Friendly Neighborhood Baker-Chapter Fourteen

[hobbits-r-cute.livejournal.com]

Title: Friendly Neighborhood Baker-Chapter Fourteen
Pairing: BB/DM
Rating: R (for language)
Summary: AU, Aureen confronts Billy
Disclaimer: BIlly and Dom are their own persons, even in AU.
Feedback: You KNOW I love it!!

Thanks to my beta aire_blair who is becoming my beta for everything.

This is part of the Inspiration 2 Challenge. Great stories there!

I'm looking for a beta for my newest AU fic called "Tour de Something". If you're interested, comment and I'll link you to chapter one.


Previous chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

Ok, i have 2 chapters of Infection, 1 of Flying High (i know I said 2 before but my fingers work faster than my brain), 1 of "LOTR Visits Lost Set". What should I post tomorrow?

Chapter Fourteen

“Hello,” Billy managed to say. “Paper or plastic?” He tried to concentrate on his job, and not on his shaking hands.

Aureen glared at him. “Double bagged, paper.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Billy muttered as he quickly scanned her groceries.

“So, enjoying your sugar daddy?” she asked, not hiding the contempt she felt towards Billy.

“He isn’t my sugar daddy,” Billy replied in a voice barely above a whisper.

“Really? I don’t believe that.”

Billy sighed. “He’s not, ok? I love him. Not his money. And he loves me.”

“He doesn’t love you. You’re...you’re a fling, a good time, a trip to the wrong side of the tracks, well, to him at least. You’ll soon see that and he’ll soon realize that you don’t love him.”

Billy stared at her, breathing hard. Does Dom really see me that way? “I love him. He loves me,” he repeated, more for himself than Aureen.

Aureen shook her head. “I know your kind. Using rich people to get you through your sad, little life..”

“You don’t know anything.”

Aureen scoffed. “Don’t talk back to me like that, you piece of trash. Where’s your manager?”

“Is it really necessary to call him over?” Billy asked frantically. Karl was nice and all but it was doubtful he’d be on Billy’s side.

“Yes. I am the customer and I am always right. You just talked back to me. I’ll get you fired for this! You are going to get in trouble.” She began to scan the store in search of the manager, waving to flag him over. “And don’t think I won’t tell Dominic how you treated me,” she muttered under her breath.

Billy rubbed the bridge of his nose as Karl approached.

“Is there a problem?”

“Yes, this...this man was unbelievably rude to me. He called me a liar. I think you should fire him.”

“Ma’am, can you tell me exactly what happened?”

By this point, everyone behind Aureen had left the line. Karl reached over and turned the light off in an attempt to keep the conversation between the three of them.

Billy began to pray she didn’t bring up his and Dom’s relationship. While most of his coworkers didn’t care, there were still a lot of homophobic people in Pittsburgh. After a moment, however, he hoped she would. It would show Karl her behavior was vindictive.

“Well, he’s mooching off my son. Claims to love him. I confronted him about it and he, of course, denies it. Wants to keep his sugar daddy around.” Aureen glared at Billy with more contempt than he’d ever seen.

Karl raised an eyebrow. “Ma’am, that seems to be a private matter. Perhaps you two should discuss it afterwards. I’m sorry if you felt he was rude, but this is personal.”

Aureen turned to Karl. “Should’ve known. Trash sticks together.” She took out the two bags Billy had already placed in her cart and threw them onto the counter before storming out.

Billy leaned back against the register and sighed. He rubbed his face with his hands. “I’m so sorry, Karl. I know our personal lives aren’t supposed to come here. She...she just showed up and...”

Karl held up a hand. “Billy. Calm down. Don’t worry. I know how hard you work and you never do bring your personal life into work. Look, why don’t you go back to the bakery? Things have calmed down at bit.”

Billy nodded and slowly walked back to the bakery. He was still trembling. He knew he loved Dom because he was Dom and not because of his money, but he began to wonder if that’s all people would see. A poor man living off his rich boyfriend. He also wondered if Dom was really with him because he loved him and not just having a little fun with a poor man’s heart.

Elijah looked up at he approached. “Hey, man. They put you on the register?”

Billy nodded. “Yeah. I fucking hate doing that.” He threw his apron on the ground instead of putting it on.

Elijah raised an eyebrow. Billy never ‘lost it’ at work. He was the calmest person Elijah knew. “Billy, what happened?”

“Nothing,” Billy whispered as he picked up his apron and roughing tied it around his waist. “Nothing at all.”

“Look, man. Orlando will be here soon. Maybe you should go home. Call Dom and have him get you. The last thing we need is you going off on the bus ride home.”

Billy ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know, Lij. I hate just...leaving, you know?” His hand trembled as he lowered it.

“Shit, man. What happened?”

Billy sank into a chair and sighed. The bakery was slow at the moment so he recounted the tale to Elijah, trying to keep the anger building inside of him from erupting. He didn’t even realize how tightly wound up his muscles were.

“Jesus, man. She honestly thinks you’re using him?”

“I guess so.” Billy rubbed his face. “I love him, ya know? Really, truly love him.”

Elijah smiled. “I can tell. Look, you should call him. Have him come and get you now. Leave. You...you need to go away and calm down.”

Someone placed a hand on Billy’s shoulder. “He’s right. You should go home, Billy.”

Billy stood up and turned. Karl was standing before him. “You think I should go?”

“Yeah, Billy. Just call him and go. You look like shit.”

“Look, I’m fine. She didn’t get to me that badly.” As if to prove his point, Billy put on a smile and stood up, waiting to help the next person.

“Uh, Billy,” Elijah said.

Billy turned and watched as Elijah pointed to his hand. He looked down and saw a small trickle of blood. He’d been clenching his hand so tightly, he’d dug into the skin. “Fuck,” he muttered.

Karl went to the break room and returned a few minutes later with a bandage. “Here, Billy. Jesus, you really did a number on yourself. Lucky you didn’t lose any fingernails.”

Billy looked at his hand before Karl started to wrap it in the bandage. There were four fairly big scratches in his palm, gifts from his fingernails. “Guess I’d better cut them, huh?”

Karl chuckled. “Maybe.”

Billy sighed and ran his other hand through his hair. “You really think I should go?”

“Well, you’re no good to me with one good hand, Billy. Go home.” Karl finished wrapping the bandage. “There.” He patted Billy on the shoulder as he stood up. “Call your ride.”

Billy nodded and dug out his cell phone. “Hey, Dom, it’s me. I, uh, I can cut out early. Just seeing if you can get me now.” He smiled. “Thanks, I’m at the bakery. Love you, too. See you in a bit. Bye.”

Elijah sighed and fluttered his eyelashes. “Ah, the love.”

“Fuck you.” Billy took off his apron and threw it at Elijah, and allowed him a glimpse of a smile.

“Who’s fucking who?” Orlando asked as he barreled behind the bakery counter.

“No one’s fucking anyone.” Elijah turned back to Billy. “Look, why don’t you go to the break room. I’ll send Dom there when he comes in.”

Billy nodded and headed for the break room.

Dom showed up twenty minutes later and practically skipped to the bakery. He had been very happy when Billy had called him. It meant he got to leave work early and spend more time with Billy planning their trip. He walked up to the counter and smiled at Orlando.

Orlando was like a lion when it came to getting dates. Once he saw his prey, he’d try his best to catch it. He put on his most flirtatious smile and looked at Dom. “So, never seen you here before. Can I...help you with something?” He looked at Dom, his eyes just saying ‘sex.’

Dom didn’t even notice. “Yeah. I’m here to pick up---”

“There you are, Dom. Billy’s in the break room,” Elijah said as he hopped around the counter. “You know where it is?”

“Yeah, thanks, Elijah.” Dom turned and headed off towards the break room.

Elijah turned and whacked Orlando upside the head, sending his dark curls flying in all directions.

“What’dcha do that for?” Orlando muttered as he rubbed his head.

“That’s Billy’s guy. I wouldn’t be hitting on him. Billy drew blood today.”

Orlando paled. “Our Billy? Our Billy drew blood? Damn. I’ll...I’ll be careful next time.”

Elijah snorted. “It was his own, Orli. Jesus.” He walked away shaking his head.

Dom smiled as Billy exited the break room. “Hey, baby.” He leaned in and kissed Billy on the cheek before taking his hand. “Billy, what the hell?” He lifted up Billy’s injured hand.

“Not here, Dom. I’ll...I’ll tell you later, ok? I just want to get home.”

Dom frowned slightly but he knew how Billy got sometimes and let the matter drop. “Sure, baby. Let’s go home.

Billy didn’t speak more of the ride home. When they opened the front door to the apartment, he headed right for the bedroom.

Dom sighed and called to order a pizza. He hated when Billy got into moods and shut himself in the bedroom. He felt like a shitty boyfriend since Billy wouldn’t talk to him. After hanging up, he walked to the bedroom and slowly opened the door. Billy lay on their bed, Boromir and Faramir lying beside him. He was surprised to see Boromir there. While the orange cat was friendly enough, he rarely got into the bed when one of them was there. For once he wasn’t attacking his brother. “Billy?” Dom whispered as he approached the bed. “You ok, baby?”

Billy nodded and held out his hand. When he felt Dom’s slip into his, he pulled the younger man down beside him. “Dom, you...you aren’t just with me on a fling are you?”

Dom frowned and brushed back Billy’s hair. “No, baby. I’m with you because I love you.” He placed a soft kiss on Billy’s forehead before putting his arms around him and holding the older man to his chest. “I love you.”

Billy sighed and closed his eyes, content to be in Dom’s arms. “I love you, too. Can it wait till tomorrow? Telling you what happened?”

“Of course, baby.”

Faramir crawled up and plopped himself between the two men, purring loudly.

“Someone’s jealous,” Dom said, scratching the cat’s head. He smiled at Billy before kissing him again. “Pizza will be here in a bit.”

Billy nodded. “Thank you, love. Can we stay like this till then?”

Dom smiled. “It’s fine with me, baby. We can stay like this forever, if that’s what you want.”

“Won’t the pizza guy get suspicious?” Billy asked, grinning not so innocently.

“We’ll just invite him in too!” Dom laughed and hugged Billy tighter. For now he was content that he had put a smile back on Billy’s face. Tomorrow they would confront the problem together.