Warning: Sweetness and fluff. Mostly pointless, like everything
else. Feel free to tell me it sucks at jb7811@bellsouth.net
-------------------
"I just heard what happened." Bobby looked Dominic over carefully. "How're you doing?"
Waving him inside, Dominic closed the door and said, "I'm pissing blood, and how are you?"
"Took a shot to the kidneys, eh?" Bobby bent over to take off his boots and tried to swallow down his worry. The bruises on Dominic's face were bad enough, so this new information didn't bode well for the rest of his body.
Dominic moved easily--if a bit slowly--into the kitchen and started filling the teakettle. "Yeah, several. She was pretty handy with that baseball bat and slamming into that table didn't help much either."
That sounded much worse than what Laboucaine had said when he'd shared the news with Bobby. "I trust you've seen a doctor."
"Yes, dear," Dominic replied mockingly, as he placed the kettle on the stove and got a box of tea out the cabinet.
"Smartass." Bobby walked over behind Dominic and lifted the untucked tails of his shirt. Bluish purple splotches marred the smooth skin of Dominic's lower back, and when Bobby looked closely he could see the horizontal lines of the bat's impact. He reached around and undid the buttons so he could pull the shirt off. Then he very lightly ran his hands up Dominic's back to his shoulders, which looked bruise-free, rubbed gently and said, "How's that?"
Dominic put his hands on the counter and bowed his head. "Mmm...keep going."
Bobby massaged Dominic's shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck and tried not to think too much about the warm bare skin beneath his fingers. He could feel the relaxation slipping over Dominic, so when the kettle whistled, he dropped a kiss on a shoulder blade, turned Dominic around and said, "Go lie down. I'll finish up in here."
Dominic opened his mouth as if to protest, and then shrugged and walked out of the room. Bobby shook his head in surprise with how easy that had been. And then he made tea.
Two full mugs in hand, Bobby went into the living room and handed one to Dominic, who clicked off the television and tossed down the remote. "I could have done it. You don't have to take care of me."
Bobby sat down next to Dominic and smiled. "You let me."
Dominic waggled a finger at him in mock chastisement. "Ah, but you played dirty."
"Uh huh, I'm really evil for making you feel better." Bobby patted him on the knee and sipped at his tea. "What're you gonna do spank me? I don't think you're up to it right now."
"I could do it...I just choose not to."
"Tough guy." Bobby slipped his arm around Dominic's still bare shoulder, and asked belatedly, "Where's Gabriella?"
"She's at the library with Kara." He glanced at the clock and muttered into his cup, "She's supposed to be home soon."
"Does she know about this?" Bobby tilted a significant look at Dominic's bruised face and stroked his arm soothingly.
"I haven't seen her yet. When I talked to her on the phone, I mentioned that I'd had some trouble at work but I was all right." He sat up straight and put his cup on the table, then leaned back against Bobby's side. "I didn't see any point in making her worried or upset."
Bobby continued to sip his tea and hold Dominic. He thought about asking Dominic how he felt about getting beat up by a woman, but decided that might be salt in a fresh wound at the moment. If Dominic wanted to talk about it, which Bobby doubted, he knew he could.
Dominic rested his head on Bobby's shoulder, and said slowly, "I'm...I'm glad you came over."
Careful not to jar Dominic, Bobby stretched his arm out to put his cup on an end table, and then brought his free hand back to stroke Dominic's stomach, avoiding a couple places that looked tender. "See there? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Dominic chuckled and rubbed the side of his face against Bobby's shirt. "No, I guess not."
"Mom called me this afternoon to get your address. Expect a thank you card for the flowers in the next couple days."
"She really had a nice time the other night, didn't she?"
"Oh yeah. She was thrilled that you and Gabriella came." Bobby was still pleased himself at how well his mother's birthday dinner had gone. "I know she told you that then, but she also spent five minutes telling me again today."
"I should introduce her to my mom. They'd get along great."
Bobby looked down at Dominic with exaggerated concern. "Did you take a blow to the head? You know what the main topic of conversation would be?"
Dominic frowned for moment and then said, "Us."
"Us."
"Oh, yeah. Okay, maybe that's a bad idea."
"It's up to you, but I wouldn't want to be there for it."
"No, neither would I."
Dominic shivered a little, and Bobby said, "Want me to get your shirt or a blanket or something?"
"Mmm," Dominic non-answered and snuggled closer against Bobby.
"You should probably be in bed."
"After I know that Gabriella's home."
"Yeah...then I better get you dressed." Bobby slipped out from under Dominic and went to the kitchen to get the shirt he'd left on the counter.
Back in the living room, he was helping Dominic put his shirt back on when he heard the front door open. A second later, Gabriella walked in and said, "Oh good grief, I can't leave these two alone for a minute. Cover your eyes, Kara." Then she must have realized something was wrong, because she turned back from looking at her friend and her smile died. "Dad, what happened? Are you all right?"
"Yes, honey, I'm fine. I saw a doctor, and there's nothing to worry about." Dominic finished buttoning his shirt, and tilted his head to look around Gabriella, and said, "Hey there, Kara, how's it going?"
"Hi, Mr. Da Vinci." She smiled quickly and then glanced at Bobby. Her hand clenched tightly on the strap of her knapsack as she said in a low voice, "Hello, Detective Marlow."
"Hello, ladies." Bobby smiled gently at the girls, and then started to stand. "You know what, I was just going anyway, so..."
Dominic grabbed his hand before he could move. "Stay."
Raising an eyebrow at being spoken to like a dog, all Bobby said was "You need to rest."
"Stay until I fall asleep then. If you don't, I'll probably pull out some of that paperwork I brought home."
"Blackmail, Dominic?" Bobby shook his head as if disappointed. "That's beneath you."
"No, it's not," Dominic laughed. He looked as if he was about to say something else, but glanced at the girls who watched the exchange in vaguely embarrassed amusement and shut his mouth instead. There was a wicked gleam in his blackened eyes that made Bobby glad he hadn't said whatever he'd been thinking.
"Okay, I think this is where we go to my room and pretend to be somewhere else." Gabriella smiled and shook her head at them, as she and Kara left the living room.
Bobby could hear them giggling, but he ignored it as he pulled Dominic to his feet, even as Dominic protested, "I don't need any help."
"I know," said Bobby, but he wrapped his arm supportively around Dominic's back anyway as they walked to the bedroom. Once inside with the door closed behind them, Bobby gave Dominic a careful kiss on the uninjured corner of his mouth. After folding back the covers, he sat down on the end of the bed to watch Dominic undress.
As he'd noticed before, Dominic was moving more slowly than usual but he didn't seem too stiff yet. Bobby knew that tomorrow would be much, much worse. Just getting out of bed would be a big effort. He might need some help...
Dominic lay down and pulled the covers up then patted the other side of the bed. "Come closer."
Bobby took off his shirt and belt, but was going to leave his pants on and lay on top of the covers...until he looked into Dominic's eyes again. He gave up. Stripping down to T-shirt and boxers, he crawled under the covers. He lay one arm across Dominic's midsection and asked, "Is this okay?"
"Yes." Letting out a long slow breath, Dominic closed his eyes
and fell asleep a minute later.
The End.