Always Eli by Charlie Novak

Chapter Thirty

Tristan

Much later,in the early hours of Sunday morning, Eli and I finally made it back to our hotel room.

There’d been a lot of photos and celebrating after the competition had ended, and somehow we’d ended up in a bar in the middle of Nottingham with everyone, watching Lewis and Orlando dancing on the tables. Now Eli stood in the bathroom, naked, peeling off his eyelashes and wiping off his make-up. His crown and sash were laid carefully across the top of the desk that was against the wall opposite the bed, and the enormous crystals shimmered in the soft glow of the bedside lamps.

I stripped off my clothes, glad I’d stopped drinking before Eli was crowned. My whole body ached, and I was tired beyond belief, but I was so deliriously happy that neither of those things seemed to matter.

I climbed into bed, forgoing any kind of sleepwear. The sheets were cool against my bare skin, and I snuggled down under the layers before rolling onto my side so I could watch for Eli. Now that I’d lain down, tiredness was starting to tug at my muscles. My eyelids fluttered, and I yawned, despite my best efforts to fight it. I wanted to stay awake so I could show Eli just how proud I was of him and how much I loved him. I wanted to press my mouth to every inch of his skin, worshipping him until he guided my mouth to his cock.

“I swear,” Eli said, stepping out of the bathroom and flicking the light off before walking over to the bed and sliding in beside me. “Those eye make-up pad things say complete and easy removal, but I have to use four of the bloody things just to get rid of my mascara.”

He wiggled across to me, finding his place in my arms. His body was warm against mine, and he trailed his fingers across my chest, circling my nipple absent-mindedly. I let out a deep breath, my eyes falling shut. Eli chuckled and pressed a kiss to my skin. “As much as I’d love to be inside you right now, I am far too fucking tired.”

“I could give you a blow job,” I murmured, still not opening my eyes. Now that I’d closed them I couldn’t remember how to open them again.

“You are also far too tired, beautiful boy.” Eli kissed my chest again. “In the morning.”

“It is morning.” I nodded, repeating the words to myself so I could hold them in my mind. When did I get so tired?

“Actual morning. Post-sleep morning. When I’m not sweaty and gross.”

“Okay,” I said. “I love you. And I’m so proud of you.”

I felt Eli’s lips against mine. “I love you too. And I like being able to say that.”

“Me too. I wish I’d said it sooner, then I could have said it more.”

“You’re so cute,” Eli said. “Especially when you’re tired.”

“Love you,” I said again, pulling him close against me as sleep began to pull me under.

“I love you too.”

The following afternoon, Eli and I were stretched out on my sofa, watching The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers while Indy and Solo snored from their respective places on one end of the sofa and the nearby armchair. We’d gone home after breakfast and immediately taken up residence in the living room. Both of us were still exhausted, and I couldn’t see myself moving unless it was to fetch food.

“So what’s next?” I asked as Treebeard marched slowly through Fangorn Forest with Merry and Pippin. “For Bitch Fit. And you.”

“I’m not sure.” Eli was lying between my legs with his head on my chest. “I’ve gotten a couple of messages about some gigs already from Phil and some people who were watching last night. They moved a lot faster than I thought they would to be honest. I probably ought to get some sort of price list of offerings together. Maybe a website.”

I kissed the top of his head. “There’s no rush. I’m sure someone we know can help you.”

“I’m sure they can.” He sighed. “Is it weird that I’m kinda… weirded out by it all? I wasn’t expecting this, and now that it’s happened, I’m not sure how to feel. I mean, it’s not like it’s going to give me a national platform, but it might help get me something. I don’t want to expect too much and then be disappointed if it doesn’t happen.” He fiddled with the hem of the old Assassin’s Creed t-shirt he was wearing. “I don’t need to be world famous. I just want to be able to do the drag I love and get paid for it.”

“I understand that,” I said. “I think you just have to take each day as it comes. Be true to yourself, keep promoting yourself like you always do, and see what happens. You’re a fabulous performer, Eli, and I hope more people get to see that.”

“Thanks.” He twisted his head and smiled softly at me, then pouted so I’d lean down and kiss him.

“Did Lewis tell you he got some clips of you from last night?” I asked as we settled back to watch the film. All the Lord of the Rings films were comfort watches for me—I’d seen them more times than I could count—and I could virtually quote them line for line. “He managed to get into the centre of the room to get some good footage.”

“He never stops working, does he?” Eli chuckled. “He’s not even my PA.”

“I don’t think he can help it. It’s just a thing he does.”

“Bless him. He’s a good bean,” Eli said, stretching his legs out and sighing happily. “I haven’t seen anything though, but I’d be surprised if he’s able to get out of bed today. The last thing I remember was him and Orlando doing fucking tequila shots right before we left.”

“Maybe tomorrow then.”

“If not, I know where he lives.” Eli turned his head to smile up at me. “I can just go and annoy him in person.”

We watched the film for a bit longer, chatting here and there about little things and quoting lines of the film at each other. It was my favourite sort of afternoon, and having someone to share it with was something I’d always wanted. I hoped that this would always be the way it was on a Sunday—Eli, me, the dogs, and some films we loved.

“What are you and Alexis doing for Christmas?” Eli asked eventually as the battle for Helm’s Deep drew to a close. I thought for a second. Despite the fact that Christmas was only a couple of weeks away, I hadn’t given it much consideration.

“I’m not sure. We usually go to my parents, but the last time I spoke to my mum, she mentioned something about her and my dad going away for Christmas. Something about wanting some sunshine. We’re not a very close family.” I doubted either of my parents had given Alexis or me a second thought when they’d made their plans. As far as they were concerned, they were only our parents when it was convenient for them or made them look good. Spending time with us just because was an alien concept to them. I wasn’t sad about it though because that was just the way it had always been. And it wasn’t as if we had a lot in common.

Eli patted my knee. “You should come to ours. Bring Alexis and the dogs too. It’ll be chaotic as fuck, but it’s always fun. Dad and Mimbles do most of the cooking, but everyone usually pitches in to do something. I normally make a trifle. You’ll need to bring a NERF gun though.”

“You’re going to insist on another NERF war, aren’t you?”

“Duh. I need to keep my crown.”

“You’ve got a better one now,” I said, pressing a kiss to Eli’s head.

“Nope. I need two.”

“If I beat you, does that mean I get your crown?”

“I suppose,” Eli said magnanimously. “But you have to beat me first.”

I laughed, deciding not to tell Eli I had a fairly good aim. “I’ll do my best.”

Ten days later, on the twenty-first, I came down to the ground floor of Green & Wodehouse in search of my afternoon cup of tea to find Eli and Pamela deep in hushed conversation around his desk.

“Everything okay?” I asked, then chuckled as I watched the pair of them jump nearly six feet in the air.

“You know it’s not nice to sneak up on people, Mr. Rose,” Eli said, looking up at me from his chair. He was wearing a very tasteful Christmas jumper with a red and white fair isle pattern, which he’d stolen out of my chest of drawers over the weekend. It was a little big on him, but he’d folded the sleeves up to give it cuffs. “They could be engaged in secret things.”

“Were you?”

“Maybe…” He grinned, practically fizzing with excitement.

“Oh, just tell the poor man and put him out of his misery,” Pamela said. “Go make a coffee and show him, or you’re going to be useless all afternoon.”

“It’s the twenty-first of December. I don’t exactly have a lot to do,” Eli said as he hopped out of his chair, collecting both his and Pamela’s mugs off their desks. I had to admit I was intrigued. I followed Eli into the kitchen.

“What’s going on?”

“Okay, so… you know how I uploaded some of those clips from It’s a Drag! to TikTok and YouTube and how I already had a ton of stuff on there from previous shows?”

“Yes.” I refilled the kettle and flicked it on.

“Well, this queen I follow called Madam Mercy—she was on the last season of Drag Stars, and I think she made the final three—sent me a message today. She and this American queen she knows really well are putting together a kind of UK variety show tour thing for next year… and they wanted to know if I’m interested in being in it.” Eli looked at me, waiting for my reaction. “I know I hate Drag Stars, but that doesn’t mean I hate the people who are on it. And it’s so amazing to even be asked. I mean, I’ve asked for more details because it could turn out to be a shit offer, but—”

Eli’s words were cut off as I pulled him into a fierce kiss, wrapping my arms around his waist.

“That’s amazing,” I said. “I’m so fucking proud of you.”

“Thanks.” His cheeks flushed, and I grinned because this was probably the first time I’d seen Eli blush. He was usually so calm and collected, but right now, it looked like he wanted to climb to the top of the cathedral and set off a million fireworks while playing “We Are the Champions” over a loudspeaker. “Not bad for some trash goblin from the middle of nowhere.”

I chuckled. “Not bad at all.”