When You Come Back Down

AUTHOR: Fainpathe Elanesse
TITLE: When You Come Back Down
PAIRING: Orlando Bloom/Alex Band
RATING: NC17 – boytouching! Squeeeee!
WARNING: language, m/m relationships, ridiculous plotline. Ye be warned! Oh, and ANGST AHOY!
DISCLAIMER: I'm an impoverished student who's making no money from this, honest! This obviously never happened, alas, alack. If it did, and they were mine, they'd spend a lot more time in Scotland. In my bed. Naked. Ahem. ON WITH THE FIC!!
FEEDBACK: Is my raison d’etre, my mojo, the fires that stoke the pit of hell from whence come my ideas. How can I know I’m crap if you guys don’t tell me?

A/N: For the purposes of this fic, Alex is from Manchester, and is not famous, although he is in a band. :D Ok, so he’s kinda an OMC, but physically, he’s exactly right for the character. Same singing voice, same looks, but with a Mancunian accent!

The title is a Nickel Creek song – an awesome bluegrass/country band. Go listen! Now, now I tell you!

All quotes, when I realise they’re not my own wit and genius :D shall be footnoted, and credit given where due. If I miss one, tell me!

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY REVIEWERS:

Adultfanfiction.net

Dreamcatcher217: *blushes* glad you like it, hun! I’ll keep writing it as long as the muse doesn’t desert me, and as long as you guys still read it! And don’t worry, my plan for the rest of this fic (and indeed the sequel) is as cunning as a fox who was Professor of Cunning at Oxford University, but is now chair of the Cunning department at the UN. And if you don’t get that quote, I’ll beat you round the head with Baldrick’s underwear, a.k.a. What Wiped Out The Dinosaurs.

Legyviel: Yeah, I’m a slowcoach – watched it all now though! And, just for you, I’m putting headbutting in. Heh heh heh. *evil grin* I love that bit – the editing is done so perfectly! “White light! White light!” He sounded so traumatised, poor love! And Viggo’s little “hee hee” – watch me melt! Oooh, and the bit with Bernard Hill and him arsing around, with the kissing of the nose and stuff…they just sound like they had the best time on set. No fair. *pouts* why can’t I be a gorgeous, talented, famous movie star with a tight circle of gorgeous actorly friends? :P

6_degrees_of_orliation

Joann – I know, when the muse first struck, and I thought of these two together, I just melted! What can I say? I’m a sucker for a pretty boy! (and, come to that, a sucker *of* a pretty boy, but that’s a whole different story ;) ) But why aren’t there more Alex Band fics out there? COME ON, CALLING FANS! STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!!!!!

Grace – Yeah, it’s hard to write, but Lilith won’t let me get a chapter out without a little angst! *glares at Lilith, who is currently sitting on top of the computer screen, whistling innocently* And I’m glad you liked the smut! I’ve never written it before, so it’s a huge ego-boost to know it caused meltage! As to the reference thing – it’s the way I talk, cuz of watching too many films, so I figured why not inflict that on my poor boys! On to chapter 7 comments: I’m glad you like them, babes! You should try downloading Nickel Creek, they’re just wonderful! It took me a while to choose what songs Alex should sing in this chapter, but eventually I got there! Be warned – the songs in this chappie aren’t nearly as good! And lastly *phew!* You’re a Pratchett fan too then? I LOVE Terry Pratchett – I’ll try and get some Discworld refs in for you to spot! *mwah!* for the extra-long feedback!

YOU GUYS RULE! *snuggles all of you*

Random Quote Of The Day: I'd buy you a green dress, but not a real green dress, that's cruel!

Whoever guesses the random quote gets to specify an object/person/situation/ whatever that I have to fit into the next chapter. Have fun! I’m putting headbutting in this chappie for Legyviel, being one of my first most loyal readers, and if Dreamcatcher wants to send an idea my way, I’ll encorporate that - and whatever the quote-guesser wants – into the next chappie!

“Blah” denotes speech, ‘blah’ denotes thought, ~~~~~~ denotes passage of time and *blah* is emphasis. There ya go!

Chapter 8: In Which Divas Are Violated

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LATER THAT NIGHT…

“ALLLLL BYY MYSEEEEEEEEEEEEELF, DON’T WANNA BEEEE, ALLLLL BYYY MYSEEEEEEEELF, ANYMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!!!!!” (1) Alex sighed as he looked in the rear-view mirror, where Orlando and Liv were putting Bridget Jones to shame. Since Alex had been working, he was the designated driver, leaving Orli and Liv to enjoy themselves. They had taken full advantage of this opportunity, although Orli looked as though he might have been exaggerating slightly (2). Leaning over the front seat, Orli had skimmed through the radio channels until he’d found one apparently comprised solely of power ballads and 80s film soundtracks. They’d had Celine, Barbara, Shirley, Maria, Diana, Jennifer and Bette(3) and were now murdering Jamie O’Neal. Rathnconncongruously, ‘Don’t wanna miss a thing’ had come on, which caused much embarrassment for Liv as the boys good-naturedly teased her. To Liv’s relief, it had soon been forgotten when Roxette’s ‘It must have been love’ came on, and the impromptu karaoke Orli started had continued for – it seemed to Alex – the next 4 hours.

Heaving a sigh of relief, the exhausted blonde pulled up outside Liv’s house, and kissing both men goodnight, she wove her way to the front door. Alex watched to make sure she got in ok, and Orli took the opportunity to clamber into the front seat. Without getting out the car.

“Y’know angel, it would’ve been easier if you’d opened the door and walked round.” Alex smirked at his now very dishevelled lover, who was rubbing his elbow where he’d banged it on the roof, and trying to get comfortable in the front seat.

“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that? And you should know by now how flexible I am…” Orli smiled wickedly, and watched as Alex’s eyes glazed over. He could practically see their past exploits flash across Alex’s vision. Much as he’d enjoyed them himself, he’d rather have some attention right now, thank you very much, and he snapped his fingers in front of the blonde’s face, trying to get his attention.

Alex came to with a start, and Orlando leaned over, smirking, before kissing him soundly. Alex flinched as Orli’s hand brushed the marks on his neck, and Orli pulled back hurriedly, stroking the reddened skin gently. He was worried that he’d hurt Alex, and guilt flashed across his face as he remembered that Alex was in pain because of him. The worries he’d buried when he’d finally admitted he loved Alex resurfaced, and now he wondered if they were doing the right thing. Alex could see Orli’s thoughts played out across his face, and placed a hand on his face, comforting the older man.

“Angel, what happened wasn’t your fault. You get people like that everywhere, it’s always gonna happen. Actually, I’m surprised we haven’t had more abuse. I guess New Zealand’s just more tolerant or something. Believe me, I’m used to it by now.” Alex’s hand unconsciously drifted to the scar below his eye(4), and Orli’s eyes darkened in anger as he realised what had caused the small blemish.

Alex had told Orli that a dog had attacked him, and the brunette had had no reason to doubt him. But now was not the time to get angry with his lover. The younger man looked distraught, and his blue eyes filled with tears at the memories that had been dredged up. Orlando pulled Alex against his chest and hugged him tightly, reassuring both his lover and himself. At this sign of affection, the tears that Alex had been holding back finally fell, and he sobbed out all the pain that had been caused him, his hands unconsciously clenching and unclenching in Orli’s shirt.

Orli soothingly rubbed his hands up and down Alex’s back, murmuring words of comfort in his ear, and the younger man slowly calmed down. Eventually he pulled away, wiping his eyes.

“You want to tell me about it, babes?” Orli pushed an unruly strand of Alex’s hair back behind his ear, and let his hand rest on his neck. Alex looked over at his lover and smiled wanly, eyes still bright with tears.

“Yeah, but not here, ok? I promise I’ll tell you everything when we get home.” Orli nodded, and Alex pulled out of Liv’s driveway, both men silent on the short drive home. Orli’s hand remained where it was for the brief journey home, his thumb rubbing small circles just below Alex’s ear. The blonde leaned into the touch, thankful for the comfort a small gesture could provide.

Stng tng through the front door, Alex dropped his keys on the front table, rotating his head as he did so, trying to ease his neck. He wasn’t looking forward to this conversation, but he had known it was coming.

He had felt bad about lying to Orlando about his scar, but Orli had asked him about it near the beginning of their relationship, when Alex still wasn’t sure of his feelings for the older man. The only person he’d ever told was Dominic, and that was only because Dom had discovered him in the alley, and had been there during the subsequent interviews with police and eventually the court case. Dom had been there for Alex through the hardest time of his life, and had remained one of his closest friends, when those around him couldn’t look him in the eye. He’d looked a state at first, his scarred and bruised face not helped by his haunted, empty eyes. He’d got off lightly, however, with merely a bottle to the face(5). Alex could feel himself tense up as he thought about that night, and he felt the warm weight of Orli’s hand on his shoulder bringing him back.

“If you don’t want to tell me, really, it’s fine, I’ll understand.” Though he’d said he understood, Orli’s hurt eyes showed that he felt saddened that Alex wouldn’t confide in him. Alex hugged his lover, before leading him by the hand over to the sofa. Alex sat facing his lover, and became more and more withdrawn as he began to recount the story.

“It was a few years ago now. I’d just realised I was gay, finally been able to put a name to those feelings I’d been trying to ignore. I couldn’t tell my parents, my friends were all pretty close-minded…” He stopped Orli as he protested, “…not Dom, he always understood, but I didn’t know him that well…Anyway, I was still confused, innocent, naïve, you know what it was like. I’d heard about this club in town, and curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to meet others like me, just be myself, y’know? Without having to pretend I was interested in porn. Well, women in porn anyway.” Alex’s lips lifted slightly, and Orli squeezed his hand as he continued.

“I used to sneak out every Saturday night, go to this club, dance, watch people, but I never got up the courage to talk anyone. Until I met this guy. His name was Doyle(6). He was older than me by a couple of years, cocky, Irish, and drop dead gorgeous. Black hair, and these vivid blue eyes…they were just unbelievable. Think Elijah when he’s crying in a scene. That sparkle, a little glint in his eyes that promised mischief…” Alex’s breath caught in his throat as he remembered the wonderful man who had meao muo much to him.

“He came up to me, and he was just so lovely to me. I must have stuck out like a sore thumb, I mean, I practically had a sign over my head with ‘newly gay virgin’ flashing on and off. He bought me a drink, we chatted, and that was it. He put me completely at ease, and staved off more of the…persuasive…men, shall we say.”

“I was stunned at the forwardness of some of them. I remember being gobsmacked at what they were getting up to, right in the middle of the dancefloor! But I’m getting off the point…So yeah, Doyle. He walked me home that night, wanted to make sure I’d get home safely. He was the perfect gentlemen. Made me feel like a proper lady, which was….really weird, seeing as how I’m a bloke, but that’s not the point. He made me feel special, like I was worth something, which believe me, was a new experience for me.” Orli drew his lover closer, and Alex stiffened, before relaxing against him and continuing.

“We met up a couple more times, him being the gallant protector of my virtue, until I eventually got up the courage to kiss him. It was….wow. and I mean W.O.W. I’d kissed girls before, sure, but this was different. It was all fire and passion and violence and harsh. I felt completely consumed by him. We’re talking full-on Mills-and-Boon, knees turning to water kind of kisses. Over the next few weeks, we fooled around, nothing serious, but it all stayed within the confines of the club. Doyle said it was safer that way, and I was willing to go along with it. But eventually, I got tired of only seeing him once a week, and always going to the same place, and I insisted we go out for dinner.”

“He took me to this gorgeous Italian restaurant, all secluded corners and candlelit tables. He tried to buy me a rose, and amidst my protests that ‘I may be gay, but I’m still a g he he ended up challenging me to prove it. Which ended up with him giving me a hand job in the middle of the restaurant. Hardly the most romantic date I’ve ever had, since the waiter interrupted with the bill just when I was about ready to burst. So we decided to get the hell out of there, and go back to his. Only problem is, we had to walk, and his flat was 20 minutes away. We ended up in this shop entrance necking, me frantically rubbing myself against him like some horny dog. Eventually I managed to calm myself down enough to continue, and we walked along the street, sneaking a quick kiss now and then.”

“What we didn’t know, and I didn’t find out ‘til much later, was that the waiter and his friends had been following us since the restaurant. It seems they didn’t take too kindly to our PDAs, and had decided to teach us a lesson.” Alex’s voice, which had been quite calm, almost light-hearted up until this point, started to waver, and he had to take a deep breath before going on with his all-too-vivid memory of that night.

“There were shouts behind us, and we turned around to see this group of young guys walking towards us. Doyle told me to run, and turned to face them. I refused to leave without him, although he could easily handle himself. I don’t remember much of the fight, I just remember getting sliced in the face, and seeing Doyle go down under this heap of bodies. I got kicked in the head, and woke up four days later in hospital. The first thing I said when I woke up was ‘where’s Doyle?’ My mother was there, and she just refused to answer. I was getting more and more upset, and they had to sedate me.”

“Wh-when I woke up later, they told me…” Alex swallowed thickly, praying that he’d have the strength to finish, “They told me he was dead before they found him. He had 18 broken bones, severe internal bleeding, and his brain was filled with shards of b..broken skull. His face was so badly broken that they had to identify t-he b-body from dental records. They w-wouldn’t allow me to see him. He had a closed casket, and my family and a couple of close friends were the only people who came to the funeral. He d-died trying to save m-me and his family were still too ashamed that their son was a FAG” He spat out the insult, his face twisted in anger at the bigotry of some people “t-to even s-say goodbye” Alex’s willpower left him on the last word, and he sobbed out his anger, frustration and grief, wrapped in Orli’s arms. Silent tears streamed down Orli’s face, and he marvelled at the strength that his love had shown.

Eventually Alex started to calm down, and Orli continued to comfort his lover as the younger man’s breathing returned to normal and his tears started to dry. Alex tilted his tear-stained face towards Orlando’s, searching for reassurance. Orli kissed him tenderly, before picking up the slight young man and carrying him through to the bedroom. Alex sat on the bed, numbly compliant as Orlando undressed him and gently placed him beneath the covers. Orli quickly undressed and slid into bed himself, and Alex immediately curled into his side, seeking the warmth and love that the older man could provide. Alex was asleep within minutes, soothed by his lovers presence, and Orlando eventually followed him, his mind filled with wonder at his lover’s tenacity and strength.

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TBC…

(1)Jamie O’Neal, ‘All by myself’. Bridget Jones? The pyjamas? The hairbrush? The drunken miming? Ah good, you’re with me. I dare you to not sing along with this one…

(2) I have a friend who does this. She acts incredibly drunk after having like 2 vodka and cokes. It may seem silly, but it gets people in the party mood, and provides her with much blackmail material, unfortunately! This is also why Orli can suddenly be so serious re. the scar conversation with Alex, ‘k?

(3)These are, respectively, Celine Dion, Barbara Streisand, Shirley Bassey, Maria McKee, Diana Ross, Jennifer Rush, and Bette Midler. The songs being, again, respectively, My heart will go on, You don’t bring me flowers, Goldfinger, Show me heaven, Touch me in the morning, The power of love, and Wind beneath my wings.

(4) Ok, so I’ve taken liberties here. Alex DOES have a scar under his eyebrow, but it’s from a dog which attacked him when he was younger. It needed thirteen stitches, apparently. Bet you wanted to know that. :P I’m sure Alex has never been beaten up, for being gay or anything else, since I don’t know if he’s gay. I’m just hoping he is *grin*. Ahem. Anyway…where was I? Oh yeah, the scar. It just pleases Lilith to put my boys through as much pain as possible Back in your box! *glare* So, there ya go!

(5) yes, people do this to each other. Smash a bottlnd snd screw it into someone’s face. Or if you’re feeling particularly vicious, how about a Glasgow Smile? You slash somebody’s face either side leading out from their mouth, leaving them with a permanent ‘smile’. Aren’t we humans lovely to each other?

(6) Yep, It’s “Angel”s Doyle. Played by the wonderful wonderful Glenn Quinn. Sadly Glenn died a year and a half ago, at the age of 32 of a possible drugs overdose. The actual cause of death isn’t known, as his family asked the autopsy results not to be made public. Glenn is much missed by those who knew him, and I for one don’t think ‘Angel’ is the same in subsequent series without him. My thoughts go out to his family and friends. Glenn was a superb actor and a wonderful guy.