Story: Paper Flowers

His words burned. They seared. They scorched. I wish I knew what he had said.

We were in the field of paper flowers. Pink and purple origami petals all around our feet, swaying in the wind. The sky was dark, cloudy, and near the time the sun would fall. The flowers were so gentle, we didn't dare move. We just stood there, our hands together.

He leaned down. The sky didn't matter anymore. I could still see the flowers, because they were in front of me. His lips were to my ears, and he whispered. Something.

I'll never know what he said.

As he exhaled the end of his phrase against my neck, I watched the edge of a pink flower begin to singe and burn as if someone was holding a match up to it. The fire spread, from bloom to bloom, as he held my hand tighter. The sky was lighter now, illuminated by the burning field of paper flowers.

We stood in the middle and burned like the petals, as he clenched my hand.

I wish I knew what he had said.

Prose: Addict

one of my all time favorites. im proud of this one:

have you ever been an addict. and im not talking
about the hey-i-like-to-do-this-alot type of addict.
im talking about the
if-i-dont-get-it-right-now-im-going-to-f ucking-blow-someones-head-off
type of addict. im an addict. ive never blown anyone
to get it. i dont think i would. but i havent been
given the opportunity to either. the reason i say 'i
dont think i would' is because i like to pretend that
i still have something thats mine. dignity, pride,
standards. but i know i would easily toss those away
just to get it. i know because i have. so all i
really have is it. for one hour. for two hours. for
fifteen minutes or however long it last. however long
i can afford it to last. ill be high for fifteen
minutes if thats all i can get.

im an addict. i dont get high just to get high. i
get high just to get my mind off getting high for a
few hours. after a fix im good for eight hours.
maybe. then the last of my previous highs memory
cells dry up and i want. need. how can i get
my next fix. when. how soon. can i afford it.
scratch that. how soon.

i timed it once. seventy seven dollars got me high
for just shy of a hundred minutes. but i got my fix. and
yet i was broke. funny how they call it a fix. each
new fix is like a hollowtip exploding out my backside.
internal bleeding. external bleeding. but i dont
feel it. until i come down.

i should get help. i know. i should get help finding
it and paying for it because the more im high the more i
live. do i want to stop. yes. i want to stop
searching for my fix. i want to stop the hours
inbetween each fix thinking about the next fix each
fix whispering to me that it will be better than the
last fix. i want to stop. and i will. i will when
im rolling around in fields of my drug. when i wont
need a fix because its everywhere and i dont have to
get high because i already am and i will be forever
because everywhere i look is my drug and its holding
me and telling me that im sexy and i will never come
down because i live in a castle in the sky.

so now you know what addicts dream of.

i am an addict. and i love it. it has its positives
and negatives. and im positive im negative. or so im
told. by myself. my brain can hold two opposing
thoughts. one, that this fix is just what i needed.
and two, that i need a fix.

and now its time.

i can hear my drug calling. i pick up the phone.

i say hello.
she says i love you.
my fix.

and im good for another eight hours.

Story: He Lies In Bed

My mind is changing in an unchanging world. I spoke to you the other day. We don't speak anymore, except on your terms. You told me you missed me, loved me, implored for my return. You're still singing the same song? I couldn't believe you again. The song plunges me back into the fractured recesses of my mind where the memories are stored in sensations; smells and tastes from a time I thought I knew my mind. I was wrong. Trying to find some sense in the words, I find myself lost in the days. I remember watching them fall like petals. Rotting. And then... And then a soft parade of nights through my head in colours and shapes I cannot begin to describe. You holding me in a silverframed bed, trembling as words fell from your lips and hung heavy in the air, the hot syllables delectable between us. Me reaching out and plucking words from your head with ease. Sharing dreams. The electric tension that rolled thundrous around the bed we loved in. Butterfly eyelids. Your pupils swelling as the tears carved salty paths down to your lying mouth. Words, words that washed over me then, the sting to come later as I lie in the cold hollow where we lay, together.
I blink and the walls haze with tears. At work I watch as a lobster's eyes cloud opalesque with pain as it boils to a rapid death in a pan of seething water. I shut my eyes. Rich tells me they don't feel a thing. He is lying.
At home the orange glare of a cigarette punctuates the silence. The nebulous fuzz of the television, untuned. The neon from outside invades the cold room, perverting the dusty surfaces and creating images where there are none. I watch your face creep across the walls as my tired mind stretches the photographs that are peeling slowly from their yellowed sellotape. Your smile locked behind my eyelids. I still remember, even now.
The summer rain was refreshing on our skin, sticky from the hot day and the words we shed so casually. So easily we slipped. Your hands were so soft, the hands of an artist. You were so charming, so lost in a crowd. My head in the clouds. No feet on the ground. She was nameless then. I didn't want to believe. Couldn't be real, couldn't be real. We didn't talk about her. Don't talk about her now. Your neck adorned with a bruise, a loveflower from her lips. We didn't mention it. I didn't see fit. You held me close and I believed every word.
And now?

I can't even look at you now.

Story: Fulfillment through Depravity

They call me crazy. I beg to differ. I’m sentenced to die only for their lack of understanding. So, here I sit day after day in this cold, lonely, dark jail-cell. Fed once daily, I’m slowly thinning away, still filled with the lust of my chosen delicacy and the hatred that was bred upon me. I don’t know how long I’ve been here or how long I’ll stay. No windows to the outside world are present to accompany me, only one diminutive hole near the top of the door shining in a small beam of light through from the prison corridor. I’ve grown somewhat accustomed to this new lifestyle of mine however bleak it may be in comparison to the stirring existence of my past.
I was born on August 13, 1974, putting me now at slightly over fifty years old. My mother unfortunately died during labor, leaving my single father to raise me alone. My unstable father was traumatized by the death of his wife and inherently blamed me.
My childhood was a macabre thing to live through. Even when I was but a mere child, my father would abuse me. Two times a day these beatings would occur, usually first thing in the morning and once again before bedtime, all the while my father yelling “It’s all cause of you!!! You stole away the only thing that mattered to me!” Of course, I, being a little kid, was brainwashed to believe these things, believing I was at fault of killing my mother, and would hence cry nightly while praying for her forgiveness.
Unlike the other children I had at times seen riding bicycles in the street, I was not allowed to visit school. Rather, my father locked me in my room during the day, letting me out only for the privilege of eating dinner with him, and for the occasional beating outside my bedroom. I believed this was the way children were supposed to be raised; it’s all I knew.
One day when I was around the age of 16, my father came into my room furious like usual, pushed me onto the floor, and began madly swinging his booted feet into my ribs. I suddenly had a strange urge to fight back, something which had never even crossed my mind before. Instantly I grabbed my father’s leg, twisted it, and hurled him to the ground. Without thinking, I jumped to my feet and kicked my father as hard as I could in the back of his head. Not only once did I do this, but instead continued on for near twenty minutes, kicking with all my might.
Suddenly, I awoke. I was on the wooden floor of my bedroom, my father lying motionless next to me. I jumped to my feet only to discover my father’s head had been cracked wide: the contents of his skull distributed several feet across the floor and onto the nearby wall. I immediately remembered fighting and feeling quite dizzy just before the notion of waking up. I looked upon my departed father with a slight feeling of sadness, but nevertheless grinned at the gratification his death had instilled within me.

Story: Perfect Match

"But my mommy says that I shouldn't play with you," the boy said.

"It's okay," it said. "She would not have left you with me, if she had."

"I don't know," said the boy again. "It kinda scares me."

"Don't be afraid," it said. "I won't hurt you."

The boy reached out to touch it, and brought his hand back just before contact.

"What's wrong?" it asked.

The boy frowned. "You promise it will be okay?"

A deep sigh issued from it. "Yes, it will be just fine."

The boy reached out again, and touched it lightly, before finally grasping it firmly and stroking it hard.

Frightened again, the boy dropped it.

It fell to the floor with a laugh, and said, "Now, child, run, run for your life. Run to your little bed, and hide under the covers."

He ran, as fast as his little legs would carry him, up the stairs and to his room. He leaped to his bed, and threw the covers over his head, crying loudly.

He fell asleep there, soundly, deeper than any sleep he had encountered before.




It was hot when he awoke.

He sniffled once, trying to clear out his nose of what was left from his cry earlier. Instead of clearing out his breathing, he soon found that he had a harder time.

Then he heard the voice, starting softly, but soon filling his entire world.

"See, child," it said, "see what happens when you talk to strangers? See what happens when you play
with things your mommy told you not to? You should have listened to your mommy, child."

A deep, booming laugh filled the room, as the heat and light converged around him, choking him, burning him, making him feel that his world was coming to an end.

"See what happens," it laughed, "when you play with fire?"

Story: Three Words

spawned off a convo i had with my littluns. its a shorty so enjoy:

There was a beating in my chest that got harder with each breath, and faster as he looked at me telling me those three words that would change my life forever.

I felt my body trembling as I began to lose my breath. He looked at me, and touched my hand as he began to write something down on a small piece of paper for me, handing it to me, and telling me goodbye as I walked out the door.

This hallway was so long. It seemed to go on for miles, even though it really only went on for 30 feet. Those three words played in my head over and over. Half way down the hallway I broke down in tears and drenched my face with emotions.

Out the big glass doors at the end of the hallway, I walked down the side walk staring at the ground even though I could tell, everyone was staring at me. It was like I was branded with those three words... Like they were plastered up on billboards, road signs and written across my forehead.

Four blocks later I reached my apartment, went in, sat my purse on table, fixed myself a small glass of bacardi and drank it in one gulp before throwing myself on the bed and burying my face deep into the pillow. Those three words still repeating themselves in my head. I couldn't take the torture anymore. I sat up and grabbed my address book off the night stand and started ripping out pages, circling numbers with my black sharpie pen, dialing them, saying 3 quick words followed by an “I'm sorry” and hung up right after to avoid hearing their reaction.

Looking at the clock I noticed it was already 5:15 pm. My husband would be home at 6:00, so I quickly scrawled those three words that were stuck in my head, followed by an “ I'm sorry ” onto a yellow piece of paper and carried it into the bathroom with me. I un dressed, ran warm bath water and stepped into the tub with a knife from the kitchen. It only took 2 tries to reach the vein in my wrist, and after that, blood was everywhere. I tried clearing my mind, but thoughts of those three words kept flashing, like they were being typed up in my thoughts with a typewriter. I began to cry, so I covered my face with my right hand and I sat back in the tub, looked down at the floor where I had sat my note at, and closed my eyes.

---

When my husband got home and found me in the tub close to death, he called 911 and waited in the bathroom with me for the ambulance to show up. Looking down at the floor, he saw my note, picked it up, and read it aloud.

I have aids. I'm sorry.

Story: Harry Pooter and the Supery Glowy Thing!

written by me and brianna, i needed her help cause ive read like one page of HP. enjoy:

Okay, so once upon a time, there was some little fellow named Harry. It’s WEIRD that he’d be named that, seeing that he isn’t sorta as hairy as you’d think he’d be with a name like that. Anyways, he spent his days living in a shoe… in a zoo! With his only living relatives, who were really mean zoo janitors! Wait, no, they were car salesmen! NO! They were NEWS ANCHORMEN! (dun dun dunnn)
Harry always had something weird about him though, a strange mark that would never go away… that was his HUGE-MONGOUS AFRO! Nobody knew how it got there… or WHY it was there…. But uh… it was there. Creepy, no?
One day he got a letter with a seal on it. After sending the seal back to the Arctic, he opened the letter. Before he could read it, though, it was SNATCHED from his grubby lil’ nubs by his Uncle Stinky. “SHIM-SHAM-BALAMM!” He shouted, his angry face turning as red as an orange.
Harry never saw that letter again. I think his uncle musta sat on it or something, I dunno.
Suddenly the next day, the house was filled with a JILLION-BAZILLION letters! And the shoe exploded. “Let’s move to a desolate place like the kind that’s always fought in on Dragon Ball Z!” Shouted his Aunt Polly-Pocket. They didn’t have enough money though, and his cousin Dudley Do-Right had gotten to pudgy and pudding-like to move a far distance. SOOOO, they just moved next door instead. “They’ll never find us here,” said Aunt Polly-Pocket, before a flock of owls came and carried her away. They never saw her again, until the next week when she came back from the Jamaican Alps.
Then they all went to sleep. “Happy Easter to me…” Harry said sadly. They had all forgotten his Easter… Oh well, all he ever got was a buncha eggs, and then they would go bad and stink horribly. Blast them… SUDDENLY some large fellow busted in through the door. “BLIMEY!” Said he, “IT BE RAININ’ UP A BLOODY STORM OUT THERE!” “Who are you?!” Screeched Harry. “OI’M BIFF! BIFF HARRAAAGH’S MOI NAME!” the large man curtsied. “…Oh, O.K.” said Harry. Then he fell back asleep.
Then he woke up again. “WAIT! What’re you doing here, large strangely man?!” “OI CAME TO TAKE YE TO HOGWASH SCHOOL, LARRY!” “It’s Harry!” “ROIGHT, SORRY GARY!” “…Anyway, why? What is this… SCHOOL you speak of?” “YOU DON’T KNOW WHOI?!” “Nopey-dope.” Biff then sat down on the couch, squishing it under his massive… MASSIVEYNESS. “WELL, IT STARTED LOIK THIS, ‘ERE… YOU, JERRY, ARE A BLOOMIN’ MAGIC WIZARDY-TOIPE BLOKE!” “Wait, are you about to tell me a story about how my parents were not actually killed in a sledding accident, but instead that they were killed by a horrible dark magic wizardy-type bloke?” “WELL ACTUALLY, BERRY, THEY WERE KILLED IN A BLERRY SLEDDIN’ H’ACCIDENT. THOUGH IT WAS CAUSED BY A DARK MAGIC WIZARDY-TOIPE BLOKE… MADE ‘EM RUN ROIGHT INTO A TREE, HE DID! HE, WHO’S NAME IS SO BLOODY STOOPID THA’ IT CAN NEVER BE SPOKEN! …SO WE JUS’ CALL ‘IM LORD WOTS-HIS-NAME.” “Lord What’s-His-Name?” “OI, THA’S ROIGHT! THOUGH ‘E’S DEAD NOW, ATE SOME BAD SPINACH H’AFTER KILLIN’ YER PARENTS.” “Alrighty then.” And so they both flew away!
***

“Hey, Biff! Why are we in this weird alleyway?” “OI, WE’LL BE GETTIN’ YOU SOME SCHOOL SUPPLOIS!” And so they did. “’AVE FUN AT SCHOOL, TERRY!” “IT’S HARRY!” “WHA’ EV’!” And so Biff chucked Harry into the Hogwash Espresso Train Thingy, and then rocketed into the sun.
“HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY! I’m Ron! …HEY!” Said a kid who was sitting next to Harry. “What’s with all the ‘hey’s?” Asked Harry, askingly. Ron shrugged. “I like polka!” And SO they were the best of friends. Whoo! Later on a girl came around too, sitting on the ceiling across from them. Her name was Herm… uh… Hermio… WAIT! I KNOW! “HI! I’m Hurt-my-knee! Hurt-my-knee Stranger!” She said, “Lets be friends, even if I’m smarter than you both combined! BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!” “Okkie doke,” said Ron. And so they were all friends. And they also found they could store their stuff in Harry’s HUGE-MONGOUS AFRO without him even noticing! Isn’t that NEAT?! You betcha.

(Editor’s Note: Brianna saw a squirrel outside at this point, and started chasing it… so after chasing her around for several hours, I finally got her to start typing again.)

Suddenly this guy with two bulky henchy-type guys burst into the room. The lil’ guy in the middle spoke up. “I’M DRAIN-O MALFOY! If you guys aren’t evil like us, I’ll hafta be your rival and stuff!” “Sorry, no evil here!” Said Harry. “Just my… AFRO!” Then his HUGE-MONGOUS AFRO magically expanded, shoving them out the window. So yeah, Drain-O and his henchguys had to sprint after the train for the rest of the way, on accounta they couldn’t rocket into the sun like Biff could!
When everyone got there, Drain-O’s legs were super-buff from all the running. Seriously, he could probably kick a cow to Pluto or something. “I look like a buff weirdo-man!” He said to his henchman, who well… didn’t look any different, somehow. I think they musta been cheating or something. Y’know, like hovering. Anyway, Drain-O continued, “I’ll make that Afro-guy HARRY pay for this! As soon as I finish modeling for this calendar!”

***

“OI, Y’ YOUNG BLOIGHTERS, YORE GONNA GET SORTED NOW!” Said Biff, as he chucked Harry and the rest into a giant hat that sorted stuff into different houses. The next part is sorta boring, so I’ll just say that Harry, Ron, and Hurt-My-Knee ended up in the GOOD GUY house, and Drain-O and his toadie-fellows ended up in the house for BAD GUYS! And a lotta other people ended up in the houses for NOT-SO-IMPORTANT people.
Then they had a feast and a buncha other stuff that’s boring. Time passed, some more stuff happened, and then finally something INTERESTING happened when Harry, Ron, and Hurt-My-Knee went to Biff’s house in the middle of the day. “WHY AREN’T YOU KIDS IN CLASS, THEN?” Said Biff. “OI HARDLY HAD ANY TOIME TO FINISH TALKIN’ TO MOISELF ABOUT TH’ SUPERY GLOWY THING THAT OI’M NOT S’POSED T’ TELL YOU ‘BOUT, ‘FORE YOU LIL’ PEOPLE CAME BARGIN’ IN LOIK TH’ EFF-BEE-OI!” “Supery Glowy Thing?” Asked Harry, askingly…again. “OH… OI SHOULDN’TA TOLD YA THAT…” Said Biff, like in the movie. “Well,” said Hurt-My-Knee, “I’ll use my smartyness to find where it is! TO THE LIBRARY! AWAAAAY!” With that, she teleported away. Harry and Ron couldn’t do that, though, so they had to run really fast to catch up. “…OI SHOULDN’TA TOLD ‘EM THAT…” said Biff again, in case any kids didn’t laugh at that joke the first time around.

***

“I READ A BUNCHA STUFF, BUT HAVEN’T FOUND ANYTHING!” said Hurt-My-Knee, angry about having read a buncha stuff, but not having found anything. “Wait!” Said she, “I’ll check the prohibited section!”
When Harry and Ron finally came in, she had found out all about it. “Let’s go!” said she, dragging off a dumbfounded Harry and Ron. She came to a large door. “This is where it’s found!” “Whah-HUH?” said Ron, who had a good point, there. “TH’ SUPERY GLOWY THING!” “oh, okay. Uh, why are we trying to find- Wait! AAARGH!” said Harry, as he was shoved by Hurt-My-Knee into the door. “…whoops, maybe I shoulda opened it first…” said Hurt-My-Knee. “HURT-MY-KNEE!” yelped Harry, “YOU HURT MY KNEE!” She shrugged, “whoopsie!”

***

They entered the chamber. It was big and dark. And huge and shadowy. And to and fro. “This place is big and dark and huge and shadowy and to and fro!” said Ron. The others agreed. Then a giant three-headed poodle came out of the shadows and agreed too. Then they fought ninja-style. They ended up beating the poodle by showing him a boring slide-show. They then fell through a trap door while the poodle was sleeping.
“YAAAAAH!” said Harry. “AAAAAARGH!” agreed Ron. “WAAAAAHHHGH!” added Hurt-My-Knee. Then they got caught in the vines of a man-eating plant! “FEED MEH, SEYMOUR!” said the plant as it devoured them. Soon though, it got food poisoning and spat them back out. After all, it was a man-eating plant, not a girl-and-young-boy-eating plant. The plant then went into a musical number about how horrible they tasted, and they managed to slip by while that was going on. Silly plant!
Next they walked into a room of flying keys! They had to find the right one to get through the door! Fortunately though, the right one had gotten caught in Harry's HUGE-MONGOUS AFRO within the first three minutes of being in that room. The only problem they had there was trying to get it out of that HUGE-MONGOUS AFRO.
The room after that had a big ol’ checkerboard! Fortunately, Ron was as good with checkers as he was with polka, so he used his skills to navigate everyone through the game. Unfortunately though, Ron had to move so he would get jumped in order for Harry and Hurt-My-Knee to make it out alive. So yeah, they made it through, and Ron was crush-ed! Oh, and they were all sued by Checkerboard Nightmare for excessive use of checkerboard.
After that, Harry and Hurt-My-Knee made it to a room full of potions! Harry always never paid much attention in that class, since it was so BORING… but he read out the effects of the potions anyways. “Okay, one of these is lethal, one of these makes you sound like Arnold Schwartzenegger, one of these teleports you to the surface of the sun… one of these makes you sound like Arnold AND teleports you to the surface of the sun… one makes you explode, one tastes like diet coke… and finally, one takes you to the next and final room! …Neato! Oh, and we each hafta take one potion.” “Well, I know that one’s the one you’re looking for, Harry!” said Hurt-My-Knee, handing it to Harry. “But I still hafta take one, so…” she picked one up, “I think this one’s the diet coke one, but I’m not sure.” She drank it.
“Well?” said Harry. “EET TASTES LIKE DIEHT COHKE, HARRY! KYAAAGH!” She then jumped through a plate-glass window, teleporting to the surface of the sun and exploding. Harry looked at the list of effects again. “Ohhhh… it says one’s for sounding like Arnold, teleporting to the sun, exploding, AND tasting like diet coke! …Oh well!” He drank the one given to him, and was teleported to the next room, even though the door was open th’ whole time.
Harry found himself in a shadowy room. A single figure stood before a mirror thingy, muttering something to himself. Harry finally managed to make out what he was saying: “This is the song that never ends… it just goes on and on my friends…” Harry then knew this was a being of true evil.
“HEY!” said Harry, “Where’s the supery glowy thing?!” The person turned around. “well,” said he, “You have it.” “Uh… no?” “Yes.” “No.” “Yes.” This continued on for several more hours. “Look, we’re getting nowhere here,” said the person, who then stepped out of the shadows to reveal—“GASP! YOU’RE MY DEFENSE AGAINST SMALL, FURRY POCKET MONSTERS TEACHER! I knew you were evil all along! Why else would you keep giving me F’s?!” “Well, actually, that’s because you’re just not very good at that class. Still, Harry, it is time for me to reveal my TRUE identity! I AM… (he then takes off his mask at this point) MOJO JOJO! Now give me that glowy item that you obtain, for then I shall obtain it! And when I obtain it, I shall use it! And when I use it, it will not be for nothing that I use it, I shall use it to defeat the Powerpuff Girls! BWAHAHAHAHA!” “…” “What? Why do you stare at me with such oddness?” “EAT AFRO!” He then magically expanded his HUGE-MONGOUS AFRO once more! “NOOOO, I cannot touch the AFRO! It is too funk-tastic!”
And so his HUGE-MONGOUS AFRO made everything explode!


The End! ^_^

Story: The trouble with underwear...

Just a silly collab between me and brian over AIM. enjoy:

It was late. Very late. But not so late that peals of drunken giggles couldn’t occasionally be heard from the temple level of Zion.

Both Ekco and Pip were laughing. They had been doing so for some time now and neither could actually remember what they’d been laughing about, only that it had been extremely funny. Ekco stopped laughing suddenly as hiccups took over. Pip lay back, trying to stop himself from laughing quite so manically, fingers loosely gripping the base of a bottle. Another bottle thumped down by his hand, narrowly missing a collision with both his bottle and his fingers.
“It’s all gone,” said Ekco, sadly, in between hiccups. “Why is it all gone?”
“Because you drank it... In fact,” he said, sitting up unsteadily. “You drank most of that bottle!” He grabbed the now empty bottle and peered down the neck at its complete lack of contents. “Biiitch.”
Ekco nodded her agreement. “I know,” she said, reaching for the considerably more full bottle and tipping it to her lips. She hiccupped again as she put the bottle down again, then giggled.
“What’s so funny now?”
“Dunno. Just is.”
“Yeah, but what?”
“Dunno.”
“You’re weird.”
Ekco turned onto her side and poked him, another hiccup surfacing as she did so. “So are you. You’re the one lying down here getting totally rat-arsed with me.”
“I am not rat-arsed,” he said, with over the top indignance.
“Not yet,” said Ekco, giving him a sly looked before beginning to giggle again.
“If you keep stealing the booze I’ll never get a chance to be.”
“You’ve had that bottle to yourself for aaages. Not my fault if you’re not drinking it.”
“I’m just taking it a bit slower than you,” he said. “But go on, I’m not going to be greedy and keep it all to myself.”
Ekco gave him a haughty look and gave a toss of her head, which made the world spin for a moment. “Are you trying to get me drunk Pipeline,” she said, slurring the words slightly. “I won’t have you taking avu… adiv… avda… um.” She frowned, trying to figure out exactly how you were supposed to say ‘advantage’.
“Ekco,” he said seriously. “Even if I was, you really wouldn’t need the help. You’re doing a pretty good job of it by yourself.”
“Wouldn’t be getting drunk if you hadn’t brought the booze along…”
“What? You brought it Ekco!”
“I did not! … Did I?” She scratched her head. “Y’know, I really don’t remember… But I still won’t have you taking ad-whatsit of me. Wouldn’t make a good start to us living together.”
“You take advantage of me all the time.”
“Like you care! You enjoy it.”
“Maybe.” He made a grab for the bottle.
“Miiine,” she whined. “Give it back. Yooou said yourself I brought it along, so it must be mine. Give it.”
“Nuh-uh. We’re meant to share stuff now,” he said, sticking his tongue out at her before taking a swig from the bottle.
“Meanie,” she said. She folded her arms over her chest and pouted at him.
“Aaww! You’re so cute when you sulk,” he said. He began to sit up, then stopped halfway there. “Ahh crap…” he clutched a hand to the side of his head and made a face. “That’s not good. Oww. S’not meant to spin like that.” He fell backwards again. “I like it better down here.”
Ekco stifled a giggle then crawled over to him. “Aww, poor Pip can’t take his boozeyness,” she said, leaning over him.
“I’m fine with the boozeyness. It’s the standing up afterwards I can’t handle.”
“Aww.” Ekco lay down next to him, leaning her cheek and hand on his chest. Pip took another swig from the bottle, and they both remained silent for several minutes, Ekco wriggling uncomfortably every now and then.
Finally she broke the silence. “I have sand in my knickers.”
“You what?” asked Pip.
“Sand. In my knickers. It’s really uncomfy.” She squirmed again.
“How the hell did you get sand in your undies?” he asked.
“Dunno. Sand’s a bugger like that. Always gets where it’s not wanted.”
“Well can you at least stop wriggling like that?”
“I caaan’t. I’m going to have to get it out.”
“Ho…” He had been about to ask how, but she was already standing up, rather unsteadily, and beginning to unzip her trousers. “Ekco! You can’t take your pants off here!”
“Well how else am I going to get it out?” she asked, still wriggling in her trousers. “No-one’s around.”
“That could easily change very quickly. There are still a few people in the temple and there’s that thing called an evelator over there,” he said, gesturing vaguely and not noticing how he’d mangled the word.
“I’ll do it quickly. And I won’t take them off completely.”
“Ekco, you cannot pull your pants down in a public place, drunk or not.”
“You want me to suffer then?”
“Sand in your underwear hardly counts as suffering, does it?”
“Yeees! It does! Arrgh, this would not be a problem if we could just not wear knickers at all…”
“No, then you’d just have sand in your trousers…”
“Yeah, but at least you can get that out easier,” she said, jumping up and down on the spot, with the hope of dislodging some of the sand. “Knickers are just so… so… pointless.”
Pip raised an eyebrow. “This coming from the woman who I know has a whole drawer full of lacey lingerie?”
“I only have that ‘cause you like my lacey undies. And I kinda need the bras. To stop inconvenient and painful bouncing. Knickers are rather pointless. Even without the sand problem.”
“So you’d rather go without? Isn’t that… a little uncomfortable as well?” he asked.
“Nah…” She continued to wriggle. “Fuck it, there’s nothing else for it.” She unzipped her trousers again, and pulled them off.
“Ek!” he said, sitting up rather too quickly and feeling his head reel. She flung the trousers at him, managing to get them to land neatly on his head. By the time he’d got them off his head, she had taken off her knickers and he was faced by a wonderful view of her backside. She was turning her knickers inside out and shaking them.
“Ekco!” he stared at her, not quite believing she’d do this, even when more than a little drunk. “Put them back on! You can’t stand there half naked!”
“Can too. There, all gone!” she said triumphantly. She raised one leg to put her knickers back on, wobbled as alcohol had its way with her ability to balance, and then fell over. “Oh shit, they’re full of sand again.”
Pip tried to stifle his laughter, but failed so he burst out laughing.
“Don’t laugh at me!” she cried, and flung her knickers at him just as she had done with her trousers.
He immediately flung them right back at her. “Put them back on!”
“They’ll only get all sandy again,” she moaned, as she shuffled over to sit next to Pip. She reached for the bottle and took a deep swig. Pip sighed and draped her trousers across her lap.
“At least cover yourself up a bit. Or do you want to flash anyone who walks past?”
Right on cue a group of three late night worshippers emerged from the Temple and walked past them towards the elevator. Pip turned to Ekco, who had gone a shade of pink. She put the bottle down slowly as she heard the elevator doors slide shut and begin to move upwards.
“Oh god, if they’d come out just a minute earlier…” she said.
Pip nodded. “You’d have been prancing around in the nearly all-together.”
Ekco remained silent for a moment. “I think I better put my knickers back on…”

Story: Another Day

note: this is a homosexual coupling, so if you dont like it, dont read it. plus its fanfiction, so dont take stuff too seriously.

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Dom fussed nervously with his bracelets around his wrist, glaring at the clock across the room while taking in a deep breath. He could feel his hands begin to shake as he leaned back into the sofa, intertwining his fingers together before pressing his hands to his mouth. It was quiet, too quiet in fact. Dom searched the room, finding Billy standing in the corner, turning through the pages of an old magazine. Billy looked away from his reading, his eyes meeting with Dom’s for a moment as he reached over, placing the magazine up on a nearby shelf. He then made his way towards Dom, sitting down beside him on the sofa, putting his hand on Dom’s knee.

“Has he called?”

“No Bills, not at all. Not a word.” Dom replied, pulling his hands away from his mouth. “It’s not like him you know. He always calls if he’s running late. I’m worried.”

“He’s fine.” Billy said softly, giving Dom a gentle squeeze. “He probably just stopped somewhere to get a bite to eat. You know him and food, seems like you can never separate the two.”

“He said he would be here three hours ago. That is what has me worried.” Dom sighed, looking to Billy in desperation.

“Give him a call then. Maybe he fell asleep at home. Ring his mobile and see if he picks up.”

“Already tried Bills.” Dom quietly replied. “About a half hour ago, while you were in the loo. All I got was his voice mail.”

“Well, it will be midnight soon.” Billy said looking down to his watch. “Why don’t you try calling him again… what do you say?”

Dom shrugged his shoulders, fixing his stare on the digital clock across the room, glaring at it until the numbers changed over.

“Happy fucking New Year.” Dom mumbled under his breath, reaching down to the floor, picking up a bottle of beer. He brought it up to his lips taking in a long hard drink before placing it back down in front of the sofa, kicking the empty bottle aside with his foot, watching as it rolled across the carpet.

“Don’t take it so hard Dommie.” Billy replied, leaning towards Dom, putting his arm around his back. “I’m sure there is a perfectly good explanation why he isn’t here. Maybe he just wanted to leave us alone tonight.”

“Fucking doubt it.” Dom sneered, shaking Billy away as he stood to his feet, grabbing his mobile phone from the side table nearby, shoving it into his pocket. “I’m going outside to have a smoke.”

Billy sighed, taking in a deep breath, watching as Dom made his way across the living room to the front door, barefooted wearing nothing but an unbuttoned flannel shirt and a pair of lounge pants. Dom fumbled with the knob while pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulling one out and putting it between his lips as he opened the door, looking back to Billy with a hated stare. He then walked outside, slamming the door behind him.

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The cool night air bit at Dom’s skin as he shoved his pack of cigarettes back into his pocket, before pulling out his lighter. He rolled his thumb along the top of it twice, finally getting it to light as he waved it across the end of his cigarette, taking in a long drag. He flicked the lighter across the lawn, watching as it vanished into the dew soaked grass near Billy’s car. Dom exhaled, blowing a ring of smoke into the air, leaning his head back while closing his eyes. He couldn’t imagine why Elijah had not shown up. Not once in the entire time had he known him did he go without calling whenever something came around that prevented him from being where he was supposed to be. Dom pulled his head forward again, cracking his neck to the side. He opened his eyes, looking to the dimly lit street before him. Dom sighed, sitting down on the front steps, the cold cement reaching his skin through his thin pants. Dom curled up his toes, taking another hit off of his cigarette, tapping the ashes away as he pulled his fixation away from his lips. There was so much he wanted to say right now, an overwhelming surge of frustration running through his body that he just couldn’t release. Dom leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees when he heard his mobile phone ring. He put his cigarette between his lips, holding it tightly as he reached into the side pocket of his pants, pulling out his phone. Seeing a familiar number flashing on the screen, he opened his phone, pressing it against his ear.

“Where the hell are you Lij?” Dom growled into the phone, waiting for a response on the other end. “Lij, hello, where are you?” Dom waited again, but heard nothing.

“Dom.” A soft voice replied on the other end.

“Hannah?”

“Dom… there’s been an accident. You need to get here right away.”

“Hannah, what’s going on? Why do you have Lij’s phone? Where is he? Is he ok?”

“I don’t know. He’s at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. I’m here now, with mom, just hurry up and get here, please.”

“Hannah, wait… Hannah!” Dom yelled into the phone. There was no answer… only the reply of static as the line went dead. For a moment Dom sat in silence, the sound of Hannah’s voice playing back in his mind, piercing his heart. Dom could feel his chest tighten and he stood to his feet, letting his cigarette drop from his mouth as he slowly made his way back up the steps, opening the front door. He walked inside, holding his phone in his hand, looking over to Billy with a complete loss for words.

“I heard your mobile ring.” Billy quietly replied. “Was it Elijah?”

Dom shook his head, looking up to Billy with tear filled eyes.

“What is it? What’s the matter?” Billy asked, clearly seeing something was wrong.

“There’s been an accident Bills. Something has happened to Lij.”

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Dom weaved in and out of traffic, forcefully shifting the car as he accelerated down the freeway. Billy was sitting in the passenger’s seat, clutching one hand to his seat belt and holding tightly to the door with the other.

“Dom, slow down a bit before you kill us both!” Billy yelled out as Dom cut off two cars, sweeping across two lanes of the highway. A legion of car horns rung out into the night as Dom scowled into the review mirror, cursing at the other drivers under his breath. Dom then swerved around a car darting into the far right lane, pulling off onto Beverly Boulevard, pushing his foot down on the accelerator roaring down the street as though he was a train jumping it’s tracks. In no time at all the hospital came into view, the lights from the windows gleaming out into the night like a thousand starts. Dom’s heart raced inside his chest as he quickly turned into the parking lot, nearly spinning a donut in the road from pulling at the wheel too hard. Billy reached out, grabbing the sides of his seat with both hands, his knuckles glowing white until Dom finally come to a stop, parking at an odd angle in an empty space near the emergency exit.

“Are you getting out?” Dom replied, pulling the keys from the ignition while he opened the car door. Billy just nodded, releasing his grip from the seat, before unfastening his belt as Dom made his way out of the car. Dom put his keys into his pants pocket, quickly buttoning his shirt while looking down to his feet, now covered with a pair of well worn and untied sneakers. Dom looked up, watching Billy slowly emerge from the car, closing his door while running his hand across his brow. Dom then began turning his rings about on his middle finger, waiting for Billy to come away from the car.

“Come on, let’s get going!” Dom shouted. “No time to play got to get inside!”

“I’m coming; just turning my phone off is all.” Billy mumbled, walking away from the passenger’s side of the car, stopping at Dom’s side. He looked to Dom and Dom turned away, quickly scurrying across the parking lot, still fumbling nervously with his hands.

“Shite!” Dom yelled, stopping where he stood, looking down to the ground, watching as one of his rings rolled away, disappearing under a parked car.

“Shite what?” Billy asked.

“I dropped my ring. The silver one.”

“Forget about it!” Billy said, pushing Dom forward. “You were in such a hurry to get here and now we’re here. Let’s get inside and find out what’s going on. You have plenty of other rings back at home. Hell, I’ll just buy you another one!”

“It’s not the same!” Dom snarled, passing Billy a stern glance as he was moved away. “I like that ring.”

“Tough luck, its gone Dommie. Let it go.” Billy snapped, grabbing Dom’s arm, pulling him along the parking lot, through the front doors of the emergency room lobby. As they came inside Dom looked around for Hannah but was overwhelmed by a sea of unfamiliar faces. He then heard someone call out his name and he turned to see Hannah running along an empty corridor, arms outstretched, her face streaked with tears.

“Dom!” She cried, rushing over to Dom and Billy, falling into Dom’s open arms. “He won’t wake up Dom, he hasn’t opened his eyes since they brought him here!”

“What happened Han?” Dom asked softly, holding Hannah close.

“He wrecked the car, mom’s cooper, they think he fell asleep behind the wheel. Said he hit some trees down on Santa Monica after plowing through a few cars. They won’t even let me in to see him. I want to see my brother! I want to know he’s ok!” Hannah sobbed, hugging Dom tightly, her tears falling along the side of his neck.

“Where is your mom?” Billy questioned, putting his hand on Hannah’s shoulder.

“She’s in there now, in the emergency room. She hasn’t come out for nearly an hour. I don’t know what’s going on anymore. No one will tell me anything!”

“Don’t you worry, Lij is a fighter. He’ll be ok!” Dom whispered quietly, trying to give Hannah every last thread of reassurance he could give. “How about we sit for a moment and wait. I’m sure your mom will come out with some answers soon. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay for as long as I have to, ok?”

Hannah nodded, drying away her tears as Dom lead her to a row of chairs, lining the hallway. Billy followed along quietly, sitting down as Hannah took the seat beside him, resting her head on Dom’s shoulder as he too nestled in a chair.

“I don’t know what I’m gonna do if I lose him.” Hannah softly replied, putting her arms around Dom. “We do everything together.”

“You’re not going to lose him Han, none of us are.” Dom said, putting his hand on Hannah’s head, leaning down to leave a tender kiss on her cheek. “He has all of us here pulling for him.”

Hannah hugged Dom tightly, looking into his eyes with a bright smile.

“Thank you for coming so quickly Dom.”

“You’re more than welcome.” Dom said, smiling in return. Just then doors to the emergency room opened and Elijah’s mom emerged, her eyes red and swollen from her tears long spent. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, ruminates of her mascara that once graced her long lashes. Her hands were clasped together in front of her chest as she bit down on her bottom lip, looking to Hannah and the boys sitting together in the hallway. Hannah came away from her chair, running to her mother catching her in her arms, as she collapsed to the floor in a shower of tears calling out her baby’s name.

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“Dom, hey, it’s about time you open your eyes.” A familiar voice replied as Dom felt a hand touch his arm. Dom opened his eyes slowly, stretching his arms out in front of him as he yawned.

“Bills, is that you?” Dom mumbled, yawning once again.

“Yeah, who else would it be?” Billy said with a smiled, sitting down in the chair next to Dom.

“Where are we?” Dom replied looking around, rubbing his hand along the side of his face.

“Upstairs, in the waiting room on the floor for the intensive care unit. We came up here earlier this morning, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember now… just kind of drew a blank there for a moment. So, any news?”

“Well, the doctors are here now.” Billy quietly answered, pointing over to Elijah’s mom and Hannah standing in the corner of the waiting room, talking to three gentleman wearing long white coats. “It wasn’t my place to listen in so I came over here to sit with you. Are you thirsty? You want a drink or something?”

“Warm tea.” Dom replied softly, looking down to his hands, taking in a deep breath.

“Here then.” Billy said, holding his hand out to Dom, offering him a cup. “I only took a sip. I’ve had enough anyways… been drinking tea non stop all morning trying to keep myself awake.”

“No sleep?” Dom whispered, taking the cup from Billy’s hand, putting it to his lips to take a drink.

“Not much.” Billy answered, rubbing the back of his neck. “These chairs don’t make for comfortable sleeping. I would have rather went back to your place and slept in your bed.” Billy replied with a smile, giving Dom’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. Dom sighed, pulling the cup away from his mouth, holding it between his hands, slowly tipping it to one side, watching the liquid inside flow about.

“You want to talk Dommie?” Billy asked quietly, leaning forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. “You look like you have more than just this on your mind.”

“Nah.” Dom replied, shaking his head while placing his cup of tea down on a small table, before leaning his head back against the wall, staring at the ceiling above.

“You can’t keep it in forever. It’s got to come out sooner or later.”

“I know Bills.” Dom whispered through a sigh, as he tightly closed his eyes. Dom then heard someone call his name softly, and he opened his eyes, turning his head to the side, to see Hannah walking towards him, her hands pushed deep into the front pockets of her jeans.

“Dom.”

“Yeah Han.”

“He’s stable now.” Hannah said quietly, looking down to her feet. “They said mom and I can go in and see him. He still hasn’t opened his eyes though one of the doctors said.” Hannah then fell silent as Dom watched her closely, seeing tears falling away from her downcast face. Dom stood up, pulling Hannah into his arms, hugging her tightly.

“They said he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt and that he smacked his head against the windshield.” Hannah muttered through her tears. “He broke one of his legs but other than that he’s just bruised up pretty badly. They keep reassuring us that there isn’t anything else wrong. Said they see stuff like this all the time and more than likely he will wake up in a few days asking a bunch of questions, wanting to know what’s going on.”

“So he’s gonna be alright?” Dom asked as Hannah pulled away from his embrace, running her fingers through her tussled hair.

“That’s what they say. I’m gonna go now though, with mom and see him. I’ll come and get you if the doctors say its ok.”

“Alright Han, I’ll be right here waiting.” Dom replied as Hannah walked away from him, smiling as she went past Billy. She then disappeared through the doors and Dom’s glance fell to Billy, looking on, lost and distraught. For a moment their eyes met and Billy looked away, his face long and saddened. This was a New Years that they would surely never forget.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Dom stared at Billy as he paced around the waiting room, constantly turning his eyes up to the television hanging from its perch in the corner of the room. Five hours had passed since Hannah had left their side and they had yet to see her again. Dom could tell Billy was becoming uneasy with the idea of waiting so long. He never rambled about unless he was completely distressed over something. Then again, maybe it wasn’t the fact of being in the hospital that was bothering him at all. Dom looked at the clock on the far wall, squinting to read the numbers. He then turned his attention to the window, watching the traffic dart by on the street below. Outside the sky was starting to darken, casting shades of reds and oranges across the horizon. Dom took in a deep breath, pulling a magazine away from the table in front of him, turning through the pages when he heard a door open beside him.

“Dom, Billy, you can go in now.” Hannah said softly as the doors closed quietly behind her. “Mom wants to go home a bit and get some rest. Will one of you stay with him tonight?”

“I’ll stay.” Dom answered, standing to his feet.

“We’ll both stay.” Billy piped in, coming away from the television, standing at Dom’s side.

“Thank you so much, the both of you.” Hannah replied, pushing a tender smile over her lips. “Come on, follow me, I’ll show you where his room is. Dom and Billy then followed her through the doors, down a long white corridor, glowing with the shine of fluorescent lights burning brightly above them. In the center of the hallway they passed a nurses station where a burly nurse sat, her eyes in constant watch over numerous computer screens that circled around her. They then passed by a room with a closed door, curtains drawn over the large glass window looking out over the hall. Hannah then stopped beside the open door to her left, looking up to Dom and Billy as they both stood in silence before her.

“He’s in there. When I left a nurse was still inside. I’m gonna go and meet mom down in the lobby and drive her home. We will be back first thing in the morning. You have our number, right Dom, in case anything was to happen.”

“I do, right here.” Dom said putting his hand against his pocket where he kept his mobile phone. “Don’t worry about a thing though Han. Take your mom home and get some rest. He’s in good hands.”

“Yeah, I know… he’s with you now.” Hannah replied brightly, coming to Dom, pulling him into her arms. She reached out, touching Billy’s hand, bringing it into her own squeezing it gently.

“He’s so blessed to have friends like you.” Hannah whispered as she fell away from Dom’s embrace. She then walked away, looking back at Dom and Billy while they stood in front of the door to Elijah’s room. Billy then turned to Dom, trying to find the right words to say.

“Should we go in?” Billy asked, looking inside the room, seeing nothing but a curtain pulled around a bed.

“Yeah, we can’t stand out here all night.” Dom replied, stepping forward, going inside. As he came through the doorway he could hear the faint sound of monitors beeping, followed by the sound of oxygen hissing through tubes. Dom swallowed hard, watching as a shadow formed on the other side of the curtain before appearing around the foot of the bed. It was a nurse, holding a handful of empty syringes along with an empty bag of intravenous fluid.

“He looks far worse than what he is boys, but don’t be afraid to touch him. He might be unconscious, but he knows you’re here. Talk to him, let him know you’re by his side.”

With that she left, emptying the contents she held in her hands into a small red bin near the door.
“It’s now or never.” Billy said softly, putting his hand on Dom’s shoulder. Dom swallowed hard, taking a step forward, coming around the curtain.

“Fucking bloody hell.” Dom replied, his words growing fainter as each syllable passed through his lips. He turned his head away, his eyes falling on Billy’s face as he came around the curtain, standing beside Dom at the foot of Elijah’s bed.

“Oh Dommie, shite, look at him.” Billy sighed, his eyes wishing to turn away from the sight before him.

“I can’t do it Bills, not again, once was enough.” Dom quietly replied.

“We have to let him know we’re here. Don’t you want him to know his friends are still around?”

“I do, but, damn Bills, fucking a man; I can’t see him like that.”

“Christ Dom, go on. He’s going to be alright.”

Dom closed his eyes, breathing in deeply, turning back to Elijah’s bed. Slowly he took a step forward, following with another, cautiously making his way to Elijah’s side. He moved his way around the array of wires and tubes leading away from his body, his lifelines so to say, keeping track of his vital information. Elijah’s face was bruised and swollen, his left eye blackened beyond reason, a line of staples closing a wound above his eyebrow. A line of cuts and scratches covered his left arm, which rested atop his blankets, covering his pale body. Elijah’s hair was mussed and plastered to his head, still holding ruminates of dry blood and dirt stirred up from the crash. A hard plastic brace encircled his neck, while a thin tube ran up into his nose, resting over a sloppy line of oxygen tubing adding him in his labored breaths. Two intravenous lines protruded from Elijah’s arms, one placed haphazardly on his right hand, the other on his left forearm. Dom reached out his hand, only to pull back, afraid that even his faintest touch would send Elijah coiling back in pain.

“Lij, I’m here.” Dom whispered softly, looking back to Billy with tears in his eyes. “Bills and I are both here mate. We’re not going to leave your side.” Dom then stood in silence, almost hoping he would hear just a faint reply pass over Elijah’s lips, but the words never came. Dom bit at his lip, turning away, walking past Billy as Billy reached out to him to offer a comforting touch. Dom pushed his hand to the side, making his way out the door, vanishing down the corridor, locking himself in a restroom as he lost his will under a veil of fallen tears.

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Dom stood in silence, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he rubbed his hand along the back of his neck, looking down at Elijah. He was alone, having spent away the last two hours at his bedside, ridding himself of Billy allowing him to take his car out for a drive so he could change his clothes and shower. Another day was about to be spent, the sun drifting away under a line of grey clouds as a faint crescent moon began to rise in the sky. Dom drew his attention to the window, peering down to the busy street, before looking back over to Elijah, still lost in distant slumber. Dom sighed, coming around Elijah’s bed to sit in a chair resting against the wall. Dom could hear feet shuffling along the hallway and he turned towards the door, leaning forward watching as Hannah came into view.

“Anything?” Hannah whispered, coming into the room.

“Still snoozing.” Dom replied, watching as Hannah made her way over to Elijah’s bed, reaching down, drawing his hand up into her own.

“Mom wants to go home already. Said she has bared all she could today. Are you staying again Dom?” Hannah asked, gently putting Elijah’s hand back down over the covers.

“I am, right here if they’ll let me.” Dom said, pointing to a nurse walking through the hall. “Spoke to one earlier, said she couldn’t see why not. Won’t know until I fall asleep and they try to push me out.”

“They would never make you leave sweetie.” Hannah replied with a smile, coming over to Dom leaving a tender kiss on his cheek. “You’re way too good to us, you know that don’t you?”

Dom smiled in return, with his dodgy cheeky grin.

“Yeah, keep that up.” Hannah giggled, giving Dom’s chin a gentle hit with her fist. “Hopefully Lij will wake up soon so he can see that you’re still smiling through all this.”

“Yeah…” Dom quietly replied, rubbing his finger against his temple. “I might be smiling on the outside, but inside I’m really dying Han.”

“You’re not the only one.” Hannah sighed, touching her hand to Dom’s shoulder. “Goodnight Dom. Mom and I will see you in the morning, alright?”

“Alright. Drive safe, you hear me!”

“I hear you Dom!” Hannah replied, waving her hand back towards Dom as she walked out of the room. Dom then heard a voice echo in the hall, and Hannah reply back in return. He couldn’t mistake that accent for anyone else. It was Billy.

“Hey there Dommie!” Billy said, coming through the door of Elijah’s room, carrying a small white bag in his hand. “I brought you some food. Little bit of Korean from that place called Woo Lae Oak that you love going to so much. Good thing it’s only a short way down the road. I thought you might be starving seeing how you haven’t left the hospital since we got here late Friday night.”

“It was Saturday morning actually.” Dom replied. “It was after midnight if you remember.”

“Get technical why don’t you.” Billy grumbled, glancing sternly at Dom, while holding out his arm, offering Dom the bag he was holding. “Here, go on, I got it for you.”

“No thanks.”

“No thanks? That’s the reply I get after driving around the city in a panic like a cat turned loose in a dog pound. You know I hate driving in LA. No thanks? Shite Dom. Why didn’t you just say fuck you and get it over with. What is wrong with you today?”

“Hannah brought me something while you were out. I’m just not hungry is all Bills.” Dom said looking up to Billy, pushing his hand away.

“Suit yourself then. I’ll eat it.” Billy snapped, moving away, sitting in the chair on the other side of the room. Billy put the bag in his lap, opening it, taking out a small white bowl, covered with a plastic lid.

“Damn, they forgot the silverware. Got any over there on that tray of his?” Billy asked, pointing at the silver tray, resting on the side table next to Elijah’s bed.

“Just mine from earlier.” Dom answered, reaching over to the table, taking away a fork and a spoon. “Which one you want?”

“Just the spoon.” Billy replied, holding out his hand. Dom then tossed the spoon at Billy, hitting him with it on the forehead.

“For some reason I think you did that intentionally.”

Dom shrugged, laughing a bit to himself, doing his best to hold in a smile. He then turned his attention back to Elijah, watching him intently as his chest rose and fell with each breath.

“I got a room at the hotel across the street and I rented a car too.” Billy said while spooning a bit of food into his mouth. “That way I can sleep in a real bed tonight, seeing how you won’t drag your arse home and take me with you.”

Dom looked to Billy, glaring at him under a furled brow.

“What?”

Dom shook his head. He was tired, trying in desperation to fight the desire for long awaited sleep.

“Well then.” Billy said, putting the lid back onto his bowl, setting it back inside the bag. “Seeing how you are about to fall asleep in that chair, how about you and I head over to the hotel and get some rest in a proper bed?”

“That’s alright Bills, really. I’ll just stay here.” Dom replied quietly, pulling a blanket up from the floor, balling it up and shoving it under his head. “Go on and get a bit of sleep yourself. You wouldn’t want me in bed with you anyways. All I would do is toss and turn worrying about Lij.”

“Of course I would!” Billy said standing up, coming over to Dom. “I’d never kick you out of bed, you know that.”

“Really Bills, it’s ok. I promised Hannah I would stay here all night so her and her mom could get some rest.”
Billy took in a deep breath, his face growing stern as he shook his head.

“Have it your way then.” Billy grumbled, leaning over to give Dom a kiss goodnight. Dom turned his cheek away, avoiding Billy’s touch.

“Goodnight Dom.” Billy replied, trying once more, but again, Dom turned him away.

“What is up with you?”

Dom didn’t say a word.

“Fine then, I’ll see you in the morning I guess. Maybe a bit of sleep will do us both some good.”

“Yeah.” Dom softly replied, watching as Billy left the room in a huff. Dom reached his hand up to the wall and pushed down the light switch, shutting off the lights in the room. He looked over to Elijah watching and waiting, hoping for any sign of movement. Dom sighed, putting his head down on the blanket he had fashioned into a pillow up on his chair. Soon enough, he lost his fight with sleep and his eyes closed, shutting out the world around him.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“I have something for you Dom.”

“Really, what’s that?”

“It’s just a little something that I have wanted to give you for awhile now. Here, go on open it.”

“Bloody hell Lij, what is it?”

“Let me see it, here, hold out your hand. Let me put it on.”

“It’s a ring.”

“Yes Dom, it’s a ring. Come on, hold out your finger.”

“It’s kinda big.”

“I didn’t know your size, no biggie. See there, it fits on your middle finger just fine.”

“What do all those little marks mean?”

“It’s Hebrew Dom. It says ‘this is my beloved and this is my friend’. Merry Christmas!”

“Lij?”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.” A soft voice replied. “I was just doing my rounds. He’s doing just fine.”

Dom blinked, trying to grasp onto the moment as the nurse walked past him, carrying a bundle of used linen.

“I’ll shut the light back off so you can get some more rest. Sleep well Mr. Monaghan.” The nurse then left the room closing the door quietly behind her. Dom looked down to his hand, rubbing his finger along the two bands remaining on his middle finger where a third one once rested as well. Dom looked up to Elijah and smiled softly, taking in a deep breath before resting his head back down on his pillow, hoping to grasp a hold of his dream once more.

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Billy walked quietly through the halls of the hospital, stopping to stand in front of an elevator, while buttoning up the last few buttons on his shirt. He reached out, pushing his palm against a flat button on the wall, stepping back to straighten out his clothes as he waited for the elevator to come down to take him to the second floor. He had been ringing Dom’s mobile for the past eight hours, never once getting a reply to any one of his messages. Billy pulled his hands away from his shirt, fussing with his hair for a moment, trying to dry away the rain he had brought in from outside, when the elevator doors opened with a mechanical sigh. Billy walked in, pushing his finger to a button, the doors closing slowly before him. A deep breath passed over Billy’s lips as he looked up, focusing his eyes on the number above the door as it changed over. The elevator stopped and Billy looked down, watching as the doors opened once more, revealing the hallway that lead into the intensive care unit. He took a step forward, his wet shoes squeaking on the floor as he made his way down the hall. It was unusually quiet. No smiling faces of nurses making their rounds from room to room graced Billy’s presence as he continued on his way, finally coming to Elijah’s door. Billy sighed, looking into the room. It was dark. Not a single light was shining inside, save for the soft blue glow of the monitor that hung from the wall, crawling with wires that were fastened to Elijah’s chest to keep vigil over his vitals. Billy could see a shadow moving on the other side of the curtain, shifting about in a chair placed close to the Elijah’s bed. Billy stepped forward quietly, making his way into the room looking around the curtain, watching as Dom looked up, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before Dom turned away.

“I’ve been trying to message you on your mobile all day.” Billy replied softly, pushing his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans.

“I know.” Dom whispered, holding up his hand, his phone resting in his grasp.

“Then why haven’t you answered me Dom?”

“Dunno.” Dom said, shrugging his shoulders. “Is it still raining outside?”

“It is.” Billy answered, making his way to the other side of the room, looking out through the rain streaked window. “I walked over here from the hotel.” Billy grew quiet for a moment, hoping for a reply from Dom, but one never came. Nothing but silence filled the room. Billy brought his hand up to his mouth, chewing at his thumbnail, listening as the clock in the room ticked loudly while the minutes passed by.

“All I want is for you to talk to me.” Billy replied quietly, looking away from the window, fixing his eyes on Dom, sitting in his chair, staring down at his hands. Billy shook his head, annoyed with the lack of answers he was getting.

“You have to snap out of it Dom and take care of yourself. You’ve gone what… three days without so much as leaving this hospital. When is the last time you’ve taken a shower Dom? Or for that matter, when is the last time you ate?” Still no answers came. Discouraged, Billy put his attention back on the street outside as the rain continued to fall.

“It doesn’t matter.” Billy heard Dom reply, the metal legs of his chair scooting across the floor as he stood up, coming around Elijah’s bed. Dom then stood firmly at the foot of Elijah’s bed, his eyes searching over the bruised face of his dear friend as he spun his rings around on his finger.

“Fuck if it doesn’t.” Billy replied, walking away from the window, coming up behind Dom and putting his arms around his chest. “Just come back to the hotel with me, take a shower, have a drink or two and get all cozy in a nice warm bed for a change. What do you say to that?” Billy quietly whispered in Dom’s ear, putting his chin down on Dom’s shoulder. Billy kissed him gently on the cheek but Dom turned his face aside, shrugging Billy off his shoulders as he took a few steps away. Billy could think of nothing to say. He could feel his face flush with color, trying to grasp which emotion would best convey the thoughts running through his mind.

Dom shyly glanced behind him, his eyes meeting with an enraged hazel green stare, watching him intently with no indication of ever looking away. Dom swallowed hard, pulling his eyes away from Billy’s glare, looking over to Elijah as tears began to well within his eyes. Again he found the fingers of his left hand wandering to his right, turning his rings around his finger, finding the cool feel of silver under his touch soothing, a pacifier for the pain that was filling his heart.

Billy bit hard down on his lip, tasting a faint tinge of blood in his mouth.

“Lij gave you that ring didn’t he?” Billy replied harshly, his voice stinging Dom like a cut from a blade.

Dom didn’t answer.

“Don’t you fucking ignore me!” Billy screamed, causing Dom to look about in hopes that a nurse would come running through the door. “Answer me dammit! Did he or didn’t he?”

Dom nodded, moving away.

“How long Dom?”

“How long what?” Dom softly replied.

“Don’t you dare play stupid with me! How long did you know?”

“Know what?”

“That you didn’t want to be with me! For fucks sake! Why are you doing this to me? Why now? Out of any other time, why now Dom?”

Dom shrugged his shoulders, never once looking back towards Billy.

“Hell if you don’t know!” Billy snapped, reaching out grabbing Dom’s shoulder, turning him around. “Why now Dom? Why?”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Dom said softly, his eyes finally turning up to meet with Billy’s while tears streamed down his face.

“Try me.” Billy replied firmly, his eyes glaring back in anger.

“I… I can’t…”

“You better.”

“Damn, alright!” Dom shouted, outstretching his arms, pushing Billy away. “I didn’t know until I thought…” Dom said, his words falling short.

“You thought what?”

“Until I thought I was gonna lose him!” Dom snapped, raising his voice. “Fuck you Bills, alright. That’s all I can say. I never meant it to happen this way. I’m sorry.”

Billy shook his head, turning away to leave, but he stopped himself, looking to Dom through tears he would not allow to fall.

“You know what Dom… I’m sorry. Sorry I ever wasted my time on you, thinking that you loved me just as much as I loved you.” Billy replied loudly. “You know what…” Billy began, pointing to Dom before pointing out towards Elijah, lying in his bed. “You better hope to hell that he does wake up, because if he doesn’t, he’s not the only thing you’ll lose. Hopefully then you’ll find out what you really had.”

Billy then turned away, letting out a deep breath as he stormed out of the room, slamming the door closed behind him as Dom fell into his chair, pushing his hand to his mouth to drown out his tears as his heart shattered in two.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Billy pushed through entrance doors of the hospital, his heart pounding with a fury inside his chest. He didn’t want to believe everything he just heard. He didn’t want to feel those words cut deep into his heart like the rain which stung his skin, pouring down around him. Billy walked around the side of the hospital, cutting through the lawn, making his way across the grass towards the parking lot beside the emergency room doors. It was at this very moment when he wished he had not walked to the hospital from his hotel. He wished he had his car so he could drive away, never thinking twice about looking back. He wanted so much to cry, to release all the pain from within, for giving so much only to find out he would never get anything in return. Billy sighed deeply, stopping for a moment in the parking lot, holding onto his thoughts. He wanted to go back inside, pleading with Dom to give him a second chance, to show him that he could give him everything that Lij could and more, but no. How could he have not seen it? All of the tender passing glances the two of them shared every moment they were together, the smiles that framed their faces when no words needed to be spoken. Small touches of hands and passionate hugs when it seemed as though no one was looking. Why wouldn’t Dom want Lij? He was younger, more youthful in appearance and easy on the eyes. It had been months since Dom had invited Billy to stay with him at his flat. Weeks since they last spoke over the phone and now he knew why. Billy rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, trying to ease the pain that seemed to have left his heart, overcoming every square inch of his body. The rain continued to fall, glowing in the light of the lamps that loomed high overhead, lighting the pavement on which he stood. Billy turned aside, noticing a small glimmer of light shining on the ground. Slowly he made his way across the lot, stopping near a large puddle of water filling an area where the blacktop had sunken in. Billy stooped down, putting his hand into the water, touching his fingers to something within. Billy then pulled out his hand, holding a ring between his fingers. It looked familiar. A silver band etched with small black characters, perhaps holding some meaning that he was never meant to understand. Billy folded his fingers over his find, clenching his hand into a tight fist. Now he knew why it looked so familiar. He had caught Dom fussing with this very ring time and again on New Year’s Eve, constantly turning it around on his finger while keeping a close eye on the clock. This was the very ring that Lij had given to Dom. A band of silver that seemed to have broken the very last thread of love his Dommie may have had left for him. Billy stood to his feet, looking back towards the hospital, his eyes staring to a window on the second floor as a shadow moved away from the glass. Billy then turned away, putting his hand into his pocket, letting the ring fall inside as he left all he ever loved behind.

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Dom came away from the window, watching from the side as Billy walked away. His eyes were red and swollen; all of his tears long spent and dried. He wondered if Billy had seen him, standing there watching, wondering if the words he said were the ones he really meant. Dom’s eyes then focused on Elijah, still and unmoving, the hum of machines around him keeping rhythm with his every breath. Dom reached out, grabbing a chair, pulling it up beside Elijah’s bed. In all the time that he had spent within this very room, he had never once spoken to him, or touched his flesh. Dom took in a deep breath, pushing it beyond his lips as he put his hand out, only to pull back. He tried again, slowly working his hand under Elijah’s, grasping his hand gently in his own. This felt different somehow. Not like the secret sharing of fond embrace they had snuck many a time under café tables. Dom felt empty now. He couldn’t tell if it was for the fact that Elijah couldn’t intertwine his fingers between his own, or because he had just turned away someone that had once meant his entire life to him, for the person who now lay before him. Dom gently rubbed his thumb along the edge of Elijah’s hand, trying to find some words to say.

“I wish I knew if you could hear me Lij.” Dom whispered. “I’ve had a lot of things going through my mind over this past week and I just want to make sure I’m doing the right thing. I don’t want to loose you. Just squeeze my hand or something Lij. Let me know that you’re still alive in that world you’ve fallen into. I just want to know you’re gonna open your eyes again!” Dom waited, anticipation soon falling into despair, while Elijah’s hand still lay limp across his own. Dom closed his eyes tightly, biting down on his lip as he leaned forward, sinking his head deep into the blankets on the bed, the need for sleep finally taking over, never allowing him to see the single tear fall from Elijah’s eye as he was finally able to hear the voice of his dear friend.

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“Dommie.”

“Yeah Bills?”

“Do you still have all those videos you filmed of us while we were in New Zealand?”

“I do.”

“Can we watch one?”

“Of course we can.”

A palette of images filled Billy’s mind a host of haunting voices echoing out, a reminder of the past that once was. Faces, so many faces and then his own came into view, eyes shadowed in pain as he sat beside Dom, his arm tenderly resting across his back. They were sitting on a sofa, Dom smiling brightly as he watched the television. Billy could see himself smiling too, his eyes also concentrating on the imagery before him. Slowly his eyes began to close, his head falling to one side as Dom looked on. The television grew dark and Dom turned away, looking to Billy. Tears fell from Dom’s eyes as he pulled Billy close. Oh to only feel that touch again, but no, what was happening. Dom reached for his mobile phone, dialing a number on the keypad before pressing it to his ear. Billy looked on, he wasn’t moving. Stillness. Breathless.

“Fucking shite!” Billy screamed out, quickly opening his eyes as he sat up in bed, sweat pouring down from his forehead. His heart beat with a fury unknown as his eyes darted about the room, catching a glimpse of sunlight spilling in through the partially open curtains.

“Just a dream… nothing but a fucking dream!” Billy sighed, putting a hand to his bare chest. He kicked aside the covers, moving his legs over the side of the bed, touching his feet down to the carpeted floor. He stood up, uneasy with the image still running through his mind of seeing himself lying dead at Dom’s side. Slowly he made his way to the bathroom, turning on the light as he went inside. Billy went to the sink, turning on the cold tap, cupping his hands below the faucet, filling them with water. Billy leaned down, splashing the water over his face, looking into the mirror in front of him as the water ran slowly down his face. Billy grabbed a towel, pressing it to his skin, drying himself before turning away, tossing the towel into the sink. Billy made his way back into the room, sitting down on the edge of the bed, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He could not seem to shake that dream from his mind. The thought of being pushed away by someone he loved so much, drove him to imagine himself dying at his side. Then again, Billy felt as if he did die when those words pierced through his heart the night before when Dom told him he didn’t love him anymore. Billy pushed his fingers hard against his temple, looking up to the television stand. There, resting on the table, in an assortment of change and trinkets he could see Dom’s ring. Billy stood up, pulling a pair of jeans up off the floor, slipping them on over his boxers. He picked his keys up for his rental car, putting them into his pocket before taking his change up into his other hand, leaving the ring behind. Billy went to a chair nearby and picked up his duffle bag, unzipping it, pulling out a wrinkled shirt. He dressed his mind still in constant thought over his unexpected dream. Was this a sign maybe? A sign of what would come if he had held on to Dom just a moment longer. Billy zipped his duffle closed, sitting down to put on his shoes. He then stood up, going to the window, opening the curtain, peering across the street towards the hospital. The sun was shining brightly, the rain having stopped hours earlier. An ambulance was sitting in front of the emergency entrance, its lights still shining bright red. Billy sighed, looking away, closing the curtain as he went back to the bed, picking up his duffle, pulling it up over his shoulder. He looked back to the table, eyes staring harshly at the ring still resting on the table. He just wanted to leave, to go away and put everything behind him… to move on and rid himself of all this pain. Billy swallowed hard, reaching out, grabbing the ring, holding it tightly in his hand. He just couldn’t go… not yet… there was one last thing he had to do.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Billy opened his hand, looking down to the ring lying in his palm. The elevator doors opened slowly and he closed his hand, stepping out into the hallway. A smiling face greeted him as he walked through the corridor, down the hall where he finally came to rest in front of the door to Elijah’s room. Billy breathed in deeply, tightening his grasp on Dom’s ring as he took a step into the room, slowly putting one foot in front of the other. He could see a shadow moving around behind the curtain surrounding Elijah’s bed. Billy was running words through his mind. Words he knew would cut into Dom like a red hot dagger, just so he would know how painful it was to be hurt with such malice. As Billy came around the curtain, he opened his mouth, ready to speak, but he was greeted with a bright smile from a nurse tending to the various monitors and pumps hooked to his friend.

“Good morning to you.” She replied joyfully as Billy came to rest at the foot of Elijah’s bed.

“Morning.” Billy mumbled softly, putting his hand into his pocket, dropping Dom’s ring inside.

“He is doing well. Mr. Wood that is.” The nurse said cheerfully as she moved Elijah’s arm, placing it on top of the blanket covering him. “He’s starting to come around. Perhaps in another day or so he will finally open his eyes. We got some movement out of him late last night. A dream perhaps, but nonetheless he’s making progress. Come on in and have a sit if you like. I will be leaving momentarily.” Billy nodded, coming in, sitting down in a chair next to the bed.

“The guy, who was here last night… Dominic, is he still around?” Billy asked quietly.

“He has been gone for some time dear.” A reply came as the nurse emptied a small trash can next to the door. “One of the other girls on duty said he left last night, running down the hall as though his back end was on fire. Haven’t seen him since.”

Billy sat in silence for a moment. Perhaps he had not come back soon enough.

“He could use some company.” A faint whisper came as Billy turned, watching the nurse put her head back into the room before leaving. “He knows you’re here love. Talk to him a bit; it may do the both of you some good.” She then left, leaving Billy alone with Elijah as the clock in the room slowly ticked the minutes by. He then stood up, pulling his chair along behind him, bringing it closer to the side of Elijah’s bed. Billy sat back down, leaning his elbows onto the mattress, his eyes pouring over every inch of Elijah’s face. He hated seeing him like this. The once vibrant youth that would pick and tease, just to see someone smile. And now, here he was, nothing more than a shadow of the lad he once knew him to be. Billy then found memories of his dream rising once again. Flashbacks of his face, lips parted, eyes closed, heart beating no more. He couldn’t understand why such an image would long to haunt him when all he desired was peaceful rest. Perhaps that is what Dom wanted… Billy to be gone so he could move on. Billy swallowed hard, his eyes turning away from Elijah as he looked up to the clock, watching the second hand sweep by the numbers. He soon became bored with his distraction and brought his attention back to his friend. Elijah’s fingers moved slowly across the bed sheet, his eyes searching about under closed lids as his breathing grew rapid and unsteady.

“I’m here.” Billy said softly. “Lij, its Bills. I’m gonna stay here with you mate. I have a lot of things running through my mind right now, but at the moment it seems like you do too. Honestly I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here, so I promise I’m not gonna leave when you need someone the most.”

Elijah then grew still and Billy smiled, reaching out a hand to Elijah’s bringing it up into his own.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Dom screamed out, grasping at his sheets as he sat up in bed, sweating from head to toe. He was breathing rapidly, his eyes in a frantic search for the digital clock that sat on the small crate in the corner of his room. It was almost midnight. At this very hour the night before he was driving down the highway, darting in and out of traffic after leaving the hospital, his mind lost in a world of confusion. He drove as fast as he could, heading home, back to the sanctuary of his abode where he could throw himself into his own bed and hide beneath the covers. As he came down his street he parked his car haphazardly along the curb, getting out and running across his front lawn, up the front steps and unlocking the door. He went inside, roaming from room to room, cursing himself under his breath for being so foolish and saying such hurtful things to someone who meant the world to him. Dom then found himself wandering up the stairs, going into his room, his eyes searching through boxes of pictures stashed away in his closet. Pictures of him and Billy, pictures of him and Lij, pictures from years long passed but far from forgotten. He couldn’t seem to pull himself away from the pictures of Billy and him, side by side, smiling brightly, Billy’s eyes turned up to Dom’s face. He would stop while turning through his pictures, holding one in his hand of Lij, but then put it aside to look at pictures of him and Billy once more. How could he have been so fucking blind? How could he have not seen all the love that was in Billy’s eyes every time he would look his way? Why did he have to go and throw it all away? Now here he was, back at home, the loneliness finally setting in. In just a matter of days he had lost everything that he had ever loved. Dom took a deep breath, looking away from his clock, lying back down in his bed. His hands began to shake, trembling with fear as he remembered the reason for his sudden scream as he woke from sleep. It was a dream, the most vivid dream that had ever come to pass in his entire life. He dreamed about the New Years Party, but Lij was there along with them, standing on the patio as they looked up into the starlit night. Billy was at his side and they started counting down to ring in the New Year. Then it happened… Billy collapsed in Dom’s arms. He then remembered a hospital and doctors and being told that Billy was quite ill. He could feel as though there was little time and that the end would soon be near and that it was time to leave, to take Billy back home where it seemed as though his final days would come to an end. It was then, at the moment when he returned with Billy, weak and pulled close under his arm, setting him down on the sofa in his living room when he woke. He screamed out, thinking somehow that it was all real and if he shouted, it would somehow stop everything from ending. There was nothing he could do now. Everything was lost to him. He had pushed Billy away and Lij was still back at the hospital, lost in a deep sleep that only time could tell he would wake from. Dom closed his eyes. What could he do to make everything right? He opened his eyes, looking to the floor beside his bed, the two mattresses he slept on that were resting on the cold hardwood floor. He reached his hand out to his jeans, pulling them close, putting his hand into a pocket pulling out his mobile phone. He opened the cover, the faint blue glow from the illuminated keypad shining on his face. He thumbed through the numbers, highlighting Billy’s but he paused for a moment before letting it dial. Dom sighed deeply, closing the cover to the phone, tossing it into a pile of shirts close by. Dom rolled over, putting his hands under his pillow, drawing it close to his face. The morning would come soon and he needed more rest. This was something he just had to tell Billy face to face.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The faint sound of feet falling over the tiles in the hallway echoed in Billy’s ears. He was tired, longing for a bit more sleep, finding it hard to grasp onto what he so desired. His eyes were closed, head resting against a pillow propped up on his shoulder. The sound of voices in the hall seemed to grow and then Billy heard a laugh. A familiar laugh that was always hard to forget. Footsteps came in through the door and Billy could feel a presence in the room with him. He opened his eyes, taking his head away from his pillow to see a long missed smile shining his way.

“Viggo.” Billy said through a smile. He rubbed his eyes with a yawn, standing up to take Viggo into a firm hug. Viggo extended his arms, welcoming Billy into his embrace before leaning forward, giving Billy a gentle bump with his head.

“How have you been?” Viggo replied as Billy came away, rubbing his forehead a bit. “It’s been a year almost hasn’t it my friend?”

“That it has.” Billy said quietly, sitting back down in his chair. “How was your flight?”

“Good.” Viggo sighed, his eyes catching sight of Elijah. “Wish I could have got here sooner, but I just received Dom’s message. I noticed he sent it the night this all happened, but I never found my phone until yesterday. One of the pains of living out of a suitcase while on set I guess.”

“I hear ya.” Billy replied softly. “Filming going well too?”

“It is.” Viggo nodded, making his way around Elijah’s bed, sitting in a chair beside Billy. All was silent for a moment and then Viggo spoke up, looking over to Billy touching his arm.

“How’s he doing Bill? Lij that is?”

“Better they say. He’s coming around. When I came around yesterday morning a nurse said he should wake soon. A few days or so they suppose.”

“Been here all this time?” Viggo asked, looking back to Elijah, his eyes growing saddened at the battered body before him.

“Yeah. Haven’t left once. Thought he could use the company. I came here hoping to find Dom, but…”

“But?” Viggo replied, hoping Billy would continue.

“He wasn’t here.” Billy sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

“Is everything alright Bill?”

Billy shook his head no, biting down on his lip, trying to avoid further conversation. Viggo sighed, standing up from his chair, walking to the side of Elijah’s bed, reaching down and placing Elijah’s arm under the covers.

“Have you eaten anything today Bill?” Viggo asked, turning his glance towards Billy. Again Billy shook his head no.

“What time is it?” Billy mumbled through dry lips.

“Suppertime I would suppose. It’s past five in the afternoon Bill. Why don’t you head down to the cafeteria and get yourself a bite to eat.”

“I’m not all that hungry really.” Billy replied, rubbing his hands along his jeans. “Besides, I don’t want to leave him alone. What if he wakes up? I’ll stay thank you.”

“I know you’re hungry.” Viggo quietly said straightening the pillow under Elijah’s head. “If not for food, it’s for some answers.”

“What’s that?” Billy said with a look of confusion. Viggo looked back to Billy, smiling softly.

“He’s down there Bill, in the cafeteria, sitting at a table all by himself, looking just as hungry as you. I don’t know what happened but I don’t think he’s there to eat either. Go on now. I’ll stay here with Lij.” Billy turned his head to the door, looking out into the hallway.

“No second guesses, go on.” Viggo replied, motioning for Billy to leave with his hand. Billy took in a deep breath, standing to his feet while putting his hand into his pocket, running his fingers along the cold silver band within. He took a step forward and then another, finally making his way out into the hallway. Perhaps he wasn't the only one who wanted a second chance.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Billy came around the corner of the entrance way into the hospital cafeteria, looking inside. The room was full of people, nurses and doctors sitting together over plates of food, chatting among themselves, discussing the events of the day. Far in the corner of the room he could see Dom, hunched over, elbows resting on the table in front of him, his back turned to Billy. Billy made his way through the café, his eyes catching a glimpse of the faces that followed him as he moved through the noisy crowd. He soon came to Dom, standing behind him, making not a sound while he watched him put his finger into his cup of tea, stirring the liquid inside. Dom took in a deep breath and Billy sighed, coming around the table, standing at Dom’s side.

“Is this seat taken?” Billy replied softly. Dom looked up for a moment and then turned away, concentrating on his tea once more. He said nothing, but then a slight shake of his head told Billy the answer was no.

“Care if I have a sit?”

Again Dom shook his head no, never once answering with his own voice. Dom sighed, putting his hands around his cup, lifting it to his mouth, taking a long sip.

“Never thought I’d see you again.” Dom whispered pulling his cup away from his lips.

“Same here.” Billy replied softly.

“I went looking for you.” Dom said quietly, setting his cup on the table, looking down as he put his finger back into the liquid inside. “Drove over to your hotel this morning. They said you checked out yesterday.”

“I did.”

Dom looked up, his eyes meeting with Billy’s for a moment.

“Where did you go?” Dom asked.

“Here. I came looking for you. But the nurses said you left, running out of here like a madman.”

“Yeah. I went home. Couldn’t stay here anymore.”

“Then why did you come back?”

Dom didn’t answer; he shrugged his shoulders, bringing his cup back up to his lips once more for another drink.

“Don’t start again Dommie, you know.” Billy said crossly, reaching across the table, pulling at Dom’s arm, keeping him from silencing his voice in his cup of tea. “Talk to me.”

“It was a dream.” Dom whispered, putting his cup down on the table, pushing it away as he leaned back in his chair.

“A dream?” Billy questioned.

“Yeah Bills, a dream.”

Billy opened his mouth, making ready to speak again, but Dom leaned over, putting a finger to his lips, keeping the words from coming.

“Don’t ruin it.” Dom replied, knowing Billy always had a habit of trying to be funny when Dom wanted to be serious. Dom then moved his finger away from Billy’s mouth, taking a deep breath.

“The whole time I was home I couldn’t stop looking at pictures. I went through box after box, finding pictures of me and you, pictures of me with Lij. I would see the look in your eyes. That smile that always seemed to look up to me when you were standing at my side. It was tearing me apart inside Bills. Last night I had a dream though, about the New Years party we were supposed to have. All three of us together, smiling, laughing, standing out on the patio looking up at the stars as the New Year rang in. Then everything changed. Something happened to you Bills and at that very moment I had this sinking feeling inside that I was going to lose you forever.” Dom replied, his eyes turning downwards.

“Don’t hate me for saying this, but I thought I should have felt relieved. Relieved in the fact that you would be gone so I wouldn’t have to worry about you anymore, relieved that I could be with Lij and have no regrets for doing what I did, but I wasn’t. The pain that rushed through me as I sat up in bed, screaming out your name was more than I felt coming into this hospital seeing Lij. It was more painful than losing that ring he gave me. Shite Bills, I guess what I’m really trying to say, is that in all truth, I never did really want to let you go. It’s just with everything that happened, all these feelings built up inside and I didn’t know how to shake them. In the end, I just took it all out on you and pushed you away. I’m sorry Bills. Honestly. I know the damage is done but I want another chance. I want to make it up to you.” Dom then drew his glance to Billy. Watching as he sat before him, his lips parted slightly. It seemed as though there was something he wanted to say, but he just couldn’t push the words forth. Billy sighed and leaned back a bit in his chair, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his hand and put it down on the table, the sound of metal clinking down on the tabletop under his palm. Billy pulled his hand away, looking up to Dom watching as tears began to fall along Dom’s cheeks.

“I found it the other night, out in the parking lot. The night you said you didn’t love me anymore. You can’t imagine how bad I just wanted to toss it, throwing it into the street where it would never be found again. But I didn’t. I put it in my pocket and took it back to the hotel. There were a lot of thoughts running through my mind that night and lets just say the following morning I woke with quite a start just like you. After gathering my senses I decided to check out of the hotel and go back to Glasgow, but before I left I was gonna stop by here, give you that ring and tell you that no mattered what happened, if you needed me, you knew where to find me, only you were gone. So I stayed, hoping that by some chance you would come back. You never did, so there I was, alone with Elijah, wishing that everything could be how it was before it accident. I wanted so badly to turn back the hands of time and have everything be right with the world.” Billy softly replied, as Dom reached out, taking the ring up into his hand. Billy swallowed hard, letting a deep breath pass over his lips while Dom closed his hand around the ring, tightening his fist.

“I just wanted to be able to go back and tell you how much you really meant to me Dommie.” Billy whispered, reaching out, putting his hand over Dom’s. “I never said it enough. In a way I felt like it was my fault that you went to Lij not knowing how true my feelings were for you.”

“It wasn’t your fault Bills.” Dom replied, pulling his hand away. “It was mine and mine alone. I was acting the fool as I always do, never thinking things through.”

“So where do we go from here?” Billy asked softly, putting his hands down on the table. “What is gonna become of us?”

Dom shrugged his shoulders, slipping his ring on his finger. He turned it about, reading the Hebrew inscription etched into the metal. He could hear Elijah’s voice echoing in his mind…

‘this is my beloved and this is my friend’

Dom closed his eyes, biting down on the edge of his lip as he put his fingers around the band, pulling it off of his finger.

“When the time is right, I’ll let him know.” Dom said quietly. Billy smiled, trying his best to hold back the tears that clouded his eyes.

“How did you know I was here anyways?” Dom asked as he put his hand into the front pocket of his jeans, leaving the ring inside.

“Viggo.” Billy said with a bright smile.

“So he made it!” Dom replied with joy. “It’s about time. I was beginning to wonder if he got the message.”

“He did. He’s up there now with Lij. You want to go up and see him?”

Dom grinned.

“Come on then, lets go up there.”

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The gentle rhythmic ticking of a clock in the room drowned out the shallow beeps of monitors and feet shuffling through the halls behind a closed door. The minutes passed as though they were hours as a pair of weary eyes glanced to the clock once more. The air was cool, a light scent of pine cleaner rising from the freshly cleaned bathroom. Near the window sat a chair, filled with blankets and pillows from many sleepless nights past. An IV pump ran quietly in the corner, the sound of oxygen hissing quietly from a tube running from the wall. A deep gasp then came from the bed as arms flailed out, eyes opening wide.

“He’s awake!” A familiar voice shouted. Everything seemed blurry somehow. No memory of days past could come to mind. A shadow lingered overhead, eyes blinking, slowly coming into focus.

“Elijah, hello!” The voice replied again. Elijah blinked, his head throbbing with pain.

“Viggo?” He whispered through dry lips.

“Yes, I’m here.” Viggo said softly, taking Elijah’s hand into his own. Viggo then called out for a nurse, pushing Elijah’s hair away from his brow.

“What happened?” Elijah asked, trying to grasp onto the moment. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital Lij. You had an accident.”

“An accident?”

“You did. You totaled out your mom’s cooper. You’ve been out for days.”

Elijah reached up, touching his face. It seemed as though there was someplace else he was supposed to be. A nurse then came into the room and she smiled, drawing another set of covers over Elijah before taking his vitals.

“I will tell the others.” She said softly, taking the thermometer from Elijah’s mouth. She left the room and Elijah quickly sat up, his eyes searching frantically around the room.

“Billy!” He screamed. “Viggo, I have to get Billy!”

“Whoa, hold your horses there buckaroo!” Viggo replied getting up from his chair. “With that broken leg you’re not going anywhere.”

“But, Billy… he… he…” Elijah began as Viggo put his hand firmly against Elijah’s chest, easing him back down into his bed.

“He’s fine. He’s here Lij. He has been keeping an eye on you, just left a short bit ago actually so I took the next watch.” Elijah’s face filled with confusion. He couldn’t remember a thing. The last he knew he was running for the door with his car keys in hand after getting Billy’s call on his cell phone. Elijah then heard a familiar laugh and through the door Billy appeared, a bright smile on his face.

“Bloody hell mate, you had us all worried!” Billy said coming towards Elijah, leaning into his bed, hugging him tightly.

“You worried about me?” Elijah stammered. “I was worried about you!”

“Whatever for?” Billy asked giving Elijah a sly glance.

“Don’t you remember?”

“Remember what Lij?” Billy remarked. Elijah then heard more voices coming to the door and Billy turned around as another smiling face entered the room, arms outstretched.

“Fucking hell, you’re awake!” They replied brightly. “Nice to see those big blue eyes open for a change!”

“Dom?” Elijah mumbled as he felt all the color rush from his face.

“Shite man, you’re not looking so good now.” Dom replied sitting down on the edge of Elijah’s bed. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.” Elijah’s mouth dropped open, he wanted to say something but he couldn’t find any words.

“Lij, hey, you in there?” Billy said quietly, waving his hand in front of Elijah’s face. Elijah blinked, shaking his head, trying to gather his thoughts.

“But the party and you…” Elijah stuttered, pointing towards Dom. “Dead, yeah… I thought you were fucking dead!”

“Me? Dead?” Dom laughed, slapping his hand on Elijah’s cast covering his leg. “You wish. You can’t get rid of me that easy.”

“But…”

“But nothing Lij.” Dom giggled. “I’m sitting right here. Do I look dead to you?”

Elijah shook his head.

“What about the party? What happened there?” Elijah asked, trying to find some answers.

“The New Years Party?” Billy replied.

“Yes.” Elijah said, rubbing his forehead. “It all seems to be a blur to me somehow.”

“Well it should.” Dom said with a smile. “You never made it there! You’ve been laying here like a log for the past five days! You fell asleep behind the wheel and drove off the road hitting a few trees heading over to my place. Your mum was really sore about the car though. Said she would take it out of your hide once you woke up. But you know how mums are. She still loves ya!”

“But Billy called… and I thought he…”

“Thought I what?” Billy asked looking to Elijah, turning his head to one side.

“Thought you tried to kill yourself.”

“Shite Lij, I’d never do something like that.” Billy said passing Elijah a stern glance. “Those trees really knocked your senses right out of you didn’t they?”

“So it was all a dream.” Elijah whispered quietly to himself. “Nothing but a fucking nightmare!”

“Afraid so Lij.” Dom replied smiling again. “We’re both here, we are both fine. I’m not dead, Billy didn’t try to do himself in and Viggo is sitting there starting at you, wishing he could have a little bit of whatever it is you’re smoking.”

“So everything is right in the world?” Elijah quietly replied.

“Yes Lij, it is.” Dom said with a large grin. “Everything is finally starting to get back on track!"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Dom took a deep breath, reaching his hand up, lightly knocking on the door to Elijah’s room. A cheerful voice replied back, welcoming him inside.

“You don’t have to knock Dom, I know it’s you!” Elijah said with a smile as Dom peered inside the room. “Come on, get in here! How do you like it? Finally got away from the ICU!”

“It’s nice.” Dom replied softly. “No more wires all over the place.”

“Yeah, I know!” Elijah chirped, patting his hands down on his bed. “I feel like a new man. Docs said if I’m doing just as good as I’m doing today, tomorrow they’ll let me go home. Hard to believe I’ve been here for almost two weeks.”

“Has it been that long?”

“Guess so.” Elijah quietly replied, looking up to the calendar hanging on the wall. “So where have you been? I haven’t seen you around for a few days. I was starting to tire of my mom and Hannah’s company.”

“Just out.” Dom said quietly, coming a bit further into the room.

“I see.” Elijah replied, drawing out his words. “Where is Billy? Haven’t seen him around much either.”

“He’s downstairs, outside, waiting in the car.”

“Oh.”

“I came by to give you something Lij.” Dom said with a deep sigh, making his way to the side of Elijah’s bed. Elijah smiled brightly, his blue eyes glowing beneath the dark bruises still lining his brow.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Dom said, trying to push a faint smile over his lips as he reached into the side front pocket of his jeans. He then pulled out his hand, fingers closed tightly against his palm as he extended his arm out in front of Elijah.

“Here.” Dom replied, reaching down with his other arm, grabbing Elijah’s hand. He then opened up his fingers, dropping the silver band that Elijah had given him for Christmas, down onto Elijah’s outstretched hand. Elijah looked up to Dom, his face deeply saddened, the glow fading from his once joyous glance.

“Why are you giving this back to me?”

“I can’t keep it Lij.” Dom said softly. “I can’t let you come between Billy and me. I just don’t have ‘feelings’ for you like that.”

“Oh Dommie!” Elijah replied with a tender smile, closing his fingers over the ring. “I never wanted to come between the two of you. That bloke loves you more than you’ll ever know. I just wanted you to have this as friends mate. I love you like my own brother ya little wanker. But that’s ok, I can keep it. No hard feelings.”

“Really?”

“Really Dom, it’s alright. If you don’t want to hold on to this I will. Better yet, I can buy one for Billy and give one to both of you. Couple years down the road you can use them as wedding bands I suppose.” Elijah said with a laugh. Dom smiled shaking his head before letting out a sigh, turning towards the window.

“Why the sudden decision though Dom? To give back the ring?”

“Just a dream Lij. Crazy at it sounds. My mind playing tricks on me I suppose. Ever have those kind of dreams that make you take another look at life?”

“Actually, yes. One hell of a dream, remember Dom? I was rambling off like a loon when I woke.”

“Yeah, I remember. Said you thought I died and that Billy tried to kill himself.” Dom replied leaning forward a bit on his elbows, fiercely rubbing his left temple while closing his eyes. “What ever happened? You never said much more about it?”

“Ah, just forget about it.” Elijah replied softly, looking down to the ring in his hand. “Besides, it was just a dream after all wasn’t it?” Elijah said, turning his attention to Dom.

“Dom?”

“Yeah Lij?” Dom replied, rubbing the side of his head again.

“You alright? You don’t look so good.”

“Yeah, fine Lij. Just a headache is all.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.” Dom replied, flashing Elijah his charming smile. “Everything is alright in the world now. Dreams or not, I think my life is about ready to take a sudden change.”

-END-