Chapter 12
TWELVE
For the entire hour leading up to their performance, Dom had tried hard not to hyperventilate or puke on anyone.
He was not ashamed to have brought a plastic bag backstage with him, just in case.
Today had been his first time performing in front of a crowd of thousands in over six years, and he’d woken up with the very real urge to just say nope to the whole thing.
A long, reassuring hug from Lincoln had helped settle some of the queasiness that followed him around all morning and into the afternoon. Listening to Fading Daze play on the other side of the stage had been a breathtaking experience—especially knowing that Trey had written every song they sang.
The final number had hit Dom the hardest, because the lyrics seemed to paint a picture of their undefined, sometimes confusing, often exhilarating relationship. And Trey sang it so beautifully that Dom hated that he couldn’t say it to his face.
When he couldn’t avoid it any longer and it was time to set up their instruments, Dom had frozen. Literally frozen in the wings, unable to get his arms or legs to move. Lincoln, God bless him, had waited behind for him. He leaned in close and whispered, “He’s not out there, babe.”
The words had unlocked Dom from his anxiety and he’d followed Lincoln out. Set up the keyboard with no issues, all the while doing his best to ignore the audience. Even the asshole who screamed “fag” at them didn’t get under his skin, because they’d heard it before.
Relaxing into actually playing had finally freed him of all fear, and he’d started to smile. Started to look around. He’d started to acknowledge the audience screaming for them, cheering them on. And then he’d seen Trey.
The adoration and pride radiating from Trey had hit him like a nuclear blast. Sure, Trey had texted that he’d be there to watch, but Dominic hadn’t expected to be able to pick him out from five thousand other faces.
It also didn’t surprise him that he had.
So he played for Trey, and he played for his bandmates, and he left the stage floating.
Insanely happy in a way he couldn’t understand, much less verbalize.
He’d done it. He’d played in front of thousands, and he’d played well. The cheering followed them offstage and into the wings, and he threw himself into Lincoln’s arms. He picked his slightly shorter friend up and twirled him around, barely feeling it on a rush of adrenaline.
“That was fucking amazing,” he said.
Lincoln smacked a kiss on his cheek. “Of course it was, because we are fucking amazing. All the way, baby.”
“They liked us.”
“They fucking loved us.”
Benji added himself into the hug, arms around them both. “I was pretty good, don’t you think?”
“You were amazing,” Dom said. Tyson stood a little to the side, smiling, but kind of awkward. “Get over here, you.”
Tyson joined the group hug with a shy grin, one hand gripping Dom’s shoulder tight.
Joshua found them, too. Maybe they didn’t know why today had been such a huge deal for Dom, and that was okay.
They had all gone onto that stage for their own reasons, and they’d all been validated.
XYZ was a fucking contender, and they’d proved that to all the haters.
Dom’s only regret was that his parents hadn’t been able to come down today to see him perform.
Joshua regarded them all with pride shining from his face, his love for Benji so open and honest. Dom envied them.
He wanted that with Trey, and maybe one day he’d have it.
Trey had promised that once Unbound was done—be it regional or national—they could be open about their relationship. Dom believed in that promise.
“Come on guys,” Lincoln said, breaking up the smothering hug. “Let’s haul this shit back to the truck and then get wasted.”
“I’m down for that,” Tyson said.
Dom didn’t want to get wasted. He wanted to find Trey and nail him through the floor. Something to burn off all of his nervous energy and floating excitement. That probably wasn’t happening, though, so he grabbed what he could carry and followed his friends back to the lot.
They passed Danielle and Bobby on the path, and they both offered polite nods to the group. Lincoln ignored them.
Dom smiled at Danielle. “You guys rocked it,” he said.
“Thanks, hot stuff,” Danielle replied with a wink.
Scoring points with Trey’s best friend was never a bad idea.
Once they got all of the equipment stored safely in the truck, Lincoln grabbed a bottle of Fireball and a package of Dixie cups. Dom eyed the stuff. He wasn’t big on doing shots, and that shit fucking burned.
“I’m going to head back to the festival,” Dom said. “Can’t sit still right now, you know?”
“Loser,” Lincoln replied.
Dom flipped him off, grabbed a water from the cooler, and headed back toward the gate. He was a little relieved no one had volunteered to come with him. Maybe he’d luck into finding Trey somewhere on the fairgrounds.
He didn’t get ten feet past the gate before a gaggle of teenage girls pinned him with a lot of giggles, blushing, and flattery.
And questions about his bandmates. He chatted politely for a while, amused at their banter among themselves.
Dom had never understood teenage girls, even when he’d been a teenager, and he understood them even less now.
They all seemed intent on flirting, despite his rainbow shirt.
“Hey, baby, miss me?” Danielle inserted herself right next to him, draped an arm across his waist, and smacked a kiss onto his cheek.
Dom blinked hard. “Yeah, always.”
The girls seemed to get the hint, and the curvy blonde who appeared to be the pack leader ushered them on to a new target.
Danielle further surprised him by not letting go. “Enjoying your fans?”
“It’s a unique experience for sure.” He curled a hand around her hip so he didn’t look so awkward. “Um, is this a sneak attack?”
“No, this is me doing my duty as Coop’s best friend and giving you the whole ‘if you hurt him I’ll cut your balls off and feed them to my dog’ spiel.”
Dom suppressed the urge to cup himself. “I like him too much to hurt him.”
“Good, because he really, really likes you, and I like seeing him happy.”
“So do I.”
“Excellent. Then this is now me telling you that he’s waiting for you in our camper, and I promised to keep Bobby and Andy occupied for the next ninety minutes.”
His pulsed jumped. “Seriously?”
“Yes. Go.”
Dom kissed her cheek, then headed back for the talent gate, stupidly excited by the chance to spend an hour and half with Trey. In private. He didn’t have any supplies, but that was okay because he could easily spend their time talking.
Ten steps past the gate, he stopped short. He had no idea where Trey’s camper was parked, or what the thing looked like.
He shot off a quick text: How do I find you?
Seconds later Trey sent back a photo of a white camper next to a rusty white van. Second row back, to the far right.
Dom followed the directions, and soon a white van came into view. Then the camper. A super fucking nice camper, too, even from the outside. Trey was nowhere to be seen, so Dom took a chance and let himself inside.
Trey leaned against the far side of the camper between a closed door and a large cabinet that might be hiding a refrigerator.
His thickly lashed eyes were even darker, filled in with eyeliner that was positively wicked.
His sly grin and cocky head tilt were too much, and Dom was kissing him before words were exchanged.
Warm hands slid right under Dom’s shirt and scraped down his back. Dom arched into Trey, who swallowed his gasp. Trey’s tongue stroked into Dom’s mouth, and then he was being spun. Pressed hard against a flat surface, Trey’s thigh between his legs. Pressure on his groin.
Dom managed a gasped “Missed you” in between the aggressive kisses.
Trey turned his head and licked along his jaw, then nipped his earlobe. “God, you were amazing up there,” he whispered. “So fucking gorgeous I hated them all for seeing you. Didn’t want to share.”
“I’m yours now, babe.”
“Gonna blow you.”
“Yes.”
Trey was gone for the two seconds it took the lock the camper door, and then he was on his knees, dragging Dom’s shorts and briefs down to his ankles.
Dom went from halfway to fully erect with only a few long licks, and then Trey pulled him deep into wet heat.
Dom held the sides of his face, unable to stop watching the way his cock stretched Trey’s lips.
The way his cheeks hollowed as he drew back.
The frequent eye contact from beneath a fan of thick lashes. And that eyeliner.
Dom had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. “Jack yourself, too.”
The soft groan that order got vibrated in Dom’s dick.
Trey fumbled to free himself, released Dom long enough to spit on his own palm, and then sucked Dom back in.
Dom wasn’t sure when Trey stopped sucking and held still, but suddenly Dom was holding Trey’s face and thrusting into his mouth.
Trey didn’t protest or try to stop. He took everything Dom gave him, so gorgeous with his lips stretched and chin wet with drool.
“You are so fucking beautiful right now, babe,” Dom said. “Goddamn.”
Trey made a noise of agreement, pumping his own dick faster. Searching for his own release.
Dom’s sneaked up on him, distant one moment, and then the next it slammed into him in a bright wall of pleasure.
He pumped down Trey’s throat, and Trey swallowed frantically to keep up.
Dom’s knees trembled as his climax rolled through him; he was grateful to be leaning against a wall or door or something.
He didn’t care. All he cared about was watching Trey come.
Even better. . . .
He dropped to his knees next to Trey, then bent and took Trey into his mouth.
“Holy shit!”