Luke Evans and ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alex_skarsgard make a huge decision
Apr. 6th, 2017 09:06 amcitadel_lukeplayers only. backdated to September 2016.
Waiting impatiently and listening to the line ring, Alex checks his watch again. Does the math – how many timezones between Sydney and Boston? – again. A difference of sixteen hours pretty much guarantees that someone's sleep schedule is going to be compromised. Of course, since the twins arrived, there's not been a real sleep schedule anyway. But they're on location with their Da now, plus Petra and Elijah the two wonder-nannies. Girl on the Train premieres have been bouncing Luke around, but he's been returning to Massachusetts to shoot in between times. Which is a lot more stability than Alex is experiencing these days. The Tarzan press tour has been yanking him back and forth across oceans for weeks. Now it's two in the fucking morning here in New South Wales, and Alex misses his family something fierce.
When his phone starts ringing, for some reason, Luke's brain thinks it's his alarm and he starts slapping at it, burying his head back into his pillow until he realizes it's not going to stop and fuck, that's Alex's ring tone. He snatches the phone up from the nightstand, finally managing to answer it with a mumbled "hello," his voice still husky with sleep.
"Hey!" Alex's face lights up with a smile, but a bare instant later the pleasure dissipates from his voice. "I woke you. Shit, I'm sorry. I thought maybe you'd be up."
Luke smiles. "It's okay. Close enough," he says, rolling onto his back and smothering a yawn with his hand. "How are you?"
"Good. The tour is good." Cued, Alex yawns as well, then drops into a cushy hotel club chair. "People love the movie, people hate the movie... Whatever. My ears are ringing from all the screams." All the frantic clamoring for his attention, it's such a damn waste but they don't seem aware of it. "Lonely. I really miss you."
"I miss you too." Luke sits up, back against the headboard. "We all miss you, but me especially. Any idea when you'll be able to join us?"
"Thirteen days, barring unforeseen disasters," Alex answers, slumping down. He feels nearly unstrung from exhaustion, like his muscles can't quite communicate with each other anymore. "Hey, you know that script I was considering? That child abduction thing that's set in Texas but they're going to film it in Arizona 'cause it's cheaper? Pre-production starts in six weeks."
Six weeks? Minus the two Alex is still on tour and that gives his husband what? A month with them? Maybe. Luke bites at his lip, not wanting to say anything. They knew it would be like this. "At least we'll be in the same country," he says instead, trying to look for the positives.
"Yeah... But, I was thinking," Alex says, his brows drawing down. He has no idea what his lover's response will be to what he's about to say. "It's a good job. Great script, I like the talent they've got attached, and we're getting down to the wire... What if I don't take it?" He scratches the side of his neck, a nervous pointless movement. "I don't like this, Luke. I don't want to do this anymore." Doesn't want his children growing up without him there to watch. Doesn't want his husband experiencing the most exciting years of his life – so far – without him by his side. "I know we've got a few commitments already. I don't think I'm going to take any more jobs right now, though. Wherever you're working, I need to be on location with you."
Luke blinks. He replays the words in his head, making sure he's heard Alex right. "Are you sure?" he asks. "What if the same opportunities aren't there when you want to start up again?"
It's a reasonable question – scary, too. "Then I guess they won't be there," Alex says quietly, and he can't deny the sharp pang that strikes him when he admits that. "I'm a shiny marble right now, and I know if one kid loses interest in playing with me, they all will, but... Maybe I'll get to experience a career renaissance someday, like my father has. Who knows?" He shakes his head at himself. "But the point is, it's more important to me to be with you."
"That would be wonderful," Luke says, nodding, actually tearing up at thought. "What about me though? Do you want me to do the same? Should we both be taking a break?"
"No, älskling. I mean, yes, of course, take a break when you want to, I don't mean don't," Alex rushes to explain. "But my point is that I'll be with you wherever your job is, and the three of us will all be there for you to come home to every night."
"I would love that," Luke confesses. "So would the twins."
"All right. It's decided." Alex is anxious as hell, more than he'd care to admit. Even – or is that, especially? – to his husband. But simultaneously he feels a loosening somewhere in his psyche, as if a great burden has been relieved. "I'll get my management team on it. Actually, I'll probably end up needing new representation anyway... Whatever. This is good."
"It is. I love you," Luke says, needing to make sure Alex knows he supports him no matter what. "But if you change your mind, know I'll support you on that too. I wouldn't ever want being with us to be a cause for resentment."
Alex's mouth hitches in a small smile. "I promise. I'll tell you." He relaxes back, letting Luke's rich velvet voice echo in his mind. "I love you."
"I love you too, and I miss you," Luke says. "I don't like sleeping without you."
"Oh, yeah. And that's exactly what I'm looking forward to most," Alex says, a teasing lilt in his voice. "Getting a good night's sleep."
Luke laughs. "Let me know when you're coming," he says, knowing how much his husband loves to surprise them, "and I'll make sure we're booked in somewhere Citadel for the night. Then we can do lots of not sleeping and not worry about how much noise we're making."
Alex grins wickedly. "Be sure to rest your voice before I get there. Because I'm going to make you scream for me." Damn, it has been much too long.
"Promise?" Luke grins, the threat not helping at all with his morning erection.
"Yes, love. Go on and promise me, too." Alex considers, and adds, "Not that it'll make any difference..."
"What? The screaming?" Luke's obviously still a little sleepy.
"Yeah," Alex says with a smile, shutting his eyes and picturing Luke's face. "But like I said, it doesn't matter whether you agree or not. It's gonna happen."
Luke shivers. There's really no other answer to that than, "Yes, sir."
[feedback welcome. comments screened.]
Waiting impatiently and listening to the line ring, Alex checks his watch again. Does the math – how many timezones between Sydney and Boston? – again. A difference of sixteen hours pretty much guarantees that someone's sleep schedule is going to be compromised. Of course, since the twins arrived, there's not been a real sleep schedule anyway. But they're on location with their Da now, plus Petra and Elijah the two wonder-nannies. Girl on the Train premieres have been bouncing Luke around, but he's been returning to Massachusetts to shoot in between times. Which is a lot more stability than Alex is experiencing these days. The Tarzan press tour has been yanking him back and forth across oceans for weeks. Now it's two in the fucking morning here in New South Wales, and Alex misses his family something fierce.
When his phone starts ringing, for some reason, Luke's brain thinks it's his alarm and he starts slapping at it, burying his head back into his pillow until he realizes it's not going to stop and fuck, that's Alex's ring tone. He snatches the phone up from the nightstand, finally managing to answer it with a mumbled "hello," his voice still husky with sleep.
"Hey!" Alex's face lights up with a smile, but a bare instant later the pleasure dissipates from his voice. "I woke you. Shit, I'm sorry. I thought maybe you'd be up."
Luke smiles. "It's okay. Close enough," he says, rolling onto his back and smothering a yawn with his hand. "How are you?"
"Good. The tour is good." Cued, Alex yawns as well, then drops into a cushy hotel club chair. "People love the movie, people hate the movie... Whatever. My ears are ringing from all the screams." All the frantic clamoring for his attention, it's such a damn waste but they don't seem aware of it. "Lonely. I really miss you."
"I miss you too." Luke sits up, back against the headboard. "We all miss you, but me especially. Any idea when you'll be able to join us?"
"Thirteen days, barring unforeseen disasters," Alex answers, slumping down. He feels nearly unstrung from exhaustion, like his muscles can't quite communicate with each other anymore. "Hey, you know that script I was considering? That child abduction thing that's set in Texas but they're going to film it in Arizona 'cause it's cheaper? Pre-production starts in six weeks."
Six weeks? Minus the two Alex is still on tour and that gives his husband what? A month with them? Maybe. Luke bites at his lip, not wanting to say anything. They knew it would be like this. "At least we'll be in the same country," he says instead, trying to look for the positives.
"Yeah... But, I was thinking," Alex says, his brows drawing down. He has no idea what his lover's response will be to what he's about to say. "It's a good job. Great script, I like the talent they've got attached, and we're getting down to the wire... What if I don't take it?" He scratches the side of his neck, a nervous pointless movement. "I don't like this, Luke. I don't want to do this anymore." Doesn't want his children growing up without him there to watch. Doesn't want his husband experiencing the most exciting years of his life – so far – without him by his side. "I know we've got a few commitments already. I don't think I'm going to take any more jobs right now, though. Wherever you're working, I need to be on location with you."
Luke blinks. He replays the words in his head, making sure he's heard Alex right. "Are you sure?" he asks. "What if the same opportunities aren't there when you want to start up again?"
It's a reasonable question – scary, too. "Then I guess they won't be there," Alex says quietly, and he can't deny the sharp pang that strikes him when he admits that. "I'm a shiny marble right now, and I know if one kid loses interest in playing with me, they all will, but... Maybe I'll get to experience a career renaissance someday, like my father has. Who knows?" He shakes his head at himself. "But the point is, it's more important to me to be with you."
"That would be wonderful," Luke says, nodding, actually tearing up at thought. "What about me though? Do you want me to do the same? Should we both be taking a break?"
"No, älskling. I mean, yes, of course, take a break when you want to, I don't mean don't," Alex rushes to explain. "But my point is that I'll be with you wherever your job is, and the three of us will all be there for you to come home to every night."
"I would love that," Luke confesses. "So would the twins."
"All right. It's decided." Alex is anxious as hell, more than he'd care to admit. Even – or is that, especially? – to his husband. But simultaneously he feels a loosening somewhere in his psyche, as if a great burden has been relieved. "I'll get my management team on it. Actually, I'll probably end up needing new representation anyway... Whatever. This is good."
"It is. I love you," Luke says, needing to make sure Alex knows he supports him no matter what. "But if you change your mind, know I'll support you on that too. I wouldn't ever want being with us to be a cause for resentment."
Alex's mouth hitches in a small smile. "I promise. I'll tell you." He relaxes back, letting Luke's rich velvet voice echo in his mind. "I love you."
"I love you too, and I miss you," Luke says. "I don't like sleeping without you."
"Oh, yeah. And that's exactly what I'm looking forward to most," Alex says, a teasing lilt in his voice. "Getting a good night's sleep."
Luke laughs. "Let me know when you're coming," he says, knowing how much his husband loves to surprise them, "and I'll make sure we're booked in somewhere Citadel for the night. Then we can do lots of not sleeping and not worry about how much noise we're making."
Alex grins wickedly. "Be sure to rest your voice before I get there. Because I'm going to make you scream for me." Damn, it has been much too long.
"Promise?" Luke grins, the threat not helping at all with his morning erection.
"Yes, love. Go on and promise me, too." Alex considers, and adds, "Not that it'll make any difference..."
"What? The screaming?" Luke's obviously still a little sleepy.
"Yeah," Alex says with a smile, shutting his eyes and picturing Luke's face. "But like I said, it doesn't matter whether you agree or not. It's gonna happen."
Luke shivers. There's really no other answer to that than, "Yes, sir."
[feedback welcome. comments screened.]
