Chapter Seven - Girlfriend
He tries to stretch out, rolls his shoulders a bit, and then checks the clock on the wall. Eight-thirty in the evening, and the lady at his feet looks like she still has a long way to go to remove the stubborn latex. She looks up at him when his stomach rumbles and they both grin.
"You didn't have dinner yet, then?" she asks and blindly reaches up and grabs another instrument from the counter.
"I am fine," Dom says and yawns, fighting to keep his eyes open. "I am too tired to eat anyway... These working hours are gruelling." They grimace knowingly at each other and Dom thinks about how these first two weeks had rocketed past him with the speed of light, leaving him exhausted and out of touch with himself.
Especially during the first few days, when Dom had experienced the daunting intensity with which Peter Jackson worked on this project and he had watched Billy, Elijah and Sean act out their hobbit parts for the first time ever.
He remembers how he tried to calm down after their first day of filming - how he had sat in this same make up chair for an hour, desperate for the plastic to be removed so he could hurry home and hide. He remembers how he had slammed the door shut, blocking out the world, and how he had rolled out his trusted little mat and had done the same yoga exercise over and over again - waiting for that familiar, cold hand called insecurity to let go of his neck and allowing him to breathe again.
He thinks of their fourth (or was it fifth?) day of filming when Billy had come up to him in a spare moment, first asking him if he was all right, and then telling him that he shouldn't be nervous about being inexperienced compared to Sean or Elijah. He had answered that he wasn't nervous about anything and Billy had looked at him - head cocked slightly, the green eyes ever so gentle - and had patted him on the shoulder. Dom had the distinct feeling Billy had since then been playing along with his game of hide and seek and loved the Scot for not spilling the beans.
At the end of each of those first days of filming, he had barely had enough energy left to make himself a sandwich or a snack before crashing into his bed and sleeping until the alarm went off again at four fifteen the next morning, signalling for the whole routine to start all over again.
He only realised how fast the first two weeks had rushed past him, when he noticed that during those days - and nights - he had hardly thought about Elijah.
Or at least, he had hardly thought about Elijah in that way...
To say that Elijah hadn't been on his mind would have been a lie, because from the very first time he had witnessed Elijah transform into this beautiful, believable, otherworldly hobbit, Dom had been both stunned and completely mesmerized.
His movements, his accent, and the way his voice dropped almost an entire octave when he became Frodo had left Dom in awe of Elijah's ability to snap his fingers and be someone else entirely. He remembers how he had literally shivered when he realised he could almost feel Elijah's heart rate slow down when 'action' was called, as if the boy flicked a switch inside. Dom understands that this ability must be part of Elijah's talent, but he is experienced enough to know that concentration and a clear understanding of the trade are also necessary to pull it off so smoothly and credibly.
Dom yawns again, stretches almost catlike - but not too far, not wanting to kick his make up artist in the face - and rubs his eyes with both hands. A groan escapes his lips and when he closes his eyes he doesn't have to concentrate very hard to imagine what his bed would feel like right now.
The combination of not yet being used to making such incredibly long days on an outdoor set, having his feet, ears and wig applied at the most sinful hours of the day and trying to keep up with the pace and quality Pete expects from all people involved, has left him both anxious and exhausted, and because of that combination he is eternally glad with the prospect of a day off tomorrow.
"Let me give them a quick bath, okay?" a voice penetrates Dom's foggy thoughts and his eyes snap open.
Dom looks at his feet and notices that yet again they are red and scratchy and he welcomes the thought of some hot, soapy water to soak them in. Maybe he could even charm her into giving them a bit of a massage, so he pulls out his widest smile and shifts his cocky accent into gear and gives it his best shot.
"Sure," she laughs and moves to sit cross-legged on the trailer floor with the bowl of water between her legs. "You just relax." And since relaxing is probably one of the only things he is still capable of right now, Dom settles in his chair, trying to watch what she's doing and maybe make some polite conversation.
But before he knows it his eyes once more become too heavy to keep open and he drifts off - dreaming of four-poster beds lined with soft cushions and comfortable log fires and sumptuous Christmas dinners all rolled into one - when all too soon that female voice pipes up again, telling him she has finished and that he is free to go.
He manages to mumble something in the affirmative but doesn't get up from his chair. While drying her hands on a towel the girl tells him he can enjoy a nap in here if he wants to; it is quiet around the set anyway and they won't lock up for another two or three hours. He mumbles again, and vaguely registers her amused grin as she collects her purse and walks to the door, leaving Dom to his imaginary feather bed and chocolate mousse dessert.
When a very loud and shrill sound startles Dom from his sleep, he jolts, flails his arms around for a second and curses rudely, desperately trying to locate the source of the noise so he can slam his fist down on it and continue his wonderful dream.
Bleary-eyed, he looks around the trailer while the high-pitched noise keeps repeating itself, and finally it dawns on him that he is hearing the sounds of a mobile phone. And it is coming from the heap that is Elijah's clothes.
Elijah, who was refused to bring his mobile onto the set with him, which he completely understood when they told him, but still grumbled over a bit after the AD had left him alone. Elijah, whose mobile phone is still ringing annoyingly loud and should probably be picked up and answered. Elijah, who is nowhere in sight...
After a second's deliberation Dom hauls himself out of the chair, takes two strides across the trailer and pats the pockets of Elijah's jeans. He locates the small phone straight away and flicks it open, reading a long, probably international, phone number and the name Hannah.
Hannah.
"Fuck!" Dom curses under his breath and his eyes flick left and right, suddenly wondering if he should be doing this in the first place. This is Elijah's phone - not his - and even though the boy had opened up to him considerably over the last two weeks, Dom still knows how much Elijah values his privacy, and an essential stranger taking his personal calls might not go down all too well.
"Fuck," Dom mutters again, realising who he is about to talk to, but then proceeds to connect the call with the press of his thumb.
"H-hello?" he asks, suddenly feeling very hot as he sits down in his make up chair again.
"Lijah?"
"Erm... No," Dom says, clearing his voice and trying again. "No, actually, Elijah is still filming."
"Oh-," there is a brief silence on the other end of the line and Dom hears the rustling of clothes or paper or something equally muffled. "Who am I speaking to then?"
"Oh," Dom stammers. "I'm sorry, it's Dom. Dominic. You want me to give-"
"Oh, right - Dom Monaghan!" the female, rather high-pitched voice interrupts Dom's attempt at being polite. "Lij told me about you. You're the guy from Manchester with the cute ass, right? Anyway, why is he still filming? What time is it there? I thought I finally had this time difference thing down.�
"It's...erm..._"Dom checks the clock on the wall again and notices how it is almost nine thirty. "Half past nine, but we're filming late today. I could ask him to call you back?"
"Filming late?" she calls out mock-indignantly. "Still shooting at nine fucking thirty? I really have to tell Lij he must have been a fool for ever signing that contract. Hollywood lawyers would have a fucking field day with working conditions like those! Ah well, he probably forgot to put his glasses on the day he decided to read the small print!" She laughs, a hilariously, girly giggle, and Dom tries to process her landslide of words and the fact she sounds so damn familiar.
"Anyway - can you ask him to call me whenever he gets back?" she giggles again. "And can you tell him he needs to call mom as well?"
"Uh - mum?" Dom stutters. "Uh... Sure, sure, 'call mum'... I'll tell him..."
"Oh fuck," Hannah sighs, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "Has he even told you who I am?"
"As a matter of fact, no," Dom lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "He hasn't told me who you are." He digs up his courage as well as his cocky accent for a second time that evening, because deep down he really wants to know the truth about this girl. He swallows hard and dreads her answer, but asks anyway.
"So who are you, Hannah?"
Hannah huffs a bit, sounding like she's trying to stifle full-blown laughter. "Lij already told me you have this weird sense of humour. He's such an ass for not telling you about me - I mean, you must be watching him being on the phone with me practically all the fucking time!"
"You have no idea, Hannah-whoever-you-are," Dom states, managing to lace his voice with a hint of mischief. "Sometimes I wonder whether we have to surgically remove the thing from his ear before he goes to bed at night."
"Well, Dom-with-the-cool-accent," Hannah giggles. "My name is Hannah. I am Lij's younger sister."
"His sister," Dom repeats dumbly, switching to autopilot because this he did not expect. It does however explain why she sounds so familiar. "You're his sister..."
"Surprised?" Hannah asks and laughs out loud. Fuck, she sounds so totally like Elijah when she laughs like that. Even the pitch of her voice is like her brother's and a shiver runs along Dom's spine.
"Well, to be honest," he starts and has to grin a bit himself now. "I must admit I thought you were his girlfriend or something."
"His girlfriend?" Hannah asks incredulously and makes a sound like she is spraying her drink all over the front of whatever it is she is wearing. "Surely, Dom, that would have been a novelty. His girlfriend.... Haven't you noticed he's a shy one, Dom? Or have you tough guys finally taught him how to pull?"
"Are you sure you're his kid sister?" Dom wants to know. "Because you sound like you know a lot more about these things than he does."
"Oh, we differ two years, he's definitely older," Hannah says, her voice back to normal. "And don't be fooled by his innocent face either. Let's just say he's a bit picky when it comes to stuff like that, but I'll leave you guys to witness that for yourself someday. Well, it's been really nice talking to you, Dominic," she continues, and Dom hears that rustling sound again. "Please tell him to call me - and mom, okay?"
"S-sure," Dom answers, back in his stuttering mode. "I will, don't worry. He won't be long now anyway."
"Cool," the girl on the other end says and after a few seconds Dom disconnects the call, shuts the silver-coloured phone and places it on the counter right where Elijah will find it.
He slumps down in his chair, taking a couple of deep breaths, trying to make sense of everything this girl with her impish voice told him in the two minutes they had been on the phone together.
"His sister," he mutters to himself. "She's his bloody sister... Monaghan, you are a complete and utter prick for jumping to conclusions like that."
Unsurprisingly, he is no longer tired at all. He needs to replay this conversation, because somehow he has the feeling this girl told him something important about Elijah that he is missing right now, he just needs to remember it. Just remember everything she said...
Elijah... Dom thinks. She never called him Elijah... She called him Lij... Lij... Lijah... I wonder why he never told us about that - could it be her pet name for him? They're obviously close... Must ask Lij about this... Elijah. Elijah. Shit Dom, just call him Elijah...
Suddenly, before he can continue his musings, the door bursts open and Elijah walks in, followed by a woman from the make up department.
"How fast can you take the prosthetics off, Trish?" he asks and worms himself out of Frodo's brown velvet jacket. "Hey Dom, you still here?" he adds when he notices Dom sitting in his chair in the corner.
"I doubt I'll be fast enough to your liking, Elijah," Trish says before Dom can answer and the three of them laugh with the truth of her words. She takes the jacket off his hands and turns around to carefully put it away in a garment bag that will be taken back to Wardrobe.
"I kind of fell asleep," Dom grins and looks at how Elijah unbuttons the matching waistcoat with deft fingers, handing it over so it can be put away as well. The boy plops down in his chair and lifts his feet onto the specially designed box they all use, anxious to have the hairy plastic removed.
"Well," Elijah mutters as he starts fumbling with the tinier buttons on his white shirt. "After filming for thirteen bloody hours straight, you just keep talking to me, Dom, or I am going to fall asleep as well."
He shrugs out of the shirt and Dom catches himself watching Elijah's exposed chest again - one of the perks of sharing a trailer. He notices how Elijah's nipples harden almost instantly with the cool air inside the room and he even catches faint traces of goose bumps on the boy's arms, undoubtedly caused by the sensation of a silk shirt gliding over bare flesh. Dom feels how blood is rapidly pooling in his cock.
Jesus, fuck, not now...
When he looks up again, Elijah is watching him - an odd expression on his face, his brows raised the slightest bit.
"Erm... Your sister called just a minute ago," Dom offers, squirming slightly, suddenly in want of an escape route before Elijah starts asking difficult questions. "Your phone kept ringing so I answered it and she asked if you could call her back and if you could also call your mum."
"Hannah?" Elijah says, acting again as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened, sounding a bit muffled because of the t-shirt he is pulling over his head. "Did she say what it was about? Did she sound upset?"
"Actually - no," Dom answers. "She was just surprised you were still filming and she grumbled something about the time difference and all. But she didn't sound the slightest bit upset. In fact, we had a rather funny conversation."
"Funny?"
"Well... I kind of admitted to her that I thought she was your girlfriend and that had her in a fit of laughter," Dom grins briefly before he realises what he has just said. All of a sudden Dom is treated to the same odd expression on Elijah's face as when he was caught ogling the boy's naked chest just a minute ago.
"She thought that was funny?" Elijah asks after what seems like an eternity. Dom nods slowly, his heart almost thundering out of his ribcage, his hands folded in his lap to try and prevent Elijah from noticing his still growing hard-on, yet never breaking eye contact.
Those intense, glacier blue eyes are searching his soul again, but Dom has grown more and more accustomed to it over the weeks, and he doesn't flinch any longer. They breathe in unison for about ten whole seconds before Elijah finally averts his eyes and looks in the mirror at the progress Trish is making with his wig.
"Are you angry I picked up your mobile?" Dom asks, almost desperate to break the silence, staring at Elijah's reflection in the mirror. "Because I was just trying to help, I didn't mean to pry or anything..."
"I know you didn't," Elijah says, and scratches his head fervently the moment Trisha takes the wig off. "Man, that feels good, that stupid wig has been fucking killing me all day."
He rubs his palms over his scalp and closes his eyes, trying to massage the headache away. He sighs deeply - and instead of pulling the boy's hands away and getting to work on the fake pointy ears, Trisha starts to fumble with the oversized feet, leaving Elijah to his brief moment of head-scratching bliss.
"Thanks for taking the call," Elijah breathes when he lowers his arms and relaxes in the chair again, watching Trisha's slow progress at his feet. "So... What did you think of my sis then?"
Involuntarily, Dom starts to grin. "As a matter of fact," he says. "She sounded a bit like you. High-pitched, insane giggle, foul mouth, talking a mile a minute... Before I knew it was your sister I was wondering why she sounded so familiar. Oh - and she kept calling you 'Lij' instead of Elijah. Very cute."
Elijah looks up from his feet and gives Dom another intense stare.
"The things you notice, Monaghan," he mutters and cocks his head, offering Dom a devious smile. "You can call me Lij if you want to... Most of my friends do anyway... Elijah is a bit of a mouthful, right?"
"Why didn't you tell us?" Dom asks, barely able to filter the incredulity from his voice. "No one calls me Dominic around here. And Orlando wants to be called Orli, because his name is a real mouthful. And I still have to meet the first person on this set who will call Billy William, unless they're playing a very bad joke on him....."
Dom takes a deep breath, trying not to think of his next words for fear he won't have the courage to speak them. "I think Elijah is a gorgeous name though, but actually... I like Lij too... It's kinda cute..."
Elijah starts to blush, Dom already recognises the symptoms. The way his wide eyes go slightly wider, the way a rosy flush starts somewhere at the base of his neck and moves all the way up to grace his pale cheeks, and how he tries and fails to stifle his unstoppable giggle.
"Don't you go calling me cute, you idiot, Monaghan," he tries to grumble, his mock-indignant face completely out of sync with the look of amusement in his eyes. "I hate being called cute - and so would you if you had been forced to listen to it for the best part of your life."
Dom laughs, mouthing 'cute' at Elijah a couple of times, puckering his lips and pulling all kinds of over-the-top lovey-dovey faces at the boy, causing him to giggle uncontrollably.
"Right," Dom says after a few more seconds of teasing. "I won't go around calling you cute then, but I will start calling you Lij from now on. It sounds so cu... sorry, erm... appropriate, okay?"
Elijah suppresses another giggle and locks eyes with Dom. "Yeah, it's okay," he half-snorts. "What with you being a friend and all... Just don't call me cute."
Dom opens his mouth to throw in another witty remark, when suddenly he is hit by something Hannah said, and now that he remembers it, he cannot believe he hasn't mentioned it to Elijah the minute he walked into the trailer.
"Okay, Lij," he starts slowly, making sure he has the boy's full attention. "I won't go around calling you cute if you explain to me why Hannah would call me the guy from Manchester with the cute ass...."
Chapter Eight
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