By the time he was finished, I gripped the edge of the table so hard I was sure it was going to crack in my hands. The music that had me dancing before now set the tempo of my rage as I examined Harry, who had slumped back, jaw dropped, panting heavily.
I took a low breath. “You two rat bastards have five seconds to get the fuck out of here before I break every bone in your fucking bodies,” I spat, meaning every word. If either of them touched Harry again, I would end them.
Fuck the prestigious law degree and whatever other reasons I was there. If they kicked me out for assault, then fine. I didn’t want to be at the fucking university in the first place.
Harry was too pale, could barely speak, and his eyes were too hazy for me to give a shit about anything except making sure he was safe.
They looked at each other as if they were trying to figure out if I was joking. Until they saw the pure storm raging through me and they flew out of the booth like the little methhead bunnies they were.
All I got was a muttered “Fucker” before the crowd absorbed them.
R.I.P. to my prolific dealing career. I wasn’t that committed anyway.
I quickly swapped sides and slid in next to Harry. With a hand on his shoulder, I gently shook him. “Hey, can you hear me?”
The music muffled his groan as his head tipped forwards, and I caught him before he fell onto the table. “Okay, handsome, we need to get you out of here.”
I got a pint of water down him with the help of a bouncer I was close to before we dragged him to the nearby taxi rank. I kept having to wake him up in the taxi. I didn’t want him falling asleep before we got back to his place.
I loved the shape of him, how my arm didn’t fit around his soft body as he leant on me in the backseat, how perfect his fingers felt pressed against my stomach as he clung to me. But, no matter how much he looked up at me with stars in his eyes, it didn’t mean I was going to lug his ass up three flights of stairs when he was half-asleep.
We finally made it back to our flats, successfully navigating the stairs like pros until we were standing on the landing in front of our flats. Harry had been happily babbling away the whole time, and I gave him various nondescript responses as I focused on getting him home.
I couldn’t leave him alone. It wasn’t just that I’d never get over it if something happened when he was by himself. It was because he was also my responsibility, and I wasn’t leaving him until I was sure he was safe.
“Harry.” I adjusted my arm around his waist as I held him up, my hand stuck to his lower back. “Where’s your keys?”
I finally got us standing outside the door to his flat. I was aiming to keep him upright, but he had become dead weight as soon as we reached the top floor.
I needed to get him horizontal so he didn’t throw up.
“Huh?” Harry lifted his head a fraction to rest it on my shoulder, blinking up at me innocently. “What did you say?”
“Where’s your key, handsome?”
“Uuugh, hang on…” He patted his shirt, his stomach and his hips, as if he could magically conjure it. “I dunno… I’m sorry…” My heart skipped a beat as he adjusted himself like he was snuggling into me.
I was being stupid. I had to make sure he was safe, and then I’d keep an eye on him for the night. That was it.
And I wanted to see his room, see what furniture he had pressed against the wall next to my bed, and find out what books and movies he liked. I wanted to be there when he woke up to regale him with tales of my chivalry so he’d stop seeing me as an enemy.
“Back pocket, maybe?” I asked.
“Uh, Dom. I feel… I need…”
I shifted my weight, carrying his as I laid my other hand on his stomach for support. “It’s okay,” I murmured, dipping my shoulder to give his head more room. “I've got you.”
My hand on his lower back sank to push into the pocket of his trousers. I bit my lip to keep myself from moaning as my wide hand barely cupped his ass, and I toyed with the idea of exploring every inch of him.
Harry groaned as I removed it, and my eyes rolled as the sound went straight to my cock. I searched the other pocket and came up with nothing. Maybe the twitch of my fingers digginginto his soft flesh was my way of testing to see how good it would be to caress him with nothing between us, or maybe it was part of searching for his keys.
“Are you sure you don’t have it?” I asked. “You seriously need to be more worried than this.” I tutted.
I couldn’t feel a wallet either. If those bastards had stolen it, I’d hunt them down and make them disappear. My Mum didn’t just teach me how to scam people—I could ruin their lives if I set my mind to it.
Harry needed more water, but we weren’t getting anything if he couldn’t find his key.
“Oh,” was the only warning he gave me as his legs buckled and he slipped out from under my arm. I winced as I caught him before he hit the ground, gritting my teeth as my already sore arms tried to keep him up. I didn’t have time to fuck about and wrestle with him, so I made a snap decision.
