All The Way Down: 7
Title: All The Way Down: 7
Author: A,
mistake_arrest
Pairing: Belldom (+ Dom/OC, Matt/OC)
Rating: R overall
Warnings: Angst, het sex(!), language, drinking, mild violence
Summary: It's not so easy being around your best friend when you're hopelessly in love with him.
Disclaimer: I don't own the boys and none of this ever happened!
A/N: I promised I wouldn't take two years between updates again... so, enjoy! Billion thanks to easilyglorious for beta reading <3
Previous parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
Chris stands between me and Dom, his eyes measuring the huge gap separating me and my best friend. It’s been inevitable that he’s noticed our little squabble, and finally he’s decided to confront us about it. We’ve just had our fourth Big Day Out show and I’d managed to hurl my guitar at Dom in the end, almost hitting him on the back of his head. Would have served him right if you ask me.
“Okay, guys,” he says and looks very much like a dad who’s gone between his arguing sons. “What’s this all about?”
“It’s nothing,” Dom hurries to say, grabbing a can of Red Bull and opening it. I’m pissed because I don’t have anything to busy my hands with. I’m fidgety by nature, and my fingers are currently playing with the broken strap of one of my guitars - it snapped broken when I threw it across the stage just moments ago. Dom’s fault.
Chris is not buying it, though. “Oh, please, Dom. A blind man could see there’s something wrong. I mean, I know you’re always arguing like an old married couple but this is just too much. You’re hardly speaking to each other!”
I fold my arms over my chest and clear my throat. I must resist joking about us getting a divorce; the situation is too serious for that. “It’s none of your business, Chris. Everything’s fine, this is just a little tiff and we’ll sort it out by ourselves, thank you very much.”
“What’s it about?”
“About something that has nothing to do with you,” Dom mumbles, his voice barely audible. “It’s personal.”
I can see that Chris is contemplating taking his interrogation further, but apparently he decides against it because he spreads his arms in a defeated gesture. “You’re both just unbelievable… please sort it out, whatever it is. It’s starting to affect the dynamics of the band.”
There’s a knock on our dressing room door and a head of brown hair peeks in. It’s Lindsey, one of our new PR people. Lindsey’s been hanging out with us a lot lately - well, hanging out with Dom, to be specific. Those two have been literally inseparable ever since we landed in Australia a week ago. I don’t know if Dom really knows how much it stings me to see those two together, no matter if they are just having fun or if they are really attracted to each other. Dom never ceases to amaze me with his tactlessness.
It’s Dom who Lindsey seems to have in her mind again, judging by the way she completely ignores my presence in the room.
“Dom, are you ready to go?” she chirps, flicking her hair from side to side like the stupid blonde she is. Go on, judge me, but I really think I have the right to judge her in my mind after everything Dom’s put me through lately. And she isn’t even worth Dom’s attention - I happen to know that she has slept with half of our crew during the couple of months she’s been working for us.
The whole crew is going to a nearby bar tonight. Everyone is invited but I’m not sure if I’m in the mood for partying. I must admit that a distraction would do me good, but if Dom’s going with his new conquest, I don’t think the night would be very relaxing, to be honest.
“Yeah, can’t be arsed to argue with these two tits.” Dom slams his now empty can on the table and grabs his leather jacket, storming out of the room followed by a confused looking Lindsey.
“Do you want to explain?” Chris asks, his brows furrowing. I shake my head and pull a clean sweater over my t-shirt, realising that whether I’m going to the party or not, I can’t stay backstage forever.
“It’s really something we have to sort out by ourselves, Chris,” I tell him with a sigh.
“I’ve been really worried about you two. Especially about you, Matt. I obviously don’t know what’s going on between you and Dom, but you could have hurt him badly today. I saw you throw the guitar at him.”
“Shame that I missed,” I chuckle and Chris shakes his head, a tiny hint of an amused smile on his lips. Apparently he accepts that I’m not going to tell him any more details because he doesn’t ask further questions. We continue chatting and soon Tom joins us. After a while I feel a lot better and Chris and Tom manage to persuade me to go to the bar with them. According to them I look like I could use a drink or two, and to be honest I have to agree.
We leave the venue when we’re told that the doors are about to close, and head towards the bar. It’s a lovely pub-like place with a small dance floor at the back. I notice Lindsey’s red dress immediately; she’s leaning against the counter and listening intently as Dom says something in her ear. Whatever Dom says makes her laugh and lean closer, both of their eyes sparking at each other. I have to look away.
Tom leads me and Chris confidently through the bar into the table area where a few people from our crew are already sitting with pints in front of them. Chris goes to get us drinks.
I’m having a good time, I admit. But I’m sitting facing the counter, and no matter how hard I try, I just can’t look away from the couple. I can’t help but think that it could be me leaning so close to his beautiful face; in fact I’m very convinced that it should be me. Dom just doesn’t know that yet for some insane reason.
I don’t know if Dom’s noticed me, but if he has, he surely doesn’t show it. He currently has one arm wrapped around Lindsey’s waist, resting his hand quite possessively on the curve above her bum. Lindsey doesn’t seem to mind as she leans into Dom to peck his lips.
I lick my lips involuntarily when I remember how Dom’s mouth tasted when we kissed in his balcony when the year changed… It feels like it happened years ago and still I remember it like yesterday.
I just can’t let it go, can I?
We consume a few rounds of drinks until we’re all pleasantly tipsy, sharing jokes and funny stories about the tour. Dom mainly stays alone with Lindsey, save for one time when they come to beg Chris for cigarettes.
I’ve finished my third drink and it’s my turn to order the next round. I have to go near the spot where Dom and Lindsey are standing to order the drinks, and it’s needless to say that my eyes search for them as soon as I’m close. There they are, Dom sucking his drink through a straw, his face towards where I am, and Lindsey with her back turned towards me.
Our eyes lock for a long time and it’s only when the bartender calls the price of the drinks that I turn away. God, I don’t know if it’s the booze or the lighting or what, but Dom looks absolutely gorgeous tonight. Lindsey’s one lucky girl. I have to bite my lip on my way to the table with a tray full of drinks to prevent myself from turning around and pulling her away from Dom.
I down drinks fast after that, one after another. It’s funny how you never notice how drunk you are until you stand up for the first time after a while - something that I get a reminder of when I excuse myself to go to the toilet after my fifth drink.
I stumble and wobble my way across the bar area. The place is full and it crosses my mind briefly that I would have to remember where the others are sitting, otherwise I might have a hard time finding them on my way back.
I almost bump into Dom on my way and I have to roll my eyes at it - of course out of all the people it’s him who’s on my way. I nearly lose my balance and he grabs my arm, preventing me from falling over.
“Hey, easy there, Bells,” he says and I try to focus my eyes on him.
My hazy brain registers that he seems surprisingly sober. Or maybe it’s just that I am so bloody drunk myself, I can’t tell.
Anyway, the thing that invades my mind next is that he’s a fucking bastard who doesn’t give a shit that he’s wrecking his best friend’s life.
I flip him the finger and before he has a chance to react, I’m gone, out of his sight. I need to find something else to focus on.
I know the perfect cure for a heart break.
I wade my way through the masses of people, my eyes searching for something. What that something is, I don’t know yet but I decide that if I can’t leave this place with Dominic, there’s no way in hell that I’m leaving alone either.
The man notices me before I see him. I don’t realize his eyes following me until I walk past him and feel his strong fingers wrap themselves around my upper arm. It’s a firm grip and I’m forced to stop right there.
I look to my left and see a tall, muscular man with big brown eyes and dark brown hair. He doesn’t look familiar to me but then again, I’m drunk and it’s dark so he could be someone from our crew.
“Hey,” he says to me, raising his voice so that I can hear it over the thumping music. “You look like you’re looking for something. Can I help?”
I squint with my eyes a little. I think I’ve seen this man before but I’m not sure. He smiles at me, his eyes crinkling from the corners. The stubble on his chin looks very manly and I know that I should just shake my head and move forward to look for someone a little bit more feminine, but instead I find myself opening my mouth to speak.
“I… I’m not sure,” I say, managing to not slur too much. “Can you?” I ask with as flirty tone as I can muster, throwing the ball back at him.
Wait a minute. Did I just flirt with the man? What the fuck am I doing?
Suddenly it occurs to me that this, right here, is what I need to do. Yes, I’m drunk and in any other circumstances I wouldn’t look at him twice, but when I think about Dom and all the things I would like to do with him… I realize that I can do it all with any other man.
This is my intoxicated self thinking, mind.
And if Dom is at least a little bit interested in me and I play my cards right, I might even manage to make him jealous.
The man raises his eyebrows at me.
“Depends on what you’re looking for,“ he says and stops for a second to let his eyes wander over my body. “Pretty,” he adds, pulling me closer when someone bumps into my back, making me almost lose my balance.
I must admit I’m nervous. This is a new territory for me, and to be quite frank, I have no idea of what I’m supposed to do. I don’t even know how far I’m willing to go with this man, or if I even want anything to do with him at all. I suppose this is my chance to explore if my attraction towards men really limits to Dom only or if there’s something other than his presence that can also tick my box.
“Would you like to dance?” I suggest and he nods. I wait for him to take the lead and we walk hand in hand to the dance floor.
This is going just as I’d planned - I can easily spot Dom and his companion standing at the edge of the dance floor, Dom facing us, a drink in his hands. He’s talking with Lindsey but his mind seems to be elsewhere. I wonder briefly if he’s thinking about our little encounter earlier.
The man - who introduces himself as Larry - doesn’t hesitate wrapping his arms around my waist as soon as we find an empty space on the dance floor. I don’t have anything against this, especially as Dom has noticed us, his gaze lingering on us for just long enough for me to know it.
We move and my arms find their way around Larry’s neck. He smells of whiskey which is slightly comforting in this alien situation - I’d imagine Dom would probably smell like that too. Whiskey and cigarettes and that perfume of his that I love so much.
Larry asks if I’ve ever noticed him on tour. That confirms my suspicions that he is indeed working for us. I lie quite blatantly, telling him all the things that I know he wants to hear. I tell him that I’ve watched him often and that I’ve been meaning to start a conversation with him many times but I’ve been too shy to do so.
He pulls me closer, his hands pressing against the small of my back. I’m not quite sure how I feel about this. Actually, I’m not sure if I’m feeling anything apart from the slight physical discomfort that his rough hand is causing me.
I tilt my head to look behind Larry’s shoulder as we dance to the beat of the music. Dom’s still there, his hand holding his drink frozen in place. I wonder what he’s thinking - I bet he can’t quite believe his eyes right now.
“Are you having a good time?” I hear suddenly, Larry’s low voice very close to my ear.
I’m literally forced to tear my gaze away from Dom when Larry’s calloused hand grips my jaw and turns me to look him in the eye. He’s being a little bit too rough for my liking but I’m too drunk and determined to give Dom a show to care.
“Sure,” I say and nod, laughing when his mouth turns into a delighted grin. “I guess you are too” I add a little awkwardly, trying to not wince when his other hand presses against my back again, pulling our bodies very close together.
I know it’s coming by the way his hand holding my face tilts my face upwards. I barely have time to close my eyes, and then we’re kissing, roughly and wetly.
I can feel Dom’s eyes on us and all I can think of is that Larry doesn’t taste like Dom, doesn’t feel like Dom and certainly isn’t as good a kisser as Dom.
Larry’s stubble is sharp and hurts the skin of my chin. His tongue feels offensive and pervasive when it enters my mouth immediately. This is probably Larry’s idea of passionate and sexy but I can’t help but feel uncomfortable, especially when I feel his hands slide down my back and cup my arse.
The snog lasts forever and I feel like I’m going to faint soon from the lack of air when he finally releases my mouth and leans closer to my ear.
“Let’s go somewhere else,” he whispers loudly to be heard over the music, “I know a much nicer club just around the corner from here.”
He pushes his crotch against mine and I shouldn’t be as shocked as I am to feel him so hot and hard, his excitement clear even through all the clothing separating us. I feel dizzy.
Do I want to leave? If I’m perfectly honest, I don’t. Dom is here and without Dom there’s no point in any of this. Everything is for Dom.
I wish he knew how much he means to me.
I look over Larry’s shoulder again and I can see that Dom is still looking at us, an annoyed looking Lindsey standing by his side. I see Lindsey grabbing Dom’s arm, trying to drag him somewhere else but Dom’s having none of it.
Did he lie when he said he has no feelings for me? I hope he did, but of course I can’t tell that only by looking at his reactions to me dancing with a guy. I need to take this further.
“Hey, did you hear what I said?” Larry asks and I realize I didn’t answer his question yet.
“Yeah. Okay.”
I cast my last glance in Dom’s direction when Larry takes a firm hold of my arm and starts to pull me across the bar towards the exit. I stumble on the way and am once again reminded of how drunk I am, but Larry doesn’t give me time to think about my state too much.
We’re out before I even notice. The warm night air hits my face, not helping me think any more clearly. I turn my head to look behind me and see no one familiar. I guess Dom didn’t see me go. Disappointed, I look at Larry who’s lit a cigarette and is taking quick drags of it as we stand near the exit.
“So, where’s this club you were talking about?” I ask and he stubs his cigarette on the concrete ground. He nods towards a side street and starts walking.
I follow him but suddenly I’m not feeling confident at all. Where are we even going? I don’t know the area.
“Larry, I’m not quite sure about this… maybe we should go back to where the others are?” I try.
He turns to me, brown eyes dark and unfocused. I reckon he must be almost as drunk as I am. He yanks me forward by my arm, onto the side alley before I manage to make a sound.
“What are you doing?” I hiss and try to plant my feet on the ground to stop him from dragging me away. His strong fingers hurt around my arm - I’m sure there’ll be marks tomorrow. “I want to go back, Larry. Let’s go back.”
“No.” His answer is firm and I realize that I don’t have any say on this - the man must be at least twice my size and he could probably hold me still with his little finger alone.
“What do you mean? You can stay if you want to but I want to go back.”
“You, my friend, are not going anywhere.”
I can feel the air escape my lungs when he suddenly slams me against the wall. The rough surface of the brick wall now in front of my face is scraping the skin on my cheek.
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. This is not good, I think, suddenly feeling a lot more sober. I can’t scream because I’m busy catching my breath and he’s holding me against the wall so forcefully that I can’t even move my arms.
“Do you want to do it the easy way or do I have to use force?” Larry asks and I don’t know what he means by ‘force’ because I’m already hurting so much that I feel a tear fall across my cheek. I feel his body press against me and the first thing I notice is that the bastard is being turned on by my panic.
I still can’t form any words but I manage to turn my head enough to try to spit on his face - this only makes him laugh, a sound that’s making my stomach turn unpleasantly.
“Don’t you try any tricks on me, boy,” he chuckles, reaching down with one hand to try to yank down my trousers while holding me in place with his body and his other hand. “I know your type all too well. I know you’re enjoying this, aren’t you? You slut,” he growls into my ear while grinding against me.
I don’t quite know what happens next, because the next thing I know, his weight is being ripped away from me. I stumble because his hand is still gripping my trousers for a couple of seconds, but then he releases me and I fall on the ground.
“Don’t you fucking dare touch him again!” I hear someone shout and the voice makes my heart jump to my throat. I would recognize it anywhere.
Dom followed me.
I sit on the ground and catch my breath. My vision is blurred and all I know is that I can hear shouting from a distance and that someone has crouched down next to me.
“Matt, are you all right?”
This is a voice I barely recognize but I’m fairly sure it’s Lindsey. She’s placed a hand on my shoulder.
All that I can think of is that I have to know what’s happening to Dom. “Where is he?” I ask in between the deep breaths I’m trying to take. I feel dizzy and nauseous and I’m doing my best to not throw up or faint.
“Who?” she asks and I want to slap her - who does she think I mean? Larry? “Do you mean Dom?”
I nod. “Of course Dom…” I cough and blink, trying to focus my eyes on something further in the distance. I can’t hear the shouting anymore and it’s making me nervous. “Where is he?” I ask again.
“Let me go and look,” she says and now that my head is spinning less and my vision is starting to work I can see she looks worried too. “You stay there, I’ll be right back.”
Of course I can’t wait. I’m worried about my best friend. I stand up with a little help from the wall behind me.
There’s someone lying on the ground about fifty feet from where I’m standing. He’s not moving. For a moment I hope it’s Larry but then my eyes land on the plaid shirt I’d recognize anywhere.
My heart sinks.
I run to Dom as fast as I can, kneeling beside him. Chris and Tom are already there tending to him but he’s not awake. In fact I can’t tell if he’s even alive. His face is covered in ugly bruises and there are blood stains all over his shirt.
“Matt, are you okay?” Tom asks but I don’t even answer. It’s not important. Besides, if Dom is hurt I’m definitely not okay.
I wipe the tears from my eyes and sweep the back of my hand gently across his cheek. I don’t dare to touch him more than that because I don’t know how badly he’s hurt.
I can hear people talking about calling an ambulance but my brain barely registers it. All I can see is Dom and all I can think about is how he saved me and then got beaten up for it.
Fifteen minutes later I watch as the ambulance speeds away from the scene, lights blinking and sirens wailing. Someone wraps an extra jacket around my shoulders and from the smell of it I know it’s Dom’s.
Chris, who’s standing beside me, wraps an arm around me and leads us to a cab that’s already waiting to take us to the hospital. Not saying a word, I climb in.
It’s all my fault. If he’s dead I’ll never forgive myself.
Author: A,
mistake_arrest
Pairing: Belldom (+ Dom/OC, Matt/OC)
Rating: R overall
Warnings: Angst, het sex(!), language, drinking, mild violence
Summary: It's not so easy being around your best friend when you're hopelessly in love with him.
Disclaimer: I don't own the boys and none of this ever happened!
A/N: I promised I wouldn't take two years between updates again... so, enjoy! Billion thanks to easilyglorious for beta reading <3
Previous parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
Chris stands between me and Dom, his eyes measuring the huge gap separating me and my best friend. It’s been inevitable that he’s noticed our little squabble, and finally he’s decided to confront us about it. We’ve just had our fourth Big Day Out show and I’d managed to hurl my guitar at Dom in the end, almost hitting him on the back of his head. Would have served him right if you ask me.
“Okay, guys,” he says and looks very much like a dad who’s gone between his arguing sons. “What’s this all about?”
“It’s nothing,” Dom hurries to say, grabbing a can of Red Bull and opening it. I’m pissed because I don’t have anything to busy my hands with. I’m fidgety by nature, and my fingers are currently playing with the broken strap of one of my guitars - it snapped broken when I threw it across the stage just moments ago. Dom’s fault.
Chris is not buying it, though. “Oh, please, Dom. A blind man could see there’s something wrong. I mean, I know you’re always arguing like an old married couple but this is just too much. You’re hardly speaking to each other!”
I fold my arms over my chest and clear my throat. I must resist joking about us getting a divorce; the situation is too serious for that. “It’s none of your business, Chris. Everything’s fine, this is just a little tiff and we’ll sort it out by ourselves, thank you very much.”
“What’s it about?”
“About something that has nothing to do with you,” Dom mumbles, his voice barely audible. “It’s personal.”
I can see that Chris is contemplating taking his interrogation further, but apparently he decides against it because he spreads his arms in a defeated gesture. “You’re both just unbelievable… please sort it out, whatever it is. It’s starting to affect the dynamics of the band.”
There’s a knock on our dressing room door and a head of brown hair peeks in. It’s Lindsey, one of our new PR people. Lindsey’s been hanging out with us a lot lately - well, hanging out with Dom, to be specific. Those two have been literally inseparable ever since we landed in Australia a week ago. I don’t know if Dom really knows how much it stings me to see those two together, no matter if they are just having fun or if they are really attracted to each other. Dom never ceases to amaze me with his tactlessness.
It’s Dom who Lindsey seems to have in her mind again, judging by the way she completely ignores my presence in the room.
“Dom, are you ready to go?” she chirps, flicking her hair from side to side like the stupid blonde she is. Go on, judge me, but I really think I have the right to judge her in my mind after everything Dom’s put me through lately. And she isn’t even worth Dom’s attention - I happen to know that she has slept with half of our crew during the couple of months she’s been working for us.
The whole crew is going to a nearby bar tonight. Everyone is invited but I’m not sure if I’m in the mood for partying. I must admit that a distraction would do me good, but if Dom’s going with his new conquest, I don’t think the night would be very relaxing, to be honest.
“Yeah, can’t be arsed to argue with these two tits.” Dom slams his now empty can on the table and grabs his leather jacket, storming out of the room followed by a confused looking Lindsey.
“Do you want to explain?” Chris asks, his brows furrowing. I shake my head and pull a clean sweater over my t-shirt, realising that whether I’m going to the party or not, I can’t stay backstage forever.
“It’s really something we have to sort out by ourselves, Chris,” I tell him with a sigh.
“I’ve been really worried about you two. Especially about you, Matt. I obviously don’t know what’s going on between you and Dom, but you could have hurt him badly today. I saw you throw the guitar at him.”
“Shame that I missed,” I chuckle and Chris shakes his head, a tiny hint of an amused smile on his lips. Apparently he accepts that I’m not going to tell him any more details because he doesn’t ask further questions. We continue chatting and soon Tom joins us. After a while I feel a lot better and Chris and Tom manage to persuade me to go to the bar with them. According to them I look like I could use a drink or two, and to be honest I have to agree.
We leave the venue when we’re told that the doors are about to close, and head towards the bar. It’s a lovely pub-like place with a small dance floor at the back. I notice Lindsey’s red dress immediately; she’s leaning against the counter and listening intently as Dom says something in her ear. Whatever Dom says makes her laugh and lean closer, both of their eyes sparking at each other. I have to look away.
Tom leads me and Chris confidently through the bar into the table area where a few people from our crew are already sitting with pints in front of them. Chris goes to get us drinks.
I’m having a good time, I admit. But I’m sitting facing the counter, and no matter how hard I try, I just can’t look away from the couple. I can’t help but think that it could be me leaning so close to his beautiful face; in fact I’m very convinced that it should be me. Dom just doesn’t know that yet for some insane reason.
I don’t know if Dom’s noticed me, but if he has, he surely doesn’t show it. He currently has one arm wrapped around Lindsey’s waist, resting his hand quite possessively on the curve above her bum. Lindsey doesn’t seem to mind as she leans into Dom to peck his lips.
I lick my lips involuntarily when I remember how Dom’s mouth tasted when we kissed in his balcony when the year changed… It feels like it happened years ago and still I remember it like yesterday.
I just can’t let it go, can I?
We consume a few rounds of drinks until we’re all pleasantly tipsy, sharing jokes and funny stories about the tour. Dom mainly stays alone with Lindsey, save for one time when they come to beg Chris for cigarettes.
I’ve finished my third drink and it’s my turn to order the next round. I have to go near the spot where Dom and Lindsey are standing to order the drinks, and it’s needless to say that my eyes search for them as soon as I’m close. There they are, Dom sucking his drink through a straw, his face towards where I am, and Lindsey with her back turned towards me.
Our eyes lock for a long time and it’s only when the bartender calls the price of the drinks that I turn away. God, I don’t know if it’s the booze or the lighting or what, but Dom looks absolutely gorgeous tonight. Lindsey’s one lucky girl. I have to bite my lip on my way to the table with a tray full of drinks to prevent myself from turning around and pulling her away from Dom.
I down drinks fast after that, one after another. It’s funny how you never notice how drunk you are until you stand up for the first time after a while - something that I get a reminder of when I excuse myself to go to the toilet after my fifth drink.
I stumble and wobble my way across the bar area. The place is full and it crosses my mind briefly that I would have to remember where the others are sitting, otherwise I might have a hard time finding them on my way back.
I almost bump into Dom on my way and I have to roll my eyes at it - of course out of all the people it’s him who’s on my way. I nearly lose my balance and he grabs my arm, preventing me from falling over.
“Hey, easy there, Bells,” he says and I try to focus my eyes on him.
My hazy brain registers that he seems surprisingly sober. Or maybe it’s just that I am so bloody drunk myself, I can’t tell.
Anyway, the thing that invades my mind next is that he’s a fucking bastard who doesn’t give a shit that he’s wrecking his best friend’s life.
I flip him the finger and before he has a chance to react, I’m gone, out of his sight. I need to find something else to focus on.
I know the perfect cure for a heart break.
I wade my way through the masses of people, my eyes searching for something. What that something is, I don’t know yet but I decide that if I can’t leave this place with Dominic, there’s no way in hell that I’m leaving alone either.
The man notices me before I see him. I don’t realize his eyes following me until I walk past him and feel his strong fingers wrap themselves around my upper arm. It’s a firm grip and I’m forced to stop right there.
I look to my left and see a tall, muscular man with big brown eyes and dark brown hair. He doesn’t look familiar to me but then again, I’m drunk and it’s dark so he could be someone from our crew.
“Hey,” he says to me, raising his voice so that I can hear it over the thumping music. “You look like you’re looking for something. Can I help?”
I squint with my eyes a little. I think I’ve seen this man before but I’m not sure. He smiles at me, his eyes crinkling from the corners. The stubble on his chin looks very manly and I know that I should just shake my head and move forward to look for someone a little bit more feminine, but instead I find myself opening my mouth to speak.
“I… I’m not sure,” I say, managing to not slur too much. “Can you?” I ask with as flirty tone as I can muster, throwing the ball back at him.
Wait a minute. Did I just flirt with the man? What the fuck am I doing?
Suddenly it occurs to me that this, right here, is what I need to do. Yes, I’m drunk and in any other circumstances I wouldn’t look at him twice, but when I think about Dom and all the things I would like to do with him… I realize that I can do it all with any other man.
This is my intoxicated self thinking, mind.
And if Dom is at least a little bit interested in me and I play my cards right, I might even manage to make him jealous.
The man raises his eyebrows at me.
“Depends on what you’re looking for,“ he says and stops for a second to let his eyes wander over my body. “Pretty,” he adds, pulling me closer when someone bumps into my back, making me almost lose my balance.
I must admit I’m nervous. This is a new territory for me, and to be quite frank, I have no idea of what I’m supposed to do. I don’t even know how far I’m willing to go with this man, or if I even want anything to do with him at all. I suppose this is my chance to explore if my attraction towards men really limits to Dom only or if there’s something other than his presence that can also tick my box.
“Would you like to dance?” I suggest and he nods. I wait for him to take the lead and we walk hand in hand to the dance floor.
This is going just as I’d planned - I can easily spot Dom and his companion standing at the edge of the dance floor, Dom facing us, a drink in his hands. He’s talking with Lindsey but his mind seems to be elsewhere. I wonder briefly if he’s thinking about our little encounter earlier.
The man - who introduces himself as Larry - doesn’t hesitate wrapping his arms around my waist as soon as we find an empty space on the dance floor. I don’t have anything against this, especially as Dom has noticed us, his gaze lingering on us for just long enough for me to know it.
We move and my arms find their way around Larry’s neck. He smells of whiskey which is slightly comforting in this alien situation - I’d imagine Dom would probably smell like that too. Whiskey and cigarettes and that perfume of his that I love so much.
Larry asks if I’ve ever noticed him on tour. That confirms my suspicions that he is indeed working for us. I lie quite blatantly, telling him all the things that I know he wants to hear. I tell him that I’ve watched him often and that I’ve been meaning to start a conversation with him many times but I’ve been too shy to do so.
He pulls me closer, his hands pressing against the small of my back. I’m not quite sure how I feel about this. Actually, I’m not sure if I’m feeling anything apart from the slight physical discomfort that his rough hand is causing me.
I tilt my head to look behind Larry’s shoulder as we dance to the beat of the music. Dom’s still there, his hand holding his drink frozen in place. I wonder what he’s thinking - I bet he can’t quite believe his eyes right now.
“Are you having a good time?” I hear suddenly, Larry’s low voice very close to my ear.
I’m literally forced to tear my gaze away from Dom when Larry’s calloused hand grips my jaw and turns me to look him in the eye. He’s being a little bit too rough for my liking but I’m too drunk and determined to give Dom a show to care.
“Sure,” I say and nod, laughing when his mouth turns into a delighted grin. “I guess you are too” I add a little awkwardly, trying to not wince when his other hand presses against my back again, pulling our bodies very close together.
I know it’s coming by the way his hand holding my face tilts my face upwards. I barely have time to close my eyes, and then we’re kissing, roughly and wetly.
I can feel Dom’s eyes on us and all I can think of is that Larry doesn’t taste like Dom, doesn’t feel like Dom and certainly isn’t as good a kisser as Dom.
Larry’s stubble is sharp and hurts the skin of my chin. His tongue feels offensive and pervasive when it enters my mouth immediately. This is probably Larry’s idea of passionate and sexy but I can’t help but feel uncomfortable, especially when I feel his hands slide down my back and cup my arse.
The snog lasts forever and I feel like I’m going to faint soon from the lack of air when he finally releases my mouth and leans closer to my ear.
“Let’s go somewhere else,” he whispers loudly to be heard over the music, “I know a much nicer club just around the corner from here.”
He pushes his crotch against mine and I shouldn’t be as shocked as I am to feel him so hot and hard, his excitement clear even through all the clothing separating us. I feel dizzy.
Do I want to leave? If I’m perfectly honest, I don’t. Dom is here and without Dom there’s no point in any of this. Everything is for Dom.
I wish he knew how much he means to me.
I look over Larry’s shoulder again and I can see that Dom is still looking at us, an annoyed looking Lindsey standing by his side. I see Lindsey grabbing Dom’s arm, trying to drag him somewhere else but Dom’s having none of it.
Did he lie when he said he has no feelings for me? I hope he did, but of course I can’t tell that only by looking at his reactions to me dancing with a guy. I need to take this further.
“Hey, did you hear what I said?” Larry asks and I realize I didn’t answer his question yet.
“Yeah. Okay.”
I cast my last glance in Dom’s direction when Larry takes a firm hold of my arm and starts to pull me across the bar towards the exit. I stumble on the way and am once again reminded of how drunk I am, but Larry doesn’t give me time to think about my state too much.
We’re out before I even notice. The warm night air hits my face, not helping me think any more clearly. I turn my head to look behind me and see no one familiar. I guess Dom didn’t see me go. Disappointed, I look at Larry who’s lit a cigarette and is taking quick drags of it as we stand near the exit.
“So, where’s this club you were talking about?” I ask and he stubs his cigarette on the concrete ground. He nods towards a side street and starts walking.
I follow him but suddenly I’m not feeling confident at all. Where are we even going? I don’t know the area.
“Larry, I’m not quite sure about this… maybe we should go back to where the others are?” I try.
He turns to me, brown eyes dark and unfocused. I reckon he must be almost as drunk as I am. He yanks me forward by my arm, onto the side alley before I manage to make a sound.
“What are you doing?” I hiss and try to plant my feet on the ground to stop him from dragging me away. His strong fingers hurt around my arm - I’m sure there’ll be marks tomorrow. “I want to go back, Larry. Let’s go back.”
“No.” His answer is firm and I realize that I don’t have any say on this - the man must be at least twice my size and he could probably hold me still with his little finger alone.
“What do you mean? You can stay if you want to but I want to go back.”
“You, my friend, are not going anywhere.”
I can feel the air escape my lungs when he suddenly slams me against the wall. The rough surface of the brick wall now in front of my face is scraping the skin on my cheek.
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. This is not good, I think, suddenly feeling a lot more sober. I can’t scream because I’m busy catching my breath and he’s holding me against the wall so forcefully that I can’t even move my arms.
“Do you want to do it the easy way or do I have to use force?” Larry asks and I don’t know what he means by ‘force’ because I’m already hurting so much that I feel a tear fall across my cheek. I feel his body press against me and the first thing I notice is that the bastard is being turned on by my panic.
I still can’t form any words but I manage to turn my head enough to try to spit on his face - this only makes him laugh, a sound that’s making my stomach turn unpleasantly.
“Don’t you try any tricks on me, boy,” he chuckles, reaching down with one hand to try to yank down my trousers while holding me in place with his body and his other hand. “I know your type all too well. I know you’re enjoying this, aren’t you? You slut,” he growls into my ear while grinding against me.
I don’t quite know what happens next, because the next thing I know, his weight is being ripped away from me. I stumble because his hand is still gripping my trousers for a couple of seconds, but then he releases me and I fall on the ground.
“Don’t you fucking dare touch him again!” I hear someone shout and the voice makes my heart jump to my throat. I would recognize it anywhere.
Dom followed me.
I sit on the ground and catch my breath. My vision is blurred and all I know is that I can hear shouting from a distance and that someone has crouched down next to me.
“Matt, are you all right?”
This is a voice I barely recognize but I’m fairly sure it’s Lindsey. She’s placed a hand on my shoulder.
All that I can think of is that I have to know what’s happening to Dom. “Where is he?” I ask in between the deep breaths I’m trying to take. I feel dizzy and nauseous and I’m doing my best to not throw up or faint.
“Who?” she asks and I want to slap her - who does she think I mean? Larry? “Do you mean Dom?”
I nod. “Of course Dom…” I cough and blink, trying to focus my eyes on something further in the distance. I can’t hear the shouting anymore and it’s making me nervous. “Where is he?” I ask again.
“Let me go and look,” she says and now that my head is spinning less and my vision is starting to work I can see she looks worried too. “You stay there, I’ll be right back.”
Of course I can’t wait. I’m worried about my best friend. I stand up with a little help from the wall behind me.
There’s someone lying on the ground about fifty feet from where I’m standing. He’s not moving. For a moment I hope it’s Larry but then my eyes land on the plaid shirt I’d recognize anywhere.
My heart sinks.
I run to Dom as fast as I can, kneeling beside him. Chris and Tom are already there tending to him but he’s not awake. In fact I can’t tell if he’s even alive. His face is covered in ugly bruises and there are blood stains all over his shirt.
“Matt, are you okay?” Tom asks but I don’t even answer. It’s not important. Besides, if Dom is hurt I’m definitely not okay.
I wipe the tears from my eyes and sweep the back of my hand gently across his cheek. I don’t dare to touch him more than that because I don’t know how badly he’s hurt.
I can hear people talking about calling an ambulance but my brain barely registers it. All I can see is Dom and all I can think about is how he saved me and then got beaten up for it.
Fifteen minutes later I watch as the ambulance speeds away from the scene, lights blinking and sirens wailing. Someone wraps an extra jacket around my shoulders and from the smell of it I know it’s Dom’s.
Chris, who’s standing beside me, wraps an arm around me and leads us to a cab that’s already waiting to take us to the hospital. Not saying a word, I climb in.
It’s all my fault. If he’s dead I’ll never forgive myself.