Title: Hesitation Waltz

Fandom: From Eroica With Love
Pairing: Dorian/Klaus
Categories: romance, drama, casefile, action/adventure
Length: Long, ~20,000 words
Warnings: "canon-level violence, and some homophobic language"

Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Cranialaccessory on AO3

Summary: "I hope you don’t take this the wrong way," Dorian said, "but I’ve been preparing for this role my entire life. You, on the other hand, seem far less capable of convincing anyone that you’re in love with anyone, much less me."

Klaus and Dorian have to pretend to be married for a case. It goes about as well as can be expected.

Review: Not an unusual trope to see in this fandom, but I can't remember another example of it I enjoyed quite this much.

The fic takes its main premise seriously -- and so, despite Dorian's doubts, do all of the people Dorian and Klaus meet at the grand retreat on a private island that they have to infiltrate for the purposes of their case, including some of Dorian's old friends and acquaintances. Klaus and Dorian have worked together in their own abrasive way for so many years now that their rapport and partnership actually carry the ruse, and as the story develops people around them proceed to make meaningful relationship observations about how they do things wrong, hurt each other, and just generally rub each other up the wrong way. Much is learned in really interesting ways, and the duo get their chances to display how much they care about one other as they start to unpick the established patterns of their relationship.

Altogether very satisfying story. The case file and the interactions of Klaus and Dorian with the other guests, individually and as a couple, are fascinating, the perceptions of Dorian and his homosexuality highlighted by those interactions are great insights for the character and a look beneath the carefree flamboyance. Klaus gets to do the odd bit of violence to keep himself happy. What more could you ask for?

Hesitation Waltz