Author's disclaimer and notes: I don't own them, I just dream of doing so. Feedback is better than juicy plums. Corrections to my language or any other type of comments are welcome. Ask if you want me to archive it anywhere. You may link to this story if you want or to my main page. 1.774 words. Written in May 2010.

This is the "epsilon set" (fifth set) of five such set of words that are part of a challenge. I don't follow the challenge apart from using the words - the challenge should be one pairing only and I'm not sure if you're allowed to "bend" the words. But this is how I wanted to write, so this is what came out.

One or two might at some point become stories, should I feel like it. But should anyone feel inspired to write anything based on any of these, feel invited!

Warning: There is one death story - but only a "kinda" one. It is number 30. Among the others you'll find a little bit of everything and while the majority is Klaus/Dorian, there are some other pairings sprinkled in. At least two crossovers.

Betaed by Heather Sparrows, Kadorienne and Maf! Lots of love to all three of you!

1. Motion - Without resistance, a body in motion stays in motion, but no matter what the resistance, a James in pursuit of money stays in pursuit of money.

2. Cool - Iron might initially be cool to your touch, but if you heat it up, it will be hot enough to burn.

3. Young - As a young boy, Klaus had known that tradition demanded that he married, and he had decided that he wanted to marry someone blond, and 30 years later, he did - though he did buck tradition anyway, as he married a man.

4. Last - "For the last time, you stupid, idiotic limey, I meant that I wanted for us to go outside so that we could have a talk, I didn't mean that I wanted to date you!"

5. Wrong - "If this is wrong, Major,--" Dorian purred just before bending down to put his mouth to better use, "--do you really want to be right?"

6. Gentle - Klaus isn't all that good with gentle touches yet, but when he does try, Dorian melts completely.

7. One - If Dorian had to pick just one thing he liked best about Klaus, it was his soul.

8. Thousand - A thousand years later, Klaus and Dorian's love still prompted rabid slashers to write all kinds of fanfic about them.

9. King - "I don't care if you're the once and future king of bloody England, Mr Pendragon," Major von dem Eberbach said with a sneer, "this falls under NATO jurisdiction and I expect you to obey my orders."

10. Learn - One thing Klaus had learned about Dorian was this: if the man picked up a gun, the safest place to be was two continents away, or plastered to his back.

11. Blur - Klaus had worked so hard and for so long that his bones ached and his vision was too blurry for him to see, but he recognized by touch the loving hands that helped him into bed.

12. Wait - "I hope I didn't keep you waiting while I changed," Dorian said, to which Klaus replied, "No, no, I always meant to read 'War and Peace' anyway."

13. Change - Over the years the dynamic of their relationship changed - but it always grew stronger.

14. Command - In the field, Klaus liked to issue commands - but in the bedroom, he liked to follow orders.

15. Hold - "Dorian, I promised to have and to hold - I bloody well didn't promise to carry your check-in luggage!"

16. Need - On very rare occasions Klaus's need gets too strong, too overpowering, too irresistible - and he sneaks down to the kitchen to steal a sugar cube for his Nescafe.

17. Vision - When Dorian envisioned the future, he had never thought of himself as a possible father, but Klaus had said that he wanted children, and so Dorian seriously considered the possibility.

18. Attention - Dorian was prepared to go to any length to capture Klaus's attention - but dressing up in traditional German folk clothes didn't work very well.

19. Soul - After James had started in on Hell's finances, the devil soon regretted ever buying that particular soul, even if it had come cheap.

20. Picture - When A accidentally spotted the picture of Dorian in Klaus's wallet, Klaus claimed that the photograph was for identification purposes - and A pretended to believe him.

21. Fool - Klaus thought that Dorian was a fool - but he was Klaus's fool, damn it, and no one else was allowed to arrest him.

22. Mad - James isn't at all mad - it is everyone else who can't seem to grasp the all-encompassing, soul-devouring importance of the most sacred thing of all - money!

23. Child - "You want to adopt children?!" Dorian squeaked and started to pull on his clothes again before hastily adding: "My goodness, look at the time, got to go," - and then he was gone.

24. Now - "Now then," Dorian said sweetly as he stood before the bound NATO major as the bomb timer ticked down, "do you possibly want to rephrase that horrible thing you said about my hair just before we were so rudely captured?"

25. Shadow - As a special agent, Klaus lives his life in shadows - but that's okay, because so do thieves.

26. Goodbye - When Klaus had been fired after the Gloria Scandal, he returned one last time to the Alphabet's room, to say goodbye - but he was rather surprised to find them all packed up and ready to go with him.

27. Hide - Klaus tried to hide his and Dorian's relationship, but on the second morning Herr Hinkel asked if the other gentleman wanted breakfast as well and that was the end of that.

28. Fortune - James was still intensely jealous of Klaus, but he was beginning to see things from the bright side - the secretly filmed porn vids were going to make him a fortune!

29. Safe - The safe was actually child's play to open, but Dorian pretended that it was extremely difficult, just to get Klaus to step in close and lean in to have a look - the man hadn't a clue on how to open a safe, but he always did so anyway.

30. Ghost - "You're the one who's dead," Klaus grumbled in disbelief as the hazy shape of Dorian Red, former Earl of Gloria, now ghost, smiled sweetly at him, not wearing any clothes, "so why am I the one in hell?"

31. Book - Klaus was a very by-the-book man, when it suited him, and currently it suited him that they would get through the Gay Kama Sutra or die trying.

32. Eye - Officially, Klaus wore the sunglasses so that the fruity Earl wouldn't comment on his "Mosel bottle green" eyes - unofficially, he wore them so that Dorian wouldn't notice how Klaus sometimes looked longingly at him.

33. Never - "This can never happen again," Klaus said firmly as they parted, and while Dorian didn't quite agree with him, he nodded anyway - next time he was definitely going to top.

34. Sing - Klaus was just getting ready for bed when the singing began - "emerald green eyes" and "raven black hair" were mentioned and an awful lot of rhyming going on - but he definitely wasn't going to sleep with that racket, so he, after a moment's hesitation, emptied the earth and flowers from a flower pot and carried it to the bathroom to fill it with water.

35. Sudden - "Make no sudden moves!" Klaus orders sharply and neither of them does; they both move oh so slowly - Klaus to pull his gun so that he can shoot the huge, poisonous snake that currently threatens them - and Dorian to reach out to gently caress over Klaus's rear.

36. Stop - When Klaus finally stops running, Dorian is so surprised that he trips and falls at the other man's feet, but that's okay, because Klaus kind of likes him there.

37. Time - "Time waits for no man *" - but as she sees the curly-haired blond worship his still somewhat hesitant lover, she smiles and gives them both just a tiny little more of herself - because love should never be rushed.
* = actually, evidence suggests that she did wait for at least one man **, once.
** = Wen the Eternally Surprised ***
*** = Well, she had a son with him, so we assume she at least slowed down to let him catch up at some point ****
**** = Terry Pratchett ***** book, Thief of Time
***** = That is why I use footnotes ******
****** = Footnotes are not separate sentences, so this is still just one sentence

38. Wash - After Dorian first stayed over at Klaus's Bonn apartment, Klaus made a colossal mistake and now he always brings his dirty laundry back home to the Schloss - better Herr Hinkel deals with the washing, because Klaus is never wearing pink underwear ever again.

39. Torn - Torn between Duty and the things his heart whispered rather insistently, Klaus told his heart to shut the fuck up, he had to get his mission accomplished - though after that, there would still be time to let Dorian flirt a bit more with him.

40. History - History books will not list the Earl of Gloria and his NATO Major among the greatest love couples of all times - but only because Klaus is a very private man and Dorian humours him.

41. Power - An Earl of Gloria scorned was a power to reckon with, as Klaus von dem Eberbach unfortunately was about to find out.

42. Bother - Yes, James could be a bit of a bother sometimes, but there was absolutely no better man to have at your side when you had dropped your earring in the sofa.

43. God - "You can keep calling me God if you want to," Dorian purred and continued his quick, powerful thrusts," but I do prefer hearing you moan my actual name, Klaus."

44. Wall - Building walls will do you no good, when the man who wants to steal your heart can scale any obstacle as easily as breathing.

45. Naked - "Master Klaus, Herr Wosworn reported seeing a wet, naked man running across the garden - shall I instruct Fräulein Silber to refill the water bucket by your window?"

46. Drive - The drive way up to the North Down's castle seems longer than ever to Klaus - perhaps it is the trailer with all his belongings that makes the car go slower than usual.

47. Harm - Klaus reasoned that no harm could come from encouraging the thief just a little, little bit, just to get the thing he needed stolen - but he was wrong.

48. Precious - Klaus is precious to Dorian, and he will never know how ruthlessly Dorian deals with anyone who tries to hurt what Dorian considers precious.

49. Hunger - Sometimes Dorian's hunger for Klaus is a physical thing, clawing at his guts and squeezing his lungs tight - but he has learned to live with the delicious discomfort, for even after they've been together for three years, the hunger still shows no sign of being fully sated.

50. Believe - A god is strengthened by the belief of his followers - and with James' belief, Mammon rises anew to rule the world.

The End

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