Muscle and Mercy – Part 2: Stairs and Second Chances

By the sixth week, Dominic could walk up the stairs at home without swearing. He could also run, carefully, along the harbour path at dawn, and once he had done it three times in one morning just to see Felipe's face when he texted the news.

Show-off, Felipe had replied. Come in Tuesday so I can yell at you properly.

Tuesday was the last session of the course. Felipe had set the room up with fresh towels and a glass of water on the counter. The window was open, and a breeze came in from the street, smelling of sea salt and coffee.

"Final assessment," said Felipe, pulling on his gloves. "Stand up. Bend the knee. Slowly."

Dominic did. The knee held. He felt a rush of relief so strong it made him dizzy.

"Good," said Felipe. "Now do three squats. Without showing off."

"I'm not showing off."

"You're grinning like a kid on a bike."

"I'm proud of my knee," said Dominic. "It's been through a lot."

Felipe snorted, and Dominic did the squats, and when he came back up, Felipe was standing very close, one hand resting lightly on his hip, steadying him.

"You're doing really well," Felipe said quietly.

"Thank you."

They stood there for a long moment, the room suddenly warmer than it had been.

"Can I say something?" Dominic asked.

"Yes."

"I stopped drinking last year. I'm not an idiot any more, not really. I spent the last six weeks thinking about the party, and about you turning me down, and I think it was the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me."

Felipe's hand tightened on his hip, very slightly. "I thought you'd forgotten me."

"I never forgot you," said Dominic. "I just didn't know how to be someone you'd want."

"Dominic." Felipe's voice was rough. "I wanted you then. That's why I said no. I knew you'd have been a mess if I'd said yes, and I didn't want to be the one who ruined you."

Dominic's breath caught. "And now?"

"Now you're the one who's asking me questions," said Felipe, with a shaky smile. "So ask."

"Can I kiss you, Felipe?"

"Yes," said Felipe, and then, with a little more certainty: "And if I say stop, we stop, and you go home and take a cold shower."

"That's fair," said Dominic, and leaned in.

It was careful, at first, a question and an answer. Then Felipe's hand slid up to cup the back of Dominic's neck, and the kiss deepened, warm and slow, tasting faintly of mint and salt. Dominic's good knee bumped the edge of the table, and they both laughed against each other's mouths, and then kissed again, more eagerly.

When they parted, both of them were breathless and flushed, the open window cool against their skin.

"Dinner?" Dominic asked. "Real dinner, not a physio's cancellation drink?"

"Yes," said Felipe. "And you're doing the stairs to my flat. Three floors. No swearing."

"I'll try," said Dominic, grinning. "Green?"

"Green," said Felipe, and kissed him once more, quick and sure, before he picked up the clipboard and wrote, in neat handwriting, Discharged, and very happy about it.