Pairing: Billy Boyd/Dominic Monaghan
Disclaimer: This is fiction. The lyrics belong to U2.
Warnings: RPS. PG-13
A/N: Thanks to
app1e_pi for the beta.
They twinkle as the boys
Play rock and roll
They know that they can't dance
At least they know
Moments Accrue
"I can't dance," Dom said.
"The first and hardest step is admitting you have a problem. Now the healing can begin," Billy said.
Dom rolled his eyes and shifted in his seat, lifting his foot onto the ottoman in front of him. "Ha bloody ha, Boyd. I meant that I can't dance because I have a fucking enormous puncture wound in my foot. Heal that, you bastard."
Billy feigned surprise. "Oh, was that you? The stoic fellow who shed not a tear when a sliver the size of the White Tree of Gondor was removed from his foot? I thought it was Viggo."
"You think you're funny, don't you?" Dom slumped glumly in the recliner.
"I know I'm funny," Billy said.
"I think I'll just stay home," Dom sulked.
"You wanker," Billy said fondly. "Elijah will be devastated if you miss his birthday."
"I don't feel like going out," Dom groused.
"I'll be devastated if you miss Elijah's birthday," Billy said. He almost sounded serious.
Dom looked up at him, trying to read his expression, but it was just the usual smart-arsed grin. "I don't know," he said, just to be difficult.
"Dominic," Billy said sternly. "You're going and that's final. Now get off your pathetic arse and get ready." He stood and shoved his feet into his shoes: leaned over and unexpectedly kissed the top of Dom's head. "I'll pick you up at half seven."
The door slammed behind him and Dom jumped. Cheek of him, he thought, the bossy cunt.
He hobbled down the hall to have a shower, smiling and touching his head where Billy had kissed him.
*
They'd been at the bar less than two hours when Billy appeared beside him looking unmistakably drinks sodden and sporting a paper hat fashioned from a page of the Wellington telephone book. He ordered another pint of lager and leaned heavily against Dom's side, sighing against his neck and then inhaling deeply.
"What was that?" Dom asked.
Billy stared at him, eyes bleary but intent. "What was what?" he replied. Their mouths were quite close.
Dom smirked. "Did you just sniff me?"
"What? You off your head?" Billy said crossly, putting some space in between them. "I was just ... breathing."
"All right," Dom said, taking a swig from his drink.
Billy yawned. "I'm just tired is all."
"And drunk," Dom added.
"That, too," Billy said, agreeably. "We'll get a taxi home."
"I can drive," Dom said. "I don't much feel like drinking."
Billy looked surprised. "You sure?" he asked.
"Yeah," Dom said, leaning in to nudge Billy with his hip. "I don't mind."
Billy smiled. "Dom, can I-" He hesitated. "Can I stay at yours tonight?"
Dom looked at Billy askance. "You're asking now?"
"Shut it, Monaghan," Billy said, but he was blushing. He turned and cadged a cigarette off a bloke at the bar, accepting a light and inhaling deeply. His hand was shaking.
Dom frowned and clasped Billy's shoulder. "Are you all right?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Billy shook Dom's hand off and reached for his drink. Dom stared at his profile, wondering, until Orlando came and dragged him off for a game of pool.
*
Dom leaned against the bar and watched the shining, sweaty faces stream by him from the dance floor, smiling when Elijah pressed through the crowd and threw a damp arm around Dom's neck and kissed him full on the mouth.
"Dom, my friend," Elijah announced with excessive, drunken solemnity, tangling his hand in the hem of Dom's shirt. "I love you, man."
Dom laughed. "I love you, too, mate. Happy birthday." He wrapped his arms around Elijah and hugged him.
Elijah squeezed him tightly. "Can I tell you something?" he asked.
"Of course," Dom said. "Anything."
"I am fucking wasted," Elijah stage-whispered.
Dom feigned incredulity. "Really, Lij?"
Elijah nodded earnestly, swaying on his feet. "Really. I think I'm going to puke, Dom."
"And that's my cue," Sean said, appearing at Elijah's side. "Let's get you home."
"Sean!" Elijah whirled around, hugging Sean clumsily. "You're still here!"
"It's 11:00, Lij," Sean said.
"In the morning?" Elijah asked, shocked.
"No, Elijah. 11:00 at night," Sean said.
"It's still Friday?" Elijah clarified.
"Yes," Sean answered, patient as a saint.
"How'd I get so messed up?" Elijah asked blearily.
"Tequila," Sean and Dom said in unison.
"Oh, yeah," Elijah nodded, then blanched. "Oh, no," he said, and turned and bolted for the toilets.
Sean rolled his eyes. "How's your foot, man?" he asked Dom, his expression even more earnest than usual.
"Better," Dom said. "Still throbs a bit though."
"Do you want a ride home?" Sean asked.
"No," Dom replied. "Billy's still here and he's bollocksed. I'll need to give him a lift."
Sean hugged him goodbye. "Drive carefully. See you Sunday," he said, and disappeared into the crowd.
*
"How'd you hurt your foot?" she asked, leaning in and resting her hand on his forearm.
"Pardon?" Dom asked, turning to look at the girl standing next to him.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard your friend asking about your foot and I just ... wondered." She was fair with dark hair and it was quite noticeable when she blushed, which she did then, and very prettily. "I'm Robin, by the way."
"Dom," he said.
They shook hands, and Dom smiled when he felt their rings clink together. "It's embarrassing," Dom said.
"What?" Robin asked, puzzled.
"My injury. I wish I could tell you that I work for the bomb squad and injured it in the line of duty, but it isn't quite that ... macho."
"Well now I'm really curious," Robin said. "I mean, if it's not macho, does that mean it's, like, a ballet injury?" She smirked and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Maybe synchronized swimming?"
Dom looked at her gravely. "Rhythmic gymnastics, actually. I got tangled in my ribbon."
Robin mirrored Dom's serious expression. "It's a dangerous sport."
"I knew the risks going in," he replied.
He wasn't sure who started laughing first.
*
He tucked the piece of paper with Robin's number into the pocket of his jeans and waved at her as he and Billy walked down the street toward the car.
"She seemed nice," Billy said peevishly. He was listing drunkenly to the left, so Dom reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer. Billy shot a sideways look at him, stumbling a bit and catching himself against a car door. The alarm started shrieking the instant he touched it.
"Oh for fuck sake!" Billy shouted, pulling his hand out of Dom's grasp and striding ahead, shoulders hunched and hands in pockets.
It started to rain.
"Billy!" Dom tried to walk faster, to catch him up, but his foot still smarted. Billy was waiting for him at the car, leaning against the door looking embarrassed. "You have the keys," he said, sounding almost sober.
"What's with you tonight?" Dom asked, brushing his damp hair off his forehead.
Billy snorted. "Nothing," he said. "Sorry. So, are you going to call her?"
"What?" Dom asked.
"Do you like her?" Billy said, exasperated.
"Of course I like her," Dom said, unlocking the car doors. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Right," Billy said, his eyes narrowing. He climbed into the passenger's seat.
Dom got into the driver's seat and started the engine. He waited for it to warm up. "Is there something you want to talk about?" he asked, staring at his hands on the wheel.
Billy buckled his seatbelt. "No," he said stiffly.
He turned to look at Billy, but Billy wouldn't meet his eyes. Dom watched him and waited.
"You want a photograph?" Billy snapped.
Dom waited some more. Billy tapped his fingers on the arm rest and stared out the rain-spattered window.
"Are we going to sit here all night?" he finally asked, his voice tight.
"Just until you tell me why you're being such a monumental arse," Dom replied, calmly.
"I'm an arse!" Billy spluttered. "What about you?"
"What about me?" Dom asked.
"You ... you know!" Billy yelled, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands.
"I don't know, Bill," Dom said, reaching over and laying a hand on Billy's back, feeling the muscles twitch under his palm. He let his hand drift up, threading his fingers through the hair at the nape of Billy's neck and tugging. "Look at me, please."
Billy shook his head no but looked up anyway, meeting Dom's eyes. His expression was so naked that Dom's breath stuttered out of him in a rush. Realization washed slowly through him.
"Oh," he breathed, as Billy moved in and pressed their lips together, fierce and gentle at the same time. He tightened his fingers on Billy's neck when he tried to pull away.
Billy shook his head and reached out to fist the front of Dom's shirt. "D'you see, Dom?" he whispered.
Dom nodded, his heart beating savagely in his chest, and leaned in with parted lips.
He closed his eyes and saw stars.