On Silver Scales - Chapter Twenty
Author: fenora
Beta: The lovely millionstarShe's not only a beta, she asured me that I could make this right ;) thank you for all the help, you are trully amazing!
Pairing: Belldom
Rating: This part: PG
Summary: Based on the prompt: "This is more or less based on LOTR Arwen/Aragorn, but not exactly....."
Feedback: Anything, really!
Warnings: It's AU and it's fantasy
Disclaimers: I don't own Matt, Dom, Chris and Tom. The others are mine and I'm usually very possessive about my OCs hehehe
For previous chapters, you can easily find them in my journal with the story's tag ;)
Chapter Twenty
“You are free to go now Matthew. But if you feel any kind of weakness or indisposition, please try and contact me,” Keloton said, with a warm smile.
After listening to Godriel’s story, Dominic had to admit that he had lost a little bit of respect for the old wizard. However, at the same time, the tall man with the big white beard had been right all the time. Godriel had been crucial to the war... If he had turned mortal back then, his aging wouldn’t let him be as strong as he is now. The sacrifice he made though, should definitely be praised, however, for some reason he wanted to keep it a secret. Dominic suspected it was because it was easier to convince himself that he had done the right thing.
“That will do. Thank you so much for everything, Keloton. I owe you my... well, I cannot say my life, can I?”
The three of them chuckled at the sarcasm and Dominic snaked his arm around Matthew’s waist. The brunet immediately leaned onto him and laid his head on Dominic’s defined shoulder.
“Let’s go then, Nialah’s getting impatient.”
Keloton nodded and walked them out, closing the door once they left the tower. As Dominic had predicted, Nialah was already waiting for them. The moment Matthew laid his eyes on her, he knew there was something important going on. Taking his time, Matthew approached her and she lowered her head, allowing him to caress her face. The dragon made some low sounds and Matthew smiled widely. On his side, Dominic wondered what she had told him - probably a compliment about his attitude and bravery. He had always loved to watch those two communicate and he never got tired of that. Suddenly, Matthew gasped and spoke something to her in an excited tone.
“What is it?”
Usually, Dominic wouldn’t intrude in their little conversations, but that time he felt like it was something he was supposed to know as well.
“Brace yourself, Dominic...” Matthew said with a huge smile. “You’re soon going to have little dragons chasing you everywhere.”
Dominic widened his eyes, not sure if had understood what Matthew had said. He looked from his lover to Nialah, and back to him again. “I beg your pardon?”
“She has eggs! She left them with Konnor to pick us up but she has laid them last night! That is why she is so impatient... I cannot believe it, Nialah!” He continued, turning back to the dragon. “I am so happy for you, my sweetheart!”
As Matthew rambled away, Dominic stood in his spot, still dumbfounded. With the recent events in their lives, he hadn’t even have time to think about the implications of Nialah being with a mate. Konnor was his name apparently.
“Dominic, are you not going to say a word to her?” Matthew suddenly said, interrupting his thoughts.
The blond shook his head, as if to wake up from a dream and noticed Nialah’s anxious expression.
“That’s... well... I guess I have no words,” he said closing the distance to the other two. “This is a happy moment,” he continued, placing his right hand on Nialah’s cheek. “A very happy moment...”
*
When they left, Matthew and Dominic agreed that their main priority was to see Nialah’s eggs. According to the former elf, the baby dragons would still take about 60 days to hatch so they would still have to wait a while. Still, they wanted visual contact with those white round structures that accommodated the soon to be Nialah’s offspring.
It was an overwhelming thought.
As they flew upon the dragon, Dominic sat behind Matthew, wrapping his arms around his slender waist lovingly. When they were close enough, Matthew spotted Konnor on the nest, keeping the eggs warm. Dominic could see that he was a lot like Nialah, the same breed, but bigger and definitely stronger, with more defined male muscles. His spikes were also more prominent, giving him a more aggressive look. He couldn’t help but wonder how much Nialah trusted him, leaving him alone to keep the eggs warm. According to Matthew, not every female could do that, but Nialah seemed to be a lucky one.
It didn’t take long for Nialah to land and make her way to the nest. In an affectionate gesture, she pressed her head against Konnor’s before turning back to the two men on her back. Roaring, she turned back to Konnor who faced Dominic before slightly lowering his head.
“It’s a sign of respect,” Matthew whispered, looking at Dominic through the corner of his eye.
“Oh...”
“Come on, let’s get down!” Matthew exclaimed excitedly. Dominic nodded and they did so, approaching the nest.
At Nialah’s request, or so Dominic supposed, Konnor stepped back, exposing three round eggs.
“Magnificent...” Dominic whispered. “So wonderful...”
Nialah made a low appreciative sound, lowering her head to Dominic’s level, so he could scratch her chin.
“Come on, touch them. She wants you to,” Matthew smiled.
“All right...” Firstly, he looked at Konnor who had a slight spark of doubt in his eyes. That dragon looked quite intimidating. It was a little disconcerting that he didn’t seem to mind Matthew... Probably because he still had that elf aura, and he had probably known Konnor for a while as well.
However, when Nialah rubbed her front against his, he seemed to relax completely at her touch. Dominic let out a long breath and knelt down, next to the eggs. Matthew did so as well.
“Seems like he’s not very fond of me...” Dominic murmured.
“He doesn’t know you... It’s good that he’s so protective of their offspring. Sometimes they left females to do almost the whole job; males can get really lazy about taking care of eggs and juveniles. I’m really glad this was not the case.”
“Well, when you put it like that...”
Taking him by surprise, Matthew grabbed Dominic’s hand and slowly moved their joined hands to one of the eggs. The blond couldn’t help the wide smile as his hand made contact with the white surface. It was slightly coarse and incredibly warm. He still couldn’t believe that there was a life developing inside it, it was too overwhelming.
“I have to ask Marla to feel their heartbeats and see if everything is all right.”
“Is it possible?”
“For an elf it is.”
“Oh...” Dominic’s smile immediately fell and for some reason he couldn’t look Matthew in the eye. “That’s...”
“Dominic... it is absolutely all right,” Matthew tried to assure him. “Look at me.” Dominic shook his head. “Come on, love, look at me...” That plea he couldn’t resist so he slowly turned his head towards the former elf. “Do not dare to start questioning now... I am happier than I have been in a very long time.”
Closing his eyes for a moment, Dominic considered his words. Matthew was right, as usual. From now on, if he didn’t let go of those insecurities, it could be fatal to them. Dominic would make everything not to let that happen.
“Well, now you’re hurting my feelings...”
Matthew immediately recognized the teasing tone as Dominic opened his eyes and looked straight into his.
“I think I’ve made you happy for the past six years.”
The brunet laughed well humouredly and looked at the eggs again.
“Well... now there’s no war. There’s no reason to be afraid,” he mused out loud and winked at Dominic.
“I know,” in that precise moment, as Matthew locked his eyes with his again, Dominic couldn’t stop his impulse to lean forward and kiss him. It was supposed to be just a peck, but the brunet seemed to have different ideas. Putting his hand behind Dominic’s neck, Matthew stopped him from leaning back and kissed him deeply, their tongues sliding deliciously and their lips caressing each other’s.
They would go on for sure, if it wasn’t for Nialah’s sudden roar.
Startled, they broke apart and looked up at the two starring dragons.
Matthew giggled good-naturedly, his hand still on the back of Dominic’s neck.
“She doesn’t want us to behave like that in front of her children.”
“But they haven’t even been born...”
*
In order not to make Matthew go through any major changes in his routine and also because they wanted to see Nialah’s babies as soon as they hatched, the couple decided to stay in Linthuah a while longer.
Dominic was in the hut watching his lover talking animatedly with his sister through the window, as they sat outside. Certainly, he was telling her about the eggs, gesticulating a lot he always did when he got excited about something, and Marla was regarding him as if nothing had changed. Well, perhaps in a way, she was right... He was the same Matthew after all.
At a certain point, Dominic heard his name; Marla was asking where he was. Soon after Matthew explained that the blond was busy cleaning up the hut, she got up and made her way to the entrance.
“Dominic?”
“I’m in here.”
“Why don’t you join us?” She asked as she walked towards him with a curious smile.
“Well, I have stuff to do and I also thought you both wanted some privacy...” he shrugged.
“Silly human,” she chuckled. “How are you both doing with this recent change?” Marla asked, sounding more serious all of a sudden.
“There hasn’t been any notorious change, has it? I don’t think Matthew has even realised it completely himself. That he’s no longer an elf, I mean.”
“I beg to differ, Dominic,” she sighed, her lips curving in an amused smiled. “You are the one who hasn’t realised it yet.”
“What do mean? Of course I have! I saw how weak he was, I saw how he could not feel the little dragons’ hearts!”
Marla looked down for a while, seeming to be in deep thought. When she faced Dominic again, he couldn’t help but notice just how much of Matthew she had in her. They were so alike in so many ways...
“Dominic... when you take my brother to Luansire... stay a while. It will be good for you to be away from everything that reminds you of elves for a while. It will help you understand and accept everything, every change, every little wrinkle that will eventually appear on Matthew’s face, every white hair... his ears fading,” she smiled encouragingly. “I am not suggesting that you both spend your whole lives there, not at all. But... stay there until you understand, until you know that you can leave. Everything will go on much smoother.”
“You don’t believe that I’m all right with this, do you?”
“I know you are. But you’re bound to feel confused in the near future... And I am not implying that there’s a chance you’ll leave Matthew. If I suspected that, I would do everything to stop him from turning mortal. I know you have a good heart... One of the best human heart’s I’ve met in fact.”
“Then, what is it?”
“You will understand,” she smiled with a nod.
As if on cue, Matthew entered the hut calling them, and the conversation was automatically over. “What is the matter?” he asked, noticing that they had stopped once he came in. Matthew was quite perceptive though, so he knew exactly what they were talking about. In his mind though, he didn’t find the situation preoccupying at all. In fact, he was glad Dominic had someone to talk to, someone who could listen and give advice.
“Nothing, little brother,” Marla said with confidence. “I will see your dragons first thing tomorrow, then I will bring back news.”
With that, the elf left them, knowing that they also needed some time to themselves. After all, they had returned that morning and it was already evening and they still had not stopped to relax.
“Are you all right? No sickness?” Dominic asked, putting his hands on his lover’s shoulders.
“Yes, I feel just fine. Do not worry.”
“You will tell me if you need anything, right?”
“Of course. Come on, let’s lay down.”
Dominic nodded and grabbed Matthew’s hand, guiding him towards the bedside. Wordlessly, Matthew lifted up his arms and the blond eased out his green tunic. Indulging himself, Dominic let his fingertips run lightly across Matthew’s torso, from his left clavicle to his belly button. On his turn, the brunet unbuttoned Dominic’s brown vest, making it slide down his strong shoulders. Mirroring his lover’s gesture, Dominic lifted up his arms to allow Matthew to take off his tunic.
After getting rid of shoes and pants, they got comfortably under the covers, Dominic spooning Matthew. It had been a long day so they just stayed like that, enjoying each other and the simple touch of skin on skin.
“So good...” Matthew purred, trying to push back even closer to Dominic, who buried his face in dark hair. “My sister did not annoy you that much, did she?”
“No, not at all. She’s a little worried about us but she reckons everything will be all right.”
“Of course,” Matthew smiled closing his eyes. If he was honest with himself he wanted to do much more that night than cuddle but he knew his body wouldn’t cooperate. He was still slightly weak and they had travelled a considerable distance during the day, plus the emotion of seeing Nialah’s eggs and then his family, for the first time after turning mortal.
“I missed you here. This bed without you is just... not right.”
“I can’t wait to see your bed. And your house back in Luansire... I don’t know why but sometimes I find myself really looking forward to it. Even though your origins are here, there is where you grew up... I so want to see it.”
Dominic chuckled, his hand lazily massaging Matthew’s stomach. “I suppose it is a beautiful land. But it gets quite boring...”
“We will get together with Christopher and Thomas again, I am sure you’ll be looking forward to that.”
“Yes. And my parents.”
Matthew smiled at that and put his hand over Dominic’s. “I am so glad that you said that... I am sure they are good people and they deserve your forgiveness and your love.”
“I know...”
“I am kind of nervous too...”
Dominic frowned, trying to peek at his lover’s face. “Nervous? What for?”
“Oh come on, Dominic... I want them to like me,” he shrugged. At that, the blond couldn’t help but shake his head at the way Matthew was fidgeting with the ends of the covers. “I guess it is only normal that I feel this way.”
“Then you should relax, you adorable man. There’s nothing in you that a sane person could ever dislike. Nothing.”
Beta: The lovely millionstarShe's not only a beta, she asured me that I could make this right ;) thank you for all the help, you are trully amazing!
Pairing: Belldom
Rating: This part: PG
Summary: Based on the prompt: "This is more or less based on LOTR Arwen/Aragorn, but not exactly....."
Feedback: Anything, really!
Warnings: It's AU and it's fantasy
Disclaimers: I don't own Matt, Dom, Chris and Tom. The others are mine and I'm usually very possessive about my OCs hehehe
For previous chapters, you can easily find them in my journal with the story's tag ;)
Chapter Twenty
“You are free to go now Matthew. But if you feel any kind of weakness or indisposition, please try and contact me,” Keloton said, with a warm smile.
After listening to Godriel’s story, Dominic had to admit that he had lost a little bit of respect for the old wizard. However, at the same time, the tall man with the big white beard had been right all the time. Godriel had been crucial to the war... If he had turned mortal back then, his aging wouldn’t let him be as strong as he is now. The sacrifice he made though, should definitely be praised, however, for some reason he wanted to keep it a secret. Dominic suspected it was because it was easier to convince himself that he had done the right thing.
“That will do. Thank you so much for everything, Keloton. I owe you my... well, I cannot say my life, can I?”
The three of them chuckled at the sarcasm and Dominic snaked his arm around Matthew’s waist. The brunet immediately leaned onto him and laid his head on Dominic’s defined shoulder.
“Let’s go then, Nialah’s getting impatient.”
Keloton nodded and walked them out, closing the door once they left the tower. As Dominic had predicted, Nialah was already waiting for them. The moment Matthew laid his eyes on her, he knew there was something important going on. Taking his time, Matthew approached her and she lowered her head, allowing him to caress her face. The dragon made some low sounds and Matthew smiled widely. On his side, Dominic wondered what she had told him - probably a compliment about his attitude and bravery. He had always loved to watch those two communicate and he never got tired of that. Suddenly, Matthew gasped and spoke something to her in an excited tone.
“What is it?”
Usually, Dominic wouldn’t intrude in their little conversations, but that time he felt like it was something he was supposed to know as well.
“Brace yourself, Dominic...” Matthew said with a huge smile. “You’re soon going to have little dragons chasing you everywhere.”
Dominic widened his eyes, not sure if had understood what Matthew had said. He looked from his lover to Nialah, and back to him again. “I beg your pardon?”
“She has eggs! She left them with Konnor to pick us up but she has laid them last night! That is why she is so impatient... I cannot believe it, Nialah!” He continued, turning back to the dragon. “I am so happy for you, my sweetheart!”
As Matthew rambled away, Dominic stood in his spot, still dumbfounded. With the recent events in their lives, he hadn’t even have time to think about the implications of Nialah being with a mate. Konnor was his name apparently.
“Dominic, are you not going to say a word to her?” Matthew suddenly said, interrupting his thoughts.
The blond shook his head, as if to wake up from a dream and noticed Nialah’s anxious expression.
“That’s... well... I guess I have no words,” he said closing the distance to the other two. “This is a happy moment,” he continued, placing his right hand on Nialah’s cheek. “A very happy moment...”
*
When they left, Matthew and Dominic agreed that their main priority was to see Nialah’s eggs. According to the former elf, the baby dragons would still take about 60 days to hatch so they would still have to wait a while. Still, they wanted visual contact with those white round structures that accommodated the soon to be Nialah’s offspring.
It was an overwhelming thought.
As they flew upon the dragon, Dominic sat behind Matthew, wrapping his arms around his slender waist lovingly. When they were close enough, Matthew spotted Konnor on the nest, keeping the eggs warm. Dominic could see that he was a lot like Nialah, the same breed, but bigger and definitely stronger, with more defined male muscles. His spikes were also more prominent, giving him a more aggressive look. He couldn’t help but wonder how much Nialah trusted him, leaving him alone to keep the eggs warm. According to Matthew, not every female could do that, but Nialah seemed to be a lucky one.
It didn’t take long for Nialah to land and make her way to the nest. In an affectionate gesture, she pressed her head against Konnor’s before turning back to the two men on her back. Roaring, she turned back to Konnor who faced Dominic before slightly lowering his head.
“It’s a sign of respect,” Matthew whispered, looking at Dominic through the corner of his eye.
“Oh...”
“Come on, let’s get down!” Matthew exclaimed excitedly. Dominic nodded and they did so, approaching the nest.
At Nialah’s request, or so Dominic supposed, Konnor stepped back, exposing three round eggs.
“Magnificent...” Dominic whispered. “So wonderful...”
Nialah made a low appreciative sound, lowering her head to Dominic’s level, so he could scratch her chin.
“Come on, touch them. She wants you to,” Matthew smiled.
“All right...” Firstly, he looked at Konnor who had a slight spark of doubt in his eyes. That dragon looked quite intimidating. It was a little disconcerting that he didn’t seem to mind Matthew... Probably because he still had that elf aura, and he had probably known Konnor for a while as well.
However, when Nialah rubbed her front against his, he seemed to relax completely at her touch. Dominic let out a long breath and knelt down, next to the eggs. Matthew did so as well.
“Seems like he’s not very fond of me...” Dominic murmured.
“He doesn’t know you... It’s good that he’s so protective of their offspring. Sometimes they left females to do almost the whole job; males can get really lazy about taking care of eggs and juveniles. I’m really glad this was not the case.”
“Well, when you put it like that...”
Taking him by surprise, Matthew grabbed Dominic’s hand and slowly moved their joined hands to one of the eggs. The blond couldn’t help the wide smile as his hand made contact with the white surface. It was slightly coarse and incredibly warm. He still couldn’t believe that there was a life developing inside it, it was too overwhelming.
“I have to ask Marla to feel their heartbeats and see if everything is all right.”
“Is it possible?”
“For an elf it is.”
“Oh...” Dominic’s smile immediately fell and for some reason he couldn’t look Matthew in the eye. “That’s...”
“Dominic... it is absolutely all right,” Matthew tried to assure him. “Look at me.” Dominic shook his head. “Come on, love, look at me...” That plea he couldn’t resist so he slowly turned his head towards the former elf. “Do not dare to start questioning now... I am happier than I have been in a very long time.”
Closing his eyes for a moment, Dominic considered his words. Matthew was right, as usual. From now on, if he didn’t let go of those insecurities, it could be fatal to them. Dominic would make everything not to let that happen.
“Well, now you’re hurting my feelings...”
Matthew immediately recognized the teasing tone as Dominic opened his eyes and looked straight into his.
“I think I’ve made you happy for the past six years.”
The brunet laughed well humouredly and looked at the eggs again.
“Well... now there’s no war. There’s no reason to be afraid,” he mused out loud and winked at Dominic.
“I know,” in that precise moment, as Matthew locked his eyes with his again, Dominic couldn’t stop his impulse to lean forward and kiss him. It was supposed to be just a peck, but the brunet seemed to have different ideas. Putting his hand behind Dominic’s neck, Matthew stopped him from leaning back and kissed him deeply, their tongues sliding deliciously and their lips caressing each other’s.
They would go on for sure, if it wasn’t for Nialah’s sudden roar.
Startled, they broke apart and looked up at the two starring dragons.
Matthew giggled good-naturedly, his hand still on the back of Dominic’s neck.
“She doesn’t want us to behave like that in front of her children.”
“But they haven’t even been born...”
*
In order not to make Matthew go through any major changes in his routine and also because they wanted to see Nialah’s babies as soon as they hatched, the couple decided to stay in Linthuah a while longer.
Dominic was in the hut watching his lover talking animatedly with his sister through the window, as they sat outside. Certainly, he was telling her about the eggs, gesticulating a lot he always did when he got excited about something, and Marla was regarding him as if nothing had changed. Well, perhaps in a way, she was right... He was the same Matthew after all.
At a certain point, Dominic heard his name; Marla was asking where he was. Soon after Matthew explained that the blond was busy cleaning up the hut, she got up and made her way to the entrance.
“Dominic?”
“I’m in here.”
“Why don’t you join us?” She asked as she walked towards him with a curious smile.
“Well, I have stuff to do and I also thought you both wanted some privacy...” he shrugged.
“Silly human,” she chuckled. “How are you both doing with this recent change?” Marla asked, sounding more serious all of a sudden.
“There hasn’t been any notorious change, has it? I don’t think Matthew has even realised it completely himself. That he’s no longer an elf, I mean.”
“I beg to differ, Dominic,” she sighed, her lips curving in an amused smiled. “You are the one who hasn’t realised it yet.”
“What do mean? Of course I have! I saw how weak he was, I saw how he could not feel the little dragons’ hearts!”
Marla looked down for a while, seeming to be in deep thought. When she faced Dominic again, he couldn’t help but notice just how much of Matthew she had in her. They were so alike in so many ways...
“Dominic... when you take my brother to Luansire... stay a while. It will be good for you to be away from everything that reminds you of elves for a while. It will help you understand and accept everything, every change, every little wrinkle that will eventually appear on Matthew’s face, every white hair... his ears fading,” she smiled encouragingly. “I am not suggesting that you both spend your whole lives there, not at all. But... stay there until you understand, until you know that you can leave. Everything will go on much smoother.”
“You don’t believe that I’m all right with this, do you?”
“I know you are. But you’re bound to feel confused in the near future... And I am not implying that there’s a chance you’ll leave Matthew. If I suspected that, I would do everything to stop him from turning mortal. I know you have a good heart... One of the best human heart’s I’ve met in fact.”
“Then, what is it?”
“You will understand,” she smiled with a nod.
As if on cue, Matthew entered the hut calling them, and the conversation was automatically over. “What is the matter?” he asked, noticing that they had stopped once he came in. Matthew was quite perceptive though, so he knew exactly what they were talking about. In his mind though, he didn’t find the situation preoccupying at all. In fact, he was glad Dominic had someone to talk to, someone who could listen and give advice.
“Nothing, little brother,” Marla said with confidence. “I will see your dragons first thing tomorrow, then I will bring back news.”
With that, the elf left them, knowing that they also needed some time to themselves. After all, they had returned that morning and it was already evening and they still had not stopped to relax.
“Are you all right? No sickness?” Dominic asked, putting his hands on his lover’s shoulders.
“Yes, I feel just fine. Do not worry.”
“You will tell me if you need anything, right?”
“Of course. Come on, let’s lay down.”
Dominic nodded and grabbed Matthew’s hand, guiding him towards the bedside. Wordlessly, Matthew lifted up his arms and the blond eased out his green tunic. Indulging himself, Dominic let his fingertips run lightly across Matthew’s torso, from his left clavicle to his belly button. On his turn, the brunet unbuttoned Dominic’s brown vest, making it slide down his strong shoulders. Mirroring his lover’s gesture, Dominic lifted up his arms to allow Matthew to take off his tunic.
After getting rid of shoes and pants, they got comfortably under the covers, Dominic spooning Matthew. It had been a long day so they just stayed like that, enjoying each other and the simple touch of skin on skin.
“So good...” Matthew purred, trying to push back even closer to Dominic, who buried his face in dark hair. “My sister did not annoy you that much, did she?”
“No, not at all. She’s a little worried about us but she reckons everything will be all right.”
“Of course,” Matthew smiled closing his eyes. If he was honest with himself he wanted to do much more that night than cuddle but he knew his body wouldn’t cooperate. He was still slightly weak and they had travelled a considerable distance during the day, plus the emotion of seeing Nialah’s eggs and then his family, for the first time after turning mortal.
“I missed you here. This bed without you is just... not right.”
“I can’t wait to see your bed. And your house back in Luansire... I don’t know why but sometimes I find myself really looking forward to it. Even though your origins are here, there is where you grew up... I so want to see it.”
Dominic chuckled, his hand lazily massaging Matthew’s stomach. “I suppose it is a beautiful land. But it gets quite boring...”
“We will get together with Christopher and Thomas again, I am sure you’ll be looking forward to that.”
“Yes. And my parents.”
Matthew smiled at that and put his hand over Dominic’s. “I am so glad that you said that... I am sure they are good people and they deserve your forgiveness and your love.”
“I know...”
“I am kind of nervous too...”
Dominic frowned, trying to peek at his lover’s face. “Nervous? What for?”
“Oh come on, Dominic... I want them to like me,” he shrugged. At that, the blond couldn’t help but shake his head at the way Matthew was fidgeting with the ends of the covers. “I guess it is only normal that I feel this way.”
“Then you should relax, you adorable man. There’s nothing in you that a sane person could ever dislike. Nothing.”