NEW: Always Darkest 8/30 (Viggo/Elijah, some Astin/Elijah) [NC-17]

[saklani2.livejournal.com]

Title: Always Darkest
Author: Saklani (saklani@wildmail.com) and Wushu
Codes: Viggo/Elijah, some Astin/Lij RPS
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I do not own these men, or anything else I mention here. I am not looking to make money from this... God forbid. And I am NOT them nor is what I put down here real. Thank you.
Summary: Elijah and Sean Astin share one night and then must deal with the consequences.
Author's Notes: This is one of a multitude of long, complex fictions that Wushu and I have been writing together. Basically, this is unbetaed as neither of us have time to beta this one and our regular beta readers want to kill us. We have four other fictions with them, so this one has to go out raw. We apologize for any errors, of which there are probably quite a few. Please ignore them!



"Ten minutes to eat? No wonder you are so thin. You're body cannot even realize its eating before you're off again." Viggo said with his widest grin.

Elijah's laugh was louder, "Oh yes... so thin." And he shook his head, grinning at Viggo, "Ham, cheese, tomato, pickle and mayo."

"Plus the whole gerbil in heat thing," Viggo said standing to make the sandwiches. He piled the ingredients on Elijah's and then made himself a cheese and vegetables sandwich. He added chips, crackers, apples, bananas and cookies to the bags. "All right, picnic is all ready. Now, I just need to fill some Nalgenes and we can saddle up for a day of riding."

"Fill some what?" Elijah had cleaned up while Viggo was making their lunch and he was now looking in the fridge, "And you forgot drinks."

Viggo chuckled and shook his head. "No, I didn't." He held up the clear plastic bottles, before filling them with water. "These are Nalgenes, and they shall carry our water for us on the journey. Other drinks shall never make it long enough. They will be warm before we get where we are going."

"Viggo... you're going all Strider on me..." Elijah pulled an apple out of the fridge and bit into it, moaning at the cold, crisp fruit, "Ready when you are."

"And that's a problem?" Viggo clipped the Naglene to his pack and gave Elijah a cock-eyed look. "Want to saddle and bridle TJ for yourself?"

'"If you show me what to do?" Elijah looked a little nervous at the idea, but not unwilling, "Cause like I said yesterday... they didn't let me..."

"I will show you," Viggo said. He led them into the barn and fetched TJ's halter. "First step is catching the little devil. Feel up to getting him yourself?"

Elijah looked between the paddock and Viggo, and then back at the paddock... um... how about we do it together?" This was all the things they wouldn't let Lij do on set, and he was feeling a little out of his depth.

"All right." Viggo opened the gate and walked in with Elijah. "We just approach him calmly. Usually, he will be of no trouble and let us get the halter on him." They approached slowly and TJ looked at them. "He's going to be good. All right, slip his halter on."

Elijah took the halter, looking up at the calm eyes of the horse and smiling, "Morning TJ... Did you sleep well?" Elijah carefully slipped the halter over the horses nose and ears being as gentle as he could, "There's a good boy."

"Ah, see, he likes you. I knew he would." Viggo rubbed TJ's nose. "That's a good boy. We're going for a long ride today. Now, let's lead him to the hitching rail. Want me to show you how to tie the knot, or did they show you that before?"

"Um... no, no tying..." Elijah petted TJ before starting to lead the horse to the rail Viggo indicated, "I was aloud to brush the horse and that's it, wasn't even aloud to check their hoofs."

"Humph, they treated you poorly," Viggo said with a sniff of distaste. "Let me show you then." He put the end of the lead line through the horseshoe nailed to the rack and then wrapped it around the pole a second time. He tugged the second loops out and twisted it into a circle and stuck the rest of the lead through. "Voila. Secure, but if the horse panics, easy to undo."

"If you say so... looks a little complicated to me... So what now?" Elijah looked up at Viggo, although his hand never stops stroking TJ's neck.

"I got fetch Urias, while you groom TJ." He indicated the bucket full of currycombs, hard brushes and hoof picks lying nearby. "Start with the curry comb and then do the hard brush. Make sure you get his girth area and back really well."

Elijah grins, "That I can do..." And getting out the currycomb Elijah went to work, chatting with the horse softly as he worked.

In a few moments, Viggo returned with Urias. "Here is your mount, sir hobbit, though I fetched him for you. He is a bit tall for saddling, especially if you are new to the game. Do you want an English or western saddle?"

Elijah looks a little blank before saying, "What's the difference?"

"Mostly the shape of the saddle. The Western saddle has the saddle horn in front that some beginners find nice because it gives you something to hang on to if you feel wobbly. An English saddle is spare, nothing extra about it, just a slightly curved piece of leather to fit your ass on."

"Um... I think I'll take the Western then... sounds a little more secure." Elijah smiled, glad that Viggo wasn't condescending like some of the horse people he'd encountered on set.

"I prefer it myself, being a bit of cowboy at heart. Still, its nice to be all fancy and post sometimes." He went to fetch both saddles, carrying out TJ's first and then going back for Urias'. Settling them on the post, Viggo began to curry and brush Urias, focusing on his girth area to make sure it was clean. "How about picking hooves?"

"Nope, said it was too dangerous for little halflings to deal with... you know..." Elijah looked over at Viggo frowning slightly, "They were kinda rude about it all."

"I am sure they were all just worried about you getting hurt and them being mauled to death by the fifth hobbit. Allow me to demonstrate on Urias. You hold your hoof pick like this and then run your hand down the horse's leg." Urias lifted his hoof, and Viggo balanced it on one leg. "Now, just make sure you get out everything in the crevice of the hoof, but avoid the back part. That will hurt the horse if you poke it."

Elijah watched Viggo for several moments before shaking his head, "I think that's... I don't want to hurt him and I don't think..." He nibbled his lip before finally saying, "I don't think I'm ready to try that, Vig could you please?"

"Aw, Elijah, its not that bad. Here, let me help you a little. " He set down Urias foot and walked over to TJ. "Run your hand down his leg to make him pick up his hoof, all right?"

Elijah nibbled harder on his lower lip, "You know... if it's that simple... why couldn't y'all do it in rehab?"

"That was a movie," Viggo said with his infinite patience. "Now, run your hand down his leg."

Elijah reached out nervously, "You know... he's much bigger than me..."

"So am I," Viggo said. He wiggled his eyebrows at Elijah, his mouth quirking upward. "Just trust me and him. He'll lift up his hoof for you."

Elijah ran his hand down TJ's leg, and flashed Viggo a megawatt smile as the horse lift his hoof easily, "He did it!"

Nobody but the very heartless would fail to respond to that smile, and Viggo did with a brilliant flash of his own teeth. "Now brace it on your leg to help him keep it in the air." He directed Elijah so he could do this and then placed the pick gently in his hand. "Don't be afraid to be rough everywhere but at the very back of his hoof. He cannot feel it."

Elijah worked rather tentatively at first, worried that he was going to hurt the horse even with Viggo's reassurance. But eventually he finished the job cleaning the hoof and beaming at Viggo, "I did it!"

Two strong arms shout out to drag Elijah into a large bear hug. "Yes, you did." He gave him an extra squeeze and then let him go. "Now for the other three!"

Elijah was still nervous but he did managed to repeat the procedure on the other three hoofs, "I'm sooooo good..." And he patted TJ, "And so you are you."

Hiding a smile, Viggo reaches out and gives Elijah a quick and tight hug for a job well done. "See, told you. You need to have more faith in your Ranger."

Elijah lengthens the hug by holding into Viggo for several more moments, "I don't doubt you Viggo, I never doubt you."

"Uh oh, now that's a dangerous thing to say." Viggo set Elijah down and then went to attend to his own horse. "So, what about tack? Want to give it a try without me?"

"Nope." Elijah smiled at Viggo, petting TJ's neck as he watched Viggo cleaning Urais' hoofs, "Next time... this time I want help please?"

"All right." Viggo set Urias' hoof down and walked over to the saddle. "Put out your arms." He plunked the large Western saddle into Elijah's outstretched arms. "Ok, first I will put on the saddle blanket. You place it high on their necks and then drag it down over their withers. Like so." He demonstrated so Elijah can tell where the blanket should lie. "Now, put the saddle on top. The girth should go right behind the

The girth should go right behind the front legs when it's attached."

Elijah looked at the saddle he was holding, rather surprised at just how heavy it was, a corner of his mind wondering if it was fair to put this AND a person on a horses back. Then he considered what he was meant to do, and realized he wasn't sure he could, this thing would have to weight... a lot. Walking over to the horse he looked over at Viggo, "It's heavy!" And he started lifting his arms, swinging the saddle over TJ's body.

"That's why you are saddling TJ instead of Urias," Viggo said with a mischievous smile. "TJ might be harder to ride, but he's easier for you to get the saddle on." He watched Elijah hoist it into place. "Back a little and fluff the blanket underneath... no, straighten out the edges.... there you go."

Elijah followed Viggo's instructions, or at least tried to, finally looking over at Viggo, "You mean I did all this work and I won't even get to ride him?" But there was a smile on his face as he asked.

"I shall see how good a job you did on the tacking up myself," Viggo said with a little quirk of his mouth, "IF the girth suddenly loosens and I fall off, you are a dead hobbit." He hands him the girth and then grins. "Know how to knot a tie?"

"I've tied the noose around my neck once or twice, I think I remember how." Elijah smiled at Viggo, bumping Viggo's hip with his own, "Why?"

Viggo tried not to knock Elijah over by bumping him too hard. He led Elijah to TJ's right side. "Attach this side of the girth here with a tie knot. All right?"

"Okay?" Elijah's reply was a little confused but he did as requested, tying the knot as requested and then looking over at Viggo to see what he was doing.

"Make sure its tight, Elijah. Now, go back to the left side." They walked back around, Viggo patting TJ on the rump to let him know they were behind him. "Time for the part that makes the horse mad." He reached down and fetched the dangling girth, looping in through the buckle a few times. "All right, come here and pull this middle part to tighten."

Elijah did as asked before saying, "Um Vig? I think he like... just took a deep breath or something, I can't do it up!?"

"Then punch him in the stomach," Viggo said.

Elijah swung around to look at Viggo, eyes opening wide in shock, "WHAT?"

Viggo sighed and shook his head with a little smile. He stepped forward and gave TJ's tail a little tug. "Being a brat again, are we?" He shoved the horse a little, until he had to move and exhale. With a firm yank, Viggo did up the girth and then smiled. "You have to be firm sometimes, like with a child... or a hobbit."

"I'll show you a firm hobbit if you're not careful Mr. Mortensen!" Elijah shook a finger in Viggo's face for several moments before he giggled, "Seriously? He always does that?"

"Its a common thing clever horses do to prevent the girth from being cinched tightly," Viggo said. "An inexperienced rider can suddenly find himself sliding right off if he does not check to make sure the horse is not bloating." Viggo saddled up Urias with quick and easy efficiency, showing Elijah the knot again. "Now... the hardest part for most people- the bridle!"

Elijah eyed Urias' mouth for several moments, "Those look like they could give a nasty bit if you're not careful."

Viggo undid the knot typing Urias to the post and then undoes the halter. He slid it back and re-buckled the top part only around his neck. "All right, here we go. Gather everything but the bit in your left hand." He gathered the bridle up. "Hold the bit in your right hand like this. Poke you fingers into the corners of the horse's mouth and then slide the bit in as he opens." Viggo pushed at the corners until Urias opened his mouth and slid the bit neatly in. "Now get the brow band over his ears, but be gentle. " He carefully tucked each of Urias' ears in and then released the rest. "Attach the throatlatch... there should be enough room for your fist between the latch and his throat. And finally, the chinstrap. Two fingers room should be allowed there."

Elijah nodded, "And you're going to show me all that again on TJ, and I'm going to pretend not to be totally confused, are you ok with that?"

"Tell you what, I shall help you hands-on demonstrate. What do we do first?" TJ snorted at them both, as Viggo picked up the bridle. Urias stood quietly, ready to go and completely free at the moment.

Elijah looked at Viggo skeptically, "I'll just watch thank you."

Viggo folded his arms and looked at Elijah with all the patience in the world. "Come on, Elijah... what did I do first?'

"Took the halter off." Elijah crossed his own arms around his chest and stared at Viggo, willing to offer answers, but not offer a finger for removal.

"Take it off him," Viggo said with a hint of amusement now creeping into his voice. "Come on, Elijah, you said you trusted me."

"And I said this has nothing to do with trusting you. I'm not gonna lose a finger to those teeth." Elijah's chin jutted stubbornly.

"Then I guess you have to stay home," Viggo said with a regretful sigh. He moved over to Urias and swung up easily.

Elijah stared at Viggo, his eyes darkening and his lips tightening, but he didn't say anything, just glared at Viggo.

Viggo looked back down at him, expression mild and nonjudgmental. "I wouldn't ask you to do anything I thought would hurt you," he said in his gentlest tone.

"You wouldn't mean for me to get hurt, but I don't know what I'm doing, and I don't feel any where near ready to be dicking around with their mouths!! What if I hurt them not me getting hurt!" Elijah's tighten him arms around his body, his body language very defensive.

Viggo slid off the side of Urias, having him stand a safe distance from TJ. He watched the two men with his large brown eyes blinking slowly. "The only way you can get rid of fear is to face it," Viggo said softly. "The halter is something you already can do, Elijah. I'll help you with everything... promise."

Elijah looked at Viggo, nibbling his lower lip before saying, "You promise?" He waited for Viggo's nod before he carefully and slowly walked over to TJ, glancing at Viggo several times as he carefully and a little nervously took the halter off the horse.

TJ snorted a little and tossed his head, but did not move otherwise. Viggo picked up the bridle and then walked over to stand by Elijah. He gently showed Elijah how to hold the bridle, his own hands molding over his pupil's. With a careful press at TJ's mouth, he got the horse to open up and slid the bit in safely. "There. How's that?"

"What I want to now, is who the hell thought... look, large animal with really hard teeth, I'll just put my fingers in his mouth and see how sensitive his lips are?" Elijah sighed leaning back against Viggo heavily.

Viggo laughed a little, but not at Elijah. "The same person who thought that vehicles that can go a hundred miles an hour are safe in the hands of sixteen year olds?"

"They world is a crazy place Viggy." Elijah sighed, petting TJ as they talked.

"Ready to mount up and ride then?" Viggo asked, hugging Elijah with one arm.

"That sounds really dirty." Elijah snickered before pulling away from Viggo and looking between the two horses, "Urais right?"

"Just to hormonal young men," Viggo said. He offered Elijah a hand up on Urias. "Or would you like to get up for yourself?"

Elijah laughed and then looked at the horse, "How about... you like spot me? I'll try, but if I look like I'm gonna break my neck, you'll help?" Elijah wasn't particularly worried, he had been pretty good at getting onto the horse, although he wasn't exactly something you'd call elegant.

"All right then." Viggo stood back, handing Elijah the reins. Urias watched patiently, standing quietly like the well trained horse he was.

Elijah gathered the reins in one hand, along with some of Urias' mane, lifting his foot into the stirrup and he half lifted, haft pulled and half scrambled up the horse and into the saddle.

Beside him, Viggo practically flew into TJ's saddle. He attached the saddlebags with their lunches and water on properly and then walked TJ toward the fence. "Let's go then!"

Elijah had Urais follow Viggo and TJ towards the fence, looking for the gate, "So where are we riding today? Or no fixed plans?"

"You'll see," Viggo said mysteriously. "Feel up to some trotting?" He headed off on a well traveled trail outside the ranch and heading into the distance.

Elijah sighed, "I don't like trotting... cantering is much more comfortable." Elijah he however had Urais in a trot, until he was riding beside Viggo, looking over and smiling at him.

"Ah, would you like to canter then?" Viggo asked, watching Elijah astride Urias and making sure the stirrups and girth looked good.

"Cantering is good, I like that." Elijah smiled, "It's kinda like sex." He waited for Viggo's response to that statement with interest.

Viggo rolled his eyes and urged TJ into an easy lope. "Take it easy with Urias. He can out pace TJ in the short run, but my Mustang has better stamina."

Elijah laughed and kicked his horse into a matching pace, "But... Urias has much less weight to carry today, you might find he does better than you expect."

Viggo turned a rather dark look at Elijah. "You are not that light," he said through gritted teeth. "You have a little bowling ball butt."

"I have a what?" Elijah looked at Viggo completely baffled by Viggo's comment and dark look.

Expression lightening instantly, Viggo just urges TJ a little faster. He winks at Elijah, showing he was joking and takes a left turn at a fork in the trail. "We're going to a nice little spring."

Elijah shook his head and muttered under his breath, "Insane." After making sure his horse was keeping pace with Viggo's Elijah looked around, "It's very pretty here... I can see why you love it so much."

"Everyone needs to find a place in the world to call their own and settle, if only for a while," Viggo says. He slows TJ back to a walk, as they hit a rocky part of the trail. "We're going to head off trail in a moment... if you trust me enough to follow." he points in the distance, where a very small line of trees can be seen amidst the grass.

"That's where the stream is?" Elijah nodded, "I think... I think we'll manage, as long as there isn't too much jumping? That's where I have the most problems."

"Over what?" Viggo drawls. "This area is as flat as my ass and there are no fallen logs or fences for miles and miles. It's just a straight shot across. The only thing to watch for is gopher holes and maybe a few Prairie Dogs."

"You're ass isn't that flat Vig..." Elijah grinned at Viggo before nibbling his lip, "Paries dogs?"

"Have you never seen a Prairie Dog!?" Viggo demands, stopping TJ suddenly.

"Um... not that I know of..." Elijah pulls Urais into a stop, a few paces in front of Viggo, turning in the saddle to look at Viggo, "IS that a problem?"

"Yes! We must make a slight side trip to see some!" With that, Viggo turns TJ the other way and trots in toward the East. "Follow me, Mister Underhill!"

Elijah shook his head in amusement and kicks Urias into motion, following Viggo, "How do we know this Strider is really a friend?"

TJ trots happily, easily traversing the flat landscape and tall grass. Finally, Viggo slows up and holds up his hand to Elijah. He signals him to come closer and then points across the grass. "Prairie dogs." In the field in front of them, a group of thirty or more cat sized rodents run around, tiny tails stuck straight up in the air. They squeak at each other constantly, some of them standing on two legs and watching the skies for signs of predators.

Elijah looks at the rodents for a long while before shaking his head, "Stranger than fiction." And looked at Viggo, commenting again, "Much stranger." and then he grinned.

"Aw, they're cute," Viggo says with a frown at Elijah. "I am thinking of adding bison to this range as well, since they are native here. Prairie dogs and bison were all but wiped out by men who thought them nothing but pests."

"They are cute, I didn't mean to say they weren't... but they are a little... odd? looking!"

Viggo turns one of those little sly smiles on Elijah and then wheels TJ back in their original direction. "Come on, let's go find that spring and have something to eat."

Elijah smiled back at Viggo and pulled his horse along side Viggo, "They don't look anything like dogs though... so why dogs?"

"That I could not tell you, as I did not name them," Viggo says. He angles TJ over to trot right beside Urias. The stallions toss their heads at each other a little and snort, but do not lay their ears back. "How are you doing?"

"I'm ok..." He looks at Viggo for a moment before commenting softly, "I'm not in pain anymore... so that helps." He hadn't mentioned that aspect to Viggo before, and his cheeks were stained a little red.

Viggo reached out to rub his arm a little, before having to steer TJ away again. "I'm glad. I hate to see you in pain, Elijah."

Elijah smiled at Viggo again before sighing, "Lets just leave it at... we over indulged... but... four or five years of repressed sexual attraction will do that to a fella... or two."

Viggo does not reply to that, thinking only a few weeks can hurt you if the feeling is strong enough. He just taps his boot to TJ's side and gets the little horse back up to a smooth canter. The cottonwoods loom closer now, the only landmark in the flat horizon that stretches endless for miles around them. He aims for them and lets the wind blow away all thoughts.

Elijah couldn't help but wonder as they ride if that had been too much information for Viggo and resolved to not mention anything about it again as the ride continued in silence.

Viggo stops at the cottonwoods and gracefully hops off. He removes the saddlebags and then looks up at Elijah. "Any kind of reminder is painful... especially things like that." He removes TJ's bridle and then hobbles him. Tossing the bags over one shoulder he removes TJ's saddle as well, thinking.

Elijah cocked his head to the side once he was off the horse, not at all graceful in his dismount, but it worked. "I don't think I understand?" Eyeing what Viggo was doing Elijah asked, "Should I do that too?"

"Let me help you." Viggo takes off the hobbles and shows Elijah how to put them on Urais. He then un-clinches the saddle and sets it under a tree. He quickly adds the bridle and then sighs with satisfaction. "Orlando left a few permanent marks of his love on my side... those used to make me hurt just to see."

"Permanent? I never knew he was that handy with his claws." Elijah smiled a little as he stretched hugely, and then petted both the horses, thanking them for the ride.

"Teeth," Viggo said and then walked toward the sounds of water. He ducked under a few low branches and then sprawled beside a trunk, kicking of his boots and tugging off his socks. He wiggled his free toes happily.