Ardent Spirits - 2/6

[dylan-dufresne.livejournal.com]

Title: Ardent Spirits - 2/6
Author: dylan_dufresne
Pairing: BB/DM
Rating: PG-ish
Summary: An exploration of friendship though various types of alcohol.
Feedback: Would be greatly appreciated as it’s my drug of choice. Many thanks to surreality_fan for stepping in to be my temp-beta.
Disclaimer: Not at all true in reality. This is my imagination at work.
A/N: A huge thanks to surreality_fan for letting me borrow her theory, and for brainstorming with me. :::squishes you:::
Previous Chapter: Beer



Monday - Wine

A lush Merlot that tastes of currant, black cherry and plum flows over Dom’s tongue, caressing his taste buds as he tips his head back and drains his wine glass. Since he’s smarting from the sunburn he suffered yesterday, he figures he’s entitled to a wee bit of anesthetic. It’s not like he’s been lying in bed or anything. Filming waits for nobody, and he wasn’t about to ask Peter for time off because he’d done something as stupid as getting drunk and falling asleep on the beach. Suffering under his costume during the day was penance, but at night is another story.

“Found it,” Billy announces as he enters the room, showing Dom his prize. “Turn around.”

Obediently, Dom presents his bare back to the older man, and reaches over to the open bottle of wine sitting on the counter next to the cooker. He’s almost finished re-filling his glass when aloe gel is smoothed over his shoulders, the coolness causing his breath to catch.

“Did I hurt you?” Billy asks quickly, immediately lightening his touch.

“No,” Dom murmurs as he tips his head to one side. “Feels good. Thank you.”

“From the looks of things, you’re going to need a lot more of this stuff,” Billy tells him. “Your skin’s still really red.”

“Burnt it,” Dom states. “To a crisp.”

“Aye. Wish I’d tried to wake you sooner,” Billy laments to himself. “I thought you were ignoring me.”

“I was,” Dom admits with a rueful smile. “And then I passed out. S’my own fault, really.”

Bringing his wine glass to his mouth when Billy pauses to squirt more aloe into his palm, Dom takes a generous sip, enjoying the feeling of his senses growing softer.

“Go easy on that stuff, yeah?” Billy murmurs as his fingers slide down the shallow groove of Dom’s spine, following the lines of his rib cage and then lower to the waistband of the navy blue sweatpants riding low on his narrow hips. “You don’t want a headache on top of things.”

“M’not drunk, Bills,” Dom says, swaying back and forth ever so slightly as Billy rubs the aloe into his back. “Just taking the edge off.”

“Edge looks a wee bit fuzzy from here.”

The corner of Dom’s mouth crooks up into a smile. “Maybe a little.”

“You should eat something,” Billy decides. “Pizza will be here pretty soon.”

“Yeah,” Dom agrees. “Some cheese to go with my wine.”

Billy snorts with laughter. “Daftie.”

As soon as the aloe is rubbed into Dom’s back, Billy sends him off to the living room, washes his hands and then he helps himself to a beer out of the fridge. He twists off the cap as he walks over to the couch, not surprised to find Dom stretched out on his stomach, hugging a pillow and looking rather limp.

“It hurts, yeah?” Billy inquires, taking a seat in a nearby chair.

Mutely, Dom nods, and then aims the remote at the television to silence the program he’d been listening to, his gaze finding Billy’s for a moment. “Pizza here?”

“Not yet. A few more minutes.”

“Thanks, Bills. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Thought you’d be going to the pub tonight,” Dom says after a long pause, eyes now focused on his half empty glass. “You don’t have to wait-”

“Are you kicking me out?” Billy interrupts, one eyebrow arched in speculation.

“No, I just- You know.”

“Is there a program on the telly you fancied to watch tonight, or do I warm up the DVD player and make some popcorn?” Billy adds smoothly.

“You pick,” Dom tells him as he slowly pushes himself up off the couch. “I’ll be back. Nature calls.”

Silently, Billy watches Dom shuffle past the kitchen and down the hall to the loo, not looking away until he hears the door close with a quiet click. Hopefully the pizza will be here soon, because Dom’s already rather tipsy on the wine he’d gotten into before Billy arrived. He’s by no means sloshed, but considering what happened the last time Dom ingested alcohol; Billy’s not inclined to leave him alone for too long.

While Dom is in the loo, Billy picks out a variety of films for Dom to choose from, finds plates and napkins in the kitchen, and as he sets the items down on the coffee table, the doorbell rings. Pizza box in hand, he’s about to call out for Dom when the younger man reappears with his wine glass once again topped up with red liquid.

“Eat before you drink any more,” Billy instructs firmly, taking the glass out of Dom’s hand and directing him to the couch. “Pizza. At least two slices before you take another sip.”

“Yes, Mum,” Dom retorts, letting his eyes betray just how miserable he is for a moment, and then he blinks, and the revelation is gone.

While Dom nibbles on thick layers of cheese and warm bread, he watches Billy spread out four DVDs on the coffee table in front of him.

“Pick.”

After a brief deliberation, Dom points with a tomato sauce smeared finger and before he can say a word, the disc is loaded into the machine, the FBI Warning flashing across the screen. He’s working his way through his third slice of pizza when Billy slides the wine glass within reach, and gives him a small smile.

“Better?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Dom agrees, chewing and then swallowing. “Have a taste if you want. It’s good.”

Curiosity gets the better of the Scotsman, and he decides to sample the vintage, his eyebrows rising in surprise, and he has a second sip, savoring it appreciatively.

“That is good,” he admits, looking over in time to catch Dom nodding emphatically, a thin string of mozzarella cheese stuck to his chin.

“Told you.”

Suppressing a sigh, Billy reaches over and wipes away the cheese with a napkin, smiling when Dom tries to recoil, like a child from his mother. “I didn’t know you were a wine aficionado,” he says. “You’ve been holding out on me, Monaghan.”

“It was a gift from Vig,” Dom confesses as he raises his wine glass to his lips. “I know even less about wine than I do about surfing. Yet another thing I’m shite at.”

“Dommie-”

“Bills, can we talk about this tomorrow? I just want to lie down.”

“Okay,” Billy replies, then finishes the last bite of his pizza and wipes his hands with a napkin. “C’mere.”

“Huh?”

Shifting on the couch, Billy places the pillow Dom has previously been hugging against his thigh and then pats it in invitation. “Lay down. On your belly.”

After eyeing the situation for a moment, Dom discards the remains of his pizza and wine, and stretches out, head cushioned on the pillow, Billy’s hand coming to rest on his hair.

“Do you want a blanket?” Billy asks.

“No. M’fine.”

“Okay.”

For nearly five minutes there is silence with the exception of the movie, and even though he tries to concentrate, Dom is distracted by Billy’s fingers sliding through his hair and finds his mind wandering. “Bills-”

“Aye?”

“Why didn’t you go to the pub tonight?”

“You needed me,” Billy replies simply. “I’m your best mate, or at least I was until recently.”

“You still are,” Dom says softly, giving Billy’s knee a gentle squeeze.

“Good.”

The sensation of Billy petting his hair, along with the wine and food in his belly, soon lulls Dom off to sleep, and it’s much later when his name is whispered in his ear.

“C’mon, Dommie,” Billy says softly. “You’ll be a wee bit more comfortable in your bed.”

“S’okay, Bills,” Dom mutters in reply. “Leave me.”

“Just put your arm around me,” Billy adds. “I’ll do the rest.”

Dom sleepily complies, and then he’s floating, warm breath caressing his cheek as they walk down the hall to his bedroom. When he’s lowered to the mattress, he opens his eyes, and gazes up at Billy.

“Just sit for a minute,” Billy requests. “I’ll be right back.”

Swaying unsteadily, Dom does as he’s told, but can’t stop his eyes from falling shut, sleep threatening to overtake him again.

“Drink,” Billy whispers, his hand gripping Dom’s bicep to prevent him from falling over as a glass is raised to his slack lips.

“No more wine,” Dom protests, halfheartedly trying to push it away. “M’drunk.”

“It’s water, Dommie,” Billy explains with a chuckle. “You’ll thank me in the morning.”

“Oh, okay.”

Dom manages to down the full glass, and doesn’t resist as Billy ensures that he stretches out on his stomach, and then tucks him into bed.

“G’night Bills,” he offers on a sleepy sigh, sinking heavily into his pillow.

“‘Night, Dommie.”

At half four, the alarm clock on Dom’s nightstand springs to life, followed immediately by Dom whimpering and burying his head under his pillow as he attempts to silence the offending sound. After what feels like an eternity, he finally finds the off switch, throwing the room into a welcome silence. For several minutes, Dom tries to work up the energy to drag himself out of bed, but the throbbing in his head is making that difficult, and he curses every last ounce of wine he drank last night.

He’s about to pull the coverlet over his head and hide under his pillow when a small hand makes contact with his shoulder. Surprised at the contact, Dom cries out, and then whimpers as his head screams in protest.

“Take these,” Billy says quietly, pressing two pills into Dom’s palm and helping him to sit up.

The light is on in the loo down the hall, and there’s just enough illumination for Dom to make out Billy standing at his bedside in a rumpled t-shirt and boxers, holding a glass of water.

“You stayed here?” Dom asks in surprise. “Please tell me you didn’t sleep on the couch.”

“I’m your best mate,” Billy replies simply. “And you have a spare room with a perfectly comfortable bed. Now drink.”

Obediently, Dom swallows the Paracetamol and drains the glass of water, giving Billy a grateful look.

“I’ll shower first,” Billy adds, keeping his voice low. “Let the pills work, and try to drink that, too,” he says, pointing at a second glass of water on the nightstand. “I’ll be back.”

“Ta Bills,” Dom whispers, reaching out and giving the older man’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“Rest,” he murmurs gently. “It’s going to be a long day, Dommie.”

Sighing under his breath, Dom watches Billy slip soundlessly out of the room and down the hall to the loo. It’s only when the door clicks shut that he turns his attention to the water, and then thinks back to his indulging the night before. Billy’s right. It’s going to be a very long day.

“Stupid wine.”

* ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ *
Part 3 - ...cooler