You wake the next morning facing away from Taron toward the window, the sun streaming across your face, and with the most content feeling you've had in a long time. Maybe forever. In fact, everything is pretty close to perfect at the moment. Well, almost. There's the still the matter of the doctor's recommendation that you stop working and the slight constant ache in your hand. Looking down at your two fingers still bound together, you choose to ignore these facts for now, and instead roll over to curl up into Taron's warm body against his chest. Your movement causes him to stir, and you watch as his gorgeous eyes flutter open and the smile that spreads across his face when he sees you.
"Morning love", he whispers close to your face.
"Good morning, well if it still is morning", you say, noticing how the light cascading across the room seems to look more like late morning sun rather than early morning.
"Mmmm", is his only response as he pulls you tighter against him. "Sleep well?"
"Mmm hmmm", you answer, reaching up to plant a soft kiss against his lips. His arms wrap around your body and hold you in place, kissing you more firmly. You begin to melt into him and realize immediately that you are both still naked. Suddenly, your stomach growls embarrassingly loud and he pulls back to look at your face.
"Hungry?" He asks with a chuckle.
"Starving", you answer. In fact at this moment, you might be hungrier for food than you are for the man pressed so intimately against you.
"Well then, let's get you fed so that you will have plenty of energy", he says with a wink, and rolls away from you to climb out of the bed. Admiring the view, you pull the sheet up to your chin and prop up on one elbow.
"So what's the plan for today?" You ask as he throws on some baggy sweats and a t-shirt.
"I'd like to show you a few more things around Aber, if you're ok with that?"
"Of course, I love it here. I'd love to see more of where you grew up", you say with a smile.
He then leans down and kisses you on the tip of your nose, gazes at you for a second with a contemplative look on his face, then disappears into the bathroom while you get dressed yourself.
After a leisurely brunch in the room, since it is actually closer to lunch than breakfast, Taron takes you on a little mini tour around his hometown. He shows you the Aberystwyth Youth Arts Centre where he got his acting bug by portraying several parts in shows there. He takes you to his family home where they all still live, although they're not currently at home. You get a kick out of seeing his childhood bedroom and all the family photos of him in his youth. For lunch, he takes you to the cafe that his Aunt owns and he used to work at. It's an adorable little place and is made even more adorable by his movie posters she has placed all over the walls. During lunch, he has you rolling with his stories of how awful he was when he worked here back in the day by getting orders wrong and even burning food. You get the chance to meet his Aunt who is a lovely woman with nothing but charming and wonderful things to say about her nephew. All of which you already knew of course, but you still enjoy hearing it.
After lunch, the two of you take a simple leisurely stroll around town, hand in hand, chatting pleasantly. It's as if the chaos of your lives back at the studio doesn't even exist, and you're just two regular people enjoying a beautiful afternoon together. You could almost imagine staying here with him forever, almost.
Once back at the B&B, Taron announces that there's a different restaurant where he wants to take you to dinner. It's apparently not as fancy but the seafood is "to die for". You shower and dress in a simple sweater, jeans and boots. It's nice to be wearing something other than leggings, tank tops and sweatshirts for once. You haven't taken off the dainty orange-yellow necklace since he gave it to you, and you adjust it slightly on your neck before brushing out your hair and blow drying it straight.
Taron looks as amazing as ever in a white t-shirt, gray cashmere cardigan and dark pants. Upon exiting the bathroom, you find him sitting on the bed, looking down and ringing his hands together. You frown immediately.
"Everything ok?" You ask, concern filling your mind. His head pops up when he hears you and smiles right away.
"Yes, of course. You look...delicious", he says rising from the bed and crossing over to you. Wrapping his hands around your waist and pulling you close, he inhales deeply and hums his appreciation in your ear. "Mmmm, smell delicious too. Good enough to eat...", he mumbles into your neck before kissing you tenderly there. Your eyes flutter closed in response and you place your hands against his chest, tugging at the lapels of his sweater. Pulling him even closer to your body, you wrap your hands around his neck and grasp the back of his head, pulling his face to yours, kissing him deeply. He groans as his hands go to your backside and cupping your cheeks, tilts your pelvis into his. Thoughts of last night filling your head, you start to push the cardi off his shoulders, ready for round two. But he stops you by catching your wrists and pulling your hands down. You pull back to pout up at him and he laughs. "Dinner?" He says through slightly labored breaths.
"Do we have to go to dinner?" You purr. "You did say I was good enough to eat...", you say in your most seductive voice possible, as you trace the outline of his broad chest with your fingers. He exhales sharply and closes his eyes for a moment before opening them again and staring heatedly at you.
"As tempting as that sounds, I really do want to take you to dinner. There's something I want to talk to you about", he says, sounding a bit nervous. This gets your attention and snaps you out of your lustful thoughts.
"Oh really? What is it?" You ask, your curiosity getting the better of you.
"You'll see", he says with a half smile. Sighing and giving in, you let him lead you out of the room and on to the car outside. The restaurant is a short drive away, and you are pleasantly surprised to find that it's a cozy casual eatery with outdoor seating and a view of the harbor. It's a warm night so Taron and you decide to sit outside. You order appetizers and wine, then wait for the waiter to return to take your entree orders.
Not being able to stand it any longer, you finally ask, "Well, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" You feel certain it will be a topic you won't care for, something to do with your health no doubt, so you'd like to get it over with as soon as possible so you can enjoy the rest of the evening. But as always, Taron surprises you.
"Ok, so you know I told you awhile back the film I did before this one was Robin Hood?" He asks.
You think back and do remember him mentioning the movie. "Yes, I remember", you answer, looking intently at him. Where is he going with this?
"Well, the New York premiere is next month, and I was hoping... you'd go with me?" He asks hesitantly. You have to process this information for a moment. Will Rocketman be done by then? And if so, will you be back in L.A? Would you meet him in New York? And what exactly do you do at a premiere? The whole thing seems a bit overwhelming and you need more information so you ask him all of the questions that were just floating through your head. He laughs a little at your usual over-thoughtful reaction. "Yes, I think filming will be done by then and you can either meet me there or...you can stay here and we'll go together", he says, looking over at you with trepidation on his face. When you say nothing, he continues. "Basically you just walk the red carpet whist they take pictures, watch the movie, then there's usually an after-party", he explains, making it all sound very blasé which you know it's not. But that's not the part you're focusing on at the moment. He wants you to stay after filming is done? Stay here in England? With him? The thought of that has your heart pounding, but you try and act cool.
"Well, it all sounds pretty glamourous. I'm not very glamorous", you admit, thinking you'd never fit in with that Hollywood Elite type. Sure you're from L.A, but to you, it's always been just an address only.
At this, he rolls his eyes. "Oh please, that's ridiculous", he says, his eyes pleading with you to say yes. You're still not sure about the logistics, but you know you can't say no to him. And you don't really want to.
After pausing a few more seconds, you hear yourself say, "Ok sure."
"Really? You'll go? I thought I'd have to spend hours convincing you!" He exclaims exuberantly, and you laugh at him.
"Yes, I'll go. I'm not sure how it will all work, but I guess we'll figure it out", you say, quoting his owns words back to him, and giving him a little smile. He reaches across the table to cover your hand with his own and squeezes gently.
"Thank you. This means the world to me", he says, beaming. You don't know how such a thing could make him so happy but you're glad it has. The waiter returns at this moment to take your orders so Taron removes his hand and looks down at his menu. Now that his eyes aren't on you, you press your fingers to your chest to ease the tightness that's formed there. You know you're going to have to seriously start preparing yourself for how the ending of this job is going to affect your life. Now that Taron has suggested you stay here until the premiere, that just puts a whole new spin on everything. What does he mean exactly by that? What does it mean for you? You glance up to see that the waiter and Taron are looking at you to place your order, so you lower your hand quickly, order your meal and leave those questions for another time.
After another tasty dinner and a bottle of wine later, mostly drank by Taron since you only had one glass, you decide to walk down to the waterfront where there are some scattered benches. Sitting side by side, his arm perched snugly around your shoulder, your hand in his, you gaze out at the moonlit water together in silence. You can't help but wonder what he has in mind for your future. If he wants you to attend a movie premiere with him that is happening in a month when you will presumably no longer be in contact, you have to wonder what his intentions are. You just might ask if you didn't think maybe he'd had a bit too much to drink at dinner. His step was a little off on your way down here and you can smell the sweet aroma of the wine on his breath. You decide it's probably time to save that conversation for later and head back.
"Should we head back?" You ask, looking over at him.
"Mmmm, yeah. I'm rrready", he slurs, and you can definitely tell he's a bit sloshed. The two of you stand, and he has to steady himself on your shoulders as his head sways to the side a little.
"Well, looks like I'm driving", you announce. "Keys?" You ask, holding out your palm.
"I'm soooooory", he whines. "I don't want you to hhhhave to drrive", he says, struggling to pull the keys from his pocket.
"Here, let me", you offer, shoving your hand down into his pocket to retrieve the keys. He just smiles down at you lazily and you lead him to the car.
Driving on the "wrong" side of the road proves to be a bit of a challenge, especially in the dark, but you manage it ok. It helps that the B&B isn't too far away. Once you've got your bearings, you look over at Taron to see him smiling over at you, his head slumped against the head-rest, his eyes half closed. You smile back then focus on the road in front of you.
"Heyyy", he mumbles, and you glance back over at him. "Stayyy with me, pleasssse", he says, his eyebrows pulled together in concentration.
"I am staying with you silly. We're in the same room together, remember?" You say, chuckling a little. He squeezes his eyes closed and looks frustrated.
"No...I mean, stay withhh me. After the fffilm is done. Foreverrr....," he slurs, before slumping against the door. Your eyes go wide as you look at him in shock and then back to the road. He seems to be out now so you don't respond. What did he just say? He didn't mean...forever. Of course not, that's ridiculous. He's just drunk. Right? You don't have time to ponder that any longer because you are pulling into the lot of the B&B, and now you have to figure out how to get him out of the car and up to your room. Luckily, he seems to come to when you close your car door, and he half helps you drag him inside and up to the room. Depositing him onto the bed in a heap, you pull of his shoes and cardigan, and look down at him shaking your head. What are you going to do with him? Oh well, no round two apparently. You are pretty tired yourself, so you kick of your own shoes and climb onto the bed next to him, not bothering to undress. Before you know it, you are fast asleep as well.
Sometime later, you are awoken in the middle of the night, by what you're unsure. You are a bit disoriented at first, being in a strange room in a strange bed, fully clothed. But looking over at Taron, you quickly remember the night's events and where you are. The moon has risen high in the sky and the light that's cast into the room falls perfectly over his face, illuminating his features in a way that makes him even more flawless. You reach over and touch his cheek lightly to see if the movement will wake him. He doesn't budge, so you explore further. You run your fingers over his brow, smoothing out the slight line that's formed there as he dreams. You then trace his cheekbones, letting your fingers trail over his scratchy jaw and loving the rough feeling under your fingertips. Then, you outline his perfect cupid's bow and down to his parted lips, where his little puffs of breath make your fingers tingle. His lips are slightly stained from the wine, and they are too much for you to resist. You prop up on one arm and scoot carefully closer to him. Leaning down, you gently brush your lips against his then kiss him sweetly, tasting the faint traces of wine. This finally causes him to stir and you watch as his eyelids slowly open to find you mere inches from his face.
Maintaining eye contact with him for just a moment, you lean back down to kiss his lovely lips again. He returns the kiss, slowly at first, then building as he brings his hand up to grasp the back of your head. You move away from his lips to kiss his jawline, his ear, then down to his neck. He moans slightly, and you hope that maybe he's somewhat sobered up by now. Dragging your lips down his throat to his collarbone, you tug his t-shirt down at the neck so that you can kiss further down his chest. Taron's breathing accelerates and you notice that his chest is rising more rapidly now. Your hand wanders down to the hem of his shirt, and lifting it, you push it up his torso as he grabs it and pulls it roughly over his head. He reaches for you but you immediately go back to your onslaught of kisses to his chest, working your way down across his ribs and stomach. His skin is hot, his breathing becomes ragged and you feel a fire inside you that drives you further. As you reach the waistband of his pants, you slip your tongue just underneath it and hear a satisfying groan come from his mouth as his hips begin to rise up from the bed.
You pull back from him to yank your sweater over your head, then begin to hastily unbutton and remove your pants and underwear as he does the same, never taking your eyes off each other. Taron reaches for you again but you quickly climb on top of him, sitting astride him and gazing down at him, your palms planted firmly against his chest. He runs his hands up your thighs and grasps your hips, pulling you flush against him. Feeling him pressed against you so hard, makes you tilt your head back and close your eyes with the pleasure of it. You feel his hands leave you, so you open your eyes to see him reaching over to the night table. You stop him by grasping his wrist with your fingers and his head snaps back to you, confusion on his face. You say nothing, simply shake your head back and forth slowly, staring into his eyes. His eyebrows remained scrunched together and you see the pull of his throat as he comprehends what you're saying. He finally brings his hands back to your body, and you release his wrist as his face relaxes. He lifts one hand to place it against your chest, the heel of his hand in the dip between your breasts, his thumb and fingers creating a "V" around the necklace at your throat. You cover his hand with your own, and gazing longingly into his eyes, slowly lower yourself onto him. He fills you so completely, so perfectly; it's the sweetest thing you've ever known in your entire life. And as you make love to Taron here in the moonlight, you wonder why you ever waited so long, and how you are ever going to be able to walk away from him.
The next morning, you pack quickly and head out soon after waking. You both want to have some downtime before starting back up to work tomorrow. Taron has been quiet all morning and whenever you ask him if he's ok, he always just smiles and says yes, so you assume maybe he's just a bit hungover. After offering to drive again and him turning you down again, you are off and on your way back to the London area. It's been a magical weekend and you are so glad you agreed to go and that Taron suggested it. It really does seem like it was just what both of you needed to rest and re-charge, before hitting it hard at the studio to get the filmed wrapped in the next few weeks. The getaway also provided a few other interesting and surprising turn of events, not the least of which is the beautiful necklace resting against your throat that you suddenly realize probably shouldn't be seen by anyone at work. All in all, it's been nothing short of blissful. And although your hand is still a little achy, you feel like the rest did you good and that you should be fine to return to work until the end of filming.
After a quick bite of breakfast on the road, you make a few more stops along the way to catch some of the sights you missed on the way to Aber. Taron is still quiet, but he gives you a little smile every now and then so you don't put too much thought into it. Life really does seem pretty close to perfect, you think as you drive along the countryside that turns more urban with every passing mile. You've just spent a glorious weekend with Taron in his hometown, you got to experience some places you'd never have the chance to see otherwise, and you're excited about the next few weeks and beyond now that he's invited you to the Robin Hood premiere. Anthony hasn't tried to contact you since you stopped responding to him, so you're not even really worried about him and Lisa anymore. And Olivia has been MIA since the "incident", which has been such a huge relief. Sighing contentedly, you look over at Taron and take his hand that's resting on the console. He looks over at you and smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes.
"You sure you're ok?" You ask once again.
"Yep, just a little tired I guess. Will be nice to sleep in my own bed tonight", he says, then whips his head over to you again. "If that's alright? I mean, I assumed it would be ok...if...", he trails off and you laugh at him a little.
"Yes Taron, you are welcome to sleep in your own bed...with me", you say, and give him a little wink. He smiles in apparent relief. Is that what his mood has been about today? He's worried about the sleeping arrangements? Silly boy...
An hour or so later, you finally see familiar surroundings as you turn into the street that will take you into the neighborhood that holds Julia's B&B. You had asked Taron earlier today if you could stop by there to grab a few more of your things before heading back to his apartment, and he of course had happily obliged. Once he's pulled into the driveway and turned off the car, he turns in his seat to look over at you. He takes your hands carefully in his and you see a strange look pass over his face.
"I just wanted you to know that I had such a lovely time this weekend with you", he says, and you smile at him. "It really meant a lot to me. So much more than I think you could ever imagine. Thank you." You wait to see if he's finished, then reach up to touch his face gently.
"Thank you, Taron. It meant a lot to me too. It meant...everything", you say, hoping he understands just how happy being with him has made you. And not just this weekend, but since the first day you met him. He covers your hand with his own and closes his eyes for a moment. Then, taking your hand, he presses his lips to the back of it and it sends shivers throughout your body, as if it was the first time. He releases you and sighs, then you both exit the car. "Oh, can you grab my bag from the trunk so I can throw some things in there?" You ask as an afterthought.
"Of course", he replies, then retrieves the bag and follows you into the B&B. You're not sure if the wedding party has been here already or not, so you peak around the front door just in case there's something going on that you wouldn't want to barge in on. Finding the front room empty, you open the door all the way and immediately remember the welcoming feel as you enter the small house. Taron follows you in and you look around the space, wondering where Julia might be. You leave Taron in the living area, and find her in the kitchen, washing dishes as usual. She turns and beams at you when she sees you standing there. You cross over to the older woman and give her a tight squeeze, then ask her how she's doing and listen cheerfully as she tells you all about the wedding party that did in fact just depart the day before. She explains that your room is empty and waiting for you whenever you'd like to return. You smile and thank her politely, although knowing in your mind that you will most likely be staying with Taron until filming is complete. You explain to her that you're here to get a few more of your belongings so she smiles and waves you away.
"Oh, one more thing dear", Julia says as you are turning to leave the kitchen. "This came for you the other day", she says, pulling an envelope out of a little cubby on the kitchen countertop and handing it over to you.
"Oh, thank you", you say, as she shuffles past you out of the kitchen. You follow her out slowly, opening the letter as you do. It hasn't been too uncommon for you to receive a letter here and there at the B&B, mostly official type documents having to do with your temporary employment and compensation at the studio, so you're not surprised to see that the letter you pull out of the envelope is from them. You see that Julia has now disappeared around the corner to her room, after saying a quick greeting to Taron who is standing at a bookshelf looking at a book. Unfolding the letter, you stop in front of the sofa to quickly scan it. When you reach the bottom, your eyes go back to the top to read it a little more slowly, more carefully this time. Once you reach the bottom again, your heart is pounding, all your nerve endings are firing and you feel your body break out into a cold sweat. You look up from the letter to stare across the room in a daze. Taron apparently has noticed because you are vaguely aware of the sound of the book closing and him walking over to you.
You jump slightly when you hear his voice right next to you ask, "What is it?" You slowly glance over at him to see one of the most terrified looks on his face that you've ever seen. His face must match what's on yours because why else would he look that way. You look vacantly back down at the letter in your trembling hands, then out into the space in front of you, not focusing on anything in particular. "What?" Taron asks in a shaky whisper as he gently grabs your elbow. You try to form speech around the huge lump that is now lodged in your throat, and when you finally do, all that comes out are three faint little words.
"I've been fired..."