Heaven in Your Eyes

Chap: 16

"Cut him loose!"
"Ahh..so you're my inner demon."
"What's that mate?"
"Never mind. Long story." He gave his friend a twisted half smile. "How can you say that? You blow into town for a couple weeks to do your *resurection* for ROTK and your suddenly the expert?"
Sean waited for his agitated mate to stop pacing, stop wringing the hem of the battered t-shirt. And mostly to stop muttering to himself under his breath.

Viggo stopped in front of him with an expectant look, still twisting the hem. Well, two out of three. He had to hand it to Orlando, he never would have thought to see calm, collected Viggo this out of sorts. But he felt for his mate, love had a bad habit of doing that, he knew it all too well.

"If you want better advice, maybe you should stop being so sketchy on details." He leaned back in the chair and stretched his legs out in front of him when Viggo sat, burying face in hands with a huff. He had a feeling this was going to be a long one.
"And just details mate..let's skip the pornographic side shall we."

Viggo cast him a wry-I'm not amused-glance and reclined back in his own chair. It had taken Sean's entire two weeks here for him to finally open up to his persistent questioning, and now he didn't know where to begin.
He skimmed over what little he had imparted already. Orli's refusal to spend the night and why, which Sean had merely said 'So what' to. The young man's flighty attitude lately whenever he strived for a serious conversation, which seemed to constantly grow worse. He had left out-for Sean's sake-the ferocity with which they had made love after the 'hickey incident.' Aftis sis slide into dementia, instead of the talk they should have had.
Only telling instead how he had, for the first time, left at almost four in the morning, with no good-bye.
He repeated to himself many times Orlando had been justified, but it hadn't helped.
He had assured Viggo days later, when they'd finally found a moments peace, that Karl had had nothing to do with his weird attitude, 'just an off day,' he wasn't really mad. 'Are you all right?' Orli had asked timidly, as if fearing the answer.
He shook his head, trying to clear the scattered thoughts and concentrate on what his friend was asking.

"You told him to bugger off right?"

"Not in those words." Viggo smiled, "But yeah, I told Karl straight out it would never go beyond friendship."

"Did you tell him why?"

Viggo's head shook. "I wasn't even sure about Orlando yet myself, so.."
Sean stroked his jaw, reminding Viggo of an old movie detective trying to put the needed pieces together to solve a mystery. When he looked at Viggo, eyes gleaming with whatever insight, he almost laughed.

"Well, if it's not Karl, then it's you or Orlando or you both together."

'Don't quit your day job Viggo wanted to tell him.
"You think?"

"No need to be sarcastic mate. I just mean, that maybe you two together just..won't click."

"Click? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Won't click."

"It means, he drew out the word at Viggo's obvious rise in agitation again, That, at first you're scared to tell him for fear of losing him more or less, right?" He didn't wait for the others confirmation. "Now, your questioning your own true motives of involvement with him. Orlando on the other hand has stood his ground, making clear the fact he won't 'sleep over' unless a relationship has formed and you took that as a sign or an excuse maybe, that he may be less than serious about you. But now your wondering if it is *because* he's serious. Do I thi this right so far?" This time he paused for Viggo's nod, then shook his head.
"Damn this shit's confusing. You have yourself well into it mate. Have you considered the idea, he may be as scared as you? That one, may be waiting on the other..for something that will never happen if that's the case. Your both a couple of hardheaded.."

"Orlando is *not*aid aid of *anything*!" He scoffed at the idea.
"But let's say your partially right, he added for Sean's disbelieving scowl; Wouldn't I have seen *some* kind of sign by now. Instead I get the general impression he's pulling further away..not closer. I..I think he may even be avoiding me at times. The excuses sound good but..." He shrugged, leaning forward to rub tiredly at his face again. "I just don't know anymore. We've so little time left and..I blew it, lost my nerve. These tiny doubts came from nowhere, started nagging at me.. eating away at something I *was* so sure of." He gave up, burying his face once more.

"Maybe he's playing off your emotions Vig, his voice softened for his distraught friend; If your all of sudden unsure...he's possibly sensing it, reacting to it you know."

He rubbed once more, then opened his hands, letting his chin rest tiredly on the edge of each palm. "I don't know what to " He" He admitted simply.

Sean shrugged, making it sound like the easiest thing in the world, "You make a decision mate..one you can live with."
Viggo eyes rolled with a, "Hmmpf."

"Come on. This is way too depressing a topic for my last night here. We're gonna go and get bloody well pissed!"

Getting Viggo there had been the hard part. But after a couple of hours and a few drinks later, they were starting to slide like silk. He had to remind himself Viggo rarely drank and toitoritor him, but not *too* closely, he needed a night of cutting loose and drunken male bonding.

"We should go somewheres else probably." Viggo looked a little bleary eyed across the booth's table at Sean. "Orli was goin out with hobbits tonight..they'll probably come here. Don't want him to think I'm spyin."

Sean tilted the bottle of scotch to his glass, shaking his head.
"Your not *spyin* I like it here..and I'm halfway to halfway drunk. He'll have to get over it."
Viggo shrugged, downed the remainder of scotch from his glass and turned sideways, stretching his long legs out on the seat. "Your driving."
Sean snickered and poured his friend another, *he* was already halfway there.

~*~*~*~*~*

"I doubt it's spelled right and it's usually said in a sentence..most the time. But this one word..he uses it.. a lot."

"Are you...eeew, you better not be havin me lookin up sex words!"

Orlando cheeks brightened noticeably. "He says it other times too ya little git, I wouldn't ask otherwise."

"Yeah all right, un-knot your knickers. Are you sure it's Danish?"
"That much he'll admit. I..just wanna know what he's sayin Lij..if you wouldn't mind?"

He got that look in his eye again, but now Lij knew better. Tryin to get Orli to spill about what was bothering him, why there was trouble in paradise, it just wasn't like his friend not to talk to him, but where Vig was subject, he'd have more luck conversing with one of Tolkien's trees. "I'll pull out the trusty laptop soon as I can, okay?"
He smiled his thanks, watching Lij slip the piece of paper under said laptop for safe keeping. "Now come on, I hear the guys pullin up and we got some major partyin to catch up on!"

~*~*~*~*~*

Viggo's sides were seriously starting to ache from laughter. Sean picking out someone who walked by, then making up little antidotes about why they were here. Viggo decided halfway through the night that Sean's mind was seriously warped.

"No, it's true." Sean continued, "The next one to walk by will be a closet transvestite, you can just tell..watch." Not a minute went by before David and Karl walked up to the table. Sean looked at Viggo. The man was trembling, he was trying so hard. They were botill ill sitting with legs stretched out on the seats, so both other werewere still standing, looking a little perplexed. Sean couldn't help it. He turned to Viggo, one eyebrow quirked, flashing a shit eatin grin. "Karl arrived first, right mate?"

Viggo doubled over, raising his knees and hugging them through the fit of laughter. Karl took immediate advantage oe fre freed space and slid in.
"Something you two wanna share?" Dave questioned.
"We're not the ones you should be asking." Sean tipped his glass at Karl, whom Dave then looked at. The man just shrugged, as much in the dark as the other. Viggo was still shaking, head buried, so he looked to Sean.
"Okay, come clean, what's goin on here?"

Sean moved for Dave, applying a serious look for Karl to match his tone. "What did ya say there mate..your comin clean."
"Stop!" Viggo pleaded, swinging his legs under the table to turn and face Sean. The man waggled his brow along with a sly grin and Viggo buried his face in hands, "I've had too much to drink for this." He admd.
d.
Sean finally relented, filling the other two in on what he'd been up to from the last hour, up to the point of their arrival. When they were all laughing, poking good natured fun at Karl over what type of dress suited him best, Orlando turned away. He couldn't watch it any more. He stood on the edge of the dance floor a minute longer, catching Lij's eye and pointing to the bar.

"It's been an hour at least."
"Maybe he's lost."
Lij looked fairly disgusted. "It's a club Dom. A *small* club."
"Maybe he's too drunk to find his way back. You said he was headed for the bar right?"
"That's where he pointed."
"Well, have a gander over there." Billy cocked his head and Lij and Dom followed the direction, eyes landing on the four men still carrying on in the booth.
"Shit!" Lij started to lead them from the floor.
Billy glanced over in time to see Karl push playfully at Viggo's arm. "You think he saw that, cause if he did..with whatevers been goin on.."
"Yeah, Lij agreed, flicking a disgusted glance at the table; He saw, he's got radar when it comes to Vig, help me find him okay?"

They went in three directions towards the bar. Fanning out far enough so each could scour the crowd on the way. Dom wouldn't have spotted him had the man not leaned down to pick something off the floor. When the burly man stood again, Orli was blocked from view. Waving the others over he moved them closer, pointing out the dejected looking figure seated at the last bar stool. Leaning heavily against the bar on one arm, facing the wall in solitude. The bar holding up the arm, that in turn was bent at the elbow, swayed every few seconds from his head tilting back heavily in the hand it rested on. Tilting Lij saw, from a glass being drained.

Lij tiptoed but could find no TV, nothing Orli could be watching, but the wall. The sight didn't bode well for his friends mental outlook. He motioned to the other two to let him go alone. He didn't want his friend overwhelmed or *embarrassed* if he wasn't quite himself. No telling what might come out if he had witnessed that little scene. It may not be the problem, but he'd heard enough complaints about Karl in the past that he would have put money on it.

"Hey guys, didn't know you'd all be here tonight."
His eyes raked over Karl, then Viggo, turning to Sean then back to Viggo. He cupped a hand to ear, pretending he hadn't heard. "What's that Vig?"

"I said, where's Orlando?"

Lij shrugged, "Dunno. He went to the bar for a drink over an hour ago. Haven't seen him since." He shrugged again, turning to Sean and leaning across the table to hug the man lightly.
"Just wanted to say bye again. Guess I won't see ya til a premier or somethin."

"Or somethin, Sean agreed, rising slightly into the hug; Take care ringbearer."

"You know it man. Gotta go find Dom and Billy fore they *leave* without me too!" He set the implication in motion and melted into the crowd.
'There! That ought to fuck up his night.' He made his way around the crowd and slipped out the door without a shred of remorse. He loved Viggo to death, he really did. But as Dom had stated, 'The man could be a clueless arse sometimes!'

"You do somethin to the little hobbit?" Dave smirked, "He looked rather disgusted with you."

Karl shrugged, making sure to keep his eyes off Viggo. He'd long recognized Wood as the princess's closest ally and hadn't missed that look at all.
"Did he? I didn't notice. I don't see how I could've though, hell we've barely worked together."

Sean was rubbing his chin again, eyes glued to Karl, unconvinced "Probably just the lighting."
He sounded suspicious, making Karl nervous.
"Time for another round?" He rose, looking expectantly at the others.

Viggo looked at the empty bottle, smiling at Sean, "Your drivin." He reminded.
"One more nightcap I guess. I gotta plane to catch in the morning."

Dave rose to follow, starting to comment his legs needed stretched when Viggo interrupted. "Dave..see if you spot Orlando up there."

They had been back a full five minutes and Viggo was feeling purposefully ignored. "Well?" He directed the questioning word at Dave.

"I..um, he left." He glanced at Karl who lowered his eyes, hiding the gleam in them, fighting a smile. He couldn't believe his good fortune tonight.

"And?" Viggo drawled.
Dave forced a smile around his flippant response. "And what..bartender said he left."

"What *else* did he say Dave?" Blue eyes were boring into him and Karl, nor Sean -even though he was without a clue- were helping him.
"What'd ya mean..nothing else..he left."

"Fine! he sounded mad; I'll ask the man myself!" He motioned Karl to let him out-he didn't budge.
His eyes caught Dave's clearly asking, 'What do I do?'

"Move damn it!"
"Vig..don't." Dave said softly, trying to remain calmer than he felt at Viggo's instant hostility. He glanced back at Karl's downcast gaze and sighed, meeting once more those piercing eyes. "He said Orlando stumbled out of here..on the arms of two other guys."

"It was probably just the hobbits Vig." Karl threw in quickly, happy to defend his nemesis before Sean's suspicious eyes.

"Lij lost track of Orli long before he went looking for the other two. I doubt they'd take off on him like that." Viggo spoke more to himself than as a reply to the others, seeming so lost Karl had to fight pulling the man into his arms, offering comfort.

"I'm finished with this. Let's go mate!" It was Sean who now sounded upset. He'd brought Viggo out for a relaxing night and had walked him straight into further heartache instead.
He glanced back to find Viggo blindly following, eyes glazed over, only one thought and one true destination in mind.


TBC