~Craigville Beach is a real beach in Centerville, a village in the town of
Barnstable on Cape Cod. It's not mine (hehe), and neither are Dom, Billy,
or Orlando~
Chapter 15: Dom Gets Serious
"So how are things really going, Ri?" Emma looked at her best friend closely. Reilly sighed. "Em…I just don't have much to say about Tristan right now…you know that if I needed to talk, I would come to you," she added, noticing that Emma seemed a little hurt. "Yeah, I know that Ri…but I also know that you don't always know when you need to talk to someone," Emma replied. "Have you talked to Dominic? Or…Orlando? And what's going on there, by the way?" Reilly shook her head. "I haven't talked to Dom about it…not yet, anyway…I'm really ok! And Orlando? What do you mean? Nothing's going on there!" Emma smiled slightly. "Yeah, yeah, then explain the stars that just appeared in your eyes when I said his name!" she insisted. Reilly shook her head, her face falling a little. "No, no," she said. "Trust me, Em…I don't deserve any of that!" Emma frowned, and went to protest, when a very breathless, excited Kalle burst into the room. "Hobbits in the parlor!" she announced. Reilly grinned. After the New York premiere, the boys had flown out to LA for another. Unable to join them at that one because of her grandmother's annual holiday brunch, Reilly had been forced to say a rather rushed goodbye. But Dom had called from LA to announce that they had changed their departure flight from LA to Boston and were coming to see her before flying home for the holidays. Well, all except for Elijah, who was stopping over to see Tricia in Minneapolis and would then be returning to California. Reilly felt incredibly touched that they would choose to take an extra flight across the country and spend their only free night with her. It made her feel a little guilty as well…she knew they had many more interesting options, and she couldn't help but wonder why they had chosen to visit her. Shrugging off her uncertainty, she smiled excitedly at Emma. "Come on!" she announced, dragging her down the stairs.
"Aaaah! Hi gorgeous!" Reilly shrieked as she entered the parlor and was immediately lifted off her feet by Orlando. She kissed his cheek and messed up his hair, and he was relieved that she didn't seem as oddly reserved as she had when he greeted her in New York. Beside him, Billy cleared his throat and presented his cheek. Laughing, Reilly slipped out of Orlando's arms and gave Billy a kiss, then turned to Emma. "Orli, Billy, this is Emma. She's my best friend in the world and she is exactly, absolutely, NOTHING like me…which is exactly what makes us the most interesting, funnest two people in the world to hang out with at the same time!" she announced jokingly.
"Funnest?" A voice spoke up from behind Orlando, and Dom emerged with a teasing smile on his face. "I know it's debatable, but I stick to it that that is not a word!" he grinned, then turned to Emma. "I'm Dominic, so nice to finally meet you!" he kissed her cheek, then turned back to face Reilly, who had stuck her tongue out at his comment in true Reilly style. He was glad to see that she was back to her good-natured self, but there was still a shadow behind her eyes, a tentativeness, he could see it. Brushing a piece of hair away from her face he smiled softly down at her. "So are you gonna make me beg for my hug again this time?" he asked, not noticing Emma's raised eyebrows and concerned glance at Reilly at the question. Reilly made a skeptical face. "Hug?" she responded. "Ew, why would I want to hug YOU?" she teased, and he made a mock insulted face. "Oh no? Why, I don't suppose I have…oh, what do you call them…" he trailed off. "Cooties?" Reilly supplied, then nodded seriously. "Yup, you do!" Emma rolled her eyes. "As Reilly pointed out that we are nothing alike, yes, that would clearly make ME the mature one!" she giggled at Reilly and Dom's second- grade-esque flirtation, and then gave a quiet sigh of relief as Reilly threw herself into Dom's arms. She had been worried that Reilly was going to attempt to shut out contact like that…she knew how responsible Reilly felt over her breakup with Tristan, and that in turn she would look down upon herself, not thinking she was deserving of all the people who cared about her. Dom was relieved, too, feeling Reilly's arms tight around him…he had been worried…well, he wasn't sure…but he had felt this nagging sensation that she was pulling back from him. But she wasn't now, as she held onto him until Billy tugged her off, announcing: "I'm hungry!" Reilly laughed, as Orlando added: "Though I'm not sure why, since it's long since he discovered the truffles on your table…" Reilly's eyes widened as Billy looked guiltily at the bowl of Lindt truffles on the coffee table. "You better not have eaten any of the hazelnut or peanut butter ones!" Reilly announced mock-threateningly and Billy quickly shook his head to the group's laughter.
* * * * * * * * * *
After a dinner of clam chowder with lots of oyster crackers ("what else could we possibly serve you on your evening trip to the Cape?" Emma asked), it was decided that the boys needed to experience a real Cape Cod beach. Dom smiled from his backseat position in Reilly's Grand Cherokee as the she switched on the music and he recognized the cd he had made her for her birthday. "Oooooh, Reilly's DRIVING, everyone hold on! Hey, Ri, is it true that Massachusetts girls drive as fast as they talk?" Orlando teased, and Reilly reached over to where he sat in the passenger's seat to smack him lightly. "Oh and what do you know about Mass girls versus any other American state?!" she replied, and he winked playfully: "Just goin' by you Ri!" She shook her head with a grin, and moments later announced: "We're here!"
Billy looked up, surprised. "But we just got in the car!" Emma laughed. "It's the Cape, walk 3 feet in any direction and you'll hit beach!" Reilly parked the car and ran out over the cold sand of Craigville Beach, glad it hadn't snowed recently or else it would definitely be rather muddy. But it was nice and dry sand, just cold, and she quickly sprinted across and climbed up into the lifeguard chair while the rest followed her. Orlando easily hoisted himself up beside her, and she smiled and leaned against him, shivering in her jeans and sweater in the freezing December air. The two of them looked up at the stars wordlessly, as Emma and Dominic sat side by side on a towel a few feet away and watched them. Billy and Kalle, who had come along, wandered over near the breakwater, nodding at Reilly's shout to be careful in the dark.
"Ri seems happier now you guys are here," Emma told Dom with a smile, hugging her knees to her chest. Dom smiled back, then frowned slightly. "How is she…you know…it's hard not being there, and then she just doesn't seem to want to talk to me all of a sudden!" he replied, a little frustrated. Emma gave him a sympathetic look. "Oh, that's nothing to do with you," she promised him. "It's just…Reilly always has it all together, you know…and when something goes wrong she tends to think that she's let everyone down, and she pulls away because she doesn't think it's right for her to bother them with her problems." Dom's frown deepened. "But that's so stupid!" he argued, and Emma laughed. "You know, you should tell her that," she replied, then sighed. "I worry about her sometimes…she spends so much time trying to please everyone else that I think she doesn't spend enough time trying to make herself happy. The whole thing with Tristan really messed her up…I think that all along she thought that she could be strong enough to convince herself that she loved him, and now that she sees she couldn't, she feels…weak…like she's less of a person almost." Dom shook his head and muttered to himself. Emma watched him carefully. He really cares about her, she thought to herself. I hope she sees that.
Down the beach, the Scotts' Lindt chocolates were still on Billy's mind as he and Kalle argued over the merits of Swiss chocolate versus British chocolate. Kalle was clearly enjoying fighting with a hobbit, and looked about to pass out when Orli jumped down from the lifeguard chair to join in. Reilly watched the three of them and laughed lightly, then louder as she heard Emma's shocked shriek as Orli lifted her off the ground and carried her down the beach, simply cause he was Orli and liked to flirt.
"Hey you up there!" Reilly looked down to see Dom standing in the sand at the base of her chair. "Think you might come back down from the stars up there and join us?" She smiled, then put on a pretend scared face. "I don't wanna jump," she whined. "Will you catch me?" Dom stepped back and held out his arms obligingly.
"Oof!" he groaned as Reilly jumped on him, the force knocking them both over into the sand. "Hmmmm…" Reilly said thoughtfully from her position on top of him. "Looks like I have you in quite the compromising position, Monaghan!" Dom's eyes widened. "Oh no you don't, Scott!" he replied, squirming. Pulling his arms out from where she had them pinned beneath him, he reached them over his head and tried futilely to claw at the sand, only succeeding in leading his grey sweater to ride up enough so that his stomach was easily accessible to Reilly's dancing fingers. "Aaagh!" he yelled, laughing, as she tickled his bare skin. Overtaking her rather easily, he flipped her over onto her back, reversing their positions, and looked down at her laughing in the sand. She gazed back up at him with dark, starry eyes. "I'm glad you came to see me," she told him quietly. Dom returned her gaze intensely. "Me too," he whispered. Her hands were still in their position under his sweater, and he felt them, small and warm, slide over his stomach and ribs and around to his back as she pulled him down to her and gave him the softest, gentlest hug he had ever received. Breathing in the fresh, pretty scent of her hair mixed with the cold, salty night air, he fought back a thousand and one urges as he felt his skin tingle where her hands rubbed his back softly and listened to the rhythmic lapping of the waves against the shore. She kissed the side of his head before he raised it, and he looked down at her again, feeling his heart race. No, he thought softly to himself. No, no. Not now. Smiling, he stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, kid." He put his arm around her shoulders and they walked back down the beach to join the others.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Hey, Ri, what's in there?" Orlando squinted out the window into the darkness as they pulled back into Reilly's driveway. "That's the poolhouse," Reilly replied, and laughed as Orlando's eyes lit up. "Swimming?" he said the word pleadingly, and everyone in the car groaned. "Sorry, not for me. I'm getting too old to be staying up so late!" Billy announced. Kalle looked at him from her seat in his lap (they had had to cram four in the backseat) and grinned teasingly. "You're not old, Pippin. You're the youngest hobbit, aren't you?" Billy pretended to glare at her, as Dom agreed that he too was ready to turn in. "I'll go," Reilly told him "After I get these two pansies settled in for the night…past their bedtime…how 'bout it, Em?" Emma shook her head as they climbed out of the Jeep and she made her way towards her own car. "Sorry, Ri. I have to be up early…my Aunt Denise's holiday brunch is tomorrow, and I promised I'd be there early to help set up." Orlando shook his head in wonder. "You Cape people really like brunch, huh?" Reilly and Emma laughed as everyone gave Emma a hug goodbye and made their way inside.
Reilly quickly changed into her bathing suit and then headed down the guest hallway. "Billy?" she whispered into the first room. "Mmmmm?" he mumbled, and she giggled and bent over the bed to plant a kiss on his forhead. "'Night," she whispered, then walked next door to where Dom was staying.
"Hey," he smiled tiredly at her. He was lying on the bed wearing just his khaki pants. "Hi," she answered, jumping on the bed and crawling over to him. "Sure you don't wanna come swimming?" she looked at him imploringly, like a four year old asking her mother to buy her candy in the checkout aisle at the supermarket, and he laughed and nodded. "I'd probably drown at this point I'm so out of it," he responded, and she nodded. "Well, we wouldn't want that!" she agreed, kissing his cheek and sliding off the bed. "Goodnight, Ri. I love you," he said, and saw her stiffen as in the doorway. "'Night…" she responded quietly, without turning around. She moved to leave, but he was already there and caught her arm. "Talk to me," he demanded, and she looked up to see concern and a little hurt in his eyes. She shrugged helplessly. "Orli's waiting…" Dom pushed the door closed and led her over to sit on the bed. "He can wait," he replied simply. "Now tell me…why you just freaked out when I told you I love you…and why…why you couldn't say it back," he finished. "You used to say it all the time," he added, hurt. Reilly looked at him with wide eyes and shook her head. "Oh, Dom. You know I do…it's just…I just…why? How can you? I'm in pieces. How can you care about me so much? I don't even know who I am," she looked down at her hands sadly. Dom looked shocked. "How can I…Reilly, you're ridiculous!" She snapped her head up to meet his eyes and was shocked at what she saw. He was incredulous, and upset, mad, hurt, worried…taking her hand, he took a deep breath and continued.
"I'll tell you," he began quietly. "You're Reilly Scott, and you don't know who you are because you're so busy trying to be perfect for all those people who are going to see you that you never stop to think about how they actually DO see you. You hate it that everything you do or say is judged because of who you are, and that who you are seen with or go out with or fall in love with is going to be evaluated. And you think that if you miss a step, or your smile falters, or you say the wrong thing, you're going to be nothing. You thing that they care about your name, and your image," he paused, taking a breath, and looked back into Reilly's eyes, which were locked on his.
"I know how that is, Ri," he continued. "Look at me. I'm Dominic Monaghan. I'm Merry. I'm a hobbit, I'm one of the next big things according to all the magazines, and the world has completely decided what it wants me to be like, and I'm supposed to live up to it." Reilly gripped his hand tighter as he went on. "I know it's hard, Ri. It's hard for me, having to be the funny one all the time, the cheekiest bloke there is, who doesn't give a damn and just makes everyone laugh all the time. But you know what? That's just one part of me, and I know it. And sure I'll try to be what they want, cause I like to please people as much as you do, but I'm not going to ever believe that's all there is to me. And you're not going to believe that all you are is a Cape Cod princess with the name Scott…or that because you couldn't fall in love with the person you thought you were supposed to, you can't love anyone," he was stroking the underside of her wrist now, like she always did to his, and a passionate fire burned in his eyes.
"Now, let me tell you how I see you," he said. "You're just Ri, my Ri, this crazy little American girl that talks too fast and dances brilliantly. You have an incredible smile, and you're obsession with Moulin Rouge is borderline frightening. Fate let me meet you on a plane, and my life hasn't been the same since. And I would never go back to how it was before. You listen to every word I say, and you care about them all, and that means more to me than anything. I trust you," Reilly felt tears in her eyes. "And I love you. Ok?" he finished, and tilted her chin up with his hand, wiping away the lone tear that she let slip out. She nodded. "Ok." He smiled down at her. "Good. Now go make sure Orli hasn't wandered off without you!" Reilly smiled back at him, and stood. He walked her to the door, and she reached up and hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered, emotion heavy in her voice. "I love you."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Mmmppphh," Orli groaned as Reilly gently shook him where he had dozed off on the couch. His eyes flickered open. "Hey," he said groggily. Then "Where the fuck you been?!" Reilly giggled at his annoyance. "Sorry babes, I was talking to Dom." Orlando cocked his head at the faraway look in her blue eyes. "Was it a nice talk?" He asked finally. She nodded. "Yes, it was…I needed it." Orlando nodded and looked pleased. "So do you still want to go swimming, or do you want to call it a night?" she asked, and he stood up quickly. "Oh, no. I was promised swimming!" he announced, and she laughed and led him outside. They ran quickly across the frozen yard and entered the warm poolhouse. Orlando whistled at the large, kind of kidney-bean shaped pool with the fountain in the middle. "Niiiice," he commented, and Reilly shrugged, stepping out of her cotton pajama pants and tank top.
Orlando watched her appreciatively. Her bathing suit was a black two- piece, string bikini bottoms with a strapless kind of tube top top. It was very classy, and conservative enough that there was still some mystique, yet revealing enough that the mystique was driving him crazy already. Slipping off his jeans and lying them on a pool chair, he looked to the far end of the pool house and his eyes widened. "Is that a hot tub?" Reilly nodded, and laughed. "Yeah it is. I thought you wanted to go swimming!" Orlando shrugged, and looked down at his feet, then back up at her with puppy-dog eyes. "I did…but now…the pool might be cold…and there's bubbles in there!" Reilly laughed again. "Ok, you sold me with the bubbles," she agreed, pushing the button to turn on the jacuzzi, and the two of them made their way over.
Orlando leaned against the wall of the Jacuzzi, enjoying the warmth and the fizzing all around him. Reilly sat close beside him, practically in his lap, humming softly to herself. "You seem…happy," he told her, a small smile forming on his lips. He liked to see her happy. She smiled at him, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I am," she replied. "I was a little…down…over Tristan and everything," she said, then looked up at him. "But I'm OK now…better than I've been in a while." Orlando smiled again, watching her. There were stars in her eyes, and her hair was pulled into a messy knot, pieces falling all around her face and clinging damply to her neck. Amazing, he thought, recalling the word she had used after the Two Towers premiere. Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice Reilly's hands scooping up as many bubbles as she could hold.
"Hey!" he yelped as she blew them in his face, momentarily blinding him and thus giving her time to dunk his head under water. He came up, spluttering and laughing, and grabbed her around her waist. "Oh you asked for it!" he announced as she laughed and shrieked before he pushed her under the water. Surfacing, she stuck her tongue out and pushed her dripping hair out of her eyes. "Hmmph," she pouted. "You are disowned." Orlando burst out laughing. "I'm disowned?" he replied, emphasizing her choice of vocabulary. "Isn't that just a bit harsh for having a spot of fun with you?" He moved across the hot tub to where she sat and gave her a hug. "Pleeeeeeaaaaassse don't disown me Reilly?" he begged her with wide innocent eyes. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, pretending to contemplate, and he could suddenly hear his hear pounding in his ears as he neglected to remove his arms from around her waist. "Wellll," she said slowly, still looking at him like that. "I suppose you could be…forgiven…" she slid closer to him, and reached a hand up to run it through his wetly tousled dark hair. He tightened his grip around her and took a deep breath, then felt it leave him completely as Reilly pulled his face down to hers, pressing her lips against his.
Chapter 15: Dom Gets Serious
"So how are things really going, Ri?" Emma looked at her best friend closely. Reilly sighed. "Em…I just don't have much to say about Tristan right now…you know that if I needed to talk, I would come to you," she added, noticing that Emma seemed a little hurt. "Yeah, I know that Ri…but I also know that you don't always know when you need to talk to someone," Emma replied. "Have you talked to Dominic? Or…Orlando? And what's going on there, by the way?" Reilly shook her head. "I haven't talked to Dom about it…not yet, anyway…I'm really ok! And Orlando? What do you mean? Nothing's going on there!" Emma smiled slightly. "Yeah, yeah, then explain the stars that just appeared in your eyes when I said his name!" she insisted. Reilly shook her head, her face falling a little. "No, no," she said. "Trust me, Em…I don't deserve any of that!" Emma frowned, and went to protest, when a very breathless, excited Kalle burst into the room. "Hobbits in the parlor!" she announced. Reilly grinned. After the New York premiere, the boys had flown out to LA for another. Unable to join them at that one because of her grandmother's annual holiday brunch, Reilly had been forced to say a rather rushed goodbye. But Dom had called from LA to announce that they had changed their departure flight from LA to Boston and were coming to see her before flying home for the holidays. Well, all except for Elijah, who was stopping over to see Tricia in Minneapolis and would then be returning to California. Reilly felt incredibly touched that they would choose to take an extra flight across the country and spend their only free night with her. It made her feel a little guilty as well…she knew they had many more interesting options, and she couldn't help but wonder why they had chosen to visit her. Shrugging off her uncertainty, she smiled excitedly at Emma. "Come on!" she announced, dragging her down the stairs.
"Aaaah! Hi gorgeous!" Reilly shrieked as she entered the parlor and was immediately lifted off her feet by Orlando. She kissed his cheek and messed up his hair, and he was relieved that she didn't seem as oddly reserved as she had when he greeted her in New York. Beside him, Billy cleared his throat and presented his cheek. Laughing, Reilly slipped out of Orlando's arms and gave Billy a kiss, then turned to Emma. "Orli, Billy, this is Emma. She's my best friend in the world and she is exactly, absolutely, NOTHING like me…which is exactly what makes us the most interesting, funnest two people in the world to hang out with at the same time!" she announced jokingly.
"Funnest?" A voice spoke up from behind Orlando, and Dom emerged with a teasing smile on his face. "I know it's debatable, but I stick to it that that is not a word!" he grinned, then turned to Emma. "I'm Dominic, so nice to finally meet you!" he kissed her cheek, then turned back to face Reilly, who had stuck her tongue out at his comment in true Reilly style. He was glad to see that she was back to her good-natured self, but there was still a shadow behind her eyes, a tentativeness, he could see it. Brushing a piece of hair away from her face he smiled softly down at her. "So are you gonna make me beg for my hug again this time?" he asked, not noticing Emma's raised eyebrows and concerned glance at Reilly at the question. Reilly made a skeptical face. "Hug?" she responded. "Ew, why would I want to hug YOU?" she teased, and he made a mock insulted face. "Oh no? Why, I don't suppose I have…oh, what do you call them…" he trailed off. "Cooties?" Reilly supplied, then nodded seriously. "Yup, you do!" Emma rolled her eyes. "As Reilly pointed out that we are nothing alike, yes, that would clearly make ME the mature one!" she giggled at Reilly and Dom's second- grade-esque flirtation, and then gave a quiet sigh of relief as Reilly threw herself into Dom's arms. She had been worried that Reilly was going to attempt to shut out contact like that…she knew how responsible Reilly felt over her breakup with Tristan, and that in turn she would look down upon herself, not thinking she was deserving of all the people who cared about her. Dom was relieved, too, feeling Reilly's arms tight around him…he had been worried…well, he wasn't sure…but he had felt this nagging sensation that she was pulling back from him. But she wasn't now, as she held onto him until Billy tugged her off, announcing: "I'm hungry!" Reilly laughed, as Orlando added: "Though I'm not sure why, since it's long since he discovered the truffles on your table…" Reilly's eyes widened as Billy looked guiltily at the bowl of Lindt truffles on the coffee table. "You better not have eaten any of the hazelnut or peanut butter ones!" Reilly announced mock-threateningly and Billy quickly shook his head to the group's laughter.
* * * * * * * * * *
After a dinner of clam chowder with lots of oyster crackers ("what else could we possibly serve you on your evening trip to the Cape?" Emma asked), it was decided that the boys needed to experience a real Cape Cod beach. Dom smiled from his backseat position in Reilly's Grand Cherokee as the she switched on the music and he recognized the cd he had made her for her birthday. "Oooooh, Reilly's DRIVING, everyone hold on! Hey, Ri, is it true that Massachusetts girls drive as fast as they talk?" Orlando teased, and Reilly reached over to where he sat in the passenger's seat to smack him lightly. "Oh and what do you know about Mass girls versus any other American state?!" she replied, and he winked playfully: "Just goin' by you Ri!" She shook her head with a grin, and moments later announced: "We're here!"
Billy looked up, surprised. "But we just got in the car!" Emma laughed. "It's the Cape, walk 3 feet in any direction and you'll hit beach!" Reilly parked the car and ran out over the cold sand of Craigville Beach, glad it hadn't snowed recently or else it would definitely be rather muddy. But it was nice and dry sand, just cold, and she quickly sprinted across and climbed up into the lifeguard chair while the rest followed her. Orlando easily hoisted himself up beside her, and she smiled and leaned against him, shivering in her jeans and sweater in the freezing December air. The two of them looked up at the stars wordlessly, as Emma and Dominic sat side by side on a towel a few feet away and watched them. Billy and Kalle, who had come along, wandered over near the breakwater, nodding at Reilly's shout to be careful in the dark.
"Ri seems happier now you guys are here," Emma told Dom with a smile, hugging her knees to her chest. Dom smiled back, then frowned slightly. "How is she…you know…it's hard not being there, and then she just doesn't seem to want to talk to me all of a sudden!" he replied, a little frustrated. Emma gave him a sympathetic look. "Oh, that's nothing to do with you," she promised him. "It's just…Reilly always has it all together, you know…and when something goes wrong she tends to think that she's let everyone down, and she pulls away because she doesn't think it's right for her to bother them with her problems." Dom's frown deepened. "But that's so stupid!" he argued, and Emma laughed. "You know, you should tell her that," she replied, then sighed. "I worry about her sometimes…she spends so much time trying to please everyone else that I think she doesn't spend enough time trying to make herself happy. The whole thing with Tristan really messed her up…I think that all along she thought that she could be strong enough to convince herself that she loved him, and now that she sees she couldn't, she feels…weak…like she's less of a person almost." Dom shook his head and muttered to himself. Emma watched him carefully. He really cares about her, she thought to herself. I hope she sees that.
Down the beach, the Scotts' Lindt chocolates were still on Billy's mind as he and Kalle argued over the merits of Swiss chocolate versus British chocolate. Kalle was clearly enjoying fighting with a hobbit, and looked about to pass out when Orli jumped down from the lifeguard chair to join in. Reilly watched the three of them and laughed lightly, then louder as she heard Emma's shocked shriek as Orli lifted her off the ground and carried her down the beach, simply cause he was Orli and liked to flirt.
"Hey you up there!" Reilly looked down to see Dom standing in the sand at the base of her chair. "Think you might come back down from the stars up there and join us?" She smiled, then put on a pretend scared face. "I don't wanna jump," she whined. "Will you catch me?" Dom stepped back and held out his arms obligingly.
"Oof!" he groaned as Reilly jumped on him, the force knocking them both over into the sand. "Hmmmm…" Reilly said thoughtfully from her position on top of him. "Looks like I have you in quite the compromising position, Monaghan!" Dom's eyes widened. "Oh no you don't, Scott!" he replied, squirming. Pulling his arms out from where she had them pinned beneath him, he reached them over his head and tried futilely to claw at the sand, only succeeding in leading his grey sweater to ride up enough so that his stomach was easily accessible to Reilly's dancing fingers. "Aaagh!" he yelled, laughing, as she tickled his bare skin. Overtaking her rather easily, he flipped her over onto her back, reversing their positions, and looked down at her laughing in the sand. She gazed back up at him with dark, starry eyes. "I'm glad you came to see me," she told him quietly. Dom returned her gaze intensely. "Me too," he whispered. Her hands were still in their position under his sweater, and he felt them, small and warm, slide over his stomach and ribs and around to his back as she pulled him down to her and gave him the softest, gentlest hug he had ever received. Breathing in the fresh, pretty scent of her hair mixed with the cold, salty night air, he fought back a thousand and one urges as he felt his skin tingle where her hands rubbed his back softly and listened to the rhythmic lapping of the waves against the shore. She kissed the side of his head before he raised it, and he looked down at her again, feeling his heart race. No, he thought softly to himself. No, no. Not now. Smiling, he stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, kid." He put his arm around her shoulders and they walked back down the beach to join the others.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Hey, Ri, what's in there?" Orlando squinted out the window into the darkness as they pulled back into Reilly's driveway. "That's the poolhouse," Reilly replied, and laughed as Orlando's eyes lit up. "Swimming?" he said the word pleadingly, and everyone in the car groaned. "Sorry, not for me. I'm getting too old to be staying up so late!" Billy announced. Kalle looked at him from her seat in his lap (they had had to cram four in the backseat) and grinned teasingly. "You're not old, Pippin. You're the youngest hobbit, aren't you?" Billy pretended to glare at her, as Dom agreed that he too was ready to turn in. "I'll go," Reilly told him "After I get these two pansies settled in for the night…past their bedtime…how 'bout it, Em?" Emma shook her head as they climbed out of the Jeep and she made her way towards her own car. "Sorry, Ri. I have to be up early…my Aunt Denise's holiday brunch is tomorrow, and I promised I'd be there early to help set up." Orlando shook his head in wonder. "You Cape people really like brunch, huh?" Reilly and Emma laughed as everyone gave Emma a hug goodbye and made their way inside.
Reilly quickly changed into her bathing suit and then headed down the guest hallway. "Billy?" she whispered into the first room. "Mmmmm?" he mumbled, and she giggled and bent over the bed to plant a kiss on his forhead. "'Night," she whispered, then walked next door to where Dom was staying.
"Hey," he smiled tiredly at her. He was lying on the bed wearing just his khaki pants. "Hi," she answered, jumping on the bed and crawling over to him. "Sure you don't wanna come swimming?" she looked at him imploringly, like a four year old asking her mother to buy her candy in the checkout aisle at the supermarket, and he laughed and nodded. "I'd probably drown at this point I'm so out of it," he responded, and she nodded. "Well, we wouldn't want that!" she agreed, kissing his cheek and sliding off the bed. "Goodnight, Ri. I love you," he said, and saw her stiffen as in the doorway. "'Night…" she responded quietly, without turning around. She moved to leave, but he was already there and caught her arm. "Talk to me," he demanded, and she looked up to see concern and a little hurt in his eyes. She shrugged helplessly. "Orli's waiting…" Dom pushed the door closed and led her over to sit on the bed. "He can wait," he replied simply. "Now tell me…why you just freaked out when I told you I love you…and why…why you couldn't say it back," he finished. "You used to say it all the time," he added, hurt. Reilly looked at him with wide eyes and shook her head. "Oh, Dom. You know I do…it's just…I just…why? How can you? I'm in pieces. How can you care about me so much? I don't even know who I am," she looked down at her hands sadly. Dom looked shocked. "How can I…Reilly, you're ridiculous!" She snapped her head up to meet his eyes and was shocked at what she saw. He was incredulous, and upset, mad, hurt, worried…taking her hand, he took a deep breath and continued.
"I'll tell you," he began quietly. "You're Reilly Scott, and you don't know who you are because you're so busy trying to be perfect for all those people who are going to see you that you never stop to think about how they actually DO see you. You hate it that everything you do or say is judged because of who you are, and that who you are seen with or go out with or fall in love with is going to be evaluated. And you think that if you miss a step, or your smile falters, or you say the wrong thing, you're going to be nothing. You thing that they care about your name, and your image," he paused, taking a breath, and looked back into Reilly's eyes, which were locked on his.
"I know how that is, Ri," he continued. "Look at me. I'm Dominic Monaghan. I'm Merry. I'm a hobbit, I'm one of the next big things according to all the magazines, and the world has completely decided what it wants me to be like, and I'm supposed to live up to it." Reilly gripped his hand tighter as he went on. "I know it's hard, Ri. It's hard for me, having to be the funny one all the time, the cheekiest bloke there is, who doesn't give a damn and just makes everyone laugh all the time. But you know what? That's just one part of me, and I know it. And sure I'll try to be what they want, cause I like to please people as much as you do, but I'm not going to ever believe that's all there is to me. And you're not going to believe that all you are is a Cape Cod princess with the name Scott…or that because you couldn't fall in love with the person you thought you were supposed to, you can't love anyone," he was stroking the underside of her wrist now, like she always did to his, and a passionate fire burned in his eyes.
"Now, let me tell you how I see you," he said. "You're just Ri, my Ri, this crazy little American girl that talks too fast and dances brilliantly. You have an incredible smile, and you're obsession with Moulin Rouge is borderline frightening. Fate let me meet you on a plane, and my life hasn't been the same since. And I would never go back to how it was before. You listen to every word I say, and you care about them all, and that means more to me than anything. I trust you," Reilly felt tears in her eyes. "And I love you. Ok?" he finished, and tilted her chin up with his hand, wiping away the lone tear that she let slip out. She nodded. "Ok." He smiled down at her. "Good. Now go make sure Orli hasn't wandered off without you!" Reilly smiled back at him, and stood. He walked her to the door, and she reached up and hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered, emotion heavy in her voice. "I love you."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Mmmppphh," Orli groaned as Reilly gently shook him where he had dozed off on the couch. His eyes flickered open. "Hey," he said groggily. Then "Where the fuck you been?!" Reilly giggled at his annoyance. "Sorry babes, I was talking to Dom." Orlando cocked his head at the faraway look in her blue eyes. "Was it a nice talk?" He asked finally. She nodded. "Yes, it was…I needed it." Orlando nodded and looked pleased. "So do you still want to go swimming, or do you want to call it a night?" she asked, and he stood up quickly. "Oh, no. I was promised swimming!" he announced, and she laughed and led him outside. They ran quickly across the frozen yard and entered the warm poolhouse. Orlando whistled at the large, kind of kidney-bean shaped pool with the fountain in the middle. "Niiiice," he commented, and Reilly shrugged, stepping out of her cotton pajama pants and tank top.
Orlando watched her appreciatively. Her bathing suit was a black two- piece, string bikini bottoms with a strapless kind of tube top top. It was very classy, and conservative enough that there was still some mystique, yet revealing enough that the mystique was driving him crazy already. Slipping off his jeans and lying them on a pool chair, he looked to the far end of the pool house and his eyes widened. "Is that a hot tub?" Reilly nodded, and laughed. "Yeah it is. I thought you wanted to go swimming!" Orlando shrugged, and looked down at his feet, then back up at her with puppy-dog eyes. "I did…but now…the pool might be cold…and there's bubbles in there!" Reilly laughed again. "Ok, you sold me with the bubbles," she agreed, pushing the button to turn on the jacuzzi, and the two of them made their way over.
Orlando leaned against the wall of the Jacuzzi, enjoying the warmth and the fizzing all around him. Reilly sat close beside him, practically in his lap, humming softly to herself. "You seem…happy," he told her, a small smile forming on his lips. He liked to see her happy. She smiled at him, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I am," she replied. "I was a little…down…over Tristan and everything," she said, then looked up at him. "But I'm OK now…better than I've been in a while." Orlando smiled again, watching her. There were stars in her eyes, and her hair was pulled into a messy knot, pieces falling all around her face and clinging damply to her neck. Amazing, he thought, recalling the word she had used after the Two Towers premiere. Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice Reilly's hands scooping up as many bubbles as she could hold.
"Hey!" he yelped as she blew them in his face, momentarily blinding him and thus giving her time to dunk his head under water. He came up, spluttering and laughing, and grabbed her around her waist. "Oh you asked for it!" he announced as she laughed and shrieked before he pushed her under the water. Surfacing, she stuck her tongue out and pushed her dripping hair out of her eyes. "Hmmph," she pouted. "You are disowned." Orlando burst out laughing. "I'm disowned?" he replied, emphasizing her choice of vocabulary. "Isn't that just a bit harsh for having a spot of fun with you?" He moved across the hot tub to where she sat and gave her a hug. "Pleeeeeeaaaaassse don't disown me Reilly?" he begged her with wide innocent eyes. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, pretending to contemplate, and he could suddenly hear his hear pounding in his ears as he neglected to remove his arms from around her waist. "Wellll," she said slowly, still looking at him like that. "I suppose you could be…forgiven…" she slid closer to him, and reached a hand up to run it through his wetly tousled dark hair. He tightened his grip around her and took a deep breath, then felt it leave him completely as Reilly pulled his face down to hers, pressing her lips against his.