Author: Jenna
Rated: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own anyone depicted in this story.
Description: "I can't do this anymore!"
Notes: In response to the challenge. Yep.
>>>>> Complete
Elijah set down his magazine and stared at his friend. �Do what?�
�This!� Orlando exclaimed, getting up off the suede couch and began to pace around Elijah�s living room.
�Yeah, ok,� Elijah muttered. �I�m gonna need a bit more than that, man.�
Orlando�s hands twisted in the hem of his shirt anxiously as he stalked back and forth across the cream carpet. �I can�t keep going on like this, all freaked out whenever I come into town, because of the possibility of running into him!�
Elijah rolled his eyes. �Oh, that. Really man, you need to let it go.�
Orlando stopped and whirled on Elijah. �Let it go? LET IT GO?� He threw up his hands in frustration.
�Geez, sorry,� Elijah murmured, picking up his magazine.
�How am I supposed to just let it go? I mean, I spent the whole 14-hour flight thinking of what I might say to him if I saw him, so I didn�t sleep a wink. And now, I�m running on pure adrenaline, and I think I�m going to pass out,� Orlando said in one breath, before he sank down onto the floor.
�Look,� Elijah began, getting up off the couch. �I know this has to be hard. But maybe it�s time to take the bull by the horns and do something about it, because living like this, like an escapee from a mental hospital, isn�t healthy.�
�I know,� Orlando moaned. �You�re right, of course. I need to just tell him.�
�Well�go tell him.�
�Now?�
Elijah nodded. �No time like the present.�
Orlando crossed his legs and thought for a moment as Elijah fetched a beer from the fridge.
�What do you think he�ll say?�
�I have no idea,� Elijah confessed, popping the top on his beer. �And anyway, you know him better than I do.�
�I suppose, but still��
�Well, look at it this way,� Elijah offered. �He�s gay as well, so you have that on your side, and he�s a good mate, so he�s not gonna get all weird on you.�
�True.�
�Plus, have you ever known him to get freaked out about this sorta thing?�
Orlando shook his head. �I guess not.�
�So what are you waiting for?�
�I don�t know,� Orlando admitted softly, staring at the carpet.
He didn�t want to admit how nervous he was, although that fact was painfully obvious. He didn�t want to admit how affected he was by this man. It was as if he possessed him.
Orlando was snapped from his thoughts by something hard hitting his side. He looked down at the car keys lying on the carpet.
�Go,� Elijah demanded.
Orlando reached out tentatively for the keys and picked them up. �You think?�
�If you don�t go, I will.�
Orlando got up immediately. He loved Elijah like a brother, and he was forever grateful for the spare room when he was in town, but having him muck about in his love life was something Orlando was not keen to discover.
Orlando opened his mouth to say something.
�Go!�
He nodded and grabbed his coat and made his way outside to Elijah�s car. He slipped in, started the engine and sped off down the street.
This is a very bad idea�
**
Orlando bounced from one foot to the other as he stood in the darkened driveway. He�d been standing there for nearly 17 minutes, debating what to do. He�d decided that walking up the drive would be a good start, and then ringing the bell would be even better.
But doing it was much more harder than planning to do it.
The cold night air seeped in through Orlando�s thin jacket, and pricked his skin with tiny ice-like jabs. It was either die from potential embarrassment, or die of frostbite.
Orlando was nearly tempted to take his chance with the frostbite, but then he realised he couldn�t feel his toes all that well.
He moved slowly up the drive, the front door illuminated by the soft glow coming from the light fixture.
Despite his anxiety, Orlando smiled. That was so like him, to leave the light burning, late into the night.
Orlando knocked and waited patiently.
He heard a noise from inside and then the door was being pulled open.
�Henry!� he exclaimed, surprised to see the teenager. �What are you doing here?�
�Visiting,� Henry answered, opening the door a little wider so Orlando could slip in. �He�s in the kitchen.�
Orlando smiled weakly at Henry as he shut the door and took off for the stairs, taking them two at a time.
�Hello?� Orlando called tentatively, handing up his coat and revelling in the warmth that flowed through the ground level of the house.
�Orlando?�
At his voice, Orland quivered. �Where are you, man?�
�Kitchen,� he replied, and Orlando followed the hallway to the kitchen.
What he saw took his breath away.
He sat at the kitchen table, in just sweatpants and a singlet top, reading a manuscript, and drinking tea, no doubt.
He had a thoughtful expression on his face, the one he always wore when he was reading, and his right index finger tapped against the glass tabletop in clean succession.
Orlando cleared his throat and he looked up.
�Orlando,� he said softly before getting up and walking over to embrace the younger man.
Orlando hugged back, the feeling of being in those arms just pure heaven.
�How�re you doing?� he asked, gesturing to the seat next to his at the table.
�I�m ok, I guess,� Orlando admitted, sliding into the seat.
He moved into the kitchen and poured Orlando a cup of tea, returning to the table, steaming cup in his hands.
�You look nearly frozen, did you walk here?�
Orlando took the cup graciously and sipped, the warm liquid flowing down his throat causing his body temperature to rise. �The heater in the car wasn�t working,� he lied, setting the cup down.
�How long are you in town?�
�A while,� Orlando told him. �I got a lot of Troy stuff to do��
�Ah yes,� he said, sipping from his own cup. �Elijah told me about it.�
Orlando nodded. �It�s nice to see Henry here.�
�Yeah,� he said. �He asked if he could come stay.�
�That�s good.�
He frowned. �I�m sensing you had an ulterior motive for this visit.� A smile curved onto his lips.
�I wouldn�t say, �ulterior motive�,� Orlando disagreed. �More like�a pressing issue I had to talk to you about.�
�And?�
�Well��
�Spit it out, �Lando.�
�I kinda love you.�
A silence fell over the room. Orlando waited for him to say something, anything, but nothing came.
�Well?� Orlando prompted.
He smiled. �You kinda love me?�
�Uh huh.�
�That�s sweet.�
Orlando frowned. �Sweet? That�s all you�re gonna say?�
Dom leant forward and kissed Orlando�s cheek. �I wasn�t under the assumption I had to say anything.�
Orlando�s heart flip-flopped. �What do you mean?�
Dom grinned. �I thought that just kissing you would be enough of an answer.�
�K-kissing me?�
�Uh huh.�
Orlando wet his lips nervously. �Uh, ok.�
Dom leant forward and kissed him softly, their lips settling together like little satin pillows.
Orlando felt his heart stop as the kiss came to an end, and Dom pulled away.
�You alive?�
Orlando opened his eyes. �I don�t think so.�
Dom laughed. �Didn�t think I was that good a kisser.�
�You don�t know the half of it,� Orlando admitted.
Dom laughed again. �I�d kiss you again, but I�m expecting Viggo at any minute to pick up Henry.�
�I don�t know if I can wait that long.�
�Well, maybe one more to tie you over.�
