I'll Fight Hell to Hold You

Bad Dream

Tommy was half asleep when Paul laid him down. He had been having bad dreams for the whole time he and Paul were married. Most of them occurred when he wasn't feeling too well or was stressed. His biggest fear was that he would be on medication so long he'd forget who he was.

Feeling Paul kiss him, he briefly opened his eyes. "Paul? Are you leaving?"

"I'm just going downstairs to talk to Gene and Eric for awhile. I'll be back in a bit, okay?"

Tommy nodded, rolled over and fell back asleep quickly. He didn't even hear the door shut. Within ten minutes, he started dreaming. This one was horrible from the beginning.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DREAM SEQUENCE:

"No, Paul! I'm sorry! Please don't hit me!" "It won't happen again!" cried Tommy as the whip bit through his back. He looked up with pleading eyes but his husband showed no mercy. Tommy's bare back was bleeding and raw from the metal tipped leather strapped whip Paul was wielding. 

"DID I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO SPEAK!?" "NO! THAT WILL BE 10 MORE LASHES!" Paul continued to whip Tommy until he passed out from the pain. Blood was running down Tommy's back onto the floor beneath him. He was then yanked to his feet and slapped across the face, splitting his lip.  "NOW, GO MAKE ME A DECENT MEAL!"

Tommy stumbled as Paul shoved him. "I WANT IT IN TEN MINUTES!" Tommy fumbled with something he could cook quickly, all the time hoping Paul wouldn't hit him again.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Tom, baby! Wake up! You're crying." came Paul's voice. He gently shook Tommy awake. 

Tommy scooted away from Paul and pulled the covers over his head. "I'm sorry! Don't hit me!"

"What?!" Paul took Tommy in his arms. "I'm not going to hit you." He gently wiped Tommy's tears away. "Baby, look at me. What's going on?"

Tearfully Tommy told Paul his dream. He looked away as he spoke. 

"First of all, you can't cook." laughed Paul. "Second of all, I would never do that. Ever." "I do have a whip but I'd never use it for that."

"Y-y-you have a whip?" whispered Tommy. "Why?"

Paul just grinned and didn't answer. "That's for another day."

Tommy kept the covers around him. He didn't want Paul to see the scars on his arms.

Paul massaged Tommy's back until he fell sleep again.