DOMINIC PHENDER
Human
Posts: 146
Played by:
Julia
"Liking what I like don't make me a bitch."
Last seen Nov 11, 2024 19:34:08 GMT
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Post by DOMINIC PHENDER on Jan 3, 2021 19:27:10 GMT
 ━ don't fucking tell me what's impossible ━
It sounded stupid to him now, but he couldn’t take it back.
He’d gone into work on Christmas Eve; it wasn’t as if the shop was open, but he’d spent all night tossing, turning and worrying about Noah. Eventually getting tired of keeping quiet and beginning to text him repeatedly. There was no answer, though, and he figured organizing some last minute paperwork and billing at six a.m. was better than sitting at home doing nothing.
That was when the Bitches in Blue had pulled up, banging on the door and ignoring Dominic’s quips about not being open to give them matching bacon tattoos. They weren’t there to arrest him, though, and even let his insults slip. They needed him to come in, and once they stated that it was about Noah, he was too desperate to fight them.
It wasn’t until he was there that he knew the reason why. Identifying the body.
He was paler than usual. Neck twisted uncomfortably, his hair looking like a wildfire against the white skin. And he was cold.
Dominic had broken down, cradling Noah’s face and putting his forehead to his lover’s. He’d sobbed━broken and choked at first, and then hard, letting them ripple out of him and shake him to his core. He’d dropped to his knees in the morgue, crying over Noah’s dead body. Crying over his fiancé’s lifeless face, and those beautiful green eyes that used to be so expressive, and show Dominic how much he was loved; the ones that would never open again.
He’d known it was too good to be true. Their love, the ring, the marriage that was supposed to happen. Dominic had known that he didn’t deserve it, and yet he’d let himself sink in full force, because he thought that maybe, just maybe, he’d gone through so much shit in his life that he’d be allowed to have this. That he’d be allowed to be happy and in love for once.
He didn’t know how he’d let himself be so stupid.
Everything after that had been a blur. Officers spoke to him, eventually tore him away from Noah and sat him in a room. Asked him questions, though Dominic hadn’t heard any of their words━they all sounded like they were speaking underwater. Eventually, they’d let him go home, escorting him back to the cabin and leaving him alone.
Alone, lonely, in that empty home he’d shared with Noah.
He went to their bed first, curling up on Noah’s side and burying himself under the covers. Stuffing his face into Noah’s pillow and breathing in his scent, then testing how long he could go without breathing. Willfully and intentionally trying to suffocate himself into Noah. Into what was left of him, all Dominic had, save for that little baggie of personal items that Noah had been found with. Those were saved for evidence, though; Dominic couldn’t have them yet.
Eventually, he’d gotten up, pulling on one of Noah’s sweaters that was left on the bedroom floor; one that could still engulf him in Noah’s scent. If he drank enough, he figured he could close his eyes and pretend that Noah was hugging him again. Embracing him one last time, because he’d never feel that again. Never have Noah’s arms around him, lips brushing on his own, or over his cheek and the top of his head, keeping him safe from the outside world.
He was supposed to keep Noah safe, and he’d failed. He should’ve gone out to get smokes with him; should’ve never left Noah alone on his birthday, not even for a second.
Dominic made his way to their liquor cabinet, finding a half-empty bottle of whiskey. It would do for a little while, he thought━numb him just enough so that he could manage to get to the store later on and buy more. He twisted off the cap and tossed it somewhere, knowing he wouldn’t need it again. He drank it straight, downing the alcohol as if he’d be saved by the last drop; as if it would bring Noah home.
The next little while was even more of a blur. He’d stumbled around the cabin, finding Noah’s military jacket and curling up with it on the couch, brushing his fingers over the name tag. Over Noah’s last name, the one that was supposed to be Dominic’s; the one that he decided to go by from there on out.
And he remembered the words Noah had used when he’d proposed to Dominic. Heaven won’t fucking see us coming.
“No, Heaven won’t see you comin’, baby,” He whispered into the stiff fabric, and brushed his lips over the collar. For the first time in his life, he prayed. Prayed that whoever was up there would take care of Noah, keep him safe until Dominic was back at his side. He’d never truly settled on whether or not he thought there was somebody there, but now he knew there had to be. Believing that Noah had fallen into a pit of nothingness was too hard to handle━no, he was with somebody, somebody of greater power, and they were going to look after him.
Dominic figured disorders weren’t a thing in Heaven. Part of him was at peace knowing that Noah wouldn’t be suffering anymore. He wouldn’t have to take that shitty medication that he hated, and he’d probably have Die Hard playing on an endless loop.
“Tell him I’ll be there with him soon.” He mumbled, letting his tears soak the uniform shirt, clutched in the hands that were no longer shaking, soothed by the alcohol. It had done well in settling everything but his heart, and, as he shook the last drops into his mouth, he knew he needed more.
Dominic didn’t want to go anywhere, though. He didn’t want to eat another meal, didn’t want to breathe again without Noah. He couldn’t. He’d become so accustomed to living by Noah’s side, to falling asleep in his arms every night. He’d spent years loving Noah; he didn’t know how to exist without him.
That was when he took a trip back into the bedroom, opening the cabinet that held Noah’s artillery. He picked a pistol, loaded it, and sat on the floor in the corner of their room, holding the barrel in his mouth. He sobbed around the metal of the cocked gun, willing himself to do it. He’d never be happy without Noah, he already knew that━it wasn’t just the grief talking, he’d been sure of it for a long, long time. But he never thought he’d lose Noah; they were supposed to die old and grey, and together. So, if they had to skip the former, they could at least have the latter.
Dominic sucked in a sharp breath and drew the shaky glock from his mouth, pressing it to the space under his jaw instead, and angled it upwards. He willed himself to do it. Pleaded with himself in his own mind.
But suicide was a mortal sin. He’d never get to Noah like this.
Still, He countered his own thoughts, I can’t be alive without him.
Anything would be better than this.
He pulled the trigger, stomach tightening, heart feeling like it was going to pound out of his chest.
Dominic’s eyes flew open, darting around the room quickly. He was still there. The gun jammed.
“Fuck!” He shouted, tossing it away and standing up quickly. He wobbled, then collected his wallet and jacket, throwing Noah’s scarf around his neck before slamming the cabin door behind him. Maybe it was a sign; a sign that he needed to continue on, to try to live without Noah, because Dominic knew that was what Noah would’ve wanted. Even if it made Dominic angrier than he’d ever felt in his whole life.
He trudged his way out of the woods and into town, shouldering the door of the nearest store. The bell dinged, and soft Christmas music flooded his senses, though that was the only thing that he really noticed. His nose was stuffed from crying, eyes red and brimming with tears again as he tumbled through the store like a bull in a china shop. He’d meant to just get alcohol and leave, but he hadn’t eaten since the day before, and the sight of potato chips was luring him in.
Dominic grabbed two tubes of barbeque Pringle’s before staggering to the counter, throwing them down haphazardly. “Gimme, like… two━three of those bottles of Jack. An’ the Pringles. Tha’s it.” He muttered, meeting eyes with the cashier. The man hesitated, but Dominic glared, giving him a hard look as a warning to not bother trying to deny selling to him.
FRANK DAMASCA | i hurt |
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FRANK DAMASCA
Banshee
Posts: 127
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Oct 18, 2024 17:04:31 GMT
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Post by FRANK DAMASCA on Jan 8, 2021 22:31:45 GMT
What kind of asshole cleaned out the liquor cabinet on Christmas Eve?
Frank hissed out a breath, shook his head as he wound through the rural road that led from his place to town. His kind apparently and yeah, yeah, maybe he’d had a little bit to do with it earlier this evening when he’d flopped on the couch with Kit and his homely face staring at him from one chair and that far prettier sliver of Niko’s profile in his peripheral vision as he’d slumped together with him. Fingers of one hand tracing languid circles in the crook of Niko’s neck, slipping up to brush over his curls as he’d leaned forward to fill all their glasses again.
Window down to let the cold air in, Frank tipped his face towards his shoulder, letting out a breath against the flannel of his shirt and catching the faint peaty hint of whiskey still on it. What kind of asshole drove after four shots? Him. The most unimpaired one left in the house. He’d waited an hour after the last shot had gone down and all three of them had started eyeing the quarter bottle of Midori that was left like it was even a consideration that it would get them through the next two days. Maybe it would’ve ended up being the drunk’s version of the loaves and the fishes but it had been doubtful enough that he’d levered himself up off the couch. He’d dropped warnings about playing nice, his eyes slitting in Kit’s direction at that but he knew by the time he got back there’d either be bloodshed, or more likely smoke would be thick enough on the ceiling to have the entire neighbourhood mellow.
He’d walk into it alert, ready to kick his boots off and just chill for the rest of the weekend while his brother was off playing Old MacDonald on his girlfriend’s family’s farm. Now that mental image had him snorting as he pulled up outside the convenience store and shutoff the engine. It was probably the only place even open at this time of night on Christmas Eve, the dregs of the town scuttling in to load up before the big day itself hit and everywhere locked down for 24 hours, leaving them shut up behind closed doors alone or with enough family to cause World War III by the time the day was over.
Cold bit into the bare skin of his hands and face as he scurried across the sidewalk and into the store. The place was still busy, folks drifting up and down the aisle, grabbing what they needed last minute. Frank headed for the fridges lining the back wall, hazel eyes squinting at the misted glass and catching the reflection of a guy wandering away from him before he tugged one open. A quick glance over his shoulder, a cant of head as he couldn’t help himself and checked out the view beneath the hem of the jacket and sweater. Asshole had been the right word. He was one through and through, he thought as he turned back to the fridge. Beer, one six pack, two, tucked in the crook of his arm, another dangling from the fingers of the other hand. He turned, meaning to head towards the counter and the bottles lined up behind it but he paused in the middle of an aisle, using his two spare fingers to snag a bag of potato chips too. The fridge would probably be entirely empty of everything but the turkey by the time he got back.
Carefully he lifted his hand, catching the top of the bag in his teeth before he started back towards the counter. The guy he’d seen weaving towards the front was already there, asking for three bottles of Jack. Frank stopped behind him, shuffling awkwardly with the beers until he saw the guy behind the counter hesitate. He reached up, slowly taking the bag out of his mouth. Once upon a time he’d claimed he could practically smell trouble but that was long gone. He was soft and out of practice and the red line of the knife wound on his abdomen was his still healing badge of honour to prove it. ”It’s OK Jim, let him have it.” One corner of his mouth rose as he stepped sideways setting his own stuff down on the counter.
Frank sniffed, rubbing the back of his hand over his mouth as he glanced sideways. Maybe Jim had been right to hesitate, the guy looked like crap. Eyes bleary, face red but … shit. Not in the way that spoke of an early Christmas party. He’d seen that enough to know it. This was brimming eyes and tear tracks. Raking his teeth over his lower lip, he tipped his chin up at Jim again. ”Put ‘em on my bill, add a couple more bottles of Jack to it, same of your top shelf vodka and some eggnog too.” Maybe enough to get them through 36 hours at least. ”Call it a Christmas present,” he said to the shorter guy next to him. ”I’ve got a thing for playing Santa. You doing OK, man?” Pretty fucking obviously not, he held his tongue though, teeth pinning it. Most folks didn’t like feeling like they were being studied, like someone else had seen their pain and was dragging it out into a spotlight. He sure as hell hadn’t when he was the one in a bed with half a dozen docs and a General looking down at him like he was the most pitiful thing in the world.
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DOMINIC PHENDER
Human
Posts: 146
Played by:
Julia
"Liking what I like don't make me a bitch."
Last seen Nov 11, 2024 19:34:08 GMT
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Post by DOMINIC PHENDER on Jan 18, 2021 16:47:46 GMT
━ don't fucking tell me what's impossible ━
With Noah, though, he’d been allowed to be himself. Noah had seen him cry countless times, held him in their soft moments and whispered sweet nothings in his ear. And fuck, Dominic loved it. It had taken a lot of denying at first, often pretending he was asleep so that he could indulge in his guilty pleasure without revealing that he actually liked it━as if that would have made Noah love him less, or stop doing it. No, when Dominic had become open with Noah, it was clear that the validation had only spurred his fiance on. They shared that, in their most private moments, and once or twice in public, too. It had terrified Dominic, but he was just beginning to feel more comfortable with it, learning to accept it, and now he… he’d never be able to get it again. It made him regret each time he’d pulled away when Noah had gone in for a kiss, or had shaken Noah’s hand off his own. He hated to remember when he’d cringed━even after he’d been okay kissing in public━at other things, like when Noah had pulled Dominic to sit on his lap at work.
He’d never get that growth now. Even if he could move on (which wasn’t even a twinkle in his eye at that point, nor would it be for a long, long time), he knew he’d have to start from scratch. And Dominic couldn’t even imagine somebody making him as comfortable as Noah had, or loving him as much.
So he needed this. He needed the booze, because if he wasn’t going to be able to stop crying, then he’d have to numb himself somehow.
Dominic felt the swell of tears from within his face, in his cheekbones, like the waterworks were threatening to start back up again at any moment. His heart was broken, his chest felt empty, and yet he couldn’t allow himself a moment to feel it. Even in their home, alone, he would’ve rather put a gun in his mouth than stand another second of it. Was he less of a man because he couldn’t face his demons, or because he wanted to cry at the thought of being denied service? Either way━bitch.
The anger came in response to his tears, his fist beginning to tighten at his side, muscles clenching, ready to reach across the counter and grab the guy by the collar and bash his head into the counter. His jaw tightened, but before Dominic could start screaming, there was another man speaking. One he hadn’t noticed before, too wrapped up in his own sorrow, though his ‘grocery list’ looked a lot like Dominic’s.
As he stepped in closer, Dominic didn’t move, only furrowing his brow up at the bearded guy and wondering why he was helping him out. Even offering to pay, which… no. No, no, no. He might’ve looked like shit, but Dominic was not a fucking charity case. “Don’t give a shit what you got a ‘thing’ for━I don’t need you t’fuckin’ pay for my shit.” Dominic nearly snapped, never having calmed down from when he had gotten himself wound up and ready to fight the cashier. “I’m fine.” But the words got caught in his throat, and came out with a sob. “Shit,” He nearly whimpered as the facade he was attempting to keep up broke completely, and he rose a hand to his face, roughly rubbing away the tears on his cheeks with his sleeve. The ones that had broken free like a couple of escaped convicts. Made sense, though, they were Dominic’s tears, and he was nothing more than that. Nothing more without Noah.
“I don’t need ya t’pay,” He tried again, though his voice was wet this time, and he sniffled as he dug into his pockets, pulling out a few crumpled bills with shaking hands. Dominic stared down at them, remembering that they were supposed to be saving money. For their wedding.
But what did that matter now?
He couldn’t even look up from the scraps of money, just squeezed them in his fist and continued to tilt his head down while the tears kept coming. Dominic should’ve known better than to try and leave the house so early━while it was still so fresh. Showing your love to your boyfriend in public was one thing, but fucking sobbing like a little girl? He’d never forgive himself for this, even if it mattered so little compared to what he’d been through; what he’d lost.
FRANK DAMASCA | no notes. |
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FRANK DAMASCA
Banshee
Posts: 127
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Oct 18, 2024 17:04:31 GMT
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Post by FRANK DAMASCA on Jan 24, 2021 18:06:36 GMT
A quick swoop on the store. Tangling fingers in the cardboard sleeves of the packs of beer, slipping the handles of the plastic of bottles over his wrist and sending them clinking as he trotted back to the car with the cold of the air biting at his skin, waking him just enough for the trip back home. A half hour tops, less if he was lucky and he felt steady enough to goose the gas just a little on the way back. It all depended on the queues at the counter, on how fuzzy the world remained around the edges.
Frank had hustled in, the tip of his nose, his cheeks and his fingertips burning with that brief of icy cold as he grabbed what he’d came for. That extra burning tug on his fingers from the weight, the clock in his head ticking. Grinding down as he’d started to approach the counter and had heard the commotion. Jim was a pretty decent guy, at least he had been on those nights when he’d stopped in, picking up a little extra to get himself through a long night of marking or to stock up when a pretty bad blip of sleep had driven both him and Kit towards the salvation that only ever seemed to come from the bottom of a bottle. Typically he didn’t turn people down just to be an ass.
He wasn’t on this occasion either. There was tension in the smaller guy’s body, fists bunching at his sides, that knot of muscle in the hinge of his jaw that probably spoke of teeth grinding bad enough to turn them into dust in his mouth. It could’ve spilt over into a fight, bodies see-sawing back and forth over the counter as things hit volcanic levels.
Fights didn’t bother him, he’d never have gotten where he was if they had but Frank knew the benefit in defusing them before they reached the point where you had to call the police and ruin a half dozen Christmases in the process.
Frank slithered in like he hadn’t taken much stock in how close to the boiling point they’d gotten. He set his stuff down on the counter beside what the guy had picked up, his hazel eyes flicking up towards Jim’s as he gave him the little nod. Responsibility on his shoulders, half feigned affability a cooling balm on the stinging pride. He could see the guy frowning beside him, bristling at the offer to put his stuff on his bill. He turned, his brows furrowing as he slid a hand into his pocket for his wallet. ”Nobody said anything about need,” he said reasonably, not letting his tone rise up to his spitting level. He pressed his lips together as that affirmation that he was fine, a word he fucking hated using himself, stuttered out. ”Hey,” he breathed, not reaching out to settle a hand on the guy’s shoulders, not hovering it in the air anyway. ”Just let me do it huh?” It would’ve been easier if he had. The guy’s tears were spilling faster though, his sleeve covered hand coming up to rub at a tear stained face.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jim getting him the bottles he’d asked for, watched him put an extra bottle of bourbon in the bag too before he started quietly ringing it up. Frank cautiously reached out, closing his fist over the guy’s this time, wrapping his fingers extra tight around the crumpled bills he was holding. ”I can see you don’t,” he promised. ”I like being able to watch out for people though and although you’re saying you’re fine man, I think you could maybe do with a little watching out for right now. Did you drive here?” He could smell the almost antiseptic tang of alcohol in the air but it could’ve been him, could’ve been the guy. It didn’t matter half as much as trying to drive yourself through a town that had more than its fair share of RTA’s too swallowed up by emotion to see the road ahead of you let alone the things that had a talent for throwing themselves out in front of moving vehicles.
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DOMINIC PHENDER
Human
Posts: 146
Played by:
Julia
"Liking what I like don't make me a bitch."
Last seen Nov 11, 2024 19:34:08 GMT
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Post by DOMINIC PHENDER on Feb 1, 2021 15:49:30 GMT
━ don't fucking tell me what's impossible ━
Yeah, because this guy didn’t know what Dominic needed. It wasn’t the offer to pay for him or the alcohol; it was Noah. The only thing he’d ever needed in the whole world was Noah, and that was over now. Gone forever. Dominic felt like he’d never be happy again━never smile, laugh or enjoy another fucking second of his time breathing━not without Noah. It hurt to know just how reliant he was on Noah, and he thought back to the gun he’d used earlier. If he could drink enough alcohol, or get home fast enough, maybe he’d be able to succeed this time.
The tears were spilling out again, and Dominic didn’t know it was possible to feel shittier than he did in that very moment, but apparently, it was. He was broken entirely, and he didn’t think he’d come back together again. Though he didn’t respond, Dominic was letting go of this argument. He’d let the stranger pay, and then he could rush home and put a bullet in his head. At least this guy was trying to help him; it wasn’t his fault that Dominic would use his kindness to do something horrible to himself━whether it be suicide or binge drinking.
As his eyes squeezed closed, he thought of their wedding. Imagined their tuxedos and where it would be━who would come. Noah made friends easily, but Dominic didn’t have very many people. He’d fly his sister down, invite Delphi, and that was about it. Alone, and it was all his fault. He’d been unkind to others for almost his entire life, and had latched onto one. Opened up to one. Now… well, maybe he should’ve tried harder to be more agreeable with this stranger, one who was being nice even though Dominic was still anything but. People were supposed to change when they lost loved ones, right? Learn that they were missing out, that they had to let people in or… some shit. He struggled to wrap his head around anything at that point, let alone changing his entire personality due to trauma.
The warmth of the larger hand over his own almost made Dominic jump. He wasn’t used to being touched by anybody but Noah, especially not by other men━not like this. It was comforting, calming, as if they’d been friends for years. His bloodshot eyes opened again, stared at the stranger’s hand, and then slowly trailed up his arm to meet his face. He wanted to tug his hand away like he’d been bitten, but he stayed frozen for a moment or two. Maybe allowing this man to help was the best thing Dominic could do for himself. This guy was right; he shouldn’t be alone, even if that was all Dominic wanted.
“Aight.” Dominic relented with another croak, the word being dragged out into two syllables. He should’ve said ‘thank you,’ but Dominic had never been well-mannered. Slowly, he pulled his hand away and stuffed the money back into his pocket. “Nah. Walked,” He answered after a moment, his eyes falling to the counter in front of them. Accepting a ride from a stranger would’ve been dangerous if he was a chick or couldn’t defend himself, but even though Dominic was confident in his ability to stab a guy if needed, he wasn’t thinking that this one was going to try anything. Obviously, he liked being a Good Samaritan, what with his little speech about ‘watching out for people’, but it was also Christmas, and everybody was nicer around the holidays. Except for whoever it was that took away his Noah.
“Our place is, like, fuckin’... way outta the way. I’m good walkin’ back,” He wasn’t going to pretend like he didn’t know what the guy was going to offer. Or… maybe he was assuming, but Dominic didn’t give a shit about that, either. He wanted to get out of there, he wasn’t going to beat around the bush━he wanted to grab his alcohol and fuck off, but now he was worried that letting the stranger pay meant he’d keep the bottles hostage until Dominic allowed him to help more.
FRANK DAMASCA | no notes. |
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FRANK DAMASCA
Banshee
Posts: 127
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Oct 18, 2024 17:04:31 GMT
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Post by FRANK DAMASCA on Feb 8, 2021 20:12:06 GMT
He hadn’t done this just to be a good Samaritan, like he got his self-righteous kicks from swooping in and saving the needy. It hadn’t been why he’d gone into the uniform in the first place, although he’d been determined to do his duty in a way, the same way his father still did, albeit from behind a desk these days. It had always been about wanting to do his part, wanting to go into battle with his team and keep those he left at home safe. When you went there it couldn’t been about a need anymore because you left those behind in training.
The tears spilling down the guy’s cheeks were getting to him though. They had been what had turned just a ‘let the guy have it’ into something way more involved. Tears were a Damasca’s kryptonite. His dad had always joked about it when his mom would hit that point of happy or sad tears and after Freyja’s birthday Theo had trotted out a whole tale of panic. It wasn’t panic in his own gut now but Frank could see the situation slipping back towards whatever black pit this guy had crawled far enough out of to get himself here to pick up the necessary supplies to finish drowning himself.
Frank smiled gratefully at Jim, nodding to him as he started to ring up those bottles. The situation had been passed off into somewhat steady hands. The guy’s eyes were squeezing closed, whatever he’d seen in them hidden behind his lids, telling only now in the tears that had streaked his face. He had fumbled with crumpled bills as he’d gotten a little belligerent over paying for it himself. Carefully he reached out, not wanting to startle this situation into cranking back up a couple of notches. He kept them there, wrapped around the guy’s smaller hand as those bloodshot eyes opened again and rolled up him slowly to meet his. ”I’ve got it, honestly,” he said hoarsely, breathing a sigh of relief when he finally croaked his agreement. No fight left over the matter, just the quiet clink of bottles as Jim bagged them up for him.
Quiet beeps of barcodes scanned. The two piles of stuff disappearing into separate bags. Frank eased back, reaching into his own pocket for his wallet as those crumpled bills disappeared. Dark brows furrowed though, studying the side of his face as he dropped his gave to the counter like he didn’t want to meet his eye while he batted away at another attempt at help. ”You walked in this cold?” He let out a low whistle, shaking his head as Jim tipped his head towards the total listed on the cash register. Snorting in the wake of the sound, Frank tugged most of the bills in his wallet out and pushed them across the counter. ”You’re braver than me, man. I drove and I still half froze my balls off getting in here. I guess if you’re determined you’ll manage just about anything.” And facing Christmas with Kit and Niko and nothing but tap water and coffee, he’d taken the desperate way out. Christmas was meant to be mellow, fun, even with Theo out there mucking out horse stalls or jumping around in cowboy boots or whatever the hell they did on the Bentley family farm.
Nodding, a chuckle light in his throat, Frank scooped his changeup and stuffed the coins in the charity box Jim had on the counter. The couple of bills were shoved back in his wallet, the square of leather pushed back into the pocket of his jeans before he reached for the guy’s bag and held it out to him. ”Even more kudos then for you getting here on foot in the first place. Come on let me complete my Christmas cheer thing and drive you back. I’m a decent guy, this isn’t coming with any sort of price. Just a lift? Get you back to whoever you’ve got waiting at home faster … and warmer. Makes sense right?” He didn’t grab his own bags yet, just offered his hand. ”I’m Frank,” he offered before tipping his head back behind the counter. ”And the guy who was trying to watch out for you is Jim.” Just a friendly little introduction to get rid of whatever might’ve been swimming around in this guy’s head about was he was expecting for helping out. He’d seen the look from people before, that expectation that because you’d done something for them you were expecting something of equal worth back.
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DOMINIC PHENDER
Human
Posts: 146
Played by:
Julia
"Liking what I like don't make me a bitch."
Last seen Nov 11, 2024 19:34:08 GMT
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Post by DOMINIC PHENDER on Mar 1, 2021 14:07:19 GMT
━ don't fucking tell me what's impossible ━
But maybe this town had changed him, too. He’d gone soft for Noah, falling in love with a man like he was never supposed to. Boys were off-limits entirely, but every once in a while when he got his rocks off with some random dude? That wasn’t as bad as trying to blow out his brains because his fiancé had died. They were never supposed to get this far━get this attached━and Dominic was left wondering if he was supposed to be regretting it now. Did he?
No. Nothing would make him regret loving Noah. Not even the obscene amounts of pain he was feeling now.
There was a moment or two of delay before Dominic reached out and grabbed his bag from the guy, blue eyes still staring at the counter. They flicked up to his, to the cashier, and then into the bag━just for somewhere else to look. Then the offer came.
‘... whoever you’ve got waiting at home…’
Another sob choked its way up, getting caught in his throat and making Dominic feel as though he was going to vomit. Maybe he would. That’d be a nice ‘thank you’ for the guy who’d just kept him out of a fight and spent fuck knows how much on Dominic’s cry-me-to-sleep alcohol.
He resisted a bitter ‘the fuck do I care’ at the introductions. Maybe this town was making him nicer. He hated it. It wasn’t nice without Noah, and the worst part was they didn’t even know what they were missing. That the world had gotten a little darker, a storm cloud looming over Mystic Falls now, because Noah wasn’t living in it anymore. As cliché as it sounded, he lit up Dominic’s whole life, and this town had to feel that. Didn’t they?
Dominic scoffed when Frank introduced the cashier, eyes still cast down to where the bottles laid heavy in his arms. He’d lost his chance to hit Jim, he wasn’t going to try again━not when he was sure Frank was going to get in the way. Dominic would try to take both of them if he wasn’t in such a state, but he was fucking exhausted, and all he wanted was to get home and keep drinking.
“Dominic.” He muttered in response, looking up slowly from the bag, one hand extending out to shake Frank’s. He wasn’t used to the politeness of it all, but Dominic figured that shaking this guy’s hand was the least he could do. He wasn’t going to get rid of him now, Dominic was smart enough to realize that, so he figured he could just get a ride out of it. Even if he had nobody waiting for him at home, it would be a faster way to get drinking again. Quickly, his hand retreated and tucked back underneath his bag, eyes ticking up to Frank’s.
“Fine.” He puffed, as if this stranger wasn’t doing him favour after favour. Dominic was having trouble showing any emotion, though, and niceties were the hardest of anything to muster up━even for the guy who was making sure that Dominic wasn’t going to die trying to get himself home. His chin turned up to Jim, giving him a curt nod before Dominic was turning towards the door of the shop and walking towards it, tugging it open roughly. He held it open for Frank, and he didn’t know if it was the cold air, the alcohol in his system or the fact that he wasn’t going home to anybody, but as soon as they were outside, he couldn’t stop the words spilling from his lips.
“My boyfriend━” He choked on another sob, the tears beginning to stream down his cheeks again. Dominic remembered when the word scared him at first, and then how it had brought pride. Now, it just brought pain. He hadn’t even been just Dominic’s boyfriend anymore━they were supposed to get married.
He sure as shit didn’t look up now.
“Fiancé.” It sounded weird. He hadn’t even been able to say it yet, and now, for the first time, he was talking about a dead man. “He… ah, fuck,” Dominic lifted one shoulder, bending his neck down to rub his cheek on it, getting rid of a few tears on one side. “Yesterday. His birthday. Now I got an empty fuckin’ house an’ presents from him under our tree. I dunno... what th’fuck t’do.” He sniffed, looking sideways, eyes going high enough to find Frank’s mouth, surrounded by a mound of dark hair. He couldn’t reach his eyes, didn’t want to see this random guy looking like he felt sorry for Dominic.
Yeah, it was definitely the booze making him babble like an idiot to a perfect stranger.
FRANK DAMASCA | sorry for the wait  |
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FRANK DAMASCA
Banshee
Posts: 127
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Oct 18, 2024 17:04:31 GMT
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Post by FRANK DAMASCA on Mar 18, 2021 20:25:29 GMT
Desperation stripped you back to your bare bones. Pain, loss, grief, fear, whatever it was born of, gave it to the power to leave you raw. Shaking hands grasping at the small paper cup the pills came in, the bitter taste of the painkillers sticking in your throat as you tried to get them into your system as fast as possible. A sweaty palm on the handle of a knife as you tried to protect yourself and your team against a threat that wasn’t there. The prayers that fell on deaf ears when you begged to make any of it change, just for a minute. It could be the thing that kept you going the thing that stripped away every ounce of hope you had left. Frank knew that without Theo he wouldn’t have made his way through his own worst moments of it. Wracked with pain in a hospital bed as the wounds torn into his flesh throbbed and itched and filled him with an unrelieved agony.
He’d turned around and tried to pass that same gripping hand of support to Kit, knowing that he’d felt the same tremors of it running through himself. Taking him in, giving him somewhere to ride out of the waves of it. An act of kindness passed on. The universe might’ve called it done, nudged Kit in the back to pass it on next but for him that wasn’t the way it worked. It wasn’t a one and done deal or just something you did for a brother. It was a feeling in the pit of your stomach almost as inescapable as that desperation and even though he had Kit and Niko back home Frank knew he wasn’t about to turn around and walk out.
Not one and done. Not a lemme buy you enough booze to go home and drink yourself into a stupor deal. He hovered as the guy took his back, hazel eyes meeting his as those blue eyes flicked up to him and then skittered around. Not meeting his eye again but not untouched by the offer he made. He saw the sob try and fight its way out, knew what it felt like to try and hold them back when you didn’t want others to see. Those nights in the hospital, a handful of other guys in their beds, all of them trying to bite it back like it would stop any of the others from realising just had broken they were below the surface.
Frank introduced himself anyway, hand held out despite the lack of response to his offer. The muscles in his jaw flexing, relaxing as he glanced at Jim and back again. Maybe a slap of temper was coming, the back side of those tears snapping out in that attempt to ward off the truth, understandable even if it would have him sighing. A scoff instead, those blue eyes still on the bag. Clearing his throat, Frank held out, his hand hovering in the air until there was a muttered name offered up, those eyes coming up to his as he shook his hand. ”Dominic,” Frank repeated with a nod, slipping his own hand into his pocket as he pulled back. It felt like the first step into talking the guy into letting him drive him back at least. Some of the reluctance slipping.
An ice breaker that had him meeting his eye squarely at last. Fine? He was caving then. One dark brow rose, hazel eyes skittering as Dominic nodded to Jim, showing a little gratitude at last before he turned away towards the door. Frank slanted a smile at Jim, letting his own bag swing from his fingertips. ”Merry Christmas.” Raising his other hand, he waved to Jim before following Dominic out the door. A dip of his chin his thanks to the guy as he slipped out into the cold air.
Immediately it was biting, leaving him bouncing on his toes, breath fogging in the air as he went to drag his keys out of his pocket again. He was nodding towards the car, telling Dominic what was his when the mood that had simmered in the store cracked. The sobs returning, tears spilling as Dominic got the first words out. Grief. He could hear it in every syllable, was familiar enough with it that the pit of his stomach as sinking south as Dominic adjusted. Frank swallowed hard, already shifting closer, his head shaking. ”He’s the one who should’ve been at home?” he asked hoarsely, already filling in between those lines. Lost yesterday. Shit. ”Fuck, man … I’m sorry.” He remembered the first call from Kit after Kace’s death, the sobs that had rolled down the phone, that unmistakable tidal wave of pain.
Frank lifted his hand, rubbed the back of it over cold lips. ”I … I dunno if you’ve got anybody else watching out for you but … look … I’ve got a bag of booze here and a couple of guys who get this back at my place. Come with me instead of going home and just staring at that stuff. At least for tonight. Eat some dry as hell turkey tomorrow and sleep off all of this. If you wanna go home then I’ll drive you back … or whenever you want.” He reached out slowly, like he had in the store, his hand settling on Dominic’s shoulder, squeezing in that gut twisting understanding. It didn’t matter that he was inviting a complete stranger into his home, just that there was a weight coming down on this guy that he could empathise with all too well. Desperation born of grief, a hand flailing in the air, needed to clap on to anything to avoid getting swept away, his own right there reaching out to anchor.
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DOMINIC PHENDER
Human
Posts: 146
Played by:
Julia
"Liking what I like don't make me a bitch."
Last seen Nov 11, 2024 19:34:08 GMT
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Post by DOMINIC PHENDER on Apr 1, 2021 14:17:38 GMT
━ don't fucking tell me what's impossible ━
Maybe that was a lie, though. He’d done more than enough for other people. Dominic protected his sister throughout their lives and sat beside Noah, watching that fucking movie over and over again on the off chance that his lover could feel an ounce of happiness. He pushed Noah to get back on his medication, and endured all those fights to ensure Noah’s mental health would improve. All he wanted to do was help the ones he loved, but there were two discomforts: the helping was turned on him now, and that he didn’t really know this guy.
Dominic didn’t really know anybody, though. Without Noah, he was pretty much all alone.
… so maybe it wouldn’t be that bad to let somebody in.
As they wandered out into the cold and headed towards Frank’s vehicle, he was breaking again. Sobs rolling out, those blue eyes never quite reaching the hazel ones across from him. He didn’t know why he’d said it━he wasn’t looking for sympathy━and didn’t want to put Frank in that uncomfortable position of standing there, feeling like a jackass with nothing to say.
But he did say something. He laid a hand on Dominic’s shoulder, the weight of it feeling almost impossible to carry. A heavy breath puffed out at the contact, somehow grounding him back to Earth, as if he’d been blowing in the wind this whole time. And Frank invited Dominic back to his place.
Again, Dominic really didn’t like interacting with others. He found them generally annoying, a sour expression almost always on his face. Smalltalk was uncomfortable, and so he refused to engage in it, but at least… he wouldn’t be as alone as he would at the cabin. At least he wouldn’t have to wake up on Christmas morning to an empty bed, with presents he didn’t want to touch. A couple of guys who ‘get this’ sounded a little too much like a sticky situation for Dominic’s liking, but he figured it was better than the alternative.
“A’ight, yeah.” Dominic mumbled after a moment, finally finding Frank’s eyes. There was an effort to smile in the back of his mind, but it didn’t show on his face. This was better than being alone; he kept reminding himself of that. One night, maybe two, and then he’d go back━or so he thought.
Another slow breath came out, and Dominic was edging away from Frank’s touch, finding the passenger side of his car. He slipped in and closed the door, settling the alcohol between his feet. He wasn’t scared of leaving with a stranger, or going to a house filled with them, only that this might’ve been uncomfortable for other reasons━like that he’d have to meet new people.
No matter his thought process, though, Dominic was thankful. He probably would’ve drunk himself to death if Frank had taken him home.
FRANK DAMASCA | zeeee ends |
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