FIC: Making Memories of Us 23/28

[sassywitch.livejournal.com]

Title: Making Memories of Us 23/28
Authors: rawiyaparand and sassywitch
Pairing: Primarily Monaboyd, with a smattering of Ordaisy, Kargo, EmEli
Rating: NC-17 for graphic m/m and shock horror some het sex
Betas: The wonderful surreality_fan Much ♥
Archiving: all_sensation and glasgowhobbit , any others please ask first
Feedback: Yes, please. We live for it.
Header Art: Our wonderful header was created by loki_girl
Crossposted: to monaboyd and all_sensation
Disclaimer: No money was made from this, and this in no way is meant to imply anything about the sexual preferences or practices of anyone mentioned within this story. No matter how true they are.
Summary: Dom is injured, and Billy goes along with the hallucinations for his best friends sake; but is it really only for Dom?
WARNING: contains slash (men doing men), het, angst, and fluff. If any of this bothers you, please don't read. This chapter also contains a smattering of het smut.
A/N: Sorry for the delay it was unavoidable. Next chapter will be posted on Friday.
The song that spawned the fic: Can be found Here
Previous Chapters: Here
~*~*~*~*~*~
He nodded and watched her slip into the hallway. Smoothing imaginary wrinkles on his shirt, Billy walked to the dresser picking up the small on top of it. He carefully lifted the small, dark blue box out, opening the lid slowly. A silver band glistened, and he lifted it out delicately, running his finger around the circumference. Holding it up to the light, he read the tiny words engraved there: I love you to trust your memories of us.

Remembering that he wasn't wearing a sporran, Billy kissed the ring and placed it back in the box, setting in gently on the bed. He picked up his guitar and tuned it, humming the words to the song he'd be performing tonight. He closed his eyes and imagined his Dom, standing in front of Viggo, the fading sun and rolling waves in the background. He thought of Dom as he plucked the strings, singing softly to himself.

“I’m gonna beat you if you don’t sing that for him.” Orlando poked his head through the slightly ajar door.

“Planning on it.” Billy smiled

“Nice outfit dude.” Orli laughed

“Two words elf boy.” Billy smirked at him “Bite me.”

“Seriously Bills.” Orlando ruffled his hair “I’m happy for both of you.”

“Thanks.” Billy murmured “Got a favour to ask of you.”

“Sure I’ll make sure Lij keeps her busy.”

“Not that you daft prick.” Billy laughed as he tossed the ring box to him “Hang on to that till I need it?”

“Isn’t Lij the Ringbearer?” he turned the box over in his hands.

“I’m asking you.” Billy looked him in the eye as he put his guitar on the bed beside him.
Orlando sat down on the bed, running a hand through his curly hair. "Really, Bills? Me?"

"You're the only one in here, Elf boy. You were the first person I met on this crazy journey, and I want you here with me tonight."

Orlando tried blinking back the tears forming, remembering how nervous he had been to start filming and how calm Billy had been during the flight to New Zealand. They had formed a lasting friendship then that most people were still oblivious to.

"I was so nervous," Orlando reminisced, "and you just kept assuring me that things would be alright, that Peter wouldn't have picked me if he didn't believe I had the talent."

"I was right wasn't I?"

"Yeah, you were. I'm honoured, Bills. Really, I...I...," Orlando choked back a sob, wiping his eyes shyly. Billy scooted closer to him, and pulled him into a hug. "I just assumed that you'd ask Lij with him being a hobbit and all, and the fact that you asked me, and I'm going to be best mate that you'll ever find, and I'm babbling aren't I? I'm just so happy for the both of you"

Orlando exhaled and tightened his embrace, squeezing Billy painfully tight until the other man cried over his bruising ribs.

"So, is that a yes?" Billy asked once free.

"Of course! I should have planned some sort of bachelor's party? I wonder if it's okay to have the strippers after the wedding. The wedding? Do I get to help you plan the wedding? Do you need anything? What can I help you with? Are your vows written?"

"Orli," Billy interrupted his friend, "you're starting to sound like her."

Orlando's mouth fell open. "That's cruel, Mr. Boyd. Even for a wee Scot like yourself."

“I’m sure she really is a nice girl.” Billy explained “Dom adores her so she can’t be all bad.”

“He’s had more exposure than us, maybe she’s a virus.”

“Now who’s cruel, I say you give her a chance and if she doesn’t kill you then I’ll know I’m good to enter the fray.”

“So I’m the…..human sacrifice.” Orli laughed.

“Pretty much.” Billy stated seriously “You don’t expect me to make Dom a widow before we’re even officially engaged do you?”

"I'm not sure Merry would survive very long without his Pippin. That you need not worry about," Orlando stated getting off the bed. "But, I do want the two of you to live a long and prosperous life together, so I'll go in first. Consider it my wedding gift."

"My hero," Billy swooned, placing the back of one hand on his forehead and falling back onto the bed.

"Silly git," Orlando laughed, stretching out his hand to Billy. The Scot pulled himself up and straightened his outfit. "Are you ready?"

Billy closed his eyes and took deep inhalations and exhalations. His greens eyes fluttered open and he smiled widely. "Yeah, let's get me engaged."

Orlando put the ring in his pocket, patting it twice to make sure it was still there, and led Billy out of the room, taking his guitar as they left. He laughed as Billy was greeted with wolf-whistles and comments about his sexy legs.

Hearing car doors as he was happily displaying his hairy knees for their assembled friends, he was hit full in the chest by a tiny blonde missile.

“No you don’t bucko.” She stated poking him in the chest. “You let him come to you.”

Orlando grinned at Billy over her head and slipped his arms around Emilie’s waist. “If you’re a good girl you can have just this one dance with your favourite elf.” He smiled down at her. Glancing between both men she smiled sweetly at Orlando and let herself be led away by him after planting a soft kiss on Billy’s cheek.

Billy took the opportunity to walk around the side of the house. Standing at the end of the pathway he watched as Dom dressed exactly the same as him but in blue not green tones, stood talking to their elf princess, apparently another surprise visitor.

It didn’t take long for Dom to realize he was there, winking at him and extending an arm to him.

Liv could only smile and shake her head as Dom left mid-conversation, all of his attention focused on Billy. He floated down the pathway towards Billy, his heart thumping against his chest.

"Hi," he whispered once in front of Billy. He drank in his lover: the green sarong showing off his legs, the matching floral print shirt that made his emerald green eyes appear even greener and larger, if that was at all possible.

"You didn't shave," Dom noticed stepping to Billy's personal space.

"You did." Billy ran his fingers through Dom's trimmed hair before gently stroking his now smooth cheek. Keeping one hand cupping Dom's cheek, he wrapped his free arm around Dom's waist and leaned in to kiss his lover.

Billy leaned in to his kiss, tasting toothpaste and Dom. Pulling back he whispered against Dom’s lips. “I’ve missed you; it felt like you were gone forever.”

“I thought I was.” Dom murmured.

“Do I get a hug?” a melodic voice spoke from over Dom’s shoulder.

Billy reluctantly pulled away from Dom. “Of course Liv, How have you been?” as he folded her into a three way hug.

"I'm fine, darling," she said stroking his cheek. "I'm just glad that I was able to make here in such short notice." She said the last three words poking them in the chest; her turned up lips revealing that she wasn't upset at them.

"I had to do it before someone else snatched him up," Dom winked, his arm wrapped possessively around Billy.

"I don't think you would have had to worry about that," Liv laughed. "I think he likes it here with you just fine."

"Aye, he does," Billy whispered, kissing Dom softly on his cheek.

“You know we need to go and warn Lij. Viggo has gone to collect Seanwise from the airport. Emilie will be all ‘hackled up’”

“I think I need to meet this girl that has you lot all running scared.” Liv laughed.

“Too late.” Billy grinned as he watched Emilie barrelling around the corner of the house obviously intent on breaking their affectionate embrace up, however when she saw Liv she stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes round.

"What did you do and can you teach me?" Billy whispered to Liv watching Emilie remain frozen to her spot.

"I'm not sure, but she doesn't seem so bad," Liv said.

"Em?" Dom held out his hand to the tiny blonde, urging her to take it as if she were a child. "Come here, Emi, there's someone I'd like you meet."

Emilie reached out blindly for Dom's hand, her blue eyes still focused on Liv. Dom pulled her into their tight circle, trying hard not to burst into laughter.

"Liv, this is beautiful young lady is Emilie. Emilie, this is Liv, our Elvin Princess."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Emilie," Liv said shaking the small hand that Dom had passed her.

Emilie's mouth opened and closed like a fish, before she gasped softly. "Ohmygod. I...I…omigod."

Amused by her response Billy wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her to his side. “Emi sweetheart, first of all I think you should breathe and then I believe the word you are searching for is Hello.”

“You have no idea who this is do you?” she frowned at Billy.

“It’s Liv, otherwise known as Arwen, of course I know who she is you wee daftie.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Tyler.” Emilie spoke as she bowed her head and appeared to curtsey.

"Miss Tyler?" Billy couldn't control himself and began laughing, turning to burying his head in Dom's chest.

Liv poked Billy in the side before turning her attention back to the awe-struck Emilie. "You can call me Liv, Emilie. All of my friends do."

"Alright, Ms. Tyler, I mean Liv."

"I hear that you've become good friends with Elijah," Liv began, directing the younger girl back to the house. "Come, we'll exchange stories about him."

Dom and Billy watched as the two departed, Emilie practically floating on air. "Had I known that all it took was an Elvin Princess to calm her down," Billy said with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, I knew she liked Liv, but wow, that surprised even me," Dom replied, lifting Billy's chin up. "So, you've got a few minutes to change your mind if you want."

“Why would I want to change my mind?” Billy asked warily.

“A little bird mentioned that you were nervous.” Dom murmured frowning lightly.

“Nervous yes, wanting to back out, never.” He answered quickly “Unless you’ve changed your mind?” he asked on a question, turning his eyes to Dom’s and searching his face almost desperately.

Dom lowered his eyes and bit lower lip nervously. "Actually, I have."

Billy felt his heart drop and stepped back to look at Dom. "Wha…what?" He gripped Dom's hand trying to steady himself, trying to keep himself from dropping to the ground and curling into a little ball.

"I've decided that I want to live a lonely life, devoid of love and happiness. The only way I can accomplish this is by not marrying you. Sorry, Bills." Dom's cheeky smile appeared and Billy exhaled, feeling his heart begin to beat again.

"Dominic Monaghan," he swatted his boyfriend, "if you ever scare me like that again, no sex for a week!"

“I’m sorry.” Dom instantly looked contrite as his fingertips traced the lines of confusion on Billy’s face “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“Of course you worried me.” He sighed “I thought you’d decided you weren’t going to marry me.

“The only decision I regret not making Bills, is not asking you sooner. We’ve wasted such a lot of time.”

"We have," Billy agreed. "But that's all in the past now. We have the rest of our lives to right that wrong."

He stepped into Dom's embrace, holding the other man tightly to him. He rested his head over Dom's heart, listening to the rhythmic lub-dub. "I'll die if I ever lose you," he said softly into the blue shirt.

"You won't. I'm always going to be here." Dom kissed the top of Billy's head, pushing all thoughts of Billy's reaction to his lie to the back. He only wanted to focus on the here and now; he'd deal with everything else tomorrow.

"Speaking of wasting time," Dom said, "how about we get engaged now?"

“We could but I believe the master of ceremonies is just pulling into the driveway behind you.” Billy smiled as he watched Sean and Viggo and open for the door for a third passenger. “I don’t believe it.” Billy grin widened.

“How the hell did they get him here tonight?” Dom spoke his jaw dropping.

Viggo walked past them leading their guest to the party “You didn’t think I wouldn’t try to get the man who brought you two together here did you.”

“I couldn’t miss my first fellowship engagement now could I?” Peter spoke with a quirky grin.

“Didn’t you two want to get engaged?” Viggo raised an eyebrow at them.

Billy and Dom nodded, still looking at Peter in amazement. "It was just a little engagement ceremony, Vigs," Dom mumbled. "We didn't expect you to go through all of this trouble for us."

"Trouble? Making my hobbits happy is never any trouble," Viggo told them.

"I'm just glad that eventually I won't be the only married hobbit," Sean laughed, hugging his friends. "Christine and the girls send their love. Ali was upset that she couldn't come, but I told her that the two of you would call her sometime to say hi."

"Of course we will," Billy nodded enthusiastically. "I can't believe that all the hobbits are here. This is great. Emilie's going to die."

"Emilie?" Sean asked.

"Lij has a girlfriend," Billy giggled.

"He has a what?" Both Sean and Peter exclaimed.

"A girlfriend and she's crazy," Billy laughed jumping away from Dom's pinching fingers.

"She's not crazy," Dom explained. "She just gets very excited around hobbits and Orli and Karl and Miranda and Craig…around the entire Fellowship actually."

"Very excited," Billy said throwing an arm around Sean's neck. "She may think that you're competition though, so I'd watch your back."

“Competition?” Sean frowned “Do I even want to know?”

“It’s probably best you don’t your hair is already curly enough.”

“Who is this girl?” Sean turned to face them “Is she going to hurt Lij?”

Dom and even Billy laughed at the expression on Sean’s face. “Only in a good way Seanie.” Billy replied

“You know Bills I’m starting to see the basis of Em’s theory aren’t you?” he grinned.

"You mean the one about the hobbits getting down and dirty in the Shire?" Billy laughed, moving to stand beside Dom again.

"That's the one. Now that you and I are making it official, everyone's going to think that something really did happen between Sam and Frodo."

Sean shook his head, rolling his eyes at his two friends. When they stood like that, arms wrapped around each other's waists, same mischievous smiles on their faces, he was always reminded of Merry and Pippin, and thought of how Peter couldn't have picked a better pair for those roles.

"There's just one problem, gentlemen," Sean told them, humour evident in his voice.

"Which is?" Dom asked.

"I'm straight."

Dom and Billy looked at each other before looking back at Sean. "Denial," they said together.

"I'm married. 13 years. 3 children," Sean said exasperatedly.

Again, the two other hobbits looked at each other, then said at the same time, "Beard."

“I’m not even gonna dignify that by asking.” Sean shook his head at them.


“You two are incorrigible you know that.” Sean

“Where’s the fun in that Seanie?” Dom laughed. As they walked around the corner of the house and took in the panorama that Emilie had created. A marquee had been set up on the sand to house the caterers. A stage bedecked with green and blue bunting was festooned with tiny lanterns. Behind the stage was a large video screen. Their friends were scattered around the yard and beach talking softly.

“You ready for this?” Sean looked at both of them.

They both nodded slowly, the colour slowly draining from their faces. Had he not known how deeply they cared for each other, Sean would have thought that they were having second thoughts; however, he knew that it was just a case of nerves on both their parts.

"I'll give you two a few minutes alone," Sean said leaving the two and walking over to join his fellow cast mates.

Billy turned towards Dom, his hands busy smoothing imagery wrinkles out of Dom's shirt.

"Last chance to get out of this, Bills," Dom told him, fingering the necklace around Billy's neck

Billy pretended to think about it before cupping Dom's face with his hands and pulling it towards him. He pressed their lips together in the softest kiss he had ever given Dom. "Nope, you're stuck with me for ever. Let's get engaged, aye?"

Dom smiled brightly, threading his fingers through Billy's, as they walked towards their friends. "Right this way, future Mr. Boyd-Monaghan."

"Monaghan-Boyd."

"Boyd-Monaghan."

"Why don't we just keep our own last names," Billy suggested.

Emilie looped her arms around their shoulders and pressed a gentle kiss to each cheek.

“My personal favourite is Monaboyd.” She stated with a broad grin then gestured wildly around the party. “I hope this is all okay, I wasn’t sure what you wanted but I liked this and hoped you did too.”

“It’s perfect Em.” Dom nodded, barely even seeing the flickering candles and decorative touches.

“I love it.” Billy stated. “Dom’s right it is perfect.”

“No,” Em kissed them both again, “You too are perfect, this is just the icing on the Monaboyd cake.” She smiled and flitted away to mingle again.

Billy laced his fingers through Dom’s just as Viggo, dressed in a black sarong and matching black and white Hawaiian print shirt stepped onto the stage a microphone in his hand.

“Friends we’ve gathered here tonight to pay homage to our friends. Billy and Dom who have decided finally to publicly pledge their love for each other.” He paused to let the sudden burst of cat calls to die down. “When they decided to do this, Peter and I put our heads together and this is the result.” He gestured towards the video screen behind him.

As he stepped away a video montage of Billy and Dom, from their very first meeting to recent images began to play. Set to Bryan Adams ‘Heaven’ Dom drew Billy into his arms as they watched.

Billy leaned into Dom, his tears falling freely. Behind them, their friends had gone uncharacteristically quiet apart from the odd sniffle.

He watched as their relationship played out in front of them, from filming to premieres. Even personal photos that the cast had taken had wound up in the video montage. The one constant was their closeness. In every picture, Billy noticed how he and Dom always stood as close to each other as possible, and for the first time he noticed the way Dom would look at him, looks that he foolishly thought meant nothing more than friendship.

Applause broke out as the video ended; the last photo of them kissing just minutes before. Dom turned to look at their friends, the majority of them wiping their tears. Emilie's face was hidden in a handkerchief and he watched as Elijah rubbed her arm soothingly.

Viggo stepped back onto the stage, his own eyes wet with tears. "If I were a priest, I would begin with 'Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today.' However, as we all know, their marriage would be legally invalid. That does not make what William and Dominic have any less important or any less special. A marriage or an engagement doesn't add anything to a relationship that is not already there. It merely makes public what is interior, what is private. No law or legal ruling should be needed to do that. All that is needed are two people who are deeply in love and devoted to each other."

“I know that they have some things that they would like to give say to you and each other, so if we can disentangle them for long enough I’d like to call Dominic up to the stage.” Viggo spoke pressing the microphone he used into the stand that stood in the centre of the stage.

Dom pressed a soft kiss to Billy’s lips before he walked up onto the stage. “Go keep Billy company.” He whispered to Viggo as he hugged him.

“First of all before I go getting all sappy and emotional, I’d just like to thank you all for being here. I know how hard it is for any of you to get time off and to know that you’ve done this for us is truly overwhelming.”

He took a deep breath and then began to speak again.

“When we decided that we were going to get engaged I thought long and hard about what I wanted to say. Everything I wanted to say I’ve already said to my love in private, but I want the world to know how I feel about him. If I could shout it from the rooftops I would, but instead I’m telling you. How to tell you so that you understand exactly how important he is to me? That was my first quandary, as you’ve already seen, he can take a song and move a soulless man to tears. I’m not so gifted with musicality but I tried. Every song I found was not quite what I wanted to say, none could really capture why I love my Bills. Not one could put into words the way he had so unconsciously wound himself around my heart and into my soul to the place he belongs.”

Unconsciously his eyes had found Billy’s as he spoke and he continued to speak he never broke that gaze.

“It’s cliché but he is the air that I breathe, the sustenance that supports me, he’s the yin to my yang, the zig to my zag, the cookies to my crème, the Fred to my Ginger. He complements me perfectly as I do him, but more than that he completes me.

It seems that you all knew we were in love before we did. Maybe you should have let us both in on the secret. I wish you had, because then we wouldn’t have missed out on all those years of good clean old fashioned fun.”

“I knew from the instant we met that he was special and would be a very important part of my life. That very first hug clinched it for me. I just didn’t know it at the time. If I thought it was weird for the day not to be right if I didn’t get my Billy hug first thing in the morning, then I sure as hell wasn’t prepared for the first time we were separated on set. It was like Peter had taken part of me away and I really didn’t like it. That was when I began to understand that what we had wasn’t just destined to be best mates.”

Tears welled in his eyes as he continued to speak, his heart and soul pouring into his words as he tried to desperately explain what it was Billy had always meant to him.

“There were times that I physically hurt because we were apart. Times when just the sound of your voice on the phone would be such an affirmation for me, that it was all I could do not to throw myself into your arms and beg you not to leave me. Times when the only person who could fix what was broken in my world was my Billy. He’s still the only person that can take my world and set it right. When I had my accident, I knew the moment that I opened my eyes and saw him there that no matter what was wrong, it WOULD be better because my Billy was still there.”

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that there are some people who when they enter your life they are so incredibly special that they become a part of your soul. Billy didn’t become part of my soul, he already was my other half we just had to find each other. Before I met Billy I never understood how there could be another person that meant so much to someone that they would die for them just to keep them alive. Now I do. I would die for him, in less than a heartbeat. Why, because I love him, and the world deserves to see why he is so incredibly special. I would sell my soul to the devil himself if it meant I could have an eternity with Billy. Instead I’ll spend our lives showing him every single day.”

He wiped the tears from his eyes, and turned to lift Billy’s guitar from its stand on the back of the stage.

“I know I said I couldn’t find an appropriate song but music is as special to us, this one says most of what I wanted to say. And before I start.” He grinned goofily “Bills is the singer not me so I apologise to your ears in advance.”

He started strumming gently, finding his place and then began to sing, all the while watching Billy’s tear stained face from where he stood in Viggo’s embrace.

“Whenever I'm weary from the battles that rage
in my head
You make sense of madness when my sanity
hangs by a thread
I lose my way but still you seam to understand
Now and forever
I will be your man

Sometimes I just hold you
Too caught up in me to see

I'm holding a fortune that heaven has given
to me
I'll try to show you each and every way I can
Now and forever
I will be you man

Now I can rest my worries and always be sure
That I won't be alone anymore
If I'd only known you were there all the time
All this time

Until the day the ocean doesn't touch the
sand
Now and forever
I will be your man
Now and forever
I will be your man”

Dom paused and put the guitar down before he spoke again.


“I want to spend the rest of my life by his side trying to make him as happy as he makes me. You see, without him I am incomplete and always will be.”

He closed his eyes briefly and walked off the stage.

Comments

[crsty1961.livejournal.com]

Wow **tears in eyes** I'm phleclempt!! Oh and if that made me cry what will billy's part do to me. That was truely beautiful.

[(Anonymous)]

Is that like a combination of phlegmy and verklempt? Sounds horrible. And messy.

[mystery-ink.livejournal.com]

“My personal favourite is Monaboyd.”

*L*! Perfect!

And beautiful. *S*

I don't know the song... where is it from?

[dylan-dufresne.livejournal.com]

It's 'Now and Forever' by Richard Marx

[daydreambeleevr.livejournal.com]

beautiful setting on the beach. Orli's reaction to Billy's request to handle the best man thing was sweet. love the song that Dom picked, I can't wait to see what Billy picked.

kerry =)

hee!

[bride-no2.livejournal.com]

haven't read it yet, but am jumping for joy just 'cuz it's here! yay, yay, yay! Woohoo!

'sanks for the new chapter! (more jumping, more joy...and probably another comment once I have time to read this.)

[loozy.livejournal.com]

I wonder when Dom will reveal that he's been lying to Billy...

[emily-112.livejournal.com]

Still totaly loving this fic! This was a wonderful chapter! I cant cant to see what Billy has to say and how Dom will go about telling him the truth...I'm a little scared about that!

[lynnemezzo.livejournal.com]

Just lovely....hope this turns out OK for all concerned....

[emma-took.livejournal.com]

*loves* omg so perfect, you totally rock ♥

[not-a-lamb.livejournal.com]

Amazing.... so incredibly beautiful...You made me cry (in the good way, with joy and love)...*wipes tesrs running down cheeks*...just freaking breathtaking.

[divinemadam.livejournal.com]

See the tears!?! I'm weepy! From the little details like Billy not shaving to the lovely cheesey 80's love ballad, it was beautiful! I can't wait to read Billy's part!

I also enjoyed Emi being awed by Liv. What makes it better is that Dom and Billy laughed at her and then were awed by Peter's appearance for their ceremony. What goes around... and all that, right?