Fic - Follow The Directions
Another bunny that was eating my brain for some time.
FanFic100 prompt: 078 - Where?
Pyramid_Dares: Set 2, Level 5 - X marks the spot
My Tables 'O Links -- Pyramid table, FanFic100 Table
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Dorian/Klaus
Warnings: Yet another break-up fic. WAFF alert.
Summary: Klaus apologizes in a unique way.
By: Margaret Price
Written: September 4, 2007
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Follow The Directions
Word count: 1,012
X marks the spot.
“M’lord, there’s a letter for you,” Bonham announced.
Dorian sighed heavily. “It’s from him, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir.”
The Earl momentarily stopped his examination of the antique document on the table before him to look up. “You know my orders, Bonham.”
Bonham nodded. After the most recent argument turned break-up between the Earl and the Major, there were standing orders that all communications from Germany be torn up. And any persons from Germany, namely Klaus, were to be turned away.
“Sir, don’t you think this ‘s gone on long enough?”
Dorian looked up sharply. “Are you questioning my orders?” he asked astringently.
Bonham stood his ground. He had not worked with the man all these years without learning a thing or two about his mercurial nature. “Perhaps ‘e’s ready ‘t come crawlin’ back, like you said.”
This finally got the Earl’s full attention and he sat up, leaning back in his chair. It had been two weeks since the fight that was a continuation of a fight that had been a sore point since the relationship began. And it seemed that the Major, for the first time, was actually making the first overture towards a reconciliation.
Dorian considered and then held out a hand for the letter. “Let’s have a look.”
Bonham happily handed it over. Then he saw a puzzled pass over the Earl’s face. He looked at the paper and then picked up the envelope, scrutinizing it more closely. “Tis from the Major, isn’t, milord?” he asked cautiously.
Dorian did not reply. He held up the paper so that Bonham could see it. It looked like a miniature treasure map, complete with a large X. It also had some directions along the margin.
“What do you make of that?” the Earl asked.
“Um…” Bonham stepped closer, giving the paper a closer look. He shrugged, unable to put his thoughts into words.
“My thoughts exactly.”
“You gonna follow it, milord?”
The question actually took the Earl by surprise. He had already dismissed the document as being either a joke or just a way of annoying him. He checked over the directions, discovering that they were for London. “Curiouser and curiouser,” he muttered. At the bottom of the directions was a time and date as well as a final instruction to “Follow the directions to the X.” He thought a moment, only to realize he would not be able to sleep if he didn’t find out what it was all about.
“Yes,” Dorian said at last. “I believe I will follow the map.” He held up the paper. “I seem to be expected at this X tomorrow noon.”
Bonham gave a curt nod. “I’ll have the car ready.”
* * *
Dorian followed the directions on the map to the letter. He parked the car and walked to the location where the X was placed on the map. He looked around but saw no sign of Klaus.
“Right on time, Lord Gloria.”
Dorian spun around, seeing a man he only vaguely recognized moving away from the doorway. He found himself hurriedly racking his brains to recall where he knew him from, inwardly praying it wasn’t Interpol.
“My orders are to escort you to the Major.”
The penny dropped and Dorian could not help laughing in relief. “X!” he blurted out.
“Yes, sir.” Agent X held out a hand, “This way, your lordship.”
Dorian was so relieved that the man wasn’t Interpol, he did not even pay attention to where he was being taken. Then he saw Klaus further on ahead, patiently waiting for him. It was all he could do to resist the urge to run up and hug him.
“Thank you, X,” the Major said, dismissing the agent once they were within speaking distance.
“Sir.” The agent turned on his heel, going back in the direction he’d just come.
Dorian stood looking at the officer, shaking his head. “What are you up to with all this?” he asked suspiciously.
“Just what you think,” came the evasive reply.
“You’re lucky I didn’t chuck that letter.”
The Major’s eyes flickered. “Not lucky at all. I enlisted Bonham’s assistance to make sure you opened it.”
“Oh, you sneak!” Dorian grinned. “If you’re trying to get on my good side, it’s working.”
Klaus allowed a smile to play at the edges of his mouth. He then pulled open the door to the building they stood in front of. “Good,” he said, leading the way inside.
“Always so mysterious.”
The Major stopped just inside the door, pulling Dorian aside. “I didn’t want to do this on the street.” He reached into a pocket, extracting a ring box.
Dorian caught his breath. Then he finally looked around. When he realized where he was, he couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or cry. The registry office. “You’re actually gonna go through with it?” he heard himself saying.
Klaus nodded. “If it will make you happy.” He did not even object when Dorian forgot himself and hugged him. “I gave notice of our intent to register when I sent the letter.”
Dorian replied with a sigh and whispered, “I love you.”
“Are you sure you can stand being…united with me?” Klaus asked as he extracted himself, adding in mock disapproval, “And you haven’t even looked at your ring.”
“I don’t need a ring to tell the world I love you.”
Klaus opened the box, pulling out the thick gold band. “This doesn’t tell the world that you love me,” he said as he slipped the ring on Dorian’s finger. “It tells the world that I love you.”
Dorian felt his heart melt, a brilliant smile lighting up his face. He took Klaus by the arm as they strode toward the registry office. “After this, can we have a wedding in Germany?” he asked playfully. “I’ll wear a long white dress…”
Klaus gave him a sideways look. “We haven’t even done this, and I’m ready to divorce you already.”
Dorian gave a delighted laugh when Klaus went on to say, “And I won’t fight you for custody of James.”
* * *
FanFic100 prompt: 078 - Where?
Pyramid_Dares: Set 2, Level 5 - X marks the spot
My Tables 'O Links -- Pyramid table, FanFic100 Table
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Dorian/Klaus
Warnings: Yet another break-up fic. WAFF alert.
Summary: Klaus apologizes in a unique way.
By: Margaret Price
Written: September 4, 2007
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Follow The Directions
Word count: 1,012
X marks the spot.
“M’lord, there’s a letter for you,” Bonham announced.
Dorian sighed heavily. “It’s from him, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir.”
The Earl momentarily stopped his examination of the antique document on the table before him to look up. “You know my orders, Bonham.”
Bonham nodded. After the most recent argument turned break-up between the Earl and the Major, there were standing orders that all communications from Germany be torn up. And any persons from Germany, namely Klaus, were to be turned away.
“Sir, don’t you think this ‘s gone on long enough?”
Dorian looked up sharply. “Are you questioning my orders?” he asked astringently.
Bonham stood his ground. He had not worked with the man all these years without learning a thing or two about his mercurial nature. “Perhaps ‘e’s ready ‘t come crawlin’ back, like you said.”
This finally got the Earl’s full attention and he sat up, leaning back in his chair. It had been two weeks since the fight that was a continuation of a fight that had been a sore point since the relationship began. And it seemed that the Major, for the first time, was actually making the first overture towards a reconciliation.
Dorian considered and then held out a hand for the letter. “Let’s have a look.”
Bonham happily handed it over. Then he saw a puzzled pass over the Earl’s face. He looked at the paper and then picked up the envelope, scrutinizing it more closely. “Tis from the Major, isn’t, milord?” he asked cautiously.
Dorian did not reply. He held up the paper so that Bonham could see it. It looked like a miniature treasure map, complete with a large X. It also had some directions along the margin.
“What do you make of that?” the Earl asked.
“Um…” Bonham stepped closer, giving the paper a closer look. He shrugged, unable to put his thoughts into words.
“My thoughts exactly.”
“You gonna follow it, milord?”
The question actually took the Earl by surprise. He had already dismissed the document as being either a joke or just a way of annoying him. He checked over the directions, discovering that they were for London. “Curiouser and curiouser,” he muttered. At the bottom of the directions was a time and date as well as a final instruction to “Follow the directions to the X.” He thought a moment, only to realize he would not be able to sleep if he didn’t find out what it was all about.
“Yes,” Dorian said at last. “I believe I will follow the map.” He held up the paper. “I seem to be expected at this X tomorrow noon.”
Bonham gave a curt nod. “I’ll have the car ready.”
* * *
Dorian followed the directions on the map to the letter. He parked the car and walked to the location where the X was placed on the map. He looked around but saw no sign of Klaus.
“Right on time, Lord Gloria.”
Dorian spun around, seeing a man he only vaguely recognized moving away from the doorway. He found himself hurriedly racking his brains to recall where he knew him from, inwardly praying it wasn’t Interpol.
“My orders are to escort you to the Major.”
The penny dropped and Dorian could not help laughing in relief. “X!” he blurted out.
“Yes, sir.” Agent X held out a hand, “This way, your lordship.”
Dorian was so relieved that the man wasn’t Interpol, he did not even pay attention to where he was being taken. Then he saw Klaus further on ahead, patiently waiting for him. It was all he could do to resist the urge to run up and hug him.
“Thank you, X,” the Major said, dismissing the agent once they were within speaking distance.
“Sir.” The agent turned on his heel, going back in the direction he’d just come.
Dorian stood looking at the officer, shaking his head. “What are you up to with all this?” he asked suspiciously.
“Just what you think,” came the evasive reply.
“You’re lucky I didn’t chuck that letter.”
The Major’s eyes flickered. “Not lucky at all. I enlisted Bonham’s assistance to make sure you opened it.”
“Oh, you sneak!” Dorian grinned. “If you’re trying to get on my good side, it’s working.”
Klaus allowed a smile to play at the edges of his mouth. He then pulled open the door to the building they stood in front of. “Good,” he said, leading the way inside.
“Always so mysterious.”
The Major stopped just inside the door, pulling Dorian aside. “I didn’t want to do this on the street.” He reached into a pocket, extracting a ring box.
Dorian caught his breath. Then he finally looked around. When he realized where he was, he couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or cry. The registry office. “You’re actually gonna go through with it?” he heard himself saying.
Klaus nodded. “If it will make you happy.” He did not even object when Dorian forgot himself and hugged him. “I gave notice of our intent to register when I sent the letter.”
Dorian replied with a sigh and whispered, “I love you.”
“Are you sure you can stand being…united with me?” Klaus asked as he extracted himself, adding in mock disapproval, “And you haven’t even looked at your ring.”
“I don’t need a ring to tell the world I love you.”
Klaus opened the box, pulling out the thick gold band. “This doesn’t tell the world that you love me,” he said as he slipped the ring on Dorian’s finger. “It tells the world that I love you.”
Dorian felt his heart melt, a brilliant smile lighting up his face. He took Klaus by the arm as they strode toward the registry office. “After this, can we have a wedding in Germany?” he asked playfully. “I’ll wear a long white dress…”
Klaus gave him a sideways look. “We haven’t even done this, and I’m ready to divorce you already.”
Dorian gave a delighted laugh when Klaus went on to say, “And I won’t fight you for custody of James.”
* * *