Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances invloved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

Chapter 5

Letty's POV

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I wish I could say that the transition from friendship to romance was easy for Dom and I, but I can't. At least, not in the beginning. The morning after we made out at the party was strange to say the least. We didn't quite no how to act around each other. Whether or not to be affectionate, more so than usual anyway. I didn't know if he was my boyfriend. I didn't even know if he was going to have a girl on his arm when I got home from school that afternoon. It made for an interesting day. I didn't pay attention to anything at school. Mia thought I was getting sick. I remember her fussing all over me, trying to feel my forehead for a temprature. Born doctor. But it was Joey and Maria's deaths that really made her decide she wanted to be a doctor. She wanted to be able to heal other people's loved ones, since she had no control over her own. It was her way of dealing and everyone was just fine with it.

Dom and I needed to talk. We both knew it. But talking had never been something we'd been good at. As long as we'd known and loved each other in some way, we'd never been ones for talking. And then, whenever we tried, it always turned into a fight. I remember feeling really anxious walking up the steps to the front door of his house, that afternoon. I was nervous. Really, truly nervous, for the first time in a really long time. I took a deep breath before entering the house. Dom was sitting on the sofa in the living room, waiting. For me I guess. I asked him where Tony and Mia were, he never did answer me. He just patted the space beside him, in a silent gesture. I sat down beside him, dropping my bag by the front door. I wanted to be able to bolt if things got too weird, too intense.

He looked at me and smiled so softly. I'd never seen him smile like that. It made me wonder if he smiled at his girls like that. I had to shake myself out of that thought. Thoughts like that don't do anyone any good.

"Lett. I want to be with you... Do you want to be with me?" He asked and sounded so nervous. As nervous as I felt. It was off putting. Dom didn't get nervous, or scared. But it did make me feel better. That being nervous was ok. Cause this was sure as hell something to be nervous about. I remember I didn't answer him. I couldn't. I just nodded my head. The next thing I know we're making out on the sofa. I don't know how we went from smiling at each other shyly, to me lying beneath Dom with his hand up my shirt, but I wasn't complaining. I do however, remember fumbling to fix my top as we heard Tony coming up the front steps. We managed to straighten ourselves and flick the TV on just in time.

I think Tony knew something was up though. He looked at us oddly. I guess the fact that we had the entire length of the sofa between us was pretty strange in itself. We usually sat close together, more often than not, with my head on Dom's shoulder. He looked between the two of us and smiled a sort of knowing smile and went out to the garage without saying a word. I guess that was the perfect moment to say that we'd decided to be a couple, but we didn't. We stayed silent. In fact we snuck around. For months we hid our relationship. It was a thrill. Dom would come over or I would go to his, and we'd go up to our rooms. We'd make out for a while until we heard someone coming and quickly right ourselves. If it wasn't at my house or Dom's, it was in his car. It was so exciting. Like racing, only hotter.

But it couldn't last forever. We knew that eventually we'd get caught, or we'd have to fess up. Well, we were saved the confession. But we had the utterly humiliating experience of having not one, not two, but all three of our parents walking in, along with Mia. You see, they'd all taken Mia to some college thing. I don't know why she'd gone, she was only 15, but I wasn't about to argue. It meant Dom and I had the house to each other for a few hours. We'd been at his place, on the sofa, making out pretty intensely when they all came home. I guess we were too wrapped up in each other to hear the car pull up. Oh god, I wish i'd heard the call pull up. Dom had no shirt on, and neither did I. The only thing I was thankful for, was that I still had my bra on. What little it did for me with one cup pulled down.

It was actually a good thing they came home when they did. We were getting a little intense. And I hated lying to my Mama and Papi. I wanted to tell them that we were together and that I was happy with him. That Mama and Maria might get their wish afterall. I wanted to be able to do stupid little things with Dom. Little things that I never thought would be important to me. Like hold his hand. Walk with his arm around me. But most of all, I wanted the girls that always hung around him to go away. He was mine. I knew that there wasn't anything going on with them. But I hated having to stand by and watch them drape themselves all over him. I think that's a big part of why I still hate it. He was my man, they had no right to put their hands on him. And people can accuse me of being terratorial, even back then, all they want. I won't deny it.

I expected my Papi to flip when he saw us together. Dom and I scrambled to put our shirts back on and right ourselves but it was too little too late. They'd seen everything. Including the hickeys that littered my neck. I guess we really did get a little carried away. We stood up and looked at our parents. I can't imagine how stupid we must have looked. Our backs straight, hands by our sides and terrified expressions on our faces. My Papi walked towards Dom and got real close to him. I watched out of the corner of my eye, scared for Dom's safety. My father had never been a small man. He stood at 6 foot 3 inches tall and had big broad shoulders. Kinda reminded me of Dom like that. They were very similar builds. He looked down at Dom, and I saw Dom flinch as he tried to stay strong.

"Eddie. I'm sorry you found out this way. But it's not as bad as might seem. I mean, I swear I'm not using her. It's not like that. We haven't.. I mean, we... That's to say.. Well, I love her." Dom was babbling and I was staring. I couldn't believe he just told my father that he loved me. He'd never told me that he loved me. It was an odd way to hear it. I remember hearing my Mama gasp, and my father's stern expression faultered for a moment as silence fell in the suddenly tiny room. Then the oddest thing. My father started laughing. Full hysterical laughter. Dom looked at him like he'd gone stark raving mad. Then Tony joined in and it didn't take long til Mama and Mia were laughing too. Dom and I stood side by side, looking at each other confused.

"Oh honey. You should have seen your faces." My mama laughed. They were laughing at us.

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Dom's POV

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I really could have done without my Dad, my little sister and the Ramieraz's walking in on me and my girl getting hot and heavy. Take away the incredible amount of embarrassment that came with being found half naked and practically dry humping each other. If they hadn't walked in, there was a good chance, I would have gotten laid. Not very chivalrous, I know, shoot me. I'm a guy alright, and Letty and I had been together for about 6 weeks. Which meant, I'd been without for about 6 weeks. I was horny. I was getting my freak on and there's nothing like the parentals interrupting to deflate your... buzz.

Worse was, Eddie's a big guy, and I wasn't so big back then. Yeah, I was tall, and I had some pretty impressive shoulders, but I didn't put on all the muscle until later. So standing there, with him in my face, literally, meant I was a little on edge. I mean, in his eyes, I was basically molesting his daughter. Would you take the answer "I'm sorry sir, but I just couldn't keep my hands off your daughter's hot body" as an excuse? No. You wouldn't. You'd flatten me. I know this, cause I'd do the same, faced with the same situation. So I may have babbled a little, and I may have inadvertantly said that I loved Letty. But I was in a very dangerous situation and I couldn't be held responsible for my actions.

Of course, I really didn't expect his reaction to be quite so... benign . He actually started laughing in my face. That's right. Laughing. In my face. Apparently Let and I were sporting some pretty hilarious facial expressions. Once they all stopped laughing they seemed to be ok with the idea of Letty and I as a couple.

"Oh honey. I just want you two to be happy." Lucy had said as she cupped my face and kissed my forehead, before doing the same to Let. "And if you're happy together. Then we are definately happy for you." Lucy is an incredible woman. I guess that's where Letty gets it from. She was so good to us. Mia and I. After Ma died and everything else. She never made us feel unwelcome in her home. In fact, she made us feel like it was our home. And it was. We were her family and she was ours.

I remember my Pops and Eddie coming over to me when Mia and Lucy had hijacked Let to find out all the details on how we got together... she swore she didn't tell them everything. They sat me down on the couch and it was reminiscent of some gangsta movie. They sat on either side of me and I swear I was expecting some violin music to start or something easily as tacky.

"Dominic. I love you son. And I love Letitia. And I want you two to be happy." One loook at my Popstold me he was serious and all jokes of gangstas left my mind.

"Yeah son. You know I think of you as my own. But Letitia's my little girl. My baby. You hurt her. I'll kill you. And I say that with love in my heart." Eddie smiled after he threatened me. It's quite an uneasy feeling having someone like Eddie threaten you with a smile.

"Dominic. Letitia's like Mia bud. Treat her like you'd expect someone to treat Mia." Pops was deadly serious. There was definately no smile on his face. I nodded slowly. I got it. I really did. But I couldn't tell them that they didn't understand. That I loved her. I really did. I'd already fallen, so hard, for her. I kept my mouth shut and allowed them to have their overprotective father moment. It was sweet really. That they both looked at her as if she were theirs. I mean, she was, just not by blood. Besides, I think it would have freaked them out to know just how much I loved her. She was only 16 after all.

The deep moment was interrupted by Lucy. Oh god, I was so thankful to her for that. I don't think I could have continued sitting there much longer. She came in and told Eddie it was time to go home, dinner had to be cooked and told Pops what time we should come over. I guess we were having dinner over at theirs that night. Letty, Eddie and Lucy were walking towards the door when Lucy stopped and called out to me. I turned and looked at her, waiting for her to continue. She smiled and I knew whatever she was going to say was not going to be good for my ego.

"Dom baby. I really am happy about this. And you are still welcome to come visit whenever you want, just as normal. But from now on, the bedroom door stays open. I love you honey, but I don't need any grandbabies running around just yet. Ok, sweetheart?" She smiled brightly and tugged Eddie and Letty out the door. I heard Let yell "Mama" really idignantly before their footsteps disappeared.

Surprisingly enough, life got easier after that. Let and I were good. Really good. We could sit on the sofa snuggling, even though i'll never admit that's what we did, it doesn't exactly scream masculinity. Or we could hold hands, walk with our arms around each other. I know it bugged her before, not being able to do the simple things like that, even if she'd never admit it. And I know one thing that really made her happy. We could be affectionate at the races. She could tell all the racer skanks to back off and be as terratorial as she wanted. And I gotta admit... I liked it.

TBC...