"Fishing For Change" (1/2) for randomdarling
Title: Fishing For Change
Recipient: randomdarling
Author: thepsychicclam
Pairing: Dom/Elijah
Rating: NC-17
Summary: After graduating from grad school, Elijah gets a job at an amusement park. AU.
Pre-reveal Notes: Merry Christmas! Thanks for allowing me the chance to write an AU monster. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: This is a non-profit, non-commercial work of fiction using the names and likenesses of real individuals. This fictional story is not intended to imply that the events herein actually occurred, or that the attitudes or behaviors described are engaged in or condoned by the real persons whose names are used without permission.
Elijah was pretty sure he was insane. He stood outside the gates of a rundown amusement park, staring at the rusting hinges. He could see a line of game booths along both sides of a dusty lane and rides towering in the background. If the help wanted ad hadn't been in that morning's paper, he would have sworn the last time the park needed help had been 1984. Hell, from the looks of it that might have been the last time the park had been open.
A touch of fear settled in his stomach as he stepped through the open gates. If that hadn't been the only other job except for a truck driver in the newspaper, he wouldn't have dared entered (and right then, the truck driving job was looking a hell of a lot better). The entire place looked deserted, and Elijah hoped he wasn't going to be murdered.
After a few wrong turns, he found a beat up Winnebago in the front right corner of the park. He wasn't sure he was in the right place, but he saw large black letters that spelled "office" across the side. Resigning to the fact that this was his only choice, he knocked on the door.
A tall, thin guy with long brown hair and a scruffy beard opened the door. "Yeah?"
"Hi. I'm here about the job."
"What job?"
"Um...the one in the paper? For an amusement park attendant?"
"Oh!" The man turned and disappeared inside the Winnebago. Elijah wasn't sure whether he should follow or leave. He decided to stay where he was. "Well, are you coming or not?" the man yelled from inside. Elijah hurried up the steps.
Inside was fairly clean, cleaner than Elijah had expected. Almost every surface was covered in bright grey. In front of him was a small breakfast nook, to his left a stove, further down the hall a bathroom and a room he guessed housed the bed; to the right was a workstation with an ancient computer and stacks of paper covering the table, across from that a sofa in the most obnoxious royal purple velvet upholstery Elijah had ever seen, then two matching purple armchairs right in front of the steering wheel. He was pretty sure this thing had not been driven in years.
"Take a seat," the man said, pointing to the sofa as he sat at the work station. He looked through the unorganized papers for something. He found whatever it was and looked at Elijah. "So, you're here for the carnie job?"
"...yes?"
"Fill this out." He handed Elijah a pad.
"Sir, this is a legal pad."
"Yes."
"Where's the application?"
"That is the application." Elijah stared at the man in confusion. "Just write down your name, address, work history -- all the normal bullshit." He stood up and walked towards the back of the space as Elijah started to write. "I'm Viggo, by the way," he called.
"Elijah."
"Nice to meet you, Elijah." Viggo reappeared and tossed a t-shirt at him, hitting him in the face. Elijah grabbed it and held up a green shirt with Mirkwood Forest Amusement Park emblazoned across the back in yellow letters. "Welcome to the team."
"I got the job?" he asked incredulously. "But you didn't ask me any questions. I only filled out my name and age on this." Elijah held up the pad.
Viggo shrugged. "You don't have to take the job. You can give me the shirt back if you want."
"No!" Elijah exclaimed. "I mean, I want to the job. I just didn't expect it to be this easy."
"Listen, kid. I've worked in this business my whole life. My dad opened this place back in the 60s. I've hired every kind of worker you can think of, from out-of-work nuclear physicists to ex-cons. There isn't much to steal, newbies don't work the heavy machinery, and most people don't come back for day two. So, I figure either you won't be back tomorrow or I gain a new employ. Just try to remember and leave the shirt if you aren't coming back tomorrow." Viggo picked up a couple of sheets of paper and handed them to Elijah. "Rules, map, and all that shit. We open today at 5, so take a few hours to learn the lay of the park and meet everyone so you can work tonight." Elijah examined the rules and map as Viggo grabbed a rotary phone from its cradle and dialed a number. "Yeah, Orlando? We got a new employee. No, not like last time. Seems okay. Can you come and show him around? Awesome." He hung up the phone and turned back to Elijah. "Orlando is going to show you around. He'll be here in about half an hour. If you have any questions, ask him."
Elijah knew that was a dismissal, so he stood, thanked Viggo, and exited. Outside the Winnebago, he felt a mixture of relief and dread. He got a job; this was a good thing since he had maybe three dollars to his name. He was also nervous. The last time he had been to an amusement park he had been like ten, so he wasn't quite sure what he was doing. And if things were as bad as to make people not want to come back the next day...Elijah took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. He had a job; he was going to focus on that.
He slipped on his sunglasses and walked into the park. It was smaller than some of the larger theme parks like Universal, Busch Gardens, or Six Flags. There were no water rides and no roller coasters. As he walked down the dirt path, he tried to figure out what the park even had. He saw numerous game booths and some food cubicles. The kiddie rides were obviously near the front of the park because he began to pass rides with cars in shapes of animals, planes, and teacups. Near the middle of the fairway was a rather large carousel. Elijah stopped and stared at it, a bit impressed. For such a dump, the carousel was lovely. He continued and realized he had come upon the adult rides. There was a gravitron, double Ferris wheel, regular Ferris wheel, free fall, super loop, and a handful of other rides that were variations on around and back-and-forth. He stopped beside the flying bobs and studied it closely from behind the metal fence. The cars were colorful and worn, but looked solid. As he looked closer, he decided that the ride was probably older than he was.
After he had circled the entire park, he stood at the front and gazed upon it. It wasn't overly impressive, but it would do. It had to; he had no other options.
"Elijah?" Elijah turned towards the voice. A tall, tan guy with brown curls walked towards him. His face split into a wide grin as he extended a hand. "I'm Orlando."
"Nice to meet you."
"Welcome to Mirkwood Forest. What do you think?"
"Um...it's nice."
"Yeah, it's a bit of a shit, but it's home, you know? I've worked here for a couple of years now, longest of anybody except Sean, our games manager." Orlando clapped Elijah on the back. "Come on, I'll show you around."
For the next hour, Orlando showed Elijah everything from the rides to the staff parking lot to the employee bathroom. Around 4, other people started showing up.
"Who's this?" asked a shorter guy wearing the same green t-shirt.
"Elijah, this is Billy. He runs the rides with me. If you have any problems, you can go to him or me."
Elijah nodded as Billy smiled. "You picked a pretty good night to start. Tuesdays aren't too bad." Elijah felt relieved as he followed Orlando and Billy to a white picnic table underneath a pavilion. "So, what brings you here, Elijah?"
"I needed a job."
"You must have been desperate."
"A bit, yeah." They all laughed.
"Where are you from?" Orlando asked.
"Originally from Iowa, but I've been living in California for awhile. I went to the University of Berkley for grad school."
Billy whistled. "Then why in the bloody hell are you here?"
"Needed a job. And I have no clue what I want to do."
"I thought that's what grad school was for," Orlando said.
"So did I." Elijah sighed.
"Cheer up, mate," Orlando said. "Welcome to the club for people who don't have a fucking clue what they want to do with their lives. Take Billy here, for example."
"Hey!" Billy started to protest, but Orlando cut him off.
"Billy wants to be a musician. He's in a band. But he's working here."
"I play gigs."
"When? On your nights off?"
"Fuck you. Orlando here has delusions of grandeur. He thinks his good looks are going to get him his big break in Hollywood. He wants to be an actor."
"I am going to be an actor. I've just got this shit job so I can save up money and move to LA. Do you know how bloody expensive it is to live in LA?"
"Saving up for two years. Going places, are you?"
"At least I have more of an excuse that you do."
"Do you know how hard it is to get gigs around here? We're halfway between LA and San Francisco, which means we're in the middle of nowhere."
Elijah listened to them in awe. He was really hoping he didn't end up like them, stuck here in this job for years waiting to figure things out. Oh well. He had a job. That was better than he was doing twelve hours ago.
*
He knew being the new guy sucked, but he didn't realize that he would get stuck operating the slide. He wasn't even working anything -- he just stood on top of an extremely high landing, handing burlap sacks to people and telling them where to sit. Occasionally he got to spray cooking spray on the slide to make it slicker, and a few times he had to walk back down the stairs because some punk ass kid dropped his burlap sack and was too lazy to walk down himself and get it.
In between sliders, he stared out at the park. The slide was positioned at the extreme back right corner, so he could see everything. At night, it actually looked kinda cool. Myriad neon colored lights scattered all over the grounds, sounds of people screaming in excitement, and drifting music from the more popular, cooler rides. The breeze wasn't too bad that high up, either.
A couple of hours later, Orlando appeared beside him. "How's it going?"
"Hey!" Elijah was actually glad to see him. "It's going pretty well. It's not difficult."
"Your graduate degree has prepared you well, huh?"
"Well, no one has fallen off the top yet."
Orlando smiled. "That's a plus. Listen, I came up here to tell you that it's break time. You get twenty minutes for bathroom, food, smoking, whatever it is you need to do. I've already closed the gate below. Be back in thirty minutes."
"I thought you said twenty."
"I did, but everyone takes thirty. Who's going to know? Viggo doesn't care as long as we are here most of the night."
"Cool, thanks." Elijah started to walk down the stairs but noticed Orlando walking leaning down. "What are you doing?"
"Sliding is much faster," he said, sitting down a piece of burlap.
"Really? You're going to slide?"
"Hell yeah. Catch you on the flipside." With that, Orlando pushed off and disappeared down the cream track. Elijah glanced at the piece of burlap hanging over the banister, then back at the stairs.
"I must be insane," he muttered to himself as he grabbed the burlap and slid down. At the bottom, he realized he was actually smiling. "Well, fuck me." He laughed and entered the throng of people milling about.
Pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket, he placed one between his lips and lit it, inhaling deeply. The park looked much more inviting at night with people everywhere. He went and got himself a Coke, then slowly ambled down the lanes, kicking dirt with the toe of his Chucks as he sucked on his second cigarette.
As he walked past the fun house, he felt something hit his head. He rubbed the spot absentmindedly and continued walking. He felt it again and turned around, pissed.
"Hey, you!" Elijah searched for the source of the voice and the object. "Up here." He glanced up at the railing of the fun house and saw a guy in the same green t-shirt he was wearing. Great, Elijah thought, some douchebag is hazing me.
"You the new guy Billy was talking about?" The guy was leaning over with his elbows on the railing, hands clasped, and a slight smirk on his scruffy face.
"Yeah."
"I'm Dom."
"Elijah."
"Nice to meet you, Elijah." Dom appraised him slightly. "How much longer do you have on break?"
"Just a few minutes."
"Too bad." Dom paused, eyes never leaving Elijah, while Elijah took a final drag off his cigarette. He tossed it to the ground and stomped it out with his foot. "Where did Viggo end up putting you?"
"Slide."
"Dude, that sucks. I'm sorry." Dom laughed and Elijah smiled and shrugged.
"Could be worse, I guess."
"You could be working the fun house."
"Does it suck that bad?"
"Well, just tonight, some kid threw up in the mirror maze, the horizontal revolving barrel broke, and the moving floor got stuck."
"Sorry. That does suck."
Dom shrugged. "It is what it is. Guess you better get back to the slide. See you later, Elijah." He turned to a group of girls who giggled and squealed as he smiled and started talking to them. Elijah walked back to the slide and had barely made it to the top himself before a steady stream of people started lining up.
When the park closed, Elijah realized he was more tired than he expected. He climbed down the stairs this time instead of sliding, and walked through the now deserted midway. There was quite a bit of trash, and he was extremely glad he wasn't the janitor here. He passed Orlando at the flying bobs talking to a few people and decided against interrupting. He went to find Billy to figure out what to do before he left. He went to the super loop, but Billy had already gone. He decided then to just shuffle towards the front.
As he passed the fun house, he saw Dom talking to someone. He walked on past.
"Hey!"
Elijah turned around and saw Dom jump down from the fun house platform and jog towards him. "What are you doing?"
"I was looking for Billy, but I can't find him."
"He's...actually I don't know where he is. But that doesn't matter. Wanna go fishing for change?"
"Huh?"
"Come on, I'll show you." Elijah followed Dom to the fun house, but instead of walking up the steps, they went to the side. Dom grabbed one of the metal siding pieces, removed it, and bent down. "There." Elijah looked inside the dark hole.
"What am I supposed to be looking at?"
"Karl!" A bearded, dark-haired man in a sleeveless plaid shirt and tool belt stuck his head over the side of the railing. "Can you toss me your flashlight?"
"Where's yours?"
"Up there with you...somewhere. Just do it."
"Fine." He removed the flashlight from his tool belt and gently tossed it down. "Be careful. That is the best one I have."
"I'm just going under here, geez." Dom switched on the flashlight then crawled underneath the fun house. "Come on."
"I'm not sure about this," Elijah said as he reluctantly followed Dom.
"Man up, Elijah. It's not going to collapse on us, I promise."
"Great. I hadn't even thought of that. I was just worried about rats."
"That I can't help."
"Very funny."
Elijah crawled beside Dom and looked at the area illuminated by the flashlight. Coins were scattered across the ground.
"This is fishing for change." Dom started gathering money and placing it in a pile. Elijah joined him. After they finished, they stuffed all the change in their pockets and crawled back out.
"Flashlight!" Karl called from above. Dom lifted it up as Karl grabbed it. "How much did you make tonight?"
"Dunno, gotta count it." Dom walked up the fun house steps and sat on the front ledge, legs dangling off. Elijah sat beside him. They pulled all the money from their pockets and counted it. "Four dollars and nineteen cents."
"Cool."
"Not cool. That's not a lot. Oh well. It's enough for the two of us to get like a burger or something from Del Taco."
"No, it's your money."
"Our money."
"I'm rich."
Dom laughed. "It was a slow night. Weekends we can really cash in. So, let's go spend our winnings. I'm starving."
"You take it. I'm not that hungry. I just want to go home and go to sleep."
"You can't go home. The night is young. It's only like eleven."
"Almost midnight," Karl offered from behind them.
"Later than I thought," Dom said.
"Rain check?"
"Cool." Dom stood up and offered a hand to Elijah. Elijah grabbed it and Dom yanked him up, causing Elijah to stumble into him. Elijah blushed and mumbled sorry as he backed up.
"Do I have to sign out or anything?"
Elijah heard Karl laugh from the revolving barrel. Dom smiled. "You'll learn real fast the way things work around here. As long as you are here when you're supposed to be and leave when you're supposed to, Viggo doesn't care. It's like the honor system. It's pretty laid back."
"Cool." Elijah stood there awkwardly, not quite wanting to leave yet. "It wasn't as bad as I anticipated. Viggo told me some people only make it through one day before quitting."
"He over exaggerates. It's not that bad. The job kinda sucks, but it has its perks." Dom pointed down to the change still lying on the ledge.
"Oh yes. Your four dollar tip."
"Our four dollars. I should probably separate it."
Elijah put his hand up in protest. "How about you owe me?"
"Deal."
"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Early day. You'll find that the days we open early -- Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday -- really fucking suck. The day never ends."
"Reassuring."
"I'm that kind of guy."
Elijah smiled and walked down the fun house steps. He waved awkwardly as he headed towards the exit.
*
Dom wasn't lying when he said early days sucked. Standing for hours in the sun on that slide really sucked. When Orlando waved to him from the ground that it was break time, Elijah nearly cried from relief.
When Elijah walked towards the food stands, he noticed a group of people sitting with Dom and Billy. Although he felt a touch shy, he joined them after buying a Coke. He sat beside Dom, who was in the middle of an apparently amusing story. Elijah sucked on his straw and looked around the table. There were two girls, one with long dark hair, the other with lighter curls, a guy about his age, and two old guys.
"Everyone, this is Elijah," Dom said after he finished his story. Elijah waved and blushed.
"Aren't you just the most precious thing I've ever laid eyes upon," one of the older men said. Elijah wasn't sure how to react.
"Down, Ian," Dom said, laughing. Elijah smiled.
"Now, Dominic. Allow an old, horny codger some fun."
"Your fun is more than just looking and complimenting," Dom said, turning to Elijah quickly and winking.
"I'm Liv," the dark-haired girl said. Her ponytail swung behind her as she moved. This started a chain of introductions -- Liv, Ian, Miranda, Sean, and Christopher. Elijah really hoped he could keep everyone straight.
"I have come up with a fantastic idea for the House of Horror," Christopher said. Elijah was instantly intrigued by his deep, booming voice. It was both terrifying and pleasant at the same time.
"Let me guess. Dracula?" Miranda said with a smirk. The others laughed.
"You little minx," Ian said, nudging her side.
"Really, Miranda. Must you be so disrespectful?"
Billy glanced at Elijah from across the table. "Christopher played Dracula in a few movies back in the day."
"Yeah, like in the 30s or something," Liv said.
"You children have no appreciation for the classics. I was indeed Dracula in many different cinematic interpretations. Those were the days, the glory days of Hollywood. Horror films, true horror films might I add, were so different back then. They had skill, class. None of this slasher killer stuff they put out these days," Christopher explained. Everyone watched him in mock interest.
"What is your idea?" Sean asked.
"We shall do an homage to the classics. All classic villains, with muted colors and real scares. No shock value or fake blood. Anticipation! Creeping! And a deep, resounding voice resonating from nowhere!" Christopher chuckled to himself, obviously pleased.
"That actually sounds great, Chris," Dom said, clapping him on the shoulder. Christopher looked at his hand in disdain.
"I've told you; don't call me Chris." With that, Christopher stood up and walked away.
"Don't mind him," Billy said. "He's just a cranky old git."
"Not everyone can be as fabulous as I am in their golden years," Ian said, standing up with a flourish. When he stood, Elijah noticed he was wearing a tuxedo and a black satin cape with a purple lining. "I am off, my dears. Another show in ten minutes. I must prepare to stupefy my audience!" Ian bowed and placed a top hat on his head as he straightened.
"Yeah, I guess we gotta get back, too." Liv stood up, looking unhappy. Miranda followed.
"What do you do?" Elijah asked.
"Food. "
"It sucks," Miranda said. "I go home smelling like grease and a heart attack every night."
"And I smell like cotton candy." Liv twirled around, smiling.
"Shut up, princess," Miranda said, pushing Liv away from the table.
"Now that Elijah has met most of the crew, he's probably ready to quit," Sean said, finishing off the last bit of fries on his plate.
Elijah shook his head. "No. They seem nice."
"They're all barking mad," Dom said, "but they keep working here pretty interesting."
"What do you do?" Elijah asked Sean.
"Games."
"Oh, you're the games manager."
Sean shook his head. "Nope, that's Sean Bean. I'm just his lackey."
"That must get confusing."
"You have no idea." Sean stood up. "Nice meeting you," he said, then left. After that, Billy left, leaving Dom and Elijah alone.
"So, has today sucked as bad as I said it would," Dom asked. He pushed his bag of potato chips towards Elijah. Elijah grabbed one and nodded in thanks.
"It has definitely sucked. I really hope I don't get sunburned."
"You are pretty freakishly pale." Dom smiled. "At least you don't have to work for Christopher."
"You like comparing how much your job sucks to everyone else's, don't you?" Elijah asked, then stuffed another potato chip in his mouth.
"It makes me feel just a tad bit better about myself. Otherwise, I feel pretty lousy. There is no dignity in being a fucking carnie, especially after having other jobs. It's not a career you imagine yourself having."
"What did you do before?"
Dom looked away, his eyes roaming over the people milling about on the midway. He was quiet for a few moments. "Something very different." Elijah suddenly felt extremely awkward. He ate another potato chip, then changed the subject.
"So, you work for Christopher?"
"Yeah," Dom said, turning his attention back to Elijah. "He's over the haunted and fun houses. I think he's completely off his rocker. He's batshit." They laughed.
"Was he really in a movie?"
"Oh yeah. It's insane. That was like forever ago, and he was no Bela Legosi, but still."
Elijah glanced at his watch. "I guess I better get back to work," he said reluctantly.
"What are you doing after work? And you better not say going home to go to sleep," Dom said.
"I haven't really thought about it."
"Come by the fun house when you're done."
"Okay." Elijah walked slowly back to the slide. He liked the people he had met so far, especially Dom. He was hoping this job would turn out being better than he originally thought.
*
After closing, Elijah walked to the fun house. He didn't see Dom anywhere, so he walked around to the side. Sure enough, he saw the same piece of siding missing. He bent down and saw a streak of light and the outline of a pair of shoes.
"Fishing again?"
There was a loud thud. "Shit!" Dom shouted. "Don't scare me like that." He turned around, rubbing his head, and flashed the light in Elijah's face. "And yes, to answer your question. There's a bit more than last night."
"All yours. I didn't help tonight."
"I still owe you," Dom said, crawling backwards out of the hole.
"That is true." Dom dusted off the knees of his jeans when he stood up. He rubbed the sore spot on his head again. Elijah reached forward and brushed dust off his shoulder and arm.
"How much tonight?" he asked as Dom emptied his pockets on a step.
"Eleven thirty seven," Dom reported. "We're totally going to iHop. Let's go get everyone else." Dom grabbed Elijah's hand; Elijah was surprised and unprepared for how his stomach knotted. Dom pulled him across the grounds towards the front gate, and after a few feet, he dropped Elijah's hand. Elijah trailed a few steps behind Dom, rubbing his hand absent-mindedly. He was pretty sure things just got unintentionally complicated.
"iHop!" Dom shouted as he passed people. A few minutes later, a group consisting of Orlando, Billy, Sean, Liv, Miranda, Karl, and Ian were assembled.
"Liv, you can drive five in your Explorer, and I'll get four in my car," Orlando said as they walked towards the parking lot. Elijah stayed close to Dom, not wanting to ride in a separate car.
He ended up in the backseat of Orlando's beat up red Camero. It was a two-door, so he had to squeeze into the back through an impossibly small opening. The floorboard was littered with empty soda cans and old magazines. Dom was sitting beside him, Billy in the front seat.
"This song is fucking awesome!" Orlando screamed over the loud music. Elijah was a bit surprised at Orlando's enthusiasm for the song; it was "Down on the Corner" by CCR. Not exactly a song usually described as "fucking awesome."
Orlando was beating the rhythm on the steering wheel, Billy slapping the dashboard and Dom keeping tempo on his knees.
"If you got a nickel, better lay your money down," Orlando sang loudly, then Billy and Dom both joined in with, "Down on the corner, out in the street..."
Elijah started laughing. Dom raised his eyebrow in question as he continued singing along. When the song was over, Orlando turned the volume down.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"I just never thought I'd hear a bunch of Brits singing Creedance, that's all."
"Okay, music snob," Dom said, "we can like classic southern rock, too. You like British music. The Beatles?"
"Point taken," Elijah said, laughing. "It's still fucking hilarious."
At iHop, they all squeezed into a large table in the back. For being after midnight, the restaurant was pretty packed. Elijah thought the line of people in matching Mirkwood Forest t-shirts, Karl in his plaid sleeveless shirt and toolbelt, and Ian in a tux was an amusing sight. They got a few strange stares as they walked through the dining room.
"What are you getting?" Dom asked as they perused the menus.
"Um...pancakes?"
"What kind?"
Elijah laughed. "Um, haven't decided." Dom was looking at him expectantly; he smiled and closed the menu. "You obviously have an idea. What should I get?"
"Wanna share an all-you-can eat pancake stack?"
"Okay. But isn't that supposed to be for just one person?"
Dom shook his head dismissively. "They don't care."
When they got the pancakes, Elijah watched as Dom spread gobs of butter onto each one, waited for it to melt into the bread, then soaked the stack with gallons of syrup.
"Want some pancakes with that syrup?" Elijah joked, and Dom responded by giving him the finger.
A few minutes later, Miranda tapped Elijah on the shoulder and pointed to Ian, who was waiting for everyone's attention.
"I heard some news today," he said dramatically. He paused, and everyone stared at him, waiting. "I heard that the Mordor has decided to relaunch a newer, better theme park with the express purpose of putting a certain other theme park out of business." He sat back with his fingers crossed over his chest, watching everyone's reaction.
"Huh?" Liv finally said.
"You mean to say the Mordor wants to put us out of business?" Karl asked. Ian nodded.
"That's absurd!" Sean exclaimed. Dom added an emphatic, "Bullshit!"
"I don't understand," Orlando said. "Why would anyone feel we're a threat? We're like the worst amusement park in California."
"Apparently, the Mordor doesn't share your view," Ian said.
"Who's your source?"
"A trusted confidant. If he says it is true, then it is true."
"Is that even possible? I mean, to put someone out of business?" Elijah asked, feeling kind of stupid.
"Not suddenly, but after awhile, crowds will drop and we will be almost like a ghost town. It's happened to many good amusement parks. Why do you think places like Six Flags and Universal are so popular? Do you think they got lucky?" Ian looked at Elijah pointedly, making sure he'd connect the dots.
"Has anyone told Viggo?" Orlando asked.
"Viggo has got to know," Karl said.
"I'm sure he does," Ian said. "The reason Mirkwood Forest has stayed in business as long as it has is because of Viggo and his father's talent for running it."
Elijah had to cough to cover up his laugh; Viggo didn't seem like any kind of talented businessman. Elijah sat back while the others discussed all aspects of the park and its threat and worked on the massive stack of pancakes he was sharing with Dom. He had just gotten this job; he liked the people he worked with. He didn't want to find somewhere else, even if the job wasn't glamorous.
As they were leaving the restaurant, Dom stepped close to Elijah and leaned towards him. "You got pretty quiet," he said quietly in Elijah's ear. A shiver ran down Elijah's spine as Dom's hot, sweetly scented breath ghosted across his skin. "What's up?"
Elijah shrugged. "Just felt pretty out of place, you know, being the new guy and all. I've only been working there two days. It isn't like I have any say or any kind of opinion."
Dom threw his arm loosely around Elijah's shoulders. "Don't worry, mate. You won't lose your job. And even if you do, it's really not that big of a deal." He shot Elijah a crooked grin and dropped his arm. Elijah was shocked that it only took two days for him to start developing feelings for Dom.
*
A week later, Viggo called a meeting after closing. They all gathered around tables under the pavilion where bingo was held nightly. Elijah saw a bunch of faces he had never seen before in addition to the people he'd already met. He sat down with Orlando, Billy, and Liv, and Dom came late and took the seat beside him, smiling brightly when he saw him. He hadn't really seen Dom much since that night at iHop; he had worked a few early shifts, which meant he got off before most people, and Dom had done the same thing other nights. Other nights, he just went home because he was tired. The job was more physically draining than he originally thought. Elijah had spent a lot of time thinking about Dom -- mostly up on the slide while trying to pass the time. His thoughts ranged from dirty things they could be doing in the ride cars to reasons why he needed to put a cap on his feelings right then and there. He had pretty much gotten over his feelings until Dom sat down beside him and his stomach fluttered and his cheeks burned. Feelings were definitely still going strong.
"I just want to clear the air," Viggo started, "There's been some talk that the park is in trouble. We are not closing. We are not threatened, not in trouble. Everything is fine. The Mordor might want to revamp and steal our business, but this place has been here for decades; a little bit of shiny equipment and new rides won't change that."
"Though getting us some computerized equipment wouldn't hurt," someone shouted. People laughed, but Viggo ignored the outburst.
"If you have any issues or questions, please see me. But don't worry." He ran a hand through his hair, long strands falling right back in his face. "Next item of business. Paychecks will be delayed until Monday instead of tomorrow." This announcement was met with an outpouring of grunts. Viggo had to raise his voice to continue. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. That's all. Good night."
Now in sour spirits, everyone started to leave. Before Elijah could stand, Dom turned to him. "Get used to the paychecks being late."
"Why?"
"Viggo pays us sometimes on Friday, sometimes Saturday, sometimes the next Wednesday. He hasn't gone past a week before, but there is a first time for everything."
"Is that legal?" Elijah asked.
"Who's gonna sue him?"
"True."
"Viggo pays us when he remembers. And it's not always in money." Elijah widened his eyes in surprise and Dom continued. "One time, I got paid by traveler's check, once by money order."
"You're joking."
He shook his head. "Nope. We get pissed, but we can still pay our bills. Whatever, you know." They followed the group of people towards the employee parking lot. "We're going to Orlando's tonight. It's low-key, just all of us hanging out and such, but there will be beer and food and music. Are you in?"
"Yes!"
"Cool. You can follow me."
"I need to go home first. Shower, change my shirt. I feel like I wear this damn t-shirt all the time." They neared their cars, and Elijah stopped before walking towards the far right of the parking lot.
"I have a t-shirt in my car. You can put it on at Orlando's," Dom said.
"Is it clean?"
Dom looked slightly offended. "Of course it's clean. What kind of question is that?"
Elijah defensively put up his hands. "Just checking. I never know with you people."
Dom stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Elijah could feel the warmth from his body. He crouched down just a bit, looked Elijah in the eyes. "I hate to break it to you, but Elijah, now you are one of us people." Dom smiled then walked to his car on the other side of the parking lot.
Running a hand through his hair, Elijah walked to his car. He tried to shake off the buzz of energy coursing through his veins. When he pulled out of the parking lot, he followed Dom through unfamiliar streets. He turned his music up to an almost earsplitting volume. Singing out his frustrations seemed like the most appealing thing at the moment. As he listened, he smiled and realized how different his jam music was from Orlando, Billy, and Dom's. Almost thoughtlessly, he grabbed his iPod and changed to CCR.
He followed Dom onto a residential street and then parked in front of a small brick house. Although the house was in a decent neighborhood, it was kind of rundown and the yard was messy and unkempt. When he got out of the car, he saw Dom waiting for him in the front yard holding a t-shirt.
"One clean t-shirt."
"Thanks," Elijah said, taking the shirt. They walked towards the door, and Elijah noticed something out of the corner of his eye. "What is that?"
"A PBR sculpture."
Elijah walked over to the object, a waist-high pyramid made completely out of Pabst Blue Ribbon cans. "This is...the most amazing thing I've ever seen."
"Yeah. It took us a few weeks to drink enough beer to finish it."
"I hope there's something better to drink tonight than PBR," Elijah said, walking onto the carport. There was a broken grill, a skateboard, a weightlifting bench, and stacks of empty, beat up boxes.
"Beggars can't be choosy," Dom said as he opened the door. Loud music hit Elijah as soon as he entered, along with the sound of voices and laughter. Orlando's house was sparsely furnished, with another weight bench, a table covered with cases of beer, and a few stools in what Elijah figured was the dining room. The living room had an old couch, two tvs, a stereo, a piano, an armchair, and a futon right in the middle of the floor.
"Elijah! I'm so glad you made it!" Orlando said as he came up with a beer in his hand. He gave Elijah the beer then grabbed him in a one-armed hug. "Make yourself at home. Anything you need, it's yours. And there's plenty of room for you if you need to stay the night."
"Where's your bathroom? I just want to wash some of work off of me."
Orlando swallowed a huge gulp of beer. "Of course! Down the hall on your right."
Elijah nodded and made his way towards the back of the house, nodding and speaking to people as he passed. He knew almost everyone there, and recognized a few others from the park. When he got to the bathroom, he closed the door behind him, muffling some of the sound. He took a deep breath and pulled off his shirt. He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face. Looking around, he found some soap on the counter and a washcloth in the linen closet. He lathered up the rag and washed himself down, removing some of the dirt and grime that accumulated after hours at work. He wished he could take a shower, but figured at a party wasn't the right time. When he finally felt clean enough, he dried himself, grabbed Dom's t-shirt, and pulled it over his head. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and noticed the t-shirt for the first time. It was grey and said "I Poke Badgers With Spoons." Elijah groaned. Not only was it a ridiculously weird shirt (but seemed to fit Dom's personality somehow...), it was wrinkled and way too big for Elijah. Dom wasn't that much bigger than him, but the shirt just hung loosely on his small frame. Great, he looked like he just rolled out of bed. So sexy, he thought wryly.
He emerged from the bathroom, to an emphatic "thank god" from one of the guests. He walked back to the kitchen counter where he left his beer, grabbed it, and downed half of it in one go. He grimaced as he swallowed and remembered why he hated shitty beer so much.
"I saw that grimace, beer snob," Orlando said from across the kitchen. Elijah smiled apologetically.
"Don't listen to him," Billy said. "That shit tastes like goat pee." He lifted a glass of amber liquid. "Jameson is the only thing I drink. Orlando would drink anything if it would get him drunk."
"Not all of us are mature and cultured like you, Billy," Orlando said. "I spend less on two cases of beer than you do on half a bottle."
"But I don't have to hold my breath to swallow," Billy said.
"That's what she said!" someone yelled in the background.
Elijah took a few more gulps of his beer, trying to finish it as quickly as possible. He hated to admit it, but Billy was right. That shit was nasty. But that didn't stop him from grabbing another.
Quite a few beers later, he was sitting outside on the brick wall of the carport, arguing literature with Sean and Karl.
"I tell you," Sean continued, waving his hands around emphatically, "Hundred Years of Solitude is, in fact, the best book ever published. There's a reason it's on every important book list."
"Bullshit," Elijah replied. "You can't pin down the best book ever. That's like trying to decide on the best song or album ever recorded. It's impossible. And even if I was creating a list of the best books, Hundred Years of Solitude wouldn't even make the top one hundred. That book is for professors and pretentious pricks."
"Hey!" Sean exclaimed, offended.
"It's not a bad book," Karl offered, "but there are many far superior books. Everything Cormac McCarthy ever wrote is leagues ahead of Marquez."
"Oh please," Sean said. "Cormac McCarthy is one of the most overrated authors of this century. I tried to read The Road, and the crimes committed against the English language in the first eight pages are deplorable. And don't even get me started on All The Pretty Horses."
"Fuck both them," Elijah said, pointing his finger so forcefully that all the ashes fell off his cigarette. "Kurt Vonnegut is a fucking genius."
"Slaughterhouse Five is overrated," Sean said.
"No, that's a great book," Karl said.
"Fuck Slaughterhouse Five," Elijah shouted, waving his hands around. "Breakfast of Champions is fucking leagues above anything else he wrote."
Sean disagreed so vehemently that Elijah thought his head was going to twist off his head he was shaking it so hard. Karl was leaning back casually, arms crossed against his chest; he didn't seem affected by anything anyone said and offered his opinions easily. Elijah brought his cigarette to his mouth and inhaled deeply.
"What's going on out here?" Dom asked, coming up behind them. "I heard Elijah cursing over the music. Orlando's neighbors are going to call the cops."
"Sorry," Elijah said sheepishly, feeling his cheeks burning.
"They're fucking eighty years old anyway," Dom said. He sat beside Elijah on the wall, so close that he was pressed completely against Elijah's side. Elijah definitely didn't mind. "What are you yelling about?"
"Books," Karl said.
"You're getting this worked up over literature?" Dom asked.
"If you think this is worked up, don't even get me started on music," Elijah said, laughing.
"Maybe I will, just to see how much it'll take for the neighbors to call the cops."
"Fuck you." Elijah smiled and Dom winked. He felt his stomach clench, and he took a long drag from his cigarette to distract himself. Even in his beer-hazed mind, he figured staring at Dom would be a bad idea.
"I need another beer," Sean said, standing up. "Anyone else?"
"Me," Elijah said. Sean nodded and walked a little unevenly back into the house.
"Excuse me, guys," Karl said, going over to join Sean Bean and Liv by the door.
"Having fun?" Dom asked. Elijah turned towards him, Dom's face just inches from his own.
"Yeah," Elijah said.
"I would think arguing books with Sean would be the fucking boringest thing in the world to do."
"I don't mind. I like Sean and I like books."
"I like both those things, too, but not together."
Elijah smiled, took a final drag from his cigarette, then tossed it to the ground and stomped it out. "What time is it?"
"Why? Are you ready to call it a night already?"
"I don't know. I am pretty tired."
"You can't leave yet," Dom said.
"Why not?"
"Because I said so." Dom smiled, then stood up. "Come on. I'll find something more interesting for you than arguing books with Sean."
Elijah followed him into the house, where someone had Rancid playing at top volume. "I really fucking hate Rancid," Elijah screamed over the music. They passed the living room where Orlando, Billy, and Miranda were dancing around like idiots. Dom led them to a bedroom at the back of the house. He closed the door behind them and flipped on the tv.
"I thought we could play some video games or something," Dom said. Without really thinking it through, Elijah stepped towards Dom, bumped into him clumsily, and lifted up on his tiptoes to kiss him. Dom's surprise was only momentary, and then his arms were around Elijah, pressing their bodies together. Elijah slipped his tongue inside Dom's mouth, Dom's tongue sliding soft and warm against his own. Dom's mouth tasted like beer and the remnant of his own cigarette.
"I didn't bring you in here to take advantage of you," Dom breathed against his mouth, just far enough so their lips didn't meet. Dom's cheek was rough against Elijah's skin, his nose rubbing against his own.
"I know," Elijah answered.
"Are you going to regret kissing me in the morning?"
"Are you?" Elijah asked, suddenly worried. He had a moment of sobriety, his head clearing just long enough for the true implications of his actions to settle on him. What if Dom didn't want this? What if Dom had just kissed back because he was drunk and caught up in the moment?
"Absolutely not," Dom said. "I've wanted you since the moment I saw you." As a response, Elijah jerked forward and kissed him, a little rougher than he intended, causing their teeth to hit. "Shit, Elijah. Calm down," Dom laughed as he rubbed his lips.
"Sorry. I guess I'm just a bit enthusiastic," he said, his head cloudy and light again. He was riding on a mixture of alcohol and elation. Dom kissed him again, this time softer, lips barely touching Elijah's, and every time Elijah tried to move closer, Dom moved back. Elijah sighed and let himself get lost in the kiss, the light brushing of skin setting every nerve in his lips and cheeks on fire. The room was spinning around him, Dom the only thing keeping him from falling. He pressed closer to Dom, trying to eliminate any space between them. He could feel the effects of Dom's kiss travelling to his cock, and when Dom dropped a hand to his ass, he groaned against his mouth. Dom's lips moved along his chin, and Elijah stretched his head back, exposing his neck as he saw lights behind his eyelids.
"Oh shit," he said, wrenching himself away from Dom just in time to drop and puke on the floor. "Shitshitshit," he whispered to himself. He felt ridiculous. Dom bent down beside him and put a reassuring hand on his back as he dry heaved a few times. When the nausea passed, he turned and buried his face in Dom's chest. "I'm so sorry."
"It happens, don't worry about it," Dom said reassuringly. He placed a kiss on Elijah's hair, and Elijah curled his fists into Dom's t-shirt.
"I'm such a fucktard."
"Dude, you just puked. We've all done it."
"Yeah, but not at your first time here." He started shaking his head back and forth, but decided that was a bad idea. He rested all his weight against Dom, taking deep breaths to try and calm his stomach. "This would be better if the room would stop spinning."
"I have a tendency to do that to people," Dom joked softly. Elijah managed a small giggle. "Let's get you into the bed. Lean on me," Dom instructed as he gripped Elijah's arms and slowly pulled them up. Supported by Dom, Elijah managed the few steps it took to get to the bed. He plopped down face first. He felt Dom remove his shoes, and he turned his face to the side so he could breathe.
"I need to clean up the puke," he mumbled. "I will get it in a minute."
"Sure," Dom said. Elijah felt his legs move, then his torso. "Lift up," Dom whispered, and Elijah obeyed. He felt Dom grab the waist of his jeans, and he raised his head long enough to see Dom pulling them down before dropping his head heavily back to the bed.
"This is not how I imagined you taking off my pants for the first time," Elijah said.
"You've thought about me taking off your pants?"
"Oh yeah," Elijah said ardently. "Many times."
"Interesting," Dom said. "I'll tell you a secret," he said as he pulled the covers over Elijah. He leaned down to whisper in his ear, "This isn't the way I imagined it either."
"Wait," Elijah said, trying to process. "That means..."
"Ssh...go to sleep." He brushed Elijah's hair back from his forehead and placed a kiss there.
"But where are you going? Are you going?"
"I'm not going anywhere."
"You promise?"
"Yep."
Elijah smiled and relaxed. He realized he had still had to clean up the mess he'd made, but he was asleep before he could move.
*
continued here
Recipient: randomdarling
Author: thepsychicclam
Pairing: Dom/Elijah
Rating: NC-17
Summary: After graduating from grad school, Elijah gets a job at an amusement park. AU.
Pre-reveal Notes: Merry Christmas! Thanks for allowing me the chance to write an AU monster. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: This is a non-profit, non-commercial work of fiction using the names and likenesses of real individuals. This fictional story is not intended to imply that the events herein actually occurred, or that the attitudes or behaviors described are engaged in or condoned by the real persons whose names are used without permission.
Elijah was pretty sure he was insane. He stood outside the gates of a rundown amusement park, staring at the rusting hinges. He could see a line of game booths along both sides of a dusty lane and rides towering in the background. If the help wanted ad hadn't been in that morning's paper, he would have sworn the last time the park needed help had been 1984. Hell, from the looks of it that might have been the last time the park had been open.
A touch of fear settled in his stomach as he stepped through the open gates. If that hadn't been the only other job except for a truck driver in the newspaper, he wouldn't have dared entered (and right then, the truck driving job was looking a hell of a lot better). The entire place looked deserted, and Elijah hoped he wasn't going to be murdered.
After a few wrong turns, he found a beat up Winnebago in the front right corner of the park. He wasn't sure he was in the right place, but he saw large black letters that spelled "office" across the side. Resigning to the fact that this was his only choice, he knocked on the door.
A tall, thin guy with long brown hair and a scruffy beard opened the door. "Yeah?"
"Hi. I'm here about the job."
"What job?"
"Um...the one in the paper? For an amusement park attendant?"
"Oh!" The man turned and disappeared inside the Winnebago. Elijah wasn't sure whether he should follow or leave. He decided to stay where he was. "Well, are you coming or not?" the man yelled from inside. Elijah hurried up the steps.
Inside was fairly clean, cleaner than Elijah had expected. Almost every surface was covered in bright grey. In front of him was a small breakfast nook, to his left a stove, further down the hall a bathroom and a room he guessed housed the bed; to the right was a workstation with an ancient computer and stacks of paper covering the table, across from that a sofa in the most obnoxious royal purple velvet upholstery Elijah had ever seen, then two matching purple armchairs right in front of the steering wheel. He was pretty sure this thing had not been driven in years.
"Take a seat," the man said, pointing to the sofa as he sat at the work station. He looked through the unorganized papers for something. He found whatever it was and looked at Elijah. "So, you're here for the carnie job?"
"...yes?"
"Fill this out." He handed Elijah a pad.
"Sir, this is a legal pad."
"Yes."
"Where's the application?"
"That is the application." Elijah stared at the man in confusion. "Just write down your name, address, work history -- all the normal bullshit." He stood up and walked towards the back of the space as Elijah started to write. "I'm Viggo, by the way," he called.
"Elijah."
"Nice to meet you, Elijah." Viggo reappeared and tossed a t-shirt at him, hitting him in the face. Elijah grabbed it and held up a green shirt with Mirkwood Forest Amusement Park emblazoned across the back in yellow letters. "Welcome to the team."
"I got the job?" he asked incredulously. "But you didn't ask me any questions. I only filled out my name and age on this." Elijah held up the pad.
Viggo shrugged. "You don't have to take the job. You can give me the shirt back if you want."
"No!" Elijah exclaimed. "I mean, I want to the job. I just didn't expect it to be this easy."
"Listen, kid. I've worked in this business my whole life. My dad opened this place back in the 60s. I've hired every kind of worker you can think of, from out-of-work nuclear physicists to ex-cons. There isn't much to steal, newbies don't work the heavy machinery, and most people don't come back for day two. So, I figure either you won't be back tomorrow or I gain a new employ. Just try to remember and leave the shirt if you aren't coming back tomorrow." Viggo picked up a couple of sheets of paper and handed them to Elijah. "Rules, map, and all that shit. We open today at 5, so take a few hours to learn the lay of the park and meet everyone so you can work tonight." Elijah examined the rules and map as Viggo grabbed a rotary phone from its cradle and dialed a number. "Yeah, Orlando? We got a new employee. No, not like last time. Seems okay. Can you come and show him around? Awesome." He hung up the phone and turned back to Elijah. "Orlando is going to show you around. He'll be here in about half an hour. If you have any questions, ask him."
Elijah knew that was a dismissal, so he stood, thanked Viggo, and exited. Outside the Winnebago, he felt a mixture of relief and dread. He got a job; this was a good thing since he had maybe three dollars to his name. He was also nervous. The last time he had been to an amusement park he had been like ten, so he wasn't quite sure what he was doing. And if things were as bad as to make people not want to come back the next day...Elijah took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. He had a job; he was going to focus on that.
He slipped on his sunglasses and walked into the park. It was smaller than some of the larger theme parks like Universal, Busch Gardens, or Six Flags. There were no water rides and no roller coasters. As he walked down the dirt path, he tried to figure out what the park even had. He saw numerous game booths and some food cubicles. The kiddie rides were obviously near the front of the park because he began to pass rides with cars in shapes of animals, planes, and teacups. Near the middle of the fairway was a rather large carousel. Elijah stopped and stared at it, a bit impressed. For such a dump, the carousel was lovely. He continued and realized he had come upon the adult rides. There was a gravitron, double Ferris wheel, regular Ferris wheel, free fall, super loop, and a handful of other rides that were variations on around and back-and-forth. He stopped beside the flying bobs and studied it closely from behind the metal fence. The cars were colorful and worn, but looked solid. As he looked closer, he decided that the ride was probably older than he was.
After he had circled the entire park, he stood at the front and gazed upon it. It wasn't overly impressive, but it would do. It had to; he had no other options.
"Elijah?" Elijah turned towards the voice. A tall, tan guy with brown curls walked towards him. His face split into a wide grin as he extended a hand. "I'm Orlando."
"Nice to meet you."
"Welcome to Mirkwood Forest. What do you think?"
"Um...it's nice."
"Yeah, it's a bit of a shit, but it's home, you know? I've worked here for a couple of years now, longest of anybody except Sean, our games manager." Orlando clapped Elijah on the back. "Come on, I'll show you around."
For the next hour, Orlando showed Elijah everything from the rides to the staff parking lot to the employee bathroom. Around 4, other people started showing up.
"Who's this?" asked a shorter guy wearing the same green t-shirt.
"Elijah, this is Billy. He runs the rides with me. If you have any problems, you can go to him or me."
Elijah nodded as Billy smiled. "You picked a pretty good night to start. Tuesdays aren't too bad." Elijah felt relieved as he followed Orlando and Billy to a white picnic table underneath a pavilion. "So, what brings you here, Elijah?"
"I needed a job."
"You must have been desperate."
"A bit, yeah." They all laughed.
"Where are you from?" Orlando asked.
"Originally from Iowa, but I've been living in California for awhile. I went to the University of Berkley for grad school."
Billy whistled. "Then why in the bloody hell are you here?"
"Needed a job. And I have no clue what I want to do."
"I thought that's what grad school was for," Orlando said.
"So did I." Elijah sighed.
"Cheer up, mate," Orlando said. "Welcome to the club for people who don't have a fucking clue what they want to do with their lives. Take Billy here, for example."
"Hey!" Billy started to protest, but Orlando cut him off.
"Billy wants to be a musician. He's in a band. But he's working here."
"I play gigs."
"When? On your nights off?"
"Fuck you. Orlando here has delusions of grandeur. He thinks his good looks are going to get him his big break in Hollywood. He wants to be an actor."
"I am going to be an actor. I've just got this shit job so I can save up money and move to LA. Do you know how bloody expensive it is to live in LA?"
"Saving up for two years. Going places, are you?"
"At least I have more of an excuse that you do."
"Do you know how hard it is to get gigs around here? We're halfway between LA and San Francisco, which means we're in the middle of nowhere."
Elijah listened to them in awe. He was really hoping he didn't end up like them, stuck here in this job for years waiting to figure things out. Oh well. He had a job. That was better than he was doing twelve hours ago.
*
He knew being the new guy sucked, but he didn't realize that he would get stuck operating the slide. He wasn't even working anything -- he just stood on top of an extremely high landing, handing burlap sacks to people and telling them where to sit. Occasionally he got to spray cooking spray on the slide to make it slicker, and a few times he had to walk back down the stairs because some punk ass kid dropped his burlap sack and was too lazy to walk down himself and get it.
In between sliders, he stared out at the park. The slide was positioned at the extreme back right corner, so he could see everything. At night, it actually looked kinda cool. Myriad neon colored lights scattered all over the grounds, sounds of people screaming in excitement, and drifting music from the more popular, cooler rides. The breeze wasn't too bad that high up, either.
A couple of hours later, Orlando appeared beside him. "How's it going?"
"Hey!" Elijah was actually glad to see him. "It's going pretty well. It's not difficult."
"Your graduate degree has prepared you well, huh?"
"Well, no one has fallen off the top yet."
Orlando smiled. "That's a plus. Listen, I came up here to tell you that it's break time. You get twenty minutes for bathroom, food, smoking, whatever it is you need to do. I've already closed the gate below. Be back in thirty minutes."
"I thought you said twenty."
"I did, but everyone takes thirty. Who's going to know? Viggo doesn't care as long as we are here most of the night."
"Cool, thanks." Elijah started to walk down the stairs but noticed Orlando walking leaning down. "What are you doing?"
"Sliding is much faster," he said, sitting down a piece of burlap.
"Really? You're going to slide?"
"Hell yeah. Catch you on the flipside." With that, Orlando pushed off and disappeared down the cream track. Elijah glanced at the piece of burlap hanging over the banister, then back at the stairs.
"I must be insane," he muttered to himself as he grabbed the burlap and slid down. At the bottom, he realized he was actually smiling. "Well, fuck me." He laughed and entered the throng of people milling about.
Pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket, he placed one between his lips and lit it, inhaling deeply. The park looked much more inviting at night with people everywhere. He went and got himself a Coke, then slowly ambled down the lanes, kicking dirt with the toe of his Chucks as he sucked on his second cigarette.
As he walked past the fun house, he felt something hit his head. He rubbed the spot absentmindedly and continued walking. He felt it again and turned around, pissed.
"Hey, you!" Elijah searched for the source of the voice and the object. "Up here." He glanced up at the railing of the fun house and saw a guy in the same green t-shirt he was wearing. Great, Elijah thought, some douchebag is hazing me.
"You the new guy Billy was talking about?" The guy was leaning over with his elbows on the railing, hands clasped, and a slight smirk on his scruffy face.
"Yeah."
"I'm Dom."
"Elijah."
"Nice to meet you, Elijah." Dom appraised him slightly. "How much longer do you have on break?"
"Just a few minutes."
"Too bad." Dom paused, eyes never leaving Elijah, while Elijah took a final drag off his cigarette. He tossed it to the ground and stomped it out with his foot. "Where did Viggo end up putting you?"
"Slide."
"Dude, that sucks. I'm sorry." Dom laughed and Elijah smiled and shrugged.
"Could be worse, I guess."
"You could be working the fun house."
"Does it suck that bad?"
"Well, just tonight, some kid threw up in the mirror maze, the horizontal revolving barrel broke, and the moving floor got stuck."
"Sorry. That does suck."
Dom shrugged. "It is what it is. Guess you better get back to the slide. See you later, Elijah." He turned to a group of girls who giggled and squealed as he smiled and started talking to them. Elijah walked back to the slide and had barely made it to the top himself before a steady stream of people started lining up.
When the park closed, Elijah realized he was more tired than he expected. He climbed down the stairs this time instead of sliding, and walked through the now deserted midway. There was quite a bit of trash, and he was extremely glad he wasn't the janitor here. He passed Orlando at the flying bobs talking to a few people and decided against interrupting. He went to find Billy to figure out what to do before he left. He went to the super loop, but Billy had already gone. He decided then to just shuffle towards the front.
As he passed the fun house, he saw Dom talking to someone. He walked on past.
"Hey!"
Elijah turned around and saw Dom jump down from the fun house platform and jog towards him. "What are you doing?"
"I was looking for Billy, but I can't find him."
"He's...actually I don't know where he is. But that doesn't matter. Wanna go fishing for change?"
"Huh?"
"Come on, I'll show you." Elijah followed Dom to the fun house, but instead of walking up the steps, they went to the side. Dom grabbed one of the metal siding pieces, removed it, and bent down. "There." Elijah looked inside the dark hole.
"What am I supposed to be looking at?"
"Karl!" A bearded, dark-haired man in a sleeveless plaid shirt and tool belt stuck his head over the side of the railing. "Can you toss me your flashlight?"
"Where's yours?"
"Up there with you...somewhere. Just do it."
"Fine." He removed the flashlight from his tool belt and gently tossed it down. "Be careful. That is the best one I have."
"I'm just going under here, geez." Dom switched on the flashlight then crawled underneath the fun house. "Come on."
"I'm not sure about this," Elijah said as he reluctantly followed Dom.
"Man up, Elijah. It's not going to collapse on us, I promise."
"Great. I hadn't even thought of that. I was just worried about rats."
"That I can't help."
"Very funny."
Elijah crawled beside Dom and looked at the area illuminated by the flashlight. Coins were scattered across the ground.
"This is fishing for change." Dom started gathering money and placing it in a pile. Elijah joined him. After they finished, they stuffed all the change in their pockets and crawled back out.
"Flashlight!" Karl called from above. Dom lifted it up as Karl grabbed it. "How much did you make tonight?"
"Dunno, gotta count it." Dom walked up the fun house steps and sat on the front ledge, legs dangling off. Elijah sat beside him. They pulled all the money from their pockets and counted it. "Four dollars and nineteen cents."
"Cool."
"Not cool. That's not a lot. Oh well. It's enough for the two of us to get like a burger or something from Del Taco."
"No, it's your money."
"Our money."
"I'm rich."
Dom laughed. "It was a slow night. Weekends we can really cash in. So, let's go spend our winnings. I'm starving."
"You take it. I'm not that hungry. I just want to go home and go to sleep."
"You can't go home. The night is young. It's only like eleven."
"Almost midnight," Karl offered from behind them.
"Later than I thought," Dom said.
"Rain check?"
"Cool." Dom stood up and offered a hand to Elijah. Elijah grabbed it and Dom yanked him up, causing Elijah to stumble into him. Elijah blushed and mumbled sorry as he backed up.
"Do I have to sign out or anything?"
Elijah heard Karl laugh from the revolving barrel. Dom smiled. "You'll learn real fast the way things work around here. As long as you are here when you're supposed to be and leave when you're supposed to, Viggo doesn't care. It's like the honor system. It's pretty laid back."
"Cool." Elijah stood there awkwardly, not quite wanting to leave yet. "It wasn't as bad as I anticipated. Viggo told me some people only make it through one day before quitting."
"He over exaggerates. It's not that bad. The job kinda sucks, but it has its perks." Dom pointed down to the change still lying on the ledge.
"Oh yes. Your four dollar tip."
"Our four dollars. I should probably separate it."
Elijah put his hand up in protest. "How about you owe me?"
"Deal."
"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Early day. You'll find that the days we open early -- Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday -- really fucking suck. The day never ends."
"Reassuring."
"I'm that kind of guy."
Elijah smiled and walked down the fun house steps. He waved awkwardly as he headed towards the exit.
*
Dom wasn't lying when he said early days sucked. Standing for hours in the sun on that slide really sucked. When Orlando waved to him from the ground that it was break time, Elijah nearly cried from relief.
When Elijah walked towards the food stands, he noticed a group of people sitting with Dom and Billy. Although he felt a touch shy, he joined them after buying a Coke. He sat beside Dom, who was in the middle of an apparently amusing story. Elijah sucked on his straw and looked around the table. There were two girls, one with long dark hair, the other with lighter curls, a guy about his age, and two old guys.
"Everyone, this is Elijah," Dom said after he finished his story. Elijah waved and blushed.
"Aren't you just the most precious thing I've ever laid eyes upon," one of the older men said. Elijah wasn't sure how to react.
"Down, Ian," Dom said, laughing. Elijah smiled.
"Now, Dominic. Allow an old, horny codger some fun."
"Your fun is more than just looking and complimenting," Dom said, turning to Elijah quickly and winking.
"I'm Liv," the dark-haired girl said. Her ponytail swung behind her as she moved. This started a chain of introductions -- Liv, Ian, Miranda, Sean, and Christopher. Elijah really hoped he could keep everyone straight.
"I have come up with a fantastic idea for the House of Horror," Christopher said. Elijah was instantly intrigued by his deep, booming voice. It was both terrifying and pleasant at the same time.
"Let me guess. Dracula?" Miranda said with a smirk. The others laughed.
"You little minx," Ian said, nudging her side.
"Really, Miranda. Must you be so disrespectful?"
Billy glanced at Elijah from across the table. "Christopher played Dracula in a few movies back in the day."
"Yeah, like in the 30s or something," Liv said.
"You children have no appreciation for the classics. I was indeed Dracula in many different cinematic interpretations. Those were the days, the glory days of Hollywood. Horror films, true horror films might I add, were so different back then. They had skill, class. None of this slasher killer stuff they put out these days," Christopher explained. Everyone watched him in mock interest.
"What is your idea?" Sean asked.
"We shall do an homage to the classics. All classic villains, with muted colors and real scares. No shock value or fake blood. Anticipation! Creeping! And a deep, resounding voice resonating from nowhere!" Christopher chuckled to himself, obviously pleased.
"That actually sounds great, Chris," Dom said, clapping him on the shoulder. Christopher looked at his hand in disdain.
"I've told you; don't call me Chris." With that, Christopher stood up and walked away.
"Don't mind him," Billy said. "He's just a cranky old git."
"Not everyone can be as fabulous as I am in their golden years," Ian said, standing up with a flourish. When he stood, Elijah noticed he was wearing a tuxedo and a black satin cape with a purple lining. "I am off, my dears. Another show in ten minutes. I must prepare to stupefy my audience!" Ian bowed and placed a top hat on his head as he straightened.
"Yeah, I guess we gotta get back, too." Liv stood up, looking unhappy. Miranda followed.
"What do you do?" Elijah asked.
"Food. "
"It sucks," Miranda said. "I go home smelling like grease and a heart attack every night."
"And I smell like cotton candy." Liv twirled around, smiling.
"Shut up, princess," Miranda said, pushing Liv away from the table.
"Now that Elijah has met most of the crew, he's probably ready to quit," Sean said, finishing off the last bit of fries on his plate.
Elijah shook his head. "No. They seem nice."
"They're all barking mad," Dom said, "but they keep working here pretty interesting."
"What do you do?" Elijah asked Sean.
"Games."
"Oh, you're the games manager."
Sean shook his head. "Nope, that's Sean Bean. I'm just his lackey."
"That must get confusing."
"You have no idea." Sean stood up. "Nice meeting you," he said, then left. After that, Billy left, leaving Dom and Elijah alone.
"So, has today sucked as bad as I said it would," Dom asked. He pushed his bag of potato chips towards Elijah. Elijah grabbed one and nodded in thanks.
"It has definitely sucked. I really hope I don't get sunburned."
"You are pretty freakishly pale." Dom smiled. "At least you don't have to work for Christopher."
"You like comparing how much your job sucks to everyone else's, don't you?" Elijah asked, then stuffed another potato chip in his mouth.
"It makes me feel just a tad bit better about myself. Otherwise, I feel pretty lousy. There is no dignity in being a fucking carnie, especially after having other jobs. It's not a career you imagine yourself having."
"What did you do before?"
Dom looked away, his eyes roaming over the people milling about on the midway. He was quiet for a few moments. "Something very different." Elijah suddenly felt extremely awkward. He ate another potato chip, then changed the subject.
"So, you work for Christopher?"
"Yeah," Dom said, turning his attention back to Elijah. "He's over the haunted and fun houses. I think he's completely off his rocker. He's batshit." They laughed.
"Was he really in a movie?"
"Oh yeah. It's insane. That was like forever ago, and he was no Bela Legosi, but still."
Elijah glanced at his watch. "I guess I better get back to work," he said reluctantly.
"What are you doing after work? And you better not say going home to go to sleep," Dom said.
"I haven't really thought about it."
"Come by the fun house when you're done."
"Okay." Elijah walked slowly back to the slide. He liked the people he had met so far, especially Dom. He was hoping this job would turn out being better than he originally thought.
*
After closing, Elijah walked to the fun house. He didn't see Dom anywhere, so he walked around to the side. Sure enough, he saw the same piece of siding missing. He bent down and saw a streak of light and the outline of a pair of shoes.
"Fishing again?"
There was a loud thud. "Shit!" Dom shouted. "Don't scare me like that." He turned around, rubbing his head, and flashed the light in Elijah's face. "And yes, to answer your question. There's a bit more than last night."
"All yours. I didn't help tonight."
"I still owe you," Dom said, crawling backwards out of the hole.
"That is true." Dom dusted off the knees of his jeans when he stood up. He rubbed the sore spot on his head again. Elijah reached forward and brushed dust off his shoulder and arm.
"How much tonight?" he asked as Dom emptied his pockets on a step.
"Eleven thirty seven," Dom reported. "We're totally going to iHop. Let's go get everyone else." Dom grabbed Elijah's hand; Elijah was surprised and unprepared for how his stomach knotted. Dom pulled him across the grounds towards the front gate, and after a few feet, he dropped Elijah's hand. Elijah trailed a few steps behind Dom, rubbing his hand absent-mindedly. He was pretty sure things just got unintentionally complicated.
"iHop!" Dom shouted as he passed people. A few minutes later, a group consisting of Orlando, Billy, Sean, Liv, Miranda, Karl, and Ian were assembled.
"Liv, you can drive five in your Explorer, and I'll get four in my car," Orlando said as they walked towards the parking lot. Elijah stayed close to Dom, not wanting to ride in a separate car.
He ended up in the backseat of Orlando's beat up red Camero. It was a two-door, so he had to squeeze into the back through an impossibly small opening. The floorboard was littered with empty soda cans and old magazines. Dom was sitting beside him, Billy in the front seat.
"This song is fucking awesome!" Orlando screamed over the loud music. Elijah was a bit surprised at Orlando's enthusiasm for the song; it was "Down on the Corner" by CCR. Not exactly a song usually described as "fucking awesome."
Orlando was beating the rhythm on the steering wheel, Billy slapping the dashboard and Dom keeping tempo on his knees.
"If you got a nickel, better lay your money down," Orlando sang loudly, then Billy and Dom both joined in with, "Down on the corner, out in the street..."
Elijah started laughing. Dom raised his eyebrow in question as he continued singing along. When the song was over, Orlando turned the volume down.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"I just never thought I'd hear a bunch of Brits singing Creedance, that's all."
"Okay, music snob," Dom said, "we can like classic southern rock, too. You like British music. The Beatles?"
"Point taken," Elijah said, laughing. "It's still fucking hilarious."
At iHop, they all squeezed into a large table in the back. For being after midnight, the restaurant was pretty packed. Elijah thought the line of people in matching Mirkwood Forest t-shirts, Karl in his plaid sleeveless shirt and toolbelt, and Ian in a tux was an amusing sight. They got a few strange stares as they walked through the dining room.
"What are you getting?" Dom asked as they perused the menus.
"Um...pancakes?"
"What kind?"
Elijah laughed. "Um, haven't decided." Dom was looking at him expectantly; he smiled and closed the menu. "You obviously have an idea. What should I get?"
"Wanna share an all-you-can eat pancake stack?"
"Okay. But isn't that supposed to be for just one person?"
Dom shook his head dismissively. "They don't care."
When they got the pancakes, Elijah watched as Dom spread gobs of butter onto each one, waited for it to melt into the bread, then soaked the stack with gallons of syrup.
"Want some pancakes with that syrup?" Elijah joked, and Dom responded by giving him the finger.
A few minutes later, Miranda tapped Elijah on the shoulder and pointed to Ian, who was waiting for everyone's attention.
"I heard some news today," he said dramatically. He paused, and everyone stared at him, waiting. "I heard that the Mordor has decided to relaunch a newer, better theme park with the express purpose of putting a certain other theme park out of business." He sat back with his fingers crossed over his chest, watching everyone's reaction.
"Huh?" Liv finally said.
"You mean to say the Mordor wants to put us out of business?" Karl asked. Ian nodded.
"That's absurd!" Sean exclaimed. Dom added an emphatic, "Bullshit!"
"I don't understand," Orlando said. "Why would anyone feel we're a threat? We're like the worst amusement park in California."
"Apparently, the Mordor doesn't share your view," Ian said.
"Who's your source?"
"A trusted confidant. If he says it is true, then it is true."
"Is that even possible? I mean, to put someone out of business?" Elijah asked, feeling kind of stupid.
"Not suddenly, but after awhile, crowds will drop and we will be almost like a ghost town. It's happened to many good amusement parks. Why do you think places like Six Flags and Universal are so popular? Do you think they got lucky?" Ian looked at Elijah pointedly, making sure he'd connect the dots.
"Has anyone told Viggo?" Orlando asked.
"Viggo has got to know," Karl said.
"I'm sure he does," Ian said. "The reason Mirkwood Forest has stayed in business as long as it has is because of Viggo and his father's talent for running it."
Elijah had to cough to cover up his laugh; Viggo didn't seem like any kind of talented businessman. Elijah sat back while the others discussed all aspects of the park and its threat and worked on the massive stack of pancakes he was sharing with Dom. He had just gotten this job; he liked the people he worked with. He didn't want to find somewhere else, even if the job wasn't glamorous.
As they were leaving the restaurant, Dom stepped close to Elijah and leaned towards him. "You got pretty quiet," he said quietly in Elijah's ear. A shiver ran down Elijah's spine as Dom's hot, sweetly scented breath ghosted across his skin. "What's up?"
Elijah shrugged. "Just felt pretty out of place, you know, being the new guy and all. I've only been working there two days. It isn't like I have any say or any kind of opinion."
Dom threw his arm loosely around Elijah's shoulders. "Don't worry, mate. You won't lose your job. And even if you do, it's really not that big of a deal." He shot Elijah a crooked grin and dropped his arm. Elijah was shocked that it only took two days for him to start developing feelings for Dom.
*
A week later, Viggo called a meeting after closing. They all gathered around tables under the pavilion where bingo was held nightly. Elijah saw a bunch of faces he had never seen before in addition to the people he'd already met. He sat down with Orlando, Billy, and Liv, and Dom came late and took the seat beside him, smiling brightly when he saw him. He hadn't really seen Dom much since that night at iHop; he had worked a few early shifts, which meant he got off before most people, and Dom had done the same thing other nights. Other nights, he just went home because he was tired. The job was more physically draining than he originally thought. Elijah had spent a lot of time thinking about Dom -- mostly up on the slide while trying to pass the time. His thoughts ranged from dirty things they could be doing in the ride cars to reasons why he needed to put a cap on his feelings right then and there. He had pretty much gotten over his feelings until Dom sat down beside him and his stomach fluttered and his cheeks burned. Feelings were definitely still going strong.
"I just want to clear the air," Viggo started, "There's been some talk that the park is in trouble. We are not closing. We are not threatened, not in trouble. Everything is fine. The Mordor might want to revamp and steal our business, but this place has been here for decades; a little bit of shiny equipment and new rides won't change that."
"Though getting us some computerized equipment wouldn't hurt," someone shouted. People laughed, but Viggo ignored the outburst.
"If you have any issues or questions, please see me. But don't worry." He ran a hand through his hair, long strands falling right back in his face. "Next item of business. Paychecks will be delayed until Monday instead of tomorrow." This announcement was met with an outpouring of grunts. Viggo had to raise his voice to continue. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. That's all. Good night."
Now in sour spirits, everyone started to leave. Before Elijah could stand, Dom turned to him. "Get used to the paychecks being late."
"Why?"
"Viggo pays us sometimes on Friday, sometimes Saturday, sometimes the next Wednesday. He hasn't gone past a week before, but there is a first time for everything."
"Is that legal?" Elijah asked.
"Who's gonna sue him?"
"True."
"Viggo pays us when he remembers. And it's not always in money." Elijah widened his eyes in surprise and Dom continued. "One time, I got paid by traveler's check, once by money order."
"You're joking."
He shook his head. "Nope. We get pissed, but we can still pay our bills. Whatever, you know." They followed the group of people towards the employee parking lot. "We're going to Orlando's tonight. It's low-key, just all of us hanging out and such, but there will be beer and food and music. Are you in?"
"Yes!"
"Cool. You can follow me."
"I need to go home first. Shower, change my shirt. I feel like I wear this damn t-shirt all the time." They neared their cars, and Elijah stopped before walking towards the far right of the parking lot.
"I have a t-shirt in my car. You can put it on at Orlando's," Dom said.
"Is it clean?"
Dom looked slightly offended. "Of course it's clean. What kind of question is that?"
Elijah defensively put up his hands. "Just checking. I never know with you people."
Dom stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Elijah could feel the warmth from his body. He crouched down just a bit, looked Elijah in the eyes. "I hate to break it to you, but Elijah, now you are one of us people." Dom smiled then walked to his car on the other side of the parking lot.
Running a hand through his hair, Elijah walked to his car. He tried to shake off the buzz of energy coursing through his veins. When he pulled out of the parking lot, he followed Dom through unfamiliar streets. He turned his music up to an almost earsplitting volume. Singing out his frustrations seemed like the most appealing thing at the moment. As he listened, he smiled and realized how different his jam music was from Orlando, Billy, and Dom's. Almost thoughtlessly, he grabbed his iPod and changed to CCR.
He followed Dom onto a residential street and then parked in front of a small brick house. Although the house was in a decent neighborhood, it was kind of rundown and the yard was messy and unkempt. When he got out of the car, he saw Dom waiting for him in the front yard holding a t-shirt.
"One clean t-shirt."
"Thanks," Elijah said, taking the shirt. They walked towards the door, and Elijah noticed something out of the corner of his eye. "What is that?"
"A PBR sculpture."
Elijah walked over to the object, a waist-high pyramid made completely out of Pabst Blue Ribbon cans. "This is...the most amazing thing I've ever seen."
"Yeah. It took us a few weeks to drink enough beer to finish it."
"I hope there's something better to drink tonight than PBR," Elijah said, walking onto the carport. There was a broken grill, a skateboard, a weightlifting bench, and stacks of empty, beat up boxes.
"Beggars can't be choosy," Dom said as he opened the door. Loud music hit Elijah as soon as he entered, along with the sound of voices and laughter. Orlando's house was sparsely furnished, with another weight bench, a table covered with cases of beer, and a few stools in what Elijah figured was the dining room. The living room had an old couch, two tvs, a stereo, a piano, an armchair, and a futon right in the middle of the floor.
"Elijah! I'm so glad you made it!" Orlando said as he came up with a beer in his hand. He gave Elijah the beer then grabbed him in a one-armed hug. "Make yourself at home. Anything you need, it's yours. And there's plenty of room for you if you need to stay the night."
"Where's your bathroom? I just want to wash some of work off of me."
Orlando swallowed a huge gulp of beer. "Of course! Down the hall on your right."
Elijah nodded and made his way towards the back of the house, nodding and speaking to people as he passed. He knew almost everyone there, and recognized a few others from the park. When he got to the bathroom, he closed the door behind him, muffling some of the sound. He took a deep breath and pulled off his shirt. He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face. Looking around, he found some soap on the counter and a washcloth in the linen closet. He lathered up the rag and washed himself down, removing some of the dirt and grime that accumulated after hours at work. He wished he could take a shower, but figured at a party wasn't the right time. When he finally felt clean enough, he dried himself, grabbed Dom's t-shirt, and pulled it over his head. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and noticed the t-shirt for the first time. It was grey and said "I Poke Badgers With Spoons." Elijah groaned. Not only was it a ridiculously weird shirt (but seemed to fit Dom's personality somehow...), it was wrinkled and way too big for Elijah. Dom wasn't that much bigger than him, but the shirt just hung loosely on his small frame. Great, he looked like he just rolled out of bed. So sexy, he thought wryly.
He emerged from the bathroom, to an emphatic "thank god" from one of the guests. He walked back to the kitchen counter where he left his beer, grabbed it, and downed half of it in one go. He grimaced as he swallowed and remembered why he hated shitty beer so much.
"I saw that grimace, beer snob," Orlando said from across the kitchen. Elijah smiled apologetically.
"Don't listen to him," Billy said. "That shit tastes like goat pee." He lifted a glass of amber liquid. "Jameson is the only thing I drink. Orlando would drink anything if it would get him drunk."
"Not all of us are mature and cultured like you, Billy," Orlando said. "I spend less on two cases of beer than you do on half a bottle."
"But I don't have to hold my breath to swallow," Billy said.
"That's what she said!" someone yelled in the background.
Elijah took a few more gulps of his beer, trying to finish it as quickly as possible. He hated to admit it, but Billy was right. That shit was nasty. But that didn't stop him from grabbing another.
Quite a few beers later, he was sitting outside on the brick wall of the carport, arguing literature with Sean and Karl.
"I tell you," Sean continued, waving his hands around emphatically, "Hundred Years of Solitude is, in fact, the best book ever published. There's a reason it's on every important book list."
"Bullshit," Elijah replied. "You can't pin down the best book ever. That's like trying to decide on the best song or album ever recorded. It's impossible. And even if I was creating a list of the best books, Hundred Years of Solitude wouldn't even make the top one hundred. That book is for professors and pretentious pricks."
"Hey!" Sean exclaimed, offended.
"It's not a bad book," Karl offered, "but there are many far superior books. Everything Cormac McCarthy ever wrote is leagues ahead of Marquez."
"Oh please," Sean said. "Cormac McCarthy is one of the most overrated authors of this century. I tried to read The Road, and the crimes committed against the English language in the first eight pages are deplorable. And don't even get me started on All The Pretty Horses."
"Fuck both them," Elijah said, pointing his finger so forcefully that all the ashes fell off his cigarette. "Kurt Vonnegut is a fucking genius."
"Slaughterhouse Five is overrated," Sean said.
"No, that's a great book," Karl said.
"Fuck Slaughterhouse Five," Elijah shouted, waving his hands around. "Breakfast of Champions is fucking leagues above anything else he wrote."
Sean disagreed so vehemently that Elijah thought his head was going to twist off his head he was shaking it so hard. Karl was leaning back casually, arms crossed against his chest; he didn't seem affected by anything anyone said and offered his opinions easily. Elijah brought his cigarette to his mouth and inhaled deeply.
"What's going on out here?" Dom asked, coming up behind them. "I heard Elijah cursing over the music. Orlando's neighbors are going to call the cops."
"Sorry," Elijah said sheepishly, feeling his cheeks burning.
"They're fucking eighty years old anyway," Dom said. He sat beside Elijah on the wall, so close that he was pressed completely against Elijah's side. Elijah definitely didn't mind. "What are you yelling about?"
"Books," Karl said.
"You're getting this worked up over literature?" Dom asked.
"If you think this is worked up, don't even get me started on music," Elijah said, laughing.
"Maybe I will, just to see how much it'll take for the neighbors to call the cops."
"Fuck you." Elijah smiled and Dom winked. He felt his stomach clench, and he took a long drag from his cigarette to distract himself. Even in his beer-hazed mind, he figured staring at Dom would be a bad idea.
"I need another beer," Sean said, standing up. "Anyone else?"
"Me," Elijah said. Sean nodded and walked a little unevenly back into the house.
"Excuse me, guys," Karl said, going over to join Sean Bean and Liv by the door.
"Having fun?" Dom asked. Elijah turned towards him, Dom's face just inches from his own.
"Yeah," Elijah said.
"I would think arguing books with Sean would be the fucking boringest thing in the world to do."
"I don't mind. I like Sean and I like books."
"I like both those things, too, but not together."
Elijah smiled, took a final drag from his cigarette, then tossed it to the ground and stomped it out. "What time is it?"
"Why? Are you ready to call it a night already?"
"I don't know. I am pretty tired."
"You can't leave yet," Dom said.
"Why not?"
"Because I said so." Dom smiled, then stood up. "Come on. I'll find something more interesting for you than arguing books with Sean."
Elijah followed him into the house, where someone had Rancid playing at top volume. "I really fucking hate Rancid," Elijah screamed over the music. They passed the living room where Orlando, Billy, and Miranda were dancing around like idiots. Dom led them to a bedroom at the back of the house. He closed the door behind them and flipped on the tv.
"I thought we could play some video games or something," Dom said. Without really thinking it through, Elijah stepped towards Dom, bumped into him clumsily, and lifted up on his tiptoes to kiss him. Dom's surprise was only momentary, and then his arms were around Elijah, pressing their bodies together. Elijah slipped his tongue inside Dom's mouth, Dom's tongue sliding soft and warm against his own. Dom's mouth tasted like beer and the remnant of his own cigarette.
"I didn't bring you in here to take advantage of you," Dom breathed against his mouth, just far enough so their lips didn't meet. Dom's cheek was rough against Elijah's skin, his nose rubbing against his own.
"I know," Elijah answered.
"Are you going to regret kissing me in the morning?"
"Are you?" Elijah asked, suddenly worried. He had a moment of sobriety, his head clearing just long enough for the true implications of his actions to settle on him. What if Dom didn't want this? What if Dom had just kissed back because he was drunk and caught up in the moment?
"Absolutely not," Dom said. "I've wanted you since the moment I saw you." As a response, Elijah jerked forward and kissed him, a little rougher than he intended, causing their teeth to hit. "Shit, Elijah. Calm down," Dom laughed as he rubbed his lips.
"Sorry. I guess I'm just a bit enthusiastic," he said, his head cloudy and light again. He was riding on a mixture of alcohol and elation. Dom kissed him again, this time softer, lips barely touching Elijah's, and every time Elijah tried to move closer, Dom moved back. Elijah sighed and let himself get lost in the kiss, the light brushing of skin setting every nerve in his lips and cheeks on fire. The room was spinning around him, Dom the only thing keeping him from falling. He pressed closer to Dom, trying to eliminate any space between them. He could feel the effects of Dom's kiss travelling to his cock, and when Dom dropped a hand to his ass, he groaned against his mouth. Dom's lips moved along his chin, and Elijah stretched his head back, exposing his neck as he saw lights behind his eyelids.
"Oh shit," he said, wrenching himself away from Dom just in time to drop and puke on the floor. "Shitshitshit," he whispered to himself. He felt ridiculous. Dom bent down beside him and put a reassuring hand on his back as he dry heaved a few times. When the nausea passed, he turned and buried his face in Dom's chest. "I'm so sorry."
"It happens, don't worry about it," Dom said reassuringly. He placed a kiss on Elijah's hair, and Elijah curled his fists into Dom's t-shirt.
"I'm such a fucktard."
"Dude, you just puked. We've all done it."
"Yeah, but not at your first time here." He started shaking his head back and forth, but decided that was a bad idea. He rested all his weight against Dom, taking deep breaths to try and calm his stomach. "This would be better if the room would stop spinning."
"I have a tendency to do that to people," Dom joked softly. Elijah managed a small giggle. "Let's get you into the bed. Lean on me," Dom instructed as he gripped Elijah's arms and slowly pulled them up. Supported by Dom, Elijah managed the few steps it took to get to the bed. He plopped down face first. He felt Dom remove his shoes, and he turned his face to the side so he could breathe.
"I need to clean up the puke," he mumbled. "I will get it in a minute."
"Sure," Dom said. Elijah felt his legs move, then his torso. "Lift up," Dom whispered, and Elijah obeyed. He felt Dom grab the waist of his jeans, and he raised his head long enough to see Dom pulling them down before dropping his head heavily back to the bed.
"This is not how I imagined you taking off my pants for the first time," Elijah said.
"You've thought about me taking off your pants?"
"Oh yeah," Elijah said ardently. "Many times."
"Interesting," Dom said. "I'll tell you a secret," he said as he pulled the covers over Elijah. He leaned down to whisper in his ear, "This isn't the way I imagined it either."
"Wait," Elijah said, trying to process. "That means..."
"Ssh...go to sleep." He brushed Elijah's hair back from his forehead and placed a kiss there.
"But where are you going? Are you going?"
"I'm not going anywhere."
"You promise?"
"Yep."
Elijah smiled and relaxed. He realized he had still had to clean up the mess he'd made, but he was asleep before he could move.
*
continued here