fellowshippers | FIC: "Fractured" 6/10 KU/OB (OB/VM & KU/HS)

**See Part 0 for disclaimers & such**

(part six)

“Watching you
From across the way”
--NIN

Karl sat back in the booth, lounging against Harry,
and listened as Craig and Orli argued about which was
the better elf. They'd been at it for a good 15
minutes, and it would have been over long before now
if not for Billy throwing in random comments. Karl
rolled his eyes and chuckled as Billy slipped in
another one, this time aimed at Craig.

"You're quiet tonight," Harry murmured, lips brushing
Karl's ear, hand rubbing down a denim-covered thigh.
Karl shivered, then shivered again when he glanced
across the table and saw Orli watching them. Dark
eyes flashed for a moment, then turned back to Craig.

"Hard to get a word in when those two start," Karl
replied, made a small gesture towards the two men. A
foot connected with his ankle, and he jumped, looking
around in an effort to determine who had just kicked
him.

Craig smiled back beatifically. "Watch what you say,
mate. We Elves have exceptional hearing."

Orli nodded, teeth gleaming whiter than usual.
"Especially Mirkwood Elves."

"Well, I donnae about all that," Billy replied.

"Are you saying I am not possessed of keen hearing?"

"No, but I am," Viggo stated, as he sat down beside
Orli.

Karl had to grin at the way Orli jumped. "Humans one,
Elves zero."

"Oh, sod off," Orli grumbled good-naturedly, bumping
his head against Viggo's shoulder. "Where the hell've
you been?"

"I told you I'd be a bit late." Viggo's voice
soothed, wrapped himself and Orli in a tight cocoon
that was painful to watch. Karl closed his eyes,
rested against the comforting weight of Harry's arm.

"Your boy's been fretting," Craig said, laughing.

"I have not." Karl could hear the pout in Orli's
voice. He opened his eyes and noticed that Craig had
hooked his feet around the legs of his chair. Just in
time, too, as Orli's foot swung out and missed.

"You were," Karl said, and grinned at the look Orli
gave him. He moved his own feet back, still grinning.
Harry's arm squeezed his shoulders just a bit, and
Karl wondered if his grin was frozen on his face.
Because Orli's grin certainly looked like it was
frozen. Or maybe it wasn't. Karl wasn't quite sure.

"The lot of you can suck me." Orli stood, gave Viggo
a slight kiss. "Need anything from the bar, love?"

"A beer would be great." Viggo pulled Orli closer,
deepened the kiss. Karl forced himself to watch the
way they moved together, flowed into each other. They
made a striking couple. Fuck, the thought was
depressing.

"Could you see your way clear to another one for me?"
Billy asked, when Orli finally lifted his head.

"I'll get another round for everyone," Orli promised,
licking his lips a bit as he smiled. It didn't quite
reach his eyes.

"None for me," Harry said, waving the hand that wasn't
busy rubbing Karl's shoulder and tricep. "Have to
drive home."

"I'll take his," Craig offered with a broad smirk.
Orli just rolled his eyes and headed towards the bar.

Karl kept his eyes on the table by sheer force of
will. He wasn't going to watch Orli, wasn't going to
watch the way that slender body moved so elegantly, so
gracefully, as he walked. When he judged a safe time
had passed, he lifted his eyes to look at Viggo.

"So what kept you?"

"Henry called on my way out the door."

"How's he doing?" Karl concentrated on the warmth of
Harry's body, the deep reverberations of his voice as
he spoke, the hand slowing stroking his arm. Didn't
look out in the crowd, didn't search for a glimpse of
a haphazard mohawk or loose jeans and a tight white
t-shirt.

"Good. Thinking about flying out during his next
break." Viggo's face softened with love as he traced
patterns on the scarred surface of the table.

"It'll be nice to see him again," Billy commented,
putting his feet on the edge of Craig's chair.

"Does this mean more pranks on the resident pretty
elf?" Craig didn't even bother to look as he dropped
his hand on top of Billy's ankles.

"Pranks? I have no idea what you're talking about."
Viggo's attempt at an innocent smile had them all
laughing loudly.

Karl shifted a bit, smiled when Harry's arm tightened
around his shoulders again. He wasn't looking for
Orli. He wasn't. He was simply scanning the crowd to
see if any of the other actors were there. The fact
that his eyes jerked to a halt every time they
encountered a white t-shirt meant nothing. Absolutely
nothing.

"You alright?" Harry whispered, breath warm against
Karl's ear.

"Yeah. Think I need to take a piss, though." Karl
turned his lips into Harry's for a soft kiss, then
stood. "Be right back."

He weaved his way through the crowded pub with ease,
pushed the door open to the men's room. And collided
with a solid body. "Sor..." The rest of the apology
died in Karl's throat as he looked into Orli's deep
brown eyes.

"Hey." The one word was strained as Orli held onto
Karl's arm to keep from stumbling, sending sparks of
heat shooting through Karl's body.

"Hey." Karl's hand automatically came up to steady
Orli, landing on his waist. He felt Orli's heat seep
through the thin shirt, seep into his palm, his
fingers, crawl up his arm. The door swung shut behind
him, blocking out the noise, but Karl didn't notice.
Every sense, every cell in his body was focused on
Orli.

"I was just about to..." Orli's voice faltered, breath
quickened. Karl watched in fascination as the tip of
Orli's tongue darted out to lick dry lips. He
wondered if it was possible to be jealous of a body
part.

"Just about to?" Karl took a step forward, bringing
his chest not quite into contact with Orli's. Now he
could feel Orli's heat seeping into his entire body,
creeping through, making his blood throb in his veins.
Jesus. Shouldn't be doing this. Just walk past
Orli, do what needs to be done, then go back to the
booth. Back to Harry. But Karl just stood there and
watched Orli's tongue move over his lips.

"Go back to the bar," Orli finished, voice faint. Or
maybe it was the rushing in Karl's ears. Orli made a
slight move to scoot past him, and their chests
brushed together in a soft slide of cloth. Orli bit
his lip, groaned as he pressed forward again into the
heat. "Oh God..."

"Don't think he has anything to do with this," Karl
murmured, and then his lips were on Orli's, his tongue
sliding out to soothe where white teeth had bitten
just seconds before. And there it was...sweet heat
exploding through his body, just like the other times,
just like in his dreams of late, dreams that left him
awake, shaking, covered in sweat and reaching for
Harry.

Slender fingers grabbed his arms, pulled him, tugged
until Karl was against the stall door. Orli's lips
never left his, continued to weave their insidious
dark magic on him, his tongue slipping, sliding,
tempting him deeper into sin. Karl barely registered
his low growl, was only aware of the firm flesh under
his fingers as he delved under the waistband of Orli's
jeans, ran his hand over the jutting curve of Orli's
hip.

This was what he'd dreamed of, what he'd wanted, what
he'd been unable to forget. Warm skin and sleek
muscles under his hands, against his body, twisting
and straining against him. His fingers delved deeper,
stroking smooth skin, as Orli's tongue teased his,
coaxed it out of his mouth and into Orli's. And then
Orli was sucking on his tongue, and the sensations
shot straight to Karl's crotch, raced across his nerve
endings.

Both parted, gasping, the sound unusually loud in the
small space. "Jesus, but I can't get you out of my
mind," Orli whispered, scraping his nails down Karl's
back, pressing into his hand.

"Haven't been able to stop thinking about you," Karl
murmured, bending his head to trail his lips over
Orli's throat, back arching under Orli's hands. "Not
since," he continued, tongue tracing the whorls of
Orli's ear, "that first night..."

"...I dream about you..." Orli groaned, parted his
lips for Karl's tongue. What was it about this taste
that haunted Karl's brain, his body? How was it
possible to crave another person's taste while with
someone who still had the power to make you burn?

Karl's tongue slid over Orli's, explored his mouth
with a languid thoroughness that had them both shaking
when they parted. "You're all I dream about lately,"
Karl said, voice ragged. He took one look at Orli and
had to fight to keep from slamming him against the
wall and ripping his clothes off. Face flushed, lips
wet from Karl's mouth, eyes heavy lidded...the raw
lust in those dark eyes had Karl aching in his jeans.

"God, don't...don't tell me that."

"It's true..." Karl's fingers stroked over a
cheekbone, fingertips memorizing the feel of Orli's
skin. He couldn't remember the last time he'd dreamed
of someone other than Orli, couldn't remember the last
time he'd woken in the middle of the night and reached
for Harry because of *Harry* and not because of a
dream that he couldn't control.

Orli sighed into his touch, eyes fluttering shut. "We
can't do this, Karl. I can't..." Another soft sigh,
and Orli's hands drifted from his back to his hips,
pulled Karl in closer. "Want you so much..."

"I know," Karl breathed against Orli's lips, splayed
his hand against Orli's cheek before sliding it down,
around the back of his neck to pull him in for another
kiss. And this kiss was different. Somehow, it was.
Karl couldn't put his finger on it, couldn't figure it
out, as Orli's lips parted beneath his again.

Liquid heat pooled in his groin as they sampled and
savored, rubbed against each other in tiny movements.
Wanted to make time slow, stop, wanted to sink to his
knees and worship Orli until they were both begging
for sanity, wanted Orli fracturing around him,
wanted...

"Karl? You in here, mate?"

Before Karl could so much as blink, Orli was out of
his arms and halfway across the floor. Karl’s body
ached, craved the lost contact, and it was a struggle
to look calm as Billy's head poked around the door.

"Ah, there you are."

"Harry send out the search party or something?" Karl
forced a teasing note into his voice, watching from
the corner of his eye as Orli flinched just the
tiniest bit. He wanted to go to Orli, pull him close
again, explore every inch of the rest of him like he'd
explored his mouth. But Karl saw the curiousity in
green eyes and just stood there, smiling, hands deep
in his pockets.

"Not quite." Billy's gaze darted back and forth
between him and Orli, head cocked slightly. "Did the
party move in here while I wasn't looking?"

"I'm taking Vig to Auckland for a surprise weekend,"
Orli said smoothly, rubbing the top of Billy's head.
"Needed tourism notes. Why? You wanna join us?"

Billy snorted, wiggled out of Orli's grasp. "No
offense but the only Elf I want or need is out at the
booth, not in here."

Karl had to give Orli credit. He was a superb actor.
If Karl hadn't known better, he'd have believed Orli's
story. But he knew what had caused the sparkle in
those eyes, the faint flush that still lingered across
sculpted cheekbones. And that knowledge was
thrilling, seductive...and dangerous. Orli was
dangerous.

"Right," Karl murmured as he started towards the door.
"We better get back before they really do send a
search party." He glanced at Orli, feigning a calm
that he was nowhere close to feeling. "Anything else
you need to know?"

"Not right now, no." And Orli's smile was fleeting as
he followed Billy out the door, back into the crowd.
Back to Viggo.

tbc...