Twelve Days of Christmas - Part Nine
Title: Twelve Days of Christmas
Pairing: Elijah/Orlando, Elijah/Viggo
Rating: PG13-NC17
Daily Mirror, 23rd December
From the biggest Christmas party of the year, hosted by Billy Boyd, millionaire author and all-round nice guy. Celebrity guests were there in their throngs, including recent exes Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood. Being in such close proximity to each other might have presented some problems - but not for cool-as-a-cucumber Wood, who simply ignored Bloom and new guy Dom Monaghan. Not so for Bloom - he spent the evening spreading saucy gossip about Wood. What a gentleman. Not.
***
"Elijah! How are you doing, lad?" Billy Boyd engulfed Elijah in a huge hug the minute he stepped into the room.
"Hey Billy. Merry Christmas." Elijah handed Billy a neatly wrapped present. "It's not much but I - "
Billy was already tearing off the wrapping paper, with all the excitement of a 6 year old on Christmas morning. "Lijah! Yes!" He grabbed Elijah into another bear hug, jabbering loudly about the tartan wristwatch. "Merry Christmas, and ta very much. What are you drinking? Punch? Champagne? Beer? Cocktails?"
"Erm, punch, I guess, please." Elijah followed Billy over to the table while Billy ladled punch from a huge bowl into a glass.
"Now, how are you yourself?" Billy asked, a hint of seriousness creeping into his face.
"I'm fine," Elijah said. He glanced around. "Big crowd."
"Aye, that there is. Lijah, sorry, but I had to invite Orlando too - he's around somewhere, you mightn't even see him. I'm just letting you know."
"Ah, right." Elijah sighed, and took a sip of his punch. "Jeez, Billy, what's in that?"
Billy tapped the side of his nose conpiratally. "By the way," he said, "I'm on your side, in this whole break-up thing. Orlando didn't handle it very nicely, if you ask me."
"Ok. Thanks," Elijah said, slightly awkwardly.
Billy carried on. "He shouldn't have done that, Elijah, shouldn't have done it. I mean, he had an affair, he dumped you in public, then he sold the story to a tabloid! That's low, Elijah...just so you know, lad, nobody thinks any the worse of you for all this."
Elijah, to his surprise, felt a lump rise again in his throat. "Thanks," he said, and gave Billy a quick hug. "That does mean a lot, Billy."
"Right you are, lad," Billy said, and leant away for a moment to grab another beer for himself.
***
The evening flew - most of Billy's friends were Elijah's friends, and he found himself able to forget about Orlando for a while. He was getting a drink of water from the mini-bar when he bumped into Orlando or the first time that whole evening.
"Erm, hi," Orlando said. He had his arm round Dom's shoulders.
"Hey," Elijah said, forcing a small smile, and meeting Orlando's eyes. To his immense satisfaction, Orlando was first to look away. Elijah lifted the bottle of water and topped up his glass. "It's a nice do, isn't it?" he asked Dom coversationally.
"I suppose so, yeah," Dom said.
Orlando pulled slightly. "Come on, Dommie - let's go talk to Alan and Rachel - "
"Bye," Elijah said, faking cheeriness. "See you around, maybe. If not - " here he met Orlando's eyes again, " - have a very merry Christmas."
***
"Elijah! Dude!"
Elijah turned around from chatting to Billy at the bar. An old friend, David, was approaching, swaying and belching.
"Hey, man, you should hear what Orlando's saying about you!" he said loudly, attracting more glances.
"I don't think I want to," Elijah joked.
"No way, dude - he was, like, 'Elijah was so s**t in bed, like - just because his ex before me wasn't, like, nice to him - he, like, beat him up and s**t - he totally never wanted sex with me, so I had to go have sex with Dom instead."
David swayed on the spot, oblivious to Elijah's horrified expression.
"He's telling people that?" Elijah said, incredulously.
"Yeah, man - I thought you should know." David let out a huge burp.
"Thanks," Elijah said dully. He could feel his cheeks burning.
"You alright, Lij?" Billy asked. He too was drunk, and didn't sound overly-concerned.
"Yeah," Elijah said. He paused. "Billy, listen, I think I'll go home. Thanks for a lovely evening."
Billy gave a dopey smile. "Right you are, lad," he slurred. "Have a nice Christmas."
***
Elijah got outside, to find the first flakes of snow falling from the sky. He walked slowly down the street, letting it settle on his shoulders and in his hair. Then he pulled out his phone and dialled a number from memory.
"Viggo? It's Elijah. I - I think I need you now."