"Here." Elijah passed Ian his glass of orange juice and lemonade and put his own on the table so he could arrange himself in front of Ian on the sun lounger. Ian obligingly spread his legs so the American could sit between them, slid a casual arm round him.

"Thanks. Oh look, Percy's back."

"That's 'cos you keep feeding him, babes." Elijah watched the swan gliding majestically by the decking. "Is it true swans mate for life?"

"I'm not David Attenborough! I believe so. I do know you are not allowed to kill a swan as, according to a law instituted by Henry VIII, they all belong to the crown."

"Cool!"

Ian picked up something from under the sun lounger. It was a copy of the 'Lord of the Rings' kept tidy by the ingenious use of a novelty jacket in the shape of a waiter's tuxedo. Elijah grinned in recognition. "God, it's ages since I saw that."

Ian's eyes twinkled as he held it, turning it this way and that in the sunlight, touching its familiar surface affectionately. "Your first gift to me."

Elijah leaned backwards, kissed Ian's cheek. "I just didn't want your book getting dog-eared. Works well, doesn't it?"

Ian took the waiter off and stroked the front cover. He had never thought himself overly sentimental about books. One copy of a book should, in theory, be the same as any other copy - or so he'd thought. To his chagrin he had discovered this was not the case. Although he would cheerfully swap one copy of any of his other books for another identical copy, he would not swap this particular copy of 'Rings' for anything. There was Gandalf, drawn so perfectly by John Howe, striding purposefully through the rain. The wizard had an expression of resignation like he was thinking 'great, now it's raining too!' Elijah was watching his lover.

"You miss him, don't you?"

Ian looked up in surprise as though he had never given the matter any thought. "Why yes, I do. All my characters are dear to me but Gandalf represents so much more." He touched Elijah's cheek gently. "Finding you, for example."

"It'll be cool to go back and film some extra scenes."

"It'll be marvellous." Ian beamed happily and placed his hand low on Elijah's belly over the tattoo. "We'll be the fellowship again."

"So why have you brought out the 'Rings'?"

"For the event this evening. Sorry you can't come, pet lamb. I thought I'd kick off by reading a few pages. Want to help me choose?"

Elijah grinned and took the copy from his lover. He flicked through randomly, every now and then reading the text Ian had highlighted in yellow. "Guess reading the whole of 'Shadows of the Past' is a bit much?"

"I do want to answer some questions, love."

Elijah cast him an amused glance, jabbed a finger at a certain passage. "That bit. Read it to me."

Agreeably, Ian settled Elijah back against him while he perused the requested text: Gandalf's arrival in Hobbiton. Elijah turned slightly so he could press his ear against Ian's chest, rubbing his hand across the man's nipple. Ian began to read, not in his portentous theatre voice but at a galloping pace full of excitement and energy. Elijah closed his eyes, let his lover's voice sink through him. He could hear the rich tones reverberate in Ian's ribs. When Ian got to Gandalf's lines he dropped his voice to the wizard's deep rumble and Elijah sighed happily.

When he'd finished, Ian kissed his boyfriend's head. "Will that do, my hobbit? Will it keep the geeks amused?"

"Hey geeks are interesting people," Elijah said, trying to sound offended. "I'm proud to be a geek."

They kissed some more, long deep kisses that seemed to go on forever. Eventually Elijah eased back, glanced at his watch. "Gonna have to go soon. So not fair. I wish I could come with you, babes."

Ian stroked his fingers along the palm of Elijah's hand in what had become their special caress. "I too. However if you turned up, the fans, bless them, would be fainting in the aisles and there's really not much room at the Space as it is."

"I've put your suit out for you."

"Suit? I'll just wear my - "

"No, you won't. I want to be proud of my boyfriend. I'm not having you turning up like a dog's dinner. Suit or no sex tonight."

Ian laughed at Elijah's take-charge tones. "I'll wear the suit." He stroked across Elijah's chest, slipping his hand between the buttons which had miraculously become undone. Elijah wriggled back against him, feeling Ian's erection against his back.

"Are you quite sure you have to go soon?" Ian asked wickedly.

Elijah purred with pleasure as his lover's skilled fingers found his nipple. "I'm becoming less sure." He turned round and kissed Ian deeply while he undid both their shirts with frantic fingers.

Ian sniggered. "The traffic on the river is going to get quite an eyeful if you carry on, love."

Elijah groaned in frustration and tugged Ian to his feet and inside. "Get in here." He slammed the door closed and pressed Ian against the wall.

"Are you sure you have to go?" Ian repeated, his voice dropping down low.

For answer, Elijah dropped to his knees and yanked open Ian's trousers. The Brit gasped hoarsely as his lover went down on him. He ran his fingers through Elijah's soft hair, encouraging him, keeping the connection between them. Elijah suckled him hard and he was soon groaning in completion, bucking into his lover's mouth. Elijah pulled back and licked his lips as he met Ian's gaze.

"Don't tell the fans about that," he ordered.

***

The house was dark when Ian returned. He had enjoyed the evening immensely but was tired. It was dark in the living room except for a ghostly grey light coming from the television set. He thought Elijah had forgotten to switch it off before going to bed but then realised that Elijah had fallen asleep on the sofa. He was curled on his side like a particularly cute hamster.

Smiling, Ian perched next to him and ran his fingers through his hair. He kissed his cheek and Elijah nestled closer, all warm and mumbly from sleep.

"You're home?"

"No I don't think so," Ian riposted and settled Elijah's head on his lap, stroking his temples, his eyebrows. "Sleepy head."

"Mmmm." Elijah rubbed his head on Ian's trouser leg, more like a spoilt cat preening than a hamster now, and yawned. Even his yawns were cute. "Was it good?"

Ian smiled at the worry on his face. Elijah was always worrying about him; it made him feel needed and protected. "Ah, love, it was delightful."

"I told you they loved you."

"Nonsense, dear boy. They only came to see Gandalf."

Elijah sat up abruptly and Ian could see the anger flashing in his eyes. "Quit that. Stop running yourself down."

"I'm a dangerous driver," Ian replied wryly then held up his hand in surrender at Elijah's sharp intake of breath. "All right, all right. I know they love me. It was nice connecting with them. You don't have to get all flustered and protective." He kissed Elijah's lips in apology and the other man settled back down on his lap.

Ian suddenly laughed, tickling Elijah's waist, making him curl and buck under the touch. "There was one mad woman. American actually."

"Watch it, sir knight."

"She had come over from America just to show me this script she had written for a Hobbit film."

Elijah laughed in delight. "Oh God! What did you do?"

"Well what could I do? I leapt off the stage, hugged her script to my breast in ecstatic relief and whisked her off to bed!" Ian pulled Elijah up into his arms and kissed his nose. "I think I was a little unkind actually. I gave her my Cannes copy of 'Rings' for coming over from America then, when she told me why, I took it off her."

"You took it off her? That is so cool! Anything else?"

"I broke my Gandalf goblet." Ian's mobile face settled into dismay. He really had loved his Gandalf goblet.

"Oh babes, I'm sorry. I'll buy you another one off e-bay."

"I auctioned the others off too. Yours only went for 20 pounds, by the way, though I think that's because I wasn't very good as an auctioneer."

"Don't give up the day job then." Elijah caught one of Ian's hands, played with it absently. His hands always fascinated him. They were so expressive, always moving, always gesturing. Very long strong fingers, beautifully shaped nails and freckly skin.

"Do you think they'll wash them?" he asked almost to himself.

"I beg your pardon?" Elijah often did this; jumped in with a complete non sequitur.

"The fans, wash their hands I mean. I swore if I ever met Patrick Stewart, shook hands with him, I wouldn't wash my hand for a week."

Ian laughed richly. "I *do* recall that you nearly keeled over in a dead faint when I introduced you."

"Oh but man, he's gorgeous. That bald head is so sexy." Elijah grinned at Ian's expression and tugged his head down for a kiss. He whispered into his mouth, "But I know someone who's even more sexy. Someone with the most gorgeous blue eyes - "

"Are you referring to yourself? Very narcissistic."

Elijah scrunched up his face in mock despair. "You know very well I mean you." He held Ian's gaze, stroked soft fingers over Ian's eyebrows and pressed feather light kisses over his eyelids. "So sexy, Ian, so hot."

He sat up properly, sliding one hand round Ian's waist, the other through his shorn hair. Suddenly he pulled away. "Hey! This isn't your suit!"

Ian tried for a sheepish look but Elijah wasn't having any of it.

"You actually wore this?" the American asked in exasperation. "You look like you got dressed in the dark."

"You, of course, are an expert on fashion." Ian swept an eye down Elijah's jeans significantly.

"Don't change the subject, Sir Ian. No sex tonight."

Ian heaved up a sigh. "Never mind. There were a number of very handsome young men at the Audience; at least two offers of a date. Perhaps one of those would have more interest in me than in my tailor?"

"Ian?" Elijah's eyes were very bright in the semi-dark.

"Hmmm?"

"Make love to me."

Elijah maintained eye contact while massaging Ian's right hand. He rubbed at the heel, tracing

gentle patterns round the palm. "You've got a very long life line, you know," he mumbled and licked the line gently with just the tip of his tongue. Ian sighed. Elijah pressed his head against the palm. Ian took the hint, caressing his lover's face and running his fingers through his hair.

Elijah caught the hand again, licked up the index finger which made Ian snort with laughter. He nipped at the manicured nail before sucking the digit into his mouth. Ian stroked his thumb against his cheek. Elijah sucked his finger in and out of his mouth, massaging the underside with his tongue. He said provocatively:

"I wonder if the fans fantasise about what you're doing now? I wonder what they'd say if they knew what the hand you signed autographs with was doing right now?"

"Oh you mean this hand?" Ian slipped his hand inside Elijah's shirt, pinching and rolling his nipple with the wetness from Elijah's mouth.

"Oh yeah." Elijah bucked into the touch.

"Perhaps," Ian said thoughtfully, "they might be a little alarmed if they knew it was doing this."

He pressed his hand to Elijah's belly before moving to cup his groin. Elijah hissed with pleasure as those clever fingers unsnapped his jeans and pushed them away and off. Without dislodging that warmth, which was stirring up all sorts of happy sensations inside him, he quickly divested himself and Ian of the rest of their clothes. Ian watched him, the blue of his eyes startling. "I wonder what they'd say if they knew my hand did this sort of thing?" Ian collected some of Elijah's pre-cum on his finger and slid it into his mouth, savouring the taste. Elijah whimpered with need.

"Or this?" Ian circled the head of Elijah's penis with his wet fingers before pumping him quite roughly. Elijah grabbed at his shoulders to stay upright but Ian was nudging him away, arranging them so that Elijah was sat in front of Ian, facing away from him, Ian's legs spread out on either side of him. Ian pulled his lover's body close against his own with one hand round his chest. The other hand he snaked under his penis to play delicately with his balls. Elijah didn't know which way to buck, backwards against the hardness of Ian's body or forward onto his hand.

"Oh, I bet the fans don't know about this," Elijah said breathlessly.

Ian nuzzled his mouth across the back of his lover's neck before grazing at his ear. Elijah moaned, grasped Ian's hand to try to increase the pressure on his cock. Ian obliged, squeezing twice but then returning to fondle his balls.

"Ah, Ian, please!"

Ian took pity on him at last. He worked his cock expertly, his other hand now joining in to milk his balls. Elijah bucked crazily, his thigh muscles spasming just before he froze and with a keening cry came.

When it was over, Ian pulled Elijah's unprotesting body close, re-positioned them so they were lying full length on the sofa facing each other.

"So," Ian asked conversationally, directly into Elijah's ear, his voice all low and rumbly, "are you enjoying your own Intimate Audience with Sir Ian McKellen?"

Elijah laughed weakly. "Does that mean I get to ask all the questions the fans wouldn't dare ask but are dying to know?"

"Oh yes." Ian rubbed his hand up and down Elijah's flank. It was curiously reassuring.

"Is it true the fellowship all had a tattoo done to commemorate the film?" Elijah kissed Ian's tattoo before suckling it. He licked it, over and over like a cat licking its kitten, until Ian was moaning.

"Tattoos? Oh! Yes, we all had a tattoo. It say Nine in elvish." Ian tried to touch Elijah's tattoo but the other evaded him.

"And what's this gem stone?" Elijah cupped the greenstone necklace Ian was wearing.

"It's called a greenstone." Now that Elijah had stopped suckling his flesh, he could answer more or less coherently. "It's mined in New Zealand. You aren't allowed to buy one for yourself. It has to be a gift." Their eyes met and Ian smiled at his lover indulgently. "You know, the fans actually did ask about it."

"What did you say?"

"I kissed it. I wanted to connect with you."

"Like this?" Elijah kissed the gemstone gently, then held it up for Ian to kiss. They slipped it off his neck and then Elijah settled on top of Ian and began kissing his chest. Ian cradled his head.

"What was it like working with Elijah Wood?" Elijah continued his questioning.

Ian let out a gasp as Elijah's mouth found his nipple. "Amazing. Elijah is a very - oh - talented young actor." He tapped Elijah on the shoulder and the man looked up. Ian traced over his eyebrows and pulled him up for a quick kiss as he locked gazes with him. "When you look into his eyes you see his heart reflected there."

"All my heart," Elijah promised quietly. "Are you two close?"

Ian let out a gusting laugh, affected to think deeply. "Are we close? Let me see... Yes, I'd say we enjoy a certain intimacy."

Ian kissed him thoroughly. "I want you," he said, his voice nothing but a rasp of need. "Turn round."

With a low moan of desire, Elijah turned round so that Ian was spooned behind him. He felt Ian nudging at him and he lifted his leg to make it easier. Ian prepared him quickly and slid inside, just rocking his hips slightly until Elijah grew accustomed to the possession. He snaked his hand round to squeeze Elijah's rehardening cock.

Elijah's voice was strangled as he asked, "Have you see Elijah since you finished filming?"

"I see a fair bit of him, don't you know." Ian said wickedly with an extra squeeze to Elijah. He wrapped a possessive arm round his chest and began thrusting more urgently. He grunted with the pleasure of it, sucking down hard on Elijah's shoulder while the other threw his head back and clutched at Ian's encircling arm.

"I've got one more question Sir Ian," he asked, his words coming out in pants.

"What?"

"Do you love Elijah?"

Ian's voice shattered on a low cry and he bucked deeply into his lover's body as he came. Elijah felt his own climax follow.

"With all my heart," Ian said. He kissed Elijah's sweaty skin. "I love you with all my heart, Elijah."

***

Author's Note: I attended the Audience With evening on May 4th. The things mentioned in context of the Audience really happened. We did touch the props, Ian was asked out for a coffee by a dishy young man, a woman from American did come over specifically to bring her 'Hobbit' script and Ian did keep his 'Lord of the Rings' in a novelty jacket. The rest of the story is fiction and I make no claims about it except that it is supposed to be fun.