Chapter Thirty-One

Pair

Two of a kind

*

Dorian took one look at the number of folders in the box and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Klaus, I just can't...deal with this tonight."

Klaus wanted to insist, but realized he had already overwhelmed the Earl with what he had told him so far. The last thing he needed was to push him into another breakdown. "Fine. In the morning, then." He turned and walked to the master bedroom.

Dorian nervously followed. He looked through the door and then pointedly at the officer. "I think...perhaps I should use the other room."

"Do you really think you should be alone?" Klaus asked.

"It's not that. It's...I don't want to send the wrong signals again."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Dorian, I'm too tired to get the wrong ideas, and too drunk to act on them if I did."

Dorian actually chuckled upon hearing this. "I'm probably too drunk myself."

Klaus gave him a steady look. "I've slept in a number of your beds over the past few weeks. It would be nice to have you in one of them at the same time."

"And you say you're not a romantic."

"I'm not," Klaus snorted. "I'm drunk." He tossed his robe onto a chair before practically collapsing onto the bed.

Dorian chuckled again. He turned off the lights before flopping down beside him. He really was exhausted. "This has got to be the ultimate in role reversal, you know that?" he said as he fought to relax.

Klaus responded with a loud snort.

After a short silence, Dorian said, "I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep after--" He put a hand to his head. "There's so much..."

Klaus sighed heavily. And there's still more. A minute later, he heard an odd sound and turned. "Dorian, are you crying?"

"No," Dorian squeaked out, the sound making it clear he was lying. He covered his face, unable to stop the tears as everything finally overwhelmed him. Dammit, why did I drink so much? He turned on his side to try and hide what was patently obvious.

Damn the bloody CIA for doing this to you. Double damn them for making me have to be the one to tell you. Klaus shifted position, pulling the other man towards him.

"Don't--"

"Shut up and let me hold you," Klaus snapped as he slipped an arm around him. "It's the least I can do." Probably the only thing I can do.

Dorian found himself obeying automatically. Shifting position to allow strong arms to wrap around him, to hold him close and protected as the tears continued unabated. He had no idea how long he wept until he finally fell into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

After a night filled with dreams of walking lost and alone in a wasteland, Dorian woke to a feeling of warmth and security. Then he realized the cause. Klaus was still snuggled up against him. A moment later, he felt a finger playing through his hair and jumped. "What're you doing?" he asked accusingly.

"Nothing." What do you think I'm doing?

"Keep it that way."

Klaus gave a groan. "What were you saying about role reversal?"

Dorian felt embarrassed and turned onto his back. "Seriously. What are you doing?"

"I'm looking at your scars."

Dorian's eyes grew wide. "What scars?" Even he was surprised at how affronted he sounded.

Klaus actually chuckled. "The ones from the plastic surgery." He traced a finger along Dorian's hairline. "Whoever did it was very careful to hide them."

Dorian closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "That's such a muddle. I only vaguely remember being in hospital. I thought it was from the surgery, not because of an auto accident."

Klaus nodded and continued to run his finger along the Earl's hairline, moving it down to his throat. When the blue eyes looked up at him, he felt his heart jump again. How do you do that to me? "I would very much like to kiss you," he said longingly.

Dorian thought this over. "I think I would very much like you to," he replied. "We never did finish our sappy romance last night, did we?"

"No. But we weren't in bed together then, either." Klaus leaned down, kissing Dorian very tenderly. A hand slid into his hair, and he closed his eyes. Then the hand made contact with a lump caused by his head connecting with the concrete during the fight and he jumped. "Ow!"

Dorian's enormous eyes grew even wider. "Ow?"

Klaus had a hand to his head, rubbing the lump. "I'm all bruises this morning."

Dorian shifted and then winced. "I seem to be too, actually."

"So much for romance," Klaus said as he got out of bed and then disappeared into the bathroom.

* * *

Dorian had vanished into the bathroom not long after Klaus had exited, supposedly to answer nature's call. After several minutes, Klaus went to check on him, discovering the door locked. He tapped several times, getting no reply. Finally, he sighed heavily.

"Dorian?"

There was no answer and Klaus called again.

Nothing.

"Dorian, you're acting like a bride hiding in the bathroom on her wedding night," he said, trying very hard to not sound annoyed.

"I'm...scared," Dorian replied in a small voice

Klaus was silently counting to one hundred and telling himself that breaking down the door would probably not make the situation better. "Of what?" No reply. "Me?" Fuck, what did I do now?

"No, not...really."

Klaus continued his count to one hundred. Then he heard the lock turn and took a step back so he wasn't looming in the doorway. The door opened very slowly. Then a rather embarrassed Dorian stood on the threshold. "I told you I'd have a breakdown as soon as I put my mind to it," he said meekly.

"Dorian--"

Whatever Klaus was going to say was forgotten when Dorian suddenly latched onto him, hugging him for all he was worth.

You said you'd protect me. Please, don't let me go through that again. Dorian put his head on the officer's shoulder. "I'm a mess."

Klaus could think of nothing to say, so he just stood there, holding the other man. Giving the only comfort he knew how. After a few minutes, he felt Dorian loosen his grip and he leaned back to look into his face. "Get dressed," he ordered suddenly. "You still have that box to go through."

"Klaus, I..."

"You can do this, Dorian. You're a lot stronger than you think."

Dorian's eyes grew wide. He couldn't remember the Major ever saying something like this to him. He drew a deep breath and nodded. Then he crossed to the clothes closet, vanishing inside. A moment later, he popped his head out. "How about I order us some breakfast?"

* * *

Dorian put off looking at the contents of the box on the dining table as long as possible. He was impressed at the way Klaus allowed him to do this, avoiding pressuring him in any way. Dear God, Major, when did you become so patient? Finally, breakfast was over, the dishes removed, and the pair was alone again.

Klaus took the box into the living room, placing it on the floor beside the ottoman he had propped his feet on the night before. Now he sat on it, holding out a hand, indicating where the Earl should sit. Dorian drew a deep breath and took a seat opposite the officer. Then, as calmly as he could, he looked at one folder after another as they were handed to him.

"This is just the edited highlights?" he remarked as he closed the file and rubbed his eyes. He scowled when Klaus reached towards the box and hesitated for the first time. The reason became clear when he extracted a notebook. "That's one of my journals!" Dorian practically snatched it from the officer's hand. "You read my journals?"

"Yes," came the unrepentant reply.

Dorian clasped the notebook to his chest. "These are my private thoughts!"

"While you were having a mental breakdown," Klaus replied calmly. He took hold of the journal, having to give it a tug before the Earl finally released his grip. He had marked the pages where the entries were writing in German, and opened to the first. "I have a theory on why that happened," he said as he placed the journal on the sofa beside Dorian.

Dorian looked down as Klaus pointed to an entry. "Look here. Look what you wrote. You did it in German. Why?"

Dorian looked him in the eye. Isn't it bloody obvious? "I was having a nervous breakdown."

Klaus shook his head. "No. You were trying to tell yourself something. Something important. Something they didn't want you to remember." He paused as Dorian leaned forward to read the entry. "And I think I made it worse by taunting you," he added guiltily.

Dorian looked up sharply. "How?"

"Because I did it in German," Klaus replied unhelpfully. He returned his attention to the journal. "I think it only reinforced whatever was in your subconscious. Look what you say here. ‘Ich erschreckte mich.'"

Dorian scowled. "That's not right. That should be ‘Ich hatte Angst.'"

Klaus gave him an admiring look. You're not having a breakdown now, are you? He returned his attention to the book. "But you didn't say that. You said ‘erschreckte.' You said scared. Frightened." His voice hardened as he said the next word. "Schrecken."

Dorian's eyes widened. "Schreckengost," he said in a small voice. He snatched up the journal, placing it in his lap. "Scared. Frightened. Ghosts." He flipped page after page. "Jesus, look at this. I'm jamming German and English together, jumped languages in mid-entry."

Klaus reached over, flipped to the entry of August 1st, 1988 and pointed to the line:

Dr. Schrekk Scrheckin (I can't spell the bugger's name.) Dr. Andy.

"You couldn't spell his name there, but the rest of your German is letter perfect. The grammar is off, but not your spelling." He paused. "You were trying to tell yourself something. Warn yourself of something buried in your subconscious. Buried in the past."

Dorian stared into space for several seconds. Then he closed his eyes and sat back, a hand going to his head. "Christ, and then I went back and let them bury it all over again."

Klaus gave Dorian a searching look and waited until he looked up at him before saying finally, "Now we bury them."

* * *

Dorian looked at Klaus for what seemed the hundredth time. The man appeared to be dozing in his seat beside him, obviously unconcerned about what they were about to do. Why aren't you worried, damn you! James and Bonham were further back in the plane, keeping themselves entertained on the long flight to Virginia. The only one who could really keep his mind occupied the whole time was John Paul, who was piloting the Earl's jet for the journey.

The Alphabets who had been in Bali were on their way to Brussels where they would be meeting up with those who had been left behind in Lebanon. The Major had planned everything out so that each group's appearance would coincide with the next. Most of Eroica's gang returned to England, a few others ferrying the Project: Eroica archive in the Aqua Zep on its long journey back to England. They would then safeguard it until the Major called for it.

Again, Dorian glanced over at Klaus, only this time he saw the dark green eyes studying him. Then the officer wordlessly held out an arm and Dorian leaned up against him, closing his eyes as the arm wrapped around his shoulder. You'll protect me, won't you, Major?

* * *