Dooku rented a 3-row SUV to pick up Sören's family at Heathrow Airport. Margrét and Ari were arriving together on one IcelandAir flight, and an hour and a half later, a flight out of Toronto was coming in with Dagnýr and Matt on board. Dooku, Sören, Margrét and Ari had elected to hang around Heathrow to wait for Dagnýr and Matt's arrival rather than try to commute into London in traffic and back again to find a parking space at the airport all over again.
On the way to the airport, Dooku picked up Frankie - Sören had offered to bring Frankie along, since going to airports wasn't something Frankie really did, and the coffee shop was closed for the holidays. Frankie took a nap in the SUV on the way to the airport, and when they were there, Sören poked her until she was awake.
They had a short wait for Margrét and Ari. Sören rushed to them, spending a few minutes hugging each of them tightly, and then he led them over to where Dooku and Frankie had been sitting across from each other. Dooku got up to hug Margrét and shake Ari's hand - Ari then hugged him also, at last - and then Frankie, hesitantly, got up.
"Margrét, Ari, this is my best friend, Frankie," Sören said.
Margrét gave Frankie a bear hug. "I've heard so much about you," Margrét said.
"Good things, I hope." Frankie laughed nervously.
"Já," Margrét said, smiling.
"Would you all like to get coffee or tea while we wait for Dagnýr and Matt?" Ari asked.
"Yes, please," Dooku said.
They went to one of the airport's cafes. Sören and Frankie both had hot chocolate, Dooku had Earl Grey, Ari had a regular latte, and Margrét ordered an espresso. Dooku politely inquired about the flight, which had been uneventful, save for a passenger in front of Margrét and Ari who was snoring loudly.
"Thankfully it's only a three-hour flight," Ari said, "but three hours felt like an eternity listening to that."
"He sounded like a fucking chainsaw," Margrét said. "I finally put my headphones on and listened to something more relaxing."
"You guys have very similar music tastes," Sören said, looking at Frankie, then Margrét, "and should compare notes. Frankie, make sure to show Margrét your vinyl collection while she's here."
"Oh já you're a fellow vinyl junkie?" Margrét asked.
Frankie nodded. "It's one of my vices. I don't have much money but when I do get money, so much of it goes to vinyl records."
"Nice."
Dooku cleared his throat, suddenly feeling old and awkward. "I'm glad the flight went well, your snoring neighbor notwithstanding."
"The hardest part of this trip for me was saying goodbye to my cat," Ari said. "He's staying with a neighbor till I get back."
"Oh, you've got a kitty?" Frankie smiled.
"I do! Would you like to see pictures?"
For the next little while Ari showed Frankie a bunch of pictures of his cat on his phone, including pictures of Margrét snuggling with the cat. "I keep telling her she should get a cat," Ari said.
"I will eventually," Margrét said, nodding. "It's a big commitment to take care of another living thing for its entire lifespan and I've wanted to make sure that I..." Margrét's voice trailed off then, and Dooku felt the weight of the words unsaid: wanted to make sure that I'll actually be alive and stable enough for that. Even though Margrét seemed to be doing well these days, Dooku could only imagine she still struggled with personal demons from growing up with abuse, and battling the dysphoria as long as she did pre-transition.
Sören sensed the change in his sister's mood and reached out to rub and pat her back. "It's OK," he said softly.
Frankie looked a little puzzled, but said nothing, finishing her hot chocolate.
Ari and Margrét wanted to do some Christmas shopping while they waited, explaining that many Icelanders did their shopping on December 23rd. Margrét and Frankie went off together, and Ari came with Dooku and Sören to search various shops at Heathrow. At the designated time, the five met back at a specific waiting area, all five with shopping bags. Sören tried to poke inside Frankie's bag, which resulted in Frankie pinning him down, and Sören tickling her until she squealed, causing a bit of a scene. Margrét physically picked up her younger brother, put him in a headlock, and gave him a noogie - Frankie seemed impressed at the display of strength.
Dagnýr and Matt found them, towing their luggage. They were a bit tired from their seven-hour flight, as well as hungry, so Dooku suggested they all grab a bite to eat. In the SUV, Frankie sat between Ari and Margrét, and the group debated about where to go for food. Everyone could agree on fish and chips, so fish and chips it was.
After the meal it was time to take Ari and Margrét to their hotel in London. Dooku and Sören were only able to put up two of the four unless they made space in the meditation room, which neither were keen on doing, and Ari and Margrét had ceded to Dagnýr and Matt, who had more travel stress and were less enthusiastic about the additional steps of checking into a hotel. After dropping off Ari and Margrét, Dooku drove into Greenwich to drop off Frankie, and Sören and Frankie took a few minutes to confirm Frankie's pick-up time for family Christmas celebrations tomorrow; Frankie would then be celebrating with her aunt on the 25th proper.
Since Dagnýr and Matt were more relaxed after their meal, Dooku took a more detoured route through Bermondsey, so the two Canadians could see the charms of where Dooku and Sören were living. Dooku's own neighborhood was picturesque, tree-lined, with the trees covered in snow and icicles. Dagnýr smiled at the snowman Sören had built in the front lawn.
"Right this way," Dooku said as he marched them inside. He and Sören had agreed it would be good manners to give Dagnýr and Matt their bedroom for the next four days, and they would sleep in the living room, since the couch folded out to a bed. Before picking everyone up at the airport, Dooku had made the bed with fresh linens for their guests. Dagnýr and Matt wheeled their luggage into the bedroom. Dooku opened the closets to show them where they had some room, and then showed them the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom.
Dagnýr and Matt closed the bedroom door so they could change; Dooku put on tea and Sören put on the BBC. Dagnýr and Matt came out in their pajamas. Dragos was on Sören's lap, purring loudly, and Dagnýr and Matt began to fuss over the cat, making high-pitched noises. Dooku came out to see Dragos being spoiled, and smiled.
There were still leftover cookies from the chamber party on the 21st, that weren't stale, and Dooku brought them out with the tea. Dragos got interested in the cookies, and Dooku discouraged him, getting his attention with cat treats.
Leja called Dooku, to confirm reservations for dinner tomorrow night, and Dooku put Matt on the phone to say hi to his mother. When they got off the phone, Matt smiled, snuggling into Dagnýr. "It'll be nice to see Mum again," Matt said.
"How long has it been?" Dooku asked.
Matt and Dagnýr looked at each other. "Two years?" Matt asked. Dagnýr nodded. "Sounds about right," Dagnýr said.
"I still talk to her and e-mail her regularly," Matt said. "And Dad too. I saw Dad more recently, about four months ago, when he was visiting Toronto on business."
"He was in Berlin as of a few weeks ago," Dooku said. "I assume you... do not keep in touch with..."
"No," Matt said. "I do not, for various reasons."
Dooku nodded and sipped his tea. "Your father says he ran into him in Berlin, and asked your father to hire him a lawyer."
Matt almost spat his tea. "Are you fuckin' serious?"
"Quite."
Matt rolled his eyes. "He makes more money than me and Dag combined and he... what."
"Apparently," Dooku said, "the lawsuit your sister-in-law has against him isn't going well. She has compelling evidence against him."
"Good," Matt said. He shook his head. "I knew the drugs were fucking up his brain, but I didn't -"
"Drugs?" This was new information to Dooku. "He's on drugs?"
"You... didn't know?" Matt raised his eyebrows. He sighed. "Yeah, it's upsetting enough to Mum that of course she wouldn't say anything about it. He's been strung out on heroin for awhile."
"Bloody hell." Dooku sighed. He put his tea down and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Why the fuck does anyone need to do that shit," Sören said. "Marijuana's a much better high and it's safer."
"Speaking of." Dagnýr grinned. "You got any?"
Sören nodded. "I have a little, we can finish what I've got left and tomorrow I'll ask Frankie to score me another stash when she can."
Dagnýr looked at Dooku. "You don't mind, do you?"
Sören snorted. "He toked up with me a couple weeks ago."
Dagnýr nodded. "Well, he is a relic from the hippie era -"
Dooku bristled at being called a "relic", and Sören said, "Actually, he never partook back then, because he was busy with school. When he toked up with me it was his first time."
"Oh, wow." Dagnýr said. "Did you like it?"
"I did." Dooku nodded. "I didn't expect I would, but it was very relaxing." Dooku raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised that you smoke, considering -"
"Considering what? Quantum physicist? Professor? As I like to say, if it was good enough for Carl Sagan himself, it's good enough for me." Dagnýr smiled.
Sören packed his bowl, and after it made its first round between the four of them, Dooku coughed hard enough that Sören got up to bring him some water. When he sat back down, Matt said, "It isn't just that Kylo is on heroin. From what I hear he's tangled up with a cartel boss named Snoke."
Since Dooku routinely followed famous criminal cases that had made the news, it didn't take long for the name to register in his memory. "Anton Snoke. Aka..."
"The Supreme Leader of the First Order Cartel," Matt said, nodding. "It isn't just that he's become a really mean and nasty person, it isn't just that he ripped off Margrét and acted shitty about her being transgender and that's not OK, but he made the mistake of getting smack from a cartel. And if he's in bad enough circumstances that he needs Dad to hire him a lawyer, it means he's in over his head with being in debt to Snoke."
"That's unfortunate." Dooku frowned. "I hope that the cartel doesn't give Margrét trouble for the lawsuit -"
Dagnýr shook his head. "Nah, if anything, if Kylo's hardcore in debt to this guy, Snoke will just sit there and let Margrét take him to the cleaners and then come for Kylo to collect. I'm surprised Kylo hasn't just, like, faked his own death and disappeared off to Siberia or something, I'd do that if I was him."
"He should do that anyway," Sören said. "Rotten fucker."
"Oh believe me, just from what I heard he said to our sister, I threatened to beat him within an inch of his life if I ever saw him again," Dagnýr said, "and you know I've always been the mellow one of the three of us."
Sören nodded. "Our sister has been through bloody goddamn fucking enough, without what he did to her."
"Let's change the subject before I get too angry," Dagnýr said, "because that can get... ah... explosive."
Dooku raised an eyebrow and Sören snorted. Sören turned to Dooku and explained, "If he gets angry enough he can, um... make a little bit of lightning."
"Yeah." Dagnýr frowned. "All of my other abilities, I can hide or mask somehow but not that, and I don't want to potentially cause an accident on the holidays and have to think of some explanation for authorities."
"Fair enough," Dooku said.
"How did the two of you meet?" Matt asked.
Sören and Dooku looked at each other, and Dooku gave Sören the go-ahead gesture. Sören took a puff of the pipe and passed it to Dooku, who puffed and passed to Matt, and now it was Sören's turn to cough. When he'd finished, he said, "I had a few paintings up at your mother's gallery opening. Nico happened to be there. He admired them. Then he found me in the bathroom having an anxiety attack. He let me ruin one of his handkerchiefs crying, and gave me his number so I could return it to him - I insisted on dry-cleaning it for him. He also wanted to buy my paintings."
"And as I got to know Sören, I fell in love with him." Dooku reached for Sören's hand and squeezed; Sören turned to him and beamed.
"Same," Sören said. "I thought you were incredibly handsome and sexy from the beginning, and as I got to know you, I found you weren't just easy on the eyes but a lovely person as well."
Dooku couldn't help himself. He leaned in and gave Sören a soft, sweet, lingering kiss.
Dagnýr and Matt began making vomit noises; Sören used the Force to throw a pillow at them.
Then Dagnýr smiled and said, "I admit I was a bit surprised not just that you'd found someone but someone who was, uh. Older than I expected. It's nice to see though that despite societal conventions, you guys are happy together."
"Very happy." Sören nuzzled Dooku's beard.
Despite societal conventions. Dooku shifted uncomfortably in his seat, thinking about how conservative his profession was, some of the unflattering things he'd heard from fellow barristers about homosexuals during the 1970s and 1980s, and even occasionally during the 1990s. Such attitudes were less common and people's attitudes could change with time, but Dooku hadn't come out to his co-workers since finding Sören - he preferred to keep his personal life private - and he wondered if his colleagues wouldn't simply disapprove of knowing he was gay, but with someone young enough to be his son, and what that would mean for him, with all he'd worked for. He didn't want to trouble his mind with such thoughts on the holidays, so he quickly pushed them away, shielding himself so Sören wouldn't pick up on the twinge of discomfort in their Force bond.
"How did you both meet?" Dooku asked Dagnýr and Matt, then.
"Well," Matt said, "I was on a trip to Iceland to visit Uncle Lúkas, of all things -"
"That's a name I haven't heard in a long time." Dooku chuckled. "If you don't mind the interruption, how is he?"
"He's. Uh. Well, eccentric as always." Matt cleared his throat. "He agreed to see me because of that thing I can do - you guys call it the Force, yeah? - and I was having some trouble controlling my abilities and didn't want to create problems for myself and other people. So I went to where he is. The closest town to get supplies was Akureyri, and Dagnýr was up there borrowing Ari's cabin, and I bumped into him at the supermarket and you don't run into too many people out that way who speak perfect English with barely any accent, and I was like hey wait a minute you look familiar - you've been on Neil Degrasse Tyson's show! What are the odds? So I went back and forth between Uncle Lúkas's cabin and where Dagnýr was staying, to hang out with him and nerd out over science stuff, and one night I got into kind of a pissing match with Uncle Lúkas and Dagnýr said I could crash with him if I didn't feel like going to a motel that night. And, uh." Matt turned red, and the wicked grin on Dagnýr's face said everything. "We were on the same flight back to Toronto, and we decided to see where this was going."
"And then I found out he was Ben's twin brother," Dagnýr said, "Ben being our sister's ex-best friend. Who became Kylo not long after the falling out they had, and." He frowned.
"As Mum and Dad are fond of saying, there's no such thing as coincidences." Matt kissed Dagnýr's cheek and Dagnýr beamed, showing dimples. "It already felt like we'd been destined to meet, and that nailed it."
"Did you ever reconcile with your uncle?" Dooku asked.
"Eventually." Matt nodded. "But you know how he is. The only reason why I got to see him at all was because of Force stuff. He's convinced he's a danger to other people, so he hasn't invited me back for a return visit. He does have a phone and I get to check in with him every six months or so."
"How long have you been together?"
"Three years. We've lived together two and a half of those three years. And I've been living in Canada for five years - I really like it in Toronto."
"What about you?" Dooku asked Dagnýr.
"I still get homesick," Dagnýr said, "but I've been out of Iceland for over a decade. Toronto has become home, and I'll probably stay there. I don't mind traveling, though, and it's good to see the UK again." Dagnýr cocked his head to one side. "And you... you've got a Romanian surname if my assumption's correct, but you sound like you've lived in the UK all your life or at least a very long time?"
Dooku nodded. "I was born here. My parents were not, and my father's surname was misspelled by the immigration clerk. I've been to visit Romania several times, and I enjoyed visiting there, but England is home."
"You liked Iceland, though."
"Very much."
Sören lit the pipe again and puffed and passed it around. When it came to Dagnýr, he blew smoke rings like a thoughtful wizard, and then he asked, "Do you think you'd ever leave the UK?"
Dooku raised his eyebrows. "I've... lived here all my life."
That was a non-answer, but Dooku didn't even understand why Dagnýr would ask that. Sören looked somewhat uncomfortable, and Matt decided to intervene by putting on the BBC.
After they'd been watching TV for awhile, and had a light evening meal, Matt and Dagnýr said goodnight and adjourned to the bedroom. Dooku folded out and made the couch bed, and he and Sören took turns changing in the guest bathroom. Dooku sat in the armchair checking his e-mail and Sören got under the covers, watching TV half-asleep. Eventually Dooku turned off his laptop and joined Sören in the bed.
The couch bed was smaller than their bed - big enough for two people, but only just. The mattress was not what Dooku was used to. There were more windows in the living room than in the bedroom, and even with the blinds and curtains closed and the heat on, there was a bit of a draft. Dooku had a gas fireplace in the living room, with a screen in front to protect Dragos from exploring and singeing himself. Dooku got up and turned it on, and Sören smiled at it in the firelight.
"That's cozy." Sören snuggled into Dooku's chest, and nuzzled the silver chest hair poking out through the V-neck of his pajama top.
Dooku put his arms around Sören and stroked Sören's curls. "Would you like to visit Romania with me someday? I'd like to see it at least once more..." His voice trailed off before he could finish before I die. Before he'd met Sören, he'd been keenly aware of his mortality. Sören had made him feel young again, but there were moments when he was snapped back into the reality of being an elderly man, in the sunset of his life. His next trip to Romania might very well be his last one, whenever that was. There was more hanging on that thread of thought that disturbed him, and he made himself push it away, not wanting to ruin the holiday with brooding angst.
"I'd like that, Nico." Sören kissed the tip of Dooku's nose, making him smile. "And of course, we must return to Iceland at some point."
"Of course." Dooku patted him. "I've seen the northern lights, I'd like to see the midnight sun."
"It's peak tourist season," Sören said, "and you know how we both love crowds, but it's still worth it."
"Indeed."
"Fuck." Sören laughed softly. "I've got the munchies."
"Truthfully, so do I." Dooku chuckled. "To think I doubted marijuana would have any sort of effect on me, here we are hours after we've smoked and I'm feeling like this."
"You stay there," Sören said. He got up, and pattered off to the kitchen.
He came back with a bag of cheese curls - Dooku didn't normally eat that sort of thing but last time he'd gone grocery shopping with Sören, Sören had thrown it in the cart and he didn't protest. Dooku was about to protest now, but Sören shoved a cheese curl in his mouth.
They shared the bag, eating cheese curls together in the firelight. Dragos hopped up on the bed, coming towards them to sniff the bag and beg. "No," Dooku scolded. "This is not for cats."
Dragos gave a pitiful meow.
Dooku got up, went to get Dragos's treat bag, and had Dragos follow him into the kitchen for a treat. Then he came back and Sören held open the bag of cheese curls; Dooku grabbed some more.
"I can't believe I'm eating this," Dooku said.
Sören raised an eyebrow.
"Since I met you," Dooku said, "you've made me eat the strangest things. Pizza. Hot dogs. Cheese curls." Dooku smirked. "Your cock."
"And my arse."
Dooku almost choked. Sören got up to get him water. Dooku still couldn't stop laughing.
"Dammit, Sören."
"Listen," Sören said, "I could argue that it's weird you'd never eaten any of those things before me."
Dooku almost spat his water, this time.
"How are we even having this conversation," Dooku said.
"I don't know, but you started it."
"You started it. What are you, five?"
Sören's response to that was to put a cheese curl in each nostril. Then he gave Dooku an incredibly serious look. Dooku laughed so hard he sprayed a mouthful of cheese curls, which made him laugh harder, and made Sören laugh until he started snorting, which made Dooku laugh even harder, and harder still when Dooku saw Sören still had the cheese curls in his nose. They heard the bedroom door open, and Sören said "hoshit" under his breath. As Doctor Dagnýr Sigurdsson, Ph.D. approached the bed, Dooku cleared his throat loudly and mustered as much dignity as he could, sitting up tall. Sören, on the other hand, still kept the cheese curls in his nose.
"You know," Dagnýr said, "I hate to be That Guest but do you guys think you could keep it down?"
"Do we think?" Sören began stroking his chin. "Hmmm, let us ponder this existential question. What... is... down."
Dooku tried not to laugh, and when he started laughing again it was loud and ugly and got louder for being so completely ridiculous.
Dagnýr folded his arms. He attempted to look angry, but his eyes crinkled at the corners and he was shaking from silent laughter. "You guys," Dagnýr said.
"IF THE TWO OF THEM DON'T STOP WITH THE HEE HAWS, WE COULD JUST HAVE REALLY LOUD SEX AND THEY WOULDN'T HEAR US," Matt yelled from down the hall.
"Oh dear god." Sören facepalmed. Then he glared at his brother. "If you do that, we might just have to retaliate."
"Can he even get it up at that age?" Then Dagnýr clapped his mouth, immediately self-conscious of the words that just slipped out, and watching Dooku bristle. "Ah shit, I'm sorry, man..."
"Trust me," Sören said, "I have no complaints in that department."
"That's good to hear." Dagnýr facepalmed. "Well, not hear. I don't... want to hear it. Yanno, I'm just... gonna go back to bed."
"Hi just gonna go back to bed. I'm Sören."
Dagnýr glared again, and then said, "You," over his shoulder as he made his way back to the bedroom.
Sören finally took the cheese curls out of his nose and wrapped them up in a napkin. He curled up on Dooku again, and Dooku held him once more. After a few minutes of just laying there, Sören could sense the shift in Dooku's mood - Dooku's mind had of course been lingering on the jab at his age in relation to his sexual prowess - and Sören patted him.
"You want to...?"
"I don't think that would be a good idea tonight in this bed," Dooku said. "I'm concerned about its ability to support our weight as it is, never mind..."
"OK." Sören nodded. "I don't think we should go three nights without sex, either, so we'll have to think of something."
"Yes. We will." Dooku rubbed his shoulder.
"But in the meantime... don't let that remark get you down, já?" Sören gave him a squeeze. "You know how I feel about you."
Dooku kissed the top of Sören's head.
After a few more minutes of cuddling, Sören looked up at him and frowned, dissatisfied at what he could feel across their Force bond. Quietly, Sören unwrapped the cheese curls that had been up his nose, and stuck them in his nose again. Dooku took one look at him and lost it again.
"Good," Sören said. "Let the high flow through you." Sören gave him a mock stern look. "Because if you don't, the next step will be to get the Willy Warmer."
"Dammit, Sören." Dooku almost howled. "Why are you like this."
Sören just stretched and snuggled into Dooku again. After he'd been laying there like that for a few minutes with cheese curls still in his nose, Dooku had another laughing fit, and Sören did too, enough that the cheese curls dropped out of his nose from laughing so hard - one fell down Dooku's pajama top.
It took awhile for Dooku and Sören to stop laughing - Dooku exhausted himself, and that was a good thing; it was as if his troubles were far away. Tangled up with Sören, he drifted off to sleep.
_
Dooku was up before Sören, and tried to be quiet in the kitchen, but the proximity of the kitchen to the living room meant Sören woke up soon after Dooku started making tea. Sören greeted him at the stove with a kiss.
"How did you sleep?" Sören asked.
"Ugh, not well." Dooku frowned. "That bed really isn't suited for two people."
"It's really not." Sören frowned too. "I'm sore all over."
"So am I." Dooku sighed. "I don't want to ask our guests to stay in a hotel so we can have our bed back, however. We'll just have to think of something."
"To be honest, I think even a cheap air mattress would be more comfortable, and it would just be a few nights," Sören said. "So when we're out and about today, we could pick one up, put it down by the fireplace..."
Dooku nodded. "We could do that."
Dooku continued to frown as he prepared the tea, and Sören finally asked, "It's not just that the bed was uncomfortable, though."
"Well, no." Dooku sighed.
"Is it about what my stupid brother -"
Dooku shook his head, though truthfully that comment still bothered him a little. "I had a peculiar dream last night."
"Oh?"
Dooku sighed. "I dreamed about Sayyid-Diya."
"Your friend... well, ex-friend... who was killed on 7/7."
"Yes." Dooku furrowed his brow. "I haven't dreamed about him in years, so I find this rather odd."
"Hm." Sören scratched his head. "You know, the ancient Norse had a belief that during Jól, the, uh... veil between worlds? was thinner, and the dead could visit the living. I know what you said about Earth religions and the probability that all 'gods' were just aliens preying on humanity and I agree, but that doesn't mean every belief the ancestors had was wrong, either. There might be some truth to the dead visiting the living this time of year."
"He could have done it years ago," Dooku said. "Why now, of all times?"
"Maybe because there's several Force-sensitive gathered under one roof at one time," Sören said. "Makes the signal stronger, or something. Anyway, was your dream good? Bad?"
"We were having tea," Dooku said. "It was truly as if he were over for a normal visit, and we'd never fallen out."
"Then he definitely paid you a visit." Sören nodded. He patted Dooku on the shoulder. "Do you know where he's buried? I assume he wouldn't be cremated, even if he wasn't observant."
"He wasn't, but you're correct." Dooku pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a small amount of regret that he'd even mentioned this, not wanting to deal with it. "I do know where he's buried, his daughter told me years ago."
"While we're out, we can stop at his grave too," Sören said. At the look Dooku gave him, Sören quickly added, "You know, only if you want to." But you should.
Dooku had reservations at a restaurant in London, for Christmas dinner. That afternoon he picked up Frankie, Margrét and Ari. On the way to the restaurant he took a detour to a department store - quietly lamenting that it was even open on Christmas Eve, he could remember a time when shops closed on the holidays - and he and Sören bought an air mattress large enough for two people, pump included.
Dooku also bought a small bouquet of flowers, because the graveyard where Sayyid-Diya was buried was his next stop. Everyone but Sören elected to wait in the SUV; he and Sören got out, and Dooku hesitated. Sören took his arm and marched him into the graveyard.
Sayyid-Diya's remains were buried next to his son's - his son's remains had been flown back to the United Kingdom after 9/11. Dooku paused at the headstones, feeling a moment of panic, even though he knew logically there would be no confrontation from a corpse in the ground thirteen years. Sören reassuringly rubbed his back, and Dooku swallowed and stepped forward to lay the flowers at Sayyid-Diya's grave.
Dooku cleared his throat and touched the headstone. "I don't know if you can hear this," Dooku said, "and if you can hear this, I don't know that what I'm doing right now would even be welcome, but... I still miss our friendship. I wish we hadn't fallen out. I wish that after our falling out, I'd come to you after some time to cool off, to fight to keep you in my life, instead of letting you go. I wish I had gone with my gut instinct to call you the day before..." His voice trailed off and he blinked back tears. "You were a good friend. One of the few I ever had. And it was very lonely and cold without you. I hope that wherever you are, if there is a wherever... that you're not as lonely and cold as I have been. I hope to see you again someday." He smiled. "We need to get around to that chess rematch."
He stepped away, the tears falling. Sören was there, taking Dooku into his arms, letting him fall apart. Dooku didn't want to cry for very long, since his guests were waiting in the SUV, but he couldn't hold back, either. Sören pet his hair, his face, his beard, rubbed his back, made soothing noises. Finally Sören just rocked him, and when Dooku finally picked his head up, snow was falling. Dooku admired the flakes in Sören's hair, resting on his beard, his eyelashes.
Sören kissed the last few tears, and then reached into the pocket of his trenchcoat and pulled out a handkerchief. Dooku used it to wipe his face and then he saw Sören had been crying a little too, and he wiped Sören's face with it. Then he realized Sören had been wearing a slight touch of mascara and eyeliner.
"I can have your handkerchief dry-cleaned," Dooku joked, a callback to their first meeting.
"These days that sounds like a strange euphemism, innuendo."
It took Dooku a moment and then he couldn't help laughing. The absurdity of laughing at a sex joke in a graveyard made him laugh harder, and Sören with him.
"You are such a brat," Dooku told him on the way back to the SUV.
"You deserve it." Sören grinned at him.
Qui, Obi, Hans and Leja met them at the restaurant. The group was large enough that Dooku had reserved the party room at the back of the restaurant. They sat around the long table, and ordered drinks and appetizers - since people were driving, alcoholic beverages would be limited, and other drinks plentiful - then they worked on deciding their meals. Matt had a fairly emotional reunion with his parents, and Dagnýr was entertained by Qui's latest veterinary misadventures.
Dooku had opted for a more traditional Christmas dinner for himself, with goose and plum pudding. Sören lamented the lack of grouse and leaf bread, but deemed goose an "acceptable enough" substitute and went with what Dooku was having. When their meals were brought, Dooku took a moment to make a toast. "To family and friends," he said. "Let us not be strangers in this world."
"Skál," Sören said, which was repeated by the others, and Sören and Dooku clinked glasses and drank.
After the meal, Qui and Obi and Hans and Leja followed Dooku back to his house in Bermondsey in their respective vehicles. The Christmas teee in Dooku's living room was lit up, and Leja smiled at the sight of Dooku, Sören, Dagnýr and Matt's shoes lined up on the mantle over the fireplace, the Icelandic equivalent of Christmas stockings. Dooku frowned, however, when he saw a single potato placed in his shoe.
"What is this?" he asked.
"I believe that's a potato, Nico," Sören said.
Dooku glared. "I know what a potato looks like. What I meant was, what is this doing in my shoe."
Sören attempted to keep a poker face, but his eyes danced. "It looks like the Yule Lads think you've been naughty."
Qui's eyes lit up. "Oh my, that potato is even shaped like a -"
Dooku made strangled noises.
Sören, Dagnýr and Matt all had pieces of wrapped candy in their shoes; Dagnýr glared at Sören when he pulled out two cheese curls, presumably the same ones Sören had stuck in his nose last night. Sören just flashed him a grin.
Dooku made hot chocolate and gifts were exchanged, mostly gift cards or other small items, to not flood Dooku's living room with boxes and wrapping paper. But finally Dagnýr had three flat wrapped boxes for Matt, Ari, Sören and Dooku.
When Dooku opened his box, Dagnýr immediately began taking pictures at the look on Dooku's face, which made Sören double over, wheezing from laughter. Dooku held up a crocheted "willy warmer" - handmade rather than the commercial one Sören had bought at the Icelandic Phallological Museum. His was a penguin, Ari's was an eagle, Sören's was a turtle with the part for the scrotum as its shell, and Matt's was a Cookie Monster with a cookie near the tip.
"What." Dooku couldn't even make words.
"Well you see," Dagnýr said, "in Iceland, if you don't get at least one new clothing item at Christmas, the Christmas Cat eats you." He grinned. "See, I helped. Now the Christmas Cat won't eat you." He picked up his hot chocolate to take a sip.
Sören couldn't resist. He attempted a wink at Dooku and quipped, "No, now you just have to worry about me eating you."
Dagnýr spat a mouthful of hot chocolate, and Matt rolled on the floor laughing.
_
Dooku and Sören went to drive Frankie back to her flat in Greenwich, and Margrét and Ari back to their hotel. On the way there Margrét and Frankie talked, and made plans to get together on Boxing Day, which would be Margrét's last full day and night in London, going back to Iceland on the 27th. Dooku and Sören exchanged small smiles - it was nice to see that Margrét and Frankie hit it off so well.
On the way back to Dooku's house, they rode in companionable silence through the snow, and finally Dooku asked Sören, "Would you like to see some Christmas lights?"
Sören smiled, nodding eagerly. "I sure would."
Since they'd be out for awhile, Dooku stopped at a drive-thru to get them both hot coffee - again, Dooku lamented that anything was even open at this hour on a holiday. He put on a selection of Christmas music, and they drove through several neighborhoods and parks where Dooku knew there was an impressive display of Christmas lights. Sören's boyish exuberance warmed his heart, as well as made him ache that he'd spent so many Christmases alone.
At last they were driving back to the house and Sören gave a little sigh.
"Are you all right, sweetheart?" Dooku asked.
"Jæja... just a little homesick, is all." Sören smiled and frowned. "Sometimes I miss Iceland a lot."
"I can understand why. It's a beautiful country."
Sören reached and rubbed Dooku's knee. "You'll have to see Iceland during the Christmas season with me, sometime. Maybe even next year. It's even more magical then."
"I'd like that."
When they got back to the house, they worked on setting up the air mattress in front of the fireplace. Dooku brought out extra covers - he still felt chilled from the draft last night, and it would be even colder tonight. As he did that, Sören dipped briefly into the bedroom, and came out with a wicked grin that meant he was plotting something.
Dagnýr and Matt came out to say goodnight and get some food and drinks to take back to the bedroom so they wouldn't disturb Sören and Dooku in the living room. Once the bedroom door closed, Sören leaned in to Dooku for a kiss, taking the remote out of his hand to shut off the TV.
When Sören and Dooku pulled apart, Sören asked him, "Are you still sore from the cramped bed last night?"
"A little -"
"I can help with that." Sören got up from the couch and gestured to the mattress on the floor.
Dooku turned the lights off in the living room, so it was just lit by the Christmas tree and the glow from the fireplace, creating a nice ambiance. Sören took his pajamas off, leaving them in a pile next to the bed. Dooku's breath caught as he admired Sören's naked body in the firelight - even going a day without sex made him feel pent-up, and he had to fight the urge to push Sören down and take him right then.
Sören came over to Dooku and pulled the pajama top off him, then pushed down his pajama bottoms. Dooku stepped out of them, and joined Sören on the air mattress. Sören showed him the bottle of oil - that was what he'd gone into the bedroom for. Dooku couldn't help a moan at the sight of it, and another moan as Sören rolled him onto his stomach and poured oil over his back.
"Here, elskan," Sören husked. "Let me make you feel good."
Sören straddled Dooku's hips; Dooku groaned at the feel of Sören's already-hard cock grinding his ass crack, as Sören's hands began working the oil into his back and shoulders, kneading, rubbing, caressing, up and down, back and forth. Dooku could feel the Force flowing through Sören's hands, making his tension melt away, making him melt and float like he was in a warm bath made of light. Dooku moaned again as he felt Sören's lips graze his nape, then Sören kissed and nibbled and licked down Dooku's back, sending shivers through him, making his cock twinge. "So sexy," Sören purred. "I love touching you. Love worshiping you."
Sören moved down - Dooku almost let out a cry of protest when Sören's cock left the crack of his ass. Sören began rubbing and kneading Dooku's ass, and then his thighs, his calves. When Sören started kissing the back of his thighs, Dooku almost climaxed right then and there, and then Sören's tongue was inside him, rubbing that sweet spot, and Dooku buried his face into the pillows to not disturb his guests with the noises he couldn't help making. Sören himself made an "mmmmmmmmm" sound into Dooku's ass, which sent another shiver of pleasure and excitement down his spine. Sören stopped licking for a moment to say, "You taste good even there," before resuming work on making expert love to his prostate, until Dooku was trembling, gasping and panting, feeling his cock dripping with need.
Sören rolled Dooku over and straddled his hips - their hard cocks were pressed together now, and Sören's cock was leaking as much as his. Sören poured oil over his chest, and massaged it into his pecs and abs, paying special attention to the nipples. As Sören's hands rubbed, their cocks rubbed together, and with a mischievous smile Sören poured oil over their cocks, pressing harder and rubbing more insistently as he leaned in to seize a nipple with his teeth.
Sören's hands rubbed over Dooku's stomach and hips in slow, lazy circles - he knew what Dooku liked - as he licked, sucked and nibbled one nipple, then the other, going back and forth between them. Dooku was breathing harder now, out of his mind with sensation, feverish at what Sören was doing to him. When Sören's lips trailed down so he could start licking and kissing the muscle definition in his stomach, Dooku clutched Sören's head, arching to him, wanting to beg, not able to make words.
Sören continued teasing him, rubbing and kneading one thigh, following the wake of his fingers with his lips and tongue, then working on the other one. At last Sören took Dooku into his mouth, sucking slowly, eyes locked on him, studying every reaction. Dooku writhed, desperate to come, but not wanting to come just yet, aching for more of Sören's talented mouth, more of Sören, needing to feel his love, his passion, the electric connection between them.
Sören sucked for a few minutes then went down to nuzzle and lick Dooku's balls; when Sören took the sac into his mouth Dooku fought off a moan that would definitely disturb their guests. Sören teased and teased his balls before coming up to just lick the shaft and head, slowly, lapping the precum with a wicked look in his eyes.
Sören came up to kiss him, and Dooku moaned into the kiss at the taste of his precum on Sören's lips and tongue. He felt Sören's hand continue to stroke him, and he watched as Sören collected precum on his fingers and rubbed it onto a nipple. He clutched Sören's head again as Sören licked and sucked the precum off his exquisitely sensitive, swollen nipple, and then repeated with the other. Back and forth he went, driving him out of his mind.
Finally Dooku had enough - he stopped being a gentleman, something animal in him took over and he found himself rolling Sören onto his back with a kiss and a growl. He nipped Sören's neck and Sören let out a moan. Dooku covered Sören's mouth with his hand. "We need to keep it down," he rasped, "or your brother will complain." He smirked. "Or worse."
With his finger resting against Sören's lips, he kissed Sören's neck and shoulder, and then he whispered, "Turn over."
Sören got on his stomach. Dooku anointed his hands and began to rub Sören's back. Sören gave muffled moans into the pillow, and each moan made his cock twinge. Dooku couldn't resist kissing and nibbling Sören's nape, his shoulders, and then tracing the outline of the tattoos on Sören's back with his tongue, kissing and nuzzling the scars the phoenixes concealed. His fingers played over them lovingly, and he whispered against Sören's neck, "You are beautiful to me. All that you are is beautiful. The journey of your life is beautiful. The visions in your soul are beautiful."
He kissed Sören's nape again, pleased at the way Sören shuddered. He resumed kissing the phoenixes, rubbing Sören's shoulders, then kissing down Sören's spine, his hands kneading their way down. He spent a long time just rubbing Sören's shapely ass, itself a work of art. The puckered hole finally tempted him too long and he lowered his face to make love to Sören with his tongue as his hands rubbed and stroked Sören's thighs and calves. Sören whimpered into the pillow, trembling, panting; Dooku could feel Sören's pleasure across their Force bond and it made his cock ache even more. He ate Sören slowly at first, savoring him, then faster, until he felt Sören climax, letting out a strangled sob.
Dooku gently rolled Sören onto his back and looked at Sören's cock covered in cum, and the cum puddle on the sheets. "My, what a messy boy you are," he said.
He collected the cum onto his fingers and rubbed it onto Sören's nipples, and gave Sören the same teasing treatment Sören had given him, but for longer, making Sören hard again, arching to him, panting "Nico... Nico... fuck me..."
"Mmmmmmm." Dooku tugged on a nipple ring with his teeth, before giving the nipple slow strokes with his tongue. Licking around the nipple in slow, lazy circles, before suckling it hard. "What's the rush?"
Sören grabbed Dooku's cock - it was indeed very hard, and very slick with precum. Dooku laughed softly, batting Sören's hand away.
He worked oil over Sören's chest and stomach, and then caressed one thigh, one leg, then the other. He nibbled and kissed Sören's thighs and hips and stomach, before taking Sören into his mouth to suck slowly. He could feel Sören close to orgasm again - Sören was shaking now, panting, giving little whimpers. He teasingly massaged Sören's balls, and dipped a finger inside him, slowly working the prostate. Just before Sören could come, Dooku took out Sören's cock and just licked up and down the shaft, chased the precum dripping with his tongue, and finally kissed Sören with precum on his tongue, deeply, his fingers rubbing harder inside Sören's channel.
"Nico." Sören narrowed his eyes. "Fuck me now."
Dooku rolled his eyes with a sigh of mock exasperation. "Oh, if you insist."
"You keep this up and next year it won't be a potato in your shoe."
"Are we making threats now?" Dooku kissed the tip of Sören's nose with a small, predatory smile.
"We're making promises."
Dooku nipped Sören's lower lip, hard enough to draw blood, and tasted Sören's blood with a little groan as he pushed inside him. Sören's nails dug into Dooku's back, and Dooku kissed him hard before Sören could cry out. When he was all the way inside, he rested there, savoring the silken heat of his bondmate, gripping him like a vise.
Dooku started to thrust, slowly. He nuzzled and kissed Sören's neck. "So what will you put in my shoe instead of a potato?"
"Oh, there'll be a potato, it just won't go in your shoe."
At the scandalized look on Dooku's face, Sören laughed. He stopped laughing when Dooku bit his shoulder with a growl, and started punishing his ass, driving into him hard. Sören instinctively propped his legs up on Dooku's shoulders. "Yes, yes, yes, god yes," Sören whimpered.
Dooku covered Sören's mouth before it could become an issue down the hall. Then Sören sucked his fingers, and the innocent eroticism of the act made Dooku fuck him even harder, consumed by his lust. Dooku's free hand reached to stroke Sören's cock. Sören ran his hands over Dooku's chest, played with his nipples, making soft little whimpers around the fingers in his mouth. Sören's hips rocked back at him, matching thrust for thrust, fucking Dooku's cock just as much as Dooku was fucking his ass.
"You're a naughty brat," Dooku growled.
Sören nodded vehemently and gave another little whimper, sucking his fingers harder.
The primal, ball-slapping sex drove them to the edge right away, and their need to fuck, to mate, in heat for each other, kept them there, fighting to hold on till the last possible second, to feel that deliciousness again and again and again. At last Dooku's fingers left Sören's mouth, and he pinched Sören's nipple. "Come for me," he rasped.
Sören opened his mouth but no sound came out; he arched his back and cum sprayed all over Dooku's chest and stomach. The sight and feel of Sören's climax made him give in to his own, spending deep into Sören's ass, his orgasm perhaps even harder for the lack of crying out with his release.
Dooku sank down onto him and Sören wrapped his arms around him and they kissed and kissed and kissed. Dooku found he was still somewhat hard, and just from kissing, Sören was hard again - Dooku was almost envious of the younger man's reload time. "Do you want to go again?" Dooku asked.
Sören nodded vehemently, and kissed him hard.
Sören and Dooku rolled so that Dooku was on his back, and Sören astride him, Dooku still inside him. Sören began riding him, slowly, sensually. Dooku was fully erect again as well, lost in the beauty of Sören's body, the perfect fit of Sören wrapped around him, and the love he felt for his bondmate. His hands reached up to caress Sören the way Sören had caressed him the last round, paying special attention to Sören's sensitive nipples. Sören also worked his hands over Dooku's body, threading his fingers through the hair on Dooku's chest and arms and thighs.
After they had been going like that for a good while, lost in the haze of sensuality of their slow rhythm, Sören leaned down to kiss him, and then rose back up, smiling as he stroked Dooku's whiskers. "So sexy," Sören whispered. "I love how hairy you are. So male."
Dooku liked that Sören wasn't especially hairy, his skin like smooth marble. "You look like a sculpture from one of the old masters," he whispered back. "You are exquisite." Dooku took Sören's cock into his hand. "Though, you're a bit more well-endowed than those sculptures."
"That's not a complaint."
Dooku chuckled, stroking Sören's cock slowly. "Not at all."
"You like it?"
"Yes."
Sören's eyes met his. "I want to hear you say it."
Dooku swallowed hard. "I like your cock."
"Mmmmmm." Sören rewarded him with more nipple play, making him shiver. He worked his hips just a little harder and faster. "I like your cock. Not like, love. I love feeling your cock inside me."
"I love being inside you."
The heat in Sören's eyes again, the little growl. Dooku indulged him. "I love your arse."
"Do you? Just looking at it, or...?"
Dooku couldn't believe he was saying these things, but here he was, and he knew why Sören was prodding him like this, because after a lifetime of celibacy and being something of a prude, he loved this, loved the wanton, lewd, animal side of him that Sören brought out, it was thrilling to lose control and stop being so proper all the time. "I love fucking you."
"Yes, good." Sören leaned down to kiss him, and sped up the pace a little more.
Dooku gripped Sören's hips, kissing him back, matching Sören's rhythm with his thrusts. "You feel so good, and I love looking at your beautiful cock when I fuck you. I love it when you come all over me."
"Mmmmmmmm." Sören kissed him again. "I love making a mess all over you with my cum."
Dooku shuddered, wanting it, wanting this, this complete debauchery. "I want to make you come again. I want to fuck the cum out of you so fucking hard..."
Sören started riding him like he was riding a bull. Dooku loved it. He grabbed onto Sören and gave it to him hard. The sound of their flesh slapping together and the wet suctioning sound of their fuck was loud enough that unless their guests were asleep they could probably hear it and know what was going on, but they still tried to contain their moans. Gasping and panting was another story, and when they climaxed together, they gasped hard, shuddery sighs between deep, hungry kisses.
Sören curled up on him and Dooku held him, both of them finally spent.
"Thank you," Sören whispered when he could make words again.
"Thank you." Dooku stroked Sören's curls and kissed the top of his forehead.
They snuggled together for awhile, and Dooku said, "When we visited Iceland together and you showed me the Christmas House, and told me about how bad the holidays were for you growing up... I wanted to give you a better Christmas."
"You did." Sören smiled. "I don't know why either of us celebrate, considering we're not religious, but it's so deeply ingrained in our respective cultures, I guess." Sören nuzzled his beard. "Otherwise I'd call it something different, like, uh, Life Day."
"Life Day?" Dooku snorted. "What kind of holiday name is that?"
"Exactly."
"And then, what, the Life Day Cat can eat you for not getting a new item of clothing?"
Sören laughed. "Life Day Lads doesn't have the same ring to it, either."
"I still can't believe your brother's... clothing gift."
"He crocheted them himself. He knits and crochets as a hobby."
"Really." Dooku couldn't reconcile the mental image of an astrophysicist knitting, but he supposed there were weirder things in the universe.
"Mmmm. Though I might have made a suggestion or two. Otherwise you would have just gotten an ugly sweater."
"Brat."
"You love it."
Dooku kissed the tip of Sören's nose.
"But yes, I have had a happy Christmas so far," Sören said. "What would make next year's happier is if you go to Iceland with me for Christmas. OK?"
Dooku nodded. "All right."
"Good."
Sören fell asleep soon after, and Dooku lay there awake in the dark, realizing next Christmas he would be seventy years old, and Sören only thirty-four. Wondering how many Christmases he had left. Don't think about that now. Enjoy the moment. He studied the beauty of his sleeping bondmate in the firelight, and how soothing it was to be tangled together with him. At last, when he was relaxed again and content, he slept.
chapter 20 | return to Northern Lights | return to Other Tolkien Fic | return to index