Broken Pavement 3/4

[aduialelin.livejournal.com]

Broken Pavement 3/4
By autumnlecroix
Monaboyd
Rated R
Disclaimer: I intend no harm to any of the actors mentioned within this story. I don't know them, and I don't know anything about this. This is purely fiction and I am making no profit from this.
Summary: The laughs and hardships Dom and Billy face as friends, morphing into something more. The challenges they face trying to cope with what their relationship is changing in to.
~~Each part is a mini story that is part of the whole mapping the journey that two friends make.
Author's notes: This story is completed. It's rather long, hence why I broke it up into 4 parts. (this one is my favourite part)


Previous parts can be found here (ch. 1) and here (ch. 2).



It was a lazy Monday morning and Dom and Billy were sitting around the kitchen table reading the day’s headlines picking here and there at the lavish breakfasts Dom would always make when they had a day off. It had been 2 weeks since Dom won the poker game and Billy expressed his unease about living together. He woke up the next day with a rather nasty hangover, so Dom wasn’t sure if he even remember the previous night’s conversation or not. He gave no indication if he did, so Dom assumed he didn’t, or just didn’t want to act like he did.

“So I was thinking of packing up my stuff today and moving back into my old apartment.” Dom said rather nonchalantly while acting like he was immersed in the day’s headlines.

Billy dropped his paper just enough to look at Dom over the top of it. “Indeed?”

“Yes, well, seeing as you’re all better, and I’ve got this perfectly good apartment waiting for me, there’s no sense in letting it go to waste, right?”

“Whatever works for you.” Billy said gently, hiding his expression behind the front page not allowing Dom to see his face.

“Yah, I figured you were getting tired of all the comments we were getting from the boys, and I kinda need my space, so I figured I’d just grab my stuff and move back in to my old place.”

Billy dropped his paper slowly and cocked his brow, looking at Dom incredulously. “You need your “space”?” Billy stifled a small chuckle. “You make it sound like we’re an old married couple. I’m not keeping you here. Of course you can go whenever you please. That’s entirely up to you.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Dom stumbled, trying to piece his sentence together in his head before saying it aloud. “I guess I just miss bring girls back from the bar, ya’know? And being able to walk around my flat naked, and…and…I don’t know! I just miss being a pig in my own space.”

Billy laughed softly and smiled at Dom over the paper. “No prob., mate. I’ll help you get your stuff together, okay?”

Dom nodded. “Thanks.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Although Billy would never admit it, he felt like part of him was moving out with Dom. Not that he had grown dependant on him, but he had grown used to having another person around the apartment with him. He had grown accustomed to the lavish meals Dom would cook for them on their days off, and he had begun to enjoy the nights they would stay up way too late watching a movie and just sack out on the couch.

But if Dom wanted to leave, then Billy wouldn’t stop him. After all, a caged bird never sings.

While helping Dom shove his random objects and clothes into boxes, he thought back on what had caused Dom to “move in” in the first place. He never really had ever thanked him for his help.

“Dom?” Billy asked, stopping his packing and looking at his friend.

“Yah, man?” Dom paused mid-toss and let the shirt fall aimlessly to the side of its intended target.

“Thank you.” Billy said softly, smiling warmly.

Dom gave him a puzzled look. “For what? You’re the one helping me get my shit together.”

“For helping me. Staying by me and being my friend even when I wasn’t a very good friend to you. I can honestly say I couldn’t have beat this without your help.”

Dom walked over to Billy and wrapped his small friend in a great big hug. “I’m just glad you’re okay. You would have done the same for me.”

Billy smiled in Dom’s embrace. “Aye,” he whispered softly, “I would have.” Billy pulled away from Dom and continued to smile brightly. “Oh, and Dom?”

“Hm?” He turned back to grabbing various shirts and tossing them to the box in the corner.

“You were right.” Finally starting to work again, Billy turned his glance away from Dom and picked up a few random socks off the floor.

“Right? About what, mate?”

“You said one day I’d thank you for this. You were right. I’m thanking you for what you did. I don’t even want to think about what would have happened had you not stepped in and physically forced me to stop. I was slowly killing myself and I didn’t even realize it, or care to realize it.”

Dom stopped what he was doing and looked at Billy again. “You know, if you ever DID do something foolish enough to kill yourself, or died from something else, I would probably die too.” Dom said softly, his voice seriously calm.

Billy looked at his friend again. His eyes were burning into his forehead and he didn’t really know what to say. “No, don’t say such a thing. You have too much to live for, to dwell on something that happened, or might happen to me. I mean, the sentiment means a lot but-“

“No," Dom interrupted him. "I’m serious. I said my greatest fear was to be alone. And that, my friend, is why I would die if something ever happened to you.”

Billy furrowed his brow; not quite sure how to take what Dom had just told him. He knew that he was serious by his tone of voice and the look on his face, but he wasn't sure of the underlying meaning Dom was getting at.

They both returned back to what they were doing and lapsed into a thick silence. Finally finished getting Dom’s stuff together, they lugged it out to Dom’s car. Standing on the stoop of Billy’s appt, Dom grabbed Billy in a short tight embrace. “See you tomorrow morning mate bright and early when I come pick you up for feet, okay?”

All Billy could do was nod. He didn’t really want Dom to leave, but knew he really couldn’t say anything against it, cause yah, caged bird. Finally finding his voice, he tried to speak up. “Hey Dom?”

“Yah, Bill?”

“Elijah and Orlando are roommates.” There. That seemed to make sense, right?

Dom nodded, as if expecting Billy to go on. “I know, and?”

“Well, it seems to work out for them. Right?”

“What seems to work out for them?” Dom’s brow slumped across his forehead.

“Living together. Orlando brings home a girl every other night, and that’s fine with Elijah.”

“Oh.” Dom sighed gently. “Yah, well, Orlando doesn’t have his own apartment, because if he did, I’m sure he’d be there instead.” He said softly.

Billy nodded. “Yah, you’re probably right. G’night Dom.”

“G’night Billy.”

And with that, Dom trotted down the steps and drove away for the first time in 2 months with Billy staring after him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What’s on your mind, Little man?” Orlando asked casually, sipping on his beer from the bar.

It had been a month since Dom had moved back into his own apartment.

“I don’t know.” Billy mused, staring into his glass.

“What happened with you and Dom?” He pried.

Billy cast a sideways glance at Orlando. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. You two were inseparable for a few months there, now you two don’t seem as close.” Orlando paused, taking another drink. “I don’t really know. It’s difficult to explain. It’s not like you two got in a fight, because you still get along really well. It’s just as thought you’re not as close as you used to be.”

Billy shrugged. Orlando was one observant little bugger. “I really don’t know, Orlando. Dom had stayed with me for a couple months because he was helping me out with a few problems, the problems cleared up, and he went back to his own apartment. It’s not like anything really changed, it just went back to normal I suppose.”

Orlando looked at Billy, his eyes a deep unreadable brown. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “That’s where you’re wrong. Things did change and that’s why you’re melancholy now. You didn’t know how to deal, Dom moved out, and now you don’t know what’s up from down.”

Billy looked at Orlando a little more than shocked. “How did you-“

“Know?” Orlando finished for him. “I didn’t, but watching you two every day in and out you pick up a few things.” He took another drink. “But I can tell you this,” he added. “You two both seemed a lot happier when you were roommates, and I sure as hell miss our poker nights.”

Billy laughed. “Aye, those were fun, weren’t they?”

Orlando nodded. “Why did they stop?”

Billy shrugged, trying to think of a good answer. “You know what, Orlando? I really don’t know.”

“Bean and Viggo like to claim they stopped because they got too rich for our blood and we got tired of them taking all our money.” Orlando rolled his eyes. “Smelly humans.” He added as an afterthought.

Billy smiled and chuckled a little to himself. “I’ll never forget the night Dom got that royal flush. It was absolutely priceless.”

“Oh I know!” Orlando exclaimed. “We’ll never see one of those again, probably. That was a once in a lifetime thing.”

“Exactly.” Billy laughed. “Dom will be remembering that one for the rest of his life.”

Billy called the bartended over to get him another scotch and ordered another one for Orlando while the bartender was over there.

“Hey, Billy?”

“Yah, Elf boy?”

“Did you ever think about it?” Orlando looked straight ahead, seemingly off into space.

Billy frowned, puzzled. “Think about what?” He questioned.

“Think about you. And Dom. Together.” He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Um, no. Not really. Can’t say that I ever thought about Dom. And I. Together.” Billy looked at Orlando, and took another sip of his scotch. “I mean, he’s my best friend, but I’ve never really thought about him like that. I’m a skirt chaser, not a shirt lifter.”

Orlando turned to look at Billy again. “Don’t lie to yourself, Billy. Sure you have. You had to have.” Orlando paused. “Especially with everyone giving you two shit when Dom was staying with you. Don’t tell me it never crossed your mind.”

Billy gave a long pause and sat in silence, thinking about how to answer to Orlando, but more importantly, try and think if he ever thought of Dom…like that. “I don’t know. I really don’t know. I guess, if I did, it was fleeting. I mean, fuck. I don’t know. I love Dom, but not like that. You know?”

“Billy, love is love. No matter what form it’s in.”

Billy was taken slightly aback from his friends words. His mind was reeling and he wasn’t drunk enough to deal with this properly. He opened his mouth, finishing the contents of his glass and pushed it aside grabbing the new one the bartender had brought. “Well fuck Dom and I for a second, what about you and Elijah? Have you ever thought about that?”

“Of course I have.” Orlando said naturally and comfortably. “And he has too.”

“But you two are just friends, right?” Billy paused, “You ARE just friends, right?”

Orlando laughed, “Yes, we are. But see, I don’t love Elijah and he doesn’t love me. We love each other as friends, but I couldn’t ever fully love Elijah, not like you and Dom.”

“What do you mean, “like me and Dom”?”

Orlando took a deep sigh and also finished off his glass. “Billy, Dom is your best friend, right?” Billy nodded slowly, trying to follow what the elf was saying. “And, what would your life be like without him in it?”

“I don’t know. I can honestly say after having met him, I can’t picture my life without him. He’s my best mate, that’s the way it’s supposed to be, right?”

“Well, yes, but I can picture my life without Elijah in it, and him me. When he’s gone, I’ll miss him as a friend, but part of me won’t be missing. Have you ever thought of it that way? What would you ever do if Dom got into some sort of accident?”

Suddenly Billy’s face went flat. “Dom,” he grasped at words, “Dom said, if, accident, he…” Billy couldn’t finish. He was finally starting to grasp what Orlando’s meaning was.

Orlando nodded as though he already knew what Billy was trying to say. “Billy, there’s no such thing as gay, bi, or straight. Love doesn’t see those typologies. It just sees two people who care about each other. Straight or not, you love him, don’t you?”

“I, um,” Billy stuttered, “Well I guess I do. I just never thought of it like that before.”

“Well maybe you should. Whatever he did for you a few months ago must have been huge. He rearranged his life for you. Did you ever ask him why he ended up leaving? I mean, you two were obviously happier when you were rooming together, so why would he leave that?”

“He told me why he left. He said he “needed his own space” and that he figured I was sick and tired of people’s comments about us being “together” when we weren’t. He said he missed having the chance to bring girls back to his flat and he missed the bachelor’s life.”

“Right. And were you tired of people’s comments?” Orlando kept urging him on, trying to make Billy realize what he had already come to realize months ago.

“Well, a little, but it really didn’t matter too much. I mean, they were just teasing.” Billy said, trying to puzzle everything together.

“And Dom, has he brought any girls back to his apartment since he moved back to his flat?”

Billy sat and puzzled that for a few minutes. “To be honest, I really don’t know. I mean, he picks me up every morning for feet but we never talk about each other’s conquests with women.”

“Did you before?”

“Well, yah, a little bit I suppose.”

“And why do you think that changed?”

Billy finally squinched his eyes together and pulled his stool away from the bar. “Fuck Orlando, I really don’t know. I see what you’re getting at, and I just can’t piece it together. I really don’t think that. I mean, whether I care about Dom or not has nothing to do with the fact that Dom is the one that left freely, Dom is the one who does what Dom wants to do. He could come back if he wanted to, or he could tell me about whatever he wants. I don’t press it because it’s really none of my business.”

“Did you ever tell him you didn’t want him to leave?”

“Christ Orlando, what even makes you think that I didn’t want him to leave?”

“Look at yourself, Billy. We wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation if you didn't care. You wouldn’t be folding your mind up over and over again about this if you didn’t care. You were both happier, so why wouldn’t I draw that conclusion?”

Billy sighed deeply. “I tried to, but I suppose it was already too late. It was more in passing then a direct statement, but he didn’t say anything to what I did say, so I figured it was for the best.”

Orlando nodded. “Where is he tonight?”

Billy shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure.”

“Thought about trying his mobile?”

“And say what, exactly, “Hi Dom, been talking with Orlando and think that maybe I love you as more than a friend?” “Hi Dom, I miss living with you, will you move back in?” No, I think I’ll save that conversation for another night, thank you very much.”

“I think you’ve got less time on your side then you realize.” Orlando said gently, running his fingers through the condensation on the counter.

“Oh?” Billy arched his eyebrows. “I wasn’t aware that I was working against the clock.”

“That’s not exactly what I meant, but take it how you will. I was just saying that if you don’t do it now, you probably never will, and Dom’s a great catch. Personally, I would try and tell him before he gets married.” Orlando polished off his second drink and pushed it away from him.

“What on earth are you on? Dom’s not getting married. He’s not even seeing anyone.”

“I know. But days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, and months turn into years. Don’t let this slip through your fingers leaving you wondering ‘what if’ for the rest of your life. If anything just talk it over with Dom and see what he says. I think you may be surprised." Orlando paused, casually looking down the bar past Billy. "Then again, maybe not.”

“Um, thanks? I think….” Billy said, finishing off his drink as well, standing up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week had passed since Billy and Orlando’s talk at the pub and it had been playing in Billy’s mind over and over. Everytime he saw Dom there was that new added “what if” attached to it all. Orlando was right. They had drifted apart since Dom left and went back to his own apartment.

Sitting at home at his kitchen table, Billy picked up the phone and dialed, ignoring the fact that it was 1 in the morning and they had feet the next day.

“’Lo?” can a sleepy greeting

“Hey, Dom. I couldn’t sleep. I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”

Dom groaned into the phone and cleared his voice. “No, it’s alright. What’s up, man?”

“I don’t know. It’s no big deal, I’ll just talk to you another time when you’re awake, sorry for waking you up.”

“Well, I’m awake now and all ears, so what’s on your mind?” Billy could hear Dom sitting up in his bed. He blushed slightly.

“So, um, I went out with Orlando last week and we ending up having this conversation.” Billy paused, readjusting himself in the chair trying to find a more comfortable position. “We sort of talking about why you were here and why you left.”

“So you told Orlando why I stayed with you?”

“Well no, not exactly, but I said that you were being a friend to me by doing so.”

“So,” Dom said, trying to figure out what Billy was trying to say through his sleep addled brain. “You called me up to tell me that you told Orlando that I stayed with you to be your friend.”

Billy gave a frustrated sigh. “No, I called you up to ask you why you left. To ask you why we don’t talk much anymore.” He paused, then added more gently, “to ask you what changed.” He heard Dom take a deep breath and then exhale. “I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t have called you so late. We can talk another time, okay?” Billy said nervously into the phone when Dom didn’t reply after a brief pause.

“Godamnit, Billy. Will you quit trying to run away?” Dom said in a frustrated tone. “I’m not going to blow you off. I just woke up so my brain is probably running a little bit slower than yours is, but it’s still running, so can you please try and chill?”

“Sorry” Billy replied meekly.

Dom heaved a sigh. “I’ll be over in 5, okay?”

“Okay.” Billy answered, and hung up the phone.

Dom arrived five minutes later, and let himself in. He obviously had just rolled out of bed and got in the car. He didn’t have a shirt on, and his boxers were wrinkled and clinging slightly to his body. “Wow, um, hey there.” Billy said, looking Dom up and down.

“Yes, nice to see you too.” Dom said dryly as he grabbed the sleeve of Billy’s shirt and started tugging. “Come on.” Dom commanded as Billy let himself be drug to where Dom was leading.

He pulled the two of them into Billy’s bedroom and flopped down on the bed, burrowing himself under the covers. “Okay. Now that I’m comfortable, what were you saying?”

Billy blinked a few times trying to adjust his eyes to the dark bedroom, trying to focus more clearly on Dom’s mounded form beneath the covers. “You’re telling me you hung up the phone and drove over here just so you can sleep in my bed?”

“No.” Dom said simply. “I’m telling you that I hung up the phone and drove over here so I didn’t have to deal with you trying to hang up the phone on me. What you had to say was obviously important or you wouldn’t have rang me at 1 in the morning to try and tell me.”

“Fair enough.” Billy turned around to walk out of the bedroom.

“Where are you going?” Dom called after him.

Billy turned back and smiled, even though Dom probably couldn’t see it through the darkness. “Chill out! I’m just going to turn the lights off in the rest of the flat. I’ll be right back, okay?” Billy could hear what sounded like nodding, so he turned and shut all the lights off.

He came back to the bedroom and carefully stepped through the darkness to lie on the bed next to where his friend was. “Still awake?” Billy asked cautiously. He could now make out Dom’s form more clearly. He was burrowed beneath the covers in fetal position holding on tightly to the blanket, breathing softly.

“Mmmhmmm.” Dom replied softly. “Still going to tell me what you found so important to call me up in the middle of the night and wake me up?”

“MmmHmmm.” Billy answered, staring up at the black ceiling.

The room lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

“Well?” Dom asked finally.

“Why did you leave?” Billy asked softly. He turned his head to look at Dom.

Dom shifted his position from beneath the covers and lie on his back, staring back at Billy. “Because, you were back to normal again, and it seemed like the right thing to do. I stayed to make sure you didn’t take anymore pills, and I left when I knew you wouldn’t.”

Billy nodded. He made it sound so logical; so cut and dry. “Then if it’s that simple, why don’t we talk much anymore?”

Dom thought. Billy could tell he was trying to work out what to say in his mind. Finally, he spoke up. “We do talk, every day. I’m your Merry and you’re my Pip, right?”

Billy exhaled gently. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

Dom sighed. “Yah, I know. I just didn’t know quite how to answer that.”

There was another long pause.

“I miss you.” Billy said softly, barely audible.

“But I’m right here.”

“I know…” Billy’s voice trailed off. “That’s why I love you.”

“I love you too, Bill. Everything will be okay. We’ve just been busy with filming and stressed out from working so hard.” Dom rationalized. “You’re my best friend. You don’t think I’d ever let anything happen to that, do you?”

Billy couldn’t help but smile. “No, I suppose I don’t. I wouldn’t either.”

Billy lay there for a long time simply listening to the even breathing of his friend next to him. “Dom…”

“Hm?”

“Have you ever…” Billy couldn’t quite bring himself to ask. The one question he really wanted an answer too, he just couldn’t find the words to say.

“Have I ever what?”

“Have you ever…thought about us?”

Dom turned his head and looked at Billy. Even through the dark, Billy could see his friend’s brow arched. “Of course I think about us. I think about us all the time. You’re my best friend.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh.” Dom said in a dejected tone. “Then what did you mean?”

Billy closed his eyes and gripped at the comforter with his hands. “I mean, have you ever thought about us.” He paused “Together.” He added to clarify.

Dom’s response was not quite what Billy had anticipated. He stifled a bit of a chuckle and smiled. “And you ask this as we’re laying in bed next to each other in the dark.”

Billy couldn’t help but chuckle too. Dom was right, it did seem a bit ridiculous. “Aye, I suppose that is a tad ironic.”

“It is.” Dom replied, without actually answering Billy’s question.

Billy didn’t press the answer. The question was out there, Dom had heard it and he would answer it when he was ready to. Still, Billy’s stomach couldn’t help but knot itself up in anticipation of what his friend would say. After about five minutes, Dom finally spoke up.

“Yes, I suppose I have.” He answered quietly. “What brought this up? Asking your best mate if they’ve thought about you as more of a friend isn’t exactly casual conversation.”

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. Well, especially after you left, but even more-so after having a long conversation with Orlando about it.”

“You mean you went to Orlando and talked about our alleged relationship, or in this case, lack there of?” Dom asked, in a rather assuming manner.

Billy started to get defensive. “No! It wasn’t like that at all. We were at the bar one night, and it was more like Orlando talking at me making me realize a few things.”

“And what did you realize?” he asked more gently.

“Oh, I don’t know. I suppose it doesn’t really matter. I guess what I’m saying is he made me start thinking about some things I had never really thought about before.”

“What the fuck kind of answer is that? Like hell it doesn’t matter, Billy!” Dom sat up in bed and looked down at Billy. “Don’t feed me some bullshit about it not mattering to you, because it obviously does. Fuck you for thinking we’re not good enough friends for you to be able to think that I’d actually buy that line of shit from you.” Dom was visibly getting mad. “You’re telling me that you called me at 1 in the morning to tell me something that’s obviously been bugging you for a week, to say that what you realized doesn’t matter?” Dom started moving his arms around in frustration. “And you say this AFTER you ask me if I’ve ever thought about us as more then friends?” Dom heaved a loud frustrated sigh. “For Christ’s sake, Billy, what kind of crack do you think I’m on?”

It was now Billy’s turn to sit up in bed. “Godamnit Dom,” Billy snapped, “would you shut the fuck up for just a minute and let me fucking finish? If you supposedly know me so fucking well then maybe you’d realize that this is kind of difficult for me.” Billy was frustrated on the brink of anger. He hadn’t expected this conversation to go like this at all. All he wanted to do was run away and not have to look at the man sitting next to him for a long long time. “You know what? Just get the fuck out of here. I don’t even want to tell you anymore. Fuck. I was probably wrong anyway.” Billy quieted down, “I don’t know who you are anymore.” He added beneath his breath.

“Ouch.” Dom said softly. “That one cuts even lower then you basically kicking me out.”

“I’m sorry.” Billy whispered.

“I know.” Dom took a deep breath. “It’s not the fact that you said it that hurts, it’s the fact that you mean it.”

“What happened, Dom? We were supposed to be best friends, what went wrong? Why did you leave?”

“I left because I thought that’s what you wanted…needed…I don’t know. I left because you got drunk one night and told me that you were wierded out by what people said about us.”

“I don’t—“

“No,” Dom interrupted, “Of course you wouldn’t remember. You were too drunk to even see straight. But I heard you loud and clear. A drunk man’s words are a sober man’s thoughts, right?”

“Dom, I…” Billy trailed off. “I don’t know what to say.” He hung his head and stared into his lap. “I never wanted you to leave.”

“Oh really?” Dom chuckled bitterly. “Well you could have fooled me.”

“And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Billy snapped.

“It means that you fucking helped me pack. You never tried to stop me. You even practically told me to go.”

“I thought you wanted to go. You’re the one who fucking said he needed space. YOU'RE the one who wanted to be the “bachelor” and bring girls back. You’re the one who broached the idea in the first place.”

“I never really wanted to leave.” Dom said, finally, barely above a whisper.

“I never wanted you to leave either.” Billy said.

Each one sat in silence for a few minutes, calming down, letting their adrenaline levels return to normal.

“You know I love you, right?” Dom asked finally.

“Yah, I do.” Billy answered softly, not looking at Dom, just staring at the front of the room. “I felt like part of me was missing when we weren’t really talking.”

Dom nodded. “Yah, I know.” Dom paused. “I told you I hated being alone.”

Billy finally dragged his eyes to look at Dom. He tried as hard as he could to focus on his friend in the dark and read his expression. “Dom, you never were alone.” Billy gently comforted, trying to figure out why his friend felt like he was alone.

“Wasn’t I?” he asked rhetorically. “It sure as hell felt like I was.”

Billy inhaled and exhaled deeply. “Dom, why did you say that if anything ever happened to me, you wouldn’t want to go on?”

“Because, Billy. You’re not just my best friend, you’re like my other half and half a person can’t function without their other half.”

Billy turned his head and looked out of the window. It was still night outside, but the black had started to soften into a midnight blue. Dawn was coming soon, and neither one of them had gotten any sleep.

Billy took a deep sigh and got out of bed. “I think I’ve come to realize that it wasn’t the fact that our friendship changed that caused this rift. It was my inability to deal with it and move on to help it grow and change some more. A metamorphosis of sorts.” He said slowly. He stood tall, arching his back, stretching.

Dom’s eyes followed his friends’ every move. “Why were you so afraid of the changes? Was it me?”

Billy walked across the room to his dresser and lit the three candles that were sitting on top of it. A soft golden glow filled the room and he came back to the bed and sat back down, beneath the covers this time rather then on top of them like before. He turned to look at Dom and shook his head. “No, it wasn’t you. It was never you. I just didn’t know what the changes meant. I still don’t know what they mean. I was afraid of them because…” Billy struggled to try and explain what he was feeling. “Because I didn’t know if I was interpreting them the same way you were.” His voice dropped. “I didn’t know if I was even supposed to interpret them the way I did.”

“Billy,” Dom said softly, “you can’t stop the tide from coming in.”

Billy nodded gently. “No, Dom, you can’t. And you can’t stop it from going out either.”

“True, but that doesn’t mean you run away from the it. It will always be there, no matter what you do.”

“Will it, Dom?” Billy met Dom’s eyes, finally able to see them clearly with the new source of light in the room. “Will it?”

“Just because you ignore the ocean doesn’t mean it will suddenly go away. That’s a pretty big piece of space to suddenly up and disappear.” Billy watched the candlelight twinkle and refract in his friend’s eyes.

“And the world wouldn’t be the same without it. It wouldn’t be able to function.” He was beginning to see Dom’s point.

“So even if you don’t see the ocean every day, or you live far away from it, or you don’t even think about it very often, you still love it. It’s still apart of you. It always will be.”

“But Dom, what’s this got to do with us? With our friendship?”

Dom couldn’t understand why Billy still didn’t get it. “Because Billy, it has everything to do with us. Everything. No matter what happens, I’m still going to be there for you.” Dom heaved a sigh. “I don’t know what’s going on up in that head of yours, but I sure wish I knew.” He said gently.

“I’m afraid of what to do next.” Billy answered quietly.

“Do you even know what to do next?”

Billy pursed his lips together and frowned slightly. “No, I guess I don’t. I’m really confused.”

Dom nodded. There was another long silence, but it wasn’t so uncomfortable this time. Both of them were lost in their thoughts, and unsure of what to say next.

“Have you ever thought about us?” Dom asked.

Billy turned his head to look at Dom, and smiled. “Aye, I have, though I can honestly say I was afraid to do it until Orlando convinced me it was alright.”

“And what exactly did you think about?” Dom pushed a little more.

Billy shrugged his shoulders slightly. “I don’t know. Sort of everything and nothing. When you were staying with me,” Billy blushed, “and this is going to sound so lame,” he raised his hand to his face and pinched the arch in his nose between his eyes, shielding part of his face, “it reminded me of what I had wanted my life to be like when I finally got married.” He closed his eyes, not moving his hand. “Sharing the space, being with someone you care deeply about and enjoying life. It was like…a marriage of sorts, only with your best friend instead of a lass.”

Half expecting Dom to laugh, half expecting him to leave, Billy put his hand down and looked at Dom slightly, still not making direct eye contact. “I guess I thought it was wrong to think of such a situation like that, because that’s really not how you intended it to be at all. It just sort of…”

“Happened.” Dom finished for him.

Billy nodded. “Aye. And I didn’t really know how to deal with that, so I just tried to ignore it. And ended up doing a pretty damn good job of it, until you left, then everything sort of blew up in my face.”

Dom reached over and captured Billy’s hand in his own. “I didn’t intend to leave like that. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“I know.” Billy nodded. “I know” he said even softer. “But it did. And I guess, as stupid as this is to say, I’m kind of glad it did happen, because if it didn’t, then you wouldn’t be here right now.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“And it’s weird. It’s not like I sit here and fantasize about kissing you, or like, seeing you naked like I do lasses’, but at the same time, I don’t like to think of my life without you, ya’know? When you left, everything opened up and felt so empty. It was like part of me had left with you.”

Dom grinned. “You don’t think about me naked?”

Billy grinned back and playfully smacked his friend’s shoulder. “Narcissist.”

Dom raised his eyebrow and looked back at Billy, setting his mouth into a challenging grin. “Voyeur.”

“Voyeur!!?? Where the fuck did you get that???” Billy said, shocked.

“Don’t want to see me naked, MY ASS. YOU’RE the one who looked me up and down when I walked into your apartment earlier tonight.” Dom said smugly.

“You came in bloody HALF naked! What the hell did you expect?”

“True true, but you didn’t need to look as LONG as you did.” Dom replied, wiggling his eyebrows.

“You are totally on crack.” Billy said shaking his head, folding his arms across his chest. “You need bloody glasses”

“Hey, I can’t help it if you think I’m attractive.” Dom said with a raised eyebrow, his face set in total arrogance.

“I…” Billy blanked. “I do NOT.”

“Admit it. You really do.” Dom challenged. “And it’s okay, Billy. I think you’re pretty a-okay yourself.”

Billy gawked. He couldn’t believe he was sitting in bed next to Dom, having a conversation about whether he was attractive or not.

“I’m only OKAY???” Billy rolled his eyes. “Well, if I’m only ‘okay' as you call it, then that must make you so-so.” He said smugly.

Dom arched his eyebrow and smiled. “Are you saying that you’re better looking than me, Boyd?”

Billy smirked. “I do believe I am.”

The two of them were startled out of their little argument when Billy’s alarm started chirping, signaling that it was 4:30 in the morning.

“Oh shite, we’ve got to go to feet.”

“Bugger.” Dom rolled over and smacked Billy’s alarm clock, throwing it off the table it was perched on.

Billy looked at Dom warily and then mournfully down at the broken clock. “What did it ever do to you?”

“It told me I needed to go to work. That’s what it did.” Dom practically pouted, his bottom lip pushed forward, his brow furrowed deeply.

“Well trust me. I don’t think it will ever do it again.” Billy eyed his now dead alarm clock. “I don’t think it will every tell anybody that it’s time to get up again.” Billy hung his head to momentarily mourn his dead alarm clock. “Sweet alarm clock, telling people that it was time to get up for work. Lived its life innocently on the side of William Boyd’s bed. Rest in peace.”

Dom gave Billy an odd look. “You’re psycho.”

Billy narrowed his eyebrows at Dom. “And you’re the one who kills innocent alarm clocks.”

“That’s it!” Dom shouted, hopping out of bed. “I GET THE SHOWER FIRST!!!” Billy’s eyes widened as he realized he had been had, and watched his half naked friend bolt from his bedroom and run down the hall to the bathroom.

Billy’s mobile went off while Dom was in the shower. Shooting had been canceled for that day due to some technical difficulties and was rescheduled for later in the week. They had the day off.

Grinning ear to ear, Billy got out of bed, stripped to his boxers, and climbed back under the covers reveling in the warmth. He closed his eyes, nestling further into his cozy bed, but couldn’t stop smiling.

He heard his bedroom door open and felt the full effects of his wet friend jumping on top of him. “OOMPH!”

“BILLYYYYY!” Dom shouted in his ears.

Billy tried to cover his ears with is hands and closed his eyes tightly. “Nope. Not leaving this cozy bed.”

“But Billy, we’ve got to get to feet!” Dom rolled off Billy, stood up, and then ripped every cover on the bed off, leaving a small lump of Billy, now shivering from the invading cold.

Billy pried one eye open and eyed his friend, who was now standing at the foot of the bed, jaw agape, staring at him. “What?” Billy asked innocently, imaginary devil horns poking out of his head.

“You…you’re….” Dom stammered. “When did you get undressed?” He blinked, and opened his eyes again, as if that would make Billy reappear with more clothing on.

“While you were in the shower, and if you don’t mind, can I have some of my cover’s back?” Billy said, crawling to the foot of the bed to retrieve some of the blankets that Dom had thrown off. “And could you kindly move? You’re dripping and I don’t fancy sleeping with wet blankets.”

Dom’s face had regained some of its control, but still looked at Billy shocked. “Well put some clothes on! You can’t go to work looking like that!” Dom cried, flailing his arms about.

“First of all, that’s the pot calling the kettle black, mate. YOU’RE the one standing in front of me –ALSO- only wearing a pair of boxer shorts, which, might I add, are quite thoroughly soaked through and now clinging to you like a second skin…not that I looked or anything.” Billy grinned. “And secondly, we don’t have to work today. While you were in the shower Philipa called and told us shoots were canceled due to technical problems. Something wrong with Treebeard, or something like that.” Billy grabbed on to the edge of the blanket firmly and began to tug. “So if you don’t mind, I’d really like my blankets back, semi-dry, so I can get some sleep.”

Dom hopped off the blankets and looked down at himself. “It is NOT a second skin.” He muttered, pulling at the fabric of his boxers, trying to get it to come off his skin. “It’s just…snug fitting.”

Billy had covered himself back up and turned into his pillow, closing his eyes. “Sure they are.” He snickered. “They’re “snug” alright.” And he buried his face in his pillow knowing that any second Dom would realize that Billy was alluding to his friend’s semi-noticeable hard-on that was visible through his wet boxers.

“Fuck you, Boyd!” Dom muttered, still trying to fix his boxers so his hard on wasn’t as noticeable.

Billy popped his head back out from underneath his pillow. “I think I need you to refresh my memory, old age and all, who is the more attractive one here?” Billy asked smugly.

“You’re the one who looked!” Dom muttered defensively, now grabbing one of the blankets off the floor and wrapping it around himself.

Billy laughed, because Dom was now quite red, his ears burning brightly. “Right. And apparently, I’m not the only one.”

Dom cursed under his breath. “That’s it. I’m going home if we don’t have to work today. I’m fucking worn out by you. See you later.” Dom turned around and started to walk out of Billy’s bedroom.

“Dom, wait.” Billy called after his friend.

Dom paused and turned around. “Yes’m?”

Billy got a serious look on his face, looking at his friend. “Please don’t walk out again.” He asked softly.

Dom’s face broke into a warm smile. “Okay.” He paused. “Have you turned my bedroom into a storage area junk room yet?”

Billy chewed the bottom of his lip and nodded.

“That’s okay too.” Dom said gently, and walked forward and hopped into Billy’s bed next to him.

“Hey now! Wet man! Dry bed!” Billy objected, sliding as far away from Dom as he could without actually falling off the bed.

Dom arched his brow and looked at Billy. “I’m not the one who turned my bedroom into a storage room. You reap what you sew, mate.” Dom grinned.

“Bloody bugger.” Billy uttered under his breath and reached over and turned the lamp off. “Night, Dom.” He said quietly.

“Night Billy.” Dom answered, curling himself further into the blankets.

Morning light spilled into the room, but it was only minutes until they were both sleeping soundly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~