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seedyapartment.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fellowshippers2004-03-04 03:41 pm
seedyapartment.livejournal.com) wrote in fellowshippers2004-03-04 03:41 pm
Eyeliner
Title: Eyeliner
Rating: PG 13
Pairing: Domlijah
Disclaimer: nothing is mine.
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
seedyapartment
Feedback: would love :)
Summary: "After that day, Elijah wore eyeliner; but only for Dom."
For my lovely semi-muse,x_duck and also for shirethief, even though she doesn't know the love that is domlijah...yet, my friend. Yet.
Dominic’s apartment was always a wreck. There were clothes thrown every which way, dirty dishes and unpacked boxes. But that was the way Elijah liked it.
Elijah came over to Dom’s apartment a lot. That’s what had started this crazy relationship, Dom remembered. Elijah had come barging in one night, declaring that “Sean had better be right about this!” He had then stalked over to Dom and kissed him. Hard.
Now, Elijah sat on Dom’s brand new couch, leaning slightly forward, features screwed up in concentration. Dom lay sprawled on the other end of the couch, watching Elijah play the video game. Something about ninjas, Dom remembered, and at that moment, he hated ninjas. Why was Elijah so fascinated with ninjas, anyway? He pushed himself up and leaned towards him, but Elijah didn’t look away.
“Elijah…” Dom said softly, pressing his lips to Elijah’s cheek.
“Hmm?” He didn’t look away from the screen. Dom kissed closer to his lips.
“You’re beautiful.”
“Yeah, I always knew that.” Elijah answered, turning his head slightly so that his lips could brush Dom’s. Dom let his lips play across Elijah’s for only a moment, before he pulled away slightly.
“You would be so hot in eyeliner.” Dom asserted, a sly smile appearing. Elijah looked at him like he had just said he was joining the circus or something.
“Why the hell are you thinking of eyeliner right now?” Dom shrugged.
“I was looking at your eyes…” He trailed off, thinking. Dom was silent for a few minutes. Elijah watched him, amused.
“Hey, Dom,” he said, leaning forward to turn the power off on the Playstation, “wanna snap out of it and kiss me?” Dom looked up at him for a moment, considering. Elijah leaned forward and gently took Dom’s bottom lip in his teeth. Dom let him play for a moment before kissing back. Dom pulled back much too soon, in Elijah’s mind.
“Eyeliner.” He muttered. Elijah saw the look in Dom’s eyes. He shook his head, slowly.
“No. No way, Dom. You’re not getting me in that fucking prissy makeup.” He got up off the couch and walked into the kitchen. Dom sat back, assessing. He decided to wait it out, and picked up the video game controller.
He was deep into a game of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4, when Elijah entered again. He crossed the room and sat down gingerly beside Dom.
“Dom?” Dom didn’t even flinch. Elijah turned to watch him play. Tony Hawk, he thought to himself. Stupid skateboarding. At that moment, Elijah decided that he hated skateboarding. Why was Dom so fascinated with Skateboarding, anyhow? He sighed, and settled down.
An hour later, Dom put down the controller and switched off the game. Elijah stared evenly at him from the other side of the couch. Dom raised an eyebrow.
“You know…I wear that ‘fucking prissy make up.” He said quietly, a smile dancing in his eyes. Elijah crawled over and let his mouth brush against Dom’s, attempting to coax him into a kiss. Dom wasn’t having it. Elijah gave up, and after one more soft flick of his tongue, he sat up.
“You’re really set on this eyeliner thing, huh?” Elijah gave him a pained look, and Dom shrugged. After a moment of silence, Elijah sighed.
“Oh, alright. BUT you tell NOONE!” he said crossly, folding his arms. Dom broke into an impossibly wide smile, and jumped up off the couch, running into the bedroom that was his own. It was, in theory, it was Dom’s. In reality, Elijah spent just as much time there.
Rummaging through his bag, he found a stick of eyeliner, sharpened down to less than half. He brought it out to the living room, and Elijah stood up from the couch nervously and met him half way.
“I don’t know…” he started to say, but Dom stilled his words with a single finger on his lips.
“It’ll be fine, doodle,” he assured, bringing the pencil up towards Elijah’s eyes, which were now staring at Dom expectantly, wide and beautiful. How many people had Dom heard say they could drown in those eyes? Wouldn’t hurt to add one more to that list, he thought, as he mentally noted that drowning in Elijah’s eyes was definitely something he could do. “Just open your eyes wide.”
“Fine, just hurry up. And don’t call me that.”
With a deep breath, Elijah obeyed. Dom’s left hand gently held Elijah still, as he applied a thick line of black liner with a shaky, yet gentle stroke. Elijah squeezed his eyes shut.
“Elijah! If you don’t stop that, I am going to poke you!” Dom hissed. Elijah pulled away from him a little ways and rubbed his eye.
“Well, I can’t help it. It feels funny.” The statement came out somewhere between a whine and a giggle. Dom pulled the smaller man back to him, and locked eyes with him.
“’Lij, do you trust me?”
Elijah’s eyes narrowed, and he leant forward and pressed his lips gently to Dom’s.
“Of course I do.” He said firmly, when he pulled away. Dom nodded, and brought the pencil up to Elijah’s eye again.
When he was finished, Dom stepped back and looked curiously at his work of art.
It was the perfect word for Elijah, Dom decided, a work of art. Standing there in the middle of the living room floor, biting his lip nervously (love it when he does that) and looking so fucking vulnerable, yet so…something else. Dom couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he knew it was the eyeliner that brought it out of Elijah, and let it show.
“Hey. Stop looking at me like that.” Elijah said softly. Without another word, Dom strode over to him and crushed his lips in a kiss. He kissed Elijah until it was impossible to kiss him anymore, because, although he would have kissed him for much long, breathing was becoming an issue.
Though he pulled his lips reluctantly from Dom’s, Elijah could not do the same with his eyes. They remained there, caught in each other’s gazes, for what seemed like the longest moment Elijah had ever been through.
“Love you.” He said quietly, as he pressed his forehead to Dom’s.
“I love you, doodle.” Dom sighed back, smiling hard.
“Don’t call me that, wanker.”
*
After that day, Elijah wore eyeliner; but only for Dom. Billy had poked fun at first, but that had stopped. There were curious glances from Sean when they went out to clubs, and Viggo smiled knowingly. But besides those small things, which died off soon enough, everything was perfect. And the eyeliner was for Dom.
*
Elijah didn’t remember what day of the week it was. It had been sunny. Blindingly, resentfully sunny. He woke up to the brightness coming in through his window, and he yawned and reached for Dom.
For the first time, he wasn’t there; and the events of last night came flooding back.
Dom had left. Gone back to his own cluttered apartment, and left Elijah. He couldn’t even remember why; exactly; it was fuzzy.
They were in LA, Dom had moved to LA. Elijah had been ecstatic that he had made that choice. HE figured that everything was going to be perfect.
But it was far from it. He couldn’t describe it, really, but he could throw out a few words. Tense. Awkward. Stressful.
Dom was the rational one. He always was; which is why he had been the one to make the decision, and end it before they ruined their friendship and hurt everyone around them. Elijah had known it was inevitable for weeks, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Dom always was the brave one.
The goodbye had been teary. Elijah had protested, at first, half-heartedly. As he watched Dom pack up the few things that he had left there, however, his mind had started to panic, and he had clung to Dom with his whole heart.
“Lij…” Dom had said, hugging him tight. “We’ll always be friends. Always.” Elijah had stared into Dom’s eyes with his own, now-expertly lined, ones.
“I’ll always love you.” He had whispered softly, “always. And you can’t tell me that you won’t always love me too.” Dom shook his head, his eyes puffy and red, and sniffled.
“No, Elijah, I can’t. I love you. That’s a given, doodle.” Elijah threw his arms around his neck and held him tight.
“Don’t call me that.” He had insisted, through his tears.
And now Dom was gone, and Elijah was alone.
*
After a month, Elijah stopped wearing the eyeliner. Billy, Sean and Viggo noticed, but they didn’t mention it.
*
Billy Boyd had called him. Dom thought this over as he sat in the back of the taxi that was taking him to the latest and greatest club, where he was supposed to meet him.
After two years, Billy calls, out of the blue. It had been a while; but they had both gotten so busy. When Billy had invited him out, he was happy; excited even. When he found out that Orlando, Sean and Viggo were going to be there he had been overjoyed. They were his family, and there were no people in the world he had missed more than them. But there was one name Billy hadn’t mentioned, and Dom couldn’t help but feel disappointed. He had asked casually about Elijah, and Billy had heard something in his voice.
“Lij might show up…he’s seeing someone now…uh…Jeremy. Nice bloke.” Billy had said, warning in his voice. Dom had swallowed.
“Right, right, good for him. Yeah, it’ll be nice to see everyone again.” Dom had tried to sound casual, but his heart was beating so hard, he was sure Billy could hear it on the other end of the phone.
Pulling up to the club and getting out of the taxi, he spotted Billy and Sean leaning up against the brick wall at the side of the building.
“You’re late, wanker.” Billy said to him, but his smile was impossibly wide, and Dom threw himself into Billy’s hug. Sean was next, and then Orlando when he showed up. Dom was exactly where he wanted to be.
*
They got into the club right away, thanks to Orlando. He was huge. Dom knew it. He knew it. Dom teased him about it every chance he got.
The place was perfect, and although Dom would have chosen better music, the company was amazing, the crowd was thick and the drinks were cold.
They had been sitting at a small round table in the corner for a while, talking and laughing for about an hour when the crowds parted to make room for Elijah Wood. Girls swooned, guys waved, and Elijah took his time; making his way leisurely through the crowd, greeting people and making conversation.
Dom didn’t like the look of the guy who was on Elijah’s arm. Jeremy. Tall, black curly hair. Annoying looking, he decided, but he didn’t think about it for long.
Because he had caught Elijah’s eyes. And Elijah was wearing eyeliner.
It was suddenly too hot in there. He glanced over at Billy, who was eyeing him with curiosity and concern.
“Are you ok?” he mouthed silently, and Dom quickly nodded. Elijah arrived, and his cheerful voice filled the area. Jeremy stood by, nodding recognition at them. Elijah held tight to Orlando, then Viggo and soon Billy. Too soon, because Dom was next in line. Elijah hesitated for only a moment, before pulling Dom into a quick hug.
Dom closed his eyes. He couldn’t help it. The feel of Elijah, the smell…saltwater and soap. It brought beautiful memories flooding back to him; New Zealand, the beach, the quiet moments that they had spent alone.
But this was now, and Elijah pulled away. They weren’t alone, Dom remembered, and there was Jeremy, grinning obliviously at him. Elijah, still keeping his eyes on Dom, brought his hand subconsciously up to his eyeliner; remembering, and then in the same instance, he turned away to Jeremy.
“What are we drinking, Jer?” he asked, and Jeremy gave him a quick peck on the lips, one that had Dom’s stomach curling up, before leaving Elijah and heading towards the bar.
Elijah sat down, between Billy and Orlando, and didn’t look Dom’s way anymore.
*
He’s perfect, Elijah thought, still perfect. When Billy had called him and invited him out, he hadn’t mentioned anything about Dom.
But now the man was actually there, sitting a few seats away from him, and it was unreal. Elijah tried hard not to look at him. He also tried not to think about the eyeliner, which burned against his skin. He shouldn’t have worn it. But Jeremy had asked him to, and thoughts of Dom had crossed his mind only briefly. He was over that. He told himself that every night before he fell asleep. But now, Dom was there, and Dom had seen him wearing it…
“Lij, let’s dance, baby.” Jeremy asked then, pulling him to his feet and out onto the dance floor.
They began a slow grind, which Elijah knew must have had Dom watching. Let him watch, he thought, before wrapping his arms around Jeremy’s waste and finding the music.
*
And Dom was watching. Yeah, we watched alright, and he his breath got more shallow each minute.
“Fucking wanker.” He muttered under his breath. Billy caught it.
“Dominic, don’t start anything. You know that you’re both happier…”
“Nah, Bills,” Dom said sharply, “we’re not. Well, I’m not…well , FUCK, I don’t know. I love that kid, I still fucking LOVE him, and it’s ripping me up.” He finished, and slammed his empty glass down on the table.
“Whoa…” Billy threw his hands up in defence, “calm down, Dom, I’m sorry. I know you feel that way. Of course you still love him. You don’t have something like you and ‘Lij had and just forget it over a period of a year. But you split for a reason, you have to remember. Let him be happy. He needs to let you be happy…”
“He wore the eyeliner, Billy.” It was a soft statement, one that made Billy cringe. He had known that Dom would notice.
“Yeah. I don’t know why he would choose tonight to start wearing it again…” as soon as it left his mouth, Billy was sorry. Dom sat up.
“Fuck that,” he muttered, “Because of me.” Before Billy could stop him, or choke out anything more than a strangled, ‘Dom!”, Dom was in the middle of the dance floor, grabbing Elijah’s wrist and dragging him with him to the bathroom. He pushed Elijah through, and locked the door. Jeremy pounded.
“Dom, what the fuck?!” Elijah exclaimed, rubbing his sore wrist, as Dom shouted through the bathroom door to Jeremy, who was pounding and demanding to know why his boyfriend had gotten pulled into the bathroom against his will.
“I have to talk to you.” Dom said, ignoring the pounding and turning to Elijah. The younger man stepped up and folded his arms in front of him.
“What do you want to say to me?”
Dom couldn’t think. He looked at Elijah, still beautiful, and he saw steel in his cold, lined eyes, and that was beautiful too.
“Why?” he managed finally, staring deep at Elijah, “Why did you wear it?” Elijah laughed shallowly, and shook his head.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Dominic, get a hold of yourself. And let me out of this bathroom.” Dom stepped forward and grabbed Elijah by the shoulders.
“The eyeliner, Elijah, why’d you wear the eyeliner?!” he demanded. The room became silent. The two were breathing deeply, and the pounding on the door had stopped momentarily. Elijah shook his head.
“For…for Jeremy. He thinks I look hot in it.” He said softly, pulling himself from Dom’s grasp. Dom smiled sadly.
“Does he now?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. Elijah swallowed audibly, and nodded again.
“Yeah...he’s great.”
“Elijah, I don’t care.” Dom said, roughly, “It’s for him. Only him?” Elijah shrugged, but didn’t answer.
“Do…do you love him?” Dom inquired softly, running a hand up Elijah’s arm. Elijah was silent for a moment, but then seemed to snap out of it, and yank himself away.
“Fuck YOU Dominic! You do NOT get to ask me that! And you do not get to know that! It’s not your business who I love, because it sure as hell isn’t you! So fuck OFF and let me out of this bathroom!”
Dom looked at him blankly, unable to speak, before stepping aside. Elijah turned to wards the door and concentrated on unlocking it.
“How sure is hell?” he heard Dom ask, quietly. When he turned around and looked at him, his lips were curled into a smile, but his eyes were tearing. Elijah bit his lip.
“Not very sure.” He muttered, “But I wear the eyeliner for Jeremy now. Not for you anymore, no matter what we had.” Elijah’s voice wavered, unsure towards the end of the statement, and Dom smiled.
He stepped over to Elijah, and pecked him chastely on the lips.
“Whatever you say, doodle.” Dom whispered into his ear before turning and walking back out into the club, past a very confused Jeremy and a worried looking Billy.
“Don’t CALL me that!” Elijah shouted to him, but Dom was lost in the crowd, and a tear was already forming at the corner of one of Elijah’s bright blue, lined eyes.
Rating: PG 13
Pairing: Domlijah
Disclaimer: nothing is mine.
Author:
seedyapartmentFeedback: would love :)
Summary: "After that day, Elijah wore eyeliner; but only for Dom."
For my lovely semi-muse,
x_duck and also for shirethief, even though she doesn't know the love that is domlijah...yet, my friend. Yet.Dominic’s apartment was always a wreck. There were clothes thrown every which way, dirty dishes and unpacked boxes. But that was the way Elijah liked it.
Elijah came over to Dom’s apartment a lot. That’s what had started this crazy relationship, Dom remembered. Elijah had come barging in one night, declaring that “Sean had better be right about this!” He had then stalked over to Dom and kissed him. Hard.
Now, Elijah sat on Dom’s brand new couch, leaning slightly forward, features screwed up in concentration. Dom lay sprawled on the other end of the couch, watching Elijah play the video game. Something about ninjas, Dom remembered, and at that moment, he hated ninjas. Why was Elijah so fascinated with ninjas, anyway? He pushed himself up and leaned towards him, but Elijah didn’t look away.
“Elijah…” Dom said softly, pressing his lips to Elijah’s cheek.
“Hmm?” He didn’t look away from the screen. Dom kissed closer to his lips.
“You’re beautiful.”
“Yeah, I always knew that.” Elijah answered, turning his head slightly so that his lips could brush Dom’s. Dom let his lips play across Elijah’s for only a moment, before he pulled away slightly.
“You would be so hot in eyeliner.” Dom asserted, a sly smile appearing. Elijah looked at him like he had just said he was joining the circus or something.
“Why the hell are you thinking of eyeliner right now?” Dom shrugged.
“I was looking at your eyes…” He trailed off, thinking. Dom was silent for a few minutes. Elijah watched him, amused.
“Hey, Dom,” he said, leaning forward to turn the power off on the Playstation, “wanna snap out of it and kiss me?” Dom looked up at him for a moment, considering. Elijah leaned forward and gently took Dom’s bottom lip in his teeth. Dom let him play for a moment before kissing back. Dom pulled back much too soon, in Elijah’s mind.
“Eyeliner.” He muttered. Elijah saw the look in Dom’s eyes. He shook his head, slowly.
“No. No way, Dom. You’re not getting me in that fucking prissy makeup.” He got up off the couch and walked into the kitchen. Dom sat back, assessing. He decided to wait it out, and picked up the video game controller.
He was deep into a game of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4, when Elijah entered again. He crossed the room and sat down gingerly beside Dom.
“Dom?” Dom didn’t even flinch. Elijah turned to watch him play. Tony Hawk, he thought to himself. Stupid skateboarding. At that moment, Elijah decided that he hated skateboarding. Why was Dom so fascinated with Skateboarding, anyhow? He sighed, and settled down.
An hour later, Dom put down the controller and switched off the game. Elijah stared evenly at him from the other side of the couch. Dom raised an eyebrow.
“You know…I wear that ‘fucking prissy make up.” He said quietly, a smile dancing in his eyes. Elijah crawled over and let his mouth brush against Dom’s, attempting to coax him into a kiss. Dom wasn’t having it. Elijah gave up, and after one more soft flick of his tongue, he sat up.
“You’re really set on this eyeliner thing, huh?” Elijah gave him a pained look, and Dom shrugged. After a moment of silence, Elijah sighed.
“Oh, alright. BUT you tell NOONE!” he said crossly, folding his arms. Dom broke into an impossibly wide smile, and jumped up off the couch, running into the bedroom that was his own. It was, in theory, it was Dom’s. In reality, Elijah spent just as much time there.
Rummaging through his bag, he found a stick of eyeliner, sharpened down to less than half. He brought it out to the living room, and Elijah stood up from the couch nervously and met him half way.
“I don’t know…” he started to say, but Dom stilled his words with a single finger on his lips.
“It’ll be fine, doodle,” he assured, bringing the pencil up towards Elijah’s eyes, which were now staring at Dom expectantly, wide and beautiful. How many people had Dom heard say they could drown in those eyes? Wouldn’t hurt to add one more to that list, he thought, as he mentally noted that drowning in Elijah’s eyes was definitely something he could do. “Just open your eyes wide.”
“Fine, just hurry up. And don’t call me that.”
With a deep breath, Elijah obeyed. Dom’s left hand gently held Elijah still, as he applied a thick line of black liner with a shaky, yet gentle stroke. Elijah squeezed his eyes shut.
“Elijah! If you don’t stop that, I am going to poke you!” Dom hissed. Elijah pulled away from him a little ways and rubbed his eye.
“Well, I can’t help it. It feels funny.” The statement came out somewhere between a whine and a giggle. Dom pulled the smaller man back to him, and locked eyes with him.
“’Lij, do you trust me?”
Elijah’s eyes narrowed, and he leant forward and pressed his lips gently to Dom’s.
“Of course I do.” He said firmly, when he pulled away. Dom nodded, and brought the pencil up to Elijah’s eye again.
When he was finished, Dom stepped back and looked curiously at his work of art.
It was the perfect word for Elijah, Dom decided, a work of art. Standing there in the middle of the living room floor, biting his lip nervously (love it when he does that) and looking so fucking vulnerable, yet so…something else. Dom couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he knew it was the eyeliner that brought it out of Elijah, and let it show.
“Hey. Stop looking at me like that.” Elijah said softly. Without another word, Dom strode over to him and crushed his lips in a kiss. He kissed Elijah until it was impossible to kiss him anymore, because, although he would have kissed him for much long, breathing was becoming an issue.
Though he pulled his lips reluctantly from Dom’s, Elijah could not do the same with his eyes. They remained there, caught in each other’s gazes, for what seemed like the longest moment Elijah had ever been through.
“Love you.” He said quietly, as he pressed his forehead to Dom’s.
“I love you, doodle.” Dom sighed back, smiling hard.
“Don’t call me that, wanker.”
*
After that day, Elijah wore eyeliner; but only for Dom. Billy had poked fun at first, but that had stopped. There were curious glances from Sean when they went out to clubs, and Viggo smiled knowingly. But besides those small things, which died off soon enough, everything was perfect. And the eyeliner was for Dom.
*
Elijah didn’t remember what day of the week it was. It had been sunny. Blindingly, resentfully sunny. He woke up to the brightness coming in through his window, and he yawned and reached for Dom.
For the first time, he wasn’t there; and the events of last night came flooding back.
Dom had left. Gone back to his own cluttered apartment, and left Elijah. He couldn’t even remember why; exactly; it was fuzzy.
They were in LA, Dom had moved to LA. Elijah had been ecstatic that he had made that choice. HE figured that everything was going to be perfect.
But it was far from it. He couldn’t describe it, really, but he could throw out a few words. Tense. Awkward. Stressful.
Dom was the rational one. He always was; which is why he had been the one to make the decision, and end it before they ruined their friendship and hurt everyone around them. Elijah had known it was inevitable for weeks, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Dom always was the brave one.
The goodbye had been teary. Elijah had protested, at first, half-heartedly. As he watched Dom pack up the few things that he had left there, however, his mind had started to panic, and he had clung to Dom with his whole heart.
“Lij…” Dom had said, hugging him tight. “We’ll always be friends. Always.” Elijah had stared into Dom’s eyes with his own, now-expertly lined, ones.
“I’ll always love you.” He had whispered softly, “always. And you can’t tell me that you won’t always love me too.” Dom shook his head, his eyes puffy and red, and sniffled.
“No, Elijah, I can’t. I love you. That’s a given, doodle.” Elijah threw his arms around his neck and held him tight.
“Don’t call me that.” He had insisted, through his tears.
And now Dom was gone, and Elijah was alone.
*
After a month, Elijah stopped wearing the eyeliner. Billy, Sean and Viggo noticed, but they didn’t mention it.
*
Billy Boyd had called him. Dom thought this over as he sat in the back of the taxi that was taking him to the latest and greatest club, where he was supposed to meet him.
After two years, Billy calls, out of the blue. It had been a while; but they had both gotten so busy. When Billy had invited him out, he was happy; excited even. When he found out that Orlando, Sean and Viggo were going to be there he had been overjoyed. They were his family, and there were no people in the world he had missed more than them. But there was one name Billy hadn’t mentioned, and Dom couldn’t help but feel disappointed. He had asked casually about Elijah, and Billy had heard something in his voice.
“Lij might show up…he’s seeing someone now…uh…Jeremy. Nice bloke.” Billy had said, warning in his voice. Dom had swallowed.
“Right, right, good for him. Yeah, it’ll be nice to see everyone again.” Dom had tried to sound casual, but his heart was beating so hard, he was sure Billy could hear it on the other end of the phone.
Pulling up to the club and getting out of the taxi, he spotted Billy and Sean leaning up against the brick wall at the side of the building.
“You’re late, wanker.” Billy said to him, but his smile was impossibly wide, and Dom threw himself into Billy’s hug. Sean was next, and then Orlando when he showed up. Dom was exactly where he wanted to be.
*
They got into the club right away, thanks to Orlando. He was huge. Dom knew it. He knew it. Dom teased him about it every chance he got.
The place was perfect, and although Dom would have chosen better music, the company was amazing, the crowd was thick and the drinks were cold.
They had been sitting at a small round table in the corner for a while, talking and laughing for about an hour when the crowds parted to make room for Elijah Wood. Girls swooned, guys waved, and Elijah took his time; making his way leisurely through the crowd, greeting people and making conversation.
Dom didn’t like the look of the guy who was on Elijah’s arm. Jeremy. Tall, black curly hair. Annoying looking, he decided, but he didn’t think about it for long.
Because he had caught Elijah’s eyes. And Elijah was wearing eyeliner.
It was suddenly too hot in there. He glanced over at Billy, who was eyeing him with curiosity and concern.
“Are you ok?” he mouthed silently, and Dom quickly nodded. Elijah arrived, and his cheerful voice filled the area. Jeremy stood by, nodding recognition at them. Elijah held tight to Orlando, then Viggo and soon Billy. Too soon, because Dom was next in line. Elijah hesitated for only a moment, before pulling Dom into a quick hug.
Dom closed his eyes. He couldn’t help it. The feel of Elijah, the smell…saltwater and soap. It brought beautiful memories flooding back to him; New Zealand, the beach, the quiet moments that they had spent alone.
But this was now, and Elijah pulled away. They weren’t alone, Dom remembered, and there was Jeremy, grinning obliviously at him. Elijah, still keeping his eyes on Dom, brought his hand subconsciously up to his eyeliner; remembering, and then in the same instance, he turned away to Jeremy.
“What are we drinking, Jer?” he asked, and Jeremy gave him a quick peck on the lips, one that had Dom’s stomach curling up, before leaving Elijah and heading towards the bar.
Elijah sat down, between Billy and Orlando, and didn’t look Dom’s way anymore.
*
He’s perfect, Elijah thought, still perfect. When Billy had called him and invited him out, he hadn’t mentioned anything about Dom.
But now the man was actually there, sitting a few seats away from him, and it was unreal. Elijah tried hard not to look at him. He also tried not to think about the eyeliner, which burned against his skin. He shouldn’t have worn it. But Jeremy had asked him to, and thoughts of Dom had crossed his mind only briefly. He was over that. He told himself that every night before he fell asleep. But now, Dom was there, and Dom had seen him wearing it…
“Lij, let’s dance, baby.” Jeremy asked then, pulling him to his feet and out onto the dance floor.
They began a slow grind, which Elijah knew must have had Dom watching. Let him watch, he thought, before wrapping his arms around Jeremy’s waste and finding the music.
*
And Dom was watching. Yeah, we watched alright, and he his breath got more shallow each minute.
“Fucking wanker.” He muttered under his breath. Billy caught it.
“Dominic, don’t start anything. You know that you’re both happier…”
“Nah, Bills,” Dom said sharply, “we’re not. Well, I’m not…well , FUCK, I don’t know. I love that kid, I still fucking LOVE him, and it’s ripping me up.” He finished, and slammed his empty glass down on the table.
“Whoa…” Billy threw his hands up in defence, “calm down, Dom, I’m sorry. I know you feel that way. Of course you still love him. You don’t have something like you and ‘Lij had and just forget it over a period of a year. But you split for a reason, you have to remember. Let him be happy. He needs to let you be happy…”
“He wore the eyeliner, Billy.” It was a soft statement, one that made Billy cringe. He had known that Dom would notice.
“Yeah. I don’t know why he would choose tonight to start wearing it again…” as soon as it left his mouth, Billy was sorry. Dom sat up.
“Fuck that,” he muttered, “Because of me.” Before Billy could stop him, or choke out anything more than a strangled, ‘Dom!”, Dom was in the middle of the dance floor, grabbing Elijah’s wrist and dragging him with him to the bathroom. He pushed Elijah through, and locked the door. Jeremy pounded.
“Dom, what the fuck?!” Elijah exclaimed, rubbing his sore wrist, as Dom shouted through the bathroom door to Jeremy, who was pounding and demanding to know why his boyfriend had gotten pulled into the bathroom against his will.
“I have to talk to you.” Dom said, ignoring the pounding and turning to Elijah. The younger man stepped up and folded his arms in front of him.
“What do you want to say to me?”
Dom couldn’t think. He looked at Elijah, still beautiful, and he saw steel in his cold, lined eyes, and that was beautiful too.
“Why?” he managed finally, staring deep at Elijah, “Why did you wear it?” Elijah laughed shallowly, and shook his head.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Dominic, get a hold of yourself. And let me out of this bathroom.” Dom stepped forward and grabbed Elijah by the shoulders.
“The eyeliner, Elijah, why’d you wear the eyeliner?!” he demanded. The room became silent. The two were breathing deeply, and the pounding on the door had stopped momentarily. Elijah shook his head.
“For…for Jeremy. He thinks I look hot in it.” He said softly, pulling himself from Dom’s grasp. Dom smiled sadly.
“Does he now?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. Elijah swallowed audibly, and nodded again.
“Yeah...he’s great.”
“Elijah, I don’t care.” Dom said, roughly, “It’s for him. Only him?” Elijah shrugged, but didn’t answer.
“Do…do you love him?” Dom inquired softly, running a hand up Elijah’s arm. Elijah was silent for a moment, but then seemed to snap out of it, and yank himself away.
“Fuck YOU Dominic! You do NOT get to ask me that! And you do not get to know that! It’s not your business who I love, because it sure as hell isn’t you! So fuck OFF and let me out of this bathroom!”
Dom looked at him blankly, unable to speak, before stepping aside. Elijah turned to wards the door and concentrated on unlocking it.
“How sure is hell?” he heard Dom ask, quietly. When he turned around and looked at him, his lips were curled into a smile, but his eyes were tearing. Elijah bit his lip.
“Not very sure.” He muttered, “But I wear the eyeliner for Jeremy now. Not for you anymore, no matter what we had.” Elijah’s voice wavered, unsure towards the end of the statement, and Dom smiled.
He stepped over to Elijah, and pecked him chastely on the lips.
“Whatever you say, doodle.” Dom whispered into his ear before turning and walking back out into the club, past a very confused Jeremy and a worried looking Billy.
“Don’t CALL me that!” Elijah shouted to him, but Dom was lost in the crowd, and a tear was already forming at the corner of one of Elijah’s bright blue, lined eyes.