Title: Cherished: Part Five Authors: Brenda & Jo Disclaimer: Never happened. "I feel you Within my mind" -- Depeche Mode Harry Sinclair lounged on the tan leather sofa of his hotel suite in Hong Kong, big, heavily muscled body carelessly clothed in black t-shirt and jeans. No one would ever mistake Harry for anything other than what he was -- a warrior. Once a knight, always a soldier, he'd led more armies to victory over the centuries than he could count. Of course, now he spent most of his time fighting his battles in boardrooms or Council meetings, but that was the nature of life. Weapons changed. Instead of swords, people used poisoned pens and virus e-mails. Karl was constantly joking that Harry now wielded his biting tongue with the same considerable skill as he had once wielded a sword. Karl... God, the last week had been entirely too long. Harry remembered when they'd spent months away from each other, with various business demands taking them all over the globe. But that had been a long time ago, when transportation methods had been crude, slow. Now the other side of the world was less than 24 hours away. And Harry would be flying home tomorrow. Thank God. //Harry, I claimed a pet last night.// Harry practically choked on his drink. //You did what?// //I claimed a pet. Last night at Club Synister.// Harry was having a waking dream. That was the only explanation for what he was hearing. //You better be fucking with me. Because I could swear you just said you claimed a pet while I was out of the fucking country.// //You'll understand when you meet him.// Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, sighed. He got up, started to prowl his hotel suite, refilled his glass with more scotch. //Why now? We haven't talked about this in...Jesus. I can't even remember the last time we talked about this.// //Because he's perfect. I couldn't not claim him.// //Alright, fine, he's perfect. But, we said we were going to do this together. Remember?// Harry was profoundly thankful at the moment that he wasn't on the same continent as Karl. He brushed his shoulder-length dark brown hair off of his neck, long strides cutting through the spacious room. //I know what we said. But I couldn't wait. Not even long enough for you to get back. Someone else would have taken him.// //If he's meant to be ours, if it's a true bond, then he wouldn't have chosen anyone else. You know that.// //He is ours. I made sure of that last night. You would have done exactly the same thing in my place.// Harry gazed out of his window, fought the urge to throw his glass through it. He'd have thought, after over 800 years of Karl's methods, he'd cease to be pissed when Karl was obtuse. //How public was it?// //It was in the middle of a very crowded dance floor. Several other Council members were there as well.// Harry figured as much. Karl was never one to pass up the grand fucking gesture. //And what if I hate him, old man? What if he hates me? What then?// //You won't hate him. And he won't hate you. Stop worrying. You're going to love each other.// //I am going to ignore that last comment. Otherwise I'm going to be forced to hit you when I get home.// Harry drained his glass, went to pour himself another drink. Drunk was beginning to sound like a grand idea. //Well, tell me about this paragon that I'm going to love so much.// //His name is Orlando and he's beautiful. Fearless and perfect...he reminds me of you.// //Lovely. You know, if I wanted to fuck myself, I'd masturbate.// //You won't have to with Orlando here. Just wait until you see him. Dark curls, dark skin, dark eyes, slim-bodied, great ass...// Harry flopped back on the sofa, stretched his big body out on the leather cushions, stared up at the ceiling. //If I'd done this to you, you'd fucking kill me. And don't think the idea isn't going through my head right about now.// //Please, puppy, if you'd done this, I'd trust that you'd have picked someone I would love as much as I love you. If I thought that you could hate him, I would never have claimed him. We're too much alike for that.// //Fine, not hate, then. What about sheer indifference? What about his very mortal jealousy? Have you thought about that?// Harry made a very large bet with himself on Karl's answer, already knowing the outcome. //He won't be jealous. Why should he be? And trust me, you won't be indifferent to him.// Bingo. Harry mentally handed himself a thousand bucks. //Stop smiling, this is fucking serious. I realize that you've never spent any time as a mortal, but I have, and I remember what it's like. He's going to be jealous. Mortals are possessive creatures. Have you even told him about me?// Harry didn't even bother to make the bet this time. He was so sure of this answer he practically knew what Karl's exact words were going to be. //Not yet. I want him to get settled in first.// Sometimes Harry wished Karl weren't so stupidly, stubbornly predictable sometimes. //Settled into what? The idea of having you all to himself? Is that what you want?// Christ, what if it was? Harry had a momentary thought of the rest of eternity without Karl... He swung up from the sofa, headed straight for the bar again. //Settled into his new role as pet. He's intelligent and quick, so that won't take long at all, and then I'll tell him about us. He's not going to have me all to himself, and you know that.// //No, I don't fucking know that. Hell, it's been a long time. You might be sick of me.// Harry decided just staying at the bar was lovely. He sank down on the floor, grabbed the bottle of MacCallan's, made himself comfortable. //Harry, that's ridiculous. Do you honestly think I could grow sick of you?// //Things change.// //Things change, but Orlando changes nothing between us. How I feel about you will never change. He's going to enhance us.// Hearing the words loosened something inside Harry's chest. He hadn't even realized he'd tensed up. //You shouldn't wait to tell him. Trust me on this. He needs to know what he's in for. He needs to know about us, about our pact.// Which, Harry was sure, was something else Karl hadn't thought about. //He'll know when the time is right. I want him to meet you first. Get to know you before he has to deal with that.// //Probably a good idea.// The first good one Harry had heard all night. //So, when do I meet this Orlando?// //I'd like you to meet him as soon as possible. Definitely before the ceremony if you can. You're going to love him.// //You keep saying that.// Harry lifted the bottle to his lips, drank. //Well, I'm home Tuesday.// //Yes, I know. I plan on moving his things in here that night. Perhaps after? I'll bring him round to the castle, let him see the place.// //Love, no offense, but I don't think it would be a great first impression if the young mortal were to see the two of us maul each other before you tell him about us.// //True. So perhaps the night after. Or anytime before the weekend actually.// Harry was almost afraid to ask. //The weekend?// //Yes, before the ceremony.// Harry banged his head back against the floor a few times before he trusted himself to say anything. //You're having the ceremony this weekend?// //Friday if possible. And the introductionary party on Saturday.// Harry was going to kill him when he got home. //Why?// //Because I don't see any reason to wait. We have Council meetings all next week, and I need him to be in Tokyo next Tuesday. I'd like to have the ceremony before then.// //You're sending him to deal with Tokyo?// Fuck all...Harry started banging his head again. //Of course. I can't very well take care of it myself and be at the Council meetings, too. I've already postponed it twice, and it needs to be dealt with.// //Karl...I say this with love, you know this...// Harry paused, took another long pull from his bottle. //You eternal fucking idiot. You're just going to send someone you don't even know to deal with a very delicate situation involving hundreds of millions of dollars? Does he even have any training for this?// //Harry, he'll be bound to me by then. You know what that means. And he can handle Tokyo. He's smart, charming, quick on his feet. I wouldn't send him if I thought there would be problems.// //Well, hey, it's your company. I don't own shares in that one, I don't care.// Amazing that Karl was so fucking successful in business. Really, it was. //Exactly. You'll see when you meet him.// //Guess I will.// Harry finally gave up and smiled. God, Karl was just so...Karl-like sometimes. //Did you do anything else stupid while I've been gone?// //Not a single thing.// //Well, that's something, at least.// Harry propped his head up on his arm, took another sip of his scotch. //So, tell me what you're wearing.// //Jeans and that black velvet shirt you love so much.// //Are you now?// Harry closed his eyes, fixed the mental image in his head. God, he couldn't wait to get home. //I am. Shame you're not here to enjoy it.// //So enjoy it for me.// Harry set down the bottle, allowed his hand to drift down his chest. Harr could hear the lust and amusement in Karl's reply. //And what will you be doing in the meantime?// Harry's hand skated down his abdomen, delved just under the waistband of his jeans. //Enjoying myself for you.// //Now there's a lovely image. Tell me what you're doing.// //Well...// Harry shifted a bit, bent his knees. //Right now I'm moving my hand down to my cock. Just brushing my fingers against the head before unsnapping my jeans.// Harry heard Karl's sharp intake of breath. //Take them off. I want you naked.// //I love it when you get all demanding.// Harry grinned, sat up, slid off his jeans, kicking them across the room. His t-shirt followed, as he lay back down on the carpet, stretching. //Alright, I'm naked and hard here. How about you?// //Hard and half-dressed.// //Well, hurry up about it then.// Harry returned his hand to his cock, started to slide his fingers over the taut flesh in slow circles. //I'd hate to come by myself.// //Yeah, that would suck, wouldn't it?// There was a slight pause. //There, I'm naked now. Happy?// //Getting there.// Harry closed his fingers over his erection, moved his other hand to cup his balls. //I am so hard for you right now.// The reply was heartfelt, low. //I'm just as hard for you.// //Good.// The word was a groan as Harry found his rhythm, started moving his hand in a steady motion. //Talk to me, old man.// //I miss you.// Karl moaned, and Harry imagined him pleasuring himself, his fingers tight around that beautiful cock. //I want you here so I can fuck you properly.// //Now, that truly sounds like a great idea.// Harry sped up, strokes getting a bit faster, a bit less controlled. //Because I could really use your mouth on my cock right about now.// //You'll have it Tuesday night.// Karl groaned again, his breath unsteady. //My mouth, my hand, my ass, anything you want.// //Christ...// Harry bucked up into his fist, cock completely consumed by his hand, motions so rapid they were a blur. //Tell me...// //Do you want me to tell you how my hands will touch you everywhere? Or how my lips will map your entire body before I swallow your cock whole? Or do you want me to tell you how I'll open for you, practically beg you to fuck me until I can't think, can't breathe, can't move?// //All of it.// Harry let his mind drift into Karl's, felt Karl's hand, felt Karl's cock, felt Karl's impending orgasm as if it were his own. Love, lust, want, greed...Harry opened himself to all of it as he rocked his hips up into his hand, so close himself he was practically choking on need. //I will. All of it. It's all yours.// Karl's orgasm triggered Harry's, the dual sensations rocketing through them. Breathing was a distant memory for long moments as Harry blinked the stars out of his eyes, tried to regain some sort of equilibrium. //Jesus...// It was the most he was capable of thinking. Karl's laugh was weak, his breathing ragged. //My sentiments exactly.// Harry waited another few minutes, let his heart rate return to its normal slow beat. //Don't think this means I won't take you up on all of those lovely promises you just made me. You owe me.// //I'd be disappointed if you didn't.// //Well, you know how much I hate to disappoint you.// Harry grinned. //Mind that you don't let that pet-in-training of ours wear you out too badly for me.// Karl laughed. //I'll be sure to keep something in reserve for you.// //See that you do.// Harry's eyes drifted shut. //Love you, old man.// //Love you, puppy. Get some sleep now. I want you rested when you get home.// //I'll be plenty rested.// It was a promise. //I'm counting on it.// Onto Part Six main Cherished page If you enjoyed this fic, please leave feedback here. Thanks!