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It had officially been two days since Domino and Rhapsody had held a group intervention for me. I was feeling...better. Not great, but better.
There was a huge feeling of relief that my friends hadn't just dropped me for how I had been treating them. It would have been perfectly justifiable for them to kick me to the curb. A sinking feeling settled in my stomach as a contemplated what my life would have been like if they had.
I rolled over and tried to shake myself out of the dark thoughts. This was no time to be wallowing in the "what ifs" of the past. My friends had shown time and time again that they would be there for me. Rather than sitting here in self-imposed misery, I should go out and find one of those shoulders to lean on.
Double checking in the mirror to make sure I look presentable, I venture into the great unknown of our apartment to see who might be lurking around. Not so surprisingly, Grace and Jynx are no where in sight. After being forced to grind Fist Of Discomfort 2, everyone must be elated for the chance to get out and enjoy themselves. Not willing to give up yet, I walk over to the door that separates the two apartments and open it.
Again, no one around. Zapper and Rhapsody's door is closed, so it's safe to assume they're out or don't want to be bothered. On the other side I see that Domino's and Locksley's door is open, so I decide to sneak a glance inside. There's no harm in checking, despite the fact that it feels vaguely like I'm imposing.
Looking in, I smile automatically at the sight of Domino sitting in his bed with a book. Before I can decide whether I should bother him or not, he glances up from his book and sees me.
"Hello Seeker, what can I do for you on this fine day?" Domino states with his normal sarcastic flourish. Hearing it already puts me more at ease.
"I was just..." I start, but trail off, unsure of what to say. I don't want to interrupt his rest and relaxation when I've already pushed him so hard this month.
Domino notices my hesitation and puts his book to the side, moving until he's standing across from me.
"Let me guess," He starts. "You're looking for company because you started on a downward spiral as you contemplated how you treated the team for the past month. Everyone else is out enjoying their new freedom. Except for me, ever the homebody. You were excited to see I was still here, but then paralyzed with guilt at the thought of asking me to spend time with you since you were the reason I haven't been able to read all month."
He gives me an appraising look as I take that all in. He definitely hit the nail on the head, but doesn't seem bothered by what he just told me. It's scary how he's able do that, but I'm grateful for it because it makes admitting that I need help much easier.
I squint at him playfully. "Are you sure you don't have any freaky supernatural mind reading powers that you haven't told me about?"
He smiles back, clearly relieved that his assessment of the situation hasn't upset me. "Not that I am aware of, but I'll let you know if that changes."
Well, I might as well own up to it now. I trust Domino to tell me if he needs personal space, so there's nothing wrong with asking.
"You were right. I was debating on asking if you wanted to do something. Are you free right now?"
"You're in luck! I had actually just finished my chapter when you came by and I am not ready to face the emotional turmoil that I know the next chapter will bring. What have you got in mind?"
I paused, realizing that I hadn't thought that far ahead. What did I want to do? I didn't really feel up to playing any game at the moment. What did I even do for fun when I wasn't playing FOD2?
As if sensing the impending mental breakdown that was happening in front of him, Domino speaks up. "Would you want to watch a movie? I've always thought that a cheesy film was the perfect distraction for existential dread."
That was...perfect actually. Iris would easily be able to stream any movie we picked out, and I had a decent hand-me-down television in my room.
I look at Domino and grin. "You're in charge of picking the movie, my brain can't seem to make decisions right now." I start walking away from his door while making a come hither motion in his direction. "Iris will be able to stream it from the TV in my room, so we can watch from there."
Domino only hesitates for a second before following. As we enter my room, he tells Iris his movie of choice while I flip off the switch for the harsh florescent lights embedded in my ceiling in favor of turning on my bedside lamp instead.
Jumping onto the left side of the bed, I rearrange the pillows so that we won't have excruciating back pain later. Certain that our spines are no longer in danger, I pat the spot next to me. Domino takes his cue and softly bounces onto his designated spot.
"Thank you for being there for me." I say it quietly, not wanting to break the comfy atmosphere we had created with the overwhelming rush of graditude that had come over me.
"Anytime. I know you would do the same for me." Domino responds quietly back. I appreciate that he isn't trying to turn my statement into a longer conversation. It's almost as if he can sense that I don't want to linger on it.
We both settle down, our attention now on the movie. Domino shifts slightly, causing our shoulders to touch. The intimacy makes my heart flutter. Memories of our date at the amusement park bubble up in my mind, distracting from the screen in front of me. I wonder if this officially counted as our second date. Are dates in a shared living space even still dates?
The movie was one I had seen before, so I let my thoughts drift back to that first date. The dancing, the fireworks, the kiss. The little gasp he had made right before the kiss.
A loud sound effect from the movie brings me back to the present. My cheeks begin to heat up as I realize that I had gotten carried away in the memories. Luckily, the scene on the screen was one I could quote by heart, so no worries there. Unluckily, I was now very aware of the fact that our sides were touching. My brain helpfully decides that now is a good time to also realize that no one else in the in apartment, and that we are alone in my room with the door closed.
My face is on fire, because now it's all I can think about. Oh God. What if Domino can tell? Supernaturally gifted or not, he can still read people's insecurities scarily well. That's a talent that could feasibly work for other emotions. What if he can tell my thoughts are rapidly going down a more and more inappropriate rabbit hole?
I have two options. One: I act like nothing is happening and try very hard to pay attention to the movie. Two: I look at Domino and see if he can tell, possibly leading myself towards a state of eternal embarrassment.
Well, who am I kidding? I look at Domino and the risk is worth it. He notices the movement and looks right back at me. I watch as he scans my face, wondering what he sees. When his eyes meet mine again, I recognize the same intense look he had before we kissed at the theme park.
My eyes glance down at his lips, an embarrassingly obvious tell. His lips quirk up, but before I can say anything he leans in. His kiss is soft and sweet. I feel like I could get lost in it, so I do.
We break apart for air and I scoot onto his lap for better access. "Is this okay?" I can't stop myself from checking.
"I would describe this as way more than okay." He responds, bringing his hands to my hips and leaning back in.
I meet him halfway for the kiss this time, gasping as he bites my bottom lip. Domino takes the opportunity to slide his tongue into my mouth. As I tangle my hands in his hair, a loud bang causes us to jump apart.
We look at each other, faces mirroring exasperation, at the sound of Zapper and Locksley's loud voices excitedy discussing something. The delicious smell of pizza wafts into the room and my stomach gives a loud growl. Domino and I burst out laughing at the same time, shoulders shaking with the effort of it.
"I suppose that's a sign from the great deities above that we should eat dinner." Domino jokes.
I chuckle and move to stand up. "Alas, it seems that they do have other plans for us."
Domino straightens out his cloths as he stands with me. Once we're both sorted out, I reach a hand out to him. He takes it with a wink. Together we walk towards the sound of passionate arguing and the wonderful smell of pizza, all of the unease I felt earlier completly forgotten.