He is poison, p.13
He is Poison, page 13
Since the sauce was simmering and needed no more attention, Seth rushed over to the window where Dom had left him a spreadsheet of things to check for when watching the girl. Vera Salieri. He was supposed to record her activities, guests, unusual behaviors, and anything compromising he could spot, along with the times. Piece of cake. He could even read a book in the meanwhile and managed to cook dinner. He was a freaking machine.
And on top of that, Dom had to go somewhere first thing in the morning so he didn’t bother Seth, and the day had been peaceful. Seth liked going to the gym and doing all sorts of sports, but he had to admit that the series of push-ups he’d witnessed Dom do in the morning was pretty impressive. It was as if the guy didn’t get tired. Maybe he was on drugs?
Salieri was still on her tiny balcony, spread out in a beach chair and listening to music on her iPhone. Seth wanted, needed, to know exactly what she did, so he could know how big her involvement was. Maybe she was just stupid and got herself into a shitty situation, or someone manipulated her. Oh well, she wasn’t doing anything, so he could go back to his book. He had to admit that he didn’t expect Dom to choose well, but the guy must have actually paid attention, because not only did he get Seth a vampire book, it had gay characters as well. With the action of the story based in Alaska, it was perfect escapism.
Before he even opened it though, his cell phone rattled on the counter. He groaned, as there was only one person who could be calling him.
“What?” he answered without much enthusiasm.
“What do you want for dinner? A kebab?” asked Domenico through the background noise.
Seth raised his eyebrows, admittedly surprised. Domenico actually asked this time. “Nah, I’m fine, I’ve got something.”
The silence in the receiver dawned on him like a bludgeon, twisting his stomach, but he didn’t expect Domenico’s tone to become so sharp and calm at the same time. He found it hard to believe any human being could sound like that.
“I fucking told you to stay home. Are you stupid?”
“I only went to the corner store. And I wore a hoodie, it’s fine.” He looked toward Vera, who got up and went into her house.
“You’re a fucking joke,” said Domenico just before he hung up on Seth.
Seth pouted and looked at his phone. “Fuck you, too,” he muttered and got up to stir the sauce. Was he supposed to just take all the abuse thrown at him and turn the other cheek? Domenico damn well knew Seth couldn’t go to his father with a complaint. What was he supposed to do? Say that Dom fucked him? That wouldn’t go down well for either of them. And if he tried to lie and say Dom did something else to him, there was always Peter whom Dom could blackmail him with. Seth could bet Dom had photos or some shit like that.
He calmed down a bit working on his perfect sauce, but there was still that unpleasant tension in his muscles, the anticipation of Dom coming back. The food could have been even better with fresh pasta, but he didn’t have the necessary equipment to treat himself to that. At least everything else was fresh, though he could have done with organic vegetables.
He was about to start his meal when the unmistakable sound of the lock opening turned his attention back to the door. Domenico wasn’t one for pleasantries.
“What the fuck were you thinking going out on your own?” he asked, shutting the door behind him.
Seth moaned. He didn’t want to argue again. His life was miserable enough already. “Only to the corner store. I mean, come on, Dom!”
“I don’t care. You were supposed to sit on your ass, out of harm’s way. Can’t you even do that right?” Dom threw his coat on the bed and walked up to Seth, stopping above him so close it bristled Seth’s body hair. Seth sucked in his lips. Would Dom hit him?
“I guess I’m not so good at following orders.” Seth rolled some spaghetti onto the fork, not daring to look up.
“What is that?” Was there a subtle change in Domenico’s voice?
Seth looked up at him with a frown. “What does it look like? Pasta. Duh.”
“Smells homemade.” Domenico dropped to the other chair with a slight frown.
Seth shook his head and pointed to the used pan in what pretended to be a kitchen. “Obviously. I made it.”
“From scratch?” Domenico’s eyes alternated between Seth’s face and the steaming bowl.
“Well, yeah… Not the pasta though. It was the best I could do with just a pan. I got some herbs from the neighbor.” He wasn’t going to say it at first, ready for another scolding, but he was proud of it, so he couldn’t help but boast about his frugality. He was surprised all it got him was a stunned nod.
“I thought it was your girlfriend cooking back in New York.”
“My boyfriend can cook chicken nuggets in the fryer.” Seth smiled at the memory. Peter was a useless cook, but at least he never complained about cleaning the dishes after Seth had made dinner.
“That is quite impressive,” said Domenico, stretching his hand toward Seth. He was ogling the pasta as if it hypnotized him.
What the hell? Did he just get a compliment from Dom? Other than about his ass. “Um… thanks. I suppose. There’s only so much I can do with one pan, a fork, and a knife.”
Domenico wiggled the fingers of the outstretched hand.
Seth’s eyes went wider. Did the bastard now want to steal his food as well? After yelling at Seth that he made it in the first place? “You have a kebab.” Seth pointed to the Styrofoam box Dom placed on the table.
“I prefer homemade pasta.”
“Of course you do. But you’re not getting any.” Finally, an upper hand.
“Give me the fork. There is more than enough for two.”
“‘Cause it’s for tomorrow. It’s mine. I made it. And there’s only one fork anyway.” Seth took a forkful of pasta in his mouth with a self-satisfied groan. He froze with the food in his mouth when Dom dipped his hand straight into the center of his bowl, dragging out several strands of spaghetti, leaking with sauce. Horrified, he watched Dom open his mouth like the shark from ‘Jaws’ and drop in his precious, homemade food.
Seth was so stunned, he stopped chewing. A part of him wanted to say “pig”, but a part of him watched Dom eat the delicious red sauce. He even licked his fingers clean, eyes closed, and Seth half expected him to open a few buttons of his shirt.
“That is...” Domenico started chewing as he looked back at Seth with a half frown. “Fantastic. You really made this yourself?”
Seth couldn’t help the smile on his lips as he swallowed. There was a thrill to watching Dom eat in such an animalistic way. Seth wanted to feed him, just to see it again, to see that it was his doing that Dom couldn’t control himself. Maybe it would help him feel like he was regaining some control over his life. “Yeah. I added some smoked bacon because they didn't have pancetta.” He sighed and pushed the plate of pasta in between them.
“I would honestly believe my mother made that.” Domenico was looking at him, his shoulders relaxed as he reached for the pasta again, a small smile already forming on his face. It struck Seth that never before had it seemed as genuine.
Seth wanted to scold him and say that he didn’t want to share, but the relaxed atmosphere was too good to give up on. For once, he didn’t have to tip-toe around Dom. Seth gently tapped the top of Dom’s hand with the fork, which just yesterday he’d attempted to use as a deadly weapon. “Don’t be a pig, use the fork.” He passed the utensil to him.
“Oh, no.” Domenico grinned at him and shuffled closer with his chair. “You made the food, now feed us both.”
Seth suddenly felt shy as if he were on a first date with a boyfriend-to-be, not stuck in a dirty attic with the man who fucked him raw just the day before. He didn’t know what to say so he just smiled and inched closer as well. He dipped the fork in the pasta and rolled it until it turned into a neat ball. Their shoulders and thighs touched, and Seth wasn’t sure how to feel about the intimate atmosphere. He put a hand under the fork as he moved it to Dom’s lips.
He shivered when Domenico leaned in, almost as if he were trying to get into Seth’s embrace, and took the pasta into his mouth with a groan of such pleasure Seth was getting red faced himself.
“You are an excellent cook. What the hell were you doing in communication studies?”
“I… I suppose Father wouldn’t be happy to see his son becoming a professional cook.” Seth considered tasting his creation himself, but in the end, he fed Dom again. The look on that handsome face was worth it. And, oh God, Domenico actually leaned on Seth’s shoulder.
“Men are the best chefs. You have great potential.”
“Well, we both know I won’t be doing that. I’ll be seeing a different kind of red sauce instead.” Seth hesitated but stroked the silk of Dom’s hair and fed him another forkful.
“It’s a shit perspective, isn’t it?” Domenico put his hand across Seth’s back and held him closer as he ate. A strand of spaghetti left a red splash on his chin, making him look like a hungry baby.
Seth really didn’t want to be that guy. The guy who cleans their partner’s face with a napkin, but he couldn’t bear to look at it. They only had a kitchen towel at hand, so he used its corner to rub the sauce off Dom’s chin. “Things change.”
“Like what you had with that... wifey of yours?” asked Domenico without a trace of mockery.
“Yeah. Like that. I knew what I had with him.” The 'had' slipped out on its own but was a truthful indicator of the situation. Seth would never get back together with Peter.
Domenico nodded and took the fork out of Seth’s hand, swirling the pasta around it. “You should tell him it’s over. That’s only fair.”
Seth frowned and slouched in his seat. “I know. I haven’t been single in a long time.”
The ball of delicious spaghetti Dom held up to his mouth wasn’t enough of a comfort. “I know, but at least it’s you leaving him. No drama, or sleepless nights for you.”
Seth shook his head but ate the pasta. “It’s not easy to hurt someone,” he muttered with his mouth full, but then looked to Dom. “Not that you would know.”
Domenico blinked, and his eyes lost the playful glimmer. “You’re one to talk. He was so much smaller, weaker than you, but that didn’t stop you from hurting him. Do you think you’re doing him a favor now?”
Seth lost his appetite. He hadn’t asked for problems with Peter. Stuff just happened, tensions were high and fists flew. He never said they were the perfect couple. “Well, you’re not perfect either so get off my back. I’ll call him.”
“All right. I like a man with balls.” Domenico ate more pasta, unaffected by the exchange. “And you certainly need a man with balls, too.”
“You have no idea what I need.” Seth leaned back in his chair. He didn’t want to break up with Peter over the phone.
“You do. You know you do. If you get together with another spineless dolly, it’s gonna fall apart as well,” said Domenico, poking him in the chest.
“So what? I’m supposed to put up with you instead?” Seth frowned at him. Dom could possibly be a good fuck once he got his attitude in check, but definitely not a good partner. “If I meet a guy I want to be with, I’ll know.”
Domenico pulled Seth closer with one arm and lifted the bowl of pasta. “You don’t know what you want. The fact that you aren’t doing this professionally means just that.”
“And you always know what you want? Give me a break.” Seth sighed and looked down at the spaghetti.
“No one knows it all the time," said Domenico. His thumb was making lazy circles on Seth’s nape.
“I sure as hell don’t know what you want from me. One moment you’re bitching at me and the next you’re all tender like a fucking chicken breast.”
Domenico scowled. “Really? Have you just compared me to something as common as a chicken breast?”
“Oh, I forgot you’re so special. Proud, handsome, keeping everything under control. A bit like a cock, right?” Seth raised his eyebrows with a smirk.
“I think I’m something exotic, but not endangered.”
Seth couldn’t believe the attitude of this guy. “You are so full of yourself.” He got up from the chair with a sigh.
“I’m observant. You on the other hand should train to be a chef. This is amazing.” Domenico leaned over the bowl and started shoveling the rest of the pasta into his mouth.
“You’re handsome, but that’s about it.” Seth shook his head as he watched his lunch disappear. He didn’t want to talk about cooking, since he would never be doing more. No one cared what he wanted.
“Fucking charming. Now call your ex.”
Seth groaned and picked up the cell phone. There was no way to avoid this. He still knew Peter’s number by heart.
The moment he spoke, Peter squeaked his name in a pitch so high Seth had to pull the phone away from his ear. He sat on the bed with a sigh, absent-mindedly watching Domenico devour the food. The broken sob he heard in the receiver made him cringe.
“I... ah... I’m at Neil’s. I miss you so badly.”
Oh God, it had to be bad if Peter couldn’t even stay at his apartment. Seth already imagined Peter and Neil sitting around a tub of ice cream and ripping him apart. Wouldn’t be the first time. “I know, I’m sorry. I just… I needed to call you, so you know I’m not coming back.”
The silence in the cell phone was crippling, and for a moment he considered hanging up, but then Peter burst with whiny blabber. “Please, just tell me where you are, I’m good with relocating.”
“I can’t tell you, Pete. It’s…” He hesitated and looked to Dom, who was headed for the bathroom. “…dangerous. I can’t. You wouldn’t like it.” He combed his fingers through his hair nervously.
“I’m okay with dangerous. Just tell me where to find you. I miss you so fucking much!” Within a few seconds, Peter was already crying into the receiver.
Seth was feeling horrible, but it had to be done. It didn’t help that Dom was watching him from the bathroom. Leaning against the door frame like a young god: powerful and sensuous enough to make any man lose focus.
Seth took a deep breath. “I’m not coming back. And you can’t join me. I can’t be in a long-distance relationship either.”
Dom rolled his eyes and turned to face the bathroom. It took a moment for Seth to understand what he was looking at when his new mentor opened the fly of his pants.
Peter’s voice was like an annoying fly in Seth’s ear. “I don’t care, just—” The sentence was broken off by a series of sounds, and it soon became clear someone else had gotten hold of the telephone. Neil’s icy voice was like a cold shower.
“Seth, I know you’re there.”
“Hi, Neil…” Seth frowned, ready for another portion of Seth-bashing, but his eyes were instantly drawn to the dark shadow of Domenico’s cock. Seth couldn’t help the slight shiver that went through his body when he watched a stream of liquid leave the tip to the slight splash of water.
“If you want to leave him, man up and say it to his face!” Fucking Neil. Always in the way, always ”protective”, when actually he was just curious for new gossip. The guy should mind his own fucking business. Just because he had a husband, he thought he could tell everyone else how to live their lives.
Seth took a deep breath, not to swear at Neil. “He’s better off without me. Just take care of him for me, okay?”
Neil was silent for over a second, which was fucking unusual, and when he spoke, it was to tell Seth he was passing the cell to Peter. Seth looked up to the ceiling before his gaze got drawn back to Dom. He and Peter weren’t a good match, that much was true. They’d hit it off at the beginning, but as soon as they moved in together, things started going sour. The novelty of having a steady boyfriend wore off, and Seth couldn’t help being irritable about some of Peter’s favorite things. Like those stupid, tacky porcelain figurines, or when he wanted to get a dog and couldn’t understand Seth’s protests.
“Seth? Please, don’t...” Peter’s voice was shaking. Seth looked up at Domenico, who waved his hand to signify it was high time to end this torture.
“I’m sorry,” Seth muttered and turned off the phone so he wouldn’t have to hear any more crying. He rubbed his forehead, tired as if he had run a marathon.
“Good, you did the right thing.” Domenico was slowly approaching him.
“What do you know about the ‘right thing’?” Seth rubbed his eyes, annoyed that they were itching. “It was a long relationship.”
“How long?” Dom pulled his cigarettes out of his trench coat.
“Two years.” Seth held out his hand in a silent demand. One of these days, he was sure it would work. And it did! Domenico pushed a cigarette against Seth’s lips and turned on the lighter at its tip. The flame danced in front of Seth’s face until the cigarette was burning red.
“Not bad.”
Seth took a deep breath of smoke, looking up at Dom. “My first boyfriend,” he confessed, hoping Dom wouldn’t laugh. Seth had no one else to turn to.
“Thought as much.” Domenico’s face lit up with the burn at the top of his cig, and he inhaled, pushing wildfire through the cigarette.
“I started late.” Seth stroked Dom’s thigh absentmindedly. “No one hits on the Don’s son.”
“I know I wouldn’t,” said Domenico in a voice so serious Seth had to look up, but the diabolical smile on the man’s face was all he needed to see. Dom was batshit and proud of it.
Seth gave him a half smile and took a swig of smoke. He wondered what kind of teenager Dom had been. Calm and collected, sensitive, or aggressive and bloodthirsty? “Had you planned all of this when you found out about me back in New York?”
