Our Gentle Sin (7/?)
Title: Our Gentle Sin
Author: chibichi15
Pairing: Belldom
Rating: PG for this chapter
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: Thanks to those who are still reading this. Sorry I’ve been so absent; work and school start this week and I’m gonna be very busy from here on out, but we’ll see how posting goes.
Christmas morning coated all of Brookside in a gentle, sloping blanket of fresh snow. Despite the early hour, Matthew was already sitting up in bed, looking out the window and smiling. He was an avid fan of all holidays, but Christmas is the one time of the year that he especially looked forward to.
A soft knock came at his bedroom door before Elise poked her head through.
“Merry Christmas, Matthew,” she said gently as she walked over and pulled her son in for a hug. She kissed the top of his head and smiled as he hugged her back.
“Merry Christmas, mom,” the brunet replied. “Is dad up yet?”
“He’s already downstairs. I think he wanted to make sure some of your presents were in check,” she said with a wink. Matthew’s eyes lit up and he all but leapt out of bed. When he reached the base of the stairs and rounded the corner, Jack was just placing one last present under the tree.
“Merry Christmas, son,” he grinned as Matthew ran towards him and tackled him with a huge embrace. Elise walked in soon after and the family of three sat together at the tree. The pastor opened the family Bible and began their tradition and read the Christmas story from Luke 2:1-14.
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men’.”
“Amen,” they all responded.
A quick prayer followed before it was officially time to open presents. Matthew had always done his best to get a thoughtful and intentional gift for his parents. Growing up without any siblings never brought about the thought of having more gifts to himself. His parents were really all he had. He did odd-jobs throughout the year to save as much money as possible. So when his mom opened her present of a new devotional Study Bible and a KitchenAid stand mixer and his dad opened his present of a 10,000-piece landscape puzzle and a new power drill, the joy it brought them was well worth it.
“You are so special to us, Matthew,” Elise said as Jack held her close. “We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect son.”
The brunet simply hugged his parents as his way of saying “You’re welcome” to them.
Well,” Jack grinned, “It’s time for your presents in case you forgot.”
Matthew eagerly reached for his presents underneath the tree. There were three gifts with his name on them. The first was a rectangular box that contained a mid-sized reflecting telescope; perfect for star-gazing on clear nights. The next present was a beautifully bound compilation of classical music. The brunet had been hinting that he wanted to tackle some new music sometime and excitedly thumbed through the pages. The last present was a narrow, golden envelope. Matthew quirked an eyebrow and looked at his parents in confusion.
“What’s this?” he asked as he ran his fingers along the back of the glossy paper.
“Oh,” Elise grinned, “that one isn’t from us.”
Matthew squinted his eyes at the card before untying the shimmering ribbon keeping it enclosed.
Matt,
I know how much music means to you. You practically live and breathe it. So what better present than give you an opportunity to be in the presence of some of the greatest music in the country? I hope that you enjoy these. I also hope I’ll be your plus one.
Happy Christmas
Dom x
Matthew unfolded the flap of the card and all the air left his lungs.
He didn’t.
He looked up at his parents with tears threatening to fall down his cheeks.
“D-Dom...got me tickets to the New York Philharmonic.” Once he finally said it, the warm tears finally fell freely.
“Dominic asked our permission before purchasing them. He bought them himself and knew that you would like them.” Elise smiled as she pulled her son in for a gentle embrace.
Matthew couldn’t stop looking at the glossy tickets. “A Night of Tchaikovsky” on January 24th. Second tier.
How much did he pay for these…?
“Mom, may I go see him after lunch?” he asked softly. “I’ll do the dishes and all the cleaning before I go.”
“Of course.”
Christmas lunch consisted of a honey-glazed ham, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and warm, buttery rolls. It wasn’t nearly as much food as Thanksgiving, but it always left the Bellamys satisfied and full.
Matthew all but scarfed his meal down. His parents didn’t stop him; they knew how excited he was to get to the Howards' as quickly as possible. The brunet politely excused himself and, once he was finished with cleaning up the kitchen, he rushed up to his room to get changed into warmer clothes. Elise offered to give him a ride to the Howards', but the brunet declined.
“I shouldn’t be gone too long,” he called as he hoisted his backpack onto his shoulders and opened the front door, “but just in case I am, I’ll call home to let you know!”
Matthew trudged through the fresh snow. The Howards lived about fifteen blocks away from Pinesbrooke Road. Getting a ride would have been the smart option, but he wanted to arrive on his own.
When he finally turned onto Grove Court, he quickened his pace and reached the Howards’ home at the end of the cul-de-sac. He took a nervous, shaky breath and composed himself as he rang the doorbell and waited. He felt his heart burst when his boyfriend opened the door moments later.
“Hey,” Dominic grinned as he opened the door wider. “Merry Christmas! Did you like your pres--”
That sentence did not have a chance to be finished because Matthew lunged forward to give Dominic a long, deep kiss. It startled the blond enough to knock him backwards a bit, but he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s waist and returned the kiss. When they pulled away, Matthew was softly crying as he rested his head on Dominic’s shoulder.
“I love you,” he whispered softly. “Thank you so much. You’d better be my plus one because there’s no one else I’d rather go with.”
Dominic chuckled as he held his boyfriend, rocking them back and forth in the doorway. He kissed the top of Matthew’s head and smiled softly.
“I love you, too. You’re welcome.”
Moments passed and Dominic softly cleared his throat as he let his thumbs massage into the brunet’s sides.
“Do you want to spend the night?” he asked shyly, which was a bit uncharacteristic for him. “My parents wouldn’t mind, but it’s up to you. I can see you walked here, so you might not have anything to sleep over.”
“Yes, I’ll spend the night,” he replied quickly. “I’d only really need a toothbrush. I could borrow some pyjamas, right?”
“Of course. Come inside, please, you must be freezing. Mum and dad would love to see you.”
Marie Howard fixed Matthew with a plate of Christmas dinner, despite the fact that he repeatedly said he had eaten already. The brunet made sure to call home to let his parents know he would be spending the night at the Howards'. Luckily, they were both alright with it. After enjoying cookies and hot cocoa, the entire family went to the entertainment room to watch movies and relax after a day of Christmas festivities. No one batted an eye at the two boys cuddled together on the couch, which Matthew was very thankful for. He was happy that he could be comfortable with his boyfriend, but he was a bit surprised that no one questioned their proximity on the couch.
Hannah was the first to excuse herself to bed at around 10 o’clock. The two adults remained to chat for a half an hour more before the pastor and his wife also retired for the night. As soon as their bedroom door closed, Matthew leaned in to kiss his boyfriend.
“You’re a bit bold today,” Dominic teased as he rested his head against the smaller boy’s. “I like it.”
Matthew bit his lip and grinned as he pecked Dominic’s lips and snuggled closer to him. “Today has just been a perfect day. It was really sweet of you to buy those tickets for me. They must’ve been expensive.”
“Eh, it wasn’t too bad.”
“I’m sure it did a number on your savings, but thank you.” Matthew shifted in his seat and looked down at his lap. “I do have a present for you. I can give it to you upstairs if you’d like.”
“Oh?” Dominic leaned in as he waggled his eyebrows. “You can’t just give it to me down here?”
“It’s not like that.” He blushed, lightly punching his boyfriend’s arm.
“Well, let’s go upstairs then.”
After brushing their teeth and changing into pyjamas, Dominic sat on his bed as Matthew rummaged through his backpack. He shyly stood moments later, holding a slender, rectangular box in his hands.
“My present isn’t nearly as amazing as what you got me…” he said softly as he approached the bed. “It pretty much pales in comparison, but when I saw them, I immediately thought of you.”
Dominic took the present in his hands and smiled at the determined attempt at wrapping. He removed the excess ribbons and slid the cover as his face lit up. He removed the two drumsticks from the white tissue paper and looked down at them.
“I-I wasn’t sure how they would be,” Matthew said nervously. “You had said you played when you were back home and I didn’t see that you had drums since you moved here and I just...figured you would like them? There’s also a gift card for Guitar Center...to try and help towards getting you some drums.”
Dominic sat quietly for a few moments, which made the brunet nervously fidget even more.
“...Do you like it?” he asked quietly.
The blond gently placed the drumsticks back in their box and set it aside. He held onto Matthew’s waist and pulled him over to straddle his hips. The smaller boy held onto Dominic’s shoulders and waited as he held his boyfriend’s gaze nervously.
“You are the most beautiful and selfless soul I have ever known,” he said softly. “I’m so lucky to have you because I definitely don’t deserve you. I love you and I love this present. Thank you for being so thoughtful.”
Matthew smiled gently and held onto his boyfriend. “I love you, too. Merry Christmas.”
The two shared kiss after kiss until they drifted off to sleep. The small brunet had his face nestled against Dominic’s chest and a calm smile fixed on his face as he drifted to the sound of the blond’s heartbeat. The night was still apart from the winter wind gently blowing. In his heart, Matthew knew there was no one else who made him feel so loved than the boy sleeping beside him.
Author: chibichi15
Pairing: Belldom
Rating: PG for this chapter
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: Thanks to those who are still reading this. Sorry I’ve been so absent; work and school start this week and I’m gonna be very busy from here on out, but we’ll see how posting goes.
Christmas morning coated all of Brookside in a gentle, sloping blanket of fresh snow. Despite the early hour, Matthew was already sitting up in bed, looking out the window and smiling. He was an avid fan of all holidays, but Christmas is the one time of the year that he especially looked forward to.
A soft knock came at his bedroom door before Elise poked her head through.
“Merry Christmas, Matthew,” she said gently as she walked over and pulled her son in for a hug. She kissed the top of his head and smiled as he hugged her back.
“Merry Christmas, mom,” the brunet replied. “Is dad up yet?”
“He’s already downstairs. I think he wanted to make sure some of your presents were in check,” she said with a wink. Matthew’s eyes lit up and he all but leapt out of bed. When he reached the base of the stairs and rounded the corner, Jack was just placing one last present under the tree.
“Merry Christmas, son,” he grinned as Matthew ran towards him and tackled him with a huge embrace. Elise walked in soon after and the family of three sat together at the tree. The pastor opened the family Bible and began their tradition and read the Christmas story from Luke 2:1-14.
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men’.”
“Amen,” they all responded.
A quick prayer followed before it was officially time to open presents. Matthew had always done his best to get a thoughtful and intentional gift for his parents. Growing up without any siblings never brought about the thought of having more gifts to himself. His parents were really all he had. He did odd-jobs throughout the year to save as much money as possible. So when his mom opened her present of a new devotional Study Bible and a KitchenAid stand mixer and his dad opened his present of a 10,000-piece landscape puzzle and a new power drill, the joy it brought them was well worth it.
“You are so special to us, Matthew,” Elise said as Jack held her close. “We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect son.”
The brunet simply hugged his parents as his way of saying “You’re welcome” to them.
Well,” Jack grinned, “It’s time for your presents in case you forgot.”
Matthew eagerly reached for his presents underneath the tree. There were three gifts with his name on them. The first was a rectangular box that contained a mid-sized reflecting telescope; perfect for star-gazing on clear nights. The next present was a beautifully bound compilation of classical music. The brunet had been hinting that he wanted to tackle some new music sometime and excitedly thumbed through the pages. The last present was a narrow, golden envelope. Matthew quirked an eyebrow and looked at his parents in confusion.
“What’s this?” he asked as he ran his fingers along the back of the glossy paper.
“Oh,” Elise grinned, “that one isn’t from us.”
Matthew squinted his eyes at the card before untying the shimmering ribbon keeping it enclosed.
Matt,
I know how much music means to you. You practically live and breathe it. So what better present than give you an opportunity to be in the presence of some of the greatest music in the country? I hope that you enjoy these. I also hope I’ll be your plus one.
Happy Christmas
Dom x
Matthew unfolded the flap of the card and all the air left his lungs.
He didn’t.
He looked up at his parents with tears threatening to fall down his cheeks.
“D-Dom...got me tickets to the New York Philharmonic.” Once he finally said it, the warm tears finally fell freely.
“Dominic asked our permission before purchasing them. He bought them himself and knew that you would like them.” Elise smiled as she pulled her son in for a gentle embrace.
Matthew couldn’t stop looking at the glossy tickets. “A Night of Tchaikovsky” on January 24th. Second tier.
How much did he pay for these…?
“Mom, may I go see him after lunch?” he asked softly. “I’ll do the dishes and all the cleaning before I go.”
“Of course.”
Christmas lunch consisted of a honey-glazed ham, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and warm, buttery rolls. It wasn’t nearly as much food as Thanksgiving, but it always left the Bellamys satisfied and full.
Matthew all but scarfed his meal down. His parents didn’t stop him; they knew how excited he was to get to the Howards' as quickly as possible. The brunet politely excused himself and, once he was finished with cleaning up the kitchen, he rushed up to his room to get changed into warmer clothes. Elise offered to give him a ride to the Howards', but the brunet declined.
“I shouldn’t be gone too long,” he called as he hoisted his backpack onto his shoulders and opened the front door, “but just in case I am, I’ll call home to let you know!”
Matthew trudged through the fresh snow. The Howards lived about fifteen blocks away from Pinesbrooke Road. Getting a ride would have been the smart option, but he wanted to arrive on his own.
When he finally turned onto Grove Court, he quickened his pace and reached the Howards’ home at the end of the cul-de-sac. He took a nervous, shaky breath and composed himself as he rang the doorbell and waited. He felt his heart burst when his boyfriend opened the door moments later.
“Hey,” Dominic grinned as he opened the door wider. “Merry Christmas! Did you like your pres--”
That sentence did not have a chance to be finished because Matthew lunged forward to give Dominic a long, deep kiss. It startled the blond enough to knock him backwards a bit, but he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s waist and returned the kiss. When they pulled away, Matthew was softly crying as he rested his head on Dominic’s shoulder.
“I love you,” he whispered softly. “Thank you so much. You’d better be my plus one because there’s no one else I’d rather go with.”
Dominic chuckled as he held his boyfriend, rocking them back and forth in the doorway. He kissed the top of Matthew’s head and smiled softly.
“I love you, too. You’re welcome.”
Moments passed and Dominic softly cleared his throat as he let his thumbs massage into the brunet’s sides.
“Do you want to spend the night?” he asked shyly, which was a bit uncharacteristic for him. “My parents wouldn’t mind, but it’s up to you. I can see you walked here, so you might not have anything to sleep over.”
“Yes, I’ll spend the night,” he replied quickly. “I’d only really need a toothbrush. I could borrow some pyjamas, right?”
“Of course. Come inside, please, you must be freezing. Mum and dad would love to see you.”
Marie Howard fixed Matthew with a plate of Christmas dinner, despite the fact that he repeatedly said he had eaten already. The brunet made sure to call home to let his parents know he would be spending the night at the Howards'. Luckily, they were both alright with it. After enjoying cookies and hot cocoa, the entire family went to the entertainment room to watch movies and relax after a day of Christmas festivities. No one batted an eye at the two boys cuddled together on the couch, which Matthew was very thankful for. He was happy that he could be comfortable with his boyfriend, but he was a bit surprised that no one questioned their proximity on the couch.
Hannah was the first to excuse herself to bed at around 10 o’clock. The two adults remained to chat for a half an hour more before the pastor and his wife also retired for the night. As soon as their bedroom door closed, Matthew leaned in to kiss his boyfriend.
“You’re a bit bold today,” Dominic teased as he rested his head against the smaller boy’s. “I like it.”
Matthew bit his lip and grinned as he pecked Dominic’s lips and snuggled closer to him. “Today has just been a perfect day. It was really sweet of you to buy those tickets for me. They must’ve been expensive.”
“Eh, it wasn’t too bad.”
“I’m sure it did a number on your savings, but thank you.” Matthew shifted in his seat and looked down at his lap. “I do have a present for you. I can give it to you upstairs if you’d like.”
“Oh?” Dominic leaned in as he waggled his eyebrows. “You can’t just give it to me down here?”
“It’s not like that.” He blushed, lightly punching his boyfriend’s arm.
“Well, let’s go upstairs then.”
After brushing their teeth and changing into pyjamas, Dominic sat on his bed as Matthew rummaged through his backpack. He shyly stood moments later, holding a slender, rectangular box in his hands.
“My present isn’t nearly as amazing as what you got me…” he said softly as he approached the bed. “It pretty much pales in comparison, but when I saw them, I immediately thought of you.”
Dominic took the present in his hands and smiled at the determined attempt at wrapping. He removed the excess ribbons and slid the cover as his face lit up. He removed the two drumsticks from the white tissue paper and looked down at them.
“I-I wasn’t sure how they would be,” Matthew said nervously. “You had said you played when you were back home and I didn’t see that you had drums since you moved here and I just...figured you would like them? There’s also a gift card for Guitar Center...to try and help towards getting you some drums.”
Dominic sat quietly for a few moments, which made the brunet nervously fidget even more.
“...Do you like it?” he asked quietly.
The blond gently placed the drumsticks back in their box and set it aside. He held onto Matthew’s waist and pulled him over to straddle his hips. The smaller boy held onto Dominic’s shoulders and waited as he held his boyfriend’s gaze nervously.
“You are the most beautiful and selfless soul I have ever known,” he said softly. “I’m so lucky to have you because I definitely don’t deserve you. I love you and I love this present. Thank you for being so thoughtful.”
Matthew smiled gently and held onto his boyfriend. “I love you, too. Merry Christmas.”
The two shared kiss after kiss until they drifted off to sleep. The small brunet had his face nestled against Dominic’s chest and a calm smile fixed on his face as he drifted to the sound of the blond’s heartbeat. The night was still apart from the winter wind gently blowing. In his heart, Matthew knew there was no one else who made him feel so loved than the boy sleeping beside him.