"Makes sense," Lawrence admitted, sympathy clear in his voice as he slowly nodding his head. Then he looked at Karl. "And what's your excuse?" "With Dave?" Karl shrugged. "Same as Harry's, really. I felt all of that barely leashed passion and couldn't see past it." "And with Orlando?" Lawrence caught the way Karl's eyes flickered, but only because he was watching closely. A suspicion started to form when Karl looked away, picking up the bottle of tequila to pour another round of shots. "That was a little different." "He was afraid Orlando would steal me away," Harry said, dryly. "Karl is, let's just say, is more than slightly possessive when it comes to Harry's affections," Sean added. "I won't deny it." "But you've both had other lovers," Lawrence said, trying to make sense of everything. "Serious ones, if I'm hearing correctly." "None of them were pets," Karl replied, as it was the most natural thing in the world to say. And, once Lawrence thought about it for a second, and went over what little he'd heard about Karl and Harry's strange relationship, it made sense. "You were afraid a pet would take over this...sort of bond...or whatever it is, you share with Harry?" "Not take over, no." Karl's fingers tightened over Harry's. "Lessen, perhaps. There was no way of knowing." "Of course," Harry said, and Lawrence was starting to recognize the note of sly wit in Harry's voice, "I would've probably taken one look at Orlando and kicked Karl to the curb." Karl nudged Harry. "As Sean would say, stop taking the piss." "You're the one that thought Orlando could somehow come between what we have." "Which, of course, explained why adding Dave into the mix was a grand idea on your part," Lawrence added. "I never claimed I was any smarter when it came to Karl." "Viggo does call them eternal idiots for a reason," Sean added, helpfully. "Although, speaking of Orlando, I do have a business proposition of a sort for him." "Go on," Harry encouraged, with a curious look. "I was thinking of having him do some beta testing for me while he's recuperating. Figured he might need something to do until he's ready to get back to running his own things again." "Since neither of us are in competition with you, I can't see why you shouldn't ask him," Karl grinned. "Just don't try to hire him away from us." "Wouldn't dream of it," Lawrence said, hand resting over his heart. "Though, perhaps as a consultant? Just for testing purposes?" "I like that," Sean laughed. "He hasn't the first clue how Orlando is at business, but he wants him as a consultant." "Probably figures the fact that Karl still lets him run several corporations is a good thing." Harry picked up the almost empty bottle. "I think we need some more." "He's got a good sense of people and getting them to do what he wants," Karl shrugged. "It's a valuable asset. He makes me a lot of money." "Because you clearly need it." "Hush, you, like you're not just as mercenary," Karl replied, swiping at Sean's head again, and connecting this time. Harry just waved the bartender over. "You give most of it away, anyway." "It's the challenge," Lawrence surmised. Karl nodded his assent. "I've been around a long time. It's easy to get bored." "With this lot around?" Lawrence raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Not likely." "He does say we make his life interesting," Harry said. "I think the phrase he uses," Sean said, ducking out of Karl's reach, "is complicated as fuck." "Well, that's your problem, mate," Lawrence said, with a wide, pleased grin. Karl immediately looked suspicious, and Lawrence had to struggle to keep from laughing. "What is?" "If your fucking is complicated, you've got more wrong than I thought. Fucking's about the easiest thing on the planet." Karl, to his credit, seemed to take the question seriously. "The act, sure, but everything surrounding it? Not as much." "What do you mean?" Karl gave Harry a small smile before looking at Lawrence. "Let's just say that I've never had an easy time saying things that should be said, not even when I was much younger." Lawrence poured them all another shot. "I'm sensing another story." "It's no use asking," Sean told him, waving his finger between Harry and Karl. "They don't talk about Harry's years as a mortal. Ever." "Never?" Harry shrugged. "It was a long time ago. Things worked out as they should have." "You've never talked about any of it to anyone?" Lawrence eyed them both, unable to believe that they'd kept it a secret for so many centuries. "Viggo knows some, since he was around at the time, and Orlando knows a little bit," Karl said. "But it's not something we've ever needed to discuss." "Well, it's none of mine, but it seems to me like what you two had together early on shaped everything after," Lawrence replied, eyeing them both. "Seems odd that you'd be ashamed of it." Harry went completely still. His voice was low, intense. "It was a complicated time back then." "So you were ashamed?" Oddly enough, Lawrence could see it. Centuries ago, mortals had definite stigmas attached to both sex between males and sex with vampires. Karl cast a sideways glance at Harry. "I was arrogant and foolish back then," he said, softly. "Something I've regretted in the years since." "They tried to kill each other," Sean said, with a shrug and downed his shot. "That much I do know." "Actually," Karl said, with a sour look for Sean, "it was Harry trying to kill me." "Only because Karl let me," Harry added. Lawrence had never seen a more unreadable expression. "I wasn't yet the warrior I would become." "Another ten years, and he wouldn't have pulled back when he had the advantage," Karl said, quietly, looking at the glass in his hands. "I would have still pulled back," Harry said, just as quietly. Karl's throat worked when he nodded. In his eyes, Lawrence could see centuries of love and trust. "You always knew how to get to me." "You seriously fought a vampire when you were a mortal?" Lawrence had heard some crazy things in his time, but this took the cake. There was another moment of silence, and Harry and Karl seemed to have a silent conversation. Finally, with an apologetic look to Sean, Harry spoke up. "It wasn't as crazy as it sounds." "I was blindfolded for the fight," Karl added. Sean spit out a mouthful of tequila and started coughing. "You were what?" "I wanted to make it fair," Karl said, a small smile curling his lips at Sean's reaction. "I mean, Harry was a mere mortal at the time." Harry just snorted and shook his head. "He was also holding back. And I still had my hands full trying to win." Karl looked surprised. "I didn't think you'd noticed." Harry just favored Karl with a look. "I'd been training and fighting side by side with you for over fifteen years at that point. I knew your fighting style as well as I knew my own." Sean huffed out a laugh when Karl hung his head sheepishly. "Hadn't thought about that." "And yet you still won?" Sean asked. Lawrence thought Sean was probably more than a little shocked that they were both talking about this. "I did," Harry said. "But I allowed him the match." "Why?" "Because I didn't want to kill him. Not really." Lawrence had a feeling that there was more to it than what Harry was saying, but he didn't press the issue. Neither, he noticed, did Sean. "Was there ever a rematch?" Sean finally asked. "We've sparred over the years," Harry said, and shrugged. "But a serious rematch? No, never." "To be honest," Karl said, an odd looking smile curving his mouth, "once I gave him the Gift, I was too scared to face him in a real sword fight." Again, Lawrence had the feeling there was more to it. He didn't know them well enough to ask, much as he wanted to, and he couldn't help wondering if Sean would. He was rewarded a moment later when Sean said, "Why?" Karl huffed out a laugh. "I was afraid he'd kill me. By accident this time." "Harry's got way too much control for that," Sean stated, eyeing them both suspiciously. "You know the sort of warrior he is." "You give me too much credit. Accidents happen." "Not with you, they don't." "Oh, they do," Harry said, looking more amused than he should be, given the tone of the conversation. Lawrence was immediately on his guard, eyes sliding from Harry to Sean and back. Sean tossed back his next shot, refilled his glass, and pointed the bottle at Harry. "Name one." Lawrence leaned in to Karl. //They always argue like this?// Karl made a snort of amusement. //You have no idea. You should ask them about their decade-long argument when we lived in Russia sometime.// Russia? Lawrence made a mental note to ask at the first opportunity. Clearly, this evening was proving to be far more illuminating than he'd ever thought. Onto Part Forty-Two
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