Chapter 1 – Insomnia

Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach was in the gymnasium of Schloss Eberbach, finishing his evening workout. He had flown home from a mission that very morning, and had spent the entire day at the office debriefing, but still would not omit this daily routine. He knew well that the more exhausted he was, the less annoying thoughts would come between him and his sleep, and lately there had been no shortage of them.

As soon as the last set of sit-ups was completed, he walked briskly to the adjacent bathroom to take a shower. He undressed and tossed his sweaty tracksuit and underwear into the hamper, and then, oddly enough, proceeded to fasten a chain and padlock around it, locking it securely with a key he had around his neck, before finally stepping into the shower. Now, most people don’t find it necessary to put their dirty laundry under lock and key; but then again most people are not plagued by foppish expert thieves entertaining all kinds of dirty notions about them and their underwear. After a particularly infuriating incident three years ago, involving a pair of his briefs and a certain foppish thief he would like very much to strangle, the Major had put chains and padlocks around every hamper in the Schloss likely to contain any of his personal clothing. Not that a padlock could possibly stop that damned pest of a faggot who could crack open a vault in his sleep, but at least he was making a point of prohibiting access to his clothes – and especially the most private ones.

The shower water stopped running and seconds later the Major emerged, wrapping an enormous bath towel around himself the instant he got out. He could never tolerate showing skin, even when there was no one to see it. Not that there was anything about his appearance he should be ashamed of, quite the opposite. With his shoulder-length silky raven hair, emerald-green eyes, clear-cut handsome features, and to top everything off, 1.85m. worth of lean, supply muscular body, he was as fine a specimen of manhood as one could hope to find. Every woman in the world would be lusting after him, if not for the expression of those green eyes, colder than the Arctic ocean and less inviting than Guantanamo prison.

He marched straight to his austere bedroom, changed into his pajamas and laid down to sleep. But sleep stubbornly refused to come; not even ‘Mary had a little lamb’ worked on him tonight. He must still be tense after the mission, he concluded. It had not been especially difficult, but Eroica had been there, and lately he found working alongside Eroica increasingly taxing on his nerves.

Eroica…

Klaus cast his mind back to his first meeting with this exasperating individual. Things had been really simple back then. They hated each other’s guts, and that was it. And that’s how it should have remained, except that, after a string of fateful encounters – if Klaus was not an atheist, he would have called them divine punishment – the fop had done a complete turnabout and fallen in love with him, of all people. Since then, he had never been free of his pursuit. Eroica had set him in his sights and was chasing him from year’s end to year’s end, showing no sign of even beginning to be discouraged, let alone giving up.

And boy, had he tried to discourage him. There was not one dirty trick in the book he had not resorted to some time or other in order to shake him off. But nothing had worked. His verbal abuses were reciprocated with fond pet names and declarations of love (so much for the notion that queers were sensitive and easily hurt; this particular queer had taken his abuse in more stride than most, if not all, straight men he knew). Physical violence had fared no better; everyone else would cower and shake before his towering rage, but Eroica took his blows with his head held high, openly defying him. He probably was afraid of Klaus at such dangerous moments, but refused to let his fear get the better of him. It was impossible not to respect his attitude, and consequently it was impossible not to despise himself for losing control and yielding to his violent nature those few times he actually hurt Eroica. And then his guilt would make him treat the faggot just a little nicer, and the depraved idiot would get encouraged and more determined than ever.

He had tried lots of other things as well. Tricking him; lying to him; sending him on wild goose chases; shamelessly exploiting his passion for art and beauty; equally shamelessly taking advantage of his feelings in order to attain his mission objectives. He had shown him his worst sides, while hiding his best ones as much as he could, hoping that the thief would eventually be sick of him and disappear from his life. But to no avail.

On the contrary, the more Dorian got to know him, the more he idolized him, and the harder he tried to get close to him. He had even managed to establish himself as his unofficial working partner. Since it was well known that Eroica would only work with him, the Chief, sadistic bastard that he was, usually reserved him for missions that required the thief’s talent for breaking and entering. Which meant that they saw quite a lot of each other these last few years. And while Klaus’ harsh attitude towards Eroica had not softened down one bit, lately he had realized, to his utmost horror, that whenever he found it necessary to fend off the Earl’s excessive flirtations with insults and threats, he did not feel the proper rightful indignation he was supposed to be feeling. Instead, he felt…kind of disgusted. With himself.

Not even he knew when it was that his pure, unadulterated hatred for Lord Gloria had been contaminated by other, more disturbing feelings. By the time he realized it, the change had set in and there was no denying it. First off, the damnable thief had succeeded in earning his respect. Indeed, that was pretty inevitable. Surrounded by incompetent colleagues as he was, it was impossible not to feel the difference of a man whose efficiency and professionalism was on par with his own. His line of work might be illegal, and the man himself insufferable, but there was no questioning his capability and courage. He would die before admitting it to the fop, but he knew that Dorian was a man he could trust with his life…although not with his chastity.

Then there was gratitude. Granted, the crazy queer had messed with him and his missions innumerable times; but he had also helped him out so many times when he was in a pinch, completely disregarding his own safety and never asking for anything in return. He would have to be inhuman to not feel even a little grateful. And while he took great pains not to let the Earl discern his feelings, sometimes the iron mask simply could not hold. Like that time on the Austrian border, when Dorian voluntarily went and took a beating from that KGB agent in order to steal the microfilm Klaus could no longer get his hands on. He would never forget that feeling of acute, painful guilt that swept through him as he watched helplessly that beautiful face getting beaten black and blue for his sake. He had said to the injured Dorian afterwards, “I cannot get angry with you right now. Don’t make me…please”. Not much for an expression of gratitude normally, but for someone like Iron Klaus it was tantamount to the sweetest words, and Eroica knew it.

He was also quite envious of the Earl’s free spirit and complete disregard of what people thought of him. Committed to what he regarded as his duty though he was, Klaus did have a rebellious streak in him; that streak was probably behind the fact that he insisted on completing his missions the way he saw fit, never giving a rat’s ass about his superiors’ opinion – especially that fat pervert Chief. It was probably also responsible for him never hesitating to tell said Chief and others of his superiors exactly what he thought of them, the end result being that he remained stuck to the rank of Major despite his unprecedented record of successful missions. And it undoubtedly had something to do with his stubborn resistance to his father’s nagging to get married. But despite those small revolts, the fact remained that he was not allowed to do his job or live his life the way he wanted. To some degree, this might be for the best – he was aware of the fact that, without his self-discipline and sense of duty, he would be a downright dangerous man. But no matter how hard he tried to condemn Lord Gloria’s self-indulgence as immoral, quite a few times he had caught himself wishing he could be as self-indulgent for once.

But the most alarming feeling of them all was – desire. It’s not like Klaus didn’t have a sex drive. But he had been raised by a narrow-minded, strict disciplinarian of a father and educated exclusively in all-boys schools run by nuns. Inevitably, he had learnt from a very young age to regard sexual desire as a weakness and a sin, unbefitting of a proper man. So he had unconsciously buried his desires deep inside him, repressing them so much that he had practically convinced himself that he should never – and would never – need sex in his life. Even more so, he had become pretty oblivious to it. The women he had met so far – mostly prospective brides his father forced him to meet – might as well be from another planet. They left him completely unaffected. He did not feel any inclination whatsoever to get to know them, let alone be intimate with them. The fact that he worked as an intelligence agent made things even worse. Suspecting anyone and everyone of being a spy – and being very often right about it – made his relations with the opposite sex even more problematic. And of course, homosexuality was out of the question; it was the height of depravity, the worst offence imaginable for a soldier and a man.

Klaus thought he would adhere to these beliefs for the rest of his life, and he might have done just that, if not for Lord Gloria. The Earl had accomplished what no woman had been able to – he had made the Major start thinking about sex. Well, that wasn’t entirely surprising. The man was a walking, breathing sex advertisement. Not only he was so beautiful it was almost a sin to look at him, he flaunted his sexual desires before Klaus without the least bit of shame. At first, his lewd glances and sexual insinuations only made Klaus furious; but after a long while of hearing the Earl describing various indecent things he wanted to do with him, his imagination started having a mind of its own, and he found himself picturing the Earl’s sexual fantasies in his own mind. Needless to say, this realization caused him more panic than any international crisis could have. He redoubled his efforts to drive Eroica away from him, but failed miserably. He even tried to pursue relationships with women on his own, only to confirm what he suspected and feared all along; that they didn’t stir the slightest emotion in him. It seemed that his newly-awoken sex drive was kind of picky: no one but Dorian could get an arousal out of him.   

However, he chose to never act on those feelings. There were plenty of excuses for his decision. He was an army officer, and homosexuality was not tolerated in the army. He was a man of law and order, and Eroica was an infamous international thief, a wanted criminal. He was the current head of the von dem Eberbach family, and had a duty to get married and have a son, to carry on the family line. Last but certainly not least, he was a man of commitment, while the Earl was the most flippant and superficial of men. He could be chasing him around just to indulge his whim, not out of real love.

Plenty of excuses indeed. Problem was, over time they had been proven to be just that: excuses.

For instance, the army had softened down a lot in regards to homosexuality. Even if he was found out to be gay, there probably wouldn’t be any consequences, as long as he was discreet about it. What with all the fuss about the rights of homosexuals, nowadays the high command mostly chose to look the other way, rather than risking an uproar that would bring bad publicity. And he was an extremely experienced and capable agent; NATO Intelligence would not dispose someone with his extensive knowledge and ability over something like that. At most, he would not get any more promotions. So what. That might happen either way, considering his short temper, and besides if he was promoted he would probably have to forfeit field work. Eternal Major on the line of duty was a million times better than fat General stuck behind a desk.

Eroica was still a wanted criminal, but only technically. After having worked on so many NATO assignments, he had learnt quite a lot about the international espionage world, despite the fact he wasn’t really interested. In fact, he knew way too much for NATO to risk losing his allegiance. Therefore, he was still officially wanted by the Interpol, but there was a tacit agreement between Interpol and NATO that he would never be actually caught. The Major had had nothing to do with this; it was a common policy NATO employed with outlaws hired for their services. A community service of sorts. The end result was that even if Eroica decided to waltz into Interpol Headquarters for a cup of tea, he would probably be home again in time for dinner.

As for Klaus’ duty to get married and have children…well, that was one duty he didn’t think he could ever fulfill. Maybe his own grim childhood had something to do with it, but he had never felt the slightest inclination to have children. As for marrying, he had never met a woman he was even remotely interested in. And he would never do something so obscene as tie himself to a woman who would be only after his rank and fortune. Or, even worse, to a woman who would love him and would never be loved back. He had, after all, plenty of cousins and nephews who could carry on the von dem Eberbach name; he could always pick an heir among them. True, that meant giving up his residence at the Schloss, as well as the greater part of his fortune, but Klaus had never been hung up on money anyway, nor did he necessarily need a castle to live in. His flat in Bonn was enough for him. The Schloss was the home he had grown up in and he was fond of it, but also a bit of a pain to manage, and it wasn’t like he would never be allowed to visit if he felt like it. His father would probably have a stroke if he knew his thoughts on the matter, but in the end there was nothing he could do to stop him from doing whatever he wanted; he was an adult and the current head of the family, after all. If, that is, he could figure out exactly what it was he wanted.

Yes, Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach was running out of excuses, and fast.

Which was why he held desperately onto the belief that Lord Gloria wasn’t seriously in love with him, that he only kept pursuing him because he didn’t want to admit defeat. “Everything I want, I always get” was the Earl’s motto, but he invariably seemed to lose interest in the things he ‘wanted’ once he got them. At first, Klaus was convinced the same thing would happen with him, should he yield to the Earl’s advances. He had even considered for a time to let Dorian ‘catch’ him so that he would lose interest and move on. But his pride had not let him; he refused to sacrifice his own body to another man’s whim, and besides, at the time the idea of intimacy of any kind was still abhorrent to him. And later…when it was not so abhorrent, he still could not do it, because he was scared. Scared to find out that, to Dorian, he was a whim after all.

For after having witnessed Eroica’s tireless devotion to him time and again, he had begun wondering whether the Earl might actually be seriously in love with him. The things he had done for Klaus…one simply does not jump onto airborne helicopters or into freezing lakes just for a whim. Or tolerate insults, threats and even blows for years on end. It was impossible not to second-guess his earlier opinion. But more than that, he wanted it to be true…he wanted to believe that there was someone out there who could actually love him. Klaus had never been loved, because no one had dared fall in love with him. All women that had come on to him, either because of his looks or because of his status, had been invariably scared off after a few glares and harsh words. No one but Eroica had had the nerve to still love him even after his innumerable rejections. That is, if he was serious about it. Because if he wasn’t…if he was merely after another conquest for his list of trophies…then Klaus afterwards would be truly unable to trust anyone or hold onto any hope for the future. At least, the way things were now, he could still afford the luxury of dreaming.

A cruel irony indeed. Iron Klaus, the man of steel who had faced down the most dangerous people in the world without even a trace of fear, was scared to death of being tossed aside by a British queer.

But there was no way around it, which was why the Major was determined to keep resisting Eroica no matter what. It wasn’t that difficult either; over time it had become sort of a conditioned reflex. A pattern. Dorian would flirt with him, he would fly into a rage and mistreat him, Dorian would be hurt, he would feel like an asshole and try to make it up to the Earl a bit, and then the Earl would be captivated all over again and the cycle would begin anew. A real vicious circle if ever there was one, and they were both stuck inside it unless one of them did something to break the pattern. But it didn’t look like Eroica had any such intention, and Klaus, fearful of what a change might bring, could not bring himself to do anything.

“Verdammt”, he whispered to himself. “I must be the biggest wuss in all of recorded history”.

Then he sighed and resolutely closed his eyes. Even if he was the biggest wuss in all of recorded history, he still had a job to do and needed to replenish his energy. He ordered himself sternly to go to sleep, and fortunately, this time he succeeded.

Chapter 2 – A new mission

Klaus tacitly cursed for perhaps the hundredth time the Yanks and their stupidity. Those damned imbeciles had no problem trampling on every civil right there was, but would never even consider restricting the right to wield a gun. The Major liked guns as much as the next person – okay, a lot more than the next person – but in the hands of trained and duty-bound soldiers like himself, not deranged schoolboys or homicidal fanatics. How come the Yanks could not see the logic in that was beyond his comprehension.

It was about a month later, and the Chief had summoned him to inform him of his new mission. For once, the perverted old coot actually sounded serious.

“This is big, Eberbach”, continued the Chief. “If we obtain solid proof that this extremist faction of the National Rifle Association is secretly financing Mein Kampf, not only will we cripple those Neo-Nazi bastards, but it will be a great opportunity for the president of the United States to finally implement his Gun Control Act. He will owe us big time for that.”

The Major nodded approvingly. Mein Kampf was a relatively new Neo-Nazi group that had emerged a while ago in America. Despite its brief history, it had already managed to pull off some rather alarming terrorist attacks. The nature of the attacks indicated that the group had plentiful financial resources, which was rather out of the norm. It had taken considerable time to track down the money source, but finally NATO got some leads that seemed to point towards certain highly-positioned members of the NRA, well known for their rather extreme views about racial discriminations. If they got proof of that, the NRA would have no choice but to quit opposing the Gun Control Act the president wanted to implement for some time now. An organization that advocates the use of weapons simply cannot afford to be connected, even remotely, to terrorist groups. And of course the financial support of Mein Kampf would be cut off, leaving them practically dead in the water and making the task of putting them behind bars a lot easier.

“Was the NRA board of directors notified about this?” he asked.

“No, we haven’t informed them”, said the Chief. “It’s a given that they would officially deny everything, they would have to be out of their minds to sanction something like that. In all probability, most of them probably know nothing about it. But we can’t rule out the possibility that a few might know or suspect something – and we should assume they will do anything in their power to sweep this whole affair under the carpet. It would be a great blow for their public image if such a story came out.”

That made sense. If anyone of the 76 directors of the NRA board knew something about the covert financing, even the remote possibility of exposure would prompt them to warn the actual culprits to destroy all evidence. It was of the utmost importance to get the information quickly and discreetly. Fortunately, they had a pretty good idea about its location. It was in an office building owned by the NRA in Dallas, which was used for storage of confidential documents. It seemed that the DVD with the information about the illicit transactions was hidden among some irrelevant documents inside the main vault.

“You will have to use Eroica”, continued the Chief. This time there was no sadistic glee in his voice; he was simply stating a fact. “The security system is state of the art, and aside from breaking in, you will have to put it precisely back in order after making a copy of the DVD. The president needs the element of surprise on his side, so the later they find out about the break-in the better. He is the only one who can pull this one off.”

Just my luck, thought the Major. He knew what the Chief said was true; nobody but Eroica could crack such an elaborate security system and then put it back together again in such a limited amount of time. He didn’t even bother to argue, and simply nodded his head. The Chief raised an eyebrow at this unusual display of docility, but wisely chose not to press the matter.

“One last thing, Eberbach”, he said gravely. “You should keep in mind that the CIA has no clue about this operation, and they must not find out. The NRA has a lot of leverage within the Agency. There is no guarantee that the extremist faction doesn’t have inside men in the CIA. That is why the president requested the aid of NATO Intelligence for this assignment, rather than the American security organizations.”

The Major gave a derisive snort. Really, those CIA agents. Not only they were incompetent, but possibly with divided loyalties as well. Not that he expected any better from an organization that actually allowed people like Steamroller Dick into its ranks. Nevertheless, the fact that he would have to sneak behind the back of the CIA greatly complicated this mission. It wasn’t like he couldn’t do it; he was Iron Klaus after all, but it would make his job that much harder. As if working again with Eroica wasn’t hard enough.

Chapter 3 – Preparations

They were in the main room of the safe house in Dallas, going over the details of the mission one last time. It was late afternoon of a hot summer day, and they were waiting for the cover of darkness before moving out. The day had been unbearably hot and humid; used to the cooler climate of Germany, the alphabets were sweating profusely. Even the Major was bothered by the heat, even though he valiantly refused to let it show. Heat and cold were a matter of discipline, after all.

“Okay, gather round,” ordered the Major, summoning the men around a blueprint set on a large table. Aside from the alphabets, there was only Eroica and three of his men, Bonham and the twins, John-Paul and Jonesy. As far as the Major was concerned, the only bright spot so far was that the Earl’s creepy accountant James, a.k.a. ‘the stingy bug’, had remained in England. It seemed that some fellow was contesting the ownership of Castle Gloria, claiming that he was an illegitimate child of the late Earl of Gloria. A fraud, no doubt; Dorian’s father was such a flaming queen that it was almost a miracle he managed to have sex with his lawful wife enough times to produce four children. There is no way he would sleep with another woman voluntarily. Still, the stingy bug decided to stay behind, determined to fight tooth and nail to protect his master’s property. Klaus actually felt a bit sorry for the poor conman; he had probably no idea what an ordeal he was in for.

“Let’s go over the plan once again. There are only two entrances in the building, the main one and the one in the back alley. Our point of entry is at the back. Keep in mind there are security cameras in both entrances, as well as on every floor. We can’t disable them, because that will alert the security guards. Eroica, that’s where your men come in.”

Bonham leaned forward. “We got the fake images ready, Major. As soon as milord bypasses the entrance lock, we will put them in place.”

The Major nodded approvingly and continued, “We will follow the route we decided on yesterday. We got the guards’ patrol rounds down, so if all goes well we shouldn’t run into anyone. The vault room is on the third floor, right in the middle of the central corridor. We will reach it from the right staircase; this will be also our escape route.”

He continued by repeating which alphabets would be covering the lifts and other staircases. He himself, as well as A, B and C would be in charge of covering Eroica and his men as they worked. Agent K would be with them with a laptop, to make a copy of the DVD (Eroica could not copy a DVD if his life depended on it). Then everything would be put back in place, Eroica would put the security system of the vault back together, and they would retreat the way they came, putting the locks and alarms back in place as they went. There was a considerable amount of them, so they would have to work really fast to escape being noticed by the patrolling guards.

“Okay then, get your gear together.” Just before they dispersed, the Major thought of something. “Eroica,” he called. The Earl turned around and walked back, beaming at him and fluttering his eyelashes.

“You wanted something, my love?” The Major clenched his teeth, making a real effort to remain calm. Damn it all, couldn’t that idiot be serious for once? He walked over to a pile of bulletproof vests lying in a corner and tossed one to the Earl. He had put one on himself. Normally, he didn’t bother with them, but those NRA people were most likely excellent shots. It would be unwise to break into a building full of them without any protection. “Put this on.”

“Aww, darling, do I have to?” the Earl pouted. “I’m afraid it will hinder my movements.”

“If you can prance around in women’s dresses and corsets, this vest can hardly be a problem,” retorted the Major. He was getting more pissed by the second.

“And the design is so…lame. Those military accessories don’t have a shred of elegance.” Eroica gave the vest a contemptuous look.

The Major could actually feel the last threads of his patience snap. Here he was trying to show some concern over Eroica’s safety, and all that twit could do was act like some spoiled princess. He grabbed the vest and shoved it hard onto the Earl’s chest, then said in a tone of voice that usually made his subordinates have sudden yearnings for the Alaskan wilderness: “Put. The. Fucking. Vest. On. Now.”

Eroica stared at him wide-eyed for a few seconds, then gave an audible gasp. “Oh, my dearest Major,” he breathed softly, “I hadn’t realized you worry so much about me…”

“Don’t be an idiot,” snapped the Major. “We can’t have you getting shot; you’re the only one who can work the security system. Now stop spouting nonsense and do as you are told.”

“Aye-aye, sir,” replied Eroica mockingly, and took the vest from him. The Major barked to the others, “We set out at 1100 p.m. sharp. Make sure you’re ready,” then turned around and stomped out of the room.

As soon as he was out of sight and earshot, he closed his eyes and let out a sigh of frustration. Verdammt, this was definitely not getting any easier. He didn’t even know any more how longer would he be able to keep his real feelings hidden under the guise of anger. The wall he had built around his heart these days felt more like a dam; emotions he thought he could never have were building up more and more, threatening to overflow at any moment. And if the dam should break – more like, when it should break, – what would become of him?

Klaus forced himself to breathe regularly and think of nothing in order to clear his mind. He had a mission; nothing should be allowed to interfere with it. His personal troubles would have to wait, at least until the night was over.

Chapter 4 – Mortal Peril

The Major was crouching behind a big decorative flower pot in the corridor of the vault room, with agents A, B and C in similar positions near the vault door. His eyes were trained on Eroica working dexterously on the vault locks. So far the operation had gone without a hitch. Eroica had cracked the vault in record time, the DVD had been copied, and now he was in the process of putting the security system back in place. This, however, had proved a bit trickier than they had first thought. There was a series of  locks and combinations that needed to be set in a very precise order, because apparently there was a secondary alarm that would be triggered not only if one combination was wrong, but also if the sequence of security systems was not followed to the letter.

The Major glanced at his watch. 1.08 pm. The patrolling guard was supposed to pass through that corridor at 1.15. At this rate, they were cutting it pretty close.

“Eroica! Are you done yet? You only got six more minutes!” hissed the Major. In reality, it was seven minutes, but they needed one minute to make their retreat.

“This is delicate work, Major! Don’t rush me!” Eroica actually sounded stressed, noted the Major with a hint of worry. His long, sensitive fingers were working more swiftly than ever before, and there was a trace of perspiration on his forehead. I hope this doesn’t prove to be too much for him, thought the Major. He had never seen Eroica bested by a lock before, but cracking one and putting it back together were two entirely different things. Not to mention the limited time window.

Then suddenly a gunshot rang out, breaking the silence. A moment later, it was followed by a full-blown shoot-out. The shots came from the left staircase, where agents L, M and P were positioned. Cursing in German, the Major grabbed his radio. Good thing he had thought they might need intercom.

“L! What the hell’s going on there?” he yelled.

“I don’t know, Major! A guard came through here, even though it wasn’t time yet, and he spotted us. We took him out, but he managed to take a shot at us, and that alerted the others!”

“Why didn’t you morons take him out before he could shoot?!” bellowed the Major, livid. He was so going to send those three incompetents to Alaska, but he had to get them out of there in one piece first.

“Listen carefully,” he said, forcing his voice to stay calm. “Keep them busy for a bit if you can, but don’t let yourselves run out of ammo. Make your way back here, and try not to get shot! Everyone else, regroup! As soon as we’re all here, we’re leaving!” He turned to Eroica. “Please tell me you’re done here.” The surprise element had been shot to hell, but if Eroica managed to put the vault security system exactly as it was, there was a chance the guards would think the break-in had been foiled, since nothing would be missing from the vault.

“Getting there, Major, getting there,” Eroica said through gritted teeth. The gunshots seemed much closer now; the agents would be reaching them any minute now, with the security guards hard at their heels. Never before had the Major admired Eroica’s competence as he had that night. Paying no heed to the shots being fired ever closer, he remained absolutely focused, slender fingers literally flying about buttons and levers. There was no one like him.

Agents L, M and P finally appeared, followed closely by three security guards. They took cover about ten meters away from the Major’s position, but the guards pinned them there, and they could not quite reach the rest. All other agents had already regrouped; all that remained was to shake off these three guards and get out before any more arrived.

Just then, Eroica whistled to get his attention and gave him the thumbs up. The Major nodded, and signaled him to get out of there and head for the right staircase. Eroica waited until the agents had him covered, and made a dash for it. But just as he was making a turn for the staircase, a shot rang out, and Dorian fell without a sound.

The Major’s body started to move before he even realized it. Throwing caution to the wind, he bounded out of cover, his face a mask of frenzied rage and the Magnum in his hand spitting fire. In three seconds flat, he had closed the distance between themselves and the guards, having taken out in the meantime two of them, one shot through the wrist, one in the kneecap. The third one didn’t even attempt to shoot; he dropped his gun and put his hands over his head, screaming in terror. He was hardly to blame; very few men in the world would have endured the sight of Iron Klaus pouncing upon them like an enraged tiger without fainting on the spot.

The Major loomed above him for a second, wrathful and terrifying like an avenging angel. Then he hit him over the head with the handle of his gun, and the guard dropped like a felled tree.

His agents were staring at him, dumbfounded. “What are you cretins standing there for?! Get your asses over here and secure them!” As soon as some of the alphabets hurried over, he rushed back to where Eroica had fallen, A, B and G following behind him.

The Earl lay on his back quite still, and because of the bulletproof vest it was hard to see whether he was breathing. There was a hole in his vest, directly over the heart.

Klaus felt his very blood turn into ice in his veins. Without pausing to think, he grabbed hold of the vest’s straps and tore them as if they were made of tissue. There didn’t seem to be any blood underneath the vest, but Klaus did not stop there. He ripped Dorian’s tight-fitting catsuit in one powerful move, exposing the thief’s chest. There was a nasty bruise on the left side soiling the creamy white skin, but no visible wound. Klaus put his hand over the Earl’s heart, and was relieved to find a faint pulse. Then he realized what he was doing, and recoiled as if a snake had bit him. Scheisse. If the fop ever found out that he, the Major, had torn his catsuit open and fondled his chest, he’d never hear the end of it. He turned to A, B and G, transfixing them with a glare that made seasoned KGB agents long for the relative safety of a Siberian gulag. “I trust that you’ve already forgotten what just happened, gentlemen, but if you still happen to remember something I’d be happy to help you forget.”

A, B and G gestured frantically that they had most definitely forgotten everything. “Gut. Take him and get going, I’ll cover you.” He signaled to the rest of the agents, and they all made a swift exit. Not a moment too soon, either, because they could hear the other guards who had found their wounded colleagues chasing after them. But by then they were out of the building, and had reached the getaway cars.

“Bloody hell! Milord…what happened? Is he…” Bonham stammered, leaping out of the car. Eroica’s men had retreated after having placed the fake images for the security cameras, and were waiting for them in the car.

“He’s alive. Now take us back to the safe house, and step on it!” barked the Major. Bonham got back to the driver’s seat without a word. Eroica was placed in the back seat, and Klaus sat beside him, eyeing him with growing anxiety. Dorian’s heart was still beating – he was constantly checking his pulse – but he showed no sign of regaining consciousness. Klaus was getting seriously worried about his condition. He had not found any external wounds, but there was such a thing as internal bleeding. Klaus decided that if the thief had not come to by the time they reached the safe house, he would take him to the nearest hospital and to hell with secrecy. All of a sudden, the Major realized something; from the moment he had seen Dorian fall onwards, he had not spared a single thought about his mission.

Dorian came round when they were about halfway to the safe house. His eyelids twitched, and a slight groan escaped him. His bright blue eyes drifted a bit before focusing; he seemed to be a bit groggy. Making an effort, he whispered faintly, “Where…am I?”

“In the car,” answered the Major. “We’re headed back.” Eroica tried to sit up, but a sharp pain across his chest and a firm hand on his shoulder prevented him. “Don’t try to move. You took a shot at the heart. The vest stopped the bullet, but the impact knocked you out.” Out of the corner of his eye, the Major saw Bonham’s face turn white as a sheet. “There don’t seem to be any serious wounds,” he added hastily. “We’ll check more thoroughly at the safe house, but I bet you’ll be up and about soon enough. Now lie still.”

“Thank you, Major. I think…I’ll do just that,” the thief said slowly. The blue eyes started to close again, when all of a sudden they snapped open. “The mission?”

“We got the info,” the Major reassured him hastily. An odd sense of guilt came over him; who would have thought a day would come when Eroica would care more about his missions than himself. “And you managed to put the vault security system back together, so with any luck they’ll think we got away without taking anything.”

“That’s…good.” Eroica leaned back again and closed his eyes. For the remainder of the drive, the Major stared resolutely ahead, fearing that if Dorian happened to look at his eyes right now, he would know exactly how he felt. Shortly before they arrived, he heard the still shocked Bonham mutter under his breath, “Truly he’s got the devil’s own luck, milord he has. Let’s just hope he doesn’t spend it all on that frigid –” He stopped short, darting an angry glance at the Major. Klaus pretended not to see it; he could not really argue, since he himself thought pretty much the same thing.

Chapter 5 – Decision

Klaus leaned against the bathroom door, breathing hard. For once, even his iron nerves had reached their limit. As soon as they got to the safe house and ascertained that Eroica was not in any immediate danger, the Major excused himself to the bathroom as soon as he got the chance, leaving his agents to handle the rest.

He and Eroica had been in more dangerous situations than he cared to remember, but tonight…it was different. For a few horrifying moments, he was certain that Dorian was dead. And he would have been dead if he didn’t have that vest on. Klaus shuddered, struggling with all his might not to fall apart right there. Dorian…dead. The mere thought of that threatened to crush him.

The Major had trained himself hard not to think about the possibility of himself or one of his men dying during a mission. Such thoughts were never helpful in his line of work. Maybe that was why, even though he had seen Eroica in a number of tough situations before, it had never occurred to him that he could actually die. He had contemplated the possibility of the Earl finding a new love interest, or falling out of love with him, or being captured by the Interpol. But never of dying.

Now, however, he could not stop thinking about just that, and the thought was unbearable. Dorian might have died tonight. And he would have died because of him, because there was no getting around the fact that, if not for him, Dorian would never have been involved in the mortally perilous world of espionage. Granted, his own profession wasn’t exactly peaceful, but museum and gallery security guards weren’t nearly as dangerous as spies and assassins.

But the worst of it all was – that he could have died thinking that Klaus hated him. He could have died without knowing how the Major really felt about him. Klaus wasn’t sure what it was he felt about Dorian, but it sure as hell wasn’t hate, this much he knew. And his whole being rejected the idea of Dorian dying while still in the dark. If there was one thing he had learnt from this danger-filled life of his, it was that death was the one thing he could not bend to his will. No one, not even Iron Klaus, could redeem himself to a dead man.

Suddenly, all his previous fears seemed insignificant. He had thought that being tossed aside by Dorian scared him the most; now he discovered that Dorian dying before having the chance to toss him aside scared him the most.

Well, no more. It was high time he stopped running and faced his demons. Klaus raised his head proudly and clenched his fists, his emerald eyes blazing like wildfire. Dorian would get his chance that very night, he decided. And if he wanted to get away from him later…well, he’d like to see him try it. Nobody gets away from Iron Klaus. “Nobody escapes once he’s hated by me,” he had said once. Well, you know what? Nobody escapes once he’s loved by me either.

The Major marched to the main room where his agents were assembled. Dorian was upstairs in his bedroom, resting, and his men had retired for the night after they had seen to his needs. The Major curtly asked his agents to report; apparently all loose ends of the mission had been taken care of and everything was ready for their departure tomorrow at noon. After having heard every report, the Major gave a few short instructions, and then ordered the alphabets in his most menacing tone not to disturb him until tomorrow at ten, unless it was something really important. Without any other explanation, he went out and up the stairs straight to the Earl’s bedroom, leaving the intimidated alphabets staring at his retreating back.

“Wh…what was that about?” wondered B aloud, astonished. The Major had never before required private time while on a mission.

The effeminate G, who was rather more perceptive than the rest in these matters, dramatically brought his hands to his mouth and drew in a breath. “Don’t tell me…” he whispered, but could not bring himself to complete the sentence.

An uneasy silence hovered among the alphabets for several minutes, until it was finally broken by Z, who cleared his throat to get his colleagues’ attention.

“Gentlemen,” he said in a significantly more serious tone than usually, “it is my opinion that whatever happens up there from here on out,” – he gestured towards Lord Gloria’s bedroom – “is strictly on a need-to-know basis. And we don’t need to know.”

Chapter 6 – Conquest

Dorian lay on the bed with his eyes closed, his head propped up by several pillows. He wanted to sleep, but somehow he couldn’t calm his heart enough to fall asleep. The pain in his chest was dulled thanks to the painkillers he had taken, but he felt uneasy…restless. Probably an aftereffect of his close brush with death. Tonight…had been a really close call.

If Klaus had not forced him to wear the vest…if he had just said indifferently, “Do what you want”, he might not have worn it just to spite him…and he would be dead now. What a way to die, too. Not even over some priceless work of art. Would his death even mean anything?

He sighed wearily. For that matter, all his efforts of many years to win the Major’s heart, did they mean anything? So much suffering, so many dangers, and never a kind word in return. Much as he refused to admit defeat, there were times such as now, when he wondered if it was worth it after all. If he was worth it.

However, his black mood lasted only a few moments. He shook his head violently to make the discouraging thoughts go away, making his luminous golden curls dance around in the process.

“No,” he said aloud, surprised at the sound of his own voice. “He’s worth it. All of it. And even if he wasn’t…it wouldn’t matter. Because I love him.”

Dorian Red Gloria had fancied himself in love many times before Fate crossed his path with that of Iron Klaus. The objects of his affections were pretty much the type of Caesar Gabriel: sweet, youthful, innocent…and completely defenseless against his charm. The other thing they had in common was that he never seemed to build a lasting relationship with any of them. He sincerely loved them with all his heart, was always affectionate and caring with them, and never did anything to hurt their feelings; but invariably, after a short time with them, he just drifted away, until someone else caught his eye. He could catch anyone he wanted all right, but seemed unable to keep himself attached to anyone. Until he met Iron Klaus.

The Major was the complete opposite of his previous love interests. First of all, he was no boy, but a man among men, tough, unyielding, indomitable. Dorian always had the upper hand in his previous relationships, but Klaus had twisted him around his little finger without even trying. He was anything but innocent, despite his inexperience in sex matters; a shrewd, cunning, scheming man who had pulled a fast one on the one and only Eroica quite a few times, a feat no one else in the world could boast of. And he was not sweet. Cool, yes, handsome, yes, noble, yes, but most certainly not sweet.

At first Dorian had wondered what on earth possessed him to fall so desperately in love with a man so clearly different from his type, so brusque, so…unaccommodating. It took him years to realize that the Major was, in fact, exactly the type who could make him fall in love for real, that before him, what he had felt was not love, but more like…attraction. He had been attracted to these boys, the same way he had been attracted to the paintings he coveted. But his first and only true, genuine, mind-blowing, heart-wrenching love was Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach and no one else.

And the reason for that was pretty simple after all. The Major had character. He was not just decorative eye-candy. He was a man of strong convictions, likes and dislikes, and strong passions too – Dorian was sure of it, even though his beloved German iceberg would sooner shoot himself in the foot than admit interest in ‘foppish sentimentalities’. There were so many things to respect, admire and adore about him besides his looks. Too bad it was because of some of these things that he had yet to have his feelings reciprocated.

So, was this chase ever going to end? Dorian asked himself that question for the umpteenth time, and as always, he couldn’t answer. On one hand, he knew, or more like, he could feel it in his bones, that the Major wasn’t as indifferent towards him as he let on. It wasn’t merely wishful thinking on his part, there were signs – little things, gestures, expressions – that gave him conviction that there were feelings for him deep inside the Major’s heart. On the other hand, the man was possibly the worst case of self-restraint in the world. Dorian was well aware that, with his stubbornness, he was perfectly capable of living out his entire life in denial. As long as he considered something a matter of dignity or duty, he would not budge one inch. Dorian was honestly at a loss how to make him see that falling in love did not make him any less of a man.

Just as he was brooding over his darling pigheaded Major and everything he had endured because of him, a familiar pounding on his door interrupted his thoughts. Oh dear, not now, he thought dejectedly. He always rejoiced to see the Major, but wasn’t really in the mood to argue with him at the moment. He didn’t answer, hoping that the Major would think he was asleep and leave. But after a few seconds he heard the pounding again, this time accompanied by the Major’s deep voice: “Dorian. Open up.”

For a moment, the Earl stared fixedly at the wall opposite his bed. Something was wrong; something was very out of place, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Then realization hit him like a punch in the gut: Klaus had called him by his first name.

He stumbled out of bed as fast as he could and rushed to the door. He had barely turned the handle when it was flung open, and the Major marched straight up to him, with a ferocious glint in his eyes the likes of which Dorian had never seen before. Dorian found himself retreating unconsciously, till his back hit the wall. The Major grabbed him by both shoulders, pinning him still. He tried to struggle against it, only to find that he was completely unable to move. He was no weakling, but the Major’s strength was on a completely different level. What’s more, he seemed not just angry, but positively seething with fury. And I don’t even know what the blazes I did this time. Did something happen while I was unconscious? At any rate, he had to at least try reasoning with Klaus. The situation right now was a lot more potentially dangerous to his health than the bullet earlier.

“M – Major? Are you angry with me?” Stupid question really, the man was literally steaming at the ears, but he had to start somewhere.

“Yes.” The short terse reply frightened him even more; when Klaus did not vent his anger with volleys of verbal abuse, it usually meant he was going to vent it in considerably more painful ways. Dorian hastened to add, “Umm, I’m not really sure what I did, but whatever it was I apol – ” 

He never got the chance to complete his phrase. In an instant, the Major was upon him, pressing him hard with his whole body against the wall, and kissing him fiercely. It was no ordinary kiss, he felt as if his whole mouth was being devoured. His mind went blank; he could not think of anything, do anything but feel that savage invasion into his mouth with all his senses. When the Major finally pulled back, he was dazed, weak in the knees and gasping for air. He tried to speak, but no words came out; all he could do was stare at those sharp green eyes, utterly ensnared. He did not even try to make sense out of what had just happened. When he saw the Major open his mouth to speak, he held his breath; somehow, he knew with every fiber of his being that his destiny was at stake at that moment. And Klaus spoke, and what he said was,

“You won, you crazy bastard. You won.”

Dorian’s bright blue eyes opened wide, and he just gaped at him as if struck by lightning. Iron Klaus admitting defeat?! He would sooner believe that the sun was rising from the west, or that the Queen of England was a transvestite. But before he could properly register what he had heard, he was caught again in a fiery hailstorm of kisses. Klaus had him clasped in a steely embrace and was kissing him like a starved man, his breath and lips so hot he could literally feel them scalding his skin. When the Major paused for breath and loosened his grip a little, Dorian found it necessary to grab onto him with both hands so as not to fall over. Klaus brought his face really close to Dorian’s, and Dorian could now see that the glint in his eyes was not fury as he had thought, but more like…hunger? He was still hesitating on what to say, when Klaus tightened his grip around his waist again, and decreed in a firm, authoritative tone: “You’re mine. Now and forever, you got it?”

It sounded more like a threat than a declaration of love, but Dorian wasn’t going to sweat the details now. Klaus had come to take possession of him, that was all that mattered. He had finally come to ask for his heart, and Dorian knew what he had to do now, he had always known ever since he first set eyes on the Major. He would give him his heart, just like that. Without questions, or doubts, or teasing, or gloating. Just like that. He looked into his eyes steadily, and answered simply “I do.” Then, silently thanking whatever mysterious powers had brought about this miracle, he forced his hands to move upwards. He touched Klaus’ face ever so lightly with his fingertips, silky black strands of hair caressing his fingers, and Klaus did not flinch away from his touch, no, he just stood there staring into his eyes, expectantly. And Dorian slowly, deliberately, allowed himself to lean forward and kiss him very softly on the lips, thus sealing their union.

Klaus kissed him back, calmly this time, as if disarmed by Dorian’s serene acquiescence. They kissed again and again, hesitantly at first, then more boldly. Klaus’ tongue flickered against Dorian’s lips, seeking entry, and Dorian was only too happy to invite him in. His energy and passion that had left him temporarily because of the shock, now came back with a vengeance. He hugged Klaus back and let his hands travel up and down on his firm back, enjoying the feel of those sculpted muscles. He yearned to undress him and feel his bare skin, too, but resolved not to rush things, fearing that Klaus might freak out and change his mind.

But he needn’t have worried; there was no stopping Klaus now. The dam in his soul had finally come crashing down, and all his pent-up emotions and desires were gushing out, demanding to be fulfilled. With a hint of his earlier ferociousness, the Major grasped Dorian’s pajama jacket and ripped it to shreds. His pants and underwear followed suit a few moments later, leaving him stark naked. Dorian was less forceful, but no less efficient. His nimble fingers disposed of buttons and zippers in a matter of seconds, and before long he could finally admire his Major in all his masculine magnificence. For a few seemingly endless moments, the two men just stood there gazing at each other, their faces flushed, their breaths ragged. Then they embraced each other tightly, and fell simultaneously on the bed. 

Dorian had always assumed he would have to take the lead when the Major finally gave in; he was, after all, the experienced one. Only now did he realize the extent of his mistake. The Major had not come to him with the slightest intention of ‘giving in’; he had come to conquer. Moreover, much to his surprise, he realized that the Major did not seem hesitant or insecure at all; his moves were rough and unpracticed, but he seemed to know exactly what he was doing.

Indeed, Klaus had practically no real experience, but he had years of fantasizing to fall back on. Besides, like any good soldier, he had learnt to trust his instincts when in an uncertain situation. And his instincts told him that the thing to do now was to let loose and do whatever felt right. He let his hands explore Dorian’s body, stroking and caressing and pinching and squeezing wherever he wanted – which was practically everywhere. At some point, the Earl felt, considerably astonished, that his bottom was being kneaded rather persistently by a pair of strong hands. He quickly got over his astonishment, however, and lost no time in returning the favour. “I always give as good as I get, darling,” was his answer to the surprised look he received.

For some reason his cheeky reply riled up the Major, who pinned his arms down and started teasing him with his mouth this time. Either he was a natural, or Dorian was too easily excited, because not too long after that he was moaning helplessly. “Klaus…please…” he murmured.

“Please what?” The jade eyes glimmered provocatively.

“Please…touch me.” He knows what that’s supposed to mean, right?

“Nein. Not I,” said the Major flatly. Abruptly, he let go of Dorian and fell on his side next to him. Dorian felt as if he’d been doused with a bucket of cold water. He wondered frantically what he had done wrong and how to restore the mood, when he noticed a slight but definitely mischievous smirk on the Major’s lips. A second later, Klaus grabbed his wrist and closed his hand around both their excited members. “You get me off,” he ordered.

For a few seconds, Dorian stared at him dumbfounded, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Being bossed around by Klaus like that aroused him beyond belief; it was so very like his darling to be masterful. A meek and submissive Major would be…just plain wrong. On the other hand, the trick the Major had just played on him had rattled his pride considerably. Getting cocky, aren’t we, Major dear, to make fun of a Peer of the Realm like that. I swear I’ll get you back for this before the night is over! But he wasn’t inclined to spoil things by arguing, so he resolved to play along for now. “As you command, Major, sir,” he replied in mock submission, and started stroking in a way only an expert could.

Undoubtedly, he was an expert, because in no time the Major was all flushed and breathing hard, looking just about ready to explode. Dorian was pretty excited himself, but he wasn’t about to finish things off, not that way at least. Just before reaching the point of no return, he let go and said cheerfully, “All right, that’s enough.”

It was now Klaus’ turn to look at him dumbfounded, and Dorian wasn’t entirely able to suppress a grin of satisfaction. There, how do you like that now? He had intended to tease the Major a bit more, but those green eyes were drawing him in, and he found himself unable to resist them. Oh, what the hell, I was never one for tormenting people anyway. He leaned closer, until his lips almost touched the Major’s ear, and whispered, “It is our first time, my love, and I want…to feel you inside me.”

Klaus certainly didn’t wait to be told twice. He pounced on the Earl again with that hungry look in his eyes, spread his legs open, and positioned himself for entry. Just then Dorian realized what was about to happen, and his eyes widened in terror. Don’t tell me he means to go in just like that? Panicking completely, he cried out in alarm, “No!”

Klaus pulled back immediately, and the hurt look on his face pierced right through Dorian’s heart. Oh no, I didn’t want to hurt his feelings like that, but what was he thinking? Then it hit him: Balls, I totally forgot. It’s his first time; he doesn’t know how it’s done.

Dorian sat up in a flash and threw his arms passionately around the Major. “Oh, do forgive me, darling, I didn’t mean it that way…but if you go in just like that, you’ll break me apart! I have to get prepared first, that’s all!”

To his immense relief, he saw the hurt look in Klaus’ eyes go away, replaced by curiosity. “Prepared? How?”

“Here, I’ll show you.” Dorian reached for his nightstand drawer, pulling out a tube of lubricant. He applied some on Klaus’ lower half, eliciting a moan of pleasure in the process. Then, just as he was going to put some more on his hand, an idea occurred to him. Tilting his head to the side, he asked playfully, “Unless…you’d rather do it yourself?”

“What must I do?” asked the Major, all serious. Dorian had to struggle to stifle back a laugh; his sweetheart looked every bit as if he was receiving instructions for a mission. “Give me your hand.”

Klaus held out his hand obediently – his gun hand, Dorian noticed. Oh, how many times he had wished he could be that gun. To be carried around pressed close to the Major’s heart; to be squeezed by his fingers, till he had emptied all his load; to be taken apart and have his every nook and cranny cleaned and oiled by those hands…Lord Gloria had never dreamed that a gun could possibly be such good material for fantasizing. Iron Klaus had certainly opened his eyes to a whole lot of hitherto unknown pleasures.

“What are you spacing out and grinning like an idiot for?” the Major’s gruff voice abruptly brought him out of his reverie. It was all he could do to keep himself from laughing aloud when he answered, “Your gun.”

“Liar. I know that look. You were having perverted fantasies again,” grumbled the Major. This time, Dorian could not help laughing happily. “Why bother having fantasies, dearest, when I have the real thing right in front of me? Now, see here.” He applied some more lubricant on Klaus’ hand, then lay on his back, guiding the hand he was holding towards his rear. “First, you put one finger in. Move it around, to loosen the opening, and at the same time, try to find a sort of rough spot.” The Major followed his instructions to the letter, and sure enough, after a few minutes, Dorian arched his body, crying out ecstatically, “Yes! That’s it, right there!”

“So…what now?” asked Klaus, still pressing the spot with his finger, marveling at Dorian’s intense reaction. Seeing his touch drive him crazy like that…he found it strangely stimulating. Struggling to speak in between his moans, the Earl gasped, “Then…you…put in…another finger…and then a third…and…when you feel…the opening…is loose enough…you may enter…aah!” Klaus did as he was told, taking his time to excite Dorian as much as possible. He found his expression right now, drowning in pleasure, downright intoxicating. Enchanted by those eyes, he almost forgot the next step, but fortunately Dorian was there to remind him, murmuring in a beseeching voice, “Klaus…I beg of you…take me now…”

Pulling himself forcefully from his dream world, the Major took position again and entered the Earl in one slow, steady move. “Ach…so schön…” The warmth and tightness he met was almost too much for him, but he persevered, determined to make this last as long as possible. After giving him a minute or two to get used to his size, he started thrusting slowly, aiming for the same spot he was teasing with his fingers. And of course, if there was one thing Iron Klaus could do really well, it was aiming. After just a few thrusts, Dorian was already shuddering uncontrollably, in the throes of an ecstasy he had never felt before. Completely enslaved to the burning pathos deep inside him, he begged again, “Please…faster…”

The Major stopped for a second and leaned above him to whisper in his ear, “Not yet. I’m going to take my time ravishing you.” His hot breath made Dorian’s skin tingle, and the Earl wondered if he was going to make it through the night with his sanity intact. The Major eyed him avidly from head to toe, as if he couldn’t get enough of him, and he really couldn’t. The sapphire eyes gazing at him pleadingly, the soft voice calling out his name, the lithe body writhing under him…all of it. He wanted it all, to be his and his alone for all time.

Klaus continued at a maddeningly slow pace, using his hands and mouth to further arouse Dorian, driving him mad with desire. Eventually, his own lust started to get the better of him, and he unconsciously sped up. Feeling he could not last much longer, he decided to finish it with a bang. He slid his hands under the thief’s buttocks, heaving him to a sitting position, and whispered hoarsely, “Hold on to me.”

Dorian clutched at his shoulders and lifted his head to look at him. For a few seconds, their eyes locked, brilliant blue with sparkling green, and at that moment, they both knew they were sharing the most intimate bond imaginable. Then Klaus pulled Dorian to his chest for a passionate, breathtaking kiss, and while the Earl was still distracted trying to catch his breath, he lifted him effortlessly a little, then brought him down hard, literally impaling him on his manhood. Dorian let out a cry of unbridled ecstasy, then another, and another, as the Major repeated the act, first slowly, then faster and faster until both of them lost all track of reality. Finally, Dorian reached his limit, threw his head back in wild abandon, and climaxed in full force. Klaus felt his body tense against his own, and his muscles contract tightly around him as he spilled his load onto the both of them, and it was all he needed to bring him over the edge too. A minute later, he came as well, emptying himself inside Dorian. Still entangled in each other’s arms, the two men fell in a heap on the mattress, totally spent.

An hour later, they still lay on the bed, Klaus flat on his back, and Dorian cuddled close to him, his long golden curls sprawled across the Major’s chest. During that hour, they had done little besides wiping themselves off; they just lay there, basking in the afterglow of their passion. Neither of them felt inclined to break the comfortable silence, or rather they were both afraid of ruining the nice atmosphere by speaking. It was not often they could share such a purely peaceful moment as this. Eventually, it was Dorian who broke the silence, nuzzling like a cat against the Major’s neck. “Darling…that was absolutely wonderful.”

“Danke. Für mich auch.” Iron Klaus was nowhere near being poetic, but for Dorian, these simple words spoke volumes. For a while, he just gazed at his beloved in adoration, afraid to believe in his own happiness. All of a sudden, he was gripped by a fear that all of this was nothing but a dream. He was being paranoid, he knew it, but there it was. In an effort to let reality sink in, he propped himself up on his elbow and asked, “Not that I’m complaining, mind you, but I just have to know: after all these years, why now?”

Klaus shifted uncomfortably. He had been dreading this question for some time now. What would Dorian think of him when he heard his reasoning? He might take offence, or be disgusted with him altogether. And yet, he had to answer truthfully; he had promised himself he would not hide any more. Neither Dorian nor he deserved that.

“I…wanted to…for a long time.” He turned on his side to face his lover, who stared at him wide-eyed, expecting a lot of reasons, apparently, but not this frank statement. Dorian blinked in astonishment, and stammered, “B- but then – why? If you wanted this – if you wanted me – why did you avoid me like the plague all this time?”

“Because…I was afraid, I suppose.” It took all of Klaus’ willpower to continue looking into Dorian’s eyes unwaveringly. Admitting his innermost fears to another human being was probably one of the most difficult things he had ever done in his anything but easy life. But he knew he had to do it, and he never shrank away from what he had to do.

Dorian looked at him incredulously, and let out a small nervous giggle. “Afraid? You? Don’t be daft, dear; you’re not afraid of anything!”

“Well, I was.” I still am, he thought, but chose not to say that out loud. “I feared that…once you got what you wanted…you would move on, leaving me behind…and I couldn’t take that. But after what happened tonight…I realized that there were even worse things than that.”

Dorian nodded, understanding what he meant, and his hand stole unconsciously towards the bruise on his left chest. It had started to throb a little again, which was to be expected after all this activity. Then the full meaning of Klaus’ words sank in, and he lifted his head abruptly in protest. “But why…why would you think that, after all those years I’ve been telling you I love you…” He stopped short, his words fading on his lips, and his face turned pale. “Oh, dear Lord. It’s my fault, isn’t it? Always teasing you, playing the fool, acting as if this – us – was some big game…when in reality it is the single most important thing in the world to me. No wonder I could not convince you to take me seriously. How could I not see that?”

“You couldn’t help being who you are,” pointed out the Major reasonably. “It is my fault as well, for not putting any faith in you. All my life I’ve learnt not to trust people, and we certainly weren’t very successful in earning each other’s trust, the two of us. But I’ve also learnt there are times when one must not be afraid to take a calculated risk.” He smiled faintly. “I guess this is one of them.”

Dorian’s face lit up with joy, and he threw himself forcefully into Klaus’ arms. “Klaus! Do you really mean it? You’re giving me a chance? Oh, my love, I swear you’ll never have cause to regret this. I know all too well I didn’t exactly behave myself in the past, but please, please believe me when I say that ever since I fell in love with you I’ve never once thought of another man. You are the only one for me,” he declared passionately, squeezing the Major’s hands so tightly that Klaus winced in pain. Dorian loosened his grip a little, without letting go, stared deep into Klaus’ eyes and asked as if his very life depended on it: “Do you believe me?”

“I don’t have much of a choice but to believe you,” Klaus answered calmly, facing him with a steadfast gaze. “I thought I didn’t need anyone in my life…but I just can’t imagine a life without you.” He smiled sheepishly. “There, you even got me saying mushy nonsense like that, what more do you want?”

“Nothing, my beloved, absolutely nothing. Right now I do think I’m the most blessed man on earth.” He nestled against Klaus again, looking away with a dreamy look in his eyes. “Oh, Klaus…to think we wasted all those years playing stupid war games when we could be like this. Such a pity…” he sighed and shook his head regretfully.

Klaus draped his arm around Dorian’s shoulders and pulled him close. With his free hand, he turned his chin towards his face, forcing him to look at the most tender and serious gaze he had ever seen in those green eyes. “Better late than never, meine Liebe,” he whispered affectionately, “We have the rest of our lives to make up for them,” and silenced him with a kiss.

THE END