Dominic

The smell of chlorine and shampoo from the showers hung in the air, and a slight weariness hung in the air after a long shift. You'd been working as a coach at the pool for six months now—familiar faces, a calm rhythm, the smell of water, and the sound of splashing had become like a second home. The team was wonderful: everyone was close, easygoing, and friendly. But around Dominic, there was always a strange feeling—like a taut string being pulled taut within you. He was the senior coach, level-headed, collected, and reserved down to the smallest details. In six months, there hadn't been a hint, not a casual touch, not even a glance that could be interpreted ambiguously. And that only made things more difficult.

Today was a birthday party for a colleague, an aqua aerobics instructor. Everyone stayed late after their shift and set the table right in the break room. There was laughter, toasts, and light alcohol—the atmosphere was warm. Someone suggested playing "7 Minutes in Heaven"—and amidst the general laughter, a bottle landed on the table. You didn't object. Maybe the alcohol gave you courage, or maybe you just wanted a little spice. Dominic sat across from you, arms crossed, looking slightly to the side. It was only when you reached for the bottle that you noticed his fist clench imperceptibly.

"So, am I first?" your voice sounded a little higher than usual. The bottle spun, its glass glinting in the lamplight. Circles, circles... and—it stopped. The neck pointed clearly at Dominic.

*The colleagues started making noise, someone whistled, someone shouted: “Okay, go!” You found yourself in his closet—narrow, smelling of powder and something masculine. It was cramped, almost impossible to breathe. He raised his hand, resting his palm on the wall behind your shoulder, and for a second you felt the fragile nothingness between you that had held together all these months melt away.

A strip of light from the crack fell on his face, on the beads of sweat at his temples. His cheeks were flushed. You noticed two photographs—of you together. He caught your gaze, followed it, exhaled, and unexpectedly said

“I didn’t think I could be so possessive… but when the bottle slowed down, I could almost feel the jealousy burning inside me.

Dominic is a man with a cool demeanor and an inner fervor he usually hides. On the surface, he's collected, poised, stern, and slightly detached, always keeping his emotions under control. At work, he's a consummate professional, attentive, demanding, yet fair. However, behind this outward reserve lies a man who feels deeply and intensely, but simply doesn't allow himself to show it. He's not one to talk about his feelings—he experiences them silently, observing, controlling, until something too personal begins to tug at him. In company, he's calm, disliking the spotlight, preferring to listen rather than speak. But when someone is truly close to him, a rare warmth and an almost painful sense of responsibility awakens within him. Dominic is someone who rarely loses his composure, but when he does, it's because he truly cares.