vigorli

Title: Alegría (4/?)
Author:

obvmluver
Beta::

gypsy33_66 *luvs you to bits*
Pairing: Viggo/Orlando
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Abuse can wreak havoc in our souls. Can Orlando find a way out?
Warnings: (Implied) Abuse, Violence
Disclaimer: Lies, lies, it's all lies.
Feedback: Please, spare a moment to leave feedback. I wish to improve in English and I wish you'd let me know what you thought about the chapter.

Viggo couldn’t tear his gaze away from Orlando. The bruise marring Orlando’s face was surprisingly big and his eye had swollen shut and even then he was beautiful. Orlando stayed still.

“Orli? Is everything okay?” Viggo asked, silently berating himself for letting his emotions overwhelm him.

Orlando shook his head and Viggo felt scared.

“I’m confused.... to say the least. I don’t know what that was. I... I don’t know what it means... meant. I don’t understand myself at all.”

“I shouldn’t have... I’m sorry. I just... I really liked that, but... I won’t let it happen again. I’m sorry. I think... I don’t understand myself either. I haven’t been this confused in ages.”

“You... What did you say? Liked... What?”

Viggo’s shoulders slumped. “All I can say is... that I now know what it feels like to kiss heaven.” He sighed, shook his head and pushed himself up, away from the slightly moist ground.

Orlando wanted to cry. Viggo's words were the most caring and tender he had ever heard. What's more, Viggo seemed comfortable revealing his emotions.

Maybe he, too, didn’t have to hide them anymore. Carefully he touched his lips with his fingers as if to memorize every detail of that kiss they had shared, but then again it had already found its way into his soul.

Viggo was slowly walking downhill towards the grazing horses when he turned around. Orlando sat still in the moist grassland his fingers touching his lips and it looked like something was shimmering on his cheeks. Maybe Viggo was mistaken, but he could have sworn Orlando was silently crying.

Viggo felt like banging his head against the nearest wall because he had made Orlando cry. He had made Orlando feel uncomfortable. He felt like he had used Orlando and it sickened him. He felt like had to go back and do something about it.

Orlando wiped his eyes and cheeks on the sleeve of his shirt and looked down onto the ground between his boots.

“No one’s ever said that to me, spoken like that,” Orlando said quietly.

Viggo’s knees nearly gave out on him.

“Like what?”

“Called me ‘heaven’.”

“That was just... how I felt. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“I know but... what does this mean? Why did we end up here? How?”

“I wish I knew. All I know is what I feel,” Viggo said softly and Orlando’s gaze snapped up.

“Well, I guess it started when Hugo hit you and what led to that. I saw it all, even where his hand was. I can’t bear to think... I don’t accept what Hugo did. You don’t deserve that. I want to protect you.”

“What would you care? I’m a wreck,” Orlando asked quietly, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“Because... I’ve always cared,” Viggo answered quietly his expression remaining serious but even then he was open and honest.

“You... What?”

“I care about you, Orli. I really do and it scares the shit out of me. But what scares me the most is the situation where these feelings have surfaced. I feel like I’ve used you, like Hugo. I initiated that kiss.”

“But I answered it of my own free will. You didn’t force me into anything.” Orlando stared deep into the stormy eyes and saw raw pain and genuine care in them.

Silence fell between them as they both decided they’d let this be for now. Maybe they would discuss it later what happened on their riding trip to the beautiful hills. It was Viggo who finally broke the silence by saying it was probably best if they left before it got dark.

~*~

They both had known, deep down, there was no way now to get back to how things were. They had crossed the line. An innocent kiss had changed everything between them, including their friendship even though they had tried to fight against it.

Now, they were both in Boise International Airport, waiting for their flights. Viggo would fly back to the film set and Orlando would fly back home. On a sunny Sunday afternoon after small, slightly stiff good byes, call me’s and hugs, they walked their separate ways.

~*~

Viggo sighed in relief as he had wrapped his part of the shootings, and he was happy with his performance and how the director had listened to his ideas about the movie. The first thought he had now was to go home, take a long relaxing shower, watch the evening news, drink a few beers and go to bed.

He walked around the house slowly, realizing how empty and cold the house seemed without Orlando in it, Orlando who had made everything seem calm with his mere presence. He had managed to make Viggo believe that maybe he, an old middle-aged man, still could find a meaning in his life.

Viggo took two beer cans out of the fridge and walked into his living room slumping down to the couch to watch the news. The issues of the evening were mostly politic and the beer cans were almost forgotten on the coffee table.

Viggo started emptying the first beer can when the entertainment news came on the air. He thought the news about some teeny bopper and an actor messing around was pure rubbish. The media was like a hawk, always searching for its prey. The last news was about a car accident in London, and Orlando had been part of it. There wasn't information about how many had been injured, only the fact that an accident had occurred.

The half empty beer can was forgotten and warming on the table as Viggo ran to his bedroom. He needed to pack – now. His heart in his throat he pushed his clothes into a small suitcase and finally ran to his car. He needed to get to London – fast.

~*~

Orlando was walking around the house looking out through the windows, Sidi following him on his heels. The fall seemed to have advanced and the thought made him shudder. He felt sad, depressed even. The accident had scared him, and he blamed himself for injuring a good friend. The grey, rainy sky and the dry, brown leaves on the ground outside didn’t help lifting his spirits up at all.

Sidi barking roused him from his depressed thoughts.

“What is it, boy? You heard something, didn’t you?” Orlando asked and then he heard it himself, a car door pushed shut just like the trunk and the telltale rattling sound of a car driving away along his driveway. Soon the doorbell rang and Sidi ran to the door jumping against it barking loudly.

“Calm down, boy” Orlando said taking a hold of Sidi’s collar and opening the door. The first thing he saw was two muscular thighs covered with paint splattered denim and his pulse started racing.

“Viggo! What are you doing here? How did you find the way?”

“I had to... I... heard about the car crash and... Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I wasn’t hurt.”

For a brief moment they just stood in the mudroom completely still and looking at each other.

“How did you find your way here?”

“I...contacted your publicist and begged her to tell me the address. I was... desperate.”

Orlando stared at Viggo for a long time before stepping aside letting Viggo in properly. The house, or more like a small mansion, wasn’t anything Viggo had thought it would be inside. He had thought it was like any Hollywood home, filled with modern furniture, no dust anywhere, but he was wrong. Orlando didn’t have much furniture in place and the rooms were filled with cardboard boxes, the whole house felt dreary. Orlando sat down at the only table and leaned against his elbow.

“A... penny for your thoughts?” Viggo asked carefully.

“Looks like you are staying...”

“I... I can check into a hotel... I...”

“I’m just trying to figure out where you sleep.”

There was a blush on Orlando’s cheeks as he thought of a place for Viggo. He didn’t have any other bed ready than his own king sized bed in his bedroom.

“I don’t have any other place for you other than my own bed.” Orlando began and blushed a bit deeper. “Let me get your suitcase.”

Viggo’s heart beat like a drum in his chest as he followed Orlando with his eyes, walking the sweeping staircase upstairs carrying his suitcase. He hadn’t moved an inch when Orlando came back, his eyes still fixed upon Orlando.

“What?”

“I could have gone to a hotel, out of your hair.”

Orlando sighed and came to Viggo, taking his face between his hands and looking deep into his eyes.

“I’m not going to send you out, make you sleep in a hotel. We’ve slept in the same bed before...”

“I know but things weren’t this weird between us back then.”

“That’s true, but if we don’t do anything about it, things might remain weird forever. I don’t want that.”

“What do you want then?”

“I have no idea.” Orlando said sighing, took a step back and let go. He sat back down to the stool he had been sitting on earlier and tried to change the subject. “Are you hungry?”

Viggo nodded after a while. “I didn’t eat anything on my way over. The thought never crossed my mind.”

“Okay. I’ll order us something because my fridge is empty, unless you want to eat pure mayonnaise.”

“I think I’ll pass,” Viggo said making a face.

“Thought so. Anything specific you’d like?”

Viggo shook his head and said he’d eat anything so Orlando took his phone and made the call. Viggo sat to the front of Orlando and looked around.

“Why is there no furniture anywhere, other than this table and the couch and the shelf under your TV?”

“I haven’t had time to be here much and putting the heavy furniture in place alone is too troublesome.”

“You haven’t thought of ordering people to do that for you?”

“I prefer to do it alone, a piece or two at a time.”

“This place feels so desolate without them.”

“I know but I haven’t been interested in it that much. Why make this place look furnished and all that when there’s just me, you know.

“Why did you buy this place then... this... mansion?”

“I wanted to get away from the hectic central London. Besides, here Sidi has room to run free and I can hide away from the cruel world.”

“What?” he asked. It was frightening how Orlando thought about his life, how he was. It looked to Viggo as if everything wasn’t right.

“For years paparazzi have been haunting me. Yeah, they are okay when they know their places, to keep their distance but when they come harassing you while you drive a car...” Orlando’s voice faded and he glaced outside again.

“They try to get new material of me any way they can get, no matter if someone is injured in the process. I knew that when I got into this but cruelty is something else. I didn’t know they’d one day chase me and harass me this badly.”

Viggo remained quiet as if paralyzed, staring at Orlando.

“You don’t deserve that,” he spoke quietly.

“What do I deserve then, hmm?”

“Everything good, and someone who’d take care of you, someone you’d be happy with, comfortable.”

Orlando stood up and walked to the high windows staring out folding his arms.

“Right. Everybody would most likely run away if I told them about my past. And those I’ve been seeing, have only been interested in the boy in some glossy picture; they’ve been with me just because I have money or they just want to stay in public because their latest movie needs bolstering. I’m so fucking tired of that.”

Silence fell into the room; Viggo stood up as well and pressed his warm hand against Orlando’s back.

“I believe there is someone for you, someone who wouldn’t be that shallow. And you may find that person near you.”

Orlando rubbed his eyes tiredly. Their faces were reflected back on the window and they were looking at each other through that, Viggo’s expression naked and telling Orlando everything he needed to know. Orlando swallowed audibly as he looked back at Viggo, but refused to believe in what was completely clear. The rational part of him kept saying that things couldn’t be the way they were but in his heart Orlando knew, was certain. Even then it was difficult to decide what to trust.

“I don’t have much strength to believe. Who would...?” Orlando couldn’t even finish when Viggo effectively cut him off.

“Me.”

Orlando wasn’t sure if he had heard Viggo right or if he was imagining things because Viggo’s voice was quieter than a whisper. He turned around fully facing Viggo.

“What?” he asked.

“Me.”

“You what?!”

“Nevermind.”

“You...” Orlando gasped and pointed at Viggo with a trembling finger.

“Forget it.”

Then it dawned on Orlando, full force.

“You meant yourself,” he stated quietly.

The doorbell ringing brought them back to reality, the food had arrived, providing them with a good reason to forget about the subject - for now. Orlando opened the door and signed the delivery carrying the food inside.

“Here. I’ll just fetch the plates and utensils. What do you want to drink?”

“Water is fine.”

“Okay. Wait a sec.”

Orlando took two glasses, filled them with cold water and took the knives and forks carrying them all to the table sitting down. Viggo was already seated. Silence fell as each man thought of their relationship, both past and present. What did these recent developments mean, and where would they take them?

TBC