Disclosure
by
Bluespirit

Fandom: Lord of the Rings RPS
Pairing: Viggo/Orlando
Rating: PG
Summary: After the accident.
Word count: 2 047
Series: Final story in the Discovery series

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.

Orlando stood motionless. Only his eyes moved as they followed the blinking light panel that indicated the lift's progress as it made its torturously slow way to each new floor. People stepped on and off but he paid them no mind, he was contained within himself, enclosed by his thoughts. It was always like this when something affected him deeply, all of his usual bounce and fidget gone as an armour of stillness descended.

It had been a shock, phoning Viggo's house to ask if he was free for dinner only to hear that he'd had been hurt and was in hospital. Henry had sounded calm enough as he told him the details of the accident, a teenager's natural belief in a parent's immortality he supposed. The doctors had said it wasn't too serious - just a broken leg - but that they were keeping him in for a couple of days in case there was a concussion as he'd also taken quite a blow to the head.

Not too serious? Viggo had been run over! What if there were complications or internal bleeding? Orlando had felt sick as a thousand thoughts swamped him, each fighting for attention. Then a sudden eerie calm had quietened the chaos and he'd asked Henry for the name of the hospital, carefully writing it down and reassuring the young man, before ringing off and getting straight into his car.

So now here he was at the hospital - making his way up to see Viggo. He had to ruthlessly push down the wave of blinding panic that threatened to crush him whenever he thought of what might have happened if it hadn't been a glancing blow, if the car had hit Viggo head on. He couldn't let himself think what his life would be like if Viggo wasn't in it. It's not like they were lovers, though Orlando had longed for that since almost the moment they'd met…and for just as long as he'd wanted Viggo in that way, he'd also loved him. It wasn't just about lust or even love for a friend - though he felt those too. No, he'd fallen in love with Viggo and no matter how much he told himself that Viggo didn't reciprocate his feelings, cared for him as just a friend, he couldn't help himself - he couldn't control his wayward heart. He liked to think that he was a good enough actor to hide the depth and true nature of what he felt, as he didn't want to hurt their friendship or make Viggo uncomfortable. He didn't want Viggo to feel that he somehow owed him something or, even worse, for Viggo to pity him. He knew that he couldn't have Viggo's love, a *real* love beyond that of friends, so he was happy to settle for what he could have. Having Viggo in his life, in whatever way, was more important than anything.

Orlando swallowed past the dry lump that had been lodged in his throat since the phone call. He *had* to have Viggo in his life. That's why he was here. He had to come and see him - *love* him - even if Viggo didn't know just how deep that love ran. It was going to be more difficult than usual to hide his feelings but he couldn't stay away, he needed to be with him. He had to see for himself that Viggo was all right.

The display blinked and Orlando moved forward as the lift door slid open. He walked quickly along the faceless beige corridor, checking in briefly at the nurses' desk before finding himself standing outside Viggo's room. The door was ajar and he cautiously pushed it open, suddenly unsure of what he wanted to see. While his mind was vacillating, his eyes did what they always did - sought out Viggo and drank in the sight.

Orlando had to chew his lip to stop a quiet choking sob from escaping and waking the sleeping figure.

Viggo was lying on his back, his leg heavily plastered and resting on top of the pastel hospital comforter. There were some deep scratches and abrasions down one arm but apart from that he looked to have escaped relatively lightly. The thing that really cut through Orlando was how small he looked. Viggo was always so vibrant, his passionate, and sometimes frankly oddball, nature making him seem somehow larger than life. So to see him lying quietly like this, his skin pale against the sterile white of the sheets, made Orlando's heart ache.

Without realising that he'd moved, Orlando was at the bedside, his hand hovering over Viggo's face before he had time to think. At the last second he paused, his hand a moment away from caressing the darkly stubbled cheek. Instead he stroked the air, tracing the outline of Viggo's face and feeling a faint warmth as his fingertips ghosted above partially opened lips. He smiled as Viggo's breath teased softly at his skin and he drew his hand away, touching the fingers to his own lips. He could almost taste the warmth and sweetness that he always imagined when he dreamt of kissing Viggo.

Orlando shook himself from his daydream. This wasn't the time for fantasies - not that they were ever really enough but he made do all the same. He moved a chair and sat close to the bedside, taking Viggo's hand gently in his own. That was okay, friends could do that, it didn't have to mean anything beyond a brotherly show of support and affection. As he rationalised his actions ready for any phantom accuser of impropriety, he felt calloused fingers squeezing his palm.

"Orlando?"

Viggo's voice was even quieter than normal but Orlando jumped at the sound, hurriedly trying to pull his hand away before Viggo noticed. But he couldn't break free, Viggo was holding him in a surprisingly strong grasp and he was smiling.

"V-Vig?" Orlando coughed and tried to clear his throat. "How're you feeling? You had me worried."

Orlando stared as Viggo calmly linked their fingers together, the action so easy that it was almost like second nature. He held his breath, scared to break the spell and lose the treasured touch.

Viggo smiled again, as though it was perfectly normal for them to be holding hands. "I'm glad that you're here. I need to talk to you, to tell you something. It was when I was in the stars - I found something out…made a discovery and I have to tell you about it. It's like you heard my thoughts and just appeared here, you knew that I needed you…."

Orlando looked at Viggo doubtfully, he sounded a little spaced out and he wondered if he was on any medication. "Um, Vig, are you sure you're okay? Perhaps you should be resting." Viggo was probably on something for the pain and it was making him a bit loopy. "Maybe I should go and let you sleep, yeah? I just came to see that you were all right. I'll come by again in the -"

"I know why you came, Orli," Viggo interrupted softly. "I saw it - I've always seen it - in your eyes but I was too much of a coward to take a chance…too scared of failing. I just let things go on as they were but that's no good…who knows when a life will go supernova and it'll all be over? Everything blown away in a burst of light and heat, space folding in on itself…a singularity, dark and forever alone." Viggo paused for a moment, his eyes sad, before continuing more urgently. "But then this happened and I knew that I'd been given a second chance. I couldn't wait any longer, couldn't risk never getting to tell you."

Orlando wasn't sure that he understood a lot of what Viggo was saying - he always had a kind of 'stream of consciousness' thing going on but this was something else. "Tell me what?"

"That I know, I know how you feel and it's all right," Viggo murmured, pulling steadily at Orlando's hand until Orlando was hovering over the prone figure, almost close enough to share breath…or to kiss. "I love you too, Orlando."

"What?" Orlando reared back, trying to pull away. Viggo didn't mean it, hadn't really just said that. Had he? It must be the drugs or the concussion talking. "You've hit your head, Vig. You don't know what you're saying," he choked, trying to laugh it off but feeling the denial like a knife to his already aching heart. He wanted it to be true, wanted to believe the beloved voice murmuring those longed for words.

Viggo pulled Orlando closer again. "Yes, I have hit my head, Orlando but it doesn't alter the fact that I love you," he smiled, a faint twinkle of laughter warming his eyes. "I loved you before I hit my head and I'll love you after my head is better."

"You, you love me?" Orlando whispered, trying to gauge Viggo's sincerity and acuity. Please let this be true and not some confused rambling caused by pain medication and a whack to the skull.

"Yes. I know what I'm saying, Orli," Viggo stated simply. "And I also know that you love me," he added, almost challenging Orlando to deny it.

Orlando nodded slowly. He felt hypnotised by the steady blue gaze, unable and unwilling to look away from the truth that he saw there. "I do, um…I always have…since New Zealand - the day we met actually. Love you, that is - I do love you," he mumbled, a little dazed. Just who was it with the concussion anyway? "You love me? Really?" He added, hope colouring his voice and a tentative smile lighting his face.

Viggo returned the smile ten fold. "Yeah, I do."

"You do," Orlando sighed happily and leaned forward slowly. "Is this okay?" He asked, a moment away from kissing the beautiful smile.

Viggo nodded. "Better than okay."

The kiss was brief, no more than a chaste brush of lips but to Orlando it was perfect - like a homecoming, a dream fulfilled. Viggo's mouth was soft and pliant beneath his own and he allowed himself the tiniest taste of sweetness before pulling away. He grinned at the beatific look warming Viggo's face, knowing that it matched his own.

"Mmmm, works way better than meds," Viggo laughed, a low throaty sound that Orlando had always loved, and then he smothered a sudden yawn. "Sorry," he added with an adorably apologetic grin.

Orlando chuckled and stroked his fingers across Viggo's brow, tucking a few unruly strands of silken hair behind one ear. "It's okay, you should be resting anyway." He trailed his knuckles softly down Viggo's cheek. "I should go…" He didn't really want to - not after one sweet kiss - but Viggo was hurt and tired, and Orlando knew that he should leave him to rest and heal.

Viggo caught his hand and squeezed it gently. "No, please stay."

"It's okay, I'll come back tomorrow," Orlando soothed. "I know we have a lot to talk about."

Viggo shook his head and smiled. "No we don't. We know everything that we need to - we have all along."

Viggo was right. It had been there all along, staring them in the face, but they'd never voiced what they truly felt. They'd been wrapped in each other's lives since the day that they'd met, sharing so much that it was almost like they'd been having a relationship. And now it was time to take that last step and act on those feelings - to finally be together. "Yeah, I suppose we do," Orlando smiled. "But I should still let you rest."

Viggo held his hand more tightly. "Stay, Orli. Please."

And it was the easiest thing in the world to nod and say yes, because that's exactly what he wanted to do. "Okay."

Viggo's eyes were slowly closing, unable to fight off the drowsiness that softened his face. "You'll be here when I wake up?" He whispered.

Orlando nodded and kissed Viggo gently once more. Of course he would - he was finally where he wanted to be.

"I'll be here, Vig. I'll always be here."


The end