Something Worth Fighting For

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

BRAYLEE

"You know," Dom told me as he entered the lounge, a beer clasped in his hand, "you're supposed to use a tissue to blow your nose, not just smear your sneeze all over your face."

My lips twitched, which made the slimy-lotion I had pasted on my face stretch against my skin. "It's a cleansing and hydrating face mask," I informed him, making a gesture towards the small bowl of goo beside me. I sat on his lounger, an assortment of beauty products surrounding me. After our jaunt at the supermarket, we'd come back to the house and just sort of... chilled.

Which was nice.

Dom had made us toasted sandwiches for lunch and then holed himself up in his room where I heard him spend the afternoon gaming on his PC. On the other hand, I had spent the day curled up on my sofa reading a book, both Trevor and Geralt huddled in cute furry little balls around me. An unspoken agreement had settled between us to keep our bedroom doors open, so when one of us managed to pry themself away from their cosy hole for something- normally a beverage- we'd stick our head into the other's room to enquire whether they wanted anything.

It was remarkably nice.

Having Dom around helped keep my mind at ease, diverting the nerves that I felt whenever I remembered what had happened the night before. He made me feel safe, and comfortable, and I couldn't appreciate his presence that day more.

Sometime around sunset, I decided to move away from the shelter of my room and occupy the lounge for a bit, and shortly after Dom had emerged from his own room and made for the kitchen, catching me amid a beauty regimen I sometimes partook in.

"Oh, well, in that case sign me up." He dropped into the empty place beside me, his expression completely deadpan.

I tilted my head to the side and considered him warily. I'm sure I looked ridiculous with my hair thrown back in the messiest bun to keep the wayward strands from touching the mask, with a bright purple headband to top that off. I'd be an easy target to make fun off. Hell, if Brandon were here I'd never hear the end of it.

"You want the face mask?" I clarified, still sceptical that he wasn't joking.

But Dom merely looked over at me, gave me a slow blink that drew attention to his grey eyes, took a sip of his beer that worked the muscles of his strong jaw, and enunciated, "Yes, Bray. I want the face mask. My pores are in need of some cleansing."

I squinted at him, leaning a bit closer. "Your pores are clogged the fuck up. When was the last time you exfoliated?"

Now he gave me an incredulous look that was almost comical and made me giggle. "Probably 'round the last time the pope met the devil."

I snorted indelicately and shook my head. "Alright, alright. We'll exfoliate first and then apply a mask- if you're serious about this."

"As serious as I am about rugby and buttplugs. I never joke about those."

"You're terrible." Rummaging around in my box of product, I procured a cotton swab and an exfoliant I'd apply to Dom's face. I reckoned if he was game, then why not? Nothing wrong with a bit of skincare every now and then, even if he didn't take it as seriously as I did. "You need to come closer."

I pivoted my body on the leather of his lounger and tucked my legs under me so that I was facing him. Dom, being the huge, muscly boy that he was, couldn't be quite as accommodating as my slimmer frame was, so he just turned his hip a bit and propped the leg closest to me on the chair, angling his body as near to me as I needed.