Visit

(Awesome cover fanart by MayaDemonAngel)

Tommy-

Waking up to the sound of the clicking of keys on a laptop was new. As Tommy felt his mind begin to clear of sleep, he realized that he was laying against something that was quite warm. Add the blanket he still felt covering most of him, and he was a bit too hot.

"Afternoon."

Afternoon? Not morning?

"You slept in. It's almost one." Came Christopher's voice from nearby, and just above him.

Tommy groaned quietly and squinted one eye open. His vision was blurry for a few moments, but after a couple blinks, he was able to discern that he was still in Christopher's bed. He also realized with a bit of shock, that he was lying on one of the man's legs.

Hello, embarrassment.

While his cheeks reddened, Tommy tried to focus on what was causing the clicking noise he kept hearing. It only took him a moment, and the feel of constant warm air rustling the top of his head, to realize that Christopher must be working on his laptop.

"Hey, I'm filling out a general application for Jana to send off to colleges with the documentation from the prison but I can't remember his full name. Do you know it?"

Tommy felt his lips tug up into a smile as he pushed himself slowly back up until he was leaning against the pillows that had originally propped him up before he fell asleep.

"Yeah. Jana Alaric. I don't think he has a middle name."

He saw Christopher nod from the corner of his eye as his fingers clicked away at they keys. When he had finished, he scrolled up the page and began reading through the credentials he'd written. "It's going to be tough to get him in somewhere, even with some of his record being expunged due to his age at the time of the incident, but he's damn smart."

Tommy felt his heart swell a little, almost as if he had been the one getting the compliment. Jana was important to him, even if he hadn't been his guard for long. He was smart, possibly even a genius with how quickly he picked things up, but Christopher was right. The man would struggle to find a decent college that would want him, even as an online student.

When Christopher leaned back and actually looked down at him, Tommy felt an odd tickle in his stomach that he hadn't before. Trying to ignore the feeling, he took a good look at the man, then frowned.

"You didn't sleep much..."

Christopher just shrugged as he saved the document he had been working on, then shutdown his laptop and set it aside on the nightstand.

"Chris, you need to sleep." Tommy said, worry coating his voice.

He knew the man would likely reprimand him, or ignore him, so it was no surprise when Christopher just didn't comment on what he said, but instead hardened his gaze on Tommy.

"My name is Christopher."

Tommy felt himself tense slightly, but forced away his dominant emotions to keep the situation from getting stressful. Christopher was challenging him, but he should know that he had little energy to fight that fight. He would need at least another few days before he was ready to butt heads with him. He was, however, looking forward to his chance.

It was rare to be anywhere near Christopher for long periods of time, and there he was, in the man's house. Even sleeping in his bed. It was more than Tommy could have dreamed of, but now he wanted more. Of what, he couldn't exactly name. Sure, he wanted the attention the man could offer, but he also wanted to extend his own comfort.

He wouldn't appreciate that. At all.

The idea of Christopher kneeling in front of him was just a far off dream that he knew would never happen, but he could save being realistic for real life. Letting his eyes drift closed, he allowed the image of the man's face to solidify a little further as Christopher looked up at him. Gone was the exhaustion and defensive barriers that always seemed to cloud his eyes. What remained was a tired relief.

"Tom."

The nickname got beneath Tommy's skin immediately. He didn't like nick names. He was about to tell that to Christopher, when he realized what the man meant by saying it. Fair. He reminded himself as he opened his eyes again, allowing himself to return to his messed up reality.

Christopher was staring down at him as he sat on the edge of the bed. He's waiting for a response. It wasn't a surprise, since he was dominant and used to subs relying right away, but he wasn't Tommy's dominant, nor would he want the man only as a dominant.

And there-in lies the problem. Of course, also him not taking subs.

Inwardly groaning, Tommy swallowed his dominant side and lowered his gaze, but only slightly. "I apologize."

It was sincere, and after a moment, Christopher seemed to accept it, as he pushed himself off the bed. Tommy looked up when there was no response, only to see the man stretch his arms above his head. Chris's back muscles bunched, making Tommy swallow to keep himself from making a bigger fool out of himself than he already had the past few weeks.

"What would you like for lunch?"

Tommy licked his lips, then realized he was still looking at Chris and hurried to glance down at his lap. "Um," he was about to say that anything would be fine, but after being under the man's watch day and night for awhile, he knew that Christopher wouldn't take that type of answer... and if he did, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich was going to be his punishment for being so nondescript.

"Pasta sounds really good, please." He said after his stomach growled quietly.

Christopher nodded and headed out of the room to prepare the food. He was gone for only a few minutes before he returned with a cup full of water and a handful of pills. Tommy made a face at the pills. He wasn't hurting nearly as badly as he had been. Nor had he been very nauseous, but he knew that Chris would just crush them up and make his food taste bitter if he didn't take them.

He knows I hate them, too. Damn doctor.

Tommy tried to swipe the pills from the man's hand, and maybe accidentally drop them so that he might not have to take at least one of the five, but Chris knew him too well... already. He snapped his hand closed, then reached behind Tommy's head to grab a good fistful of hair. The pain had Tommy wincing and his mouth opening ever-so-slightly. Christopher took that chance to slip a finger between his lips and push down Tommy's lower jaw just enough to make his mouth open a little wider.

With one eye closed, Tommy glared up at Christopher, trying to calm his panting. He'd been surprised by the sudden action, but he knew he shouldn't have been. Chris was a dominant, after all, and he knew that Tommy was a switch. Chris could be rough because Tommy already knew how to act. Chris knew that he wouldn't get bitten if he put his finger in Tommy's mouth, when most normal people would have gladly done damage.

Tommy thought about it, honestly. Christopher was being rough without having established any rules between them, so it would be logical that he get bitten. When he looked up into the man's eyes, however, all of his frustration drained away, only to be replaced with a cautious curiosity. The look on Chris's face was hard to read, but not because he was trying to hide any one emotion.

Damn, he's got a lot going on in his head to be giving off so many different signals.

He looked angry, but at the same time, Tommy felt like he was being dissected from the outside, in. Christopher was analyzing him, for what though, Tommy wasn't positive. He did hope, that just maybe, the man was actually beginning to see that maybe they could figure something out between the two of them. It was a long shot, and a wishful thought, but one could dream.

Before Tommy could get his mouth to work, Christopher released his jaw and turned on his heels. Soon he was gone from the room, leaving Tommy to flop back over onto his pillows with a quiet groan. He's going to put the pills in my food again. Dammit. I'm not a dog.

When Chris returned with his bowl of pasta, Tommy was surprised to see a phone pressed against his ear and shoulder. After he was handed the bowl and a fork, Christopher hung up the call and began getting himself dressed. Tommy would have protested if he put on his work uniform and coat, but when he just pulled on a pair of black jeans and a grey T-shirt, he grew confused.

"Where are you going?"

Christopher didn't answer until he was completely dressed, complete with a pair of sunglasses. "To Domino's. Jade took A.J. out for the day, but they decided to head over there when A.J. began to get tired. I'd just like to go check on him, since he isn't in good health yet."

Food forgotten, Tommy hurried to get his aching body to the edge of the bed. He was about to reach over to the wheelchair by the nightstand when Christopher put a hand on his shoulder. "Not a chance. You are staying here and eating, then going back to sleep."

Frustration spread through his chest as he was nudged onto his back. His heart flipped at the same time, considering Chris was practically leaning over him, pinning him down, but he wouldn't let the feeling rule his decision. His inner sub wanted to obey without question, but he wasn't feeling very submissive right then.

"The second you leave I'll be in that chair, heading out the door. If you move it, I'll find a way to get on my feet. You aren't leaving me here. I want to go see Jana and Domino, and that person you found on the bridge with them, A.J.."

He'd been told about A.J., but not a lot. He also wanted to visit Jana and see how he was doing outside of prison. He hadn't worked with the man for that long, but he had still grown on him.

When Christopher growled under his breath, Tommy returned the sound with narrowed, determined eyes. He knew that Chris wouldn't tell him that he could come, but when the man leaned back and turned, grabbing and dragging his wheelchair closer, Tommy couldn't help but grin.

Once he was dressed, with the help of Chris, and settled into his chair, they headed out. The drive was silent, both of them tense from the awkward morning. I forgot to eat. Tommy realized that he would have to eat the cold pasta when he got back. He doubted that Chris would warm it up for him after he made him bring him along.

I asked for it. I really did ask to get nasty, cold, medicine pasta.

The car came to a stop a few minutes later and Tommy glanced up at several apartment buildings. Jana... in an apartment? Surrounded by other apartments, and people? That sounded like a recipe for disaster. He was honestly surprised that nothing around the area seemed broken or abused, and people were walking about normally.

Maybe he really has changed. He thought as he was helped from the car and back into his wheelchair. Getting up the stairs was a bit embarrassing, as he had to be carried, then his chair brought up, but thankfully the thing folded and wasn't too heavy. When Christopher was finally able to knock on the door, Domino answered.

Okay. Well, now I know why there's nothing broken outside.

Domino's left cheek was black and blue. Along with his left eye and part of his neck. He also appeared to be walking with a limp, though Tommy definitely wasn't interested in the reason for that. Looking beyond the man as he went to take his seat back at the table across from a rather intimidating man, Tommy noticed Jana sitting on a sofa at the far end of the room. A medium sized television was set up, but the volume was barely loud enough to hear mumbles here and there. It looked like it was on the news, but Jana clearly wasn't paying attention to it.

He was looking toward them, his eyes narrowed with unease. It was as if they were invading his territory. Technically, we are. Tommy thought as he offered the man a smile as he wheeled himself a little closer. When he noticed a smaller version of Jana resting with his head on the man's left leg, Tommy felt his breath hitch. Jana had his hand covering most of the younger man's face, but not quite in a loving way a friend might. It's almost like he's just using A.J.'s face as an armrest. His fingers covered the man's eyes and one finger even rested over his mouth. His hand didn't seem to be an issue to the sleeping man, however, as he was snoring very quietly as he breathed in, then out, in a steady rhythm.

"A.J?" Tommy found himself asking as he watched Christopher walk over and kneel beside the sofa.

Jana immediately stiffened, but held back any action as he watched Christopher like a hawk.

"He looks exhausted. Domino, you said he was only out for a short time?" Chris asked as he stood up, turning his attention to the two men at the table.

He expected Domino to answer, but when the other man did, Tommy immediately felt wary of him. "I took him to get clothing and he got tired after an hour of walking from store to store. He will be building up his stamina as his body condition improves."

He's definitely a dominant, but how did he get A.J.?

Looking back at the younger version of Jana, Tommy felt his brow furrow in confusion. None of the tension he always noticed in Jana, even when asleep, was to be seen on A.J.'s face.

"He's staying with you? Then you're the Jade Domino mentioned on the phone?" Christopher said as he took a seat at the table. The other man nodded, his bright green eyes meeting Chris's without hesitation.

"I live in the general area and am a doctor. I don't specialize in nutrition, but it is one of the subjects I studied quite a lot. I hope you're getting him vitamins and a lot of healthy foods so that he can regain the weight he's clearly missing?"

Domino cut in as the other man began to open his mouth, looking none-too-happy.

"Jade is making absolute sure that A.J. gets what he needs. He's already got food being picked up, as well as supplements and vitamins. A.J. will be in great shape soon."

Tommy could still see the anger behind Jade's eyes, and he could understand it. He would have been mad, too, if another dominant told him that he had to pay more attention to his submissive. Of course, he knew that Christopher wasn't saying that, specifically, but it was close enough.

"Alright. Please keep me updated on him." Chris said, realizing that he was overstepping his bounds with the other man. "He does already look better than when I first saw him, so thank you for taking him in."

Jade only nodded in return as he stood, then headed toward the sofa.

"A.J., we're leaving."

Tommy almost winced at the man's strong tone. It was an order, and evidently, it was stern enough to wake A.J. up from his sound sleep. The younger man slowly pushed himself up. He still looked dazed, but when Jade leaned down and reached for him, he seemed to react automatically. His arms went around the man's neck, then snuggled into his arms before passing out again.

Okay, he's adorable. Such an opposite from Jana, yet they look so alike.

"I'll give you a call tomorrow, Domino."

Before Jade could get to the door, Christopher stepped in front of him and offered him a small folded paper. "My number. Please give me a call if you have any health troubles with him."

Surprisingly, Jade didn't hesitate to take the paper and slip it into his pocket. He even added a "Thank you," before Chris moved out of his way.

As soon as Jade left with A.J., Tommy felt a sudden weight lift from the air. Damn. That guy. I don't know if A.J. can handle someone like him. He didn't even know the guy, or A.J., but he still had an unsettling feeling about the two of them together.