Blind (Domlijah) PG-13 (2/?)
Jan. 22nd, 2011 09:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
moit_ficsTitle: Blind - 2/?
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
moit
Pairing: Domlijah
Fandom: Lord of the Rings RPF
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Warnings: Slash, violence
Summary: After a horrific accident, Elijah is blinded. Dom is left to pick up the pieces of their broken life.
Word Count: 1874
Previous Chapter here
Debbie and Hannah settled Elijah in the main house while Dom grabbed some of their things from the guesthouse. They had all agreed that it would be easier to have Elijah in the main house, lest something happen when Dom wasn’t around. Dom was the only one who put up a fight, but it had been Elijah who made the final decision.
As it was, Dom was in the guesthouse hastily throwing clothes and toiletries into a bag. He also grabbed Elijah’s iPod (something he absolutely would not live without) as well as a couple extra packs of cigarettes. No doubt he was dying for one.
Dom took one last look around the room and hefted the bag onto his shoulder. He let himself into the main house and walked down the hall to the spare room in which he knew Debbie and Hannah set Elijah into. Surprisingly, Elijah was alone in the room, sitting in the middle of the bed.
“Dom?” he called tentatively, face turning to the sound of someone else in the room.
“It’s me,” Dom said, setting the bag down. “I’ve brought some clothes, toothbrushes, your contact case . . .” the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. Dom stopped abruptly, staring at Elijah, waiting for the blow.
“It’s okay, Dom. Honest mistake. Thanks for thinking of me, at least.”
“Yeah.” Of course Dom was thinking of him, but apparently not well enough. “I’ve got your iPod, too. I know you’re completely lost without it.”
He dug the music player out of the bag and set it in Elijah’s open palm.
Elijah hefted the weight of it and turned it over several times, relearning the memory with his hands. “I can’t see the screen,” he said finally.
Dom could practically feel his heart breaking. Two strikes, Monaghan. How did you expect him to use something that requires sight? He cleared his throat, trying not to sound like his voice was breaking. “I could read it off for you. I mean, you know most of what you have on there, right? Or I could just put it on shuffle. That should be easy enough to maneuver.”
“I guess,” Elijah said softly, and set the iPod on the bed next to him.
Dom rocked nervously back onto his heels. Conversation between them had never been so strained. “Are you comfortable? Can I get you anything?”
“I’m okay.” He leaned his head back against the headboard. “My mom gave me a vicodin before you came in, so it should be kicking in soon.”
“I’ll uh, let you get some sleep then.”
“Dom, you don’t have to leave. I’m not asleep yet.”
Dom turned back to face Elijah. He bit distractedly at his thumbnail. Nail biting was Elijah’s habit, not his, but right now, it seemed like the thing to do.
“Do I disgust you now?”
The question caught Dom off guard. “What? No, of course not. Why would you think that?” He wished fervently he could see more of the expression on Elijah’s face.
“I would completely understand if you wanted to leave. I don’t want you to feel obligated to stay with me because I’m disfigured now.”
“Elijah, what are you saying? What—do you want me to leave?”
“No!” Elijah’s hands twisted and untwisted in his lap. “No, I just don’t want you to stay if this isn’t where you want to be.”
Dom sat down on the bed carefully. “Elijah.” He took one of Elijah’s hands in both of his, and placed it flat against his chest. “Can you feel my heartbeat?”
A thick swallow rolled down Elijah’s throat. “Yeah.”
“That means I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere unless you ask me to.” He drew Elijah forward until the younger man was wrapped around him. Dom dropped a kiss down on the top of Elijah’s head. “You need a bath,” he said suddenly.
Elijah coughed out a laugh against his chest. “Yeah, well, between a medically-induced coma and a 12 hour surgery, I haven’t exactly had time.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing I love you anyway.”
“Mmm.” Elijah gave a wide yawn. “Vicodin’s kicking in.”
Dom shifted them down the bed so they were back-to-front with Dom’s arm wrapped tightly around Elijah’s middle, the way they usually slept.
“I’ll just stay until you fall asleep, yeah?”
“‘kay,” Elijah said softly, already giving in to the effects of the drug.
It didn’t take long.
Dom brushed a lock of hair off Elijah’s cheek, mindful of the bandages, and placed a soft kiss there. He was dying to know what Elijah looked like beneath the gauze, but that would be for him to reveal in his own time. For now, Dom eased out of the bed and left Elijah sleeping peacefully as he slipped out the door.
Dom found Debbie and Hannah in the kitchen, each with a cup of coffee.
“I was wondering where you two had gone.”
“We figured you would like some time alone with Elijah,” Debbie said, as Dom joined them at the table with his own cup of coffee. He preferred tea, but coffee was good in its place.
“I don’t even know what to say right now. It’s like one minute everything was fine. I hadn’t planned to be in Manchester long, and all of a sudden Elijah’s been attacked . . .”
“Dom, you know it’s not your fault.”
Dom nodded morosely. “I guess I feel like if I pin the guilt on myself, then I won’t have to face the idea that there’s actually someone to blame. Did they release the name of the guy who did it, anyway?”
“Someone by the name of John Smith—yes that’s his birth name—who had no connection with the studio or with Elijah. So far the police haven’t found anything that would point to an obsession or stalking. It seems unbelievable, but they really don’t have any idea why he would have attacked Elijah.”
“Fucking bastard should be dead,” Hannah added across the table.
“Hannah.”
“What, mom? You know it’s true. Elijah’s fucking blind because some guy got it in his head that it was a good idea to throw acid in my brother’s face. Sorry if I’ve got an attitude over that.”
Dom reached across the table and squeezed Hannah’s hand gently. They were all aching and raw with nerves. Even Debbie, who was usually such a source of calm was on edge. She was barely managing to keep it together for Dom and Hannah.
*
“Mom?”
Dom appeared in the doorway to Elijah’s new room. “I’m here, love.”
Elijah wrinkled his nose. “I said Mom, not Dom.” His voice held a bit too much force and Dom felt the sting.
“I’ll . . . go get her for you.”
Elijah sighed deeply. “No, you’ll do, I guess.”
Dom’s mouth fell open in shock. “Well, don’t let me burden you. I’ll go get Debbie.”
“No, Dom, it’s—”
But Elijah could already hear Dom’s retreating footsteps.
A few minutes later, different footsteps approached. “It’s Mom, honey. Dom said you needed me?”
Elijah carefully eased himself out of the bed and stood up, feeling about his surroundings with his hands. “It’s got to be time to change my bandages. They’re starting to feel dry.”
“We’re an hour early, but it’s okay, if your eyes feel dry.”
Elijah nodded, fingering the bandages over his eyes.
Debbie crossed the room and took Elijah firmly by the arm and led him to the bathroom.
*
As expected, Elijah retired to the bedroom first that night. He was up for a while talking to Debbie and Hannah while Dom fretted about nervously. One could have confused Dom for Elijah’s mother. He was constantly worried that Elijah was going to run into something and hurt himself, but Debbie sat back just the way she did when Elijah was a toddler. He might hurt himself, but he would never learn if he didn’t get the chance to try. Dom backed off a bit after that.
So when Dom shut the bedroom door behind himself, he never expected Elijah to roll over and face him, though he couldn’t see him.
“Dom?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
Dom shucked his jeans and tee shirt, leaving himself in only his boxers. He normally slept nude, but considering the circumstances, he wasn’t sure it would be the best bet.
“Could you turn off the light before you get into bed?”
A strange request, but not a difficult one. Dom flipped the switch off. “Okay.”
“Okay you’re going to turn it off or okay you did turn it off?”
“I did.” Dom flicked the switch on and back off in the hopes that Elijah could hear the small flick.
“Did what? Which one? Is the light on or off?”
Dom flicked the switch again. “It’s off.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes!” Dom was starting to get exasperated. “Did you not hear me flick it off and an on? It’s off.”
“Sorry,” Elijah said, his voice small. He rolled over so that he was facing away from Dom again.
Wordlessly, Dom crossed the room and slid under the blankets on the other side of the bed. “Baby?”
No answer.
“Elijah?”
A sigh. “What, Dom?”
Dom lifted himself up onto his elbow. “Are you upset? About the light?”
“No, forget it. Just go to sleep. I’m tired.”
Though he wanted to sigh in annoyance, Dom just laid back down. He scooted a bit closer, and hearing no resistance, wrapped an arm around Elijah’s waist. The other man was tense, but he didn’t tell Dom to move. But when Dom moved closer and placed a kiss at the base of Elijah’s neck, Elijah jerked away as if he’d been burnt.
“What?” Dom asked, pulling away, staring at Elijah even though he couldn’t see him. They were on equal footing now.
Elijah rolled onto his back, face turned towards Dom’s voice. “I’m not ready to do that yet.”
“Do what?” Dom couldn’t keep the confusion from his voice. “I wasn’t trying for sex—I just wanted to give you a goodnight kiss.”
“Well, I’m not ready for that yet.”
Dom shifted up onto his elbow again. “You’re not ready for me to kiss you? What… what?”
“There is no ‘what.’ That’s all.”
“That doesn’t even make sense. Elijah . . . you weren’t . . . raped. What’s the big deal?”
“Well, I might as well have been.” Elijah’s voice was cold. “If you don’t like it, then you can go sleep in the other guest room.”
“Baby,” Dom tried again, placing a hand on his arm, but Elijah shrugged it off.
“Just leave me alone, okay? If you want to cuddle, that’s fine, but . . . just don’t try to kiss me. Not yet. Please.”
Dom rolled his eyes and turned over. If Elijah didn’t want to kiss him, then he wouldn’t bother cuddling either. He probably should have worn sweatpants to bed.
So lost was Dom in his own thoughts that he never heard Elijah’s sigh or his silent wish, again, that he could cry. He had to substitute tears for the blood rushing to his face and his throat swelling with emotion.
Author:
moitPairing: Domlijah
Fandom: Lord of the Rings RPF
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Warnings: Slash, violence
Summary: After a horrific accident, Elijah is blinded. Dom is left to pick up the pieces of their broken life.
Word Count: 1874
Previous Chapter here
Debbie and Hannah settled Elijah in the main house while Dom grabbed some of their things from the guesthouse. They had all agreed that it would be easier to have Elijah in the main house, lest something happen when Dom wasn’t around. Dom was the only one who put up a fight, but it had been Elijah who made the final decision.
As it was, Dom was in the guesthouse hastily throwing clothes and toiletries into a bag. He also grabbed Elijah’s iPod (something he absolutely would not live without) as well as a couple extra packs of cigarettes. No doubt he was dying for one.
Dom took one last look around the room and hefted the bag onto his shoulder. He let himself into the main house and walked down the hall to the spare room in which he knew Debbie and Hannah set Elijah into. Surprisingly, Elijah was alone in the room, sitting in the middle of the bed.
“Dom?” he called tentatively, face turning to the sound of someone else in the room.
“It’s me,” Dom said, setting the bag down. “I’ve brought some clothes, toothbrushes, your contact case . . .” the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. Dom stopped abruptly, staring at Elijah, waiting for the blow.
“It’s okay, Dom. Honest mistake. Thanks for thinking of me, at least.”
“Yeah.” Of course Dom was thinking of him, but apparently not well enough. “I’ve got your iPod, too. I know you’re completely lost without it.”
He dug the music player out of the bag and set it in Elijah’s open palm.
Elijah hefted the weight of it and turned it over several times, relearning the memory with his hands. “I can’t see the screen,” he said finally.
Dom could practically feel his heart breaking. Two strikes, Monaghan. How did you expect him to use something that requires sight? He cleared his throat, trying not to sound like his voice was breaking. “I could read it off for you. I mean, you know most of what you have on there, right? Or I could just put it on shuffle. That should be easy enough to maneuver.”
“I guess,” Elijah said softly, and set the iPod on the bed next to him.
Dom rocked nervously back onto his heels. Conversation between them had never been so strained. “Are you comfortable? Can I get you anything?”
“I’m okay.” He leaned his head back against the headboard. “My mom gave me a vicodin before you came in, so it should be kicking in soon.”
“I’ll uh, let you get some sleep then.”
“Dom, you don’t have to leave. I’m not asleep yet.”
Dom turned back to face Elijah. He bit distractedly at his thumbnail. Nail biting was Elijah’s habit, not his, but right now, it seemed like the thing to do.
“Do I disgust you now?”
The question caught Dom off guard. “What? No, of course not. Why would you think that?” He wished fervently he could see more of the expression on Elijah’s face.
“I would completely understand if you wanted to leave. I don’t want you to feel obligated to stay with me because I’m disfigured now.”
“Elijah, what are you saying? What—do you want me to leave?”
“No!” Elijah’s hands twisted and untwisted in his lap. “No, I just don’t want you to stay if this isn’t where you want to be.”
Dom sat down on the bed carefully. “Elijah.” He took one of Elijah’s hands in both of his, and placed it flat against his chest. “Can you feel my heartbeat?”
A thick swallow rolled down Elijah’s throat. “Yeah.”
“That means I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere unless you ask me to.” He drew Elijah forward until the younger man was wrapped around him. Dom dropped a kiss down on the top of Elijah’s head. “You need a bath,” he said suddenly.
Elijah coughed out a laugh against his chest. “Yeah, well, between a medically-induced coma and a 12 hour surgery, I haven’t exactly had time.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing I love you anyway.”
“Mmm.” Elijah gave a wide yawn. “Vicodin’s kicking in.”
Dom shifted them down the bed so they were back-to-front with Dom’s arm wrapped tightly around Elijah’s middle, the way they usually slept.
“I’ll just stay until you fall asleep, yeah?”
“‘kay,” Elijah said softly, already giving in to the effects of the drug.
It didn’t take long.
Dom brushed a lock of hair off Elijah’s cheek, mindful of the bandages, and placed a soft kiss there. He was dying to know what Elijah looked like beneath the gauze, but that would be for him to reveal in his own time. For now, Dom eased out of the bed and left Elijah sleeping peacefully as he slipped out the door.
Dom found Debbie and Hannah in the kitchen, each with a cup of coffee.
“I was wondering where you two had gone.”
“We figured you would like some time alone with Elijah,” Debbie said, as Dom joined them at the table with his own cup of coffee. He preferred tea, but coffee was good in its place.
“I don’t even know what to say right now. It’s like one minute everything was fine. I hadn’t planned to be in Manchester long, and all of a sudden Elijah’s been attacked . . .”
“Dom, you know it’s not your fault.”
Dom nodded morosely. “I guess I feel like if I pin the guilt on myself, then I won’t have to face the idea that there’s actually someone to blame. Did they release the name of the guy who did it, anyway?”
“Someone by the name of John Smith—yes that’s his birth name—who had no connection with the studio or with Elijah. So far the police haven’t found anything that would point to an obsession or stalking. It seems unbelievable, but they really don’t have any idea why he would have attacked Elijah.”
“Fucking bastard should be dead,” Hannah added across the table.
“Hannah.”
“What, mom? You know it’s true. Elijah’s fucking blind because some guy got it in his head that it was a good idea to throw acid in my brother’s face. Sorry if I’ve got an attitude over that.”
Dom reached across the table and squeezed Hannah’s hand gently. They were all aching and raw with nerves. Even Debbie, who was usually such a source of calm was on edge. She was barely managing to keep it together for Dom and Hannah.
*
“Mom?”
Dom appeared in the doorway to Elijah’s new room. “I’m here, love.”
Elijah wrinkled his nose. “I said Mom, not Dom.” His voice held a bit too much force and Dom felt the sting.
“I’ll . . . go get her for you.”
Elijah sighed deeply. “No, you’ll do, I guess.”
Dom’s mouth fell open in shock. “Well, don’t let me burden you. I’ll go get Debbie.”
“No, Dom, it’s—”
But Elijah could already hear Dom’s retreating footsteps.
A few minutes later, different footsteps approached. “It’s Mom, honey. Dom said you needed me?”
Elijah carefully eased himself out of the bed and stood up, feeling about his surroundings with his hands. “It’s got to be time to change my bandages. They’re starting to feel dry.”
“We’re an hour early, but it’s okay, if your eyes feel dry.”
Elijah nodded, fingering the bandages over his eyes.
Debbie crossed the room and took Elijah firmly by the arm and led him to the bathroom.
*
As expected, Elijah retired to the bedroom first that night. He was up for a while talking to Debbie and Hannah while Dom fretted about nervously. One could have confused Dom for Elijah’s mother. He was constantly worried that Elijah was going to run into something and hurt himself, but Debbie sat back just the way she did when Elijah was a toddler. He might hurt himself, but he would never learn if he didn’t get the chance to try. Dom backed off a bit after that.
So when Dom shut the bedroom door behind himself, he never expected Elijah to roll over and face him, though he couldn’t see him.
“Dom?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
Dom shucked his jeans and tee shirt, leaving himself in only his boxers. He normally slept nude, but considering the circumstances, he wasn’t sure it would be the best bet.
“Could you turn off the light before you get into bed?”
A strange request, but not a difficult one. Dom flipped the switch off. “Okay.”
“Okay you’re going to turn it off or okay you did turn it off?”
“I did.” Dom flicked the switch on and back off in the hopes that Elijah could hear the small flick.
“Did what? Which one? Is the light on or off?”
Dom flicked the switch again. “It’s off.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes!” Dom was starting to get exasperated. “Did you not hear me flick it off and an on? It’s off.”
“Sorry,” Elijah said, his voice small. He rolled over so that he was facing away from Dom again.
Wordlessly, Dom crossed the room and slid under the blankets on the other side of the bed. “Baby?”
No answer.
“Elijah?”
A sigh. “What, Dom?”
Dom lifted himself up onto his elbow. “Are you upset? About the light?”
“No, forget it. Just go to sleep. I’m tired.”
Though he wanted to sigh in annoyance, Dom just laid back down. He scooted a bit closer, and hearing no resistance, wrapped an arm around Elijah’s waist. The other man was tense, but he didn’t tell Dom to move. But when Dom moved closer and placed a kiss at the base of Elijah’s neck, Elijah jerked away as if he’d been burnt.
“What?” Dom asked, pulling away, staring at Elijah even though he couldn’t see him. They were on equal footing now.
Elijah rolled onto his back, face turned towards Dom’s voice. “I’m not ready to do that yet.”
“Do what?” Dom couldn’t keep the confusion from his voice. “I wasn’t trying for sex—I just wanted to give you a goodnight kiss.”
“Well, I’m not ready for that yet.”
Dom shifted up onto his elbow again. “You’re not ready for me to kiss you? What… what?”
“There is no ‘what.’ That’s all.”
“That doesn’t even make sense. Elijah . . . you weren’t . . . raped. What’s the big deal?”
“Well, I might as well have been.” Elijah’s voice was cold. “If you don’t like it, then you can go sleep in the other guest room.”
“Baby,” Dom tried again, placing a hand on his arm, but Elijah shrugged it off.
“Just leave me alone, okay? If you want to cuddle, that’s fine, but . . . just don’t try to kiss me. Not yet. Please.”
Dom rolled his eyes and turned over. If Elijah didn’t want to kiss him, then he wouldn’t bother cuddling either. He probably should have worn sweatpants to bed.
So lost was Dom in his own thoughts that he never heard Elijah’s sigh or his silent wish, again, that he could cry. He had to substitute tears for the blood rushing to his face and his throat swelling with emotion.
