Fic: An Ending
Last post of the night! This month has been so fantastic. monaboyd ftw!
title: An Ending
pairing: Billy/Dom, Billy/Ali
rating: R
words: 5000+
warning: Angst, anger, set several years in the future.
summary: Billy has a decision to make, and someone’s going to end up hurt.
thanks: to Raquel for reassurance and nit-pickiness.
Dom opened the front door with his key and dropped his duffel just inside, then kicked the door closed behind him. “Billy! Where are you?” he shouted, toeing off his shoes and shrugging out of his raincoat at the same time. He let the dripping coat fall on top of his duffel and took off down the short hallway, swinging around the corner and-
-skidding to a halt when he nearly ran into Ali.
“Hullo, Dominic.”
Dom gaped for a moment before regaining his senses and his balance. “Oh-Ali-Um, hi.”
She smiled, but it didn’t even come close to reaching her eyes. “You weren’t expecting to see me here, were you?”
“Um, no, not-” Dom shook his head. In his head, he was screaming, Oh shit, shit, shit. “Didn’t Billy say you were spending Christmas at your mum’s?”
Ali sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I was going to, but she and my dad decided to fly down and visit my brother instead. They asked me to go with them, but I didn’t want to go so far from home over the holidays.”
“Oh.” Dom was silent for a few seconds. “Billy didn’t-Billy didn’t tell you I was coming, did he?” he asked, already knowing the answer.
“Not as such, no.”
“What does that mean?”
“He didn’t tell me, but I knew you were.”
“Oh,” Dom said again. “So, um… Where is he?”
“He’s at the theatre. Rehearsal.”
“…And Jack?”
“At school.”
Dom sighed to fill the silence and glanced around awkwardly. Ali just watched him, her arms still folded, and didn’t say anything.
“Dom…” Ali paused to take a quick breath. Her fingers tightened into fists then relaxed again. “Dom, are you having an affair with Billy?”
Blood was pounding in Dom’s ears and he hoped he was still breathing normally, because he did not want Ali to find out by reading his body language. He had to do better than that. Dom looked down at his hands and then raised his head, but he didn’t quite meet her eyes yet. After a brief hesitation, he took that final step and looked at her directly. “Yes,” he breathed, no more than a whisper.
Ali gave him a wry, altogether-unhappy smile. “I’m glad you’re not still lying to me.” She sighed deeply and sank down into an armchair. “I liked you, Dom. You seem like a nice person, generally.”
Dom bit his lip and looked back at his hands.
“And right now, I’m not exactly sure who I should be angry with.”
Oh fuck, Dom thought. “It wasn’t either of us,” he said softly, “it was both of us, and it happened so fast and so long ago that-”
“How long, Dom? Since New Zealand?”
Dom nodded, not raising his eyes.
“Who knew?”
“Nobody. Everybody. We never told anyone, but they all knew. They just-”
“They thought that Billy broke it off with you when he started seeing me,” Ali finished.
Dom nodded again and looked up; he straightened his shoulders a bit and said, “I’m not sorry.”
Ali glared.
“I mean, I’m sorry for lying to you, and I’m sorry you had to find out like this, but I wouldn’t trade any moment I’ve spent with him for… for anything.” Dom took a few steps forward and slid sideways onto the sofa, where he looked down at his hands again.
“Does he love you, Dom?”
“He says he does,” Dom murmured.
“You don’t believe him?”
“He-He loves you, I know that. He’s just… addicted to me. I’m like a bad habit.” He looked up to see Ali shaking her head. “What are you going to do?”
“Do?”
“‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,’ right?”
She grinned and nodded. “Right. I haven’t decided yet.” At his quiet nod, Ali pushed herself off her chair to kneel in front of Dom, where she could look up into his eyes. “I’m sorry it has to end like this.”
Dom looked away and closed his eyes tightly, fighting back a sob.
“I’m going to go pick up Jack from school and drop him off at a friend’s for the night. I’ll be back at six, and Billy will be home in about twenty minutes,” she murmured. “If you’re still here when I get back, the three of us are going to talk. If you’re not, then I won’t expect you to come back here unexpectedly, understand?”
Dom nodded quickly. He hoped she would leave before he completely broke down into tears. Thankfully, he felt her hand beside his leg on the cushion as she pushed herself up off the floor, and then he heard her footsteps, loud in the otherwise silent house, fading towards the door.
After he heard it open and close again, Dom released a shuddering sob and covered his face with his hands. He leaned sideways until he was lying down and curled up with his knees to his chest, weeping.
When Billy came home fifteen minutes later, he nearly tripped over the evidence of Dom’s arrival at the front door. His blood ran cold and he shut the door quickly. As his eyes moved upward, he saw Dom, standing at the end of the hallway, with his arms wrapped around his chest. He’d obviously been crying in the recent past, though he wasn’t now. Dom hurried towards him and flung his arms around Billy’s neck.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he mumbled, his mouth against Billy’s shoulder. Billy’s eyes fell shut and he stroked Dom’s back automatically.
“Dom, where’s Ali?” he asked, dreading every answer he could imagine.
“She-she’s out with Jack. Home at six. I’m sorry, Billy-”
“Shh, shhh, Dom, it’s alright,” Billy soothed.
“No, it’s not alright, Billy-” Dom cried, clenching his fingers around Billy’s t-shirt.
“Shhh, Dom, Dom, Dominic-” Billy pushed Dom away so he could see his face. “Don’t cry, Dommeh,” he murmured, reaching up to caress Dom’s tearstained cheek. “Let’s go sit down and you can tell me what happened.”
Dom nodded and let Billy lead him back to the sofa and sit him down. Billy sat beside him, angled so that their knees were touching, and continued to stroke Dom’s cheek and neck.
“I’m sorry I didn’t warn you, Dom,” he murmured. “I couldn’t call while you were in the air and I knew you’d never check your voicemail before coming here-”
“I came home-here and she caught me off-guard and she knew why I was here before I even said anything, so I just-I told her and she asked me how long and I told her and then she just left and-and-”
“Dominic, calm down, calm down, love, shhh, settle down,” Billy said. He scooted closer and wrapped his arm around Dom’s back to gently stroke his waist to quiet him.
“Ali said that if-if I’m not here when she gets home that I-that I can’t come back.”
“Oh god,” Billy breathed. He pulled Dom even closer and held him tightly until he felt Dom’s panicked trembling subside.
“I should-I should go,” Dom whispered as he pushed himself out of Billy’s arms and off the sofa.
“What-Dom, what-”
“It’s over, Billy,” Dom said, not meeting Billy’s eyes. “I’m going to ruin your fucking life if I stay.”
“No, you can’t-You can’t just leave!”
“We both know how this is going to turn out, Bill-”
“You can’t leave me!” Billy shouted desperately.
“I can’t be the one being left, Billy!” Dom cried back, tears once again shining at the corners of his eyes. “I-I have to go.”
“Dom, please-” Billy stood up and caught Dom by the arm. “Please-”
“This isn’t about what you want anymore, Billy,” Dom said wearily. “This is about responsibilities, and I-I can’t-” Dom breathed quickly, trying to clear the lump in his throat. “Let me go.”
“I can’t, Dom, I love you too much-I can’t stand seeing you hurt like this-”
Dom wrenched his arm out of Billy’s grasp and shouted, “What about seeing Ali hurt? Look me in the eye and tell me that doesn’t matter to you and I’ll stay.”
Billy closed his eyes and sighed. “Dom-”
“Exactly,” Dom replied sadly. He turned around. “I have to go, Billy, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t let it end this way,” Billy pleaded softly.
“I don’t have a choice,” Dom said, not turning around but not moving either. “Goodbye, Billy.”
Billy didn’t move for a second, but then he leaped forward and spun Dom around to face him. He wasted no time in kissing Dom passionately, both his hands curled around Dom’s neck. Dom responded desperately to the kiss, and he didn’t quite know what to do with his hands: they fluttered from Billy’s shoulders to his face to his waist and back again.
“Oh god, Billy,” he breathed when their lips parted. “Billy…”
Billy moaned a response into Dom’s mouth. He forced his tongue eagerly between Dom’s lips and Dom sighed and clung to Billy’s shirt.
Billy eventually pulled away, leaving Dom breathless and with his eyes still closed.
“I love you,” he murmured, sliding his hands down to Dom’s shoulders. “I will do anything for you, Dom, please. Please don’t leave.”
Dom, still dazed from the fierce kiss, nodded. “What about-” he began after a few seconds. Billy silenced him with a finger to his lips.
“We’ll think about that in a minute,” Billy whispered, not wanting to think of Ali at all. “Dom… you’re looking a bit pale, love…”
Dom nodded again and opened his eyes. Suddenly overcome with dizziness, he grasped Billy’s forearm tightly for support. “I think… I think I need to sit. Or lie down.” He sighed. “I feel sort of faint, actually,” he mumbled, staring numbly into Billy’s green eyes.
Billy tugged Dom the short distance to the bedroom and pushed him down onto the bed. Dom laid back and rested his arm over his eyes.
“I think I’m in shock, Bill,” he said, chuckling softly. “I can’t believe this is happening…” He sighed again. “What time is it?”
Billy sat down on the edge of the bed, beside Dom’s knees, and glanced down at his watch. “It’s almost five.”
“What’re you going to do?”
Billy rested his head in his hands. “I don’t know.” He covered his eyes for a moment and whispered, “I’m so sorry, Dom.”
Dom nudged him with his foot. “It wasn’t just you, Bill.”
“Yeah, but I’m the one cheating on my girlfriend.”
“The mother of your son.”
“Dominic-”
“Sorry.” Dom rolled onto his side, both hands folded under his cheek. “Billy, we have to talk about this. Or I need to leave now.”
“Don’t leave-”
“Then we have to figure something out. Before Ali gets home.”
Billy lifted his head and looked down at Dom. “Move over,” he said quietly, pushing at Dom’s hip. When Dom had scooted over enough, Billy lay down next to him so that their knees were touching and their noses almost were.
“I don’t want us to be over,” Billy whispered.
“Neither do I.”
“I love Ali.”
“…Yes.”
“I love you, Dom.”
Dom bit his lips and nodded. “What will Ali say when she gets here?”
“She’ll say… She’ll say that she won’t stand for us sleeping together.”
“She told me that if I left, I couldn’t see you again.”
“I can’t-I can’t live with that. With not seeing you. God, Dom, I can barely go a week without talking to you.”
“Then we’ll just… we’ll stop sleeping together. If… If we stop that, then… we’ll still be able to see each other once in a while.”
Billy grasped Dom’s hand and squeezed it. “I can’t believe it’s coming to this.”
Dom sighed and looked down at their hands. “Bill, we knew it would happen eventually. I knew, at least. It’s inevitable.”
“I didn’t think it would be now.”
“It was never something to expect, Billy.” He tugged his hands away and rolled onto his back. Billy leaned in and kissed his shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Dom.”
Dom felt the lump in his throat returning. “I’m gonna-I’m gonna miss you.”
“Don’t do that, please, don’t do that yet.”
Dom rolled again so he was facing away from Billy and wiped his eyes. “I love-I love you so much, Bill. Billy…”
“I know, Dommeh,” Billy murmured. He gently rubbed Dom’s arm. “Shh, love. How many times have we lain like this, eh?”
“Though usually I’m not bloody cryin’,” Dom pointed out.
“Except that one time in New Zealand, d’you remember? You were drunk, I think; you might not.”
Dom let out a loud, shuddery sigh. “You sang me to sleep, di’n’ you?”
“Yeah, I probably did. What were you crying about then?” Billy moved his hand briefly to Dom’s hair, petting him, then down to his waist.
Dom chuckled sadly. “Nothin’ as major as this, I’m sure. God, I’m such a crybaby.”
“You’re not, Dommeh,” Billy soothed. “I just don’t want to fall apart in front of you.”
“Oh, but it’s alright if I do.”
“I don’t mind.”
Dom twisted to look back at Billy. “Just hold me for a bit?” he asked quietly, his expression almost desperate.
“C’mere.” Billy pulled Dom closer and wrapped his arm protectively over Dom’s torso. In only moments, Dom’s breathing had slowed and deepened in sleep. Billy kissed the nape of Dom’s neck. He fought to stay awake; he had been exhausted from his rehearsal at the theatre and then had come home to an even more emotionally exhausting situation with Dom.
When the clock on the bedside table clicked over to 5:50, Billy gently extracted himself from Dom and went into the bathroom, where he turned on the light and stared numbly at his reflection. He still didn’t know what he was going to say to Ali, but he had the vague notion that he should talk to her alone, without Dom, to spare all three of them some heartache. Billy gathered Dom’s belongings from the front hall and put them in a neat pile in the guest room, where Dom would be staying for at least tonight if things worked out well.
At six o’clock on the dot, Billy heard Ali’s car in the drive and he went to meet her at the front door. Neither of them spoke until Ali had hung up her coat and dropped her purse onto the table in the entryway.
“Is Dom-”
“He’s asleep in the bedroom,” Billy replied softly. “Jetlag, I think.”
“In our bedroom.”
“Ali-”
“Don’t, Billy.”
“What’re you going to do? You have a plan, I assume?”
“I don’t want you seeing him,” she hissed.
“I’m always going to see him, Ali; I can’t just cut him out of my life.”
“I don’t want you fucking him,” Ali amended fiercely. “And right now, I want him out of our bed.”
“Ali, please-”
“No. You put him there because it was normal for you. Both of you. And I want him out.”
Billy could see that he wasn’t going to win this battle, so he raised his hands in defeat and said, “Alright, fine. I’ll go wake him.”
He went into the bedroom and left the door ajar. “Dommeh,” he said gently. “Dom, Ali’s home.”
Dom rolled over and rubbed his eyes. “Wha-what?”
“Ali’s home.”
“Fuck,” Dom muttered. He scrambled out of bed and looked back at it, at the rumpled mess he’d made of the neatly-made bedclothes. “I should-”
“Leave it.”
Dom looked toward the door, then at Billy. He was scared. “What should I-Where should I go?”
Billy shook his head and shrugged. “Guest room, I suppose?”
“Yeah. Yeah, okay. You’re going to talk to her for a while?”
“Yeah. I’m sure you’ll know when to join us.”
Dom nodded and glanced out into the hall. He quickly and quietly slipped into the guest room and mouthed, “Love you always,” before he closed the door behind him.
Billy went back out into the main room to find Ali making a pot of tea. There were three cups out on the counter.
“I’m going to go talk to him,” she said. “Alone.”
“No, Ali, we need to talk first,” Billy replied quickly.
“What do you expect me to do, Billy?”
He sighed. “I don’t know. I’m sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt like this.”
“Well, I have been, and Dom has as well.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry-”
“How often do you… get together?”
“God, Alison, What do you want to know? Do you want me to tell you that I fucked him in our bed? Because I have. Do you want to know what he says to me when he comes? Do you?”
“Stop-”
“Knowing… it’ll only hurt you,” Billy said. “I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”
Ali nodded and poured the tea, not meeting Billy's eyes. “Okay.” After taking a sip from her cup, she continued, “What did you figure out while I was gone? Since Dom obviously hasn’t gone…”
“Not-Not a lot.”
“Billy, you can’t have us both.”
“I know.”
“I’m going to talk to him. Stay here.”
Ali poured a second cup of tea, with both milk and sugar, to take to Dom and disappeared out of the kitchen. Billy rubbed his face with both hands and muttered, “Fuck.”
Ali knocked gently on the door. “Dom, I want to talk to you.”
“Come in, then.”
Dom was sitting on the floor beside his duffel and almost-dry raincoat.
“I brought you some tea. Would you sit on the bed with me?”
Dom stood up and took the second cup from her hand. “Thank you,” he said quietly.
“Milk and sugar, right?”
“Right.” Dom sipped it and didn’t meet her hard stare. “Why are you being so nice to me? What did Billy say out there?”
“You love him, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I really do.”
“It’s easy to love Billy.”
“Yeah.”
“He told me that he couldn’t just cut you out of his life, and I know that’s true. I know that was too much for me to ask from you.” She paused for Dom to reply, but he made no move to speak. “You might be comfortable in open relationships, Dom, but I’m not, and I don’t think I ever will be. So this is the part where Billy has to choose one of us, and…”
“We both know who he’s going to choose,” Dom finished.
“I’m not sorry.”
“I’d never expect you to be.” Dom shook his head and glanced up at Ali.
She nodded. They both looked down at their tea.
“How did you find out? Out of… curiosity. You don’t have to say if…”
“He keeps a box.”
“A… box?”
“Emails, letters, photos… things he, um, needs with you-”
“Okay, I get it,” Dom cut her off, closing his eyes.
Ali slid off the bed to her knees and felt around underneath the bedskirt. She pulled out a medium-sized cardboard box and opened the flaps. Inside, Dom could see a stack of papers and envelopes and Polaroids-Shite, Dom thought, blushing-and on top of that was a bottle of strawberry-flavoured lube and an old pair of Dom’s wristcuffs, which he’d thought he’d lost years ago, in New Zealand.
Dom knelt down beside her and picked up the letter on the top of the pile. It was written by him, about a year ago. Billy, I keep thinking about last week and wishing you were still here. We never did end up going out for sushi, did we? You’ll have to come back straight away so we can rectify that. Dom remembered Billy’s reply. It began, Letters are so old-fashioned, Dom. Haven’t you ever heard of email? But I know how much you love handwriting things…
“I didn’t know he kept these…” Dom breathed. “You read them?”
“Yes.”
Dom continued to sift through the box, finding printed emails that were dated 2001 and notes he’d written to Billy back in New Zealand. The pictures ranged from stock publicity photos to ones Billy had taken of Dom in various hotel rooms and at his rented house in Mexico.
The phone rang and both of them looked up. It rang once more before Billy picked it up in the kitchen. A few minutes later, Billy knocked on the door and poked his head in.
“Ali, Jack wants to speak to you.”
Ali nodded and took the handset as she brushed past him. Dom stared up at Billy, still holding several papers.
“You kept these? All this time?”
Billy nodded slowly and sat down beside him. “Yeah. I guess she found it.”
“I didn’t know you-”
“I love you, Dom,” Billy interrupted.
“And I thought I was the sentimental one.” Dom put down the letters. “Why didn’t you tell me? You knew I kept everything you ever gave me.”
“I thought you’d say it was a bad idea, since I live with her.”
“I would have. Might’ve saved us all this trouble.”
“I wouldn’t have listened. And you were right, Dom; this was inevitable. She would’ve found out sooner or later.”
“Yeah,” Dom murmured. He looked down at a photo of himself, asleep and naked atop the sheets in a hotel room. “This is sort of embarrassing, actually.”
“I suppose she’s seen them all?”
“I’d imagine so.”
“Sorry.”
Dom shrugged. “There’s ones of you in here, too, y’know.”
“But she’s at least seen me naked before.”
“But not with me,” Dom insisted. Billy sighed. “What did Jack want?”
“He felt ill and wanted to come home,” Billy replied.
“Billy!” Ali called. “I’m off to pick up Jack. Susan says he’s got a bit of a fever. I’ll back soon.”
“I should leave now,” Dom said simply. “Don’t tell me not to, Bill. You have to stay and I really shouldn’t be here when Jack gets home. We'll all be fighting, and... I don’t want him to see me crying, anyway, which I will be pretty soon.”
Billy stood up when Dom did, but he didn’t move to stop him from leaving. “Jack’s going to go straight to bed. Stay ‘til morning. You can catch an early flight out if you want.”
Dom paused at the door.
“What should I do, Dommeh?”
“Don’t ask me that.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to-” Dom began before he could stop himself. He swallowed. “I want you, Bill, you know I do. But you should stay with Ali and Jack.”
Billy stepped up behind Dom and wrapped his arms around Dom’s waist. He kissed the side of Dom’s neck and breathed, “I love you more than I do her.”
“Oh god, Billy-”
“I want to be with you.”
Dom turned around in Billy’s arms to hug him back. “Oh god, Billy-” he said again.
“I know you want to leave, but please stay until I figure something out. Or I’m going to leave with you and ruin everything with Ali.”
“You shouldn’t choose me,” Dom said tearfully. “What about-”
“I think I’ve been with both of you long enough to know what I want, Dom. And I want us to be together.”
Dom was silent. “But what about Jack?” he finally asked.
“He’s old enough now to understand. Fuck, Dom, I already spend half the year in London or New York or LA anyway.” Billy kissed Dom chastely on the lips. “I want to be with you, Dom. Will you have me?”
“You know the answer’s yes, Bill, always, but I-”
“Shush.” Billy put his finger to Dom's lips, quieting him.
“I’ll stay tonight,” Dom finally conceded softly, “but tomorrow Ali won’t stand for me being here.”
“We can go to your place in London,” Billy said wistfully. “Or wherever you want, Dom. I just want to be with you for longer than a single weekend.”
“I’ll go to London. You’ll stay here and then meet me there. You can’t just disappear with me, Bill.” Dom stared hard at Billy, almost glaring, but more compassionate.
“Suppose you’re right.” Billy kissed Dom again. “God, I’ve missed you.”
“I know, Billy, kiss me,” Dom replied desperately. He fisted his hands in Billy’s shirt and held him close. “Just kiss me now.”
When Jack and Ali appeared at the front door nearly half an hour later, Dom was leaning over the kitchen table, head pillowed on his folded arms, with Billy's hands absently kneading his shoulders.
"Uncle Dom!" Jack shouted, running towards them. Dom slid out from under Billy's hands and knelt on the floor, arms open to receive Jack when he pounced into Dom's lap at full speed.
"Hiya, Jack," Dom said enthusiastically. "You feelin' alright?"
"Nah," Jack replied dismissively, coughing to demonstrate. "Mum brought me home 'cause I have a fever."
"You should probably hop into bed, then, mate," Dom said as Ali walked into the kitchen.
"Yes, go clean your teeth and get into bed and I'll bring you some medicine," Ali said, touching her son on the shoulder.
"Can Uncle Dom bring it?"
Dom bit his lip and glanced nervously up at Ali. "I'd best let your mum take care of you, Jackie. Then maybe I could come tell you a story, would that be alright?" Dom asked, directing the question at Ali.
She nodded. Billy bent down to kiss Jack on the forehead. "Go on, Jack. Mum'll be in in a minute and Dom will come tell you a story afterward."
"Alright," Jack said half-heartedly. "G'night, Dad." Jack scampered off to wash up.
"I suppose you've got something to discuss now?" Ali asked as she rummaged through the cupbords for Jack's cough medicine. Billy took a deep breath and nodded 'yes.'
Dom didn't meet either of their glances. He followed Ali to Jack's bedroom and waited by the door while she fed him the foul-smelling syrup.
"G'night, love," she murmured, then beckoned to Dom. As she passed him by the door, she whispered, "Keep it short." Dom nodded and joined Jack on the bed.
"Are you alright, Uncle Dom?"
Dom knew his eyes and nose were still a bit red from his earlier crying, but he smiled. "Not completely, but I'll be okay," he said with false cheeriness. "I was feeling a bit ill myself, earlier."
"Maybe Mum's got some medicine you can try."
"I don't think she has a cure for me, mate."
"You should see a doctor, then," Jack insisted. "That's what Dad always says. He always says to be super-careful whenever anyone gets sick."
Dom's heart leaped into his throat at the thought of Billy's Sean-Astin-like protective instincts. "Maybe I should see a psychiatrist," he muttered under his breath.
"What's that?"
"It's... a kind of doctor for if you're head's gone wonky," Dom explained uncertainly.
"Has your head gone wonky, then? Looks fine to me."
Dom reached over and ruffled Jack's hair. "It's more of a mind... thing. I'll explain when you're older."
His ears perked up at the sound of Ali's voice from down the hall. The volume of Billy and Ali's "discussion" had begun to increase. "Listen, Jackie. I'm probably going to have to leave soon, okay? Your mum's a bit angry with me. What story do you want me to tell you?"
"What did you do?" Jack whispered. Dom could tell he was getting tired, and he gently pushed Jack down so that his head was on the pillow.
"I'll let your dad tell you." Dom tucked the blanket up around Jack's chin, glancing at the door. He heard footsteps approaching.
"Dominic Monaghan, I want you out of my house!" Ali hissed, appearing at the doorway with her eyes blazing. Billy stood slightly behind her with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked... powerful, like that.
"And that's my cue," Dom muttered to Jack. He quickly scooted off the bed.
"But you've only just got here!" Jack protested, instantly wide awake again.
"No, Jackie, I have to leave. You should always listen to your mum, alright?"
"But she's not your mum!"
Dom saw Billy's lips twitch up into a smirk at that, but he spoke sternly. "Jack, don't be contrary."
"I'll see you soon, mate," Dom whispered to Jack, kissing his forehead. He quickly brushed past Billy and Ali and saw that Billy had moved his things into the front hall. Dom stepped into his shoes and shrugged on his jacket.
"I'll see you in London," Billy murmured, smiling sadly as he handed Dom his bag. "I called you a cab."
Dom smiled. "Don't make me start crying again." Once he had everything in hand, he reached around to turn the doorknob. "Billy--" His grip tightened momentarily. "Don't do anything stupid."
"Like what?"
"Like... make up with her?" Dom replied nervously. Billy chuckled.
"I'm not sure that's possible at this point." He reached around to catch Dom's shoulder and hold him back. "I love you, Dom."
Then he leaned in and gave Dom a quick kiss on the lips.
"Out!" Ali shouted shrilly from somewhere down the hall. "Billy Boyd if you--"
Billy silenced her with a frustrated glare. Dom took the moment to slip out of Billy's grasp and duck out the door, where he found a cab pulling up to the driveway.
Dom slid his duffel into the seat and glanced back at the house, but the front door was closed. "Airport, please," he said, as he settled into the seat himself with a quiet, relieved sigh.
He still couldn't believe it. Dom had been dreading this moment ever since Billy first told him about Ali, and he'd come so close to losing Billy today. But against all possible reason, Billy had chosen him. Dom grinned. It had been a long, heart-wrenching afternoon, but... things were looking up.
fin.