vigorli

Title: Film
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 20-30 (Parts 1-8, Parts 9-19)
Rating: R.
Archive: Only if you ask, please.
Warnings: None.
Spoilers: None.
Timeframe: Your call. A few are specifically present-day, 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.

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 flash is no-color light, and his eyes sting afterwards. Orlando is only an afterimage, and when he can see clearly again, he's gone. All Viggo has left is the undeveloped negative; he can't see it except in the dark, and not yet.

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?

"Put it down," Orlando says, and there's real irritation in his voice. "You know what I look like."

But I don't, Viggo doesn't say. He winds the film forward and presses the button again. "No more, I promise," he says, and knows he's lying.

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 sun is bright, but not as bright as Orlando's smile, and Viggo doesn't bother. The light meter wouldn't get it right. "What's up, man?" Orlando says.

"The sun?" Viggo offers.

"Isn't it fuckin' amazing?" Orlando agrees.

Yeah. Yeah, it is.

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 is perfectly still, a pen in his teeth, listening to something Viggo can't hear. He looks right at Viggo, and only the blind eye of the camera looks back.

Beat.

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?

Who the fuck comes to Viggo's house at five in the morning?

Well, how long d'you have? There's his ex-wife, who's either a night owl or a morning bird; his next-door neighbor, who waters her plants before sunrise so the light refracting through the water droplets don't scorch the leaves (she reads the Warren Report every year for Christmas); and now, apparently, Orlando.

Viggo takes the picture before he even realizes who's standing there. "Hi," he says, or he would, if Orlando's mouth weren't covering his.

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 wrests the camera from his hands. "My turn," he says, and it is. Viggo stands there, and lets Orlando take shot after shot, of his face, his hands, his thigh, anything he wants. It's always been Orlando's turn, he just needs to take it.

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?

It's surprisingly easy. Turn around. Walk away. Don't say anything. Breathe. Leave it be. Don't look. Don't look. Don't look.

Don't see what you want. Don't see anything.

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?

Orlanso smiles, but it's shuttered and tight. He's not seen Viggo. He won't. He'll only see the photograph (thank god Viggo never throws out anything, the address book from six years ago with Orlando's mum's address is under the fertilizer bags in the garage, don't ask why), and it's anyone's guess as to whether he'll see what Viggo's trying to show him.

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?

It takes so little. The fallen eyelash is enough. Everyone calls that photograph abstract, but he's burned and dodged it so many times it might as well be. He's dodged the memory, burned it out, so many times, it might as well not have happened.

Did it happen?

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. Photographs are cold comfort. He prefers memory.

He should have taken the picture. Orlando doesn't kiss back.

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?

How many times over the last three, four, five, six years has he seen Orlando, in person, on paper, in pixels, in other countries, other lives, other loves? This is the first time he's had a camera.

The snapshot is blurred and overexposed, but that's okay. This is who Orlando has become.

Feedback is one of the things that should be taken and given.