Virgin Territory(Author�s Notes: Denotes entries in Elijah�s diary � denotes Elijah�s thoughts)Part 5 - More Confessions Elijah was more tired than he liked to admit, even to himself, after the first day's filming. Everyone was very kind and patient, and fussed over him until he could have screamed - but he knew it was only done out of love, so he bit his tongue, and smiled. He was good at that. A master, in fact. Learned, the hard way, after years in the profession. He smiled, sometimes, when Orli came to him for advice. He was touched that Orli had such respect for him, both as a performer and as a person. It was Orli's first major role, and he was rightly nervous about it. Dom sat outside the trailer, and watched Elijah and Orli, their dark heads pressed together, giggling like kids. Well, who could blame them? Life was fucking short, Dom thought. He'd learned that when he'd held Elijah in his arms on that god-awful day. Billy came up to him, and slipped an arm around his shoulder. "You still look tired, kid. Still having the nightmares?" Dom nodded, and bit his lip. "Yeah. Still having those!" Every night since the accident, he'd watched the look on Elijah's face as he hurtled off the raft into the boiling water. Every night he woke up, his throat raw from unuttered screams. Every night he wept. Every night before he slept, he groaned as he took his hot shaft in his hand, and came calling Elijah's name. No one knew about that - about any of it - except Billy. Billy, in whose tender arms he'd wept, that first night in the hospital, when Elijah failed to come round, as expected, after the accident. "Oh, Bill!", Dom had moaned, looking at Lighe lying there, so pale and still. "I know!", Billy had soothed, and Dom, looking up into a face filled with compassion and understanding, knew that he did, indeed, know. "Why don't you say something to him, Sblomie? Make a move - let him understand you love him?", Bill had urged, on the second night of the vigil. Dom shook his head. "Can't do it, mate! I'd frighten the little bugger to death! He thinks I'm his mate - I am his mate - and I don't want to lose that. Bill, not for anything!" "Do you love him so much you're willing to give up everything you feel for him, just to keep his friendship?" "Fuck, yes! Anything, just so I can see him every day, talk to him, laugh, cuddle him now and..." Dom stopped, unable to continue. "Yeah, I know I'm a cunt!" Billy ruffled his friend's hair. "That's so fuckin' true, Dom! A prize winning cunt at that!" I'll have to be more careful what I'm doing, in future! Viggo nearly caught me surfing the net for clues about - oh, god! Am I sick, or what? - anal intercourse! I managed to click off before he saw it, though. I found one site with pictures. Fuck! It looks painful - stretchy painful! I tried one finger up there - and mine are small - and it fucking hurt like hell! Don't think I'll ever be up for that! Just stuck with the wanking, then! Don't think I'll ever be up for anything, if I can't have Dom! I'll just become a buddhist monk or a hermit, or something, and forget about sex and Dom. Imagine wanking away on mountain top, screaming his name into the ether! - I thought you were becoming an aesthete, Elwood. Forget about sex, and Dom's ass - Dom's beautiful, hand-cuppable ass, about kissing him in the moonlight, under waving palm trees - oh, shit, man! Sean promised not to tell a living soul about Dom, or the diary. Good thing we don't know any vampires or werewolves! I'll be too tired to bother, tonight. I promise myself an interesting hour with my hand tomorrow. That'll make the day go faster! Elijah shut his journal with a sigh. He was having dinner with Dom and Billy in half an hour. Dom had promised him something "hearty", as he put it. He thought that Elijah had lost too much weight while he'd been ill, and everyone was trying to fatten him up. Liv had baked him a chocolate fudge cake, Sean had Christine - back from the States - make him a thick concoction of chicken and barley and vegetables. Billy offered him a haggis - but when he found out it was made in a sheep's stomach, Elijah declined, gracefully. His friends were kind, bless them all! Dom had outdone himself; dinner was incredible! Minted pea soup, lamb, (New Zealand, of course), with sauce to die for, and apple pie and cream, and cheese and biscuits and chocolate mints! What more could a guy ask for! Elijah refused third helpings of pie - which Dom and Billy called "tart" - on the grounds that he'd split open if he ate another mouthful. They left the dishes for "Ron" - whoever he was - and settled down for a chat. "I didn't know you had a guy in to clean, Dom - I thought it was all your own work!", Elijah smiled at his friend, who stared back with a puzzled look. "A guy in to clean, Lighe? What d'you mean? I do it myself - I like things tidy. Why d'you think I have a bloke in, mate?" It was Elijah's turn to look puzzled. "You said we'd leave the dishes for Ron." Dom and Billy dissolved into giggles. "It's a joke, Lij!", Billy explained. You say, "We'll leave the dishes for Ron". Someone says "Who's Ron?", and you say "later-on" - get it?" "Assholes!" "Yup, but we're all you've got!", Dom chuckled. Elijah thought how true this was, and how lost he'd be, here, without these good friends. He blushed, and bent his head low. "I've never thanked you guys properly for being there for me, recently. I do appreciate it, more than I can tell you! I love you all, y'know!" Dom's face softened. "Shut up, you tart! I'll take you home - early start tomorrow. Fucking feet!" Dom took the keys off Elijah and opened the door. Elijah was so tired that he could hardly stand up straight, although they had only had a couple of glasses of wine, and it was just before eleven fifteen. Dom cursed himself, silently, for not realising how tired a recuperating body could get. He went in, and reached back to take Elijah's arm to help him in through the door, but Elijah was too tired to judge distances, and tripped over the edge of the carpet. He fell right into Dom's arms. It was nice there - he didn't want to move. "Lighe?", a quiet voice disturbed his peace. "Mmm?" He rested his head on Dom's shoulder. Sweet. "Lighe, shall I put you to bed?" "Mmm!" Dom picked him up, and carried him in, and laid him on the bed. "Sblom?", Elijah, murmured, on the edge of sleep. "Stay with me!" He held his arms out, and it was as natural as breathing for Dom to sink into them. "Night, Sblom. Love you!" Dom waited until Elijah's even breathing convinced him he was asleep. He got up, removed their shoes and socks, unbuckled, and removed Elijah's belt, popped the waist stud on his jeans, climbed back onto the bed, and into his love's arms. He stayed there quietly, staring into that beautiful, beloved face, until he fell asleep. |