Bed of Wild Roses

"So." Sean crossed his arms in front of his chest. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I had an offer," Viggo explained, blithely ignoring the poisonous looks Sean was sending his way, "A talk show has offered a positively obscene amount of money and -"

"No." Sean said quietly, wincing as the chair creaked under his weight. "You know I don't do talk shows."

"But Sean," Viggo pleaded, "This is really a once-in-a-lifetime offer and -"

"And you'll tell them no," Sean insisted, "I won't do it. Absolutely not. No fucking way."

"Sean!" Viggo squeaked, clearing his throat. "Sean," he repeated more firmly, "This could be... you can't just turn it down!"

"Watch me."

"Sean!" Viggo sputtered,waving a file at Sean, "You can't!"

Sean managed not to grin as he watched Viggo's sudden pacing with detached amusement. "I'm not going to do it." He repeated, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I told you right from the beginning that I would never, ever appear in a talk show."

"But we have to do something!"

Sean almost smirked as Viggo's hands flailed even more wildly around.

"You haven't published anything for far too long! And your last books were already dark! We have to do something." He paused, stopping mid-pace and staring at Sean.

Sean shuddered. What the fuck? He had never seen Viggo this intense.

"This might be the last chance to save your career." Viggo said earnestly, picking up his pacing again. "Really Sean. The last chance."

"I've got enough to wait another year or so before publishing again." Sean got up, gesturing towards the door, "And I've really got more important things on my mind right now." Sean grimaced imwardly, staring imploringly at his friend. For just a second the look in Viggo's eyes had been almost murderous.
And just why was Viggo incapable of noticing that Sean wanted him gone? He really needed to find Karl. Right now. He sighed. If only looks could kill.

"This is the proposal from the talk show."

Sean's eyes narrowed as Viggo put the file he had brought down on his desk. Idiot. So much for taking a hint. He re-crossed his arms, mirroring Viggo's defensive stance.
"I already told you I won't do it." Sean repeated. Was that so difficult to understand?

"Sean."
Oh god. Could Viggo look any more determined?
"You really need to think of your career." A pregnant pause hung between them, stretching into an uneasy silence. "And your image."

"My career." Sean said slowly, not even noicing the pain as his fingers dug themselves into the palms of his hands. "And what about me Viggo? What about how I feel?" He paused, his gaze unwaveringly fixed on his agent. "I thought you were miy friend. What about what I need? What I want?"

"Well." Viggo looked pointedly at the door. "Judging by that cozy scene I walked into and the boytoy you were kissing you are a little bit confused about your needs and wants are at the moment."

"Karl is not my boytoy." Sean ground out. Pain almsot forced tears into his eyes as he bit the inside of his cheek. The salty tang of blood burnt his tongue. Fuck. He had to stay calm. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself not to pinch the bridge of his nose or yell. It just would not do.
Yelling at Viggo would only make the other man stay longer. Fuck it all to hell.

"It doesn't matter." Viggo was suddenly looming over him. "As soon as the press finds out," he let his hand fall loudly onto the file, "All the public will see is a widower with his boytoy. Do you have any idea how many people wil stop buying your books once they find out? And to think that you were kissing him with your daughter sleeping in the same room! Jesus, Sean! What are you going to do next? Fuck him on Evie's bed? With her watching? Oh wait," he sneered at Sean, "You've probably done that already."

Sean had moved before he had even noticed what he was doing. He frowned, blinking at his clenched fist and at Viggo, who was sitting on the floor, staring at him with one of his hands frozen halfway to his now-red jaw. Oh god. Sean closed his eyes, forcing himself to take a deep breath as he willed the knot of anger in his stomach to unravel. "Fuck."

"You..." Viggo sputtered, his hand finally completing its movement to gingerly touch his jaw, "You hit me you fucking bastard!"

"I..." Sean shook his head, slowly stepping backwards, till his legs hit the desk, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You hit me!" Viggo climbed to his feet, his fists clenching and unclenching. "You...."

"Stop." Sean said coldly, the hand which he was holding the letter opener automatically stretching out towards Viggo. "I think you've said quite enough." Sean grimaced. The angry panic on Viggo's face was extremely satisfying. Unfortunately he had no time to enjoy it. "Don't come any closer."

"As if I'd want to." Viggo spat, his eyes shooting daggers at Sean. "Fucking queer!"

Sean blinked helplessly as Viggo spun around and marched out, loudly slamming the door behind him. The letter opener clattered on the floor before rolling under the desk. The knot of anger in his stomach was tight enough to force bile up his throat. He swallowed heavily.

Fuck. The foul taste in his mind persisted. A cold shiver ran down his spine as Viggo's last words finally sunk in. Queer.

"Fuck! Ouch!" He added immediately, glaring at the doorframe he had just run against. "Queer..." he whispered, rubbing his aching toe as he hobbled out of the room. He had to find Karl.

~***~

"I can't believe it." Karl whispered, hugging himself as he kicked listlessly at a pebble in front of him. "Stupid, stupid, stupid." Groaning he buried his head in his arms, making himself as small as possible. How could he be so stupid? He had almost kissed Sean!

"Never kiss a human while changed," he whispered to himself, echoing the words he had heard so often. "You'll immediately be returned to your true form if you do." Damn. Why had he run from kissing Sean? He would have been back in his world by now if he had not run.

"Fool," he said to himself, plucking a few blades of grass from the ground, "You like it here. And you can't leave before Evie's wish is fulfilled. You have to stay." Stay with Evie and Sean. The man he had almost kissed. The mortal man he had almost kissed.

"Essaiel please," he said quietly, his tear-stained gaze longingly fixed on thr center of the stone circle, "If there's any chance for me to go home before the wish is granted, then give me a sign.""
He waited, breath hedl and nails dug into the palms of his hands, but no answer came. The only thing he could hear was the usual cacophony of forest sounds. He frowned. And.... footsteps?

~***~

"Karl?" Sean asked cautiously, slowly stepping onto the clearing. "Karl? Are you here?"

"Behind the stone."

Yes! A weight lifted itself from Sean's heart as the hesistant voice answered him. He had found Karl.
"Karl?" He asked again, slowly approaching the nearest stone. "I'm sorry." He gulped, forcing himself to smile. "I shouldn't have jumped you like that."

"Jumped me?" Karl's bitter laugh tore at his heart. What the fuck had he done? "You didn't jump me Sean," Karl continued, still safely hidden from Sean's view, "I'm just as much to blame as you are. Maybe more."

"I'm still sorry." Sean sat down beside Karl, wincing as his knees cracked. For a while he simply sat with the other man, unsure how to break the heavy silence that hung between them.

"I'm caught, you know." Karl suddenly said.

Sean frowned. Caught? "What do you mean?" He asked, swallowing the question he really wanted to ask. Why had Karl run from him? And why had he not returned through the stone circle?

"Caught." Karl repeated bitterly, still staring straight ahead. "I shouldn't stay," he explained, "But the way home is closed to me."

"Close?" Sean asked, swallowing the painful lump in his throat. Karl wanted to leave? "Why?"

"Because I have to stay until Evie's wish is fulfilled."

"The wish you won't tell me about?"

"Yes." A bitter grin curled the corners of Karl's mouth, "Either that or I have to give you your heart's desire."

"And if I make that wish you'll be able to return home?"

"Yes."

"I see." Sean rubbed his eyes with the back og his hands. Damn, he was tired. And just when had he started believing all that damned fairy stuff anyway?
"But I don't know what my heart's desire is and you can't give it to me unless I wish for it."

"That's why I'm stuck here."

Sean's frown deepened, his fingers itching to reach out for the other man, to offer every comfort he could. "Why?"

"Because considering how things are at the moment the chances of Evie's wish being fulfilled are close to non-existant." Karl chuckled humourlessly. "I can't go back."

"I agreed to let you stay with me." Sean paused. "I won't go back on my word."

"I know." Karl's hand cupped Sean's, squeezing gently. "Thanks."

Sean just nodded, shifting uncertainly as he watched Karl's profile. Damn. He winced again as a certain body part reminded him of its existence and continued state of frustration. Which deity had he pissed off in a former life to deserve this mess?

"About that kiss." Karl suddenly said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"It can't happen again." Cold enveloped Sean as Karl withdrew his hand. "I can never kiss you."

"But why?" Sean leaned back against the stone, his gaze diligently studying the same patch of grass Karl was staring at. "I didn't really want to admit it," he continued after another hesistant pause, "But I am attracted to you."

He frowned as Karl flinched visibly. Why did he always manage to say the wrong thing? "And the attraction is mutual, isn't it?" He asked, nudging Karl as the uneasy silence continued.

"Yes." Karl whispered, still refusing to look at Sean.

Strike! Sean forced himself not to grin. Maybe there was a way to rescue both of them from this situation.

"But that doesn't change the fact that I can never kiss you."

"Why?" Damn. Sean winced, sighing deeply. The broken record again. He really had to learn a new word. He barely resisted the urge to bang his head against the stone behind him.

"You're mortal Sean and nothing can change that. If I kiss you I'll be punished."

"Punished?" Sean repeated incredulously. "Why? How?"

"I don't know." Karl admitted, finally turning to look at Sean. "But it doesn't matter."

Sean mirrored Karl's pose, wrapping his arms around his knees and huggin them close. Traces of tears shimmered in Karl's eyes. Just what was going on?

"I'm not going to risk punishment for a simple attraction. Or lust," Karl added after a while, "It's just not worth it. Besides," he added, oblivious to Sean's confusion, "If I kiss you I'll be returned to the fairy realm and that will keep me from fulfilling Evie's wish."

"And?" Sean prompted, already afraid of what the answer might be.

"Evie saw me in my true form," Karl explained, absentmindedly plucking the petals off of one of the wild roses, "I have to fulfill her wish."

"And if you don't?"

"Trust me Sean," the sadness in Karl's voice was heart-wrenching, "You don't want to know."

"Ah." Sean gulped. "That bad?"

"Yeah." Karl smiled grimly. "That bad."

"So." Sean paused again. Should he ask? "What are you going to do?"

"I have to stay in your world."

"But?"

"But I don't think I can stay with you."

Sean blinked helplessly at Karl. He must have misheard. "Because of that almost kiss?" He finally managed to say.

"Yes."

"I see. And if I promise it won't happen again? Do you think you could stay then?"

"Maybe." Karl nodded, once more starting to chew on his lower lip.

"That things about my heart's desire," Sean said suddenly, an idea striking him, "I only have to wish for it, right?"

"Yes." Karl nodded again, "But almost all humans have no idea of what they really want. It seems to be part of their nature."

"But if I did you could go home," Sean insisted, "And Evie's and my life could go back to normal."

"Probably." Karl shrugged. "I suppose so."

"You suppose so?"

"It would of course depend on what you wish for."

"Of course." Sean nodded slowly. "Do you really want to go home?"

"Yes." Sean winced as sorrow darkened Karl's eyes once again. "This is your world Sean. I don't belong here."

"And you're really sure that Evie's wish can't be fulfilled?"

"Quite so, yes."

"Okay." Sean stretched his legs, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Give me some time to think about what I really want. I'll try to tell you on Sunday evening."
Damn. Sean stiffened, smiling nervously at Karl's incredulous stare. Where for heaven's sake where the butterflies in his stomach coming from?"
"I'll tell you my wish on Sunday," he repeated, ignoring the strange pang of disappointment he was feeling, "You'll be able to return to your world then."

"And you'll really..." Karl trailed off, gesturing helplessly around the clearing, "I thought you didn't believe me..."

"I think I might now." Sean smiled. "Do you think you can wait till Sunday?"

"Yes." Karl said after a while, giving Sean an unreadable look. "I think I can."

"Great." Sean got up, offering Karl his hand, "Evie's probably wondering where we are. Let's go home."

A tingling sensation trickled through Sean's fingers as Karl took the proffered hand. He could not help grinning again. For now everything was allright.