Chapter 176 - Second Day Of Christmas

Both Dominik Śliwiński and Andrzej Nowicki could not expect Dominik's parents to offer them a stay at their home, so the photographer called his friend and asked if his hut on the Bug would be available to them this Christmas. Bambus had no plans for this place. However, he warned them that the house was not in the best condition and that they would have to work hard to warm it up to working conditions. At this information, Śliwiński smiled as if he had an idea connected with it already in his head, and Nowicki felt a lump growing in his throat. Something else was growing in his lover body as well.

"When we were leaving, the road was much better," Nowicki complained, as he made his way through the expressway in his old car, which slowed them down to fifty kilometers per hour during heavy, wet snowfall, even though they were outside the built-up area. "But it's beautiful," he added smiling to Dominik sitting next to him, staring at the area.

Dominik Śliwiński, a beautiful, short and slightly built actor, looked at the falling snow with his eyes wide open like those of a child delighted in winter. His lips hadn't stopped smiling for the last thirty hours, when Nowicki showed him a Christmas present prepared for him. Dominik was now turning the partner's ring, which his lover, Andrzej Nowicki, had put on his finger. Śliwiński kept touching the ring since they got into the car, as if he still couldn't enough enjoy the fact that he had it on his finger.

The beautiful actor looked at Andrzej with his absolutely captivating eyes with the shade and glitter of shimmering aquamarines and, without ceasing to smile, announced:

"It was always a bit colder with us than in Warsaw. A different microclimate, I think. The further east you go, the cooler it gets. Or maybe we should just buy a better car?"

The proposal in the plural made butterflies dance in Andrzej's heart. "We" was a surprisingly wonderful word that began to fill his mind and heart. Not "me and Dominik." Not "Dominik and me." "We" as one word, just like the unity of beings.

The law in Poland does not allow gay marriage. At this point, it was not a problem of discrimination against a sexual minority, but a Constitution, which was written in more traditional times and said marriage was a union between a man and a woman. In order to legalize gay marriage, the entire constitution had to be changed, and this caused a series of discussions and eternal discord in the Sejm and Senate. Something like changing the constitution was not a matter of one government meeting, and people have been puzzling over the problem for years.

For Dominik and Andrzej, it did not matter whether they could be a legal marriage or not. At this point in their lives, the only thing that mattered was that they could be together, in joy and sorrow, in health and in sickness, and sincerely believing that they would be together until they died. They exchanged their wedding rings privately, even without the presence of any witnesses, but it was their happiest, most intimate moment, which resulted in their minds, hearts and bodies real madness.

"New car", Andrzej was surprised, when he had mastered his joy that Dominik said 'we'. "What's wrong with the old one?"

"It's a little… shaking too much," Dominik confessed.

When the depth of the meaning of these words reached Nowicki, he blushed with shame.

"Sorry," he muttered. "It's my fault. I did not think that we have a long journey ahead..."

Śliwiński laughed like a little rascal who managed a trick someone and Nowicki's heart jumped up with joy. He was so happy to finally be able to hear such a laugh from Dominik's lips. There was a time when he was afraid that his beloved man would never smile again.

Dominik Śliwiński was seventeen, maybe eighteen, when he was seduced and in love with a man who was several years older, a man who was supposed to look after him as a good manager. The inexperienced, sweet and kind teenager let the older man completely take over and spent seven years with him, during which Marek Marczak had total control over his life. Dominik did not even realize when and how it happened that he lost contact with his family and carried out all the orders of his lover.

Fortunately, Marczak, although famous for his various preferences, never went too far with Dominik and did not do anything that could destroy his lover and genius actor. At least not until August this year, when Śliwiński asked them to stop meeting for a while. Then Marek Marczak became mad and he did something that could not be forgiven, although you really wanted to forget.

Then Dominik's life was only worse. Andrzej was full of admiration to this day that Śliwiński survived the hell that lasted several months and even became stronger and... happier.

Nowicki heard from Dominik that it was all thanks to him, but still believed that the actor in love with him exaggerated a bit in his conclusions. True, Andrzej forced Dominik to see a doctor and make sure that the actor ate at the right times, took his medications and did not have time to think about unpleasant matters, he also tried to always be next to him to defend him if necessary, but in fact, Dominik found the strength to fight himself and impressed the photographer with it.

Now Dominik no longer had nightmares and could laugh as joyfully as if the whole world was for him an experience of the most beautiful miracles.

"Are you kidding or not," Nowicki seriously replied, "I should have had our trip in mind. After all, it was planned, not spontaneous. Because of me you have to spend it uncomfortably."

"Not at all," Dominik shook his head. He was twenty-four, almost twenty-five, and seemed to be a happy little boy of several years. "If I remember correctly, I was the one who was insatiable last night."

Nowicki felt a thrill of excitement passing through him. Dominik was simply impossible! How could there be a man in whom shyness and pure innocence were so intertwined with lust? Andrzej could find only one explanation for this - Śliwiński felt so much at ease in his company that he allowed himself to reveal all his emotions, both positive and negative, to him, which is why Andrzej was unimaginably lucky to see the whole, very complicated Dominik.

"But if you want," Nowicki said, slowing down, as a small snowdrift appeared in front of them, "we will buy a new car. This baby is good for city driving, but if we're going to visit your parents more often..."

Dominik Śliwiński took a deep breath. Even though he was an accomplished film actor, he couldn't pretend in real life. Andrzej knew that Dominik was very concerned about the meeting with the Śliwiński family that awaited them. This will be their first official meeting, where everyone will know that he and Andrzej are in a couple. And not everyone in the family accepted this fact as something they could accept.

"Andrzej, if my mother tells you something unpleasant..." the young actor began to say. He really cared about the meeting that awaited them.

"She will have every right to do so," Nowicki said freely, "and you don't have to worry about it. I understand her, I really do. You know, mother-in-law has it that they don't always love their sons' partners..."

Dominik beamed again, this time to the sound of the word 'mother-in-law'.

"You're right," he nodded enthusiastically. "'Mother-in-law' was always a terrible word. But I wish my mother would be as good a mother-in-law to you as your foster mother is to me."

The actor looked back, where his new light blue-gray scarf knitted together by nine-year-old Martynka Kowalczyk and her grandmother lay in the back seat.

"I am sure that in time she will be like that for me," said Andrzej calmly. "So far, I'm glad to have the support of my father-in-law and brother-in-law. I'm not sure my sister-in-law yet, but I think it will be okay too. Your mother is in the vast minority. Although, to tell you the truth, I don't know how your father will react to our wedding rings."

Andrzej glanced at the wedding ring on his finger, in the heart of which shone a beautiful, though small, aquamarine resembling Dominik's eyes. The truth was, however, that Dominik's eyes were more beautiful and shinier.

"It will be fine" Śliwiński reassured them both, encouraging them.

"Of course it will," Nowicki agreed. "And once we get over your mom's pout, we'll spend a very heady evening by the fireplace. Bambus said that he provided us with a good supply of firewood for a few days and even put a geyser to heat up where the heat would not come from the fire, so..."