After the Movie

Pairing: Sean/Elijah

Don’t know these people. No offence intended or money made

"If you don’t get me out of here in about ten seconds, I’m going to collapse at your feet, and think of the gossip that would cause." Elijah let his head rest briefly against Sean’s shoulder.

Sean, his trademark affable smile firmly in place, didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. He could feel Elijah practically quivering with tiredness.

"Come on, you two!" Bernard’s hearty, theatre-trained voice shattered their moment of calm. "Films to introduce. Promises to keep…"

"And miles to go before I sleep," Elijah finished, pushing himself up and away, fixing a smile on his face. Sean secretly thought that Elijah looked completely dazed he was so tired, and although he tried to damp it down, he could feel the all too familiar worry begin to gnaw at him. Did Lij eat properly? Sleep properly? He was so far away, now…

"Come on," this time it was Elijah’s voice, softer than Bernard’s, and slightly husky with tiredness. "Let’s just do this."

*

To Sean, the night felt as if it would never end. The movies were introduced, a ridiculous time-delayed satellite link with Peter didn’t quite work, but was fun all the same, and the audience roared their enthusiasm, cheering when they should, laughing and crying when it was expected.

Sean knew that he was reacting in the right places, saying the right things, but he felt at one remove the whole time, a ridiculous knot of concern tightening when Elijah seemed unable to think of a quote from the movie; he had helped out, and Elijah had jumped on the reprieve, a small smile transmitting his thanks.

But, at last, it was over; a few more photographs, his hand on Elijah’s shoulder, trying to convey that they were nearly there, and then, at last, the blessed peace of the car, the windows darkened, shutting out the noise and the camera flashes.

"Did we say goodbye to the others?" Elijah asked after an age of silence. He was slumped in the corner, and Sean recognised the tone; the I’ve-run-out-of-energy note in his voice.

"Yeah, we did." He squeezed Elijah’s leg. "I said that you’d call them tomorrow, but you weren’t feeling so good right now."

"What did they say?"

"You know." Sean slid closer. "They hope you’re better, they love you. All the stuff that people say to you all the time."

"They’re good guys," Elijah muttered. "Good friends."

Sean felt, rather than heard the sigh that followed the statement, and he finally gave in and did what he had wanted to do all day, reaching out, and pulling Elijah to him. Elijah didn’t fight, simply tucked his head under Sean’s chin, in its accustomed place.

"Been a while," Sean said, his nose wrinkling as dark hair tickled his face. "Your hair’s had time to grow."

"Too long," Elijah answered. "I don’t mean to leave it so long, you know? But time just seems to go."

"I know," answered Sean. "It doesn’t matter, you know that. I’ll always be around when you need me."

"Mmm."

They sat in silence as the car moved slowly through the streets. Sean played idly with Elijah’s hair, and listened to Elijah’s breathing grow deep and steady. It had always relaxed him.

"Are you eating?" Sean whispered. "Are you happy?"

Elijah didn’t answer, and Sean didn’t speak again until the car pulled up outside Elijah’s apartment, and then it was only to gently say Elijah’s name, pushing him away.

Elijah blinked and ran his hands through his hair, before squinting into the darkness and realising why they had stopped. He climbed out and stood for a second, the cold air seeping into the car, and then bent down, peering in.

"Come on," he said. "We’ll freeze our asses off if we stand here for long."

Sean grinned and climbed out as well. He hadn’t been sure, and he felt bad because he hadn’t been sure. Elijah didn’t need to know that a hotel room had been booked … just in case he had no part now in this young New Yorker’s life.

He stood behind Elijah while the door was unlocked, tucking his hands into the pockets of the leather jacket, making Elijah laugh and lean back briefly, his head turning just enough to press a cold nose against Sean’s skin.

"Stay with me," he said. "You’re warm."

"Nowhere else I’d rather be," Sean replied, walking with him into the foyer, hands still in pockets.

"Good." Elijah pressed the button for the elevator, and they waited in companionable silence. Sean knew, as he always seemed to know with Elijah, that conversation wouldn’t be welcome, not right now. Companionship and comfort were the things he should offer, and so he stayed silent until the apartment door was closed behind them, and they were standing close together in the dark, wrapped in the warmth of the central heating.

"She’s not here," Elijah whispered. "She’s doing some student-y thing and staying with her friends for a couple of days. It’s just you and me." He turned around and pressed himself against Sean, and Sean’s eyes closed in remembrance; in the realisation of just how much he had missed this. He wrapped his arms around Elijah and pulled him close, dropping his face against dark hair that still held the lingering scent of winter.

He felt Elijah move slightly, and began to relax his hold, but stopped at a half-voiced complaint. Elijah’s fingers came to rest on his throat, moving softly against his jaw, and Sean smiled, once again tightening his grip.

"I’ve missed this," Elijah muttered, his breath warm against Sean’s shirt. "Missed someone who just gets it, you know?" He was silent for a second. "D’you think I did the right thing, moving to the other side of the country? Sometimes, I just miss this – miss you – so much, it hurts."

"You’d soon get sick of me if we were neighbours," Sean said. "I’d always be popping in to make sure that you were eating properly and stuff like that. We do all right, don’t we? We don’t see each other near enough, but when we do, it’s only ever good." He pushed Elijah back slightly. "So come on. Let’s eat. Tell me why you’re so tired, and then bed." He paused. "Where the hell is the light switch? Have you moved it?"

"Why, yes. Yes we have. First thing we did last time you stayed was get an electrician in so he could move the light switch." A brief movement of the air in front of Sean, a click, and light flooded the hallway. "You probably held the elevator door for him."

He took Sean’s hand and together they walked towards the kitchen, where, in roles they had played time and again thousands of miles and a lifetime ago, Elijah sat on the kitchen table and smoked whilst Sean found food, rustling up something passable within twenty minutes or so.

"Get off the table, you disgusting man, and eat," Sean said, putting the plates on the table. "Actually, get the forks and such. I’ve no wish to wade through whatever filth I’ll find in the drawers of this place."

"Hey!" Elijah sounded vaguely offended. "We’re outstandingly tidy. Almost. I found the vacuum cleaner the other day. And very soon now, I’ll know how to use it."

"Is that why it’s so cold, do you think? Hell is beginning to freeze over?" Sean laughed at the look Elijah gave him, and tucked into his meal.

"This is good," Elijah said after a minute’s solid eating. "You’re very good at this, you know." He covered his mouth as he yawned. "Man, sorry. It’s not the company."

"I know." Sean put his fork aside. "You look tired, Lij. Are you okay? Are you sleeping?"

"Sure." Elijah didn’t quite meet Sean’s gaze. "Just takes some getting used to, you know? Different place and all that."

"Don’t do it to yourself." Sean had said it before he realised he was even going to speak. "Don’t run yourself into the ground again. Not like you did before."

"I won’t," Elijah said, his voice soft, but with an edge that didn’t escape Sean.

They both knew what he meant. The time in New Zealand when he had worked too hard, and partied too hard, and had literally stopped one day as if he had run into a brick wall, unable to move, hardly able to work out how to speak. Sean had been frantic with worry, and had hardly left his side. They had made a strange discovery then; when Elijah was so wired, the only person who could make him relax was Sean; and Elijah had spent almost six weeks wrapped around him, sleeping next to him, spending his days and nights with him. It had been a strange, intense time.

Another silence, and then Sean spoke again.

"I’m always here for you, you know that, right? Even on the other side of the country, I’m here."

Elijah sighed, and Sean finally watched as the tiredness took over, his shoulders dropping, his head sinking low over the table.

"I don’t want to," Elijah finally said. "I don’t want to be just another of your projects; I don’t want you worrying about me."

"You’re not," Sean said immediately, standing up and moving over to Elijah, crouching in front of him. "You never were a project, you halfwit. You are my friend, and I’m allowed to worry about my friends. That’s a friend’s job." He reached out and took Elijah’s hands in his own. "I do worry about you. I see you like this; so tired you can hardly remember your name, and it scares me. I remember so well what it was like before."

Elijah shifted in his seat so that he could drop his head against Sean’s shoulder. There was no fight in him.

"I’m trying to let go of all the ‘Rings’ stuff, you know?" he said finally. "Trying to move away before it’s too late for me, but I sometimes feel as if I’m losing my friends as well, and I don’t want that."

"I do understand," Sean said softly. "But I think you’re worrying needlessly. Dom and Billy call you constantly. Viggo is in touch when he stops studying sunsets. They all love you, Lij. You, not Frodo. They won’t let you go." He paused. "I won’t let you go. You’re stuck with me for the duration." He shrugged his shoulder, making Elijah look up, and then he smiled. "We’re all with you for the duration."

Elijah smiled, although it didn’t reach his eyes, and looked down, studying their joined hands.

"I know it’s feeble, but I guess you lot were the first real friends I had, you know? I spent so many years on film sets – well, you know how it is, right? I’m hanging on and pushing away at the same time." He shook his head. "I guess that doesn’t make sense, right?"

"Wrong. Makes perfect sense. We all need to distance ourselves from it, you more than most. But, if you’ll let me, I’ll be with you every step of the way."

"Wouldn’t have it any other way." Elijah smiled again, and this time it was almost genuine. "You are the best of friends."

Sean stood up and pulled Elijah to his feet.

"I know. And this best of friends says, go take a shower and go to bed. I don’t need you to entertain me. I’m here for a few days; you can do all the entertaining you want tomorrow, okay?"

"I could show you my new, exotic dance," Elijah said, letting himself lean briefly against Sean before pushing away. "I’m doing it now."

"Okay. Minimalist exotic. Different."

Sean pushed Elijah away and watched as he left the kitchen. He didn’t move until he heard the bathroom door close and the shower start to run, and then he quickly gathered the dishes up and loaded the dishwasher. A quick look round, and then he turned the light off. Everything could wait. He was tired, too.

*

Sean lay in bed, his hand resting against the thin wall dividing him from Elijah. He could hear Elijah’s restless movements, and his heart ached. Half a world away, he could just have gone to him, held him … but the rules seemed to be changing now, and he didn’t have the book.

He heard a door open, and Elijah’s footsteps pad down the hall. Sean closed his eyes, following the movement to the kitchen. He heard the refrigerator door open, and then close, and Elijah moved again, a glass rattling, then silence, and footsteps back to his room.

After another ten minutes spent listening to him, Sean could stand it no more. Slipping out of bed, he made his way to Elijah’s room and quietly pushed open the door.

"Hey?"

"Hey." Elijah’s voice was tight and tense. "Did I wake you?"

"Wasn’t asleep. You want a bit of company?"

Elijah didn’t answer, but in the light from the hallway, Sean could see the way he shifted on the bed, making room, and he moved across and slipped under the warm covers. He folded himself around Elijah, and listened to the small sigh of contentment it produced.

"Okay?"

"More than," Elijah answered, his voice already loosening and deepening. "You should market this, you know. Whatever it is you have."

"No, I’ll keep it for you," Sean said softly, pulling Elijah a little closer, and closing his eyes, listening as Elijah’s breathing evened out.

Half a world away, Sean had carved out a role for himself in Elijah’s life, and as Elijah dropped into a deep, relaxed sleep, his limbs sprawled and comfortable, he realised that, no matter how much Elijah changed and grew, he would always be needed. He didn’t need the rule book, because for him, the rules didn’t apply.

He dropped a soft kiss on Elijah’s neck, confident that Elijah was too deeply asleep to notice. Sometimes, love just happened, and there was nothing anybody could do to stop it. And for this exhausted young man, the love ran deep.

Sean suspected that it always would.

The End

Feedback would be nice

Home