I Won't Ever Hide Alone

Ch: 15 Recovery

The next morning, Dom woke up with a killer headache and he was super groggy. He felt like he could actually fall back asleep for the first time in his life and it would be okay. He did not want to get up.

He lazily looked around the room and realized he wasn't in his air b and b he had rented out for his stay. He tried to think of where he was but his brain was still very fuzzy as he tried to wake up.

"Hey sleepy head." Dom heard a voice and he shifted himself in the voices direction. His eyes still a bit blurry, but he was able to make out who it was.

"Julian?" He asked, confused, "Am I dreaming?"

Julian stifled a little chuckle. He had a feeling Dom was going to be like this. "No. You're just not in the best shape right now."

Dom sighed and layed himself, back flat, on the bed. He was trying to concentrate on the ceiling above him so his sight would come in clearer.

"What happened lastnight?" Dom questioned.

"Well", Julian began as he sat down on his computer chair. "You and I were hanging out."

"Yeah I remember that." Dom was remembering the bar. Julian and him were talking a lot.

"Well then the bar closed so we had to leave. You got in an Uber or something."

"Okay so... then what? How did I end up here?"

Julian wasn't sure how to talk about this so he tried to remember the things Kara had told him when she saved him from trying to kill himself.

"Well, to be honest, you... tried to....jump off the big bridge I told you about." He looked over at Dom.

"Oh shit..." Dom was slowly remembering bits of this as Julian spoke.

"But not before you emptied a bottle of Xanax first." Julian finished.

"Oh shit..." Dom said again and rubbed his temples.

Julian was silent as Dom continued to process his thoughts.

"So how did you know where I was?" Dom inquired.

"Well, I was on a drive. I felt like going to the bridge so I did and there you were." Julian told him.

"I'm so fuckin sorry you had to see that, mate." Dom rolled over to his left side. He peered down and saw an empty bucket sitting on the floor.

"Well that explains why my throat is fucked." Dom noted.

"You most likely would have went into a coma if I didn't make you get it all out. Again, I do apologize for that. I know how much it sucks to have to expel the poisons." Julian looked over at the bucket as well as he spoke. He was remembering how he had to stick his fingers down Dom's throat to clean him out. It made him shiver.

"The bucket is clean though. There's nothing in there." Dom noticed.

"Well yeah! I'm not gonna leave it all disgusting. I changed it out. Just in case." Julian picked himself up from the chair and handed Dom some water. "You're gonna need this, man."

Dom took the water and Julian added, "Just sip it. Don't chug it or you may have another sick session again. Believe it or not, it's worse on an empty stomach."

Dom nodded, "Thank you so much." Then he sipped some water. He did this every couple seconds. The ice water felt nice when it flowed down his throat.

-

Later on that day, Dom had taken a shower and Julian gave him some of his clothes to wear while the other clothes Dom had worn were being washed. The warm water from the shower felt refreshing as he breathed in the steam rising above him. He just stood there under the pressure of the water, and he thought about everything he could from lastnight. The shower was definitely helping him remember more things as he spent some time in there. Once he got out he heard a quiet knock on the bathroom door.

"Hey man." It was Julian, "I got you a toothbrush. You can use my toothpaste. It's the only one on the sink."

Dom opened the bathroom door. Steam poured out and a refreshing clean smell followed. Julian gazed at the beautiful sight standing before him. Dom's hair was scraggly and drenched from the shower. Water droplets were falling from the tips of his hair onto his bare chest. Julian watched as the droplets ran down. He watched Dom's chest slowly rise and fall from his breathing. He wasnt sure how long he was staring but he didnt realize that he even was until Dom cleared his throat.

"Erm, can I have the toothbrush?" Dom smiled.

Julian shook his head to get out of his thoughts. "Yeah. Uh, here." He handed over the toothbrush still in its newly unopened pack."

"Thanks, mate." Dom said as he accepted the toothbrush and closed the door with a smile.

-

Dom made his way downstairs to see Julian in the kitchen. Dom could smell the food before he even got downstairs. He realized he was ridiculously hungry.

"Dom, come on in. Pull up a chair." Julian said as he turned around and set a plate of food down for Dom.

Dom sat down and immediately began to eat. "Wow", he said with his mouth full, "I didn't realize I was so hungry."

Julian chuckled and said, "Yeah. I'm not surprised. You probably threw up enough for all of America."

"Sick." Dom said as he continued to scarf his food down.

"Careful.", Julian reminded Dom, "You don't want a recap of lastnight. You are already doing better. Are you like invincible or something?"

Dom slowed down and laughed, "No. I am just lucky I guess." He winked at Julian.

Julian tried not to blush, but he figured it was happening anyway.

This dude has no idea what he does to me... Julian thought.

"Yeah I guess you are. I was still pretty sick the next day. I didn't even want to eat anything." Julian said as he drank the tea he just made.

Dom stopped eating and looked over at Julian. "You've been through this before?"

Julian locked eyes with Dom. He saw the concern in them so he looked away. "Yeah. A couple times, but thanks to Kara and my Mum, I made it through."

"Thanks to you... I made it through." Dom added before he continued to finish his food.

-

"I need to head out for a bit. I've got to get the rest of my random belongings from Ash today, but maybe we can meet up later?" Dom asked as he was in his phone getting himself an Uber.

"Yeah. Absolutely. Do what you gotta do. I'll be here. I actually have a free day for myself today." Julian said with a smile.

"No work? Good. Take a nap." Dom said as he put his phone in his pocket.

"Why?" Julian asked, not expecting Dom to suggest that.

"Man, you put up with my dumbass all night. You need sleep." Dom flashed Julian another toothy grin.

Dom's smile made him feel funny in a good way. He smiled back but looked to the side, "Yeah I guess you're right."

"My Uber is here. Thank you for everything, Julian. Seriously." Dom said. Then again to Julian's surprise, he received another tight hug from Dom. He felt like he could definitely get used to this. He breathed in Dom's scent. It gave him a kind of euphoric feeling. Whatever perfume or cologne Dom uses made him want to bathe in it.

"See ya man." Julian said as they unlocked themselves from each other, then added, "Don't go trying to kill yourself okay?"

Dom smiled and opened the front door. "I'll see ya later. I promise and I dont break those." He gave Julian another wink then closed the door behind him.

Julian let out a giant breath of peacefulness, then before he knew it, he had plopped himself on his bed. Just to breathe in the comforting scent of where Dom layed and fall asleep.