Such is life

Disclaimer: Dom might have been hit by an apple in real life, that much could be true. The rest? Probably not…

Author’s notes: We loves apples! But even more we loves reviews, yes, precious, we does! *Gollum!*


11. An apple a day keeps the doctor away

“I promised dad to help pick up the apples from the trees,” Dom explained as they were driving along the road to his father’s house.

“No problem!” Billy smiled. “I’ll watch and give you some bad advice!”

Dom snorted. “That’s why I brought you: Your incredible knowledge about apples.”

Billy nodded happily. “Yeah. An apple a day keeps the doctor away…”

Dom rolled his eyes. “Dork,” he sighed as he pulled into his parking lot. “Here we are…”

They got out of the car and strolled through the garden to the row of apple trees behind the house. “He couldn’t wait for us!” Dom smiled as he saw a ladder leaning against one of the trees. “He has started already…”

Billy laughed. “You know he loves those wormy apples of his…”

“Wormy apples?!” Billy suddenly heard a horrified voice from above their heads and he looked up to see Dom’s dad sitting on a branch.

“No offence meant, Sean!” he called back and grabbed a bucket. “Look, I’ve even come the long way to help you with them!”

Dom joined into the laughter. “Come down and greet your son, old man!” He called.

Laughing Sean climbed down the ladder and gave Dom a bear hug. “Come here, offspring!” He let go of his son and shook Billy’s hand. “Billy, I haven’t seen you for quite a while… How’s school?”

“Sean,” Billy greeted Dom’s dad. “School’s a bitch as always…”

“I can imagine,” Sean smiled warmly and gave Dom a bucket as well. “Billy and I will climb up and you, Dom, you’ll empty our buckets and pick the apples from the lower branches, okay?” he explained and was already climbing up the tree again. “Oh, a mate of mine will pass by later. I said, he could get some apples…” Sean turned his head and started to climb down again. “There he is already,” he sighed. “Well, that way he can work for his apples…” He started waving his hands over his head. “Vig, we’re here!”

//Vig?// Dom turned around and froze as he saw a familiar person approaching them. //Prof. Mortensen…//

“Hey, Sean!” Mortensen hugged Dom’s dad.

“Viggo, I’d like you to meet my son, that’s…”

“Dominic.” Mortensen suddenly seemed stiff in his movements.

“You know each other?” Sean asked, arching his eyebrows.

“He’s my arts teacher,” Dom replied, staring down at his feet.

Sean started laughing heartily. “So you’re famous Mr Mortensen? I can’t believe it! We’ve been playing cards for two years now and I’ve never even had the idea you could be my son’s teacher!” He slapped Mortensen’s back playfully.

“It’s not like I could’ve known either…” Mortensen looked nervous. “I mean you don’t even have the same surname. Monaghan and Bean…”

“It’s my mother’s maiden name,” Dom said, looking into Mortensen’s eyes for the first time.

Fortunately Billy saved him from any further conversation by pulling Mortensen’s attention on him. “’Lo, Mr Mortensen. Havna seen you for a bit.”

Dom let out the breath he didn’t even know he had held when the two men started to talk about Billy’s new school.

Dom and Billy spent the next hours with emptying buckets full of apples the two adults let to the ground on long ropes.

“I hate apples,” Dom grumbled as he loosened the rope on another bucket and replaced it with an empty one.

“Watch out!”

Dom could only lift his head and see a yellow-red round object flying towards him before everything went black.


~*~


“Dom? Dommie?”

Dom’s head hurt like hell. He didn’t really want to wake up. Carefully he opened just one eye to check what was happening outside of his head.

“He’s back!” He could hear Billy’s voice.

Colours were dancing in front of his eyes as he opened them. Three worried faces were swaying over him as he lay spread on the grass. “Could you please stop moving?” Dom mumbled weakly. “What the fuck has happened?” He turned his head and stared at Mortensen. “One of your little games again?”

Again Billy came to his aid. “Yes, Mr Mortensen is a funny teacher, always playing pranks on his students,” he babbled. “Wasn’t his fault this time though…” Billy grinned. “You got knocked out by an apple!”

“That’s ridiculous, Billy” Dom mumbled. Perhaps his head wouldn’t roll away if he held it with both of his hands… Slowly he tried to get up, but fell to the ground again.

“Go slow, Dommie,” Billy mumbled and sat down next to Dom, letting him lean against his chest.

“You’re alright, Dom?” Sean was leaning over his son, examining his forehead. “You’ll get a nice bruise here,” he finally said. “We need to get you into the house and cool it…” He looked at Dom. “Can you walk?”

“Feeling dizzy,” Dom whispered and snuggled against Billy’s chest.

“You don’t have to…” Billy cradled Dom in his arms as the day before. “I’ll take care of him,” Billy said to Sean and Mortensen and started walking towards the house. “You can stay and continue playing with your apples…”

In the house Billy made Dom sit down on his bed and headed to the kitchen to get some ice. “Good that you’re so thick-headed!” he laughed as he came back to Dom’s room and sat down beneath his friend. He handed Dom the ice. “Here…”

Dom smiled weakly. “Why is he here?” Dom pointed outside. “I mean I can’t even stand looking into his face anymore… All fucked up…” He winced as the cold ice met his forehead.

“Well, you certainly can’t throw him out since he seems to be friends with you dad.” Billy shrugged his shoulders. “That’s difficult…” He combed his hands through his hair. “Hide until he’s gone and hope that he doesn’t come back?”

A knock at the door startled them.

“Come in!” Dom called, surprised when he saw Mortensen standing in the doorway.

“Hey.” Mortensen was looking around nervously I Dom’s room. “I…I wanted to check on you before I leave…” he finally mumbled, lifting his hand in a nervous gesture. “Could I have a word with you in private?” he asked Dom, glancing at Billy.

Billy waited for Dom to nod and then stood up and left the room, closing the door behind his back.

Mortensen waited till he was sure that Billy was far enough away before he started to speak. “I’m sorry… I know this is a difficult situation for you…for both of us and that I am the last person you want to talk to at the moment, but I wanted to tell you that I didn’t do it on purpose. I certainly wouldn’t have come if I had known you’re Sean’s son.” He lifted his arms in a helpless gesture. “I mean I’ve fucked the son of one of my best mates!”

Dom snorted. “Would it change anything if I wasn’t his son, if I had another father?”

Mortensen shook his head and sat down on a chair, burying his head in his hands. “No, not really, not for me, but it would be easier for you.” He lifted his head and looked for the first time directly into Dom’s eyes. “I can’t honestly say that I regret it, Dominic, cause I think you’re an incredible person. I’m just sorry that everything went so terribly wrong afterwards.”

Dom turned his head to the side and stared at the wall. “Don’t you think it’s unfair to come here while I’m weak and helpless, totally unable to walk away from you?” he mumbled.

Mortensen stood up. “I will not force myself upon you,” he said and walked to the door, turning to face Dominic one last time. “I hope that one day you will understand my point and perhaps forgive me…”

Dom did not answer. He just kept staring at the wall, waiting for Mortensen to leave the room before he allowed himself to sink deeper into the darkness growing in his heart.


….