NEW: Will You Remember? 4/? (LOTRps Viggo/Elijah) [NC-17]

[saklani2.livejournal.com]

Title: Will You Remember
Author: Saklani (saklani@wildmail.com) and Wushu
Codes: Viggo/Elijah
Rating: NC-17
Beta: Wymsie *covers her with kisses*
Disclaimer:We do not own these men, or anything else mentioned here. We are not looking to make money from this... God forbid. And We are NOT them nor is what we put down here real.
Summary: An artist and photographer strikes up an unlikely partnership with a prostitute.
Author's Notes: This story was inspired by a line in one of Curthose's lovely Viggo/Elijah fictions. I would tell you which line, but that would give away a lot of plot, so I'm holding out on everyone. This is definitely an AU with large liberties taken with both men. Please forgive us our trespasses. I hope you enjoy!

Sweetheart, sweetheart, sweetheart,
Though our paths may sever,
To life's last faint ember,
Will you remember?





In the end, Viggo just managed to get to the Ritz on time. His sitting turned out to be with a pair of sullen teenagers who wanted to be anywhere else. They made everything difficult, until Viggo finally took a few less than gratifying shots and sent them and their mother away. He vowed, yet again, not to do any more favors for the friends of his parents. He stowed all his camera gear, his suitcase and the most recent photographs of Jordan in the truck. The photographs were placed carefully on the front seat again, for his model to look at. Speeding through town, Viggo smiled at the sight of Jordan waiting for him outside the Ritz.

Elijah slipped into the truck quickly, still wiping at his face, trying to clean the makeup off. He had ended up running late and hardly had time to get out of his 'outfit' before getting outside to wait for Viggo. He pulled a thread bare face washer from his bag and quickly finished wiping off his makeup.

His Wednesday regular paid really well, but he was more than a little kinky. Dressing up as a girl was not Elijah's favorite thing to do, and the shoes killed him, but he could not turn the money down. He hoped Viggo did not notice the makeup on the washer, or the eyeliner than never seemed to come off completely until the next day.

Glancing at his passenger quickly, Viggo noted the frantic attempts to wipe off makeup and shoved aside all questions. "Hi, Monkey. Ready to get away for a little while?" he asked, pulling away from the hotel and heading for the highway. "Do you want to grab some food before we start? Once I hit the road, its a four hour drive, and I want to do it all in a go."

"I wouldn't say no to food, but it's not an urgent thing. I can wait if you want." He finally looked over at Viggo and smiled.

"I can grill us up some steaks once we get there. It will be late, but I think the food will make it up to you. Feel free to turn on some music if you want." Viggo pulled on to I-80 and moved into the fast lane. He floored the truck to eighty and sped happily away from the city. "I love to get away from people sometimes."

"Steak? Oh... I haven't had steak... I'll wait!" A wide, happy grin split his face and showed off the gap in his front teeth. "How did your sitting go?"

"Awful," Viggo said with a raspberry. "Two of the brattiest teenagers I ever had to deal with. Three completely wasted hours, and I barely got out of there in time to meet you. By the way, your photographs are beside you, if you want to look at them. There are several more that I know are going to be in the book."

"You really think the book idea is going to come off, Viggy?" Elijah reached for the pictures with greedy hands, starting to look through them with an amazed expression. "These are even more unreal."

"Viggy?" He glanced at his passenger very briefly and smiled. "Unreal... yes, that's a good term for them, for you."

"Viggy." Elijah nodded firmly and grinned broadly. "What type of music do you like?"

"Weird music," Viggo said. "Whatever you want to listen to is fine, unless its rap. Then I might have to toss you out the window."

"No rap huh?" Elijah started tuning up and down the bandwidth, finally stopping on a station playing an old country tune. "Not a wild rap fan, although I do like one or maybe two rap songs."

"Stand by your man," Viggo sang with the song. "Give him two arms to cling to and something warm to come to when nights are cold and lonely."

Elijah picked his bag up and put it against the car door. Using it as a pillow, he let his eyes drift closed, a content smile on his face.

Viggo kept on singing, watching Elijah drift toward sleep. The miles melted away under their tires, as the terrain changed from flat to mountainous. Turning on to a smaller highway, Viggo traversed the steep, winding roads that took them to the town near his cabin. He pulled up at the town market just as the last bars of "Red River Valley" faded away. Nudging the sleeping man with his knee, he said, "Wake up, Monkey. Its time to do some shopping."

Elijah woke instantly, sitting up and looking around to get his bearings. When his eyes fell on Viggo, a smile formed without Elijah realizing. "How long did I sleep?"

"The entire four hours," Viggo said, snapping off the radio. He wished for a camera to capture the sleepy, trusting and disheveled man now blinking at him owlishly. "You missed some great views." He got out and waited for his model before entering the small store.

"I'll see them when we drive home." Elijah sighed, before getting out of the car and then stretching high and arching madly, almost unbalancing himself. "That's good. That's so nice."

Viggo reached out to keep him from toppling over and said, "We better hurry and get our food. Things around here do not keep city hours." He led the way inside and headed directly for the meat section.

Elijah followed Viggo, rather glad he'd dressed fairly tamely. The town did not look like it could cope with his working gear. "Nice town. Picture book looking."

"You missed the town," Viggo pointed out. "All you've seen so far in the meat section." He chose a couple of filets and placed them in the basket. "If there's anything you cannot get along without, fetch it now or forever hold your peace." He sauntered away to choose some vegetables.

"Um... do you think maybe... could we have... well... baked potatoes?" Elijah looked up at Viggo appealingly, intense blue eyes begging.

Viggo laughed and nodded. "That's a very good choice." He chose several large potatoes, adding them to the basket, and then some red and green peppers to grill with the steak. "What for lunch and breakfast?"

"Viggo, you can't have baked potatoes without sour cream! Please?" He looked even more appealingly up at him. "Ohh! And cheese. And bacon bits! Pleasepleaseplease?"

Unable not to smile at the eager man, Viggo grabbed each item named and added it to the basket. "I guess this is going to be your primary meal," he teased. He chose some granola, bread, tomato and cheese for his own meals. "What do you want for me to cook tomorrow night? And how about to drink?"

"I'm only getting dinner? No breakfast and lunch for the Monkey?" Elijah looked very sad again.

"Oh, don't pout like that," Viggo said with a grin. "I just meant you got so many potato products, you could eat them for all meals. If you want something else, just grab it and stick it in this rather weighty basket." He grabbed a six-pack of Coke.

Elijah eyed the Coke with bright eyes before he added a packet of mac&cheese to the basket. "Would- would you like me to cook tomorrow?"

"Is there a meal in particular you had in mind?" Viggo asked, grabbing some Oreos and then heading for some milk to go with them and his granola.

"I can make Chicken paprika. Its about the only real meal I can properly cook, but it's really tasty. If you'd like me to cook."

"I've never had Chicken paprika," Viggo said. " I'd like to try it, if you're sure you don't mind cooking."

"I would like to. I like cooking, even though I haven't done it for a while. I don't really have the facilities at home."

"Then show me what we need," Viggo said. He smiled encouragingly, noting how quickly his model lost his easy confidence when he was so far away from what he knew.

Elijah smiled, taking a hold of the sleeve of Viggo's shirt and tugging him around the supermarket,. He gathered the spices and other things he needed, before asking, "How much will you eat? I mean... a leg and thigh? I'm trying to work out how much chicken we need to get."

"Let's just get a small whole chicken. I am sure we can polish off any leftovers," Viggo said, lifting up a bird and placing it precariously on top of their purchase pile. "Tell me that's everything, before my arm falls off."

Elijah nodded, before asking suddenly, "Do you have rice?"

"Oh boy, one more thing to add," Viggo said, heading for the right aisle. "Here, carry the Coke." He looked over the choices. "Um, white, wild, Spanish, long grain or wheat?"

Elijah picked some long grain rice and smiled up at Viggo. "Done! Now to pay for all this..."

"That's what ATM cards are for," Viggo said, leading them to the cash register. A grumpy looking clerk gave them both the evil eye as she rang up their purchases. Viggo just smiled cheerfully and ran his card at the end. "Ah, technology, there are uses for you."

Elijah resisted the incredibly powerful desire to play up to the woman's evil eye, keeping himself well under control and behaving even better than normal. Gathering a few of the bags, Elijah looked over at Viggo. "There are a lot of uses for it, believe you me."

"Yes, but I am only capable of a few," Viggo said, loading their groceries into the truck. "Another twenty minutes, and we'll be away from everyone and at the cabin." He hopped in, eager to get there.

"You like your cabin don't you?" Elijah watched how eager Viggo was, a fond smile turning his lips up into a smile.

"Sometimes, I just feel this overwhelming need to leave the traffic, the people, the concrete, the noise and the city behind me. Then I come up here and just breathe deeply of the freshness and revel in nature. Its lovely and cleansing. Its nice to share with somebody, too."

"It's always nice to share something you love with someone, even more so if you like the person you're sharing it with." Elijah smiled at Viggo happily.

"And I do," Viggo said with a warm smile back. He steered them on to a smaller road, through large trees that stretched farther upward than can be seen. "Have you ever been to a place like this?"

"In the sticks? Once or twice, but not since I was a kid. Why?" Elijah wished it were lighter so he could see more, but what he could see by the headlights looked lush and green. "And you do what?"

"I was curious. I know people who have never gotten out in the city and have no conception of what nature looks like." He looked into the darkness, the headlights the only light in front or around them. An adventurous deer made him hit the brake a little sharply as it trotted in front of them. "I like you."

"I-- well, when I was a kid with my family and all... I even when camping once. I didn't really like it to be honest. I liked my hot shower too much. I guess that wouldn't be as much of a problem now." Elijah thought for a few moments, before he spoke again, "I think I like you too, but shhhh, don't tell. I think it's against the rules."

"The rules?" Viggo asked with a bewildered smile, unable not to smile in return to the infectious happiness. The barriers seemed to be melting away slowly between them, and Viggo treasured the responsiveness of his model to even the simplest kindness.

"Oh there are all sorts of rules about selling yourself you know. They are the way to keep sane, while doing something that promotes insanity. One of the major rules is about getting attached to the johns. You're not a normal john, so maybe it doesn't apply to you."

"You're not selling yourself to me, Monkey. I'm not a john," Viggo said quietly, his tone hurt.

"I am selling myself to you, Viggo. Well... I 'm selling myself to your camera." His smile faded away. "You don't like that, do you? You- you sound hurt."

"I've never had anyone put it to me in that way before... it makes it sound like I'm stealing a piece of you for my own benefit." Viggo swallowed hard and turned into a long driveway. "I don't want that to be the truth. Its not how I want my models to feel."

"I- I don't feel like you're stealing from me. You- you don't get to touch anything that I don't offer, although I didn't realize how much I offered until I saw the first pictures."

Viggo sighed softly, feeling very cheap and sleazy. He pulled in front of a wooden cabin. "Here we are," he said with less cheer than he intended. "We better get the groceries away before anything spoils." He hopped out, grabbing a bag and fumbling with his keys.

Elijah got out and walked over to Viggo, putting his hand on Viggo's to stop his fumbling. "I upset you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." The words emerged in a slightly nervous and rather sad voice. Elijah's face shone pale, and his eyes swam with sadness.

"I guess I think of you as a friend... and it hurt to find out you view me as a john," Viggo said with a sigh. "It was stupid of me. I guess I am just another john, who purchased your body for his own ends. I'm sorry for upsetting you. Come on, let's get inside. You're a bit thinly dressed for the night air." He walked up the porch steps and unlocked the door.

The door opened into a rustically furnished cabin's living area. A large fireplace with the customary wrack of antlers above it dominated the right wall, while a large picture window showing a view into the trees beyond dominated the far wall. A set of worn, comfortable chairs sat near the fire, ready to be sprawled in.

Viggo walked passed the room to a small adjoining kitchen. It was more recently redone with sparkling countertops and a large fridge. He knelt and began stacking food inside the fridge. "I hope you like it. The bathroom is to the right down the hall, and you have your choice of the two bedrooms."

With a rather determined expression, Elijah walked over to Viggo, reached up to cup each of his cheeks and turned Viggo's face toward him. "I don't think of you as a john, Viggo. If I did, I wouldn't had said any of the things I did about the rules. I wouldn't have been so pleased to think you like me, and I sure as hell wouldn't have offered to cook you dinner, as odd as you might find that. I- I like you, rather more than you seem to realize, and believe me when I say I don't like my johns. It's true, and I hope you believe me."

Viggo searched his eyes for a long moment and then smiled. "I do, and with gladness, Monkey." He reached up and took the small, cold hands in his own, warming them gently. "Now, let me get this away so I can make you the steaks I promised." He turned back to putting things away, feeling happy again.

Elijah smiled, watching Viggo for a moment and feeling relieved. He headed back to the car to unload the other groceries. When the car was empty, he grabbed his stuff and went into the house again. "Now, where am I sleeping?"

Leading the way toward the hall, Viggo opened the first door to the left and said, "This is the smaller of the two rooms, but the warmest. This is where I usually sleep, but you are welcome to the room. If you like it."

The room was simply furnished with a large bed covered by a checkered quilt. There were a few pieces of hand carved furniture, including a bureau and a night stand. A small lamp sat on the night stand,m providing the room's only light.

"It's the warmer of them? I'll take it then, if you don't mind. I never seem to be warm enough lately." He gave Viggo a hopeful smile, his arm swinging his bag ever so slightly.

"Of course, you are most welcome," Viggo said. "I better get the steaks on, if we are going to eat before midnight. Make yourself at home." He left the room and hurried to start dinner, soon filling the cabin with the aroma of grilling steak.

Elijah pulled out his clean clothing, putting them on top of the bureau. He made sure the clothes from his regular john were hidden at the bottom of the bag, before going back out into the kitchen. The smell caused a happy moan to sound from his throat. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Want to start preparing the potatoes?" Viggo asked, flipping a steak neatly. He started on the vegetables, the knife moving quickly in his hand. "I know you do not want to eat dinner without them."

Elijah looked a little bashful. "What do I do? I've never- well, I've never made them." He gave Viggo a rather embarrassed smile, but there was a hint of amusement at his own lack of knowledge.

Chuckling, Viggo turned on the oven and pulled out the potatoes. He popped them in and bowed. "Voila! That's all that is done to bake them. How about you set the table?" He pointed to a cupboard. "Plates are there, and cutlery is in this drawer."

Elijah giggled, and set about setting the table, flashing little looks and smiles at Viggo. He rather enjoyed the domestic scene and tried not to think about the last time he set a table. "Did you teach yourself to cook?"

"With several fabulous disasters that my parents may never forgive me for," Viggo said with a grin. He flipped another steak and sniffed appreciatively. "The best was when I made popcorn from an actual corn cob and set it on fire."

Elijah laughed, an almost childish combination of giggles and snorts. "Silly Viggy!" Finishing the table, Elijah walked back over to Viggo. "Anything else?"

"Glasses? Or do you want to drink Coke out of the can?" Viggo's last tension melted away with the laughter. Viggo could make Jordan laugh in a way that made everything else seem unimportant.

"Glasses? Next, you'll be wanting knifes and forks on the table..." The comment was rather ironic, seeing as he had set them out already.

Viggo looked at the table and then at Jordan in confusion. "Um... cans then?"

Elijah giggled and started looking in cupboard for glasses, finding some wine glasses and smiling. "My mother never let me have one of these."

Viggo wanted to ask, but refrained, casting a lingering glance over at his guest. "I am sure you will be safe with them, Monkey. Please pour what you want to drink. These are ready."

Elijah placed the glasses on the table before heading back to the fridge, asking Viggo, "What do you want by the way?"

"Milk, please," Viggo said, pulling the hot potatoes from the oven. He set one with some vegetables and a large piece of steak on both plates, carrying them to the table. Getting out all the potato toppings, he set them out as well. "A meal fit for any king."

Elijah poured Viggo a glass of milk and then did the same for himself, taking a long swallow of the cold white liquid. "It's wonderful." He then looked down at his plate and sighed in happiness. "It's perfect."

"You better try it before you proclaim its perfection," Viggo said without being able to suppress a wide, pleased smile. He looked at his potato and then back at his guest. "Since you are the connoisseur of baked potato, what shall I put on mine?"

"Butter first, then cheese, sour cream, bacon bits... and then you sprinkle the chives on the top!" As he spoke, Elijah prepared Viggo's potato for him, and then his own. He completely covered the potato with the other things. Grinning across the table at Viggo, he sat and carefully cut into his steak, taking it into his mouth, moaning and wriggling in his chair in bliss.

"I would never guess there was a potato under all this," Viggo said, peering at it with amusement. He stuck his fork in almost to his fingers before reaching the potato and laughed. "Coronary failure, here I come." He took a big bite and smiled in approval at his guest. "Very good."

"Of course it is... and the steak is wonderful Viggo." Elijah filled his mouth with a little of everything from his plate, chewing slowly, savoring the taste, and feeling happiness and warmth welling up inside him. He wondered at the feelings Viggo gave him, the warmth and calm Viggo had about him. Elijah had not felt this much since before leaving home. He sighed for a moment, the smile fading, before he shook his head and pushed the thoughts away with practiced ease. He refused to let memories taint the best night he could remember.

Watching the momentary sadness made Viggo wonder even more about his model. He cut off a bit of meat and tried it, pleased with the texture and flavor. "Amazing, I got it right. I was thinking after dinner, we could curl up in those chairs beside a large, roaring fire and listen to some of the music you brought... and then I could subject you to some of mine."

"I'd like that. I like music." Elijah grinned across the table, sure that some of his musical tastes would surprise the Hell out of Viggo.

"As do I." He looked around as though he expected somebody else might be there and then leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially, "When I was little, I wanted to be a country singer. My mom has some of my old cowboy outfits with tiny guitars to prove it."

The sound Elijah made could only be called a snicker. He shook with the effort of restraining his laughter, for about three heartbeats, before letting it free. His laugh filled the room, inviting Viggo to join in.

Viggo laughed with him happily, trying not to snort out any of the milk he just drank. Finally calming down, he downed a few more bites of steak and said, "Anybody here want to rest of this steak?"

"But you just started." Half of Elijah's potato was gone, and he took another large mouthful after he spoke, smearing his lips with butter and cream.

"I have to watch my waistline," Viggo said primly, patting his stomach. He really wanted to let his guest eat more, suspecting he did not get hearty meals very often.

Elijah slowly and carefully licked his smeared lips clean before answering, "If you don't want it, I'd love some more, but I don't want to take your food. I'm not hungry any more, just eating for the joy of eating now."

Spearing the steak, Viggo handed it over and then set back to work on his potato. "This is without the doubt, the most calorific potato I have ever eaten. And one of the best, as well."

Elijah deliberately portioned the steak and the potato together, cutting them both before laying his knife down and just eating with his fork. "It's wonderful isn't it!? I'm sure we can work off the calories somehow, if you're that worried about it." He winked at Viggo.

Winking back, Viggo shook his head and said, "Its too good to worry about it, though I have no room for dessert." He polished off his milk and carried his dishes to the sink. Humming under his breath, he filled a dishpan full of water and washed them carefully, enjoying the simple task. "I'll go see what I have for firewood when I'm done here."

"Wouldn't you have wood for firewood?" Elijah looked a little confused, as he brought his plate over to the sink, the plate almost polished clean. He still had a smear of cream on the bottom curve of his lower lip as he smiled up at Viggo, looking around for a dishrag to dry with.

Snorting once, Viggo said, "I meant how much of it and what size pieces. You need the right foundation and then smaller sticks to keep the fire going." He nodded once and then reached out unthinkingly to wipe away the cream. "Sorry, you were just a bit messy there." He washed off his hand and went to look in the wood box.

"You where a boy scout weren't you?" Elijah could not resist the comment before following Viggo over to the window, looking up at Viggo with a smiling face.

"I love the outdoors," Viggo said, "and my parents nurtured that love and taught me many things, including how to build a fire." He pulled out a large log and a few smaller sticks, carrying them to the fireplace. Arranging them carefully, he started humming the same song again, before saying, "Want to start the musical programming, Monkey?"

"Okay." Although he agreed, Elijah did not move. He watched Viggo for several moments as he thought about the older man and how amazingly comfortable he felt. It was as if he had known Viggo all his life and only just realized. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Elijah walked out of the room and came back a moment later with three home burned CDs.

A pleasantly crackling fire soon spread warmth through the room, and Viggo moved both chairs closer to its light. "Go ahead and put on whatever you want," he said, gesturing to a small CD/record/tape player in the corner. "I am going to turn off all the lights. There's nothing like a night passed in the firelight."

Following Viggo's gesture, Elijah walked slowly over to the player. Checking the CDs, Elijah thought for a long moment before choosing one and placing it in the player. A few moments later, the mellow sound of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong singing 'A Fine Romance' filled the air.

Smiling at the choice, Viggo curled into a chair and listened to the selections in silence. He thought of how little people knew about each other. They saw the facade, believed it, or else were too lazy to try and see beyond. Who would believe the depth of this little whore? And at this moment, who would believe this happy, smiling boy sold his body for money?

Viggo looked over at him, sitting in his chair and enjoying the soft jazz. He seemed more ethereal and untouchable than ever, huddled there. Viggo longed to reach out and make sure he was not a trick of the light.

Seated in the chair closest to the sound system, Elijah started to get cold. He got up and brushed past Viggo to sit on the floor directly in front of the fire. His chilled body started soaking up the heat, although he was not sure if it was the heat from the fire or the warm happiness in Viggo's smile.

"You surprise me more every time I see you, Monkey. You're special; truly one-of-a-kind, " Viggo said softly, his voice a whisper above the music.

Elijah cocked his head to the side, looking up at Viggo and smiling. "I'm not so special. I'm just- just me, silly little Monkey!"

"There is a lot to you, silly little Monkey," Viggo said, as the music faded away. He looked at the player and asked, "My turn?"

"I guess so..." Elijah flopped on the floor, watching Viggo from the corner of his eye. " I don't think there is more to me than to most other people. Maybe we don't normally show those depths."

"Except to those we trust," Viggo said, kneeling beside a small cabinet to choose a CD. He pulled out one of operetta and puts it on, filling the air with a lovely tenor. He carried the cover back to the chair with him. "I've had one of these songs stuck in my head for a few hours now. Maybe listening will make it scurry away."

"I don't know this..." Elijah's eyes drifted closed as he listened to the music, soaking it in.

"Operetta- an often under appreciated musical form. Opera fans tend to be a bit too snobby for it, and theater fans a bit unsophisticated, so it floats in the unhappy medium in-between. Yet, listen to that voice singing. There are few people who have ever hit notes like Lawrence Tibbett." He sighed and sank further into his chair.

Elijah giggled silently at Viggo's impassioned praise of operetta. He listened to the music with an open mind and ears and agreed that the singer had a lovely voice.

"Now, this is the way to spend an evening," Viggo said contentedly from his chair after another few songs. "Good music, good company and a warm, crackling fire." The track changed, and Viggo straightened in his chair. "Ah, here we go... this song has been haunting me."

"Why?" Elijah asked very softly, turning onto his side and propping his head up on his hand.

"I don't know," Viggo said with a slight shake of his head. "Sometimes, I find myself almost possessed with ideas, or words or songs, and they just preoccupy my mind until I cannot ignore them any longer. That's when I usually create my best work." He fell silent, listening to the two voices singing together in ever more impassioned and saddened tones.

" Sweetheart, sweetheart, sweetheart, though our paths may sever, I will remember..."

"Will you?" Elijah's lips hardly moved as he whispered.

Viggo looked at him with a slightly quizzical expression. "Will I?" he asked, his mind still wrapped in the song.

Unwilling to ask the question again and unsure why it felt important, Elijah just shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

Viggo smiled, still a little puzzled and shut his eyes as the song ended. "Oh, now there is music the way it should be. I just wonder how it got in my head..." He slid off the chair and scooted to sit closer to the fire with his guest. "We need to go to bed soon. I want to get in a full day of photography."

"I guess... it's kinda early for me, though." He did not bother sitting up, just turned so he could keep looking up at Viggo. "Where do you want to take them?"

"Everywhere," Viggo said expansively, gesturing with his hands. "I want to carry my camera with me and turn you loose in the area. And see what happens... How does that sound to you?"

"Like it could be a disaster or a great deal of fun. Or both!"

"Hopefully fun," Viggo said with a nod. "I am sure I shall get some great pictures from the day. I'll pack a picnic lunch and take it with us as we wander."

"I'm glad you don't plan to eat off the wilderness." Elijah sat up slightly, grinning a little more. "I think that would be great."

"Good. I'll pack about fifty rolls of film, sandwiches, snack foods of all kinds and water for us. And then we'll go get lost for the whole day and return before it gets too dark to see... hopefully."

"Add flashlights and I'll be a happier person, okay?"

"Oh, who needs them? I'm a junior woodchuck!" Viggo saluted and snickered at the same time.

"I'm not! And I do! Be happy I don't demand a map and a foresty ranger, too!"

"A foresty ranger? Is that anything like frosty flakes?" Viggo asked innocently, batting his eyelashes.

"Forest! I meant forest." Elijah gave Viggo a stern look, frowning slightly and then sticking his tongue out.

Viggo stuck his tongue out, too, and then dissolved into laughter. "Growing old is mandatory; growing up is an option."

"An option I can see you've chosen not to take." Elijah started giggling as well, finding Viggo's laughter infectious.

"Who wants to grow up?" Viggo asked, sprawling on his side to warm his back. "I am quite content to just be and let others worry about being grown up. I find I do much better with an open mind, most of it still geared toward childhood."

"An open mind is always better than closed." Elijah sounded very serious as he looked up at Viggo.

"Yes," Viggo agreed, suddenly aware that the music had stopped and silence invaded the cabin. "Its time for me to head to bed. I spent too many hours today driving and dealing with teenage monsters. You can stay up if you choose. The fire will burn itself out in another hour or so." He rolled gracefully to his feet and yawned.

Elijah thought for a moment before saying, "I think I'll just enjoy the fire for a while. Sleep well, Viggo. Sweet dreams, and I'll see you in the morning."

Viggo quickly switched off the player and then waved at Jordan. Still waving, he disappeared into the darkness, heading down the hall for his bedroom. He paused at the hall closet, getting out an extra quilt and carrying it into his guest's room. He placed it on the bed and then went to bed himself. "Night," he called into the darkness. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me."

"Night Viggy, see you in the morning." He called out loudly enough for Viggo to hear him.

Elijah spent the time until the fire died watching the flames and trying not to think about the man sleeping just down the hall. He did not want to wonder about all the things they had not done-- things that Viggo did not seem to want to do. No matter how subtle or overt Elijah had been, Viggo did not respond.

Finally, Elijah felt the cold creeping back into the room and made his way to the bedroom. He pulled on his only pair of PJs, decent despite being rather worn and old. He snuggled into the bed and let himself drift into dreams of blue eyes, blondish hair and a face made for laughing and smiling.
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