Without A Trace

Chapter Seventeen A New Beginning

Chapter 17   A New Beginning
 
 
Viggo lay on the beach with his eyes closed, basking in the heat of the New Zealand sun, enjoying it’s warmth and cursing the red Speedos Orlando had convinced him to buy.  He swore they were so tight that they were cutting off the circulation to his legs and other more important regions.  He sighed and tried to remember how on earth he managed to allow himself to be talked into getting them.  He frowned when the bright pink behind his eyelids suddenly became black and droplets of water splattered on his face.  A rain shower?  So suddenly?  He cracked his eyes open and found a very sodden Orlando, with water dripping from his hair, smiling down at him. “You’re blocking my sunlight.” He rasped with a grin.
 
“I’m borrowing it at the moment.” The Brit casually told the older man.
 
“Plan on giving it back any time soon?” Viggo asked.
 
“Oh, it depends…” Orlando propositioned as he shifted and sat down on the white sand right next to the Dane.  “What are you willing to give me in return?”
 
Without another word, Viggo reached up, gently gripped the younger man by the nape of the neck, and pulled him down so close that their mouths almost touched. “What are you willing to part with?” he purred, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
 
Orlando closed the remaining distance between them and lightly pressed his lips to Viggo’s.
 
Viggo groaned, and drawing Orlando closer, deepened the kiss.  He slipped his tongue between the pliant lips and parted teeth to thoroughly explore the moist hot sweetness presented to him.  He then ended the kiss with a subtle nip to Orli’s bottom lip. “I like what you’re willing to give.” He murmured as he combed his fingers through the sun drying chestnut curls. “Care to close the deal back at the house?”
 
“I think that can be arranged.” The Brit agreed.
 
“Where’s the hobbits?” Viggo inquired as he shifted and sat up.  Orlando settled closer to him and the Dane slipped his arm around the slim wet-suit clad waist.
 
“Still surfing.” Orlando informed. He sighed and rested his head against Viggo’s shoulder.
 
“Not that I mind, but why aren’t you?”
 
“Got tired.” Orli offered as an excuse.  He looked at Viggo, his rich brown eyes shining with lust. “Besides, I missed you.”
 
Viggo gave him another smile then turned and peered against the brightness of the surf, letting his eyes scan the waves until he found the four black flecks among the white water caps. “When are Billy and Dom leaving again?”
 
“Their flight leaves tomorrow mid-afternoon.”
 
Viggo nodded in sudden remembrance. “Oh, yeah.” He responded. “What about Sean Astin and Elijah?”
 
“Tomorrow night.” Orlando answered.  He shifted his head from the Dane’s shoulder and brushed his lips against the exposed skin of the older man’s neck. “We still have plenty of time for extra activities before the barbeque tonight.” Orli breathed seductively and watched goose bumps form on the skin in front of him. “Are you up for it old man?” he challenged.
 
Viggo smiled widely and looked the attractive Brit over thoroughly. “I don’t know…..twice in one day?”
 
Orlando quickly stood, grabbed Viggo’s hand, and hauled him to his feet as well. “What’s the matter? Playing out in your old age? We used to do marathons.”
 
Viggo chuckled lowly. “Hardly playing out.” He choked out. “A little stiff, maybe…”
 
Orlando gave him a quick peck on the lips. “I have ways of limbering you up.” He said provocatively low.
 
“I don’t doubt you for a minute.”
 
“How about it then?”
 
Viggo shrugged casually as though it didn’t really matter either way. “I’m game.”
 
“Good.” Orlando concluded. “C’mon.” he impatiently pulled his lover towards the parking lot where the jeep was parked.
 
“Aren’t the hobbits gonna notice that something’s up?” Viggo snickered.
 
“So.” Orlando said flatly. “Don’t try to weasel out of it, Vig.  Let them find their own way home. Besides, I’ll need some help getting out of this wet suit.”
 
“I think I can help.” Viggo offered as they made their way through the sand. He was sure Elijah and the others could conjure up some way to get home. He had great faith in them and he wasn’t about to pass this opportunity up.
 
“Then a shower’s in order.” The Brit instructed as he leaned over Viggo’s shoulder and drew an exaggerated deep breath. “I think we both need one….filthy human.”
 
Viggo laughed whole-heartedly. “Prissy elf!”
 
It had been a year now since the kidnapping and rapes.  The final shoot for the Rings trilogy had ended two days ago, and everybody was planning their future and many were heading home.
 
Viggo had accepted to play the part of a horse racing cowboy in a film called “Hidalgo” which was going to start shooting three weeks after the Dane returned to America.
 
Orlando had accepted the role of a young blacksmith turned pirate in a Disney film and would be off to the Caribbean by the end of the month to start filming. 
 
Both actors agreed to take time to visit each other on set during breaks in their very demanding schedules in order to pursue their relationship.
 
Viggo gave Orlando a warm smile and squeezed his hand gently.  It had been a very hard and trying year for the two of them, but things were definitely changing for the better.
 
After Len Cohen’s arrest and Denver Brenton’s death, Orlando was sent to a psychiatrist for treatment.  The emotional trauma of the kidnapping and both rapes had sent the young Brit into a deep depression that friends and family feared he would never climb out of.  He’d isolated himself so completely that he’d become almost catatonic.  After a brief stay at the Psychiatric unit in the hospital, coupled with intense counseling and group therapy, he slowly started to re-emerge.  Once released, he moved back in with Viggo despite the family’s objections.  Orlando’s family had hoped he would have returned to England where they could look after him and help him in his recovery.  Viggo, as much as it pained him to say it, also felt it would have been the wiser choice, telling his young love that if he went with his family, he’d definitely wait to resume their relationship once Orli felt strong enough to pursue it.  If he wished to pursue it.  The young actor, however, still steadfastly refused to leave his older lover’s side.
 
Viggo and Orlando’s relationship at first was more like a live in friendship then a relationship.  They each did their own thing.  Viggo spent his spare time, what little he had, painting and doing photography.  Orlando spent his time with Elijah, Dom, Billy, and Sean Astin.  Almost on every day off, the lot of them would most likely be off surfing, skydiving, or bungee jumping.  And if the young Brit wasn’t doing that, he could often be found sculpting, a new hobby he’d picked up while in treatment.
 
As the months passed, though, Orli started to display small hints of affection towards the American.  Nothing major, but touches, a gentle squeeze of the hand, a caress of the hair.
 
Viggo would tentatively reciprocate and be elated to find his love, more often than not, responsive. 
 
The love between them continued to advance, leading to kisses, cuddling, and occasionally, petting all of which Viggo let Orli initiate at his own pace.
 
And Orlando started to spend more time at home on his days off.
 
By the time the trial rolled around, Orlando was more like the young man Viggo had first met and fallen in love with, although intercourse was still one path they hadn’t ventured on yet.
 
During the trial period, much to Viggo’s dismay, Orlando slowly started to regress again becoming more aloof and less vocal.  He quit going out with his friends on the weekends and spent most of his time in the spare bedroom, isolating himself from everybody and everything.  He ate very little, spoke very little, and smoked a lot.  Try as he may, Viggo couldn’t penetrate the invisible barrier between them.  When he approached the young actor and tried to get him to talk about his feelings, Orli always stated that there was no use, or that he was too tired to get into it.  These constant excuses frustrated the Dane to no end and no matter how hard he tried to get Orlando to talk, he constantly ended up getting nowhere with the youth.  Many evenings Viggo went to bed alone, often waking up in the middle of the night to the mournful wails and sobs of his lover’s hidden pain.  He often just lay in bed listening to the heartbreaking cries, knowing that nothing he could offer would help the young man.  It usually took him hours to fall asleep again, if he was lucky enough to fall back to sleep, once the sobs died down and the house became silent.
 
Orlando was not charged with Denver Brenton’s murder.  The court ruled his actions as an act of self defense.
 
Len Cohen was convicted of rape, aggravated assault and kidnapping.  He was sentenced to 25 years with no chance of parole for 15. 
 
The conviction was like a tonic to the young British actor.  Viggo could visibly see the weight lift from his lover’s shoulders as they stood in the courtroom and watched as Len was escorted from the room shortly after the verdict had been reached.  As soon as the room was empty, Orlando turned to the older man, looked up at him with tearful, tired eyes, and for the first time in weeks smiled. “It’s finally over.” He breathed in weak finality.  He then stepped right up to Viggo, leaned against him, buried his face in the American’s shirt, and cried quietly in relief.
 
In the weeks that followed the trial, Orlando decided to go home to England and spend time with his family.  He told Viggo that he was going just to get away from everything, that he needed the time in order to come to terms with what had happened to him so that he could move forward with his life.  As much as it hurt Viggo to let the young man go, he agreed; for he knew it was a necessary step to make it possible for Orli to heal himself.  When Viggo saw him off at the airport he barely managed to keep hold of his conflicting emotions.  On one hand, he felt he should be the one to help his love recover, yet on the other, he knew Orlando’s family were the ones the young man needed the most right now, that they would be able to pull Orli through.  However, regardless of how rational he thought it through, he was still afraid that once Orlando stepped foot on the plane he’d never see his love again.
 
Viggo had not needed to express himself verbally for the observant Brit picked up on the American’s doubts and insecurities.  He quietly assured the Dane that he had no intentions of relinquishing their relationship.  He loved Viggo with all his heart, he had told the older man, but needed time to come to terms with everything he’d been through.  He felt trapped and smothered by it all and in order to move forward he desperately needed to do this. He then gave Viggo a light yet devoted kiss then turned and made his way through the concourse.
 
Viggo watched tearfully as the attractive brunette disappeared in the crowd.  He had never felt so insecure and lost as he did at that moment.  Tears streamed down his cheeks as he waited and watched the plane take flight then, with a heavy heart, he slowly left the airport.  Once in his car, he collapsed in the seat and broke down completely, his sobs so violent they took his breath away and shook his large frame.
 
The next day, Viggo decided to return to filming.  Pete’s shooting schedule had fallen so far behind from the continued postponements and endlessly increasing production costs that he was beginning to have doubts that he’d ever be able to finish directing and filming his life long dream.  Orlando’s presence was crucial in order to finish, but to work around the young actor’s absence, Pete choose to focus on the hobbit scenes. 
 
Viggo stayed on set in case his character was needed although realistically, he wasn’t.  The real reason Viggo stayed was because he needed to keep his mind occupied from the ever increasing fear that Orlando would not return to him.  The young man rarely rang him the whole time he was in England and with each passing day, the lack of those phone calls caused the American’s fears to escalate.
 
Everyone on set noticed Viggo’s lack of usual enthusiasm in which he portrayed his character. They discussed it among themselves and each made a point of including the Dane in their off time activities.  Occasionally Viggo agreed, and allowed himself to be dragged off to the pub by his friends for drinks or to one of their houses for a game of cards, or a little sports on television, but most of the time he declined and went home where he turned to painting to relax and painfully wait for Orlando’s return.
 
Orlando arrived back in New Zealand a week later than he had said he would.  The change in him was amazing.  He’d gained a healthy amount of weight again and a healthier attitude.  He instantly settled in at Viggo’s, much to the older actor’s relief,  returned to counseling, and by the end of his first week back, showed up at the Rings set to continue filming. 
 
Viggo and Orlando’s relationship also improved by leaps and bounds.  Orlando was more openly affectionate with his older lover, often initiating the sexual contact, and Viggo always let him set the pace, not wanting to push him into anything he may have felt ready for but truly wasn’t. 
 
The Dane was elated when he came home late one evening from a grueling day of filming, and discovered his young Brit had prepared a very romantic dinner for them.  It was a night neither of them would forget because, what had brought tears to Viggo’s eyes and emotionally moved him to the point of speechlessness, was Orli’s request for the Dane to make love to him.  It had been six months since Orli had been assaulted and raped in his trailer and up until this night they hadn’t truly been together physically.
 
After finishing the wonderful meal, Viggo took Orlando to their bedroom and made slow passionate love to him.
 
Orlando calling him broke him from his deep but pleasant thoughts. “Viggo?” the younger man asked, concern edging his voice.
 
Viggo looked about himself and was surprised to find that they were now standing at the jeep.  He turned and smiled at his lover.
 
“Thought I’d lost you there.” Orlando commented with a returned grin. “You okay?”
 
Viggo gently placed his hand to Orli’s cheek and caressed the soft skin there with his open palm.  He never got tired of touching the youth. “I’m more than okay.” He responded with appreciation. “Did I ever tell you how lucky I am to have you?’
 
Orlando leaned into the touch, nuzzling the open palm. “I believe you have.” He replied giving said palm a light kiss. “But you’re only half as lucky as I am.”
 
With tears misting his eyes, Viggo stepped closer to the brunette, shifted his hands to either side of Orlando’s face and gently guided Orli’s head up so he could look the youth directly in the eyes. “Then I’ll say it again.” He said seriously. “You aren’t near as lucky as I am.” He then slid his arm around the slight waist, pulled Orli to him, and took his mouth in a deep passionate kiss.  Orlando readily responded.
 
“I love you Orlando Bloom.” The Dane confessed once he broke the kiss. “I love you with all my heart and all my soul. I love you with everything I have.  I couldn’t live without you, angel.”
 
Orlando looked up at Viggo, tears now streaking his cheeks as well. “I can’t imagine where my life would have gone if I hadn’t found you.” He whispered softly. “You’re a very special man, Vig.  I don’t want to be with anybody else.  If you hadn’t been with me through everything that has happened I never would have made it. I would have given up.”  His voice choked off with his hard sobs so he cleared his throat quietly, then continued. “You gave me the strength to keep going, through the darkest times, even when you weren’t physically there, you were with me. You gave me light and the hope to hang on, even when I thought I’d never make it.” He looked the Dane right in the eyes with an intensity of love and devotion that burned so deep in his soul that nothing could extinguish it. “You saved me.”
 
Sobbing himself, Viggo gently reached over and caressingly tucked the unruly curls back behind his lover’s ears so that he could see Orli’s beautiful face completely.  “Ready to go home, baby?” he asked in a shaky voice as he blinked the tears from his eyes.
 
Orlando nodded. “Always.” He whispered as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Viggo’s.
 
 
THE END