I Won't Ever Hide Alone

Ch: 16 Heavy Falling

"Oh my god, is he okay?" Kara asked Julian. She had stopped over later in the day and Julian told her about the night prior with Dom.

"He's fine. He just needed some doctoring up. You know how it is." He nudged Kara to remind her of all the times she had to help him.

"Oh do I." Kara said with a playful roll to her eyes. "So what's next?" She added.

"With what?" Julian asked.

"With you and Dom. You said him and that sexy bitch Halsey aren't together anymore-"

"Woooow!" Julian cut her off, but was smiling as he said it. 

"Well, it's true. She is hot." Kara said.

"Yes. Yes. All very sexy, but uh, I want him, not her so I don't care." He chuckled.

Kara laughed and continued, "So then what? Are you going to see him again?"

"I seriously hope so."

Buzz. Buzz.

"Speaking of..." Kara said, smirking down at Julian's phone.

"Yeah. Yeah." He looked at his phone and saw he was getting a call from Dom, not a text. "Oh shit. He's calling me."

"So answer, idiot!" Kara quickly swiped on the green call button before Julian could react or say anything else.

He gave her a look and answered, "Hey man, how's it going?" Julian was trying to sound casual and not like he had just been talking about Dom.

"Hey! Alright, so you feel like going for a drink or what?" Dom asked this all so quickly. Julian picked up that he sounded actually pretty chipper on the other line.

"Oh yeah! Sure! What were you thinking?" Julian was trying to not sound too over excited that his crush wanted to hang with him again.

"Wherever there's a lot of beautiful lasses." Dom laughed.

Though Julian felt like he just got punched in the stomach after hearing that, he didn't want Dom to notice that.

"Aye?" Dom listened to the silence on the other line.

"Oh! Yes. Yes. Let's do it! I-I mean, not that do it, but like the let's go look for lasses or I mean chicks kinda do it." Julian felt so stupid at this moment and he realized he just rambled something of a nightmare probably.

Thankfully Dom found this funny and let out a reverberating laugh. "Alright man. See you around... what? 10?"Dom asked.

"Yeah. That's a date. I mean like  not a date, but like a plan. You know what I mean." Julian let out a nervous laugh. He was so thankful Dom couldn't see his face right now. Julian always got nervous talking over the phone for some reason. He would always stumble on his words and say confusing things like he is right now. Especially when it was someone he fancied.

"Yeh." Dom let out another chuckle. "See you then."

Once Dom hung up, Julian slowly looked over at Kara who saw the whole thing and she immediately burst with laughter.

"Omg Juls, if you could die by phone I really think you would." Kara said through her giggling.

"Haa. Haa. Don't put it past. Now you've jinxed me." Julian rolled his eyes. "How awful was that? Scale of 1-10?"

"Awe. It was so cute so I think I'll give it a...6." She smiled.

"Wow. Thanks. That makes me feel so much better." 

"Oh shut up, you love me. Now, stop wallowing and get your ass ready!"

Julian pouted and said, "Okay, but only because I need to get out of these clothes and not because you told me to."

"Uh huh, get!" Kara urged Julian upstairs.

-

"So." Julian began as he sat himself in the backseat next to Dom. The driver was looking at his GPS. "You really want to go drinking after... well, lastnight?"

"Beer is life, mate." Dom said as he clicked his seat belt in. Julian did the same.

"Where to?" The driver asked.

"How about that bar where I ran into you?" Dom suggested Julian.

"Yeah. That's always a good choice." Julian agreed. 

Dom directed his voice at the driver and enthusiastically said, "Jukes, PLEASE!" 

"You got it." The driver said as he put it in his GPS and began to drive.

-

"Hey. Thanks man. I'll call yah when we're done." Dom said to the driver as they headed out of the car and into Jukes.

"So, do you like it here in L.A.?" Julian asked, curious how an English boy is taking in such a crazy city.

"Erm. No." Dom came flat out with an answer. "Two beers!" Dom said to the bar tender.

"Oh really? Then why do you come?" Julian was even more curious now.

"Well, I record here. My music. Plus, well... Ash was a priority." Dom said and took a mighty swig of his beer.

Julian sipped his beer and watched the bubbles inside the glass rise as he thought about what he was going to say next. He wanted to be careful how he worded it, "Do you... miss her?"

Dom let out a sigh and finished chugging his beer. "I do." He answered automatically and asked for another beer.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Julian asked, concerned.

"In time." He immediately started drinking his second beer then added, "Because of you." The corner of Dom's mouth twitched into a smile at Julian. Julian almost hated how bad he wanted to take Dom's face and kiss him. It hurt him to feel as heavy as he does for Dom and he just started to really get to know him.

As the night carried on, Dom and Julian were getting pretty wasted together. Julian was trying to keep up with Dom, but to no avail. He knew he was losing this beer war tonight. It amazed him how Dom could just chug the beer away like water on a hot day.

-

"Oh man, I love this song." Dom shouted and then he started to sing along.

"It is a good one." Julian agreed and smiled as he is listened to Dom's drunk, yet soothing voice.

"Your voice is so beautiful." Julian said aloud, not realizing he did until it was too late. He didn't even really care at this moment and he just kept looking at Dom, dreamily.

"Thank you so much man! Trust me, it's not perfect though."

"It is to me." Julian said, this time he felt a little embarrassed with that one and decided he needed to sober up before he said or did anything to push Dom away.

Though Dom didn't seem like he wanted to run away. If anything, Julian noticed that Dom seemed like he had moved closer than he was earlier to Julian than when they first got there.

"I am gonna take a restroom break. Be right back." Julian got up from the table and drunkenly made his way to the guys bathroom. Once he got in there he splashed some water on his face to see if that would wake him up.

It didn't. Now his face and hair were just wet. "Nice." Julian said to himself. He dried his face off with paper towels and looked in the mirror to see if he missed a spot anywhere. "Ugh", He said at his own reflection then made his way back out to the bar. Dom wasn't there anymore though. Julian got a tinge of anxiety. He was trying not to think the worst. He always did that to himself. He scanned the room and to his relief found Dom in the middle of the dance floor.

His relief progressively turned into jealousy though when he saw Dom dancing with a woman. He was all over her. They were smiling, laughing, and dancing so close you would think they were attached.

Julian let out an agitated and defeated sigh as he slowly walked back over to his seat at the bar. He watched as Dom and this girl were all over each other and sipped on his beer. He was thinking about how that will never be him. All of a sudden he felt like he can have about 6 more beers and be okay with that. That was until his eyes caught something. He rubbed his blurry eyes and looked at the woman staring at him from across the room. He thought he was seeing things at first, but that fiery auburn hair told him otherwise.