let the whales marry
Jan. 26th, 2005 11:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smartlikeAges and ages ago, I took ficlet requests. For ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
overloved, Billy/Dom,
There's a tiny shard of light coming in from the slightly open door and it's keeping Dom awake. That's what he tells himself, anyway, lying in bed with the sheets twisted around his knees. He spins his silver ring around his finger and stares at the door, at the light, and he tells himself that's what's keeping him awake.
On the other side of that door is the hallway and just across that hallway there's another bedroom and in there, lying in his own bed, is Billy. Dom imagines that Billy's sleeping and Dom curses Billy's habit of leaving all the lights ablaze. Dom debates the idea of getting up and turning out the light or maybe just shutting the door. But, he's sure there's still sand on the floor and if he gets up, it'll stick to his feet and then get all through his bed.
Of course, this is what happens all the time now that Dom lives in Hawaii-- the sand is just another layer of skin-- and the real problem is that if the light isn't keeping him awake then he'll no longer have any excuse.
He turns onto his side, faces away from the door, and with his eyes closed he pictures Billy. They were at dinner earlier, near the beach and Dom suppresses the instinct to compose sonnets to the smell of tropical sea air and the way Billy's skin has changed from seashell-delicate to sunshine-tawny since he arrived three days ago. Because there's no excuse for that. Dom sighs and opens his eye, Billy laughing and gesturing with a beer bottle lingering in the air like an after-image.
Dom rolls over, kicks his feet off the edge of the bed and feels the sand gritty between his skin and the tiled floor. Once the light's off, he can always blame the insomnia on the sand. He makes his way to the door and opens it all the way, blinking as the light fills the space, more than just a sliver now. He arches his back, stretches and scrubs a hand through his hair, metal cold against his temple. He doesn't look at Billy's door, doesn't do anything more than twist his neck a little to relieve the tension.
Dom sighs again, a small sound in the quiet house and raises an arm to pull his head down towards his shoulder, stretching his neck until it stings a bit. Billy would say that Dom looks like a monkey. Dom wonders at his ability to miss someone who's only feet away from him. He thinks he has a gift for melancholy. He thinks it's a bloody stupid gift and forces himself to stand straight and reach for the light switch.
The darkness lasts only a second, not even long enough for Dom's eyes to adjust, and then there's yellow spilling out of the door across the hall. Dom blinks and Billy tips his head, crooked smile and sleepy eyes and slightly reddened skin.
"Dom?" he asks.
"You left the light on." Dom knows that the accusation in his voice has nothing to do with the light, but he watches Billy's eyes narrow before trying again. "I couldn't sleep."
Billy nods and seems to be waiting for something. Dom doesn't know what it is and he feels utterly useless. He rolls his eyes and shrugs.
Billy bites his lip and then says, "Took you long enough to turn it off."
Dom feels like he's suddenly lost the ability to speak the language. He considers and then dismisses the idea that Billy's speaking something other than English. "I didn't want to get out of bed," Dom answers after a few seconds.
Billy nods. "Oh."
Dom twists his ring again, once and then twice around. He blinks and looks back up at Billy. "Were you up?"
Billy nods again. "Are you going to be able to sleep now?"
Dom shrugs, "Not likely."
Billy smiles and Dom's seen Billy sad, but he can't imagine it now, can't imagine him ever anything but this happy, this purely content for no reason that Dom can fathom.
Billy steps back into his room and tips his head. "Come in here, then?"
It's all clear then, like the part of his brain that understands Billy has finally been switched back on. Pieces fall into place, Dom shakes his head and takes two steps across the hall. "You left it on on purpose then?"
Billy widens his eyes, all innocence and sparkle. "Oh, you know how I am with lights, mate. Probably just a happy accident."
Dom laughs. "I'll get sand in your sheets," he warns as he presses past Billy and into the room, Dom's empty room a world away.
It came out different than I thought. But, that's how it goes, eh? And now, The Daily Show.
overloved, Billy/Dom, There's a tiny shard of light coming in from the slightly open door and it's keeping Dom awake. That's what he tells himself, anyway, lying in bed with the sheets twisted around his knees. He spins his silver ring around his finger and stares at the door, at the light, and he tells himself that's what's keeping him awake.
On the other side of that door is the hallway and just across that hallway there's another bedroom and in there, lying in his own bed, is Billy. Dom imagines that Billy's sleeping and Dom curses Billy's habit of leaving all the lights ablaze. Dom debates the idea of getting up and turning out the light or maybe just shutting the door. But, he's sure there's still sand on the floor and if he gets up, it'll stick to his feet and then get all through his bed.
Of course, this is what happens all the time now that Dom lives in Hawaii-- the sand is just another layer of skin-- and the real problem is that if the light isn't keeping him awake then he'll no longer have any excuse.
He turns onto his side, faces away from the door, and with his eyes closed he pictures Billy. They were at dinner earlier, near the beach and Dom suppresses the instinct to compose sonnets to the smell of tropical sea air and the way Billy's skin has changed from seashell-delicate to sunshine-tawny since he arrived three days ago. Because there's no excuse for that. Dom sighs and opens his eye, Billy laughing and gesturing with a beer bottle lingering in the air like an after-image.
Dom rolls over, kicks his feet off the edge of the bed and feels the sand gritty between his skin and the tiled floor. Once the light's off, he can always blame the insomnia on the sand. He makes his way to the door and opens it all the way, blinking as the light fills the space, more than just a sliver now. He arches his back, stretches and scrubs a hand through his hair, metal cold against his temple. He doesn't look at Billy's door, doesn't do anything more than twist his neck a little to relieve the tension.
Dom sighs again, a small sound in the quiet house and raises an arm to pull his head down towards his shoulder, stretching his neck until it stings a bit. Billy would say that Dom looks like a monkey. Dom wonders at his ability to miss someone who's only feet away from him. He thinks he has a gift for melancholy. He thinks it's a bloody stupid gift and forces himself to stand straight and reach for the light switch.
The darkness lasts only a second, not even long enough for Dom's eyes to adjust, and then there's yellow spilling out of the door across the hall. Dom blinks and Billy tips his head, crooked smile and sleepy eyes and slightly reddened skin.
"Dom?" he asks.
"You left the light on." Dom knows that the accusation in his voice has nothing to do with the light, but he watches Billy's eyes narrow before trying again. "I couldn't sleep."
Billy nods and seems to be waiting for something. Dom doesn't know what it is and he feels utterly useless. He rolls his eyes and shrugs.
Billy bites his lip and then says, "Took you long enough to turn it off."
Dom feels like he's suddenly lost the ability to speak the language. He considers and then dismisses the idea that Billy's speaking something other than English. "I didn't want to get out of bed," Dom answers after a few seconds.
Billy nods. "Oh."
Dom twists his ring again, once and then twice around. He blinks and looks back up at Billy. "Were you up?"
Billy nods again. "Are you going to be able to sleep now?"
Dom shrugs, "Not likely."
Billy smiles and Dom's seen Billy sad, but he can't imagine it now, can't imagine him ever anything but this happy, this purely content for no reason that Dom can fathom.
Billy steps back into his room and tips his head. "Come in here, then?"
It's all clear then, like the part of his brain that understands Billy has finally been switched back on. Pieces fall into place, Dom shakes his head and takes two steps across the hall. "You left it on on purpose then?"
Billy widens his eyes, all innocence and sparkle. "Oh, you know how I am with lights, mate. Probably just a happy accident."
Dom laughs. "I'll get sand in your sheets," he warns as he presses past Billy and into the room, Dom's empty room a world away.
It came out different than I thought. But, that's how it goes, eh? And now, The Daily Show.
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no subject
Date: 2005-01-27 01:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-28 02:47 am (UTC)Billy smiles and Dom's seen Billy sad, but he can't imagine it now, can't imagine him ever anything but this happy, this purely content for no reason that Dom can fathom.
That line in particular makes me all warm and glowy inside.