The Auction
by
Bluespirit

Fandom: Lord of the Rings RPS
Pairing: Sean/Orlando
Rating: R
Summary: Sean shifted uncomfortably in his seat and ran a finger under the collar of his white dress shirt. He hated this....
Word count: 3 349

Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction. The author is not making any claims as to the real life sexualities or preferences of the people portrayed here. This is purely for entertainment, not profit.

Notes:
See end of story.

Sean shifted uncomfortably in his seat and ran a finger under the collar of his white dress shirt.

He hated this. What on earth had he been thinking when he agreed to do it? Oh, yeah - it was for charity, helping out a good cause and all that.

He sighed and stared morosely into the pale amber liquid that swirled around his glass as he twisted the fine crystal slowly in his hand. He was always happy to help out whenever he could - donating a signed picture here, designing some cufflinks there, anything to raise some cash for worthy projects - but this was different.

A celebrity auction.

He groaned inwardly at the thought.

‘An evening with Sean Bean’ - one on one with whatever fan had managed to stump up enough cash to secure his services for the evening. Not that there was anything untoward involved, of course, the winning bidder had been thoroughly vetted and informed that it was nothing more than an evening having a meal at a posh restaurant with him. Just a couple of hours of his time - how bad could it be?

His shoulders slumped. He was certain that it was going to be excruciating. He was actually quite shy and had trouble making small talk with people he’d just met. He’d honestly feel much more comfortable with a pie and a pint at his local. Well, you can take the man out of Yorkshire….

He was glad that he hadn’t actually been present at the auction as he’d been in New York shooting ‘National Treasure’ at the time. Apparently, it was some big, schmoozy affair at the Savoy, with a host of well-known faces all donating various items and passes to big events and so on. God knows how *he’d* been talked into the whole dinner thing. Why couldn’t he just have sent a picture or some tickets to a premiere or something, like everyone else? But no, the rep from the N.O.S. had been so earnest and charming, managing to talk him into the whole ‘win a date with Sean Bean’ fiasco. Because he was sure that’s what it was going to be - a complete fiasco, with some over-enthusiastic fan expecting him to be Sharpe, Boromir and Alec Trevelyan all rolled into one, no doubt. Bloody hell, he’d probably even have to say ‘tastes like strawberries’ before the evening was out!

According to his agent, the bidding had been quite fierce with it coming down to two final bidders. One had been present at the actual event, gazing glassy-eyed at the huge publicity photo of him that they’d set up on an easel on the stage, and the other had been some telephone bidder. In the end the phone bidder had won but not until the price had completely outstripped every other auction of the evening several times over and he’d effectively been ‘sold’ for just over seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds.

He closed his eyes miserably and took a swift drink, the mellow scotch sliding easily down his throat.

What kind of person spent three quarters of a million pounds to have dinner with some actor? Forget that it was for a good cause and everything - the person had to be a raving psycho. Of course his agent and all the charity reps had strongly denied this and stressed that a full background check had been done on the individual and that everything would be fine. It was just dinner, one evening of polite conversation…with a complete stranger who was willing to pay seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds for the pleasure.

Sean lifted his drink and knocked it back in one. Dutch courage - he was going to need it.

At least the restaurant was good and impeccably discrete, thoroughly used to celebrity clientele and carefully situated to avoid the possibility of loitering paparazzi and the like. The last thing he wanted was for some tabloid to get photos of him and whoever this mad bidder was, and try and blow it up into some romance or something. He was tired of seeing his so-called private life splashed across the gutter press - the aftermath of his separation from Mel had been quite enough, not to mention the whole thing with Abby.

He checked his watch, it was almost eight and his ‘mystery date’ would be arriving soon. He straightened his grey silk tie - he’d made an effort and was wearing his favourite black suit; well, seven hundred and fifty thousand ought to at least get you something better than jeans and a tee shirt, after all.

Just as he was pondering whether to get another drink in, he spotted a familiar figure walking into the bar.

“Orlando!” Sean’s face broke into a broad smile and he stood up. Talk about a small world! “Fancy meeting you here, mate.”

Orlando looked over and gave a small wave before making his way across the plush carpet.

God, he looked good - *really* good. He was dressed all in black and his normally olive complexion glowed with an even deeper tan. His hair had grown out some too, since Sean’d seen him last, and it fell in lush, dark curls that framed his face.

Sean ruthlessly squelched down the small flare of helpless desire that he felt whenever he saw Orlando. He’d decided long ago, in the breathless beauty of New Zealand and every time that they’d met after, that this could never be - Orlando could never be his. He was young - a free spirit with his life in front of him and, though Sean was pretty sure that he swung both ways, Orlando would never be interested in someone like him. Christ, he’d been divorced three times and was almost old enough to be his father, for god’s sake, and there was no way that he would ever risk their friendship by putting Orlando into the awkward position of having to turn him down. Oh, he knew that it would be done gently and with softly murmured apologies but Sean wasn’t ready to put either of them through that. He cared for their friendship, for *Orlando*, too much to ever want to be the cause of any regret in those beautiful brown eyes.

The trouble was that he didn’t just fall in love every day, and he’d never even looked at another man before, but there was something so bright and almost *pure* about Orlando’s spirit, that he couldn’t help himself. From the first moment that they’d met, he’d found himself captivated by Orlando - by the delight that he took in life and the way that he swept everyone along in his euphoria. But it simply wasn’t to be and so he had to protect his friend, pushing his feelings down and locking them tightly away - Orlando must never know, Sean just couldn’t risk it.

Sean had, on occasion, received reviews that called him an excellent actor and never was he better than when in Orlando’s company - he played his role of ‘just a friend’ to perfection, even if his heart died a little more with each performance.

“Hey, Sean.” Orlando’s voice was quiet, almost shy and with none of its normal exuberance.

“Orli! Have a seat, mate,” Sean said, pulling up another over-stuffed armchair and smiling encouragingly as Orlando sat down in the quiet corner. “I didn’t realise you were back in the country - we really need to catch up! Wish we could tonight but you’re never gonna believe this - I’m waiting for someone, a *date*. It’s a charity auction thing….” Sean paused as he felt his face redden. “It’s a load of codswallop really but they auctioned me off - ‘spend an evening with Sean Bean’, you know? I don’t know how I let meself get talked into it really, but you know how it is…charity and all. So I’m meeting whoever it is here - just for dinner though, it’s all above board - no funny business!”

Sean had expected laughter or some of those delicious giggles that always made him melt inside but instead he was met with silence as Orlando looked away briefly and then ducked his head.

“So, how about you, Orli?” Sean asked, confused by his friend’s reaction. “You meeting someone?”

Orlando looked up through sooty lashes and smiled tentatively, his obvious nervousness making Sean want to bundle him up in his arms and hold him forever.

“Actually I am,” he said, extending his hand in a formal handshake. “Hello, Sean. My name’s Orlando - I’m your date for the evening.”

~

Sean’s immediate reaction was that this was a piss take. He’d already had Billy and Dom texting him with alternative ‘bids’ for the auction, like ‘maximum bid thirty-seven pence and half a tube of toothpaste’ and other rubbish like that.

“Oh, very bloody funny, mate!” He laughed. “Who put you up to it, The Hobbits? They’ve been ripping the piss out of me for weeks over this, the little buggers….” He trailed off awkwardly as he looked at Orlando - his friend’s face had paled and looked ready to crumple in distress.

“Orli? This is a joke, right?” He asked softly, reaching for Orlando’s still out-stretched hand and holding it gently between his palms.

Dark eyes awash with misery looked up at him. “No, it’s not a joke, Sean….”

Sean swallowed, suddenly wishing that he’d got that other drink. Orlando was his ‘date’? He didn’t understand - Orlando couldn’t mean what he thought he meant? Could he?

“Orli? Um, it was *you*? The auction?”

“Yes,” Orlando nodded, his face flushing but resolutely maintaining eye contact. “I was in America when the auction happened and I phoned my bids in.”

Sean wanted nothing more than to believe that his dreams were coming true. But he couldn’t, there had to be some other explanation - Orlando couldn’t want him in that way.

“But why? Why spend all that money buying dinner with me when we’re friends anyway? In fact, we had dinner a couple of months back - with Vig in L.A. - and we have the Fellowship reunion lined up at Christmas.”

“But that’s just it,” Orlando interrupted, his voice serious and his eyes searching Sean’s. “You think we’re just friends and whenever I get to see you, it’s always with someone else there too - Vig or The Hobbits or whoever else. It’s never just the two of us, not even in Malta - there was always Eric or Vince too.”

Sean’s brain was reeling from Orlando’s rush of words and he latched on to the only thing that seemed to make any sense. “But we *are* friends aren’t we?”

“No!” Orlando’s voice was low but carried a sense of urgency. “I mean, yes - we are friends, of course we are. But, but…I want us to be more than that….”

“More than friends?” Sean couldn’t contain his hopeful tone.

Orlando smiled, looking slightly more self-assured. “Much more, Sean,” he whispered, leaning forward so that they couldn’t be overheard. “I’ve wanted you for five years, Sean and I’m done waiting. I love you.”

Despite Orlando’s determined look, Sean could detect the vulnerability behind the words. How much guts had it taken for him to do this? To bid in that bloody ridiculous auction and then actually turn up and say this? Christ, Orlando had done what he’d never been able to - he’d risked it all, put everything on the line and was now just sitting there - waiting for Sean to speak.

“O-Orli,” Sean coughed, trying to swallow past the dry lump in his throat. Orlando at least deserved the same kind of honesty that he’d shown in his confession. “Would you like to have dinner with me?”

“Just dinner? Everything above board - no funny business?” Orlando grinned, though his eyes remained locked with Sean’s.

“Well, seven hundred and fifty thousand *is* a bit steep just for one meal,” Sean murmured, pulling Orlando closer and whispering in his ear, “is there anything else that you’d like?”

Orlando’s face became serious once more and he leant closer, close enough that Sean couldn’t help but brush his lips against soft, soft curls. “Just one thing - *you*.”

Sean smiled slowly. “You’ve always had me, sweetheart. I love you.”

~

In the end they decided to skip dinner. Sean had rolled his eyes when Orlando had said ‘sod the money’ but had readily agreed with his reasoning - they’d both waited long enough as it was.

So now they were back at Sean’s house.

It seemed a little bit odd, after all the years that they’d known each other and all the time spent together as friends, here they were but as something more than friends.

“D’you want a drink of anything?” Sean asked, standing in the doorway of the lounge, feeling a little awkward after their confessions at the restaurant. Not at the nature of the revelations - it was just a bit disconcerting to find that every hope that he’d ever squeezed down inside himself was finally and suddenly bursting free. He was just a bit off balance by it all.

Orlando looked over at him with a soft smile. He was standing by the fireplace, looking impossibly beautiful in the warm glow of the flames. “Not really, thanks. Okay if I sit down?”

“What?! Oh, of course,” Sean mumbled, “sorry - this isn’t quite how I’d pictured my evening, you know?”

“I know,” Orlando said as he sat and patted the cushion next to him. “Is it better or worse?”

Sean slowly breathed out and crossed the room, dropping down to sit close by Orlando, their legs not quite touching. “*Better*, definitely better. But….”

“But still a bit weird?”

“Yeah, sort of,” Sean replied with a sheepish grin. “I, um, well - I never thought this would ever happen.”

“I did,” Orlando said calmly, smiling as he softly stroked his fingers down Sean’s cheek. “’Cus I just couldn’t believe that I could love you so much and never have you, you know? I mean, like, what would be the point of it all if I couldn’t be with you - *properly*?”

“I dreamt of you,” Sean whispered, shocked at the words spilling from his mouth. And he had - at first, when they were in New Zealand, the dreams were of Orlando as he was then - all boyish giggles and smiles - but as his love had deepened and grown stronger, so his dreams had evolved. He still saw that beautiful face and heart-wrenching smile but now the dreams were more complex - showing him a life spent loving Orlando, holding him through each night and worshipping his body. He’d been shocked at the overtly sexual nature of some of his dreams, especially as he’d never even desired another man, let alone acted upon it. But gradually he grew to welcome the dreams, because they meant that, at least in the darkness of the night, Orlando was his.

“Yeah?” Orlando’s smile was like sunshine spilling into the room and Sean relished its warmth.

“But that was all I could let myself do, I didn’t want to risk losing you - as a friend.” He’d been too afraid.

“I dreamt of you too - being here with you, just the two of us and…”

“And what?” Sean almost held his breath as he watched Orlando’s eyes darken with love and something more feral and needy - desire.

“Us, making love together….” Orlando moved closer as he spoke, his words ghosting across Sean’s partially open lips as he stilled just a breath away.

Sean groaned, an aching sound of want that bubbled up from deep inside him and broke free from years of captivity. God, he wanted Orlando so bloody much! “I’ve, um, never - with a man…” His words were stilted as he felt Orlando’s warm breath on his lips.

“Can I kiss you?”

Sean nodded, just the faintest inclination of his head, but it was enough.

Now they both groaned as Orlando reached for Sean and pulled him against his body, pressing their lips together in a slow, sweet kiss.

Sean’s mind was rocked by the contrast of soft lips and the faint scratch of stubble as the kiss got heavier and their bodies surged together, interlocking perfectly, like they’d been made for each other. This should have felt strange - this was a *man* his brain kept trying to shout at him but his heart just drowned it out with a constant delighted thunder of ‘Orlando, Orlando, Orlando’.

Before he was entirely sure what had happened, Sean found himself lying back on the sofa with his shirt unbuttoned and his trousers open. God knows where his jacket and tie had gone - he had no recollection beyond some heated mutterings and a triumphant ‘yes!’ from the sexual whirlwind currently pressed against his chest. Hot kisses and feverish touches seemed to have robbed him of the ability to think and he stared down dumbly as Orlando licked at his nipples with a tantalising flourish and then began to slide lower.

“Stop…um,” Sean said hoarsely, his voice sounding hollow and unused.

Orlando stopped moving and slowly raised his head, sad eyes locking with Sean. “I’m sorry, Sean….”

What? Oh god, Orlando must think that he was having second thoughts!

“No, *no*,” Sean shook his head and reached out to stroke passion-clumsy fingers through the soft curls that had enchanted him for years. “I just want this to be a bit more, um, mutual, all right?” He was certain that he’d move heaven and earth to always see the look of wide-eyed contentment spreading across Orlando’s face. “And, perhaps we should move this to the bedroom? This settee is about a foot too short for both of us and I’m not getting any younger, after all.” He winked and laughed as Orlando giggled and pressed a soft kiss to his chest.

“Ah, but you’re definitely getting sexier,” Orlando grinned as he gracefully stood and reached out a hand to pull Sean up.

“Sexier?”

“*Definitely*,” Orlando smiled, wrapping his arms around Sean’s waist and nuzzling at the soft skin of his neck.

“I think I can live with that, love. Care to join me in bed?” Please, I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I first saw your face kissed by the New Zealand sun.

“I’d love to - lead the way.”

~

Sean couldn’t help but feel a little nervous as they slowly undressed each other. He’d had his fair share of sexual experiences over the years - but never with a man and never with anyone who meant so much to him. He should have known that his worries were groundless, of course, for in no time at all he found himself lying in bed with Orlando wrapped tightly around him, for all the world like they’d been doing this all of their lives.

They kissed endlessly - sweet, warm promises of a life together - and when Sean finally found himself sheathed inside the heaven of his love’s body, he couldn’t hold back the dam burst of words that cascaded from the depths of his heart.

“Oh god, Orli…I love you. I *love* you so much. Stay with me, please?”

Orlando’s smile was worth all the years of waiting. “Forever, love. I’ll stay with you forever.”

~

They lay entwined, wrapped together under crisp cotton sheets as they drowsily exchanged kisses in the wake of their shared passion.

Orlando mumbled something against Sean’s lips, making him break away for a moment and smile. “Hmm? What was that, sweetheart?”

“Nothing really,” Orlando yawned, snuggling more securely into Sean’s arms. “Just thinking about the auction….”

“Yeah?”

“Mmm, money well spent, I’d say,” he muttered, his head growing steadily heavier as it rested against Sean’s chest. “Got a bargain, I think - even got some ‘funny business’ thrown in too….”

Sean chuckled and softly kissed the curly head beneath his chin, before following his love into slumber.


The end

Notes:
This fic started life as a tiny drabble based on a dream that I had of seeing Orlando for sale in an auction *g*. Obviously it had designs on being A Real Story somewhere along the way!
The N. O. S. is The National Osteoporosis Society - Sean's favourite charity.