By Special Request Written: May 26, 2003 Just call this one an intuition that proved to be true. (the singing, not the gay shower sex.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dom nearly broke his nose as he ran into the door, the momentum of his stride brought up short by a locked deadbolt. He almost dropped the bags of groceries in his arms as his hand wiggled the knob in vain. Since when did Billy ever lock his door during the daytime? He glanced over, made sure of the black SUV in the drive, and pushed on the door again with a grunt. No good. Dammit. Dom balanced a bag on his knee and dug for his pocket, once again grateful that the Fellowship swapped keys more than the people in that seventies movie Lij made. Wrapped loaf of French bread between his teeth like a knife in a pirate’s mouth, chin propped on the box of crepes and bottle of chardonnay dangling from his other hand, Dom twisted his key and nearly fell through into the foyer of Billy’s flat. He took two steps into the room before the reason for the locked door became apparent. Piling the bags and parcels onto the nearest table, he smiled as he listened to the flat muted sound of the shower running in the bathroom down the hall. Like anyone had anything better to do on their afternoon off than to sneak over and spy on Billy as he washed his naughty bits. So prim and proper, our Mr. Boyd. Shaking his head, Dom turned and closed the front door, and then began gathering the dinner supplies to take to the kitchen. As he walked past the hall, the sounds of the shower grew louder, and through the rushing water and thumps of movement a clear lilting voice came wafting down the corridor with the puffs of humid air. Dom’s eyebrows shot up. Billy was singing in the shower. And quite loudly, as well. Face splitting into a wide grin, Dom set his armload back onto the table and leaned into the dark hallway, tilting his head to try and catch the melody Billy was singing. At first, he couldn’t make it out over the noise of the water. When the words finally hit his brain, he had to clap both hands over his mouth to keep from bursting into sudden laughter. I... don’t know how to love him, what to do, how to moo-ooh-oove him... Stifling his giggles, Dom tiptoed down the hall and stopped in front of the bathroom. Light glowed from beneath the closed door, and the roar of the shower obscured his footsteps. Billy’s voice rose out over the pounding water, a strong and quite lovely clear tenor that Dom had been curious about since the first time a newly-acquainted Billy shrugged and said softly,"I sing a bit. From time to time. Nothing serious." Dom listened closely, smiling broadly, his wonder at the loveliness of Billy’s voice coinciding with his mirth at the choice of material. How did he know it would be showtunes? Still, though — Webber? Dom would have had him pegged as a Gilbert and Sullivan man, himself. Ah well, at least it wasn’t Brigadoon. Well it certainly isn’t serious, Dom thought, and suddenly he had to bite down hard on one hand and clutch the other around his ribs to keep his laughter from exploding. He’s a man he’s just a man and I’ve had so many men before in very many way-aay-ays He should turn around and go into the kitchen. He should start dinner, and put the wine in the refrigerator, and look up innocently from chopping leeks when Billy came in toweling his hair. Make some Hobbit food joke. He should definitely not open this bathroom door and scare the bejeezus out of him, most likely pissing him off greatly in the process. Not to mention embarrassing the hell out of him. He was so sexy when that little vein popped out on his temple. Dom’s hand closed around the doorknob. "I’m the one who’s always been so calm, so cool—" Dom jerked open the door and sang, "No lover’s fool—" The string of obscenities that came out of Billy’s mouth was most unbecoming the son of the Thain. Dom leaned against the doorframe as steam billowed out all around him. He stared into the transparent shower curtain. "Hey, we had a nice duet going, Bill, don’t stop now." "Jesus fucking Christ!" Billy was brushing the water out of his eyes, one hand on his chest. Dom shrugged. "OK, I’ll sing his part, but I think he’s out of my range." Billy started to say something, but then his eyes suddenly widened and he grasped the shower curtain and pulled it to his midsection."Get the hell out of here! I’m taking a shower, you arsehole!" Dom cocked an eyebrow. "Billy, this isn’t exactly the first time I’ve seen you naked, mate." Billy hesitated, skin flushing even more than the hot water had done, and floundered, "That— that was different! We were—" "In bed, under the covers, with the lights out. Yes, I know, I was there. Quit being such a damn girl. You think I’m going to tell you your arse looks fat? I’ve pranced around in front of you often enough — time to return the favor." The vein on Billy’s temple was approaching bursting-level. The water was matting his hair down across his forehead. He swiped at it with one hand, letting the shower curtain go, much to Dom’s approval. "I thought you were shopping for dinner." "I was." Dom stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. His hands went to the buttons of his shirt. "The crepes are probably getting mushy on the counter right now." His peeled the shirt off his body and draped it neatly over the towel rack. "So we’d better get you washed quickly." Billy twisted away from him, one hand reaching for the curtain again. "Dom..." So prim and proper, our Mr. Boyd. "Billy, I’ve had my tongue over every inch of that skin which is blushing so bashfully right now. Especially the parts you’re trying so hard to cover with that hand. So there’s no sense in going all modest on me now." Billy turned a shade of crimson that Dom was fairly sure was unhealthy. He merely smiled and unzipped his jeans, peeling them down over skin that was quickly growing sticky and damp in the steamy heat of the bathroom. His shoes clomped into a corner behind the toilet. And then he looked up at Billy and smiled a smile that was both disarming and disquieting. "Scootch over, Pavarotti," he said. Billy turned and thrust his head under the furious stream of water as Dom slid past the curtain and stepped into the shower behind him. He could feel the reticence rolling down Billy’s flushed back with the hot water, and he smiled softly and reached past him for the shampoo, deliberately sliding as much wet and slippery skin against him as possible. "Why didn’t you tell me you could sing like that?" he said casually as he soaped up his hair. Billy visibly winced in front of him. "Like what, Dom? Hmm? Like a poncy stage whore? Like a drama queen? Like what?" Dom stopped in mid-lather. Billy’s voice was defensive and bordered on hurt. Dom took his hands out of his hair and laid them, wet and soapy, on Billy’s shoulders. "You sing like an angel, Bills," he said. And he meant it. Billy’s head turned a fraction under the spray. Water ran down his nose and dripped off the curve of his lips. "Really?" Dom smiled and squeezed. "Yeah. Really." He put his hands back into his hair and closed his eyes. "Now do us a bit from Brigadoon." "Bastard." Billy spat water as Dom chuckled, and stepped aside so Dom could rinse the shampoo out of his hair. His face was scowling, but Dom could feel the lines of his body were more relaxed and comfortable as he moved. Dom leaned his head back under the shower, facing Billy so that his head tilted backwards and exposed as much of his neck as possible, knowing that Billy would be fixated on the pulse point in Dom’s throat that allured him so much. Sure enough, when he opened his eyes he found Billy staring, enthralled at the sight of the rivulets of water rolling down the angles of Dom’s adam’s-apple. "Turn round and I’ll wash your back," Dom said. Billy hesitated for a moment, then handed Dom the sea-sponge he had been clutching in his fist and turned around. Dom leaned forward to retrieve the bottle of shower gel, pressing against Billy for just a fraction of a second — but long enough to feel him take in a sharp breath and tense from head to toe. Then he leaned back, shifting over to let most of the spray of water fall onto Billy, and flicked the cap of the bottle open with one thumb. "Sing me something else," he said. "What? You — no! Absolutely not!" Dom’s hands smoothed themselves across Billy’s shoulders, slick with shower gel and rubbing the sea-sponge across the planes of his back. He dug a thumb into the base of Billy’s neck and immediately felt his tension drop several notches as he gave a little sigh. "Why not?" Billy’s head lolled backwards slightly as Dom began to knead the bunched muscles below his neck. "Because— ah— I just can’t. It’s embarrassing. I— no, I can’t." Dom took a step forward, running his hands down the ridges of Billy’s spine until he came to the curve at the base, and pressed his thumbs in hard. "Please?" Billy’s head rolled his head forward on his neck, and then back up again. "God, that feels nice, Dom. I wouldn’t--ooh Dom thought for a moment, squeezing a bit more soap onto the sponge, and then ran it down the slope of Billy’s ribcage until it trembled beneath his hand. Dom’s mouth angled upwards into a grin. "Sing something... sing something Scottish." Billy’s head whipped round to glare at him out of the corner of one eye. "You fucker. I knew you were going to make fun of me." Dom laughed and began to massage Billy’s shoulders again, more forcefully this time. "I am not. I’m deadly serious. It’s either that or back to the Broadway songbook. We can start with Cats this time." Billy chuckled softly, and Dom slid soapy hands across the slick skin of his back and leaned in close. "Sing something for me, love. Something your sister sang when you were a lad. I won’t laugh, I promise. Please?" Billy heaved a sigh and turned his head back to face away from Dom. Dom eased back and continued his gentle scrubbing, squeezing rows of white lather out of the sponge, and didn’t pressure Billy any further. The shower hummed and throbbed on his back, and he was just starting to wonder how much longer they might have until the hot water ran out when he heard a soft and tenuous melody bloom up in the echoing reverb of the shower. Maxwellton braes are bonnie where early falls the dew Dom bit his lip hard and his shoulders shook as he tried desperately to keep his promise. He forced his hands to stay smooth and calming on Billy’s back as he bit back a giggle. "And twas there that Annie Laurie gave me her promise tr— shite, Dom I can’t do this!" "What, that was lovely! I like that song! I was sure you were going to sing Danny Boy." "Danny Boy is Irish, you wanker. I’ve killed men for less than that." Dom ran his fingers over the curves of Billy’s biceps and stroked with his thumbs. "Keep going." Billy sighed and rubbed water out of his face with the back of one hand. His voice trembled at first, but grew clearer and steadier as he went up the ascension of the refrain. Gave me her promise true Which ne’er forgot for aye And for bonnie Annie Laurie I would lay-aayy me down and die. It occurred to Dom, listening to Billy’s sweet and lilting voice rise and fall in the tiled shower, that he was being given a gift which was not handed out lightly. The truth of the matter was, Billy sang beautifully, clear and high but not trilling or falsetto, and Dom found himself smiling, listening to it roll and ring in his ears as he continued to work at the knots in Billy’s shoulders with long soapy fingers. He watched Billy’s back expand and contract slightly with each phrase, and felt the muscles beneath his hands twitch and relax as Billy forgot about his embarrassment and lost himself in the song. Tilting his head, Dom could see Billy’s eyes had closed, and he felt a sudden rush of something that he couldn’t immediately name. Then he looked down at the space between their bodies and the nature of that something became quite apparent. Dom’s face crinkled into a grin that nearly reached his ears. He dropped the sponge and filled his hands with fresh soap, then ran his palms slowly around the soft flesh just below Billy’s ribs and around to his belly. He knew how to give gifts as well. "Like dew on gowan lying, The fall o’ her fairy fee— eeee! That tickles!" Dom’s lips brushed against the shell of one delicate ear. "I know. Keep singing." Billy wavered, stammered, and then, "And like winds in summer sighing, Her voice is low and swee—eeee! Dom, what the hell—" "You are so adorable when you squeak." Dom pressed a flat kiss to the back of Billy’s neck. "Keep singing." "No! This is--ohh--Dom I can’t sing when—" "I’m just showing my appreciation for the arts. Keep singing." He waited a phrase or two before stepping forward until he pressed against Billy’s back and was rewarded with another startled squeak. "Her voice is low and swee—eeee! Stop that! And she's the world to me, and for bonnie Annie Laurie, ohhh... (one of Billy’s hands reached out and braced on the slick tile in front of him) I would lay-aayy me down and die." Dom let the earlobe in his teeth slip from his grasp long enough to murmur, "Bravo. Now turn around." "Jesus..." When Billy faced him, green eyes wide and water dripping from his open mouth, Dom let his grin soften just long enough to drop a quick kiss onto the point of his nose and say quietly, "Thank you, Bill. You really do sing beautifully." And then the smirk returned to his face and his eyes glittered as he added, "See? A standing ovation and everything." And then he put one finger in the center of Billy’s chest and drew it downwards as he descended to his knees. "Dom— the hot water’s gonna run out—" "Probably." "And we need to start dinner—" "Yes, we do." "So we really shouldn’t be—uuhhh—" Billy’s knees buckled and he leaned back hard against the tile with a wet little slap. Dom started to say something, but it was muffled and indistinct. There was a slight little slurp, and then Dom said much more clearly, "Shouldn’t be what?" Billy’s eyes opened and he looked down. "Hey, why did you stop?" Dom’s hair was matted to his forehead and his ears were bright red with the heat of the water. He smiled in triumph. "Because you aren’t singing." Billy’s mouth closed, then opened again. "Oh, you bastard." "I’m not familiar with that tune. Is that from Rent?" Billy’s eyes closed with a little sigh and a whisper of "Bugger me..." Dom’s voice was half-smothered again. "That comes after dinner. Now start singing." Billy started to say something, but then his legs jerked and his head fell back and hit the tile with a thump. Fuck the crepes, he thought, and then managed to gasp out between squeaks, "How do you feel about Gershwin?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ home