To Sleep... Perchance to Dream
Part Two
...To Die...To Sleep...no more; and by a sleep to say we end
the heartache, and the thousand natural shocks that flesh
is heir to.... Hamlet, Act III, Sc 1
Harsh sunlight streams through the window slats and drills its way through his eyelids, drawing
him up from the deep wells of sleep. The mattress bounces under him and the covers are rudely
swept aside as an insistent voice chants, "Dom Dom Dommie, wake up, sleepyhead. Orli & Bill
will be here soon. Get up!" Wincing, Dominic pries his eyes open and blinks up at the blinding
blue orbs not a foot from his nose. They have the same effect on him that the sunlight has. He
shuts his eyes and memories of the night before flood back to engulf him. Dom's eyes fly open -
searching for - and finding - the Elijah-ness, the vibrant life in the face that hangs above him.
Elijah's yelp of surprise is smothered in the pillow as Dom's arms reach up to yank him into a
bruising hug. The embrace only lasts a few seconds, long enough for Dom to feel a promissory
stirring in his pelvis. "That was one horrible nightmare," he mumbles, releasing Elijah to grab for
the covers. "Go on, get breakfast ready. Gimme fifteen - I really need a shower." Elijah accepts
the excuse, but a shade of something like regret ripples across his expressive face before he turns
away.
It's warm for an autumn day and the waves are tackled in fine form. Dom gets to ride out a big
one in style and washes up on shore to applause from his mates. Groaning, he sprawls on the
sand beside Elijah, proud of his accomplishment but unable to summon up the enthusiasm
expected of him.
"What's wrong with you today, mate?" Billy prods, concern for his friend sharpening his voice.
"'Tisn't like you to be so po-faced on a lovely day like this."
"Ah, Bill, I'm okay. Just didn't get much sleep last night, that's all."
"Now, Sblomie, you sure it wasn't something else? Didn't I see you through the window last night
in a clinch with geekboy over there?" Orlando leers at them fondly.
Orli's gibe hits too close to home and Dom feels a flush warming his face. "Give over, Elf-boy." he
retorts unthinking. "Just putting sleeping beauty to bed. Alone. And I couldn't - wouldn't - shag
my mates anyhow. That way lies... madness." Oh, Yes.
Billy laughs. "Huh, methinks the lad doth protest too much." Dom, his face turned toward the
shoreline, doesn't see the flicker of pain that crosses Elijah's face, but Billy does, and wonders.
~~~~~
Dominic pushes himself away from the computer and scrubs tiredly at his face. Several exhausting
days of filming have passed and some of the cast have been given a half-day off. Christine and
Ally are back in the States visiting family and Sean has invited Dom, Billy, Elijah and Orli over for a
playstation rematch and sleepover. Meanwhile, Dom needs to do some serious Internet research.
He reaches for his scribbled notes and leans back.
"Ok, it occurs during deep non-REM sleep." He mutters. He's dreaming then ...what does he
dream about?
"Can be caused by extreme stress." He continues. "Oh, and alcohol - hell, let's not forget the
bloody alcohol!"
"Let's see - 'amnesia after an episode' - that definitely checks out. 'Difficulty in arousing the
subject.' Um.... that can't be right, I didn't imagine that hard-on - no, wait - shit, my mind's in the
gutter. I guess it means he'd be hard to rouse. Okay, that checks out too - heck, I could've done
him then and there with no one the wiser."
"Subject should not be forced to wake up. No fear of THAT!" Dom mumbles." And lastly, the
disorder usually occurs in children between the ages of ten to thirteen." Well, Lijah's young, but
unless we traveled back in time too, he's nowhere near thirteen.
He tosses the notes aside and stares out the window, backlit by the light of the setting sun.
Snippets of memory play across his mind. He hadn't known Elijah before they met, that sunny
morning in early September. He and Billy had been half-expecting a Mac Culkin clone with "I'm a
big star, and who are you?" attitude but got a Caravaggio angel instead. An angel in worn jeans
and black t-shirt, with other-worldly eyes that could blaze blue, then turn sleepily sensuous in
seconds and translucent skin that your hands ached to caress.
When Sir Ian had heard of who'd been cast as Frodo, he had commented that Elijah was too
beautiful to play the part. He's changed his tune since, for the boy, beauty aside, is a total
professional and a marvel to direct. His easy confidence, unusual maturity and innate good
manners make him a positive pleasure to work with. Peter raves about him and half the cast and
crew, straight or otherwise, would jump at the chance to get into his boxers.
Dominic knows he loves Elijah - has known it since those early weeks. He knows it because it isn't
entirely sexual - there is tension, yes - but Dom also loves his quick mind, his buzzing energy, the
vulnerability he doesn't show in public. "It's weird, I always know it when he enters a room - I'm
aware of him all the time - like an itch I can't scratch." he muses. He's had sex with a guy before,
but never with a close friend or someone he's worked with - he was telling the truth, that day on
the beach.
Elijah has never given any indication of his leanings. He wears his emotions on his sleeve only
when he plays Frodo. He's lived too long in the fishbowl that is Hollywood to allow others access to
his soul. He bestows hugs and kisses indiscriminately, true, but that's the Orli virus - it infects
everyone in the cast.
Dominic tenses in his chair as wild speculation invades his mind. What if the sleep-walking
episode is a glimmer of where Elijah's preference lies? His skin prickles as a warm tide of arousal
washes through his body. "Fuck", he whispers. "Who was he dreaming about that night?"
~~~~~
It's almost time to leave for Sean's house, but Dom has one last thing to do. He glances at the
clock, picks up the 'phone, and punches in an overseas number that he'd lifted from Elijah's
address book the day before. Someone answers the ring and he asks for Hannah.
"Hi. Hannah, this is Dominic Monaghan. Elijah introduced us over the 'phone, remember? I play
Merry in the movie." Dom begins. After being assured that her beloved brother is alive and well,
Hannah is curious as to what prompted Dom's call.
"Um. Well, I've got a question to ask you that may be a bit impertinent. "Dom starts. "Uh - do you
know, um - whether Elijah ever walked in his sleep when he was younger?"
"Why, yes," she replies, startled. "I've heard Mom and Zach talk about it. Zach had to sleep in his
room for a while to keep an eye on him, but it didn't last very long. It started when Mom and Dad
divorced - Lij was about thirteen then, I believe. Why do you ask? Has it started again?"
"Yeah, I think so." Dom slumps tiredly, his fingers kneading his temples. "It's probably the stress
of filming a movie this long. The fans expect so much of him and he is the star of the film after
all. Did he see a doctor for it?"
"Mom wouldn't see a child psychologist, so they went to our family doctor. He figured it was the
stress of the divorce. Dad used to sleepwalk too, so it may have been genetic as well." Hannah is
becoming agitated. "Dom, is he seeing a doctor? What are you gonna do?"
Dom tries to pacify her. "Hannah, Elijah doesn't know. I've caught him only once and managed to
get him back to bed without waking him up. I'll wait a bit - if he does it again, I'll make him get
help. Don't worry, ok? I'll keep you posted - and don't mention this when he calls, all right? I've
gotta go now." A few more words, and Dominic hangs up.
~~~~~
Sean's houseparty is in full swing by the time Dom gets there. There is food and beer aplenty, and
the lads are already well lubricated. Elijah defends his playstation title against all comers, but
when he spies Dom in the doorway, his face lights up and he abandons his match with Sean.
"It's about time, Sblom! What'ya do, cruise all the bars on the way?" He throws an arm around
Dom and hands him a beer. Dom returns the hug and savors the feel of Elijah's body in the circle
of his arms. God, but he fit so well in there! "Not when I know Sean's got a case of beer with my
name on it," he laughs.
Midnight finds them in a sleepy tangle in front of the TV. They've got an early call for Feet in the
morning, and one by one they drift off to their beds yawning. Dom loses the toss and gets to sleep
on the couch. No hardship, since Sean's house is snug and well heated.
Dominic stares at the TV set for a while, the flickering images awakening no response from his
tired brain, until the day takes its toll and he slides into an uneasy sleep.
It seems only moments later when his dreams are interrupted by the feather-light touch of fingers
ghosting slowly over his bare torso. Dom wakes to a strong sense of déjà vu and the sight of
Elijah bent over him, clothed in the flickering light of the TV, his face in shadow. This time,
though, something is different. Dom's dreams must have been erotic ones, for he is fully hard, his
arousal straining the fabric of his boxers. Elijah shifts his weight and his head lifts into the light
cast by the box - his face eerily beautiful, blank cobalt eyes in counterpoint to full red lips set in a
strange half-smile.
The sight sends a tingling shock through Dom, and a wave of lust eddies through his body and
converges on his straining groin. Half-mesmerized by the hypnotic strobe-effect of the light, he
arches his body into the wandering hands, desperately wanting them on his heated cock. His own
hands find the pliant body beside him and, divorced from his mind, start their own urgent
exploration.
A moan escapes him as Elijah's hands finally find his molten center and flutter there, caressing
him through thin cotton and setting his nerve endings afire. Dom's control breaks and he climaxes
with a groan, spilling his come on his belly and bathing Elijah's hands with his seed.
As he convulses, his hands tighten of their own volition on Elijah's straining cock and Elijah comes
with explosive force, his head thrown backward and his mouth open in a silent cry.
His thudding heart slowing, Dom opens his eyes to see Elijah staring down at him in shock, the
verdant scent of sex filling his nostrils. He can see the emotions playing across his best friend's
face as he takes in the scene, eyes dilated first in confusion and then in disbelief. He can see the
tears well up in the glazed blue eyes and realizes that he may have made a terrible mistake. Elijah
backs away from him, turns and runs blindly down the hallway. Dom can hear his sobs, hear them
cut off as the door slams shut.
He stares at the TV, unseeing. Amnesia and disorientation are common after an episode...Do NOT
attempt to awaken the sleeper... The words on the monitor scroll across his mind......too late...
too late...
~~~~~
