TITLE: Otnemem
AUTHOR: quailquill
ORIGINAL STORY:"Memento" by Trianne
RATING: PG-13
PAIRING: EW/BB/DM
SUMMARY: Billy is swept up by Dom before Elijah can declare his intentions.
DISCLAIMER: This is a remix of an original story, "Memento" by Trianne
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Friday
Billy stared after Elijah. Written on a napkin from catering were some letters: ejw81@nz.co. Elijah had pressed it into his hand after a normal-seeming lunchtime conversation in which they had talked about all kinds of things: favorite acting jobs; which was better, latte or cappuccino; the first time they saw Star Wars.
"Oh I find loads of cool shit on the 'net."
"The net?"
"Billy, please tell me you're familiar with the Internet? You know, the information superhighway?"
"Ah yeah. Invented by an American, am I right?"
"Whatever. You can find seriously cool memorabilia too, Bill. I'll give you my email. Send me your address and I'll forward you the best sites."
Elijah's eyes had been alight. Billy put it down to the kid's affinity for all technological toys.
Looking down at the napkin he now muttered, "But I don't have a computer here."
Saturday
Billy's house was unlocked as usual. Sunlight splashed the spare rooms. The hall back to the bedroom was shadowy and cool. Dom had seen the glint in Elijah's eyes yesterday, had noticed him hanging around Billy at every opportunity for quite a while. Dom decided now was the time for him to act. He wanted Billy for himself and damned if he would stand by and watch Elijah snatch him away. Besides, Dom knew he had an advantage. Elijah would spend weeks working out a plan, and months working up the courage to execute it. Dom tried not to feel smug knowing he could beat him to the punch, just by being a cheeky bugger.
Billy heard the squeak and felt the dip of the mattress as Dom sat on the end of the bed. He cracked an eye.
"Dom...wha? What time is it?"
"I can't wait anymore, Bills. You know I'm not a very patient person."
"Wait for what?"
"For you."
Billy blinked trying to rouse himself to full wakefulness, scratching his head as he peered at the clock.
"Were we supposed to do something? What time is it?"
"Well I think we should do *something*. I mean, if you're interested in me the way I'm interested in you."
Billy had gone from blinking to staring. "You're...interested. In me?"
Dom smiled. "Yes. And have been for some time."
Sunday
"Are you sure, Bill? He's got so much crap already. You won't even be able to see it."
"No, Dom, he LOVES Star Wars...he even searches out this stuff online! And it's not expensive...thank goodness." Billy smiled.
Dom peered over Billy's shoulder. "Does he have that one?"
"I don't think so."
"Well, get it if you're getting it. I can hear the pub calling my name."
Tuesday
"Hey! Elijah? Anybody home?" Billy leaned into the trailer after a few unanswered knocks. Sometimes it was hard to pick Elijah out from amongst the debris that a teenager could amass in a small space. The thought that he was about to add to it made Billy smile. He had been smiling a lot lately. In fact, ever since Saturday and ... Dom, he felt like the smile never left his face.
"Billy?!" Elijah's squeak was muted by a closed door. "Just a minute."
Ah, he's in the loo. Billy looked for a place to sit, or lean, but had to settle for a slightly less cluttered square of carpet to stand on.
After the sound of some splashing and a few muttered curse words, Elijah emerged. Billy smiled.
"Hello there."
"Hi! Billy! Gosh, I..."
Billy raised his eyebrows, wondering if he had interrupted anything. Elijah seemed a bit stuttery.
"I just dropped by to give you this. Something I picked up."
Elijah's eyes went wide as Billy handed over the box.
"W-W-Wow! Greedo?! This is great!" Elijah turned the box over and over, reading all the fine print and markings.
"I just ran across this while I was out, and after our conversation I thought I knew exactly who would like it."
"Billy, thank you so much!"
"Sure thing. I'd best be off to find Merry. I'm sure Peter will be looking for both of us before too much longer." Billy clapped Elijah on the shoulder as he went to the door.
"OK. Billy, I...it's....thanks again."
Billy stopped in the doorway. The sight of Elijah hugging Greedo to his chest was a sweet and comical sight, reminding Billy of nothing so much as his sister Margaret on Christmas morning. He smiled and nodded.
Wednesday
"Billy!" Dom came running up, only slightly hampered by his Merry feet. Billy lowered his hand and turned away from Elijah's trailer door. Dom stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "You got away this morning before I could say goodbye."
Billy smiled.
"So come down here and I'll do it now. I don't want to fall behind."
Billy's smile edged into a grin as he came down the stairs. He was only sorry he hadn't made a pass at Dom a few months back at that birthday outing to Alcove. He too felt the need to make up for lost time.
"What's that?" Dom's arm went around Billy as he gestured to the shopping bag Billy carried.
"Oh, a CD I picked up. I wanted to ask Elijah about it."
"You're a regular Father Christmas."
Billy laughed and reached around Dom's waist to give him a little squeeze. "Yes, Dom, that's me; holly in my heart year-round."
They kept walking into the shade of a little stand of trees, the furthest away from the main activities of the location. Dom stopped and Billy stopped with him. Billy touched one of Merry's curls.
"You look very sweet in this wig."
Dom's eyes crinkled underneath Merry's makeup. "You look very sweet all the time." His lips touched Billy's softly, influenced by the spring breeze and the ghosts of Merry and Pippin, invoked by the costumes they wore. As soon as Billy moved closer, arms tightening around Dom's waist, shopping bag crinkling, all thoughts of delicacy evaporated by a rising heat. They were very well-matched; persistent tongues seeking each other, breaks and pauses coming just when needed, lips lured back in by nips and bites. After long minutes, Billy leaned his head back, breathing heavily.
"Dom...I think I'm about to ruin Pippin's clothes."
Dom laughed. "Same for poor Merry. Forget what I said about going out tonight. I'm going to want you all to myself. For now let's get you back to Elijah's."
They walked slowly back to the cluster of trailers, exchanging long looks and still-shy grins of discovery.
Wednesday, later
This time, Elijah answered the door.
"Hi mate!" Dom tore his eyes from Billy and included Elijah in his grin.
"Hi guys. C'mon in."
"Sorry, Lij, were you taking a nap?"
"What? Uh, yeah, I was thinking about it."
They moved into the trailer, even more crowded now that there was a new addition to the debris on the floor, this time of the powdered-figurine kind. Billy frowned trying to work out why it looked vaguely familiar.
"Sorry, Billy, I was getting something off the shelf and I knocked it off. I am such a klutz sometimes."
Billy shrugged and looked at Dom, who returned the look. Billy's look said, "Look at that, Dommie, can you believe there's $17 in a pile of dust on the floor?" Dom's look said, "See, Bills, I told you; this was bound to happen."
"Too bad, Elijah" Billy clapped him on the shoulder, noticing a slight tension around his eyes. "Don't worry; I'm sure you'll find an even better one. We'll go for a pint on the weekend."
"Yeah." Elijah yawned.
"We'll get out of your hair. You look kind of exhausted."
"Yeah, OK. That nap does sound pretty good. I'll see you guys later."
The door of the trailer didn't exactly slam, but their heels were barely over the threshold before it closed. Dom and Billy made a questioning, comical face at each other at the same time and burst out laughing. Dom slung his arm around Billy's neck.
"Let's leave old Frodo to himself. It's just you and me, Pip."