Collateral - 4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

It was almost dinnertime when he finally woke up. He had to remember to say an honest ‘thank you’ to that Agnes lady. His room was comfortable, and sleep had taken him fast, once he had hit the pillows. The bedroom was a tad smaller than Klaus’s, but it carried the same warm, cozy feeling. As opposed to the golden tones in the other’s bedroom, different hues of blue seemed to be dominant in this one.

It was strange how he had always thought of blue to be a cold color, and now he was thinking exactly the opposite. It most probably had to do with how a particular pair of baby blues could burn with inner fire when looking at him. He shook his head. It was not healthy for him to fantasize about Klaus. He had no intention to lose his brother’s trust, and his reputation along with it, just for a fleeting moment of passion. Although he was sure it was not going to be just a moment, and it was not going to be fleeting if it was going to happen.

Klaus had simply said that he was not going to force himself on Jake. Nonetheless, that was something he secretly desired. If it was going to be against his will, he was not going to be considered guilty, right? With a groan, he pushed himself up from the bed. What was he thinking? Just a word that he was taking it up the ass and everyone he knew was going to despise him. Even worse. Even if he could say in his defense that he hadn’t wanted it.

His stomach grumbled loudly, and he remembered he had eaten nothing for long hours now. The idea that Klaus had sent him to sleep on an empty belly like he was a child or something hit him. Damn, was the man’s intention to starve him?

He washed his face and brushed his teeth. His bathroom had everything he needed. He combed his hair and looked critically in the mirror. The problem was that he didn’t seem man enough. Diaz was right. He was still soft around the edges, regardless of how many muscles he had put on lately, under his brother’s supervision. The problem was that he didn’t fuck, as Diaz had put it plainly.

After a few failed attempts with girls that had only led to lame sex, he had just given up. He had tried to defend himself, saying that “the girls didn’t want him“. His brother had just stared at him in contempt. “You’re handsome enough,” Diaz had pointed out, grabbing his neck and squeezing hard. “Only that you’re behaving too much like a pussy around women. Women want men, not boys.” That was what Diaz had said on more than one occasion.

However he had stubbornly kept everything to himself. He hated getting involved with some random girl just to please his older brother. Plus, the girls had no fault he was how he was; making them feel bad didn’t have to be on his plate.

Hesitantly, he opened the door to the bedroom and went out. The house seemed to be quite lively at that hour if the noises coming from downstairs were any indication. He took the stairs down and looked around. Agnes patted his shoulder gently. “Mister Metzger is in the dining room. He expects you to join him,” the old lady gestured towards the room in question and then went about her business.

Her German accent was even stronger, Jake thought. On Klaus’s tongue, English sounded just a bit rough. Agnes seemed almost like a machine, although her eyes were warm.

He eventually dared enter the room indicated by the old lady. Apparently, Klaus had company, another blond man who looked to be of the same descent as the owner of the house. The couple seemed engaged in conversation, and Jake took advantage that they had not yet noticed him.

The guest looked strong and tall, but even taller and bulkier than Klaus. He had darker blond hair, and Jake could not see his eyes from where he was standing. He was not the embodiment of elegance like Klaus was. Rough short stubble made him look masculine, and his hair was a bit longer, as well. The opened shirt showed how relaxed the man was. Klaus himself no longer wore a suit, but he still looked as if taken straight out of the box.

He coughed a little to draw attention. After all, he needed something to eat, and fast. Two pairs of blue eyes turned to stare at him.

“Well,” the guest spoke, visibly amused, “is this your new toy?”

Klaus, on the other hand, kept his eyes glued to Jake, without saying anything for a couple of seconds.

“Jake, this is Hans, a friend of mine,” he eventually spoke. “Come closer and take a seat.”

Toy! He was a fucking toy! He knew he was rude for not saying anything and for pulling a chair far away from the two, but did it anyway.

“Closer,” Klaus said calmly, and he rose with a huff, only to move two chairs closer, but still not right next to the two men.

“Closer,” the blond beckoned him again, without changing his tone or looking even a tiny bit annoyed at Jake’s resistance to complying.

Eventually, he sat next to Klaus. The man looked at him for a few seconds, with an unreadable expression in his beautiful blue eyes.

“Are you hungry?” he asked politely.

“Of course I am,” Jake snapped, wanting badly to avoid sounding like a child. Nonetheless, it was clear from Hans’s amused expression that he was failing to do so.

“You were sleeping so soundly that I decided to let you be. We were just waiting for you to wake up.”

“I woke up on my own. What were you going to do? Starve until tomorrow if I didn’t?” Jake mumbled.

“I would have sent Agnes to wake you up,” Klaus explained in the same even tone. “Or I would have come, but that could have meant waking you up in more ways than one.”

There was no smile, no emotion on Klaus’s face as he spoke like that. Jake wished he would not feel pins and needles everywhere as the man continued to stare at him.

“He’s a feisty one,” Hans commented.

“I am right here,” Jake hissed. He decided that very instant he hated this Hans guy. Not only because he was so annoying, but also because he was too gorgeous and stood too close to Klaus for Jake to like it. Maybe Hans was Klaus’s lover or something. Anyway, it was not his business if they were intimate or not.

“So?” Hans challenged him with his eyes.

“So maybe it’s rude to talk about somebody who is just inches away from you like he’s not present,” Jake answered in kind.

Hans laughed and turned towards Klaus. “I think I get the appeal now. He’s not that much on the outside, but he does look to have a mind of his own. Are you sure this is what you want?”

Jake felt his cheeks getting warmer. The guest was simply continuing to ignore him. Plus, what the hell was he talking about? What had Klaus told him? Couldn’t he keep a secret? Especially one that was not his own?

“One thing I am certain of, Hans, is that you should stop bothering Jake. He is new here, and he still needs plenty of time to adjust,” Klaus came to his defense.

The conversation stopped there, as a young maid came through the door, pushing a tray of food. Enticing smells hit Jake’s nostrils, making him forget for a moment, about Klaus’s annoying friend. He was ready to dig in.

The other two did him a service and ate in complete silence. Jake chose to stare stubbornly at his plate and did not care about making eye contact with any of the two.

When the meal was over, Klaus invited his guests to follow him on the balcony just outside the room to relax.

Jake sat on a reclining chair, again feeling acutely out of place. The two blonds wore casual clothes, but everything about them spelled rich. Jake was pretty sure he was sticking out like a sore thumb, in his 5-dollar t-shirt and washed out jeans.

“Do you want to spend the night?” Klaus offered, and Hans stared at his host a bit surprised. Then he stole a quick glance in Jake’s direction.

“Oh, don’t tell me … He’s not broken in yet?” he asked a bit derisively, and Jake crossed his arms over his chest. “If you needed a hand, it would be my pleasure to help you get him … adjusted.”

“There is no need for you to bother. And I was asking only if you cared about sleeping here, seeing that you must be pretty tired from your trip,” Klaus spoke, and Jake noticed with satisfaction how the other’s face fell upon hearing the not so well veiled refusal.

“I am not that tired,” Hans cooed, leaning towards Klaus and touching his arm.

Jake rose from his chair. “I’ll go to my room,” he said determinedly.

“Sit,” Klaus said shortly, and Jake sat down quickly.

He immediately cursed under his breath. What the fuck? Was he a dog now or something? But he could not just take it back and stand up again.

Klaus seemed a bit tense, which was odd. Jake noticed how Klaus was staring at Hans’s hand, still resting on his forearm, with a small frown. Eventually, Hans seemed to take the hint and withdrew his hand.

“As you wish,” he waved his hand as if he didn’t care that much for Klaus’s whims. “I will take on your offer then, and sleep under your roof. Is the blue room free, as always?”

“I’ll have Agnes prepare another room for you. That is where Jake stays right now.”

Jake could barely refrain a bout of satisfaction seeing Hans’s jaw tensing as if the man was about to take a bite of something, or preferably someone. Apparently, the guest was not so high in Klaus’s good graces. On the other hand, Jake seemed to be, and that was something the young brunet could not comprehend. He had nothing on this Hans dude.

The guy was tall, beautiful, perfect, just like Klaus. But, maybe Klaus was not enjoying so much fucking another version of himself. Maybe he was just getting tired of vanilla cake and wanted a bit of milk and chocolate, Jake smirked at the thought.

“Why are you smiling?” Hans stared at him, looking very much affronted as if he could read Jake’s mind.

“None of your business,” Jake shrugged and relaxed in his chair. It was not like him to get in verbal confrontations, as he had no idea how to deal with them. But he felt as if he was at war with Hans, for no other reason than Klaus. Wait, did he want Klaus? Of course, he wanted Klaus; but he couldn’t have him because it was too dangerous for him to come forward and say it like it was.

“I think it’s been a long day for all of us,” Klaus concluded. “Hans, come with me, and I will let Agnes know you are spending the night. Jake, wait for me in your room. Don’t wander around the place.”

Jake rose and walked away. It was not as if he WANTED to take orders from the haughty blond, but, for the moment, he had nothing better to do anyway. As the door to the balcony closed behind him, he missed the tense conversation held in German between the other two.

***

“It is not like you to act so jealously,” Klaus said with a frown.

“I was hoping to get together with you again. I would not have bothered to make this detour otherwise. And I’m not jealous. I’m just annoyed that you are willing to play with a new toy, while I’m here. Especially since this new toy does not seem to behave that well.”

“Hans,” Klaus’s voice grew a bit colder. “You are making my situation difficult by telling him to his face he is nothing but a toy.”

“Isn’t it the truth?” Hans asked with a shrug. “And he is not your usual type.”

“My usual type? What is that supposed to mean? Please enlighten me,” Klaus fiddled with his glass of wine.

“You know, high class, sophisticated. What are you doing with a piece of street trash like this one?”

“I’m tired of high class and sophisticated. They’re nothing but a bore,” Klaus spoke while slowly sipping his drink. “Plus, I’ve never had a virgin,” he added matter-of-factly.

“A virgin? This one? Please,” Hans snorted. “He has probably had more butt sex than you and me together. You should seriously take him to the vet and have him checked,” the guest said sourly.

“And what exactly makes you say that? Except for the fact that he didn’t look impressed with your attempts to put him down.”

Hans took the offense well. “He has a mouth on him, apparently.”

“So? He’s from a poor neighborhood; I don’t expect him to have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, hence the language.”

“Then tell me what makes you think he’s a virgin,” Hans said in response.

“Let’s just say I had the pleasure to enjoy a solo performance from his part … to one point, when I had to take over and experience firsthand how affected he was to be touched by another man.”

“Don’t force him if he’s not gay,” Hans said with a small frown. “It’s not like you to do that. I know very well you have never been crazy about bi guys, either.”

Klaus seemed to ponder for a bit. “Then how do you call a guy you catch masturbating while smelling your t-shirt?”

Hans laughed softly. “For real? He’s just in denial, that’s all?”

“I do understand him, you know. I met his brother.”

“Older brother, I assume,” Hans fiddled with his glass.

“Yes. He’s leading one of the gangs I’m trying to pacify to get things done around here. He’s the embodiment of all things macho. Jake seems very shy around him. I bet he cannot just go tell his brother something like that.”

“I suppose that would not go down well.”

“Plus, doing something forbidden like hooking up with a guy, in a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone … well, I think you get the picture now. Unless he sodomized himself with whatever he thought he could use as a dildo, I venture to say those are uncharted territories,” Klaus allowed himself a joke.

“You know, the offer is still standing,” Hans looked at his friend, his eyes at half-mast.

“And I still have to decline. I’m afraid I’m not that much of a hypocrite to use you as a substitute when I desire another.”

“True that,” Hans admitted. “You’re the type that always gets involved body and soul in everything you do. Although I’ve always pegged you for the restrained type in your relationships.”

“Really? In what sense?” Klaus seemed genuinely surprised.

“In the sense that you don’t get attached, even if you focus on a single person. I must admit that after we hooked up the first time, I was surprised to feel flattered and insulted at the same time by your interest.”

“Hans, I can assure you …”

“Don’t bother, Klaus. It is just how you are. You are … cold, I think. Not between the sheets. I used to have the bruises to prove it,” Hans chuckled softly. “But there is a wall between you and your lovers, always. In the beginning, I thought it was just me, but I have seen you treating everyone with the same passion and indifference at the same time.”

Klaus remained silent, seemingly examining the contents of his glass.

“So, after you break him in, what’s next?” Hans asked.

Klaus just shrugged. “I will not stay here forever.”

“Of course, there is always some new business somewhere that needs your skilled hand to get going. I think you’re addicted to beginnings, nothing more.”

“I frankly think I’m too young to settle down if this is what you are asking of me.”

“You’re doing this for what, 10-12 years?”

“11, to be precise,” Klaus admitted.

“Aren’t you growing tired?”

“Aren’t you?” the host answered with another question. “You’re traveling a lot.”

“I would have settled down for you. And let’s face it, Klaus, I am not going through lovers with the speed of light, the way you do it. At least, whenever I meet someone new, I am thinking whether or not they are worth the trouble to be considered ‘the one’.”

“The one?” a superior smile crept on Klaus’s well-defined lips. “There is no such thing. When the time comes, I will settle for someone. If I choose so, I will shape him up into becoming this ideal you are talking about.”

Hans shook his head. “That is not how it works, Klaus.”

“I’ve never thought you would be the romantic type, my friend,” Klaus laughed.

“Me neither. It must be the wine talking,” Hans took another sip from his glass. “Well, I will let you play and go looking for Agnes.”

“I’d like to accompany you,” Klaus rose from his chair.

“There is no need. I will just ask Agnes for directions,” Hans refused. “Good night, Klaus, and I mean it,” he added with a small smile.

For a couple of minutes, Klaus remained unmoving, staring over the perfect landscape, without actually seeing anything.