Title: Catalyst: Part Fifty-Five Authors: Brenda & Jo Disclaimer: Never happened. Orlando slung a companionable arm across Josh's shoulders, leaning heavily into him as they stumbled out of the back of the limo and up the front steps to the castle. "What'd'you s'pose she pu' in thosh drinks?" he asked, marveling at how slurred his speech was, even to his own ears. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been well and truly plastered. "Vodka?" Josh ventured, then outright giggled at his own wit. His arm was wrapped firmly around Orlando's waist, as much to hold himself up as Orlando. "Lotsa vodka." "Ithin'Lijhasacrushonher." "Geeeeeee, y'think?" Josh chortled, then frowned as he stared down at his keys. "Which one's which? They're all moving." Orlando made a rude noise. "Don' need keysh," he said, and banged on the door. He immediately banged on it again. "Thin' they wen' out?" "Nah," Josh said, and shook his head, causing them to stagger into Harry as the door opened. "Oops." "Harry!" Orlando crowed, letting go of Josh and flinging his arms around Harry's neck. "Hullo." Harry moved back as Orlando tried to nibble at Harry's neck, and pried Orlando's arms away from him. "Stop that." "Who was that...oh." Karl's face swam into view, and Orlando would have hugged him, but Josh and Harry were in the way. "I see they made it back." "And apparently drank all of Liv's alcohol in the process," Harry replied, then all but shoved Orlando in Karl's direction. Which was completely fine, as Orlando had been listing that way. "We didn't drink allllll of it," Josh protested, leaning heavily against the door. "Dom'n'Lij t'tally drank some, too." "Lots'n'lots," Orlando happily agreed, then buried his face in Karl's neck. "You guysh smell like sex. S'nice. Lij hasa crush on Liv." "Does he?" Karl sounded amused, and Orlando noted that he didn't respond to the sex comment. Orlando filed that away for later. Much later. Right now, he planned on standing there for a while, wrapped in Karl's arms. "Totally," Josh said, staggering into the room and dropping into the closest chair. The act sent him into giggles, which had Orlando shaking with laughter. "Blushed ev'ry time she looked at him." "She has that affect on people," Harry said. He moved past them after locking the door, but Orlando couldn't see where he went. "She tol' me I don't have t'do it," Orlando mumbled, words muffled against Karl's throat, and he wiggled closer, one hand burrowing beneath the hem of Karl's shirt. "Who told you what?" "Liv," Orlando explained, with great patience. "Said I didn't hafta. Do it." "Go through the unmaking ceremony?" Karl guessed, and Orlando nodded, allowing Karl to maneuver him into the library and onto the sofa. He immediately burrowed as close as he could. "Yer warm. I like that." Karl chuckled, breath tickling Orlando's skin as he gave Orlando's forehead a soft kiss. "I'm glad I could accommodate you." "You do." Orlando lifted his head and gave Karl what he hoped was his most charming smile. Karl just shook his head, looking more amused than Orlando felt was proper. "So does this mean you've changed your mind?" Karl asked, shifting a little as Orlando sprawled in his lap. "Nonono," Orlando replied. He shook his head and swayed when the room spun. "M'gonna do it, jus', y'know. Scary." "What is?" Harry asked, reappearing in Orlando's line of sight. There was a long moment of silence when Harry and Karl just looked at each other, then Harry's eyes shifted to Orlando. "What?" Orlando peered back at Harry, tried to look innocent. "Wha'ver it was, I didn' do it." "Which means you definitely did something, but that's not what this is about." Harry sat on the other end of the sofa, gaze far more serious than Orlando would have liked. "Why're you scared?" Orlando looked at Josh. "You should tell 'em," Josh told him. Orlando flopped his head back in Harry's direction. "She said it'll be painful. An' take days. An' I could die." "All of this is true," Karl said, stroking Orlando's hair. "Which is why you need to be sure this is something you want." "It is," Orlando said, giving them both a mutinous look. They'd best not try to talk him out of it, or he would...well, he didn't know exactly what he would do, but it would be something. "Should've been Harry, but he had t'go an' be all noooble." "We're not trying to talk you out of it," Karl said gently, while Harry just sat there, watching Orlando with those serious eyes. "We just want to be completely sure that you want to do this." "It is," Orlando repeated. "An' m'not givin' up my bond with you, so don' even think it." He could hear Josh smothering a laugh even as Karl shook his head. "And what makes you think I'd let you break our bond?" "I'm not breakin' it!" Orlando protested. "You are. Or, y'better not be." "I'm not," Karl said, still holding Orlando close. "You have my vow." "Okay." Orlando sighed happily, then turned to Josh. "Y'don't mind, right?" "Not at all," Josh said, waving his hand. The gesture was so wild and odd that Orlando dissolved into giggles. "He'sh a goo' guy," Orlando said, between giggles, and patted Karl's chest. "Y'should keep him." "I've given the idea some thought. And since it has your blessing..." "It does," Orlando said, sitting up and striving to look serious. He wasn't sure he succeeded with the way Karl looked at him. "Then I suppose he stays." "Oh, good, I's worried," Josh stated, then slid out of the chair to curl up on the floor. "It's really nice down here," he announced, then promptly passed out. Karl and Harry exchanged another look, then Harry stood. "You get that one, and I'll take care of Josh." "Same bed?" Karl asked, smoothly coming to his feet, and bringing Orlando up with him. Which wasn't right at all. Orlando'd been comfortable. "I'm thinking yes," Harry grinned as he bent to haul Josh over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Josh didn't stir. "You know how much they like to cuddle." "Oi, this isn't m'room." Orlando peered around when Karl dumped him on the bed. Rather rudely, in fact, but Orlando couldn't be fussed with that. He started to get up and collapsed onto the pillows when Harry placed Josh beside him. "No," Harry said, "it isn't." "S'not my bed." "Right again." "Not sleepin' here," Orlando mumbled and tried to untangle himself from Josh without much success. Karl gently pushed him back against the pillows. "You don't want Josh to sleep alone, do you?" "No?" Orlando peered blearily at Josh, who was rather comfortably sprawled against him and had a firm, heavy arm wrapped around his waist. It was sort of pleasant. "He's pre'y comfy." "Then it's settled," Karl said, giving Orlando a quick kiss. "You stay here with Josh and I'll go with Harry." "Aaaah, I ge' it." Even drunk, Orlando wasn't stupid. He waved a finger between both of them in triumph, pleased that it only wobbled slightly. "You two're gonna have sex again." Harry bent down to kiss him on the forehead, then grinned. "Count on it." "An' I don' ge' t'watch," Orlando sighed and shook his head. "S'not bloody fair." "You can watch next time," Karl promised. Orlando thought he saw Karl wink at Harry, but he wasn't sure. "Besides, you wouldn't remember it if we did let you watch." "And we're not here to satisfy your prurient fantasies," Harry added, standing in the doorway and smiling at them. "Are, too," Orlando argued, making a face as he rolled into Josh's warmth. He'd have it out with them later. Right now, he planned on taking a short nap. *** Harry barely managed to contain his laughter until he and Karl were alone in their own room. "Good Christ, what do you suppose she put in those drinks?" "Knowing Liv, it could be anything," Karl replied, and sat on the edge of the bed. "I don't think I've ever seen Orlando that drunk." "I don't think he's ever been that drunk," Harry stated, and pulled off his shirt as he sat beside Karl. "His hangover's going to be epic." "I'd feel sorry for him," Karl said, with a wicked grin, "but we've all been there." "He and Josh can keep each other company in their misery." "They'll need it." Twisting around, Karl eyed Harry, letting his gaze roam over a bare, muscled torso. "And speaking of need..." "We were rudely interrupted, weren't we?" Harry mused, stretching his arms to the ceiling in a blatant enticement. Karl stared in appreciation. "Yes, we were," he agreed, when he'd caught his breath. The smile Harry flashed at him had him instantly, painful hard. "Refresh my memory." That was all the invitation Karl needed. He sprang into motion, tackling Harry to the bed. After several minutes of tussling, Karl ended up on the bottom. When Harry shifted, aligning their hips, weight pressing Karl into the mattress, Karl didn't protest. It wasn't until much, much later, when they were both tangled together on equally tangled sheets and basking in a well-earned afterglow that Karl brought up the subject he knew they were both loathe to discuss. "I guess this answers our question," he said, tracing light patterns along Harry's chest. Harry didn't pretend to misunderstand him. "Guess so. Is it wrong that some part of me was hoping he'd change his mind after hearing what all the unmaking ceremony entailed?" "No," Karl said, simply. Then he propped up on one elbow to look down at Harry. "Answer me one question, though." "What's that?" "Were you hoping he'd change his mind because you're worried he'll die," Karl said, quietly, "or is it because you've no wish to Sire a fledgling?" Harry flinched, but didn't look away. "Both. I chose this life because losing you...because the idea of you mourning me throughout eternity wasn't something I could bear. But I've never wished this life on another." "I know." And Karl would be forever grateful that Harry had managed to overcome that prejudice in order for them to be together. But he always knew Harry'd only chosen it because there had been no alternative. "But this is something Orlando wants. Desperately." Harry nodded, then sighed. "It would have been much easier had he asked this of you and not me." "I've made my fledgling," Karl said, with a soft smile. The smile faded as he studied Harry's face. "What?" "Puppy...you need to talk to him." Karl paused, searching for the right words. "He deserves the truth from you, of all people." "As fragile as he's always been where I'm concerned, you think it's a good idea for me to tell him that my heart is divided on this?" "Since the two of you have completed your bond, he's been better," Karl countered. He couldn't let Harry back down. "If we're to do this – truly do this the way it should have been done – then we can't begin with a lie." "It's not a lie," Harry protested, scooting up until his back was against the headboard. "I want him with us for eternity, you know this. I'm just not entirely comfortable with the idea of being his Sire." "Then you need to get comfortable with it," Karl said, a touch of steel lacing his voice. He understood Harry's arguments, but this was too important. "Karl –" "No," Karl said, cutting him off. "Get comfortable with it, or talk to him. He's trying to be an equal in this, and that means we can no longer coddle him or keep the truth from him." Harry gave a rueful smile. "You've always been his biggest defender." "And I always will be." Karl laid his hand over Harry's chest, stroked the scar that had almost killed him, felt the reassuring, slow thump of Harry's heart that let him know Harry was with him, would always be with him. "You owe him. For all our sakes." Harry placed his hand over Karl's, trapping it in place. "I'll talk to him tomorrow. But only if you're there with me." "If it means you'll talk to him, I'll be there." "I didn't think you'd let me out of it," Harry laughed softly, pulling Karl to him for a slow, tangled kiss. When Karl finally lifted his head, he grinned. "You know me better than that. should just admit that you were looking for an excuse to talk to the child." "Perhaps I was. Drunk as he was tonight, it was hard to take anything he said seriously." "True enough," Karl conceded. "Although...do you think he meant it about Elijah and Liv?" Harry scoffed. "I think Elijah would have to be dead not to be affected by Liv. And he is completely her type. I'd be surprised if they didn't wind up in bed at some point." Karl pondered that for a moment, then started laughing. "If they do, Orlando is never going to let him live it down." "Exactly. She might even manage to get the child over his fear of being bitten." "Now that would be a miracle." "Stranger things have happened where she's concerned," Harry pointed out, and Karl couldn't disagree. Hell, he'd actually be involved in a few of the stranger things. "At any rate, now that we've got everything settled..." Harry tugged on Karl's hand to send him sprawling across Harry's chest "...I believe you owe me." "Oh, I do, do I?" Karl asked, even though he was already half-hard again and trailing a hand down Harry's stomach. "Mmhmm." Warm lips met his for a very thorough kiss that scrambled what little was left of his brain. "So pay up." "If you insist," Karl said, then set his mind to the very pleasant task at hand. Onto Part Fifty-Six main Catalyst page If you enjoyed this fic, please leave feedback here. Thanks!