Feet
Elijah/Billy
"I don’t really like feet," Billy said as he rubbed Elijah's ankles gently with his thumbs. "I can't understand people who have a foot fetish."
"You don't like feet in general or mine in particular?" Elijah asked. They were sitting on the back step of Billy's house on one of Scotland's rare, warm days. Although it was mid morning they had only just got out of bed and it was a good time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life; a mug of tea, the man you loved by your side, the sun on your face and the welcome thought that you didn't have to see anyone or be anywhere for ages.
"Feet in general, they
don't do anything for me." He looked down at the two in his
lap. "But you have really nice ankles."
"Ankles? You like my ankles?"
"Yeah, the top of your foot to half way up your leg is nice
as well, especially the ankle bone. I like this bit here, that
sticks out; it's nice and round." He smoothed the skin in
small circles over the protruding bone.
"You're weird, do you know that?"
"Probably," Billy smiled.
They sat in a comfortable, companionable silence for a long while, the only movement was Billy's fingers as they continued to rub and press.
"Billy?" Elijah
asked. "Would you still love me if I didn't look like I
do?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course I would,"
Billy said surprised.
"No, really think about it. If I didn't have the whole
alabaster skin and huge eyes thing going."
"Don’t need to think about it, you have to remember that my favourite bit of you is your arms, from wrists to elbows. I like the way your wrists are all bendy." Billy picked up an offending arm, flopping the hand backwards and forwards.
"Aren't all wrists like that? Wouldn’t be much use if they weren't."
"Yes, but yours are especially bendy."
"If you say so," Elijah laughed, stretching in the warmth.
"And I like the way
they're fatter than they should be."
"I have fat wrists?"
"No, higher up, nearer to your elbow." Billy ran his hand up the arm in question, stopping to form a circle round the full width with his fingers. "It's fatter than it should be; compared to the size of the rest of you."
"And that's a good thing?"
"Yeah, reminds me you're not perfect."
"I never said I was perfect," Elijah pointed out.
"Good job you're not, I wouldn't like you if you were perfect. Too much like hard work," he said running the back of his fingers up and down the arm, softly brushing the hairs. Elijah thought about this for a long time as he watched the movement.
"Do you like my hair short?" he asked unexpectedly.
"No."
"That was really decisive. Not pretty enough?"
"It's not that. It just feels like you're trying to hide the real you behind a haircut. Fighting the pretty boy Elijah tag by being geeky Elijah. It feels like you're trying to be something you're not."
"And you don't like that?"
"You are what you are; just like the rest of us. Only in your case that's an over confident control freak in a pretty box," Billy smiled.
Elijah snorted with laughter. "So that's how you see me! I wonder why you put up with me then."
It was Billy's turn to stretch, his hands reaching high over his head, before coming to rest back on Elijah's ankles. "'Cos I'm lazy; I like you being in control and I guess I admire your confidence...."
"You’re pretty confident yourself."
"Yeah but you can handle any situation, turn it on no matter how illustrious the company is."
"Comes with years of practice."
"I suppose so." Billy let out a contented sigh. "And I like your wrists. I'll put up with a lot for them and your ankle bones."
"Is that why you love me, for my pretty ankles and wrists?"
"They're not pretty, I told you that, they're too fat."
Elijah took another mouthful of tea, pulling a face when he realised how cold it had become. He tipped he rest into a nearby plant pot, holding the mug up high so he could watch as it fell. Then he settled himself back once more against the doorframe, his feet still in Billy's lap. "Why do you love me then?"
"You fishing for compliments?"
"No, just curious. With other people things always start with my looks but you're different."
"I love you ‘cos..." Billy stopped for a moment. "Because you're funny and childish and incredibly worldly wise. You're a mass of wonderful contradictions." He picked a leaf from the nearest bush and flicked it at a sparrow dancing around on the stones in front of him. "I love you because we fit together so well, we fill in each others missing bits, and..." he smiled at Elijah, "because you say 'indeed' in a way only you can get away with."
"Thanks for that," Elijah said seriously.
"You're welcome."
"Just in case you were wondering," he said. "I love you because you're Billy, my Billy, and the best thing that has ever happened to me. Don't change."
"I wasn't intending to."
"Good," Elijah yawned. "And you can rub my feet any time you want."
"But I don't like feet."
Elijah smiled and watched a bee buzzing around a pale purple flower, first bee he could remember seeing this summer. "Billy," he said after another long pause. "You have to admit looks are important."
Billy thought about it. "In our case they could have been a real hindrance. I think the reason I didn't come near you at first, as more than a friend, was because of how you look."
"Why?" Elijah asked.
"You are beautiful
and..."
"And that put you off?" Elijah interrupted.
"Don't put words into
my mouth. It wasn't that it put me off, it was more other peoples
reaction to you. Everyone wants to be near you, everyone treats
you like you’re some delicate little creature, no one sees
the real you. At first I wasn't sure if I was right and they were
wrong."
"It was important to you, what I was really like?"
Billy looked at him quizzically. "Sometimes you're a real
idiot, of course it was important. I was never interested in a
fragile little flower. I love you for who you are, not how some
people want to perceive you."
"So you love the real me?" he asked hesitantly.
"What is this? The all confident Elijah Wood having doubts?"
"Yeah, I have doubts," Elijah said dropping his head back to rest on the post. "If you weren't sure who was the real me, can you imagine what it's like to be me? Everyone has this preconceived idea about what I’m like and half the time they're either disappointed or angry when they find out I'm not like that."
"I love you for you,
Elijah, nothing else."
"Not the looks?"
"An added bonus at best," Billy smiled.
"Only a bonus, that's all?"
"Well they are a bit
daunting, especially if you look like me. There's no way I'm in
your league."
Elijah looked at him. "I think you're beautiful," he
said serious again.
"You know the best
thing about that? It's that I know you mean it, you really do
think I'm beautiful and that makes me feel beautiful."
"So it should, it’s only the truth."
"And loved. It makes me feel loved."
"It should, because you are loved," Elijah said softly.
"Good."
"Good."
Fin