Title: Forgive Me - 3/8
Author: [livejournal.com profile] dylan_dufresne
Pairing: BB/DM
Rating: PG, I guess.
Feedback: Would be greatly appreciated as it’s my drug of choice. Thanks to [livejournal.com profile] frojane for the beta and encouragement.
Disclaimer: Not at all true in reality.
Warning: Angst in this part.
Previous (unrelated) Parts: 1-Fight | 2-Ending

3 - Accident

When Billy calls and cancels his trip to America for the third time, he’s not all that surprised when Dom is cross at him and hangs up the phone in frustration. Promises made and then broken, it’s been more than four months since they’ve seen each other, held each other close and shared their bodies. No longer having the convenience of movie premieres or conventions, the opportunities to spend time together has diminished significantly. It’s not that Billy wanted to cancel, but when he’d been offered the play, he just couldn’t turn it down. They’ve waited this long, what’s a few weeks more? He’ll make it up to Dom, and then some.

It’s the middle of the night, angry rain falling in heavy sheets, the icy wind howling and whistling against the windows, when the phone on Billy’s nightstand rings. Billy’s first thought is that Dom’s calling to talk. They don’t fight all that often, and even then, it generally isn’t more than a day until one breaks and calls to apologize. The apology is usually followed by mind-blowing phone sex, and plans to get together as soon as possible. Billy meant to call, but was afraid that Dom would hang up on him again. Giving Dom a couple of extra days to cool off seemed like a good plan. At the time.

Nothing could’ve shocked Billy more, than to realize that it’s not his lover’s sweet voice flowing over the lines and across the Atlantic ocean to him. It’s Sean, his usually calm, levelheaded tone rattled and distressed. There’s a rasp in his throat, like he’s trying to keep from crying, trying to keep it together for Billy’s benefit. It’s with great difficulty that he reluctantly breaks the bad news. There’s been a bad car accident, and Dom is in the hospital. It’s serious.

When Billy comes back to himself, he notices that he’s dropped the phone, arms wrapped around his suddenly aching chest as he struggles to breathe. His beloved Dommie is in pain, and he’s not there, by his side. Picking the phone up off the floor, Billy vows to be on the next plane to LA as he throws some clothes into a suitcase. Quickly, he makes Sean promise to stay with Dom, and then he’s desperately searching his bureau for his passport while calling for a taxi to take him to the airport. He never should’ve canceled his trip. He should’ve called to apologize, and kept calling until Dom talked to him. He never should’ve put off until tomorrow, what he could’ve done today.

Endless hours later, weary and terrified out of his mind to the point of blind panic, Billy’s hair and eyes are wild as he exits the lift and nearly runs down the hospital corridor. Elijah is right behind him, having been the one to pick Billy up at the airport so Sean could stay with Dom, as he promised. At the door to Dom’s room, Billy’s small hand claps over his mouth to stifle the cry of distress as tears gather at the corners of his eyes.

Machines surround the sterile bed, monitoring Dom’s breathing, his pulse, blood pressure and heartbeat. Tubes and wires snake across the stark white sheets, disappearing under the pale blue blanket tucked close around Dom’s eerily still body. An angry bruise has blossomed at his temple, extending all the way down the left side of his face to his chin, his eye swollen shut, and there is a vicious, jagged cut at the edge of his hairline that’s been closed with a long row of sutures. In short, he’s a mess.

Rising stiffly from the chair he’s been sitting in since he called Billy, Sean steps aside and beckons Billy to come closer. Guiding Billy firmly into the chair and gently squeezing his shoulder to reassure him, Sean quickly and quietly catches Billy up on Dom’s condition. Thanks to the seat belt that Dom was wearing, there is no internal bleeding or any broken bones. While there are plenty of bumps and bruises, the concern now is the serious concussion that Dom has sustained. He hasn’t opened his eyes since he was brought into the Emergency Room after being cut out of the wreckage of his car more than thirty hours ago. Understanding that Billy wants to be alone with Dom, Sean slips silently out of the room to find Elijah. All they can do now is wait.

Cradling one of Dom’s limp hands in his and stroking the long, elegant fingers, Billy places a tender kiss to Dom’s soft palm as salty tears spill down his cheeks, dampening the sheet. Cuddling Dom’s hand to his chest, Billy rises unsteadily and leans over the bed to press a feathery kiss to Dom’s slack lips. Other kisses follow, to Dom’s unbruised cheek, forehead, the tip of his squashed up nose, and then his lips again. There is no reaction from Dom, his chest continuing to rise and fall in a steady rhythm as his eyes stubbornly remain closed.

“Forgive me,” Billy pleads to the sleeping man, sinking back down into the chair when his legs betray him.

Holding Dom’s hand and stroking his mussed blonde hair with the other, exhaustion finally overwhelms Billy and he falls asleep, having flatly refused to leave Dom’s side for any reason. Hours later, rays of bright, California sunlight are falling across the bed when Billy awakens with a start, immediately remembering where he is and why. Quickly rubbing the grit from his bleary eyes, Billy looks up to see the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen in his whole life.

Dom is looking back at him through sleepy, yet clear eyes. And then the corners of Dom’s crooked mouth flutter, as he gives Billy a tiny smile, lips forming his lover’s name.

* ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ *


4-Timing

From: (Anonymous)

Forgive Me series


You're such a good writer - I ADORE your stories :)

From: [identity profile] daydreambeleevr.livejournal.com


i don't even mind that you made me cry. not when it's this good.

you got that billy part so clearly. it's easy to put something off, justifying to yourself, if to no one else, that it's not a big deal. and how that, very quickly, something can happen which makes you reevaluate your priorities in the blink of an eye, and all the so called "important" things fade till you're left with the inescapable truth of what really counts.

this is incredible work.

kerry =)

From: [identity profile] garuparu90.livejournal.com


Guh.
There's a shrine up here to you *points to head* and basically I worship you.
Your writing is so amazing, vivid, emotional, and lovely I can't compliment you enough. :)

From: [identity profile] surreality-fan.livejournal.com


i really want to give this the comment it deserves but roommates keep talking. i will be back to reread and comment when i can form a decent thought. GAH!

From: [identity profile] surreality-fan.livejournal.com


ok... am back again.

i really love this fic in general, for your wonderful angstfearjoy. but i think this may be a favorite for personal reasons. it's hits a piece of family history for me and a lesson that was always taught to me (aka my mother repeated the story to me frequently), never part ways while angry. you never know what will happen. with a morbid piece of family history beings told to me, over and over again until it was kind of drilled in my head. my parents had a rule that they would never part ways angry. it was kind of cute. gah, now i'm thinking of my parents as a cute couple. i need help.

this breakdown brought to you by the letters a n g s and t. and the number 3.


From: [identity profile] frojane.livejournal.com


Wonderful sweetie. But then I think I may just have mentioned that already!!!

From: [identity profile] wanderlost.livejournal.com


You know when you want to cry, but you can't decide whether the tears are happy tears or sad tears?

I get that feeling when I read this story. Although the beginning is angsty surprise! hee he, the end is so sweet with Dom forming Billy's name that one can't help but be happy.

Wonderful as usual! I will have to start reading my thesaurus soon for new words to praise you with.

I'm all caught up on the recent fics...anything posted before MNT. I'm going to start with the one shots and work my way to the series. Phew! I should do a "how many words read" meme at the end of the year!

From: [identity profile] bite-me-luv.livejournal.com


Phew.. being forced to leave important things unsaid is a great fear I have myself. Glad that everything went ok here. I could feel Billy's panic.

Thank you for this, honey - one more inspiration ;)

From: [identity profile] bite-me-luv.livejournal.com


It's not even a 10 min. drive to my Grandma's, but since she's (hopefully..) turning 93 next week, there's always that fear it could be too late when they call. The thought's killing me but I hope I will be on time at least..

*stops thinking now*

*hugs you back* Like I said - it's all about inspiration, you know? ;)

That makes a total of 11 - so far ;)

From: [identity profile] foxrafer.livejournal.com


You have such a lovely style. This is a wonderful story, hard to read but thankfully the ending makes it better. Really great.

From: [identity profile] waqaychay.livejournal.com


oh, wow, and i thought the last one was sad! oh, this had me in tears, darling. so beautifully written. *loves you*
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