Snapshots: The Fractal series, parts 9-19

[watersword]

Title: Snapshots
Author: Élizabeth de l'Epée et du Mot de l'Eau watersword
Fandom: RPF
Pairing, Characters: Viggo Mortensen/Orlando Bloom
Series: The Fractal Series, RPF, parts 9-19 (Parts 1-8)
Rating: PG-13
Archive: Only if you ask, please.
Warnings: None.
Spoilers: None.
Timeframe: Your call.  A few are specifically in New Zealand during filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and a few can be taken to be otherwhere and when.
Summary: There are some photographs that should never be taken. Viggo knows this, but when he comes across Orlando unexpectedly, how can he not press the shutter?
Disclaimer: This work is complete and total fiction. The author does not know Viggo Mortensen or Orlando Bloom, nor any other personage mentioned within this story, and is making no claims about their sexualities or relationship(s). No money is being made and no disrespect, copyright, or trademark infringement is intended.
Crossposted to: watersword (friendsfiltered post) and vigorli
Notes:  I don't use betas; any errors are solely and completely my fault.  The "Fractal" series is a sequence of stories that all start with the same line and often echo or quote each other. However, none of these stories take place in the same universe or continuity, and none of the events in any story affect events in the other stories. Some stories are closer to each other than others, and they all begin in the same place, but diverge at different points. I know it seems scary to have parts 9 through 19 in one post, but every part is only a paragraph or two.

There are some photographs that should never be taken. Viggo knows this, but when he comes across Orlando unexpectedly, how can he not press the shutter?

"You're not supposed to have a camera on set," Orlando points out.  Viggo shrugs.  One more forbidden thing.  He's broken a far more fundamental rule alread --what can Peter do to him with a consequence worse than this?

There are some photographs that should never be taken. Viggo knows this, but when he comes across Orlando unexpectedly, how can he not press the shutter?

Orlando waits him out.  Doesn't move, barely breathes, simply is.  Orlando knows too much already.  About should.  About never.  About taken.  Viggo presses the shutter.

There are some photographs that should never be taken. Viggo knows this, but when he comes across Orlando unexpectedly, how can he not press the shutter?

His fingers cramp from holding back, and he nearly drops the camera.  He grips it tighter; the tiny muscles in his hands twitch and ache.  Orlando never knows that he's been there, because the flash doesn't go off, because Viggo doesn't take the picture. He knows better.  This time, he knows better.

There are some photographs that should never be taken. Viggo knows this, but when he comes across Orlando unexpectedly, how can he not press the shutter?

Viggo snaps the shot automatically before realizing what he's done.  "Shit," he murmurs, and he shouldn't have said that, either, because that's when Orlando notices him.  That's when it began.

There are some photographs that should never be taken. Viggo knows this, but when he comes across Orlando unexpectedly, how can he not press the shutter?

Orlando grins and waits for the flash, already used to the camera turned on him.  Too used to it.  Viggo turns away.  Sometimes the lesson is in absence rather than presence.  This photograph will never be taken.  Orlando needs to learn about theache of an untaken photograph.

There are some photographs that should never be taken. Viggo knows this, but when he comes across Orlando unexpectedly, how can he not press the shutter?

He doesn't realize it's forbidden until he looks at the contact sheet. The boy's eyes stare out of the paper at him, asking how dare you, you knew this shouldn't have been shot, you damn fool, but it's not Orlando's voice in his head, but his own.

There are some photographs that should never be taken. Viggo knows this, but when he comes across Orlando unexpectedly, how can he not press the shutter?

Viggo is still jetlagged, and the young man ducking into a car -- untinted windows, green paint -- looks like nothing and no one he's ever seen. It takes him weeks, in the chaos of Rings, to realize what he's done, and he knows he has to make it up to Orlando somehow.

There are some photographs that should never be taken. Viggo knows this, but when he comes across Orlando unexpectedly, how can he not press the shutter?

"Mind?" he manages to say.

"Please," Orlando says cheerfully. "I'm an actor, mate."

"Yeah, but..." Orlando doesn't know, Viggo realizes, and that makes it worse. That makes it unforgivable. Theft when the victim doesn't even know he had such a valuable to give.

He takes the picture anyway.

There are some photographs that should never be taken. Viggo knows this, but when he comes across Orlando unexpectedly, how can he not press the shutter?

Pain is supposed to be the body saying something is wrong. Turning away from the transforming man, disappearing into character like paint off brush-bristles in turpentine, hurts like very little Viggo can remember. Whether it's seeing Orlando like that, or turning away from it, that causes the pain, that is wrong, he's never sure, and it doesn't matter, because either way, he's lost Orlando in that instant of abandoning the forbidden.

There are some photographs that should never be taken. Viggo knows this, but when he comes across Orlando unexpectedly, how can he not press the shutter?

The click of the shutter opens a door somewhere Viggo can't see, but he feels the creak of the hinges. He's forgotten that door, forgotten that he himself locked it long ago and threw away the key, let rain seep through the jamb and rust the catch and spring. Maybe New Zealand will let him back into that wing of his internal architecture, maybe this mad place and mad decision will be okay. Maybe this photograph should have been taken.

There are some photographs that should never be taken. Viggo knows this, but when he comes across Orlando unexpectedly, how can he not press the shutter?

He's pressed the shutter, and the roll comes out black. He's not sure of what the taste in the back of his mouth is. He's not sure if it's a judgement or a warning.

Comments

[sperblovorlando.livejournal.com]

WOW!! What a great story of longing and the desire to tell someone how they feel, but just can't do it. So Viggo takes pictures instead.

[darknightjess.livejournal.com]

Love the way you are doing these. Excellent pacing.

[eenoogje.livejournal.com]

It is so gripping .The same sentence is used over and over again, and yet it feels different too. It is tantalizingly slow and very touching. I can really feel the longing in Viggo's heart. Beautiful.

[elfinobsession.livejournal.com]

That was amazing. I loved the last line:
He's pressed the shutter, and the roll comes out black. He's not sure of what the taste in the back of his mouth is. He's not sure if it's a judgement or a warning.

So powerful.