Semi-important Series Note: There will be at least one more story-- a bit from Gabriella's POV, so keep that in mind as you read the second section. ;-)
Disclaimers: None of the characters belong to me. They are the property of Chris Haddock, Barna-Alper, Alliance-Atlantis, CBC and probably others. No profit is made by the use of them. All sweetness herein is a direct result of listening to Robyn Hitchcock's "Arms of Love", BNL's "Call and Answer", and Headstones' "Blonde & Blue" a few too many times while writing. Blame the muses because they picked the music. ;-)
Warnings: POV changes to 3rd person, both Bobby and Dominic, with this one. Feel free to tell me it was a hideous mistake, but trying to write sex in first person--for me--is like trying to herd cats, so there you go.
Comments, questions, etc. are more than welcome at jb7811@bellsouth.net
Special thanks to JaC for giving me the title and endless inspiration when she said about Bobby: "He and Dominic really do fill a lot of each other's spaces." ::sigh:: Yeah, that's it....
Beta thanks: Barb and Nicole held my hand all through this and I am extremely grateful. Nicole and Mouse did a fine beta. Barb and nancy's thoughtful comments inspired the sequel. All mistakes are mine.
Summary: Finally! I just hope it was worth the wait. ;-)
----------------------------
If Bobby had been asked what he'd had for dinner or even what Dominic was wearing, he'd have drawn a blank. But if he'd been asked to describe the way the corner of Dominic's mouth quirked when he made a joke, or how he tilted his head just a little when he was being sarcastic, Bobby would have had no trouble at all. He could have explained in precise detail exactly how aroused he got from just being near Dominic, smelling his scent and feeling his warmth.
"Why don't you go--" Bobby waved a hand toward the sofa "--relax? Turn on the stereo, TV, whatever you want." He stacked the dinner dishes and took them to the sink, but as soon as he set them down, Dominic came up behind him.
"Come with me," said Dominic, skimming his fingers down Bobby's arm, turning him with just that touch, and taking his hand. "We can do that later."
Relieved that Dominic had taken the lead, Bobby let himself be led to the sofa. When he settled back into the cushions, his legs fell open a bit and he caught the suggestion of a smile on Dominic's face as he sat down next to him, so close they were touching lightly from shoulder to knee. For a moment, Bobby turned his head, resting his cheek on the back of the sofa, and just looked at Dominic. He wanted so much from this night and this man that he didn't know quite where to start.
"It's uh...it's been a while. Not since..." Bobby couldn't speak her name, not while he was so hot for the man sitting next to him. It wouldn't be right...or something. He didn't want her there in the room with them. He didn't need her, not any more, not like he needed Dominic.
"Yeah." Dominic nodded, patting Bobby's knee as he said, "We don't have to, you know. I just *want* to."
That honesty made Bobby want to laugh, but he just smiled and tightened his grip on Dominic's hand before letting go. "Me too, Dominic." He wasn't sure which of them he was assuring, but it was important for him to do so. "I want you."
"Well, okay then." Dominic smiled and kissed him, making Bobby's head spin with the still-not-familiar taste of Dominic on his mouth. He moved closer--a little or a lot, he had no idea. It was as if he and Dominic were almost one, and yet still too far apart. He wanted more, always wanted more than what he had, just a little of what he knew was possible. And maybe Dominic was the man to give it to him.
Bobby decided to stop thinking and let his body--or Dominic-- lead the way. Dominic's hands were moving all over him, skimming, touching, barely making contact, but Bobby could feel even the slightest brush of fingertips like a brand burning through his jeans.
His own fingers had risen to cradle Dominic's head--holding him still for the kiss, or maybe just holding him. But now Bobby slid them down the sides of Dominic's neck, slipping inside his open collar, pushing the fabric away from his skin. With one last lick, Bobby pulled his mouth from Dominic's and buried his face in the crook of his neck. Opening his mouth slightly and breathing deeply, he tasted Dominic's scent, the aftershave that reminded him of the ocean--not the chaotically mixed aromas of the docks, but the pure fresh scent of open water--and the underlying spice of warm skin. He breathed it in and felt it all the way down to his cock, which had started to stir about the time Dominic had walked in the door. Bobby had spent the last hour half-hard and jumpy with need.
Having Dominic's arms around him was settling him down a little, but it was also stirring him up even more. Pressing a wet kiss to Dominic's throat, Bobby raised his head and looked into half-closed eyes. "Do you want this?"
"Yeah, Bobby, of course." Dominic closed his eyes again and pressed his mouth to Bobby's, teasing his lips open with his tongue.
Bobby accepted the kiss for a long breathless moment and moved his hands to open Dominic's belt buckle, but as he lowered the zipper, he pulled back and asked, "Are you sure, Dominic? I need to know." And he slipped his hand inside Dominic's pants, pausing just at the opening of his boxers. "Do you want me to touch you...here?"
"Yes, I am sure, Bobby." Dominic pushed each word forcefully through gritted teeth and lifted his hips just enough to make his erection shift against the back of Bobby's hand. "Touch me. Anywhere."
Bobby nodded and sighed as he wrapped his fingers around Dominic's cock for the first time. Dominic let out a little breathy sound and lifted his hips again, pushing into Bobby's loose grip. The perfection of the moment was lessened only by the insistent ache of Bobby's own erection crushed against the zipper of his suddenly too tight jeans. And then Dominic was popping the button and carefully lowering the zipper...
Bobby carefully held Dominic's cock, learning the shape and weight, tracing the raised veins with his fingertips, and leaned in for another kiss. He really wanted his mouth where his hand was, but he'd have to remove Dominic's hand from his pants to do that and it felt too good just now. Dominic touched him like he knew him, no fumbling, no tentativeness, just sure, firm strokes, and for a moment Bobby was afraid he was going to come from that alone. It was too quick, much too soon to feel that rising urgency to let go, so with the hand that had been gripping Dominic's side like an anchor, Bobby reached down and grabbed Dominic's wrist.
Dominic opened his eyes and in a shaky voice asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's too right." Bobby tried to smile, but shrugged instead and slipped off the sofa to kneel between Dominic's feet. He withdrew his hand just long enough to move Dominic's clothes out of his way and then put it right back, holding the base of Dominic's cock still for his mouth. Then he got his first taste and wondered what the hell had taken him so long. He should have done this, *begged* for this weeks ago. No words could possibly describe the unique flavor of the hot, tightly stretched skin against Bobby's tongue--salty was too prosaic, sweet didn't come close. It was...the first strawberries of the season, hot coffee in a freezing rain, a cold beer after spending the day in the summer sun, like coming home... it was as if some empty space inside him had been filled and that shook him right down to his core. He knew Dominic was special, but he wasn't supposed to be that important.
Shaking off the unsettling feeling, Bobby let the fingers gently cradling the back of his head pull him down, sliding his mouth down to take in more... Lost in the sensations--the heat, smell, taste--Bobby didn't register the beeping as anything other than unimportant background noise until Dominic's hands tightened painfully in his hair. He pulled his mouth free with a soft pop and looked up at Dominic with an annoyed, "Ouch. What?"
"Pager. Yours, I think." Dominic's face was flushed and damp with sweat, and he looked as irritated and resigned as Bobby felt. They were both too well trained to ignore a page for long, but Bobby was very tempted for a brief moment to do just that.
Three more sharp beeps from the kitchen counter had him climbing slowly to his feet. As he crossed the room to get his pager, he rubbed the twinge out of his scalp at the back of his head and said, "I knew I should have gotten a haircut. You're... uh, dangerous."
Dominic snorted and said, "Sorry, Bobby." But Bobby didn't think he sounded apologetic, more like frustrated, and Bobby understood that well enough.
"This better be pretty damned important." He called in to the station, and listened to the young constable on the other end of the line while watching Dominic put his clothes to rights. Bobby wanted to tell him not to zip his pants just yet, but he knew he wasn't going to have time for anything else that night. He hung up the phone after saying he was on his way.
"Dominic, I'm sorry about this, but I gotta go in." Bobby looked at him intently, hoping he was right when he said, "You know how it is."
Raking a fallen bit of hair off his forehead with careless fingers, Dominic looked back at him with just a hint of a shrug and said, "Yeah, Bobby. I know, but I don't have to like it."
*^*^*^*^
Dominic watched Bobby straighten his clothes with a frustrated ache that spread from his groin through his entire body. Damn it, he wanted some relief from this burning need, this desire that had been building steadily for so many weeks. He'd thought that tonight he was finally going to get it, but no, it didn't look that way.
Bobby was explaining about some pimp that had finally been brought in from a drug bust. Bobby'd been after him for months for much more serious charges, so he had to be there to get a crack at questioning the guy. Dominic understood that, but the knowledge did nothing for the erection that he still hadn't lost or the memory of Bobby's mouth on him. He sighed, rubbed his face, and tried to put it out of his mind before he made a fool of himself by throwing himself at Bobby's feet and begging him to finish what he started.
Grumbling about bad timing, Bobby sat down on the sofa to put his boots on. Dominic reminded himself that he wasn't the only one left frustrated tonight, and slid over next to Bobby, rubbing his hand down his back.
"If that's supposed to be soothing...it *almost* works," said Bobby, looking over his shoulder with a slight smile.
The rueful acceptance in Bobby's voice brought a warm feeling to the pit of Dominic's stomach that had nothing to do with sex--well, not much anyway. He raised his hand higher and smoothed down Bobby's hair, ruffled from where he'd tugged on it earlier. "Any idea how long this'll take?"
Bobby shrugged and shook his head. "Depends on how strong the narcotics cops' case is, how willing they are to let me talk to him, how quick he is to call a lawyer... You know how these things go."
Dominic patted the back of Bobby's neck before pulling away and said, "Yeah, I do. So, I guess we'll finish it when we can, eh? It's gotta be soon. If I snap at Helen one more time, she's going to stab me with her letter opener."
"Oh yeah? You been a little short tempered lately too?" Bobby smiled and went to get their coats.
Dominic slipped his own shoes on and stood up too. "Mmm hm. Gabriella's noticed too, but she doesn't know why I've been a little cranky." He frowned and thought about his daughter for a moment. She was a smart girl, but... "I don't think she knows. I hope not."
"What if she did know about us? What would you do then?" Pausing with his hand on the doorknob, Bobby asked the questions with an intent expression in his eyes and Dominic wondered if there was something else going on here. But he shook off the odd notion and considered the question.
"I like to think that I'd be as honest with her as I hope she'd be with me in the same situation. I wouldn't give her any details--especially about this little mating dance we've been caught up in lately--but I wouldn't mind if she knew we're seeing each other." Dominic followed Bobby out into the hall, pulling on his trench coat.
"But you haven't told her," replied Bobby, locking the door behind them.
"No, it hasn't come up in conversation. She didn't say anything about your being there for dinner last week except that it was nice I had friends." Dominic shrugged as they stepped out into the misty evening. "Of course, then she hit me up for money."
Bobby laughed and walked Dominic to his car, leaning inside the open door as Dominic got settled in the driver's seat. Dominic looked up at Bobby and said, "Why are you asking? Do you want me to tell her?"
"No. I mean, that's up to you. I was just thinking about it because--" He straightened up and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, lighting one with care and attention. "Madeline finally called me."
"What...just *now*? It's been months, Bobby." Dominic couldn't believe the girl had waited so long to talk to the last person her mother was close to before she died.
"I...uh, I guess she was busy." Bobby looked off toward the street and then back down at Dominic. "I gotta get going. We'll talk about this later, okay?"
"You bet we will. Call me when you get free." Dominic closed the door and watched Bobby walk off to his car, shoulders hunched against the rain that started to fall in earnest.
Dominic drove home thinking about Gabriella, Madeline, and the vagaries of teenage girls in general, well aware that it was a coping mechanism for the physical frustration that still simmered in his veins. As long as he kept his mind off Bobby, he could forget about what he was missing at the moment, forget about the vague emptiness that didn't plague him when Bobby was there.
The sound of rock music drifted down the short hallway as Dominic opened his front door, and he walked into the living room to find Gabriella watching one of those video channels on television. She looked up with a smile and said, "Hi Dad. You're home early."
"What do you mean?" He winced as he realized how defensive the quickly asked question sounded.
"I mean, I thought you'd be...later?" Gabriella watched him with the vaguely amused, slightly puzzled air that she often assumed when he said something unexpected. "Actually I'm glad because I need to go to Mom's. I left a book there that I need tomorrow. Will you give me a ride?"
"Oh yeah, of course, sweetheart. Are you ready to go right now?" He turned back to get the coat he'd just hung up.
"You can just drop me off if you want." She hitched her backpack over her shoulder and flipped the hood of her jacket over her hair as she stepped out into the rain. "I can stay over and then come back here after school tomorrow."
They were already in the car before Dominic thought to ask, "Did you talk to your mom about staying over? Is it okay with her?"
"Yeah, it's fine." Gabriella fiddled with the radio, changing stations until she apparently found something she liked.
"So, you and she are getting along better these days, huh?" Dominic sure hoped that was the case since it made life more pleasant for everyone.
"Yeah, I guess so." Gabriella turned to Dominic with a smile frighteningly like his own and said sweetly, "How are things going with your friend?"
Dominic shot her a look over the top of his glasses. "What? Which friend?"
"The one you went out with tonight, that you've been going out with for a while." She shrugged and changed stations on the radio again. "I don't know. You tell me."
Dominic was not one to be struck speechless. As a general rule, he always had something to say about almost anything, but this time he had no idea. He couldn't help but notice the exquisitely weird timing of this conversation coming so soon after the similar one with Bobby. "Everything's...fine."
"Oh. Well, you've been so touchy lately, that I thought you might have broken up or something."
"I'm sorry, sweetheart." He took a deep breath and remembered what he'd said to Bobby about being honest. "I have been seeing someone pretty steadily. Does that bother you? Are you okay with that?"
"Yeah, of course." She smiled and then said with extreme nonchalance, "Are you, umm...thinking of getting married again?"
"No, definitely not," Dominic assured her quickly. He stared straight ahead at the empty street in front of him, but kept her in his peripheral vision. "In fact, if I was so inclined--which I'm not--it wouldn't be an option."
"Dad, you are *not* dating a married woman, are you?" She shook her head and clucked her tongue at him. "That's just tacky."
"No, it's not that. Actually, I've been seeing...well, I've been seeing Bobby Marlow. You remember him?"
"The guy who had dinner at our house last week? No," she exclaimed, but Dominic couldn't tell if it was in disbelief or horror. "But Dad, he's...he's..."
"What's wrong with him? Yes, he's a man. I'm well aware of that."
"Like that's not bad enough, he's also a *cop*. You know how they are."
Dominic pulled up in front of what was now Patricia's house and turned to Gabriella. "What do you mean?"
Gabriella shrugged and picked at one of the straps on her backpack, suddenly looking more like the little girl in pigtails and frilly dresses that she used to be not so long ago than the almost grown-up woman that she was now. "They're hard drinking, hard working, never around when you need them...unreliable."
Every word was a blow to Dominic's heart, the truth in them hurting the most. He had not always been the most available of fathers, and being a cop had a lot to do with that. Becoming a coroner hadn't really changed things much. He just worked long hours at a slightly different job. He'd been trying to make up for that since Gabriella had moved in with him full time, but obviously it hadn't been enough to change her opinions much.
"Gabriella...I'm sorry--" He broke off when Gabriella interrupted.
"Hey, I should go in before Mom starts to think we're on a stakeout or something. I'll be home right after school tomorrow, but then I'm going to the mall with Lisa, okay?" She gathered her things, but stopped with her hand on the door handle when Dominic asked,
"Are you going to tell your mom?" That was one prospective conversation he was not looking forward to at all.
She answered him with a raised eyebrow and another question. "Do you want me to?"
"No, not really, but I won't ask you to lie, either." He reached out and brushed a lock of hair off her cheek, petting her a little as he added, "If it ever comes up."
"Thanks, Dad. But I don't think it will. It's freaky enough without dragging Mom into it." She gave him an uncertain smile as she opened the door and climbed out of the car. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight." He watched until she got into the house and then
drove back home, where he'd be alone to think about everything that had
happened tonight, whether he wanted to or not.
*^*^*^*^
Going straight home would be the easiest thing for Bobby to do. It was getting late, he'd had a long day, and he should just go home and get some sleep. That's what he should do, but he knew he wasn't going to. Anticipation was singing in his blood and tendrils of remembered arousal wound through him, urging him toward Dominic's place.
Bobby wondered if he was being selfish in possibly waking Dominic, getting him out of bed just because he wanted to see him again. The memory of Dominic's face when Bobby told him he had to leave settled the question before it could even become an issue. Dominic wanted him, and that was sufficient justification for Bobby to give in to what he needed.
Before he really had time to think about it, he was driving down Dominic's street and pulling into the first available space, even though it was three doors down from Dominic's. He sat there for a minute, finishing his cigarette and wondering if he was making a mistake. He'd be better off to come back when they were both more rested and less on edge, but... He popped a peppermint in his mouth and got out of the car, glad that it had stopped raining so he wouldn't show up on the doorstep of his whatever-Dominic-was all wet and bedraggled. He nearly snorted as he thought, no, just *tired* and bedraggled.
Bobby knocked on the door and waited. He was just about to turn around and go home when the door opened and Dominic peered out. When he saw it was Bobby, he opened the door wider and motioned him inside. Bobby complied with a smile, especially when he got a good look at Dominic in his robe and little else. His hair was tousled and he wasn't wearing his glasses, and although he didn't look like he'd been deeply asleep, Bobby asked anyway, "Did I wake you?"
"No, I...I couldn't sleep," replied Dominic, smoothing his hair down with a sheepish smile.
Bobby bowed his head for a moment then glanced up at Dominic with a shrug and told the truth. "I couldn't go home without seeing you."
Dominic tilted his head and looked at Bobby for what seemed like a small eternity. That subtle tension that was always between them pulled taut and Bobby was certain his nerve was going to give out before Dominic said anything.
But Dominic didn't speak. He reached out, took Bobby's hand, and led him to his bedroom. Bobby followed silently, anticipation once more taking the driver's seat with arousal riding shotgun. He couldn't have *not* followed Dominic if his life depended on it, but the little voice in the back of his head was whispering, too easy. This was much too easy. For once, Bobby told that little voice to shut the hell up.
"How did--" Dominic stopped and shook his head. "Never mind. That can wait until morning."
"Morning..." Bobby rolled the word around in his mind and decided he really liked the sound of it. Morning with Dominic, waking in Dominic's bed sounded like a good way to start the day.
"You can stay, can't you, Bobby?"
Dominic looked up at him from beneath drawn brows, and Bobby reached out for him, a little tentatively at first, even though he wasn't seriously worried about being rejected. He pulled Dominic closer, smiled, and said, "Yeah."
"Good," was all Dominic could say before Bobby cupped his hands around the back of his neck and kissed him. As Bobby closed his eyes and opened Dominic's mouth with his tongue, he felt Dominic shoving his jacket off his shoulders. He lowered his arms so it could drop to the floor, and then stepped back and raised his arms so that Dominic could strip his T-shirt over his head.
Untying the belt on Dominic's robe, Bobby peripherally noticed that the dark blue of the cloth did nice things to Dominic's eyes. But it wasn't as important as the warm skin under his hands as he pushed the sides back until the robe fell to the floor. Wrapping his arms around Dominic, Bobby sighed when his bare chest met Dominic's, relaxing into the embrace. He rested his head on Dominic's broad shoulder and savored the connection--realizing that was really what he'd wanted all along. He wanted to belong to somebody again, even if it was just for a little while.
Bobby didn't think this thing with Dominic would last long, but he'd be grateful for the time he had. It would have a special place in his memory, if only for helping him get past his grief over losing Gwen. He squeezed his eyes shut tight and willed away the fleeting thought before it could take root and ruin the moment. He let Dominic nudge him down on the side of the rumpled bed and just sat there as Dominic knelt and took off Bobby's boots and socks as calmly and quickly as if he did it everyday. He stood when Dominic told him to and let his jeans and shorts be removed, and then Dominic pushed him gently back down onto the soft flannel sheets.
Bobby watched with a mounting hunger as Dominic dropped his boxers and climbed on top of him, stretching out full length. He met Dominic's mouth for a deep kiss that was over much too quickly as Dominic leaned back just a little and said, "So how are you?"
Bobby smiled and ran his hands down Dominic's sides to his hips where he held tightly as he thrust his cock against Dominic's. "I'm, uh...I'm good. How are you?"
"Excellent...now," replied Dominic, squirming out of Bobby's grasp and moving down a bit and off to the side. "Let me..."
Since this offered Dominic considerably more access to Bobby's body and Bobby more access to his, Bobby had little complaint about losing the warm weight. He ran his hands over Dominic's chest, tweaking a nipple here, tugging on chest hair there, his fingers moving steadily downward as he tilted his head to one side so that Dominic's mouth could reach that little sensitive spot below his ear, humming when Dominic hit it just right. Bobby could feel Dominic's mouth move into a smile against his throat so he made the sound again, which Dominic rewarded with a string of kisses from his chin to his collarbone.
Dominic didn't stop there, but kept right on going, licking and kissing his way down Bobby's chest, pausing briefly to tease each nipple with his teeth. When he moved lower, Bobby self-consciously sucked in his stomach, but eased off when the tip of Dominic's tongue tickled his belly button. He'd have laughed, but his breath seemed to get tangled somewhere in the middle of his throat, so all he could do was buck and squirm until the head of his cock bumped against Dominic's chin, letting Dominic know what he wanted with a growing desperation.
"Come on, Dominic," he said, with restrained urgency in his voice, lifting his hips higher until he was nearly bowed up off the bed. When Dominic took the hint and lowered his mouth over Bobby's cock, Bobby relaxed back onto the bed, clutching at the sheets to keep from grabbing Dominic's head and making him go faster and deeper...and much faster. Control was more important to Bobby than instant gratification. Instead, he tried to enjoy the slow exploration of Dominic's tongue all around the head and down the length, licking wet trails of warmth all over his sensitized skin. It was almost too much without being quite enough.
When Dominic took Bobby's cock into his mouth, tightening his lips in a caressing slide as he took it deeper, Bobby groaned and twisted his fingers so hard that the sheet popped off the corner of the bed. He turned his head and mindlessly watched the pale green flannel inch closer at almost the same rate as the hot mouth swallowed his cock. His eyes slipped closed as the suction on his cock began pulling at every nerve ending in his body, and he forgot everything from the state of the bedclothes to his own name, aware of only one thing. "Dominic..."
Dominic hummed a questioning sound in response, and the vibration nearly curled Bobby's spine. He arched off the bed, and tried to hold on, but couldn't. He came in a hard gush down Dominic's throat as colorful fireworks pinwheeled behind his closed eyelids.
His heart pounding hard against his rib cage, Bobby thought he should at least *reach* for Dominic, but he didn't have the energy just yet. He drew in a few deep calming breaths as Dominic crawled back up to the head of the bed, taking his mouth in a deep kiss.
Traces of his semen on Dominic's mouth formed an unusual mixture of flavors that was not as unpleasant as Bobby might have expected. He licked at Dominic's lips and then plunged his tongue inside for a deeper taste. Dominic made a growly purring noise in the back of his throat and Bobby suddenly found himself re-energized, flipping Dominic over while still kissing him. He ran his hands down the length of Dominic's arms, slowly tracing the muscles and veins and sinews until he reached his hands.
Lacing their fingers together, Bobby held Dominic still as he lowered his mouth to his neck, sucking gently at the pulse point leaving a tiny mark that would be hidden beneath Dominic's shirt collar. But Dominic would know it was there, and he'd remember who'd put it there. He smiled a little at the prospect then moved on, running his tongue over the length of Dominic's collarbones then dipping briefly into the hollow between them. Sinking his teeth lightly into the place where neck met shoulder, Bobby wondered if he should mark Dominic again, then Dominic made a breathy little sound that sounded like a yes to Bobby. Startled, he glanced up at Dominic's eyes, which were open and boring into his.
"Whatever you want, Bobby," said Dominic, in a voice so raspy it almost hurt to hear it.
Just going by the look in his eyes, Bobby would have sworn that Dominic was telling him to fuck him, or that he was willing to fuck Bobby. He had the uncomfortable feeling that Dominic could see straight though his skin to every single thought or fantasy that he had ever had. It was unnerving, and Bobby wasn't even close to being ready for that. He felt much too open, too exposed and started to draw back behind his rapidly disappearing defenses, but the little voice in the back of his head piped up again, reminding him that this was what he'd wanted. He'd gotten involved with Dominic *because* he could get behind Bobby's walls, not in spite of it.
Bobby opened his mouth to speak, realized he had no idea what to say, and then closed it again. He kissed Dominic gently on the lips, while slowly sliding his hand down to grasp Dominic's still hard cock. He wanted to taste it again, but he couldn't give up Dominic's mouth long enough to do so. With a mental shrug and a promise of next time, he ran his fingertips over the head and gathered the moisture there, using it to lubricate his firm strokes from tip to base and back again, finding an easy rhythm that Dominic matched with shallow pelvic thrusts. As his hand went on autopilot, Bobby explored every corner of Dominic's mouth with his tongue, then withdrew slightly to explore the rest of his face. He ran his lips over the slight evening stubble on Dominic's cheek, the roughness almost tickling until he pressed harder and opened his mouth slightly, his tongue darting out along the sharp edge of a jawbone.
Dominic's fingers closed over Bobby's wrist, urging him to pump faster. Bobby complied and buried his nose in the silky hair curling damply behind Dominic's ear, where he could still smell faint traces of the seabreezy scent he remembered from earlier, could almost taste the tartness on his tongue as he gasped for breath right along with Dominic. Bobby could feel the powerful release building and rushing through Dominic as if it were his own, but the stiffening throb in his hand almost came as a surprise. He drew his head back quickly and looked down just as the ropy streams hit Dominic's belly. He glanced back at Dominic's flushed face, his mouth open on a strangled groan, his eyes closed in what looked almost like pain.
Something deep inside Bobby shook loose from its tightly guarded bonds,
and he realized in a flash of insight that something irreversible had just
occurred. No matter what happened after tonight, this moment would
be with him forever, woven into the fabric of his being. The bite
of terror was stark and cold in his gut until Dominic opened his eyes,
the blue-grey hazy soft and cutting sharp at the same time. The terror
started to fade into resigned acceptance. Dominic was there already,
inside of him, whether he liked it or not, and there wasn't a damned thing
he could do about it.
When Dominic smiled slightly and raised his head for a kiss, Bobby
met him halfway, warmth curling inside him, chasing the last of the fear
away. He relaxed onto the bed beside Dominic and laid his head on
the pillow next to--his mind made one last ditch attempt to shy away from
the truth, but failed--his lover.
After turning the lamp off, Dominic reached down and pulled the top sheet over them, their combined body heat making the blanket unnecessary. The softness of the cover settled lightly over Bobby, followed by Dominic's arm slipping around him. Exhaustion, which had been held at bay by willpower and the force of arousal, finally swept over him and he began to relax into sleep.
A sleepy whisper drifting out of the darkness brought Bobby back to the edge of awareness. "I'm glad you came tonight, Bobby."
The corner of Bobby's mouth twitched, but all he said was "Me too." The words seemed to hang in the air above him, waiting for something else, so he added, "Thank you."
Dominic made the breathy sound of amusement that comes when a person's
just too tired to do anything else, but he didn't say anything and Bobby
drifted off listening to his even breathing.
*^*^*^*^
Before the alarm clock had a chance to go off, Dominic woke to a snuffling sound too soft to be a snore, and the feel of a too-warm chest pressed against his back. He could feel a fine film of sweat sticking his skin to that of...Bobby, he remembered with a little smile. He turned his head slightly so he could look over his shoulder. That small movement was apparently enough to wake Bobby because his eyelids fluttered and his nose twitched. He sniffed and opened his eyes, staring back at Dominic blearily.
"Good morning," said Dominic, turning over to face Bobby.
Bobby croaked, "Is it?" Clearing his throat, he said a little more clearly, "What time's it?"
"A little after six." Dominic wondered how Bobby felt about waking up in his bed. He certainly didn't look too happy about it at the moment.
Yawning, Bobby closed his eyes and said, "I remember when three hours of sleep was plenty. What the hell happened?"
"If you figure it out, let me know." A few strands of hair had fallen across Bobby's forehead, almost grazing an eyebrow, and Dominic wanted to brush them back, but he kept his hands to himself. "You can go back to sleep for a while if you want to."
"Nah, that'll just make it worse. Might as well stay up." Bobby yawned again and stretched his legs out toward the edge of the bed, but didn't move to actually get up.
"Want me to make some coffee or tea?" Dominic plumped the pillow behind his head, and watched in amusement as Bobby appeared to process the question.
"No hurry," he finally said, with a barely perceptible shrug. "Is there?"
"No, just trying to be a good host." Dominic grinned and smoothed the hair off Bobby's forehead, letting his fingers trace the worry lines there before withdrawing.
"Is there... Do you find yourself... Uh, never mind." Bobby rubbed his face and moved to sit up, but Dominic moved over and wrapped his arms around him.
Holding him down, Dominic said very carefully, "No, I don't do it all that much. You know that, Bobby."
Bobby blinked slowly and said, "Sorry I almost asked."
Releasing his hold, Dominic shook his head and dropped a kiss on Bobby's closed mouth. "Are you okay?"
"Damned if I know." Bobby sat up and clutched at the sheet bunched at his waist. "This was... *is* what I wanted."
"Yeah, me too. Do the words 'it's about damned time' mean anything to you?" Dominic grinned and patted Bobby on the shoulder before getting out of bed and pulling on his boxers. "Someone very smart once told me--in a similar situation, you understand-- that it's okay to be confused."
"I'll keep that in mind." Bobby smiled and continued, "Coffee'd be good right now."
"Hey, I can do that." Dominic picked up Bobby's clothes from the floor and tossed them to him. "Help yourself to the shower and anything else you need."
"Thanks." As Bobby caught his clothes, Dominic pointed him toward the bathroom and left him to it.
Putting on his bathrobe, Dominic went to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. He leaned against the counter and rubbed his eyes. He liked Bobby a lot, and having sex with him had strengthened that feeling considerably. It had been...fulfilling in some way he wasn't ready to define yet. Unfortunately, the wariness in Bobby's manner made Dominic think that he was about ready to bolt--one way or another--and he didn't know what he could do about it. Bobby'd been through enough to make anyone wary of getting involved again--hell, Dominic wasn't even sure it was right for him either. As much as he wanted a chance to try with Bobby, maybe it would be best to continue taking it slow, giving Bobby all the room he might need.
As Dominic was taking the first sip of his coffee, Bobby walked into the kitchen dressed in his wrinkled clothing with his hair still damp, but carrying his jacket. Dominic's first thought was 'that didn't take long', but he fixed Bobby a cup of coffee anyway.
Bobby accepted the cup with a grateful nod, taking a cautious sip before putting the cup down on the counter. He reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out a cigarette pack. He shook it, looked inside, and then crumpled the box with a frustrated frown and went to look in another pocket. Dominic watched all this with the amusement of a non-smoker who has little sympathy for another's nicotine fits, but his amusement evaporated when Bobby pulled out another package of cigarettes and froze.
It was smaller than the other one, paper and cellophane instead of cardboard, and Bobby cradled it like it might explode at any moment. "Those are American." Dominic said the words gently without really knowing why.
Bobby nodded slowly without taking his eyes off the red and white pack. "Yeah. They're uh... they're Gwen's. I found them in the car a few days after..." He looked up and his eyes were haunted, but dry. "I didn't know they were in here." He shrugged and Dominic saw his fingers move lightly over the edges of the pack. "Guess I haven't worn this jacket in a while."
Dominic took a closer look at the black jacket that Bobby had dropped on the end of the counter, and realized that the last time he'd seen it was the day Bobby came to talk to him about his connection to Gwen. Remembering that day reminded him that Bobby had said Maddy had called him. Dominic was curious about the conversation, but knew this was not the time to ask.
"If I can't smoke them, I should just throw them away, right?" Bobby continued to look down at the pack for a long moment, then slipped them back into the pocket they came from. He stood there, looking oddly helpless, as he repeated, "I should."
Dominic took the three steps that put him at Bobby's side and wrapped his arm around Bobby's back, rubbing his shoulder, offering comfort. He wanted to tell Bobby that it would get easier and that he'd stop hurting, but he couldn't, not with any certainty in his voice. Something told him that certainty was what Bobby needed right now. With his free hand, Dominic picked up Bobby's coffee, pressed the cup into his hand and said, "Drink this. Good. Now, I want you to meet me for lunch at noon, all right?" He held Bobby closer and said sternly, "I don't want to go the whole day without seeing you."
Bobby glanced up from his coffee with a crinkle between his brows and a twitch at the corner of his mouth that somehow managed to indicate surprise and relief at the same time. "I'll call you and let you know, okay? Now I gotta get home and get changed before work."
Dominic smiled because he'd made his point and gotten his way, even if Bobby wouldn't come right out and say it. He gave Bobby a quick kiss and let him go.
The End.