No Other Choice, Chapter 2/6
Title: No Other Choice
Author: SimplyShanni
Beta: None. All mistakes are mine and mine alone.
Disclaimer: This is a work of pure fiction. It has been written solely for fun, not for profit. No disrespect is meant to the actual individuals represented here and I make no claims about their sexual orientation in real life.
Pairing: Orlibean
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Romance and a bit of Schmoop
Summary: Something is very wrong with Sean. He hasn't been himself since returning to New Zealand after Christmas break.
Warnings: Ch. 2 contains Minor Language.
Rating: Ranges between PG and Hard R. Please do not read this story if you are under the age of 18! This chapter will be PG.
Chapter 2/6
Viggo Plays Peacemaker
Standing under the pounding heat of the shower, Orlando heaved a loud sigh of relief as he felt the tense muscles in his back finally beginning to relax. Surprisingly enough, everything had actually gone very smoothly after lunch. PJ had even allowed them to go home early for a change. Though he was beyond grateful for these small miracles, from his perspective, the entire afternoon had still felt like nothing but unmitigated torture. During their intermittent breaks in filming, he could swear that he had sensed the furtive scrutiny of Sean's anxious green eyes. He'd almost been able to feel the guilt coming off the man in waves. Whenever he would glance in the Yorkshireman's direction, however, Sean had always seemed preoccupied by something or someone else.
Highly unnerved by this visual game of cat and mouse, he had uncharacteristically isolated himself from the others, ducking away into any unobtrusive niche or hidey-hole he could find. Unfortunately, this had done him very little good, as everyone but John Rhys Davies and Sean, himself, had felt the need to seek him out. Craig had asked if he might like to go see a movie or maybe have a quick bite to eat in order to distract himself. Livvie and Sir Ian, neither of whom had any scenes that day but had shown up to watch the filming anyway, had each come up to him at different times to offer him a sympathetic shoulder and a willing ear if he should ever need to confide in someone. He'd thanked all three of them in turn for their concern, but had declined their offers, firmly but politely. Dom, Billy and Elijah had enthusiastically insisted that an evening of mindless drinking and dancing would be just what he needed to get his mind off his troubles. As an alternative to going out and getting blitzed, Sean Astin had even invited him to share a meal with him and his family. Once again, he'd said thanks but no thanks, claiming that he only wanted to go home and get some rest after having such a rotten day. Though they'd attempted to argue with him, the four Hobbits had finally been forced to accept 'no' for an answer.
Viggo, on the other hand, had been a bit more determined. He'd put his arm around the disgruntled Elf and told him that he was coming to his house for dinner. When Orli tried to refuse, the man had whispered that he'd been talking to Sean and he now had something very important that he needed to share with Orlando. Even though he'd wanted nothing more than to go home alone and sort out the confusing tangle of his thoughts and feelings, the opportunity to finally learn what was going on inside of Sean's mind was too good to pass up. He'd found himself reluctantly agreeing to meet Viggo at his place for dinner at 8:30, which was only forty-five minutes from now.
Freshly showered, teeth brushed and what was left of his mohawked hair styled to his satisfaction, Orlando proceeded to pull on a pair of baggy, faded jeans that stayed on his narrow hips by the grace of a brown leather belt alone. Next, he donned a long-sleeved, royal blue and yellow striped rugby shirt accented with a white collar and cuffs. Bright yellow socks and his favorite pair of beat-up trainers completed the casual ensemble. It was a pleasant if coolish evening so he decided to walk the relatively short distance to Viggo's. On his way out the door, he paused to grab a light, windbreaker-style jacket from the coat closet, then swiftly covered the five blocks until he was at the little cottage on the beach, which was only slightly bigger than his own.
Nimbly making his way up the inclining walkway, he stepped onto the front porch and rang the bell. Seconds later, the heavy door was opened by the smiling, barefoot American. An answering grin quirked his own lips as he took in the remarkably unkempt appearance of his host. Viggo was wearing the rattiest, holiest, most disreputable pair of jeans Orlando had ever seen, and the man's short-sleeved tee shirt was covered in so many splotches of multi-colored paint that it was difficult to discern the original heather grey color on anything but the bottom inch or so of the right sleeve. The urge to tease him was irresistible and Orli's chocolate brown eyes began to sparkle as he shook his head in mocking amazement. "How sweet of you, Vig, but you really shouldn't have bothered to put on your Sunday best just for little old me!"
Relieved to see the return of Orlando's lively sense of humor, especially after the wretched day the young man had endured, an involuntary shout of laughter burst out of Viggo. "Funny, Elfboy, very funny. Now get in here before I decide to send your sorry ass home with no dinner!"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Orli smirked as he slipped past him and through the door. "Anything you say, Your Majesty! How can I argue with The Man Who Would Be King?" he added facetiously as he paused to remove his jacket and hang it on one of the conveniently placed pegs next to the door. Once he was inside, however, he took a deep sniff of the air and his stomach actually growled at the mouthwatering aroma coming from the kitchen. "Mmmm, seriously though, Vig, something smells really, really good! I'm far too famished to risk being sent away without getting a taste of whatever that is. Is it almost ready? Can I do anything to help?"
As he led the way to the kitchen, Viggo couldn't help but smile at the eager questions. "Why don't you toss the salad," he suggested with a nod at the wooden bowl sitting on the counter. Orlando could see that it was filled with a variety of crisp greens, sliced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. He gave the mixture an appreciative glance as he nodded agreeably. Turning to open the refrigerator, Viggo reached inside to grab the cruet of tangy, homemade balsamic vinaigrette and handed it over to Orlando. "The parmesan and herb bread is keeping warm in the oven," he informed the hungry young man, "and the spinach and cheese ravioli will be ready just as soon as the mozzarella is finished melting. I added it just before you got here so it should only be another minute or two."
Companionably, the two friends put the finishing touches on dinner. Orlando dressed the salad as Viggo used a hot pad to remove the foil wrapped bread from the oven and deftly arranged it in a little basket lined with a cloth napkin. When the salad was ready, Orli carried it, along with the basket of hot bread, over to the table and set them down, being careful not to knock over the bottle of wine already sitting there, which Viggo had left open to breathe. The older man placed a trivet on the table and brought out the bubbling ravioli. They both sat down and, as soon as they'd filled their glasses with the rich red wine, each man happily tucked into the plentiful food. Orlando gave a hum of contentment deep in his throat as he noted that it was every bit as delicious as it smelled.
Not wanting to ruin the Elf's hearty appetite, Viggo kept the conversation light and allowed him to enjoy his meal in peace. Only when they were both full and Orlando had pushed away from the table, declaring that he couldn't eat another bite, did Viggo bring up the reason for asking him over in the first place. "Why don't you go out to the living room and relax. I'll just rinse off these dishes and leave them to soak in the sink before I join you. Won't take more than a few minutes and then we can have that chat about Sean," he remarked as offhandedly as he could. He stole a quick glance at his guest and the young man's tightened features made him immediately glad that he hadn't mentioned the touchy subject of Sean until after they'd finished their dinner.
Orlando, who'd never managed to eat the rest of his lunch earlier today, had been so hungry, and Viggo's company had been so easy and undemanding, that he'd allowed himself to forget the real reason he was here. At the gentle reminder, he felt his stomach flip-flop nauseatingly as every bit of his earlier anxiety and confusion returned with a vengeance. He gave Viggo a nervous nod of agreement and went to sit down on the large brown couch. This was it. He was finally going to find out what was going on with Sean! Even if he still had no idea what to do with his own mixed-up feelings, he would at least have a clue about what had been bothering his friend. Unable to settle comfortably, he got back up and prowled over to glance through the built-in shelves that housed Viggo's television and stereo system, as well as a variety of other items.
His focus fell on a rather large selection of phonograph albums. He squatted down and was just reaching out to examine one more closely when Viggo walked up behind him, his bare feet making no noise whatsoever. "Ah, I see you found my collection," the older man observed, suppressing a grin when Orlando startled at the unexpected sound of his voice. "I do admit to having a bit of an obsession when it comes to classic rock, and it never sounds the same on a CD as it does on an LP. Feel free to listen to anything you'd like, if someone from your generation even knows how to operate a turntable these days. It's almost as much of an antique as I am!"
Orli's breath had caught on a sharp gasp when Viggo snuck up behind him. Now, he glanced over his shoulder, sending the older man a look that was equal parts annoyance at being caught unawares and wry amusement at his self-deprecating humor. "Oi, real cute, grandpa," he muttered sarcastically. "I think, if I tried extra, extra hard, I might be able to figure out how the pho-no-graph works, but no, no thanks." He dropped his eyes as he straightened up and turned to face the older man. A rather sheepish expression settled on his ridiculously beautiful features as he confessed, "Not really in the mood for music, Vig. Just too restless to sit still until you joined me."
A look of understanding replaced the teasing light in Viggo's blue-grey eyes as he reached for Orlando's hand and led him back to the couch. Once the young man was seated rather stiffly in the corner, gazing up at him anxiously, he gave the sharp cheekbone a gentle caress before settling comfortably into the opposite corner. "No need to be nervous, Orli," he murmured soothingly. "What I'm going to tell you isn't something terrible. You know that Sean and I have become rather close lately, and he's been sharing some things with me that I think you need to know about too. And don't worry that Sean will be mad that I'm talking to you because he already knows. In fact, he actually considered joining us so he could apologize to you, but he was still feeling awfully guilty 'bout coming down on you the way he did earlier. He assumed you probably wouldn't want to see him yet. That you might still need some time to cool off."
"Well, hell!" Orli gaped in surprise. Of all the revelations he might have expected Viggo to make tonight, he never would have guessed that Sean had thought about coming to dinner too, but that he didn't think Orlando was ready to accept his apology yet. 'Silly git! Shows how much he knows!' he thought ruefully as, deep inside, he felt a painful little coil of stress unraveling. Until that very moment, he hadn't realized that a good portion of his inner turbulence had actually boiled down to a couple of major issues. One, he was worried that discussing Sean behind his back could easily be considered a betrayal of sorts. Two, he was even more frightened that Sean was trying to back out of their friendship and would continue to put up barriers between them. Knowing that neither concern was valid, he felt an enormous sense of relief sweep over him and his face broke into a dazzling smile.
Blinking in dazed confusion, Viggo couldn't help the fact that his heartbeat picked up speed as he observed that brilliant smile. This boy really was too gorgeous for his own good! 'But enough of that!' he scolded himself sternly. He had to set things right between his friends. For the past month, he'd watched Orlando become more and more despondent as he and Sean continued to grow apart. Viggo had always suspected that the young man's feelings for the handsome Northerner ran much deeper than he ever allowed himself to realize, but after the drama of their little lunchtime confrontation, it looked as though Orlando might have finally admitted the truth to himself. And considering some of the recent conversations he'd had with Beanie, that would be a very good thing. For both of them. He wasn't a big believer in destiny, but if ever there were two people he thought belonged together, it was Sean and Orli. He had no doubts about that, whatsoever!
"Good to see you relax and smile like that, Elfboy," Viggo remarked, stifling a smirk at the understatement when he privately recalled his own racing heart. "Were you worried about Sean's reaction if he found out that we were talking about him without his say so?" he questioned, then grinned at the Elf's nod of confirmation. "I would never do something like that," he promised sincerely. "What I plan on telling you tonight, Sean has already given me permission to share. And I promise, it's nothing he won't be saying to you himself, once he finally works up the courage to face you again after making such a jackass of himself today!"
Amused by Viggo's blunt disclosure, Orli couldn't suppress a giggle. Charmed as always by the oddly musical sound, Viggo gave a chuckle of his own, but sobered up quickly when he considered the serious nature of what he was about to reveal. "You obviously know that Sean has been going through some very rough times since coming back to New Zealand. You've probably also guessed that it centers around his divorce. Man, his soon-to-be ex-wife is a nasty piece of work! She dumped such a load of vindictive crap on him when he was back in England that it threw Sean for a real loop. Shook his confidence in himself. What you don't know is that before going back home in December, Sean had come to some very important decisions about his life. What they are, I can't say. That's something only he has the right to talk about, but Abby, twisted little bitch that she is, made him doubt himself and everything he'd already decided. It left him...floundering, for lack of a better word. By the time he got back here, she had him so tied up in knots, he didn't know which way to turn."
The more Orlando heard, the darker and angrier his scowl grew, and Viggo actually shuddered. He'd had no idea that the young man could convey such fury, such pure...enmity with just a look. The Elf might be a bit on the lean side and deceptively delicate looking into the bargain, but when his protective instincts were fully roused, as they obviously were at this moment, he was downright scary! In his humble opinion, Abby had better hope she never had the misfortune to cross paths with one Orlando Bloom, ever, because he wouldn't be a bit surprised if the young man didn't snatch her bald without a second thought. He fought back an inappropriate laugh at the mental image this thought provoked, but the briefest of smiles did manage to escape. Fortunately for him, it remained unnoticed.
It took several minutes for Orlando to calm down enough to be rational. His strong hands were clenching and unclenching around a hapless throw pillow, his dark chocolate eyes glued to them as if picturing a much more satisfying target for the release of his seething anger. Like the slender throat of a particularly vicious blonde witch, perhaps. His voice, when it emerged, was brittle and highly controlled, reminding Viggo of nothing so much as fragile glass about to shatter at any second. "Thank you for sharing this with me, Vig. I've been very worried about him. He hasn't been the same man during these last few weeks, but at least I now know the cause. You have told me the worst of it, haven't you? That bitch didn't try to take Evie away from him, did she?"
"No, Orli, nothing along those lines," Viggo replied honestly. "At least not that he mentioned to me. You know, that possibility never even occurred to me. What made you bring up something like that?"
"I guess because he's been so on edge and touchy," Orlando explained thoughtfully. "I couldn't think of anything else that might have upset him to such an extreme degree, other than his family. Nothing is as important to Sean as his girls, though, so I'm glad he won't be facing any custody issues. But there are still a couple of things I'm wondering about, Vig, and maybe you could help me find the answers. First, what the hell did I do that set him off so badly this afternoon, and second, why has he been avoiding me lately? Before we left on holiday, Sean and I were getting quite close. We'd often stay up till all hours of the night, gabbing about whatever came to mind, and he never hesitated to talk about his crumbling marriage. I just don't get why that's suddenly changed. I mean, I'm happy that he's had you to confide in, really I am, but I have to admit that I've been feeling a tad left out, yeah? Do you have any idea what's behind such an abrupt turnabout?"
So there they were, the two questions that Viggo had been dreading most. In order to not betray Sean's confidence, he would have to tread very carefully from here on out, but neither did he want to lie to the Elf. "I do have some idea, Orli," he confessed reluctantly, "but I can't go into any details. Let's just say that your interruption at lunch was a case of very bad timing and leave it at that. As to why he's been avoiding you lately, that's something you're going to have to take up with Sean. Only he can tell you what that's about."
At the look of hurt confusion on Orlando's face, Viggo's heart went out to him. He hated not being able to be completely open and honest with the young man sitting across from him, but it simply wasn't his place. Maybe he could ease his mind in another way, however. "Don't be too upset, Elfboy," he advised reassuringly. "You really have nothing to worry about. I promise it's nothing bad, and I know for a fact that Sean cares about you very much. He genuinely values your friendship and he doesn't want to loose it. That's really all I can tell you right now, except to say that I'm willing to listen if you need to talk. You're looking rather overwhelmed at the moment."
To say that Orlando was tempted would be a massive understatement. From the discrete way that Viggo had handled Sean's confidences, he knew that anything he told the American would go no further than this room. But how could he discuss his feelings for Sean when he didn't even understand them himself yet? They were too fresh, too raw, and he needed to become comfortable with these brand new emotions before he could speak about them openly. With a decisive shake of his head, he regretfully turned down the offer. "I don't think so, Vig, but thanks anyway. If I talk to anyone, it should be to Sean himself. And we do need to talk. I really wish he had come tonight because it's way past time we cleared the air between us."
Viggo gave an easy shrug at his refusal. "No problem, Elfboy." he replied breezily. "Just know that I'm here for you if you should ever change your mind. I love you and Sean both equally and I don't play favorites. He's chewed my ear off more times than I can count recently and I'm offering you the same opportunity, whenever, wherever."
When Viggo's caring words actually brought a sentimental lump to his throat, Orlando realized that the emotional atmosphere was getting a bit too heavy. His mouth tilted upwards in a mischievous quirk as he made the spontaneous decision to lighten things up. "Okay, now there's an image I didn't need!" he joked teasingly. "Sean, chewing on your ear!" He gave a dramatic shudder, as if the mere thought had left him severely traumatized.
The suddenly manic grin that broke out on Viggo's face should have been fair warning, but the throw pillow that was launched in retaliation for his cheeky humor seemed to come out of nowhere as it hit him squarely in the head. Startled, Orli blinked twice before bursting into uncontrollable giggles. The ridiculous look of shock on the young man's face caused Viggo to collapse into his own fit of laughter. "Serves you right, Prissy Elf!" he rasped when he was finally able to breathe properly again. Rising to his feet, Viggo placed his fisted hands on his hips, shaking his head sadly as he infused his voice with every ounce of mock-hurt he could muster. "Here I am, trying to be all helpful and sincere, and you turn it into a big joke! I think I'm highly offended."
Viggo's silly pout and over-the-top delivery nearly sent Orlando into another round of giggles, but he somehow managed to overcome the urge as he played along. "Guess you're right, Scruffy Ranger. I do apologize," he offered in a patently false, sugary-sweet tone. He opened his mouth to continue their playful banter but, out of nowhere, a huge yawn interrupted him. Surprise widened his eyes and a pretty blush climbed all the way to the tips of ears. "Oops! Sorry, that was rude of me," the young man mumbled abashedly as he, too, came to his feet. "I think this day is finally catching up with me, Vig, and before I do something even more embarrassing, like fall asleep sitting up as I drool all over your couch, I should probably get going."
Orlando stood there uncertainly, his right hand grasping his left wrist behind his back as he scuffed the toe of one trainer against the braided rug that covered the hardwood floor. Viggo's strong, chiseled features softened affectionately as he took in the adorable picture that his young friend made. Now that the serious talk was all behind them, he couldn't stop himself from trying to prolong the enjoyable visit. "I can see that you're tired, Orli, but there's no need to rush off. I have vanilla ice cream with strawberries and homemade chocolate sauce for dessert," he offered temptingly, smiling at the extremely unelven-like groan of protest that answered his invitation.
"I'll have to take a rain check, I'm afraid," Orli told him regretfully. "I made such a pig of myself at dinner, I'm still too full for dessert, even ice cream with strawberries and chocolate sauce." With an apologetic smile, he made his way to the front door, grabbing his jacket off the peg and donning it while he waited for Viggo to join him. As the older man drew close, he reached out and pulled him into a big, Orli-style hug. "The food was delicious. Thank you," he said simply, once he had released Viggo from his all-encompassing embrace. Though the words may have been simple, the meaningful look in Orlando's enormous dark eyes made it clear to the American that he was being thanked for more than just dinner.
The young man opened the door, but before he walked out, he leaned over to bestow a quick kiss to Viggo's cheek. "You've given me a lot to think about tonight, Vig," he acknowledged. "I honestly appreciate the way you've acted as a sort of...intermediary between me and Sean. At least now I have some hope that we might heal the breach that's grown between us. When it comes right down to it, though, it really is up to him to prove that he's ready to take the next step. If he can do that much, I'd be more than willing to meet him halfway."
With a final nod and a wistful wave of his hand, Orli made his exit and pulled the door shut after him. Left alone, Viggo stared blankly at the solid wooden surface for several moments until a thought finally occurred to him. Turning on his heel, he walked swiftly towards the kitchen. Without a second's hesitation, he headed straight for the phone and punched in a number that had seen quite a bit of use in the last month and a half. As he waited for a response on the other end of the line, he could be heard to mutter, "Yes, it might very well be up to Sean to take the next step. But nothing says I can't give the stubborn fool a little shove...just to get him steppin' in the right direction."
TBC
Author's Note: I would normally be posting an update next Tuesday but I'm leaving for a week of vacation on Monday. I'm really sorry, but this means everyone will have to wait an extra week for Chapter 3. *hugs to you all*
Shanni