Fic: RPF: When the Lights Begin to Fade (1/10).
For anyone who's seeing this and wondering where the next part of my Ben/Georgie fic is, never fear, it's in the works, I just have a lot going on at the moment. It'll be up and finished as soon as things have settled down a little more in my life. Sorry for the long wait.
Title: When the Lights Begin to Fade (1/10).
Author: cloudysky.
Fandom: Chronicles of Narnia.
Pairing: Ben Barnes/William Moseley.
Rating: R.
Warnings: Real person slash.
Word count: 2,000.
Summary: What happens when the bright lights of fame begin to fade? What are you really left with? One minute you’re living in the lap of luxury, and the next, you’re living out of a suitcase and sleeping on your parents couch because they were certain you were never coming back. It’s time for a reality check. Sometimes slotting back into the real world is even harder than you think it’s going to be. When fame no longer comes knocking, it’s time to figure out what really matters. And it’s never what you expect.
A/N: This fic was originally written as one of three for NaNoWriMo back in November, so at some point in the future there will be another two to accompany it in both Harry Potter and Doctor Who fandoms. Set in 2017.
When the Lights Begin to Fade
1.
Following an elderly couple down the ramp, pulling his hand luggage behind him, Will slid his mobile phone from his jacket pocket and switched it back on. He waited several moments for a beep or vibration, but nothing happened, so it went straight back where it had come from, his mouth turning down into a frown.
It was some ridiculous time of the morning (although he really had no clue what time exactly) and what he really wanted was his bed. Bed though, was the last thing on the agenda for today; first things first, he needed to find himself somewhere to live. He’d booked into a hotel for the time being - nothing too extravagant, the money just wasn’t there - but he really wanted somewhere he could call home before the day was out.
After spending a good eight years living out in the US (Los Angeles mostly), Will was finally on his way back home, and this time it was for good.
He’d debated over it for a while, money was short and his career, near nonexistent. It had simply taken him time to make the final decision. He loved America and he had some fantastic friends there, but at the end of the day, there was no way he could justify the cost of living in Hollywood anymore if he was without work.
His first thought had been to call his sister, Daisy, and see if she could put him up. The immediate response had been a flat-out no, she had her in-laws over and that was that, they took up all and any available space in her terrace house, so there would be no room for him. Of course, she had two children and three dogs to boot, so it was a bit of a tight squeeze anyway. He was hardly surprised.
He had absolutely no intention of inconveniencing his parents, so had no option but to hunt down somewhere else to live. Not that he minded living on his own (he was used to it now), nor did he mind moving back to the UK, not really.
Reaching the end of the concourse, Will took a moment to take in his surroundings before setting off again to salvage his luggage from the wreckage of arrivals, and then on to hail a cab into the city.
There was absolutely no point in hanging around Heathrow for any longer than necessary. He’d never been particularly taken with airports and today was definitely no exception. As much as he’d have loved to have dawdled and taken his time over his return, he had a life to be getting on with, a life he hadn’t had for quite a few years.
Now, where exactly was he supposed start?
*
There had been a time when he was quite content to stare at these same four walls. It had been an awful long time since he’d had to though, and now the thought wasn’t as appealing. He didn’t belong here; this was not his home anymore, and he could feel it everywhere he went. But right now he had no other choice. He stayed here or ended up homeless. When faced with a decision like that, it was pretty obvious which to choose.
‘Ben?’
It was Jack. He peered apprehensively around the door and held out a hand, a mug of coffee clutched tightly in it.
‘Can I come in?’
Ben perked an eyebrow, resisting the urge to laugh at his younger brother’s behaviour, and then merely shrugged a shoulder in response. ‘You look like you’re already in to me, Jack,’ he commented, chuckling as he moved to pull his suitcase toward him.
Oh boy, living out of a suitcase, he’d not done this one in a while. Four hours in and the shirt he’d placed so carefully on top earlier that day now resembled nothing but a chewed bit of string. So... it was going well then.
‘Mum said she’d prefer it if you weren’t here tonight,’ said Jack, handing over the coffee once he’d crossed the room.
Ben laughed and shook his head. Suddenly it made sense; the hot drink was a peace offering from his mother. Now that he’d flown the nest, she’d always been determined (overly so) not to do a single thing for him, for either of them actually - although Jack seemed to be getting off scot-free at the moment.
Looking back up at his brother briefly as he laid his crumpled shirt out across the back of the couch in the hope to salvage it somewhat, Ben got straight to the point. ‘Why exactly doesn’t she want me here tonight?’ he asked softly. Whatever the case may be, it wouldn’t be Jack’s fault, they’d always been close. ‘What’s she got going on that I’m not allowed to know about?’
‘It’s not that you’re not supposed to know about it,’ argued Jack, who had clearly been sent out to test the waters. ‘Kayla and her parents are coming for dinner; so it would probably be easier if you weren’t around.’
This made no sense, but it wasn’t worth arguing over.
‘Fine,’ Ben responded. ‘Consider me already gone.’
‘You know, I don’t mind if you’re here, it would be fine by me, it’s just--'
‘It’s Mum, I know.’ Glancing back to Jack, Ben smiled, letting him know that he really did understand and he wouldn’t hold it against the younger man. ‘She has control issues. She’s had control issues for the last two years and she’s going to drive us all to distraction, but apparently she’s yet to realise that herself. She’s yet to realise a lot, truth be told, but whatever.’ He laughed. ‘Psychologist my ass.’
Jack looked taken aback, but nodded all the same, a nervous laugh escaping him. ‘Something like that,’ he responded.
Setting aside his unpacking for the time being, Ben took a seat on the couch instead and beckoned Jack over, insisting he sit beside him. ‘I’m not an idiot, Jack, I know she doesn’t want me here at all,’ he said. ‘But I don’t have any other choice at the moment. It was this or a cardboard box on Oxford Street.’
‘Bollocks was it!’ Jack laughed.
‘OK, slight exaggeration...’ said Ben, joining in with his brother’s laughter. ‘You know what I mean though. I didn’t have anywhere else to go, so here I am, so she’s going to have to deal with it. For now at least.’
With a nod, this was apparently accepted and Jack moved back to his feet, making a swift exit. ‘See you in the morning then,’ he called back.
Watching his brother go, Ben sighed softly before he let his gaze drop down to the carpet. This was not going to end well at all; he could feel it in his bones. He’d always got on perfectly well with his parents, but his sudden invasion of the family home had come as a shock and it wasn’t sitting particularly well with anyone (aside from Jack anyway).
It had been almost seven years since he had officially moved out and two years after that, his mother had cleared out his room and turned it into her own private library, making it pretty clear she didn’t want him coming back anytime soon - if at all.
Last night, not five minutes before midnight, Ben had found himself on the phone to the very same woman pleading that she let him stay.
At eleven thirty he’d found himself locking antlers with his landlord, Mick, as the older man informed him that Ben’s last three cheque’s had done nothing but bounce all the way to the rubbish dump. He had no money, something his bank manager told him quite bluntly ten minutes later. In fact, no, that wasn’t right, he didn’t have any money and his bank account was in fact several thousand pounds into the red. Had been so for quite some time, too.
The first question to leave Ben’s lips was why had no one bothered to tell him any of this before? Maybe he could have done something about the whole fiasco if he’d had some kind of warning, but apparently no one had the common courtesy to let him know about anything anymore.
He ended up spending the night crashing on the floor of Jack’s flat before finally setting foot in the family home just after lunchtime with his tail between his legs.
The reception had been a little on the frosty side, but things could have undoubtedly been worse.
He was currently hauled up in the second reception room, the living room that was only ever used for Christmas and extra special occasions. The Christmas tree still remained, yet to be taken down from the recent festivities, and the small table tucked away in the corner of the room was laden with boxes of biscuits, chocolates and crackers. He had fond memories of this room, although at this moment in time, it merely felt cold... and unwelcoming. Nothing more and nothing less.
The sooner he could get out of there the better, although he didn’t doubt how difficult that may be considering the current circumstances.
What he really needed was for someone to offer him a way out.
And quick.
*
‘This is the place.’
Will followed the landlord in rather cautiously, a small frown working its way onto his features as the inside of the flat was finally unveiled to him. ‘It’s, umm--’ he started, but failed to finish the sentence, completely dumbfounded.
The place was a mess, ripped wallpaper and stained carpets, and not to mention the size of the room he was actually faced with. One room, singular, there didn’t appear to be anymore.
He took a deep breath, glancing to the landlord. ‘Is this it?’ he questioned, just wanting to clarify.
With a nod, the landlord pushed past him and into the flat, opening a door at the far end. ‘Bathroom,’ he said. ‘And that’s your lot, mate.’ He shrugged, closed the door again, barely giving Will two seconds to see how that faired. From the landlord’s attitude, he presumed worse than the room he was currently looking at and probably infested with a fair few cockroaches to boot.
Swallowing down his pride, Will stepped a little further into the property and began to examine the kitchen. At least that very, very small corner of what could soon become his living quarters wasn’t too bad.
And considering his budget, it was either this or... well, nothing at all.
‘I’ll take it.’ He turned back to face the landlord suddenly, holding out his hand. The man before him looked as shocked as Will felt. ‘When can I move in?’
‘As soon as you like,’ came the easy response. ‘You can call me Mick, by the way. I’ll fetch the papers.’
An hour later and Will was letting himself back into the flat, pulling his two suitcases behind him. At least his hope to find somewhere to live before the day was out hadn’t been completely fruitless. Now, of course, he needed to figure out what on earth to do to the place to make it habitable. He guessed this was where the fun began.
Armed with bug spray and a swatter, he decided to tackle the bathroom first and, just as he feared, it was ten times worse than the rest of the flat. He took several tentative steps inside, spray held high and fixed the cockroach closest to him (who was currently residing in the shower tray) with a defiant stare. ‘All right,’ he said, perking an eyebrow. ‘It’s you or me buddy, and let me tell you, I’m not going anywhere. So... you get the picture, don’t you?’
He flashed the small bug in front of him an overzealous smile, and then without further warning went in for the kill.
Good way to spend your first week back in the UK that was for sure... sarcasm very much intended.
Title: When the Lights Begin to Fade (1/10).
Author: cloudysky.
Fandom: Chronicles of Narnia.
Pairing: Ben Barnes/William Moseley.
Rating: R.
Warnings: Real person slash.
Word count: 2,000.
Summary: What happens when the bright lights of fame begin to fade? What are you really left with? One minute you’re living in the lap of luxury, and the next, you’re living out of a suitcase and sleeping on your parents couch because they were certain you were never coming back. It’s time for a reality check. Sometimes slotting back into the real world is even harder than you think it’s going to be. When fame no longer comes knocking, it’s time to figure out what really matters. And it’s never what you expect.
A/N: This fic was originally written as one of three for NaNoWriMo back in November, so at some point in the future there will be another two to accompany it in both Harry Potter and Doctor Who fandoms. Set in 2017.
When the Lights Begin to Fade
1.
Following an elderly couple down the ramp, pulling his hand luggage behind him, Will slid his mobile phone from his jacket pocket and switched it back on. He waited several moments for a beep or vibration, but nothing happened, so it went straight back where it had come from, his mouth turning down into a frown.
It was some ridiculous time of the morning (although he really had no clue what time exactly) and what he really wanted was his bed. Bed though, was the last thing on the agenda for today; first things first, he needed to find himself somewhere to live. He’d booked into a hotel for the time being - nothing too extravagant, the money just wasn’t there - but he really wanted somewhere he could call home before the day was out.
After spending a good eight years living out in the US (Los Angeles mostly), Will was finally on his way back home, and this time it was for good.
He’d debated over it for a while, money was short and his career, near nonexistent. It had simply taken him time to make the final decision. He loved America and he had some fantastic friends there, but at the end of the day, there was no way he could justify the cost of living in Hollywood anymore if he was without work.
His first thought had been to call his sister, Daisy, and see if she could put him up. The immediate response had been a flat-out no, she had her in-laws over and that was that, they took up all and any available space in her terrace house, so there would be no room for him. Of course, she had two children and three dogs to boot, so it was a bit of a tight squeeze anyway. He was hardly surprised.
He had absolutely no intention of inconveniencing his parents, so had no option but to hunt down somewhere else to live. Not that he minded living on his own (he was used to it now), nor did he mind moving back to the UK, not really.
Reaching the end of the concourse, Will took a moment to take in his surroundings before setting off again to salvage his luggage from the wreckage of arrivals, and then on to hail a cab into the city.
There was absolutely no point in hanging around Heathrow for any longer than necessary. He’d never been particularly taken with airports and today was definitely no exception. As much as he’d have loved to have dawdled and taken his time over his return, he had a life to be getting on with, a life he hadn’t had for quite a few years.
Now, where exactly was he supposed start?
*
There had been a time when he was quite content to stare at these same four walls. It had been an awful long time since he’d had to though, and now the thought wasn’t as appealing. He didn’t belong here; this was not his home anymore, and he could feel it everywhere he went. But right now he had no other choice. He stayed here or ended up homeless. When faced with a decision like that, it was pretty obvious which to choose.
‘Ben?’
It was Jack. He peered apprehensively around the door and held out a hand, a mug of coffee clutched tightly in it.
‘Can I come in?’
Ben perked an eyebrow, resisting the urge to laugh at his younger brother’s behaviour, and then merely shrugged a shoulder in response. ‘You look like you’re already in to me, Jack,’ he commented, chuckling as he moved to pull his suitcase toward him.
Oh boy, living out of a suitcase, he’d not done this one in a while. Four hours in and the shirt he’d placed so carefully on top earlier that day now resembled nothing but a chewed bit of string. So... it was going well then.
‘Mum said she’d prefer it if you weren’t here tonight,’ said Jack, handing over the coffee once he’d crossed the room.
Ben laughed and shook his head. Suddenly it made sense; the hot drink was a peace offering from his mother. Now that he’d flown the nest, she’d always been determined (overly so) not to do a single thing for him, for either of them actually - although Jack seemed to be getting off scot-free at the moment.
Looking back up at his brother briefly as he laid his crumpled shirt out across the back of the couch in the hope to salvage it somewhat, Ben got straight to the point. ‘Why exactly doesn’t she want me here tonight?’ he asked softly. Whatever the case may be, it wouldn’t be Jack’s fault, they’d always been close. ‘What’s she got going on that I’m not allowed to know about?’
‘It’s not that you’re not supposed to know about it,’ argued Jack, who had clearly been sent out to test the waters. ‘Kayla and her parents are coming for dinner; so it would probably be easier if you weren’t around.’
This made no sense, but it wasn’t worth arguing over.
‘Fine,’ Ben responded. ‘Consider me already gone.’
‘You know, I don’t mind if you’re here, it would be fine by me, it’s just--'
‘It’s Mum, I know.’ Glancing back to Jack, Ben smiled, letting him know that he really did understand and he wouldn’t hold it against the younger man. ‘She has control issues. She’s had control issues for the last two years and she’s going to drive us all to distraction, but apparently she’s yet to realise that herself. She’s yet to realise a lot, truth be told, but whatever.’ He laughed. ‘Psychologist my ass.’
Jack looked taken aback, but nodded all the same, a nervous laugh escaping him. ‘Something like that,’ he responded.
Setting aside his unpacking for the time being, Ben took a seat on the couch instead and beckoned Jack over, insisting he sit beside him. ‘I’m not an idiot, Jack, I know she doesn’t want me here at all,’ he said. ‘But I don’t have any other choice at the moment. It was this or a cardboard box on Oxford Street.’
‘Bollocks was it!’ Jack laughed.
‘OK, slight exaggeration...’ said Ben, joining in with his brother’s laughter. ‘You know what I mean though. I didn’t have anywhere else to go, so here I am, so she’s going to have to deal with it. For now at least.’
With a nod, this was apparently accepted and Jack moved back to his feet, making a swift exit. ‘See you in the morning then,’ he called back.
Watching his brother go, Ben sighed softly before he let his gaze drop down to the carpet. This was not going to end well at all; he could feel it in his bones. He’d always got on perfectly well with his parents, but his sudden invasion of the family home had come as a shock and it wasn’t sitting particularly well with anyone (aside from Jack anyway).
It had been almost seven years since he had officially moved out and two years after that, his mother had cleared out his room and turned it into her own private library, making it pretty clear she didn’t want him coming back anytime soon - if at all.
Last night, not five minutes before midnight, Ben had found himself on the phone to the very same woman pleading that she let him stay.
At eleven thirty he’d found himself locking antlers with his landlord, Mick, as the older man informed him that Ben’s last three cheque’s had done nothing but bounce all the way to the rubbish dump. He had no money, something his bank manager told him quite bluntly ten minutes later. In fact, no, that wasn’t right, he didn’t have any money and his bank account was in fact several thousand pounds into the red. Had been so for quite some time, too.
The first question to leave Ben’s lips was why had no one bothered to tell him any of this before? Maybe he could have done something about the whole fiasco if he’d had some kind of warning, but apparently no one had the common courtesy to let him know about anything anymore.
He ended up spending the night crashing on the floor of Jack’s flat before finally setting foot in the family home just after lunchtime with his tail between his legs.
The reception had been a little on the frosty side, but things could have undoubtedly been worse.
He was currently hauled up in the second reception room, the living room that was only ever used for Christmas and extra special occasions. The Christmas tree still remained, yet to be taken down from the recent festivities, and the small table tucked away in the corner of the room was laden with boxes of biscuits, chocolates and crackers. He had fond memories of this room, although at this moment in time, it merely felt cold... and unwelcoming. Nothing more and nothing less.
The sooner he could get out of there the better, although he didn’t doubt how difficult that may be considering the current circumstances.
What he really needed was for someone to offer him a way out.
And quick.
*
‘This is the place.’
Will followed the landlord in rather cautiously, a small frown working its way onto his features as the inside of the flat was finally unveiled to him. ‘It’s, umm--’ he started, but failed to finish the sentence, completely dumbfounded.
The place was a mess, ripped wallpaper and stained carpets, and not to mention the size of the room he was actually faced with. One room, singular, there didn’t appear to be anymore.
He took a deep breath, glancing to the landlord. ‘Is this it?’ he questioned, just wanting to clarify.
With a nod, the landlord pushed past him and into the flat, opening a door at the far end. ‘Bathroom,’ he said. ‘And that’s your lot, mate.’ He shrugged, closed the door again, barely giving Will two seconds to see how that faired. From the landlord’s attitude, he presumed worse than the room he was currently looking at and probably infested with a fair few cockroaches to boot.
Swallowing down his pride, Will stepped a little further into the property and began to examine the kitchen. At least that very, very small corner of what could soon become his living quarters wasn’t too bad.
And considering his budget, it was either this or... well, nothing at all.
‘I’ll take it.’ He turned back to face the landlord suddenly, holding out his hand. The man before him looked as shocked as Will felt. ‘When can I move in?’
‘As soon as you like,’ came the easy response. ‘You can call me Mick, by the way. I’ll fetch the papers.’
An hour later and Will was letting himself back into the flat, pulling his two suitcases behind him. At least his hope to find somewhere to live before the day was out hadn’t been completely fruitless. Now, of course, he needed to figure out what on earth to do to the place to make it habitable. He guessed this was where the fun began.
Armed with bug spray and a swatter, he decided to tackle the bathroom first and, just as he feared, it was ten times worse than the rest of the flat. He took several tentative steps inside, spray held high and fixed the cockroach closest to him (who was currently residing in the shower tray) with a defiant stare. ‘All right,’ he said, perking an eyebrow. ‘It’s you or me buddy, and let me tell you, I’m not going anywhere. So... you get the picture, don’t you?’
He flashed the small bug in front of him an overzealous smile, and then without further warning went in for the kill.
Good way to spend your first week back in the UK that was for sure... sarcasm very much intended.