Billy’s hair desperately needed cutting, it was practically screaming for it as he walked down the street, feeling the cold November wind whipping through his clothes. He huddled deeper into his overcoat and stuck his gloved hands into his pockets as he ducked his head against the wind. People brushed past him, not paying any attention to him; he liked it that way. He did like to get recognized, and he loved attention, but he was ready for a break from it all.

The bell above the door dinged as Billy shrugged inside the small café. His nose was met with the lingering smell of coffee, and the new smell of fresh ground beans. He breathed it all in deeply, loving the smell. He could practically feel the caffeine flowing through his veins already, warming him from head to toe and awakening his system.

Dom stood up and waved him over, a cheeky grin permanently placed on his lips; Elijah sat next to him, methodically drinking the over-large cup dry. Elijah was a coffee fiend, and needed it even more than Billy himself did; and that was really saying something.

“Billeh!” Orlando bellowed, clapping Billy on the back as he took the empty seat. Billy gave him a stout nod, and shivering, slowly took his coat off. The café was heated, but it wasn’t sweltering, the way Billy liked things. In the summer, of course, he had the air conditioning on full blast at all times so he could wear his winter clothes around the house. Billy was an odd sort of man, but he was adored and loved for his quirkiness.

Dom waved towards a fourth cup of coffee which was in a green mug that was easily the size of the Grand Canyon, and almost as deep. “That’s for you, mate.”

Billy smiled a genuine smile and devoured it as if it were water and he had been stranded in the desert for days on end.

“So, what’d you do last night?” Orlando asked him, winking suggestively and finishing off his organic, probably filled with tofu, morning shake.

Setting his cup down, he wiped the table with a loose as a nervous habit, and cleared his throat. “Not a hell of a lot,” Billy shrugged. He had gone home last night after shooting, and collapsed on the couch in exhaustion. Billy was normally a party animal but had lately been acting more his age and was happy to stay at home and sleep or watch television.

Elijah grinned, “That’s not the Billy I know. Come on, what ruckus did you cause?”

Billy shook his head, “None. Really. I went home and went to bed.” He chuckled nervously, apprehensive of what his friends would think of him. He hadn’t seen them in months, and they had come into town to visit him while he was on location shooting a movie. The three of them were currently not doing any movies, but most of them had plans for something in the weeks ahead. Billy was known to them as the chaotic one, so he wasn’t sure how they’d take him becoming all home-body.

Dom nodded, “Ah, well, I was beat too. But the three of us were on the plane…so there wasn’t much we could do. Except chat up a few of the stewardesses.” He laughed a private laugh with Orlando and Elijah; it made Billy feel left out and miss them, even though they were sitting right in front of him. “After the plane landed, we went directly to the hotel and slept off the jet lag.”

“And liquor,” Orlando muttered, rubbing his head. Elijah and Dom laughed, they always made fun of him because he always ended hung over when they did not.

Billy sat silently, listening to them recount their many crazy experiences of the last few months. He felt out of place and weird; towards the end of a very graphic story, he even felt a bit nauseated. He knew one of these days that this would happen, but he had hoped it’d have happened when he entered his fifties or sixties, not thirties. When his coffee had been drained to the very last drop and the other men around the table had finally realized he wasn’t acting right, he’d excused himself and tucked himself into his heavy coat to brave the remarkably cold England weather.

Feeling lost was not something Billy was used to, so it was with a heavy heart that he trekked home to his rented apartment. He felt old, boring and useless as he climbed the rickety steps to the third floor.

The building was silent except for his breathing as he put his key into the lock. Soon he heard another set of breathing and swift footsteps on the stairs, and the clanking as the stairs rocked together on their unsteadiness.

“Billy,” Dom panted, finally catching up to him, “I’ve been following you, yelling after you for four blocks!” He took a deep breath, “What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

Billy gave the door a little push with his shoulder and stepped through; Dom followed without having to be asked. Billy threw his keys onto the kitchen table and took off his coat after he turned the thermostat up a tad. As the heater clicked on, he and Dom sat in the living room in an awkward silence.

“Well?” Dom asked, crossing his legs and sitting back in the uncomfortable seat. The apartment had come furnished, so it wasn’t exactly to Billy’s taste; it was old fashioned and tapestry like in its décor. Almost like an old parlor room of the 1800s. Billy saw its appeal, but he also longed for home back in Scotland which was decorated like a true bachelor’s pad.

“I don’t know, Dom,” Billy sighed, sounding depressed. He shook his head and set his head back. “I don’t know.”

“Is the filming going badly?” Dom questioned, knitting his eyebrows together in concern.

Billy shook his head and swallowed hard, “No. The filming is going fine.”

Dom raised an eyebrow, “Then what is it? Women troubles?”

A loud laugh escaped Billy’s throat, “There are no women.”

“None?”

“None,” Billy affirmed, nodding. “Not for a month or so.”

Dom sighed, looking around the room in search of some sort of answer, or some wisdom he could share with his friend. Dom hated seeing people down, most of all normally chipper Billy. “Is that the problem?”

“I don’t think so,” Billy answered, rubbing at his tired eyes. “I’m just in a rut. A full life one. Not just women, not just filming, not just one thing. Just everything.”

Dom nodded as if he understood, but he really didn’t; he tried to, sure, and wanted to help, but he didn’t know what to do or say.

Billy sighed, “I should probably get up and…” he motioned blandly, “…do something.”

“Yeah, probably.”

“How long are you guys here for?” Billy was curiously wondering if maybe it would help to have his friends around. Having Dom just be there, doing nothing, was making him feel normal and regular, and not so detached.

“A week,” Dom answered, standing up and getting his coat, “I think we should do something today. Hang out and just…you know, reek complete havoc.” Billy managed a wane laugh. Dom put his coat on quickly, “Come on.” He pulled at Billy’s elbow. “Let’s get you out of this place and into the craziness that bestows London on this fine, frigid day.”

Billy smiled weakly and allowed himself to be pulled out the door. He was reminded of something his mother always said to him when he was little, as Dom ushered him into the car waiting on the street for them. Elijah and Orlando cheerfully greeted him as he buckled up.

The words repeated over and over in his head as the car pulled out into traffic.

Things can be bad, and they can get worse, but things can always get better.

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