vigorli

Author: zebraljb
Rating: G to NC17
Disclaimer: I made this all up. It's an AU, it's not real.

“This stuff is amazing,” Dominic said, flipping through canvas after canvas. “You’re like a machine.”

“I’ve been inspired,” Viggo said almost shyly.

“Telly, right? I TOLD you you’d find something on there,” Dom said triumphantly. Viggo didn’t tell him any different. “Is this all you’ve got, then?”

“I have some pen and ink stuff…I was planning on sculpting later today. I have to go get some clay and supplies,” Viggo said. “I just wanted you to stop by and see that I’m not gonna let you down.”

“I didn’t mean that, Vig. It was just…it’s Billy Boyd, Viggo. He can put us on the map.”

“I don’t know if I LIKE being on the map, Dominic.” Viggo leaned the paintings against the wall. “I like being an unknown, just doing my thing to put food on my table and a roof over my head.”

“I don’t get artists,” Dominic said, shaking his head. “I’ll talk to you later.”

Viggo sat down and made himself a quick lunch after Dominic left. He had sat down with all intentions of reading the newspaper, but he found himself drawing sketches of Orlando with one hand while he ate a ham and cheese sandwich with the other. Orlando was indeed a dream and a nightmare. The art had never flowed so easily before, and Viggo knew it was because of Orlando. He hardly knew the boy, yet he made Viggo feel as if he could do anything. He frowned in mid-bite. It was almost like he had a crush on him, yet he knew nothing about him. You didn’t get crushes on prostitutes. And THAT was the nightmare.

“You sure you have that, Vig?” The clerk at the art store said. “I can get you some boxes from the back.”

“It’s okay, Marianne…I can handle it.” Viggo hefted the bag of clay in one hand. “Thanks.”

“Just remember you knew me when,” she called after him.

“When what?” He called back. It was their usual goodbye.

Viggo walked faster than usual down the sidewalk. He had a few ideas that had been brewing for a while, but he knew they wouldn’t really solidify until he got his hands dirty in the clay.

“Oof!” Someone grunted as Viggo ran right into him. A block of clay broke through the bag and landed on Viggo’s sandaled foot.

“Shit!” Viggo yelled, wincing. He bent down and rescued the clay.

“Might be safer for ya if you’d watch where you’re going, love,” a familiar British accent said, and Viggo felt himself harden immediately.

“Uh, hello,” Viggo said, standing up. Orlando smiled at him. He wore a brown t-shirt and blue jeans. Simple, really, but Viggo thought he looked like sex on two legs. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Orlando shoved his fists into his pockets. “What’s the weapon?”

“Huh? Oh, this.” Viggo tossed the clay up and down a bit. “Clay. I was going to sculpt today.”

“Really? I’ve done that once or twice myself,” Orlando said. Viggo blinked. “I don’t shag twenty-four seven, mate.”

“Right.” Viggo blushed. He felt very uneasy around Orlando, for the first time since he’d met him. “So…what are you doing around here?”

“Just left a job,” Orlando said. Viggo turned redder.

“Oh. Okay, well, have a good day.” Viggo continued walking.

“Let’s make a deal,” Orlando said, and Viggo stopped walking. He heard Orlando walk up behind him. “I don’t really feel like working right now, and it’s been a pretty good week, moneywise.” Orlando spoke softly. “Why don’t I come up and you give me a sculpting lesson. Consider that payment.”

“What makes you think I’m still interested?” Viggo said before he thought. Something flashed in Orlando’s dark eyes. He shrugged.

“Suit yourself.”

Viggo thought quickly. “Fine. That’s…fine.” He started towards his apartment, Orlando catching up to him easily.

Viggo got some tarps out of a closet and lay them on the floor near the kitchen table. He shoved the table out of the way and began to set up his supplies. Orlando leaned against the kitchen counter and watched. Viggo pulled off his shirt and looked at him. “Do you want sweats or something? This could get messy.”

Orlando shrugged. “My clothes are nothing special. My work’s done with them off, anyway.”

Viggo turned away, trying to get the image of naked Orlando out of his mind. “Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Why don’t you work with that a while so I can finish getting my stuff together.”

“Sure.” Orlando went over to the block of clay and began to move it through his hands, adding water to soften it. “It has been a long time since I’ve felt this,” he said with a satisfied sigh.

Viggo went through the motions of preparing supplies, but he watched Orlando closely. Orlando worked with the clay as if he did it every day. He was a natural. Viggo stood at the counter by the sink, quickly sketching Orlando. Not that Orlando noticed. He was involved in the clay and seemed to see nothing else.
Viggo finally walked up behind him, looking over his shoulder. “Having fun?”

“Yes, actually,” Orlando said. “I miss this.”

“Why don’t you do it, then? Clay’s inexpensive, and you can find used tools here and there,” Viggo suggested.

Orlando didn’t look up as he began to move the clay into a shape he could work with. “Don’t really have the time.”

“If you’re good at this…you could maybe do it for a living…get some other kind of job that would give you the time,” Viggo said, knowing he was treading on thin ice.

“Maybe I don’t want to.” Orlando mashed the clay down again. “Maybe I like doing this.”

Viggo put his hands over Orlando’s. “You have small hands.”

“I’m big where it counts,” Orlando said, then grinned. “Right?”

“I guess,” Viggo said with a shrug, then let out a breath as Orlando elbowed him in the gut.

“Wanker.” Orlando sunk his hands into the clay, taking Viggo’s hands with him. “So, we gonna do a little “Ghost” thing here, where we get all dirty and nasty in the clay?”

“I’d rather clean up in the shower,” Viggo said. “Though you haven’t had your lesson yet.”

Orlando turned around in his arms. “How about we shower now and I teach YOU a few things?”

Viggo sat on a chair by the window, watching the rain make little beads on the glass. A beautiful day had turned into a stormy evening, but he didn’t mind. He liked the rain. He had taken some of his best photographs in the rain. He sipped at his wine, leaning his forehead against the cool glass.

He and Orlando had frolicked in the shower, with Viggo finally pressing the younger man up against the cold tiles and taking him that way. Then, as if it was something they did every day, they both dried off and got dressed again, and Viggo gave him a serious lesson in sculpting. Not that Orlando needed instruction; he was a natural. After about an hour of that, Orlando washed up and left. Viggo hated to see him go, but it wasn’t like they were dating. It wasn’t like they were even friends. They were…business associates. He wondered if Orlando ever thought of him when they weren’t together.

A knock at his door startled him. It was almost eleven o’clock. He went over to the door and cautiously looked through the peephole. “Jesus.” Viggo threw the door open. “Orlando?”

“Can you take him?” Orlando said, panting for breath. Viggo took the shivering body from Orlando. “Elijah? Hold on, buddy. We’re here now.”

“What happened?” Viggo carried the shivering boy into the bathroom. “Is he okay?”

“I don’t know.” Orlando hugged himself in the doorway of the bathroom. “I’m sorry, Viggo, I didn’t know where else to turn.”

“It’s okay.” Viggo looked down at Elijah’s bloody face. “You should have gone to a hospital. Hand me that cloth.”

Orlando obeyed, then hugged himself again. Viggo began to clean Elijah’s face. “We can’t do that, Viggo. We have no insurance…we just can’t.”

“Okay, okay, Orlando. Just relax.” Viggo leaned over and grabbed at towel. “Go dry yourself off. Grab some of my clothes out of the dresser.”

“Okay.” Orlando gave Elijah one last worried look, then left the bathroom.

Elijah’s eyes fluttered open, and he looked petrified. “Shh, Elijah, it’s okay. My name’s Viggo. I’m a friend of Orlando’s, remember?”

“Orli?” Elijah whispered. Orlando magically appeared in a pair of Viggo’s sweatpants.

“Here I am, ‘Lij. Let Viggo take care of you, okay?” Viggo began to undress Elijah, wiping carefully as he went. “I found him in an alley…I TOLD him never to work at night!” Orlando said angrily.

“Two of them…promised me a bonus if I did them both…” Elijah said weakly. “Only one did the taking…the other did the beating…”

“Do you think you can climb into the tub?” Viggo asked him, and he nodded.

“Feels better…now that I’m warm…”

“Can you help him?” Viggo asked Orlando. Orlando nodded and they helped Elijah stand. “I’ll wait outside.” Viggo left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.