Fic: RunAway - LIV. Surprise
Series info, summary, warnings, and disclaimer
Previous chapters
Chapter Title: Surprise
Chapter Summary: Dom has a bit of a birthday party
Dom bounded angrily around the stage, shouting at his co-stars and being a generally mean person. The audience loved it. He finally died dramatically at the end and was dragged offstage by an extra. When he came out for the curtain call, the crowd redoubled their applause. Dom struck one of his old premiere poses, arms outstretched and tongue poking out from between his teeth. Viggo watched and smiled from a seat near the back of the theatre.
***
“I’m here for Nick Bernard,” Viggo told the security man in halting German that he’d learnt specifically for this occasion. “Tell him an old friend is here.”
The man nodded and went off to find Dom. Seconds later, Dom burst through the doors and pounced on Viggo, hugging him tightly. He pressed his lips to Viggo’s for a long moment, then leaned back, smiling broadly.
“I knew it was you!”
“Happy Birthday, Nick.”
“Why the hell are you here? Did you see the play?” Dom asked excitedly. “I need to change. Come on back, then we’ll go to my flat. I don’t have anything to drink, but we can talk in private there.”
“You were amazing. I only understood about a third of what you said, but it was fantastic.”
“But you understood a third? I’m impressed.” Dom grinned. “It’s so good to see you, Vig. Really, really good.”
“So you’ve obviously been doing well.” Dom’s smile faltered. “Or not?”
“We’ll talk about it later. Let me get out of this costume.”
***
“I brought you a birthday present.”
“Are you kidding me? Wow.”
“It’s back at my hotel. Let’s stop there on the way to your place.”
“You could have stayed with me, Vig.”
“I didn’t want to ruin the surprise, and besides, I don’t even know what kind of place you have.”
“Maybe you should stay at a hotel, then. It’s pretty… bad. Bad neighborhood, I mean. But it’s close to the theatre, so…”
“I’m sure it’s fine, Dom. Let’s go.”
After retrieving Viggo’s small duffel bag from his hotel room, they walked down the streets in companionable silence for several blocks until Dom stopped short and stared at Viggo.
“How did you find me?” he asked quietly. Viggo waited a long moment before replying.
“I keep tabs on an actor called Nick Bernard. Heard he was in a play recently, decided to check it out,” he added with a smile.
“You… But… How did you find me?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Dom eyed Viggo suspiciously. “There was an article about you in a newspaper here; Hans sent it to me.”
“Right.”
“It’s okay, Dom. Really. Take me to your apartment.”
“Right. Up this way.”
***
Two hours later, they were both laughing and feeling the effects of the bottle of scotch Viggo produced from his duffel (“Just this once,” he’d said. “We’re celebrating.”). Viggo sprawled across the couch while Dom sat cross-legged on top of the coffee table across from him.
“I think you’re drunk enough for your present,” Viggo exclaimed suddenly. He jumped up as gracefully as possible under the circumstances and retrieved a box wrapped in brightly painted packing paper. Dom eagerly pulled off the wrapping and opened the box. Inside was a leather-bound journal with a collage of artfully cropped photos on the cover.
One was Dom himself, with Orlando, Elijah, and Billy, all in their hobbit (and elf) gear and laughing. Another was Billy and Dom in Treebeard, sharing secretive grins. A third was Elijah with a beautiful New Zealand sunrise behind him.
Dom opened the journal reverently. Every few pages, there was a photo of someone or something from the Rings era. Dom laughed when he found a picture of Orlando’s broken surfboard, taken after a particularly rough day at sea.
When he looked up, he realized there were tears in his eyes. “Thank you, Viggo.”
“You’re welcome.” Viggo opened his arms and Dom crawled onto his lap, curling around Viggo like a cat.
“I’ve missed you. Everyone. My life.”
“Tell me, Dommie.”
“I had to start over. Completely over. And I didn’t have any friends or family or… Or past, really.”
“You seem to have done well for only a year. Already a star at that theatre.”
“Yeah. I was good back there, wasn’t I? They saw I had something, gave me the part, and here I am.”
“You’re a very good actor, Dom.”
“I just… I miss things. Little things, mostly, things that don’t make any sense. Like… I miss my old phone, the one with all the stickers on it. I’ve had about three new phones since that one, but I miss it.”
Viggo smiled, remembering the brightly decorated cell phone. He’d been on speed dial #3, he thought. He asked Dom, who confirmed it. “Billy was number 1, Elijah was 2, you were 3, Orli was either 4 or 6, I don’t remember… I think Sean was 5, but I’m not sure. That may’ve been my parents.”
They sat in silence for a moment. Dom laid his head down on Viggo’s shoulder and sighed.
“I miss big things too, like… people. Billy. Having a house I actually like.”
“This one’s not too bad, though,” Viggo said carefully. He glanced around: two of the three windows faced the brick wall across the alley and most of the furniture was falling apart.
“It took a long time to get this far,” Dom began. “It was so hard to start over again. I slept in a hostel for a few nights and out on the street for a few more. The first flat I was able to get I had to share with three junkies and it was so hard, Viggo.”
“What was so hard?” Viggo asked gently, rubbing Dom’s back.
“I didn’t want to get back into the drugs and the drinking and all that, so I tried not to stay in there when I could help it. Eventually I just moved out and stayed on a friend’s couch until I got my feet back under me.”
“That’s good, though, Dom. It’s good that you didn’t give in, and that you let someone help you.” Viggo’s arms tightened around his friend. “I’m proud of you, Dom.”
Dom smiled. “I’m doing alright now, most of the time. I’m doing better now.”
Next: Follow
Previous chapters
Chapter Title: Surprise
Chapter Summary: Dom has a bit of a birthday party
Dom bounded angrily around the stage, shouting at his co-stars and being a generally mean person. The audience loved it. He finally died dramatically at the end and was dragged offstage by an extra. When he came out for the curtain call, the crowd redoubled their applause. Dom struck one of his old premiere poses, arms outstretched and tongue poking out from between his teeth. Viggo watched and smiled from a seat near the back of the theatre.
***
“I’m here for Nick Bernard,” Viggo told the security man in halting German that he’d learnt specifically for this occasion. “Tell him an old friend is here.”
The man nodded and went off to find Dom. Seconds later, Dom burst through the doors and pounced on Viggo, hugging him tightly. He pressed his lips to Viggo’s for a long moment, then leaned back, smiling broadly.
“I knew it was you!”
“Happy Birthday, Nick.”
“Why the hell are you here? Did you see the play?” Dom asked excitedly. “I need to change. Come on back, then we’ll go to my flat. I don’t have anything to drink, but we can talk in private there.”
“You were amazing. I only understood about a third of what you said, but it was fantastic.”
“But you understood a third? I’m impressed.” Dom grinned. “It’s so good to see you, Vig. Really, really good.”
“So you’ve obviously been doing well.” Dom’s smile faltered. “Or not?”
“We’ll talk about it later. Let me get out of this costume.”
***
“I brought you a birthday present.”
“Are you kidding me? Wow.”
“It’s back at my hotel. Let’s stop there on the way to your place.”
“You could have stayed with me, Vig.”
“I didn’t want to ruin the surprise, and besides, I don’t even know what kind of place you have.”
“Maybe you should stay at a hotel, then. It’s pretty… bad. Bad neighborhood, I mean. But it’s close to the theatre, so…”
“I’m sure it’s fine, Dom. Let’s go.”
After retrieving Viggo’s small duffel bag from his hotel room, they walked down the streets in companionable silence for several blocks until Dom stopped short and stared at Viggo.
“How did you find me?” he asked quietly. Viggo waited a long moment before replying.
“I keep tabs on an actor called Nick Bernard. Heard he was in a play recently, decided to check it out,” he added with a smile.
“You… But… How did you find me?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Dom eyed Viggo suspiciously. “There was an article about you in a newspaper here; Hans sent it to me.”
“Right.”
“It’s okay, Dom. Really. Take me to your apartment.”
“Right. Up this way.”
***
Two hours later, they were both laughing and feeling the effects of the bottle of scotch Viggo produced from his duffel (“Just this once,” he’d said. “We’re celebrating.”). Viggo sprawled across the couch while Dom sat cross-legged on top of the coffee table across from him.
“I think you’re drunk enough for your present,” Viggo exclaimed suddenly. He jumped up as gracefully as possible under the circumstances and retrieved a box wrapped in brightly painted packing paper. Dom eagerly pulled off the wrapping and opened the box. Inside was a leather-bound journal with a collage of artfully cropped photos on the cover.
One was Dom himself, with Orlando, Elijah, and Billy, all in their hobbit (and elf) gear and laughing. Another was Billy and Dom in Treebeard, sharing secretive grins. A third was Elijah with a beautiful New Zealand sunrise behind him.
Dom opened the journal reverently. Every few pages, there was a photo of someone or something from the Rings era. Dom laughed when he found a picture of Orlando’s broken surfboard, taken after a particularly rough day at sea.
When he looked up, he realized there were tears in his eyes. “Thank you, Viggo.”
“You’re welcome.” Viggo opened his arms and Dom crawled onto his lap, curling around Viggo like a cat.
“I’ve missed you. Everyone. My life.”
“Tell me, Dommie.”
“I had to start over. Completely over. And I didn’t have any friends or family or… Or past, really.”
“You seem to have done well for only a year. Already a star at that theatre.”
“Yeah. I was good back there, wasn’t I? They saw I had something, gave me the part, and here I am.”
“You’re a very good actor, Dom.”
“I just… I miss things. Little things, mostly, things that don’t make any sense. Like… I miss my old phone, the one with all the stickers on it. I’ve had about three new phones since that one, but I miss it.”
Viggo smiled, remembering the brightly decorated cell phone. He’d been on speed dial #3, he thought. He asked Dom, who confirmed it. “Billy was number 1, Elijah was 2, you were 3, Orli was either 4 or 6, I don’t remember… I think Sean was 5, but I’m not sure. That may’ve been my parents.”
They sat in silence for a moment. Dom laid his head down on Viggo’s shoulder and sighed.
“I miss big things too, like… people. Billy. Having a house I actually like.”
“This one’s not too bad, though,” Viggo said carefully. He glanced around: two of the three windows faced the brick wall across the alley and most of the furniture was falling apart.
“It took a long time to get this far,” Dom began. “It was so hard to start over again. I slept in a hostel for a few nights and out on the street for a few more. The first flat I was able to get I had to share with three junkies and it was so hard, Viggo.”
“What was so hard?” Viggo asked gently, rubbing Dom’s back.
“I didn’t want to get back into the drugs and the drinking and all that, so I tried not to stay in there when I could help it. Eventually I just moved out and stayed on a friend’s couch until I got my feet back under me.”
“That’s good, though, Dom. It’s good that you didn’t give in, and that you let someone help you.” Viggo’s arms tightened around his friend. “I’m proud of you, Dom.”
Dom smiled. “I’m doing alright now, most of the time. I’m doing better now.”
Next: Follow