Moving On

Ghani

Viggo stands in the doorframe, watches him move through the room. It's not quite noon; he didn't expect Orli to be here. He guesses Orli didn't expect Viggo to be there, either. Viggo hasn't planned it, he just happens to have forgotten something. The sun filters through the curtains. Signs of a beautiful day.

Viggo watches as Orli stands in front of the wardrobe, sorting through shirts, and remembers. He remembers phone calls from around the world, funny postcards from Morocco and Australia. He remembers goodbyes and reunions, can almost feel Orli's arms around him, hugging him; can almost hear Orli whisper, "Miss you" in his ear. Almost.

They had everything, people said--care, trust, love. Everything but passion, Viggo thinks. They were like best friends in love. It was exactly what Viggo wanted. What he'd been looking for, but when he finally got it, he realized it wasn't what Orli wanted.

Orli wanted all that they had and then some. He'd missed passion, missed the burning fire within when looking at the person he loved.

Orli never said a word, but sometimes it seemed to Viggo that there was a silent plea in his eyes; he wonders if Orli himself knew what he's been pleading for. He knew Orli loved him--that was never a question. He also knew that he wasn't enough for Orli. And if he wasn't enough for Orli, maybe Orli wasn't enough for Viggo after all.

Orli was hungry. Hungry for experience, adventure, life. He wanted to be in different places at the same time, doing different things the very instant--and Viggo had stopped him, made him linger, stilled him.

Orli wanted to keep making movies, wanted to be on stage as well. He wanted L.A., but missed London badly. Orli wanted it all, but couldn't decide, so Viggo'd had to do it.

Viggo shifts and a plank creaks under his feet. Orli turns around, stills just for a second, and smiles.

"Hi" Orli walks over to the bed, places the tee shirts gathered in his arms on the blanket next to the stacks of clothes already assembled there.

"Hi." Viggo takes some measured steps inside the room, careful to keep his distance.

There are things you can work on, but then there are other ones you're powerless against. You can't do anything against being less, when all you want is more.

You're trapped.

That's what happened to them, Viggo muses. Somewhere along the way they became less, or maybe they've always been less and were just too busy trying to be more to see it.

"I didn't know you were here," Orli finally says. A bag lays on the bed beside his clothes, dark green with reddish patterns. Viggo has to smile at that. Single-colour just wouldn't be Orli. The bag's already half-filled with Orli's belongings.

Viggo drags his eyes away, meets Orli's. "Didn't mean to be. Forgot my wallet."

"I wish you hadn't."

"Yeah, me too."

Because, what else is there to say? They've tried, fought, loved. Nothing's changed the truth. They were less. And finally they 'd opened their eyes and faced it.

"Everything else's already at my flat." He sounds ready to apologize.. With a bit of concentration Viggo could surely make out lips moving, words kept silent by sheer force of will.

"It's fine." Doesn't know what's fine, just has to say it.

"Okay." Seems like Orli understands. He smiles. "I should go."

Viggo watches him stuff a pair of yellow socks and a CD in the bag, and zip it up.

"See you around, I guess," Orli says, gathers the bag and a denim jacket thrown over a chair by the window.

Viggo moves out of the way. "Yeah, I guess." Orli hesitates, seemingly at a loss for what to do or say. "Orli," Viggo says, and Orli half-turns to look at him, "Come here." The bag lands on the floor with dull sound, and Orli steps into Viggo's embrace.

"Gonna miss you."

"Me too," Viggo whispers into Orli's hair.

Orli tenses, his arms around Viggo's waist tighten. "We're still friends, aren't we?"

"Of course we are." He keeps stroking Orli's back till he relaxes.

"I'll go now." Orli smiles, kisses Viggo on the cheek.

"I'll just stay here," Viggo replies, answers Orli's smile with one of his own.

***

Viggo is surprised to find the invitation in the mail. Orli wrote that he'd like to see him at the premiere, wanted to know Viggo's opinion about his movie. After all, they were friends.

So he's here now, blinded by flash of lights, making his way over the red carpet as fast as possible. Orli owes him for that. When he finds him, that is. Half an hour later he gives up, and settles in his chair to watch Orli being a pirate.

***

Orli beams when his eyes meet Viggo's in the after party crowd. In an instant they stand in front of each other. "You're here." And Viggo's enveloped in a massive hug. "How've you been?"

"Busy."

"Oh, I've heard all about your latest exhibition," Orli replies, grinning from ear to ear. "Some crazy fans body painted themselves. Only for you."

"You should've been there. Dom had the time of his life." They laugh, imagining their friend surrounded by mostly naked women. Yeah, Orli can imagine that Dom had had fun that day.

"I'm going to get myself something to drink. Want some?" Orli asks.

"I'm good." Viggo smiles. "Gonna meet and mingle or whatever people do at this kind of events."

"Okay, gonna find you." With that Orli walks off in the general direction of the bar, now and then waving at people or shaking hands.

Viggo's eyes search the room for familiar faces. Well, wouldn't that be one Gwyneth Paltrow over there? He should maybe say hello or something. After all they did work together once.

A couple of eventless minutes of small talk later his eyes find Orli in a quiet corner with someone. Orli stands with his back to Viggo, blocking his view of the other person.

Orli's left hand lands in a casual move on the arm of the stranger. An arm clad in a suit it seems: a man obviously. Viggo finds himself wondering who the man is. Orli steps closer, and the hand wanders up to the shoulder now. Still Viggo can't see the man's face.

Then Orli drops to his knees and Viggo's left gaping.

Sean.

Viggo's not sure what he expected, but it wasn't Sean Bean combing his fingers through Orli's hair. He didn't see this one coming. Not that he minds. But still.

Well, seems like he really didn't know that much about Orli if he can get surprised by his decisions this much. He watches Sean smile, watches lingering caresses despite the possible audience. Suddenly Sean grabs Orli's waist and almost hauls him up on the couch. Orli collapses laughing at his side, curling into him. Their hands find each other, and they intertwine their fingers. Smiling. Glowing it seems.

And finally Viggo sees what Orli's eyes never did for him, and it makes him smile--they burn with an inner fire reflected in Sean's.

As Viggo's gaze lingers a while longer on joined hands and he thinks about love and passion, an arm slides around his waist, and he feels a familiar body pressed against his back. "Ready to go?" Warm breath tickles his ear.

His hand finds its way to rest on the arm encircling him. Viggo tilts his head to the side, smiles, "Sure, Mark, just going to say goodbye to Orli and Sean."

"Okay, I'll wait outside."