Best of Me
Recipient: cupidsbow
Author: _slowly_dying
Pairing: Orlando/Elijah
Rating: PG-13 (lots of swearing);
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The numbers on the display felt like home to him. All he had to do was press send and he would make everything right. Because everything needed to be made right.
Please pick up. Please.
"Hey, you've reached Elijah. Leave a message.”
"Lijah? It's Orli- It's Orlando. Listen can you just...just give me a call when you get this.” Orlando ended the call and pinched the bridge of his nose. He did not want to be playing phone tag with Elijah, not when it came to this.
Things had gotten so out of hand, so fucking horribly out of hand, and for the past two years Orlando had done nothing but work, just so he wouldn't have to think.
"Orlando!” The cry from outside his trailer broke him out of his thoughts and for a moment he forgot where he was. Filming. London. His assistant opened the door and smiled. "Orlando? You're needed on set in five.” He gave her a short nod and a small smile, just to let her know he wasn't angry with her. Lord knows that Clara put up with enough of his bullshit.
"I'll be right out.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Elijah lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. The burn in his lungs and throat grounded him. Reminded him that he was angry because after two years of not talking, Orlando had the balls to call him now.
A week before he married Kate.
Elijah picked up his cell phone and listened to the voicemail again.
"Lijah? It's Orli- It's Orlando. Listen can you just...just give me a call when you get this.”
"Press seven to save the message or nine to delete it,” the automated message prompted him.
Seven to save.
Nine to delete.
Elijah pressed seven.
"Fuck.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The obnoxious sound of trumpets woke Orlando up. Kate rolled over and mumbled something the sounded like "Either answer the damn phone or shut it the fuck off", but he couldn't be sure. He rolled out of bed and started searching for the phone. It wasn't on the night table next to the bed, and Orlando vaguely remembered throwing it after his 42nd call to Elijah went unanswered.
The phone turned out to be under the oak dresser at the other end of the room, and after retrieving it, he was pretty sure that the cracking sound he heard was his knees.
"Hello?”
"Where are you?”
"Elijah? Why are you calling me at,” Orlando peered at the digital clock. "Three in the fucking morning?” Elijah didn't answer. "Lijah?”
"Because it's only seven at night here. You're in London right?”
He was bewildered."Yes, why?”
"Are you busy?” Orlando ran a hand through his hair. "Orlando?”
"I have a three day break from filming while they finish building a set. Why?”
"Meet me in New York at JFK around noon. You know the spot.”
Orlando started sputtering."Noon? That means I have to leave now to find a flight-”
"You'd better get to it then,” Elijah interrupted. And then he was gone.
Orlando snapped the phone shut and looked over at Kate who was curled on her side, still asleep. He'd leave a note but she'd never understand. His career would probably be over if this all worked out.
And he didn't care.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The café was crowded, but Elijah didn't mind that one bit. The crowd would keep Orlando from making a scene. Lord knows that Orlando loved his theatrics.
It was quarter till twelve by Elijah's watch and if Orlando was going to show up, he would be here soon.
His return flight left at 8 that evening. They had a lot to talk about, and if things went the way he was expecting them to, well he could always go into the city and wander around for a few hours.
A shadow fell over the table and Elijah looked up to see a very, very tired looking Orlando taking the seat across from him.
Orlando was dressed head to toe in black. Black hat, sunglasses, sweater, jeans and boots. The hat and the sunglasses were enough to hide him from paparazzi and fans.
Also the fact that he looked like he was about to keel over probably helped.
"Hi.” Orlando took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes. There were dark circles underneath them.
"Looking a little worse for the wear there Orlando,” Elijah said, sipping his coffee. "Definitely not the look of a man who should be ecstatic to be getting married in a week.”
"Fuck you.”
"Whatever. I didn't come here to trade insults with you. You called me. What do you want?”
Orlando sighed and leaned back in his chair. Things were definitely not going as he wanted them to. "To apologize,” he said. Elijah rolled his eyes. "I'm serious, Lijah. I'm sorry.”
"You're sorry? Sorry that you haven't spoken to me in two years, or sorry that the way you ended things between us was announcing your engagement to her through your publicist?”
The anger he felt towards Orlando boiled through him. How could he just sit there and be so callous about this? This was a mistake. Coming here and thinking that he could look at Orlando and not have these feelings surface again was a mistake.
Elijah stood. "You know what? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to come here. Congrats on the wedding, by the way.” He walked away from the table.
Orlando watched Elijah walk away from him and his stomach clenched. He wouldn't let this happen again. He took off in the direction Elijah went and scanned the crowd for the younger man. He spotted Elijah by a car rental agency.
"Elijah!” Elijah looked up, and when he approached, Orlando could see the younger man's eyes were red.
"What?” He could tell Elijah didn't want to be there. And he knew that he couldn't let him go. Grabbing Elijah's arm, he pulled him off to the side, offering the girl at the counter a smile.
"Won't be but a moment love.” She gave him a shaky smile and nodded. Turning his attention back Elijah, he tightened his grip on Elijah's arm. "Stop fighting, it's not like I'm kidnaping you or something.”
"What the fuck are you on? Let me go Orlando, I've said my piece.”
"Yes, but I haven't said mine.” Elijah sighed.
"Fine. Talk.”
"Remember the night we first realized what was going on between us?” Elijah nodded. "You told me it was more than sex, that you wanted more than that. You wanted my body, but also my heart and soul. The best of me.”
Elijah nodded. "I remember.”
"Do you still want it? The best of me that is?”
"Orlando-”
"Just a yes or a no.”
"Yes.” A whisper.
"It's yours.” Elijah looked up, startled.
"Excuse me?”
"You can have it all. Body, heart and soul. The best of me.” Elijah didn't move. He didn't blink, and took small, gasping breaths. "Lijah-” Orlando broke off when Elijah's lips pressed against his, rough and soft at the same time. His mouth tasted the same as it always had, sweet yet bitter like coffee and cigarettes.
They broke apart, both gasping for breath and slightly flushed.
"Wow.”
"Wow? We share an amazing kiss after two years of no contact and all you can say is wow?” Orlando silenced Elijah with a quick kiss. "You do realize that the girl at the car rental counter is staring right?”
"Let her stare. She can sell the story to the tabloids and make lots of money off it.” Orlando went in for another kiss, but a Elijah stopped him with a hand to the chest.
"What about everything?” Kate. His career. Everything.
Orlando shrugged. "Nothing could be worse than these past two years. And they're in the past.”
Elijah smiled. "You're right. The worst is over.”
the worst is over
you can have the best of me
the end.