Title: Pros and Cons, 2/?
Author: Starling
Pairing: Monaboyd
Rating: NC-17 overall, this chapter PG-13 for language
Summary: AU. Billy and Dom are lovers, on the edge of poverty, and trying to come to a decision on how to get enough money to live.
Disclaimer: This really, really, REALLY, never happened.
Notes: Inspired by Midnight Cowboy, I wrote this years ago, and promptly forgot about it after finishing the first chapter, then got interested again after reading Dancer From the Dance, which everyone should read.
Also, big hugs and thanks to flybynite29 for the encouragement.
Chapter Notes: Follows directly after Chapter 1.
Warning: Unbeta'd. Anyone interested? Please?

Chapter 1


The waitress brought their check. Billy and Dom dug in their pockets, pulling out identical wads of cash and counting out their shares of the bill.

Outside, Dom lit a cigarette and buttoned his coat against the frigid wind coming off the river. Stuffing one hand into his pocket, he said, "Okay. Now tell me the pros of the situation."

"Fuck's sake, do we really have to continue with this?"

Dom grinned at him. “Can't do things halfway, can we?"

Billy rolled his eyes. They walked together for a moment, footsteps in sync, plumes of breath and smoke escaping their lips.

"Well, there's only two that I can think of. Money and sex. And the sex is pretty iffy."

"The money thing though-"

"Is big." Billy finished for him.

"I could finally afford good cigarettes," Dom said wistfully.

"And rent." Billy reminded him.

"New socks. With Spiderman on them!'"

"Groceries."

"Decent alcohol!"

"Maybe even get the heat fixed in the apartment..."

"Quit being so mundane, Billy! We’re talking about finally having enough fucking money to do whatever we want and you’re talking about groceries?" Dom shook his head in mock disappointment.

Billy thought for a moment, and then smiled. "We can finally get the fuck out of this stupid town. Go south and get away from this shit weather."

"Go check out Miami?" Dom asked.

"Screw Miami, we'll take a cruise and go to the Carribean."

"Let's go to Argentina," Dom said, taking another drag on his cigarette. "Learn to tango."

"Don't think they'll take too well to two men tangoing down there."

"Oh! I've got it!" Dom shouted, causing a few other pedestrians to glare at them and move away. "We'll go to Australia. Sydney's famous for its gay bars, there's a socialist government-"

Billy stopped Dom with a hand on his arm. "Free healthcare?" he asked.

"Free healthcare, hot accents, and pristine beaches. We could learn to surf."

"Don't they have hideous man-eating sharks in Australia?" Billy asked.

"We're small, we’ll be ignored in favor of the big beefy Australians."

"Mmm... big beefy Australians..." Billy pretended to drool and Dom smacked at him again. "That settles it," Billy announced. "We're whoring until we get enough money to go to Australia.”

Dom flicked his cigarette into the gutter and then tugged Billy sideways into an alley. Billy grunted as he was pinned against the cold bricks, the length of Dom's skinny frame fitting perfectly against his.

"Is that your informed decision then?" he asked.

Billy folded his arms around Dom's boney hips. "It's our decision, not mine. But, I guess my vote is yes."

Dom smiled and pressed cold lips to Billy's. "So's mine," he said.

"Well then."

They kissed until Billy started shivering from the cold bricks pressed against him, then resumed walking home.

**

“Billy. Wake up.” Dom’s insistent voice was in his ear, and soft fingers were stroking his face.

“Unh. What?” Billy opened his eyes. Dom was sitting up in their shared bed, his figure silhouetted by the harsh streetlight spilling into the room through the frost-covered windows. When he saw Billy was awake, he pulled back, wrapping his arms around his legs and hunching over.

“What is it?” Billy asked, taking in Dom’s defensive posture.

“Did you really mean what you said? About Australia?”

“Australia?” he asked, not understanding.

“About saving enough money until we can go to Australia together.”

His tone was quiet but demanding. Afraid. Inhaling, Billy realized that the air was heavy with stale cigarette smoke. Dom had been smoking in bed again, a signal that he was having an insecurity attack.

“Of course I meant it, Dom. We need money, and that’s the reason we’d be doing this, but I don’t want to hustle for the rest of my life. So let’s do it until we have enough to get out of here; if not to Australia, then somewhere else.”

“Together?”

“Yes.”

Dom relaxed, almost imperceptibly. Billy reached up and stroked his back, tracing his spine and ribs, the bare skin chilled beneath his fingertips. Eventually, Dom lay back down on the bed, in the warm circle of his lover’s arms.

“I’d go anywhere with you. But sandy beaches and hot accents sound pretty nice,” Dom said.

“Yeah, they do. And the free healthcare.”

“That too.”

Curled against each other, the two men fell asleep.

From: [identity profile] owlgrey.livejournal.com


Yes! Come to Australia guys!!!

This was cute.

From: [identity profile] butterflyweb.livejournal.com


Adored this, and can't wait to see it continue. I ecspecially loved how Billy is being all practical, whilst Dom wants spiderman socks. *hugs them both*


More, please. :)

From: [identity profile] v-angelique.livejournal.com


Love it! Let me know if you need a beta.

From: [identity profile] v-angelique.livejournal.com


Sure, just drop me an email at viktoriaangelique@gmail.com if you need one.

From: [identity profile] sapphirewoman.livejournal.com


Whew! Reentering the wonderful fanfiction world after a few months spent offline, and what a lovely welcome this is! *dances to the lyrical story* I like how breezy the dialouge is, while still carrying a hint of the angst that I dearly love. I'm looking forward to the next installment(s?)!

From: [identity profile] babydazzle.livejournal.com


I'm liking this so far!! Can't wait for more! I hope it's nice and angsty and long!!! *hint hint*
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