(no subject)
Title: L'Acteur
Chapter: Thirteen. A Goddamned Reptile House.
Author:
slasher48 /
bad_bad_books
Rating: R
Pairing: Vammie hehehehe
Disclaimer: I am me, and I am poor. Thus, I don't own these lucky rich bastards.
AN: The chapters may start taking a little bit longer to finish, darlings, since up til now, I had most of them written. I only have half of the next written but it should still be up in two days. After that, who knows.
The First Meeting
The Wrong Idea
Gone Too Far
Don't Apologize
Thirteen Is Old Enough
Real Important
Reality's The Nightmare
Go To Dinner With Me?
What The HELL Would He Wear?
Was He Really That Lucky?
So He Wrote On
How Has It Changed?
They spent the next three days only with each other, laughing and learning to love each other more and more.
Bam learned that Ville loved to draw him. He could be doing nothing special, just sitting in silence or watching television, and Ville would find him interesting enough to spend hours painstakingly sketching him.
Ville learned that Bam loved to break everything. In the course of three days, he’d cracked three glasses, shattered a beer bottle on the kitchen floor, destroyed six of Ville’s favorite candleholders, and snapped the coffee table in half.
Of course, most of this was done while they were on top of things, and Bam was definitely not paying attention to how flimsy the wood was or where his hands were flying. Ville couldn’t even be mad at the end of it all; the sated, satisfied smile on Bam’s face after they both came down from the post-coital highs wiped away any semblance of anger Ville might have held on to.
Bam also learned that Ville was an amazing actor. While helping him rehearse his lines for an hour or two, Bam watched every expression on his face, listened to every change of his tone, paid attention to every little thing, and was mesmerized. If Ville couldn’t sell a movie, he decided, then absolutely nothing could sell said movie.
Ville learned that his Bammie was the perfect companion to an actor, a fantastic director. Bam would stop him when he felt it necessary, saying, “No, do it like this,” or “Vil’, give me a more hurt look. That’s it.” Through their tiny hours of practice, Ville learnt more about how to act properly than he ever had at the Academy or out in the world.
And when Ville got it right, they would make love ‘til the sun came up; quite the incentive, that. The sight of Bam’s eyes fluttering while his toes curled and he moaned Ville’s name sent Ville through the more tedious scenes with flourish, his body anxious to connect with Bam’s again.
Neither of them thought that things would be this way, and though Ville was still haunted by the guilt and the imminent doom of things to come, he couldn’t be happier than he was with Bam.
*
Of course, even the happiest sojourns away from reality must come to an end.
Ville’s did on Saturday when Bam had to leave to go to work. He begged to come with, not wanting the time to think that being away from his sweetheart would bring. Time to think meant time to agonize over what the future would bring.
Bam insisted that he’d love Ville along, but that as this was his first day on the job, he wasn’t sure that Rollins would be pleased. He tugged his binder off of a cluttered work desk and kissed Ville sweetly on the lips, before with a “Bye” and “I love you” he was off.
Bam leapt into his Hummer, cheerful as always with his best friend now his lover. He drove speedily to the zoo exhibit Leon had addressed and stepped out of the car with a grin, his binder under his arm, chock full of new ideas for the commercial.
He was actually humming as he made his way to the door of the exhibit, mood buoyed by the man waiting for him back home.
...The quiet, pretty melody caught in his throat when he walked in.
There were snakes. They were everywhere, seeming to box him in as the doors closed behind him. Not only snakes but lizards, tortoises, and other slimy, repulsive things such as that.
Bam's first instinct was to run, far and fast the way he had come, and not to stop until he was safely under his bed fifteen miles away.
If he hadn't caught sight of his boss coming toward him with an excited smile, he probably would have.
But, as it were, he did.
Why, oh why had he said yes to a Reptile exhibit? Couldn't it have been a building full of screaming monkeys slinging dung or something else easier?
"Bam, welcome!" Leon's voice, happy and impressed, broke through Bam's inner musings. "Did you bring your binder?"
Bam turned his eyes away from a rather scary-looking six foot long boa and swallowed so he could speak again. "Yeah-uh, yes, sir."
"Fantastic! Hey, Carlo, come over here for a sec, will ya? Want you to meet someone!" He beckoned to someone Bam couldn't see, a black haired someone standing over by a cage with a sleeping Komodo dragon.
The man jogged over and shook Bam's hand as he was introduced by Leon. "Great to finally meet you, kid. Leon says you're the next Spielberg, and he doesn't say shit like that often."
Bam could feel himself flush, but he didn't smile; he was too busy staring into the yellow eyes of the snake across from him and swallowing repeatedly to keep himself from squeaking when he spoke. "Yeah, thanks. Nice to meet you, too."
Lucky for Bam, Leon didn't notice his preoccupation. "Let's get to work, shall we?"
Bam nodded and reluctantly followed Leon to a cage with a slightly smaller black cobra in it, gulping back his fear. "So, what are we gonna do first?"
Leon grinned, placated by Bam's eagerness. "We have to wait for the animal expert first before we let the snake out, Bam," he said with sarcasm in his tone, punching Bam's shoulder teasingly.
Bam's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "L-Let it...out?" A snake in a cage was one thing but one free to attack Bam as it wished twisted Bam's gut with terror. He unconsciously took a few steps back from the cage as his eyes followed the flick of the forked tongue rapidly in and out of the snake's mouth. "Couldn't we just shoot it i-in there?"
Leon turned with a raised eyebrow to Bam, having noticed the barely perceptible stammer. "Have you a problem with shooting the snake out of the cage, Bam?"
Bam paused a moment to quickly mentally weigh his options and after a second's deliberation, decided that lying was the best course. It was his first job after all; he had to act professionally despite the paralyzing fear threatening to overcome him.
"No, sir. I'm just fine." Bam stepped toward the cage with a grimace, wishing he was anywhere but there.
When Harold Greer, the animal specialist arrived, Bam couldn't prevent himself taking ten large steps back. He told Leon it was for a lighting trick and held his breath against the scream fighting to leave his lips as the three men unlatched the cage and Greer dragged the snake out and around his neck.
Carlo filmed the whole thing with an earnest interest, sidestepping Leon and Harold to get the best angle he could.
"Bam, come over here and direct Mr. Greer with the snake, please," Leon said, a tinge of exasperation in his voice.
"O-Okay," Bam agreed, dragging his feet all the way over to the other two men and whispering directions.
Suddenly, the snake hissed harshly, pinning Bam with yellow-green eyes and flicking its tongue angrily. Bam backed away anxiously, eyes never leaving the dangerous animal.
That was it. There was no way he could direct snakes and snake handlers. He'd just have to pick another career. Bam flipped open his phone easily and speed dialed Ville, shaking in his sneakers as he stared fearfully at the snake.
"Hei?" Bam almost literally collapsed at the soothing tone of Ville's voice.
"Willa?" Bam's voice broke and he cursed, embarrassed at falling apart in front of Ville.
Instantaneously, Ville's voice went from curious and welcoming to intense and alert. "Bammie? What's wrong, love?"
The snake was writhing, trying to unwind itself from around Greer's neck, wanting whatever was on Bam; he knew there was a mouse in the apartment! It must have sensed it somehow on his shoes and wanted the mouse in question.
Bam stumbled over his words as he rapidly walked backwards away from the snake, tears of horror coursing down his cheeks without his knowledge. "V-Ville, I need you. A s-snake." Then he fainted dead away, the cell phone clattering to the tile floor of the exhibit hall.
Leon rushed over to him. “Get him a doctor, but don't move him. He needs to be able to be found by that Ville person when they get here. But that bump on his head looks pretty serious; I'd suggest a paramedic bring a cold compress or something of that sort."
*
Bam woke up just as Ville's car pulled up; his eyes immediately flew to where the engine's roar had come from and he yelled for Ville, trying to sit up and swaying as the pain in his head hit him. He started to cry, sniffling and trying to hide it from his boss, who stood shocked on the sidelines as paramedics tried to fill him with pills and lecture him at the same time.
Ville ran to the shaking form of Bam and scooped him up tenderly into his arms. "Sh, sh, it's okay now, Bammie, darling; you're totally safe. You know Willa won't let that big bad snake get you, right?" He talked to Bam like he was four again, appealing to the age he acted when he was shit scared. Bam nodded and whimpered into his neck, wrapping his arms around Ville's back and pressing himself as close as possible. His heart was still pounding and his eyes were still wet, but he was calming at the soothing stroke of Ville's long fingers up and down his back and the smooth, gentle tones of Ville's voice murmuring words of comfort.
"I-hate-snakes, Vil'," Bam muttered in an agonized, frightened tone and Ville nodded with a soft smile, smoothing down Bam's frenzied curls and kissing his cheek.
"I know, love. I remember."
Leon, even with his usually crisp, hard exterior, couldn't help but smile at the picture the two of them made. "Hello, Ville. I'm Leon Rollins; I assume you're his boyfriend?"
A flash of pain filled the jade eyes for a second, so short Leon couldn't tell whether or not he'd been seeing things. "Yes and his best friend. And as both, I take it as my responsibility to ask what the fuck were you thinking making him work in here?" Those expressive eyes had narrowed so quickly that Leon had missed it, and now a scowl twisted the usually beautiful features. The fury, the protectiveness, was obvious.
Leon was immediately sheepish and guilty, apologizing profusely before he'd even really decided to do so. "I'm sorry, Ville, I really had no idea of Bam's ophidophobia or even the fact that he felt remotely uncomfortable about reptiles. He never mentioned a thing on Monday when I told him that this was his first project, I swear."
Ville sighed as the date became clear; he must have really distracted Bam that day to keep him from noticing that he was filming in a goddamned reptile house.
"You're forgiven, but you better never try to force him to do something like this again. He better also get to keep his job. He can't help his snake fear, you know." Ville's eyes blazed, daring Leon to say no. Bam grinned into his lover's chest as he heard Leon sputter and then reluctantly agree.
"Buh-wha-I...Alright, he can stay."
Ville looked appeased, tucking Bam's binder between the younger man and him, tossing it onto the seat of his car carelessly when they reached the door. He gently unwound Bam's arms from around his neck and set him in the seat, meeting still blurry blue eyes with a sigh.
"You're alright now, darling. Do you think you can drive?"
Bam shook his head, though he had no doubt he had enough clarity. He was quite enjoying Ville taking care of him like a little kid again and he wanted to milk it for all he could get. "No, I'm still a bit lightheaded. Tell Leon to send the Hummer later."
Ville yelled said instructions at the director and got a nod, so leaving Bam with one last deep kiss, Ville swung around to the driver's side and slid in, flicking the on switch to the radio and zooming out of the parking lot. Bam relaxed a little more with every yard away from the reptile house they drove, eventually almost lulled to sleep by the low sound of Ville singing along with the Neil Young on the radio and the humming purr of the engine. His eyes were closed and he'd nearly drifted into oblivion when the car pulled into their driveway and stopped.
He kept his eyes closed, breathing deeply to feign sleep so Ville would carry him again.
And Ville did, tucking Bam's head under his chin and sliding his arms under Bam's back and knees, walking slowly, steadily up the stairs and setting Bam in his bed. He was about to leave the room when he heard a small coo of his name.
"Ville?"
He turned toward Bam, noting the half-lidded blue eyes, the pouting lips parted to whimper, "I don't want you to go anywhere. Lay with me?"
Ville sighed. As if he could turn down Bam when he looked so ridiculously innocent and childlike. That quality of Bam's had always been one of his weaknesses.
He closed the door and slipped off his shoes and Bam's, lying gracefully on the bed in front of Bam and gathering the younger man into his arms. "Sleep, Bammie. You need it after that fall."
Bam smiled into Ville's neck where his face was buried and nodded, kissing the warm skin there. "Alright." He yawned. "I wuv you, Willa."
Ville shook off the regrets like a colony of belligerent fire ants and merely laid a finger tenderly across Bam's cheek, staring into sleepy blue eyes and almost smiling. "I love you, too, Bammie."
***
Needed a bit of fluff, yes? To get us back on the Vam track...til the big blowout finale, hehe. Love you all, leave me some comments and I'll show you just how much! :D