Life In A Word

Pairing: Orlando Bloom/Sean Astin
Rating: PG
Summary: Sometimes life offers us a little glimpse of a future that is different from the one that we thought we would life. It is then that it is the hardest to decide.
Author's Notes: Okay…my first RPS. Which now narrows the list of "I am most certain I will never write" down to 3. With only the Het NC 17 left as "Most certainly never."
Inspiration came in a strange form this time. My own little temptation which left me thinking for a few seconds about my own. "What if…."
Greetings to SkyBS…so much to…none at the moment ;) And to Mysti: I tried to make it Dom…but Orlando was most insistent.
Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. That means it is not true, it never happened. The author is not claiming it to be true. The author does not know and is not affiliated with any persons mentioned in this story. Nor is the author making any claims as the real life sexuality or preferences of anyone mentioned herein. Again, it's NOT true.


Temptation comes in many forms.

It can be a Person.

Someone that we want but couldn't have. Or someone that we could have but know shouldn't.

Temptation can also be a thing. Something we want to have but can't afford. Or something that we couldn't afford but wouldn't need.

When we met, he was my temptation.

The person that I knew I could get but shouldn't . The person I knew that I could fall for so easily if I found out that the interests was mutual. That was why despite my feelings I would never let him know how I feel about him.

I least I thought that I hadn't.

It was 4 Month into filming that he walked up to me at a party at the local pup. Swaying slightly with a drunken smile.

Eyes a bit too wide open and way too unfocused he leaned forward to whisper in my ear.

"I like you Sean…I really like you a lot."

He said these words to so many people. There wasn't a person around that he hadn't kissed yet.

That was just him.

Just his way of expressing himself.

He was energy compressed into a body that somes ses seemed to small for him. Maybe that was why he had chosen all those dangerous hobbies. To for a moment be farther than the limits of his body would allow him.

To fly…to sway...to glide.

For a moment to be everywhere and nowhere.

I remember when he told us about his accident those months ago. It had shocked us. Not only because of the danger that he had been in. But becauf thf the knowledge that it might have killed him. Not the fall but the confinement that it would have brought him. When he talked about it was clear that he was still affected by it.

But he made it.

Any that was why he was standing in front of me today. With a dopey smile that spoke of more than one beer…or five.

"I know Orlando. I know you do."

And Then something happened that I had no expected. As his eyes for a moment lost their daze.

For a second focused on me.

"No I don't think you really do."

And that was when I realised what he meant.

I fell speechless. Uncertain what I should say.

`I am grateful. Thank you'

`I feel for you like I do for a brother' ….which would be a lie.

`I know how you feel cause I feel the same way about you' …which might be what I felt. But which life no longer allowed me to say.

We choose our ways in life

We stand in front of the choice and choose Road A.

We stay on the Road and know that it is the right one. At least till we get a glimpse of Road B and see that there might be a change that it might have been the better one. That it would have been the one more true to us.

Like in my case.

I love my wife and my daughter.

I didn't regret marring her.

I want her childhood to be a happy one.

They were my Road A

Orlando was my Road B. The temptation. The `might have been'

Just that I was into Road A to turn back. Not without hurting the people that I love. Not on the chance that it might not last.
o loo longer was able to stray the path that I had chosen.

And just as I was desperately seeking the right answer. Help arrived in the not so shining armour but rather jeans clad form of Lij.

As tipsy as Orlando, who didn't see the force that sneaked upon him till it embraced him in a full bear hug,

For a few seconds more he held my eyes. With the question still there. And then he turned around and was Orli again. Hugging Lij back and smiling as if he didn't have a care in the world.

The moment was gone.

And for the next months I didn't think about it.

At least not till the last day that I saw him.

The breaking of the fellowship.

As painful for us in real Life as it had been onscreen.

We had the tattoo and the promise to stay in touch. And I really hoped that we would.

But only time would tell if we would be able to stay true to our promise.

Ian and John had been the first to leave 4 days ago. Followed by Viggo 2 days ago.

Today it was Orli's time.

He should have left with Viggo. Just that he hadn't been able to leave then.

Now he had too. To go home arrange a few things and then leave again for a few month of boot camp and filming of the new film.

To who knows where. With people that he didn't know. Not like he knew us.

The breaking of the fellowship.

The breaking of the family that we built.

Lij had tears in his eyes on the way to the airport leaning closer to Orli as if he could stop him from going. And even Billy and Dom where strangely silent. Only a few times they tried to lift the mood by a few jokes.

We stayed at his side till the last possible point.

Then the time of farewell had come.

We all said goodbye in our own way.

There where hugs and kisses… and tears. By all of us.

I was certain that this would be it.

But he wouldn't be Orlando if he wouldn't have one last as up his sleeve. One more thing to make this different from all the other good bye in my life.

As he leaned closer for my turn of hugs and kisses I felt a paper being slipped in my hand.

"I meant it" he whispered in my ear.

And then he left me behind puzzled.

At least till I opened the paper 2 hours later.

The others were still around. Somehow not wanting to part yet.

After all it was now only us that where left behind.

Just the hobbits.

Dom and Billy where in thechenchen with Christine. And Elijah was playing Playstation with Alexandra. I sat back in the chair and picked the note out of my pocket.

There wasn't much that stood on it.
Just a line.

"If you ever change your mind. Call me" and his phone number.

I knew I should just crumble the paper. Best throw it into the fire that was burning only a few yards away from me.

And I didn't know what actually stopped me from doing so.

I mean he had given me his phonenumber as a friend.

But on this paper it meant something different.

On this paper it was a shortcut to path B.

Maybe my only chance to stray the path that I had chosen.

Life in a word…if.

It most certainly was.

But then the moment passed by the clear laughter of my daughter as she once more managed to beat Lij. Followed by an even louder laughter as he started yet another tickler attack.

Path A…Path B

I could stray Path B

It would be so easy..so simply.

Just a few numbers.

Just a word.

Yes.

But there was no way back from Path B.

From that path there would be no more shortcut.

I closed my eyes and folded the paper to stick it back into my pocket.

Even when I knew that I would never use it.

Temptation can come in many forms.

Sometimes it can be nothing more than a simply piece of paper.


end