Fic: Untitled Billy-Centric Fic (1/?)
Title: Untitled Billy-Centric Fic (1/?)
Author: the1elf
Pairings: William/Elijah; William/OFC; brief mentions of Monaboyd and Domlijah.
Rating: This part PG.
Disclaimer: False. All lies. No money made, etc.
Summary: The fact that he liked men as well as women was really nothing to make a fuss over.
Feedback: Would be most appreciated. I’m not sure what I think of this one, so fb and concrit are most welcome.
A/N: I’ve been wanting to write this since the idea came to me while I was in Edinburgh last September. It’s turning out slightly differently than I first imagined, and I’ve no idea where it’s going. I’m just writing this one. P.S.- It's AU.
Edinburgh was cold, the wind pushing and pulling pedestrians up and down Princes Street, depending which way they were walking. William tugged his scarf tighter round his neck, risking clever, nimble fingers to the biting temperature before stuffing them deep in his pockets once more. He was certain that it was the coldest day so far that winter and January had just begun. He was dreading several more months of misery and was amused at the thought of looking forward to his birthday in August when it would be warm.
William would be forty this year. He looked to forty with decidedly less enthusiasm than he had thirty. He wondered whether it was because not much had changed in ten years. He was still employed by the same bank that had hired him straight out of university, although he was now a manager. William knew that the promotions meant nothing apart from the fact that his pay and workload had increased while his hairline decreased at a fairly even rate as his patience.
As lives went, it wasn’t a bad one, William mused as he walked. He made more than enough money to pay the mortgage on a small house, and what little else he required to live comfortably. He had quite a lot of money saved away and invested wisely. With no family to support, life as a bachelor suited him, which was not to say that he was lonely. William had a sister in Glasgow and a handful of friends in Edinburgh. Relationships had been few and far between, the latest ending six months previous. Ali had stayed two years before leaving, and William had known she was looking for more than he was willing to offer. The comfort of his home and the pleasure of his body had not been enough. He had been unable to give her what she most desired - marriage, children, and his heart.
Since Ali, there had been no one. Well, he amended silently, no one serious. There had been several dates, courtesy of his best mate, Andrew. Now happily divorced, Andrew had, in the last year, embraced dating wholeheartedly. It seemed there was no woman he wouldn’t date (or shag) provided she was at least of legal age and no older than his own forty-two years. Several times he’d seen fit to set William up with women he’d not got on with (but had most assuredly got off with), but thought William might. He wondered vaguely what Andrew’s reaction might be if he told him that he should feel free to send any unsuitable blokes William’s way as well.
It wasn’t something he thought much about. The fact that he liked men as well as women was really nothing to make fuss over. It was always how he’d felt, though it hadn’t escaped William’s attention that he very slightly favoured men over women. A year before he had met Ali, there had been Dominic. A bit of a mistake, dating someone with whom he worked, and one he wasn’t likely to repeat. Or so he fervently hoped. Christ knew he had more than enough distraction with Elijah in the office down the hall.
Elijah Wood was American. Not exotic by any means, but attractive enough with a brilliant smile and a laugh that was usually funnier than any joke he might have been chuckling at in the first place. He was fairly good at his job, which William thought had something to do with investments, and he looked damn good in the suits he wore. The trouble was, he was much younger than William. And, of course, they worked together. Admittedly, that hadn’t stopped William shagging Dominic for the better part of three months, and it certainly hadn’t prevented Dominic’s subsequent affair with Elijah after William had protested one too many times. William considered it a small consolation that the question of Elijah’s sexual preference had been answered. Pushing Elijah from his mind, William sighed and stepped into the small shop to pick up his shirts, his only errand before going home to a hot shower and a tumbler of scotch.
It wasn’t a dry cleaner’s as such. The tiny shop, wedged in between a travel agent and a book store, was more a washing and ironing service. William was not so helpless that he couldn’t wash his own clothes, and his suits did go to the regular dry cleaner every month on a rather strict schedule. But his shirts he saved for Scarlett. William could not explain, even to himself, why exactly bringing his shirts here to be laundered and pressed by hand made him feel looked after, but that was the truth of the matter. Every Monday he would drop off the previous week’s shirts, and every Friday he would pick them up.
Scarlett was bent over her ironing board as William shut the door behind him, the wind causing it to slam rather harder than he had intended. He smiled in apology as she looked up at the interruption, cheeks pink with her work. Scarlett smiled back, setting her iron on its end. Some Fridays she would offer William a cup of tea, and on some Fridays he would accept. He was not under the illusion that they were friends, though he was intelligent enough to realise that she was beautiful. And that she probably already had a bloke, and more than likely thought him too old.
She did not offer tea, but went to retrieve his shirts after a rather short greeting. William thought she looked distracted and maybe the slightest bit ill, but he did not consider himself an expert on the behaviour of women, and so did not inquire whether everything was alright. He handed over his money and took his shirts, ducking out of the shop after wishing Scarlett a good weekend. William allowed himself one last look back through the shop window at her before turning and continuing home.
Author: the1elf
Pairings: William/Elijah; William/OFC; brief mentions of Monaboyd and Domlijah.
Rating: This part PG.
Disclaimer: False. All lies. No money made, etc.
Summary: The fact that he liked men as well as women was really nothing to make a fuss over.
Feedback: Would be most appreciated. I’m not sure what I think of this one, so fb and concrit are most welcome.
A/N: I’ve been wanting to write this since the idea came to me while I was in Edinburgh last September. It’s turning out slightly differently than I first imagined, and I’ve no idea where it’s going. I’m just writing this one. P.S.- It's AU.
Edinburgh was cold, the wind pushing and pulling pedestrians up and down Princes Street, depending which way they were walking. William tugged his scarf tighter round his neck, risking clever, nimble fingers to the biting temperature before stuffing them deep in his pockets once more. He was certain that it was the coldest day so far that winter and January had just begun. He was dreading several more months of misery and was amused at the thought of looking forward to his birthday in August when it would be warm.
William would be forty this year. He looked to forty with decidedly less enthusiasm than he had thirty. He wondered whether it was because not much had changed in ten years. He was still employed by the same bank that had hired him straight out of university, although he was now a manager. William knew that the promotions meant nothing apart from the fact that his pay and workload had increased while his hairline decreased at a fairly even rate as his patience.
As lives went, it wasn’t a bad one, William mused as he walked. He made more than enough money to pay the mortgage on a small house, and what little else he required to live comfortably. He had quite a lot of money saved away and invested wisely. With no family to support, life as a bachelor suited him, which was not to say that he was lonely. William had a sister in Glasgow and a handful of friends in Edinburgh. Relationships had been few and far between, the latest ending six months previous. Ali had stayed two years before leaving, and William had known she was looking for more than he was willing to offer. The comfort of his home and the pleasure of his body had not been enough. He had been unable to give her what she most desired - marriage, children, and his heart.
Since Ali, there had been no one. Well, he amended silently, no one serious. There had been several dates, courtesy of his best mate, Andrew. Now happily divorced, Andrew had, in the last year, embraced dating wholeheartedly. It seemed there was no woman he wouldn’t date (or shag) provided she was at least of legal age and no older than his own forty-two years. Several times he’d seen fit to set William up with women he’d not got on with (but had most assuredly got off with), but thought William might. He wondered vaguely what Andrew’s reaction might be if he told him that he should feel free to send any unsuitable blokes William’s way as well.
It wasn’t something he thought much about. The fact that he liked men as well as women was really nothing to make fuss over. It was always how he’d felt, though it hadn’t escaped William’s attention that he very slightly favoured men over women. A year before he had met Ali, there had been Dominic. A bit of a mistake, dating someone with whom he worked, and one he wasn’t likely to repeat. Or so he fervently hoped. Christ knew he had more than enough distraction with Elijah in the office down the hall.
Elijah Wood was American. Not exotic by any means, but attractive enough with a brilliant smile and a laugh that was usually funnier than any joke he might have been chuckling at in the first place. He was fairly good at his job, which William thought had something to do with investments, and he looked damn good in the suits he wore. The trouble was, he was much younger than William. And, of course, they worked together. Admittedly, that hadn’t stopped William shagging Dominic for the better part of three months, and it certainly hadn’t prevented Dominic’s subsequent affair with Elijah after William had protested one too many times. William considered it a small consolation that the question of Elijah’s sexual preference had been answered. Pushing Elijah from his mind, William sighed and stepped into the small shop to pick up his shirts, his only errand before going home to a hot shower and a tumbler of scotch.
It wasn’t a dry cleaner’s as such. The tiny shop, wedged in between a travel agent and a book store, was more a washing and ironing service. William was not so helpless that he couldn’t wash his own clothes, and his suits did go to the regular dry cleaner every month on a rather strict schedule. But his shirts he saved for Scarlett. William could not explain, even to himself, why exactly bringing his shirts here to be laundered and pressed by hand made him feel looked after, but that was the truth of the matter. Every Monday he would drop off the previous week’s shirts, and every Friday he would pick them up.
Scarlett was bent over her ironing board as William shut the door behind him, the wind causing it to slam rather harder than he had intended. He smiled in apology as she looked up at the interruption, cheeks pink with her work. Scarlett smiled back, setting her iron on its end. Some Fridays she would offer William a cup of tea, and on some Fridays he would accept. He was not under the illusion that they were friends, though he was intelligent enough to realise that she was beautiful. And that she probably already had a bloke, and more than likely thought him too old.
She did not offer tea, but went to retrieve his shirts after a rather short greeting. William thought she looked distracted and maybe the slightest bit ill, but he did not consider himself an expert on the behaviour of women, and so did not inquire whether everything was alright. He handed over his money and took his shirts, ducking out of the shop after wishing Scarlett a good weekend. William allowed himself one last look back through the shop window at her before turning and continuing home.