Hugs and Hisses (Dominic)

[DestinyGrimm]

"Oh no. Not good. Not good at all."
Destiny groaned as she inspected her body. There were white strips wrapped around her stomach. She had wanted black, but apparently, the camp doesn't offer an option of bandage color.
Her whole stomach hurt from that water snake. Destiny felt like cutting off her stomach in general, just to get the pain out of her.
"What the hell is this?" she wondered looking at her stomach. She pulled down her shirt and lay back on the bed.

[Dominic Moss]

'I may be wrong. But I think its a big gaping wound from when you got slashed by a sea monster.' Dominic spoke from the other side of the room. His hands were wrapped in bandages to help heal his burn wounds and broken bones, but despite the restorative and pain reducing effects of the magical medicines Dominic still wore a grim expression.

[DestinyGrimm]

Destiny's head snapped up, and she broke into a grin, "Hey, Dom. It's... well, it's complicated. How're you feeling?"
On the inside, she felt like melting away. Not only because of the sight of him, but because she couldn't do anything to make him feel better. She couldn't comfort him with any words, and what words she did have would probably destroy him.

[Dominic Moss]

'Like I almost caused the apocalypse.' Dominic muttered, his eyes dropping to the floor. He couldn't bring himself to look at her. He knew how close he had been to running wild with his powers. If it hadn't been for her he probably would have attacked the camp...but if she hadn't managed to free him...he dreaded to think.

[DestinyGrimm]

"Well, that's lovely. Fancy a walk?" she asked with fake cheeriness.
All she really wanted to do was curl up and die.

[Dominic Moss]

'That would be nice.' Dominic said with a nod before glancing at her stomach, 'Are you sure you're going to be all right?' He asked.

[DestinyGrimm]

"Ahh, not sso much," she said.
Her hands clamped over her mouth with a gasp. Clearing her throat, she mumbled, "Let's take that walk, eh? Might do ssome good for uss both." She mentally cursed herself and started towards the door.

[Dominic Moss]

Dominic followed but kept his eyes trained on her back. The feeling of gloom and doom inside of him was being replaced by worry. Destiny looked like she was in a lot of pain. It made him wish for the thousandth time that he still had his healing powers.
One little touch and a bucket of sweat later and he would be unconscious, but Destiny would be all healed. It was much better than rotting her flesh.

[DestinyGrimm]

Destiny turned to Dominic with a grin.
"Come on then, Mr. Frowns and Worry. Let's take a leisurely stroll, eh? As if we never fought that damn snake. We're just two kids who can kick ass, but we love to kick the dirt now and then, 'kay?"
She held her hand out with a smile.

[Dominic Moss]

Dominic looked at the hand and felt everything; the guilt, the fear, the worry and the anxiety. But he knew it was pointless. Destiny wasn't letting it get to her, and so needed to do the same.
'Sounds like a lot of fun.' Dominic said and pushed down his troubles before taking her hand and following her out of the infirmary.

[DestinyGrimm]

Destiny smiled, holding his arm with her free hand.
"You know, Dom, there's nothing wrong with showing emotions now and then. Hell, I should be glad. Most guys consider it weak to show any, but here I've got you, bare faced and all. I'm glad you chose me, you know."
She tried to keep the chat as light as possible. She used most of her strength to concentrate on not collapsing. No way she was going to be weak right now. She would be strong for her, for everyone else, and for him..

[Dominic Moss]

'Showing them is one thing...being lost to them is another.' Dominic said with a sigh. 'I lost control Destiny. The moment I saw you hurt all I wanted to do was rip that monster apart.'
He kicked at pebbles that lay on the path before them. His eyes fixed on the ground.
'I went in the battle for you...but then something changed. I started forgetting who I was.' He said with a frown. 'I felt rage and that rage then turned to a sort of....arrogance. I saw myself as all powerful and all I wanted to do was crush everything.'

[DestinyGrimm]

"Typical male. Arrogance and power," Destiny muttered with a smile, in hope he takes it lightly.
"Look, Dom, I know you feel bad about it, but what else could you do? You were hurt, you were angry, you were pissed off beyond belief. This was another snake, and you're sick of those, right? I don't blame you for losing control. After all, you didn't blame me for losing my cool..."
She looked up at him, "Dominic Moss, don't you dare beat yourself up over this. I'm alive, the water nymphs are alive, even if they're scared, and you're alive."
Destiny sighed, "Next time you're in battle, I'll remind you of who you are. You don't lose yourself... you need a rope."
She smiled at him, but a pain tore through her stomach. She fell to the ground clutching her wound in pain.

[Dominic Moss]

She was amazing. That was all Dominic could think. Destiny Grimm was the greatest girlfriend he could ever ask for.
Even with a wound in her belly. Even after witnessing him almost nuke the entire camp. She still had a way of making him feel better. Even if it was in the cute awkward way she did it.
Dominic was about to step forward and embrace her. But then Destiny collapsed to the ground in pain.
'Destiny!' He exclaimed before pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket, 'That's it. I'm healing you. You're not going to walk around in pain for the rest of the day.'

[DestinyGrimm]

"Dominic, no," she gasped.
She couldn't let him do anything about this. Not if it meant something happened to him.
Destiny ripped off the bandages around her stomach. She was basically growling in pain. The bloodied bandages fell away. The wound on her stomach was bleeding slightly, bright red with dark stains around it. You could she the dark red of the inner most part of the gash. That's not what bothered her though. All around the wound were small green and black patterns. They were slowly growing over her skin.
"I've got sscaless?" Destiny asked.
The snake scales were slowly taking over.

[Dominic Moss]

Dominic stepped back. His face had turned ghostly white. The urge to heal Destiny was overwhelming, but he knew that it would do no good. From one glance he could tell that this was beyond him.
Panic rose inside of him. For a horrible moment he thought that the wrath would rise up again from his fears.
'How did this happen?' Dominic asked, trying to keep the shake out of his voice. 'What did Cephisis do to you?'

[DestinyGrimm]

"I don't know," Destiny said. "I jusst don't know..."
She looked up at the sky, praying the tears from her eyes wouldn't fall.
"I couldn't tell you. I know how much you adore snakess, and I was sscared... I'm not normal, Dominic. I mean, I wasn't before, but I'm... I'm turning into a freaking ssnake."

[Dominic Moss]

Dominic was speechless. Once again his world had turned upside down. And he was getting sick of it. Why did the people he cared about have to suffer? Why did the burdens of godling life have to be so destructive? Why couldn't they just be happy?!
'Listen to me.' Dominic said and took her hands, 'We are going to find a cure for this. We're going to make you better. And until we do it doesn't matter how many scales you grow. I'm not leaving you.'

[DestinyGrimm]

"What the hell kind of cure would we need? It would take a miracle or ssome life-threatening quest to get rid of thiss! I'm basssically about to molt already!" Destiny complained.
She felt tears run down her cheeks as she smiled, "Dominic.... thank you... you've got to be ssome kind of sspecial to sstay with me... Esspecially like thiss."

[Dominic Moss]

'Then that's what we'll do.' Dominic replied, 'We'll find a way to beat this. And if that means praying for a miracle or spending weeks chopping off Hydra heads, then so be it.'
He said it with such conviction that he surprised himself. The prospect of having to go into life and death situations or groveling before gods didn't seem to intimidate him. He was more than willing to go through it all.
The question was...why? Why was he so willing? His friends meant everything to him, but this felt different.He would fight for his friends but he would die for her. He would do anything for her.
And then it hit him. He loved her.
He was in love with Destiny Grimm.
'Of course I'll stay with you.' Dominic said softly. 'I'll stay with you until the end.'

[DestinyGrimm]

Destiny smiled at him broadly, but the smile morphed into a grimace as she grabbed her stomach.
"The end feels near," she groaned. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know of a way to... get rid of it, would you? I'm out of ideas..." She poked her scales which had started forming and crawling over her stomach.

[Dominic Moss]

'I think there's only one person in the world who will definitely know how to cure this.' Dominic said before taking a deep breath in. He knew who to ask. There was only one person who could offer knowledge or perform the miracle that would be required to cure her condition. It would probably require a lot of sacrifice, but it would be worth it.
'Come on. We need to go to the Apollo Cabin.' He said with a sigh and flicked down his sunglasses, 'We need to go talk to my dad.'

[DestinyGrimm]

Destiny's mouth dropped a bit.
"Dominic... your dad..." She frowned and said, "Dominic, please don't.. you don't have to do this for me.. I mean, you and him aren't on the best of terms, right? Don't do anything you don't want to do!" She said as she followed him.

[Dominic Moss]

'It doesn't matter what I want or what problems me and my old man have.' Dominic spoke before turning towards the infirmary exit. 'We're going to talk and he's going to help you.'
He picked up his guitar and strung it onto his shoulder. 'And if he doesn't. Well...then I have no father.'

[DestinyGrimm]

Destiny frowned and started to pray to Apollo in her head.
"Please, don't let him down. I don't care if you have to cut off my left arm to save me. Just, don't let Dominic down."
She stood up and faced him with a sigh and a nod, "Fine, then. Let's do this."

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