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mzkiwi
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Re: Not so easy - a new orlando Bloom story.
Good stuff! Keep it up
---
"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. But sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself."
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8/Aug/2007, 12:45
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maria0cecilia
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Re: Not so easy - a new orlando Bloom story.
..
Last edited by maria0cecilia, 4/Jan/2008, 11:16
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20/Aug/2007, 10:01
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comanchero
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Re: Not so easy - a new orlando Bloom story.
Sorry for not updating for soooo long, but I have a life and it kinda got in the way. But I'm back with a vangeance...and a new chapter. Please let me know if anyone's still reading this...
Chapter four
The first few days of his return were filled with visits of friends, all glad to have him back on his feet, and several phone calls to publishing houses and mortgagers of any and all kind.
Nothing.
He got nothing and it took him nowhere and he was trying his d*mn hardest to remain polite while silently seething every time some jerk in a pinstriped suit would turn him down. If he’d been searching on his own behalf, he couldn’t have cared less about rejection, but this was Darcy he was fighting for and to be turned away meant turning her away too. And nobody had a freakin’ right to do that. Hadn’t she been through enough?
He was just about to give up, physically and mentally all but burnt out. He either needed a lucky break, or go into hibernation out of sheer exhaustion.
Option number one came first, though he wasn’t sure he liked it all that much. Stupid thing was, it had been right in front of him all along.
On the fifth morning of his quest, he got a visit from Colin, his biological father. Their bond was strenuous at best, but neither knew how to break the habit. Orlando could not and would not kick Harry Bloom, his supposed father, off his pedestal and while Colin never pushed himself into his son’s life, Orlando always kept some emotional distance between them. Not that he hated his real dad, they just didn’t seem able to form a bond between them.
It must have been Sonia who had mentioned her son’s search to him, knowing that her headstrong child would never ask for Colin’s help even if it were his last straw, because he started talking about it before Orlando could get even one word in.
He started with stating the obvious. “What about your garden house?”
Now, garden house was a very chic name to call the shed in the backyard of the Bloom’s family home. It was rather big, but it hadn’t seen a dab of paint in years and was cluttered with whatever mess that didn’t fit into the main house any longer. Clenching his teeth in a surge of unexplainable annoyance at this interference, Orlando pointed that slight defect out to Colin, who merely shrugged, seemingly unaware of the bitterness the young man exuded toward him.
“All you need is someone to take the debris out of there, it’s not like there’s anything in it anyone could use, and a good contractor to make it inhabitable. There’s already plumbing and electricity in there, it could easily hold a kitchenette and a shower, even one for a disabled person. We could make sure it’s all accessible, put in broad doors, slopes instead of steps, remove thresholds, etc.”
He hated it when Colin took over like that. Like he belonged to their family. It made him irritable. It irked him. ‘For Darcy’, he reminded himself. ‘you’re doing this for Darcy. And this could be the solution you’ve been looking for. Now be a big boy, swallow your pride, admit it can be done and accept. Come on, you can do this. For Darcy’s sake.’
He nodded, though his answer still held some reluctance. “If this can be done…who’s gonna finance the reconstruction? What contractor should we hire?”
“One of my friends is a d*mn fine contractor whom I’m sure will give us his honest opinion and a fair price. About the finance…I’m gonna pay for it…for now, so hold back your smart-ass comments…and we’ll discuss payments later. We being your mother, you, me and your lady friend. I’m sure we can work out a schedule that she can afford. What do you say?”
With every ounce of willpower he possessed, Orlando clenched his jaws until they hurt. He didn’t want to accept the man’s help and knowing he didn’t have any options left didn’t help lighten his mood. Well, they always said that there was no loss of pride in admitting you were defeated. Once again, he reminded himself of the little figure he’d had to leave behind.
Her forlorn image in his mind and the memory of her dull voice over the phone while she was staying home was enough to push him over the edge. He stretched out his hand to the other man.
“Very well. Call your contractor friend and let me know what he thinks.”
“Will do. I’ll set this in motions as fast as I can.”
Orlando nodded, feeling his residual annoyance fade away with the happy thought that Darcy might be living in their backyard very soon. He only hoped the contractor would accept.
He only hoped Darcy would.
*********
Nine days. He’d been gone just as long as he had been there in the first place. And she missed him. Before the shooting that had abruptly changed everything Darcy Meehan thought she had even known about life, she wouldn’t have made such close friends in such a short amount of time. But being cooped up in this chair with so far limited future options made one more appreciative of those who gave their friendship as willingly as Orlando had.
It had felt right to her to be needed by him, to be the one to help him through the literally and emotionally most painful moments. And it felt right to see him walk away from this place on his own two feet.
If only she didn’t miss him so much.
Since her unsuccessful trial homecoming, she’d been spending the hours alone in her room with her precious sketchbook on the desk in front of her. Wendy, her cartoon character, needed a side-kick, she had decided. So, as Robin was to Batman, Wendy got a friend in a tall, lanky boy called Andy, with dark eyes, dark hair and a mischievous smile, walking on crutches which contained a sleeping potion in one of them and a laughing potion in the other. Of course she couldn’t help but make him look like Orlando. He just turned out that way.
Now, they went on their adventures together, Wendy in her wonder wheelchair and Andy with the magic walking sticks.
Today though, she couldn’t get one stripe on her paper. She had turned away from her latest story and was idly doodling on an empty page. Her small radio was playing some old eighties rock ballads, just so she didn’t have to listen to her own thoughts.
She missed him so much. His phone call to her home had only succeeded in her missing him even more.
But tomorrow, June 25th was her birthday. She grinned, remembering the shocked expression on his face when they’d found out she was actually seven months older than he was, where he had thought she was at least a few years younger. He had insisted on seeing her ID-card and only then believed her. Of course he’d continued to call her old lady and such, but he would also easily lean forward and wrap her in one of his now sorely missed hugs. For having such a frail frame, he sure gave the warmest hugs, the kind that made you wish you could just put the time on hold.
She would be 22 tomorrow. Giddy as a schoolgirl, she wondered about the gift he had insisted on giving her. Though she insisted his hug would be the only gift she needed, his smile was on top of her wish-list.
Looking down, she grinned, an idiot lovesick grin. She had drawn a man with soft curly hair, intense eyes and a warm smile on a mouth too beautiful for any man but Orlando.
She was in love with him.
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4/Dec/2007, 4:57
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comanchero
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Re: Not so easy - a new orlando Bloom story.
Chapter 4, part 2
Not that she would ever in her life tell him about what she refused to believe was anything more than some childish infatuation. What would he want from her anyway? He’d gotten out with his broken back healed, his legs intact and his crutches just a temporary setback.
He was so freakin’ handsome he could probably get any girl that struck his fancy to go out with him with nothing more than a glance of those dark chocolate eyes and a smile. No, he wouldn’t want to get stuck with a redhead with a bullet in her back. A girl who didn’t even know for sure if she could still enjoy making love, but was too afraid of the answer to even ask.
So no, she would carry her crush on him to the grave and try to satisfy her need for him with every hug he would give her, soaking up every radiant smile he would send her way. If that was all she would ever have, it would have to be enough. She could ignore the pain in her heart until it was just as numb as all her lower half was.
The next morning she woke up with a start as the rest of the birthday bunch, led by Dennis the Menace wheeled and/or limped into her room, bringing with them a myriad of balloons, party hats and other assorted birthday junk. Moved beyond description by their efforts to rouse her out of the sorry state she’d been in ever since returning from her father’s home, she ordered them to march out so she could get showered and dressed, which always took some time, especially since the center staff had decided she by now should be able to help herself. She could, but just barely and her curses whenever things went sour were pretty notorious already.
Today however, with the happy thought of her reunion with Orlando on the forefront of her energetic mind, she managed to get bathed and dressed in record time and was hauled in with cheers and singing in the breakfast room where she joined Dennis, Frank and Tina at their usual table. In between scoops of her favorite cereal, she unwrapped their presents, varying from a new sketchbook and pencils (Dennis) to a new rock ballad CD (Frank) to a self made pair of earrings from Tina. The last gift brought tears in her eyes, both because they were actually very pretty and because she knew how hard it was for Tina’s unwilling spastic hands to tangle with such tiny beads. It must have taken her hours of blood, sweat and tears to get them done.
The crowd finished their breakfast and retreated to the garden. The weather was just perfect for a change. Perfect for a party.
It’s how Orlando found them early after lunch, laughing while the guest of honor was making cartoon sketches of all of them.
Still using his crutches and ignoring the warning she had given him when he’d left, he hobbled over to where they sat. They were laughing and talking so loudly, none of them had seen or heard him coming until he wrapped his arms around Darcy’s upper body from behind.
She yelped until she recognized the intensity of his hugs. A jolt of electricity almost lifted her out of her chair. She quickly composed herself before half turning so she could put eager arms around his neck, lifting her head for a kiss, a wish he granted without thinking, leaving both of them slightly flushed.
“How’s my birthday girl?”
“She’s happy you could make it.”
“Told you I wouldn’t wanna miss it for the world, love.”
He grinned and greeted all the others, sharing manly hugs with the other males and a quick kiss with Tina.
He sat down right next to Darcy and pulled two small rectangular boxes out of the pockets of his jacket. Quickly scanning them, he handed her the first one, the easy one.
Curious, Darcy ripped the wrapping paper off the box and snapped the lid open. Then she gasped. Inside, nestled between soft cotton layers, she found a silver necklace with an old fashioned locket as a pendant. She opened it and read the mere two words engraved inside.
To us…O.B.
On the other side it held a picture of the both of them, with Orlando leaning over her wheelchair, a picture taken by Dennis on the day he left.
“Orli…it’s…”
“You like it?”
She could only nod, at a total loss for words. Orlando smiled and took the necklace from her quivering fingers.
“Here, let me fix this.”
His hands gently brushed her curls away from her neck and she bit back a moan. He fixed the tiny clasp around her neck and for a moment, let his hands linger there, unable to remove them. At long last, feeling they were being stared at, he shrugged and gave her a rather awkward lopsided grin, hoping it wouldn’t change things between them.
He quickly reached for the other gift he’d left on the table and put it back in his pocket. But she’d already seen it.
“Orli…you didn’t have to bring me two gifts?”
“Who said I did?”
“Than what’s in the other box?”
“You’ll see…maybe. Later.”
She gave him a curious look and he bent forward, ignoring the other three watching them with growing curiosity written all over their faces. He quickly whispered in her ear:
“Later, love. I want us to be alone for this one.”
Darcy, not knowing what else to do, simply nodded and when Dennis handed Orlando a soda and asked loudly when Darcy was gonna cut the freakin’ cake already, the tension broke and the rest of the afternoon was filled again with easy laughter.
Being only a few days after the longest day of the year meant that Orlando had charmed his way into getting their dinners served outside. Only when the evening gradually got chillier, did they break up the party. Both Frank and Dennis still had some exercises to do with their prosthetic legs and Tina excused herself soon after that, leaving only Darcy and Orlando in a secluded space in the garden.
‘Now or never,’ flashed through Orlando’s mind. When he noticed Darcy shiver, he put his jacket around her shoulders and softly whispered: “Your other gift is in the right pocket. You can take it now, if you want.”
She had forgotten all about the second gift, just relishing in the warmth that radiated from his jacket. She rummaged through the pocket and her hand encountered the small box. Even more curious as she had been with his first present, she impatiently tore at the paper to reveal another jeweler’s box. She opened it with a frown, hoping he didn’t spend too much money on her as it would certainly make her feel uncomfortable.
But there was no necklace, no bracelet, no earrings inside. Instead, a key dangled from a silver heart shaped chain. Odd. What was it supposed to mean? What did this little key open? Had he hidden a box somewhere?
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4/Dec/2007, 4:59
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comanchero
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Re: Not so easy - a new orlando Bloom story.
Chapter 4, last part
She twisted it in her hands, inspecting it from all sides, not encountering anything. Until she noticed there were words engraved in the heart. They read ‘Home sweet home’.
It hit her.
“Orlando!” Her gasp was half enraged, half stunned surprise as she turned as far as her back allowed her to, ignoring the pain that flashed through her spine.
“Darcy, love, please listen to me. You know you can’t stay in this place forever. They’ll kick you out regardless of the circumstances as soon as they think you’re self-sufficient. From what I heard and can see for myself, that won’t take much longer. And then where were you going to go? Back home again? That wasn’t a big success.”
“I would have found a place.”
“Eventually maybe. But would it be accessible? Affordable? Safe?”
“It least it wouldn’t have been charity.” She practically spat the words to him, not knowing exactly why she was so enraged. Maybe it had something to do with him wanting to take care of her while she wanted to be treated like an equal. Maybe because he was showing his love and caring for her in a way she just couldn’t deal with because it pained her so to realize this was the only kind of caring she would ever get from him.
Of course he took offense, it was close to impossible not to. “When are you gonna listen to a friend huh? What did you expect me to do? Let you be stubborn and become homeless on top of disabled? Is that what you think I’d want for you? Is that what you want for yourself? I know you’re a proud person and I bloody well know that pride is pretty much all anybody has left in a place like this, but damn it, Darcy, your pride won’t keep a roof over your head. Now take the damn key!”
He had never before cursed at her and it bloody well hurt. At the same time, she knew he was right. And somewhere deep down, she must have known it too for the key was clutched so tightly in her hand it had left a deep imprint. Still, the last remnants of her fighting mode were smoldering and she wasn’t yet ready to let them die out.
“Okay…I’m holding the freakin’ key. Mind telling me where you have decided I should live?”
“In Canterbury.”
“Close to your family.” Lucky guess.
“Eh…yeah. Very close. In the garden actually”
“And what is that supposed to mean?” She switched suspicious glances between him and the chain dangling from her right hand.
He sighed and produced some pictures he had taken from the inside and the outside of the now almost completely renovated garden home. It would be totally ready by the end of the next week. He held the pictures in front of her and she snatched them out of his hands, sorting them out on the table to take a closer look.
“It’s our garden house. We had it reconstructed.” He didn’t mention it had been in a sorry state before Colin had brought the possibility to light. Nor did he reveal it had all been done with her in mind and that he had kept a very close personal inspection on every detail, from the paint color to the closet space to the accessibility for her chair.
It was pretty, she had to admit. Small, but big enough. It had windows on all sides and was painted in a sunny shade of yellow. The interior of the ground level building showed a simple kitchenette and a bathroom with a carefully constructed shower seat. There were handles everywhere to hold on to and all closet space was well within her reach. A tainted glass sliding door separated the bedroom from the seating area, making it optional for her to keep it open or shut.
Slowly but surely, all residual anger seeped from her body and a combination of love and gratitude for what this friend wanted to do for her took over.
He saw the change in her before she looked up at him, with a smile on her face and joy in her sparkling eyes.
“You know…it looks good.” She said softly.
The way his face lit up when she said that was worth her giving in.
“So…does that mean you wanna…I mean, would you, are you…”
Could there be anything more endearing than his babbling? If there was, she’d never seen it.
“Yes, Orlando. I accept your offer and that of your family to live in your garden house. On one condition, though.”
“Which is?” He couldn’t stop the brilliant smirk from hogging his face. Any condition she wanted was fine with him. Fresh flowers every day? She’d get them. Breakfast in bed? He’d make it himself. Anything she wanted could be hers if it meant he would have her around for the majority of the future.
“You let me pay a reasonable rent. I need that sense of independence.”
He laughed easily. It was nothing more than he’d expected. And he would still make her breakfast in bed…if she would have him…eh…it. Have it.
“I’m sure you and your landlady, being my mom, will work something out. Now, let me know as soon as they have signed your release-forms and we’ll have you out of this place in no time.”
“Will do. And Orlando?”
“Yes, love?”
“Thank you.”
As his answer, he simply wrapped her up in another hug.
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4/Dec/2007, 5:00
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comanchero
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Re: Not so easy - a new orlando Bloom story.
Helllooooo....anyone out there still reading this? Well, I hope so, just let me know. That'll be great.
Anyway, here is chapter 5 of this story.
“I’m outta here!” She had done all there was left to do in this retched place. She had packed her stuff, had a blast at her farewell party, had hugged all her remaining friends and cried as she had to leave them behind. Now, with the last swoop of her signature on the dotted line, she had signed the last papers that allowed her to wheel out of there for good.
She hit the outside slope and stopped right outside Samantha Bloom’s waiting car, the one she recognized as the same one that had whisked Orlando away from them two months before. She could have taken a cab, but Orlando had insisted to come and pick her up.
With his by now familiar gentility, he let her take the time she needed to get into the car, knowing better than to offer his help. Point of her leaving this place was to show she could take care of herself again. He wouldn’t diminish her progress by babying her.
Once seated, he did put her luggage into the trunk, which he simply considered being a gentleman. He crept behind the wheel and gave her hand a squeeze when he noticed she was slightly trembling.
“Ready to go home?”
“Yeah…just nervous. But I’ll be okay, right?”
He lifted the shaking hand he was holding to his lips and brushed a gentle kiss against her knuckles. She shivered again, hoping he wouldn’t notice the change in reason why she did so.
“Of course you’ll be okay. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met and in the rare moments you’re not, you’ll have me and my family. Now, you just sit back and enjoy not having to live in this place again.”
She only nodded, slightly disappointed he had to let go of her hand to put the car in motion and to shift gear until they were safely on the freeway to Canterbury.
They laughed and joked all the way over there, Orlando all the while pretending not to notice her still lingering fear of the unknown future.
She must have dozed off a little, for he gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand to wake her.
“Sleeping beauty…we’re here.”
Trying to stifle a yawn but failing miserably, she stretched her upper body as far as her back allowed her to and asked Orlando to get out her chair for her. He knew she must be tired to even ask him, normally she would have insisted on doing it herself. Yet, he was all to happy to help her.
Settled in her chair, she wheeled herself to the main house first, as Orlando asked her to do. She chuckled when she saw how he tried to manage all her luggage, consisting of two suitcases and a carryon bag with her personal stuff like her sketchbook at the same time.
“I could get used to having my own bellboy.”
“Yeah, don’t get your hopes up too high, unless you’re a very good tipper.”
“I’m generous to a fault, my man.”
He just grinned, trying to hide the turmoil her last two words had evoked in his heart. Her man. Did she possibly know that he already was?
Just as he was trying to figure out how to fetch his keys out of his jeans pocket gracefully without dropping all of her stuff, the door opened for him and Sam flew out, totally ignoring her little bother while hugging their new guest. Or tenant, or whatever she was.
“Darcy, I’m so glad you decided to take our offer to stay. Welcome home. I hope you’re gonna be happy here.”
The sincerity shone in her eyes, much the same as her brother’s. She too was very good at hugging.
“Ehem.” He tried to sound disappointed by scraping his throat at the total lack of attention, but couldn’t keep the humor out of his eyes. Sam just played along.
“Oh excuse me, sir. I hadn’t noticed you behind all those cases.” She winked at Darcy and pulled a five pound bill out of her tattered wallet. She stuffed it in a perplexed looking Orlando’s hand.
“What the…?”
“Wasn’t that what you were waiting for, kind man?”
As Darcy giggled, he unceremoniously dropped everything still in his hands and enveloped his laughing sister in a bear hug.
“Did anybody ever tell you you were crazy?”
“Runs in the family, dear.”
“Guess you’re right.”
Sam held out her hand. Orlando shot her a questioning look, eyebrow raised in a way Darcy thought was very cute. Then again, she thought everything about him was damn cute.
“What?”
“My money.”
“What money?”
“Those five pounds.”
“What about them?”
“I want them back.”
“No.”
“No?”
“No. I earned those. I’m keeping them.”
“It was meant to be a joke, you arse.”
“I know. It was quite funny.”
“Good, glad you got a laugh out of it. Now give the freakin’ money back.”
“No.”
Did she mention his wicked smile made her melt? If she weren’t already permanently sitting down, she would have gladly accepted the chair by now.
“Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom!…” Sam threatened, standing on tiptoe to try and overpower her tall sibling.
“Samantha Elizabeth Catherine Bloom!…” Her mercilessly mimicked her, raising his posture to tower over her.
“Give…me…my…money…back!”
“No.”
“Could you be any more like a two-year old?”
“Hey, if I were a two-year old, I would have been satisfied with five p.”
She looked at the silly expression on her only brother’s face and caved.
“Alright, keep the damn money.”
“I intended to, but hey, thanks sis.”
“Infuriating. We should have just left you in that rehab place.”
“Ah, but then who would have been here to bust poor Darcy out of there? And she’s so cute.”
He hunched down next to her chair to playfully pinch her cheek. She shivered underneath his touch like she always did and immediately his whole demeanor changed. He silently cursed himself.
“Darcy, love, are you getting cold? I’m sorry sweetie, we’d better get you inside.”
It was, again, so cute, she hated to point out that it was mid August and smoldering hot. Sometimes things were better left unsaid and she would simply take every caress, every hug as a small but precious gift.
As she wheeled in her chair, she was greeted by not one, but two exited woman. Sonia quickly bent down to hug their new ‘addition to the family’, refusing to refer to Darcy as merely a tenant, though they had decided on the sum she would pay for her new home. Behind her, an elderly woman showed up. They way Orli wrapped her up in his arms, she assumed this lady was Sonia’s mother. She was proven right when further introductions were made.
Tea was served, accompanied by a huge cake, complete with frosting that read ‘welcome home, Darcy’. She got a little misty-eyed when reading that and instinctively reached out for Orlando’s hand. Equally instinctive, he grasped her smaller hand in his own and squeezed it. Sometimes Darcy thought he needed the close contact as much as she did. So who was she to deny him?
When pleasantries were all done, Orlando bent over, dangling the key-chain in front of her.
“Ready to go see the house?”
Hell yeah she was! She nodded eagerly, trying to snatch the keys from him like a kitten. He grinned and another one of her female brain cells evaporated into oblivion. Without thinking he grabbed the handlebars of her chair and somehow sensing he needed the leverage, she let him push her down the garden path to the door of her new home, closely followed by the three woman, all curious as to how she might react.
Whether or not he did it on purpose, she would probably never know. Fact was, it seemed to take him ages to just unlock and swing open the door. But once he had, it quickly showed it had been worth the wait.
From the moment she had agreed on living there on her birthday, he himself, Darcy and Sam had spent hours and hours talking and planning in order to decorate and furnish the place just to Darcy’s liking. The last one admitted with a positively choked up voice they had done an amazing job.
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4/Jan/2008, 10:07
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comanchero
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Re: Not so easy - a new orlando Bloom story.
First of all, the house looked, well…normal. She had a normal twin bed, made up with a sunny patterned quilt, which hid the fact that the mattress was made especially for her. Thank God there had been enough insurance money left to cover for the basics like that.
She had a normal couch and lazy chairs, though there were no rugs or other stuff cluttering the floor and obstructing her way. The sliding doors were very light so she could push them open and closed without straining. Her trained eye spotted the intricate railings everywhere, but they were made to look like just a part of the house rather than pointing out a disabled person lived there.
All in all, the place had a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Bookcases begged to be filled, there were framed pictures on the wall and lots of cozy lamps, as she had requested. If she would have had to decorate a home for herself, she wouldn’t have been able to do a better job.
Her greatest shock however, washed over her when she saw the piece of furniture set up by the largest window, where the afternoon sun would provide ample light. There stood an adjustable, professional drawing table, complete with pencils, markers, a huge stack of high quality paper and anything else a sketch artist like herself could ask for. Orlando must have stolen one of her Wendy cartoons, as it was framed and hung up on the wall. A sign saying “Wendy’s workshop” hung underneath it.
She had vehemently refused to let him find a publisher for her cartoons, still convinced they wouldn’t be good enough. Orlando had never brought the subject up again, but she knew exactly what he was no too subtly trying to say.
It was the proverbial last drop.
Normally, she hated to cry in public and she would do anything to try and stop any tears from falling. But right now, overwhelmed with fatigue and the day’s emotions, she couldn’t spare the energy. Whatever was left of her physical strength, she used to push herself out of the chair and onto the bed. There, she buried her head in one of the many fluffy pillows, silently sobbing.
This family, who hardly even knew her, had been more kind, more generous, more caring than her own family or her old friends. They had given her a future, showed her they had faith in her as a real person, just someone who happened to have a handicap, instead of seeing the chair before the person inside of it. These were tears of gratitude and joy.
Three woman exchanged glances and silently left the house.
She felt the mattress incline when Orlando sat down next to her, but she didn’t dare look up. Just as she had done for him during that dreadful night (was that really only two months ago?), he let his hand crawl underneath her Tom & Jerry t-shirt and slowly rubbed her spine. Though it was meant to calm her down, his kindness only stirred an even more helpless reaction in her.
Feeling desperate at the mere sight of her crumpled up little posture, he hauled her tiny, practically weightless body onto his lap, all the while stroking her back. He reclined against the pillows with her resting against his chest, murmuring meaningless sweet words into her ear, hoping it would help ease the onslaught of emotions.
He didn’t blame her, didn’t consider it a lack of gratitude. With everything that had happened to her since the shooting, she deserved to have an occasional mental breakdown. He was just happy to be there to help her the same way she had been there for him.
He loved her. He was pretty sure of it now, holding her this close to him. Even if there was nothing sexual about the moment, he still felt it was something very personal, very private and he would never in his life forget the way it felt.
Her sobs turned to sniffles and hiccups and she lifted her head from his now soaked shirt to give him a shaky smile.
“You’re all wet. I’m sorry.”
“It’ll dry, don’t worry. Are you alright?”
“Yeah…you must think I’m nuts.”
“Sweetheart, I already knew that.” He kissed her forehead and felt her shoulders shake as she chuckled.
“Gee, thanks. I feel better now.”
“You’re welcome, love. But honestly, do you?”
Sincere green eyes met soft warm brown ones. She wanted to pause this moment, frame it for all eternity.
“Yes, honestly, I do. I was just a little overwhelmed. I never had such a place of my own before. Nobody ever went through so much trouble for me.”
“Well, then the whole world has gone nuts, because you deserve it. Every fluffy pillow in this place is just for you because we want it to be. Face it, girl, once the Bloom family adopts you, you’re spun into a tight cocoon and we’re not gonna let go of you ever.”
“Is that a promise?”
Without thinking, his lips brushed hers in the softest of kisses.
“Count on it love.”
She sighed, letting her fuzzy, weary head again rest against his still damp shirt. She winced a little and he chuckled.
“Hey don’t blame me for catching the flood. That’s all your doing.”
“Still sticky,” she answered with a childish pout. But she didn’t move. She could have stayed there forever, soaked or not.
A knock on the door disturbed their thoughts and Orlando got up to answer, meeting the smiling face of his sister.
“Mum wanted to let you know dinner will be ready in ten minutes. If you still want to freshen up a little.”
He glanced over at Darcy, who nodded. “I’m gonna do just that.”
He nodded and winked at her. “I think I need a fresh shirt too and than I’ll be back to come and get you. Okay?”
“You don’t have to, I can make my own way over.”
“I know you can. But tonight, you’re the honored guest and tonight, I’ll be your dinner companion. So I’ll be back in ten minutes, got that?”
“Dennis did rub off on you, didn’t he? As long as you know I’m not about to salute you, you wanker.”
He just laughed and left her new home, Sam in tow.
Darcy let out a sigh as she watched their retreating backs, left in doubt as the whether or not she was happy with Sam’s interruption. Maybe she should be. She didn’t want things to get overly touchy feely with Orlando as long as she wasn’t sure about his feelings. Or her own for that matter.
But boy had it felt good, just to lie there with his arms around her, being told she was welcome within their tight-knit family. Hopefully it didn’t mean she was regarded as a sister. It would be very illegal indeed, not to mention perverse, to have these kind of feelings for a brother. At least as far as she knew, normally siblings didn’t feel the need to jump into bed with each other for anything but an innocent pillow fight.
Oh well, better get ready for dinner. She managed to get dressed in a fresh pair of tight fitting black jeans and a simple white shirt with lace around the hems. She released her hair from its confining braid, remembering Orlando had once told her he loved her hair loose. With just a splash of her perfume and a touch of lip gloss, she decided she was ready for a family dinner.
As on cue, a sharp knock could be heard on her door. She was relieved Orlando knocked before barging in, indicating he was considerate of her privacy. She hollered for him to come in and he did with a boyish grin on his face.
“Was that you yelling or did you invite bigfoot over for dinner?”
She shot him an incredulous look. “I did. And look, he has arrived.”
“Hardy-har-har.”
She flung a towel at him. “See? Mating call of bigfoot.”
“Mating call huh?” He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively and even though it wasn’t their first sexually tinted banter, it still made her blush.
“Don’t even go there Bloom!”
“Never on an empty stomach, love. The growling would be distractive.”
“The growling you would do wouldn’t come from your stomach, sweetheart.”
He grabbed the handlebars of her chair to steady himself. These conversations were getting a little too disturbing. His sudden movement almost jolted Darcy out of her chair and she grabbed both wheels for leverage.
“Sweetie, I’m already in the damn chair, don’t make it any worse.”
“Sorry love, felt a little woozy there for a moment.”
Oh the temptation…there were so many things she could say about that. Deciding though it was best to tone down their train of words, she answered rather neutrally.
“You’re probably just hungry. Let’s not keep your family waiting, okay?”
They left the house in silence, both glad and silently disappointed that their appetite for each other would again not be stilled.
And.....??? 
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4/Jan/2008, 10:09
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orlyandme
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Location: with Will on the Black Pearl
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Re: Not so easy - a new orlando Bloom story.
This is so good! You have me captivated!!!!
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17/Feb/2008, 18:14
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