FIC: "Time Of Our Lives" - Sean and Elijah - NC17 - Part Two of Six

[rakshi]

Deepest thanks to kelikala for her amazing artistry in aging our beloved boys
15 years for the banners and icons used in this series.

Title: 'Time Of Our Lives' (Part Two of Six)
Author: Rakshi
Rating: Overall: NC-17. This section: NC-17
Pairing: Sean Astin/Elijah Wood, Dom/Billy (implied)
Summary: Elijah gets an offer that thrills him... but will it lead to trouble between him and Sean?

Author's Notes: There aren't enough words to thank my dear friend, abandonada, for her professional quality editing of my story. Every suggestion she makes is a winner and I couldn't get along without her.

'Time Of Our Lives' is the forth part of the Sean and Elijah 'Time' series. In the first story, ' Time', Sean and Elijah were reunited after a ten year separation and rediscovered their enduring love for one another. In the second story of the series, ' Time To Be Us', they deal with their inner fears and determined the course of their future together, in the third story ' Time After Time' they struggled to bring that future to fruition against some pretty overwhelming odds, and now in 'Time Of Our Lives' they discover that even after 20 years, there are still things that they can learn about each other, about themselves, and about their relationship.

Also posted to astinwood, fellow_shippers, andlotrip_all_fic so please forgive any duplication.



Previous chapters:
'Time Of Our Lives - Part One'

Disclaimer: This story is a work of satirical fantasy about public figures. It is completely fictional. I make no assertions about the actual private life or the sexual orientation of any person mentioned in this work.

Now I've had the time of my life
No I never felt like this before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you

Their flight home was uneventful save for a brief text message that dinged onto Elijah’s phone as they were shedding their shoes for the airport security check. It was from Dom.

“Picking you up. See you in LA.”

“Humph,” Elijah huffed, apparently puzzled. “That’s odd. I thought he was in Scotland.”

“What’s up?” Sean asked, standing on one foot as he struggled to remove his sneaker. He peered intently at the message which Elijah held toward him then shook his head. "Uh oh. We’ll get an earful when we land, you can bet on it.”

Elijah sighed, pocketing his phone.

Dom was trying desperately to form a lasting relationship with Billy, without a lot of success. He had recently taken an apartment in Scotland, disregarding Sean and Elijah’s pleas that he not place himself so directly in Billy’s life. Billy, on the other hand, floated aimlessly between Ali and Dom, very much in love with his Lord of the Rings partner, but reluctant to leave his children. Both he and Dom hated the affair and had tried again and again to call it off to no avail. And each time one or the other of them tried to walk away from their extremely painful situation, Sean and Elijah found themselves in the unenviable position of being sounding boards and counselors, an arrangement they feared would someday damage their bond with one or both of these dear old friends.

“If it’s ended again…” Elijah murmured sadly to Sean, his voice trailing off.

Neither of them spoke as they passed through security and donned their shoes, then Sean sighed sadly. “We tried to warn him,” he said, picking up his carry-on. “C’mon, Lij. Nothing we can do ‘til we get home. We’ll do what we can then.”

Elijah grabbed his messenger bag and shouldered it impatiently. “Jesus, they have got to make up their minds one way or the other!”

Sean was silent for a moment, and then he took Elijah’s arm and began to guide him down the passageway to their gate. “It’s not that easy, baby. Believe me, I know. Billy loves Dom, of that much I’m sure. But Ali is a sweet person, and then, of course, there’s Jack and Dominique.”

Elijah shot a sideways glance at Sean, but made no response. That particular problem was years in their past. But at times when the situation with Dom and Billy was at its most painful, Elijah found himself wondering if Sean ever drew parallels between what their friends were going through and what he and Elijah had experienced. “Dom feels guilty about even wanting Billy to end his relationship with Ali,” he finally murmured in a low voice.

Sean’s hand on his arm tightened. “You speaking from experience here?”

Elijah stopped and turned toward him but didn’t answer. Sean’s eyes were soft and filled with love. “Of course he feels guilty,” Sean said, his hand sliding up Elijah’s arm to rest on his shoulder. “He’s a good and decent man who wants to do no harm. It’s a horribly painful situation, and until they make the tough choices about how they want to live for the rest of their lives, it’s going to stay that way. We’ll do all we can to help, Elijah, but ultimately they have to be the ones to decide what they want.”

Elijah nodded silently as they turned to walk up the Jetway, but after settling into his seat he turned again to his lover. “Do you ever regret the choices we made?”

“Every day,” Sean replied in a soft voice, resting his elbow on the armrest to lean toward his friend. “Every single day I regret that I allowed myself to be trapped by fear and guilt and wasted years when we could have been together.”

Elijah smiled into his eyes.

“I should have left long before I did,” Sean continued. “But I don’t say that to Billy or to Dom.”

“Why not?”

“Because they’re not us,” Sean said, turning away to buckle his seatbelt. Once it was secured he leaned back in his seat and sucked in a deep breath. “God, I hate takeoffs!”

Elijah smiled and recaptured Sean’s hand. “Relax, and count to sixty,” he comforted. “You know the drill.”

“Right,” Sean muttered dryly. “Safest way to travel.”

Elijah giggled and relaxed into his seat. “You know it, babe.”

Sean grumbled something unintelligible, shaking his head in helpless denial, and Elijah made no other comment. He gripped Sean’s already-sweaty hand once the plane began to gather speed for its takeoff, and from the moment the wheels rose in the air he heard Sean softly counting: “One, one thousand. Two, one thousand. Three, one thousand…” on his way to sixty and stifled a smile.

Some time ago he had convinced Sean that if something bad were going to happen during an airplane flight it would happen during the first sixty seconds. True to character, Sean had researched this theory and found it to be essentially true. Now anytime they flew he always counted to sixty during takeoffs and was then able to feel somewhat more relaxed for the duration of the flight.

“Sixty, one thousand,” he concluded, and then drew in a deep breath.

“Safe again?” Elijah asked, grinning and releasing his hand.

“And the first time I don’t count?” Sean countered, poking at Elijah’s ribs. “What happens then, huh?”

“I’m sure your counting to sixty is what kept the plane in the air,” Elijah said, nodding sagely.

“Right. Thank goodness for me.” He turned toward Elijah. “Did you turn your phone off?”

Elijah rolled his eyes but pulled the phone from his pocket. “Not yet.” He looked once more at Dom’s text message then, shaking his head sadly, hit the ‘off’ button. “You know he wouldn’t be back this fast if they weren’t in trouble again.”

“Babe, could you give me the book I stowed in your messenger bag?” He thought for a moment while Elijah opened his bag then added, “I’m not sure what to tell them anymore. We’ve said it all. All we’re doing now is repeating ourselves.”

“Man!” Elijah exclaimed, handing Sean his paperback. “Between them and Ally and Orlando we need to hang out a shingle.”

Sean nodded and settled into his seat. “I’m just glad it’s not us,” he mumbled from behind his book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dom was waiting for them in the baggage claim area, and before they even reached him Sean and Elijah could see his downcast eyes and haggard expression.

“Uh oh,” Sean muttered under his breath. “Looks bad.”

Elijah said nothing, but moved quickly to Dom and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Hey there, dude,” he said, attempting a cheerfulness he was far from feeling. “How’s it going?”

“Not so hot,” Dom said, turning to accept Sean’s welcoming hug.

“We didn’t expect you back so soon.” Sean told him.

Dom released him and sighed. “Well, fact is Bill asked me to come back to LA for awhile.”

“What?” Elijah exclaimed, clearly surprised. “Why?”

Dom chewed his lip, silently studying his shoes.

“Lij,” Sean interjected quietly, “maybe this should wait ‘til were home… or at least in the car.”

Elijah glanced quickly at Dom’s face and nodded. “You’re right. Sorry, Dom.”

Dom shrugged and turned to help Sean lift a suitcase from the baggage belt. Later as he drove them back to their Topanga Canyon home, he provided more details about what had transpired in Scotland.

“Bill wanted me to stay,” Dom asserted. “But he asked me to leave because he was going to finally tell Ali about us and ask for a divorce.”

“Wow,” Sean breathed, leaning over the back seat. “That’s big news, Dominus.”

“I can’t imagine what he’s going through right now,” Dom murmured, his voice agonized. “I begged him to let me stay and help him through it you know, but…” his voice trailed off.

“Billy’s right,” Elijah said firmly. “You can’t help him with this, Dommie. They have to work this one out on their own.”

“My god,” Dom blurted, pounding the steering wheel with his fist. “His daughter is named after me! How will I ever be able to face them after this?”

“You didn’t plan this, Dom,” Sean soothed. “You aren’t to blame.”

“Those kids love you,” Elijah added, reaching out to lay a comforting hand on Dom’s shoulder.

“I remember how Elizabeth reacted to the two of you,” Dom replied.

“Yes,” Elijah conceded. “It was rough for awhile, but she came around. And so will they… eventually.”

“Yeah,” Dom replied dryly. “Eventually.”

He dropped them off at home, and though they begged him to stay for dinner, he refused to do more than help them carry their luggage into the utility room.

“Call us!” Elijah shouted after him, and Dom waved and nodded in half-hearted assent. “Later,” he shouted as he climbed back into his car.

Meanwhile, Sean was greeting Gabrielle in the kitchen, and shooing away her offers to carry their luggage upstairs. “No, now, Gabby, we’ll get the bags. We could use some lunch though.”

Elijah wandered in carrying both their suitcases, and after he dropped Sean’s at his feet, gave Gabrielle a one-armed hug. “Hey, Gabby,” he murmured, kissing her cheek. “And Mr. Sean’s right. Lunch would be great.”

She began to bustle about the kitchen as they dragged their luggage up the stairs calling after them: “Lunch in ten minutes, so hurry yourselves.”

They shut their bedroom door behind them and tossed the suitcases into a corner. “I’m worried about Dom,” Elijah said dejectedly, sprawling out on their bed.

Sean emptied his pockets onto the dresser and sighed. “I am too, Lij, but there’s not much we can do at this point other than what we’re doing: giving him our support.”

“Maybe if I gave Bill a call…” Elijah mused, but Sean turned to him at once.

“Lij, don’t do it,” he cautioned. “Billy’s dealing with enough right now. If he’s asking Ali for a divorce they’ve both got to be going through hell. A reminder that Dom is also going through hell isn’t something he needs right now.” He sat down on the bed, then stretched out next to his lover and snuggled close to him. “You know?”

“I suppose,” Elijah agreed reluctantly. Then, thinking of something, he turned to Sean expectantly. “You going to call Ally? Your daughter, Ally, I mean,” he clarified. “My god, we’re inundated with Ally’s around here.”

Sean snorted out a laugh. “Don’t I know it. And, yeah, I expect I’ll call later on. Right now, though, all I want is lunch and a quiet afternoon-slash-evening with my long-lost lover.” He bent over Elijah and kissed him tenderly. “How ‘bout you?”

“Right now that sounds like a slice of heaven.” He returned Sean’s kiss, nestling comfortably against his body, then gazed around the bedroom they shared, marveling for the ten thousandth time at its loveliness and comfort. A soft breeze touched the silk curtains at their windows carrying the sweet fragrance of honeysuckle, and from their private patio he could hear the birds singing in the branches of the oak tree. He sighed in contentment. “Oh, god, Sean, I don’t want to move.” The words had no more than passed his lips when he heard Gabrielle calling them to lunch. He sighed again, this time in weariness.

Sean heaved himself to his feet, and then held out his hand to Elijah. “C’mon, love. Let’s go make Gabby happy and eat something. We’ll come back up here and snuggle after lunch. I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Astin” Elijah said as Sean hauled him upright. “Lead on.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sean made good on his promise that they’d spend the rest of that day in their room. They snuggled close together and talked softly for a long time, catching up on what each of them had experienced during their three-week separation. Finally Elijah-bone-weary-was soothed into sleep by the sound of Sean’s voice, and as he dozed Sean scanned his sleeping face, frowning anxiously. This latest movie, for all of the fact that it hadn’t been a large-scale production, had left Elijah completely drained. Sean had seldom seen him this weary, and as he studied his sleeping lover he vowed that he would strongly discourage his involvement in any new project until he was fully himself again.

Where would I be without him? he wondered, lightly drawing a fingertip around the curve of Elijah's eyebrow.What would I do if he ever went away? He drew in a deep breath and forced his mind away from these disturbing thoughts. Their love for each other had never wavered, even in the years when they were apart. Thinking this way was foolish.

Shaking his head, he gently eased Elijah from his arms and rose. Elijah immediately sensed his absence. He began squirming and muttering anxiously in his sleep. Sean soothed him until he was quiet again and after tucking a comforter snugly around him he wandered downstairs to call his daughter. As he dialed her number he felt a disturbing sense of unease, and when there was no answer he was more than a little relieved. Easier to just leave a message.

“Hi, Ally!” he spoke to her voice mail. “It’s dad. I just got back from the airport with Elijah and wanted to see how you guys were doing. Give me a call when you can. Love to all of you.”

He hung up, stung by pangs of guilt. I shouldn’t feel so good about not reaching her, he thought, angry with himself. But, god! Elijah and I just got home. I don’t want us buried in drama right now.

He threw himself into his office chair and rocked it back and forth worrying a fingernail. Even as the thoughts had been forming in his mind he'd known he was rationalizing. In truth, he dreaded his conversation with his daughter because it was becoming increasingly clear to him that she, much more so than Orlando, was responsible for the problems in their marriage. He had begun to see that her obsessive drive to succeed, which disturbingly echoed the darker angels of his own nature, was a large part of their problem.

But worst of all to Sean was the growing fear that his daughter’s uncompromising need to achieve was causing her to neglect her young son. He knew that Alexandra wouldn’t consciously ignore Patrick’s needs; she loved him with a deep and abiding devotion. But Sean also knew from painful experience how easy it was to lose oneself in the pursuit of a goal to the point where you become insensitive to how your behavior is affecting those you love.

In the past, his overwhelming need to succeed had created emotionally distressing conflicts with Elijah, and he was grateful that his lover refused to allow him to linger in a destructive frame of mind. Elijah was lightning-quick to protest and protest strongly when Sean drifted into single-minded manias that left him blind to other considerations. Elijah simply wouldn't tolerate it, and Sean was glad. He had yanked Sean back from the brink of those dark humors more than once, and now Sean feared that he would have to do the same for his eldest child, a task he thoroughly dreaded.

He felt a sense of growing annoyance with Orlando for not handling this himself, then sighed and shook his head. Orlando was simply not able to confront Alexandra as forcefully as was necessary. He had grown increasingly insecure and hesitant as his own career floundered. No, Orlando simply couldn’t do it. This would have to come from her father. This would have to come from him.

“Oh, god,” Sean moaned unhappily.

“What’s wrong?” Elijah said from behind him.

Sean turned toward him and smiled. “You finally up?”

“Well, yeah. Obviously. What’s wrong, Sean?” He perched on the side of Sean’s desk, a worried frown on his face. “Something’s bothering you. What is it?”

Sean sighed and reached to take his hand. “Ally and Orlando. Or more to the point… Ally.”

“Did you call her?”

“I tried. Got voice mail.”

“Sean, you can only do so much. She’s a grown woman and Orlando’s a big boy. They have to work out their own issues just the way we’ve had to.”

“I worry about Paddy,” Sean said unhappily, absently sliding his thumb over Elijah’s knuckles. “He’s a baby, and it seems to me that she’s just not there for him right now.”

“Shouldn’t Orlando be the one to point this out?” Elijah asked gently.

“Yes,” Sean admitted. “But you know he won’t.”

"So you're taking it on?" Elijah questioned, frowning.

"I dunno," Sean shrugged. "Chris wants me to talk to him, and eventually I may have to..." He glanced up at Elijah and sighed wearily. "...but not tonight."

“C’mon, big guy,” Elijah urged, rising and tugging on Sean’s hand. “You couldn't solve it tonight anyway and it’s my first night home. Let’s go to bed.”

“Bed?” Sean questioned, a mischievous grin suddenly lighting his face. “No dip in the pool first?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Elijah burst out laughing.

“Fine,” he chuckled. “Pool it is. You may indulge your ‘Wet Elijah’ fantasies to your heart’s content.”

Sean glanced out his office window as he rose from the chair. "Is Gabby asleep?"

"You know the signal for naked swimming," Elijah said, moving toward the door, shedding and dropping clothes as he went. "Just drape a towel over the chair near her window." He giggled and dashed through the French doors. And while Sean was still bending to pick up the clothing Elijah had left in his wake, he heard Elijah dive into the pool with a huge splash.

"Swimming my ass," he said with a grin as he tossed Elijah's discarded clothes into a nearby chair. "I'll get the towel," he yelled toward the sound of splashing.

Gabby's small house was dark. Sean draped a towel conspicuously over the chair then raced toward the pool quickly while shedding his own clothing. "You wet yet?" he yelled.

Elijah's high pitched giggle was his only response, and after taking a quick look around the pool to see where he was, Sean dove in and quickly swam to his side, surfacing right next to him, shaking his head, flicking water droplets everywhere.

Elijah laughed again and backstroked his way toward the other side of the pool. "I'm wet, Sean," he teased. "Wet and coooool."

"Brat!" Sean said, swimming after him.

"Who me?" Elijah asked innocently. His back nudged the opposite pool wall and he stood, grinning as Sean slowly approached him. "All this nice, cool Elijah skin just waiting for some..."

He didn't get any further because Sean lunged and in a split second he had Elijah pressed against the pool and was kissing him with an almost desperate hunger. He felt Elijah's arms wind around his neck and whimpering, he pressed his mouth to Elijah's throat, tasting chlorine as he kissed and licked the slippery alabaster skin, desire roaring through his veins in a riptide. He could hear Elijah moaning his name, and with a pounding heart, he dropped his head to lick Elijah's chest and nipples, his cock rock-hard and throbbing against his lover's body. Nothing in his life had ever had the power to excite him the way this did. It was almost embarrassing. Even knowing it was sure to happen didn't lessen the intensity of Sean's desire when he felt Elijah's cool, wet, naked body against his own.

He grasped his lover's hips and lifted, setting Elijah on the pool's edge with his rigid cock at Sean's face level. Slowly Sean lifted his eyes to Elijah's and smiled, then without saying a word he captured Elijah's cock in his mouth and enveloped him. He could feel Elijah's thighs quivering against his hand and hear him gasp and moan Sean's name, but all this seemed to come from a great distance, drowned out by the roaring in his ears and the intensity of his need.

His lips and tongue devoured his lover's full throbbing erection sucking him deep, then eagerly he laved the taut surface with his tongue as Elijah withdrew. Again and again his head dipped between Elijah's legs until the sounds pouring from Elijah's throat became desperate and demanding, and Sean could feel the slender body above him writhing in anguished desire.

"God!" Elijah half-screamed. His fingers clenched in Sean's hair. "Ohhh god, yes..." he moaned, eyes closing as Sean's large fist closed around his cock, adding a rhythmic stroking to the exquisite torture of Sean's mouth. His legs had closed, involuntarily, around Sean's body and now Sean heard him gasp and felt the slender body stiffen. He could almost taste how close his lover was to coming, then he felt Elijah spasm hard and heard him cry out. In the next instant he tasted the musky, half-tart flavor of Elijah's come and his eyes closed, totally lost in sensuous bliss, swallowing every drop.

His hands caressed Elijah's hips. Oh god, I love tasting him! Sean thought in rapture, still amazed after all these years at how powerfully this act bound him to the one he loved.

"Oh my god!" Elijah moaned. He was still trembling as he slowly lowered himself back into the pool, supported by Sean, leaning against him as the cool waters washed over him, sudden and shocking after the heat of their lovemaking. "Jesus," he whispered, his face pressed to Sean's wet shoulder. "What the hell got into you?" He was half-laughing as his head lifted and his eyes met Sean's. "That was fucking incredible!"

The broad shoulders underneath his hands shrugged. "Wet Elijah," he explained with a grin.

"What about Wet Sean?" Elijah asked, grinning back, his fingers closing around the hard male heat of Sean's erection.

Sean gasped at his touch, and then exhaled slowly. "Let's go to bed," he whispered, capturing Elijah in his arms. "Wet Sean wants something that requires more lube than this pool can provide."

Wordlessly, Elijah turned and climbed out of the pool, walking slowly ahead of his lover as they moved toward the house.

"You forgot your towel," Sean murmured from behind him.

"Thought you might enjoy the view," Elijah replied suggestively over his shoulder.

"Just get in there," Sean told him, and laughing happily, Elijah quickly complied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few days were relatively peaceful. Alexandra returned Sean's phone call, and to his immense relief she told him that the difficulties between her and Orlando seemed to be easing, and for the moment Sean was happy to leave it at that.

They had not heard a word from Dom or Billy, and at breakfast that morning Elijah commented on this silence.

"We should call one of them, Sean. I don't think that not hearing from them is a good thing."

"We could," Sean conceded, chewing thoughtfully on his toast. "But all we might succeed in doing is stirring the pot. Maybe they've found a peaceful solution."

"There is no peaceful solution to their issues!" Elijah snapped quickly.

Startled, Sean stared at him wide-eyed, then shrugged. "If you want to call then call." He stood up, brushing crumbs from his robe, and turned to Gabriel. "Thanks, Gabby." Then his eyes returned to Elijah who was staring down at his breakfast. "I have to shower, I have meetings this morning." He bent and pressed a kiss to Elijah's hair.

"Seanie?" Elijah said quietly, still looking at his plate.

"Yeah?"

"Sorry," Elijah said softly, lifting his head to smile up at his partner. "I'm just worried."

Sean bent and kissed him tenderly. "I know. We can call tonight if you want to do it together."

"No. I'll buzz Dom this morning."

"Relax and enjoy your day," Sean advised him, turning to leave.

"Do my best," Elijah promised to Sean's retreating back. "I have to call Martin today, too. There's some kind of offer he wants to tell me about."

Sean stopped and looked back at him. "Really?" he asked mildly. "I thought we agreed you needed rest."

Elijah smiled at him. "Rest which I probably won't get if Martin is calling me every five minutes."

Sean nodded agreement and wandered toward the stairs. "You're right. You'd better call."

After Sean retreated upstairs, Elijah silently studied the far wall of their dining room with uncharacteristic melancholy. He could hear Gabby moving around the kitchen, cleaning up the breakfast disorder, and from a distance he could detect the running water of Sean's shower, but his mind was focused almost entirely on his behavior this morning.

He never snapped at Sean. What on Earth had possessed him? Sighing, he rose and wandered to the living room. He supposed that his preoccupation with Dom and Billy's situation had made him a bit moody. He also supposed that Sean was right. His last project had left him feeling drained both emotionally and physically, probably due to the fact that he'd known almost from day one that it was not going to succeed. He fell onto the couch and reached for the phone. Best to get these calls out of the way, and then he'd find some way to make it up to Sean.

He was disappointed when he got Dom's voice mail but he left a message and then dialed his agent who answered on the first ring.

"Martin, what's up?" he asked impatiently. He'd had one ear cocked to the sound of Sean's shower, and it had just ceased. He was eager to end this call and go upstairs before Sean dressed and left.

"Elijah, I have an amazing offer for you."

"Do tell."

"I'm serious! It's something you've always wanted, and it's perfect for you."

"What is it, Martin?" he asked, dubiously. His agent had a tendency to think every deal offered to him was 'perfect for him' and so his tendency was to remain skeptical until all the facts were known.

"It's a stage play," Martian told him excitedly. "It's being directed by a nea young director named Deacon Christopher who specifically asked for you."

"Yeah?" Elijah mulled for a moment, intrigued. He had always wanted to try theater work. Maybe this was his opportunity. "Is there a script?"

"There is, and I'll send it over to you today."

"OK. Let's leave it at that 'til I've had a chance to look it over."

"Sure thing, Elijah."

"OK. I gotta run! Bye." He hung up and immediately dashed upstairs in search of Sean. He found him in their room holding two ties in his hands and looking from one to the other.

"Which one goes?" he asked, holding them both out to Elijah. "I'm wearing the gray suit. The one that you hate," he added with a grin.

Elijah took both ties and set them on the dresser, then wrapped his arms around Sean's neck. "I'm so sorry I bit your head off, Seanie." He pressed his face to the crisp, clean front of Sean's shirt, feeling his lover's arms wrap around him, strong and tight.

"You're worried about our friends," Sean murmured against his ear. "And... you're tired. There's no need to apologize."

"Well, maybe not," Elijah told him. "But I do nonetheless."

"Accepted," Sean said, and kissed him tenderly. "And now, lover mine, I have to dash. I should be back by dinnertime. Oh!" he added, as if he had just remembered. "What did Martin want? Did you get a chance to call him? And Dom?"

"Dom wasn't in," Elijah replied, reluctantly releasing him. "I left him a message that was sufficiently abusive to warrant a return call so I'll probably hear from him later. Martin? Hey! It's kind of neat! I'm being offered a stage play!"

Sean picked up one of the discarded ties and began to fasten it about his neck, his eyes still fixed on Elijah's face. "Really!" he said. "And?"

"And I told him to send the script over. Will you look at it with me?" Elijah added with a coy smile.

Sean quirked an eyebrow. "You're playing me."

"I absolutely am."

"You're hoping that I'll look at the script with you and get all involved and you'll cleverly sidestep my concerns about how tired you are."

"Exactly," Elijah said, firmly.

Sean laughed and pulled Elijah into his arms again. "OK, OK," he muttered. "I'll give you points for honesty and let you get away with it this time. But I'm still not backing off on you getting some rest before you start some big new project."

"Understood," Elijah said, grinning at him. "Now scram or you're going to be late."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Martin was as good as his word, and before the morning ended Elijah was holding a script in his hands and gazing down at a title page which read: Autumn's Pride. Since Sean was likely to be out for quite a while he turned off his cell phone and settled into an easy chair to read. It didn't take long for him to realize that Martin had been right; this role was perfect for him.

The character, Blair Edwards, was a gay man in his mid-thirties who had lived his entire life as a rich, spoiled dilettante. Blair was indifferent to the feelings of others and completely uncaring about the harm he did through his immature and irresponsible behavior. He ripped his way through relationships with family, friends, and lovers, spending them as carelessly as he spent his seemingly endless wealth. But in the autumn of the year, after leaving a party to celebrated his thirty-fifth birthday, Blair was involved a terrible car accident. He had been drinking, and the accident was totally his fault. Thankfully no one else was hurt, but Blair was paralyzed from the waist down and condemned to live the rest of his life as a paraplegic.

At first Blair wallowed in self-pity, making everyone around him miserable, seeing no future for himself and projecting his own self-loathing even onto those who tried their best to love and support him. But eventually he began to see how his own arrogance and pride had led him to this moment. He found friendship with a young physical therapist who taught him ways to cope with his disability, and eventually their relationship blossomed into love.

It was a story of a man who faced the most terrible hardship imaginable and transcended it to find levels of wisdom, maturity, and love he had never imagined he could experience. This was a true 'coming-of-age' story, and Elijah was wholly enthralled. He had seldom ever been this excited about a prospective role. He could actually feel his heart pounding as the story drew to a close, and when Sean walked in that evening, Elijah pounced on him, completely on fire with enthusiasm about the part.

"Jesus, Sean!" he blurted, thrusting the script into his partner's face. "You have got to read this script! It's fucking amazing!"

"You're considering this?" Sean asked, hugging him with one arm as he set his briefcase down. "Elijah, I thought..."

"I know, I know. I need to rest. But Seanie, this is the part of a lifetime! And it's theater!! You know I've always wanted to do theater."

"I know, Elijah, but..."

"Why are you saying 'but' before you've even read the script? Read it at least... OK?"

Sean nodded silently and took the script from Elijah's hand. "Of course I'll read it," he replied. "Elijah, I'm just..."

"I know, I know," Elijah interrupted. "I know you're just concerned. But Sean, once you read this script you'll be convinced, too. So read it. Read it now. OK?"

Refusing to even wait for Sean to sit down to dinner, Elijah shoved him into a chair and made him read while he carried Sean's dinner to him on a tray. Then, after refusing to take so much as a bite for himself, he hovered over Sean's shoulder, pointing out parts of the script he particularly liked and nervously pressed Sean for his opinion every ten seconds.

Finally Sean lay the script to one side. Elijah was perched directly in front of him on the floor, and Sean leaned forward to take his both Elijah's hands in his. "It's a wonderful script. You're right about that much," he said quietly. "But, Elijah..."

"Sean, how can you say 'but' after reading that script?" Elijah interrupted irritably. "That role is perfect for me!"

Sean dropped his hands and leaned back. "If you'd please let me finish my sentence," he said in a low voice.

Elijah nodded. "Sorry."

After a moment's silence, Sean continued. "This would mean New York, I take it."

Elijah nodded. "Yes. It's off-Broadway, but if it's good enough..." He shrugged. "You never know."

"So you'd be away from home again... probably for a long time. Theater is a huge commitment, Elijah, and an enormous time sink. It's not just six weeks filming a movie and that's it. This is weeks of rehearsal followed by the potential for months and possibly years of almost daily performances."

"So you couldn't come to New York?" Elijah asked quietly.

Sean sighed, staring down at his hands. "If you were there for an extended period, of course I'd come to New York. But that's not my only objection, and you know it."

"I'm fine!" Elijah insisted. "You worry too much."

"You're not fine," Sean asserted quickly. "You're exhausted. All the signs are there, Elijah. I've known you for twenty years... you don't think I know it when I see it? You're irritable. You're not sleeping well. You're talking and thrashing in your sleep which is always a sure sign that you're worn out."

"Sean, honestly," Elijah said quietly. "I'm fine."

"You promised me you'd take a break," Sean replied. "You promised me, Elijah."

Elijah drew in a long, slow breath then spoke: "I'm doing this, Sean."

"Fine," Sean said mildly. "You're a grown man, and you make your own decisions. But why bother asking my opinion when you've already made your mind up?"

"I was asking for your support."

"And if I didn't know how strung out you are, you'd have it."

Elijah shot quickly to his feet, feeling anger flare uncontrollably within him. "Strung out?" he shrilled. "You make it sound like I'm on the edge of a fucking breakdown!" He glared down at Sean. "I'm doing this! So you'd better just get used to it."

"Elijah," Sean whispered. But his partner spun on his heel and stalked away, climbing the stairs to their room without so much as a backward glance.