With A Little Help From My Friends
Title: With A Little Help From My Friends - 33/47
Author: dylan_dufresne
Pairing: BB/DM
Rating: R-ish, maybe.
Summary: A new chapter of Dom’s life begins, struggling to find a balance, and ghosts of the past.
Feedback: Would be greatly appreciated as it’s my drug of choice. Many thanks to my beta, frojane.
Special Thanks: To loki_girl for the exquisite banner that she has created, and to tarnishedhalo for loaning me her inspirational manip for the centerpiece. I am so thankful and appreciative of you both, and your generosity.
Disclaimer: Not at all true in reality. This is my imagination at work.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the smut, because happiness is going to be in short supply for the foreseeable future.
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32
Chapter 33
After staring at the photo sitting on the mantle for nearly a full minute in the low light, Dom finally picks up the frame and cradles it in his hands, smiling and gazing fondly at the image of Billy and himself, taken during their first holiday together in London. Since then, other holidays have followed, one every summer when Dom has had time off from uni. The trip after Dom finished his second year was to Paris, which included Dom’s first experience on an airplane, and where the couple shared a passionate kiss at the top of the Eiffel Tower, drank wine and made love in the most romantic city in the world.
The year after that, they returned to Scotland for a long overdue visit, and for a graduation present when Dom finished uni, Billy surprised him with a trip to Berlin, taking Dom back to where he was born. Shortly after their commitment ceremony, the joint decision was made to spend some of their Christmas holidays with Maggie in Glasgow, and the alternating ones with Aureen and Austin in Manchester, to keep the family ties strong. Ringing in the New Year, however, was for them and them alone. It was after the first Christmas trip to Scotland that Dom was introduced to Hogmanay, or at least, Billy’s version of it, where he licked very expensive whiskey off Dom’s quivering belly before they made love, bathed in candlelight in front of a roaring fire as the clocks struck twelve.
It surprises Dom how fast the years have passed, the innumerable photos they’ve taken during that time giving them an in-depth record of all he and Billy have shared, to help them remember years from now. Dom can recall when business in the book shop was slow during the autumn of his third year, and how together, they managed to weather the storm, Billy leaning on him for support when the fear of losing his dream became too much. Fortunately, Billy’s hard work and habit of tucking money away came in very handy, ensuring that the book shop remained open, when several other shops were forced to close, and when business picked up again, they’d celebrated, thankful that they had each other.
In a couple of months, they will have known each other for five years, and been married for three, but Dom finds thinking about the passage of time odd. He feels like he’s known Billy for so much longer, and yet, still feels like a newlywed. It’s a contradiction that somehow works, and Dom suspects that has a lot to do with his attentive and loving partner. Dom knows that it’s because of the Scotsman that he was able to fight his demons, overcome his painful past, accept love, and live his life to the very fullest. There have been so many struggles and victories over the years, but the biggest one is Dom’s graduation from uni, and the framed parchment diploma, handwritten in calligraphy, that has been sitting on the mantle since the day Dom received it.
Embarrassed, he’d attempted to tuck it away in the guest room, but Billy flatly refused, tremendously proud of Dom’s accomplishment, and his reward for his years of hard work. They’d returned from Berlin just a few hours ago, and tomorrow Dom begins his first official day at his new job at the Centre. The orientation had taken place before their trip, and Dom had been surprised that his new employer was willing to accommodate his schedule, specifically the trip to Germany. It was Billy who assured him that they’d be silly to pass up hiring him because of a wee holiday. Now on the eve of a new chapter of his life, Dom is torn between nervousness and excitement. It’s taken more than four years of hard work to get here, and this is his prize. He’ll finally be in a position to offer help to those who want to escape the life of degradation that he knows all too well. He just hopes he can live up to the expectations and faith that Janeanne has, since she was the one who hired him, and that he can truly make a difference.
“What are you doing out here, love?” Billy murmurs, sliding his arms around Dom’s slender waist, just above the waistband of his pajama pants, to cuddle him close as he presses a kiss to the side of Dom’s neck. “It’s almost midnight.”
“Thinking about our first holiday in London,” Dom replies, lifting the photo to show him. “Remember that?”
“I remember the cheesecake,” Billy tells him, low and suggestive, with just a hint of teasing.
Chuckling, Dom carefully sets the frame back on the mantle before turning in Billy’s embrace so their eyes meet in the moonlight.
“It’s okay to be nervous, Dommie,” Billy says wisely. “It’s going to be a big change from uni, but you’re ready. It’s going to be just fine.”
“You always know just what to say to make me feel better,” Dom murmurs, smiling ruefully. “I should’ve known that you’d come looking for me.”
“It doesn’t feel right when you’re not next to me,” Billy replies simply. “You know that.”
“Yeah.”
“C’mon, love,” Billy says as he turns and starts to move towards the bedroom. “You want to get a good night’s sleep before your first day.”
Dom nods in agreement and doesn’t resist when Billy tugs at his fingers, the couple hand in hand as they walk into the bedroom and slip beneath the coverlet. Automatically, they curl into one another, and Dom surrenders to sleep with Billy’s warm fingers stroking the nape of his neck.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
It’s with trepidation that Dom arrives at the Centre the next morning, and is directed to his small office just down the hall from the main room. Office supplies and accommodations are sparse at best, but understandable, since every penny they can save goes to help those in need. Almost immediately, Dom is thrust into the thick of things, including helping a young mother who’s just left her alcoholic boyfriend find a shelter for her and her young son, offer a shoulder to cry on when a runaway shows up, hoping to call home, only to have her father scream obcenities at her over the phone and then hang up. By lunch time Dom is emotionally exhausted, and is grateful to be able to shut the door for a few minutes and regroup.
Part of Dom wants to go home and curl up with Billy on the couch, but he knows that Billy’s alone at the shop today, and will very likely be quite busy himself. In the end, he opts to do some yoga to center himself, and when Dom reopens his door at the end of his lunch break, the weight on his shoulders is considerably lighter. The afternoon goes a bit better, with Dom convincing a young man to give his parents a second chance after a bitter divorce, and he also spends some time in the front room, nursing a cup of coffee and introducing himself to the locals who frequent the Centre. When it’s time to go home, he’s relieved as Janeanne tells him that he did well for his first day, and that it will get easier after a while.
With a wave and a promise to be back in the morning, Dom then walks home, arriving at the front door of the shop at the time when Billy is usually starting to close for the night. The older man is behind the register when Dom enters, and the bell above the door jingles cheerfully to announce his presence.
“Good timing,” Billy tells him, smiling warmly. “How did it go?”
Dom doesn’t say a word as he crosses the room and curls into Billy’s arms, tucking his nose into the side of Billy’s neck.
“Hey,” Billy murmurs gently as he drops what he was doing on the counter and wraps his arms around his young lover. “You all right?”
Nodding mutely, Dom sighs as Billy tightens his hold, and gently begins to sway back and forth.
“Tough day, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Dom finally replies. “So many times I was reminded of what could’ve happened to me, you know?”
“Aye.”
“But it didn’t,” Dom adds, pulling back so their eyes can meet. “I met you, and you saved me.”
“Dommie-”
“Thank you,” Dom interrupts as he blinks rapidly, fighting the excess moisture clouding his vision. “If you hadn’t fought for me, like you did-”
Cupping the fragile curve of Dom’s skull in one hand, Billy brings their lips together in a tender kiss, and then draws the younger man close again.
“I know you’re grateful, Dommie,” he says gently. “You don’t need to thank me.”
“I know that.”
“I was going to take you out for dinner, but I think maybe staying in is a better plan,” Billy muses. “What do you think?”
“I don’t want to let you go,” Dom tells him. “So staying in is probably the best option.”
“Well, how about you help me lock up, and then we’ll go upstairs,” Billy suggests, brushing a kiss to Dom’s hair as he rocks back and forth. “We can figure out dinner then.”
“Bills-”
The naked vulnerability in Dom’s expressive eyes causes Billy’s heart to skip a beat, and he’s overcome with need to protect and comfort the man he loves. “Why don’t we take a long, hot shower together?” he suggests tenderly. “And then have dinner in bed?”
“That’d be nice,” Dom replies, a wee bit shakily.
“Can you lock the front door while I tuck this into the safe?” Billy inquires, nodding at the small pile of transaction receipts lying on the open register.
“Okay.”
In less than two minutes, the safe and doors are locked, the lights are off, and Billy’s arm is wrapped around Dom’s slender waist as they make their way up the stairs to the flat they share. In the foyer, Billy peels away Dom’s jacket and presses a soft kiss to his mouth, pleased at the murmur of pleasure it elicits. He’s unprepared when Dom suddenly deepens the kiss, clutching fistfuls of Billy’s shirt as their tongues slide together, passion overwhelming them both. The hunger in Dom’s touch is intensely arousing, but Billy can tell that he needs to be gentle with Dom, as he’s in a fragile state. He’s seeking Billy’s intimate comfort, taking refuge in their love.
By the time they stumble down the hall and into the bedroom, the lovers have discarded their shirts and Billy is all but carrying Dom as he’s begun to tremble. There is a flurry of activity in the loo when Billy reaches into the shower with one hand and twists on the taps while Dom peels away the remainder of their clothing. Finally, bare skin comes together, and then Billy is guiding Dom under the warm spray, their arms wrapped around one another tightly.
Mouths meet and part in long, wet kisses, and when Dom wraps a leg around Billy’s hip, he’s pressed against the wall of the shower before small fingers wrap around his throbbing erection. Amid tongue tangling kisses and raspy words of ecstasy, Billy begins to pump his fist, watching the rosy flush of orgasm rise up Dom’s wet torso, his expressive eyes growing darker as he’s urged closer to the edge of bliss. Swirling his thumb over Dom’s sensitive tip and watching Dom writhe shamelessly, Billy covers Dom’s mouth with his as control shatters, and then glittering fluid is flowing over his knuckles.
Billy strokes Dom through his orgasm and keeps a firm hold around his slender waist, familiar with the way Dom’s knees tend to buckle after he finds release. As expected, the younger man sinks into his arms fully and rests his cheek on Billy’s shoulder until the water is turned off and the shower curtain pulled back.
“Bills, you didn’t-”
“It’s okay, love,” Billy interjects.
“But-”
“There’s no rush,” Billy adds, kissing the tip of Dom’s squashed up nose and giving him a fond smile. “And I’d rather make love to you in our bed, where I can take my time.”
“You’re so good to me,” Dom murmurs, cupping Billy’s cheek and then bringing their mouths together for a soft kiss. “Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
The couple stay close as they towel off and then burrow under the coverlet, cuddling into one another and kissing. It would seem that whatever had rattled Dom earlier is subsiding, the sadness replaced with love and tenderness. Pizza is ordered, delivered and consumed within the safety of their bed, and it’s after their bellies have been satisfied that Dom begins trailing kisses down Billy’s neck and long fingers slide between the older man’s thighs. It isn’t long before Billy’s arousal is hard and aching, thanks in no small part to Dom’s long, seductive tongue exploring the heated flesh.
Their lovemaking is slower than usual, bodies rocking together tenderly for a long while, the lovers just enjoying being intimately joined as they touch and kiss. Finally, Dom’s legs tighten around Billy’s waist, urging him on, and their hips begin to thrust in a devastatingly erotic rhythm, until Dom is mewling and begging for Billy to fill him. There is one final thrust that buries Billy to the hilt before he lets go, the force of the release causing him to gasp of his lover’s name several times. Billy is still inside Dom as he starts to surrender to his exhaustion, the emotional upheaval of the day having drained his strength.
“Don’t go,” he whispers as Billy rolls them onto their sides and brushes a tender kiss to his temple. “Stay with me.”
“Always,” Billy vows. “Go to sleep, love.”
Content and relaxed in the circle of Billy’s arms, Dom rests his cheek against Billy’s chest, directly over his heart, and lets his dreams take him.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Emotionally drained from making his weekly rounds in the neighborhood, where he’d introduced himself to the new faces and handed out small business cards to those who would accept them, Dom all but falls into the squeaky chair behind his desk and sighs heavily. Every time he walks the familiar streets, there seems to be more people in need of help, new rent boys standing in doorways, runaways looking for a safe place, and people willing to take advantage of them. It’s an uphill battle with most of them, because they’ve learned quickly to trust no one. Dom’s all too familiar with the feeling because he lived by it, as a matter of survival.
Now that he knows how the system works and what is available to help those who have fallen on hard times, for a variety of reasons, Dom works tirelessly to utilize every opportunity, but it’s not easy. There’s never enough room, never enough money, and too often, when someone hears that things aren’t working out as they thought, hope is lost, and Dom is forced to start all over again. Sometimes all he can do is listen and offer a sympathetic ear with a box of kleenex. Other times, he can nudge open a door to a fresh start, and pray that someone else helps to continue the journey. Often times it’s a thankless job, and Dom has quickly learned to cling to the happier moments, and try not to get dragged down when he’s defeated.
If he loses his way, and forgets why he’s fighting this battle, the results could be disastrous. Even though he works hard, and does all he can, each and every day, Dom often finds himself feeling guilty when he leaves the Centre and goes home. He doesn’t have to worry about a safe place to sleep, if he’s going to be warm enough, or where his next meal is coming from. He has a home, at the book shop with Billy. He’s lucky, and he knows it.
Unlike the courses at uni, in a clean, warm classroom, this is real, where people’s lives are affected, and where far too often, there’s no happy ending. The people Dom talks to range from a young girl escaping an abusive father to a drug addict who has hit bottom, and they are both trying to claw their way out of the gutter to find a better life. Every day it’s something new, and the need is never ending.
It’s that need that causes Dom to sit up straight and reach for the phone sitting on the edge of his desk with one hand, and open a file folder with the other. There are people who are counting on him to find a warm place to sleep tonight.
He’s not going to let them down if he can possibly help it.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Billy checks on the chicken that’s keeping warm in the oven before consulting the clock on the wall and then his watch, ensuring that it’s the right time. When Dom called to say he was going to be late, again, he’d fervently promised that he’d be home by seven at the very latest for dinner. That was nearly fifteen minutes ago now.
In the nearly five months that Dom’s been working at the Centre, his work hours have steadily increased, and it’s become quite commonplace for him not to return home until Billy has closed the book shop for the night. He’d even been late for their reservation at Tony’s to celebrate their anniversary two weeks ago. When Dom had arrived, out of breath from running, Billy had forgiven him, of course, but there was a twinge of sadness, too. While Billy truly is happy for Dom, and he tries to be understanding, he can’t help but feel like he’s been replaced in some ways. It used to be that they were the center of each others’ worlds, but now Dom has other interests, other responsibilities.
It’s clear that Dom enjoys the work, has arrived home jubilant on a number of occasions when he’s had a breakthrough with someone, or helped to improve their situation, and Billy is grateful for that. He knows all too well the pressure that Dom puts on himself to succeed, and how determined he is not to fail, especially at something that means so much to him. Although Dom doesn’t say it aloud, Billy thinks that Dom has put additional pressure on himself, because he got a second chance, and wants to pay that gift forward.
Billy is so caught up in his thoughts he doesn’t hear the door to the flat open, and jerks in surprise when Dom calls out his name.
“Bills, I’m sorry,” Dom blurts out in a rush, entering the kitchen a moment later, shrugging off his jacket and dropping over the back of his chair. “I lost track of time. I should’ve set the alarm on my watch or something.”
“Dinner’s ready,” Billy replies with a nod, deciding that it’s best to let it alone for now. There’s no point making Dom feel worse. He knows that he’s late and has apologized. “There’s beer in the fridge if you want one.”
Dropping his jacket over the back of his chair, Dom closes the distance between them and presses a quick kiss to Billy’s cheek. “Thanks.”
The fridge opens and closes while Billy tugs on oven mitts and pulls the chicken out, and there is a pop and then a hiss as the beverage is opened. The roasting pan is set on a pot holder, and Billy removes the lid before reaching into the oven a second time for the vegetables and roasted potatoes.
“Busy day?” he asks, attempting to engage Dom in conversation.
“Yeah,” Dom replies, pouring a couple glasses of water and carrying them over to the table. “I was trying to get a mum and two little boys into a low-income flat. She was going to take them back out onto the street because she didn’t feel safe at the shelter.”
“Any luck?”
“The last place I called,” Dom says with relief. “They won’t have much room at first, but it’s a decent place for her to start over, and get back on her feet.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
Pushing aside his disappointment, Billy smiles, and when Dom asks about his day, it almost feels like it was in the beginning, just the two of them. He just needs to be patient while Dom settles in with the job and finds his rhythm. Then things will quiet down, and they can get back to how things were before. At least, that’s what Billy hopes.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Billy has just finished locking up the money and credit card slips in the safe in his office when the back door is flung open, and Dom rushes inside.
“Bills?”
Worried that something terrible has happened, Billy rushes towards Dom as he replies, “I’m right here. What’s wrong?”
Before Billy can inquire further, Dom’s lips are covering his, and he’s swept away in a passionate kiss that makes his knees buckle. Their sex life has slowed recently, because of Dom’s schedule, and it’s been a while since Dom attacked him with such exuberance. All too happy to be close to his lover, Billy eagerly returns Dom’s affections, clutching at the sweet curve of his arse and bringing their hips together as tongues tangle wetly.
When his lungs are screaming and the edges of his vision are starting to darken, Dom finally pulls back for some much needed air. His lips are rosy and swollen as he gazes at the older man, both of them panting for breath.
“What brought that on?” Billy asks when he can speak. “Not that I’m complaining, of course.”
“I did it,” Dom says simply, his eyes alight with joy. “I’ve been talking to this young bloke, Michael, off and on for the last couple of months, getting to know him, and trying to help where I could, when he’d let me. It was hard because he was so bloody stubborn. Well, today he came by the Centre, because he’d gotten roughed up, and we talked for over an hour. He told me why he left home, and why he thought he couldn’t go back.” Pausing, Dom swallows and blinks back the brightness in his eyes. “He sounded so much like me, thinking that his parents wouldn’t forgive him for making a stupid mistake. I finally convinced to call his mum, just to see what she’d say, and so she’d know he was alive. Bills, she was so happy to hear from him, she paid for his ticket home. I just put him on the train.”
Billy gazes at Dom fondly, sharing in his happiness. “Wow.”
“She didn’t care what they’d fought about,” Dom continues. “She told him that they’d both made mistakes, and she just wanted him to come home. He’d be gone for over a year.”
“And tonight he’ll be home with her,” Billy adds softly. “Safe and sound.”
“I couldn’t wait to tell you,” Dom says, sniffling and brushing at his damp eyes. “Today I really made a difference.”
Drawing Dom close, Billy brushes a gentle kiss to his temple before tightening his arms. “You make a difference every single day, Dommie. You’re there, fighting for them. You show them that someone cares, and you give them a voice.”
“This was different from when I volunteered at the shelter, Bills,” Dom tells him, breath warm against Billy’s neck. “I saw the look on his face when his mum asked him to come home, when she told him how much she loved him. For the first time since I met him, I saw hope.”
“I know the feeling,” Billy whispers, stroking the nape of Dom’s neck as they sway back and forth. “I remember the first time I saw that in your eyes. It was right after you signed up for those study classes so you could apply to finish your A levels. It took me a minute to realize what it was I was seeing. It was so beautiful, and I wanted to kiss you.”
Pulling back so their eyes meet, Dom smiles suggestively. “You can kiss me now, if you want.”
“Now there’s an invitation only a fool would resist,” Billy murmurs huskily before capturing his lover’s mouth in a lush kiss.
Billy finally ends the kiss when Dom’s knees buckle and he sags into the older man’s embrace, trusting Billy to hold him as he whimpers his pleasure and clutches at Billy’s strong shoulders. He cradles the younger man close while Dom regains his bearings, his wet mouth curling up into a sated smile, eyes focused on Billy’s bow-shaped lips.
“Have I ever told you how sexy your mouth is?” Dom inquires, the tip of his finger tracing the Scotsman’s upper lip. “I love just to look at it, especially your filtrum. I looked it up in a book once, to find out what it was called.”
“Aye, you’ve mentioned my mouth a number of times,” Billy replies, his voice low and intimate. “Usually when I’m inside you, but I didn’t know that you looked up the word.”
“Bills, if people knew how wonderful your mouth is, they’d write songs about it,” Dom breathes.
“I think you’re a wee bit biased, love,” Billy says as he chuckles. “But thank you. I love your mouth, too.”
“We’ve been so busy lately, it feels like I haven’t seen you,” Dom muses aloud, the longing clear in his tone. “I miss you.”
“Miss you, too,” Billy tells him, somewhat relieved that he’s not the only one who’s noticed the change. “We knew things were going to change with you working somewhere else. It’s an adjustment.”
“I was going to come home at lunch so I could see you, but I just get so busy that it never happens,” Dom adds. “Bloody hell, Bills. We haven’t had sex in, what, four days?”
“Five,” Billy corrects him, albeit gently. “You seem to be more in the mood on the weekends now.”
“I want to change that,” Dom states adamantly. “Right now.”
“Now?”
Taking in Billy’s raised eyebrows, Dom blushes. “Only if you want-”
“Oh, I want,” Billy interjects. “This is the earliest you’ve been home in a while. You’ve had a great day. Do you want to celebrate?”
“With you? Yeah,” Dom says, nodding in agreement.
“Do you want to go out? Tony’s?”
Billy’s pulse flutters when Dom snuggles closer and lets his hands slide down Billy’s back to rest on the curve of his arse. “It feels like forever since we ate dinner in bed,” Dom replies invitingly.
“Aye, it’s been a while.”
“How about we order takeaway,” Dom suggests. “Thai? Chinese?”
Overcome with relief at the knowledge that Dom wants to spend some quality time with him, just the two of them, Billy slides his fingers through Dom’s tousled blonde hair before fusing their mouths together in a deep, wet kiss. The mewl of pleasure that pushes past Dom lips only fuels his desire, and it’s long minutes before Billy finally lets them part, both men aroused and throbbing with need. Without having to discuss it, the idea of food is pushed to the side in favor of passion, Billy hastily locking the back door, Dom lapping at his neck, and then they make their way upstairs, kissing and touching hungrily, like when they first became lovers.
Dom’s shirt is discarded on the staircase, Billy’s in the foyer, and when Dom’s low slung jeans drop to his ankles halfway down the hall, any semblance of control is hopelessly lost. They barely make to the bed for their first round of lovemaking on top of the coverlet, Dom urging Billy on with hoarse cries of ecstasy, his long arms stretched wantonly above his head and lean thighs splayed wide.
The blissful look on Dom’s face as he climaxes reminds Billy of their first anniversary, where they spent day in bed with a Polaroid camera, wanting to capture every last moment as they celebrated and made love, over and over again, unable to get enough of one another. They’d taken dozens and dozens of pictures, and later Dom had made them in a private photo album that sits in the second drawer of his night stand.
Muscles weak from exertion and the orgasm rippling through his limbs, Billy sinks down into Dom’s waiting arms, pleased at the way the younger man is now trembling from the aftershocks of his release, and reveling in the sensation of being curled up with his lover.
“We need to do that more often,” Dom announces when he can form words again. “I’m just saying.”
Billy smiles as he looks up to meet Dom’s sated eyes, and then leans in so their lips can meet in a soft kiss.
“So, Chinese or Thai?” he asks quietly when they part.
“You pick,” Dom replies dreamily. “I don’t care as long as you’re touching me.”
“Thai,” Billy decides before reaching over to the night stand to scoop up the cordless receiver.
While Dom watches him and lets his hands roam across Billy’s bare back in endless, tender caresses, Billy places their order, ensuring that he requests Dom’s favorites. When Billy hangs up the phone, he looks over at Dom, not at all surprised to see the younger man watching him.
“You okay, Dommie?”
“Yeah,” he replies softly. “I just realized how much I missed this.”
“So did I,” Billy admits.
Although Dom doesn’t say the words, Billy likes to believe that as their lips meet in a warm, gentle exchange, it’s Dom’s promise to him that he’ll try harder to make time for them. He can feel the apology in Dom’s touch as they make love for a second time after sharing a meal in bed together, their positions reversed for this round, Dom inside of Billy. This encounter is much slower and far more luxurious, Dom taking his time in exploring his lover’s body as they rock together to completion.
The last thought that crosses Billy’s mind before he surrenders to sleep, Dom curled into his side, sated and content, is that things will get better now. Today helped to show Dom that he’s in the right field and the right place to make a difference, and he can relax a wee bit. In addition, Dom’s been reminded of how good he and Billy are together, and this time he won’t forget.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
By the beginning of October, autumn is slowly beginning to give way to winter, and the leaves on the trees that were various shades of red and gold just a couple of weeks ago are now lying on the ground, the branches in the park bare. As Dom pauses to zip up his down jacket, he’s thankful for the barrier from the cooler temperature, and remembers when he used to dread winter, because he didn’t have the basic necessities to stay warm and comfortable. So much more than his wardrobe has changed in five years.
He’s had a productive tour of the neighborhood, talked to a number of people, and is on his way back to the Centre, but his heart is heavy, because he’s seen too many new faces in recent months. More disturbing are the ones who disappear off the radar. He has no idea if they’ve gone home, moved on to a different area, or if something much worse has happened. There’s just no way to keep track of them all, when the people have such transient lifestyles.
It’s been several years since Eric disappeared, and Dom has not seen or heard from him in all that time, not since they sat on the stairs behind the book shop and talked that day. For a long time, Dom clung to the possibility that perhaps Eric went home, that he was all right, but even that hope has slowly faded. More than likely, something happened to Eric, and his life ended as he had predicted to Dom with such grim resignation. The memory of the friend that he couldn’t save is always with him, and Dom clings to those memories, since he has nothing else that proves Eric ever existed. More than anything, he wishes he had a photograph, so he’d never forget his friend.
When Dom had picked up his daily newspaper on his way to work yesterday, he’d been disheartened to read an article about the discovery of a young man who’d been severely beaten to death, his body dumped in an alley. At first, nobody had noticed him, had assumed that he was sleeping off some overindulging at the local pub on a Friday night. The story has become entirely too familiar to Dom, as this isn’t the first time this has happened.
Over the years, he’s noticed a number of such attacks, and can’t help but be angry at how nothing has been done to even attempt to stop it. It’s a dirty little secret in the neighborhood that few acknowledge, let alone talk about. The lives that only exist in alleys and darkened doorways. Most prefer to stick their heads in the sand and remain oblivious to the bleakness and desperation of those who are less fortunate. It’s almost as though they think if they refuse to see it, then it really doesn’t exist. If only that were true.
Exhaling sharply and rolling his shoulders in an attempt to loosen the tense muscles, Dom pushes down his frustration and resumes concentrating on finishing his rounds in the neighborhood. He’s become a regular fixture, and because of that has gained a bit trust, and dare he say, perhaps even made a friend or two. Dom is talking to James, a young man who’s lived in the neighborhood for just over a year now. He works three part time jobs to keep a roof over his head, one of which Dom helped him to find. They’re in the middle of catching up with one another when an unfamiliar face catches Dom’s attention.
It’s the shock of white blonde hair that causes Dom’s belly to twist first, and when his gaze locks with a pair of striking blue eyes, it’s almost as though he’s falling back through time. For a split second, his heart sees Eric, but his friend disappears in the blink of an eye, leaving a younger version in his place. Everything about him is eerily similar to Eric, from the chiseled line of his jaw, to the sway of his narrow hips. If someone had told Dom that they were brothers, he would’ve believed them.
“Excuse me,” Dom says as the young man draws closer and starts to pass them by. “I don’t believe we’ve met. You must be new around here.”
“Yeah,” the young man replies carefully, watching Dom and James with some wariness, not quite sure why he’s being approached. “Been here almost a week.”
“Well, I’m Dom, and this is James,” Dom tells him, gesturing as he makes the introductions. “And you are?”
“Aaron.”
“Nice to meet you, Aaron. Where are you from?”
“Why do you want to know?” Aaron retorts as he takes a step back, a frown marring his brow.
“Just wondering,” Dom replies easily, familiar with this response and not offended in the least. “I’m from Manchester, and have lived here for nearly a decade. You get to recognize the new faces.”
“Oh.”
“I’m from Middlesbrough,” James chimes in, familiar with the process as it’s nearly identical to how Dom approached him, several months ago now.
“Cambridge,” Aaron grudgingly provides. “Brighton before that, and Exeter before that. My dad moved us around a lot.”
“Oh, you’re here with your family?” Dom inquires nonchalantly, having decided that by the looks of him, Aaron can’t be more than seventeen, most likely younger.
“No.”
The answer is short and blunt, and a blind man could see that Aaron isn’t interested in discussing the matter any further. From what Dom can see, he seems in be in fairly good health, a bit tired perhaps, but that could mean anything.
“Well, I better get to work,” James interjects, feeling the tension radiating off the younger man. “My shift at the coffee shop starts in ten minutes.”
“Sure thing,” Dom replies.
“I’d offer to meet you at the pub on Friday, but I know you won’t be there,” James teases.
“You are so very right,” Dom agrees, holding up his left hand after he pulls it out the pocket of his jacket and wiggles his ring finger. “I already have a date.”
“You’re married?” Aaron blurts out in surprise, when blushes at his outburst.
“Three years,” Dom says with a smile. “He runs the book shop near the park. Boyd’s.”
Aaron seems to take Dom’s revelation about his orientation in stride, and nods. “I’ve walked by it.”
“The sexy Scotsman you may have seen is my better half. Billy.”
“Well, I have to run,” James says regretfully. “Dom, I’ll see you next week?”
“Or drop by the Centre,” Dom offers. “I’m usually there.”
“Dom, you’re always there,” James says knowingly. “If I were Billy, I’d be jealous.”
“He’s got nothing to worry about,” Dom responds, chuckling and waving as James turns and hurries down the street.
“The Centre?” Aaron asks with one eyebrow arched, arms wrapped around his chest in an effort to keep warm in his rather thin looking jacket.
“Drop in Centre,” Dom explains. “People go there, looking for a place to stay, a safe place to try to start over, you name it. Sometimes all they want is to warm up and have some coffee. We try to help.”
“Oh.”
“So, I was about to grab some lunch,” Dom tells him, making a point of glancing at his watch. “There’s a café on the corner that has a great soup and sandwich special. Would you care to join me?”
“I, uh, I already, uh-”
“My treat,” Dom adds softly, the gentleness in his eyes informing Aaron that Dom suspects the reason, and most likely knows the reason for his indecisiveness. “It’s warm, and they have good coffee.”
A long, quiet moment passes in silence, and then Aaron finally nods. “Thanks.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
By November, the night the lovers spent in bed eating Thai takeaway and making love is a distant memory, one that sometimes soothes Billy, and other times mocks him. He’d fervently hoped that things would improve after that night of reconnection, that Dom would make him some kind of a priority, but instead his time at the Centre has continued to increase as the weeks pass. Even when Dom is home, he’s preoccupied with work. Now, Dom quite regularly doesn’t climb into bed until very late, when Billy is already there, fast asleep, and is usually up and in the shower when the alarm goes off. The only day that is different is Sunday, where Dom sleeps for much of the morning, and then spends the afternoon doing paperwork at the desk in the guest room.
Dom’s determination to shed light on the problems in the neighborhood has been focused on applying for every possible penny that he can get his hands on. Day after day, he writes letters and proposals in an effort to get funding to create programs to help those in need of a second chance. For people of all ages. Teen runaways, families who have fallen on hard times, and the elderly, who have no means of supporting themselves when their meager savings run out.
There are some programs out there, but Dom knows that there aren’t nearly enough, and the need is growing. Something has to be changed in order to stop the violence and desperation. There is a human face to the problem that Dom is working tirelessly to make the world see, in the hopes that it’ll make a difference, and help to ease the needless suffering.
Until that happens, Dom knows he must keep doing what he can, helping one person at a time.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Chapter 34
Author: dylan_dufresne
Pairing: BB/DM
Rating: R-ish, maybe.
Summary: A new chapter of Dom’s life begins, struggling to find a balance, and ghosts of the past.
Feedback: Would be greatly appreciated as it’s my drug of choice. Many thanks to my beta, frojane.
Special Thanks: To loki_girl for the exquisite banner that she has created, and to tarnishedhalo for loaning me her inspirational manip for the centerpiece. I am so thankful and appreciative of you both, and your generosity.
Disclaimer: Not at all true in reality. This is my imagination at work.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the smut, because happiness is going to be in short supply for the foreseeable future.
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32
Chapter 33
After staring at the photo sitting on the mantle for nearly a full minute in the low light, Dom finally picks up the frame and cradles it in his hands, smiling and gazing fondly at the image of Billy and himself, taken during their first holiday together in London. Since then, other holidays have followed, one every summer when Dom has had time off from uni. The trip after Dom finished his second year was to Paris, which included Dom’s first experience on an airplane, and where the couple shared a passionate kiss at the top of the Eiffel Tower, drank wine and made love in the most romantic city in the world.
The year after that, they returned to Scotland for a long overdue visit, and for a graduation present when Dom finished uni, Billy surprised him with a trip to Berlin, taking Dom back to where he was born. Shortly after their commitment ceremony, the joint decision was made to spend some of their Christmas holidays with Maggie in Glasgow, and the alternating ones with Aureen and Austin in Manchester, to keep the family ties strong. Ringing in the New Year, however, was for them and them alone. It was after the first Christmas trip to Scotland that Dom was introduced to Hogmanay, or at least, Billy’s version of it, where he licked very expensive whiskey off Dom’s quivering belly before they made love, bathed in candlelight in front of a roaring fire as the clocks struck twelve.
It surprises Dom how fast the years have passed, the innumerable photos they’ve taken during that time giving them an in-depth record of all he and Billy have shared, to help them remember years from now. Dom can recall when business in the book shop was slow during the autumn of his third year, and how together, they managed to weather the storm, Billy leaning on him for support when the fear of losing his dream became too much. Fortunately, Billy’s hard work and habit of tucking money away came in very handy, ensuring that the book shop remained open, when several other shops were forced to close, and when business picked up again, they’d celebrated, thankful that they had each other.
In a couple of months, they will have known each other for five years, and been married for three, but Dom finds thinking about the passage of time odd. He feels like he’s known Billy for so much longer, and yet, still feels like a newlywed. It’s a contradiction that somehow works, and Dom suspects that has a lot to do with his attentive and loving partner. Dom knows that it’s because of the Scotsman that he was able to fight his demons, overcome his painful past, accept love, and live his life to the very fullest. There have been so many struggles and victories over the years, but the biggest one is Dom’s graduation from uni, and the framed parchment diploma, handwritten in calligraphy, that has been sitting on the mantle since the day Dom received it.
Embarrassed, he’d attempted to tuck it away in the guest room, but Billy flatly refused, tremendously proud of Dom’s accomplishment, and his reward for his years of hard work. They’d returned from Berlin just a few hours ago, and tomorrow Dom begins his first official day at his new job at the Centre. The orientation had taken place before their trip, and Dom had been surprised that his new employer was willing to accommodate his schedule, specifically the trip to Germany. It was Billy who assured him that they’d be silly to pass up hiring him because of a wee holiday. Now on the eve of a new chapter of his life, Dom is torn between nervousness and excitement. It’s taken more than four years of hard work to get here, and this is his prize. He’ll finally be in a position to offer help to those who want to escape the life of degradation that he knows all too well. He just hopes he can live up to the expectations and faith that Janeanne has, since she was the one who hired him, and that he can truly make a difference.
“What are you doing out here, love?” Billy murmurs, sliding his arms around Dom’s slender waist, just above the waistband of his pajama pants, to cuddle him close as he presses a kiss to the side of Dom’s neck. “It’s almost midnight.”
“Thinking about our first holiday in London,” Dom replies, lifting the photo to show him. “Remember that?”
“I remember the cheesecake,” Billy tells him, low and suggestive, with just a hint of teasing.
Chuckling, Dom carefully sets the frame back on the mantle before turning in Billy’s embrace so their eyes meet in the moonlight.
“It’s okay to be nervous, Dommie,” Billy says wisely. “It’s going to be a big change from uni, but you’re ready. It’s going to be just fine.”
“You always know just what to say to make me feel better,” Dom murmurs, smiling ruefully. “I should’ve known that you’d come looking for me.”
“It doesn’t feel right when you’re not next to me,” Billy replies simply. “You know that.”
“Yeah.”
“C’mon, love,” Billy says as he turns and starts to move towards the bedroom. “You want to get a good night’s sleep before your first day.”
Dom nods in agreement and doesn’t resist when Billy tugs at his fingers, the couple hand in hand as they walk into the bedroom and slip beneath the coverlet. Automatically, they curl into one another, and Dom surrenders to sleep with Billy’s warm fingers stroking the nape of his neck.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
It’s with trepidation that Dom arrives at the Centre the next morning, and is directed to his small office just down the hall from the main room. Office supplies and accommodations are sparse at best, but understandable, since every penny they can save goes to help those in need. Almost immediately, Dom is thrust into the thick of things, including helping a young mother who’s just left her alcoholic boyfriend find a shelter for her and her young son, offer a shoulder to cry on when a runaway shows up, hoping to call home, only to have her father scream obcenities at her over the phone and then hang up. By lunch time Dom is emotionally exhausted, and is grateful to be able to shut the door for a few minutes and regroup.
Part of Dom wants to go home and curl up with Billy on the couch, but he knows that Billy’s alone at the shop today, and will very likely be quite busy himself. In the end, he opts to do some yoga to center himself, and when Dom reopens his door at the end of his lunch break, the weight on his shoulders is considerably lighter. The afternoon goes a bit better, with Dom convincing a young man to give his parents a second chance after a bitter divorce, and he also spends some time in the front room, nursing a cup of coffee and introducing himself to the locals who frequent the Centre. When it’s time to go home, he’s relieved as Janeanne tells him that he did well for his first day, and that it will get easier after a while.
With a wave and a promise to be back in the morning, Dom then walks home, arriving at the front door of the shop at the time when Billy is usually starting to close for the night. The older man is behind the register when Dom enters, and the bell above the door jingles cheerfully to announce his presence.
“Good timing,” Billy tells him, smiling warmly. “How did it go?”
Dom doesn’t say a word as he crosses the room and curls into Billy’s arms, tucking his nose into the side of Billy’s neck.
“Hey,” Billy murmurs gently as he drops what he was doing on the counter and wraps his arms around his young lover. “You all right?”
Nodding mutely, Dom sighs as Billy tightens his hold, and gently begins to sway back and forth.
“Tough day, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Dom finally replies. “So many times I was reminded of what could’ve happened to me, you know?”
“Aye.”
“But it didn’t,” Dom adds, pulling back so their eyes can meet. “I met you, and you saved me.”
“Dommie-”
“Thank you,” Dom interrupts as he blinks rapidly, fighting the excess moisture clouding his vision. “If you hadn’t fought for me, like you did-”
Cupping the fragile curve of Dom’s skull in one hand, Billy brings their lips together in a tender kiss, and then draws the younger man close again.
“I know you’re grateful, Dommie,” he says gently. “You don’t need to thank me.”
“I know that.”
“I was going to take you out for dinner, but I think maybe staying in is a better plan,” Billy muses. “What do you think?”
“I don’t want to let you go,” Dom tells him. “So staying in is probably the best option.”
“Well, how about you help me lock up, and then we’ll go upstairs,” Billy suggests, brushing a kiss to Dom’s hair as he rocks back and forth. “We can figure out dinner then.”
“Bills-”
The naked vulnerability in Dom’s expressive eyes causes Billy’s heart to skip a beat, and he’s overcome with need to protect and comfort the man he loves. “Why don’t we take a long, hot shower together?” he suggests tenderly. “And then have dinner in bed?”
“That’d be nice,” Dom replies, a wee bit shakily.
“Can you lock the front door while I tuck this into the safe?” Billy inquires, nodding at the small pile of transaction receipts lying on the open register.
“Okay.”
In less than two minutes, the safe and doors are locked, the lights are off, and Billy’s arm is wrapped around Dom’s slender waist as they make their way up the stairs to the flat they share. In the foyer, Billy peels away Dom’s jacket and presses a soft kiss to his mouth, pleased at the murmur of pleasure it elicits. He’s unprepared when Dom suddenly deepens the kiss, clutching fistfuls of Billy’s shirt as their tongues slide together, passion overwhelming them both. The hunger in Dom’s touch is intensely arousing, but Billy can tell that he needs to be gentle with Dom, as he’s in a fragile state. He’s seeking Billy’s intimate comfort, taking refuge in their love.
By the time they stumble down the hall and into the bedroom, the lovers have discarded their shirts and Billy is all but carrying Dom as he’s begun to tremble. There is a flurry of activity in the loo when Billy reaches into the shower with one hand and twists on the taps while Dom peels away the remainder of their clothing. Finally, bare skin comes together, and then Billy is guiding Dom under the warm spray, their arms wrapped around one another tightly.
Mouths meet and part in long, wet kisses, and when Dom wraps a leg around Billy’s hip, he’s pressed against the wall of the shower before small fingers wrap around his throbbing erection. Amid tongue tangling kisses and raspy words of ecstasy, Billy begins to pump his fist, watching the rosy flush of orgasm rise up Dom’s wet torso, his expressive eyes growing darker as he’s urged closer to the edge of bliss. Swirling his thumb over Dom’s sensitive tip and watching Dom writhe shamelessly, Billy covers Dom’s mouth with his as control shatters, and then glittering fluid is flowing over his knuckles.
Billy strokes Dom through his orgasm and keeps a firm hold around his slender waist, familiar with the way Dom’s knees tend to buckle after he finds release. As expected, the younger man sinks into his arms fully and rests his cheek on Billy’s shoulder until the water is turned off and the shower curtain pulled back.
“Bills, you didn’t-”
“It’s okay, love,” Billy interjects.
“But-”
“There’s no rush,” Billy adds, kissing the tip of Dom’s squashed up nose and giving him a fond smile. “And I’d rather make love to you in our bed, where I can take my time.”
“You’re so good to me,” Dom murmurs, cupping Billy’s cheek and then bringing their mouths together for a soft kiss. “Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
The couple stay close as they towel off and then burrow under the coverlet, cuddling into one another and kissing. It would seem that whatever had rattled Dom earlier is subsiding, the sadness replaced with love and tenderness. Pizza is ordered, delivered and consumed within the safety of their bed, and it’s after their bellies have been satisfied that Dom begins trailing kisses down Billy’s neck and long fingers slide between the older man’s thighs. It isn’t long before Billy’s arousal is hard and aching, thanks in no small part to Dom’s long, seductive tongue exploring the heated flesh.
Their lovemaking is slower than usual, bodies rocking together tenderly for a long while, the lovers just enjoying being intimately joined as they touch and kiss. Finally, Dom’s legs tighten around Billy’s waist, urging him on, and their hips begin to thrust in a devastatingly erotic rhythm, until Dom is mewling and begging for Billy to fill him. There is one final thrust that buries Billy to the hilt before he lets go, the force of the release causing him to gasp of his lover’s name several times. Billy is still inside Dom as he starts to surrender to his exhaustion, the emotional upheaval of the day having drained his strength.
“Don’t go,” he whispers as Billy rolls them onto their sides and brushes a tender kiss to his temple. “Stay with me.”
“Always,” Billy vows. “Go to sleep, love.”
Content and relaxed in the circle of Billy’s arms, Dom rests his cheek against Billy’s chest, directly over his heart, and lets his dreams take him.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Emotionally drained from making his weekly rounds in the neighborhood, where he’d introduced himself to the new faces and handed out small business cards to those who would accept them, Dom all but falls into the squeaky chair behind his desk and sighs heavily. Every time he walks the familiar streets, there seems to be more people in need of help, new rent boys standing in doorways, runaways looking for a safe place, and people willing to take advantage of them. It’s an uphill battle with most of them, because they’ve learned quickly to trust no one. Dom’s all too familiar with the feeling because he lived by it, as a matter of survival.
Now that he knows how the system works and what is available to help those who have fallen on hard times, for a variety of reasons, Dom works tirelessly to utilize every opportunity, but it’s not easy. There’s never enough room, never enough money, and too often, when someone hears that things aren’t working out as they thought, hope is lost, and Dom is forced to start all over again. Sometimes all he can do is listen and offer a sympathetic ear with a box of kleenex. Other times, he can nudge open a door to a fresh start, and pray that someone else helps to continue the journey. Often times it’s a thankless job, and Dom has quickly learned to cling to the happier moments, and try not to get dragged down when he’s defeated.
If he loses his way, and forgets why he’s fighting this battle, the results could be disastrous. Even though he works hard, and does all he can, each and every day, Dom often finds himself feeling guilty when he leaves the Centre and goes home. He doesn’t have to worry about a safe place to sleep, if he’s going to be warm enough, or where his next meal is coming from. He has a home, at the book shop with Billy. He’s lucky, and he knows it.
Unlike the courses at uni, in a clean, warm classroom, this is real, where people’s lives are affected, and where far too often, there’s no happy ending. The people Dom talks to range from a young girl escaping an abusive father to a drug addict who has hit bottom, and they are both trying to claw their way out of the gutter to find a better life. Every day it’s something new, and the need is never ending.
It’s that need that causes Dom to sit up straight and reach for the phone sitting on the edge of his desk with one hand, and open a file folder with the other. There are people who are counting on him to find a warm place to sleep tonight.
He’s not going to let them down if he can possibly help it.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Billy checks on the chicken that’s keeping warm in the oven before consulting the clock on the wall and then his watch, ensuring that it’s the right time. When Dom called to say he was going to be late, again, he’d fervently promised that he’d be home by seven at the very latest for dinner. That was nearly fifteen minutes ago now.
In the nearly five months that Dom’s been working at the Centre, his work hours have steadily increased, and it’s become quite commonplace for him not to return home until Billy has closed the book shop for the night. He’d even been late for their reservation at Tony’s to celebrate their anniversary two weeks ago. When Dom had arrived, out of breath from running, Billy had forgiven him, of course, but there was a twinge of sadness, too. While Billy truly is happy for Dom, and he tries to be understanding, he can’t help but feel like he’s been replaced in some ways. It used to be that they were the center of each others’ worlds, but now Dom has other interests, other responsibilities.
It’s clear that Dom enjoys the work, has arrived home jubilant on a number of occasions when he’s had a breakthrough with someone, or helped to improve their situation, and Billy is grateful for that. He knows all too well the pressure that Dom puts on himself to succeed, and how determined he is not to fail, especially at something that means so much to him. Although Dom doesn’t say it aloud, Billy thinks that Dom has put additional pressure on himself, because he got a second chance, and wants to pay that gift forward.
Billy is so caught up in his thoughts he doesn’t hear the door to the flat open, and jerks in surprise when Dom calls out his name.
“Bills, I’m sorry,” Dom blurts out in a rush, entering the kitchen a moment later, shrugging off his jacket and dropping over the back of his chair. “I lost track of time. I should’ve set the alarm on my watch or something.”
“Dinner’s ready,” Billy replies with a nod, deciding that it’s best to let it alone for now. There’s no point making Dom feel worse. He knows that he’s late and has apologized. “There’s beer in the fridge if you want one.”
Dropping his jacket over the back of his chair, Dom closes the distance between them and presses a quick kiss to Billy’s cheek. “Thanks.”
The fridge opens and closes while Billy tugs on oven mitts and pulls the chicken out, and there is a pop and then a hiss as the beverage is opened. The roasting pan is set on a pot holder, and Billy removes the lid before reaching into the oven a second time for the vegetables and roasted potatoes.
“Busy day?” he asks, attempting to engage Dom in conversation.
“Yeah,” Dom replies, pouring a couple glasses of water and carrying them over to the table. “I was trying to get a mum and two little boys into a low-income flat. She was going to take them back out onto the street because she didn’t feel safe at the shelter.”
“Any luck?”
“The last place I called,” Dom says with relief. “They won’t have much room at first, but it’s a decent place for her to start over, and get back on her feet.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
Pushing aside his disappointment, Billy smiles, and when Dom asks about his day, it almost feels like it was in the beginning, just the two of them. He just needs to be patient while Dom settles in with the job and finds his rhythm. Then things will quiet down, and they can get back to how things were before. At least, that’s what Billy hopes.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Billy has just finished locking up the money and credit card slips in the safe in his office when the back door is flung open, and Dom rushes inside.
“Bills?”
Worried that something terrible has happened, Billy rushes towards Dom as he replies, “I’m right here. What’s wrong?”
Before Billy can inquire further, Dom’s lips are covering his, and he’s swept away in a passionate kiss that makes his knees buckle. Their sex life has slowed recently, because of Dom’s schedule, and it’s been a while since Dom attacked him with such exuberance. All too happy to be close to his lover, Billy eagerly returns Dom’s affections, clutching at the sweet curve of his arse and bringing their hips together as tongues tangle wetly.
When his lungs are screaming and the edges of his vision are starting to darken, Dom finally pulls back for some much needed air. His lips are rosy and swollen as he gazes at the older man, both of them panting for breath.
“What brought that on?” Billy asks when he can speak. “Not that I’m complaining, of course.”
“I did it,” Dom says simply, his eyes alight with joy. “I’ve been talking to this young bloke, Michael, off and on for the last couple of months, getting to know him, and trying to help where I could, when he’d let me. It was hard because he was so bloody stubborn. Well, today he came by the Centre, because he’d gotten roughed up, and we talked for over an hour. He told me why he left home, and why he thought he couldn’t go back.” Pausing, Dom swallows and blinks back the brightness in his eyes. “He sounded so much like me, thinking that his parents wouldn’t forgive him for making a stupid mistake. I finally convinced to call his mum, just to see what she’d say, and so she’d know he was alive. Bills, she was so happy to hear from him, she paid for his ticket home. I just put him on the train.”
Billy gazes at Dom fondly, sharing in his happiness. “Wow.”
“She didn’t care what they’d fought about,” Dom continues. “She told him that they’d both made mistakes, and she just wanted him to come home. He’d be gone for over a year.”
“And tonight he’ll be home with her,” Billy adds softly. “Safe and sound.”
“I couldn’t wait to tell you,” Dom says, sniffling and brushing at his damp eyes. “Today I really made a difference.”
Drawing Dom close, Billy brushes a gentle kiss to his temple before tightening his arms. “You make a difference every single day, Dommie. You’re there, fighting for them. You show them that someone cares, and you give them a voice.”
“This was different from when I volunteered at the shelter, Bills,” Dom tells him, breath warm against Billy’s neck. “I saw the look on his face when his mum asked him to come home, when she told him how much she loved him. For the first time since I met him, I saw hope.”
“I know the feeling,” Billy whispers, stroking the nape of Dom’s neck as they sway back and forth. “I remember the first time I saw that in your eyes. It was right after you signed up for those study classes so you could apply to finish your A levels. It took me a minute to realize what it was I was seeing. It was so beautiful, and I wanted to kiss you.”
Pulling back so their eyes meet, Dom smiles suggestively. “You can kiss me now, if you want.”
“Now there’s an invitation only a fool would resist,” Billy murmurs huskily before capturing his lover’s mouth in a lush kiss.
Billy finally ends the kiss when Dom’s knees buckle and he sags into the older man’s embrace, trusting Billy to hold him as he whimpers his pleasure and clutches at Billy’s strong shoulders. He cradles the younger man close while Dom regains his bearings, his wet mouth curling up into a sated smile, eyes focused on Billy’s bow-shaped lips.
“Have I ever told you how sexy your mouth is?” Dom inquires, the tip of his finger tracing the Scotsman’s upper lip. “I love just to look at it, especially your filtrum. I looked it up in a book once, to find out what it was called.”
“Aye, you’ve mentioned my mouth a number of times,” Billy replies, his voice low and intimate. “Usually when I’m inside you, but I didn’t know that you looked up the word.”
“Bills, if people knew how wonderful your mouth is, they’d write songs about it,” Dom breathes.
“I think you’re a wee bit biased, love,” Billy says as he chuckles. “But thank you. I love your mouth, too.”
“We’ve been so busy lately, it feels like I haven’t seen you,” Dom muses aloud, the longing clear in his tone. “I miss you.”
“Miss you, too,” Billy tells him, somewhat relieved that he’s not the only one who’s noticed the change. “We knew things were going to change with you working somewhere else. It’s an adjustment.”
“I was going to come home at lunch so I could see you, but I just get so busy that it never happens,” Dom adds. “Bloody hell, Bills. We haven’t had sex in, what, four days?”
“Five,” Billy corrects him, albeit gently. “You seem to be more in the mood on the weekends now.”
“I want to change that,” Dom states adamantly. “Right now.”
“Now?”
Taking in Billy’s raised eyebrows, Dom blushes. “Only if you want-”
“Oh, I want,” Billy interjects. “This is the earliest you’ve been home in a while. You’ve had a great day. Do you want to celebrate?”
“With you? Yeah,” Dom says, nodding in agreement.
“Do you want to go out? Tony’s?”
Billy’s pulse flutters when Dom snuggles closer and lets his hands slide down Billy’s back to rest on the curve of his arse. “It feels like forever since we ate dinner in bed,” Dom replies invitingly.
“Aye, it’s been a while.”
“How about we order takeaway,” Dom suggests. “Thai? Chinese?”
Overcome with relief at the knowledge that Dom wants to spend some quality time with him, just the two of them, Billy slides his fingers through Dom’s tousled blonde hair before fusing their mouths together in a deep, wet kiss. The mewl of pleasure that pushes past Dom lips only fuels his desire, and it’s long minutes before Billy finally lets them part, both men aroused and throbbing with need. Without having to discuss it, the idea of food is pushed to the side in favor of passion, Billy hastily locking the back door, Dom lapping at his neck, and then they make their way upstairs, kissing and touching hungrily, like when they first became lovers.
Dom’s shirt is discarded on the staircase, Billy’s in the foyer, and when Dom’s low slung jeans drop to his ankles halfway down the hall, any semblance of control is hopelessly lost. They barely make to the bed for their first round of lovemaking on top of the coverlet, Dom urging Billy on with hoarse cries of ecstasy, his long arms stretched wantonly above his head and lean thighs splayed wide.
The blissful look on Dom’s face as he climaxes reminds Billy of their first anniversary, where they spent day in bed with a Polaroid camera, wanting to capture every last moment as they celebrated and made love, over and over again, unable to get enough of one another. They’d taken dozens and dozens of pictures, and later Dom had made them in a private photo album that sits in the second drawer of his night stand.
Muscles weak from exertion and the orgasm rippling through his limbs, Billy sinks down into Dom’s waiting arms, pleased at the way the younger man is now trembling from the aftershocks of his release, and reveling in the sensation of being curled up with his lover.
“We need to do that more often,” Dom announces when he can form words again. “I’m just saying.”
Billy smiles as he looks up to meet Dom’s sated eyes, and then leans in so their lips can meet in a soft kiss.
“So, Chinese or Thai?” he asks quietly when they part.
“You pick,” Dom replies dreamily. “I don’t care as long as you’re touching me.”
“Thai,” Billy decides before reaching over to the night stand to scoop up the cordless receiver.
While Dom watches him and lets his hands roam across Billy’s bare back in endless, tender caresses, Billy places their order, ensuring that he requests Dom’s favorites. When Billy hangs up the phone, he looks over at Dom, not at all surprised to see the younger man watching him.
“You okay, Dommie?”
“Yeah,” he replies softly. “I just realized how much I missed this.”
“So did I,” Billy admits.
Although Dom doesn’t say the words, Billy likes to believe that as their lips meet in a warm, gentle exchange, it’s Dom’s promise to him that he’ll try harder to make time for them. He can feel the apology in Dom’s touch as they make love for a second time after sharing a meal in bed together, their positions reversed for this round, Dom inside of Billy. This encounter is much slower and far more luxurious, Dom taking his time in exploring his lover’s body as they rock together to completion.
The last thought that crosses Billy’s mind before he surrenders to sleep, Dom curled into his side, sated and content, is that things will get better now. Today helped to show Dom that he’s in the right field and the right place to make a difference, and he can relax a wee bit. In addition, Dom’s been reminded of how good he and Billy are together, and this time he won’t forget.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
By the beginning of October, autumn is slowly beginning to give way to winter, and the leaves on the trees that were various shades of red and gold just a couple of weeks ago are now lying on the ground, the branches in the park bare. As Dom pauses to zip up his down jacket, he’s thankful for the barrier from the cooler temperature, and remembers when he used to dread winter, because he didn’t have the basic necessities to stay warm and comfortable. So much more than his wardrobe has changed in five years.
He’s had a productive tour of the neighborhood, talked to a number of people, and is on his way back to the Centre, but his heart is heavy, because he’s seen too many new faces in recent months. More disturbing are the ones who disappear off the radar. He has no idea if they’ve gone home, moved on to a different area, or if something much worse has happened. There’s just no way to keep track of them all, when the people have such transient lifestyles.
It’s been several years since Eric disappeared, and Dom has not seen or heard from him in all that time, not since they sat on the stairs behind the book shop and talked that day. For a long time, Dom clung to the possibility that perhaps Eric went home, that he was all right, but even that hope has slowly faded. More than likely, something happened to Eric, and his life ended as he had predicted to Dom with such grim resignation. The memory of the friend that he couldn’t save is always with him, and Dom clings to those memories, since he has nothing else that proves Eric ever existed. More than anything, he wishes he had a photograph, so he’d never forget his friend.
When Dom had picked up his daily newspaper on his way to work yesterday, he’d been disheartened to read an article about the discovery of a young man who’d been severely beaten to death, his body dumped in an alley. At first, nobody had noticed him, had assumed that he was sleeping off some overindulging at the local pub on a Friday night. The story has become entirely too familiar to Dom, as this isn’t the first time this has happened.
Over the years, he’s noticed a number of such attacks, and can’t help but be angry at how nothing has been done to even attempt to stop it. It’s a dirty little secret in the neighborhood that few acknowledge, let alone talk about. The lives that only exist in alleys and darkened doorways. Most prefer to stick their heads in the sand and remain oblivious to the bleakness and desperation of those who are less fortunate. It’s almost as though they think if they refuse to see it, then it really doesn’t exist. If only that were true.
Exhaling sharply and rolling his shoulders in an attempt to loosen the tense muscles, Dom pushes down his frustration and resumes concentrating on finishing his rounds in the neighborhood. He’s become a regular fixture, and because of that has gained a bit trust, and dare he say, perhaps even made a friend or two. Dom is talking to James, a young man who’s lived in the neighborhood for just over a year now. He works three part time jobs to keep a roof over his head, one of which Dom helped him to find. They’re in the middle of catching up with one another when an unfamiliar face catches Dom’s attention.
It’s the shock of white blonde hair that causes Dom’s belly to twist first, and when his gaze locks with a pair of striking blue eyes, it’s almost as though he’s falling back through time. For a split second, his heart sees Eric, but his friend disappears in the blink of an eye, leaving a younger version in his place. Everything about him is eerily similar to Eric, from the chiseled line of his jaw, to the sway of his narrow hips. If someone had told Dom that they were brothers, he would’ve believed them.
“Excuse me,” Dom says as the young man draws closer and starts to pass them by. “I don’t believe we’ve met. You must be new around here.”
“Yeah,” the young man replies carefully, watching Dom and James with some wariness, not quite sure why he’s being approached. “Been here almost a week.”
“Well, I’m Dom, and this is James,” Dom tells him, gesturing as he makes the introductions. “And you are?”
“Aaron.”
“Nice to meet you, Aaron. Where are you from?”
“Why do you want to know?” Aaron retorts as he takes a step back, a frown marring his brow.
“Just wondering,” Dom replies easily, familiar with this response and not offended in the least. “I’m from Manchester, and have lived here for nearly a decade. You get to recognize the new faces.”
“Oh.”
“I’m from Middlesbrough,” James chimes in, familiar with the process as it’s nearly identical to how Dom approached him, several months ago now.
“Cambridge,” Aaron grudgingly provides. “Brighton before that, and Exeter before that. My dad moved us around a lot.”
“Oh, you’re here with your family?” Dom inquires nonchalantly, having decided that by the looks of him, Aaron can’t be more than seventeen, most likely younger.
“No.”
The answer is short and blunt, and a blind man could see that Aaron isn’t interested in discussing the matter any further. From what Dom can see, he seems in be in fairly good health, a bit tired perhaps, but that could mean anything.
“Well, I better get to work,” James interjects, feeling the tension radiating off the younger man. “My shift at the coffee shop starts in ten minutes.”
“Sure thing,” Dom replies.
“I’d offer to meet you at the pub on Friday, but I know you won’t be there,” James teases.
“You are so very right,” Dom agrees, holding up his left hand after he pulls it out the pocket of his jacket and wiggles his ring finger. “I already have a date.”
“You’re married?” Aaron blurts out in surprise, when blushes at his outburst.
“Three years,” Dom says with a smile. “He runs the book shop near the park. Boyd’s.”
Aaron seems to take Dom’s revelation about his orientation in stride, and nods. “I’ve walked by it.”
“The sexy Scotsman you may have seen is my better half. Billy.”
“Well, I have to run,” James says regretfully. “Dom, I’ll see you next week?”
“Or drop by the Centre,” Dom offers. “I’m usually there.”
“Dom, you’re always there,” James says knowingly. “If I were Billy, I’d be jealous.”
“He’s got nothing to worry about,” Dom responds, chuckling and waving as James turns and hurries down the street.
“The Centre?” Aaron asks with one eyebrow arched, arms wrapped around his chest in an effort to keep warm in his rather thin looking jacket.
“Drop in Centre,” Dom explains. “People go there, looking for a place to stay, a safe place to try to start over, you name it. Sometimes all they want is to warm up and have some coffee. We try to help.”
“Oh.”
“So, I was about to grab some lunch,” Dom tells him, making a point of glancing at his watch. “There’s a café on the corner that has a great soup and sandwich special. Would you care to join me?”
“I, uh, I already, uh-”
“My treat,” Dom adds softly, the gentleness in his eyes informing Aaron that Dom suspects the reason, and most likely knows the reason for his indecisiveness. “It’s warm, and they have good coffee.”
A long, quiet moment passes in silence, and then Aaron finally nods. “Thanks.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
By November, the night the lovers spent in bed eating Thai takeaway and making love is a distant memory, one that sometimes soothes Billy, and other times mocks him. He’d fervently hoped that things would improve after that night of reconnection, that Dom would make him some kind of a priority, but instead his time at the Centre has continued to increase as the weeks pass. Even when Dom is home, he’s preoccupied with work. Now, Dom quite regularly doesn’t climb into bed until very late, when Billy is already there, fast asleep, and is usually up and in the shower when the alarm goes off. The only day that is different is Sunday, where Dom sleeps for much of the morning, and then spends the afternoon doing paperwork at the desk in the guest room.
Dom’s determination to shed light on the problems in the neighborhood has been focused on applying for every possible penny that he can get his hands on. Day after day, he writes letters and proposals in an effort to get funding to create programs to help those in need of a second chance. For people of all ages. Teen runaways, families who have fallen on hard times, and the elderly, who have no means of supporting themselves when their meager savings run out.
There are some programs out there, but Dom knows that there aren’t nearly enough, and the need is growing. Something has to be changed in order to stop the violence and desperation. There is a human face to the problem that Dom is working tirelessly to make the world see, in the hopes that it’ll make a difference, and help to ease the needless suffering.
Until that happens, Dom knows he must keep doing what he can, helping one person at a time.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Chapter 34