THE WAY WE ARE (ch 23)
TITLE: The Way We Are
AUTHOR: Tessa
PAIRING: Orlando / Michael (OMC)
RATING: NC 17
WARNING: None but slash!
SUMMARY (story): Orlando meets Michael and is forced to re-evaluate who he really is. Can he accept that, how far is he willing to go - and is he prepared to face the consequences?
SUMMARY (ch.): Michael has a decision to make.
DISCLAIMER: This is all fiction, it’s my imagination - to the best of my knowledge it never happened.
FEEDBACK: Is very much appreciated.
BETA: Idlesloth helped me out.... a lot.
Chapter 23
“Is he a friend of yours?” Steven asked impressed, looking after Orlando as he left the bar.
Michael shrugged, “Not really, no.” He took a mouthful of beer, drowning the emotions that threatened to surface.
“He didn’t seem very happy” Steven noted, clearly having read Orlando’s body language correctly though he hadn’t heard their short conversation.
“Yeah, well, life isn’t always fair.”
“Not for most, no,” he raised an eyebrow… “but he’s Orl…”
“I know who he is,” Michael interrupted angrily. He really didn’t need a discussion about Orlando Bloom right now and certainly not with a guy he’d only just met.
“Sorry,” Steven looked a little shocked by the outburst. “Just saying, when you’re rich, famous and that good looking, how hard can it really be?”
“I’m sure he has problems like anyone else,” Michael answered dryly, trying not to show his annoyance. He understood Steven was somewhat generalizing about celebrities but Michael still felt like punching him. He didn’t want to sit here and listen to someone speak ill of Orlando when they didn’t even know him. Orlando didn’t have a malicious bone in his body, never spoke badly of people and wouldn’t intentionally hurt anyone…. Michael nearly sniggered; it seemed in reality Orlando wasn’t that perfect or innocent, actually Michael should be bloody thrilled to hear people bitching about Orlando right now.
“Yeah, probably,” Steven relented. “He is very good looking, though,” he stated again.
“He’s straight,” Michael muttered and tore off the paper on his beer bottle as he observed Steven’s reaction.
Steven took a sip of his orange-coloured drink. “Too bad.” He eyed Michael over his glass.
“Indeed,” Michael held his gaze. “So, are you gonna talk about him all night or do you want to tell me something about yourself instead?” Michael asked, though he had just received the one piece of information he was looking for. He didn’t ask because he wanted to know Steven better, nor out of politeness but mainly to steer the conversation and his own mind away from Orlando.
He already knew more about Steven than he needed to. He knew his name, knew he was good looking and that he was gay. Not gay in an ‘I’m not completely sure so I might choose a women any minute’ sort of way but gay in an ‘I fuck with men and I’m looking for sex tonight’ manner. His eyes had left no doubt about that.
Michael liked his eyes. They were blue and already showed a hint of lust. Not understanding, affection, or any crap like that. There was no chance Michael would look into those eyes and feel like sharing childhood memories and there was no chance in hell, when Steven left his apartment later, that Michael would fall asleep missing him. He was perfect.
“Want to get out of here?” Michael interrupted Steven’s account on how to set up lighting for an intimate concert. Steven who’d stopped mid-sentence looked slightly taken aback by the direct proposal and apparently struggled for words. Michael grinned, “You can control the lights at my place, see how intimate you can make them.”
“Sure,” Steven managed to nod.
***
“Are you alright there?” Michael asked with a faint note of humour as he watched Steven fidget beside him. They were stood outside waiting for a taxi and though it had only been a few minutes Steven already had trouble disguising his body’s obvious anticipation.
Steven leaned in and mumbled in Michael’s ear, “I’m gonna fuck you so hard you won’t sit down for days,” his voice already hoarse from excitement.
“We’ll see,” Michael laughed quietly, knowing full well he wouldn’t be the one bottoming and that there would be no objections from Steven once they reached that point. It never ceased to amaze him how people thought they would actually get to fuck him. Neither did he stop being amused at how those claiming to top nearly always turned out to be the biggest bottoms. Apart from himself of course. He was a top, simple as that.
Steven ran a hand firmly over Michael’s arse and leaned in to kiss him but Michael turned his head and removed Steven’s hand, “Save that enthusiasm for when you can actually use it.”
He wasn’t a big fan of displaying his private life in public, who he fucked was his business. Neither did he feel like kissing Steven. He just wanted to go home and let his body take over his mind, forget for a while and hopefully burn enough energy to also fall asleep without the images of Orlando playing on his mind. Orlando leaning against Emily, his eyes closed and his hands tracing her body. Orlando kissing Emily just like he had kissed Michael only a week ago.
Michael struggled to hold down his feelings and pretend to himself that he didn’t care. Didn’t even care enough to be angry - but he was angry. He was angry with Orlando for leading him on, for letting him believe just for a second that they had something worthwhile, angry at him for being with Emily and angry with himself because he should have known better. He had known better. He had known not to be with Orlando, had fought not to fall for him…. And this was exactly why; so he wouldn’t feel like this. He should be glad it was over; now, at least he didn’t have to worry about it any more.
“About bloody time,” Steven exclaimed as a new taxi pulled up.
“Michael!” He turned around to see Emily standing with a group of people also waiting for taxis. “Hold on,” she demanded and walked towards him before he could follow Steven into the taxi. He sighed loudly, what the hell did she want?
“Give me a second,” he said to Steven who was already waiting impatiently.
“Hey,” Michael turned around to look at her.
“Hey,” Emily smiled a little uncomfortably, “Where are you off to?”
“Just heading home,” Michael informed her though he didn’t see how it was any of her business.
“With him?”
Michael raised an eyebrow, “What’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing,” Emily shook her head, “Just… nothing.” They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment and Michael wasn’t really sure what was wrong with her. He was sure, however, that Orlando didn’t seem to be anywhere around and he couldn’t stop himself from commenting on it.
“Lose Orlando somewhere?” He nodded to the empty space beside her where Orlando quite clearly wasn’t standing.
“Yeah,” she shifted her weight onto her other leg and bit her lip. She looked about to tell him something but then apparently changed her mind and just looked at him. Michael smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her cheek “Goodnight Em.” He turned towards the taxi but she stopped him yet again, this time by grabbing his arm.
“Don’t do that, Michael.”
“What?”
“Can I see you for a minute?” It seemed more like an order than an actual question as she slammed the door, locking Steven in the taxi before dragging Michael off by his sleeve. She stopped a few metres away where no one could hear them.
Michael looked at her, baffled. “I sort of have plans,” he argued.
“He can wait.”
“I’m not so sure he agrees,” Michael grinned, but seeing her troubled face he turned more serious. “Okay, so what’s going on?”
She twirled a lock of hair nervously around her finger and took a while to answer. “You know, I did lose him…” She looked straight at Michael. “But so could you, if you go with that guy,” she pointed at the taxi.
“What are you talking about?” He felt his stomach turn, what the hell was this about?
“He wants to be with you, Michael.”
He stared at her, trying to make some sense of what she was saying. “What do you mean?”
“He turned me down.” She shrugged and seemed to wait for some reaction from Michael but when he just looked at her questioningly she added, “He said he was already seeing someone and didn’t want to be with anyone else right now.”
“And you just randomly figured that it’s me?”
“Yeah. Well, he stiffened so much when you turned up, it was hard not to notice - and not in a good way” she grinned. “And when he said he was with someone else I just guessed it.” Michael wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t want to confirm her suspicions if Orlando hadn’t. “He told me it was you,” she added, apparently sensing his dilemma.
“Oh. I can’t believe you guessed it though. I mean, he’s supposed to be an actor.” Michael couldn’t decide what to think of the information and tried to somewhat change the subject while his mind processed it.
“Yeah, well, I have gaydar,” Emily smirked
“You hit on me,” he reminded her.
“Yes…and Orlando,” she added in a giggle.
“Huh…guess maybe you do have gaydar,” Michael stated sarcastically, “Maybe it’s not so wise to keep acting on it though, seeing as you’re not a gay man.”
“No, I guess not,” she laughed in agreement.
“Are you coming?” They both turned to look at Steven yelling out of the car window.
“Yeah, just a minute,” Michael responded before turning back to face Emily who shook her head. “You shouldn’t do it.”
“It’s really not your business Em.”
“I know, I just…. Listen, I really hit on him. He wanted to go inside and I kissed him.” She looked embarrassed by the revelation but still kept Michael’s gaze.
“Look,” Michael brushed a strand of hair from her shoulders, “I appreciate you telling me this but it doesn’t really change anything.”
“I know,” she sighed, “And I clearly don’t think his actions were that great either but…he didn’t really mean to hurt anyone,” she looked at Michael almost pleadingly. “He really is a decent guy and I think he might care about you. Maybe you should just talk to him before reverting to your wicked ways,” she gestured towards the taxi.
“I already spoke to him,” Michael informed her as he walked back towards the car.
“You did?” She looked confused as she followed him.
“Yeah, well, sort of,” Michael paused with a hand on the door-handle, “Look, it’s not just about you, it’s complicated, alright?”
“And because it’s complicated it’s not worthwhile?” she asked angrily and stepped up close to him. Michael didn’t answer, he was a little surprised by her aggression. Why did she even bother getting involved when it had nothing to do with her? Half the time Michael didn’t even get that involved in his own life. “Well, I guess if you’re looking for simple...” she banged on the taxi roof, “you’ve got exactly what you want.”
“Goodnight Emily,” he said calmly as he opened the door. He didn’t need to explain or justify his private life to her or anyone else.
“So, are you like the guy everyone runs to when they have problems or something?” Steven asked as Michael settled in beside him in the taxi.
“Not usually, no,” Michael stated flatly and gave the driver his address.
“Shame,” Steven leaned closer against him and ran a hand firmly up his thigh, “I sort of have a problem I wouldn’t mind you taking care of.” Michael laughed faintly and leaned his head back “Well, I’ll see what I can do.” He closed his eyes and willed his mind to focus on the hand groping his crotch. This was what he wanted, he liked simple. Emily was wrong in her insinuation that Orlando was worth the hassle.
He felt Steven starting to open his jeans and looked down at the hands expertly undoing the buttons. The fingers didn’t look like Orlando’s and it certainly wasn’t Orlando undoing his trousers. Orlando wouldn’t have made it past the first button by now; he sucked at manoeuvering jeans-buttons. Neither would the hands sliding into his shorts feel like Orlando’s. Orlando was different. Why the hell was he even thinking about Orlando when he had a perfectly decent guy just about to massage his dick?
What the hell had Orlando been thinking?
Maybe he should have listened to him earlier instead of dismissing him so quickly. If Emily was right and Orlando still wanted to be with him, then maybe they would need to talk at some point - and then he shouldn’t be doing this now. He didn’t even want to be doing this, he reluctantly realized. Neither did he want to give Orlando this, or any other ammunition to use against him. Michael was not the one who had screwed up - and it wasn’t often he could claim that when it came to human interaction.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” he muttered loudly. “Stop!” He pulled Steven’s hand away, leaned forward and repeated the word to the taxi driver, who pulled the car over.
“I’m sorry, man,” Michael closed his trousers. “It’s not gonna happen.”
“What?” Steven looked at him in disbelief.
Michael just shrugged and opened the door, “You can take this taxi.”
“That’s big of you,” Steven said angrily.
“Whatever.” Michael got out and slammed the door shut.
He nearly screamed out loud at himself as he watched the taxi drive off. This was absolutely ridiculous. Orlando was not his boyfriend; he didn’t owe Orlando anything, especially not after tonight. And still, not only did Orlando manage to play with his emotions but now he also fucking wrecked his sex life without even being in the vicinity.