal. It was rather disturbing how fascinating I found his scowls. And how much heat flowed into my veins in the face of his anger. Before I met Harry Dresden I had not found a frown to be so exciting. In so many ways, he is an outlier compared to the rest of the population of the world. How he makes me react is just another element.

“I‘m not taking your money, Marcone,” Harry said flatly.

“I didn‘t think that you would. You have made your feelings for it abundantly clear,” I said. “Would you consider it trade? A favor for a favor?”

“No,” he said.

I continued eying him calmly. He would not have shown up for this meeting without a reason or he simply would have refused it on the telephone.

“I‘ll help you but only if you answer a question for me,” Harry said, staring at me intently.

I tilted my head. “A question?”

“Yes,” Harry said. “Something's been bugging me.”

I contemplated what sort of question he sought to ask me and drew a disturbing blank. My most precious secret, he was already privy to it. More than any other being in the world, Harry Dresden knew who and what I was. His knowledge of myself was greater than I ever thought was possible for a person to know another. The soul gaze between us all those years ago had revealed us to each other in a way that even after all this time I found it difficult to quantify. I considered what else I had yet to reveal and my need for the information that he had or could find out. If nothing else, Harry has proven himself to be a worthy recipient of my secrets. If he hadn’t been than our relationship would never have developed beyond those first few years of our acquaintance or even less, as I would have been forced to take actions to completely remove him before he came a threat to me and those under my protection.

“Very well, Mr. Dresden, I agree to your terms. Information for information,” I said, and gestured for him to join me at the table.

He sat down reluctantly on the wooden chair.

I considered the delicacy of the knowledge that would possibly pass between us. “Mr. Hendricks, wait outside the door and keep anyone else from interrupting us,” I ordered.

He nodded slowly and gave Harry one final glower of distrust before he exited the room.

“What do you need to know?” Harry asked.

I quietly told him about the attack that been launched at my person only a few hours ago. The creatures that had crawled out of the shadows had been impossible to shoot out. Fire, silver and holy water had no affect. Frankly, I would not have survived if it had not been for the quick actions of Mr. Hendricks.

Harry looked concerned. “I haven‘t faced such things before. I don‘t know what they would be off the top of my head. How did you get away?”

“Mr. Hendricks was able to provide sufficient protection that gave me the time to launch an escape,” I said.

“How?”

“He has access to steel jacketed rounds,” I said.

“Steel,” Harry murmured. He frowned. “Faeries are the only thing that I know of that are affected by iron.”

“They were held off but not killed by the bullets. I did not see the tale-tell affect of iron on the creatures.”

“So, not faeries,” he sighed heavily. “I‘ll need to look them up. I have no idea off the top of my head what kind of creatures those would be.”

I reached into my suit pocket and pulled out of a folded paper. I handed it to Harry, who unfolded it with a frown.

He flinched.

“I attempted to draw their features for easier identification,” I said. Harry nodded, refolded the paper and tucked it into his duster. Then he shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. “Ask your question, Mr. Dresden,” I sighed, after being subjected to a full minute of his uneasy fidgeting.

He scowled. My heart leaped up and I controlled myself from allowing a hint of my reaction on my face. Instead, I arched an eyebrow at him.

“Fine,” Harry grumbled. “Look, you’ve been acting weird for months now, and I want to know why.”

“Weird,” I repeated, amused at his choice of words.

His scowl deepened. “Yes! Weird, I keep thinking that you‘re going to have me killed or something.”

This time I couldn’t help smile. “Hardly,” I said, dryly.

“Damn it, John. What‘s going on?”

I eye him calmly and considered how to answer his question. He wasn’t being at all specific and I had a significant range of answers to provide him if I wished. Yet, I found myself inclined to answer to fulfill the spirit as well as the word of our agreement.

“My regards for you have changed from a professional regard to a more romantic interest,” I said bluntly, and watched Harry’s face as my words sunk in. He just stared back at me, no doubt waiting for the punch line and when none came, Harry fell back in his chair and hit the marble floor with a loud crash of splintering wood.

I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of my lips.

Harry slowly stood up and quietly sat into the chair vacated by Mr. Hendricks. He stared at me with wide brown eyes and complete surprise on his face.

Considering the whole range of reactions I had envisioned from him, he was accepting the news with greater calm and a lot less destruction than I had anticipated. I have seen him turn solid rock into molten stone with only a single word. So he was more than capable of expressing his displeasure in any way he saw fit. Harry does have predilection for burning down buildings and an even greater pleasure is destroying my property.

Harry opened his mouth, closed it and after a heartbeat opened it again. Still he spoke no words.

“Harry Dresden at a loss for words,” I said amused, unable to resist commenting. My smile widened a shade. “Truly this is a day for the record books.”

“Oh, shut up,” Harry said, finally finding his voice. “Okay, it wasn‘t what I thought it was. It‘s going to take me a moment to wrap my head around…you.” He gestured at me in an oddly helpless way before he blushed a surprisingly bright shade of red.

I arched my eyebrows at him again. I sighed. “You did wish to know.”

“Yeah. Okay, I‘m- I‘m just going to find out about these creepy things that came after you,” he said, getting hastily to his feet. He cheeks were still red as he walked out the door. “I‘ll just go now.”

Mr. Hendricks glowered at him and stepped back into the room, closing the door behind him.

I considered Harry’s reaction to the knowledge of my affections and felt surprisingly content. I hadn't expected Harry to take the news so well. It made me consider the previously unimaginable possibility of setting out to seduce one Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden.

And this time I could not resist a full smile.

End
Next in the series: Denial Ain’t Just a River, it’s a Tsunami

a/n: Be careful what you ask for, Harry! *snickers*