The Long Surrender: 1/??
Title: The Long Surrender
Author: lalalive23
Pairing: Belldom
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Fluff and sadness, swearing
Summary: AU. Matt moved to Spain immediately after his lover left him to continue his work on the Spanish guitar. When Dom takes a holiday with his new fiancee, his world gets turned upside down and nothing is ever the same again.
Feedback: Is awesome. I like it. Keep it coming?
Disclaimer: I don't own Muse. If I did, they sure as hell would not be let out of the naughty closet. I don't make money off this. If I did, I would be a rich lady and not distracting myself from writing an undergrad thesis that is somehow much bigger than I.
Note: Like I said before, You are not expected at all to read this. This story is friends locked for this reason. Also, I do not speak Spanish. I am fluent in French and I speak marginal Italian. My knowledge of Spanish is thanks to Google Translate, who is probs going to be my bffl for the remainder of this story and my Hispanic roommate. If you do speak Spanish and notice that google translate messed up, let me know and I will fix it. I want this to be as accurate as possible. but I really know nothing of the language. Dom's awful Spanish is underlined (and that is actually what I said out loud when Arianna told me how to say that sentence. like I said, I know nothing LOL), and correctly conjugated sentences are in italics. At the end of the story there is a break where all translations can be found.
Thanks to dolce_piccante , millionstar , and sunshine_173 for being betas, bit readers, a NaNoWriMo support group, convincing me that this is actually an intelligent story, encouraging me that I will actually make it to 50,000 words and being generally amazing friends. ENJOY!
Dom had the strangest sensation that he was falling, weighted and heavy, soaring to the core of the Earth. In his attempts to scream, he was silenced - his vocal cords refusing to emit a single sound. His frightened and tense hands pawed frantically to grasp Julia, who was deceptively close but still so very far away. A swift wind seemed to force him downward, clutching his chest and dragging him at a breakneck pace down, down, down. Certain that this was how he would die, he accepted his fate and watched in awe as his vision erupted into a clear and breathtaking blue.
"Dom!" Julia said. "Dom wake up!"
With a small jump, Dom woke with his mind still absorbed in blue. He scoured his surroundings, searching for the same shade his subconscious had created. Finding none, he blinked in confused silence.
"Come on! We've landed!" Julia said, tugging on Dom's sleeve jubilantly.
Things began to connect in Dom's sleep muddled brain, finally understanding why he'd had the night terror. His body had moved downward with the plane, causing his dreams to become mixed with reality.
Lifting himself from his seat, he felt his entire spine crack with tension from sitting in the same position for two hours. A tiny smile pulled on his lips as Julia reached into the overhead cubbyhole for their carry on luggage, revealing a tempting sliver of skin across her stomach. She noticed his stare and wiggled her eyebrows with a lewd grin.
"You perving on me?" she said giggling, not bothering to fix her clothes.
"Always," he replied easily before sliding from the seat and into the tight aisle.
They breezed easily through boarder control and baggage claim, holding hands and giggling with childish excitement. Stepping outside of the airport, Dominic felt his body flush with warmth, the Madrid summer air erasing all traces of the chilly London weather, the affect instantaneous. As Julia slipped on her sunglasses, he thought briefly that she looked like a rock star, and by no means should be planning to spend her life with a dull advertising executive.
"What?" Julia asked, flicking her long hair over her shoulder and smiling wide.
"Nothing," Dom said dreamily. "You're just gorgeous."
Julia blushed and looked to her feet, her smile becoming shy and thanked him by kissing his cheek.
Hoping to impress his new fiancee, Dominic walked confidently over to the nearest cab and addressed the driver in his best Spanish accent.
"Buenos tardos, senior! Se peudo tomar nostros el hotel palacaio por favors? Ye ayuda a la senora con sus bolsars?" He confidently finished his sentence with a grin and turned back to Julia, who stood with her hand to her mouth, her expression unreadable and back to the cab driver. For his part, the driver was doing his best to understand what Dom had said, blinking repeatedly before laughing uncontrollably in good humour.
Dom pouted and turned back to Julia to find her laughing with the driver.
"What?" he asked, a hint of a whine in his voice.
Julia said nothing, shaking her head and stepping to the window.
"Perdona mi novio. El puede ser un poco impaciente, veces. Y se olvida de conjugar los verbos correctmente. Puedes por por favor, nos llevan al Palace Hotel? Los puedo asegurar que le proporcionara una acelente conversacion." The cab driver nodded in kind, waving them in and continuing to speak with Julia as he stepped out of the car to take their bags. Julia turned to Dom and crossed her arms, smiling in a complacent way, saying neither 'good job' or 'stop trying.' Dom's pout deepened further.
"What did you just say to him?" Dom asked, feeling out of the language loop. He barely knew Spanish, but had practiced his few choice phrases continuously over the course of the last month. He knew Julia spoke Spanish, but not fluently so, and now he felt silly and sheepish.
"I told him I was leaving you to mother his children," she said opening the door to get into the back seat.
Dom huffed petulantly, and slid in next to her. "Well, at least it wasn't anything important. Saves me money on a wedding."
"Like you would pay for things," Julia snorted, silently acknowledging both hers and Dominic's wealthy upbringing. "So what made you think to make reservations at the Palace Hotel? It's one of the ritziest places in Spain."
"I didn't," Dominic admitted as the driver started to pull away from the airport. "Gavin made these reservations when I told him I was thinking of going to Spain with you. I have no idea what we're in for."
Julia cocked an eyebrow. "Gavin made the reservations?" The skepticism in her voice made him smile. It was not that she didn't trust Gavin's judgement, as he was well traveled and knew of the best places to stay. It was merely that he had not handled personal affairs in a little over six years, having hired a personal assistant, Janine, to take care of it for him. In truth, Gavin was not well versed in negotiating room size and amenities and it worried her that she would not be able to fully complain if there was an issue with their reservation.
"Well, no. Janine did. But Gavin paid for it," he reassured her.
Her face relaxed a bit, and she settled into her seat, watching the scenery pass by in rhythm with the hum of the car tires. While she watched the world pass by her excited eyes, Dom watched the sun make patterns on her face, shifting the shade of her skin from a pale beige to a glowing tan, making her appear exotic rather than the WASP she naturally was.
Stopping himself from staring, as he usually found himself doing (though, being honest with himself, it was all he could manage when he was in her presence...most days), his mind wandered back to the intensely and unexpectedly visceral cerulean he had seen his dream. Never in his life had he seen a shade so shocking and so stunning. But contained within the colour was a sense of calm and comfort, something otherworldly. It ashamed him to admit it, but it was a sense of comfort and completeness that he had not yet experienced in his life. The thought frightened him as he turned his eyes once more, grounding himself in the shades of Julia's hair to bring himself back to reality.
The car pulled up abruptly in front of a stunning building, fountain water rising high into the sky as they turned through the round about drive way. Dom's mouth went slack jawed at the sight, the sheer magnitude of the building, it's size and regal-ness, brought a feeling to Dom's chest that they didn't belong. He smiled lovingly at Julia, whose face held a reaction that mimicked his to a degree, though she had seen the hotel before. During her sophomore year of undergrad, she had studied in Spain and knew well what to expect.
"It's so gorgeous," she whispered, turning back to the view from the window.
"Yeah," he said, feeling silly for saying it while still looking only at her.
They exited the cab once it stopped, waiting patiently on the elegant entrance sidewalk that read 'Bienvenido!' in swirly type. The cab driver dropped their bags at their feet, smiling eagerly at Julia.
"Caulquier otra cosa puedo hacer por usted?" he asked kindly.
"No, gracias," she said with a smile. In an instant, that smile turned wicked. "Bueno, en realidad, puede ensenarie espanol?" She giggled as she finished her statement.
The cab driver laughed in kind, leaning in to shake his head and laugh. "No, lamentablemente creo que es una causa perdida,"
A heartfelt laugh came from Julia's chest and once again, Dom found himself out of the loop. He merely smiled politely, nodding, and providing a small 'ha-ha' as he bent down to pick up their bags, pouting once more when his face was out of view.
"Ready?" Julia said, having paid the man and finally bringing her attention back to him.
"Que?" he said, cocking an eyebrow and pretending not to understand her.
"Oh, stop, you child. I was just being polite." She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and took her suitcase from him, not entirely needing assistance.
"It sounded like you were bonding with him," Dom whined.
"Like I said, I'm leaving you. If you wake up tomorrow and I'm gone, well, you know what happened," she said plainly.
He huffed as they entered through the doors and immediately found himself shocked into silence.
The lobby to the hotel was equally, if not more, grandiose than the exterior of the building. It housed lush carpets and marble columns, gold rimmed on the floor and the ceiling. Their footsteps echoed high above them, singing angelically before evaporating into the air that smelled like money.
They spun around, admiring the general splendor and taking in every single nuance of the large room. Dominic felt out of place, not accustomed to such extensive wealth. He fondled the the strap of his bag, eyes searching for where to check in. The intense sensation of feeling out place in such a fantastic (in the true meaning of the word) place caused a bubbling of anxiety in his chest. He felt unsure and insecure. Thankfully, a bellhop came up to greet them.
"Bienvenido!" he said cheerily. "Como puedo ayudarle?"
Dom sighed, exasperated with the constant Spanish already. He would happily deal with it later, but at that moment all he really wanted was to drop his bags in his room and feel like a man again. He didn't want Julia to take the reigns on everything for this trip.
"Do you speak English?" he asked politely.
He heard Julia release a small chuckle as the bellhop smiled warmly and nodded. "Yes, of course, sir. How can I help you?" he said in a thick accent.
Relief coursed through his body, nodding appreciatively at the bellhop. "Can you tell us where to check in?"
"Of course! Right over here." He lead them through the lobby, bringing them to a long row of people standing behind a counter, made of marble and mahogany. "I can wait here, if you like, to bring your bags to your room?" he said gently.
"Oh, that would be lovely!" Julia exclaimed. She nodded to Dominic to go ahead and check in, and the simple action made him feel useful and with purpose. He kissed her forehead in thanks, knowing that she knew how it made him feel and headed over to the counter.
"Have you been to Madrid before miss?" the bellhop asked Julia, taking her bags.
"Yes, when I was twenty and in undergrad I studied in Barcelona for a semester. I traveled to Madrid for two weeks, just to explore. I loved it so much I never wanted to leave." She finished her sentence by looking up at the stunningly painted ceiling, art in the form of classicism and religious motifs coating its domed peak. A dreamy smile spread on her lips as she remembered all the moments she savored while she lived in Barcelona, suddenly feeling a sense of completeness at finally making her return.
"I hope you like it now as much as you did then!" the bellhop said happily.
Discretely, Julia brought her eyes to Dom's turned back as he chatted happily with the concierge. Her heart warmed and she nodded as she said "I have new reasons to love it now." The bellhop nodded and did not press her to explain.
Dom returned to them excitedly, explaining that Gavin had reserved them the penthouse suite. They rode the elevator in silence, as Julia carefully dragged her fingers along the waistband of Dom's trousers, enjoying the way he shivered slightly when she did so.
The elevator opened to their room, well, what essentially could be called a flat. It looked like it belonged in a wealthy manor, and neither Julia nor Dom wanted to step into the suite for fear of disturbing the exquisite stillness. Confused, the bellhop turned back to them, already halfway into the room with their bags in tow. Upon seeing their awestruck faces, he chuckled and beckoned them in. They followed quietly, Dom grasping at Julia's waist as his eyes looked every which way, attempting to memorize the many features of the room.
Floor to ceiling windows lined the walls, with gold velvet drapes slung elegantly over them. In the center of the living room were two doors which lead to a terrace holding a table and chairs. And while that seemed to be a staggering centerpiece to focus the room around, it was the impressive view of the city of Madrid that assisted in bending the mind. Dom could only imagine what it would look like at night, and he briefly entertained the thought of fucking Julia while she was pressed against the glass. He did not find any shame within him to blush at the thought.
"Your bedroom is in here," the bellhop said, pointing down a little hallway. "The bathroom is adjoined and has a hot tub. Room service is complementary and you have full access to all the hotel's amenities. We are happy to provide you with transportation throughout Madrid and, if you would like to explore other parts of Spain on your trip, we have many maps which provide you with excellent transportation trips. If you have any other questions my name is Gianmarco and I will be happy to answer them. Just press '0' on the phones throughout the room and ask for me or the help desk."
"Thank you, Gianmarco," Dom said cheerily. "I'll be happy to ask for you if it means you get commission?"
"Unfortunately not, but it does look good to the higher ups, if you know what I mean?" he said hopefully.
"Absolutely," Dom replied, nodding. He tipped Gianmarco well, the man smiling as he bowed in thanks and entered the elevator once more.
Julia turned to Dom once they were alone and stood, hands fluttering in the air at her sides as she mentally processed her surroundings. "Can we, just for a second, talk about this?" she said quietly, failing to hold her excitement.
"Honestly, I don't think we can because I don't know of any words in English or Spanish to discuss how incredible this actually is," Dom said, turning again to do a once over. "Shit, we haven't looked at the bedroom!"
Julia's eyes widened and she turned on her heels, practically running down the hall. Dom quickly followed her but was trapped in the doorway, Julia having stopped abruptly, spellbound from the sheer beauty of the room.
"Hey, move. I can't see anything," Dom said pushing her aside. She moved limply, not actually recognizing that he was moving her at all. "Jesus....Christmas..." he said quietly, admiring the large room.
The large, kind size bed stood like a proud lion on a raised platform in the center of the room. Red silk sheets dressed it and the canopy of sheer white gave the feel of standing in the middle of a Victorian Spanish palace. 3/4 of the wall space was floor to ceiling windows, forcing one to be surrounded by Madrid. The carpet felt like a cloud beneath the feet, the large oak wardrobes finishing the room with a sense of importance and a flair of beauty.
"Well," Julia said softly. "Welcome home, darling!"
Dom snorted. "We aren't moving in, dear."
"Who the hell says?" she retorted as he turned to her.
"And what could possibly convince you that we would want to live here or could afford to?" he encircled her waist in his arms, pulling her to him and resting his forehead against hers.
She was silent for a moment, simply staring into his grey pools. "Because if you don't, I'll just call Carlos," she finally said.
Dom furrowed his brow. "Who the hell is Carlos?"
"The cab driver," she smiled.
"When the hell did you get his name?" he asked, shocked.
She rolled her eyes. "While you were busy pouting at your awful Spanish, I was reading his ID tag on the back window making sure we weren't going to disappear and get murdered in the Spanish country side."
"Oi!" he said, offended. "It's not that awful!'
"Honey," she said sweetly, "You said 'good tardiness, sir. Noses are total fakes by favors to palace hotel. Mrs. Ye helps with bursars.' I'd say it's pretty awful."
He slapped her arse playfully and stepped away from her as she yelped. "Har-har. Go get dressed cause we're going to dinner."
"Really? But we just landed," she said, grabbing her suitcase and putting it on the bed. "Don't you want to relax first?"
"I'd love to," Dom said, following her lead and unzipping his suitcase. "But Gavin made reservations at some restaurant for us."
"Why is Gavin being so nice? Is he always like this when people take vacation?" She pulled out a simple black dress, and walked into the bathroom as she finger combed her hair. "HOLY SHIT!" she called as the door closed. "There's fucking marble sinks and a bathtub with claws! I didn't know that shit still existed!"
Dominic laughed heartily at her exclamation. Julia didn't swear often, only when she was unbelievably pissed off or forced into a shocked excitement. When the former happened, it was truly one of the most frightening things on the face of the planet to witness, he was sure, but the ladder was something entirely hilarious as it was completely unexpected.
"I think he's only being nice because I haven't left the office for an extended period of time in....well, ever, in about five years. I think he was sick of seeing my face," he said, tugging off his shirt.
They changed without further conversation, instead Dom listened to the sound of Julia's off key warbling from behind the bathroom door. he was fixing the cuffs of his grey suit when she emerged, all legs and dark hair pulled into a twisted bun. Her natural look far more stunning than it should be, as she opted to go entirely without make up save for the mascara she was reapplying as she stood over her suitcase, without the use of a mirror. She caught him staring, again, and she laughed as she put her mascara away, pulling out perfume to dab at either side of her neck.
"That's the second time today I've caught you perving at me," she said calmly.
"It's only the second time you've caught me though. If you paid more attention, you would see I spend a good portion of my day doing that," he said, not meeting her face, instead tugging the red tie around his neck.
"That sounds impossibly distracting," she said slowly, not looking at his face either. "How do you get anything done?"
"That's what the night is for," he said, sitting on his bed to tug on black socks before he slipped them into his newly shined shoes.
"That's an absolute lie. I know for a fact your nights are even less productive," she said, tugging on her pumps.
He stood then, finally meeting her eyes. "It depends on what you mean by 'anything,' really," he said with a coy smile.
She cocked her head back and laughed heartily, taking his hand and walking the two of them to the elevator.
~*~
They sat next to each other at the fancy restaurant, the circular table quite small which made for intimate conversation. They spent the evening laughing and smiling, touching hands and making plans for the rest of their stay. Dominic found himself able to order dinner, though he could not ask for the particulars the way Julia could, receiving her meal exactly as she liked it while he took exactly what the menu said. He didn't mind, however, his salmon being one of the most delicious things he had ever tastds, except for, however, the sensitive patch of skin at the peak of Julia's shoulders.
All tables and chairs were arranged facing a small stage at the head of the building, raised merely 24 inches off the ground. The Spanish singers and jazz players would strike their tunes throughout the room softly enough so that conversation could continue, yet present in case those around wanted to listen.
Dominic lost track of time, everything blurring into a haze of delicious food and the heady scent of Julia's arresting perfume. As they neared dessert, there was shift in acts and Julia focused on the new stage set up, Dom watching the scene with her. Their hands remained joined throughout the process.
A few minutes after the band had cleared the stage, a small man dragged a stool to the center of the stage, smiling shyly at the room full of people before disappearing for a few more minutes. Dominic paid him no mind, the beautifully arranged pavlova he had ordered arriving before him like something of a dream.
He took the first bite, sighing audibly and smiled as he imagined the sounds of guitar strings playing what sounded like a hymn. He chuckled to himself for finding a dessert so enrapturing, but then again, he had always marveled at the cuisine of other countries. It was only when he opened his eyes that he realized that the music was not of his imagination.
Before him on stage, alone and completely taken with the sounds of music, the man sat strumming delicately on a guitar which seemed to engulf him. Something inside of Dominic seemed to constrict, as the man's dark hair fell before his eyes as he gazed lovingly down at the fret board he seemed to caress before stretching his neck to the ceiling and closing his eyes, exposing a fair amount of pale flesh.
The entire room had fallen silent, one man seeming to possess fifty or more people with his elegant fingers. The music was soothing and heart wrenching, was gentle and so inconceivably strong. It was as if he had dropped a bomb into Dom's soul, the force of the music shaking him to his very core and, suddenly, Dom found himself drifting away from the room itself.
Julia's hand tightened around his, and she sounded very far away as her soft voice asked if he was alright. He merely nodded, for fear of shouting to make sure she heard him over the din of his beating heart. Deep within his being, something was being forced awake. Deep within him, something dramatic was causing his bones to quiver with an unknown feeling, a magnetic connection pulling his lungs and heart and mind into that of the man sitting before him.
And then, the guitarist lowered his head, perfectly straight with his eyes closed and his lips parted as the song seemed to come to a climax. With dark fluttering eyelashes, he opened his eyes and Dominic found himself drowning in an all consuming, magnificent, and soul clenching blue.
Dominic's free hand flew to his mouth, his heart seeming to stop and his body lurching forward as their eyes met and Julia stared at him quizzically. She was not there, however, her presence having been removed from the epicenter of Dom's focus. As the song continued, Dom's entire being seemed to change and he transcended the lines between reality and dream, the blue absorbing into his skin forever and scorching the very essence of him.
He did not breathe, he did not move. He did not regard Julia for as long as the raven haired man sat like a fragile thing on stage, looking broken and lovelorn. Dominic needed to embrace him, needed to hold him, needed to clench the fingers that grasped in a needy state to the guitar they made love to.
And then the song ended, and reality began to seep back into Dom's mind. He choked out a noise as he realized that this man had at least thirty minutes or more to play on stage, wholly unsure he could stand more of the music that seemed to penetrate him, by a man who penetrated him on the most erotic of grounds though he did not know him at all.
As the next song began to start, Dominic brought his eyes away from where they longed to be, instead gazing like empty fragments of life into the red of the wine, Julia's confused reflection sitting like haze in the glass.
He did not realize it was there at all.
________
* Dom means to say: Good afternoon, sir! Can you please take us to the Palace Hotel? And help the lady with her bags? Instead, it comes out
'Good tardiness, sir. Noses are total fakes by favors to palace hotel. Mrs. Ye helps with bursars.'
* Forgive my boyfriend. He can be a bit eager sometimes, and forgets to conjugate verbs properly. Can you please take us to the Palace Hotel? I can assure you I will provide you with excellent conversation.
* Anything else I can do for you?
* No, thank you. Well, come to think of it, can you teach him Spanish?
* No, unfortunately I think that is a lost cause.
* How can I help you?
Author: lalalive23
Pairing: Belldom
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Fluff and sadness, swearing
Summary: AU. Matt moved to Spain immediately after his lover left him to continue his work on the Spanish guitar. When Dom takes a holiday with his new fiancee, his world gets turned upside down and nothing is ever the same again.
Feedback: Is awesome. I like it. Keep it coming?
Disclaimer: I don't own Muse. If I did, they sure as hell would not be let out of the naughty closet. I don't make money off this. If I did, I would be a rich lady and not distracting myself from writing an undergrad thesis that is somehow much bigger than I.
Note: Like I said before, You are not expected at all to read this. This story is friends locked for this reason. Also, I do not speak Spanish. I am fluent in French and I speak marginal Italian. My knowledge of Spanish is thanks to Google Translate, who is probs going to be my bffl for the remainder of this story and my Hispanic roommate. If you do speak Spanish and notice that google translate messed up, let me know and I will fix it. I want this to be as accurate as possible. but I really know nothing of the language. Dom's awful Spanish is underlined (and that is actually what I said out loud when Arianna told me how to say that sentence. like I said, I know nothing LOL), and correctly conjugated sentences are in italics. At the end of the story there is a break where all translations can be found.
Thanks to dolce_piccante , millionstar , and sunshine_173 for being betas, bit readers, a NaNoWriMo support group, convincing me that this is actually an intelligent story, encouraging me that I will actually make it to 50,000 words and being generally amazing friends. ENJOY!
Dom had the strangest sensation that he was falling, weighted and heavy, soaring to the core of the Earth. In his attempts to scream, he was silenced - his vocal cords refusing to emit a single sound. His frightened and tense hands pawed frantically to grasp Julia, who was deceptively close but still so very far away. A swift wind seemed to force him downward, clutching his chest and dragging him at a breakneck pace down, down, down. Certain that this was how he would die, he accepted his fate and watched in awe as his vision erupted into a clear and breathtaking blue.
"Dom!" Julia said. "Dom wake up!"
With a small jump, Dom woke with his mind still absorbed in blue. He scoured his surroundings, searching for the same shade his subconscious had created. Finding none, he blinked in confused silence.
"Come on! We've landed!" Julia said, tugging on Dom's sleeve jubilantly.
Things began to connect in Dom's sleep muddled brain, finally understanding why he'd had the night terror. His body had moved downward with the plane, causing his dreams to become mixed with reality.
Lifting himself from his seat, he felt his entire spine crack with tension from sitting in the same position for two hours. A tiny smile pulled on his lips as Julia reached into the overhead cubbyhole for their carry on luggage, revealing a tempting sliver of skin across her stomach. She noticed his stare and wiggled her eyebrows with a lewd grin.
"You perving on me?" she said giggling, not bothering to fix her clothes.
"Always," he replied easily before sliding from the seat and into the tight aisle.
They breezed easily through boarder control and baggage claim, holding hands and giggling with childish excitement. Stepping outside of the airport, Dominic felt his body flush with warmth, the Madrid summer air erasing all traces of the chilly London weather, the affect instantaneous. As Julia slipped on her sunglasses, he thought briefly that she looked like a rock star, and by no means should be planning to spend her life with a dull advertising executive.
"What?" Julia asked, flicking her long hair over her shoulder and smiling wide.
"Nothing," Dom said dreamily. "You're just gorgeous."
Julia blushed and looked to her feet, her smile becoming shy and thanked him by kissing his cheek.
Hoping to impress his new fiancee, Dominic walked confidently over to the nearest cab and addressed the driver in his best Spanish accent.
"Buenos tardos, senior! Se peudo tomar nostros el hotel palacaio por favors? Ye ayuda a la senora con sus bolsars?" He confidently finished his sentence with a grin and turned back to Julia, who stood with her hand to her mouth, her expression unreadable and back to the cab driver. For his part, the driver was doing his best to understand what Dom had said, blinking repeatedly before laughing uncontrollably in good humour.
Dom pouted and turned back to Julia to find her laughing with the driver.
"What?" he asked, a hint of a whine in his voice.
Julia said nothing, shaking her head and stepping to the window.
"Perdona mi novio. El puede ser un poco impaciente, veces. Y se olvida de conjugar los verbos correctmente. Puedes por por favor, nos llevan al Palace Hotel? Los puedo asegurar que le proporcionara una acelente conversacion." The cab driver nodded in kind, waving them in and continuing to speak with Julia as he stepped out of the car to take their bags. Julia turned to Dom and crossed her arms, smiling in a complacent way, saying neither 'good job' or 'stop trying.' Dom's pout deepened further.
"What did you just say to him?" Dom asked, feeling out of the language loop. He barely knew Spanish, but had practiced his few choice phrases continuously over the course of the last month. He knew Julia spoke Spanish, but not fluently so, and now he felt silly and sheepish.
"I told him I was leaving you to mother his children," she said opening the door to get into the back seat.
Dom huffed petulantly, and slid in next to her. "Well, at least it wasn't anything important. Saves me money on a wedding."
"Like you would pay for things," Julia snorted, silently acknowledging both hers and Dominic's wealthy upbringing. "So what made you think to make reservations at the Palace Hotel? It's one of the ritziest places in Spain."
"I didn't," Dominic admitted as the driver started to pull away from the airport. "Gavin made these reservations when I told him I was thinking of going to Spain with you. I have no idea what we're in for."
Julia cocked an eyebrow. "Gavin made the reservations?" The skepticism in her voice made him smile. It was not that she didn't trust Gavin's judgement, as he was well traveled and knew of the best places to stay. It was merely that he had not handled personal affairs in a little over six years, having hired a personal assistant, Janine, to take care of it for him. In truth, Gavin was not well versed in negotiating room size and amenities and it worried her that she would not be able to fully complain if there was an issue with their reservation.
"Well, no. Janine did. But Gavin paid for it," he reassured her.
Her face relaxed a bit, and she settled into her seat, watching the scenery pass by in rhythm with the hum of the car tires. While she watched the world pass by her excited eyes, Dom watched the sun make patterns on her face, shifting the shade of her skin from a pale beige to a glowing tan, making her appear exotic rather than the WASP she naturally was.
Stopping himself from staring, as he usually found himself doing (though, being honest with himself, it was all he could manage when he was in her presence...most days), his mind wandered back to the intensely and unexpectedly visceral cerulean he had seen his dream. Never in his life had he seen a shade so shocking and so stunning. But contained within the colour was a sense of calm and comfort, something otherworldly. It ashamed him to admit it, but it was a sense of comfort and completeness that he had not yet experienced in his life. The thought frightened him as he turned his eyes once more, grounding himself in the shades of Julia's hair to bring himself back to reality.
The car pulled up abruptly in front of a stunning building, fountain water rising high into the sky as they turned through the round about drive way. Dom's mouth went slack jawed at the sight, the sheer magnitude of the building, it's size and regal-ness, brought a feeling to Dom's chest that they didn't belong. He smiled lovingly at Julia, whose face held a reaction that mimicked his to a degree, though she had seen the hotel before. During her sophomore year of undergrad, she had studied in Spain and knew well what to expect.
"It's so gorgeous," she whispered, turning back to the view from the window.
"Yeah," he said, feeling silly for saying it while still looking only at her.
They exited the cab once it stopped, waiting patiently on the elegant entrance sidewalk that read 'Bienvenido!' in swirly type. The cab driver dropped their bags at their feet, smiling eagerly at Julia.
"Caulquier otra cosa puedo hacer por usted?" he asked kindly.
"No, gracias," she said with a smile. In an instant, that smile turned wicked. "Bueno, en realidad, puede ensenarie espanol?" She giggled as she finished her statement.
The cab driver laughed in kind, leaning in to shake his head and laugh. "No, lamentablemente creo que es una causa perdida,"
A heartfelt laugh came from Julia's chest and once again, Dom found himself out of the loop. He merely smiled politely, nodding, and providing a small 'ha-ha' as he bent down to pick up their bags, pouting once more when his face was out of view.
"Ready?" Julia said, having paid the man and finally bringing her attention back to him.
"Que?" he said, cocking an eyebrow and pretending not to understand her.
"Oh, stop, you child. I was just being polite." She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and took her suitcase from him, not entirely needing assistance.
"It sounded like you were bonding with him," Dom whined.
"Like I said, I'm leaving you. If you wake up tomorrow and I'm gone, well, you know what happened," she said plainly.
He huffed as they entered through the doors and immediately found himself shocked into silence.
The lobby to the hotel was equally, if not more, grandiose than the exterior of the building. It housed lush carpets and marble columns, gold rimmed on the floor and the ceiling. Their footsteps echoed high above them, singing angelically before evaporating into the air that smelled like money.
They spun around, admiring the general splendor and taking in every single nuance of the large room. Dominic felt out of place, not accustomed to such extensive wealth. He fondled the the strap of his bag, eyes searching for where to check in. The intense sensation of feeling out place in such a fantastic (in the true meaning of the word) place caused a bubbling of anxiety in his chest. He felt unsure and insecure. Thankfully, a bellhop came up to greet them.
"Bienvenido!" he said cheerily. "Como puedo ayudarle?"
Dom sighed, exasperated with the constant Spanish already. He would happily deal with it later, but at that moment all he really wanted was to drop his bags in his room and feel like a man again. He didn't want Julia to take the reigns on everything for this trip.
"Do you speak English?" he asked politely.
He heard Julia release a small chuckle as the bellhop smiled warmly and nodded. "Yes, of course, sir. How can I help you?" he said in a thick accent.
Relief coursed through his body, nodding appreciatively at the bellhop. "Can you tell us where to check in?"
"Of course! Right over here." He lead them through the lobby, bringing them to a long row of people standing behind a counter, made of marble and mahogany. "I can wait here, if you like, to bring your bags to your room?" he said gently.
"Oh, that would be lovely!" Julia exclaimed. She nodded to Dominic to go ahead and check in, and the simple action made him feel useful and with purpose. He kissed her forehead in thanks, knowing that she knew how it made him feel and headed over to the counter.
"Have you been to Madrid before miss?" the bellhop asked Julia, taking her bags.
"Yes, when I was twenty and in undergrad I studied in Barcelona for a semester. I traveled to Madrid for two weeks, just to explore. I loved it so much I never wanted to leave." She finished her sentence by looking up at the stunningly painted ceiling, art in the form of classicism and religious motifs coating its domed peak. A dreamy smile spread on her lips as she remembered all the moments she savored while she lived in Barcelona, suddenly feeling a sense of completeness at finally making her return.
"I hope you like it now as much as you did then!" the bellhop said happily.
Discretely, Julia brought her eyes to Dom's turned back as he chatted happily with the concierge. Her heart warmed and she nodded as she said "I have new reasons to love it now." The bellhop nodded and did not press her to explain.
Dom returned to them excitedly, explaining that Gavin had reserved them the penthouse suite. They rode the elevator in silence, as Julia carefully dragged her fingers along the waistband of Dom's trousers, enjoying the way he shivered slightly when she did so.
The elevator opened to their room, well, what essentially could be called a flat. It looked like it belonged in a wealthy manor, and neither Julia nor Dom wanted to step into the suite for fear of disturbing the exquisite stillness. Confused, the bellhop turned back to them, already halfway into the room with their bags in tow. Upon seeing their awestruck faces, he chuckled and beckoned them in. They followed quietly, Dom grasping at Julia's waist as his eyes looked every which way, attempting to memorize the many features of the room.
Floor to ceiling windows lined the walls, with gold velvet drapes slung elegantly over them. In the center of the living room were two doors which lead to a terrace holding a table and chairs. And while that seemed to be a staggering centerpiece to focus the room around, it was the impressive view of the city of Madrid that assisted in bending the mind. Dom could only imagine what it would look like at night, and he briefly entertained the thought of fucking Julia while she was pressed against the glass. He did not find any shame within him to blush at the thought.
"Your bedroom is in here," the bellhop said, pointing down a little hallway. "The bathroom is adjoined and has a hot tub. Room service is complementary and you have full access to all the hotel's amenities. We are happy to provide you with transportation throughout Madrid and, if you would like to explore other parts of Spain on your trip, we have many maps which provide you with excellent transportation trips. If you have any other questions my name is Gianmarco and I will be happy to answer them. Just press '0' on the phones throughout the room and ask for me or the help desk."
"Thank you, Gianmarco," Dom said cheerily. "I'll be happy to ask for you if it means you get commission?"
"Unfortunately not, but it does look good to the higher ups, if you know what I mean?" he said hopefully.
"Absolutely," Dom replied, nodding. He tipped Gianmarco well, the man smiling as he bowed in thanks and entered the elevator once more.
Julia turned to Dom once they were alone and stood, hands fluttering in the air at her sides as she mentally processed her surroundings. "Can we, just for a second, talk about this?" she said quietly, failing to hold her excitement.
"Honestly, I don't think we can because I don't know of any words in English or Spanish to discuss how incredible this actually is," Dom said, turning again to do a once over. "Shit, we haven't looked at the bedroom!"
Julia's eyes widened and she turned on her heels, practically running down the hall. Dom quickly followed her but was trapped in the doorway, Julia having stopped abruptly, spellbound from the sheer beauty of the room.
"Hey, move. I can't see anything," Dom said pushing her aside. She moved limply, not actually recognizing that he was moving her at all. "Jesus....Christmas..." he said quietly, admiring the large room.
The large, kind size bed stood like a proud lion on a raised platform in the center of the room. Red silk sheets dressed it and the canopy of sheer white gave the feel of standing in the middle of a Victorian Spanish palace. 3/4 of the wall space was floor to ceiling windows, forcing one to be surrounded by Madrid. The carpet felt like a cloud beneath the feet, the large oak wardrobes finishing the room with a sense of importance and a flair of beauty.
"Well," Julia said softly. "Welcome home, darling!"
Dom snorted. "We aren't moving in, dear."
"Who the hell says?" she retorted as he turned to her.
"And what could possibly convince you that we would want to live here or could afford to?" he encircled her waist in his arms, pulling her to him and resting his forehead against hers.
She was silent for a moment, simply staring into his grey pools. "Because if you don't, I'll just call Carlos," she finally said.
Dom furrowed his brow. "Who the hell is Carlos?"
"The cab driver," she smiled.
"When the hell did you get his name?" he asked, shocked.
She rolled her eyes. "While you were busy pouting at your awful Spanish, I was reading his ID tag on the back window making sure we weren't going to disappear and get murdered in the Spanish country side."
"Oi!" he said, offended. "It's not that awful!'
"Honey," she said sweetly, "You said 'good tardiness, sir. Noses are total fakes by favors to palace hotel. Mrs. Ye helps with bursars.' I'd say it's pretty awful."
He slapped her arse playfully and stepped away from her as she yelped. "Har-har. Go get dressed cause we're going to dinner."
"Really? But we just landed," she said, grabbing her suitcase and putting it on the bed. "Don't you want to relax first?"
"I'd love to," Dom said, following her lead and unzipping his suitcase. "But Gavin made reservations at some restaurant for us."
"Why is Gavin being so nice? Is he always like this when people take vacation?" She pulled out a simple black dress, and walked into the bathroom as she finger combed her hair. "HOLY SHIT!" she called as the door closed. "There's fucking marble sinks and a bathtub with claws! I didn't know that shit still existed!"
Dominic laughed heartily at her exclamation. Julia didn't swear often, only when she was unbelievably pissed off or forced into a shocked excitement. When the former happened, it was truly one of the most frightening things on the face of the planet to witness, he was sure, but the ladder was something entirely hilarious as it was completely unexpected.
"I think he's only being nice because I haven't left the office for an extended period of time in....well, ever, in about five years. I think he was sick of seeing my face," he said, tugging off his shirt.
They changed without further conversation, instead Dom listened to the sound of Julia's off key warbling from behind the bathroom door. he was fixing the cuffs of his grey suit when she emerged, all legs and dark hair pulled into a twisted bun. Her natural look far more stunning than it should be, as she opted to go entirely without make up save for the mascara she was reapplying as she stood over her suitcase, without the use of a mirror. She caught him staring, again, and she laughed as she put her mascara away, pulling out perfume to dab at either side of her neck.
"That's the second time today I've caught you perving at me," she said calmly.
"It's only the second time you've caught me though. If you paid more attention, you would see I spend a good portion of my day doing that," he said, not meeting her face, instead tugging the red tie around his neck.
"That sounds impossibly distracting," she said slowly, not looking at his face either. "How do you get anything done?"
"That's what the night is for," he said, sitting on his bed to tug on black socks before he slipped them into his newly shined shoes.
"That's an absolute lie. I know for a fact your nights are even less productive," she said, tugging on her pumps.
He stood then, finally meeting her eyes. "It depends on what you mean by 'anything,' really," he said with a coy smile.
She cocked her head back and laughed heartily, taking his hand and walking the two of them to the elevator.
~*~
They sat next to each other at the fancy restaurant, the circular table quite small which made for intimate conversation. They spent the evening laughing and smiling, touching hands and making plans for the rest of their stay. Dominic found himself able to order dinner, though he could not ask for the particulars the way Julia could, receiving her meal exactly as she liked it while he took exactly what the menu said. He didn't mind, however, his salmon being one of the most delicious things he had ever tastds, except for, however, the sensitive patch of skin at the peak of Julia's shoulders.
All tables and chairs were arranged facing a small stage at the head of the building, raised merely 24 inches off the ground. The Spanish singers and jazz players would strike their tunes throughout the room softly enough so that conversation could continue, yet present in case those around wanted to listen.
Dominic lost track of time, everything blurring into a haze of delicious food and the heady scent of Julia's arresting perfume. As they neared dessert, there was shift in acts and Julia focused on the new stage set up, Dom watching the scene with her. Their hands remained joined throughout the process.
A few minutes after the band had cleared the stage, a small man dragged a stool to the center of the stage, smiling shyly at the room full of people before disappearing for a few more minutes. Dominic paid him no mind, the beautifully arranged pavlova he had ordered arriving before him like something of a dream.
He took the first bite, sighing audibly and smiled as he imagined the sounds of guitar strings playing what sounded like a hymn. He chuckled to himself for finding a dessert so enrapturing, but then again, he had always marveled at the cuisine of other countries. It was only when he opened his eyes that he realized that the music was not of his imagination.
Before him on stage, alone and completely taken with the sounds of music, the man sat strumming delicately on a guitar which seemed to engulf him. Something inside of Dominic seemed to constrict, as the man's dark hair fell before his eyes as he gazed lovingly down at the fret board he seemed to caress before stretching his neck to the ceiling and closing his eyes, exposing a fair amount of pale flesh.
The entire room had fallen silent, one man seeming to possess fifty or more people with his elegant fingers. The music was soothing and heart wrenching, was gentle and so inconceivably strong. It was as if he had dropped a bomb into Dom's soul, the force of the music shaking him to his very core and, suddenly, Dom found himself drifting away from the room itself.
Julia's hand tightened around his, and she sounded very far away as her soft voice asked if he was alright. He merely nodded, for fear of shouting to make sure she heard him over the din of his beating heart. Deep within his being, something was being forced awake. Deep within him, something dramatic was causing his bones to quiver with an unknown feeling, a magnetic connection pulling his lungs and heart and mind into that of the man sitting before him.
And then, the guitarist lowered his head, perfectly straight with his eyes closed and his lips parted as the song seemed to come to a climax. With dark fluttering eyelashes, he opened his eyes and Dominic found himself drowning in an all consuming, magnificent, and soul clenching blue.
Dominic's free hand flew to his mouth, his heart seeming to stop and his body lurching forward as their eyes met and Julia stared at him quizzically. She was not there, however, her presence having been removed from the epicenter of Dom's focus. As the song continued, Dom's entire being seemed to change and he transcended the lines between reality and dream, the blue absorbing into his skin forever and scorching the very essence of him.
He did not breathe, he did not move. He did not regard Julia for as long as the raven haired man sat like a fragile thing on stage, looking broken and lovelorn. Dominic needed to embrace him, needed to hold him, needed to clench the fingers that grasped in a needy state to the guitar they made love to.
And then the song ended, and reality began to seep back into Dom's mind. He choked out a noise as he realized that this man had at least thirty minutes or more to play on stage, wholly unsure he could stand more of the music that seemed to penetrate him, by a man who penetrated him on the most erotic of grounds though he did not know him at all.
As the next song began to start, Dominic brought his eyes away from where they longed to be, instead gazing like empty fragments of life into the red of the wine, Julia's confused reflection sitting like haze in the glass.
He did not realize it was there at all.
________
* Dom means to say: Good afternoon, sir! Can you please take us to the Palace Hotel? And help the lady with her bags? Instead, it comes out
'Good tardiness, sir. Noses are total fakes by favors to palace hotel. Mrs. Ye helps with bursars.'
* Forgive my boyfriend. He can be a bit eager sometimes, and forgets to conjugate verbs properly. Can you please take us to the Palace Hotel? I can assure you I will provide you with excellent conversation.
* Anything else I can do for you?
* No, thank you. Well, come to think of it, can you teach him Spanish?
* No, unfortunately I think that is a lost cause.
* How can I help you?