Love is never easy.

If it was easy everyone would love everyone else. There would be no war, no pain, no suffering of any kind. But there is.

Because love is hard.

And despite that fact, everyone still wants to feel it. They want to know what it like to look into another's eyes and just know that you're connecting on this cosmic level that you can't even begin to understand.

Everyone wants to know what it like to have someone be their entire life.

But not everyone gets that chance, not everyone finds prince charming or sleeping beauty. Sometimes they have to seattle with the prince's cousin or the step-sister.

Luckily, Dom thought, I'm not one of them.

He had Elijah and he couldn't even imagine someone meaning more to him than he did.

Elijah had saved him, he was his soul.

Before him, Dom had felt this complete emptiness. He had gone from one girlfriend to the next, not one of them ever truly meaning anything to them. He'd kiss them and not see stars, he would hold them and still not feel close.

They would fuck and he would feel hollow.

It was like he was frozen, completely unable to feel anything for anyone. And for a while he thought it was because love was so hard and he just didn't want to bother. Girls came and went, none of them ever stayed. After awhile all there faces just blurred together into one girl that would giggle and laugh and pull him close when they had sex. He still felt nothing but he played the part, pretending to be fulfilled.

Then Dom got cast in Lord of the Rings and he couldn't be happier. He had rushed over to his girlfriend house and told her the news. She smiled and tried to pretend she was thrilled but even Dom could tell she wasn't.

"What's wrong?" he asked, almost annoyed. She was his girlfriend, wasn't she supposed to be supportive?

"You're going away for so long! What will I do without you?" she had said, trying to hold back the tears. That's when Dom realized that something was very wrong. This girl actually cared about him, was completely wrecked at the idea of him leaving. She didn't want to be away from him.

And Dom didn't feel any of that. He hadn't even thought twice about leaving her here and going off to New Zealand for however long it was going to take to film the movies. He held her as she cried and watched her, feeling numb.

He left her then, asleep on the couch with a break-up note on the end table. He explained that he was sorry, that she deserved better than him and that he would miss her.

The last part was a lie.

Next thing Dom knew, he was in New Zealand surrounded by a cast that he was going to spend the next year and a half of his life with.

They all seemed nice enough and Dom had thought that maybe this would be good for him.

He needed help, he knew that now. Something was very wrong with him. It was like he was dead inside.

Then he met Elijah.

He had gone with Peter to the airport to pick up some of the cast that was arriving. Billy and Orlando had arrived first, somewhat drunk and mumbling about how it was Billy's birthday again. Dom had joined them for some more birthday celebration.

Billy and Orlando were trashed by the time Peter found the three. He had shaken his head at them, mumbling something under his breath. He grabbed the two of them and had began to drag them to the exit were a limo was waiting. Before exiting he had turned back to Dom, who was still more or less sober, and told him to go to gate 8b to pick up Elijah.

Of course, the plane was late and Dom was somewhat annoyed. He settled into one of those over-stuffed, ugly colored airport chairs and picked up a random magazine and started to read it. Half an hour later, they announced the planes arrival.

"Finally," Dom mumbled to himself, standing up and walking over to the exit.

Elijah was the first off the plane, blue duffle bag thrown over his shoulder. He had taken Dom's breath away. Elijah looked around and Dom eventually got his hand in the air to wave Elijah over to him.

"Hi," Elijah said, flashing a smile.

"Peter told me to get you," Dom said a little bit to fast, surprised he could get the words out of his mouth.

"K," Elijah said, and started walking to the luggage return. They waited in silence as multicolored backs passed them on the circular belt. Final Elijah's two bags slide down the ramp and he grabbed them.

"Let me help," Dom said, taking one and Elijah smiled.

"Thanks," he said, and they started to walk towards the exit, "You didn't tell me your name."

"Dom," he forced out, not looking at him.

"You're playing Merry, right?" Elijah asked, and Dom nodded. "Cool. You excited?"

"Oh yeah," Dom said, quickly and Elijah laughed. They got to the limo and Dom could hear Orlando and Billy laughing insanely from the inside. "Be warned, there's one very drunk hobbit and elf in there."

After that, things just kinda clicked for Dom. He had Billy, he couldn't possibly ask for a better friend than that. Orlando made the perfect drinking partner and Sean was kinda the father-figure that kept him out of trouble.

And, of course, there was Elijah. He couldn't explain what he meant to him. He had never felt like this about anyone before.

He had never been so confused.

As filming went on, the closer and closer the two grew. They started to spend time alone together, going to clubs, bars and arcades. Sometimes they would just hang out in each other apartments and watch '80's movies on cable at two in the morning.

They were connecting and it took Dom awhile to figure out that he was falling for Elijah. And that scared him. He had never loved anyone, and he wasn't gay. At least, he didn't think he was.

He wanted to say something to Elijah, ask him if he felt the connection to. But every time he tried he would panic and change the subject.

"Dom, come on. What's up with you? You've been acting weird lately," Elijah had asked as they walked back to the his apartment. It was late, and dark and very quiet. Elijah's voice seemed to echo for miles.

"Nothing," he said, looking at the ground as he walked.

"Come on, you can tell me," Elijah encouraged, bumping into Dom.

"I'm fine," Dom stated, as they climbed the steps to the building. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You're not going anywhere," Elijah bluntly stated, grabbing Dom's jacket to stop him.

"God, why won't you believe me?" he bitched, pulling away from Elijah.

"Because I know you!" Elijah insisted, stepping in-front of Dom. "I know when you're hurting."

"Fine!" Dom snapped, feeling the anger start to grow within him. "You wanna know what my problem is! I fucking love you! Ok? I am in love with you!"

Dom started to panic the second those words left his mouth. All he could think was how he had to get away from Elijah, he couldn't bear to have hear him say he didn't feel the same way. But, before Dom had the chance to flee, Elijah grabbed him and pressed his lips against Dom's.

"Took you long enough to admit it," Elijah whispered, lightly kissing Dom's lips. "Had me worried that you didn't feel the same way as me."

"What?" Dom asked, confused. "You..."

"Yeah," Elijah said, pressing his lips against Dom's again. Dom felt himself letting go, wrapping his arms around Elijah's neck and pulling there bodies tightly against each other. Elijah tongue snaked into Dom's mouth and he moaned.

This, Dom thought, was how it was supposed to feel. Light headed, dizzy and completely with a storm of a shooting stars.

And for the first time in Dom's life, he didn't feel hollow after the sex. He felt fulfilled, laying there naked under the covers with Elijah's head on his chest.

This was how it was supposed to be.

And yeah, love is never easy. We've been over this before, remember?

But that's the point. If it wasn't hard, if it wasn't complicated, if it wasn't confusing then it wouldn't mean all that it means.

Moments like this, Dom thought, wouldn't be as utterly perfect.