A Delivery for Christmas

Recipient: slashfairy
Author: ocko_okate
Pairing: Karl/Viggo/Orlando
Rating: PG


---

He fell from the sky. Just like this. Simple and plain. There was no other explanation. Really. He fell and fell and fell... and it didn't even hurt when he finally landed. On earth.

Everything about this one reminded of something natural... something so familiar like you've known it for your entire childhood but simply forgot about as years passed by and the burden of adulthood became heavier and more troublesome.

Memories of grass greener like the greenest fields you've ever seen, soft and knee-high and the scent of summer and rain so heavy in the air.

And maybe, just maybe that was the reason he fell down - to remind you again.

Of course there was only one thing wrong with this otherwise tempting picture - it was late December... three days before Christmas.

************************************************

Karl truly couldn't believe his own eyes. Bringing the bike to a screeching halt he promptly turned back to get another look. It could very well be that the terrible weather did play another trick on his eyes and that there was no lone figure sitting on the side of the road.

He's been riding for hours already, trying to get the delivery to his customer on time. And the weather was going worse from minute to minute, the wind and all this whiteness around him not making his task easier. He was almost on verge of giving up the deadline and finding himself a place to stay overnight, as the darkness was slowly starting to descend upon the woodlands all around him and it was probably going to start snowing every moment. They were in for a pretty bad snowstorm this night, that's for sure. And now he probably started to have hallucinations too.

But this time his eyes didn't play him a joke. And the lithe stranger really was there, sitting curled up at the road-side, hands around his knees, carefully observing his feet...

His very naked feet as far as Karl could tell. As naked as was the rest of his legs... long, deliciously tanned legs reaching from the very bottom to the skirts of one quite light shirt. A garment definitely not suited for this season of the year. But the small figure somehow didn't seem very affected by the fact that he should be frozen to death by now.

It was a young man, as Karl noticed when coming closer, his face pretty as a doll's, the features soft and guileless.

"Hey! You all right, boy? What the fuck are you doing out here?" Karl crouched in front of the young man, almost shouting to be heard through all the wind around them, reaching for the boy's shoulders trying to get his attention.

Big doe eyes, brown and warm, curiously looked at him from unbelievably long lashes, regarding the dark-haired biker without fear or suspicion but giving no answer.

"You hear me? Can you understand what I'm saying?" Karl is slightly taken aback that the boy shows no proper response to his words but is still giving him only this clueless thoughtful look. Could it be that he is in shock from the cold? Or doesn't he understand? Should at least hear me or not? A boy sitting all alone in the middle of nowhere clad practically in nothing and still conscious in this terrible weather? Well, he's seen stranger things, that's for sure. But not that many.

Head tilted to one side in a bird-like poise, the lusciously carved lips formed a voiceless thoughtful O while the stranger still calmly took in the imposing leather clad figure now looming over him.

Strange, or not, the boy couldn't stay here for much more longer or else he was certainly going to die from hypothermia. Karl mulled over several possibilities in his head but at the end it still came to the same solution.

And then the boy finally lowered his eyelashes,as though making a decision and Karl suddenly could swear to smell the sweet aroma of fresh sun-warmed hay in the air.

Which reminded him...  Of this one summer - the summer during which he met Vig ... Viggo Mortensen for the first time. Wasn't really such a romantic story as it may seem. Back then he was only some young brazen racer, making the occasional gang raid in the neighborhood. Vig gave him plenty of time to think about the future when finally arresting him for heavy vandalism... But only after those six month spent in probation doing lots of community services, some of them under Viggo's supervision did he realize... A lot of things...

One of them being that even although their mutual attraction was strong and their sexual compatibility clear, he simply couldn't return the feelings Viggo had developed for him.  He admired and respected the man Viggo was, truly appreciated the mate and friend, but love was an entirely different thing.

The problem was Karl's incapability to spent more than a few days at one place... he missed the freedom of the roads every time.

Viggo finally accepted the situation as it was and finally decided to let him go, no hard feelings involved, offering him a stay every time he felt like it. During the past years he used the offer several times, every time finding a dear friend, good mate and a warm bed to sleep in... together if he felt like.

And with time passing ... their relationship turned in a good solid friendship.

Karl  really had no idea what made him deciding to do what he did next. But as the stranger still sitting in front of him lifted his head again there was something in his eyes... the decision was made.

Gathering the surprisingly pliant body in his arms he turned back to his bike. Swiftly swinging one leg over his bike he sought to put the spare helmet on his passenger's head, whom he better placed in front of him, body turned to face Karl. The half naked body wriggled around a bit, probably so not used to motorbikes, curiously adjusting to his new surroundings. The constant turning of his head gamely resisted all Karl's attempts to put the spare helmet on the curly head. Giving up the futile pursuit, Karl puts on his helmet instead and fastens the boy closer to him one last time pondering if this will really be such an great idea.

Oh, hell, screw the deadline.  Firing up his engine he calculated silently the hours to ride till his new destination.

The soft, pliant body clung to him in a way that simply couldn't be ignored easily and Karl suddenly couldn't suppress the though that this was going to be one hell of a long ride.

*****************************************************

"Karl? What to hell are you doing here?" Ever the police officer, his Viggo, greeting an old mate with a Magnum in the hand. The weapon pointing at his head comes down and disappears as suddenly as it was pulled and then a light goes on at the small veranda as Viggo finally recognizes him.

And there he is. A blonde man in his forties standing barefoot on the cold wood of his porch, the old jeans worn out at the knees, shirt stained with various colors, with only one half of it tucked in and a bewildered expression on his handsome face. Not many would spare him a second glance in such condition. But what matters for Karl's eyes in this moment are only those laughter-wrinkles around a pair of the bluest eyes he has ever seen, the scar on the sensuous upper lip which makes every his smile the more crooked and the familiar aura of calmness that seems to surround this man in every situation.

"Hi, Vig." He says quietly, suddenly at loss for words. He has been looking forward to this moment since the idea came to him and now he doesn't know what to say to his best friend.

"Apparently it's been a longer time since the last time than I thought..." One of Karl's hands comes up, combing through his dark mane almost nervously. "I was passing through the country once again and so..." He tries to explain. "Or is the offer not standing anymore?"

"The offer is as good as ever, Karl." Viggo says finally in a firm voice, dropping the gun for good and coming to stand in front of him, the eyes suddenly strangely moist. "And you know that well," he adds before enveloping him in a crushing hug.

"I've missed you." The firm voice quiets down for a while, the tone gaining a warmer color. Just for a while their eyes meet, amused hazel ones and warm blue ones, deep fondness intensifying the brief moment of emotionality between two men who've known each other for such a long time that the question of letting guards down really isn't a matter anymore.

"Really missed you, mate." Karl repeats after him as one hand clasps the other, another firm embrace following, the familiarity of two well-matched bodies established again.

"You know that you're always welcome here, Karl," Viggo says quietly in his ear and it's only a  breath of hot air  on his neck but still enough to make Karl's body remember again.

And judging by Viggo's reaction his body hasn't forgotten either.

Both still relishing in the close proximity of each other, Viggo only slowly lets go, his eyes finally noticing the other, unfamiliar figure,  almost curled up on Karl's bike.  Away from Karl's secure embrace with the cold air now fully getting to him, the barely conscious boy reflexively crawled deeper under Karl's thick long leather coat, which he shed only a moment ago. Wallowing in the still warm garment, the slender body hasn't moved so far.

"I've picked him up on the way." It's all Karl says to Viggo's questioning look, not ready to talk about this matter at the moment. He has never felt uncomfortable in the other man's presence but after such long time apart he is not so sure anymore how to bring up certain topics.

"He needs help," Karl says, suddenly remembering the cold and the boy's undressed state. "Can I...?" Karl asks, leaving the question unfinished, head nodding to the bike hopefully.

"You don't have to ask questions like that," Viggo replies automatically, his eyes already scanning the unmoving body.  "Bring him in and I'll get your bike stored for the night. It's supposed to snow every moment." Viggo adds in a no-nonsense tone, already ushering Karl with his still unconscious burden into the house and leaving him no time for complaints. With sure moves Viggo takes over the powerful  engine and rolls it into the garage behind the house.

Some people never change, Karl thinks thankfully, while stepping over the threshold of the cottage that is almost completely hidden under the thick branches of a huge pine-tree.

***********************************************

"There should be nothing really wrong with this one, Karl." Viggo finally proclaims after half an hour spent thoroughly examining his another visitor and fussing over a warm meal for Karl in between. "Is probably more tired and starved out than hurt."

"Thank God," he adds absentmindedly, looking over the peaceful, almost childlike features of the young man now lying on his couch by the fireplace, wrapped up in several blankets. Brown curls frame the pale, ghostly face and accentuate the still slightly bluish lips which slowly gain a better color.

"How long do you reckon has he been out in the cold?" He turns back to Karl, who is now seated at the dinning table chewing on a hearty meal. He doesn't ask why exactly did Karl bring the boy with him nor what does he plan to do with his find once he is back to full health.

"Can't say that for sure." Karl says between two mouthfuls. " I've found him half a day ago in the snow along the main road." He shakes his head unbelievingly still remembering his first glance at the miserable figure peacefully sitting at the road-side. "Was clothed like this, the poor thing. I just couldn't keep him warm the whole ride to my next stopover." He nods his head to the to the boys light shirt, now drying by the fire and then turns back to his dinner, only then admitting quietly: "Been riding like the devil was on my back those last hours just to get him here."

"You know you should be more careful, Karl." Those words aren't spoken like a real reprimand, more like a plea. "I wouldn't want to worry about you more than I already do." Admitting his feelings so openly Viggo looks him straight into the eyes, the bluest blue ever making him dizzy every time even after all this time.

"I know." He would like to say more, but doesn't know what. "I know." He repeats more earnestly, holding up the worried gaze of the man in front of him with a silent promise.

"That's good to know, cowboy," Viggo says almost forced in a too bright voice, accepting Karl's unspoken promise for what it is. Breaking the uncomfortable silence he turns over to the couch. "I don't think sleeping beauty is going to wake up anytime soon. But he surely could use something warm in his stomach too."  He says thoughtfully, coming to stand over the sleeping boy. His eyes regard the unfamiliar figure more closely now. Yes, he had already examined the boy pretty close earlier, but back then he concentrated more on the injuries than on actually seeing the person itself.

Touching the slender shoulder with one hand, he gently shakes the boy, trying to get him awake. In reaction the boy's eyes open wearily, their gaze immediately focusing on the unknown person standing over him, a hopeful expression forming on the beautiful face.

****************************************************

It's strange how much the young stranger reminds Viggo of a kitten as he now sits on the couch, knees tucked under him, hungrily sipping at the last remains of the soup. He refused the spoon which Viggo offered him earlier, looking at the piece of cutlery rather doubtfully, taking the warm bowl into his hands instead. And there is this pinkish tongue again, cleverly licking out the last  noodle with a small satisfied sound.

A kitten and a tiger, Viggo muses, seeing Karl come out of the shower, all flexing muscles and tanned skin, covered only in one of his bath-robes, that never fit Karl's much larger frame anyway. Finally shedding his black biker outfit, he doesn't look that dangerous and world-wise anymore, turning instead in this sexy and daring young man whom Viggo has met all those years ago.

Drying his long hair with a towel Karl comes to stand beside Viggo and together they look into the same direction for a while. The boy has finished the soup by now, devouring the next meal instead, still using his fingers and hands, his face gaining a more blissful expression with every next bite.

"He hasn't said a word so far," Viggo observes quietly. "And it seems like he hasn't eaten in days. Did he said something to you during the ride? Who he is or what he was doing out there maybe?" A bit of anxiety can be heard in Viggo's otherwise calm voice, he cares deeply - as he ever has.

"No. Not a word." Karl says, still a bit reluctant to tell Vig about the strangeness of his encounter with this lovely creature now carefully licking its finger bundled up in one of Viggo's quilts. He can't explain why he is so sure that the stranger means no harm and that in fact he could mean something entirely different.

He isn't the superstitious kind but even he acknowledges the fact that your usual kind of people doesn't sit along the road in freezing cold and that the stranger has something in him... something that makes people believe that the world is all right as it is and everything will go better from . And somehow, throwing a short sideways glance on Viggo's face... he is more inclined to believe this when he is once again in Vig's presence...

A cute, almost baby-like burping sound interrupts his thoughts rather suddenly. And then another one and another. It is the lovely creature, which is still holding a now empty plate in his hands and looking at the two men with a completely bewildered expression, obviously not aware of a way how to get the burps under control.

"Well, I think he?s had enough," Viggo?s states rather calmly, taking the plate out of the slender hands, the fingers still feeling a bit too cold under his touch. "Would you mind help me to warm him a bit up?" he asks, turning back to Karl.

******************************************************

"When you said to provide him with more warmth, I really didn't think you meant it like that," Karl remarks in a somewhat accusing tone to Viggo, after he finally managed to find a comfortable enough position.

"Now, come on, Karl," Viggo says, his voice still serious and focused, hands arranging the blankets around all three of them. "You know as well as I do that this is the best method to keep someone constantly warm."

Their eyes meet again, this time over the soundly sleeping body of a kitten-like stranger lying naked between them, all three men carefully tucked in under a heavy woolen blanket. Bribing him with his homemade chocolate Christmas brownies and a glass of  warm milk, they managed to tuck him into Vig's king-sized bed, Viggo somehow not bringing it over his heart to leave the stray kitty alone in the guest bedroom. Well, and letting Karl sleep there on his own was sort of out of question too.

"How long has it been, Vig? A year?" Karl asks suddenly, his voice getting gentler.

"A year and half. Since the last autumn," Viggo corrects him with a small smile, not breaking the eye contact. His hand comes up from where he tucked in the last corner of the blanket around the boy and his fingers slowly trail down Karl's bearded cheek.

"When did you let you grow this?" His fingers still lingering over Karl's beard he enjoys the pleasant softness under his fingertips. " I don't remember you ever having one."

"Kinda wasn't my intention, really," Karl admits a bit sheepishly, enjoying the inquiring caress far to much to concentrate properly on anything else. Catching Viggo's hand in his own he studies the newly gained calluses more closely.

"Last winter I had some rough days behind me, a week or maybe more without a proper place to tidy up.  I had to deliver this one really important package to some new rich and was already running pretty late.

Things got messed up a bit and so I arrived four days later, the bike's brakes royally screwed up, bruising this flashy new car standing in front of my customer's house." He makes a pause seeing a small smirk already forming on Viggo's lips.

"Was his baby, of course. I was sure the guy is going to rip my head alone for this,not to mention the delay..."

"Things turned out different though.I was raging, the bike and me were knee-high covered in mud, the front wheel completely smashed and now that I was pretty sure that all the trouble were for nothing..." His smirk now matches the one on Vig's face, eyes glinting with mischief.

"I stormed in, threw the package on his brand new mahogany desk and asked for money. And upon seeing this unwashed, bearded filthy moron who dared to step inside his polished office and previously didn't even bat an eyelash when ramming his new car."

Viggo now smirks openly, but not about the scene, which Karl is describing. The picture of an enraged Karl came easily to Viggo's mind, but it's not a bearded, filthy biker Karl storming into someone's office, but a much younger Karl, furious and angry, storming out of the house only in washed-out jeans and bare-chested, after an particularly heated argument...

Still caught up in his story Karl doesn't  notice that Viggo's attention shifted from present to past a while ago. "He even paid me five hundred extra just to get me out of his house." He shakes his head unbelievingly, his voice getting slowly sleepier and quieter, the weariness and all day stress finally catching up with him.

"Five hundred bucks, would you believe it? Well, since then I've decided to work a bit on my 'tough biker' appearance. It's pretty good for the business." Are Karl's last words before sleep finally claims him, not minding that Viggo stays up long after he is soundly asleep, simply watching...

***************************************************

The daylight comes only slowly in this part of year and it finds a fully clothed Karl standing at the doorway of Vig's bedroom once again. Leaving him once again. But not alone this time... and not for good.

He always thought that he wasn't able to offer Vig what he was looking for. But now, looking ruefully down at the sleeping man, his arms possessively wrapped around the much slighter frame, a mop of brown curls resting safely at his chest, he isn't that sure anymore.

It's the still familiar body, those broad shoulders, chest slightly peppered with some still golden chest hair, the strong arms providing comfort and safety. The only difference now is that there is an another laying in those arm, a slender body, willowy and fragile, curled up against his source of warmth and safety, softly breathing.

Maybe... just maybe, this could be his last delivery ride after all. See you soon, mate, he says quietly into the silent room, this time leaving a small notice on the kitchen table before his departure.

*****************************************************

Viggo wakes up to the sound of soft,  deep breathing against his left ear and his first though is, that Karl hasn't left this time, the mere idea filling him with sudden hope. But then a pair of sleepily blinking eyes, huge and brown, fills his field of vision as the cute stranger only slowly comes to consciousness and his hopes die again.

The tiger has left. Leaving him with a kitten instead. Untangling himself from the octopus-like embrace of the still half-asleep body he slowly goes to check ... Just to be sure.

Through the kitchen window he can see the three feet of fresh snow that's fallen overnight and a clear -- too clear track left recently after a pair of motorbike tires... Turning back from the window his eyes catch sight of the crumpled old delivery note lying on his kitchen table, with a few words scrambled on. In Karl's loopy handwriting, the letters all scattered and jumpy... just like their author.

"Had to go early to make it on time. Enjoy your early Christmas delivery. Hope you don't mind Santa coming back pretty soon. This year on bike."

 


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Fabulous artwork ©2002 by Hope.
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