Snow, 1/2

[govi20.livejournal.com]

Title : Snow #40, part 1/2, on this CristmasTable

Pairing : Sean/Viggo

Rating : R

Warnings : RPS, excessive schmoop

Archive : Rugbytackling, switch_bottoms, viggo_cursive

Authors :

[Bad username or unknown identity: mooms (Viggo) [info]govi20] (Sean)

 

DISCLAIMER : Just for fun, not for profit. All lies.

~Sean~

It’s been a long drive to Idaho and even though I've been here before, it’s really hard to recognize anything now it’s all covered in snow. It’s beautiful, the trees all green and white, just like Christmas should look like, but hardly is nowadays. Not much snow in London any more and certainly not in Los Angeles.

For the moment it has stopped snowing – making driving a bit easier – but the sky has that specific color, and I know there’ll be much more snow before the evening. I shift a little in my car seat, I am beginning to feel tired, but it’s not far now anymore. It will be great to spend a few days here, and then leave in time to be back in England on Christmas Day.

I can’t wait to see Viggo again, it’s been a while and I took his offer with both hands. Remote as it is, it’s ideal for having a rest after a crazy year. I smile when his cabin comes in sight. Smoke is coming from the chimney, so I know we can sit by the fireplace. When I stop the car, he’s in the open door already. He’s skinny as always after filming, and the grey in his hair is more evident – as in mine - but his smile is the same as always and I hug him tightly, glad to see him.

In the living room the fire is burning brightly and a decorated Christmas tree is spreading the glow of the many burning white lights in it. I kick off my shoes and get all comfortable in one of his big armchairs while I listen to his banter coming from the kitchen. A few minutes later we’re having coffee and we talk a little. He suggests we take a long walk this afternoon, and promises me a copious dinner as a reward.

The scenery must be stunning now, so I have no objections to that walk at all, but I protest a little, just for the show, before I give in. We fall into a comfortable silence and I think about how I can’t think of anyone I ever felt so relaxed with, so familiar. That’s a strange thought for a man who’s been married three times, but that’s how it is.

When we’ve finished our coffee, I get my suitcase from the car and put my stuff in his guestroom. There’s a small decorated Christmas tree on a table near the window and I turn around and thank him. He’s smiling, but his eyes are serious when he speaks.

“I love having you here Sean, it’s been too long. “

Then he goes back to the living room while I change into something more suitable for a long walk. Two sweaters, woollen socks, my parka and a pair of snow boots : when Viggo says a long walk, he’s probably serious. Luckily I came prepared.

Viggo’s waiting for me outside, grinning broadly when he sees my outfit.

“Where do you think we’re going Sean ? Alaska ?”

‘I’d walk anywhere just as long as it’s with you,’ I startle myself thinking. Now where did that come from ?

“I know you and your walks,” I say instead. “We might be having dinner at midnight if I am lucky, you nature boy !”

 

~Viggo~

You know how, when you’re a kid and you’re really excited and anticipating something good, like Christmas, say, you feel that squirming in your stomach and can’t keep still ? The days and hours seem to stretch for an eternity and then, when the moment actually arrives, you positively bounce to

meet it ?

 

Well that’s how I’ve been feeling about Sean’s impending visit, ever since I put the ‘phone down, scarcely believing he’d agreed  for us to spend some pre-Christmas time alone together .

 

Of course we became close friends on set in new Zealand and we’ve managed to keep in touch over the past six years, although the times we’ve  been able to get ourselves in the same actual space have been far and few between. Solitude usually suits me, but suddenly, I feel the need to see Sean as a physical ache.

 

There is something about Sean that really grounds me, just the sound of his voice or the sight of him. I feel more relaxed with him than with any other person, except my son.

 

I haven’t been able to concentrate on a thing this morning, so my heightened senses hear his car coming up the lane and I spring out of my chair and greet him at the door, grinning from ear to ear.

 

Fuck ! He’s looking good ! Somehow, the older he gets, the hotter he gets. His hair is tinged with grey now, just like mine, but he still moves with that innate grace, barely controlled power just under the surface and when he smiles in greeting, his face lights right up and I feel it in my gut, not to mention my pants.

 

Hey, steady, Viggo, down boy. He is your friend. Your valued friend, so don’t be getting those ideas. A good, brisk walk in the snow will be the perfect, healthy antidote.

 

I show him to the guest room and it’s so good to have him here that I tell him so, honestly. Definitely time for that walk !

 

He comes out dressed for a polar expedition and it is just so endearing ! I ask him if he thinks we are going to Alaska. He pauses for a beat before he makes his jokey reply and I kind of feel that he wanted to say something else, but it’s probably just my wild imagination reading stuff into things.

 

We set off at a brisk pace, our breath making little puffs of cloud in the cold air.  And talking of clouds, I need to keep my eye on those snow clouds and not take us too far away from the shelter of the cabin.

 

Our feet crunch satisfyingly in the virgin snow and we chat happily together, as we walk, falling so easily into this comfortable fellowship. After a while we are re-living crazy moments from back in new Zealand and laughing like school kids.

 

Then Sean needs to pee and he writes his name in the snow and I have to write mine bigger, which sets us sniggering again and I’m not sure who throws the first snowball, but soon we are engaged in a pitched battle and I feel eleven years old again.

 

I am losing and I can’t have that, so I launch myself at him, knocking the breath out of him and suddenly we are a human snowball, rolling over and over down a small hill, laughing breathlessly.

 

We come to an abrupt stop at the bottom and I find that we are lying in a parody of the death of Boromir, Sean against a broad old tree trunk and me between his legs.

 

Our eyes meet and suddenly, we are not laughing any more.

 

 

~Sean~

It’s good to be outside in the crisp air, it’s cold, but not too much and the scenery is stunning. We talk about everything, and again I realize how easy it is to pick up the friendship with Viggo again. For the first time in months I feel really good, mentally and physically, balanced in a way.

It’s always been like this between us, this kind of easy friendship, from the beginning. I don’t trust people easily, but it didn’t take me long to trust Viggo. He’s the most sincere person I know and I think we are totally honest with each other. I feel like I could tell him anything. Well, almost anything that is.

When I need to piss, not surprisingly it ends up in a competition. One thing leads to another and before I know it we are throwing snowballs. When the evil bastard knows he can’t win, he takes a leap and tackles me, We’re rolling over in the snow, laughing like madmen until I thump into a tree. I lay on my back and Viggo lies almost on top me.

‘Like Aragorn and Boromir,’ I think and I clearly see he thinks the same thing. Our laughing has died away and we look into each other’s eyes. The message I read in his, makes me swallow, for a moment I feel the urge to just grab his arms and pull him on me, feel that familiar weight again.

But I hesitate too long and I am relieved when he gets onto his feet and reaches out to get me onto my feet. We busy ourselves with getting the snow off our clothes, so we don't have to look at each other right now, and when we start walking again, we’re almost back to normal.

“We should be getting back Sean, there’s some serious snowfall coming,” he says looking at the sky. We walk back in companionable silence and we have the cabin already in sight when the snow starts falling down. My face is tingling and I can’t help feeling almost the same feeling in my stomach when I think about that little scene at the tree.

It must be the healthy air making me horny I decide, while we go into the cabin and I am peeling of a few layers of clothes. Viggo disappears in the kitchen after refusing my help, so I slump down in the chair again, after seeing to the fire in the fireplace .

Pretty soon I get real drowsy and staring into the flames I doze off.

 

~Viggo~

 

Back at the cabin, I turn down Sean’s offer of help with dinner and head for the kitchen. I want him to rest after the long drive and the walk, but mainly I need a little space to process what is going round in my head.

 

I call into the living room, to ask him if he wants a drink, but I don’t get a reply, so I take a quick look and see that he has stirred up the fire, thrown on another couple of logs and is sleeping contentedly in the glow. Good.

 

I put out the lights in there and slip back into the kitchen.

 

Taking a deep breath, I try to focus on preparing dinner and my first step is to open a bottle of red wine and pour myself a glass, then I put on the oven and start chopping.

 

I am making  honeyed roast duck , ‘cause we have a kind of inside joke about ducks, ever since Sean heard my duck story, from when I was a little kid. It strikes me for the first time that he hoards pieces of information from my childhood, like I do from his.  My favourite is how he went to his first football match aged around seven. It was winter and dark, under floodlights and the excitement, the lights, the crowd all combined to thrill him and bestow his lifelong love of the game and allegiance to his beloved Blades. I smile fondly and take another sip of wine.

 

The best part of a bottle and a lot of warm thoughts about Sean later, I am feeling pretty relaxed, but my mind is no clearer, really. The dinner is almost ready, smelling divine. It occurs to me that I haven’t eaten since breakfast and nor has Sean, so I go into the living room to wake him.

 

I decide not to put the lamps back on and go around the room, lighting candles , then I stand and just drink in the sight of Sean, still sleeping in front of the fire. The flames are bathing his face in a golden light, which really suits him, sleep erasing the lines in his face and making him look boyish, in spite of the silver in his hair.

 

His chest rises and falls gently and his long, sensitive fingers rest on the arms of the chair, while his long legs are stretched out and his feet are bare. Like mine. It is like I have my own sleeping beauty and it is so tempting to wake him with a kiss.

 

No! I pull myself up, before I do something we might both regret. I can’t risk damaging this friendship and though I am sure of Sean’s strong affection for me as a friend, he is uncompromisingly heterosexual. We are so relaxed together that I couldn’t bear any discomfort between us. Shouldn’t have drunk the wine on an empty stomach !

 

Decisively, I stand and return to the kitchen, opening another bottle of wine and pouring a glass for Sean. Returning to his side, I sink to my knees, glass in hand and shake him gently.

 

“Sean, wake up. Dinner is ready !”

 

In spite of my resolve, I swallow hard, as he opens his eyes and looks at me, unfocused for a moment, then realizes, where he is and who I am , rewarding me with that dazzling smile.

 

He stretches, takes the glass from my hand and says.

 

“About bloody time, mate !”

 

~Sean~

Viggo wakes me up to tell me dinner is ready, kneeling at my chair with a glass of wine in his hand. For a moment I am dazed, but then I remember where I am. Viggo’s face is flushed, probably from cooking, his hair all tousled and I can’t help but smile.

“About time, mate, !“ I say, take the glass of wine out of his hand and follow him to the dinner table. There are candles burning and the delicious smell of home made food hangs in the air. I realize how he managed to do this all on his own while I just slept and I feel a bit ashamed, promising myself I will return the favour tomorrow.

When I look out of the window I notice it’s still snowing, a thick white carpet covering everything, making even my car almost invisible. It’s beautiful, but it makes the remoteness of this place more clear than ever.

“That’s a lot of snow Vig !”

“Yes, it is, and I am afraid we will have a lot more too. It looks like we might be cut off from the rest of the world for a while.”

I stare at him, trying to find out whether he’s serious, but he probably is. For a moment I wonder how it would feel to be here for days, weeks even, just the two of us.

“Don’t look so shocked Sean, I always keep provisions here, you won’t starve. There’s enough beer too ! Sit down and lets eat, you must be very hungry.”

He’s right, I am, so we eat the roasted duck, which is delicious and so are all the condiments. We both eat until we can’t anymore and shove our plates aside. It was a great meal and I tell him so. Then I remember something and I get up.

“I’ll be right back,” I say and go to the guestroom, returning with a parcel. “I’ve brought you something, it reminded me of you when I saw it at this art gallery I visited. It’s made by Suhas Roy, an artist I discovered when I was in India doing Challenge.

He tears away the paper I wrapped it with and then holds the framed canvas in his hands. He doesn’t just look at it as most people would, but examines it thoroughly, focussing at the bright colours and specific composition. He looks up, a strange expression on his face.

“Did you really buy this especially for me Sean?”

When I nod, a bit shy, he draws me close and hugs me. His face only a few inches from mine we look each other in the eyes. I must fight the strange urge to close my eyes, and I smile at him weakly.

“Thank you so much Sean, it’s beautiful,” he says and then he bends over and kisses my cheek, very near to the corner of my mouth.

 

~Viggo~

Dinner is a great success and we drink another couple of bottles of wine. Sean compliments me on the meal and I feel really proud that I have pleased him.

 

He gets up quickly and comes back with a package, which he holds out to me almost shyly, telling me it’s something by the artist he discovered in India. I unwrap it with reverence and it is beautiful. The artist seems to portray a dream world, somewhere between sensuality and innocence, romantic and yet mystical and dark. It is a world, which speaks to me and  the perfect gift.

 

I am overwhelmed at the thought that he chose it specially for me, so I have to ask him, to have him confirm it and he nods, actually blushing. I can’t resist pulling him into my arms and hugging him, then I pull back, looking into his eyes and he seems to be in a kind of a daze.

 

His lips are so close to mine and so very tempting, that I have to fight the urge to crush my mouth against his. He is practically sitting in my lap and I am very much aware that I am as hard as I have ever been. I thank him and quickly, lean in and kiss him almost chastely on his cheek, but tantalizingly close to his mouth.

 

Sean looks at me kind of stunned, a series of expressions crossing his face in quick succession. I see the shyness again, then surprise, then something like confusion and finally regret, as I stand up and move to prop the picture on the dresser.

 

Oh, God, I want so much to hold him again and kiss him properly and maybe he also wants that , but I really don’t want to call this one wrong, so I tell him that I got something for him, too and I run over to the tree and rummage until I find his package. As I hand it to him, it is my turn to be shy.

 

Sean takes it from me and moves to sit on the couch, in front of the fire, before he starts to unwrap it. When he does, he gives a cry of delight and I swear that I am blushing now.

 

I made him a collage of my most private photographs from the Rings shoot , pictures that I never showed anyone outside the circle of our fellowship. It documents our friendships and all those unique moments, which made that film such a memorable and life-changing experience. I made the frame myself and the whole thing was a labour of love.

 

Sean is racing each picture with his finger, exclaiming at the memories evoked by each one, then he looks up at me, glowing with happiness and not an inconsiderable amount of red wine.

 

“Thank YOU, Vig ! This is beautiful and so are you !”

 

He leaps up, pulling me down onto the couch beside him and kisses me, full on the lips.

 

Comments

[halszka.livejournal.com]

Ow! They are lovely, sexy and you write them perfectly. I 'm waiting for part two.

[mooms.livejournal.com]

Thank you ! Part two tomorrow !

[alex-quine.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the attraction of fresh, white, snow-covered landscapes at Christmas (at least for those of us who don't habitually get snow in Winter) has something to do with muddy reality being temporarily blanketed under a clean covering - personally I'd settle for a hard frost to make the world sparkle for a while, but it seems to offer an opportunity to suspend the mundane and the ordinary. Your characters are taking the chance to move beyond the everyday assumptions...looking forward to see where it takes them. Thanks for posting.

[mooms.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comment. Will post the rest this evening.

[marius2045.livejournal.com]

...soon we are engaged in a pitched battle and I feel eleven years old again

I just love Viggo thinking that. :)

Very nice, I can't wait to read the next chapter!

[mooms.livejournal.com]

Thank you !

[rifleman-s.livejournal.com]

"...and again I realize how easy it is to pick up the friendship with Viggo again. For the first time in months I feel really good, mentally and physically, balanced in a way. "

I never fail to be astonished how well you two capture these two together . . . weaving in snippets of 'real' life into the fiction.

This was such a lovely, romantic tale - two shy friends wanting more but uncertain how to proceed. Thankfully Sean's come to his senses . . . looking forward to the next part already!

[govi20.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for your so very kind f/b, it's very much appreciated !