The alarm clock is always the same – loud and obnoxious. Viggo has tried to tell Orli that there are more pleasant alarm clocks available, but the younger man insists that this is the only one that's able to wake him up. Which only makes it all the more amusing that Orli always immediately shuts the clock off and falls sound asleep once more until Viggo decides it's time to actually get out of bed.
Today is no different. In fact, today is really no different than any other day, but perhaps that's what makes it special. Over the course of their nine months together, they have developed a routine, a sense of familiarity, and find it liberating rather than suffocating. After long years of loneliness for Viggo and too many mornings waking up with hangovers and regrets for Orli, to have found someone with whom they can find joy in the small, day-to-day events is a true blessing.
Their relationship started as friendship in New Zealand, and then a mutual attraction grew that developed into something deeper. Both men were naturally stubborn, and each refused to make the first move for four years until Viggo finally confessed his feelings after the first premiere of Return of the King and Orli responded by kissing him senseless. They came out two days later at the second premiere, not caring what anyone thought. After years of knowing each other, they knew in an instant that this was real.
It's a lazy Thursday in Los Angeles, and Orli has to go over to a studio to meet with a director who's considering casting him in a new film. Viggo is fixing him "the breakfast of champions", which simply consists of Froot Loops and a glass of orange juice. Orli wolfs down the cereal and then kills some time before his meeting by playing with his dog. Of course, this only leads to dog hair on his clothes and an outfit change, which makes Viggo secretly glad since Orli was planning to leave the house in a shirt that looks like a Rorschach test.
Once Orli leaves, Viggo wanders aimlessly around the house for a while
before settling on the couch with his journal, a bowl of popcorn, and a
remote control. Random scribblings are jotted down as he flips the
channels, watching everything from baseball scores to soap operas.
Observations spill onto the page with the scratch of a pen, and Viggo begins
to find the mundane banality of daytime TV comforting.
On the other side of town, Orli is feeling giddy as he leaves
the meeting. The director hasn't quite offered him the part yet,
but Orli knows he's got a good shot at landing the role. He drives
through the maze of Los Angeles freeways to get home, only stopping to
pick up some Chinese food. As much as Orli loves a home-cooked meal,
he knows Viggo's weakness for good takeout and how much his lover will
appreciate some good, spicy Szechuan.
Dusk is just beginning to set in when Orli gets back to the house, and he has to bite his lip to keep from laughing as he finds Viggo asleep on the couch, the TV set to the weather channel and the dog cleaning out the forgotten bowl of popcorn. Viggo looks so peaceful that Orli is hesitant to disturb him, but the food is getting cold. The two end up eating dinner out of the takeout cartons, sitting on the living room floor. They discuss the role Orli is eager to play, and Viggo urges him to take the job if it's offered, even though the filming will take place in Canada.
After dinner, Viggo calls his son and Orli contents himself with watching an old sci-fi movie that's on TV. When Viggo joins him, they both laugh at the film's shoddy special effects and wooden acting. As the evening progresses, they ignore the din of the TV and begin kissing, slowly at first, but soon they're necking like teenagers. They make their way to the bedroom, clothing being shed along the way, and make love on the still-unmade bed.
They talk afterwards about nothing in particular, just reveling in the
feeling of peace and togetherness. Hearing Viggo's gravelly voice
is more satisfying to Orli than a post-coital cigarette, and Viggo indulges
him with a stream-of-consciousness monologue. Before sleep overtakes
them both, Orli reaches over to the bedside table and sets the loud and
obnoxious alarm clock for the following morning. And another day
comes to a close.
