Elijah tugged on Ian’s sleeve until the older man leaned in, then breathed "Take me to bed" into his ear.

Ian smiled, kissed him on the cheek, and said, "No."

Elijah did a double take. "Why not?"

"I leave that as an exercise for the student," Ian replied, then waved good night to the other cast members and left the pub.

*

The next morning, Ian found a crumpled note in a pocket of Gandalf’s robe: Are you seeing someone else?

That day they were shooting on one of the Bag-End sets, and Elijah spent a lot of time on his knees so Frodo would be the proper height in relation to Gandalf. Ian suspected that at times he looked less like a Maiar than like the dirty old man on the cover of Aqualung.

During a break Ian caught his co-star’s eye, patted the pocket in which he’d found the note, and shook his head. Elijah produced two more slips of paper and handed one to Ian. On it was scrawled, Am I too young?

Ian shook his head again. Elijah looked glum as he gave him the other note.

Just not interested?

Ian couldn’t help it—he snorted.

"Then what?" said Lij in a strangled whisper.

"Think it over," Ian murmured. "But later. Peter’s clearly ready to proceed."

*

Ian was back in his street clothes when he heard the knock on his dressing room door. He opened it to find Elijah, still in costume but sans latex appliances, shuffling sneakered feet. The younger man blurted, "Would-you-take-me-to-bed…please?"

"Dinner first. My treat."

Elijah blinked up at him. "That was it? I had to say please?"

"Manners are important."