be strong for him .
Leo got up from the table, left them for a moment and returned with a bowl of fruit and yogurt. He placed it in front of Dorian, who glanced at it and then jerked his head up to look at Leo.
“It’s not much, but it won’t hurt your throat, lad.”
Dorian swallowed and blinked, his eyes shining. “Thank you, Sir,” he whispered. He picked up his spoon and began to eat slowly. Alan watched his throat working, each bob of his Adam’s apple sending a fresh sliver of pain coursing through him.
We need to get him away from here.
The flight couldn’t come soon enough.
D ORIAN AWOKE with a start, heart pounding. He glanced at his watch and realized he’d dozed off for about an hour and a half. He couldn’t recall getting to the end of the flight attendant’s explanation of the emergency evacuation procedures and had slept through the takeoff, something he’d never done before. It was hardly surprising. Each time he’d awoken during the night, he’d lain there scared to close his eyes and go back to sleep. That only brought the nightmares.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and then stiffened, biting back a gasp as a fresh sting of pain ripped through him. Just for a moment, he’d forgotten why he’d been sitting so still. The slow throb in his arse was a not-so-gentle reminder. As for his back, Dorian could feel the skin itching, pulling as he moved.
“You okay?”
Alan sat beside him in the middle seat, gazing at him with concern.
Dorian gave a brief nod and then looked out of the window at the thick layer of white cloud beneath them. He still couldn’t believe the two Doms had flown out to find him. Part of him had recoiled in shame when they’d suddenly appeared in his hotel room, but neither of them had been judgmental. Dorian had to fight hard not to weep when he recalled Alan’s tenderness as he’d bathed him.
Then he’d pushed down hard on those feelings. Don’t be so weak . It’s not like I didn’t know what I was letting myself in for, is it?
Except he hadn’t known, when push came to shove.
Dorian shivered from the onslaught of memory, hands gripping the armrests, the skin stretched taut across his knuckles.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin our descent into Manchester. Please ensure that all seat belts are fastened, all armrests down, all trays are stowed away, and all seats are in the upright position.”
Already? He’d forgotten what a short flight it was. Beside him, Alan and Leo clicked their seat belts into position. Dorian inhaled slowly, taking long, even breaths to calm the turmoil in his head. All he wanted to do was get to his flat, bolt the door, and shut out the world.
Except in his head was that aggravating inner voice, the one that always bugged the shit out of him.
Oh yeah? You, alone in that flat, with only your thoughts for company?
The prospect was not an attractive one. In fact, his heart quaked with trepidation.
A hand touched his, and Dorian almost jumped out of his skin. Fuck . It’s just Alan . He breathed deeply, trying to inject calm into his body to quell his racing heartbeat.
“When we land, we’ll take you home in a taxi,” Alan said.
Dorian nodded absently, barely registering the words.
“I will be staying with you for a while.”
He froze, eyes wide. “What?”
Alan locked gazes with him. “You think I’m going to leave you alone? Think again. I don’t need a bed—I can sleep on a couch—but I will be staying.” Those blue eyes were focused on him. “I know how you feel, Dorian. You don’t want to think about what happened, right? You want to be left alone to lick your wounds, but you have to trust me on this. The sooner you face up to what happened, the quicker you can leave it behind you and move on.”
Dorian’s throat tightened. He gulped. “You don’t have a fucking clue what happened to me,” he ground out, keeping his voice low. “Who the fuck do you think you are, making
Leo got up from the table, left them for a moment and returned with a bowl of fruit and yogurt. He placed it in front of Dorian, who glanced at it and then jerked his head up to look at Leo.
“It’s not much, but it won’t hurt your throat, lad.”
Dorian swallowed and blinked, his eyes shining. “Thank you, Sir,” he whispered. He picked up his spoon and began to eat slowly. Alan watched his throat working, each bob of his Adam’s apple sending a fresh sliver of pain coursing through him.
We need to get him away from here.
The flight couldn’t come soon enough.
D ORIAN AWOKE with a start, heart pounding. He glanced at his watch and realized he’d dozed off for about an hour and a half. He couldn’t recall getting to the end of the flight attendant’s explanation of the emergency evacuation procedures and had slept through the takeoff, something he’d never done before. It was hardly surprising. Each time he’d awoken during the night, he’d lain there scared to close his eyes and go back to sleep. That only brought the nightmares.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and then stiffened, biting back a gasp as a fresh sting of pain ripped through him. Just for a moment, he’d forgotten why he’d been sitting so still. The slow throb in his arse was a not-so-gentle reminder. As for his back, Dorian could feel the skin itching, pulling as he moved.
“You okay?”
Alan sat beside him in the middle seat, gazing at him with concern.
Dorian gave a brief nod and then looked out of the window at the thick layer of white cloud beneath them. He still couldn’t believe the two Doms had flown out to find him. Part of him had recoiled in shame when they’d suddenly appeared in his hotel room, but neither of them had been judgmental. Dorian had to fight hard not to weep when he recalled Alan’s tenderness as he’d bathed him.
Then he’d pushed down hard on those feelings. Don’t be so weak . It’s not like I didn’t know what I was letting myself in for, is it?
Except he hadn’t known, when push came to shove.
Dorian shivered from the onslaught of memory, hands gripping the armrests, the skin stretched taut across his knuckles.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin our descent into Manchester. Please ensure that all seat belts are fastened, all armrests down, all trays are stowed away, and all seats are in the upright position.”
Already? He’d forgotten what a short flight it was. Beside him, Alan and Leo clicked their seat belts into position. Dorian inhaled slowly, taking long, even breaths to calm the turmoil in his head. All he wanted to do was get to his flat, bolt the door, and shut out the world.
Except in his head was that aggravating inner voice, the one that always bugged the shit out of him.
Oh yeah? You, alone in that flat, with only your thoughts for company?
The prospect was not an attractive one. In fact, his heart quaked with trepidation.
A hand touched his, and Dorian almost jumped out of his skin. Fuck . It’s just Alan . He breathed deeply, trying to inject calm into his body to quell his racing heartbeat.
“When we land, we’ll take you home in a taxi,” Alan said.
Dorian nodded absently, barely registering the words.
“I will be staying with you for a while.”
He froze, eyes wide. “What?”
Alan locked gazes with him. “You think I’m going to leave you alone? Think again. I don’t need a bed—I can sleep on a couch—but I will be staying.” Those blue eyes were focused on him. “I know how you feel, Dorian. You don’t want to think about what happened, right? You want to be left alone to lick your wounds, but you have to trust me on this. The sooner you face up to what happened, the quicker you can leave it behind you and move on.”
Dorian’s throat tightened. He gulped. “You don’t have a fucking clue what happened to me,” he ground out, keeping his voice low. “Who the fuck do you think you are, making
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