Fic: (NaNo) The Citadel - chapter 3

[silentdescant]

title: The Citadel - chapter 3
rating: NC-17, PG-13 for this part
summary: Sci-Fi AU: Several decades in the future, Dominic, Billy, and the rest of the guys work and live on an orbiting space station, which gets infected and taken over by an alien force. The boys have to fight the evil stuff and save the day. :)

wordcount total: 13,683
wordcount for this chapter: 2,632

index

When Dominic opened the frosted glass door of his favorite bar, he spotted Billy immediately at a table near the back. The establishment was more crowded tonight than the previous night; the bar was standing-room-only, and many of the small tables were full. Dominic recognized several people that he worked with, and a few of the young women from previous encounters at The Sugar Beat. He didn’t stop to chat, however, instead proceeding directly to Billy’s chosen table.

 

“Hey, Bill!” he said cheerfully. Billy turned his head to, smiling. “Did you already get a drink?”

 

“No, I was waiting for you. I’ve only been here a minute, though.”

 

“I’ll get them, then. Be right back!”

 

Dominic turned on his heel and shouldered his way up to the bar, snagging Alex by the shirtsleeve as he passed.

 

“Hey, can I get a whiskey and an Appletini? Not fizzy this time.”

 

“Sure, mate. Just a minute.” Alex handed a tray of filled shot glasses to the waitress, lifting it high enough to avoid hitting the heads of the people at the bar, and they ducked down to make it easier for him. Alex returned to Dominic a moment later and began pouring the drinks. “So, Dom, is Billy back for a while?”

 

“I think so, yeah,” Dominic replied, beaming.

 

Alex pressed a tray with four glasses on it into Dominic’s hands. “You should tell him how much happier you are when he’s here,” he advised cheerfully.

 

“What’s this? You’re giving out advice on relationships now?”

 

Alex laughed. “I know, I know, I don’t have any experience at all. If I keep this up, I might fall into the old bartender cliché.”

 

“You just might. And anyway, I think Billy knows already.” Dominic glanced over his shoulder at Billy. “I’d better get back to him. Later, Alex!”

 

Dominic managed to make it back to the table without so much as sloshing any of the drinks. He set them down at Billy’s table and collapsed into the chair beside him, sighing heavily.

 

“It can’t have been a long day, Dommie; it’s early yet,” Billy teased, reaching for his whiskey.

 

“Early, yes, but keep in mind how little sleep I got last night.”

 

Billy grinned wickedly. “I’m so sorry, Dominic, have I caused you trouble? I shan’t do so in the future, then.”

 

“Nooo, I didn’t say that!” Dominic paused to sip his drink. “I was merely pointing out a simple fact. No need to take drastic measures.”

 

Billy sighed dramatically. “If you’re so behind on your sleep, I really don’t think you should be staying up late anymore.”

 

“Billy, don’t tease me like that! And besides, I don’t think you’d be able to resist much longer than I would be able to, which is… oh, about two more hours.”

 

“Alright, I guess I won’t deprive you—either of us—of sex for too long,” Billy conceded, finishing his drink. “So, what do you want to do this evening, Dom? We could go out, or stay here and drink ourselves into stupidity—”

 

“Won’t be a long trip for you—”

 

“Shut it. Or we could go back to your room or mine and have more wild and passionate sex.”

 

“I vote for that third option, the shagging one,” Dominic said immediately, raising his glass in triumph.

 

“How did I know you would? Okay, how about this: another drink, take-away dinner, and then shagging? I’m hungry!”

 

Dominic thought for a moment. “Agreed. But only because I haven’t had anything to eat since a nutrition bar this morning.”

 

“Oh, I meant to ask you about that. Where did you and Elijah rush off to?”

 

“Um…” Dominic stalled, glancing suspiciously around at their surroundings. “I’ll tell you, but not here, okay?”

 

Billy looked confused, but he nodded. A moment later, he stood up to order another round of drinks from Alex, and when he came back to the table, Dominic had fallen into a thoughtful, melancholy mood.

 

“What’s up, Dommie? I brought you another drink.”

 

“I was just thinkin’ about today,” Dominic said quietly. “When we get back to your room, I’ll tell you about it, if you still want me to.”

 

“Yeah, I do. And I had a thought; why don’t we go to your quarters, since they’re a bit more lived-in than mine. You’ve still got that potted plant, haven’t you?”

 

“I have two, now!” Dominic exclaimed excitedly, instantly cheering up. “Viggo gave me a new seedling about a month ago. Supposedly, it’ll grow into a really pretty flower. I don’t know if I should believe him or not. It might grow into an awful smelling lump or something. So far, so good, though; it’s got a stem and a bud.”

 

“Tha’s great,” Billy said, chuckling at the image. “C’mon, finish up here so I can go see your plant.”

 

Dominic swished around the remnants of his Appletini and swallowed it down in one mouthful. He made a face as the alcohol burned down his throat, and then he said, loudly, “Okay, I’m done.”

 

“I do believe you are, Dom,” Billy agreed. He did the same with his whisky. “I still don’t understand why you like those mixed drinks. Why not go for the real stuff, huh?”

 

“Apples!”

 

Billy paused, then shook his head. “That doesn’t answer the question, really.”

 

“It’s because when I kiss you, I smell like apples,” Dominic murmured, his mouth suddenly less than a hand’s breadth away from Billy’s. He slung his arm around Billy’s shoulders and pressed up against him, and together, they stood up, slightly unsteadily.

 

“You do, at that.”

 

“You like apples.”

 

“You’re quite right.”

 

“You like me.”

 

“Indeed I do.”

 

“D’you like me more than apples?”

 

“I like you more with apples, how ‘bout that? How long’s it been since you’ve had a real drink, Dommie?”

 

Dominic managed to wave his hand expressively without actually expressing anything concrete. “A… while.”

 

“Alright, let’s get out of here. Lead the way, Dominic, my love.”

 

Dominic pointed at the door. “That way.”

 

“Very well done.”

 

They continued stumbling through the corridors until they reached Dominic’s living space. Dominic, leaning heavily on Billy in order to stay upright, tried to open the door without typing in his code, and then was confused when it didn’t work. Billy shifted his weight and typed in Dominic’s code, which he knew as well as his own, and ushered Dominic inside.

 

Dominic’s living area, unlike Billy’s, had almost none of the standard-issue furniture left. Dominic had kept the bed, though only because it was built into the wall. He’d covered the walls in posters and photos of his home on Earth as well as satellite pictures of stars and galaxies. Even the sheets on his bed had been personalized: dark blue with pale green stripes running down the length of the bed.

 

The floor of the one-room residence was, of course, covered with piles of clothes, both unwashed as well as folded and stacked. Several neat stacks of books and loose papers lined the wall next to the desk, which didn’t have enough room to hold everything. It was loaded with notebooks, charts, blueprints, and, of course, Dominic’s personal computer, which he’d had hardwired into Citadel’s mainframe.

 

There was even a pile of slightly wrinkled notepaper on the bed, which Billy, accustomed to Dominic’s usual state of messiness, pushed to the floor without a second thought before letting Dominic fall to the mattress.

 

It was much homier than Billy’s blank, grey room, and Billy usually made a point to stay with Dominic when he visited. That would change, though, now that Billy had a steady job on the Orbiton.

 

“I don’t feel good all of the sudden,” Dominic groaned.

 

“Probably because you just had several drinks on an empty stomach.”

 

“Yeah, probably. Look at the plant!”

 

Billy looked over at Dominic’s windowsill, where two small pots sat. The plants were another unique feature: Dominic’s window never received any direct sunlight, so Dominic had set up a sunlamp above the window with a timer to simulate normal daylight hours.

 

The first stainless-steel pot held a small, leafy tree that was only as tall as the window. The second pot had a tall stem growing out of the center, and the leaves on it were small and still in their early stages.

 

“It’s a very nice plant,” Billy said enthusiastically. “Do you want some food, Dom?”

 

“Yeah. No, no wait, no.”

 

“Why don’t I order something and you can just not eat it if you’re not feeling up to it, okay?”

 

“Sounds good to me.”

 

Billy sat down on the bed next to Dominic and petted his hair while searching for the number of his favorite delivery restaurant. After placing his order, Billy lowered himself down to lay next to Dominic.

 

“Hi,” he said, staring into Dominic’s eyes. Dominic smiled widely.

 

“Hi. I’m glad you’re here.”

 

“I’m glad I am too.”

 

“Even though I drank too much?”

 

“Even then. ‘Cause I missed you, Dom.”

 

“I missed you too.” Dominic leaned forward and gave Billy a sloppy, wet kiss, which quickly turned into a more serious, desperate kiss involving tongues and needy fingertips on bare skin. They were interrupted, however, but Dominic’s PDA, which beeped insistently.

 

“Oh fuck, that’s Andy. Dammit, Andy, why’d you have to call now?!” Dominic cried, thrusting his hand in his pocket to answer the call. “I’m sorry, Bill. If this was anyone else…”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Answer it, Dom.”

 

“Yeah, hi, Andy, s’that you?”

 

“Hey, Dom. You alright?”

 

“I’m fine. Why?”

 

“Am I interrupting something?”

 

“Well… yes, but this is actually more important than snogging Billy, as much as it pains me to say that.” Beside him on the bed, Billy bit his lip to keep from grinning.

 

“Okay, well, I got your message, and I know it’s getting late, but I have some time in about an hour or so, as soon as I finish this set of chemical tests. Did you want to examine whatever it is yourself and you just need access to an empty lab, or did you want me to take a look?”

 

“I think we probably need you. So, about an hour, you said?”

 

“Yeah. Or tomorrow morning, before I start in on my actual work, if that’s better for you.”

 

“No, tonight is probably best. Let me call Elijah to make sure, and we’ll probably see you in an hour.”

 

“Great. See you then.”

 

“Bye, Andy. And thanks for doing this.”

 

“Sure, Dom. Whatever you need.”

 

Andy disconnected the call; Dominic listened to the loud, droning tone for a moment before shutting off his PDA. He typed a message to Elijah: Andy called – meet at lab in 1hr? and received an almost instant reply. Yes. See you then.

 

Dominic sighed loudly and collapsed back onto the bed, throwing his arm over his face.

 

“So, you’ve got somewhere to be in an hour?”

 

“Yeah. I’m sorry, Billy.”

 

“No, it’s fine. It’s obviously important. But would you mind telling me what it is, now?”

 

Dominic sat up slowly and rubbed his forehead. “Okay, but this is top secret, y’understand? Nobody knows about it except me, ‘Lij, and now Orlando. And now you. And Andy will in an hour. And actually, Sean Astin might now, if his kid told him anything.”

 

“Dom?”

 

“Right. So, um, top secret, remember. Elijah was doing his rounds yesterday and he saw this… thing attached to one of the support beams in sector K. Apparently he spent quite a while trying to figure out what it was, and then he called me in to take a look.”

 

“So, what was it?”

 

“I have no idea. It’s really strange. I didn’t recognize it. It’s some kind of organic plant, or so Elijah thinks. Orlando took him on an EVA today and Elijah collected a sample.”

 

“So that’s where Andy comes in?”

 

“Yeah. I’m hoping he’ll be able to tell us what it is, but he works mostly on the microbial level, so he might not know. I could ask Viggo, I guess. He knows just about every plant there is.”

 

“Why is this thing so important? I mean, I’m not saying it isn’t,” Billy continued hurriedly, “but it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal to me.”

 

“Elijah got worried. I’m not quite as freaked out as him, but it is weird, don’t you think? Something organic surviving out in space? And if Elijah and Orlando—and I—haven’t seen it before, it does raise some concerns, right?” Dominic watched Billy’s expression intently, but Billy didn’t give anything away.

 

“Listen… I know you said this was top-secret, but if it’s worrying you and Elijah so much, why don’t you tell your teams about it?”

 

“Because it’s… well, it might not be anything, y’know? Might just be a blob of space junk. And then we’ll have gotten everyone all worked up over nothing,” Dominic explained sadly. He did want to tell someone, many someones, but he supported Elijah’s decision to keep the matter quiet, at least for the moment. If the thing did turn out to be malignant, Dominic would be the first to suggest raising the alarm to their teams.

 

“Dominic… Can I come with you? To see it?”

 

For a moment, Dominic was hopeful and relieved, but he stopped himself to think. Finally, he shook his head. “Not yet. I mean, I’m sure Elijah knows I tell you everything that’s going on, but… I don’t think it’s right to… I dunno, let it out in the open, y’know? I wish you could come, though. I just don’t think Elijah would be okay with that yet.”

 

Billy sighed. “Alright, well. That’s probably best, then. Let me know how the tests turn out tonight, won’t you?”

 

“Of course I will.” Dominic smiled again. “I’ve still got half an hour; why don’t we get back to what we started.”

 

“We won’t have time to finish, though…” Billy replied, burying his face in Dominic’s neck. Dominic arched his back and wrapped his arms around his lover. “I want this shirt off,” Billy continued, tugging the material away from Dominic’s body. Dominic raised his arms obediently and Billy pulled the shirt over his head.

 

“That’s okay, we can finish later. I just want to touch you… and kiss you… and taste you…” Dominic paused to do each of the things he said he wanted to do; his mouth on Billy’s skin made Billy moan with pleasure.

 

“Mmm, Dom, come up here so I can kiss you again.” Billy’s hands wrapped around Dominic’s biceps and pulled him up so that their faces were level once more. “Oh, I missed your mouth so much, Dommie. Seven months is too long.”

 

“No argument there, Bill.”

 

“Didn’t think there would be.”

 

Dominic dipped his head to suck gently at the pulse point in Billy’s neck. He let out a muffled sound of desire, which vibrated against Billy’s skin. “I have to… leave soon, though…. Really don’t want to….” he murmured between kisses.

 

Billy’s fingers threaded through Dominic’s hair. “But you’ll be back later.” Dominic grunted and pushed himself up to his hands and knees.

 

“I need… my shirt, where did it go?” he asked, looking around on the floor. Billy pulled it out from underneath one of the pillows and handed it to him.

 

“Let me know how it goes at the lab.”

 

“Alright. I’ll be back in a bit, Billy.” Dominic leaned down and kissed Billy quickly on the lips.

 

“Don’t run into the delivery man on your way out,” Billy called just before Dominic opened the door. The young man was indeed on the other side of the door when it slid open, his hand poised to knock.

 

“Delivery?”

 

“Talk to him,” Dominic said, shaking his head and pointing at Billy. “See you!”

***

chapter 4