Sweet Moment Series Story 2: Birthday Surprise
It’s not the big moments that makes a relationship special. It’s not the big moments that make two people love each other with both affection and devotion. It’s not the big moments that makes two people fall in love and stay together. It’s the sweet, sometimes small moments that keep two people together. This series is about the sweet moments that keep Dominic and Elijah coming back for more.
Title: Birthday Surprise
Author: spikessweetgirl
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Elijah Gives Dominic a early Birthday present
Universe: Sweet Moments Series
Disclaimer: None of this is real.
Word Count: 2686
A/N: Thank you to moffel83 for the beta job and helping this story be readable!
A Birthday Surprise
By Spikessweetgirl
Part of the Sweet Moments Collection
Summary: Dominic's birthday is coming up and is in danger of going unnoticed. That is, until someone special changes that.
Dominic sighed as he glanced at the calendar. His birthday was not too far away and so far he had no plans. This time last year, he had...well...mainly celebrated alone. Too much had been happening. The break up with Evangeline and then there was also Elijah wanting to lay low because of his own break up as well. So Dominic had allowed it to go by without much fuss. But this year was different. He was single, free and at last the hurt of the past year was well behind him. He had hoped that he could
celebrate the 8th with his friends and family. But everyone was too busy. Orli and Miranda had a doctor‘s appointment that day and wanted to concentrate on the coming birth. Viggo was in another one of his artistic moods and was sequestered away from anything and everyone as he lost himself in his painting. Dominic wondered if the news of Orlando's marriage and impending fatherhood had anything to do with that, but didn't ask. He didn’t want to know the answer either, because he was determined to be happy for Orlando. A marriage and a baby was a great thing. Something to be celebrated, he was always willing to celebrate something. Especially when it came to his friends. Especially when it came to the fellowship. Billy was busy, about to film his new movie in Canada. Of course, Dom could go to Toronto and spend it there with his friend. That was an option.
Then there was Elijah. His blue-eyed on and off again boyfriend. The one man that he would ever truly love completely. He joked about pursuing Billy all the time, but that was to distract people from the chemistry that was between himself and Elijah. He loved Billy, sure. As a brother...but Elijah... his love for that man went beyond brotherhood. Went beyond romance even. There was something there that was so simple...yet so complex...he couldn't even name it. He was sure of one thing though. He and Elijah would always be a part of each other's lives. There was no doubt about it. Even if they never got back together romantically, even if they started seeing other people, one thing was for sure. Their relationship would always be a close one. They'd always be in each others lives. No matter what.
He had hoped that Elijah would at least be around for his birthday. He had looked forward to spending the day surfing and maybe getting drunk at Elijah's house while chowing down on some homemade pizza. But Elijah had broken the news that he had other commitments. Mainly that fucking buttnumbathon festival. Elijah had asked Dom along. Claimed that it'd be fun...but Dominic wasn't interested in sitting in one place for hours on end, watching movies that probably wouldn't interest him, so he had declined.
So now, he definitely had no plans for his birthday. Maybe he'd go to Canada after all.
A slight knock on his door brought Dominic out of his thoughts. He frowned. Who could this be? He hadn't been expecting anyone. His agent was out of town, Jason had a DJ gig, and Elijah...well he was guessing that Elijah was with Jason. Which was why he was surprised to open his door to the blue- eyed actor, who had a wide smile on his face.
“Lij?” Dominic blinked.
“Hey, Dom,” Elijah chuckled at the confused expression on Dominic's face. Dominic was at his cutest when he looked confused.
“Hey. Come on in,” He moved aside for the younger man to enter. He watched Elijah enter, the familiar blue eyes sparkling with mirth as pale hands rubbed against worn denim. Dominic wondered what was going on. They hadn't made any plans to meet up or anything. In fact, he had been sure that Elijah would have been with Jason at his gig today.
“What are you doing, Dom? Are you busy?” Elijah asked, looking at his friend curiously, his own voice giving away no clues to the plans he had.
“No. Just reading through some scripts and thinking about going up to Toronto for my birthday...”
“Oh yeah...Billy's movie. That'd be a good way to spend it though...with Billy,” Elijah gave a tight smile, trying not to feel hurt that Dom would rather go to Toronto for his birthday than join him in Austin.
Dominic frowned, picking up on the hurt he saw flash in Elijah's eyes. “Hey, you know I'd be bad company at that festival of yours, right? I mean, I can barely stand still as it is...imagine what a nightmare I'd be at that buttnumbathon you're going to.”
“Yeah, I know...,” Elijah looked down at his feet, feeling silly. He shouldn't feel hurt like this. He knew that Dominic would never intentionally hurt him and that he was right. Things like the buttnumbathon just weren't his thing. Besides, didn't he have a plan for the day? Feeling hurt now would ruin his plans and he really didn't want that. “You're right...”
“So how about telling me why you're here and why you're asking if I'm busy?”
Elijah blushed. “Well...I was thinking that since I'm out of town on your birthday...why not do something before then?”
“Like what?”
“Let me take you out to lunch, Dom. I know this great place. Good food. Good atmosphere...a good place to celebrate the birthday of one of my closest friends.” And sometimes lover, Elijah finished off in his mind. In fact, he’d been thinking a lot about the sometimes lover part.
“Sounds like a great idea, mate. When are you thinking about doing this?”
“How does right now sound?”
Dominic blinked, taken aback a little. Right now? This was kind of unexpected...not that he had anything terribly important to do. He was just...surprised. “This very moment?”
“Why not? I mean, you're not on your way to a meeting or anything are you?”
“Well, no. This is just a bit spur of the moment. Haven't even had time to fix my hair or put on some makeup...and what dress should I wear?” Dominic smiled teasingly, getting a giggle in return.
“So are you coming? Early birthday brunch, my treat, man.”
Dominic laughed and shook his head. “You're a crazy bloke, Elwood. Of course I'm coming. Wouldn't say no for all the world.”
“Well let's hit the fucking road, man! It'll be dinner time soon!” Elijah giggled, the sound ringing out through the room, causing Dominic to grin. The sound of Elijah's famous laugh was so familiar and had the ability to clear Dominic's mind of everything but Elijah.
“Just let me grab my coat...”
~*~
Lunch had not been a quiet affair. The set up was unlike any set up they had ever seen in a restaurant. People actually talked to each other. Ate and talked and got to know each other and he knew that Dominic would love it! He had been waiting for an excuse to take his sometimes boyfriend here, and this was the perfect opportunity.
An hour later, Dominic and Elijah emerged from the restaurant, full of good food and in high spirits. Dominic had to admit, it was the best birthday he had ever had. He listened to Elijah go on about some band he was thinking of signing as they walked down the street, back to his house, not even noticing the paparazzi nearby taking pictures of them both. He was too caught up in thinking about how Elijah seemed even lovelier with his cheeks red from the cold and his pale skin even paler against the dark colors he was wearing. He didn't know if it was from the drinks he had, the good mood, or his natural desire for the young man, but to Dominic, Elijah would have been the best birthday present anyone could have given him.
All too soon, they arrived at Elijah’s house. Elijah decided to have Dominic over and just hang out. Just the two of them. Elijah was still talking nonstop as he unlocked the door and allowed Dominic to enter first. All talk left though when Dominic removed his coat and sunglasses, a small smile on his lips.
“That sounds like an experience, Elwood,” Dominic chuckled, ignoring the building attraction he felt for the young man.
“It was. Maybe next time you can join me and it'll be us both in the cage...”
“Maybe...”
Elijah fell silent as he watched his friend move around the room. “Did you have a good day, Dom? Did you like the restaurant?”
“Sure. It was fun,” Dominic smiled. “I'm glad we went...”
“I know it's not your birthday...but I wanted to take you somewhere special and...well...I thought you'd enjoy it...”
“Oh I did,” Dominic smiled.
Elijah smiled and took a seat on the couch. “You know, this reminds me of when we lived in my guest house. Do you remember? How I was always taking you out and introducing you to restaurants around town?”
Dominic laughed. “Yeah, I remember. One of the best times of my life.”
“Seems so long ago now. We were so fucking young. Now look at us. You're in your thirties with a thriving career and I'm certainly right behind you...”
Dominic smiled and took a seat next to Elijah, playing with his thumb ring. “Times sure have changed....”
“Yeah...,” Elijah sighed, growing silent once again as he became aware of just how close Dominic was sitting. He gasped as he looked up to be met with warm gray-blue eyes. His mouth went dry and he lost the use of all words. He swallowed and looked away. “But some things don't...”
“Yeah? Like what?”
Elijah looked into Dominic's eyes once again, his heart increasing in speed. “I...I'm still as crazy about you now as I was back then...”
Dominic blushed and would have looked away, but Elijah's gaze was too magnetizing. It held him in its blue grasp, not letting him go. What could he say to that? He had to say something, right? Elijah had just said that he still had feelings for him basically. That deserved a response. Like maybe...how did he feel about Elijah? He did care about him. That wasn't in question. Elijah was his mate...the one man that he had ever loved...the man that he still...that he still loved.
Dominic inwardly rolled his eyes at himself. Of course it was simple. He was crazy about the small blue-eyed man, himself. It wasn't a question. “I...I feel the same way...”
“You do?”
“Yeah, I mean...I thought you knew. I've always been crazy about you, Doodle. I know we haven't been in a long term romance but...I have never stopped loving you. I don't think I ever will...”
“So. What do we do about it?”
Dominic knew what he wanted. He wanted a real, long term relationship. He wanted commitment. But did Elijah want the same thing? Looking into those eyes, so familiar, he would have said that the answer was yes. There was none of the uncertainty that he had glimpsed at numerous times before. But was he for sure? Maybe Dominic was only seeing what he wanted to see...
“What do you want to do about it?”
Elijah took a deep breath and took Dominic's hand in his own. This was it. The moment he'd been obsessing over for a good couple of months, starting with the break up with Pam. He wanted to stop hiding. He wanted to start to live his life. He wanted to live it with Dominic. All he had to do now was hope that it was what Dominic wanted too. Now was the moment to find out.
“I want us to be together. Exclusively.”
“Are you for real?” Dominic asked, not sure what to think of this development. When he and Elijah had first gotten together in New Zealand...after all the filming was over with...their relationship fell apart because of Elijah's fear of homophobia. He couldn't take the pressure that could come with being an out actor and Dominic couldn't take the pressures of keeping their relationship a secret, so they had returned to being friends. When they did anything that was on the threshold of being something else, they just didn't talk about it. Not able to just let things be, they kept getting back together, then breaking up, seeing other people along the way.
But now...Dominic was free and so was he. It was time. He wasn't getting any younger. It was time to do what made him happy and being with Dominic made him happy. No doubt about it. It was time to be something more than on again and off again boyfriends/best friends.
“Look, I know that I don't deserve a second chance. That I screwed up. I kept putting my fears before us...but I'm done with that. You have to believe me. I'm done hiding.”
“What are you trying to say here, Lij?”
“I want us to be exclusive again, Dom. No more of this on again, off again shit. I want us to be a real, out, couple. I understand if you don't want it. I gave you every reason not to...but I'm serious this time, Dom. I want to be with you in an out relationship. I love you. I want to act on that love. ..”
Dominic stared at Elijah, not disbelieving him, but not jumping into his arms either. “Do you even realize what you're asking right now? I mean...fuck...there won't be any going back from this, Lij. Once together...we're together. No bearding? No lying? Are you really sure?”
“I've never been more surer of anything in my life. I love you and I want to be with you and I want to yell it from the rooftops. Please believe me...”
Dominic looked into Elijah's eyes and saw the truth there. Elijah was being honest with Dominic and with himself. He faced Dominic dead on, not diverting his eyes at anywhere but Dominic. His voice was strong and sure.
“I do...and I want it too. I want us to be exclusive as well...”
“Well then what's stopping us?”
Dominic grinned, his heart racing. When he had woken up that day, he had never thought that by evening, he'd have the man of his dreams back. Not only back, but fully in a real, established relationship. “Nothing as far as I can see.”
“Well then...let's make this early birthday something special. Let's get back together for real this time. No hiding. No beards. From now on, it'll just be you and me and if Hollywood don’t like it...well it can do what it should have done from the beginning and fuck off.”
Dominic laughed and pulled Elijah into his arms and held him tight, still not sure if this was a dream or reality. But if it was a dream, he wasn't going to wake up without a fight! “Fuck you Hollywood. Lijah and I are going to be together.”
“Yeah,” Elijah chuckled, resting his cheek against Dominic's chest, feeling content and secure in this decision. “I'm not ever going to let you go ever again. That's a promise I plan to keep, Dom...”
“I'm never going to let you let go either,” Dominic pulled Elijah upright, so that they could look into each other's eyes. “I love you, Lijah Wood. I always have and I always will. You may not believe this, but you've given me the best birthday present anyone could have given me.”
“Well it's about damn time, isn't it?”
“It is. I love you, Lij.”
The two lovers leaned into a kiss that said all that needed to be said. There was no more need for words. Not when there were lips and arms and bodies that spoke the language that only Dominic and Elijah understood. Love. It was indeed the best birthday gift and it was one that Dominic would cherish forever.