Fic: RunAway - LIII. Suspicious
Series info, summary, warnings, and disclaimer
Previous chapters
Chapter Title: Suspicious
Chapter Summary: Billy begins to suspect something's up
A Few Weeks Later…
Viggo came into his house from the studio and saw the Henry had brought the mail in. Viggo idly sorted it into piles of junk, fan letters, business letters, and other random crap. One letter caught his eye-more specifically, the return address on the envelope. He abandoned the rest of the mail and tore into the thin paper.
A folded letter spilled out into his hands. Tucked inside the folds of paper, Viggo saw the corner of a newspaper clipping. He pulled it out and tried to make sense of a few of the words, but he couldn’t quite grasp what it said. Until he caught the name: Nick Bernard.
Viggo unfolded the letter and skimmed through it quickly. Hans had roughly translated the article, the gist of which was that Dom had scored the lead in a play and was dazzling audiences with his unsuspected acting talent. There was no photo with the article, but from the description, Dom appeared healthy, at least from an outsider’s view, and, most importantly, still alive.
Viggo sighed in relief; he hadn’t quite realized how worried he’d been.
***
Several Months Later…
Billy was acting again. He wasn’t quite up to his old standard of at least three projects simultaneously, but the point was, he was working and he was taking care of himself. Viggo was proud of the effort he’d made in putting his life back in order, and when Billy told him he’d be in California for a premiere, Viggo invited him up to stay for a few days.
They spent much of the first day drinking and reminiscing, but Viggo sobered up enough to tell Billy how proud he was of him, for moving on with his life. Billy only smiled sadly and nodded a bit before changing the subject.
On the last day of Billy’s visit, they decided to go out for a night on the town, seeing as they’d stayed in (or at least on Viggo’s property) the entire time.
“There’s a list of good restaurants in one of the drawers of the coffee table. I’m gonna go change; you can find somewhere for us to go,” Viggo said, gesturing towards the table he mentioned. Billy nodded and searched through the drawers until he found the list and began reading it.
After Viggo left the room, and Billy glanced around. A stack of printed papers on the coffee table caught his eye, and he tilted his head to read the upside-down words.
“Viggo, are you going to Germany?” he asked, deciphering the confirmation of a one-way plane ticket purchase.
“What?”
“Germany, Vig, are you going?” Billy yelled, louder this time.
“Yeah, there’s a play I want to see,” Viggo replied, walking back in, shirtless.
“You don’t speak German.” Billy paused. “Do you?”
Viggo pulled the shirt over his head and chuckled. “No. I know a little, but it won’t matter. I’m going to visit a few friends afterward.”
“Oh. You’re going on Dom’s birthday, you know.”
“I do know.”
“Well… Have fun, then.”
“Thank you.”
Billy put the thoughts of Viggo going to Germany out of his mind and smiled, determined to enjoy the last few hours before he had to go back to his hotel in Los Angeles.
***
“Who do you know in Germany, Vig?” Billy asked, keeping his voice neutral and curious.
“Oh, um. A couple of guys I worked with once. We’re probably going to get together for drinks or something afterward,” Viggo answered easily, keeping his eyes on the road. His grip on the steering wheel didn’t change at all either.
“What’s the play?”
“I’m not sure, I haven’t heard of it before. My friend recommended it and helped me buy the ticket.”
“Oh.” Billy nodded absently, his mind whirring. “How long will you be gone?”
“I’ll probably only be in Germany for couple days, but I’m meeting with a director in France in January, so I won’t come back here until afterward.”
“Oh. Good luck with the director, then.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll be going back to Glasgow after this weekend.”
“I figured as much.”
“Might start working at the theatre again. I miss it, y’know? Film’s just different.”
“Oh really? I think that’s a great idea. I haven’t done anything on stage in a long time, but I know what you mean.”
“Yeah. Y’know, me and Dom wanted to do something together? We would’ve been great in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern, wouldn’t we? Everyone thought we should do it.”
Viggo smiled. “Yeah, I remember you guys talking about that.”
“Never worked out, though,” Billy continued, his own smile fading. “I wanted to be on stage with him. It would’ve been such a laugh, but we could’ve done it right.”
“Yeah. You two had the right chemistry for it.” He sighed. “C’mon, Bill, you’re just looking for a reason to be depressed. Let’s go get dinner and maybe we’ll go for drinks afterward, what do ya say?”
Billy grinned. “Sound great.”
Next: Surprise
Previous chapters
Chapter Title: Suspicious
Chapter Summary: Billy begins to suspect something's up
A Few Weeks Later…
Viggo came into his house from the studio and saw the Henry had brought the mail in. Viggo idly sorted it into piles of junk, fan letters, business letters, and other random crap. One letter caught his eye-more specifically, the return address on the envelope. He abandoned the rest of the mail and tore into the thin paper.
A folded letter spilled out into his hands. Tucked inside the folds of paper, Viggo saw the corner of a newspaper clipping. He pulled it out and tried to make sense of a few of the words, but he couldn’t quite grasp what it said. Until he caught the name: Nick Bernard.
Viggo unfolded the letter and skimmed through it quickly. Hans had roughly translated the article, the gist of which was that Dom had scored the lead in a play and was dazzling audiences with his unsuspected acting talent. There was no photo with the article, but from the description, Dom appeared healthy, at least from an outsider’s view, and, most importantly, still alive.
Viggo sighed in relief; he hadn’t quite realized how worried he’d been.
***
Several Months Later…
Billy was acting again. He wasn’t quite up to his old standard of at least three projects simultaneously, but the point was, he was working and he was taking care of himself. Viggo was proud of the effort he’d made in putting his life back in order, and when Billy told him he’d be in California for a premiere, Viggo invited him up to stay for a few days.
They spent much of the first day drinking and reminiscing, but Viggo sobered up enough to tell Billy how proud he was of him, for moving on with his life. Billy only smiled sadly and nodded a bit before changing the subject.
On the last day of Billy’s visit, they decided to go out for a night on the town, seeing as they’d stayed in (or at least on Viggo’s property) the entire time.
“There’s a list of good restaurants in one of the drawers of the coffee table. I’m gonna go change; you can find somewhere for us to go,” Viggo said, gesturing towards the table he mentioned. Billy nodded and searched through the drawers until he found the list and began reading it.
After Viggo left the room, and Billy glanced around. A stack of printed papers on the coffee table caught his eye, and he tilted his head to read the upside-down words.
“Viggo, are you going to Germany?” he asked, deciphering the confirmation of a one-way plane ticket purchase.
“What?”
“Germany, Vig, are you going?” Billy yelled, louder this time.
“Yeah, there’s a play I want to see,” Viggo replied, walking back in, shirtless.
“You don’t speak German.” Billy paused. “Do you?”
Viggo pulled the shirt over his head and chuckled. “No. I know a little, but it won’t matter. I’m going to visit a few friends afterward.”
“Oh. You’re going on Dom’s birthday, you know.”
“I do know.”
“Well… Have fun, then.”
“Thank you.”
Billy put the thoughts of Viggo going to Germany out of his mind and smiled, determined to enjoy the last few hours before he had to go back to his hotel in Los Angeles.
***
“Who do you know in Germany, Vig?” Billy asked, keeping his voice neutral and curious.
“Oh, um. A couple of guys I worked with once. We’re probably going to get together for drinks or something afterward,” Viggo answered easily, keeping his eyes on the road. His grip on the steering wheel didn’t change at all either.
“What’s the play?”
“I’m not sure, I haven’t heard of it before. My friend recommended it and helped me buy the ticket.”
“Oh.” Billy nodded absently, his mind whirring. “How long will you be gone?”
“I’ll probably only be in Germany for couple days, but I’m meeting with a director in France in January, so I won’t come back here until afterward.”
“Oh. Good luck with the director, then.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll be going back to Glasgow after this weekend.”
“I figured as much.”
“Might start working at the theatre again. I miss it, y’know? Film’s just different.”
“Oh really? I think that’s a great idea. I haven’t done anything on stage in a long time, but I know what you mean.”
“Yeah. Y’know, me and Dom wanted to do something together? We would’ve been great in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern, wouldn’t we? Everyone thought we should do it.”
Viggo smiled. “Yeah, I remember you guys talking about that.”
“Never worked out, though,” Billy continued, his own smile fading. “I wanted to be on stage with him. It would’ve been such a laugh, but we could’ve done it right.”
“Yeah. You two had the right chemistry for it.” He sighed. “C’mon, Bill, you’re just looking for a reason to be depressed. Let’s go get dinner and maybe we’ll go for drinks afterward, what do ya say?”
Billy grinned. “Sound great.”
Next: Surprise