Make A Wish

It was almost as simple as a change in the air. Just something suddenly feeling not quite right. Sean's eyes shot open, his breathing an abrupt, harsh rasp. What was it?

Shadows moved in places they shouldn't be moving. Chiding himself, Sean reached out to the nightstand. Like a bloody five year old, afraid of the dark, he told himself. He flicked the lamp on. Light spilled out, pooling dimly in the night-filled corners of his bedroom. Sitting up, he looked around. Nothing there. Of ce. We. What had he expected to see anyway? Monsters? He snorted and clicked off the lamp again, burrowing under the covers.

There it was again. Only he was awake this time, and could hear it rather than feel it. There was someone out there. Sean could almost hear the strain of brebeinbeing held. Before he could look around, whoever had been right *there* was moving away.

He didn't switch on the lamp this time, only crawled out of bed and swung his feet to the floor. The carpet felugh ugh beneath his toes. He listened again, before taking down his hockey stick from its proud mount on the wall. Laying the shaft over his shoulder, with the curve jutting out into the air, he turned again towards the door.

As he crept into the darkness, Sean felt a strange thrill pass through him. It was something basic, wasn't it? Defending his home.

His head snapped to the right at a sound from the kitchen. Heart racing, he followed the familiar hallway until he stood at the open door. His hand fumbled for the light switch. After what seemed like an eternity of frantic scrabbling, his fingers found their target and slapped the switch down.

The figure near the opposite door span around.

"Jesus Christ, Sean! You scared the shit out of me!"

"What the hell? *I* scared *you*?" Sean lowered the hockey stick, staring at the other man. "How did you get in here?"

"You gave me a key once, remember? So I could feed your cat..."

Sean sighed, pupils that had fast shrunk slowly widening to their normal state again as they adjusted. He'd forgotten to ask for the key back. Sure.

"What are you doing here, then? Orlando, it's the middle of the night."

"Correction. It's just gone eleven on a Saturday night and you're at home. Alone."

"So, what? You thought you'd come and rescue me?" Sean propped the stick against the doorframe and regarded his friend.

"Thought you might want some company for a change. Doesn't do you good, all this being alone. Besides, it was this or going home. Because no way in hell was I spending another minute at that shitty party."

So I'm second choice, thought Sean. "Party?" He had a vague idea he should know what Orli was on about, the feeling only emphasised when the young man gave him an incredulous stare.

"Yeah, the Vanity Fair party? Full of.. well, that's beside the point. You know, it was only worth going to see Liv get tied up."

Sean grinned. "Tied up?" he asked, suddenly feeling like a parrot.

"Elijah's idea. I think he fancies her."

"Wonder why?" Sean remarked. He yawned then, looking at the clock on the microwave. 11:14. He just wanted to sleep. Instead, he opened up the fridge. Orli moved away from the door, interested, deciding instead to lean back against the sink, fingers curling over the metal surface.

"Want a beer?" Sean asked.

"Actually, Sean, I thought we could go out somewhere," Orli said. He didn't look his friend in the eye as he said it, either. He seemed to find the steel beneath his thumb far more interesting.

"Somewhere like where?"

Orli shrugged. "Anywhere. The river, maybe. I just know I've been cooped up all night and I'm starting to suffocate. I need to breathe again. I need to move."

Sean knew all about Orlando's need for movement. He may have been cooped up, but the man was never still.

"Alright," Sean conceded with a slow breath out. "Let me get dressed." Somehow he got the feeling this was more about Orlando wanting company.

"You're a good mate, Sean." Orli moved around behind him, his hand leaving the edge of the metal sink with a muffled squeak. He stood behind Sean for a moment, peering over his shoulder.

It was all Sean could do not to shiver as his friend reached past him to pick up a beer.

"Think I will have one after all," he said.

"Yeah." Sean couldn't trust himself to say much more. A tremble was already rising in him. Bottles and jars clinked together as he shut the fridge door. Perhaps a little too hard. "I'll be right back." He picked up the abandoned hockey stick on his way out of the room. He flipped on more lights in the hallway. Orlando remained in the kitchen, no matter how much Sean wished the man would just follow him. Get the games over with.

It had been going on for too long, this. The stolen glances. The accidental touches. Maybe Sean was just looking for meanings where there were none. But he could swear Orlando wanted him. Why else would he chocomicoming to Sean over a party? No matter how bad he said it was. And even if this was the second choice. Orlando wanted him. Sean hoped that was the case, at least, because if it was, the feeling was mutual.

Sean had reached his bedroom door and stood there for more than a minute. The reason he waited, he couldn't justify to himself. Waiting for Orlando. But the man didn't appear.

Of course not, Sean thought. He wants to be free. He pulled his jeans from the chair they had been slung across, idly wondering where Orlando would take him. *If* Orlando would take him. Blood dusted his cheeks in a blush. His hands shook as he fastened his fly. The light contact of denim aroused him. He wanted more. But he couldn't. Not now, not yet.

Orlando had finished the beer by the time Sean reappeared.

"Ready then?" he asked, pushing away from the edge of the counter.

"Sure", Sean replied. Even though his insides were telling him otherwise. He picked up his keys and followed Orli into the hall. "Decided where you want to go yet?" he asked, mostly to distract Orli from the way his hand shook as he locked the door.

"Yeah", Orli said. "But it's a surprise."

"A surprise", Sean repeated. Maybe a little too faintly.

"Yes Sean. Forgotten what one of those is or something?"

"Oh, my aching sides."

Orlando draped an arm around him and patted his shoulder. Sean tried to remain nonchalant. "We'll have a ball", he said impishly.

"Okay", Sean muttered. He watched his feet as they shuffled down the stairs and out onto the street. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. He wanted to be here with Orlando, though.

No, that wasn't entirely true. He just wanted to be with Orlando. He'd imagined it differently, though. He'd also imagined it would never happen. The quiet dinner at home, the first kiss and then.. There wasn't any point dwelling on that, right? It wasn't going to go that way after all.

"Jesus, Sean. Will you loosen up? I'm not going to fucking jump you!"

Sean looked up from his feet, startled. "What?"

"You're tucked up so tight your head's nearly scraping the pavement. What are you so afraid of? Having a good time?"

"No.. I just -" Sean stopped, thinking he sounded pathetic. He sighed, trying not to hunch back down again. "Sorry." He wished he knew where they were going. He knew he would have a good time with Orli and that was the problem. *Not going to jump you.* He shouldn't have come.

"This way", Orli said, and Sean chose to abandon his gloomy thoughts to concentrate on following his friend. He shoved his hands deep in his jeans pockets, trying to keep them warm. It must have been about midnight. He looked up, as though the moon might tell him, but he couldn't see much of it. Just a sliver of light between the clouds and smog. So much for breathing. Finally, Orli seemed to be slowing. They were at the edge of the river, bright neon lights reflected on its surface, rippling like phosporescence.

"So what's the big mystery?" Sean asked, immediately regretting his tone.

"Wait and see. This is the place, the best place." Orli seemed to be telling himself that more than he was telling Sean.

"Yeah. What for?" Sean stepped towards the low wall that ran each side of the river and propped his elbows on it, leaning over.

"Did you ever think about doing something different?"

"Huh?" Sean asked.

"All of this. The parties. The endless questions, the cameras, the moving around from place to place. It's never-ending."

"You're that fed up of it already?"

"Not fed up. I just wish it would stop long enough that I could catch a breath."

"Oh, so that's it," said Sean. "No time any more for bungee-jumping?" He grinned, teasing Orlando.

Orlando looked at him, and Sean caught a flicker of something in his eyes. "No time to catch up with friends is more like it," he said quietly.

*You just have to pick up the phone, and I'll come to you,* thought Sean. *Wherever you are.* He simply said, "Well, we're catching up now. So, what's so special about this place?"

"I never noticed how impatient you are before," Orli said, grinning. Whatever had been in his eyes was gone now, or just pushed back. "Like I said, wait and see."

"I don't have the luxury of youth, not like you. So, I'm allowed to be impatient." Sean returned the grin, his heart thumping. What was going on here?

"I suppose so." Orlando turned to look out over the water, leaving Sean to stare at his profile. He was beautiful. Moonlight shone from high cheekbones, glittered in his still damp, tousled hair. The sight was enough to take Sean's breath away. He sighed loudly, waiting.

"Why didn't you come to the party tonight, Sean?" Orli wasn't looking at him, still staring straight ahead.

"It's not really my scene. I can't keep uth yth you all, no matter how hard I try."

"You don't need to keep up with anyone," Orli said, finally turning to find Sean's eyes on him. "Why would you think that?"

Sean found himself at a loss to answer the question. He wanted to say, "You're all so.. young. I just feel past it if I do so much as stand beside you." Instead, he only shrugged.

Orli suddenly looked up, pointing at the sky. "There!" he cried, excitedly. Sean followed his gaze and felt his mouth fall open. He knew, technically, it was the burning tail of a comet falling through the sky. But in this moment all it could be was a shooting star. In the darkness beside the river, it was all the more bright. How had Orli known?

"Oh.." Sean muttered, watching the progress of the comet as it slowly sank towards the horizon.

"Make a wish?" Orli asked, such a wide, boyish smile on his face that Sean just wanted to kiss him right then and there. Sod the consequences. But he was still too fettered by his own doubts to do anything. He could only nod dumbly and briefly close his eyes.

*I wish..* he thought. He knew exactly what to wish for. He also knew the likelihood of it ever coming true. But maybe, just maybe. Shooting stars were a once in a blue moon thing. It was worth a try, wasn't it? He made his wish, feeling like a five-year-old for the second time that night.

He opened his eyes again to find Orli watching him. The intensity of that gaze was unnerving, but not unwelcome. He felt heat rise to his cheeks under it, and had to look away.

"I didn't know you were into astrology," he said lightly.

"I'm not. Not really. I heard this mentioned on the radio, and thought.. Well, I thought it would be nice to spend some time with the stars. Different stars."

Sean laughed at that. "And you brought me. Well, I'm flattered."

"The night isn't over yet." Orli sounded a little disappointed, as though he thought Sean was bored by this. "We could beat the nightclub crowds, get something to eat?"

"No, Orlando." Sean thought of those all-night kebab places and his stomach turned. "I've got a better idea."

Orli turned to face him fully. Sean thought he looked a little tight. Restrained, even. He wondered what the younger man was holding back from doing, or saying. "What's that?" Orli asked.

Sean noticed the faint lines of worry creasing Orli's brow and smiled. "Listen, thankyou for showing me this. I'd never have seen it otherwise, and who knows how long it'd be before the next one came along? So, thanks. Now, though, it's bloody freezing out here. So let's get somewhere a bit warmer."

Orli nodded, his smile returning. So Sean hadn't hated this small gift after all. "Okay. So, what's the idea?" he asked again.

"Come back to my place, get warmed up. And if you're that hungry, I'll cook you something."

"You'll cook," Orli repeated, the smile widening to a grin.

"If you want."

"Sounds great." Orli looked up at the sky, the comet still just about visible up there. He closed his eyes for a second, then whispered, "Alright, Sean. Let's go."

Rather than get any colder, Sean hailed down a cab to go back to his flat. It wasn't a long ride. Not that it would have mattered. But a little longer to enjoy Orli's closeness to him might have been nice.

However, less than ten minutes later, they were being dropped off outside the block of flats where Sean resided. He looked back at Orlando as they crossed the lobby to the lifts. The young man was staring at his feet. Strange, how now it was Sean who was filled with confidence, and Orli who was 'tucked up.'

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

Orli looked up, his cheeks flushed from the cold. Or something else, Sean didn't know. He shook his head. "No, nothing. I was just.. thinking."

"Alright." Sean hit the button for the lift. They didn't have to wait long before a pair of polished doors rumbled open to their left. Sean ushered Orli in first, then followed. Floor six. The top floor, the best views. The longest lift ride. They remained silent, leaning back against opposite walls. Sean's arms hung at his sides, Orli folded his across his chest. He seemed to be holding himself, as though he was trying to stop himself falling. Orli was never nervous. He always faced challenges head-on. Sean looked at him and wondered if, this time around, he would need some encouragement.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just cold," Orli replied, his gaze still fixed firmly on the patterned carpet.

"Well, we'll soon fix that. Here we are."

The lift's doors hissed open and Sean stepped out, waiting for Orli who all of a sudden looked like he just wanted to get away from there as soon as possible.

In the silence between them, Sean's keys rattling in the lock seemed ten times louder than they actually were. Silently hoping the noise wouldn't wake any of his neighbours, he pushed open the door and dropped the keys to a table in the hall, hearing Orli shut the door behind them.

"What do you fancy?"

"Hum?"

"Pasta? Rice, salad?"

"Oh, I don't know, Sean. They all sound good. Whatever's easiest, I suppose." Orli paused, thumb and forefinger toying with the frayed edges of his jacket sleeve. "You didn't have to do this, you know. We could have got a takeaway or something."

"I don't cook enough as it is. Come on, it won't be all that bad."

That, at least, got a smile out of Orli.

"Well, I'd say salad because you can't burn that, but to be honest I'm a bit hungrier than salad," he said.

"How hungry is salad?" Sean asked, eyes creasing at the edges as he grinned. Brain yelling 'Lame!' at him.

"You're a cheeky bastard, you know that?" said Orli, looking up at Sean through thick dark lashes, smile now firmly plastered on his face.

Ah, at last. This was the Orli that Sean knew and loved.

"Pasta it is then," Sean said, flicking on the kitchen lights. He started filling a pan with water while Orlando took a seat at the kitchen table. "Why am I about to cook pasta at, what time is it? A quarter to one?"

"Because it's for me," Orli said, batting his lashes and laughing. Though the laughter sounded strained.

"Oh, yes. Because it's for you and there isn't a persho'sho's met you who wouldn't crawl through broken glass for you," Sean said softly.

"What?" Orli asked, eyes wide, stunned.

"It was a joke. I meant.. Oh, sod it. I don't know what I meant."

"Yes you do." Orli's chair scraped the floor as he pushed it back and stood up, facing Sean. "And I don't think you were calling me manipulative, that wasn't it. So what was it?"

Sean sighed, put down the packet of dry pasta he had just opened and turned his head, looking back over his shoulder at Orli.

"-I- would crawl through broken glass for you, alright? I would. If that's what it took to get to you, if that's what it took to make you see me. I mean, really see me. Then that's what I'd do."

"Why?" Orli asked in a small voice.

"Why do you think? Because, and I don't care if I'm damned to all the corners of hell for saying this, that's just the way I feel about you."

"Oh, how is that?" Orli insisted.

*Christ*, thought Sean. "What do you want from me? Haven't I said enough? I'm crazy about you, Orlando Bloom, and you drive me crazy. That, my friend, is a lot of crazy for one man to handle. Did you come into my bedroom and watch me sleep earlier?"

The sudden question took Orlando off guard. He stumbled back a step in sheer surprise, his face paling. "I.. Fuck, I.."

This was a first. Orli, stammering? Sean stared at him. To hell with pussy-footing around, he thought.

"Well? Did you?"

"I'm sorry, okay? I know it's a freaky thing to do, to just let myself in like that and.. when I knew you were at home. I just wanted to see you. If you hadn't woken up, I'd have gone out to the river by myself. I'm not some weirdo, Sean, you know that."

"So what are you then?"

Orli shrugged, one of those beautifully graceful shoulders lifting. Finally, he lifted his gaze and looked directly at Sean.

"Just someone who's crazy about you."

"I think," Sean began, taking a step towards Orli, "we've both been idiots. All this time wasted, wondering."

"A long time. Too long," Orli agreed, licking suddenly dry lips. He blinked as Sean groaned, then felt his knees seem to melt away as Sean's arms came around him and hot, soft lips descended on his.

Sean kissed like a tornado. Left nothing uncovered, tore apart all the secrets, all the weak barriers built up to protect. Nothing was safe from his tongue, his teeth, his lips. *Why,* thought Orli, *was I afraid of this?*

His fist clenched in Sean's hair, his knuckles kneaded the scalp and inside Sean's mouth, he moaned. *Breathe. I need to breathe,* he decided. Damned rational thought. He could quite happily spend his last breath wrapped up in this kiss, in Sean's strong arms. But, he told himself, there was more to come. A lot more to come, and he wanted to be alive and conscious and, yes, breathing, so that he could enjoy it.

*Woah, woah.* Rationality again. He pulled back, dazed, parting bruised lips to suck in a lungful of air. Opening his eyes, it took all of Orli's self control not to simply lean back against Sean and demand another kiss.

"What's wrong?" Sean asked, pale green eyes slightly glazed.

Orli shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. Nothing at all. I just.. I need to know where this is going."

"Where do you want it to go?"

"Me? I want to wake up in the morning and find that you're still there, in bed, beside me.ant ant to leave all of my fears at the door, not give a toss about the implications. I couldn't care less what people might think. I don't care if they know we're together, and I don't care if they know that we're happy together. I care about you, and I want to be with you. -That- is what I want. What about you?"

"Right now I want you to stop talking and start kissing. As for implications.. I love who I choose. Anyone who doesn't like it can take a long walk off a short bloody pier."

"Now who's talking?" Orli smiled, curled his hands behind Sean's neck. "I love you, too. I hope you know that."

"So, still not intending to jump me?"

Orli's smile widened into a grin. "Oh, I said that, didn't I? You know I didn't mean it. Okay, enough.. talk.. Mm."

Orlando was silenced as his mouth was claimed once more, could only wind his fingers in thick hair again, push his body as tight against Sean's as he could manage. He felt the edge of the table digging into the back of his leg, but didn't care. All that mattered was that Sean didn't let go of him, never stopped kissing him.

"Hhmm. Oh." Sean looked down, briefly, between them, then back up, finding Orlando's eyes still half-closed, struggling to open. "Let me.. take care of that?"

"Huh?" Orli looked genuinely confused. He ran his tongue over his lower lip. "Why'd you stop?"

"I want to do this."

Sean dropped down to his knees, Orli's hands still laced behind his neck. He heard the quiet rumble of a moan. Approval? Permission? Not that he would have wanted to stop and wait for either. Brow furrowed in concentration, Sean unbuckled Orli's belt and pulled it through the loops until it fell to the floor.

"Wait," Orli said. Sean's hands stilled over the button at the top of Orli's jeans.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Just.. not in here, that's all. It's your kitchen. I mean-"

"Ssh. You don't have to explain. Okay, then. Not in here." Sean stood again, took Orli's hand and walked out of the kitchen, down the hallway to his bedroom. The sheets, a mess of dark cotton, were hastily straightened before Orli stopped Sean with a swift kiss.

"We'll only mess them up again," he said quietly, slender fingers busy working loose the buttons of Sean's shirt.

"Orlando, would you do me a favour?" Sean asked.

Orli slid the last button free and nodded. "Sure."

"Keep reminding me that I'm not dreaming."

With a wicked smile that Sean had definitely not expected, Orli reached his hand beneath the loose folds of Sean's shirt and found a nipple, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger. He heard Sean's breath hitch and tilted his face up, kissing the stubbled chin above his lips. "You're not dreaming," he said, his voice rough.

"That's what I thought." His words were only a rumble in Orli's mouth as it closed over his throat.

"Time for that soon. Let me finish." Sean unfastened Orli's jeans as quickly as he could manage with the younger man all over his chest and neck with hot lips and hotter tongue.

He curled his hand inside Orli's shorts, heard the hissed intake of breath before teeth bit down on his shoulder. The bite stang but, thought Sean, it was a pleasant sort of pain. He found Orlando's mouth, opened his own over it, drove his tongue deep, shivering as long fingers slid a feathery light path down his spine, digging briefly into his backside.

Sean pushed his body into Orli's until the younger man was backed up against the end of the bed.

"Want to stand for this?" he asked breathlessly and between kisses.

Orli could only groan in response, bracketing Sean's hips with strong hands and trying to grind their erections together.

Sean sank down slowly, purposefully dragging himself along the length of Orli's body until he was on his knees again. He tugged at jeans and shorts.

Orli found himself with nothing to hold onto except for Sean, so sank his fingers once more into thick sandy hair as Sean's mouth sank down onto his erection. "Holy sh-" The curse died on a strangled moan as Sean pulled back, tongue tracing a pulsing vein.

Sean licked his lips, mouth still wrapped around Orli. Strange thing to do, he decided, but it felt good. Apparently, the whimpering mess that was now Orli agreed.

While the sides of his thumbs stroked through crisp, damp hairs, Sean's tongue worshipped every last inch of hard flesh. His throat swallowed, flexing, his teeth lightly scraped. He fixed his mouth just over the head, sucking hard. Held Orli still, held him down as his hips jumped at every touch. His swift plunge down again was Orli's undoing.

Gasping, shaking, crying Sean's name, Orli came hard into his mouth, almost tugging handfuls of Sean's hair clean from his head. "Oh, God.. Sean.." he breathed, his entire body still shuddering as Sean continued to taste.

"Fuck.." he whispered, forcing open drowsy eyes to look down at Sean. What looked like twin pale emeralds gazed back up at him, somewhat bemused. "Sean.. I think I just cashed my wish in."

Sean watched Orli's throat working as he tried to even his breath out, smiled. "Me too," he said.

"Yeah?"

"How many shooting stars have you ever wished on, Orlando? How many birthday candles? How many pennies tossed into wells?" Sean stood slowly, winding his hands around Orli's waist as he did. He kissed the younger man's throat, murmured softly, "how many wishes?"

Sean had to give him credit, Orli was definitely quick on the uptake. He found his hair being pulled at again, far more gently this time, and let Orli move his head back, smiled at the knowing grin curling that beautiful mouth. A mouth filled with promises and sin.

"I've lost count," Orli said quietly.

~tbc?~