#sakaarland

[elenatria]

Anon here! OMG! The "One Day" song was a joke. Because when I thought of Tom waiting for Chris to leave Taika to come back to him the way he was before, work together again, all the bromance, all the Hiddlesworth fanfiction, I remembered this song! It was my headcanon, a songfic. LOL But if the joke needs to be explained, isn't a good one. Sorry!

 Lololol it’s ok, it wasn’t a bad joke, it just needed.. more words. ;-P

“One day you’ll love me again”, I see what you mean..

I don’t know if you’re a monoshipper when it comes to RPF but I found out RPF is the only AU where I can bear having multiple ships with the same actors/characters. So in a sense I can both ship Hiddlesworth and  Taikris as if they exist in two separate universes, AND ship them as one being the continuation of the other, as is the case in my fic Chris in Sakaarland (which you probably know otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation, right?). 

What I mean to say is: once Chris and  Taika start filming “Love and thunder”, I’m here for the Taikris bromance, I’m just here for it. I’m here for all the Taikris headcanons, bring them to me.

Buuuuut I’m not giving up on Hiddlesworth either. So if the mood is right, if the content is encouraging, I really don’t mind following your “One day” headcanon where Tom waits for Chris to leave Taika (as would be the case in “Chris in Sakaarland” if I ever continued it). 

[elenatria]

Never forget what I'm here for.

The Cast Of “Thor: Ragnarok” Plays Superhero Would You Rather

[elenatria]

Tagged by @thegreenmeridian

1. Favorite OC to write?

I hate OC’s. >__<  I hate their guts. Oh did I tell you I hate OC’s? 

I use them only as plot devices and my single OC is Herja Skrymirsdottir in my Thorki fic “The sun and the moon”. She’s the daughter of Skrymir the Frost Giant, Loki’s betrothed, and she’s only there to help Loki out of a difficult situation. I don’t hate her, she’s based on Eleanor Tomlinson (if you haven’t seen her in “Loving Vincent”, go see her now).

But honestly, I’d rather use existing characters.

My other “OC” (that is someone who doesn’t appear as a character in the “Chernobyl” series) is Vladimir Gubarev, the real-life recipient of Legasov’s tapes. 

And I’ve written him completely out of character because in “A single bullet” he actually likes Boris Shcherbina and even trusts him with Valery’s cat (and his last tape). Imagine that.

2. Dialogue or Descriptions?

Dialogue. Because I suck at descriptions.

3. Favorite plot twist?

I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you.

4. Favorite Cliche?

Mutual secret pining.

5. Favorite season?

Summer. I take my sofa out in the garden and write in the shade of the trees, my only distraction being the turtle eating flowers that have fallen off the branches and the kittens playing at my feet. Summer, the only time when I can travel abroad to chase impossible goals.

6. Writing by hand or on a computer/phone?

Computer because I can’t read my own writing. Still all my sexy dialogues/snarky one-liners are in hand-written notes on my bedside because that’s exactly when my mind says “Note that down, you’ll need it for your Valoris fic!”. Yeah, when I’m trying to sleep. -__-

7. Music while writing?

Music while drawing. But I’d rather have my friends (or you guys) talking to me while I draw, I would finish in no time. It’s what I used to do when I was in art school, and I miss it so much. People talking help me concentrate.

8. Weirdest thing you’ve ever been inspired by?

I can only describe it in images.

9. Biggest no-no for a book? What will immediately make you put the book down if you see it?

I don’t read books, I wish I could. It took me a whole summer to finish “Chernobyl prayer” (but still I managed to finish it so that’s something).

10. What titles grab your attention in bookstores?

Titles? You mean “beautiful covers”, right?

11. Can you describe the color purple in one sentence?

Eggplant. Oh that’s one word, sorry.

Tagging anyone who wants to do it.

[elenatria]

Lol i love how we are all being so dramatic for Pacho 🙌🙌🤣

Lol you guys are Legion. Or maybe the Lernaia Hydra with the many heads, one body/a thousand souls (ok not a thousand, I guess there’s 3-4 of you sending me asks).

Hey, I’m fucking dramatic for Pacho too. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be screaming my own ears off, “WRITE THAT GODDAMN STORYYYYYYYY, I WANNA SEE WHAT HAPPEEEEEEEEEENS.”

No seriously. I’m like “You know what happens, it’s a movie that you’ve already seen in your head, and you still refuse to put it in words. What the hell is wrong with you?”

Also seriously, why aren’t fics written on their own, huh? I mean, “Chernobyl” was a fine example of bromance writing and if this was me 20 years ago I’d go “Meh, who needs fanfiction when the show itself offers you such exquisitely angsty/heartbreaking writing like this, and it’s fucking canon, don’t be greedy”.

My biggest fear is that I won’t get to finish a story I love. I do have some unfinished stories from GoT that I don’t care about, and I know that if I’m in the mood again, I’ll go back to my Hiddlesworth and Taikris stories as well, no rush.

But with my “Chernobyl” stories it’s different, I feel like I owe it to myself.

[elenatria]

Chris in Sakaarland: Chapter 6

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13839114/chapters/34390026

The following day Chris didn’t ask Taika how he had spent his birthday. He didn’t ask about Jemaine’s sudden appearance. He didn’t even ask him if he was feeling better. He thought all that was irrelevant to his work and if Taika had something to say, well, he’d say it. After all Chris was too tired to care about anything. He had spent the whole night staring at the ceiling.

Taika didn’t bring it up either. Chris thought he should confront him at some point, surely Jemaine had already told him they had bumped into each other in Taika’s front yard the night before but if Taika did know, he seemed to be outrageously calm.

Or just indifferent, Chris thought fiddling with Tessa’s sword.

“Will you stop playing with that dildo?” Taika woke him from his dark thoughts.

“What?...”

“I said, will you stop playing with that dildoooooo,” Taika yelled cupping his hands around his mouth and leaned back on Valkyrie’s comet chair. “Your ADHD is exhausting, bro.”

The set they were working on that day looked like a huge doll house painted green and white and filled with colourful bottles (Valkyrie’s inexhaustible alcohol stash), with its fourth wall missing as if waiting for a gigantic kid to play with his toys. The sarcasm of the situation didn’t escape Chris - the kid was right there with them, a “big kid” indeed, and looking at his own red cape and shiny green epaulettes he suddenly realized how much he looked like a toy. A blown up action figure, a puppet, ready to be played with and tossed away as soon as the kid got bored of him.

A lapdog.

 Chris flinched remembering Taylor’s words.

 But wasn’t that always the case with Taika?

A chronic case of boredom.

Maybe that was one of the reasons why he didn’t just direct his actors like any normal director would do; he would befriend them, win their trust, make them fall in love with him and do everything he wanted - and all that “for the sole purpose of controlling them”. Those were his exact words.

Taika liked to call that honesty.

Chris called it cynicism.

He understood now how cruel that method was, cold and calculating, as he relived every moment he had spent with his director through the eyes of an insecure control freak who got under his actor’s skin and into his bed only to collaborate better with him, to get a better performance.

Or just to get another ego trip.

This was just a game after all and Chris had made it all too easy for him, hadn’t he.  

 He put the Dragonfang back on the table next to some bottles and a bowl of grapes.

“You distracted today, Chris?” Taika murmured raising a concerned brow as he flipped a page of the script. “You said ‘Mark’ instead of ‘Banner’ twice.”

The pencil with the pineapple topper was in his hands once again, scratching under his lip. Chris remembered how stressed, insecure and obsessed Taika looked chewing on all those pens and pencils while he struggled for days to stay away from him, trying to persuade himself to never touch his gorgeous leading man again. Whenever he fell asleep on Taika, exhausted after having spent the whole evening finding new ways to make him orgasm as Taika moaned in delightful pain and ecstasy, whenever he saw his beautiful Māori name glimmer on the phone, those chewed pens, scattered all over the floor, would come back to him like a fond memory, like a tiny detail from the early days of their relationship that reminded him how tormented Taika had felt about keeping this up, this sweet sinful thing, this… secret. Chris used to feel so proud of those chewed pens.

But now he knew the real reason behind Taika’s guilt, the reason why he tried to stay away from him after the first time they made love in Chris’ trailer, the reason why there were all those chewed pens scattered all over the floor.

It was Jemaine.

How ironic this was. There was not a single trace of biting on the pineapple pencil because Taika was calm as a breeze, his immaculate white shirt with the blue tie reflecting his mood and sending a very clear message: life was simple. He had achieved what he wanted. He had fucked his protagonist in every possible position, in every possible way, and he knew very well he was settled in Chris’ thoughts for as long as he wanted, as long as the filming lasted. As long as it was necessary.

There was nothing left to do; mission accomplished. Life was as simple and uncomplicated as a blue tie on a white shirt.

Taika spoke again but Chris didn’t hear him - all he could think of was smashing that smug and calm pineapple pencil to pieces.

“Yes I’m good, I’m good,” he answered after a few seconds swiping a hand across his beard as he avoided Taika’s eyes. He glanced at the big grey chest on the other side of Valkyrie’s apartment, a dozen chains all over it.

“Where’s Tom?”

“Oh I’m sure he’ll come,” Taika reassured him hastily turning another page. “We don’t need him anyway.”

“What did you say?...”

Taika blinked idly at Chris’ unexpected reaction. “I said we might not need him today. We’re doing your close-ups. You know, Thor’s childhood memory.” He got up as Mark, Chris and Tessa gathered round him for some spontaneous brainstorming on what the scene should be like, and he asked Chris what he thought of the idea of Thor talking about Loki’s prank when they were kids.

“Yeah, I think it’s awesome, let’s do it,” Chris said clapping his hands impatiently.

“I didn’t ask you if it’s awesome, I know it’s awesome, it’s my idea,” Taika quipped with his usual cockiness. “I asked what you think Loki should turn into before stabbing Thor.”

“What?... Oh. Right. Well, he could turn into a frog, right?”

“Naaah, we’ve already talked about that during the play scene in Asgard. Anything else?”

“A pigeon?”

Taika wiggled his nose, undecided. “Not funny enough. Think, Chris, think.”  

Chris felt his cheeks flushing. “A flat tire? A piano? A safe? A submarine? What, Taika, what?” he snapped raising his voice with each word, agitated. “Tell me what you want me to say and I’ll say it, I’ll fucking say it, just decide, okay?”

Taika furrowed his brow. “Whoa. Are we in a mood today,” he muttered with a scornful look as he sat down on the grey chest where Loki’s place should be.

Tom’s place.

“No, I’m cool,” Chris said rubbing his brow, regretting every word. “It’s just that I had a rough night, mate, I’m sorry. Won’t happen again. Just a bit of a headache, that’s all.”

Taika considered him for a while as he scratched his chin with the pineapple pencil thoughtfully before returning to his notes, shrugging. “I could give you a massage later today if I’m not too busy.”

Chris glared at him, wondering if that was yet another invitation for casual sex or if Taika was just trying to get rid of him and his “headache” because he was just too busy to care.

Too busy filming, too busy with Jemaine waiting on him back at his house by the sea; right now he was probably preparing dinner for two or something.

Judging by Taika’s indifferent absent-minded tone, Chris decided it was the latter.

“It’s ok, Taika,” he growled through his teeth and turned his back on him. “Wouldn’t want to keep you from your work...”

 ***

 It was finally lunch break. Chris hurried out of the set before anyone else and entered the cafeteria with plenty of empty tables to choose from. He chose the one at the far end of the room, the most isolated one.

He had never coveted lunch break like he did now. It wasn’t the food itself, he was still on a diet eating chicken, brown rice and broccoli, sometimes switching to vegan with beans and veggie burgers. He just wanted this day to be over and stay as far away from people as possible. Everyone said his performance was flawless, his improvisation hilarious, but isn’t that what friends and colleagues always told him?

Apart from Taika of course. Taika was relentless.

Chris could always tell when someone was sucking up to him and he’d make them stop right away, but he could also tell when his performance wasn’t perfect, when friends were just pulling their punches for him just because he was in a mood. It didn’t happen often but when it did, he felt terrible. And what he did today for the cameras… it just wasn’t enough.

He heard a tray being dragged next to his and lifted his heavy forehead from his clenched fist.

“Moody today, bro?”

Taika’s slender figure slid next to him on the bench, an amiable tight-lipped grin spreading from ear to ear, if not a little forced.

And fake.

Chris went back to his meal, torturing a piece of broccoli with his fork. If he could slice it to any smaller particles than he already had, soon that cafeteria would witness a nuclear fission.  “Nah, just tired. Sorry for earlier,” he said grumpily.

“Not a prob.”

Chris turned to Taika. He knew the director was there to stay so he might as well start the conversation himself. “Did you have that on this morning?” he said nodding at Taika’s red shirt with the white flowers.

“No,” Taika shrugged. “Different mood, different outfit.”

“Huh. So what does that shirt say about you now?’

“Nothing. Just in a good mood. Nice things are happening, the filming is going well,” he said rubbing his thighs with enthusiasm. “Can’t say the same about your mood though.”

So that’s how it was going to be, Chris thought. Even if he was reluctant to confront Taika about the previous night Taika wasn’t giving him a choice. Maybe he wasn’t as thick-skinned as Chris thought, sensing the hostility on set and wanting to do something about it. Or maybe he just couldn’t have his leading man pouting and scowling all day, it was counter-productive and it sure didn’t look good on camera. “Time to be a director” and all that.

Taika was willing to be his friend, his lover, his therapist – and it was all part of the filming process.

Chris sighed and let go of his fork; splitting the broccoli’s atom would have to wait.

“Look, mate, I think we should take a break for a while,” he said letting out a deep breath, dreading Taika’s reaction.

“Take a break from what?”

Chris glared up at him. He was starting to wonder if Taika was there to talk things out or piss him off even further.

“From… this,” he said moving his finger nervously back and forth, pointing at them both.

Taika jerked his head back with his big brown eyes open wide, startled at Chris’ words. “What do you mean take a break? Why?”

He really wanted to push it, didn’t he.

“Well I mean… it’s not going anywhere, is it?” Chris slurred.

That was not what he meant to say. He wanted to talk about the bespectacled man with the sideburns and the gap-toothed smile that he had seen in Taika’s yard the previous night.

Even thinking about his name hurt.

Taika burst into laughter shoving away his tray to avoid landing face first into his Bolognese. He just sat there laughing for a while, squeezing his eyes, shoulders shaking uncontrollably, his crazy giggling making quite a few heads turn.

“Where exactly do you want ‘this’ to go, Chris? The altar? Moving in together? A… flatting situation?”

Taika was quoting “What we do in the shadows” now, that’s how funny this situation was to him. And it was driving Chris insane.

“Alright. Forget it. Forget I ever mentioned it.”

He got up.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Taika said grabbing his wrist.

He looked up at Chris and his eyes were dark and piercing. He wasn’t giggly anymore. It was as if every single giggle had been squeezed out of him.

Chris averted his eyes, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, biting his lip in an effort to not say another word. Words would do more harm than good right now.

But Taika was determined to not let it go. “Hey, man, look into my eyes,” he urged him. “LOOK INTO MY EYES, CHRIS.”

Chris shook his head slowly struggling to be polite but his smile looked more like a wince. “I’m not in the mood, Taika.” He didn’t know how much longer he could stay calm.

“I don’t care what you are. I said look into my eyes,” Taika said firmly, squeezing Chris’ wrist even harder.

Then he let go. With a heavy heart Chris turned to look at him.

“Are you… falling in love with me?...” Taika said, a trace of fear turning his voice into a doubtful squeak.

Chris felt his stomach twisting into a knot. That wasn’t the kind of sweet doubt that comes out of the lips of a lover too insecure to believe he had finally found true love. It was the jaded surprise of someone who had been too honest all his life to let anyone misjudge his intentions. And Chris knew that. He wanted to forgive him but he remembered it wasn’t just his fault if they were having this conversation now. It was also Taika’s with all his lies about meeting Jemaine the previous night, the on-and-off life-long partner who was probably done making dinner for two and was calling Taika to see how he was, if Chris could judge by the buzzing that was coming from Taika’s pocket.

“Will you answer that?” he said agitated trying to change the subject.

“Not unless you answer yours,” Taika replied pointing at Chris pocket. His phone was buzzing too but Chris was too angry to notice.  

“Answer the call, Taika, you never know who might be calling you. Might be a matter of life and death,” he said sarcastically. “Might be your ‘father.’”

“YOU answer the call, Chris. Between the two of us you’re the one who should worry about his… well, his loved ones. And you’re just not answering that call. Pick up the goddamn phone!”

He seemed pretty concerned now but Chris had no idea what he was talking about. Probably evading as usual.

“I’m – I’m not answering the fucking call,” Chris said moving back and forth, undecided on whether he should listen to Taika or walk away, or just punch him in the face. “And stop repeating what I say, this is not about me.”

Taika took his phone out of the pocket to see who it was but didn’t let Chris see the name on the screen.

“Man, you desperately need that massage session,” Taika murmured, already distracted by his phone. “Too bad I can’t accommodate you today.”

“Fuck off, Taika,” Chris spat and walked out of the cafeteria, rushing by Mark and Tessa who wanted to invite him to their table, ignoring the persistent buzzing in his pocket.

Until it went silent again.  

[elenatria]

aaah the taika/chris x chris/tom recent posts.. now i headcanon that, with taika, chris would totally be *curious* about it and no worries to get too attached since he knows taika is super chill and fun and has zero patience for romance lol... with tom, on the other hand.. aaah *sighs*... he would never yield to the *curious* 'cos SENTIMENT, man. dat sensitive, oh so so lovely, erudite, angelic-faced posh englishman .. that would scare the fucking surfing hell out of him..

(…Why do I always get “anon asks”, why can’t I ever see the face behind the ask… I’m so damn curious now.)

Well, if you have to put Hiddlesworth and Taikris side by side and compare them take a look at my fic Chris in Sakaarland if you haven’t already.

I think it’s exactly as you describe it if Hiddlesworth and Taikris exist in the same story… Should I spoil you?

Oh well. Let’s just say that in “Sakaarland” Tom and Chris broke up even before the filming of Ragnarok. The circumstances were kinda murky, no one really knows why it happened, why on earth these two people are not together (I guess it’s something to be discussed by the end of the fic when they finally confront each other and talk things out). Right now even as I’m writing it I’m as “confused” as Chris is because he has that sexy-ass director seduce his way into his pants on a daily basis, making it so hard for Chris to focus on the filming itself (or even Tom) while, at the back of his head (and in the deep of his pocket) a bell rings, a voice from the past, the ringing of the cellphone, unanswered calls from Tom who is with Taylor now and ya know he probably just butt-called Chris because he is reportedly having the time of his life with Taylor and her bunch. Or is he?… Chris finds it too hard to focus on what’s really important to him when Taika distracts him so much with his exuberant personality and, well, his skills. But Tom is in danger.

That said, it would be fun to put the two relationships in a “hasn’t happened yet” context as you presented it, like Chris wanting to do something with Tom but feeling too awkward because he has true and deep feelings for him (and that scares him) whereas with Taika he’s more loose, he’s not afraid, he can do whatever he wants.

[elenatria]

Chris in Sakaarland - Chapter 5

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13839114/chapters/33042135

Taika didn’t like getting phone calls. He preferred text messages, especially when he was stressed while filming, that’s why he always told his people to text him first so that he’d call them back. He couldn’t stand the ringing, not even the buzzing when he put it on silent, that continuous nagging sound in his pocket. Buzzing and ringing was always accompanied by ominous things, things and words and feelings he’d rather forget. There was a time when he was forced to call every week, every day, “because that’s what good sons do”, and as the years passed he started feeling relieved when there was no answer.

At first not getting an answer was hurtful. He was a little boy, he was told to call, “daddy would love that”. Sometimes he would wait and wait as the waiting signal was beating like a drum in his ear but daddy wouldn’t answer and the boy at the other end of the line would hang up with a crumpled and sweaty list of things to say in his hand, and a dull hurtful choke in his throat.

When he was very little, before he started writing down lists and making those phone calls, he had no reason to feel the emptiness of not having his father around. His parents separated when he was still a baby, besides they were never married. Then he went to school and although most students lived with their moms, some of them would have both parents waiting for them at home. That’s when Taika realized what it meant to not get hugs from both his mom and his dad after school.

He always made lists of things to talk about as far back as he could remember himself, ever since he was able to write whole sentences. From age seven to ten he’d write down what he wanted to tell his father in case he forgot because he knew most times he wouldn’t find him on the phone, dad was busy as grandma would say. For a whole week he would keep that list folded in his drawer, the only space in nanny’s small house that was his alone whenever he stayed with her, so as not to forget the things he wanted to share with dad until he could finally reach him.

Then the list’s function changed. From age eleven to fourteen it existed only to help him fill the long pauses of awkwardness with some sort of blabbering, “Topics To Talk About With Dad”, because he just couldn’t bear the silence and it was hard to improvise a happy casual chat when his father was not in a talkative mood, or when he was distracted by his painting which was the case most of the times. It was around that period that Taika wished no one would pick up the phone, and he would sigh with relief whenever his father didn’t answer. Soon “Topics To Talk About With Dad” was replaced by the title “Shits I’m Supposed To Say To Taika To Make Him Feel Good About Himself” until, at age fifteen, there was no list at all. Because he decided there would be no more phone calls, no more failed attempts to be a “good son”, no more awkward silence, no more waiting.

It was around that time that his father, Taika Waititi Senior, started catching up with the fact that he had a son in puberty and he would always return the phone calls when he was done painting, probably urged by nanny’s nagging and sometimes, only sometimes, by Taika Junior’s mother.

Teenage Taika wondered why he didn’t like the fact that his father was finally returning his rare phone calls. He couldn’t put his finger on it. The ringing in the hall would always stress him out, he’d rather be sketching or writing stories up in his tiny room than standing in front of the TV and pretending to be interested in what Taika Senior had to say while trying to avoid his mother’s eyes. What a waste of time that was for a busy and creative teenager.

 And what a waste of time it was now. He rubbed his grizzly beard as the waiting tone bleeped monotonously. While he was wondering what got into him, why he felt compelled now and then to contact his father for no particular reason, he kept scratching nervously a piece of paper with his pen, doodling hammers with sunglasses, giants made of rock and women with antlers. He looked at himself in the mirror, suddenly feeling very old.

“Oh hi, Viv, is that you? Yes, hi,” he blurted out looking down at his shoes as he played idly with his back pocket. “Yes. I know, I know. It’s been a while, look, is Taika there, can I talk to him? Yes, great.”

He added some more antlers to the woman until she looked like Medusa on crack and quickly smudged her face when he heard that old husky voice.

“Hey Taika, how are you doing,” he murmured. “Nothing, just to see how you’re doing. Is Viv ok? Great, that’s great. No, I just thought to call you, is everything ok with your tooth now? Good, good.”

Most times he would hang up within five minutes, there was never much to say, after all Taika Junior was busier now than his father ever was. But sometimes the old hurtful choke would settle back in his throat, and no matter how much he tried to be a good son the choke would remain even after the phone call had ended. To make matters worse, this was one of those times when his father would choose to be more of a pain in the ass than an elusive distracted painter. Sometimes Taika thought this was his way of being a “good father” but the truth was that he’d rather have the elusive distracted painter anytime.

“Yes, da-… Yes, Taika, still filming in Australia,” Taika repeated his father’s words, licking and biting his lips nervously. “No, well, I can’t really catch a plane right now, can I? You know how that is… No, I didn’t forget your birthday, didn’t you get the package I sent you? Well, I’m sorry you didn’t pick it up, it must be still at the post office or something,” he said brushing his fingers through his messy hair. “Wait, what, what do you mean I’m absent, what do you mean by that? I’m-I’m busy, dad, okay? Listen, just listen-…Yes, I know you never really asked for anything and you never pushed me to do anything and you never pushed me to be anything else than what I wanted to be and I’m  grateful for that, I’m fucking grateful, but the truth is… THE TRUTH IS, DAD- … Ok, SHUT UP! Just shut up for a bit, will ya? The truth is, Taika, that you never pushed me at all because you were never there to push me!... You were never there!” he paused listening to his father complaining and he moved the phone to his other ear, resting his hand on his waist as he drummed his fingers.

He grunted impatiently rolling his eyes. “Oh is that how it is now?” he nodded with a sarcastic smile, eyes wide open with surprise. “Is that how it is? Oh go ahead, yeh go ahead, yes I’m ‘searching the world’, go ahead, call it that, I call it fucking WORKING. Yes, it’s more than you ever did whether you like it or not. Oh yeah you got that right, you know me so well, don’t you, yes ‘I’m still looking for myself at age forty one’, well how about that, maybe I’ll never find me, who knows, what do you care, WHAT DO YOU CARE? You never cared, dad, you never cared, so why do you care now? Why do you- FUCK!” he yelled and hung up staring at the phone’s orange menu. “Yes, go on, hang up on me, you dickhead, I should have hung up on you years ago,” he spat tossing the phone on the bed.

He stood there for a long painful minute, rubbing his closed eyelids, wincing hard as he tried to hold back the tears. He took a deep shaky breath reminding himself he had a vid to make for the audience attending the screening of “What we do in the shadows” later that day somewhere in Tulsa, Oklahoma, wherever that was...

He dragged a chair in front of the mirror and started filming himself for his fans. He wished he could come up with a happier message but there was no time to find his secret stash of Emergency Happy Smiles, he had to upload the vid right away.

He looked at his tired reflection. There were times when he pictured two lions fighting in his head tearing at each other with their claws, keeping him awake, others when he’d wake up in cold sweat in the middle of the night wondering what he was doing with his life, and others when he’d drunk tweet about Leonard Cohen’s death, admitting bitterly that his music was there for him more than his father ever was.

This time he just regretted making that damn phone call and wished he could finally fight the urge to do it after all these years of trying and failing. His birthday was approaching, he’d blow the candles and who knows, he might get his wish this time: to not have to dial that fucking number ever again.

“I’m sorry, nanny…” he said with a soft whimper and squeezed the bridge of his nose, pursing his lips in a futile attempt to hold back the tears.

Maybe he wasn’t a ‘good son’ to her son after all.

Maybe he didn’t want to be a ‘good son’.  

Maybe no one cared.

 He heard the jingling of keys, quickly wiped his nose and sprung to his feet as the door opened.

“Hey Chris,” he said cheerfully pushing away his chair, “you were quick, bro.”

“Not so quick, bro, I got stuck in the traffic. I was worried the food would get cold, I brought you some Chin-… Hey.” Chris paused staring at Taika’s wet eyes. “Are you ok?”

“Yes, yes I’m fine,” Taika tried to reassure him and rubbed his nose with the heel of his palm.

“You don’t look so fine to me,” Chris said, alarmed at Taika’s state. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, uuuh…” Taika hesitated shoving his hands in his back pockets. “I’m good! Really! I am!” he said grinning from ear to ear.

“Taika?” Chris insisted leaving the bags of food on the bed. “Look at me,” he said grasping his shoulders. “What is it?”

Taika blinked slowly, his heavy eyelids still wet with tears. “Nothing. I was just talking to my father. He’s… He and I… Well we’re not on such good terms, we don’t really talk. And when we do…” He gave a weak shrug, unable to form any more words, gulping down hard; tears were welling up in his eyes again. “When we do it’s just… It’s just…” He wiped his nose furrowing his brows and stared down avoiding Chris’ eyes. His lips were quivering. He felt bad for letting Chris see him in such a sorrowful state.

“Come here…” Chris whispered softly and hugged him, enveloping him in his strong arms as he clasped the back of his head. While he was caressing his hair he felt Taika’s warm tears run down his cheek.  But Taika made no sound, as if he was too proud to sob in front of him.

“Chris?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think I’m a bad person?” Taika murmured in his shoulder. The last word came out in a weak broken whimper.

“Of course not!” Chris replied running a hand down his back.

“Sometimes I think I am…” Taika said regretfully.

“You’re not bad, Taika,” Chris said squeezing him tighter. “You’re the nicest, kindest human being I’ve ever met.”

“Do you really mean that?” Taika said, his voice trembling with doubt.

“Of course I mean that.”

“But nice persons sometimes do bad things… Things that hurt others…”

“Why, did you kill anyone?”

“No,” Taika shook his head. He couldn’t laugh, not yet. “But… you know… I mean you don’t know what dark secrets I may have.”

“You? Dark secrets?”

“I do have some…” Taika replied, his voice betraying a hint of guilt.

“Well, no one is perfect,” Chris muttered planting soft kisses on his forehead, ignoring his sudden unwillingness to look at him. “I’m not perfect. You’re not perfect.”

“What do you mean I’m not perfect?” Taika jerked in his arms feigning offense. The shadow of guilt and fear in his face was now gone. “Have you ever seen big brown eyes like mine?” he said as the last of his tears ran down his cheeks.

“No,” Chris chuckled.

“Chiseled cheekbones like mine?”

“No.”

“Rich silver hair like mine?”

“No.”

“Biceps like mine? – no wait, those are your biceps,” Taika corrected himself squeezing Chris’ arm.

Chris roared with laughter and wrapped his arms around him even tighter than before. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yes.”

“Great,” he whispered as he palmed Taika’s cheeks and caught his mouth in a kiss, tongue slicking slowly, attentively over his lips. “Let’s go eat.”

                                                           ***

 “Hey Taika, happy birthday, mate.”

Chris was leaning on the bar of the most expensive restaurant in Benowa with his phone in one hand, the menu in the other. He was wearing sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat but that didn’t prevent some curious customers from sneaking glances at the tall stranger with the familiar face and the deep voice. It was early in the morning but Chris thought he’d be the first to wish his director happy birthday.

“Hey Chris…” Taika’s sleepy voice was heard from the other end of the line. He yawned. “Wait, what day is it?”

“August the 16th, did you forget it’s your birthday, bro?” Chris teased him.

“No I didn’t,” Taika snapped with fake annoyance. “Thanks for waking me up to remind me I’m a year older.”

“Older but wiser,” Chris soothed him. “Do you want to guess what I’m wearing?”

“Nothing, I hope…?” Taika said lowering his voice. “Look, Chris, if we’re going to have phone sex again this is not the right time, ok? You may have taken the day off today but I’ll be working my ass off.”

“No, genius,” Chris responded, “I’m wearing the baby blue shirt, the one you bought me for my birthday. And I was thinking, since I suck at choosing gifts, to take you out to dinner tonight. I just made a reservation at the Videre, it has a panoramic view of the coast and specializes in French cuisine, it’s really beautiful.”

“You’re not gonna have me eat frog legs, are ye?”

“No, Taika,” Chris said removing his sunglasses to read the menu, “we’ll have… let’s see… pork belly with chargrilled apple puree and poached salmon ballantine or steamed kingfish fillet. No frog legs, I promise.”

“No frog legs, got it,” Taika chuckled. “It all sounds mouth-watering, Chris… But I’m afraid I have to nope out. I can’t make it tonight.”

Chris frowned. “You have other plans for your birthday?” he mumbled hesitantly, bewildered by his lover’s unexpected refusal.

“Yeh, no, look, it’s gonna be a long day today on set and the truth is I can’t even get out of bed right now, it will be a miracle if I get through today. Just tired. Exceedingly, outrageously tired.”

“You ok, mate?”

“Yeh, I’m cool, I just had a phone call yesterday and it kept me up all night.”

“Your father again?...” Chris said, worried.

Taika didn’t answer right away. “Well let’s just say it was a long night and it took its toll on me. Sometimes you’re trying to forget but people just won’t leave you alone, you know?...” He took a deep breath. “But I promise I’ll make it up to you. I promise. Pinky swear.”

“I know all about your pinky swears, Taika,” Chris laughed shaking his head.

“No. This time it’s for real, I promise. I’ll call you, ok? Love ya.”

“…Love you too…” Chris mumbled reluctantly. “I guess.”

But Taika had already hung up.

Chris left the menu on the bar, cancelled the reservation trying hard not to pout and put his glasses back on.

Not spending the evening of Taika’s birthday with him was a huge bummer for Chris. He had been day dreaming about them having dinner at some fancy restaurant (with some fancy toilets) for a whole week, and that was the reason he had woken up early that day, to walk through all the best restaurants in the area and pick the one with the best atmosphere, the best menu, the best view and the best toilets.  Visiting the men’s room after dinner would certainly be on that evening’s menu, and it would all be for Taika.

If Taika was there.

As Chris walked out of the building he took an aimless look around, frustrated at this new turn of events. He kicked a pebble in the street, disappointed and concerned. Somehow Taika’s response didn’t satisfy him. He wondered what to do with the rest of his day now that his plans were ruined. He decided that after he was done shopping he could just spend the day surfing. That would at least keep his mind busy for a good chunk of the day.

Without thinking he took out the phone to scroll down his contacts. It was a habit he had acquired back in 2009, a habit he could never kick, not even after the fall out two years ago. “The Fall Out”. He could never say “the break up”’, he hated that word and everything it meant. If he said “break up” it would mean they had a relationship. But they didn’t, not really, did they?...

He scrolled down past “H” and wondered for a split second why the name wasn’t there. Had he deleted it? No, of course not. He just hadn’t added the surname all those years ago, he didn’t need to.

Just the first name. It was enough.

He kept scrolling until he reached “T”.

His thumb hovered over the three-letter word for a whole tormenting minute. It made tiny circles in the air as he wondered if it was advisable to call someone who was probably spending his time right now with the most annoying brat in the music industry, bathing with her in their penthouse’s jacuzzi or planning to have threesomes or foursomes or n-somes with her slutty empty-headed friends later that evening. And some hunks probably.

Maybe none of that was happening of course. Maybe Tom was just sitting in the balcony of his Pepper residence overlooking the ocean, adjusting his glasses on his aquiline nose, sipping tea, reading a book or a newspaper. Maybe Taylor was out shopping with her brainless friends and Tom was alone. It was now or never, Chris thought taking a deep breath.

His thumb touched the phone icon without realizing that at the same time he was having an incoming call from that same name. He was too distracted to notice as he was crossing the street, looking at both sides, careful not to be ran over by a passing jeep that made enough noise to cover the phone’s momentary melodic ringing. He changed his mind right away and pressed down on the icon without realizing he had just rejected a call.

He didn’t give it further thought, Tom was the last person who would want to hear his whining.

Chris was sure he could find someone else.

                                                         ***

 The waves were singularly large and gratifying that day. Chris was enjoying the violent slapping of spray in his face and the sun in the sky and the adrenaline in his veins. There was nothing like surfing, he thought, it always washed his troubles away, and he never missed a chance to thank his father for teaching him that way of life. Sure his problems and concerns would be waiting for him back home as soon as he unlocked that door but for those happy three hours he was easy as a Sunday morning. He was free.

When he finally decided he had drunk enough sea water for one day he took his surfboard out to the beach and sat on the sand next to Idris. His colleague was nice enough to accept his invitation on a very short notice.

“You didn’t surf, you coward,” Chris said pushing Idris’ elbow.

“Next time I will,” Idris promised, “and then we’ll have a kickboxing workout. You and me.”

“Deal,” Chris agreed cheerfully, blowing out salty water with a snort.

“You know, me and Sabrina went out with Tom and Taylor the other day,” Idris said. “He was asking how you were doing. That was odd. Don’t you guys talk on set?”

Chris huffed and wrapped an arm around his knee. “Well we do. When it’s necessary. I mean we usually talk about our scenes together or watch the day’s footage when we’re done but that’s it, we don’t really talk about things outside work.”

“That’s strange…” Idris muttered. “Tom said he wanted to tell you something but you weren’t answering his calls. Something about the Nine Roads.”

“The Nine Roads? What Nine Roads? You mean the Nine Realms?”

“No!...” Idris said absent-mindedly. His voice was now deeper and he was staring at the ocean with an eerie pensive look on his face as if he had just spotted a mermaid in the waves but for some strange reason the sight was too commonplace for him to mention it. “At first I thought he said ‘nine rabbit holes’, I swear that’s how it sounded, something about the Bifrost being a rabbit hole, and then he changed that, he said ‘nine roads’. Or was it ‘nine yellow brick roads’? Ok I’m quite sure now he talked about a yellow crossroad, on your way to Lockyer Valley. Somewhere on the Warrego Highway. He said you’d see a flickering light there. You’d stop. A lamp or something.”

“Driis, you’re not making any sense, mate,” Chris said. “You sure he wasn’t high?”

“Tom never gets high,” Idris said in a severe tone. “Taylor does. She was in the ladies’ room when Tom told me all that, and he stopped abruptly as soon as she came back to our table, as if he didn’t want her to hear. Man, she was so high, I could see her pupils, and she was giggly and rubbing her nostrils all the time.”

“This talk is crazy…”

“I know. I thought it was weird too. But… Ok now I remember. Tom wanted to talk to you urgently. He said he was afraid of something. He said that… He said that Sakaar is real. Yes, that’s exactly what he wanted me to tell you. ‘Sakaar is real.’I have no idea what he meant though.”

“Ok this is surreal. I think you drank a bit too much sea water, mate, and it went into your brain. C’mon, it’s getting cold,” Chris said and got up.

“Nah, I’m staying a bit longer. The sunset is going to be magnificent, can’t miss that.”

“Suit yourself,” Chris shrugged and lifted his surfboard from the sand. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow!” Idris said lifting his hand to wave goodbye, not taking his eyes off the sea.

Chris hadn’t taken more than five steps when he heard Idris’ voice again.

“Hey Chris! You dropped something.”

He turned and walked back to Idris, bending over his outstretched hand. “That’s yours, isn’t it?” Idris said.

Chris furrowed his brow as he felt the water trapped in his wetsuit chilling him to the bone. He couldn’t believe he was looking at that tiny thing. He hadn’t seen it since 2014. He hadn’t seen it since the fall out.

This cannot be happening.

In Idris’ dark-skinned palm, in the middle of a handful of sand, lay a key and its shiny key ring.

The silver surfboard key ring.

“Thanks, mate,” he told Idris as the cool afternoon air was sending shivers down his spine and he took the key in his hand, staring at it as if he had just found a tiny bottle with the words “Drink me” on the label. “Didn’t realize I had lost it.”

“No,” Idris nodded slowly. “I guess you didn’t.”

"But... Ok this is so weird. I had lost it for two whole years. How did it end up here?"

"Well, you know what they say," Idris said as he played with the sand, "sometimes the things we lost come back to us. Or we go back to them.”

 Going back home Chris stored his surfboard in the garage and had a quick hot bath to wash away the salt and the dryness. When he was done he looked at the watch. It was still early, still 7 p.m. He took out his phone again and went straight for his “favourite contacts”. Taika’s name was first, those five familiar letters giving out a bright, tempting light that was warming his heart and filling his head with raunchy fantasies.

He glanced at the silver surfboard key ring that was left on a shelf, then looked back at the name on the screen. The sudden reappearance of the key ring after two whole years was creeping him out. How could that tiny thing be lost for so long and then reappear at the beach out of nowhere?

He shook his head, he didn’t want to think about it that evening, and put the phone back in his pocket.

He decided there was no reason to call Taika, if he was staying in for the night because he was tired Chris might as well pay him a visit, maybe even buy Chinese on his way there. He took the keys of the car with him and went out.

 There was no traffic this time so he arrived at Taika’s seaside home in less than an hour. He got out of the car taking the bags of food with him and walked across the lawn and through the gate with the white pediment, peering through the dark, searching for some light in the house. There was a weak solitary light coming from the kitchen window on the first floor.

Chris smiled. So Taika was home and awake.

Awesome.

Even if he didn’t want company that night and was busy planning next day’s filming he’d surely appreciate the food, because Chris knew he sometimes forgot to eat for a whole day, especially when he was stressed and busy. Chris knew he’d be happy to just leave the Chinese on the table, make out maybe and piss off if he had to, if Taika didn’t want company after all. He just wanted to see him, see if he was ok and stop worrying for no reason.

He walked up the steps of the front door and lifted his clenched fist to knock, still not sure if Taika would be pleased by his unexpected visit. Taika could be moody like that, one minute hugging everyone at the party and jumping from table to table, greeting and talking to every single soul in the room, the other minute spending the rest of the evening at the balcony away from everyone, smoking sometimes, craving silence and privacy and making you feel like a piece of shit if you dared intrude his precious solitude.

Chris just wasn’t sure if he’d get a kiss or a scolding. He wasn’t prepared, and surely didn’t deserve a scolding on Taika’s birthday. However some devilish coincidence was about to release him from his dilemma.

He heard footsteps behind him as someone walked through the gate; he turned and tried to discern the man’s face in the dark.

The visitor certainly looked familiar. He was tall, maybe not as tall as Chris, and he was wearing thick black rimmed glasses and a snap-button T-shirt. His dark hair ended in long sideburns. In a single frightful second Chris remembered everything Taika had told him the past few days, the bad person speech, the dark secrets, the unexplained guilt in his voice, the mysterious phone call that had kept him awake the previous night. It wasn’t his father, he thought numbly, it was this man, and Chris knew him. He fucking knew him. He knew him because they had met before.

He suddenly wished he had never left home that evening, he wished he had never bought Chinese, he wished he had never come out of his car. But it was too late, the man was already standing in front of him, giving him a broad gap-toothed smile.

Chris tried hard to not crush the paper bags in his hands.

He should have known. The yellow-haired brat had warned him. He was such an idiot.

He didn’t scream. He wanted it so bad, but he didn’t. He took a deep breath instead and smiled graciously in the moonlight.

 “Oh hi, Jemaine.”

[elenatria]

whats your headcanon on taikris

Well…

Here’s my headcanon, and let’s make it clear that this is NOT what I think of the real Taika (not all of it anyway..). Also bear in mind that this is a totally separate headcanon from Hiddlesworth, there’s no Tom here.

Let’s just say that Taika has grown a thick skin over the years because of his tough childhood,  growing up without a dad, living in poverty, racism etc. He grew to be an educated man and an accomplished artist, at the same time his demons never left him. He wakes up in cold sweat in the middle of the night, he has nightmares, he’s tormented by stress and fear of not being accepted, of not being loved, of not being… enough. He loves people and wants to be loved back. He’s generous with his hugs and compliments but he wants the same from others. He’s humble yet cocky, confident yet insecure. Nothing is ever enough for him. The more people he gets to love him, the better. The more people he gets to seduce, the better.

Let’s go back to that thick skin of his. For all his affection and praise, for all his talent to make people feel comfortable around him and fall in love with him… he doesn’t let people get too close. He’s wary like that. One minute you think you’re his best friend in the whole world and you’ll be working with him/ fucking him forever, and the next he’s moved on to someone new. Anyone who wants to get too close gets burned, so Taika knows people can get hurt and keeps his distance.

But he breaks his own rules with Chris. He can’t help it. Chris is just too nice and too pure and too gorgeous and that body of his it too sinful to be tossed away just like that. Sure they’re not 100% compatible and in my headcanon they don’t even want the same things in life, in a relationship. But it’s hard for them to resist each other because the chemistry is there and it’s just… unbearable. Perhaps Taika knows that Chris might get hurt at some point, or maybe he’s just afraid that Chris will be the first to leave and he fears it like death although he won’t admit it. He shuts that tiny voice in his head real quick. He tries to keep Chris at a distance but it’s not up to him anymore. Chris is slowly growing on him even if Taika is fighting the feeling with as much sarcasm and cynicism as he can muster.

But maybe Chris can convince him that in life that there isn’t just black and white, passion or heartbreak, obsession or indifference. Maybe Taika doesn’t need to feel so afraid anymore. Maybe it’s ok to let someone in. To let someone stay.

[elenatria]

@maidenofmidguard that's so sweet of you, thanks for thinking of me...! ❤ I'm kinda busy rn so I can't read all of them, any article in particular I should read? Thank you SO much for reminding me I should work on Sakaarland asap, it's my favourite baby and I miss it.. Any reason in particular why those articles would help me with that story? I'm curious!

Tom Hiddleston's Written Work

I have collected links to all of Tom Hiddleston’s published written work and added them to a page on my blog. He has written a surprising number of articles that have been published online and in print. Tell me if you know of anything I’ve missed. This is the list:

All That You Can’t Leave Behind; London Shakespeare Workout Prison Project Diaries, 12/2001.

Case Study: Actor Tom Hiddleston reveals how he conveys emotion; The Guardian, 03/2009.

The Diary: Tom Hiddleston; Financial Times, 03/2011.

E-mail to Joss Whedon upon first reading the script for The Avengers; Joss Whedon: The Biography, 08/2014 (Written earlier).

LOKI is THROWING DOWN!! Party invitation, 08/2011.

Easy, boy…CHARGE! War Horse Set Diary, Tatler UK, 02/2012.

Superhero movies like Avengers Assemble should not be scorned; The Guardian, 04/2012.

Guinea Field Diary; published on www.unicef.org.uk, 01/2013.

Tom Hiddleston Reports on Visiting Guinea for Unicef; Harper’s Bazaar, 03/2013.

Tom Hiddleston for Bazaar; Harper’s Bazaar, 05/2013.

Tom Hiddleston Talks Distant Voices, Still Lives; Harper’s Bazaar, 09/2013.

Tom Hiddleston on Lawrence of Arabia; Harper’s Bazaar, 12/2013.

Natalie Portman by Tom Hiddleston; Elle UK, 11/2013.

[elenatria]

Taika should’ve castes himself as the person who tended wounded Thor

…Are you reading my mind now?… Are you reading my mind AGAIN???!!1

I spent the whole morning thinking what the next scene of “Chris in Sakaarland” should be. I mean Taika and Chris fucking like rabbits is awesome but they have to notice Tom’s absence at some point lol. Still it’s too early to focus on Tom, Chris is too… distracted. 

So I was thinking about the next chapters and guess what! The wounded Thor scene should be next! WOwwwwwww. *psychic*

So.

Chapter 2: the filming of Thor’s recovery was a totally gratuitous voyeuristic trip planned by Taika. 

“Marvel asked for it - sorry, Chris, we need the money”. 

They did ask for a shirtless scene. Just not… eight shots in a row with nothing happening. 

That was all Taika.

Chapter 3: Taika gets a call from New Zealand reminding him of stuff he’d rather forget and… he’s not happy. In the meantime he has to make a short vid for a screening of “What we do in the shadows”. He sits in front of the mirror to film himself but it’s hard to hold back the tears. 

Chris walks in bringing lunch while

TOM IS STILL MISSING.

So, to go back to your suggestion. I think this is how chapter 2 should go. Taika tries to show the  “servant girls” how to tend to Thor. 

“No no no no cut cut CUT, girls you’re doing it wrong, here let me show you…”

Also notice how there are no actual wounds to be tended to, just scratches on his right pec and left shoulder. 

Nothing on his abdomen.

So pray tell me what that compress is  doing there…

And who showed the “servant girls” to put it there.

[elenatria]

Maybe Chris is still salty over Hiddleswift. May be, over jealousy, she insulted Chris or the other way around (Chris was jealous, accidentally insulted her & she bit back)

http://archiveofourown.org/works/13839114/chapters/31942422

Chris was finding it hard to forget aboutTom’s unanswered phone call even when he was lazily brushing his fingersthrough Taika’s curls as he had him sleeping on his naked chest. He and Tomhadn’t really seen each other outside of the set for almost a month now, sincehe had invited them all at his place in Byron Bay, a two-hour drive fromBrisbane. He remembered how hot that day was, how he had regretted deciding tothrow a party the very minute he announced it to everyone the day before. Allthe details from that day came back to him as he traced Taika’s spine with thetips of his fingers: Tom’s glasses, the gazebo, the nail polish, the heat.

That unbearable July heat.

The cool glass of scotch on therocks against his hot forehead seemed to have the soothing effect he had beencraving for since he woke up that Saturday, sweaty and still tired from yesterday’sexhausting filming schedule. He had spent the whole day preparing the house forfifty guests, most of them cast and crew, getting the buffet filled with drinksand all kinds of Australian dishes like barbecued shrimps, potato cakes,scallops and meat pies. It had been some time since he had hosted a party alonebut he thought it would be a piece of cake, all he had to do was call TheLarder to tend to the catering. Truth is, he was much more needed in the house thanhe had expected and he realized that on a hot July day like this he’d rather beat the beach waxing his surfboard than hopelessly sweating in his white shirtand trousers, trying to make small talk with the partners and spouses of hiscolleagues, people he had never met before and would probably never see again.

Unfortunately there were too many ofthem and he felt he was wasting his time talking here and there; there was onlyone person in that crowd he’d rather be spending time with, someone who wasbusy chatting and laughing with Victoria who had just arrived from L.A. tovisit the set. Tom had welcomed her with a heartfelt “Vickyyyy!” and theyhadn’t stopped chatting ever since she came out to the garden, both of them gigglingwhile Tom kept calling her “Mrs Alonso” just to tease her for he knew how shedespised such formalities. Despite the distance between them Chris was staringso persistently at Tom that he could almost see the wrinkles in the corners ofhis laughing eyes through his thick glasses. Every little wrinkle, every poreof his skin.

The first time Chris had seen Tomwearing this new pair of glasses was more than a month ago in Philly but he hadtotally forgotten to tell him how good it looked on him, how it framed beautifullyhis big blue eyes. He was tired, jetlagged and with such a horrible headachethat all he wanted was the Q&A to be over so he could run back to his hoteland sleep for a whole day. In retrospect he thought the headache and the jetlagshouldn’t have stopped him from exchanging a few more words with Tom, both onand off stage, but after thinking over and over again of all the imaginaryconversations that could have taken place and being taunted by endless guilttrips, it dawned on him that it wasn’t just his state of mind that preventedhim from being warmer to Tom that day.

He had finally remembered; as he waswatching Tom answering questions on the stage of Wizard World in his quiltedblue jacket and checkered red and blue shirt, his eyes gleaming, his skin fresh,tanned and glowing, cheerful and ready to spill his heart out to the audience, Chrisrealized what, or who, was the cause of that giddiness. It wasn’t just sittingso close to each other, it wasn’t just Tom’s enthusiasm about working with himagain. It was the phone call Tom made minutes before walking up on that stage;he had retreated to a peaceful backstage corner and had dialed the number turninghis back on him. Chris had suspected who Tom was talking to with a low purringvoice and a childlike smile on his face - he had seen the Met gala clip of himdancing with Taylor back in May. The vid itself meant nothing to him at thetime but he did feel a sting of jealousy now seeing Tom’s eyes soften and his voicego mellow over the phone; that moment he knew it was her.

When the phone call ended he decidednot to talk about it – he thought if Tom had a relationship he would tell him.They weren’t together anymore but Chris had hoped they could still keep intouch, share stuff like they did before, be honest and open, like nothing hadchanged.

He was wrong.

Everythinghad changed.

Tom didn’t mention Taylor after hehung up, he didn’t mention her when they went for lunch at the Palm withfriends after the Q&A, he didn’t mention her when they parted ways in theairport.

And on that stage everything seemedfake; Tom calling him “brother from another mother” and slapping his kneecordially when he had just talked to his new “secret” girlfriend, squeezing Chris’large bicep just to please the crowds as if they were still together, askinghim to be his Romeo and gushing about him going to the gym. It was all a joke.A big fat joke.

“When I put the Loki costume on italways feels like it’s going to be fun,” Tom said turning to him, “especiallyworking with this guy.” He smiled expecting a reaction from him.

Chris smirked awkwardly and aww’edalong with the crowd. That was all the reaction he was willing to give him.

Maybe it was cute when they weretogether. Maybe it was funny. Now it felt as if Tom was laughing in his face.

You want smiles from me, Tom?

Fuck off, you’re not getting any smiles. Not today, not ever.

After two weeks he was not all thatsurprised to see the beach shots of Tom and Taylor taken by the paps. Howeverhe was bitter that he had to find out through the Sun of all things, and notTom himself. Reminiscing the day he first cast eyes on that awful tabloid coverhe realized why he never commented on those fabulous new glasses: it had beensome time since Tom cared about getting compliments from him. It had been sometime since Tom cared about anything Chris said or did.

“Not getting any smiles from me,mate” he repeated to himself as he opened his eyes with a sigh and lowered hishand holding the glass of scotch that he had just used as an ice pack on his forehead.He took a sip staring at Tom who had now turned his back on him and was talkingto Mark, barely noticing the young blonde with the cherry-red lips who had cometo stand next to him under the gazebo with a martini glass in her hand.

“He’s perfect, isn’t he?” she saidwith a satisfied nod stirring the olive at the bottom of the glass with acocktail pick. “My agent likes to call him ‘my next mistake’”, she giggled, “butgod, look at the ass on that mistake,makes you want to never be correct again.”

Chris cringed internally and turnedto her trying hard to smile. “Hey Taylor!” His eyes fell to her long fingersthat were still stirring the martini. “Nice nail polish you got there, it… complementsyour eyes. I guess.”

“You think?” Taylor said cheerfullybending her fingers to inspect them. “I love it, they said it’s calledSakaarian Blue.”

“Sakaarian Blue?” Chris raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t know Marvel had released Ragnarokmerchandise already.”

“Ragnarok merchandise? I don’t knowwhat you’re talking about, I found it in a little shop in Brisbane called ‘LeCul du Diable.’”

“Weird name, what does it mean?”

“I don’t know,” Taylor shrugged.“The clerk told me they had just opened up, they’re new here. Tom picked thecolour for me, isn’t it nice?” she said stretching her arm and spreading herfingers. “He has such good taste,” she smirked.

“Huh,” Chris huffed absent-mindedlyand went back to staring at the general direction of Tom and his company, afact that didn’t escape Taylor.

“I hear you two were close,” sheraised her voice nonchalantly trying to get his attention.

“You and the rest of the planet,”Chris mumbled without taking his eyes off Tom.

“Oh I don’t mean the promo tours andthe interviews and all that ‘brother from another mother’ bullshit,” shesniggered squeezing her heart-shaped lips on the straw, taking little sips asshe threw side-glances at him with her doe eyes.

Chris turned to her slowly as shebatted her fake eyelashes and grinned crushing the straw with her perfect whiteteeth. He sighed and folded his arms across his chest, narrowing his eyes as hefelt his cheeks flushing with anger.

“I’m sure there’s a big history…”she continued. “He hasn’t told me details of course, just the general outline.”

“Wow,Taylor, complicated words!” Chris enthused.“Did you learn those from your agent as well or did you have to look them up ina dictionary?”

Taylor broke into a high-pitchedgiggle, shaking, almost spilling her drink on her long golden gown with the redtrimming. Chris then realized for the first time how bucked her perfect teeth lookedand how “perfectly” fake they were, a fact that made them all the more annoying.

When she finally managed to catchher breath she fanned herself showing off her Sakaarian Blue nails one moretime.

“Don’t worry, big guy,” she soothedhim. “Tom is known for oversharing. Inevitably he’d get to you too at somepoint, no biggie. I mean it’s not like he had a whole lot to say,” she saidpatting his chest condescendingly and walked towards the center of the garden,slipping her hand around Tom’s arm and leaning her cheek close to his lips soas to get a kiss.

Chris fought the urge to break hisglass against the gazebo post, instead he splashed his scotch across the grassand motioned towards the pool. As he walked past the deck chairs a long dark-skinnedleg with a moko tattoo rose from the ground, stopping him in his tracks.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Taika said, his pineapplebandana wrapped around his eyes as he lied leisurely in the afternoon sun.

“How did you see me under that? Ithought you were sleeping,” Chris murmured putting his hands in his pockets.

“I can see everything, Chris, I thought you should know,” he said with  feigned arrogance.

“Huh…”

“Don’t ‘huh’ me, bro, sit down,” heurged him patting the deck chair next to him.

Chris sat down with an unwillinggrunt.

“What is the matterrrrrr?” Taikaslurred adjusting the bandana on his eyes and rested his hands on the arms ofthe chair.

“Nothing…” Chris murmured andtangled his fingers as he leaned against his knees.

“She’s an annoying little thing,isn’t she,” Taika continued.

Chris didn’t answer.

The Kiwi director lifted the bandanaenough to reveal one eye, glancing at the guests that were scattered around thepool. “Aren’t they all enjoying themselves?”

“They are…” Chris agreed.

“But you aren’t.”

“Well, to be honest with you, I’drather have spent today surfing.”

“Never too late!” Taika sang.

“Naaah it is, there’s no wind.”

“It’s ok,” Taika said rubbing hisback, “you’ll go tomorrow. Wow Chris, you’re tense,” he added as he sat upabruptly and kneaded the broad shoulder with his fingers.

“I’m tired…” Chris lamented.

“Here. Let me,” Taika said standingup behind him massaging his shoulders.

Chris let out a deep breath as hewatched Taylor whispering in Tom’s ear on the other side of the pool; she thenput her arms around her two friends, a blonde and a brunette in skimpy lamé dresses around her age, and shook her hipsplayfully from side to side. Tom laughed and lowered his eyes, blushing.

“That girl belongs in theGrandmaster’s orgy ship, don’t you reckon?” Taika said dryly.

Chris chuckled and lowered his headallowing Taika to work on the full length of his trapezius. His touch was quiterelieving even above the sweaty white shirt. “I guess,” he muttered.

“Talking of the orgy ship I’ve hadsome ideas lately, can you imagine if you pushed a button that sets offfireworks? And another button that starts a tape singing ‘It’s my birthday’?It’s a leisure vessel after all, it could turn into an enormous disco ball orsomething.”

Chris laughed.

“See? I made you laugh,” Taikagrinned proudly as he rubbed the back of Chris’ neck with his thumb. “Andtalking about birthdays, mine is in a month, make sure not to miss it.”

“When is that?”

“August 16th.”

“I’ll bake you a cake then,” Chrisjoked.

“You do that.”

Chris closed his eyes as he felt thetension leaking out of his body through Taika’s magic fingers. No man had evermassaged him before. He wondered what it would be like if there was no onearound that moment, if they were alone, if Taika was as good at giving massagesas he claimed, if-

“And oh, Chris, it was about timeyou tried my massaging skills,” Taika said as if reading his mind. “I mean afull session.”

“Why?”

Taika gaped in astonishment. “Becauseeveryone else has! Besides your birthday is in a month as well, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, August 11th.”

“Far,” Taika said excitedly.“Consider the massage as your birthday present then.”

Chris smiled and yawned as he contemplated Taika’selaborate and long-term plan to get under his skin - and into his pants -  while he listened to the steady rhythm of hislover’s breathing; Taika was fast asleep now and probably dreaming, Christhought, and when he wasn’t looking at you with his judgmental laser eyes helooked like a perfect angel; a sleeping brown-skinned angel. He was starting tofeel drowsy as well since they had managed to exhaust each other with theirinsatiable curiosity that day in the trailer. As darkness began to fall Chris forgotall about Tom’s phone call and fell asleep with Taika in his arms.

He never got to hear his phonebuzzing once, twice, then going silent again. He was already dreaming of vastlandscapes of garbage, golden gowns and blue nail polish.

[elenatria]

Omg I’m not sure...? Thanks for the link!! (those un-downloadable vids sigh sigh sigh, they’ll be the death of me).

I think I’ve used some clips here...

.. here... 

... and here.

They’re sooooo hard to find, I had to quench my thirst with their gifs for so so long.

God, I miss writing “Chris in Sakaarland”.

Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth as Loki and Thor on set for Thor: Ragnarok

[elenatria]

Taika wanted to play as the Hiddleworth's fairy godmother instead he's dragged in the middle of Tom & Chris

Yeah I know I mixed up my headcanons right there lol. 

Well look. In my stories Taika started off as their fairy godmother, then he got between them (much like the Long man gum ad lol) and since I’m not into threesomes and can’t write polyamory I found a way to remove him from the love triangle and take him back to his fairy godmother status without making him look like a complete douchebag (to compensate for what’s gonna happen in the following chapters of “Chris in Sakaarland” sigh…) I want to turn him into a Bowie/Jareth-like figure. In the film Sarah is projecting her mother’s new love interest, an actor/playwright character, into Jareth, a figure of her imagination. And in the first draft of the scrip, when Jareth visits Sarah for the first time he’s not dressed as the Goblin King, he introduces himself as Robin Zaker, the playwright.

Through thedoor opening SARAH can see a very elegantly dressed, quitegood-looking MAN of an indeterminate age. He has a worldly air, or is itother-worldly? Before he can speak a flash of lightning illuminateshis face. He is a mesmerizing sight and SARAH can’t help but gawk.

 MAN: Excuseme, is this the home of Sarah Williams … Sarah Williams,the actress?

SARAH’s jawdrops.

 SARAH:That’s me.

 MAN: Allowme to introduce myself … (he holds out his hand) I'm RobinZaker.

 SARAHsqueals with delight.

 SARAH: Youwrote the play!

 He smiles.

 ZAKAR: Itis an honour, Miss Williams. I understand you make a delightfulQueen Meander.

 SARAH:Well, we’ve just started rehearsal, but how did you know?

 ZAKAR: Iwas passing through this part of the country and heard that it wasgoing to be done here. This is the first amateur production of the play,which of course is delightful for me.

 ZAKAR: I’mnot just a playwright, as you can see … bring him in

here andI’ll do some other tricks for him …

 ZAKAR: I’vebeen known by many names … but the one I prefer is

_Jareth,King of the Goblins_!!!

 Amidstthunder and lightning JARETH flings his arms up into the air, and he issuddenly dressed in strange, medieval garb, a cloak swirlingaround him. And what’s worse, much, much worse, is that suddenlyGOBLINS are everywhere! Popping out of drawers, from under chairs,swinging off the chandeliers. 

I want to do something similar with Taika. I would like to give him a god-like status, something between Hermes (god of trade, thieves, travelers and border crossings, messenger and guide to the Underworld), Uenuku (Maori god of rainbows)   and Alan Moore’s Promethea who is more than a human or a goddess, she is the embodiment of imagination and magic, a demi-goddess that has used host bodies to provide the world with creativity; a living story. 

[elenatria]

How's your writing going?

Darling… T__T I got sidetracked by Taika research and Tom research and arrrrrrrrrgh… But AT LEAST I made some progress yesterday, I wrote an outline of chapter 3 of “Chris in Sakaarland”. 

Ok here’s a little bit of dialogue, draftsy draft ftw.

TAIKA (still engrossed in his notes, the sun coming through the window playing with his silver hair): What are you looking at?

CHRIS: …Nothing.

TAIKA: You just can’t get enough of me, can ye?

CHRIS: Shut up.

TAIKA: No (places his notebook on his lap). Tell me.

CHRIS: Tell you what?

TAIKA(blinks slowly): What you like about me. Isn’t that what you were thinking?

CHRIS: NO-yes.

TAIKA (shrugging): C’mon then. 

CHRIS: Taika, I’ll never tell you what I like about you.

TAIKA: Why not?

CHRIS: Because you’ve heard it a thousand times before.

TAIKA: So? It won’t be the same coming from you.

CHRIS (gets up): NO.

Taika: Shall I tell you what I like about you then? Alright. Compliment Man, to the rescue!

—————————————————————–

TAYLOR: He doesn’t belong to you, you know.

CHRIS: Who, Tom? Oh I know that.

TAYLOR: No. Taika. You may belong to him - for now. But he doesn’t belong to you.

[elenatria]

That isn’t“waist compress”. It’s “waist wipes” since Thor often dreams & his body sorta reacting to his dreams

I went a bit off-topic here but you said compress+wipes+body reacting, so….. ;-)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13839114/chapters/32282514

Chris would normally try hard not to snore in front of the cameras after keeping his eyes closed for as much as three minutes. He had woken up at 5 a.m. as usual to be on set on time and now he was lying on the floor, half-naked, taking what he thought to be a well-deserved nap as Taika was giving directions to the gladiator nurses. He was always grateful for those “sleeping scenes” because the cameras would roll and roll and people would be working their butts off, his co-stars included, and he’d be just lying there, dozing off. The only difference was that this time he kept waking up  because of the hard floor beneath him and the creeping unsettling thought that he was letting Taika influence him more and more day in day out seeing how easily he had managed to talk him into yet another half-naked scene. It had been a while since he had let anyone get under his skin, it meant he was trusting Taika too much and Chris had learned to be wary of people who were winning his trust so easily.

“We need to get some bums on seats, Chris, we need to get the shirt off,” Taika had told him with an apologetic wince.

He didn’t like it at first so he whined and whined until Taika said “You should be proud of yourself, you’ve put so much work in, you’ve chiseled and carved your body into this perfect form and…” He didn’t finish the sentence, his eyes drifted over Chris’ biceps and down his pecs.

Ever since he was a teenager surfing the waves of the Mornington Peninsula Chris had caught many men undressing him with their eyes; he thought he should be used by now and it never occurred to him to imagine what they saw in him, what they liked so much about his blonde and leggy nakedness. He just took it as compliment, an everyday occurrence that stroked his ego just like any waitress not letting him pay for his coffee.  But whenever Taika did it, whenever he stared at him even while giving directions to his assistants, even when talking on the phone, it was more than just a compliment. When Taika complimented him or caressed his body with his big brown eyes he felt all warm inside, impatient, intoxicated.

And dirty.

So dirty that many times he was tempted to stop shooting and drag Taika to the nearest men’s room just to let him remove with hasty moves and little excited giggles his shirt or his gladiator chestplate or whatever was getting in the way, and make him kneel and have a taste of those carved pecs and those chiseled abs and everything that was beneath them. It’s not like they hadn’t fucked in the restroom before between takes, always risking getting caught because Taika’s orgasms were a bit too loud, partly because Chris was ripping him apart, partly because Taika couldn’t give two shits about people overhearing their happy and noisy fornication.

But Chris never felt the urge to stop the shooting like he did now; it was getting harder and harder to resist.

Taika cleared his throat waking Chris from his reverie. They were on the clock and he didn’t have the luxury to daydream about his protagonist all day long, or let him do the same. “Look, it will be a waste of push ups if you don’t show your body. It’s a disservice to humanity to hide it.”

“Nobody’s going to go see the movie for my abs, c’mon, Taika, I’ve done that program before…”

Taika put his fists on his hips and looked him straight in the eye. “Are you playing hard to get, Chris? Is that it?”

“No…”

“Then take off your bloody shirt! Chop chop.”

And that was the end of the discussion.

Now all Chris had to do was just lie there with his eyes closed and wait for Taika’s signal and thrash violently screaming and walk around the room looking all dazed and disoriented. He felt the damp compresses being placed on his shoulders and pecs and he was about to get up when he heard Taika’s voice through the microphone.

“Cut! You’re too quick, girls, way too quick. Let’s take this from the beginning. Alright. Three, two, one… action!”

Chris felt the compresses spreading all over his skin again, much slower this time, and he tried not to smile. The ladies were being too efficient following Taika’s suggestions, squishing the water into the basin, waiting patiently for their turn, stretching the cloth with delicate moves.

“Cut cut cuuuuuut,” Taika’s voice boomed through the speakers again. “Too slow, way too slow. Do I have to do everything meself?”

Taika tossed the microphone to his assistant and walked up the steps towards the demigod-like half-nudity lying on the floor. “Here. I’ll show you.”

Chris smirked; here he goes again, he thought, taking his craft so seriously, literally doing everything himself. Taika would try every outfit first, every prop, he would take selfies wearing Loki’s helmet saying he was obliged as a director to have a first-hand experience of everything (and everyone, or so the rumours said), giving his actors haircuts as well as massages. Taika was so involved in this film that Chris was sure that if his director didn’t like the catering he would cook for them himself.

“It tickles, man,” he giggled through his nose with eyes closed as Taika placed the compresses on his pecs and ribs.

“You’re supposed to be asleep,” Taika shushed him. “So, no talking. See, girls?” he raised his voice, “it’s not that hard.”

Chris heard the water dripping into the basin and felt another compress spreading on his abdomen, only this time the movements were so soft and purposeful and delicate that it felt like a lot more than a tickle.

“Alright!” Taika said removing the compresses and placing one hand on Chris’ chest, “I’ll do it one more time, watch closely. This is a man that has been beaten badly, ladies, be gentle and smooth, you’re trying not to wake him up.” Once more he placed the compresses with soft moves all over Chris’ broad pecs and when he reached his abs Chris felt a thumb making subtle but deliberate circles around his navel as the heel of Taika’s palm pressed down on his lower abdomen sending shivers down his spine. Taika kept talking, giving directions to the nurses while he kept both his hands on Chris’ body, removing them just enough to flutter them in the air for emphasis, only to place them once again on Chris, caressing his wet naked skin with barely noticeable moves of his thumb. The more Taika talked, the more difficult it was for Chris’ body not to respond to those sneaky strokes that were too brief to be noticed by the crew but persistent and focused enough to make Chris’ cock jerk wantingly in his pants. When Taika’s thumb “accidentally” brushed over his nipple Chris withheld a grunt but his heavily breathing chest didn’t go unnoticed by Taika’s possessive touch who turned just enough to see Chris bending his knee in a desperate attempt to hide his erection.

That moment Chris opened his eyes to look upon Taika who was still babbling about the importance of timing in a scene while his gaze traveled from his leading man’s sapphire eyes to his chiseled abs to his ridiculously big biceps then back to his eyes, shamelessly eye-fucking him in front of the whole cast and crew and fooling all those ignorant creatures into believing it was just bums on seats he was after.

When Chris brought it up later that evening he was fisting Taika’s hair, ravishing his mouth with his thumb, letting his tongue roll around it like it was candy as he fucked him savagely into Taika’s own bed.

“You just couldn’t keep your hands off me today, could you…” he said with a husky growl as he rotated his hips into Taika’s ass with a slow relentless rhythm, digging into him with his cock.

“And let-” Taika’s breath hitched with something that sounded like a suppressed giggle, or maybe it was the immense hardness splitting him open making him stutter like that. “And… let the girls get their hands on ah!-all the goodies? I’ve- c-claimed those pecs, they have mah- oh god - my fingerprints all over… all over them… all over th-” He squeezed his eyes shut taking small sharp breaths and let his head fall back into the pillow as Chris pounded into him harder and faster, knowing that filling him up until his balls were slapping against Taika’s butt cheeks was the only way to shut him up.

But no one could finish off Taika or silence him that easily, not for long. When it was his turn to fuck some humility into Chris he kept reminding him of that day’s lesson while he held him still, caging Chris’ chest with his arm, digging his fingers deeper into his shoulders, pulling his head back just to feel the sweat of his hair fill his nostrils and mouth as he made him gasp and whine for mercy into the pillow. And making Chris bite that pillow viciously was always Taika’s favourite moment when fucking that hot arrogant Aussie. As he climaxed shooting uncontrollably inside that irresistible heat, as his cock was being milked by Chris’ hungry clenching hole, he kept repeating those whispered but firm words like a mantra of pure lust and possessiveness.

You belong to me, Chris.

You’re mine.

You’re-

AH

-m-

    -mine

MINE

oh

Later on, when they agreed they had enough sweating and orgasms for one evening, they decided to have an early night knowing they had a long day ahead of them but Taika insisted on going through his notes one more time before passing out from dehydration and exhaustion. He also insisted that Chris went to bed without him but Chris was decided to not leave him alone, not yet, so he made both of them a cup of soothing herbal tea.

When Chris came out to the balcony overlooking the sea Taika was frowning like he always did when going through his notes, chewing on his pencil’s pineapple topper, crossing out whole paragraphs and adding new illegible sentences with a red pen. He was so engrossed that he hardly made a move when Chris sat next to him and placed a cup of tea on the table in front of him. Chris sat back brushing his fingers through his short hair, grateful for his new haircut; this August was one of the hottest he could remember.

Seeing the director hard at work even this late at night he didn’t mind Taika being so distracted; he was adequately uplifted and entranced by their unexpected togetherness, by Taika’s slim swarthy toes peeking out of turquoise flip-flops, by the subtle twitching of his lips as he read his notes to himself biting his thumb absent-mindedly.

Chris remembered thinking “Oh fuck, he’s also hot” the first time he shook hands with this mad genius.

That moment he knew he could stare at that radiant confident face forever.

“What are you looking at?” Taika slurred without taking his eyes off his notebook.

“…Nothing,” Chris chuckled and glanced at the dark ocean as he stirred his tea with a spoon.

“You just can’t get enough of me, can ye…”

Chris winced, embarrassed, trying not to blush. “Shut uuuup.”

“No,” Taika insisted as he snapped his notebook shut and placed it on his lap. “Tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

Taika blinked slowly as if he had all the time, all the patience in the world. “What you like about me. Isn’t that what you were thinking?”

“No!” Chris denied it before finally resigning. “…Yes…”

“C’mon then,” Taika urged him with a shrug.

“Taika, I’ll never tell you what I like about you,” Chris shook his head and took a sip.

“Why not?

“Because you’ve heard it all a thousand times before,” he said scratching his beard.

“So? It won’t be the same coming from you.

“No,” Chris resisted with a smile.

“Shall I tell you what I like about you then?” Taika offered crossing his fingers. “Alright. Compliment Man, to the rescue!”

“No, Taika…”

“Yes, Taika.”

The playful Māori face staring at him was determined to make him yield that night – in more than one ways.

“You’re charming,” Taika started. “You’re funny as hell. Your arms… whoa. When someone’s in the same room with you he doesn’t even have to look at them, he can feel them.”

Chris chuckled as a tint of pink spread across his cheeks. He would always blush when Taika was giving him compliments, even when they were alone.

“You’re… um… alright looking? I guess?” Taika teased making Chris burst into laughter. “What, you think you’re prettier than me?” he complained raising a brow, offended at Chris’ outburst.

“No, Taika, I don’t think I’m prettier than you,” Chris reassured him cupping his knee lovingly.

“But… do you want me to tell you what really makes you so appealing?” Taika’s face went serious. “It’s not your baby blue eyes or your sculpted abs or your disgustingly big biceps. You’re a great friend, Chris. You’re supportive. You make people trust you. You make people want to go on an adventure with you, and the truth is… I’m proud to be your friend. I’m really proud.”

Chris grinned from ear to ear as the familiar warmth filled his chest once again, feeling giddy as if Taika had just proposed to him.

“I won’t say lucky though,” Taika said dryly. “You’re the one who’s lucky for having a friend like me.”

“Of course…” Chris chuckled and palmed Taika’s shoulder. He was biting his lip suppressing his laughter but his smile was soft and tender. Taika smiled back and blinked slowly; those were the sweetest eyes and that was the sweetest face Chris had ever seen, and the salty night breeze was soothing him and everything on that balcony that night was perfect and everything was making him happy.

But, somehow, somewhere, he felt he had seen such sweetness before, and he remembered having felt a different kind of happiness. He remembered big blue eyes behind classy thick glasses, a broad vibrant smile, long elegant fingers raising a cup of steamy Earl Grey. He remembered taking off the foggy glasses to wipe them, or maybe that was just an excuse to sneak a look at those huge wet eyes staring back at him, wrinkles in their corners betraying a smile that was hiding behind the glazed white ceramic.  

“Don’t stall,” the voice in the memory said. “Open it.”

Chris placed the glasses back on that beaming face and tucked a golden strand of long hair behind his ear. He picked up the small box and shook it.

“What is it? Is it a ring?” he asked incredulously. “Oh my GOD, Tom, we’re getting engaged? Why didn’t you tell me!”

“Stop teasing,” the voice said. “Open it.”

Chris put the box on the table and unwrapped it. As he took the lid off he slipped a finger through the ring that was attached to a chain. It was a silver surfboard keyring.

“Wow…” he muttered when he was finally able to talk.

“There’s an inscription,” Tom said. “Read it.”

“I’m…” Chris began to read. “’I’m… Alice, and the ocean is my Wonderland’. WHAT?!” he guffawed. “I was expecting something deeper, something like… I don’t know… ‘Sometimes you have to ride the wave you’re given’ or-or… ‘Never let the best waves in life go by’ or something like that. Do I look like Alice in Wonderland to you?”

Tom cracked up. “Well you do have long blonde hair,” he said slipping his fingers through Chris’ strands framing his face. “And you’re wearing a blue shirt. So…”

Chris grinned happily, his generous smile beautifully bracketed by his confident clean-shaven jawline. “It’s gorgeous!” he said. “I never had a…” He tossed the tiny precious present between his fingers. “… silver surfboard keyring before. I love it,” he told Tom with a graceful wink. “I’ll never leave home without it. And who knows, maybe if I rub it it will take me to Wonderland!”

“Or maybe it will bring you back home from Wonderland if you ever get lost there,” Tom added in a mysterious tone.

“Maybe it will!” Chris exclaimed putting the keyring back in the box. “Thank you, Tom… It’s… It really is beautiful.”

Tom took his hand and smiled. “Happy birthday, Chris.”

“What?…” Chris was so lost in his memory that he didn’t hear Taika’s question.

“I said, when is your birthday exactly? It’s in a week, right?”

“Yeah…” Chris said, still lost in thought. “Well less than a week, yeah, August 11.”

“I see… Look, since I already gave you a massage session I guess I’ll have to find you another present, right?”

“C’mon, Taika, you don’t need to buy me a present.”

“Sure I do. But I have no idea what to buy you. Shall we go shopping on Sunday? Think about it, no filming! What do you say?”

“Sounds good.”

“Alright,” he waved the pineapple topper at Chris. “Off you go. You need to rest now, we have a long shooting tomorrow. Off to bed.”

Chris got up taking the teacups with him and as he walked into the dark living room he heard Taika’s voice from the balcony.

“And don’t forget to make a list of all my virtues and hand it in tomorrow!”

Chris shook his head and smiled. “Yessss, Taika, whatever you say…”

And as he felt his way through the dark room looking for the switch and trying not to drop the teacups he wondered whatever had happened to that silver surfboard keychain, the best birthday present he ever got.

[elenatria]

Well... since we’re talking about hotel rooms and hotel mishaps... right now I’m juggling those stories in my head 1) Thor goes to Hel to get Loki 2) Hotel Mishap 3) the continuation of Chris in Sakaarland 4) the continuation of “Perchance to dream”, young Thor being in denial about his feelings even if Loki saw his wet dream.

And I swear I don’t know which one to write first, I also have art commissions to finish. X__X

Hotel Room Loki ( so I’ve been focusing on a series of non fanfic paintings based on men in hotel rooms, but of course, Loki has crept into my second one.)