Leo yawned as he settled into the front passenger seat of Klaus' sleek black car, taking full advantage of the cushioned leather headrest at once. He hadn't even realized just how heavy his own skull had seemed to grow over the last few hours of the day, and it was a relief to give his neck a break. Leo was also thankful that Klaus was driving, so he didn't have to ride his scooter while trying to stay awake and avoid being steamrolled by traffic, like so many other treks home after a hard day.

Though, Leo's definition of 'home' was somewhat skewed recently. He had been staying over at Klaus' almost exclusively for the last five months, and more of his personal possessions were there now than his own apartment. It had happened gradually rather than either of them directly bringing up the option of moving in together. Leo had simply begun spending the night, repeatedly, as their passions made time apart difficult. He and Klaus would more often than naught drive to Klaus' modest brick house after work, spend the night, and then drive right back to the office in the morning. As they predicted the overnight stays, Leo had begun bringing some of his things over, and Klaus had let him toss them into the spare guestroom that was never used anyway.

Most all of the time they spent in the old brick house was either in Klaus' master bedroom, or on the living room sofa in front of the flat screen. It was a new experience for Leo, being so intimate with someone in so many ways. Leo had never really shared space with someone to the degree he had with Klaus; brushing their teeth together before bed, eating breakfast together, even bathing together several times. Despite how much they cared for each other and enjoyed each other's company, there had been an adjustment when it came to being in the same space for so long.

Once they found a comfort level with each other, it began to feel like they'd always been coexisting like this. Where they could be tired, angry, or frustrated when they got home, without having to pretend that they weren't. Where they could share wonderful pleasures together in their bed, but still groan when the alarm forced them out of it each morning. It was so different than what Leo had envisioned when he'd thought about being with someone, let alone Klaus Von Reinherz. He had thought it would be rosier in some areas and gritter in others, but had found that reality was still more than he'd even hoped for. He loved Klaus. And he wanted nothing more than to stay with him for the rest of his life. Whether Klaus felt the same dedication, Leo didn't know, but that didn't change his own feelings. He had held himself back from declaring his love just yet, but in his heart, he felt that it was impossible for Klaus to misunderstand him.

The other man knew, he must, but he was waiting for Leo to say the words.

"Am I glad today is over." Leo said wearily, flexing his fingers and toes as he stretched.

Klaus lowered his huge body into the driver's seat and the entire frame of the vehicle seemed to sink a few inches, but not a creak was heard from the sturdy material.

"As am I." Klaus agreed, pulling his custom-length seatbelt across himself and buckling it.

Leo followed suit, knowing he'd hear no end of it if he didn't. He should've guessed that Klaus was just as safety-conscious within and outside of their work. He'd fussed about Leo forgetting to buckle his seatbelt enough when they first began riding together that the young man didn't bother being stubborn about it anymore. Even the very real argument that any accident they might encounter would only result in Klaus bailing them both out safely regardless wasn't worth it, especially when Klaus would stare him down with those green eyes. They had both been in life-threatening danger enough for little things like seatbelts to almost seem a nonissue, but Leo didn't want to upset his lover, let alone over something so insignificant.

With both of them secure, Klaus started the car, pulling out onto the street and joining the flow of traffic. Leo slowly reclined his seat, and even turned over onto his side beneath the seatbelt, curling an arm under his head. He heard Klaus' disapproving sigh, and knew the man wanted to tell him to sit upright, but he stayed silent, allowing Leo to stay where he was.

Another yawn escaped him and he made a complaining moan of a sound.

"How can I be so tired when nothing even happened all day?" Leo asked breathily.

The bigger man made a knowing hum, and reached over without looking to stroke Leo's leg comfortingly. Warmth spread from his touch and made Leo smile to himself.

"Sometimes an uneventful day can be more tiring than a busy one, just due to the sheer tedium." Klaus observed, patting Leo's knee before returning both hands to the steering wheel.

"Yeah," Leo assessed dully, "we're either fighting for our lives, or bored out of our skulls. Ironic."

"Every one of us has a way of entertaining ourselves when it gets too slow around the office." Klaus pointed out. "You and Zapp play those hand-held games of yours, right? Steven reads…I'm not sure what Chain does since she's invisible most of the time, and I always have a never-ending supply of Prosfair challengers online."

"I know." Leo chuckled, speaking in a teasing tone. "You're playing Prosfair even when we do have major cases on our hands. You block out everyone and everything when you're in the middle of a game; you might have an addiction, Klaus."

The big man gave a snort, accelerating to pass a slow-moving car in front of them.

"Nonsense." He retorted. "Constant practice ensures better chances of victory, and improves my mental ability for strategy."

"Then why do you suck at every other video game?" Demanded Leo casually, to which Klaus didn't answer right away.

Klaus had played with both Leo and Zapp multiple times, both on handheld consoles and Leo's new, full-on gaming station. He hadn't ever grown beyond novice level, nor did he show any signs of improvement.

"You can't get the hang of any kind of virtual combat beyond Prosfair! At least you make up for it by being such a badass in real life."

Leo glanced up to see how Klaus was reacting to his playful ribbing, and was pleased to see a resigned smile at the corner of his mouth. That gave him permission to go on,

"Though, I guess every badass has to have a vanilla hobby. No one would believe how ruthless you can be in the field if all they saw was you watering your plants every day like an old woman."

A small, critical grunt came from Klaus' fanged lips, and he shook his head.

"Plenty of people, men and women alike, enjoy the pleasures of gardening and caring for growing things, Leonardo. It is not simply the province of old women, and I feel you're above that backwards assumption."

Leo rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Klaus, can't I poke fun at you without you going all 'progressive-thinking-advocate' on me? I'm your boyfriend, you know I'm not out to degrade anyone! I didn't expect you, of all people, to be so sensitive about…"

The young man's rant trailed off as he realized that Klaus was grinning even wider upon hearing his reaction. His face dropped into a blank stare.

"You're having a laugh at me, aren't you?"

"A very good one, too." Klaus confirmed, proving it with a chortle.

The smaller man let out a sigh, and dramatically turned over in his seat to face away from Klaus. This only made the larger man laugh harder, but Leo kept his back to him regardless.

"You shouldn't be laughing, mister," Leo grumbled, "I'm a little upset with you already, I'll have you know."

"What? Why is that?" Klaus asked, sounding suddenly skeptical but still a bit worried. "Did I do something to upset you?"

"It's more about what you didn't do." Leo huffed. "Are you really telling me you have no idea what I'm talking about?"

He could practically hear the frown on Klaus' face.

"I can't say that I do, Leonardo. I'm sorry. Enlighten me?"

Leo gave a massively tiresome sigh and rolled back over to pin Klaus with an accusatory glare. In response, the other man lifted his eyebrows innocently.

"We had the perfect opportunity to fool around earlier." Leo said, flatly. Klaus' face was perplexed.

"We did?"

"Yes! And you just blew me off."

"I did?"

Leo made a frustrated sound and rubbed his eyelids with his fingertips. His tone came out weary and mildly infuriated. One of the unexpected parts of being in a romantic relationship that he hadn't counted on, was communication about when and where they wanted to take a roll in the hay. It was oddly more complicated at times than he'd thought it would be.

"Uuuug! Are you serious?"

"I feel as though I've missed something here."

The honest confusion in his lover's voice managed to soften Leo as well as fuel his exasperation.

"Klaus, it was quiet, uneventful, and there was no one else in the office for a change! You were in the back room of the greenhouse, the most secluded place in the whole building. Zed wasn't even there in his tank. Why do you think that I came back there to see you?"

Klaus shrugged.

"I assumed you wanted company."

Leo didn't respond right away, trying to tell himself that it wasn't worth getting angry about. He couldn't keep his thoughts inside for long, though, and finally muttered,

"I did. But not the platonic kind."

Leo could hear the puzzle pieces falling together in Klaus' brain. His lips parted in realization, and he took a short breath before his mouth slowly closed once more.

"Oh." Was all he said at first, and a moment of silence followed before he spoke again. "So... Did you really want to have relations there?"

"Kinda, yeah!" Leo huffed out, unable to hold in his frustration.

"Is that truly a wise idea?" The bigger man asked slowly. "I know that our first tryst was at the office, but there were extenuating circumstances then. Do you really want to purposefully conduct ourselves so unprofessionally?"

"I don't know," Leo's tone was annoyed, "it's just that I was so bored, and wanted you so much, and... if ever we were going to be able to do it there, today would've been ideal. When's the next time we're going to be entirely alone at the office again? I just wanted to be a little adventurous while we had the chance."

Klaus looked as though he was thick enough to still be working through the apparently simple concept, to Leo's chagrin. He was frowning and tilted his head to the side, thinking.

"And…you thought the greenhouse was the best option?" Klaus finally asked.

Leo took a deep breath to keep from snapping at his lover. There really was no reason to do so; Leo was the one who had the expectations, and that wasn't Klaus' fault. So he calmed down and answered straightforwardly,

"You have to admit that it's the most romantic area of the office, not to mention all those plants are so dear to your heart, I thought you might think it was sexy."

Klaus continued pondering silently after that, until Leo began to grow nervous, suspecting maybe his lover was upset or hurt. Just as he opened his mouth to question him, Klaus said,

"I can't deny, in retrospect, that it does sound pleasant."

Leo's face lit up with relief and happiness.

"Right?" He asked eagerly. "You love those plants so much, and I'm your boyfriend, so it makes sense that having both together would make you happy."

That faraway look of deep contemplation came over Klaus' face again. Leo could tell he'd lit a spark of inspiration in his partner, and hoped that it would lead to eventually doing just what he wanted.

"Is it a fantasy of yours to make love in the greenhouse?"

The question, put to him in such a blunt, Klaus-like fashion gave Leo a bit of a shock. He answered far too quickly,

"Oh, well, um…I wouldn't call it a fantasy, really…just…thought it would be nice, you know."

Klaus pressed further, sounding intrigued,

"Have you often thought about it?"

"Maybe, a time or two." Leo admitted. "It's just an exciting thought. To be tucked away in the corner of the greenhouse, all warm and cozy with you, getting felt up and kissing you while the plants hide us from everyone else...Just…ok, maybe it is a fantasy."

A hum left Klaus, and he dropped one hand from the steering wheel to gently lace his huge fingers with Leo's smaller, slender ones. It was such a simple gesture, so sweet and endearing, but it spoke volumes. Klaus' language was a very physical one, despite being so well-spoken, he would often times communicate through gesture or touch over words.

"Tell me more about it." Klaus said softly. Leo blinked in surprise.

"Huh?"

"Tell me what specifically appeals to you about the idea." That deep voice was tinged with evil. "Don't be vague with the details. I wish to hear them."

Leo's heart thumped fiercely in his chest, and he swallowed. His voice came out suspicious and shy,

"Are you gonna get some kind of thrill out of hearing me describe it?"

A deceptively innocent smile touched Klaus' lips, and he gave a single nod. That somehow set Leo's blood hotter, and he cleared his throat a few times, trying to get comfortable with the idea of explaining his fantasy.

"I've thought that, um…well, there's that wooden frame in the very back, right? With vines growing on it?"

"The ivy trellis." Klaus clarified for him.

"Yeah, well, I kinda think it would be hot if…you picked me up and pressed me back against it. Ivy is pretty hearty, right? I wouldn't damage it or crush it to death. So…yeah, it might even be nice if you tugged up my shirt to play with my body, and then the leaves would brush against my skin."

"Do you think that would feel nice?" Klaus asked casually, possibly trying to put Leo even more at ease so that he would answer. It worked.

"Maybe. They're sorta smooth and waxy, so…they probably would. The leaves might tickle a little bit if they brushed over enough of my skin."

Klaus made a small grunting sound.

"That is a fetching image."

"Really?" Leo asked, staggered by Klaus' sudden interest in his odd little daydream.

"Definitely. Those dark green leaves would look beautiful against your pale skin."

Leo felt heat rise to his face. His mind instantly went down an avenue that he couldn't deny it was somewhat familiar with, and old insecurities with it.

"It's…not weird to kind of…fetishize a plant, is it?" He asked, surprised, as he'd never thought he'd discuss this kind of thing with anyone, "I mean, in this instance isn't that basically what we're doing?"

Klaus shook his head almost at once, shaking off the looming discomfort like water off oil.

"If it aids in the enjoyment between partners, I see no problem fetishizing anything as long as it doesn't interfere with, or dominate the relationship."

"You're surprisingly open-minded." Leo noted. "I don't know why I thought you wouldn't be."

"I suppose we have been fairly benign in the bedroom, haven't we?" Klaus noted, but before Leo could answer, he went on, "But now…you've given me an idea."

"Oh dear." Leo chuckled. "Care to share?"

A coy look came into Klaus' face, and one corner of his mouth lifted in a mischievous grin. Something about that made Leo simultaneously nervous and excited.

"I don't think so, not just yet."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Leo demanded, now more eager than ever to know what was going on inside Klaus' head. The man kept his devious smile firmly in place as he answered,

"That I need some time to mull this over. Then, I promise, I'll share my thoughts."

Bemused, Leo rested his head back into the seat cushion and sighed. Klaus was nothing if not loyal with everything from his friend's secrets to his own. There would be no squeezing any information out of him that he wished to keep to himself.

"I'm too tired to argue with you." Leo admitted wearily. "But you'd better make good on that promise."

"I will, don't worry. You have only yourself to blame for this, though, Leonardo. Just remember that."

A shiver of anticipation and excitement ran through Leo's body. He threw up his free hand and shook his head.

"Great. Bad enough you're keeping a secret from me, now you're teasing me with it and I don't even know what it is! You're the worst today!"

Libra's chief laughed again, and rocked their interlocked hands side to side between them.

"I'll make it up to you. Just wait until we get home."

Leo made a small, needy sound that he knew pushed Klaus' buttons; a light sighing croon, all breathy and soft.

"You gonna give me some attention today, then?"

"Absolutely." That voice was like honey sweetly running over him, calming his nerves.

Leo smiled contentedly, and welcomed the comfortable silence that fell for the rest of the drive home. Klaus was always better than his word. Today would be no exception.

))(((

As maddeningly curious as Leo was, Klaus kept his secret closely for the next few weeks. Over time, he'd nearly forgotten about the unspoken promise for future adventures. Every so often Leo's mind would return to that talk in the car, and he'd ponder what Klaus could've been thinking, but every time he was met with the same dead-end. There was nothing to be done but to wait for Klaus to tell him.

It was nearly a month after their initial conversation when fate threw Leo a bone and he was able to go home early from work. He'd ridden his motor scooter rather than letting Klaus drive him, since it was one of his part-time days, and Leo decided to go back to the house rather than to the office. This was a bit of a departure from habit, but Leo felt he could be forgiven for wanting some quiet time with no threat of Zapp barging in to give him trouble.

Klaus had given him a key shortly after he'd begun staying over, so Leo walked right up to the front door, unlocked it, and went in. He was surprised by the sight of Klaus, halfway up the open staircase in the foyer, a giant wooden box in his arms.

"Hey, Klaus, I'm home!" He called, as he locked the front door back up. The larger man started a bit at Leo's voice, and the wooden box shuddered slightly in his grip as he turned around on the stairs. He relaxed a second later, smiling down at Leo.

"Oh, hello Leo, I thought you worked until five today."

The younger man gave a long bodily stretch, reaching his arms up above his head and groaning.

"The fuse box got blown up." Leo explained nonchalantly. "So the restaurant's closed for a few days. What's that you're trying to sneak in here?"

Klaus' cheeks colored a little, and Leo thought he looked adorable like that. There was as second's hesitation, where Klaus perhaps considered telling him a white lie, but ended up answering honestly,

"A surprise."

Leo's curiosity was piqued, and he cocked his head, fighting the temptation to open his eyes and look straight through the wood of the box to see the inner contents.

"Oh, really? What's the occasion?"

Klaus shrugged as best as he could with his arms holding something so evidently heavy.

"There isn't one."

"When do I get to open it?" Leo asked eagerly, coming to the foot of the steps and placing a hand on the railing. He tried to look up at Klaus with puppy dog eyes, blue light glowing around his cheeks as he begged with them.

Klaus looked hesitant at first, but then seemed to soften.

"Tell you what; why don't you shower and rest up first? You just got home."

Leo could take a hint, and he went to do just that in his spare room.

Whatever Klaus was up too, he obviously wanted space to set it up. Giving his partner what he needed, Leo took a hot shower, dressed in a comfy shirt and briefs, and even laid down on his bed for a while, playing on his phone when he wasn't resting his eyes. He'd nearly begun to nod off when a soft knock came at his door. He mumbled an unintelligible noise that was permission enough for Klaus to come in. The big man barely made a sound beyond the movement of his clothing as he entered, and sat on the bed. He smiled down at Leo, where he was sprawled on his stomach with one knee hiked out to the side. He laid a big hand in the center of Leo's back, rubbing gently.

"Are you spent for the day?" He asked. Leo shook his head and rolled his shoulders.

"I'm fine, just resting. It's nice to have time to lay around."

He shifted lazily to his side, curling his body around Klaus' waist and nuzzling against the muscled thigh. A large hand began making passes up and down the length of his spine.

"How would you like to do that in my room instead?" Klaus asked.

The words, and the way Klaus cupped the width of his shoulders with one hand, made Leo shiver.

"Alright, I could do that."

As Leo sat up, meaning to stand, Klaus scooped him up into his arms without warning. Leo gave a cry of surprise, but it quickly changed to laughter when Klaus pinched his ass a second later.

"You need to tell me before you do that, idiot!"

"Don't have to," Klaus responded confidently, "because you always love it."

Leo went dramatically limp in Klaus' hold, as though he'd been stricken dead, and the man had to lift him up a little higher to compensate for the lack of rigidity in Leo's body.

"Drama queen." Klaus accused fondly, promptly propping Leo over his shoulder like a flour sack.

"Hey!" Leo chided, stiffening back up at the treatment.

"Proving me right?" Klaus asked, to which Leo folded his arms against that broad shoulder and pouted all the way to their bedroom. Once there, Klaus sat down on the bed and pulled Leo from his shoulder to hold on his lap.

This was the bed that they generally shared, a large double-king that wasn't even the biggest size to be found in Helsalems Lot due to its' innumerous inhabitants. Klaus needed a larger than average bed regardless, and Leo couldn't deny that he enjoyed the expanse of mattress swallowing him up every night.

The room was dim, Klaus having drawn the curtains over the windows. The ambient light from outside was still strong enough to illuminate the room without needing lights to see by. It gave everything a comfy and intimate feel, the way a bedroom always felt at an hour of the day where people generally didn't use it.

Leo immediately noticed something standing at the foot of the bed, nearly as tall as he was, and covered in a black sheet. There had been an old chest there before, but it was now pushed up against a free wall. Klaus must have moved it to make way for whatever was hidden beneath that sheet.

"Did you get us a new room fixture or something?" Leo asked, trying and failing to decide what the shapeless mass was with his naked eyes.

"That depends on whether or not you end up liking it."

There was a wariness in Klaus' tone that Leo found simultaneously adorable and nerve-wracking. For all the confidence that Klaus gained being Leo's lover for this long, there were still times when he could be shy or unsure. Leo was reassured knowing that he wasn't alone in that aspect. So he didn't push for additional details when Klaus didn't instantly give them, but sat quiet and patient in his lap, waiting. A few seconds later, Klaus actually bounced his knee absent-mindedly, but made Leo feel like a toddler in the process, so he scoffed and slapped the other man's shoulder.

"I'm twenty-one, cut that out!" He laughed, and the big man smiled apologetically at him.

"I'm sorry, I just feel a bit anxious."

"I'd say you should know better by now," Leo teased, "but that would be the pot calling the kettle black."

Klaus leaned down to kiss his cheek in a wordless thanks for the understanding.

"Well, I don't think you've quite had to ask me anything like what I need to ask you right now. Do you remember the conversation we had a few weeks back about making love in the office greenhouse?"

Leo nodded vigorously.

"Are you kidding me? It's been driving me up the wall trying to figure out what spark of inspiration was lit in your brain from that talk!"

Klaus gave a sly grin and hugged Leo closer.

"I've been tight-lipped about it, since I didn't know if I could pull it off. But patience is a virtue, and now I have what I wanted for us."

"Going to end this cryptic language anytime soon?" Leo asked, glancing at the mysterious covered item a few feet away.

"Shortly. I need to preface the reveal first; when you said what you did about the ivy leaves feeling nice against your skin, it made me remember something I'd read about in one of the Alterworld Botanicals handbooks I have."

Suspicious now, Leo narrowed his gaze.

"So you bought a plant for me?"

"Yes. A very unique plant. Technically, it's more synthetic than organic. It's been artificially engineered from its' natural state to the point where the resulting breed can only be sustained in a highly cultivated environment."

"Uh-huh…" Leo responded, feeling his mind rattling the jumble of words Klaus had just thrown at him into the right definition files.

"Would you like to see it?"

"At this point," Leo chuckled, "I'd storm out if you didn't show it to me."

Klaus eased Leo from his lap so he could stand and go to the supposed plant. He took hold of the black sheet, and lifted it away without flourish or drama.

What was revealed was an enormous plant. It resembled a gigantic flower bud more than anything else. It was wider and rounder at the base, where it disappeared into a sturdy-looking steel pot, and it narrowed to a blunt point at the top. Leo's brows rose, impressed. It was bigger than two of him put together, and was lined top to bottom with symmetrical bumps that appeared to be branches or vines, tightly coiled against the body. The most striking feature was the coloring; a beautiful lavender at its' core that shifted into an aqua blue at the coils. The entire plant appeared to be translucent despite its' color, and Leo could see the rest of the room and floor through it.

"It's pretty." Leo commented. "But I'm confused. Do I have to take care of it now? Did you want me to have a plant of my own?"

"No, not exactly." The big man looked like he was fighting the urge not to twiddle his thumbs nervously. Instead, he beckoned for Leo to come to him. Leo slid off the mattress and went to Klaus, letting himself be enfolded in huge arms and pulled back against the massive body. He was then turned to face the mystery plant more directly.

"Take a closer look."

Leo leaned into Klaus' embrace, and opened his eyes completely. Blue light pooled around his cheeks as he scanned the structure of the plant. Stats and information flooded his mind instantly, and Leo's mouth slowly fell open as he took it all in. Everything clicked into place with a snap that made his heartrate jolt up and his blood start burning in his veins.

"O-oh…" He stuttered at last, closing his divine vision off again. "Well…I feel stupid now. It's all been very obvious, hasn't it?"

Klaus made a low grunting sound that indicated nothing one way or another. Since he didn't offer up any words, Leo continued speaking instead.

"So, um…is this…a fetish you have, that you just haven't told me about?"

A deep chuckle vibrated Klaus' chest at the back of Leo's head, the sound still unable to mask the man's uncertainty.

"No, I've never fetishized plant life before. Of course, I knew that some people do, but it had never sounded appealing to me beyond the realm of reactionary curiosity. That is…until you inadvertently put the idea into my head."

"When I talked about the ivy." Leo realized aloud.

"Yes. Ever since then, I haven't been able to get the image out of my head: you, covered in smooth vines."

Leo took a measured breath as he was unexpectedly hit with a spike of arousal too at the notion.

"Tentacles, you mean." He bravely said. "It's ok to say tentacles, Klaus. That fetish existed a long time before the Great Collapse brought many people's dreams into reality with real tentacled beings. There's nothing wrong with that."

Large hands kneaded Leo's shoulders. He hadn't felt cold before, but the heat of Klaus' touch made him shiver.

"I would go a step further in defining it as plant tentacles specifically." Klaus softly corrected. "Does the idea disturb you?"

"Not really," Answered Leo, as honestly as he could, "but…isn't this a bit like, cheating?"

"It's not a sentient being, Leonardo. You must've seen that. I told you it's more man-made than natural. It's essentially an elaborate adult toy."

"I guess we've used those before." Leo rationalized. "And this feels kind of fitting for you, like I thought before; mixing plants and sex…I'm kind of curious myself…"

Leo could feel the heat that rose from Klaus when he said that, blazing along the length of his own back.

"You know I'd never push you to do anything you're not comfortable with, Leo. If you'd rather not, I won't make you."

The younger man almost laughed at his partner. He could feel the hardening of that member against his lower back, knew that Klaus was becoming aroused just by their conversation and the possibility of where it could take them. As if he could turn away an opportunity like this. Though, he waited a few seconds longer than necessary out of the wicked intent to make Klaus more eager.

"I saw what it was for when I scanned it, but…how do we use it, exactly?"

He felt a strong twitch against his lower back, and grinned at the reaction. Klaus slid his hands down over Leo's chest, lightly stroking him through his shirt as he spoke. His clinical explanation was tinged with a slight tremble of need in his deep voice, and Leo's ears lapped it up with pleasure.

"The assigned name of this botanical is a Veln. It is activated by the saliva of whoever wishes to use it. It can accommodate more than one person, and there's even a special feature concerning couples' use, but I'll get to that later because…I'd like you to use it alone first…if that's ok..?"

"S-sure…if that's what you want."

Leo's own response came out shaky. His body began tingling with anticipation and gooseflesh as Klaus pawed at him, heat seeping from his massive palms into Leo's chest. The man's sideburns brushed against Leo's cheek as Klaus leaned down to kiss it.

"I'm sure it will feel amazing, Leo. I've heard that it's an incredibly pleasurable experience, and I've been waiting to see you have it…I've been thinking about it…you, wearing nothing but writhing vines."

Klaus was so enthusiastic that the mere mention of his mental picture drove him to groan and latch his mouth to the side of Leo's neck. One hand lowered to cup Leo's ass roughly through his thin boxers, rubbing heat into it. Leo's body was reacting both to Klaus' touch and the ideas he was putting into his head. He was warming to Klaus' erotic vision, that had begun as Leo's own all those weeks ago.

Klaus growled like he did when he was really excited, and surprised Leo by scooping him upright and clamping him across his massive chest, leaving his feet dangling. The smaller man gave a pleased laugh. Klaus knew how much he loved these displays of strength.

"Alright, alright," Leo chuckled, a little breathless, "you don't need to convince me any further. I'm ready. How do I, uh, get it started?"

With two long strides, Klaus brought Leo up beside the Veln, and lowered him onto his feet delicately, still holding him.

"If you don't want to actually put your mouth on it, you can lick your finger and press it against the skin. Although, I assure you that it is sanitary. But it's up to you."

Leo felt another brief wicked urge rise inside of him, and he made a deliberate show of wetting his lips, bending over, and running his tongue firmly along one of the large translucent-blue coils against the Veln's side. Klaus gave a welcome sound of approval.

"Is that enough?" Leo asked, when nothing immediately happened. He didn't know what he'd expected, but the Veln remained still and harmless-looking.

"Should be." Klaus answered. "I never knew you'd be so…immediately tempting about it. Give it a minute to process your DNA signature."

A bark of unintentional laughter left Leo at those words.

"You make it sound like some kind of super computer rather than a sex toy, Klaus!"

The big man hooked at arm under Leo's waist and picked him up easily, as he tended to do when he was in a playful mood, and half-tossed him onto the mattress.

"I told you it was a semi-synthetic botanical, engineered by scientists." He said in his best attempt to sound sarcastic. It still came out like a lecture.

"Can it tell what I'm allergic to as well?" Leo teased, kicking his feet over the side of the bed. "Maybe list the number of injuries I've had since coming to this city? Or how about-."

Klaus cut off his jokes by tackling him, pinning him to the mattress, and kissing him. Leo's laughter bubbled between their mouths for a second or two before he relaxed into the kiss, allowing himself to enjoy the smooth slide of Klaus' lips, and the harmless brush of his blunt fangs. It didn't last long, but it calmed him into stillness, and Klaus pulled back shortly after.

"Sit right in the middle of the bed." Klaus instructed, shuffling to perch on the side.

"You're just going to enjoy watching all this, aren't you?" Leo asked with a smirk, his blue eyes only flicking open to meet Klaus' for a flash as he obeyed.

"Every second." Klaus confirmed with a low chuckle. "Take off your shirt."

Leo stripped it off and threw it aside at once.

"What about the rest?" He asked, pointing down at his black briefs.

Klaus shook his head.

"Leave them for now."

"Ok."

With that, they both fixed their eyes on the lovely lavender and aqua Veln, which sat still and mindless for a few more long seconds. Leo supposed that it would take even a bioengineered plant a little while to read something as complex as a DNA signature.

Then, slowly, as though waking from sleep, the mounds all along the sides of the Veln began to move. They neatly uncoiled into extremely long tentacle-like vines, all of which were the same beautiful blue as the trunk, but translucent as well. There were eight, in all. They unfurled and began to wave lazily in the air, in all directions, spreading out almost wall-to-wall, seeming to flex and shrink slightly in size as they did.

"Oh wow…" Leo said with a slight gulp. "It's uh…they're…a lot bigger than I thought…"

"I cannot stress enough, Leonardo," Klaus assured him, "that it's not dangerous in any way."

Leo could sense the underlying tension in his lover, the fear that some mishap would convince Leo to put and end to this fantasy-come-to-life. It was comforting to know that Klaus was being just as protective and considerate as usual, but Leo was completely on board and not about to back out.

"I'm not frightened, just surprised. Those tentacles were all coiled up so tight I had no idea how long they were."

Klaus relaxed a little, and leaned toward him on the mattress, his voice low and suggestive,

"They're strong too; could lift you right up into the air if that's what you wanted. But we'll get to that another time, perhaps."

Leo could not decide if he thought that scenario would be erotic or terrifying, but logged it away for future explorations.

It did not take long for the tentacles to almost eerily turn and begin floating toward them. Leo's heartbeat began to speed up as he got a closer look at them. While the vines were almost entirely round, the ends tapered to soft points, and they did have an underside that was a bit flatter. Leo could see what looked like ridges and bumps of varying sizes beneath the flatter tips of each one. As it moved, a very low and soothing thrum of sound began to emit from the main bud-like body. The sound was similar to the purring of a cat, but much slower and deeper. Something about the tone was soothing and pleasant, setting an oddly arousing atmosphere.

The Veln's tentacles approached as though scenting Leo on the air. The tips of a few felt their way along the bedsheets, slithering closer. Others simply hovered through the air towards him as though through water, searching.

"Lie back, Leo." Klaus instructed matter-of-factly. Leo did, though he could not resist sitting up on his elbow in a compromise so that he could still watch the oncoming tentacles.

"I could be creeped out." Leo said laughingly. "But that's pretty cool."

Klaus laid a hand on his shoulder, reassuringly just in case Leo had any second thoughts.

When the first tentacles touched his foot, the entire body of the plant shuddered, and several of the limbs latched onto him, winding up around his ankles. They almost pulsed as they did, growing and shrinking in a steady rhythm that, once against his skin, almost felt like a gentle massage.

"They're warm…" Leo noted, surprised. Klaus hummed, rubbing his shoulder.

The rest of the tentacles found his body, four of them at once sliding up his waist and making him chuckle. One reached his face and languidly began stroking his cheeks. Their touch was gentle and soft, almost purposefully teasing, and Leo didn't feel in any way threatened. It was almost as though they had their own will, knowing how to caress him like a human might to excite their partner.

"Wow…this feels pretty nice." Leo sighed, looking up at Klaus. The bigger man was smiling, eyes following the movements of the Veln vines on Leo's skin like it was all he'd ever wanted.

"The blue was a good choice." He murmured, actually petting the two tentacles writhing over Leo's side closest to him. His fingertips brushed Leo's skin. "Blue will always suit you best."

"I look good in other colors too." Leo protested out of sheer embarrassment. Sometimes when Klaus waxed romantic it made him melt, other times he couldn't handle it gracefully.

"I think because your eyes are blue, you can't fight the fact that blue is striking on you."

Before Leo could rebut that, the highest pair of tentacles on his chest pressed their flat tips against his nipples, and focused on rubbing their textured undersides around them. His body jerked a little with the shocks of pleasure, and a startled gasp escaped him.

"Oh…" Klaus said, as though to himself. "They know their business…does it feel good?"

"Mm-hm…" Leo hummed. "Kinda reminds me of that bullet vibe we have with the…ah…the silicone cover…"

Klaus tilted his head, intrigued. He was watching the two lower Veln vines slowly curling and climbing their way up around Leo's legs. They'd made it to his thighs now, ever winding higher and higher, their translucent blue coils complimenting Leo's milky skin like art.

"Are they vibrating?" Klaus asked. Leo's face went blank for an instant as he concentrated.

"A little, now that you mention it…but really subtly…"

Klaus shifted just a bit on the bed, and Leo could see that he was adjusting himself as gracefully as he could in his pants. Leo grinned. He wanted to say something snarky about Klaus' aroused state, but he quickly became distracted by the three or four tentacles now sliding into the waistband and leg holes of his briefs. There didn't seem to be much room in them at first, but as the tentacles kept slithering in, they stretched the cotton fabric to the point where it was a mass of hidden movement; the shape of his hard cock being swallowed in many coils of vines. As much as Leo had wanted to tease Klaus for being so erect, he'd been tenting those briefs ever since Klaus pinned him down and kissed him.

The tentacles wasted no time sliding around his cock, and rubbing their ridges against the tender head. Leo's balls were circled and cradled as well, being fondled over as thoroughly as the rest of him. It was a good sensation, though different. Those vines were smoother than the touch of human fingers, but still created enough friction to please his flesh.

"Oh my god…" Leo sighed, twitching this way and that as so many limbs stroked him all over.

Without saying a word, Klaus reached down and carefully slid the briefs down Leo's legs to his knees. He stopped there, because he was captivated by the sight that he'd laid bare. Those aqua blue Veln tentacles had Leo's hard cock wound up in two of them, sliding up and down and pausing to rub at his tip. The other two tentacles were coiling and uncoiling around his balls with their tips long enough to brush over them at the same time. And Klaus could see Leo's pink skin through the translucent, moving vines, presenting an absolutely intriguing display as they moved over his flesh.

Klaus licked his lips, and Leo noticed. He wasn't used to Klaus just…watching. By this point in their relationship he'd touched himself in front of Klaus before; they both had if it had been a long day and one or both of them just wanted to bang out an orgasm and go to sleep. But this was different. Leo oddly felt more sexualized lying there and letting Klaus watch than he did when they actually made love together. Klaus was watching something else pleasuring him, and it gave Leo the strangest mix of feelings; unease, arousal, shame, and a dose of excitement at the very idea that he was part of such an exhibition for his lover.

Leo gasped in surprise a few seconds later, as something changed. The Veln tentacles felt…different.

"I think they're getting wet?" He gasped out, his cock jumping within the forest of slithering movement.

The tip of Klaus' tongue flicked out to swipe at his lips yet again before he answered.

"Yes. They're self-lubricating. I can see it glistening all over you…"

"Yeah?" Leo asked, his heart thudding both at the new sensation, and at Klaus' entranced expression. "Does it look sexy on me?"

Klaus laid a large hand on Leo's ankle, rubbing his thumb over the delicate protrusion of bone there. His green eyes glazed over a little as he watched the aqua tentacles, now shining with their fluids, writhing and contorting over Leo's cock and beneath.

"Very much so. Gorgeous."

Leo's whole body suddenly jerked as the two tentacles on his cock clamped down and began a tight, repetitive stroking motion over the length of him. The fine ridges along the undersides were pressed and rubbed against him, and combined with the slippery fluid, it felt amazing. It was enough to make Leo's eyebrows draw in tighter, lips parting in enjoyment. The low hum emitting from the body of the Veln seemed to resonate into the tentacles themselves, explaining where the mild vibration was coming from. As soon as that clicked in Leo's brain, he felt that vibration grow stronger, and the hum from the Veln became a pitch higher.

"It's…it's building up the vibration." Leo reported in a strained voice.

As he spoke, the two tentacles that had been brushing his face slid down to coil around his arms. Leo gasped as they tugged gently on his arms and eased them up above his head, pulling his wrists near each other. It almost gave the impression that they were tying him up, and Leo found himself enjoying the feel of the Veln tentacles rubbing his palms and sliding in place all along the length of his arms. As if to add to the display, the two long coils of tentacle around his legs, the tips of which were fondling his sac, also tugged on his ankles. Klaus' hand lifted away as Leo's legs were pulled carefully apart, splaying him wide open. Out of reflex at the harmless motion, Leo tried to pull his knees upward. The tentacles stretched with him like rubber, keeping a tight hold but still allowing him to move. Also like rubber, when pulled taught, the resistance eventually pulled his legs back down to the mattress, where he lay open for his lover's eyes and the Veln's explorations.

"Good to know I can…ahhh…move on my own…if I want." Leo fought to keep his voice level, but it was difficult.

Klaus replaced his hand where it had been before on Leo's ankle, and nodded.

"If you struggle like you truly mean it, the Veln will retreat. It can sense the difference between playful tension on its' vines, and true fighting to escape."

"Well," Leo chuckled, breathless, "this Veln can just do everything, can't it?"

"You don't know the half of it yet." Klaus rumbled, running his hand higher on Leo's leg to trace his shin with his large fingers. "Just wait until we use it together."

That thought, added to the incredible pleasure of the Veln on his cock, made Leo groan and his hips twitched this way and that beneath the mound of writhing blue tentacles.

"Klaus…you jerk…do you want me to come right this second? Don't talk to me like that…in that voice…"

The larger man smiled wickedly and pulled back from the mattress completely. He stood there by the bed, catching Leo's gaze as he reached up and began undoing his shirt buttons. That drove Leo's heart thumping a mile a minute, and he huffed out a lusty moan to let Klaus know just how much he approved. The man slowly shed his clothes, leaving a neat pile on the floor. He was incredible in all his nude glory; chiseled body alike to marble portrayals of god-like perfection. Even in the ambient light from around the curtains Leo could see the definition of every muscle, the ripple of his flesh from each movement the man made.

Leo had become strangely accustomed to Klaus' gorgeous physique over these last months. He would never in a million years ever forget just how much he loved Klaus's body and his strength, but after being wooed by it over and over, the jaw-dropping admiration had lessened. Klaus himself was so much more than the sum of his parts, and Leo loved him for everything else he was besides his Adonis physical form. His comfortability was to the point where he saw Klaus naked on a regular basis and no longer fought off instant erections just from one glimpse. Because that was just one aspect of the man he'd fallen for. Things like Klaus making him a cup of coffee just how he liked it, or doing a load of his laundry without Leo asking; those were the things that could surprisingly pull a stronger reaction from Leo now. Because Klaus knew him. And stayed with him anyway.

All sentiment aside, however, when Klaus decided to turn up the heat, Leo was no match for the visual he created just by standing there a certain way. And he was doing it now; posing for Leo in a way that appeared casual but made Leo roll his eyes with how obvious it was. His cock hardened even further all the same as he stared at the full length of Klaus' equally-swollen member, thrusting forward from its nest of dark curls. The very tip was blushing red, beaded with pearly need.

"Mind if I join you?" Klaus asked, just wanting to hear Leo's pleas no doubt. As he spoke, he lifted his cock into his hand for dramatic effect, giving it a slow pull.

"Get your giant, red-headed ass over here right now!" Leo barked, his voice higher pitched as the tentacles coiled in tighter on his sensitive regions, the vibration ticking up another notch.

A hearty laugh left Klaus as he removed his glasses and placed them on the bedside table, making Leo wait just a split second longer before he climbed in beside him. Large hands cupped Leo's head and neck, Klaus' lips crushing his own as that huge body straddled him and the tentacles alike. Leo tugged at his arms, wanting to run his hands through that red hair, over his broad neck and shoulders. The Veln vines holding his hands stretched again like a rubber band, offering resistance once more. But before he could get very far, Klaus' right hand pinned both of Leo's wrists, tentacles included, and held them down to the mattress while he plundered Leo's mouth.

They had learned more than a few things about each other's excitement points, fetishes, past experiences, etc., since they'd been dating. Klaus knew that Leo enjoyed light bondage or being dominated to a safe degree. So it was no surprise that this move provoked reactions. Small sounds left Leo and were muffled by the other man's mouth as he enjoyed all that was being done to him. The tentacles still lavishing him with intimate stroking and squeezing, Klaus and the Veln both holding him down, and those kisses that were so soft and yet so forceful and warm.

Klaus pulled back shortly after, and stared down into Leo's face. The man was red in the cheeks, and there was even a spot of saliva by his fangs. He looked simultaneously blazing hot, adorable, and vulnerable all at once. The sight warmed Leo's heart even more, and he playfully wriggled underneath Klaus and the Veln.

"Gonna hook in with me?" He teased, arching his back in what he hoped was a seductive manner. Klaus ran one hand down Leo's chest, twirling around a nipple and the tentacle teasing it in passing.

"Only if you're prepared. I've heard it can be intense."

Leo twisted his mouth a little in suspicion.

"What exactly are we…" he trailed off to take a few short breaths as a series of ridges on the tentacles were run rapidly over the head of his cock. He recovered a second later and finished, "what are we talking about here? Aren't you just going to have it attach to you as well?"

Klaus leaned down and mouthed at the smooth space between Leo's chest and his navel, softly nibbling. Leo chuckled helplessly. His words touched Leo's flesh with damp heat from his breath.

"It's much more than that…but I want you to be surprised."

"Ok."

Leo was reaching his capacity for full sentences the longer those tentacles squirmed and slid over him. Klaus found the nearest tentacle, and wrapped his lips around it, being sure to smother it in enough saliva for a DNA signature. The Veln's motions slowed to nearly a stop, and Leo made a whining sound in protest after being treated to a steady, ever building rhythm of pleasure up until that point. The pause was only momentary, and then the two vines that held Leo's arms both uncoiled from around them. One rose to slide along Leo's cheek, and the other did the same to Klaus. Both tentacles felt about on their faces until they settled over one temple on each of them, and latched there gently like suction cups. Leo's legs were released as well, those two vines now winding around Klaus as he straddled Leo. This way the vines were nearly split between the two of them.

"What's…what's going on?" Leo asked, feeling something odd happening to him. His eyes glowed blue as he opened them in surprise. It was as though an extra layer of sensation was being stacked atop his own, and it was disorienting. "Klaus?"

The bigger man rocked a little on his knees above Leo, steadying himself with a hand on his shoulder. Leo gasped as he felt the touch of his skin like a ghost on his own palm. He then slowly became aware of a host of other things; sheets beneath his knees, a steady aching need in his loins, his own soft skin under his hands. The moment it all clicked into place, Klaus explained to him in a quiet and pleased voice.

"The Veln…it's syncing our pleasure receptors…so that we can feel each other's sensations in addition to our own."

Leo's jaw dropped open when Klaus once more touched his large cock for demonstration, rubbing it a few times as the Veln tentacles found it too, and Leo…felt it. He moaned and threw his head back; that touch felt like he'd been waiting for it forever.

"Oh my god, I can't believe this!" Leo cried. "Is this even possible? What the hell?! Where the…ah…where the fuck did you get this thing?!"

Instead of answering, Klaus just lowered himself down over Leo again, hovering on his hands and knees. He stayed there, gasps and sighs of appreciation leaving him as he too felt the expertly winding and slithering pleasure of the Veln engulf his cock.

It was the damnedest thing to try and wrap his head around, being able to feel Klaus' sensations on top of his own. At first Leo was fighting off the disorientation and slight fear of what was nearly an out-of-body-experience while still aware of his real body. The pleasure was the one bridge that connected them, and it was so strong and desirable that it drove all other doubts away. Once Leo relaxed into it, he was able to focus solely on how good it all felt; how good Klaus felt.

Opening his eyes once more, Leo fixed them on Klaus above him. The man was looking down at him as well, mouth still open as he breathed heavily, rocking his hips slightly in the grip of the clever tentacles.

"You look so hot right now." Leo breathed, reaching up with his now free hands to pet Klaus' generous sideburns. His own touch felt soothing, and he playfully scratched with his nails through the facial hair. "God, no wonder you…ohhh…like it when I scratch you here…"

A rakish grin lifted Klaus' lips around his fangs.

"Feels good, doesn't it?"

Leo eased up onto his elbows to reach Klaus' face, and caught his lips in a kiss. Kissing from both perspectives wasn't as thrilling as feeling their cocks being handled, but it was still fascinating. Leo pulled back with a last little brush of his tongue before lying down.

"Yeah…it all feels good…"

He shuddered as huge hands cupped his shoulders and slid to lift his upper body a bit. Leo gasped again as the simple act of Klaus hugging him to his chest became an intense wealth of flesh and touch, far more impactful than he would've thought. Fangs dug gently into his shoulder, as Klaus mouthed and nibbled across it to settle into his neck. Leo arched his head back, shivering as he felt his own pulse beneath Klaus' tongue.

"God…this…is incredible." He breathed into the heavy silence. Klaus hummed in agreement, and then pulled back to look at Leo, stroking his face.

"Leo…would you like to know how I feel when I take you?"

Blue eyes rolled back and Leo groaned, wrapping his arms around Klaus' waist, stroking liberally as he felt how good his own touch was on Klaus' skin.

"Oh yeah, yeah, Klaus, please…" Leo begged lightly, continuing to touch and stroke and react at each movement.

The larger man twitched and moaned himself at the pleas, his cock leaking into the already slick mass of moving tentacles between his legs. Almost reverently, he laid Leo back, and then moved down to position himself, the single tentacle still trailing from his temple. Leo's crease was flowing with the lubricant leaked by the tentacles, and all Klaus had to do was slide his fingertips down through it to reach his goal. Leo opened his legs wider as Klaus prodded gently at him, testing his tightness. Before Leo could urge him on, his lover chuckled,

"Oh my, you're ready for me to thrust right into here, aren't you? Ok, ok…"

Leo laughed in response, knowing now that of course Klaus could feel just how eager he was. Even still, Klaus took his time to open Leo up, while Leo felt the slick movement over Klaus' fingers. It was very strange; Leo had never quite liked the feel of himself around his fingers if he ever ventured there out of curiosity. He'd also never had a chance to do this to a lover yet, so the entire process was odd and intriguing, as he felt how natural every movement came to Klaus. The big man didn't count on just how good he was at this, and when he nudged up against Leo's prostate, his body jerked in response to the pleasure Leo felt. While Leo gave a small humming moan, Klaus shuddered and shook his head with a laugh.

"I might not have thought this through." He admitted. "It feels so wonderful I might treat your body as I might my own…promise to tell me if I go too rough, alright?"

Leo huffed in exasperation.

"If you hurt me, you hurt yourself, dumbass. I won't have to tell you."

"Not if I like it rough." Klaus pointed out, circling Leo's prostate again and riding the sensation gladly with him.

"I trust you." Leo insisted. "You'd better hurry…feel how close I'm getting? Shit…I can hardly think straight…"

"I know what you mean." Klaus rumbled, pressing his hips down to grind his tentacle-wrapped cock against Leo's. The Veln's many appendages worked together to be sure they touched just the right amount of each other's skin while they continued their work. The combination of a familiar movement and the slide of their own skin with the slippery tentacles was intoxicating, and they both reacted with sounds and grunts of enjoyment. That didn't last long, as they both sensed each other's eagerness.

"OK, alright, I'm going to take you…" Klaus mumbled after a particularly delicious coil of pleasure shot through Leo and made his entrance throb with want.

"I'm ready, you have to know that." Leo rambled, as Klaus rose into position above him.

"My, oh my, yes…" Klaus murmured. He slid his cock down and nudged it into place. The tentacles parted for his tip to enter, but stayed wound around his base and balls, still wriggling and stroking.

"Oh yeah…" Leo pleaded, lifting his legs apart and holding them up by his knees. "Now blow my mind."

Klaus sunk into Leo's body, and they both groaned at the shared delight. Leo couldn't believe how tight he felt over Klaus' cock, as he felt the heat and slickness of his inner walls hugging him. When Klaus began to thrust, it was nearly too much. He could feel that those tentacles were still hard at work on both of them, the vibration now stronger than it had been before, thrumming through their sensitive flesh. That on top of everything else made Leo wince in pleasure and let out a series of high-pitched whimpers. Klaus gripped Leo's hips and lifted them off the mattress, delving even harder into him, panting with the effort. Leo cursed, arching his back sharply, pressing his shoulders into the mattress to help lift his lower body into those thrusts.

"So?" Leo choked out, doing his best to sound teasing. "You like how you do me?"

Klaus smiled and nodded, rolling his hips in a particularly deep thrust and moaning.

"Now I know why you're always writhing so much beneath me."

Leo made a dismissive sound through his teeth, shaking his head. Klaus then reached down with one hand and pressed onto his abdomen.

"Lay back down. I can feel that you're hurting your back."

"Worth it." Leo protested, but relaxed his back as Klaus requested. "You know-ahh…if you like how I feel on the receiving end…we could try…swapping sometime."

"I have thought of that." Klaus admitted, sounding just as breathless as Leo. "There's no reason I always have to be the one to top."

"I've never topped before…with guys at least."

A growling rumble of interest left Klaus' throat, and he bent over to gnaw on Leo's inner thigh. Leo's leg twitched and he felt a shock of delight run through his cock at the touch of Klaus' teeth. His voice was gravelly as he spoke against the soft flesh.

"I'd love to be your first."

Leo gasped and flung an arm up over his eyes.

"Sentimental idiot."

Klaus nibbled farther down on his thigh, eventually having to stop because of his hunched position while still buried in Leo's body. He pulled back up, resuming his rhythm.

"I'd ask if this feels good…" Klaus said a few thrusts later. "But I don't have to this time."

The smaller man gripped the sheets on either side of him, biting his lip as the sensations built on each other more and more. The slithering tentacles, Klaus' senses, Klaus' body driving into his own…it was becoming too much to bear.

"Faster…" Gasped Leo. "Push me…over…the edge…"

A wicked chuckle left Klaus, and he actually pulled out of Leo entirely. Leo was in the middle of an angry protest when he realized what Klaus was doing. The huge man eased off the mattress to stand up, immediately grabbed Leo's legs and yanked him to the edge of the bed, his hips hovering. He drove back inside of Leo with a sudden intense pace that made Leo yelp with delight. Standing up, Klaus had more leverage, and he slammed the weight of his entire body behind each thrust, as fast as he could. Sweat began to break out over their skin, the tentacles adjusted their pace in order to keep the two lovers interested, and they lost themselves in it all.

An eternity seemed to pass, filled with slippery tentacles, hot pants of breath, and the feel of skin against skin. It all came to a head with a moan of victory from Klaus, who slammed himself forward a few more times before pulling out suddenly and coating the writhing tentacles over Leo's cock with his hot pleasure. Leo felt his partner's climax intensely, and his entire body quivered and twitched in phantom spasms of Klaus' desire.

"Oh god, Klaus…" Leo breathed, still inches away from his own release. "That…felt so good…I can't believe…I haven't…"

"You're so close." Klaus whispered breathlessly, slumping over and to the side of Leo, gathering him loosely in his arms. "You just need a little push."

As though they'd heard Klaus, the tentacles over his own spent cock slid away gently, and rose into the air between them. They twined together tightly until they seemed to melt into one another and form a single, thicker vine. It wiggled in place for a moment, before it expanded, and the tip bloomed open, showing a tube-like mouth. Inside that tube, there were rows and rows of miniature nubs that had seemingly sprouted from its walls, looking like translucent blue cilia, just waiting to pleasure him. Leo's eyes widened, shining blue light against the glossy tentacle as it dropped down toward its fellows on Leo's cock.

"Oh…oh shit…is that going to…"

"I think so, Leo." Klaus stroked his face, kissing his damp cheek in encouragement. "Won't it feel amazing?"

As he spoke, Klaus gently plucked their connective tentacle from his temple, then Leo's as well. Leo shuddered as he felt the separation of senses, and was entirely occupied with just his own once more.

"Don't you want to feel it too?" Leo asked.

"I'm satisfied, Leo; I want to see you contented as well, without risking another erection."

Leo swore again as the tube seemed to lap at his tip, circling it around its mouth. The other tentacles increased their pace, but made room for the newcomer to do its work. That tube lowered over him, and Leo could see his cock through its translucent walls as it swallowed him halfway down. The young man arched up into the embrace of the tentacle's mouth, groaning, and it slowly inched down to engulf him entirely. To his surprise, once it had him completely covered, the bottom lip of the tube expanded, and slid down over his balls as well, stroking them by lengthening and retracting over and over. The inner walls squirmed and writhed with the small cilia, adding an entirely new level of sensation that Leo had never before felt.

It stripped Leo instantly of any dignity, and he began moaning and chuckling and writhing beneath the onslaught of pleasure. He began babbling out his every thought as his mind was overwhelmed.

"Shit…it's really warm…and slick…and all those nubs on the inside….oh god, it's amazing, Klaus…"

The big man's mouth was uncharacteristically hanging open in awe as he watched the scene unfold, his hands groping Leo's arching and rolling body to brace him whenever possible. His eyes were fixed on the delicious sight of Leo's cock being squeezed and milked by the clear blue tube, his pink flesh swathed by the many squirming cilia, and the squelching sounds produced by the Veln's lubrication.

"So close…" Leo gasped out helplessly a mere three minutes after the new tentacle had latched onto him. "I'm so close…"

Klaus held him down firmly by his hips when he heard this, and bent over Leo's chest to flick his tongue over his right nipple. That always seemed to be the missing stimulation Leo needed for a good orgasm, and it worked like clockwork. Leo let out an ear-piercing squeal of utter delight, his body spasmed tightly and jerked a few times under Klaus' hands, and then he was pouring his release into the Veln tentacle's waiting mouth. It slowed on him, drawing up and down firmly a few times, and then it slipped gently away. The other tentacles did the same, retreating from the bed entirely and leaving Leo panting and whimpering in Klaus' arms. His body was shaking with the aftermath.

They didn't speak for the longest time, but Leo chuckled intermittently like he did anytime he had received a very powerful orgasm. Klaus held him, pressed against his side, one hand lifting the damp curls from Leo's hot neck. He blew a stream of cool air there onto that place after a few minutes, making Leo laugh even more and prompting him to roll away from Klaus and pluck their usual pack of body wipes from the bedside table. Wordlessly, they began to clean up.

"So," Klaus finally asked, breaking the silent stasis, "how did you like your surprise?"

Leo finished scrubbing himself down with his third wipe, tossed it in the vague direction of the bedroom trash can, and then flopped over onto the other side of the bed. It was cool here, and he sighed as he pressed his warm flesh against it. He stretched luxuriously before he answered.

"I think you spoil me too much."

Klaus finished with his clean-up routine as well, and made sure that his wipe made it into the trash can. Then he leaned on one side next to Leo and clapped a giant hand over one of his thighs, shaking it playfully.

"It wasn't exactly like your fantasy, but was it similar enough?"

Leo hooked one hand under Klaus' wrist and hummed. His lover looked just as fucked over as he must look himself; hair in disarray, flushed cheeks, and a permanent smile of euphoria that came with post-coital endorphins.

"Are you kidding?" He answered. "This was an entirely different fantasy-come-to-life…and I think you know just how much I enjoyed it. You could feel me…That was incredible. I could get addicted to it."

Klaus looked mildly concerned at that, and chewed on his lip a bit.

"Do you think that's a problem?"

It took Leo a minute to get what his lover was thinking, and shook his head with a reassuring smile.

"I didn't mean I'll get addicted to the Veln itself; I meant…um…feeling each other's sensations…that was more intoxicating than anything. How many people can say they literally feel each other's pain? Or pleasure, or…whatever, you know what I mean. It's powerful."

Huge muscles relaxed at Leo's explanation, and Klaus smiled down at him once more.

"That's a relief. I thought for a second that I had sabotaged our love life."

Leo curled over to nuzzle into Klaus' chest, scratching lightly at the hair there and laying kisses against the warm skin.

"No fear of that. You always find a way to keep me satisfied."

Klaus rubbed Leo's back, sighing with contentment. A few seconds of silence passed before Klaus said, softly,

"You know why, don't you, Leo?"

Something about Klaus' tone made the younger man's mind more alert, sensing importance and vulnerability in those words. He shifted to a more comfortable position against Klaus without thinking.

"Why, what?" Leo asked, lost.

Klaus' deep breath raised Leo's head on his chest briefly. Leo tensed a little, sensing something coming.

"You know why I do everything I can for you…why I want you to be happy, and see you safe and sound?"

Leo swallowed unconsciously, not sure if he was bold enough to answer with the response that leapt to his mind. The one he wished he could hear. Instead he attempted to joke, something he often did in tense situations.

"Because I let you buy advanced tentacle sex plants?"

A light chortle bubbled out from Klaus' lips, vibrating his chest and setting Leo a bit more at ease that he'd managed to lighten the mood, if only for a second. Those large hands patted at his back affectionately as Klaus' deep voice soldiered on.

"You are a wonderful partner for allowing and engaging in that, but no, Leo. I only meant…goodness…this is hard to say…and I wasn't going to say this so soon. I had intended on waiting for you, to be sure I didn't make a mistake by feeling this way…"

Hearing Klaus bumbling through his words was so precious and heartwarming, but at the same time Leo was nearly thrumming with anticipation, his chest going tight as he felt excitement and fear gripping his heart.

"What are you trying to say, Klaus?" He asked quietly, his voice strained and eager.

The big man cupped the back of Leo's head, and pressed his cheek against the thick curls there. He blew out one long breath before he said, quietly but firmly,

"That you mean more to me than anyone ever has. That I cannot imagine my life without you, nor my home, nor our workplace. I'm saying that I love you, Leonardo."

Time froze for the briefest of seconds, and then Leo let out a stream of chuckles as joy became a tangible thing, wrapping tightly around him yet somehow freeing him at the same time. He flung his arms around Klaus and hugged him as hard as he could, still laughing like he had when Klaus had first asked him out all those months ago. When he finally found the will to speak, his voice came out breathless and happy.

"You jerk! I've been trying to work up the courage to say that to you for so long now, and you beat me to it!"

Leo pushed hard, and flipped them over so that he was straddling Klaus, and began peppering his face and lips with fluttery, sincere kisses. Klaus seemed startled at first, but began chuckling and kissing him back at once.

"You can tell me now, if you'd like." He said softly when Leo took a detour to attach his neck. "I'm listening."

Slender hands lifted to cup heavily-sideburned cheeks, and Leo pressed his forehead against Klaus', smiling like a moron.

"You just want to hear me say it, don't you?"

"Why else would I prompt you?" Klaus teased, giving his backside a small love slap with the palm of one hand.

Leo gave a fake shriek of pain in response, but his smiling face couldn't sell the effort. The words came more easily than he had thought they would, here in this cozy place that was so familiar and warm, atop the man he loved and who loved him back. After all of his stressing about this moment, it was surprisingly easy to finally admit the truth.

"Fine…I love you, too." Leo said, warmly. "You're perfect for me. You understand me, and support me, even when I'm at my worst, and I…I love you so much…"

Leo felt his face go red at once, and he hid his embarrassment by dropping his head into the space between Klaus' neck and shoulder. Klaus lifted a hand to stroke the back of Leo's neck, crooning softly.

"I'm honored. Do you know I've never heard, or said those words to anyone that wasn't my family?"

That revelation sent a surge of intense feeling through Leo, and he shook his head in disbelief.

"Really? You never had a wild young love when you were in your teens or something? And said it all the time, even though it was never meant to last?"

Klaus cocked his head against Leo's.

"No. Did you?"

The slender young man slumped atop Klaus' giant form, letting everything go limp in defeat as his answer.

"Oh." Klaus said, amusement in his tone. "Oh dear."

That sent Leo off laughing again, and Klaus joined him briefly.

"What can I say?" Leo moaned, leaning to sit up once again. "I was sixteen, and there was this girl that…ug, she was my first, and I really thought it would last forever, and…it's just sort of a rite of passage to have some stupid relationships or at least sappy ones where you say stupid things, right?"

"Perhaps," Klaus said thoughtfully, "that's what I hear, though I was spared such embarrassment by attending private schools where there were strict rules in place. Of course, there were always ways around them."

Leo raised an eyebrow at his lover.

"Do you have some scandalous private school stories that you're hiding from me, Klaus?"

Green eyes twinkled, and full lips rose around fangs. Klaus didn't answer.

"Because if you do," Leo went on, "you'll have to freakin' tell me all about them sometime."

Before Klaus could respond, they were startled by a wet, yet somehow crinkly sound coming from the base of the bed. They both sat up at once to find the source of the noise, their nerves slightly rattled after years living in this city. But it was only the Veln, moving and curling in its' pot while the vines shrunk back down into the main body.

"What's it doing?" Leo asked, tilting his head to try and make sense of the scene before him.

"It's shedding its skin." Klaus explained. "It's how it stays clean after each…uh…activity."

"Clever." Leo commented, watching the thin curls of skin forming at the base of the plant and slowly rolling upwards. "We'll still have to throw away the skin once it's done, won't we?"

"A small price to pay, all things considered." Klaus said. "From what I read, the older models were not so easy to manage. You had to have an entire set of tools just for cleaning-."

"I don't want to know." Leo protested, and slid away from Klaus at once, hopping down from the bed. "I'm just glad that you got us a more convenient one."

"Anything for my love." Klaus muttered.

"You're going to give me diabetes now that you can say those words to my face."

Klaus climbed off the bed to follow Leo, picking up his own shed clothes and putting them back on.

"Would you have preferred I not tell you what was on my heart?"

Leo slipped his t-shirt back on and wandered over to casually lean against Klaus' front, letting the man drape his arms around him and encompass him with his mere size.

"Of course not. I'm…I'm so happy right now. I didn't think I could get any happier than when you first asked me out. But now…I don't know what could be better than knowing you love me back."

Klaus dipped to give Leo a chaste kiss, before looking mischievous and saying.

"How about if I made you dinner?"

Leo feigned disinterest with a suddenly blank expression, and said flatly,

"I mean…food doesn't really compare to love…"

"What about breakfast for dinner?" Klaus teased further, making it sound like the most enticing offering in the whole of the world. Leo's front cracked, and he tipped his head to the side as though thinking.

"Bacon?" He inquired warily. "With eggs and French Toast?"

Klaus traced the line of Leo's jaw with a few fingers, making a shiver run up his spine.

"Topped with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries."

Leo's eyes rolled back into his head and he made a lustful moaning sound in his throat, pretending to fall to one side.

"Take me…"

"Already did that." Klaus pointed out, catching him with a small sound of effort, and Leo let himself go even more limp as Klaus gathered him up princess style.

"Oh, right." Leo pretended to realize, and then rested his head against Klaus'. "Then take me to the kitchen, forthwith!"

"Drama queen." Klaus chiding for the second time that evening.

"You love me anyway." Leo said, the teasing in his tone falling away into something quieter; more appreciative and sweet.

Klaus sighed in contentment, and nuzzled his nose against Leo's, both of them feeling each other's smile in that moment without the need for the Veln's assistance. It was blissful. It was sweet. It was wonderful.

"Always."

))((