Stockholm Syndrome 6
Title: Stockholm Syndrome 6
Author: liamuse
Beta: chess_boxing who's still the best beta.
Rating: PG-13//T
Pairing: Belldom
Summary: AU; Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy, sympathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them.
AU; William Howard is a rich megalomaniac (owner of a bank in central London) who doesn't care about anyone and anything but himself, his money and prestige. His heartless personality has caused a lot of pain to many people involving his family. Unfortunately, he got involved in a certain business that made a young man called Matthew Bellamy hurt. And he wants a revenge. However, destiny can be very unpredictable sometimes...
Feedback: Love it like pasta saturdays and tuesgays.
Disclaimer: Never happened. Never, ever... These characters belong to me. Sadly, I do NOT own any of the real people.
Notes:
Italic parts are thoughts or flashback.
Previous chapters: Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5
"You shouldn't have taken the mask off. It's easier when you don't know the face of the one who's going to run a bullet through your head."
Dominic's heart stopped, this time from a very different type of shock. He didn't believe him a word though. How could he, after all, when all he heard in Mathew's voice was despair and sadness? No rage, no mad promises. He was actually hurt.
"Wait-" His hand flew up to touch Matthew's shoulder, but he managed to catch only the air as the brunet was already on his feet, quickly marching towards the door. Dominic quickly stood up, ignoring the excruciating headache and ran after the man, hands reaching towards him.
When Matthew felt two strong arms wrap around him from behind, his very first intention was to defend himself. Maybe elbow the blond. That changed the second Dominic firmly pressed his warm lips against his neck.
"Let me kiss you," Dominic whispered into his ear.
He wanted to give in. He wanted to turn around and wrap his arms around Dominic to kiss him senseless and he turned indeed, but instead of kissing those lips, he hit the side of Dominic’s face with the same force he wanted to kiss it.
"Stop trying these cheap tricks, Dominic. They’re not gonna save you," growled Matthew when he finally managed to get from the blond’s grip. "You’re not any different from your father. I’m just sorry I couldn’t see it earlier."
Like the slap wasn’t enough, hearing those words sent Dominic down on his knees. He fought the urge to start crying then and there. With a shocked expression he sank to the floor, absent-mindly stroking his cheek. "I can’t believe you just said that,” he whispered almost inaudibly.
If Matthew felt the slightest feeling of guilt, he didn’t show it. When he finally moved, he picked the mask from the floor and marched out of the room, slamming the door shut.
No one came into the room since and Dominic had no choice, but to eat the Chinese dinner, throwing up most of it an hour later.
xxx
"So… what happened?"
"Not now, Morgan, please," sighed Matt, sipping from his tea.
"Your mask is off and you’re pissed above heavens."
"I’m fine."
''Has he seen your face?''
''Yes.''
''But why would you-''
''I don't want to talk about it right now, can you understand that?''
"Alright. Poker?''
"Whatever."
xxx
"You haven't checked on Dominic for-" Morgan counted on his watch, "for almost thirteen hours. Poor guy must be hungy and bored."
"Why does that bother you, huh? You didn’t even want to give him leftovers yesterday. Don’t tell me you fell for his bloody perfect smile as well," sneered Matthew from his usual place by the window, watching the woods outside going darker with each minute.
"Me and who else?" When Morgan got nothing but a sigh in response, he started to get seriously curious.
''Matthew?"
"Don’t be stupid."
"Fuck me sideways! You like him!"
"Shut up!" Matt shushed him.
"You do realise that makes us all screwed as hell, yeah?"
"It’s nothing to be concerned about."
"Did you make out?"
"Morgan!"
"Did you?" he wiggled his eyebrows in an obscene way.
Matthew sighed heavily. "We just kissed."
"Oh my god!''
"You’re such a girl, sometimes."
"Well, one of you certainly is. Who tops?"
"Who tops when?" asks Christopher, walking into the kitchen with sleepy yawn. Matthew warns Morgan by sending a silent threat with his eyes.
"Morning, Chris."
"Morning, yeah. Haha. I need a bloody coffee."
"Listen, you do not talk about this with anyone, do I make myself clear?" whispered Matthew to Morgan.
"Matt, I really think you should-"
"Everything’s. Under. Control," gritted the brunet through his teeth.
Morgan watched as Matthew walked out of the kitchen with a sad smile. "Gods know it’s not."
''Wow. What's gotten into him?''
''Nothing,''sighed Morgan and then added a quiet: ''just yet.”
xxx
To open the door later that night was harder than he expected it to be. It was going to be awkward. Gods, it was going to be so, so awkward. He threatened Dominic with death. That wasn’t really how you should behave with someone who was… he didn’t even know what he thought anymore. His brain was just a really big mess.
He opened the door with a sigh. He decided it would be much much easier if he just started talking without hesitation.
"Listen, I’m really sorry for what happened earlier. I have no ide-"
The room was empty. He scanned his surroundings, looking for Dominic, but he wasn’t there. He gaped.
"Shit."
He ran back to the kitchen, bumping right into not-so-fresh-but-hey-I-just-woke-up-Tom.
"He’s gone! That motherfucking fucker’s gone!"
"Who?" asked Thomas, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Dominic, who else?!"
"Stop freaking out, mate. I let him into the bathroom. I checked on him when I woke up," murmured Chris over his cup of steaming coffee. "He was sick and almost pissed himself. He needed a shower."
"Sick?"
"Yeah. He puked all over the floor. I ain’t cleaning that shit, I tell you that."
Now the blame was definitely too hard to ignore.
"Do you want me to clean it up?" offered Morgan, looking slightly worried. It was more than obvious that he was starting to like Dominic. It was nothing surprising, considering the fact that Morgan was basically Mother Theresa with a dick.
"Nah, I got it. Go to sleep."
xxx
Now, when Matthew stood in the middle of the room, looking down at the sick all over the floor, he wondered how the hell he hadn’t noticed it before. He cleaned it fast, fighting the feeling in his stomach of throwing up himself.
He's lucky he didn't get it on the sheets as well.
He was done and was wondering whether he should check on Dominic. If he was sick, it was most probably because of Matthew. He never meant to be mean to him, hurt him, let alone threaten to shoot him dead. But he felt so incredibly hurt when he realised Dominic didn't feel the same. He felt embarrassed and mad, because he let himself think for a moment... what the hell. He had no idea what he was thinking. But how could he have said that Dominic was just like his father? He was nothing like-
''Matthew?'' the surprised voice came from the door, making the brunet look up from the bed with a start. ''What are you doing here?''asked Dominic carefully, holding the towel tight around his hips. He looked... bad; uncomfortable. He was pale and his stomach was unhealthily flat.
''I heard you were sick.''
He watched Dominic close the door behind him and take a few steps towards the bed. ''So you came to make me feel worse?''
''I came because I'm sorry.''
''Sure you are,'' laughed the blond dryly. ''Look, I really feel like shit so I would appreciate if you just stopped making fun of me and fucking left me alone.''
He wasn't joking. His look was stern and... painful.
When Matthew stood up from the bed, the blond took a step back, suddenly alert. Matt tried not to show how much that hurt him. Instead he came closer to Dom, a plea clear in his eyes.
''I came to apologise, Dominic.''
''Really?''
''I can't tell you how sorry I am... but I need you to know that I never meant to hurt you. I don't know what I was thinking. I kissed you and then you just... you. I regret the way I behaved and I'm sorry.''
''You regret kissing me?'' asked Dominic quietly.
The brunet was looking into the sad grey eyes, wondering whether the truth was the best he could say in the moment. And he decided that yes, it was. He was tired of hiding, of lying...
''I don't.''
The truth... was in the end the very right thing to say.
Dominic's eyes softened with... was it relief? Matthew soon enough stopped guessing Dominic's thoughts out, for feeling his lips again was the last thing he expected. Dominic kissed him softly with a careful, almost rehearsed movements. He kissed him slowly and tentatively like he was waiting for a refusal. His left hand came up to rest on Matt's cheek, enjoying the lack of a mask.
''Me neither,'' Dominic breathed with their lips still touching.
''You... you kissed me.''
Dominic nodded, with fake seriousness. ''Indeed, I did.''
Matthew wrapped his arms around his body, so he could properly hug him. He breathed in the freshly washed hair and nestled his head into the crook of Dominic's neck. There were no words that could justify what he'd done, but he could promise one thing. ''I'm never gonna hurt you again.''
''What about your friends?''
Matthew looked up at the blond again, shaking his head with a frown. ''They'd never hurt you.''
''I know that. I meant... are you gonna tell them?''
''Morgan knows. And Chris and Tom... I don't think that's a good idea. You saw how Tom can be...''
Dominic winced at the memory of gun splitting his head and then he stroked the still aching cut. ''Yeah, what a nice guy.''
''He's not like that.'' Dominic eyed him suspiciously, so he added: ''Not always anyway.''
''If you say so.''
''Is it better?'' he pointed to Dominic's head.
''I doesn't sting so much anymore. I think it's starting to heal.''
''Good.''
Matthew was almost surprised how relaxed he felt in Dominic's presence. Everything felt suddenly right. Like it was always supposed to be. They stood in the middle of the room, in each other's embrace, just letting the new feelings soak in. Dominic was stroking Matt's hair, slow and maybe even without realising it. It made Matthew cup the blond’s face and kiss him, tongue slowly licking into Dominic's mouth.
He opened his eyes, seeing that Dominic never closed his own.
''What’re you looking at?''
''You,'' answered Dom simply. ''I can't get used to seeing your whole face.”
''Why, thank you-''
''That's not how I meant it, you wanker. I like your face. It's so... you.''
''Now that was deep.''
''Shut up.''
''Or what?'' sneered Matt.
''As much as I’d love to challenge your arse, I think I need to rest for a while.'' He started to feel dizzy again. He believed it was just because of the kiss; his head was swaying slightly and the tips of his fingers were beginning to feel like pins and needles. ''I should sit down or something.''
''Are you alright?''
''I’m just feeling weird.''
''You should eat something.''
''That’s not a good idea, trust me. Maybe in the morning.'' Matt nodded in silent agreement.
When they sat together on the bed, Matthew noticed the red on Dominic’s face. He had no idea he had hit him that hard. He felt sick of himself. How could I do something like that?
''I’m so sorry,'' he whispered and softly brushed his lips against the swollen skin. ''I feel awful, please, believe me.''
''I do believe you,'' smiled Dominic and curled up himself on Matthew’s lap, falling asleep with a content smile.
xxx
To say Morgan felt something was wrong would have been an understatement. He knew it. He was fucking sure of it. So when he walked in on the two of them sleeping peacefully in each other's arms, he just shook his head, smiling.
He had had no idea Matthew liked blokes. Hell, he had dated only girls before, so what happened? Morgan wasn't grossed out by the sight of them, no. He somehow realised it wasn't weird at all. He was surprised by the naturality of the two men sharing bed, kidnapper hugging his victim close as if to protect him from any harm, the victim clutching the kidnapper's t-shirt even in his sleep, as if afraid to let go.
They seemed to be in love. And as much as Morgan wanted to feel scared of the consequences, he could do nothing, but close the door, and go to bed with a strange feeling of happiness.