Chapter 59: Damon Reid vs. Tristan Thomas: An explosive encounter…Moving on!

***

After ensuring that Tristan had eaten a good meal, Damon insisted on Tristan getting back into bed.

“I’ve slept enough Damon. I just want to relax…sitting up if you don’t mind.” He muttered.

“Relaxing it is,” Damon said, scooting back on the bed till his back was pressed against the headboard. “Come here.”

Damon drew Tristan into his lap. Tristan leaned sideways against Damon and rested the side of his face against Damon’s chest. He shuddered as he felt Damon’s arm curl around his waist, holding him securely, whilst the other rubbed his back soothingly.

“So you were really going to jack off when you had a willing beautiful hottie begging for it,” Damon murmured against Tristan’s hair. “How disappointing.”

Tristan burst into laughter, his body shaking with mirth. “She told you that?”

“Uh-huh.” Damon chuckled. “That was very insulting you know.”

“You wanted me to take her up on her offer?” Tristan sounded incredulous. He raised up his head to look at Damon.

“Hell no. Just kidding.” Damon made a horror-stricken face making Tristan laugh even harder. “Thanks,” Damon added softly.

“You are most welcome.” Tristan chuckled laying his head back on Damon’s chest.

Damon still couldn’t get over what Tristan had done…or not done. That must have taken some serious willpower. For a highly sexed person such as Tristan, that was really something. And all for him. Damon felt humbled.

“I’m sorry for all the shit I said during our argument,” Damon said quietly.

“I’m sorry too.” Tristan sighed. “For what I said. I didn’t mean it.”

“I know,” Damon murmured. “And I take everything I said on the plane, back,” Damon added.

Tristan was quiet for a while, then asked mischievously. “Even the declarations of love?”

Damon laughed. “Hey, I’m serious here. I…I have never been that jealous in my life as I was in that club, Tris. I hated that feeling. And it made me angry. Angry at you. Made me say things I shouldn’t have. Made me act like a kid. I’m so sorry.”

“Being jealous where someone you love is concerned, doesn’t make you a kid. It simply means you’re human Damon.”

“I know that now. I take what I said back. Forgive me?”

“No. You have to grovel first, then I get to torture you, then you’ll have to grovel some more, then I’ll…”

“What if I just set Chloe on you?” Damon asked innocently, then burst into laughter when Tristan groaned. “How much do you remember of what went down anyway?”

“Hmmm. Pretty much everything. Right from the point where Cole threatened to beat me to an inch of my life if I hurt you, to the point where Chloe clocked me on the head.”

“He did what? When?” Damon couldn’t keep the amusement out of his voice.

Tristan laughed softly. “You don’t have to sound so happy dude. That was my life he was threatening. Right after I left this room to go to Chloe.”

“God, I love that guy.” Damon laughed.

“Should I be worried?” Tristan gave a mock growl.

Damon laughed. “That’s a different kind of love dickhead.”

Tristan laughed. “I also remember Étienne muttering curses that would have made a sailor blush on our way back here, and you squeezing the life out of me with your arms. Did you think I was going to disappear or something?” Tristan couldn’t help teasing.

“You have no idea how I felt. Grateful to God that you were okay, angry at myself for doubting you even for a second, and a whole lot of other feelings. I’m sorry for cracking your bones.” Damon pressed a kiss into Tristan’s hair.

“I’m guessing Chloe told you everything that happened,” Tristan asked sounding serious again.

“Yeah. You should have encouraged her to stop using, Tris. That shit will destroy her if she doesn’t stop.”

“What makes you think I didn’t? I hate drugs, Damon. My system doesn’t handle it well. I react to even the mildest of painkillers. So naturally, I used to tell her all the time that I was okay without drugs and she could be too. Her friend works with a big pharmaceutical company here in France, and supplies her with all the dangerous drugs.”

“That Raoul fellow?”

“The one and only. She’s a big girl. She can take care of herself. I’m just pissed off for what she did to me. She knows I hate any kind of drug.”

“At least she gave you your favourite orange juice.” Damon teased, trying to lighten up Tristan’s mood.

Tristan laughed. “So tell me from the point you entered this shitty drama.”

Silent, the only sound his soft breathing, Tristan lay unmoving against Damon as he told him everything.

Tristan sighed when Damon finished with his rescue story. “She heard about us before we came to France Damon. And it was driving her insane.” Tristan said softly.

“Shit!”

“You can say that again. You should have seen what she did. She’s known me for a long time Damon, and she knows just how to get me hot and bothered. I really wanted to leave but she wouldn’t let me.”

“Hey relax. Hell, I’m sure even without drugs, I would find it difficult to resist a hot chic like Chloe. You need a medal baby.” Damon chuckled.

Tristan laughed. “What can I say? You’ve ruined me for any other person. You sure she didn’t do anything when I pass…”

“Dude, you were so out of it even the hottest porn stars couldn’t have gotten your dick up.”

“Shit! Maybe it doesn’t work anymore.” Tristan groaned.

“You had a semi in the shower not too long ago fucker. It works alright…”

“Maybe we should make sure.” Tristan said, turning to straddle Damon and getting right in his face.”

Damon laughed just as his phone rang. He picked it up and looked at the caller ID. “Michael.”

“Hey, doc.” Damon gave Tristan a quick peck on the lips. “Yes, he’s okay. I’m putting you on speaker.”

“Tristan?” Michael’s voice was loud and clear as though he were in the room with them.

“Hey, Michael.”

“What the fuck were you thinking hanging out with psychos?” Michael bellowed and both Damon and Tristan winced. “And that idiot Damon allowed it. What the fuck is wrong with you people? Do you have any idea what that painkiller could have done to you?”

“Michael you said he was ok…” Damon started.

“Of course, I had to say that you moron. You were getting hysterical. I didn’t want you having a heart attack or anything. The psycho chic did tell me the dosage she gave him and I believed her. What I found strange was how hard it knocked Tristan out. It shouldn’t have. And what the fuck did you do to her to drive her to violence Tristan? Dean is on his way there and you guys had better tell him something sensible.”

“Ow come on Jackass, what happened to doctor-patient confi…”

“You’re not my fucking patients. You’re family. Dean is on his way to Belgium. He wants to see for himself whether Tristan is okay. And you, Papa Bear, had better stay out of his way whilst he’s there or else…”

“Or else what?” Damon growled.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. This happened on your watch. And that idiot Cole too. Tristan?”

“Yes, Michael.” Tristan was trying very hard to suppress his laughter.

“How are you feeling?” Michael snapped back into doctor mode.

“I’m good.”

“No nausea, constipation, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, vomiting?”

“I did throw up this morning. But it was just once. And I do have a slight headache.”

“Damon, don’t you have Tylenol or Advil?” Michael asked.

“His system doesn’t take kindly to drugs. Any drugs. Even the mildest ones.” Damon drawled.

“That explains it. No wonder he passed out like that. Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”

Damon rolled his eyes. “I didn’t know.”

“Are you taking in enough fluids, Tristan?”

“Yes, doc.”

“Cut the doc shit. Make sure you have a lot of rest okay? And no fucking. You had enough on that plane to last you a lifetime I’m sure. Just sleep.”

“You do know I came here to work right?” Tristan asked just as Damon was muttering that he was going to kill Chris.

“Hey, kiss my arse. If you were there to work, why the fuck were you hanging out with a drug addict? I’ve gotta go. Working late today. Talk to you guys later.”

“How are Mary and Melissa doing?” Damon asked about Michael’s wife and daughter.

“Terrorizing me. But who am I to complain?”

Damon laughed. “My love to them.”

“I’ll tell them. Tristan?”

“Yes, Michael?”

“Rest. Bye.”

“Bye.” Both Damon and Tristan answered, disconnected the line, and burst into laughter.