fellowshippers | anniversary

title - “anniversary”
author- eri
rating - PG. *collective gasp sucks oxygen out of room*
disclaimer - if you can prove this really happened, i’ll do a little dance.
warnings - mild swearing. two f-bombs. enough sweetness to make bring on a diabetic coma.
author’s note - written for the monaboyd anniversary challenge, hosted by

shirasade. also written kind of hurridely, cos i almost missed the date, so i apologize if anything's wonky. i don’t pretend to know the actual date when filming wrapped for lotr. for my intents and purposes, we’ll say it was in winter. also in this scene, billy’s inner thoughts will be played by italicized words. :P

x-posted to

fellow_shippers and

monaboyd.

"It's been a year, Billy."

The Scot looked up from his paper. "Since when?"

"Since New Zealand. I mean, leaving." Dom was acting suspiciously, not looking him in the eye.

"Ah. So it has." Billy sipped his tea, eyeing Dom with curiosity. "Why 'd you bring it up?"

His friend shrugged, rather unconvincingly. "No reason. Just, you know. Thought it was interesting."

Been acting oddly the whole time I’ve been here. Staring off into space more than normal, acting startled when I talk to him. Don’t think I’ve done anything, but it seems like he’s almost uncomfortable around me. I don’t want things to change...

Dom grinned slightly, and jumped when his phone rang. He walked out of the kitchen quickly, Billy's eyes on his retreating back.

***

"I'm going out," Dom said.

Billy nodded at him from the couch. "Want company?"

"Um." The Brit shook his head distractedly. "No. I'm good."

Are you sure?

"Alright. Bring me back some Haagen Daaz? And it better be..."

"Vanilla, I know." Dom grinned slightly at that. "I've learned my lesson, trust me."

Billy noticed as Dom was leaving that he had one of his own scarves on. He didn't really mind, as it was a fairly biting winter evening. It’s bitter outside tonight. I can see Dom shivering, the tips of his ears and nose red from the chill. I’d warm him up.

Dom's phone rang in the kitchen. Wanker never took it with him when he needed it. Billy sighed and got up from the couch, putting the television on "mute."

"'Ello?"

"Did you tell him yet?" Elijah asked, sounding anxious.

The plot thickens, then.

Billy blinked. "Tell who what?"

"Um. Billy. Hi." The young man sounded surprised, and a little guilty. "How are you?"

"What in the hell is going on? Dom's been a fuckin' mess all day. Being a cryptic bastard, and shite. It's really starting to piss me off."

"Billy, I'm sorry. It's just, it's nothing. Really."

Unconvincing git. What secret is my Dom hiding?

"Fuck off, Lij. What's wrong with Dom?"

Maybe it was the worry in his friend's voice, or maybe it was Elijah's own guilt, but he sighed exasperatedly. "He's just... he wants to do something for you. In memory of New Zealand. He wants it to be like it was, and he's depressed that you can only visit for so long, and... yeah."

I’m not happy about that either, but I thought we would do more than just sit around watching television, sitting in uncomfortable silences.

"Why doesn't he just talk to meh about it?"

"'Cos... he... dammit. Man, don't ask me, ask him yourself."

"Can't. He's gone out."

"Oh."

I can’t take this shite anymore. Dom’s always been rash, and the way Elijah’s acting, like he’s mentally preparing himself for the worst, it’s making me bloody worried.

“Elijah. Please.”

“I don’t know where he went. Scout’s honor.”

Walk down to the shops, then, see if he’s there. Sometimes walks there late at night. We’ll see what this is all about.

***

Billy walked quickly down the street, huddled in his jacket in the cold. He looked around for signs of Dom, but he wasn’t among the few people still running errands at the late hour.

Git. Wanker. Bloody arse. It’s sodding cold, and I’m wearing more of a coat than Dom was, and he’s not here, and what in the hell is going on?

A woman walked by him quickly, arms overloaded with shopping bags, and Billy had to step out into the street to avoid being run over.

No, excuse me, you great-arsed wench. Dammit. Focus, Boyd. Find Dom. Bring him home. Kick the shite out of him.

He caught a glimpse of blonde out of the corner of his eye, and turned, seeing Dom across the street, a bag in his hand. He almost killed himself trying to avoid traffic, and nearly tripped headlong into a store window as he chased after his friend.

Looks determined, now. Looks calmer than before. Looks beautiful in streetlight. Wait. No. Not thinking that. Stopped thinking things like that months ago. Well, told myself to stop. Obviously, hasn’t worked.

Dom had stopped at a street corner. As he stepped into the intersection, a car in an obvious hurry aimed to turn right into him. Billy, panic gripping his heart, yelled Dom’s name right as the car screeched to a halt, inches from his startled friend.

ohgodohgodoh... it’s alright. He’s alright. Dom’s fine. Nothing happened. He’s okay. Don’t need the heart attack now, thanks. Wanker doesn’t even look where’s he going, he’s so lost in thought.

Dom yelled obscenities at the driver as they pulled away. Billy finally reached him, panting, and his breath caught as Dom turned to him, cold and weary.

“Dunnae scare me like that again,” Billy said, shaking his head.

“Sorry, Bills,” Dom replied. “Wasn’t thinking.”

“I know, you daft cunt. Ya haven’t been thinking all day. Or all week, for that matter.” Dom flinched at Billy’s tone, but the other man continued. “And then I get a cryptic phone call from Elijah, and scaring the fuck out of me with the car, and what the Christ is so important that you had to risk freezing your arse off and getting killed for?”

Dom solemnly opened the plastic bag, and instead of seeing something profoundly meaningful, all Billy saw was a pint of vanilla ice cream.

“Just went for a walk, and then you wanted ice cream, and so I got some for you.” Dom’s voice was quiet, like he was waiting to be scolded. “That’s all, Billy.”

He’d risk life and limb to get something trivial for me. That’s a bit... well.

The Scot sighed. “You daft git.”

“What did Elijah say?” Dom asked, worried.

”Did you tell him yet?” What is it, then? Tired of me? Want me to leave? Not without a fight, mate, I assure you.

Billy met his gaze. “That you had something to tell me.”

Dom tried to look away, but Billy brought a hand up to grab his chin, making him hold the gaze. “Please, Dommeh.”

Stubble on his chin, along his crooked jaw, faking that rough front, but I know how vulnerable he really is. He’s too damned attractive like this. Want to run my thumb over that cleft in his chin, want to know what his jaw feels like against my lips. No use pretending I don’t, anymore, especially if this is all over, if this is the only chance I’ll get. Christ, his eyes so clear, like the night sky, and I swear I can see stars in them.

“It’s been a year, Billy,” Dom was saying, voice quiet. “Since we left New Zealand. It’s been a year since everything was supposed to return to normal. And it’s been a year since... I haven’t wanted it to. Return to normal, I mean.”

It hasn’t been, we only see each other every few months, and it’s always so short, and I miss when we’d spend every waking moment together, especially when it’s just the two of us, and it’s felt so strange between us lately that I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what it is, but it scares me. I don’t want to lose you. And I think, I think it’s because, I think I...

Billy only realized that he had been speaking out loud when his words stopped suddenly from cold lips pressing against his, and a shiver ran through his body so strong that Dom’s arms came around his waist, holding him up, pulling them together solidly, and Billy heard the bag with the ice cream fall to the ground. The hand on Dom’s jaw moved to the back of his head, kissing back with as much force and love that he had kept bottled up for so many months, and it was like a great curtain had been pulled back from his view, and now everything was crystal clear.

Dom broke away first, panting, breath clouding around him.

“Billy,” he said, eyes shining.

“Dom,” Billy replied. He ran a finger along Dom’s jaw, pausing at his chin. “Ah think Ah love you.”

And his friend was laughing, a genuine, heartwarming Dom-laugh, and Billy couldn’t help but laugh as well, and then laughing turned into kissing, and kissing turned into Dom sneezing and sniffling from the cold, and Billy just shook his head. He took Dom’s hand in his own, and picked up the fallen ice cream with the other.

“Let’s get you back home, then. It’s freezing out here. What were you thinking?”

Dom grinned. “The best way to get you to take care of me. Thought I could catch my death and all, and you’d be stuck nursing me back to health.”

“Of course yeh did. Cheeky bugger.”

“But I’m your cheeky bugger, Billy,” Dom said, kissing his cheek.

You’re damned certain.

“That yeh are. Now, let’s get you home, so I can warm you up,” Billy said, grinning.

anniversary

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