The Next Level

Title: The Next Level

Author: deathskiss

Rating: R (NC-17 in next chapters); m/m, RPS

Summary: In a nutshell- Orlando and Elijah are best friends. Elijah's gay- Orlando's straight. Then Orlando gets curious. Told from Elijah's point of view.

Author note: I'm still a novice with this- I just decided that if i'm going to read so many stories on this site, I may as well try my hand at it, too.
Disclaimer: Orlando and Elijah, to my knowledge, only do this sort of thing in fan fiction stories. Not in the real world.

Feedback: Please!

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Chapter One

For two weeks after his breakup with Kate, Orlando had moped around his house, looking as lost and confused as he usually did. And like every breakup, he would call and i'd fly to London, or he'd come here to California. We'd sit on the couch, drinking wine and ordering Chinese takeout, and he'd pour his heart out, and i'd listen like a good friend and try to cheer him up. But this time, he didn't confide in me with mournful eyes as he did after every heartbreak. Instead, he drops this on me:

"Come on, luv, make me gay," he said with a teasing grin.

He knew how much I hated him calling me that. I thought maybe he was drunk, but i'd only seen him drink a couple glasses of wine. Maybe he'd had more when I wasn't paying attention. Although I was always paying attention to everything Orlando did.

But this was Mr. Straight, Teen Beat heartthrob talking! A man who could, and did, have any woman in the world begging for his attention.

There was no way he could be saying this.

Not that I hadn't dreamt of him saying that. Since I had met him 6 years ago in New Zealand, I had often wished it. And ever since then, my firends have continually told me I was insane to be mooning over a man so steadfastly straight.

When I first told him I was gay, something that I only shared with a closed-knit circle of friends, he just grinned and said "Alright, then", and gave me a pat on the back. From the beginning, he had made it clear that he was totally straight but was fine with my sexual orientation. Sure, I'd tried hitting on him in the beginning but nothing came of it. So with time, I decided that rather than lose him, I decided that having him as a best friend would be better than nothing at all. He treated homosexuality as almost a commonplace and it hardly fazed him at all. Which only made Mr Straight Heartthrob Boy even more appealing, if that was possible.


"Hey!"

Realizing that he was rapidly losing his audience, Orlando gave me a gentle nudge to bring me back to the present. "Come on, you have tagged along with me on some of my dates and you've even gone to the places that I've been. Why have you never asked me to one of your gay ..umm.. bars?"

Of course, one of his annoying traits was his persistence.

But back to his question. Why? Hmm.. perhaps it would never have occurred to me that he'd have been interested. And I wasn't such a fan of hanging out at bars anymore anyway. Too many people with digital cameras who would just love a shot of Frodo making out with a guy.
In the beginning, when I was still in shock over the fact that I was in love with a straight man, I dated incessantly. Hit every gay and wild spot in town - desperately hoping to find a man who'd match my friends amazing brown eyes and lean, sexy body. But I curtailed that activity after some time as I realized that none of them could possibly live up to such high expectations.

"Why? The bars aren't at all interesting. And.. " And the queens over there would have a field day with a A-List hunk of meat like you. I'd have to beat them off with a stick.

"C'mon, show me all your dark places." He grinned playfully and gave me another nudge.

I could have stood firm on my stand but in view of that smile, I relented but I still needed to find out for sure.

"Why do you suddenly want to go?" My eyes narrowed and I decided to push him a little. "You haven't gone gay on me, have you?"

Expecting a vehement denial, I was surprised when Orlando just smiled easily in return. "Take me there and you'll know for sure, won't you? C'mon, luv. I just want to know my very best friend. You've seen all my hangouts and yet you haven't shown me a single one of your places. I just want to get to know you better."

Did I mention earlier that I hated to be called luv? It was his best cajoling tone and he probably knew it. Usually that and that million watt smile of his always made me just wanna roll over, bend over, well practically do whatever the man wanted. And there was no doubt that he probably knew it too.

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Well, I certainly was no proof against that smile. In about half an hour, we were both standing outside Dooley's, a neighbourhood bar where everybody knew everybody else's name, but also knew how to be discreet. Out on the sidewalk, Orlando stood aside and gazed up at the name of the bar, a curious smile hanging on his lips. Dressed in a black t-shirt and crisp black khakis, he looked classic and sexy. A change from the pattered nightmares he usually wore when we went out. Of course, with that face and that body, he could look good in a burlap sack. But his taste didn't run towards sacks, it ran towards branded material with foreign names that I couldn't pronounce for the life of me.

Sensing my close scrutiny, he turned, smiled and struck a pose for me. "Well, should we go in?"

"Are you sure about this?", I asked.

"It looks like a great place. I'd never have thought..." Orlando grinned and shoved his hands into his pant pockets, trying to look innocent.

"Never have thought that it was full of fags?" I said in a decidedly mean way.

The smile on his face fell. "You know that's not how I meant it."

The disappointment on his handsome face ought to make me ashamed but I shoved the thought aside. I was suddenly grumpy. Grumpy at the fact that I was finally about to enter my favourite bar with a sexy man who wasn't mine! "I don't know. How should I know what you meant? I don't even know what gave you the idea to follow me here?"


"Look." Running his hand through his hair, Orlando sighed and stopped me as I was going in. "If you really don't want me here, I'll understand. I'll leave."

Put it in that matured, understanding manner, what could I do? He was being a nice guy and I was being a major bitch. Pasting a reconciliatory smile on my face, I shrugged. "Don't say I didn't warn you, pretty boy."

"So you do think I'm pretty, huh." His brown eyes twinkled.

Refusing to commit myself, I declined to comment and pushed open the door to enter.

As we entered the bar, a few queens at a side table turned around and checked out Orlando - which left them drooling - and had my hackles rising. The jealous bitch in me roared and threatened to lop their heads off but before I could even answer with a decent snarl, an arm snaked around my waist and pulled me back - hard against a firm, cotton-covered chest.

"You gotta protect me, luv." There was a secret smile on his face as he bent down and nuzzled my neck.

For the first time since puberty, I was afraid that my voice practically squeaked when I answered, "What the hell are you doing? Get off me."

"Maybe later," Orlando whispered into my ear. Seeing the shock on my face, he laughed and released me. "Come on, let me buy you a drink, stranger."

For a whole minute, I stood there staring at him. What was up with him?

Straddling a seat at the bar, he beckoned to me with a crook of his finger and a smile. As I said before, I simply couldn't resist the man. And I doubt anyone could resist that look in his eyes.

Taking the seat beside him, I ordered my drink and made a vow to sit there stoically silent. Not only had he invaded one of my private sanctums and ventured into the gay world, now he'd even made what I would have termed a come-on from any other man but him. Recalling his actions tonight, I simply couldn't find any reason for the way he was acting. Maybe Orlando wasn't telling a lie and he was just trying to enjoy himself for the night. Maybe he was really high on crack?

So it was with some suspicion that I turned to him and looked at him. His eyes looked clear and he didn't seem to be on anything although he seemed to be in a little too good a mood for someone who had just been dumped by someone he'd termed the best lady he'd ever met.

Crossing his arms, he leaned a little back and grinned at me. "I can practically see the little wheels in your head turning, Frodo. Trying to analyze my every move."

Then the man had the gall to laugh. "Oh God, you are just t-too much!"

"What's the real reason you wanted to follow me, Orlando?"

It was my mean tone and he knew it. Immediately, his grin faded. "Come on, I really meant it earlier. I just want to hang out with my very best friend. Is it too much to ask for you to just lay off the amateur psychoanalyzing and just enjoy yourself with me?"

Amateur! Who was he calling amateur? But nevertheless, I managed to relax a little and returned his smile. "Okay, I believe you. But I am still gonna keep an eye on you."

Apparently cheered by that fact, Orlando gave me a warm pat on the back. "That's what I'm counting on, luv."

The drinks arrived and I took a sip of mine. "So what do you plan to do here?"

Orlando just shrugged. "Just hang out, I guess. Check out the crowd, that kinda thing."

Taking a quick glance around the room, I saw that there were already more than a few guys in the bar who'd definitely noticed Orlando's presence. "If you ask me, the crowd's already checking you out."

"Jealous?"

For a minute, I was tempted to tell him the truth. That my evil queen bitch persona was aching to claw a few roving eyes out and roast them over a slow fire. And then tie a sign around his neck proclaiming my ownership. But I suppressed that thought and answered blithely, "You keep on wishing, Elf-boy." We decided to get a table near the back corner of the bar, and ordered another round of drinks.

We sat down, and, without warning, he put his arm around me again and pulled me close. "Don't worry, the only man I'm leaving the bar with tonight is you."

His arms remained around me and I could have moved aside like I had tried to earlier but I didn't. And anyway, occasionally when something got to him, he could be way more persistent. Secondly, the cologne he was wearing was simply intoxicating - especially when mixed together with the melange of soap, fresh air and the spice that was Orlando Bloom.

"Hey Elijah, long time no see!"

Paul, a guy who i'd dated casually a few months back, walked over to our table and sat down.

"Hey Paul. Uh, this is an old friend, Orlando Bloom."

Paul looked him up and down. "Of course I know who you are. Is there anyone in the world who doesn't?" He continued molesting Orlando with his eyes for another minute, then said with a wicked grin, "I hope you know what a sweet little treat you've got next to you, Mr. Bloom. "


Instead of getting pissed off and proclaiming his heterosexuality to the world, my man there just grinned back in return. "And I intend to keep him."

If my eyes could have bugged out, it would have. As it was, I could barely stammer out a reply. "Paul, he's just kidding. We're not together, we're just friends and he's -"
I was about to beat out the jungle drums to yell out an affirmation of his macho heterosexual masculinity but I had no time. In a flash, he had those incredible lips pressed against mine and I was finding out the reason he has flocks of wild women screaming his name every night. The man could kiss.


When he released me, I was tempted to go into a swoon and drop to the floor like one of those damsels in a romance novel. Not only could those incredible lips do wonders, that tongue of his clearly deserved a medal too. "W-what -"

"Only friends, huh." His deep brown eyes twinkled. "Friends who fuck around, maybe."

"What the- "

Watching us with a delighted smile, Paul couldn't help teasing me. "Looks like you've got yourself a winner, I think."

"I don't have him. He's not mine." I insisted helplessly.

Leaning close, Orlando squeezed my hand. "Aw come on, baby. Why argue the facts? I'm yours. You sure yelled it out loud enough last night."

The shock after the kiss had worn off and I stared at him. What the hell was the man up to? Was the gay air in the bar affecting him?

Laughing at Orlando's frank admission, Paul wished him luck and went on to look for someone to go home with. The minute he was out of ear's reach, I flipped out.

"What the hell was that about?", I demanded to know. Part of me wanted to quickly wipe my mouth before I got irrevocably addicted to Eau de Orlando but part of me couldn't help lingering over the amazing aftertaste.

There was that secret look on his face again. "Didn't you like it?"

I rarely lied and I didn't intend to start tonight so I just gave him a quick nudge hoping to make his kiss look as harmless as it was probably intended to on his part. After all, how would the man know that his kisses left my knees feeling weak. "Don't do it again."

A triumphant smile blossomed on his face. "I'll try."

"And wipe that smile off your face."


For the next hour, we talked about the regular things; sports, film projects, music. As promised, he didn't make another pass at me nor did he make a grab at me which relieved me considerably. Of course I simply didn't want to think of the tiny bit of disappointment that I was feeling too.

"You're drifting again," Orlando complained.

"No, I am not!" Realizing that I was probably doing what he'd said, I amended it. "Well, maybe but I was just thinking."

"Of what?"

Taking in the view of the bar, I smiled. "Thinking that every gay man in the bar must be wishing they were in my seat."

Raising a curious dark brow, Orlando asked me what I meant by that.

It was pretty obvious what I meant and I simply couldn't believe that he could be oblivious to the looks he had been getting. Throughout the evening, half the gay boys in the bar had been making passes at him. "You know what I mean."

"No, I don't." Flashing a quick teasing smile at me, he shrugged and threw up his hands in surrender. "Hey, sometimes you say some pretty deep stuff and it takes some time for my poor lil' brain to digest it. Take pity on me."

That 'Aren't I the cutest thing' look didn't work on me. "You know you're a good-looking guy. I don't have to tell you that. Without me as your ball and chain, I think the boys in here would be all over you like hungry vultures over a particularly delectable bone."

In the midst of lifting up his mug, he put it back down again. Carefully, he kept his gaze on the table. "You paint quite a picture, Elijah."

"I do, don't I?" His uncharacteristic response puzzled me. I thought it would get a laugh out of him. He certainly enjoyed laughing.

"But they don't know me as well as you. All they see is a pretty front, all bright smiles and cheekbones. You know me, warts and all." Suddenly, he looked up from the table, his eyes gazing into mine with an unerring focus. "How about you, 'lij? Do you find me attractive? Even with the warts and all."

Those eyes had put me under a microscope and I wiggled under it, trying to find a way to evade the question. It had never occurred to me that Orlando would suffer from low self esteem. He was gorgeous, witty, wealthy, intelligent, popular. What else could the man possibly want?

I answered cautiously, watching his expression closely. "Orli, I think anyone would be lucky to have you as a boyfriend."

He clearly wasn't pleased with my carefully worded answer. "I don't want what anybody thinks. What do you think?"

Well, lying certainly wasn't an option and I never could do it to him. "Yes, I think you are attractive. If you were in the bar alone, I'd probably be buying you a drink."

Apparently, I succeeded in my intent and received a warm smile from him. "I'd have let you buy me breakfast too."

The implication of what he said made me laugh. "Get out of here!"


Downing the last gulp of his beer, Orlando sighed. "I think that's enough for my first introduction to gay life." He smiled and gave my hand a squeeze. "Want to go?"

The sudden body contact had me pulling my hand away on reflex but the man had anticipated it and he held on tight. He made no comment but his eyes spoke volumes.

Unfortunately, I simply couldn't decipher him today and I quickly mumbled my assent.
"Yeah, it's getting late. Let's go home."