Beau - Chapter Six
#6 of Beau
© All characters and storylines involving said characters belong to me: Eben Black.
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Damian lead me for three blocks before we turned in and found a small, quiet, almost deserted bar. He ordered us drinks and when we had them we found one of the booths at the far end of the bar deserted. He settled down as he gazed out the window. Fresh snow had begun falling. I settled down opposite him and huddled over the drink I'd ordered. I'd had enough of alcohol and luckily the bartender also did coffees and hot chocolates during winter. I had a hot chocolate and had my hands huddled around the gentle warmth that ebbed outward from the delicious liquid. I couldn't stop thinking about what kind of drunken mess dad had gotten himself, mom and now Lian into. It made me mad, but Dakota had been right about something, if I turned up, all Hell would break loose. For now I'd bide my time and wait to see what happened next.
"You ok? You've gone quiet?" Damian asked as he watched me, his cup of black coffee steaming in front of him.
"Yeah, just worried about what's happening at home," I replied with a slightly saddened smile.
"Is your brother dependable?" he asked.
"Its not Lian I'm worried about."
"Your dad?"
I nodded and gazed out the window as I added, "He's a drunk, and a homophobe, put those two together with the fact that he has a gay son, and it tends to make him an impossible person to live with."
Damian looked at me and said, "Sounds like you live life rough."
"I was home for one night and the next morning we argued in the kitchen, and he ended up being booted out by mom," I explained.
"And he's been out drinking, and then headed home for a drunken confrontation tonight?" Damian asked.
I nodded.
"Bastard."
"Your telling me," I replied.
"Why's he like that?" Damian asked.
"Like what?
"A homophobe? People who are true-blue homophobes tend to have had bad experiences with homosexuals in the past."
I considered Damian for a moment and then understood where he was coming from. "No idea," I admitted.
Damian nodded and replied, "You do realise its not your fault right?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I've been in your predicament. My dad hated me because of what I was, and it forced me out of the home."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'd already formed the band and planned on going on tour, so when I was kicked out I had a place to go without concern, but I always thought it was my fault dad hated me."
"Sounds like you've lived a pretty rough life as it is. I'm sorry my family drama is keeping you here with me," I added with an apologetic smile.
He grinned back and said, "I don't mind. I've been in worse company. Besides, your pretty good looking."
Now I'd like to say I came back with something equally flirtacious, but all I could muster through my blush was, "You too."
He laughed, a gentle chuckling sound as he raised his mug to his muzzle and sipped.
I smiled across at him and sipped my own drink. A dull vibration hit my leg. I buried my hand in my pocket and pulled out my mobile. The battery died a second later. Fuck!
"Something wrong?" he asked.
I showed him the dead phone.
"Ah, dead battery. Damn," he breathed.
"I'll give them another hour and then get a taxi back, see what the damage is," I murmured to myself, more than Damian.
"In the meantime, I wanna know more about you." Damian grinned as he leaned his chin against his palm and watched me.
"You do?" I replied.
He nodded and added, "So what made you want to be a forensic photographer?"
I shrugged and explained, "I always wanted to help people, and I liked photography. I figured helping work out how someone died, and giving their family closure was a good way of helping people."
Damian nodded and said, "Sounds like a noble profession. Nice one."
"Thanks."
"Is that the only reason you wanted to do it?"
"Well no, the one who spurred me on to help people was my dad, funnily enough."
"Oh? How so?"
"His full name is Nathaniel Ballentine. He's a lawyer who works to put criminals away. I looked up to him when I was younger, and wanted to help people like him."
"So why not become a lawyer like him?"
"Like I said, I liked photography. Besides my brother, Nathan, is the lawyer. He works under my dad, or rather he's been working instead of my dad."
"Has your dad always had a drink problem, or is it because of...well, you know," he gestured at me.
"Because I'm gay?" I finished. He nodded and blushed a little. I chuckled and added, "He developed it over the last six months. Things seem to have gotten to him and his drinking got worse."
"Sounds like a proper asshole, pardon my language," Damian said with a gentle smile.
I shook my head and said, "Don't apologise, he is an asshole. But some part of me does think its my fault."
Damian frowned a little and asked, "Tell me why?"
"Well my brother has heard them both arguing about me and other things for months now, and my returning home seems to have sent him overboard. I'm worried he's going to do something really bad." Tears burned behind my eyes as I spoke. I fought to swallow them down, but felt one stream down my cheek in one, hot line. I shuddered as more tears rushed down. God, why was I crying? "He's a fucking idiot, and its all my doing!" I sobbed.
Damian watched me for a moment, and then did something I never foresaw. He touched his hands to the table between us, leaned over, and touched his lips to mine.
I went wide-eyed for a heartbeat, stunned at what had happened, and then melted against him. I kissed him back and a moment later he leaned back, breaking the kiss. He smiled as he sat back in his seat.
"I had a feeling you needed some kind of closeness. Did it help?" he asked.
I blushed and said, "Yeah. It did actually."
He grinned and added, "Beau, listen to me. Your dad sounds like he has hang-ups. He's upset about what you are, and that's not something a father should be like in this scenario."
"So what do I do?" I asked, almost pleaded, looking for an answer to this constant hatred we had against one another.
"Nothing. Its your dad's problem, but please, Beau, please understand that its not your fault whatsoever," he replied. He slipped out of the booth and stepped around to snuggle in beside me.
"W-What are you doing?" I breathed.
He settled in beside me, one arm draped over my shoulder as he slouched down and held me against him. "I'm cuddling you. Is that alright?" he asked from inches away.
I had my head pressed to the swell of his chest. That deep heartbeat thumped against the warm dark grey fur. I could feel that pale-green gaze looking down at me.
More tears ran in hot streams down my cheeks as I cuddled against this stranger.
"Give me your mobile," he asked suddenly.
"Excuse me?"
"Trust me." He slipped his own mobile out, popped the back off and dislodged the battery. He popped the back off mine and looked. "Good. They are the same type. Watch," he popped in his battery into my mobile and turned it on. The screen flashed up and I found a text message had been sent while it had died.
I opened the text and read it: Dad passed out on the couch in the lounge. Can you find somewhere to stay until the mornin? Really sorry to ask this bro. I'm thinkin about ma. You understand? Lian.
"Looks like I'm barred from the home until morning. Great," I murmured.
"Let me see your mobile a minute," Damian asked.
I handed him the phone and watched as he punched in a number and pressed "save". "What was that?" I asked.
He smirked and replied, "My number. Is that alright too?"
I blushed deep again and smiled up at him. Those beautiful pale green eyes watching me. "Yeah. That's more than alright. But, why are you being so nice to me?" I asked.
"I get the feeling your a good guy, Beau Ballentine. There aren't many good guys out there anymore. Pardon me for wanting the last one in town to myself," he replied.
"To yourself?" I repeated.
"Nothing too pressured. A few dates here and there. Up to you though?"
"Are you...are you asking me out?" I asked, going more and more red under the fur.
He grinned and blushed a little too. "Would that be something you'd be interested in?"
I smiled and nodded.
"Alright. So here's a question, where are you staying tonight?" Damian asked.
"I don't know. I'll find a hotel somewhere and get my head down until the morning."
"Nope. Wrong answer." He grinned as I looked nonplussed at his statement.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm asking you," he raised his hand to mine and laced his fingers with mine, "if you'll stay with me at the hotel I'm staying in."
"Your staying in a hotel?" I repeated looking confused.
He nodded and said, "The band was on tour and stopped here in town, so its a hotel for now. I have a feeling I'll be sticking around for some time though, so I'll get an apartment sorted soon."
I smirked and replied, "I don't usually accept offers home after the first meeting."
"Please, please don't misunderstand. I'm not asking you back for sex...not that that would be a bad thing...I mean...not that I wouldn't say no...its just...we only just met...am I confusing you? I'm confused." He went bright red.
"I know what you meant, Damian. And to be honest, I don't wanna be alone tonight anyway." I smiled back at him and leaned forward, our hands squeezed together as I brushed lips with his again.
He snuggled closer and whispered, "Lets go then. I wanna get into bed, cuddle and sleep."
I glanced at him and asked, "Your sure about this?"
"Like I said, Beau, I get the feeling your a good guy. I don't mind cuddling up to a good guy tonight while I sleep."
Damian stood up and held a hand out for me. Was I really doing this? Was I really going back to a hotel room with a musician? Surely this was the plot for some wierd rom-com at the box office? I smiled up at him and stood, that dark grey paw felt warm and so comforting in my own. I let him lead me back out into the cold. His hotel was four blocks from here. I huddled against him as we trekked through the snow covered pavements and darkened street. There was something about Damian that screamed closeness, and warmth. I could sense he was good. I could sense he was one of the good guys too. Some distant part of me knew that I'd be seeing alot more of Damian in the coming weeks. Some part of me even hoped so too.