Часть I. Sauces and Seasonings: Bearnaise Sauce, Bordelaise Sauce, Brown Sauce, Caper Butter, Chinese Brown SauceSauces and Seasonings: Herbs and Spices:
Frank hears the murmur of voices, feels his coffin lid being lifted, feels a hand pressing down against his chest, holding him there. "Don't get up," Pete says. "Here," and then a bag of blood is being pressed to his mouth. Frank drinks until he can just open his eyes, and then he struggles to sit up. "Not yet," Pete says, and Frank feels Pete's fingers explore the wound on his chest. Frank's still in incredible pain, but he has to know - he has to - "Gerard?" he gasps out. Pete pulls his hand away from Frank's chest. "Shhh," Pete says and then the coffin lid is being lowered over him again. Frank wakes up to the sound of nothing. It's dark, and he doesn't realize why until he reaches out and lifts the lid of his coffin. The candles are low in his room. No one's around. He finds he can sit up, but getting out of the coffin is another matter. He doesn't seem to have any strength, any coordination at all. He falls as soon as his feet hit the ground, sees the bloodstain on the carpet, and stays there, squeezing his eyes shut, trying not to panic. If he can just get downstairs, just see Gerard.... He keeps a good grip on the railing until the landing on the second floor, where he stumbles. He's expecting to fall all the way down, momentum carrying him bumping down all the steps but someone stops him. Frank gets wrenched up, held up against someone's side with an arm around his waist. "Easy there," Bob says. "No need to cause yourself further injury, you look bad enough as it is." "Thanks," Frank says. "I just needed to - Is Gerard - " "Downstairs," is all Bob says. Bob doesn't let go until Frank leans his weight against Bob and they walk down the stairs like that, Bob stopping when Frank fumbles a step. "That was some fancy life-saving you did," Bob says once they reach the first floor landing. "I - " Frank says and then he stops. "Yeah, I guess." "Brave," Bob says, though Frank doesn't respond, because he sees Gerard, head propped up against pillows, covered in a blanket on the chair. Frank twists away from Bob's support, runs for him, forgetting he can barely stand on his own. Someone else stops him from falling just a few feet away from Gerard - Inspector Toro hauls Frank up and sets him down in the chair. "Take it easy," Inspector Toro says. Gerard stirs awake. "Frankie," he says weakly, though his smile is huge. Relief floods through Frank and he smiles back, their eyes locked. "How's Schechter?" Inspector Toro asks as though continuing a conversation that Frank has interrupted. It's so familiar that Frank wants to laugh, but only manages a weak rasp. "Pissed off that he's going to be walking with crutches for the next few weeks," Gerard says. "He's also talking about taking on an apprentice. He's been grumbling since it all went down that he should have better control over his magic and he thinks teaching someone else will help." "Never thought I'd see the day," Frank says. "The reluctant sorcerer embraces his destiny." "I fucking heard that," Schechter's voice echoes through the house. Mikey appears with a tray of coffee. Frank tries to stand up but Inspector Toro shoves him back down, and Mikey just gives him a look. "I'm training to be a valet," Mikey says with such a straight face that Frank might believe him if it wasn't for the smirk that comes a minute later. "How do you take your coffee, sir?" Mikey asks. "Victoria said no caffeine yet," Bob interrupts. "It's decaf," Mikey whispers, and Frank hears but Gerard doesn't seem to. He takes a sip and instantly looks more refreshed. Bob and Ray take their seats and so does Mikey, until they're sitting in a circle, like a gentlemen's club, drinking their coffee like they did this every day. "What happened to Ryan?" Frank asks into the silence. Bob and Ray exchange a look and then Gerard says, "It's ok, Bob, he's not going to report any of this to the daylighters." "As far as they're concerned, this while was a stunt Pete pulled before unveiling the new Clan code addendum about post-death legalities." "And Ryan – " Frank asks. Bob takes a moment to consider, looking at Ray carefully before he turns to Frank and says, "Brendon's taken him. They're going into seclusion." "They?" Frank says. "Brendon, and Spencer, and Jon and Ryan. Ryan's gotten very lost. They have some things to work out." "I expect they do," Gerard says quietly. "I trust Brendon," Bob says, "And Pete's going to look in on them." At Frank's skeptical look, Bob says, "Pete knows what he's doing. The kid successfully faked his own death just to see what Ryan would do." "And he feels responsible," Mikey adds. "Is he here?" Frank asks. "I thought he came in and fed me - " "Yeah," Mikey says. "He's sleeping." "In your bed?" Gerard asks with his eyebrows raised. Bob coughs. "So," Inspector Toro says, breaking the silence. "I'm going to go get working on my report of Pete's 'stunt.'" It's been a pleasure working with you," he says to Gerard, and they shake. "All of you," Ray says, shaking Bob's hand last. "I hope to do it again soon," Inspector Toro says, "though with less mortal peril next time." Gerard laughs until it turns into harsh, rasping coughs, and Mikey tries to give him water, which he waves off. "You should both be sleeping," Mikey says. "I want to go to the greenhouse," Gerard coughs. "It's the full moon tonight and the Wolfsheart only blooms – " "Fine," Mikey says, though his expression is tender. "Bob can take you and I'll bring Frank up - " "No, I want to show Frank," he says, and Frank feels Gerard's eyes on him. He looks up into Gerard's face and nods. "We need to talk some things out."
It's awkward in the greenhouse, because Frank notices the first place Gerard looks is the same place he's looking, at the table where they were so recently acting in a manner not appropriate for a master and valet. Frank watches Gerard, and wonders if he's remembering it the way Frank is, wonders if he regrets it, if he's embarrassed, if Frank's about to be on the receiving end of an apology or a dismissal. "It's beautiful out here," Frank says. The full moon's light is making the plants sparkle, the Wolfsheart blooms luminescent. "So – " Gerard starts and then stops. "I'm assuming that you're going to tell me you're quitting?" "That was – not what I was going to say," Frank says, startled. "Oh," Gerard says. They both look at the table. "So, we should probably - " "Tell me about Brendon," Frank says quickly, trying to stop whatever is coming out of Gerard's mouth, "After – the thing happened, with Ryan." Gerard's eyes flash over to Frank, and Gerard looks sad. "The Clan office he went to called me. Once we knew he couldn't separate himself from Jon, we had to – adjust him to the midnighter community. I mean, not that he didn't know a little bit about things, he was dating a vampire, but it's a remarkably unusual case to have a daylighter bound to a demon and survive. Ryan was frighteningly strong with the magic, and - I don't think he had any idea that Ryan was really capable of something like that. I'm not even sure Ryan thought he was really capable of it." "So, Jon's never been a house spirit," Frank says. "Demon binding is permanent, as far as anyone knows, and Brendon had to find a way to pass Jon off as something more socially acceptable. Brendon's done an amazing job of moving on with his life, but sometimes when I look at him, and I think about what he had done to him – It's not the worst of any of the things I've ever investigated, but it's -" "You worry about Mikey?" "Yeah," Gerard says softly. "Though also just because I'm his brother. I worry about all of us. I know we're all supposed to trust each other, in this community, this place Pete's built for all of us, but - " "It's all right," Frank says quietly. "It's not, though!" Gerard says. "I knew it had to be a secret, and if I'd told you, if I'd let anything slip, you could have gotten hurt - and then you went and jumped in front of an arrow!" Another coughing fit stops Gerard from continuing for a moment. Frank tries to speak but Gerard just holds up his hand for Frank to wait. "And we hadn't even talked about what happened here," Gerard says, and they both look at the table again. Gerard reaches to pick up a broken piece of a terra cotta planter that was a victim in their earlier activities. "There's nothing to talk about," Frank says. Bizarrely and much to Frank's disappointment, there's nothing at all in the Valet's Guide about sleeping with your boss, especially not about what to do when it was in such seemingly accidental and confusing circumstances. But Frank knows if there was, it would advise him to let the subject drop at the earliest opportunity. "Frankie," Gerard says, and he's suddenly up close, his hands cupping Frank's face. "This wasn't really the way I wanted you to find out." "About Pete?" Frank asks. "About how you've become – about how you're -" Gerard can't seem to finish the sentiment. "I thought maybe - " Frank says, but Gerard interrupts him. "Whatever you thought," Gerard says. "It wasn't – it's not – you have no idea - " Gerard leans forward and kisses him, insistent at first, and then gentle and slow. Frank can't find the words to protest the inappropriateness, or how he can't ask this of Gerard, his master, and so he kisses back, his apprehension meaningless compared to the movement of Gerard's mouth against his. Suddenly, Frank's hit by the stark, plain realization that Gerard could have died trying to save him. He pulls back with a gasp. "The Trading. You shouldn't have," Frank says. "There's a reason it's illegal. And using it on your valet, the most ridiculous - " "That's what I'm trying to tell you. You're not just my valet," Gerard says, his forehead practically pressed against Frank's. "The Trading could have killed you." Frank can't take his eyes from Gerard's face. "But it didn't," Gerard says. "It saved you," he says, like its all that matters. A werewolf howls. "Show off," Gerard says, and Frank laughs. "So," Gerard says. "So," Frank says. "That's quite a few secrets you've been keeping." Gerard shrugs, but then he says, very seriously, "Yes." "So, is there anything else you are not telling me?" Frank says, and he means it to be a joke, but Gerard just stares at him, eyes shifty, and frowns. Notes: Fanart: In the greenhouse by Lilith Fanmixes: The Art of Service by spuzz Podfic: Series this work belongs to:
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Часть I
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