Milk (closed for heartofcourage)

[Baelnorn]

Dominic did not notice her soft footsteps when she joined him in the open kitchen, only realizing she was standing behind him because of her words. He turned around to greet her, but when he saw her standing there in his bathrobe he stared for a few seconds, much longer than he would have wanted. The thought of her being naked beneath that single layer of white cotton terry and the sudden awareness of his staring made him blush slightly and he quickly cleared his throat.

“Oh, no worries. It’s okay. I’ll admit I was a bit confused, thinking I had angered you somehow.”

After hearing Susan’s apology he could have breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that she just needed some time to clear her mind was good to hear, since he had already feared for the worst. Dominic smiled at her as she picked up her cup of hot coffee, and waved her to follow him to the small table where the rest of their breakfast was already waiting. He pulled one of the chairs out from under the table for her, and sat down on the chair across from her.

“You don’t need to thank me, Susan. I’m glad I could help you. You have no idea how much it means to me that you listened and didn’t jump.”

Dominic had laid the table full with lots of different food. A small woven bamboo basket with some whole-grain bread rolls still warm from the oven, a plate with several slices of turkey breast cold cuts and some cheese, a small block of butter, one glass jar with strawberry jam and another one with orange jam and a third one with a dark brown chocolate spread. Two colorful ceramic bowls containing a cereal mix and dried fruits waited on the side with a bottle of whole milk.

“It’s been a while since I’ve made breakfast for anyone but myself. I don’t know what you wanted, so I just brought a bit of pretty much everything I could find. If you want something else just let me know and I’ll see what I can do. We can also have scrambled eggs and bacon, if you were in the mood for it.”

 

[heartofcourage]

Susan turned towards the seat at the table that had been pulled out for her. She gave him a smile and took the seat, slowly sinking down onto the chair with a welcome sigh. Her gaze turned a bit sheepish as he mentioned the moment the evening before when she had almost jumped off the bridge. That seemed like a million years away at this point and she lowered her dark gaze towards the table top at the mention of the incident.

She was about to speak again when all the food laid out before her caught her attention. It was a feast fit for a king and she couldn’t help the little giggle that escaped her lips. Her eyes were back on his in a moment and she actually blushed slightly as he explained that he brought out everything that he could find.

“Thank you, Dominic. It’s very thoughtful of you, but you really don’t have to make a big fuss over me.” She said softly. “Maybe just some nice crispy bacon and I can make a meal from the rest of what’s here.”

It felt nice to have someone caring for her, even simply caring about her. It had been a long time since anyone had ever really truly done that.

“And call me Susie, please. All my friends call me that.”

 

[Baelnorn]

“Okay, Susie. And thank you.”

Dominic returned her smile, watching her eyes wander across the table. He closely examined her expression, noticing a bit of curiosity with a hint of happiness. He wondered when the last time was, when she could really say that she had been happy. What little Dominic knew of her life made him sad, she was a good girl that had to deal with so many bad things. His only hope was that she would come out of her shell eventually. He took a small sip from his coffee and stood again, heading towards the kitchen.

“How many slices do you want?”

Dominic asked her while taking the packed slab of fresh bacon from the fridge and unpacking it on a black marble cutting board. He took a chef’s knife and started to slice off thin strips of bacon from the slab. Dominic cut enough pieces for Susie and himself, and then quickly packed the rest and put it back in the fridge. A bit of small talk later, the bacon was done frying in a large pan on the oven, a tempting smell filling the air.

“Here, I hope it’s crispy enough.”

Dominic carried the pan on its handle over to the dining table and placed an equal number of crispy bacon slices on Susie’s and his plate, quickly returning the pan to the oven before sitting down at the table again. While they were having breakfast, Dominic’s thoughts already started making plans for the rest of the day, listing all the things in his mind they needed or wanted to do.

“Just let me know when you want to visit your place. We could go right after breakfast and have lunch out, or have lunch here and go later.”

 

[heartofcourage]

“Just two or three slices would be fine. Thank you.” Susan said, focusing her attentions on the food in front of her as he worked on cooking the bacon.

She had a plate full of food by the time he returned, chewing on a piece of warm bread as he came back with the pan full of crispy bacon. The smell was heavenly and she gave him a truly delightful smile. She sat patiently and waited as he deposited the food on her plate, giving her what she wanted before he returned the pan to the kitchen and then rejoined her.

“If you do this every day, I’ll start to think you’re spoiling me.” She said with a small teasing smile as he asked what she wanted to do that day.

“Well, I guess we can go early and get the packing done. There’s not a whole lot there. I’ll just grab some clothes and some personal possessions. The rest I’ll have one of my brother’s come and pack up later for me.” She commented as she picked up a piece of bacon and bit into it with a hum of pleasure.

 

[Baelnorn]

Susie’s comment about him spoiling her made Dominic chuckle, before he turned to his own slices of bacon. Thoughts of lazy evenings crept into his mind, where they were both naked in bed and feeding each other with sweet fruits, whipped cream, and other delicious food. He softy shook his head to clear his mind, and focused on his breakfast again.

“No worries, I certainly wouldn’t mind spoiling you. That’s the least I can do.”

Continuing with his food, Dominic quickly dug into the bacon, which he had combined with some cheese and a bread roll. While eating, he listened closely to what Susie told him about her plans. Dominic nodded when she mentioned only getting some basics and let one of her brothers grab the rest for storing. The sound of her hum as she bite into the piece of bacon made him smile happily, the corners of his eyes raising softly.

“Sounds like a good plan, but we don’t have to go in a hurry. We have enough time, and if we need, we can make more than one trip. I also have a couple of suitcases in the storeroom which we can take along if you want.”

Dominic started with his second bread roll, this time adding a bit of butter and a spoon full of the sweet strawberry jam. His gaze was drawn to Susie repeatedly, even when they were not talking. It seemed he could not keep his eyes off her, and on several occasions, his thoughts wandered back to the fact that she was naked underneath his bathrobe.

 

[heartofcourage]

Susan blushed at Dominic’s words, her eyes rising from her plate to look at him as he mentioned that he wouldn’t mind spoiling her. Again, thinking about the words made her blush even harder. He wanted to take care of her and he barely knew her. What kind of man was Dominic and what kind of life had he led that he would be so protective of a woman?

The moment was suddenly broken as he started to talk about her plans, telling her that they could make multiple trips if need be. To be honest, there would be very little that she would take. He would be shocked with how little she actually owned and the thought made a painful little knot form in her stomach. Letting out a little breath, she rubbed her belly, frowning slightly as she tried to decide whether this was from the Milk or if it were something else.

“I think I’m going to get dressed.” She said suddenly, perhaps a little abruptly, but she soon stood from the table and hurried off towards his bedroom.

She had no choice but to dress in her clothing from the day before. Her scrubs were fine but she wondered briefly if it were cool outside. Her coat was still at the hospital. She wondered as she pulled on her clothing if she could send Dominic back to the facility to gather her stuff from her locker in the breakroom. The hospital staff had probably already gotten rid of her things...

 

[Baelnorn]

Her sudden departure caused him to raise an eyebrow, but Dominic just shrugged it off then. In his mind, she was probably just having a hard time stomaching the recent events, even more so with the prospect of having to go back to her own place and face what she is going to leave behind. Dominic simply nodded and watched her quickly leave the room, his eyes following the gentle sway of her hips.

He quickly finished his breakfast and started cleaning up, putting the remaining food back into the fridge and sorting the dishes into the dishwasher. Despite his best efforts, his thoughts were just drawn back to Susie again. He could not help thinking about her and their possible future together. The thought of them growing closer, perhaps even becoming a couple, certainly appealed to Dominic. Susie was a smart and strong woman, and beautiful to boot; no red-blooded man would ever willingly turn her down.

However, he did not want her to feel uncomfortable around him. They had no room to escape from each other, at least not for now, and thus they would need to get along with each other as best as they could. If he screwed this up they would both be in for a long period of awkwardness. Dominic decided that he would not turn her down if she approached him, but he would not make the first move. He did not want to come across as a creep. If she got only the slightest thought of him only being so friendly to get in her pants, it would be impossible for him to keep his promise of helping her.

Dominic was just done with cleaning up the kitchen and dining corner when Susie came back. She wore her scrubs again, but despite dressing in the same clothes she looked much better than the evening before. A soft smile appeared on Dominic’s lips as he saw her walk in while he squeezed out the sponge over the sink.

“You know, you’re looking much better than last night. But I’d say it’s time to fetch some more comfortable clothes. Just give me a few minutes to shower and we can head out.”

 

[heartofcourage]

Seeing Dominic again made Susan smile, especially when he told her that she looked better. She actually blushed again. Why was she acting this way around a man? She’d never been shy in all of her life, but Dominic had something about him that made her slightly weak at the knees. Maybe that was all part of the Milk and its course through her body.

“Alright.” She said softly to his comment, moving aside to let him head into the bedroom to prepare for the day himself.

Dominic was a handsome man, one that was kind and had the kind of convictions that she had always dreamed of in a man. Thinking about him made her belly flutter but she had made a promise to herself that she wouldn’t let her get too close to a guy after what had happened. Surely Dominic wasn’t one that would take advantage of her. If so, he would have last night when she had needed a “treatment.”

She sighed softly and moved over to the couch to pull on her shoes before she started to fold up the sheets and blankets she had used the night before. Maybe she could talk to Dominic about everything she was feeling today and they could talk through their options.

 

[Baelnorn]

Just like he had told her, Dominic went into his bedroom and quickly jumped under the shower. The warm water felt great running over his skin, and he quickly lathered himself. As he thoroughly washed his body and the foam was running over his flesh, he wondered for a second how Susie would look under the shower. He pictured her ebony skin glistening from the water and bubbles of foam slowly running over her curves. Before that thought could take root, Dominic turned on the water again, moving the temperature setting all the way to cold, rinsing away his arousing thoughts with the foam.

Out of the shower, he quickly dried himself and ran through the rest of his hygiene ritual – brushing his teeth and applying some body lotion. Back in the bedroom, he dressed in a fresh set of clothes with matching underwear, simple dark grey pants, and a plain white button-up shirt. Dominic returned to the living room to find Susie waiting on the couch, the sheets and blankets neatly folded up and put together. He met her gaze with a warm smile as he walked over to her.

“Okay Susie, I’m ready when you are.”

After they had gathered whatever else they needed, Dominic led Susie out of the apartment towards the elevator. On their way out, he instructed his home AI to lock the place up behind them. After a short ride in the elevator, they arrived in an underground area that looked like the entrance to an underground car park. Dominic walked over to a console in the wall and a hologram flickered to life, displaying the same figure that had greeted them in the foyer last night.

“Good morning, Mr. Morris. Do you wish to retrieve your car?”

“Yes, please.”

“Gladly. Retrieval in process, please wait. Your car will be delivered to you shortly.”

It took less than 30 seconds until the automatic parking system had retrieved the vehicle. With a soft grinding sound a nearby ground cover opened and large elevator platform came up, carrying his car. The security railing around the cover retreated into the ground and they could walk over. Dominic tapped the frame of the sleek looking black compact car twice and the system unlocked the doors, the combination of his biometric signature and data from his smart clothing functioning as the key.

 

[heartofcourage]

Susan smiled as Dominic came back into the room and told her that he was ready to go. He certainly looked handsome dressed down in his simply shirt and pants. He would look handsome in anything he wore, she decided as she stood from the couch and followed after him towards the elevator. She was a little in awe of all of the technology that his apartment had. It would have taken her a hundred years to save the money to even think about affording a place like this.

She stood patiently beside him as his car was delivered from a storage device. She glanced down at her side as they waited and she saw his hand so close to her own. She couldn’t help the need to reach out and hold that hand tightly. Her fingers brushed against his briefly for a moment before she finally took his hand firmly in her own, lifting her gaze to look into his with a slight smile on her face.

The little moment was cut brief as the car appeared and they walked over the safety barrier. She waited until he unlocked the car before she opened the door and slipped into the seat beside him. The seatbelt automatically crossed over her chest and snugly secured her into place. Glancing around the sleek interior, she felt a little jealous at all the opulence around her. He would be in shock when he saw her little apartment on the bad side of town.

“Do you think we can stop at the hospital first? I would like to get the things out of my locker…if you don’t mind.” It was left unspoken that he would be the one gathering things from her locker as she’d been banned from the hospital but she knew that Dominic probably wouldn’t mind in the least.

 

[Baelnorn]

Feeling her fingers on his hand made Dominic turn his head to her, where he saw her tentative smile. Instantly he returned the smile and relaxed his fingers, readily accepting Susie’s hand to take his. The contact felt good, almost too good, and he could only barely resist the temptation to put his arm around her shoulder and pull her close.

Inside the vehicle, Dominic waited until they were both secured safely before starting the e-car’s engine and routinely steering it out of the garage. They had just reached the street as Susie asked him about going to the hospital to get her things from the locker. Of course, considering what he knew about the circumstances that led her to the bridge the evening before he could assume that she did not really have time to get her things. Especially when she wanted to kill herself, he thought sadly, it would not make sense for her to collect her belongings.

“Yes, yes of course we can. And I don’t mind at all. If you ever need anything, just tell me, please. What’s the name of the hospital?”

He tapped a few symbols on the display integrated into the steering wheel and then let go of it, leaning back as the on-board computer took control and hooked the navigation system into the city’s automatic traffic control system. A soft feminine voice informed them about their travel time.

“Arrival at selected destination in approximately twelve minutes.”

Dominic turned to Susie, who seemed to be in a mixed state between confusion and awe about his car.

“I guess you need to come along, they probably won’t allow outsiders in the employees’ section. I don’t know what happened at your workplace yesterday, but I wanted to let you know that I’ll be with you when we go in to get your things.”

 

[heartofcourage]

“Lower Town General.” She said softly as he asked what hospital it was and programmed it into the car’s automated program.

Susan looked at Dominic and blushed as he stared at her so intently. She nervously worked her fingers around one another as he brought up the fact that she would have to go in with him. A small sigh let her lips and she tilted her gaze back down towards the floor.

“They caught me…servicing my ex-boyfriend.” She said softly, knowing that he would think the worst of her now. “He’s the one that got me addicted. And he always offered to be there for me if I needed a fix. God, I was so stupid.”

Very slowly, her dark gaze found its way back towards Dominic. “Dom, I know that you want to help, but I completely understand if you want to just leave me at my apartment. I mean, dealing with an addict is probably not how you imagined this week going.”

The way he looked right now, she just wanted to lean across the car and kiss him. She wanted that kiss to lead to so many different things and it was those thoughts that reminded her of the aching pain in her belly. Was it the Milk or was it herself that wanted Dominic?

 

[Baelnorn]

Dominic looked at Susie as she explained what had happened, and how. Then she told him she would understand him dumping her at her apartment. He smiled at her softly, reaching out with his hand for hers.

“Susie, I already told you I wouldn’t leave or abandon you. But there’s one thing I must ask from you.”

He looked her firmly in the eyes, his expression growing serious before his smile returned. His fingers gently closed around hers, holding her hand in his own, feeling the softness, and warmth of her skin.

“I ask you to stop suggesting me dumping you, okay? You know, you’re not the first Milk addict in my life. I know what I’m getting myself into, and I also know what you are going through right now, what you will be going through in the future. I promised you to be there for you and help you. I will keep that promise.”

Dominic squeezed her hand once more before slowly releasing her fingers from his grasp again. Part of him wanted to lean over, pull her into a tender embrace, and just hold her. He knew see she was hurt, and the expression in her eyes told him how deep her pain went. He took a deep breath before telling her that she could ask anything from him.

“Susie, if you ever want or need anything… just tell me. Really, anything. You don’t have to be ashamed or embarrassed. Okay?”

 

[heartofcourage]

Susan felt a bite of fear course through her as he told her that there was one thing that he had to ask of her. Was this the moment that he finally placed her out on her own? She sucked in a deep breath and held it as he looked her firmly and his smile disappearing before reappearing again. She felt his hand close around hers, holding it tightly as he told her that she needed to stop suggesting that he dump her.

She slowly released her breath as Dominic squeezed her fingers and slowly released her hand. It should have made her feel better, but she was so jumbled up inside that she didn’t quite know how she felt. She barely heard his other words as she leaned across the inside of the car and kissed his cheek.

The touch of her lips against his cheek was electric. She knew immediately that she shouldn’t be kissing him, but she wanted contact of some sort. She shivered at the contact, her eyes fluttering close as she slowly pulled herself away from him.

“I’m sorry, Dominic. I don’t know what got into me.” She said softly, her dark eyes almost pleading with him to return her sign of affection.

 

[Baelnorn]

He saw her lean over, but did not realize what she was up to until he felt the touch of her lips against his cheek. A surprised gasp escaped his mouth, and then it was already over and she pulled herself away from him. His thoughts were tumbling and turning in his mind faster than he could follow. Could she really mean it like this, could she really want him?

Dominic looked at her quite confused while she softly voiced her apology, her eyes imploring him to return some act of tenderness. The expression he saw in her eyes made him want to wrap his arms around her shoulders and pull her into his embrace and kiss her until all her worries were gone. For a long moment, he was unsure how to react, but eventually he cleared his throat and responded to her action.

“No Susie, don’t be sorry. It’s okay, there’s nothing you’d need to apologize for. I know you feel betrayed and lonely, but I’ll do anything humanly possible to make you feel better. Like I said, if you want or need anything, just tell me. We’re going to live together for some time, so I guess keeping some things to ourselves is not really an option.”

He reached out with his hand, tenderly brushed a strand of hair out of her face and then gently cupped her right cheek. His gaze met hers as he leaned over to her, his eyes locked with her own, and gave her a soft kiss on the left cheek, returning the gesture. Dominic released her cheeks from his hand and lips and looked Susie straight in the eye.

“I think we shouldn’t rush things, but if you want… well… closer contact with me, I won’t… I won’t push you away. But I want to let you know that I will never hurt or abuse you, and I won’t ever force myself on you. Also, please don’t think that you owe me anything. I’m helping you because I want to help you, not because I wanted something from you.”

As he spoke, his façade of self-confidence was crumbling. His cheeks flushed, the mere thought of sharing his bed with Susie making his breath go faster, and he stumbled over his own words twice. He took a deep breath and leaned back into his seat, watching her reaction to his words out of the corner of his eye.

 

[heartofcourage]

Susan slowly let out a deep breath, listening to him say that she didn’t need to be sorry. An involuntary shiver raced down her spine as he reached out and tenderly brushed a strand of hair from her face. She sighed softly as his warm hand cupped her cheek and his gaze met hers, holding it with that clear and honest look that he always seemed to have.

“Dom…” She said softly as he leaned in and kissed her cheek gently, returning her gesture. It was enough to bring tears to her eyes, the crystal drops clinging to her lashes as he released her from his embrace and looked her straight in the eye.

“I trust you, Dominic.” She said softly, watching as he leaned back in his seat and watched her reaction out of the corner of his eye. “And I know that you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.”

She felt a hot glow start to cross her cheeks and she knew that she was blushing. Her gaze turned shy and she was soon looking out her window, trying to put distance between herself and Dominic in the small confines of the car.

“And I guess I should say that I wouldn’t mind…I wouldn’t mind if you did want something more.” She couldn’t believe that she had actually said those words, but she was glad that she’d found the courage to speak to him in such a manner.

 

[Baelnorn]

When he saw her blink and wipe the wetness from her eyes, Dominic wanted to reach over and hold and kiss her again, but he refrained from it. He did not want to press or corner her, even more so since there was no space in the car for her to retreat.

“Thank you, Susie. Believe me, I don’t want to pressure you into anything. Nothing will happen without your consent. And… you are a very beautiful young woman. I would be happy to… be with you…”

He was about to reach over and take her hand, when the car took ventured down an exit and took a turn, heading into the underground parking area for the hospital’s visitors. The onboard computer’s voice informed them of their arrival.

“Destination reached: Lower Town General Hospital. Do you wish to get a parking spot?”

Dominic answered the computer and glanced over to Susan, knowing that getting her things would be running the gauntlet for her. Especially since she would be forced to face her former colleagues and superiors. The vehicle pulled into a parking spot belonging to an automated parking system quite similar to the one below Dominic’s apartment building. They stood aside as the APS stored away the car and a soft beep and a blinking spot on his sleeve notified him of the parking ticket.

He looked at her and gently took both of her hands in his. A soft smile on his lips, he gazed into her dark eyes and reassuringly squeezed her hands.

“You don’t have to do this alone, Susie. I’ll be with you. Let’s do this, okay?”

 

[heartofcourage]

Susan smiled, perhaps the most heartfelt smile that she had given to him since the beginning of her ordeal. Dominic had something about him that made her feel light and happy, certainly different from how her ex had made her feel. Dominic was a man that she could trust, one that wouldn’t let her down, and she knew that she wasn’t being quick in her judgment.

She was waiting for him to make another move when the computer interrupted their moment and announced that they were arriving at the hospital. She let out a sigh and turned her dark gaze back out the window, glancing at her familiar surroundings as the car pulled into a parking spot. She got out of the car and was surprise when he took both of her hands in his, smiling at her and squeezing them in a reassuring manner.

“I know.” She said softly, keeping at least one of his hands in hers as she lead him from the garage and towards the security desk.

The man behind the desk was the morning shift worker, a no nonsense former cop that would probably give her some shit about what she was there to do. She sucked in a deep breath and waited for him to turn his attention towards her before she spoke.

“Hi, Frank. I’m here to clean out my locker and I was wondering if you might call the floor manager for me.” She said softly with a polite tone as she got the glare of desk from him. “Please?”

 

[Baelnorn]

Susan kept holding his hand as she led them from the parking deck to the security desk on the ground floor. The guy with the fleeing hair and wrinkled skin sitting behind the desk immediately struck Dominic as unlikeable. It was how the man looked at her, an expression of utter contempt on his face.

“Oh look who’s back. If you’re looking for your cum dispenser, he’s not in today. But I think I can ‘fill in’ for him.”

Dominic was already grinding his teeth, but when Frank chuckled at his own words, Dominic lost his temper. He had been standing behind Susan, waiting for her to make her request, but at the worker’s response, he stepped up beside her and glared down at the man angrily. Dominic’s voice was quite a bit louder than he intended, but he did not care.

“I think that’s enough! Could you just stop being a dick for a second and do your damn job? We only want to get her things and will be gone right away, so what the hell is giving you so much trouble following her request?”

Frank looked up at Dominic completely unimpressed, and then turned to Susan with an evil grin on his lips.

“And who’s that, your new pimp?”

Dominic was about to fire a sharp retort at Frank, when suddenly a middle-aged woman called out to him as she walked up to the desk. The short exchange between the two men had already several people looking in their direction.

“Dominic? Dominic Morris? What are you doing here?”

He turned around and looked at her. She was wearing a white lab coat over her dark blue cloth pants and white blouse, her blonde hair put up in a loose bun. The nametag on her coat read “Jennifer Brooke, Pharmacy Technician.” Dominic’s eyebrows furrowed at the sight of the other woman. Running into someone who knew him was something he would have preferred to avoid, but perhaps Jennifer could help them to get things sorted out quicker.

“Isn’t that obvious? I’m talking to a hospital employee who is obviously unwilling or mentally unable to cope with a really simple request.”

 

[heartofcourage]

Susan was floored as Frank started to spout vile words at her, making her feel like a worthless pile of nothing. She shrank back, her eyes lowering as she felt Dominic brush past her and suddenly he was yelling at Frank with such a passion in his voice. Susan’s eyes went wide, her gaze turning towards the man that was now her protector.

Susan was shocked with the ferocity that Dominic defended her with. She squeezed his hand tightly, struggling with herself to not turn and run as the words between the men turned heated. She had never heard a more welcome sound in her life as the sound of the woman’s voice calling out to them.

Turning her gaze towards the woman, she struggled to place where she had seen her before. The hospital was large and there were many pharmacy techs that worked there, so it wasn’t unusual that she couldn’t place the woman’s face or name. It seemed, though, that Dom most definitely knew who this woman was.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to turn into a big scene. I was let go yesterday and just came back today to clean out my locker.” She said in a soft spoken way, her eyes pleading with the woman to simply get her out of this heated situation.

 

[Baelnorn]

“Hey Jen, you know that white-knighting idiot?”

Dominic turned back towards Frank, his mood visibly suffering each second that Frank did not shut up, but before Dominic could answer, Jennifer did.

“Just shut up Frank before you make things worse, okay? You have no idea who you are talking to. Just be quiet and hand over two visitor passes and call the floor manager already, will you? And you two, come over here and fill out these forms.”

Frank kept on grumbling to himself, while Jennifer’s expression was a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance, obviously being very unhappy with the situation herself as she quickly eyed up the two visitors. To everyone’s amazement, the guard did as Jennifer had asked, and handed out two smartcards in plastic holders with attached lanyards. The pharmacy tech then quickly walked both Dominic and Susan through the visitor’s protocol and signed them in at the security desk. Several long minutes after their arrival, Jennifer finally led Dominic and Susan over to a seating corner. They were out of the security desk’s hearing range when they finally all sat down, waiting for the floor manager to arrive.

“Okay Dominic, what is this all about? You show up out of thin air, a laid off medical student on your arm, and a huge scene develops just seconds after she talked to Frank. Why would he make such a fuss about… Susan Qu… oh god…”

Jennifer’s eyes widened when she finally noticed Susan’s nametag. The middle-aged woman closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. After a long moment, she looked from Susan to Dominic back to Susan.

“I… I’m sorry. I don’t know if I can… help you much here. But… how do you two even know each other?”

 

[heartofcourage]

Susan wanted to yell at Frank, to tell him to shut his mouth, but her fear kept her quiet as she clung to Dominic. She was trembling as Jennifer stepped in and told Frank what she wanted to tell him so badly. She slowly let out a long breath as Frank grumbled and handed out two smartcards to then. She snatched hers away from him quickly, following after Dominic and Jennifer as they were led down the hallway and into a seating corner.

Susan listened quietly and visibly winced when Jennifer recognized who she was and what had happened with her. She let out a little sigh and lowered her head slightly. She didn’t want to tell the story of how she’d met Dominic and she didn’t want to be there. She wanted to melt into the floor and be far, far away from the place that she’d come to see as a living hell.

“It’s a long story. I just want to collect my things and be out of here. I don’t want to cause trouble.” Susan said softly, her dark eyes rising to meet Jennifer’s.

 

[Baelnorn]

Dominic saw Susan wince and shrink back into her seat, as if she tried hiding from everybody and make herself disappear. He reached over to her and gently took her hand, squeezing it softly as she talked to the other woman. Dominic looked at Susan for another long moment, before turning to Jennifer, his voice clearly giving away his annoyance about the situation.

“My interaction with Susan, and my reasons to do so, are entirely my own and I will not justify or explain myself to anyone. So don’t ask again. We are only here for the things from her locker, and then we will be gone and never return to this hellhole. For the record, the only people currently making things difficult are those working here. We don’t want to cause any trouble. You and I both know that Lower Town General has no right to keep Susan from getting her possessions back, so if you guys keep being difficult we can just call the police and make it official.”

The woman’s gaze wandered back and forth between Susan and Dominic. Jennifer seemed to recall Susan’s statements from before and eventually let out a deep sigh, looking at Dominic with a worried expression. It was obvious that his behavior was unlike what she had expected.

“What happened to you? That’s not the Dominic I know… knew. Anyway, I’m just a tech here, you’ll have to sort that out with the floor manager. I… I should run to my shift.”

Jennifer stood up, looking at Dominic as if she wanted to say something but then changed her mind on it. She also looked at Susan, an expression of sorrow and pity crossing her face, before she excused herself and said her goodbye.

“Good luck… both of you.”

Dominic’s eyes followed Jennifer for a moment, before he sighed and turned his head to Susan. He reached out for her, gently holding her shoulder with his hand.

“Are you alright? Don’t forget, I’m with you. Whatever they say about you, just ignore them. Okay?”

 

[heartofcourage]

Susan was holding her breath as she listened to Dominic tell Jennifer what they were doing there. She didn’t want to be there. She didn’t want to have to look at the halls where the most terrible episode of her life had taken place. She didn’t want the judging gazes of these people on her. She trembled as Dominic reached out and touched her shoulder, a shiver racing down her spine as he told her that he was with her.

“I know. I just…I don’t want to be here.” She said softly, turning her dark eyes towards him as she tried to take comfort in what he was saying. “I don’t want to be here.”

She didn’t have to tell him that. She was sure that he knew from the fear that she had, but something in her felt better telling him that deep seated feeling inside her. He understood and he would judge her, that much she was certain.

“But, I guess I really don’t have a choice.” She said giving him a small little smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Besides, once we’re done, I don’t ever have to come back here again.”

Staring at Dominic, she found something twisting deep in her belly. It was like a knot, but it made her feel warm and tingly and before she knew it, she was leaning forward and pressing her lips against his. She shouldn't have done it, especially not in the middle of the hospital that she'd been fired from for servicing another member of staff. She couldn't help herself though...

 

[Baelnorn]

Warm. Warm and soft. That was the first thought Dominic managed to hold on to when Susie pressed her lips against his. The kiss was tender, desperate, hungry, shy, all of that at once. She had completely blind-sided him with her action, and he let out a soft surprised gasp at the electrifying sensation of her kiss. After a long moment, during which he returned the kiss, he managed to kick his brain back into action and gently pull away from her. He cradled her cheeks in his hands and met her gaze, a tender, but breathless, smile on his lips.

“Susie… it’s okay, don’t worry. We’ll make it through this together.”

Dominic released her face and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her against him into a close embrace. He gently rubbed her back while he held her, feeling her body lean against his. It was a wonderful, sensual moment, and he wished that they were home and not in the hospital. They held onto each other for some more, neither relinquishing the embrace. It was only moments later that Dominic caught the movement of a person approaching their seats, followed by someone clearing his throat.

“Hello. My name’s Thomas McAllister, and I’m with Lower Town General HR. I was informed that Mrs. Quinn wanted to clear out her locker?”

Dominic released Susan from his hold and helped her stand to meet the floor manager.