Our Gentle Sin (1/?)
Title: Our Gentle Sin
Author: chibichi15
Beta: clarinettemuse
Pairing: Belldom
Rating: PG for now
Warnings: None
Summary: Matthew is the pastor’s son in a small church. He’s about to experience a lot of change when a certain blond moves to town.
Disclaimer: All that I own is the idea. I do not own Muse and this never happened. Both would be nice though.
Feedback: Would be lovely and is much appreciated
A/N: This has been on my mind for several months now. I based it off of when I first heard Take Me To Church by Hozier. I guess it kinda feels close to home for me, and I finally got around to writing it. Thank you to clarinettemuse, chess_boxing, gf_futurism, and nuraicha for letting me run this through with you. I hope you all enjoy it! <3
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
In earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
For ever.
Amen.
The congregation of Brookside Baptist Church rose and sang Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow in A cappela to close out the service. Each member contributed to the melody and harmony as their voices rang out throughout the sanctuary.
“Good-bye and God bless you,” the pastor said with a warm smile.
“That was a wonderful offertory you played this morning, Matthew.”
The small brunet smiled to himself from the back seat of the car as he gazed out the window, watching the same row of cookie-cut homes whiz by. His mother then gently placed her hand on her husband’s as he maneuvered through the quiet neighborhood.
“Your sermon was wonderful as well, Jack. Thank you. Ephesians is one of my favorites.”
“I know,” Pastor Bellamy smiled and pulled into the driveway of their home. There was nothing really out of the ordinary about it in reference to the other homes on Pinesbrooke Road. Deep red brick, white shutters, a black roof with a red chimney, and, of course, a white picket fence. The engine cut out and Matthew let himself out to open the car door for his mother.
Elise Bellamy was the definition of a good pastor’s wife: pleasant and beautiful inside and out. She was always smiling and cheerful. He could not remember a time where she was bitter or gossipping, much like the other ladies in the congregation. She was involved in practically every ministry within the church and was always willing to offer help where it was needed.
Jack Bellamy was the Senior Pastor of Brookside Baptist Church. He carried an air of respect wherever he went. This was not to say that he led his congregation with an iron fist; rather, he had the characteristics of a good leader and was a good-natured man. He was constantly studying his Bible to bring God’s Word to his congregation each week. He hoped to challenge them and allow them to grow spiritually. He felt that he had done that for the last nineteen years.
Matthew Bellamy, being the pastor’s son, was in church whenever the doors were open. It had been that way from the time he was born and he never really questioned it. That was just the way things were, the last seventeen years being no exception. Sunday was morning and evening service. Monday evening had him organising the sanctuary and preparing the music. Wednesday evening was prayer meeting, which would sometimes conflict with homework. Friday evening was youth group. While most of his friends would go to an hour Sunday service at other churches and get to relax for the rest of the day, Matt was used to barely having time for a nap before having to turn around and attend the evening service.
“Lunch will be ready in a bit,” Mrs. Bellamy called as Matthew quickly went upstairs to change out of his suit. He made it a point to switch to casual clothes so he could help his mother with lunch and place settings. He was back down in a flash as she was tying her apron on.
“You’re just in time to help me tackle this roast,” she winked as she put her hair up in a quick bun and opened the oven. The entire kitchen was filled with the aroma of an eight hour roast. Matthew slipped on a pair of oven mitts, stood beside his mother, and they both placed the main dish on the cooling rack before transferring it to a more decorative plate. He snagged a small piece off the corner to taste just as she turned around to pull the roasted vegetables out from the bottom rack.
“Matthew, sweetie, could you please set the table?” she asked as she whipped up a quick gravy. “And after you’ve finished picking at the roast, let your father know that lunch is ready.”
“How is that piece going for your competition?” Mr. Bellamy asked his son as he dug into his lunch.
Matt gave a half shrug as he pushed around his carrots. “It’s alright, I guess? Still not fully comfortable with it...s’pose I could practice some more after the service.”
“Why don’t you practice this afternoon after lunch?” his dad suggested. “We’ll be expecting company tonight and we’ll most likely stay in the living room. Wouldn’t want you practicing then.”
Matthew sighed, knowing that if he practiced all afternoon it would deter from his studying for exams. Regardless, he agreed to an hour of piano. He never really argued with his parents, especially his father, even if he did not always want to do what they asked. He never questioned a lot of things.
Once everyone had their fill, Matthew stood up and gathered the plates to begin doing the dishes. Jack thanked his wife for the delicious meal and made his way to his study to prepare for that evening’s message. As the brunet started the dishes, Elise pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek and moved to sit on the chaise beside the midnight black grand piano.
He knew she had chosen that spot so that she could listen to him play. She had told him numerous times that listening to his gift of music warmed her heart. Because of that, the next hour on the piano brought him joy as his mother sang along with him.
The evening service tended to lack in attendance. Most people did not want to make the effort to drive out after their Sunday naps. Matthew could not really blame them. There had been thousands of Sunday afternoons where he was tempted to say he was feeling ill and stay home. But here he was, sat in the front row of the chapel as he watched his father welcome the congregation. He was going through the chords for the hymns in his head, not really focusing on the words the pastor was saying.
However, one phrase caught his attention.
“We have a special guest with us tonight. They’ve just arrived from England this morning and wanted to join our service tonight.”
Matthew raised an eyebrow, hesitant to turn around and see who this guest was.
Pastor Bellamy smiled, motioning to the small group to stand. Matthew chose that time to finally turn around and look. The group, a family, made their way up to the pulpit to stand beside the pastor. The man and his wife both had blond hair and bright smiles. They had two children with them; a son and daughter.
“This is Pastor John Howard and his family: Marie, Dominic, and Hannah. We are happy to announce that Pastor Howard will be our new Assistant Pastor here at Brookside Baptist.” There was a short applause from the congregation as the pastors exchanged a firm handshake.
It took Matthew quite a bit of will-power to keep his jaw locked and not have it fall in his lap. Dominic had his hands folded behind him and a kind smile in his eyes. He could not tell if they were grey or dark blue, but they were truly stunning. He guessed that he had to be around his age, he seemed so confident as he looked over the congregation and gave a small smile. Pastor Bellamy had been talking, but Matthew had tuned everything out. His focus was on Dominic and trying to check him out without being too obvious. He was in the front row after all.
When it was time for prayer over Pastor Howard and his family, the brunet waited until everyone’s eyes were shut and the prayer began to take another look at the boy. He was not going to deny the fact that he found him pretty attractive.
He definitely had not expected those deep grey/blue (he really had to get a closer look to figure it out) eyes to be staring right back at him. Flustered, Matt quickly shut his eyes and kept his hands folded tight in his lap. He was already nervously looking forward to this service to end. Maybe he could get to know Dominic a little better. Throughout the sermon, he just ignored the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that kept saying the attraction he felt was wrong.
Most of the congregation converged in the lobby to meet and welcome the newest members of the church. The Howards were very polite and engaged in excited conversation with each member. A lot of the teenage girls had moved to surround Dominic, giggling and commenting on his accent. Dominic was a good sport about it, giving each girl a grin. Matthew chose a spot against the wall, away from everyone so that he could observe. He saw his mother approaching him and he gave her a tired smile.
“Sweetie,” she said softly, “why don’t you go say hello to the Howards? Dominic is the same age as you, so maybe you can strike up a chat?”
“I will. Just waiting for the crowd to die down a bit.” He turned to face her fully and kept his voice low. “I didn’t know dad was taking on an Assistant Pastor…?”
Elise gave a little shrug and grinned. “Your father and the deacon board had been discussing it for a while now. They had interviewed several candidates and the elders had met last week for a vote. You didn’t know because it was for members over eighteen. A lot of prayer had gone into it and they accepted Pastor Howard for the position. Oh, look! Dad is chatting with the Howards now. Let’s go introduce ourselves.”
Matthew chewed his bottom lip nervously. His mother was perfect at being social; it came naturally to her. He just always felt awkward in new situations. He stood beside her quietly as she introduced the both of them, trying his best to muster up enough courage to make eye contact. He shook hands with each of the Howards before getting to Dominic.
“Hello,” the blond said as he delivered a firm handshake. Matthew found himself staring and could not help but notice how smooth his voice was.
“H-hi,” he stammered once he came to. “Welcome to Connecticut!” He inwardly cringed as that last bit came out more forced than he had intended. Thankfully, Dominic gave a good-natured laugh and his smile made a million butterflies explode in his chest.
“Cheers. It’s been really nice so far. And I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other. So, here’s to a great friendship!”
The boys smiled at each other for a moment, maintaining eye contact for a while. Matthew was the first to realise their hands were still joined and nervously pulled it from Dominic’s grip.
“Well!” Elise said with a clap of her hands. “Why don’t we all head back to our home for dinner? Jack looks forward to having you all join us. And we can enjoy each other’s company even more.”
The pastor and his wife were delighted to host the Howards that evening. They were well-accustomed to having guests in their home, but tonight was special. Welcoming the newest members of their church and making them feel at home was the intent. Hannah entertained on the piano, after a lot of coaxing, and everyone was impressed with her skill despite being only eleven. Matthew and Dominic sat on the couch together, making small talk about school, friends, hobbies, etc. The brunet wanted to come across as interesting, but felt there was not much of a unique factor to him. Dominic, on the other hand, had been involved in practically every sport, had done quite a bit of traveling throughout Europe, and had the highest marks in his class. Throw in an accent and good looks and you had the equivalent of popularity. However, Matthew found that he was very easy to talk to and that his nerves were in check.
When it came time for dinner, Matthew and Dominic sat beside one another. Both pastors sat at the two heads of the table with their wives on their right and and the children in between. Pastor Bellamy led grace for the meal while everyone held hands and bowed their heads. Matthew resisted the urge to hold on too tightly. He also resisted feeding into the thought that Dominic had given his hand a squeeze before letting go once prayer was finished.
Mrs. Bellamy had made a spectacular bolognaise with just a hint of spice to it, a spinach and strawberry salad with a honey balsamic vinaigrette, garlic bread, and a black forest cake for dessert. Everyone praised her for the meal and she turned pink from all the compliments as she smiled. Marie Howard offered to help with the cleanup and the two ladies chatted over different family recipes while Hannah dried the plates. The two pastors retired to the study to chat more about upcoming sermons and topics at Brookside.
Matthew and Dominic were left alone in the dining room. The brunet shifted his feet awkwardly as he tried to think of what to say. Every time he looked up at the blond, he found him smiling, waiting for him to suggest something. It was too late to go outside and he did not own any video games that they could mindlessly get lost in to pass the time. Just when he was going to bring up another boring topic to talk about, Dominic stood up from his seat. Matthew gave him a confused look as he made his way towards the staircase.
“Care to show me your room?” Dominic asked with a grin.
Author: chibichi15
Beta: clarinettemuse
Pairing: Belldom
Rating: PG for now
Warnings: None
Summary: Matthew is the pastor’s son in a small church. He’s about to experience a lot of change when a certain blond moves to town.
Disclaimer: All that I own is the idea. I do not own Muse and this never happened. Both would be nice though.
Feedback: Would be lovely and is much appreciated
A/N: This has been on my mind for several months now. I based it off of when I first heard Take Me To Church by Hozier. I guess it kinda feels close to home for me, and I finally got around to writing it. Thank you to clarinettemuse, chess_boxing, gf_futurism, and nuraicha for letting me run this through with you. I hope you all enjoy it! <3
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
In earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
For ever.
Amen.
The congregation of Brookside Baptist Church rose and sang Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow in A cappela to close out the service. Each member contributed to the melody and harmony as their voices rang out throughout the sanctuary.
“Good-bye and God bless you,” the pastor said with a warm smile.
“That was a wonderful offertory you played this morning, Matthew.”
The small brunet smiled to himself from the back seat of the car as he gazed out the window, watching the same row of cookie-cut homes whiz by. His mother then gently placed her hand on her husband’s as he maneuvered through the quiet neighborhood.
“Your sermon was wonderful as well, Jack. Thank you. Ephesians is one of my favorites.”
“I know,” Pastor Bellamy smiled and pulled into the driveway of their home. There was nothing really out of the ordinary about it in reference to the other homes on Pinesbrooke Road. Deep red brick, white shutters, a black roof with a red chimney, and, of course, a white picket fence. The engine cut out and Matthew let himself out to open the car door for his mother.
Elise Bellamy was the definition of a good pastor’s wife: pleasant and beautiful inside and out. She was always smiling and cheerful. He could not remember a time where she was bitter or gossipping, much like the other ladies in the congregation. She was involved in practically every ministry within the church and was always willing to offer help where it was needed.
Jack Bellamy was the Senior Pastor of Brookside Baptist Church. He carried an air of respect wherever he went. This was not to say that he led his congregation with an iron fist; rather, he had the characteristics of a good leader and was a good-natured man. He was constantly studying his Bible to bring God’s Word to his congregation each week. He hoped to challenge them and allow them to grow spiritually. He felt that he had done that for the last nineteen years.
Matthew Bellamy, being the pastor’s son, was in church whenever the doors were open. It had been that way from the time he was born and he never really questioned it. That was just the way things were, the last seventeen years being no exception. Sunday was morning and evening service. Monday evening had him organising the sanctuary and preparing the music. Wednesday evening was prayer meeting, which would sometimes conflict with homework. Friday evening was youth group. While most of his friends would go to an hour Sunday service at other churches and get to relax for the rest of the day, Matt was used to barely having time for a nap before having to turn around and attend the evening service.
“Lunch will be ready in a bit,” Mrs. Bellamy called as Matthew quickly went upstairs to change out of his suit. He made it a point to switch to casual clothes so he could help his mother with lunch and place settings. He was back down in a flash as she was tying her apron on.
“You’re just in time to help me tackle this roast,” she winked as she put her hair up in a quick bun and opened the oven. The entire kitchen was filled with the aroma of an eight hour roast. Matthew slipped on a pair of oven mitts, stood beside his mother, and they both placed the main dish on the cooling rack before transferring it to a more decorative plate. He snagged a small piece off the corner to taste just as she turned around to pull the roasted vegetables out from the bottom rack.
“Matthew, sweetie, could you please set the table?” she asked as she whipped up a quick gravy. “And after you’ve finished picking at the roast, let your father know that lunch is ready.”
“How is that piece going for your competition?” Mr. Bellamy asked his son as he dug into his lunch.
Matt gave a half shrug as he pushed around his carrots. “It’s alright, I guess? Still not fully comfortable with it...s’pose I could practice some more after the service.”
“Why don’t you practice this afternoon after lunch?” his dad suggested. “We’ll be expecting company tonight and we’ll most likely stay in the living room. Wouldn’t want you practicing then.”
Matthew sighed, knowing that if he practiced all afternoon it would deter from his studying for exams. Regardless, he agreed to an hour of piano. He never really argued with his parents, especially his father, even if he did not always want to do what they asked. He never questioned a lot of things.
Once everyone had their fill, Matthew stood up and gathered the plates to begin doing the dishes. Jack thanked his wife for the delicious meal and made his way to his study to prepare for that evening’s message. As the brunet started the dishes, Elise pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek and moved to sit on the chaise beside the midnight black grand piano.
He knew she had chosen that spot so that she could listen to him play. She had told him numerous times that listening to his gift of music warmed her heart. Because of that, the next hour on the piano brought him joy as his mother sang along with him.
The evening service tended to lack in attendance. Most people did not want to make the effort to drive out after their Sunday naps. Matthew could not really blame them. There had been thousands of Sunday afternoons where he was tempted to say he was feeling ill and stay home. But here he was, sat in the front row of the chapel as he watched his father welcome the congregation. He was going through the chords for the hymns in his head, not really focusing on the words the pastor was saying.
However, one phrase caught his attention.
“We have a special guest with us tonight. They’ve just arrived from England this morning and wanted to join our service tonight.”
Matthew raised an eyebrow, hesitant to turn around and see who this guest was.
Pastor Bellamy smiled, motioning to the small group to stand. Matthew chose that time to finally turn around and look. The group, a family, made their way up to the pulpit to stand beside the pastor. The man and his wife both had blond hair and bright smiles. They had two children with them; a son and daughter.
“This is Pastor John Howard and his family: Marie, Dominic, and Hannah. We are happy to announce that Pastor Howard will be our new Assistant Pastor here at Brookside Baptist.” There was a short applause from the congregation as the pastors exchanged a firm handshake.
It took Matthew quite a bit of will-power to keep his jaw locked and not have it fall in his lap. Dominic had his hands folded behind him and a kind smile in his eyes. He could not tell if they were grey or dark blue, but they were truly stunning. He guessed that he had to be around his age, he seemed so confident as he looked over the congregation and gave a small smile. Pastor Bellamy had been talking, but Matthew had tuned everything out. His focus was on Dominic and trying to check him out without being too obvious. He was in the front row after all.
When it was time for prayer over Pastor Howard and his family, the brunet waited until everyone’s eyes were shut and the prayer began to take another look at the boy. He was not going to deny the fact that he found him pretty attractive.
He definitely had not expected those deep grey/blue (he really had to get a closer look to figure it out) eyes to be staring right back at him. Flustered, Matt quickly shut his eyes and kept his hands folded tight in his lap. He was already nervously looking forward to this service to end. Maybe he could get to know Dominic a little better. Throughout the sermon, he just ignored the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that kept saying the attraction he felt was wrong.
Most of the congregation converged in the lobby to meet and welcome the newest members of the church. The Howards were very polite and engaged in excited conversation with each member. A lot of the teenage girls had moved to surround Dominic, giggling and commenting on his accent. Dominic was a good sport about it, giving each girl a grin. Matthew chose a spot against the wall, away from everyone so that he could observe. He saw his mother approaching him and he gave her a tired smile.
“Sweetie,” she said softly, “why don’t you go say hello to the Howards? Dominic is the same age as you, so maybe you can strike up a chat?”
“I will. Just waiting for the crowd to die down a bit.” He turned to face her fully and kept his voice low. “I didn’t know dad was taking on an Assistant Pastor…?”
Elise gave a little shrug and grinned. “Your father and the deacon board had been discussing it for a while now. They had interviewed several candidates and the elders had met last week for a vote. You didn’t know because it was for members over eighteen. A lot of prayer had gone into it and they accepted Pastor Howard for the position. Oh, look! Dad is chatting with the Howards now. Let’s go introduce ourselves.”
Matthew chewed his bottom lip nervously. His mother was perfect at being social; it came naturally to her. He just always felt awkward in new situations. He stood beside her quietly as she introduced the both of them, trying his best to muster up enough courage to make eye contact. He shook hands with each of the Howards before getting to Dominic.
“Hello,” the blond said as he delivered a firm handshake. Matthew found himself staring and could not help but notice how smooth his voice was.
“H-hi,” he stammered once he came to. “Welcome to Connecticut!” He inwardly cringed as that last bit came out more forced than he had intended. Thankfully, Dominic gave a good-natured laugh and his smile made a million butterflies explode in his chest.
“Cheers. It’s been really nice so far. And I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other. So, here’s to a great friendship!”
The boys smiled at each other for a moment, maintaining eye contact for a while. Matthew was the first to realise their hands were still joined and nervously pulled it from Dominic’s grip.
“Well!” Elise said with a clap of her hands. “Why don’t we all head back to our home for dinner? Jack looks forward to having you all join us. And we can enjoy each other’s company even more.”
The pastor and his wife were delighted to host the Howards that evening. They were well-accustomed to having guests in their home, but tonight was special. Welcoming the newest members of their church and making them feel at home was the intent. Hannah entertained on the piano, after a lot of coaxing, and everyone was impressed with her skill despite being only eleven. Matthew and Dominic sat on the couch together, making small talk about school, friends, hobbies, etc. The brunet wanted to come across as interesting, but felt there was not much of a unique factor to him. Dominic, on the other hand, had been involved in practically every sport, had done quite a bit of traveling throughout Europe, and had the highest marks in his class. Throw in an accent and good looks and you had the equivalent of popularity. However, Matthew found that he was very easy to talk to and that his nerves were in check.
When it came time for dinner, Matthew and Dominic sat beside one another. Both pastors sat at the two heads of the table with their wives on their right and and the children in between. Pastor Bellamy led grace for the meal while everyone held hands and bowed their heads. Matthew resisted the urge to hold on too tightly. He also resisted feeding into the thought that Dominic had given his hand a squeeze before letting go once prayer was finished.
Mrs. Bellamy had made a spectacular bolognaise with just a hint of spice to it, a spinach and strawberry salad with a honey balsamic vinaigrette, garlic bread, and a black forest cake for dessert. Everyone praised her for the meal and she turned pink from all the compliments as she smiled. Marie Howard offered to help with the cleanup and the two ladies chatted over different family recipes while Hannah dried the plates. The two pastors retired to the study to chat more about upcoming sermons and topics at Brookside.
Matthew and Dominic were left alone in the dining room. The brunet shifted his feet awkwardly as he tried to think of what to say. Every time he looked up at the blond, he found him smiling, waiting for him to suggest something. It was too late to go outside and he did not own any video games that they could mindlessly get lost in to pass the time. Just when he was going to bring up another boring topic to talk about, Dominic stood up from his seat. Matthew gave him a confused look as he made his way towards the staircase.
“Care to show me your room?” Dominic asked with a grin.