Sekrit Slasha

Undertow

Title: Undertow
Recipient: dizzydame
Author: carribbe
Pairing: Billy/Dom
Rating: NC 17
Summary: A reunion, a change in circumstances, a sprinkle of jealousy, and a willingness to accept the chance to love each other again. Slight future fic - Los Angeles, USA - early summer, 2014.

Undertow

Dom met Billy's eyes from across the room as he took another sip from his own newly secured glass of scotch. He had stepped away to buy another drink a few minutes earlier, but making his way back to him was proving to be a determination contest. Mission nearly accomplished, he fixed his eyes on Billy and smiled before starting to work his way through the seemingly endless stream of people migrating through the large room.

"Dom!" came yet another voice from somewhere nearby just as he started moving again.

He wanted to ignore the additional interference, but was forced to stop anyway when his path was blocked by a new and persistent voice.

"Dominic," a large, square shouldered man repeated, as he stepped in front of him.

Halted in his tracks and hoping the increased level of irritation was not also showing on his face he looked up at the man standing fully in front of him and extending his hand for a shake. Dom studied him then, eyes squinting in concentration, as he extended his own hand in return. He was usually quite good at remembering people's names, but he was not getting immediate feedback from his own memory to help him place this individual. While he admitted to himself the man did look familiar, he could not recall where or when he may have met him on previous occasions. He was also not especially interested in remembering at the moment, but this evening had already begun with more than one unexpected encounter. "And it's still early," Dom thought to himself.

"Ramone," the man offered, interpreting some of the confusion he saw on Dom's face. "I met you at a studio party last year," he offered in explanation. "When I saw you here this evening I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you how much I admire and enjoy your work. It's a pleasure to follow your career," he added. "You have a diversity that's hard to find in most younger actors."

"Thank you," Dom replied, surprised at the series of compliments, but already feeling somehow uncomfortable with the lingering touch of the man's handshake. Dark eyes flitted between his face and chest and back again as he talked, leaving Dom with a distinct feeling of being seen beneath his clothing.

"I've always appreciated the way you look off screen as well as on," he added with a definitive, underlying interest. "The camera always captures you well, but it still falls short of your personal presence."

Dom blinked at the man several times before breaking his handshake.

"Thank you, I guess," Dom said, "but I wasn't aware my camera presence had such an impact as all that."

He returned the man's gaze without hesitation this time, understanding now that this was a moment of decision of sorts, and it would be necessary to convey that he wasn't interested in further interaction.

The other man smiled as though accepting of the challenge, shifting his weight from one leg to the other as he lingered in front of him.

"Oh yes," Ramone said slowly, his eyes roaming appreciatively back and forth once again. "I would say you're quite, ummm - noticeable - in many ways."

The man then leveled his gaze at him with confidence, a long silence developing between them as each man analyzed the other.

"It would seem you're very free with your compliments, Ramone," Dom said eventually, his jaw twitching with barely controlled frustration.

The two men continued to stare at each other for several moments, but when Dom did not smile or attempt to continue the conversation, Ramone nodded in acquiescence and stepped aside.

"I appreciate that you enjoy my work," Dom added before moving away. "Hopefully that will continue, but if you'll excuse me right now, I really must be going."

Billy's arms were folded firmly in front of him, eyebrows pinched in concern as he watched Dom striding toward him. He had not been able to hear their conversation, but he knew Dom well enough to discern that although he was not exactly angry, he was definitely full blown irritated. He didn't like the general demeanor of the fellow talking to Dom, and despite not knowing what had been said, he somehow also knew he didn't approve of anything the other man had to say.

"What was that all about?" Billy asked as Dom arrived at his side.

Dominic examined Billy's face before responding, an unmistakeable edge noticeable in his simple question.

"Nothing," Dom said, attempting to brush off the question.

"Bullshit," Billy replied, none too casually. "You don't look like that if 'nothing' is going on."

Dom sighed in submission to Billy's insight before replying.

"He was admiring my camera presence," Dom answered, feeling a little embarrassed now. "I think he was going to suggest I arrange for a very personal and private experience just for him," he finished.

Billy remained quiet as he seemed to consider the explanation, but when he looked toward where they had been standing, he saw Ramone cast one last backward glance in their direction before turning and walking away. The whole scenario quite irritated him, and he frowned again as his eyes followed the would-be suitor around the corner and out of site.

Typically Dominic would have made some sort of additional joke at this point, but something in Billy's demeanor this night left him less confident and unsettled. Billy was obviously displeased, leaving Dom also mildly apprehensive. He had sensed at first sight tonight that Billy had something in mind that felt removed from their typical and intermittent encounters of recent times. As they had posed for photos earlier in the hotel foyer, their arms casually encircling each other, the tips of Billy's fingers had felt warm and confident where they slid between the hem of his shirt and jeans, concealed from anyone else beneath his suit jacket. Dom had not been surprised by the intimacy of the touch, but Billy typically reserved such things for much more private moments. Touching him so purposefully while cameras were trained on them from multiple angles suggested it to be a much more overt statement, the remainder of which lay yet concealed, even from him.

"Bastard," Billy let slip beneath his breath.

Genuinely amused now, Dom smiled as Billy looked at him as he searched for affirmation.

"Oh, maybe," Dom shrugged as he responded, "but you can't blame a guy for trying, I guess."

"Hell I can't," Billy scoffed, scowling noticeably. He appeared about to say more, but stopped himself just short of voicing his next thought.

Billy looked at him in return then, a slight frown still creasing his forehead. While it was certainly true that Billy was a damn good actor, he was actually poor at concealing his emotions while playing himself. The idea to hide his feelings simply never occurred to him, and Dom felt his stomach flip in familiar fashion as he recognized what he saw there.

Dom remained quiet then as the impact washed through him from an immensely different sort of appraisal. Simple and earnest, Billy's eyes softened where they lingered along the curve of his upper lip, a particular memory igniting itself from the far recesses of his mind. Only the two of them knew and understood what they had shared all those years ago. Neither had wanted more at the time, and both had moved on to other relationships when their time together had come to an end - except that nothing had ever truly extinguished, not emotionally anyway, for either of them.

"Be sure to finish your drink," Billy suggested, the barest hint of something more lingering there. "I'm thinking you may need it."

 

The lights of LA twinkled in assorted colors from one side of the night time horizon to the other as Billy stepped out on the private balcony in search of Dom. He found him standing near the rail and totally absorbed in the sight and sound of the ocean surf where it crashed against the black rocks below, the roar of tons of water drowning out most of the traffic noise at this time of night. He appeared entrapped in all he saw there, making Billy chuckle at Dominic's eternal, childlike fascination with all things wild and natural. It was one of those personal traits that remained constant, and one of the things about him that could always make Billy smile.

"Have you identified any new species yet?" Billy asked, ultimately unsuccessful in hiding his underlying amusement. "I should think those special night time goggles I gave you last year would have enabled you to find something previously unidentified by now."

Dom turned and looked at him as though just noticing he had arrived, something that in all actuality was probably true.

"I thought I saw something a moment ago," he said, before returning his eyes to the water, but I think it must have been a seal. It's gone now."

"Ummmm," Billy replied, listening, but maintaining his eyes on Dom as he talked about what he thought he had seen.

"Kind of odd it was out here by itself though," he finished, seemingly in after thought.

When no further comment was forthcoming, Dom looked to find Billy smiling at him, looking only at him and paying no attention to the surf or the nearby shoreline.

"Oh yes," Billy agreed without hesitation, "there are plenty of beautiful things out here. One just has to know where to look to see them properly."

His breath caught in his chest as Dom found himself once again in the cross hairs of Billy's libido. Although well acquainted with that type of attention, it had been years since he had been this closely aligned with the full throttle experience. Whenever Billy was in the mood for pursuit, it was virtually impossible not to dissolve beneath the intensity of the experience, and Billy knew him so well that it was also not possible for Dom to feign his emotions or disguise his own responses. If Billy had indeed set his sights on having him again, he knew he was already well entangled in a web of very early foreplay. Billy had an ability to tap his sensuality from across the room or over the course of several hours if he was feeling particularly deviant. Eventual pay off would culminate in a sexual exchange almost too powerful to endure, leaving him weak, sated, and shaking in Billy's arms. As Billy drew ever more near to slide both arms around his waist, he sighed as his heart began to beat a little faster in anticipation, wanting and needing all that he knew Billy could give him.
Dom could say nothing more as he stood half collapsed and quivering in Billy's arms. Stripped of his composure, his heart aching and broken wide open, he struggled to find something coherent to say in the harsh reflection of long ago feelings revisited. Per usual, there was nothing forthcoming or comparative to offer verbally, so he touched his lips to Billy's neck in simple acknowledgement, knowing full well he would hold nothing back this night or any other. As soon as he could recover, they would move safely back inside, reclaiming complete privacy, and renewing himself as Billy's lover all over again.


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