The Letter
By ALBA

FANDOM: Lord of the Rings Real Person Slash

RATING: PG-13

SUMMARY: Fluff. Elijah muses.

DISCLAIMER: This story is not real. I don't know the actors involved, nor do I know if they're gay. The actors named are characters in this fic and I do not pretend to think that they would ever do this. Characters, not real, not gay. Got it? Good.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For Janelle. She knows why. If not, she will when she's done reading this!

The Letter

Elijah was sitting in a café in L.A., minding his own business. For once, there were no screaming fans demanding his attention or his autograph. The cafe was fairly empty for mid-afternoon on a beautiful spring day. He'd managed to escape from his house a few hours before, in the midst of a chocolate fight between Orlando and Dominic. Elijah didn't really want to think about what his kitchen was going to look like when he got home.

"Refill, sir?" The waiter interrupted his thoughts.

"Thank you." Quick smile and then man was gone with his empty glass. Sitting back with a small sigh, Elijah watched the people go by on the street. He saw a few young hopefuls go by, easily recognizable by their flashy clothes and too-bright hair. They all wanted to be noticed. They all wanted to make it big. Too bad most of them would go home a year from now, dreams in tatters. Very few 'made it' in Hollywood, and Elijah wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing yet.

Sure, being a big star had it's perks. Preferential treatment at certain places. Like Disneyland, which only the week before had allowed Elijah and his sister to jump to the head of almost every ride. "Stars" also got advance peeks at the latest in technology. He was one of the first in the U.S. to get an X-Box, even before they came out. That could be pretty cool. The fans were cool sometimes, too, asking for your autograph, telling you they loved you. It was a headrush to be adored, no doubt about it.

But, as the clichéd saying went, every silver lining has a cloud.

The loss of privacy was the biggest drawback. The fans wanted to know *everything* about him. He was surprised nobody had planted hidden cameras in his bedroom. Wait, that was next. Not that they'd catch anything. His sex life was lacking at the moment, to his annoyance. He was a "star." He should be able to get any girl--or guy--he wanted. Yet the one he wanted remained oblivious.

"Your refill, sir." The waiter seemed to know exactly when to interrupt to cause the most amount of disruption. Smiling slightly, Elijah nodded.

"Oh, and that lady in the corner would like to know if you'd sign a napkin for her." Pulling a pen out of his pocket, Elijah scrawled a quick note on the offered napkin and tried to give the girl a sincere smile. His first autograph hound of the day. Not too bad. The waiter once again withdrew, leaving Elijah alone, contemplating interviewers he had to face as part of the press junket. Most of the time, they were great, but it was so hard answering the same questions over and over. No, he didn't have a girlfriend. Yes, he and the other members of the Fellowship were best friends. Yes, he'd made his own audition tape and sent it to Peter. Yes, the nine of them had gotten a tattoo together. Yes, he'd loved New Zealand. Yes, he'd like for the annoying questions to stop now. But no, can't say that. Just gotta keep smiling and answering.

"Sir, another patron would like an autograph." Elijah was ready to throttle this waiter. Interrupting his very nice brooding session every ten seconds was really starting to get on his nerves. This time, he didn't even bother to watch who the waiter gave the autograph to. He didn't care. Contemplating his drink, Elijah didn't even notice the waiter's approach. When the man finally spoke, it scared him and he nearly spilled his Pepsi all over the lovely white tablecloth.

"Sir?"

"Yes?" Fighting not to wrap the pretty white tablecloth around the pretty neck of the pretty waiter standing beside him... wait. Pretty waiter? Where'd *that* come from?

"The gentleman two tables over thanks you very much for the autograph and he would also like to know if you're quite finished brooding."

"What?" Blinking up at the man.

"Are you quite done brooding?" New voice, one very familiar.

"I do not brood."

"Spending 16 months with Viggo taught me how to recognize brooding. You were brooding."

"Am not! What are you doing here, anyways?"

"Looking for you. Do you have any idea how many cafés are in this city?"

Elijah looked up and laughed. "I wouldn't know. But what ARE you doing here?"

"I came to give you this." Handing over a small square of paper. "Sorry about the chocolate stains."

"You're too much. Can I open it here?"

"Whenever, wherever."

"We're meant..."

"Shut up, Lij. You can't sing and you know it."

"Fuck you."

"Strong words from such a small hobbit."

"Just. Get lost." But Elijah was laughing. Looking down at the paper he'd been handed, he studied it. "I feel like a 13-year old girl exchanging love letters in class with her crush."

"You trying to tell me something?"

"Thought I told you to get lost."

"Want you to read the note first."

"Okay, fine." Slowly unfolding the note, Elijah grinned at the messy scrawl filling the paper. His grin faded a bit as he actually read the note and by the time he was done, his grin was replaced by confusion. "Are you..."

"Will you?" Earnest eyes that never failed to melt him. Even when he'd just had the biggest bombshell of his life dropped right into his lap. His best friend was in LOVE with him. Love! "I know you've dated men before, Lij... just tell me the truth. Do I have a chance?"

"Oh, my God..."

"Guess that's my answer." Sadly turning away from Elijah and walking away.

"NO!" Elijah yelled, nearly taking the tablecloth with him as he jumped up. "Don't go!" Ignoring the stares of the few other patrons, Elijah grabbed the other man's arm. "Don't go just yet."

"Why not?"

"I haven't given you my answer yet."

"Oh?" Words were soon moot as lips touched in the briefest of kisses. "Guess that's your answer."

"Guess so." Elijah smiled. "Come, sit with me. Talk to me. Brood alongside me."

"I'll stay beside you forever. God that was mushy." Gentle sigh beside him as they fell into comfortable silence. Words weren't needed anymore. And as the waiter reappeared to take their drink orders, Elijah idly wondered if all 13-year old girls had the same sucess with their crushes.