Master Plan

 

Author:  Kinkyhobbit

Pairing:  EW/DM

Genre:  RPS

Rating:  M

Warnings:  language. 

Disclaimer:  I made it all up. As far as I know, this never ever happened.

Summary:  Back in NZ for reshoots, and Ian McKellen decides to give the boys a bit of a talking to.

 

 

 

It was lunchtime, and two hobbits and a wizard were plotting over their food.

 

“You’ve got to talk to them,” whispered Sean, thumping his fist on the table to emphasise each word. “It’s driving us nuts!”

 

“Allright, allright,” Ian replied, holding up a hand, a smile playing on his face. “Though I don’t see why you can’t do it.”

 

“I tried,” said Sean.

 

“Me too,” said Billy. “Dom told me to fuck off and mind my own bloody business.”

 

“Really?” laughed Ian.

 

“Well, probably because it was the third time in as many days that I’d tried to talk to him about it.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“But they’ll both listen to you,” said Sean.

 

Ian nodded, chewing on a mouthful of food. “You know,” he said eventually, looking thoughtful. “I do believe I have an idea.”

 

Sean and Billy grinned and exchanged glances.

 

“Now be quiet both of you, because here they come.”

 

***

After lunch, just as they headed off for more filming, Ian slipped a friendly arm around Elijah’s shoulder, forcing him to slow down and drop back behind the others.

 

“Elijah,” he said softly, and fixed him with a gaze. “What’s going on?”

 

Elijah knew exactly what Ian was getting at, and leant against him and gave him a hug.

 

“Nothin’.”

 

“Hmm. What I thought,” he replied, patting Elijah’s shoulder. “I thought you two had something special.”

 

Elijah sighed. “Yeah.”

 

“Well what have you done with it?”

 

“I just-”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Elijah sighed again. “You know how it works. It’s…people are talking and everyone’s getting shitty with us. With me.”

 

“So you gave up.”

 

Elijah glanced up ready to bite back, but the look in Ian’s eyes silenced him. He simply nodded.

 

“People expect a lot from you. They have a lot…invested…in you,” said Ian, pausing while the meaning of his words sank in. “They’re thinking of their own interests. Not yours.”

 

“But…it would affect me badly if I came out, right? We all know that. It would screw up everything. It’s silly to say it wouldn’t.”

 

“Oh I know, I know. I’m not saying that.” Ian squeezed his shoulder and leant down. “I may be an old man who doesn’t have to worry about these things anymore,” he said with a grin. “But I do remember having the same fears for quite some time.”

 

“So you know it’s damn hard.”

 

“Yes, I know. But we’re not talking about coming out. You know that’s not it.”

 

Elijah watched the ground in front of him as they trudged slowly along. “I just don’t know,” he said softly.

 

They walked in silence for a moment.

 

“You have to make a decision,” said Ian matter-of-factly. “You have to decide what is most important to you. And I’m not talking about coming out, choosing between love and your career. I’m talking about deciding exactly how much control you are going to give them over your life.”

 

They reached a point where they had to part ways and stopped, Ian turning to face Elijah, his hand resting on his shoulder.

 

“They pay you to play a part in a film. They don’t pay you to play a part in real life,” he said gently. “Your life is your own, and only you should be in control of it. You decide what you want, and then find a way to make them live with it. It should never be the other way around.”

 

Elijah nodded grimly, and looked up.

 

“It’s not too late,” said Ian with a smile.

 

Elijah smiled too. “Yeah.”

 

They hugged each other tightly.

 

“Tell you what,” said Ian as they let go. “Come to my trailer tomorrow night when we finish up. I have a present for you. It’ll cheer you up.”

 

“What’s wrong with tonight?” asked Elijah cheekily.

 

Ian frowned and waved dismissively. “Oh no, things to do, things to do,” he replied with mock seriousness. “Tomorrow night.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“See you then.”

 

***

Early the following morning, Ian cornered Dom while Billy and Sean distracted Elijah.

 

“Dominic, how are you doing?” he asked softly.

 

Dom gave him a smile. “Allright.”

 

“And how are you and…?” he waved in Elijah’s general direction.

 

The smile faded with a tired shake of the head. “Yeah, well…”

 

“He’s still learning, you know. He’s been in this business for a while but he’s never had to deal with something like this before. He’s scared.”

 

“Well so am I. I just don’t think it’s worth fucking someone over like this. I wouldn’t have done it.”

 

“You can say that for certain?”

 

“Yes. I’m just…really pissed off. I…I love him, you know? It’s as simple as that.”

 

Ian laughed softly. “It’s never simple, Dom. It complicates everything.”

 

“I don’t know what to do.”

 

“Well neither does he. Perhaps if you both put your heads together you’ll come up with something.”

 

Dom shook his head in irritation. “I can’t talk to him at the moment. I tried a few times and he just walks away, or says ‘not now, later’, and we never do. Now I’m afraid I’ll say something really unpleasant, if I get half a chance to say anything at all.”

 

“A lot of people want something from him. There’s a lot riding on these films and Elijah is a big part of it, and then there’s the other films he’s doing. You both just have to find a way to work around all that.”

 

Dom sighed. “I…I’m just so fucking pissed off with it all. I mean I know all that stuff, but part of me still says it’s nobody’s business but ours and they have no right. They have no right, Ian.”

 

“I know, but they do have a fair bit of influence. Like I said, you both need to find a way to work around it.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Together.”

 

Dom nodded. “Yeah,” he said unenthusiastically.

 

Someone called to Dom and he glanced towards them, then back to Ian. “Gotta go.”

 

“Of course,” Ian nodded. “Oh, er, by the way…I have that book I was going to lend you.”

 

Dom frowned, then remembered. “Oh yeah? Great.”

 

“You can pick it up tonight, if you like, after we finish up. It’s in my trailer, just let yourself in if I’m not there.”

 

“Okay.”

 

***

Elijah knocked at the door of Ian’s trailer. No answer, but he could see a light on. He knocked again and called out before tentatively opening the door.

 

“Ian?”

 

He stuck his head inside. No sign of Ian. The main light wasn’t on, just a lamp on a table.

 

He stepped in and glanced around. On the table near the door was a neatly folded piece of paper with “Elijah” written on it. He picked it up and opened it.

 

“Sorry, I was delayed. Wait for me. Won’t be long. Ian”

 

Elijah chuckled. “Little Gandalf humour there,” he murmured softly. “Okay.”

 

He flopped into a chair and leaned back, looking around the room. In the orange light from the lamp he spotted the wine bottle sitting on the table where the note had been. He hadn’t noticed it when he first walked in. He frowned at it. It had been opened and now had the cork stuck half in the top of it. Two glasses sat beside it.

 

He had just decided it wouldn’t be rude to pour himself a glass before Ian got back, and was in the process of doing so, when the door opened and Dom stepped inside.

 

They saw each other, and froze.

 

“I…I’ve just come to get a book,” said Dom eventually.

 

Elijah nodded, putting the bottle carefully back onto the table. He sat back down and swirled the wine gently, watching the colour, afraid to look up and furious that his hands insisted on shaking ever so slightly.

 

Dom looked around the room. There was no book to be seen. “He said, uh…he’d leave it…out.”

 

“Yeah?” Elijah glanced quickly around the room.

 

“Yeah.” Dom looked at him. “What are you doing here?” he asked casually.

 

“Oh, Ian said to drop in when we finished filming. Said he had a present for me or something.”

 

Dom nodded thoughtfully. “So where is he?”

 

Elijah shook his head. “He left a note. Said he was ‘delayed’.” He raised his eyebrows with a smile.

 

“Right,” said Dom, smiling back. He leant against the table, drumming his fingers against the edge, looking around the trailer. He wasn’t sure if he should leave or not.

 

They glanced at each other and quickly looked away. Elijah’s eyes shone beautifully in the orange light and Dom felt a fist clench tight around his heart.

 

“Where’s that damn book,” he muttered.

 

“He should be back soon.”

 

“He said to just let myself in if he wasn’t here.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Dom nodded.

 

“So he told you he might not be here?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Oh.”

 

They both thought for a moment, realisation dawning in the same instant.

 

“That sneaky old bugger,” said Dom softly, shaking his head with a smile.

 

Elijah laughed. “He means well.”

 

“Yeah.” Dom bit his lip, still uncertain. He looked at Elijah’s glass, then to the bottle and remaining glass on the table beside him. “Is that for me?” he asked softly.

 

“Suppose it is. The bottle was already open when I came in.”

 

Dom poured himself some wine and sat down opposite Elijah, their knees almost touching.

 

They sat staring at their own glasses in a long, awkward silence.

 

“So, um…how ya doin’?” said Dom eventually, then dropped his head and sighed at how utterly corny and unoriginal he was being. He shook his head and looked up to see Elijah smiling at him. They both laughed softly.

 

“Sorry,” whispered Dom.

 

“It’s okay. I’ve been thinking.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“What about?”

 

Elijah looked at him and held his gaze for a long moment before glancing at the floor. “Just…what we should do.”

 

Dom nodded thoughtfully, trying not to get too hopeful about the “we”.

 

“I’m sorry,” said Elijah eventually.

 

Dom looked up. “Me too.”

 

Neither of them looked away this time.

 

“Missed ya,” said Dom.

 

“Missed you too.”

 

Dom smiled, then took Elijah’s glass and put both glasses on the table beside him. He turned back and gently took Elijah’s hands in his own.

 

“We’ll be okay,” he said eventually. “We’ll work it out.”

 

Elijah stood, blinking away tears, and slid easily, comfortably into Dom’s lap. They held each other gently, Elijah caressing Dom’s hair.

 

Dom laid his head against Elijah’s chest. Familiar fabric, familiar heartbeat. He closed his eyes and listened to Elijah breathing.

 

“Thought I’d lost you,” he murmured.

 

Elijah kissed the top of his head. “No.”

 

Dom looked up. Elijah rested his hand upon his cheek.

 

“I don’t ever want to feel that way again,” said Dom, his voice shaky.

 

Elijah swallowed, trembling fingers brushing Dom’s lips. “Love you.”

 

He closed his eyes as Dom’s fingers slid into his hair, and warm, soft lips claimed his own.

 

 

***

Liv, Ian and Sean were in Liv’s trailer relaxing with another bottle of wine, the conversation regularly punctuated with knowing glances and giggles.

 

Ian glanced at his watch and Liv smiled at him. “I think it’s working,” she said. “They’d have come looking for you by now otherwise.”

 

Ian just sighed and sat back in his chair, a smug, self-satisfied grin on his face. “I think you might be right.”

 

There was a knock at the door, and it opened to reveal Billy.

 

“Come in, Bill,” said Liv, standing to offer him a glass.

 

“Don’t mind if I do.” He took the glass and glanced around the room. Ian sat there and grinned at him.

 

“What are you smiling at?” asked Billy with a grin.

 

“Well,” said Ian. “I’m smiling at the thought of what’s happening in my trailer at this very moment.”

 

Billy raised his eyebrows and laughed. “Really? So it worked?”

 

“Apparently.”

 

“You devious old bastard.”

 

“Hmm, yes,” said Ian, taking a sip of his wine. “Indeed.”

 

Liv raised her glass. “May he never change.”

 

They laughed and drank a toast to Ian, then another to Dominic and Elijah. Then a few more, and finally opened another bottle, and continued drinking well into the night.

 

 

Kinkyhobbit 2002

 

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