monaboyd_month | And one more for good measure!

Title: Breathe In
Author: Fox
Pairing: Billy/Dom
Rating: G
Word count: 915
Warnings: fluffy sweetness and big bugs.
Summary: Billy hated bugs.
A/N: AU set in contemporary Seattle, Washington. Betaed by

pippinmctaggart, but I am a compulsive tinkerer and any remaining mistake are mine.
Title from the Magic Alex song.

Billy hated bugs. Hated them in a smash-them-until-they-make-a colorful-Rorschach-design way. He was innocently sitting on a bench around the corner from the Pacific Science Center's petting exhibit and taking a break from exploring with his sister and nephews when he heard a loud hissing noise and looked down to see a gigantic insect next to his foot. He did what surely anyone else would've--he yelped and scooted over to the far side of the bench.

"It's all right," came an amused Northern English accented voice. "She won't bite you."

"Too bloody right, it won't," Billy replied, his eyes on the bug, following its every move. He watched a young man in black trousers and a royal blue shirt emblazoned with 'Pacific Science Center' kneel and pick up the insect, hiding it in the palm of one hand by holding the other hand over it. The hissing stopped. "What is that thing doing out its cage?"

"I had her out for the kids over in the petting exhibit," the man said, gesturing toward the dark blue dividing wall with his elbow, "but one of them tried to take her out of my hands and she made a break for it."

"I'm...very sorry to hear that."

"I can tell by the tone of your voice how very concerned you are for her well-being," he said wryly. "I'm Dom, by the way."

"Billy. Pardon me for not offering to shake your hand at the moment."

Dom laughed. "You're forgiven. Glaswegian, are you?"

"How could you tell?" Billy said, chuckling as he surreptitiously checked Dom out. They were about the same height, but Dom was wiry with spiky brown hair, big ears, and twinkling blue eyes.

"I'm from Manchester. Hey, my break is in an hour and there's an unbelievable Greek place about a block up. It'd be great to chat with someone from the U.K. What do you say?"

Billy blinked. "I'd like that, but I'm with my sister and her wee 'uns. They're visiting me here."

"Ah, so you're also a transplant, then. What do you do? How long have you been here?"

"I've been here for five years now, and I own an import store. The closest one used to be in Poulsbo, but I got tired of driving or paying for shipping. Also, I figured if I was missing the things I grew up with, chances were others were as well. Luckily for me, I happened to be right."

"There is a rather large transplant community here," Dom replied, nodding. Suddenly, he brightened. "You run Boyd's!"

Billy found himself grinning widely. "I do. You've been in, then?"

"Of course I have!" Dom exclaimed loudly. "Everyone I know has! You've the biggest selection in the area! I mean, you even carry Welsh Blend!"

"As if that's the measuring line."

"Well, I s'pose it is if you're Welsh and in Seattle," Dom said, chuckling. "Regardless, yes, I've been before. Several times, in fact, but I don't remember seeing you there."

"I also teach at North Seattle Community College. Chances are you came in during the times I was in class. So you know Morag, then."

"Oh yeah," Dom's eyes twinkled. "She's always trying to set me up, bless."

Billy's heart sped up. Morag had talked about her favorite customer, Dom, whom she'd always tried to set up with her gay friends. He'd not put it together because he simply couldn't be that bloody lucky. "She's told me about you," he admitted. "She said you were a deejay." Had Dom been subtly asking him on a date, earlier, then?

"That's my night job," Dom said, nodding. "Monday through Saturday during the day I'm here at PSC, introducing people to insects and arachnids. Thursday through Saturday nights I work at a couple of clubs to supplement. You know how it is."

Billy nodded. "Absolutely. Seattle's an expensive place to live. So how long have you been here, Dom?"

"Three years. I came for a year to study at the University of Washington and never left."

"How did that work? Most legal aliens get kicked out as soon as their visa expires."

"Ah, but by the time my student visa expired, the PSC had filed for my work visa. Apparently, I'm too important an asset to lose."

"Good with insects and kids? I'd want to keep you 'round as well." Dom's eyebrow rose and Billy could feel the flush rise up his neck and over his face. "I...that wasn't what I--oh bollocks. You know what I meant."

"I know exactly what you meant," Dom said warmly, and Billy considered that Dom did, indeed, know--on every level--what Billy had meant.

"I won't be able to go to lunch with you today, Dom, but I'm only working at the store until four on Sunday. Would you be free after that?"

"I'll meet you there, shall I?"

"I'll be waiting for you. Now you just get that ugly creature away from me, yeah?"

They grinned at each other and Dom headed back around the dividing wall toward the brightly colored introduction exhibit.

Billy was still grinning as Dom turned back to look at him before disappearing around the wall. It had been a long time since he'd met someone who'd affected him the way Dom did. He was looking forward to Sunday, to getting to know more about Dom; to seeing more of that quick and ready grin. He chuckled at himself. Maybe he was just that lucky after all.

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