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awritinglilypeaTitle: Newspaper Clippings
Fandom: Lotrips
Pairing: Orlijah eventually, Viggo/Bean
Rating: R
Complete: Only in my head.
Genre: Angst, hurt/comfort, romance.
Chapter Summary: Orlando has been having nightmares of the past and Elijah makes an important decision.
Thank you to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ibonekoen, Merlin to my Arthur in terms of writing, and an honest person when it comes to what I've written. You're beautiful.
Previous Chapters
Chapter 18: A Window into the Past
Orlando lived a very happy life, one that was almost entirely uncomplicated except for some initial trouble with figuring out his sexuality while inadvertently pushing away the only family he had in his mother and sister.
Things were still tentative then, between the three of them and if he was honest mainly on his part.
The light of his life undoubtedly was his boyfriend Stuart.
He was beauty incarnate, and made Orlando smile in a way he didn’t even know was possible, so wide it felt like his face might split from sheer force.
They had their troubled moments, and although Sean and Viggo both objected to Stuart, saying he treated Orlando horribly, he didn’t agree.
He took a deep breath of fresh air and shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked along, making observations about people as he did so practicing what he had learnt in class. The man with the bitten nails was nervous, possibly about his job based on the wrinkled appearance of his tie.
Shoving his key into the lock for the outer flat door, Orlando made his way inside, feeling as though he was being watched for some reason. He headed up the stairs quickly, humming as he did so and smiling when he realized that Stuart was home, if the unlocked door was any indication.
“Stuart,” he called. Stepping through the door, he shrugged off his coat and hung it up, a sudden feeling of dread hitting him.
There was something wrong.
“Stuart, are you here?” He took a step further into the apartment, spotting his lover’s coat tossed over the back of the loveseat. “Is everything all right?” He headed for their bedroom, where he spotted something out of the corner of his eye and whirled around.
“Oh god.” He hurried for the bathroom and shoved the door open, hitting something.
Stuart.
“Oh god, oh god no,” he shook his head, staring down at the lifeless body of his lover. “Stuart?” His voice sounded high and hysterical to his own ears and he knelt on the floor, trying to check for a pulse, trying to find any warmth, any sign that his lover was still alive.
“Stuart…Stuart please,” he pleaded, his hair hanging in his face as he touched his lover’s cheeks, stroking and kissing his forehead as he cradled him close.
“Wake up,” he murmured in a mournful tone. Putting Stuart down gently, he raced for the phone, calling for emergency services.
Bolting awake, Orlando gasped for air, his eyes registering after a moment that he was not in his old flat where he’d lived with Stuart but rather in the place he shared with Elijah. He rubbed his eyes as they stung, the memories of what had happened to his last lover plaguing him more than ever since he’d found Elijah lying on the bathroom floor.
“Are you okay?” Elijah asked from the doorway of his room, his eyes luminous in the dimly lit living room. “You fell asleep on the couch and I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Thanks,” Orlando said as he rubbed his eyes, forcing back his emotions.
Elijah sat down next to him moment’s later, gaze fixed firmly on Orlando’s face, studying him, dissecting him. “You didn’t answer my question,” he said bluntly.
Orlando arched an eyebrow, “Hmm? Oh, yes I’m okay.”
“You’re lying,” Elijah told him simply, glancing around the room. “Tell me.” It wasn’t a request, not really.
Smiling weakly, Orlando can’t help but be touched that Eljah was willing to push him, willing to listen to any problems he might have despite his own. “I have been dreaming of Stuart.”
Elijah lowered his eyes to his knees, clearly thinking over the words and what he could possibly say, another consideration that Orlando appreciated. “Do you want to talk about it?” he finally asked, glancing over at Orlando almost shyly.
“Not really,” Orlando admitted, nibbling on his bottom lip just a little bit.
“Do you want me to call Sean and Viggo?” Elijah asked him after another small moment of silence.
“No, no I don’t want to bother them too,” Orlando replied, bringing his knees up on the couch, almost huddling in on himself for warmth, for comfort that he couldn’t ask Elijah for.
“You’re not a bother, Orlando. I don’t know when you will realize that,” Elijah told him.
Orlando couldn’t help but smile a little bit at that comment. “I think the same thing about you.” He made sure to keep his teasing light.
Laughing just a bit, Elijah nodded his head, seeming at ease. “I guess you’re right; we’re both bothers, I suppose, which means we should bother no one but each other.”
Glancing at Elijah, Orlando couldn’t help but feel surprised at that attitude. Something he saw there made him feel happy. Elijah was relaxed around him.
“Do you need a hug?” Elijah asked suddenly, surprising Orlando even further, as he watched the blush rise in his American roommate’s face.
“A hug?” Orlando replied, surprised. He’d never really known Elijah to initiate affection before, other than very brief pats on the back, and those had been few and far between since what Orlando now referred to as the “incident” in his head.
“I’ve heard they can help. When you hugged me before, it seemed to help,” Elijah replied with all the hopefulness of a child.
Orlando smiled at him, feeling like someone had dipped him in warm bathwater; he nodded his head. “A hug would be nice, if it wouldn’t be too much bother,” he told his friend.
Elijah shrugged, “I won’t really know until I try, right? And it’s always good to try new things.”
“You’re right,” Orlando laughed just a bit, “I’m impressed,” he shifted around. “You initiate the hug okay?” he asked him, tilting his head to the side.
Elijah nodded his head and shifted around a bit too, leaning over he looped his arms around Orlando’s shoulders and pulled the other man in close, closing his eyes as he did so.
Orlando waited just a few beats before he wrapped his arms around Elijah’s waist, stroking his back as he did so.
“Wow,” Elijah murmured softly into his neck, smiling when Orlando laughed softly. “Good?”
Orlando’s eyes sparkled as he pulled back for just a moment, looking into Elijah’s eyes then hugged him again. “Really good.”
“Let’s stay here until you feel great,” Elijah mumbled the words into his skin, amazed at himself.
Keeping quiet, Orlando bit his bottom lip, feeling a little guilty for not admitting that he’d felt great the moment Elijah had hugged him, but didn’t want to because he was moving onto feeling exceptional.
Fifteen minutes passed in silence as they held each other, each of them taking in the other’s warmth, the comfort of the other’s body until finally Orlando had to speak up. “Thank you Elijah, I know this was hard for you, I feel amazing already.”
Elijah pulled back, his face filled with radiance as he smiled. “It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.”
“A lot of things are like that,” Orlando replied before a yawn broke his concentration and his gaze.
“We should both get to bed,” Elijah said, and then his cheeks flushed. “That’s not what I meant,” he protested before Orlando could say anything.
“Too bad,” Orlando joked, standing up he ran his fingers through his hair and then squeezed Elijah’s shoulder, realizing belatedly that was not the best idea.
Elijah just smiled as he stood up and moved to double and triple check the alarm and door. “Good night, Orlando.”
Orlando nodded his head before climbing the stairs to the loft bedroom, slipping his shirt off before he crawled into his bed, asleep almost the second his head hit the pillow, a large smile on his face.
Things would be okay.
Fandom: Lotrips
Pairing: Orlijah eventually, Viggo/Bean
Rating: R
Complete: Only in my head.
Genre: Angst, hurt/comfort, romance.
Chapter Summary: Orlando has been having nightmares of the past and Elijah makes an important decision.
Thank you to
ibonekoen, Merlin to my Arthur in terms of writing, and an honest person when it comes to what I've written. You're beautiful.Previous Chapters
Chapter 18: A Window into the Past
Orlando lived a very happy life, one that was almost entirely uncomplicated except for some initial trouble with figuring out his sexuality while inadvertently pushing away the only family he had in his mother and sister.
Things were still tentative then, between the three of them and if he was honest mainly on his part.
The light of his life undoubtedly was his boyfriend Stuart.
He was beauty incarnate, and made Orlando smile in a way he didn’t even know was possible, so wide it felt like his face might split from sheer force.
They had their troubled moments, and although Sean and Viggo both objected to Stuart, saying he treated Orlando horribly, he didn’t agree.
He took a deep breath of fresh air and shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked along, making observations about people as he did so practicing what he had learnt in class. The man with the bitten nails was nervous, possibly about his job based on the wrinkled appearance of his tie.
Shoving his key into the lock for the outer flat door, Orlando made his way inside, feeling as though he was being watched for some reason. He headed up the stairs quickly, humming as he did so and smiling when he realized that Stuart was home, if the unlocked door was any indication.
“Stuart,” he called. Stepping through the door, he shrugged off his coat and hung it up, a sudden feeling of dread hitting him.
There was something wrong.
“Stuart, are you here?” He took a step further into the apartment, spotting his lover’s coat tossed over the back of the loveseat. “Is everything all right?” He headed for their bedroom, where he spotted something out of the corner of his eye and whirled around.
“Oh god.” He hurried for the bathroom and shoved the door open, hitting something.
Stuart.
“Oh god, oh god no,” he shook his head, staring down at the lifeless body of his lover. “Stuart?” His voice sounded high and hysterical to his own ears and he knelt on the floor, trying to check for a pulse, trying to find any warmth, any sign that his lover was still alive.
“Stuart…Stuart please,” he pleaded, his hair hanging in his face as he touched his lover’s cheeks, stroking and kissing his forehead as he cradled him close.
“Wake up,” he murmured in a mournful tone. Putting Stuart down gently, he raced for the phone, calling for emergency services.
Bolting awake, Orlando gasped for air, his eyes registering after a moment that he was not in his old flat where he’d lived with Stuart but rather in the place he shared with Elijah. He rubbed his eyes as they stung, the memories of what had happened to his last lover plaguing him more than ever since he’d found Elijah lying on the bathroom floor.
“Are you okay?” Elijah asked from the doorway of his room, his eyes luminous in the dimly lit living room. “You fell asleep on the couch and I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Thanks,” Orlando said as he rubbed his eyes, forcing back his emotions.
Elijah sat down next to him moment’s later, gaze fixed firmly on Orlando’s face, studying him, dissecting him. “You didn’t answer my question,” he said bluntly.
Orlando arched an eyebrow, “Hmm? Oh, yes I’m okay.”
“You’re lying,” Elijah told him simply, glancing around the room. “Tell me.” It wasn’t a request, not really.
Smiling weakly, Orlando can’t help but be touched that Eljah was willing to push him, willing to listen to any problems he might have despite his own. “I have been dreaming of Stuart.”
Elijah lowered his eyes to his knees, clearly thinking over the words and what he could possibly say, another consideration that Orlando appreciated. “Do you want to talk about it?” he finally asked, glancing over at Orlando almost shyly.
“Not really,” Orlando admitted, nibbling on his bottom lip just a little bit.
“Do you want me to call Sean and Viggo?” Elijah asked him after another small moment of silence.
“No, no I don’t want to bother them too,” Orlando replied, bringing his knees up on the couch, almost huddling in on himself for warmth, for comfort that he couldn’t ask Elijah for.
“You’re not a bother, Orlando. I don’t know when you will realize that,” Elijah told him.
Orlando couldn’t help but smile a little bit at that comment. “I think the same thing about you.” He made sure to keep his teasing light.
Laughing just a bit, Elijah nodded his head, seeming at ease. “I guess you’re right; we’re both bothers, I suppose, which means we should bother no one but each other.”
Glancing at Elijah, Orlando couldn’t help but feel surprised at that attitude. Something he saw there made him feel happy. Elijah was relaxed around him.
“Do you need a hug?” Elijah asked suddenly, surprising Orlando even further, as he watched the blush rise in his American roommate’s face.
“A hug?” Orlando replied, surprised. He’d never really known Elijah to initiate affection before, other than very brief pats on the back, and those had been few and far between since what Orlando now referred to as the “incident” in his head.
“I’ve heard they can help. When you hugged me before, it seemed to help,” Elijah replied with all the hopefulness of a child.
Orlando smiled at him, feeling like someone had dipped him in warm bathwater; he nodded his head. “A hug would be nice, if it wouldn’t be too much bother,” he told his friend.
Elijah shrugged, “I won’t really know until I try, right? And it’s always good to try new things.”
“You’re right,” Orlando laughed just a bit, “I’m impressed,” he shifted around. “You initiate the hug okay?” he asked him, tilting his head to the side.
Elijah nodded his head and shifted around a bit too, leaning over he looped his arms around Orlando’s shoulders and pulled the other man in close, closing his eyes as he did so.
Orlando waited just a few beats before he wrapped his arms around Elijah’s waist, stroking his back as he did so.
“Wow,” Elijah murmured softly into his neck, smiling when Orlando laughed softly. “Good?”
Orlando’s eyes sparkled as he pulled back for just a moment, looking into Elijah’s eyes then hugged him again. “Really good.”
“Let’s stay here until you feel great,” Elijah mumbled the words into his skin, amazed at himself.
Keeping quiet, Orlando bit his bottom lip, feeling a little guilty for not admitting that he’d felt great the moment Elijah had hugged him, but didn’t want to because he was moving onto feeling exceptional.
Fifteen minutes passed in silence as they held each other, each of them taking in the other’s warmth, the comfort of the other’s body until finally Orlando had to speak up. “Thank you Elijah, I know this was hard for you, I feel amazing already.”
Elijah pulled back, his face filled with radiance as he smiled. “It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.”
“A lot of things are like that,” Orlando replied before a yawn broke his concentration and his gaze.
“We should both get to bed,” Elijah said, and then his cheeks flushed. “That’s not what I meant,” he protested before Orlando could say anything.
“Too bad,” Orlando joked, standing up he ran his fingers through his hair and then squeezed Elijah’s shoulder, realizing belatedly that was not the best idea.
Elijah just smiled as he stood up and moved to double and triple check the alarm and door. “Good night, Orlando.”
Orlando nodded his head before climbing the stairs to the loft bedroom, slipping his shirt off before he crawled into his bed, asleep almost the second his head hit the pillow, a large smile on his face.
Things would be okay.
