Our Gentle Sin (4/?)
Title: Our Gentle Sin
Author: chibichi15
Beta: clarinettemuse
Pairing: Belldom
Rating: PG
Warning: 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: Thank you so much for your lovely comments. I will get to replying to them soon. I’m leaving for a weekend in Boston, but decided to post this before I left. I’ve really enjoyed writing this and look forward to more. Happy reading!
Academics had never been an issue for Matthew. He had disciplined himself to make sure he studied efficiently and went above and beyond requirements. Maintaining straight A’s throughout high school was no easy feat. He had already been informed that he would be the valedictorian of his graduating class. This was also the reason why he was chosen to represent Brookside Christian Academy in the Connecticut State Association for Christian Schools in Music Performance.
Students were required to have an arrangement memorized for either Classical Music or Sacred Music. Although Matthew enjoyed the emotions that came with classical pieces, most of the department at the academy pushed for him to perform a sacred work. He chose an expert-level arrangement of This Is My Father’s World solely because it was his mother’s favorite song. It met the required minimum of four pages and/or two minutes in length.
“So, when is this competition?” Dominic asked from his bed. It was Thursday, so homework and dinner was at the Howards’. It also indicated one week since they had both shared their feelings by the brook. Any time it came to mind, a smile would come across Matthew’s face.
“March 27th,” the brunet replied. His eyes were glued to his calculus book as he read ahead for tomorrow’s lesson. “Have to have it memorized by the end of January though. Just for my sake.”
“I’d like to hear it sometime.”
“Mmm. . .sure. Maybe after dinner.”
As he was turning the page, Dominic tilted the book down and slowly removed it from his grasp. He set it on the desk and gave Matthew a soft kiss, humming and pulling back much too soon for the brunet’s liking.
“Um...thanks?” he grinned. “What was that for?”
Dominic raised an eyebrow and smirked. “I didn’t know I needed a reason to kiss my boyfriend.”
Hearing the blond call him his ‘boyfriend’ made Matthew blush slightly as he looked down at his lap. “It was just unexpected. It was fine - just short.”
“Well,” Dominic said with a hint of amusement in his voice as he pulled Matthew from his chair, “would it be alright if we made out on my bed for a bit? You look really kissable right now.”
Matthew couldn’t help but grin as he bit his lip and nodded. As they lay face to face on the bed and slowly closed the gap, he decided that his calculus reading could wait.
“Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Howard,” Matthew beamed as he helped clear the table.
“It was no trouble at all,” she said softly. She tended to be very reserved and not really speaking much. “It’s always so lovely having you, Matthew. Why don’t you go chat with Dominic? I can clean up.”
“It’s not a problem. It’s the least I can do for a delicious dinner. I’ll make it quick,” he grinned, already beginning to wash the dishes. The two of them cleaned in comfortable silence; Matthew washed as Marie rinsed and dried. The brunet began to tackle washing the lasagne pan when Mrs. Howard spoke again.
“I really am glad that you’ve been here for Dominic,” she said, looking up at him. “You make him very happy. He just lights up whenever you’re together.”
Matthew turned towards her before smiling. “Yeah, he’s really great. He makes me very happy, too.”
The two boys went down to the den and Dominic opened the piano. He pulled out the bench and made a grand gesture towards the seat, making Matthew giggle. He took a seat and admired the vintage condition of the instrument as Dominic leaned against the wall and watched him.
“It’s not a new piano by any means, I’m not familiar with it, and it probably needs some tuning,” he said shyly. “But, it’s what we have for now.”
Matthew let his fingers brush against the ivory and ebony, closing his eyes and smiling. “This is a beautiful piano.”
He readied his foot above the pedal, took a deep breath, and began to play. The introduction sounded like a soft lullaby and Dominic watched in awe as the brunet’s fingers moved effortlessly across the keys. The emotion was apparent in his movement and Matthew spent most of the piece with his eyes closed. Through the key change and build up, his body swayed as his hands separated down and crashed at the end of the crescendo. The final key change displayed power and depth as practically every key was played. Nearing the end of the piece, the musical journey quietly softened, returning to its first movement. As the final chord was played, Matthew smiled and opened his eyes. He came back to reality, shyly looking over at Dominic.
“That was perfect,” the blond said in disbelief. “Perfect and beautiful. You’re gonna win this competition, hands down.”
Matthew stood from the bench and hugged the taller boy, resting his face in the crook of his neck as he smiled. His cellphone buzzed in his back pocket, startling the brunet as he pulled away. A text from his mom said that she was on her way to pick him up.
“We’d better get you packed up. She’ll be here soon,” Dominic said as he closed up the piano. The smaller boy pocketed his phone and fidgeted with his fingers as he waited. Once everything was put back in order, Dominic switched off the lights and took the brunet’s hand as they left the den.
“I was talking to your mom earlier,” Matthew said quietly, trying not to sound hesitant as they walked upstairs to the blond’s room.
“Yeah?” he smiled. “How was that? She loves having you over.”
“It was nice. She’s very kind-hearted.” Matthew bit his lip before he continued. “She said that I’ve made you really happy...so I told her that you make me happy, too. It caught me off guard a little, but it was sweet.”
“She doesn’t say much, but she’s very observant,” he answered, grabbing Matthew’s bag for him as they made their way to the foyer. “She’s right, though. You’ve made me very happy.”
Mrs. Bellamy’s car pulled into the driveway just as the two shared a quick goodnight kiss. As Matthew pulled away and slipped his beanie on his head, an idea suddenly came to him. He didn’t know what made him decide to suggest it and it would be pretty bold for him, but he pitched it regardless.
“My parents are going away for the weekend for a pastoral convention,” he started to say as he began to open the front door. “Maybe after youth group you could. . .come over and spend the night?”
The smirk on Dominic’s face was all the answer that Matthew needed. He chuckled and tightened his scarf around his neck.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Dominic winked.
Youth group that Friday night was an outdoor activity. Despite the fact that it was early December, everyone in the tiny community was used to the cold weather. The Youth Pastor, Chris Harris, had been in the ministry for nine years. He had done an exceptional job bringing the teenagers together and challenging them to grow spiritually. After giving a quick sermon on God’s will and being open to following it, they drove two fifteen-passenger vans to the ice rink.
Dominic sat close beside Matthew, rubbing his hands nervously as he looked out the window. He visibly relaxed when the brunet gently took his hand and laced his fingers between his.
“You wanna hold my hand when we skate?” he whispered, making the blond smirk.
“I love how you ask questions that you already know the answers to.” Dominic scooted closer than he already was, giving Matthew’s hand a squeeze and lowering his voice. "I’ve never been ice skating before. This could very well be a disaster.”
“If you fall, I will definitely laugh,” Matthew grinned, “and then I’ll help you up.”
True to his word, the brunet laughed every time Dominic flailed around and fell back on his rear. He probably would have been able to hold an upset pout for much longer if Matthew’s smile wasn’t so adorable. After the first dozen falls, the brunet decided to skate beside his boyfriend and ventured to holding his hand. They moved at a snail’s pace as the rest of the teens would whiz by. Some of the guys made comments for Dominic to keep up with everyone and egged him on, but he just ignored them. Every time Matthew would look over, the blond’s eyes were glued to the ice before him.
The smaller boy gave a warm smile and a light squeeze before slowly slipping his hand from his boyfriend’s grasp. There was a brief moment of panic as Dominic’s hands shot out for something to grab. He then realized that they had ended up to the middle of the rink. He looked up and saw Matthew in front of him, smiling and skating backwards but keeping the distance to a minimum.
“Keep your eyes on me,” Matthew said softly. “Don’t get distracted. Just focus on me and relax.”
Dominic took a deep breath and relaxed his muscles as he felt himself move somewhat smoothly on the ice. Attempting to increase his speed, he gently let one foot glide before the other and maintained his balance. Before he realized it, he managed to reach Matthew’s outstretched hands. He took them, feeling his knees buckle before recovering. The brunet was practically beaming with pride as Dominic pulled him close.
Then the toe of his skate hit the ice, dragging Matthew down and bringing both of them crashing down to a giggling heap.
“I’m so sore,” Dominic groaned as the group made their way back to the vans. Matthew smirked as the blond rubbed his arse.
“Well, you did fall a lot,” he teased, “but you did well for your first time!”
“Thanks.” Dom winced, stepping up into the van and sitting gingerly on the seat. “I’ll just need a bath and I’ll be fine. Are you excited for tonight?”
Matthew would be lying if he said it hadn’t been on his mind since he left the Howards’ home the night before. Once his parents had left for the convention, he spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning. A part of him did feel bad that he had neglected to tell them that Dominic would spend the night, but he convinced himself that they were always happy to have the blond come over and wouldn’t have minded. He wasn’t exactly sure what all they would do once his boyfriend arrived, but thinking about having the entire house to themselves filled him with nervous excitement. He caught those slate eyes watch him with a glint of mischief as he blushed slightly.
“I am,” he said quietly so that others wouldn’t listen in on their conversation.
“You’re cute when you’re nervous,” Dominic winked as he leaned in close. “But you don’t have to be. Tonight will be great.”
Matthew bit back a surprised yelp and blushed a bright pink when he felt Dominic’s hand give his arse a playful squeeze. The blond simply smirked, sitting back in his seat and wishing the van would drive faster.
Author: chibichi15
Beta: clarinettemuse
Pairing: Belldom
Rating: PG
Warning: 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: Thank you so much for your lovely comments. I will get to replying to them soon. I’m leaving for a weekend in Boston, but decided to post this before I left. I’ve really enjoyed writing this and look forward to more. Happy reading!
Academics had never been an issue for Matthew. He had disciplined himself to make sure he studied efficiently and went above and beyond requirements. Maintaining straight A’s throughout high school was no easy feat. He had already been informed that he would be the valedictorian of his graduating class. This was also the reason why he was chosen to represent Brookside Christian Academy in the Connecticut State Association for Christian Schools in Music Performance.
Students were required to have an arrangement memorized for either Classical Music or Sacred Music. Although Matthew enjoyed the emotions that came with classical pieces, most of the department at the academy pushed for him to perform a sacred work. He chose an expert-level arrangement of This Is My Father’s World solely because it was his mother’s favorite song. It met the required minimum of four pages and/or two minutes in length.
“So, when is this competition?” Dominic asked from his bed. It was Thursday, so homework and dinner was at the Howards’. It also indicated one week since they had both shared their feelings by the brook. Any time it came to mind, a smile would come across Matthew’s face.
“March 27th,” the brunet replied. His eyes were glued to his calculus book as he read ahead for tomorrow’s lesson. “Have to have it memorized by the end of January though. Just for my sake.”
“I’d like to hear it sometime.”
“Mmm. . .sure. Maybe after dinner.”
As he was turning the page, Dominic tilted the book down and slowly removed it from his grasp. He set it on the desk and gave Matthew a soft kiss, humming and pulling back much too soon for the brunet’s liking.
“Um...thanks?” he grinned. “What was that for?”
Dominic raised an eyebrow and smirked. “I didn’t know I needed a reason to kiss my boyfriend.”
Hearing the blond call him his ‘boyfriend’ made Matthew blush slightly as he looked down at his lap. “It was just unexpected. It was fine - just short.”
“Well,” Dominic said with a hint of amusement in his voice as he pulled Matthew from his chair, “would it be alright if we made out on my bed for a bit? You look really kissable right now.”
Matthew couldn’t help but grin as he bit his lip and nodded. As they lay face to face on the bed and slowly closed the gap, he decided that his calculus reading could wait.
“Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Howard,” Matthew beamed as he helped clear the table.
“It was no trouble at all,” she said softly. She tended to be very reserved and not really speaking much. “It’s always so lovely having you, Matthew. Why don’t you go chat with Dominic? I can clean up.”
“It’s not a problem. It’s the least I can do for a delicious dinner. I’ll make it quick,” he grinned, already beginning to wash the dishes. The two of them cleaned in comfortable silence; Matthew washed as Marie rinsed and dried. The brunet began to tackle washing the lasagne pan when Mrs. Howard spoke again.
“I really am glad that you’ve been here for Dominic,” she said, looking up at him. “You make him very happy. He just lights up whenever you’re together.”
Matthew turned towards her before smiling. “Yeah, he’s really great. He makes me very happy, too.”
The two boys went down to the den and Dominic opened the piano. He pulled out the bench and made a grand gesture towards the seat, making Matthew giggle. He took a seat and admired the vintage condition of the instrument as Dominic leaned against the wall and watched him.
“It’s not a new piano by any means, I’m not familiar with it, and it probably needs some tuning,” he said shyly. “But, it’s what we have for now.”
Matthew let his fingers brush against the ivory and ebony, closing his eyes and smiling. “This is a beautiful piano.”
He readied his foot above the pedal, took a deep breath, and began to play. The introduction sounded like a soft lullaby and Dominic watched in awe as the brunet’s fingers moved effortlessly across the keys. The emotion was apparent in his movement and Matthew spent most of the piece with his eyes closed. Through the key change and build up, his body swayed as his hands separated down and crashed at the end of the crescendo. The final key change displayed power and depth as practically every key was played. Nearing the end of the piece, the musical journey quietly softened, returning to its first movement. As the final chord was played, Matthew smiled and opened his eyes. He came back to reality, shyly looking over at Dominic.
“That was perfect,” the blond said in disbelief. “Perfect and beautiful. You’re gonna win this competition, hands down.”
Matthew stood from the bench and hugged the taller boy, resting his face in the crook of his neck as he smiled. His cellphone buzzed in his back pocket, startling the brunet as he pulled away. A text from his mom said that she was on her way to pick him up.
“We’d better get you packed up. She’ll be here soon,” Dominic said as he closed up the piano. The smaller boy pocketed his phone and fidgeted with his fingers as he waited. Once everything was put back in order, Dominic switched off the lights and took the brunet’s hand as they left the den.
“I was talking to your mom earlier,” Matthew said quietly, trying not to sound hesitant as they walked upstairs to the blond’s room.
“Yeah?” he smiled. “How was that? She loves having you over.”
“It was nice. She’s very kind-hearted.” Matthew bit his lip before he continued. “She said that I’ve made you really happy...so I told her that you make me happy, too. It caught me off guard a little, but it was sweet.”
“She doesn’t say much, but she’s very observant,” he answered, grabbing Matthew’s bag for him as they made their way to the foyer. “She’s right, though. You’ve made me very happy.”
Mrs. Bellamy’s car pulled into the driveway just as the two shared a quick goodnight kiss. As Matthew pulled away and slipped his beanie on his head, an idea suddenly came to him. He didn’t know what made him decide to suggest it and it would be pretty bold for him, but he pitched it regardless.
“My parents are going away for the weekend for a pastoral convention,” he started to say as he began to open the front door. “Maybe after youth group you could. . .come over and spend the night?”
The smirk on Dominic’s face was all the answer that Matthew needed. He chuckled and tightened his scarf around his neck.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Dominic winked.
Youth group that Friday night was an outdoor activity. Despite the fact that it was early December, everyone in the tiny community was used to the cold weather. The Youth Pastor, Chris Harris, had been in the ministry for nine years. He had done an exceptional job bringing the teenagers together and challenging them to grow spiritually. After giving a quick sermon on God’s will and being open to following it, they drove two fifteen-passenger vans to the ice rink.
Dominic sat close beside Matthew, rubbing his hands nervously as he looked out the window. He visibly relaxed when the brunet gently took his hand and laced his fingers between his.
“You wanna hold my hand when we skate?” he whispered, making the blond smirk.
“I love how you ask questions that you already know the answers to.” Dominic scooted closer than he already was, giving Matthew’s hand a squeeze and lowering his voice. "I’ve never been ice skating before. This could very well be a disaster.”
“If you fall, I will definitely laugh,” Matthew grinned, “and then I’ll help you up.”
True to his word, the brunet laughed every time Dominic flailed around and fell back on his rear. He probably would have been able to hold an upset pout for much longer if Matthew’s smile wasn’t so adorable. After the first dozen falls, the brunet decided to skate beside his boyfriend and ventured to holding his hand. They moved at a snail’s pace as the rest of the teens would whiz by. Some of the guys made comments for Dominic to keep up with everyone and egged him on, but he just ignored them. Every time Matthew would look over, the blond’s eyes were glued to the ice before him.
The smaller boy gave a warm smile and a light squeeze before slowly slipping his hand from his boyfriend’s grasp. There was a brief moment of panic as Dominic’s hands shot out for something to grab. He then realized that they had ended up to the middle of the rink. He looked up and saw Matthew in front of him, smiling and skating backwards but keeping the distance to a minimum.
“Keep your eyes on me,” Matthew said softly. “Don’t get distracted. Just focus on me and relax.”
Dominic took a deep breath and relaxed his muscles as he felt himself move somewhat smoothly on the ice. Attempting to increase his speed, he gently let one foot glide before the other and maintained his balance. Before he realized it, he managed to reach Matthew’s outstretched hands. He took them, feeling his knees buckle before recovering. The brunet was practically beaming with pride as Dominic pulled him close.
Then the toe of his skate hit the ice, dragging Matthew down and bringing both of them crashing down to a giggling heap.
“I’m so sore,” Dominic groaned as the group made their way back to the vans. Matthew smirked as the blond rubbed his arse.
“Well, you did fall a lot,” he teased, “but you did well for your first time!”
“Thanks.” Dom winced, stepping up into the van and sitting gingerly on the seat. “I’ll just need a bath and I’ll be fine. Are you excited for tonight?”
Matthew would be lying if he said it hadn’t been on his mind since he left the Howards’ home the night before. Once his parents had left for the convention, he spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning. A part of him did feel bad that he had neglected to tell them that Dominic would spend the night, but he convinced himself that they were always happy to have the blond come over and wouldn’t have minded. He wasn’t exactly sure what all they would do once his boyfriend arrived, but thinking about having the entire house to themselves filled him with nervous excitement. He caught those slate eyes watch him with a glint of mischief as he blushed slightly.
“I am,” he said quietly so that others wouldn’t listen in on their conversation.
“You’re cute when you’re nervous,” Dominic winked as he leaned in close. “But you don’t have to be. Tonight will be great.”
Matthew bit back a surprised yelp and blushed a bright pink when he felt Dominic’s hand give his arse a playful squeeze. The blond simply smirked, sitting back in his seat and wishing the van would drive faster.