Billy wasn't upset.

In fact, that was the only thing that was bothering him. It seemed like he had no emotion about it at all. It struck him as odd, that he didn't shed a single tear. He didn't sit depressed, drunk and alone in his flat. Five years were gone and wasted. Five years he knew he would never get back.

He wasn't upset though.

Billy had met Diane when he was twenty-five. They were both doing a play in Glasgow. The theater was Billy's first love. Diane was his second. Billy's breath had caught in his throat when he saw her for the first time. He had to tell himself to breathe. She was a modern day Audrey Hepburn, a classic beauty that any man could and would fall in love with, if only given the chance. Billy would have done anything for her. Except for one thing.



"Don't do it. You'll leave, and you wont ever come back."

Billy was halfway to the bedroom when he heard Diane speak.

"What was that?" he called back towards her.

"Don't take this job, Billy." Diane was sitting at the kitchen table, her back towards the doorway.

Billy paused in the hallway, wondering if he had heard her correctly. Did she just say...?

"Don't be silly, Diane. It's a job. Ill go do it, then come home. Sure it's a much bigger job than I'm used to..." Billy stepped into the kitchen, where Diane cut him off.

"You are DAFT." Diane spit out, turning around sharply to Billy, she continued. "As soon as you even get a taste of what its like...you will forget all about Glasgow, and all about me."

Billy was shocked...her statements came out of nowhere. Just yesterday she had been making his travel arrangements. He sat down at the table, facing her. Confused.

"You are acting crazy. This is what we've worked so hard for."

"This is what YOU have worked for. This isn't my dream. I've seen it happen before. Fame changes people." Diane was pretending to stare into Billy's eyes, but he could tell that her gaze landed somewhere around his eyebrows. "You wont be my Billy anymore." She whispered.

"I'm not going to argue about this." Billy could barely speak. His words felt thick and heavy, like he had just woken up. His heart raced with discomfort. He knew what was coming, but the room stayed silent. That silence was the loudest noise Billy had ever heard. He pushed away from the table and grabbed a beer out of the fridge. He wasn't really thirsty, but his mouth felt so dry...

"So what do we do?" He asked.

"You have a choice to make." Diane's voice sounded as dry as Billy's felt.

Billy nodded.

"Make a choice, Bill. It's me or the movie. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it's got to be."

It seemed like hours went by. Finally, Billy found his voice.

"Diane..." he spoke slowly, trying to find the words. "Diane. This film will change my life. I will have a career." It came out quiet, but its meaning spoke volumes to Diane. "Please don't make me...."

"You just made your choice." Diane nodded, and stood up from the table. In an instant, she was standing in front of Billy. "I don't want to talk about this anymore." She leaned over and kissed Billy softly. "I love you Billy."

"I love you too." Billy washed away her kiss with the rest of his beer, and sat the bottle on the counter. He suddenly noticed small things around the room. Diane had straightened up. She never did that. The dishes were washed, and a picture of the two of them was missing from the windowsill. He looked over her shoulder into the living room, and saw a painting that she had purchased was gone. It seemed so clear to him now.

"Ill be out of here tomorrow." Diane walked out of the kitchen.

"Yeah."



Billy was fine though. Diane had been gone two weeks, and he was fine. The memory of her didn't haunt him. He didn't drink away his sorrows. He didn't feel angry, sad, or alone. He didn't feel anything about it. 'Maybe cuz I've been so busy...' he thought. He knew he should be upset about his breakup with Diane, after five years. He wasn't though, and he didn't know what that meant. He could only think of one thing. Next week, he was turning thirty, flying to New Zealand for his dream job, and his life would never be the same. He was filming The Lord of the Rings.



The past few weeks had been a whirlwind! Billy had met most of the cast, and had already fallen in love with the lot of them. 'Sean Astin..' he murmured. 'I'm working with @#%$ Sean Astin! A GOONIE!' He couldn't believe his good luck. All thoughts of Diane, and their failed relationship and escaped his mind as soon as he hit the clean, New Zealand air. The scenery was breathtaking, and he felt happier than he had in ages. The hobbits were wonderful. They were all big stars to him. He had been a Sean Astin fan for years, and was quite nervous when they met. A young American actor, Elijah Wood. He could tell the young girls would go crazy over him. He was most anxious about meeting Dominic Monaghan. He would be working closest with him, as their characters, Merry and Pippin were best friend. Most of their scenes were together. 'What if he hates me?' 'What if he thinks I'm not the "right" Pippin?' All of Billy's fears were put to rest once they actually met.

"Billy Boy!" Dom's voice echoed over all the chaos in the room.

"Oh um, its Billy Boyd."

"I know, mate. I'm just saying hello!" Dominic quickly put his arm around Billy and whispered in his ear "The world is officially our oyster. Are you ready for this?"

Billy's face spread into a smile. This was going to be a hell of a job!



Billy lay in bed, half awake, half asleep. The first few weeks of shoots had been pure hell, to put it lightly. Billy had never been part of something this huge. The crew alone had enough people to populate a town. Billy finally gave up on learning everyone's names, and took to saying "Morning Mate!", to cover his forgetful memory. Even though all names weren't known, they were all a big family. That was for sure. Not one day went by where Peter wasn't standing with his arm around Billy, giving him pointers. Or when Sean Bean (@#%$ SEAN BEAN!) was telling Billy "Good job mate!" It was a whirlwind. Billy had taken to Dominic like butter on toast, and he wasn't sure why exactly. Billy was usually a loner, not attached to anyone. When Dom entered a room, Billy could feel his presence whether he saw him or not. He could just feel him there. 'That's how it must be, with best mates.' He thought. Growing up, Billy had never had much time for friends. He was always working, and trying to take care of the household. Then there had been plays. The ungodly amount of plays! Until Diane, Billy would sometimes go weeks without actually talking to anyone besides Maggie, his grandmother, or speaking a line in theater. He kind of liked it that way, seeing how he was such a private person anyway. The movie set, however, had left him no room for privacy.

Being a hobbit gave him an instant family, in every way. Not only was there always someone to talk to, but there was always someone standing beside you. Someone calling you at all hours. Someone knocking at your front door at 4:00 in the morning, waking your ass up for early call. Someone hugging you as tightly as they could (and not just hobbit hugs, elf, human, troll hugs. The entire cast was very affectionate.) Someone buying you a beer. Someone asking for advice. There was always someone. It was a sure change from Billy's life back in Scotland. He wasn't complaining though. Billy sometimes thought about it. If he woke up one morning, and didn't receive that knock on the door. Or no one called. No hug from a fellow hobbit. Billy thought for sure, without these things, he would wither up and just fade away. Billy lay in bed thinking all these things, and the unexpected joy the film had brought to him. He had been in Wellington for just over a month now.

*KNOCK KNOCK* Billy grinned and looked over at his alarm clock. 4:00 am on the dot. That would be Dom, probably bearing hot tea, as the mornings in New Zealand were quite cool. The rapping came again, and Billy climbed out of bed. As he trotted down the hall to his doorway, he felt like all was right with the world.



"Bloody hell, mate!" Dominic pushed his way into Billy's apartment, holding two cups.

Billy grinned at the prediction of hot tea.

"Sorry, I was so comfortable in bed, I just couldn't get up." Billy shut the door behind Dom and motioned for him to sit down, even though it was just a formality. Dom usually sat where he liked, wherever he liked, whenever he liked. That was just who Dom was.

"Why aren't you dressed?" Dom asked, throwing himself down on the sofa.

"Lazy." Billy drank a huge sip of tea, and felt goosebumps as the hot liquid coated his empty stomach. "I've been laying in bed for awhile just thinking about stuff."

"Billy, I've told you. Don't think about me first thing in the morning, unless you want your trousers to fit a little snug." Dom was always joking like that, making innuendos to Billy. Billy blushed every time, which always brought a smile to Dom's face, and encouraged him to continue. "Connie in costuming will have to loosen your britches, and will be ever so annoyed."

"Please, Dom. She will have to sew me a new pair of pants entirely." Billy played along.

"Now, hurry along, Old Man. Wave got to get going. Hobbit ears and feet are calling our names." Dom drank his tea in what seemed like one gulp. "Meanwhile, I will be laying here on your couch, NOT thinking of you undressing in the next room. So don't get any ideas."

Billy went to the bedroom and did as he was told. His conversations with Dom always had an underlying of...tease. He wasn't sure when they had gotten into the routine of flirting with each other. When it began Billy had been uncomfortable, Dom had playfully slapped him on the bum, and took off running. Thinking Dom must be in love with him or something, he avoided him for days. He quickly realized that if that was the case, Dom was in love with everyone in the cast. He was always seen handing out ass slaps, and quick kisses on the cheek. Billy swiftly got over himself. It was either be friends with Dom who playfully flirts, or don't be friends with him at all. Billy saw this as a good thing, and Dom's good-natured ways had quietly rubbed off on him. They had never discussed sexuality before, and Billy didn't want to. It would ruin the illusion they had going on, and that would be too much of a shame.

Billy finished dressing and went into the living room, where Dom was waiting.

"Ready, Love?"

Billy smiled inwardly. Too much of a shame indeed.



Billy's joy came crashing down one morning.

*RING RING*

Billy jerked awake. 'What in the bloody hell?' He looked at the clock, reading 5:00 AM. 'It's my fucking day off. I will kill whoever that is on the phone..'

*RING RING*

'HOLD ON a bloody minute...' Billy stumbled out of bed, and reminded himself to move the phone to his nightstand.

"Hello? Dom, if that's you, I'm going to---"

"William!"

Billy knew who that was...

"Maggie!! Love! What's going on??"

"Do I need a reason to call my dear brother? The one who has not called me ONCE since he left for this dream movie..." Maggie teased her brother with an angry tone in her voice.

"Oh come on, no guilt. You know how busy I am." Billy smiled. His sister was like a breath of fresh air after a drunken night in the bar. He was surprised, and pleased that he didn't have a hangover. "What's going on Mags? How's home?"

Silence.

"Margaret? What is it? Is it grandmother??" Billy's heart accelerated.

"Oh no, nothing like that. There is a reason for my call though."

"I knew it." Billy's voice sounded full of dread.

"I won't delay." Maggie paused. "Its Diane."

"What about her?" Billy said, his mouth quickly drying up.

"I don't know how to tell you this. I don't even want to, really. But I knew you would be angry if you heard it from someone else. I picked up the paper this morning, and there it was, the headline read "Local Actress Weds Play Producer."

Billy leaned against the wall for balance. His head pounded, and he realized he did in fact have a hangover. A nasty one, with pin pricks in his ears, and a throbbing in his temples.

"Bloody hell, Mags. I've only been gone a month." Billy rubbed his face, and his unshaved beard scraped at his palms noisily.

"I'm not finished, William." She was the only one who called him William. "The article here says that Diane and Michael have been together for two years."

"CHRIST! Michael?? Michael HALL?" Billy instantly regretted shouting, his brain screamed at him in reply. "Michael Hall gave me my first job."

"I know. That's why I wanted to tell you myself. I'm so sorry, Billy."

"He's got to be, what?? FIFTY? Everyone there must think I'm a fucking laugh." Billy snorted in anger. "Diane was running around behind me and I didn't even know. Two YEARS? Christ."

The truth of the situation instantly seemed clear to Billy.

"Maggie. She made me choose. I get it. I can't believe this shit."

"What are you talking about?"

"She told me to choose between her and the film. But what she was doing was getting me to make HER decision. Between Michael and I. When I chose this job, she chose Michael over me."

"Its for the best, William." Maggie said softly. "Three movies in three years, William. Do you know how good that will look on your resume? Its your dream."

"I know. But I feel so bloody stupid." Billy sat down on the ground, feeling defeated. He had not let leaving Diane affect him in anyway. He had walked away strong, and defiant against a broken heart...but she had just beaten him. She had a secret weapon that he hadn't known about. He wanted to quit talking about it. He wanted to stop thinking about Diane and Michael being married, on their honeymoon, making love. MICHAEL HALL! He had been like a mentor to Billy. He wanted to get the image of their three, beautiful, imaginary children out of his throbbing head right. More than anything, he wanted a drink.

So he had one.



Billy raised his head from the sofa and wondered what the hell that noise was. And who was shouting??

"BILLY??? Are you in there??" It took Billy a few moments to realize it was Dom's voice, it sounded hollow, and twisted.

Billy opened his mouth to say something, but found that he couldn't speak.

"Billy???" Dom's voice sounded....frantic. Billy smiled to himself, pleased that he had pinpointed the right word.

After a couple loud bangs on the door, the noises stopped. A moment and a loud slam later, Billy's front door came flying open, and in toppled Dom and Elijah.

"For fucks sake..Bill. What the hell is going on??" Dom ran over to the sofa and huddled over his friend. Billy opened and closed his mouth, trying to moisten it. His throat was so dry....

"Did you drink all this?" Elijah asked, bring Dom's attention away from Bill to the coffee table. Scattered bottles were covering the surface.

"Christ. Billy. What's going on?" Dom's voice wavered, and he sat next to his friend. "Elijah, go get some water, or something. Juice. Anything."

Dominic stared at Billy curled up on the sofa. He had tried calling him earlier, wanting to grab breakfast at Fidel's. When Billy didn't answer his calls, Dom grew concerned. That wasn't like him. Even if it was early, Billy would answer, yell obscenities at him, then hang up. Later in the day, once he had gotten his sleep, Billy would always call Dom back and apologize. It was their routine. Dom had called him all morning, finally deciding he must be out somewhere. Dom's feeling of worry didn't leave him, so he called Elijah to come with him to check on their friend. He inwardly punished himself for waiting so long. Billy looked positively green. And wasted.

"Billy.." He whispered, stroking the hairs away from his face. "What's gotten into you?"

Billy could hear Dom's voice, but his words sounded warbled, and he couldn't quite make sense of what was going on.

Suddenly Elijah was in his face, force-feeding him orange juice. As soon as the cool liquid touched his throat, he retched.

"Damn..Grab the trashcan, Lighe." Dom pulled Billy up and turned him sideways quickly, so he wouldn't puke on himself. His actions were seconds too late, however, as Billy lost his stomach on himself, the sofa, and on Dom.

Dom looked up at the ceiling as to not gag himself, and he spoke to Billy through clenched teeth.

"You better be damn glad you are my mate."



"Billy?"

Billy's eyes stirred open.

"Billy, this is not how you want to spend your day off, my friend."

Billy groaned as he tried sitting up..he felt like shit.

"You look like shit."

"Thanks Elijah." Billy said dryly, it barely coming out more than a whisper. "What the hell happened?"

"You tell us." Elijah was sitting in an armchair next to Billy's bed. He looked exhausted.

"Last thing I remember...I was talking to my sister." Billy lie back against his pillow. "Christ. She told me about Diane..and I had a drink." Billy's memory was flooded with what his sister had told him earlier. Earlier when? When had she told him? He felt like it had been days ago.

Elijah apparently read minds...

"Its late. Dom talked to your sister. He called her this afternoon when we found you passed out. And you had more than a drink." Elijah looked at him sternly, and Billy couldn't believe he was about to get a lecture from someone over ten years his younger. Then the lecture came.

"Billy...what is going on?? We have been worried sick about you all day. Why did you let yourself get so wasted?? Didn't you have enough to drink last night? Then you come home and get even more drunk?? You know we had to break in?"

"I was...upset." Billy said, as if that explained it all. "Thank you for watching over me."

"Don't thank me. Thank Dom." Elijah said. "He did all the dirty work."

"Where is he?" Billy asked, hoping he didn't sound too anxious. He knew nothing would make him feel better than Dom sitting with him.

"He ran home to change. You threw up on him, ya know. He put you in the shower to sober you up. Luckily you threw up in there too, and that got most of the alcohol out of your system. You've been sleeping ever since."

"He put me in the shower?" Billy asked.

"Yeah, he had to clean you up, you had puked all over yourself." Elijah couldn't stay stern with Billy for long, a smile spread across his face. "Dude, it was so gross."

Billy didn't know what to be more embarrassed about. His behavior, the puking, or Dom seeing him naked in the shower.

"I'm sorry, Lighe. I just...had everything bottled up inside. And this morning, it all came spilling out." Billy grimaced. "In more ways than one, apparently."

"You could have called us.." a voice came from the doorway. "You could have called me."

Dom walked in, and sat at the edge of the bed. Billy's face flushed with humility.

"I'm so sorry that I.....threw up on you." Billy's face felt hot, and he couldn't look at Dom in the eye.

"Aye, that's not the first time I've been thrown up on, and it probably wont be the last." Dom joked, fingering the bedspread, nervously. He couldn't look at Billy..not after what had happened earlier. It was so wrong what he had done...when his friend was sick like that...and there he was trying to....

"I'm going to go. I think this has been enough excitement for one day." Elijah stood up and stretched. He bent over Billy and hugged him gently. "Don't ever do this again, Bill."

"I wont. I swear..I'm really sorry..." Billy hugged his friend back.

"Oh I know you wont. You will reallllly be regretting this tomorrow when you have to sit in a tree all day. You may never drink again." Elijah smiled. "Love you man."

"Love ya too, Lighe."

When Elijah left, the room fell silent. Billy hated silence more than anything. He cleared his throat.

"So..are you still my mate?" Billy asked. "Now that you've seen me at my worst?"

Dominic looked up at his friend..unable to meet his eye. 'Does he not remember?' Dom questioned himself.

"Billy, come on. Of course you are my best mate. A drunken day doesn't change that." Dominic finally raised his eyes to meet Billy's, and they stared at each other for a bit.

"I am sorry." Billy finally said, breaking their staring contest. "Was I a real ass? I can't remember anything."

Dom didn't know whether to be relieved.....or disappointed. He was surprised at how it was feeling more like the latter.

"No...mate. You weren't an ass." Dom said. 'If anyone is the ass, its me.' he thought to himself. "I'm sorry about Diane."

"No..it's okay. I think...I think I'm over it." Billy's voice broke, and he cleared it again quickly. "Thank you for taking care of me."

Dominic's head jerked up, towards Billy, and they met eyes again. 'He doesn't remember the last time he said that...' Dom scooted across the bed and sat next to Billy. He put his arm around him and repeated what he said to Billy earlier in the day.

"Ill always take care of you, Billy." Dominic felt Billy relax under his arm, and he shifted to get more comfortable.

"Will you stay?" Billy asked quietly, nearing sleep.

"Ill stay until you fall asleep." Dom bit his lip, and stared up at the ceiling, trying to avoid his thoughts. How did this happen?? "So, go to sleep now Billy. We've got a big day tomorrow."

Billy didn't answer, he was nestled next to Dom, asleep already.



With the room quiet, Dom had nothing to distract his thoughts. He flashed back to the bathroom.

'NO.' Dom forced his mind shut. 'Think about shooting tomorrow. Think about Viggo's paintings. Those always distract you.'

But it did no good. Dom's mind went drifting back to the bathroom over and over. He finally let his memory overtake him...

"Right..let's go..." Dom lifted Billy up with both arms and propped him up against himself. "Elijah, I'm putting him in the shower. Mind the phone, I don't want anyone to know what's going on."

"Right. Okay. I'm going to clean up this mess." Elijah motioned at the living room. "The bottles I mean. That cheeky bastard can clean up his own puke."

Dom looked down at his own stained shirt and bit his tongue to not gag thinking about it.

Billy moaned something at Dom, but he couldn't understand it.

"We have got to sober you up, Mate." Dom basically carried his friend into the bathroom, and shut the door behind him. He sat Billy down on the toilet, and turned on the faucet. As the water was heating up, he tried to decide what to do about Billy's clothes. He finally decided to undress him, thinking that wet soggy clothes would make an even bigger mess. It wasn't too difficult, Billy was just wearing boxers and a t-shirt. Dom hesitated at the boxers, not knowing whether he should expose his friend. 'Ah, he will be too drunk to remember his modesty...'

Dom admired Billy's body for just an instant, and stopped when his face flushed hot.

"Okay..Bills. Its time to get wet." Dom got Billy in the shower, but his legs were like jelly, and he slumped against the wall. "You aren't going to fucking cooperate are you?" Dominic said more to himself, than Billy. "Bloody fine. You are getting cleaned up, whether I have to get in there and shower you off myself."

With Billy standing naked, leaning against the wall, Dom stripped down to his boxers and stepped into the tub. He positioned Billy in front of him, facing the stream of water. Billy jerked his face back, not happy about the situation at all.

"I'm sorry mate. This is for your own good." Dom stated. He got the soap and lathered it up with his hands. He pulled Billy's back to lean up against his chest, and tried to ignore the fact that Billy's bum was right against his crotch. He ran his lathered hands down Billy's chest, thinking how sensual this situation could be if it was not for the drunkenness, and the vomit Dom was washing off his friend. He mentally told himself to not get aroused. This was Billy. Wasted, and vomit covered Billy. Unfortunately, Dom's body didn't listen. He felt himself warm up below, then his boxers felt too tight. Dom tried to ignore the sensation of water splashing off of Billy onto himself as he rinsed his friend off. He had total control over the situation.

Dom ran his soapy hands down Billy's chest again, letting them go a little too far below his belly button. Billy made a noise in response. Dom couldn't be sure, but it sounded like a good noise..

"STOP." Dom screamed in his head. He was quickly losing control. His cock jumped in response. Billy was completely pressed against him, and all Dom could feel was his warmth, and wet skin against his own. Dom's erection pressed against his boxers, straining at Billy's naked skin. Without thinking, Dom pressed his middle against Billy's bottom. Dom fought the urge to moan out loud. He felt ashamed, but happy that Billy was too wasted to know what was going on.

"Dom." Billy mumbled.

'Oh fuck!' Dom backed away like his penis had touched fire..

Billy turned around, his eyes were glazed over. "Dom." he said again, drowsily.

"What is it Billy?" Dom whispered, he could tell his cheeks were hot and red.

"I'm...uncomfortable." Billy said slowly, and drunkenly.

"Oh, mate, I'm sorry. I was just trying to sober you up. Don't worry, I didn't even peek..." Dom lied.

Billy shook his head slowly. "Uncomfortable." he said, looking down at himself.

Dominic's eyes trailed down the same path as Billy's. He could now see the source of Billy's discomfort. He was hard, and throbbing. Dom cleared his throat, and spoke slowly..

"Well.." Dom wasn't sure what to do. His mouth spoke without him thinking the words. "Do you want me to help you with that, mate?"

Billy didn't speak, just nodded. His eyes closed.

Dom lightly nudged Billy back under the water, the spray now covering them both. Dom slowly lowered his hand down Billy's abs down his happy trail, then down further. When his hand made contact, Billy jerked, and swayed forward towards Dom. Dom was experiencing mixed feelings of excitement and guilt. He loved this new feeling but wasn't sure what this meant. Billy pressed himself into Dom's hand, as he rubbed up and down. This new pleasure was too much. All thoughts of guilt and confusion went out the window as Dom submitted to his feelings. He quickly formed a fist around Billy's throbbing dick, and stroked it hard and fast. Billy trembled under him and moaned in response.

Dom didn't stop stroking as he spoke "Shhhhh..Elijah's in the next room" he whispered. Billy nodded, and Dom wondered if he actually understood what he had just said. Dom understood fully. OK. I'm jerking off my best friend in the shower, twenty feet away my other best friend cleaning up empty bottles. Dom felt more aroused than he ever had, and went to work on Billy again. Going up and down in a steady motion, he felt Billy reach his arms up and put his hands in Dom's hair, clenching it tightly. Dom could feel Billy's cock throbbing rapidly now and he could feel his own balls aching with the need for release. With one hand massaging Billy, he lowered his other to his own pulsating dick. Billy came with a whimper. Dom furiously jerked himself off, and in an instant, he came in his boxers.

"Jesus Christ." Dom said, staggering on his feet. "Billy."

Billy's eyes were still shut, and he laid his face on Dom's shoulder. That act caused Dom's eyes to fill with tears..with guilt? Happiness? He wasn't sure. He quickly rinsed himself and Billy off, he didn't want Elijah to start wondering. Elijah would wonder though...what had taken so long. Dom looked at Billy. He still looked sickly..just more..relaxed. 'Ill just tell Lighe that he threw up again...'

Thank you for taking care of me Dom.." Billy finally spoke, weakly. Dom's heart constricted..he felt naked. And vulnerable.

"I'll always take care of you Billy."



Dom lay in Billy's bed, the memories making him hard once again. He stared down at Billy and couldn't help thinking that their relationship would never be the same. Billy looked so peaceful, his lips curved into a slight smile. Dom eased his arm out from under his friend and quietly crept into the living room.

Sitting on the edge of the sofa, and thinking only of his friend, he jerked himself off for the second time that day. He quietly came into his hand, whispering Billy's name.



The weeks after the "event" were a source of great discomfort for Dom. It was extremely difficult to be around Billy. Difficult..? More like torture. Billy was naturally an affectionate person. His hugs used to be a warm, friendly place in Dom's heart. Now, a quick ear tug from Billy was enough to make Dom weak in the knees. Dom wasn't going out of his way to avoid Billy, but he wasn't trailing his every move like normal either. Billy couldn't help but think Dominic was avoiding him though. He felt silly, afraid that he had maybe said something in his drunken stupor. Something to offend Dom somehow. Billy missed his morning tea with Dom, and more than that, he missed his companionship. Billy knew he had to make it up to Dom somehow. To combat that, he was as nice and charming as he could be.

Billy figured if Dom felt uncomfortable around him, he needed to bring that level back into their relationship. He woke up extra early one morning and arrived at Dom's flat with tea and donuts. 'Kill em with kindness' Billy thought. His grandmother had taught him that lesson as a young boy.

*Rap rap*

Billy waited several moments before he knocked again. He knew Dom would be awake, so he grabbed the spare key from its not so good hiding place, and let himself in. Once he was inside, he could hear the shower running. 'No wonder he didn't answer.' He almost called out to Dom, so he wouldn't be startled..but Billy didn't want to rush him. He knew how Dom loved his showers.

So, Billy sat on the sofa leafing through a New Zealand travel guide. He noticed Dom had ear marked every place that he had been in the book. Dominic murmured something in the bathroom and for a moment, Billy wondered if Dom knew he was there...the next noise told him otherwise.

"Ohhhh. Uhhmmm."

Billy knew what that noise was, and his body turned hot traveling from his feet to his ears. That was the noise of pleasure. Much to his confusion, the noise sounded familiar to Billy. As if he had heard if before. He felt puzzled..

"Mmmmmmh.."

Billy began to panic. 'Should I leave??? Pretend I'm not here? Christ!! What do I do??' His mind was racing, and he felt like his heart was about to pound out of his chest. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dom's Walkman lying on the kitchen table. He ran to it and put the headphones on. For a reason he couldn't explain, he hesitated to press play.

"Oh god..." Dom moaned inside the bathroom. Billy's mind exploded with a visual of Dom pleasuring himself, and felt a stirring in his pants. That was his cue to press play, and the sound of Coldplay caressed his ears. He turned it up loud enough to hurt.

Ten minutes or so later, Dom finally emerged from the bathroom. Billy continued looking at the New Zealand travel guide, pretending not to notice Dom's shadow over him.

'Oh fuck. Oh hell. Oh shit.' Billy's mind was still in a panic. 'He's going to know I heard. Oh fuck.'

Billy felt Dom's hand pull on the earphones, and he looked over, acted surprised to see him.

"Ahh, Dommie. Morning." Billy forced the words out. He laid the travel guide over his lap to hide further evidence of his eavesdropping.

"Morning Bill...er..what are you doing here?" Dom walked across the room and sat on the edge of his armchair, grabbing a donut from the box along the way.

Billy tried not to notice that Dom had an uncomfortable look on his face. 'We are both pretending right now..' he realized.

"Ah, I got up early, and decided to drop by before call." Billy said. "I saw the walkman and thought I had better listen to that. I've heard you sing in the shower, and lemme tell you. Its not what I'd like to hear first thing in the morning."

Dom stared at Billy's face for a minute before responding. He could tell Billy was not being truthful. He knew he should be embarrassed. He was positive Billy had heard him in the shower. He could tell by the way Billy was stuttering, and looking around the room, trying to focus on something. What Billy didn't know was that he was the source of all the pleasure. Dom couldn't get him out of his head.

"Ah, come on." He finally spoke. "My singing is not that bad."

"That bad! Come on mate, it's terrible!" Billy finally cracked a smile. He had come here to smooth things over with Dom, and somehow things had gotten a lot more....complicated. 'Hmm. Complicated.' Billy thought. 'That's the understatement of the year.' His face felt hot as he imagined the noises Dom was making earlier.

After joking around for a few minutes, and eating more donuts than he could stomach, Billy's erection finally went down, and he was able to remove the book. Much to his relief.



Shooting had been a bitch. Billy rarely ever lost his cool on set, especially with the crew...but today...it couldn't be avoided. He was having a temper tantrum in his mind. Billy felt terrible about it, he was usually so full of good cheer on the set. It seemed like everything that could go wrong, did. They were supposed to be shooting a scene at Rivendale. It had been raining since early morning, and the ground was slick with mud. Orlando's wig kept falling off. Liv's ears wouldn't stay glued. Hobbit feet were flying everywhere. The air was just too moist for the glue to dry properly. After having his left foot reattached for the fourth time, Billy began to get in a grumpy mood. No, it was worse than grumpy. It was sour. Sean, Elijah and Dom all sat huddled next to the stereo, giving Billy his space. They were all waiting to have their feet worked on as well, somehow Billy had been nominated to go first. They played the music quietly, to be polite. Except for an occasional glance at Dom, Billy virtually ignored them. He wasn't trying to be rude..he just wanted to be..at home in bed, or drunk, or anywhere besides in this makeup chair. Again. The makeup team was working quickly around him, trying to fix his wig and re-glue his large hairy foot. Dom could tell Billy just wanted to be left alone, so he didn't bother him. A low rumble came from outside.

"Okay Billy. We are finally done. I don't think your foot will come off again, we used almost an entire bottle of glue." Steve, the "foot" guy said. He examined Billy's foot and looked proud of himself. "No. This won't come off for awhile."

"Great. Ill just wear them to bed tonight." Billy said dryly.

Another roll of thunder came from the distance, and the trailer door opened. Billy's mood dropped from sour to miserable when he saw who it was. He knew what was coming.

"Alright hobbits...its about to start pouring. We are going to go ahead and wrap for the day." Peter said cheerfully. "So, looks like you have the rest of the day off."

Billy smiled bitterly.

"Ahh, Billy. You can take those silly feet off now." Peter smiled, and nodded goodbye.

The room was silent for a few moments. Everyone was waiting for Billy to freak out, or something. Dom ducked his head, almost as if someone were yelling. The other two hobbits were silent, awaiting.

"Take these damn things off." Billy finally spoke, his voice pained. Dom's heart reached out to him, he knew how painful it could be tearing those damn feet off with just a normal amount of glue..but a whole bottle?? Dom cringed. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be in the room for this.

"What do you say guys, after we get out of here, we brave the rain and have some drinks?" Elijah offered.

"Elijah! Its barely afternoon! We can't drink right now!" Sean exclaimed. Dom snickered behind him.

"Okay mother. You are right. Its far too early to drrrrrrink."

"Like hell. I'm going to need a Guinness after this." Billy finally spoke up.

"That's our boy." Dom grinned. "Lighe, go round to the other trailers, see who wants to join us."

"You guys are getting me drunk tonight." Billy said. "I hope you know that."

Dom and Elijah nodded and smiled. Sean finally spoke in shock.

"Its only 2:15. You guys cant possibly think about drinking now..."



Billy sat at the edge of the bar, watching the guys play pool. Everyone seemed to be having fun, and he couldn't figure out why he was content to just sit and watch. His mood had changed considerably since going home and putting on jeans and sneakers. It was amazing what getting out of your work clothes could do for your temper. As soon as his raw and sore feet had slid into his sneakers, it was like a whole new world to Billy. Billy glanced over at the jukebox just in time to see Liv throw her head back in laugher about something Orlando had just said. His attention was torn away as he heard a bottle break near the pool table. He saw Dom laughing and pointing at Sean, who must have dropped his beer. Billy looked at the clock on the wall. It was 4:30 now, apparently that was the perfect time of day for a beer. They all gave Sean a hard time about being motherly to them, but it was all in good fun. Every group needed a caretaker. Hell, every person needs a caretaker. Someone to watch over them. Billy glanced back over at Dom, who was now helping Sean pick up glass. He grinned in spite of himself. Dom was his caretaker, he knew that. Almost as if he could tell he was being watched, Dom turned and looked around the bar, his eyes finally settling on Billy. He nodded upwards and grinned at his friend.

"Will you take a look at this one?" He called, gesturing at Sean. "Mother is drunk already."

"I'm not drunk, just clumsy!" Sean defended himself.

Billy raised his bottle towards them and turned back to the bar to drink. He wasn't drinking out of misery though, despite his hellish day. In his head, he drank to his friends.

"Tired eh?" the voice drew him out of his thoughts. Billy turned around and saw Dom taking the seat beside him.

"I'm more tired than I ever have been, if I can say plainly." Billy said. "I had no idea making a movie could be so much....."

"Work?" Dom finished his sentence.

"Yeah. Work. All this work!" Billy exclaimed.

"But Billy...its playtime now. And you are sitting over here by yourself. Like a bloody wallflower, if I've ever seen one." Dom picked up Billy's beer bottle and downed it in one sip. "Come on, mate. Lets play pool. Elijah has beat Orlando twice already, and wave made a pretty good bet on him beating Orli again."

"We've made a bet?" Billy laughed.

"Yeah..don't you owe me $20 anyway?" Dom grinned.

Billy smiled really big, and leaned over to whisper in Dom's ear. "Well, okay. I guess I could pay you $20 for your services the other day."

"Whoa, wh-what??" Dom stammered, his face feeling hot. He wasn't sure if it was Billy's mouth so close to his ear, or the words that made him blush.

"Your services. Ya know, taking care of a drunk then cleaning up after him. Someone should get paid for that." Billy smiled, and hopped down from his bar stool.

"Oh. Yeah. Right." Dom forced a laugh. "Not just anyone would take care of a friend like that."

"No, they wouldn't. And if I haven't said it before, Dom. Thank you." Billy decided on impulse to hug his friend. He wrapped his arms tightly around Dom's shoulders, and after a moment, felt hands around his waist. It was meant to be friendly, but all he could think about was the heat coming off of Dom's chest against his. Billy tightened his grip on Dom, and for an instant, he lost himself in the embrace. Billy quickly realized that maybe the hug was running a little long, and loosened his hold on Dom. He wasn't sure, but he thought he felt Dom hesitate before letting go. Once they were separated, Billy and Dom looked at each other, their eyes meeting for only an instant. Billy couldn't seem to make himself look away.

"Well, hey, lets go win that bet." he finally spoke.

"Yeah, good idea." Dom felt numb after holding Billy so tightly. The embrace lingered on his body like the taste of another person does on your lips after a kiss. Something was going on here. His feelings for Billy had come to the surface after what had happened in the shower, but he could have sworn Billy was the one squeezing him...what did that mean? Dom tried to shake the feelings off.

'It was just a hug, wanker. Billy hugs you all the time. Hell, he hugs Elijah, Orli, Sean. Doesn't mean he has feelings for them. Quit being a wanker.' Dom scolded himself mentally for getting his hopes up.

"Dom, you alright?" Billy stared at him puzzled. "You must be thinking about something hard."

Dom laughed out loud. "You have no idea how hard."



Billy snorted and wiped his nose.

"Then, I told him that it was MY ASS, and it wasn't on sale." Dominic said loudly.

Billy howled with laugher, and Orlando slapped him lightly on the arm. Billy looked over and saw tears running down Orli's face. 'Can you believe this guy?' he mouthed to Billy.

Billy shook his head, still giggling and tried to stop smiling so big.

"You're lying." he finally said to Dom, after composing himself.

"No! This story is true! You can call my mum yourself." Dom looked shocked. "And she will tell you the same thing that I did."

"With a lot less cursing, I'm sure." Liv added.

"Oh no, a lot more really. See, my mother was born on a pirate ship---" Dom's story was cut off with groans and boo's from everyone in the room.

"No! Really! She was. Lemme tell you about it..."

Billy continued listening to Dom with a big smile on his face. They had been drinking all night, and Dom's stories had been going on for over an hour. Billy looked around the room. Everyone seemed entranced. Elijah was sitting on a stool, by Dominic's counter. Liv was curled up in Dom's armchair. Viggo, who had just joined them a few minutes earlier, was sitting against the wall, glass of wine in hand. Orlando and Billy were sitting on the sofa, all staring at Dom, who was standing in the middle of the room. His arms were moving fifty miles an hour, while describing every detail of the story. Dominic didn't know it, but Billy was hanging on every word. Committing to memory every line of every story. Billy had never seen anyone work a room like Dom before, and he thought it was amazing. He made eye contact with everyone, and when his eyes reached Billy, he felt like it was only him and Dom in the room. Billy no longer heard the words coming out of Dom's mouth. He only saw his mouth moving, and felt the intense heat in his chest whenever he made eye contact with Dom. Billy felt vulnerable looking into Dom's eyes this long, and felt like maybe his insides were spilling out. 'What if he knows the things I've been thinking?' Billy's fear ceased when Dom gave him a quick wink, and looked over to someone else.

"Mr. Monaghan, as much as I have enjoyed this...old men like me have to go to bed at night." Viggo interjected. "This old geezer is going to get sleep while he can.

"Well, you are lame." Dom stated. "But..if you must go, you must." Dom walked over to Viggo and pulled him up with one arm. "You shall be missed" he said properly.

"Dom, you are always welcomed at my dinner parties. You can keep the guests entertained while I sit back in the back and ignore people as I please."

The two men gave each other a hug, quick pats on the back. Billy noted to himself that the hug was nothing like the one Billy and Dom had shared earlier.

Everyone said their goodnights to Viggo, and to Liv, who decided to get a ride home from the only sober person there.

Billy stood up to get another beer from the fridge. "Dom, want one?"

"Yeah, please." Dom sat down where Billy had been, next to Orlando. Dom watched Billy in the kitchen, who was straightening up. Picking up empty bottles and caps that were lying on the counters, and putting it all in the trashcan.

"Billy, quit cleaning up and come sit in here." Dom finally called.

"Ahh, I'm sorry. Bad habit. I've learned if you clean as you go, the mess isn't as bad." Billy walked in the living room, two beers in hand.

"Sounds like something my mum would say." Dom said, taking the beer Billy offered.

"Ahhh yes. The Pirate mother." Billy teased his friend and sat on the coffee table, facing Dom. "You try living with a sister and a grandmother who are neatnicks. You learn very quickly to clean up behind yourself."

Forgetting that Orlando and Elijah were still in the room, Dom sat up in the sofa and continued talking with Billy.

"Do you ever...I mean. Wait, no. Well. I mean..Do you ever wonder what your life would have been like if...No, that's none of my business." Dom stuttered.

"It's okay Dom. I can't really say how my life would have been different with my parents around. My grandmother is a wonderful woman, and she and my sister taught me everything I need to know about life, and how to treat....." Billy trailed off. He almost said 'how to treat a woman..' when he looked up at Dom. He suddenly felt very confused. He realized for the first time that he was attracted to a man, and that had never happened before. He wasn't sure what to make of it. Should he freak out?? He decided against it, and felt that being attracted to Dom was totally comfortable. Besides, its not like anything would ever come of it.

"How to treat..?" Dom prodded.

"How to treat the people in my life." Billy finished, and smiled. He glanced over and remembered that Orlando was sitting next to Dom. Orlando was staring back and forth from Billy to Dom, from Dom to Billy, from Billy to Dom. A smile spread across his face as he made eye contact with Billy.

"Shut up Orlando." he warned, with a grin.

"Aye, I didn't say a word, mate." Orlando grinned and swigged down his beer. "You guys want to play Playstation?"

"Yeah!" Elijah piped in from his chair.

Dom stood up from the sofa, standing directly in front of Billy, and stretched. Billy licked his lips as he saw a glimpse of Dom's hair, right above his belt. He glanced over at Orlando again, who was staring at him with a huge grin now. He nodded at Billy and winked. Billy couldn't help but grin, and shot Orlando a bird.

"Shut. Up. Orlando." Billy said.

"I. didn't. say. a. word." Orlando laughed, knowingly.

"What are you two going on about?" Dom asked.

"Nothing. Hook up the game." Orlando said.



Billy stood up to get another beer, and his legs felt like jelly. He wavered, then caught his balance on the edge of the sofa.

"Alright, mate. You are done for the night." Dom stood quickly, and put his arm around Billy for support.

"No, I'm fine, I'm not even drunk." Billy stepped away from Dom's protective hold and once again lost his balance.

"Billy. You've been passed out on the sofa for a good twenty minutes, muttering things about monkeys that I don't ever want to know about." Dom smiled. "You are staying here tonight."

Billy, who was feeling sleepier every second that went by, agreed.

"Yeah, okay. I'll sleep here on the couch."

"Nah, ya wont." Dom nodded his head towards the couch. Orlando was curled up sleeping peacefully. "I wont allow you to sleep sitting up, Bill."

Billy nodded, not knowing what he was agreeing to.

"Come on, I've got a big bed." Dom saw the look of shock on Billy's face and laughed out loud. "I don't bite......hard. Now come on, we've got an early day. I wont argue, you are sleeping back here with me."

Billy finally nodded, and Dom ushered him to the bedroom.

Orlando opened his eyes from the couch and grinned.



Billy lay against the edge of the bed, willing himself to not fall off. During the night, the blankets had been kicked off, and Billy was glad. He could feel sweat forming at the base of his neck. He had woken up to find Dom curled up beside him, his body pressed to him, and his hot breath against his neck. Billy was more than sober. He was alert. Ever puff of air on his neck made the hairs on his arm stand straight up. He knew he was close to falling off the bed, but he didn't dare wake Dom. It felt too good. Dom's leg pressed to his was too great. He would rather fall than risk Dom moving to the other side of the bed. Billy turned his head slightly so he could feel Dom breathing on his face. He was close enough to kiss, and Billy stared at the details of Dom's face. Billy memorized the freckles on his on his neck, and wanted so badly to brush the hair back away from his forehead. That's when he realized that this was more than just attraction. This was something...deeper.

Billy raised his hand slowly, so slow, and softly pushed back a few hairs from Dom's face. That act alone made Billy's heart race. It also made him brave. With his index finger, he outlined Dom's ear, something he had been wanting to do for days. Dom made a pleased noise that told Billy it was safe to continue. He brought his finger down his neck, and back up again to Dom's face. He ran his thumb across Dom's cheek. Billy stopped for a minute to admire his friend's body. Dom slept peacefully, shirtless and in pajama pants. Dom mumbled something and shifted in his sleep. Billy sat paralyzed for a moment, afraid that Dom would wake up and his game would be over. Dom settled again on his side. Billy realized that Dom was pressed against his hip, and that he was hard. Billy's own cock stirred in response. Billy stared at Dom closely, to make sure he was asleep. He fought with his own hand to not do what it wanted to do. His hand won. He reached down and softly laid his hand down on Dom's erection.

'If he wakes up, he will think I'm asleep. My hand just happened there..while sleeping.' Billy thought to himself.

The temptation was too great though. Just having his hand sit there was not good enough, when he knew he could move his hand around, and actually FEEL. His fingers slid up and down over Dom's hard on over his pajamas. Billy realized that Dom wasn't wearing anything under his pants. If he wanted, he could get a good grip..

'GOD! What am I doing!! My friend is asleep here, and I'm trying to take advantage of him...' Billy tried to lay still and not think about Dom's hard dick pressed against his hip. The more he tried to ignore it, the harder Billy got, and the harder Dom seemed to get. Billy slowly turned on his side and reached his hands over to Dom's chest. He swirled his finger down the hairline to his pants. He let one finger slide under the waistband. Then another. Then another. Finally his entire hand was inside Dom's pants. 'What do I do now?' Billy asked himself. He had never had his hand down a guy's pants before. 'You are daft. You've had them down your own.' Billy argued with himself in his head, until he decided to just touch him. He had to just...touch Dom. his hand crept down, and his hand made contact. He paused, made sure Dom was still asleep, and continued. Dom's dick was hot to the touch, and big. Bigger than Billy had expected. His fingers explored, and Dom's cock twitched in response. Billy slid his hand all the way to Dom's head and squeezed softly.

"Mmmh." Dom whimpered softly in his sleep. Billy paused, then went on. He slid his hand back down the shaft, and Dom moaned quietly again. The noise made Billy's own dick jump in his shorts. It was like music to his ears. Billy went back up the shaft, and back down again, over and over. In his sleep, Dom moved over on his back, giving Billy much easier access. He continued to stroke Dom, but slowly and gently, as to not wake him up.

The moans increased, and Billy felt like he could cum without even touching himself. Dom was breathing quickly, and Billy started stroking him again.

"Billy.." a raspy voice spoke quietly.

Billy froze, his hand stopped and he clenched his eyes shut.

"Dom?" Billy didn't turn. Couldn't look.

After a moment, Dom spoke again. "Why did you stop?"

Billy turned then, to look at his friend's sleepy face. A grin spread across Dom. "I said why did you stop, mate?"

Billy felt a smile come to his face, and he squeezed Dom's cock in reply. Dom leaned his head back and gasped. Billy had never felt more aroused. He brought his hand up and down Dom again, almost begging to hear that gasp again.

"Ohhh, Billy. Keep doing that, please." Dom breathed, gasped, and moaned all at once. Billy had never heard such a wonderful sound. He used his other hand to pull Dom's waistband over his hard on, and down around his thighs. Billy could now use both hands to get to Dom. He stroked him with one, and massaged his balls with the other. Dom was squirming under him, and moaning quietly.

"Ahh Billy, " Dom whispered. "You're about to make me..Oh God...."

Billy stroked Dom faster, and leaned over to his face, kissing Dom gently on the lips. He was quickly met with a tongue pushing to get in his mouth. Dom's tongue was soft, and smooth, and everything Billy had thought it would be. It danced with Billy's tongue and Dom came with a groan. Billy kissed him deep, wanting part of that groan to be swallowed up inside him. Dom reached his hand down and gripped at Billy quickly, jerking him off with a speed and intensity that Billy had never felt before. He came quick and hard...moaning loudly, not caring if anyone could hear. Dom raised his hand to Billy's hair and softly tugged at it.

"Mmmm. That was a lot better than the last time we came together."

Billy looked up at him blankly. "What are you talking about Dom?"

Dom grinned and pulled Billy close to him. "I've got a good story to tell you mate."

"Tell me all about it..." Billy reached his hand up and pulled Dom's face towards him. They kissed again. Dom kissed him back roughly, wanting to get a good taste.

"You know what? I'll tell you later."