fellowshippers | (no subject)

Title: Matchmaker, Matchmaker p.4
Author: Edgespet
Rating: Probably R, for language
Pairing: Billy/Dom
Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah...not real, never happened. Don't remind me!
Feedback: please,please...need,want, crave
A/N: Orlando & Dom's turn to have THE talk. This took longer than I had expected. Dom wasn't being very co-operative. This is my first venture into slash writing so any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Not beta-ed so all mistakes are my own. Just a thought, Orli gets a little intense in this part and I hope it doesn't seem overdone. That's the way I see him though ... care-free & fun-loving, but still very intense and deep when it comes to something that truly matters to him, like his friends' happiness. Please let me know what you think!

Dominic Monaghan was many things ... funny, lively, sexy. One thing Dom was not, however,was quiet. Orlando cast a worried glance at the man sitting slumped in his passenger seat. Dom had barely said hello as he climbed into Orlando's Jeep and hadn't spoken a word since. Orlando was pretty sure he knew what the problem was, but he wasn't at all sure how to go about broaching the subject, in spite of his confident words to Viggo the previous week. He still didn't see what was wrong with just locking Billy and Dom up in a room and not letting them out until they had shagged each other senseless. Orlando smiled a bit as he recalled Viggo's look of absolute horror at his suggestion. Of course he hadn't been serious, but he was beginning to think the idea had some merit after all.

"You ok, Dommie? You're awfully quiet over there."

Dom sighed softly before he answered. "I'm fine, Orli. Just tired. I think maybe I should have just stayed home and crashed tonight. Billy had the right idea."

Orlando couldn't help noticing the wistfulness in the way Dom said this last sentence. " Come on, mate ... we're here now. Let's just go have a good time. I'll even buy the first round!"

Walking into the pub, they immediately noticed the table where the rest of the Fellowship was gathered and headed in that direction. Orlando hoped that being with the others would be enough to pull Dom out of his funk. If not, he would be forced to take things into his own hands. What had he been thinking when he had told Viggo he would be subtle? Subtle was not really Orlando's style. An hour and several beers later, Orlando headed back to the table after a round of enthusiastic dancing. He noticed that the others had all drifted of in various directions and Dom was sitting there alone looking even more morose than before. Ok, Bloom, you gotta do this carefully ... don't screw it up! Orlando took a deep breath and sat down next to his friend.

"D' you want to talk about it, Dommie?"

"Talk about what?"

"About whatever it is that's bothering you tonight."

"Nothing's bothering me. I told you, I'm just tired."

"Mmm hmmm. Tell me, Dom, this thing that's not bothering you - have you ever thought about just telling him?"

Dom's head jerked up and his eyes went wide as they met Orlando's. "Are you insane?! I could never ... it would ruin ... oh, fuck! How did you know? Am I that obvious about it?"

Orlando couldn't help giggling at his friend's discomfort, earning himself a glare that rivalled Karl's. "I'm sorry, mate. I just don't think I've ever seen you get so rattled before." Orli's voice suddenly turned serious. "Seriously, Dom, why don't you just talk to Billy? What harm could it possibly do?"

Dom stared at the other man like he had completely lost his mind. "What harm could it do? Jesus, Orli, do you even have to ask? He's my best friend. The best friend I've ever had. I can't risk losing that. What if he freaks out and doesn't ever want to see me again? What if he's so disgusted ... I can't do it, Orli. No matter how much this hurts, I can't take the chance of driving him away forever. I just can't..." Dom's stormy grey eyes shone with unshed tears as his voice trailed off.

Orlando reached across the table and laid his hand over his friend's shaking one. In a soft voice he asked, "And what if he feels the same way, Dom? What if Billy's been wrestling with these same feelings because he's afraid of losing you? Dom, listen to me. When I had my accident and I was laying there in that bed wondering if I would ever walk again, I made a promise to myself. One that you need to take to heart. I vowed to never let my fear of something stand in my way. Damn it, it's worth the risk! Can't you see that? You're staring at a chance for an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime love. Don't let it slip away because you're afraid. You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you do. Go to him, Dommie. Talk to him. Trust me, Billy is just as crazy about you as you are about him. "

Dom stared at Orlando, amazed at both his insight and his intensity. "Maybe you're right, Orli. I just ... I love him so much ... I can't imagine what I would do if I lost him. Do you really think he..." He was cut off by the ring of his cell phone. He looked at the number and felt his heart skip a beat. Holding up a finger to Orlando to hold on, he answered the phone.

"Hey, Bills! ... No, nothing really, just sitting here talking to the elf ... yeah, sure ...is everything ok? ... Yeah, give me about ten minutes ... you sure everything's ok? ... Ok then, see you in a few minutes."

Dom flipped the phone closed and turned to Orlando. "He ... he wants me to come over ... he said he wants to talk to me. Can you give me a lift over there, Orli?"

Orlando was off the chair and tugging on Dom's arm before Dom could even finish his question. "So what are you waiting on, Monaghan? Come on!"

Seven minutes later, Dominic found himself standing on Billy's front porch watching the taillights of Orli's jeep fading away and wondering what in the hell was going to happen next. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.