Fierce Frequencies (2/?)
Title: Fierce Frequencies (2/?)
Author: millionstar
Pairing: Belldom, AU
Rating: R for now, I suppose?
Warnings: Language, this chapter.
Summary: America. The 1970's. QBUT Radio is a station with some familiar looking staff members.
Feedback: Is appreciated, if you're so inclined.
Disclaimer: I don't own Muse, no profit is being made and this never happened.
Author's Note: As always, thanks and constant love to dolce_piccante & myz_bee for all their help. Thanks as well to captivemuse & lalalive23, two of the best cheerleaders around. Love to all of you. <3
ALSO: Big props to rowanfaire & ms_belle10 for letting me pick their radio-minded brains! :)
"So, what's he like?" Dominic asked, following Tom around the small break room, his sideburns blowing dramatically when he walked past the small fan on the table.
Tom shrugged. "He seems really nice and professional."
"And?"
"And what?"
"Dom, I just showed him around after you left because Chris asked me to, I didn't interview the man!"
"Well maybe you should have," the blond grumbled.
"Bro," Tom asked, spinning around, "what is your damage? If you wanna talk to the dude, talk to him! I'm not your personal fact-checker. I have my dignity, you know." He patted down his afro as he spoke, clearly irritated. "Why are you so interested in him? Oh wait. No, you think he's...?"
Dominic shrugged. "You don't know, he may be."
Tom sat down with his sandwich and squinted his eyes in thought. "I guess anything is possible. But it would never work, Dom. He's classy and polite and he's all business. Meanwhile, there's you, all roller skates and hairspray and gay clubbing."
The blond glared at him good naturedly. "Still, there's no harm in doing some investigating, is there? Hmm."
"Hmm, what? I know that look, and whatever you're planning, stop it now."
"What? I was just thinking that his bio information would be in his employee file. His emergency contact information and the like. If there's a girlfriend, her name might be in it."
"Long shot, Dom," Tom replied, taking a swig of his Tab. "Besides, those files are in Chris' office and I don't think he'd want you snooping in there."
"I was talking to Anna earlier," Dominic commented lazily. Anna was the receptionist for the radio station, as well as being the object of Thomas Kirk's eternal affection.
Tom perked up. "Yeah? She ask about me?"
Dominic squeezed his eyes shut and massaged his temples. "Let me think... hmm, she may have mentioned you, but it's," he shook his head, putting one hand out dramatically, "a little foggy?"
"Dom! Come on, man, don't leave me hanging like that! I'll do anything, man."
"Anything?"
"You heard me."
Dominic squinted. "Then do me a solid. Sneak into the office and take a peek at Matthew's file. Chris wouldn't think anything if he found you in there, after all."
Tom seemed to be mulling the proposal over in his mind, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.
"What could it hurt?" Dominic continued, leaning forward as he glanced at the door to make sure noone else came in. "Just a quick peek."
Tom nodded, standing. "Right."
Dominic felt a surge of victory flow through his body. He watched as his friend tossed his trash in the bin and smoothed his hair once more. But instead of taking the door that led to Chris' office, Tom took the other door in the room, the one that led to the lobby.
Dominic was confused. "You're going the wrong way..." he began, pointing.
Tom winked at him from the doorway. "Decided I'll go talk to her myself. Do your own dirty work, Dom."
"Thomas," Dominic said, lowering his voice to a tone that always made the other man laugh, "c'mon, man!"
Tom snickered, but only for a moment. "If you want to know something about Bellamy, just fucking ask him, Dom! Man up, princess!"
"Ask me what?"
Neither of them had heard Matthew walk in from the side door, a McDonald's cup in his hand. When he sat down at the table, in the chair next to the blond, Dominic flushed slightly.
"Oh, hello Matthew," he said, straightening up in his chair.
"I'll leave you two alone," Tom smiled sweetly from the hallway, closing the door behind him. Dominic made a mental note to put a tack or 20 in Tom's chair when he got back to his desk.
The brunet smiled, cocking his head to the side, then took a long swig of his drink, the blond trying hard not to pay attention to the way Matthew's lips wrapped around the straw. "Hello, Dominic! So," he slapped the table, Dominic jumping in a combined fit of surprise and good old fashioned nervousness, "ask away, what do you want to know?"
"Um... what's in the cup?"
You are an idiot. A complete dunce. Dominic sighed.
"Dr. Pepper. I'm afraid it's a vice of mine. Well, caffeine in any form is a vice of mine, you could say. I suppose it's helped turn me into the creature of the night that you see before you." Matthew removed the lid from his cup and turned it up, a piece of ice sliding into his mouth. He crunched on it, the sound carrying in the small room. Dominic glanced at his eyes and returned their smile for a beat before turning away.
"You're here awfully early today," the blond commented. Typical that now that Matthew was here in front of him, he went blank and couldn't think of anything clever and smooth to say
"I am! I couldn't sleep and decided it might be a good idea to familiarize myself with things here at the station. You go on the air in just a few minutes, don't you?"
"I do, yeah," Dominic replied, smoothing his hair back confidently. The mere mention of his show brought his confidence level back to what he deemed to be an acceptable level.
"Then perhaps I can watch you in action!" Matthew piped up. "I'd love to see you in your element, it's always fascinating to watch different jockeys honing their craft. If that's alright with you, that is!"
Baby, Dominic thought, I'll blow your goddamn mind.
"Of course I don't mind," he replied smoothly, with a smile as he stood up. In a moment of boldness, he looked at Matthew and winked, just before his feet betrayed him and he tripped over them, stumbling awkwardly into his chair. Horrified, he froze, momentarily cursing his newest pair of bellbottoms for getting him in this mishap. It was very true that Dominic was blushing, but he was also able to recover quickly. Smoothing his hair back, he hurried out of the room, leaving a grinning Matthew alone.
The brunet chewed on his straw, mulling over what he'd just seen. It was only when Tom entered the room again that Matthew shook himself out of his reverie and smiled.
"Mind if I sit?" Tom asked. "I just had a quick question for you."
"Course not, please do!"
"Well," he began, "some of us like to gather down at Gunther's for a drink or twenty on Saturday nights. Just wanted to make sure you know that you're welcome to join us anytime, if you like. We'd love to have you." Sure, it was a lie, but Tom had been thinking that the gang should start meeting for drinks after work sometime. Now he had a reason to make it happen. "And, you can feel free to ask your significant other to meet you there. One big happy family, that's us here at QBUT!"
He had laid the trap, now he just needed Matthew walk into it. After all, the existence of a significant other, male or female, was what Dominic was after. Tom didn't really know why he was being so nice to Dominic suddenly. Perhaps it was the fact that he'd just managed to finally score a date with Anna? Bottom line, he cared about the blond and decided it wouldn't hurt to do a little investigating on his behalf.
"Gunther's, yeah. Cass and I noticed that place when I came to town looking for an apartment! Thanks, Tom."
"Cass," Tom commented, "that's an interesting name! Is it-"
Matthew stood suddenly, loosening his tie. "I'm so sorry, but I need to dash, Tom, I'm going to check out Dominic as he begins his rotation, forgive me?" That ever-present smile was once again visible on Matthew's face; Tom reckoned nobody could ever deny it anything. He nodded.
"Oh, sure! Go, enjoy! No problem, man. See you around!"
"Thanks!"
Out of the corner of one eye, Tom spotted an empty sugar packet resting on the table. He pushed it across the red plastic tabletop, lips pursed together in thought. Cass? Matthew had confirmed there was someone, but now the question became, what kind of someone? He was so distracted that he didn't notice Anna walk in. She opened the refrigerator, retrieving her bottle of juice and giggled at the sight of Tom so lost in thought.
"Earth to Tom. You in there?"
"Wha- oh, yeah! Sorry!"
"It's okay. I have to get back to my desk anyway."
"Anna! Hold up."
"Yeah?"
"When I say the name Cass, what comes to mind, a man or woman?"
"Easy. Both. I knew a guy named Cass in college. Yet, it could also be short for Cassidy, you know? Later, Tom."
Tom frowned in confusion, waving at her retreating figure. "Well, fuck."
* * *
Dominic was rather pleased with himself so far. He'd been on the air for about an hour, with Matthew standing outside the booth watching him. Every now and then he'd give Dominic a wide-eyed, enthusiastic thumbs up, causing the blond to burst out in giggles. Dominic couldn't help himself; Matthew's enthusiasm was endearing and cute. It made the DJ wonder just how enthusiastic Matthew could be in other, more intimate, situations.
Out of the corner of his eye he spied Matthew still watching him. He shook his head and cleared his throat. "How are all my cats and chicks tonight?" he crooned into the microphone, adjusting his headphones. His eyes narrowed; he hated the way they kept his hair plastered to his head. "Are you just chillin' at home tonight or getting ready to go out and tear it up at the club? And, my dirty Den mates, if you're going out, how exactly do you plan to get down?"
He glanced at Matthew again, his eyes never leaving the other man's. Licking his lips, he continued.
"What's your groove of choice? The bump? The hustle? Or maybe, just maybe, you're into the Funky Chicken?"
Outside the booth, Matthew laughed, one eyebrow raised.
"No worries, my little minxes," Dominic continued, "if you're doing the Funky Chicken I promise I won't tell anyone. We'll keep it our secret, yeah? Listen, in the end, as you're getting down the way you want to get down, all is right with the world. Let's keep things going. Diamond Dom's in the mood for some divine Miss Donna Summer. 'MacArthur Park', my pretties, here on QBUT."
He removed his headphones and glanced for what seemed like the millionth time at the window in the door of the booth. This time, Matthew was beckoning for him to come outside for a moment. Dominic stood, smoothing his trousers, and walked to the door. He opened it just a bit to find Matthew leaning against the doorframe casually. Dominic caught the faint hint of the other man's cologne, something slight and sweet; his breath caught in his throat. And for some reason, the blond's eyes automatically latched onto Matthew's neck.
"Um, hello?"
Dominic shook his head, forcing his eyes to meet Matthew's own. "Sorry!"
"I just wanted to let you know I need to run, I have some things to prepare before I go on tonight. Thanks for letting me hang with you, though, it was a total blast!"
"Oh, okay," Dominic replied, smiling. "Thanks!"
"Maybe I can come back tomorrow and watch you again?"
"Well, starting tomorrow, I go on vacation for a week." Dominic bit the inside of his cheek, disappointment bubbling up inside him. "Maybe as soon as I come back?"
Matthew grinned as he backed away slowly. "You got it."
Dominic ducked back into the booth, but before he closed the door he heard Matthew's voice coming to him again. "Dominic!"
He peered out the door. "Yeah?"
Matthew snapped his fingers and pointed at Dominic as he continued to walk backwards down the hall. "You're ace."
The DJ blushed, closing the door.
On the fourth day of his vacation, Dominic turned over and stared at his lava lamp. The green globs of goo floated before his eyes and he sighed. Home alone at midnight on a Friday night. What would Tom and Morgan say if they could see him?
It was true that Dominic liked to party as much as the next guy. Hell, he'd spent many a night at Pulsations dancing till the sun came up. He loved the way that the sound system there throbbed to the beat of whatever disco jam was filling the club. He loved the scores of young men like himself who couldn't get enough of the smoke, the sweat and the liberation that they were able to experience behind those doors.
But slowly, over the past few months things had changed. Drugs had worked their way into the club in the past few months and it wasn't uncommon to find men blowing each other in a dark corner just for a hit. It was something that Dominic wanted no part of, and so he instead found himself coming home to an empty apartment instead of partaking in something that had somehow become sullied. He wasn't into drugs and he wasn't into fucking a dozen guys in one night. He'd often preferred to spend the evening having a drink with some hot guy, dance with them, maybe allow the occasional kiss on the way out the door, but that was it.
He respected himself too much to fuck in a stairwell or alleyway, and it was that very thing that meant nearly every night these days Dominic Howard was alone. In fact, he talked a big game, but he hadn't slept with another man in nearly a year. That was a tightly guarded secret, though. For all intents and purposes, everyone at the radio station still thought Dominic was a player. He wished he still were in some ways.
Dominic was considering a nice, satisfying wank to help him fall asleep when the new voice on the radio floated to his ears.
"How now, dear listeners, it's that time again. Come walk with me through the annals of the unknown. This is..."
Dominic smiled.
"... The Other Side. I'm Matthew Bellamy, for QBUT. I'll be back with you to take your calls after a word from our sponsors."
The new guy was good, there was no doubt about that. He had a voice for radio, and Dominic had to admit that Matthew knew his stuff - Dominic wasn't really interested in the supernatural, yet each night this week he'd been sure to tune in out of sheer curiosity. It was a testament to Bellamy's talent that he'd managed to hold Dominic's attention.
Subterranean waters? UFO sightings? The Loch Ness Monster?
Please.
There were times that he would find himself giggling at some of the phone calls Matthew took, though. Some of these people really needed to get a life and lighten up a little. Perhaps that was why Dominic found himself reaching for his phone and dialing the station's hotline number that he knew by heart. Or maybe he was just hot and bored, or had inhaled too much hairspray that day. Who could say?
Lila, a station employee who'd been there as long as Dominic, answered the call. "QBUT call in line for The Other Side. Make it fast."
He deepened his voice. "Yeah, I have erm, a question for Mr. Bellamy."
"About? Time is of the essence here, sir."
"About a celestial being. One that's far, far away..." Dominic bit his lip to stifle his laughter.
"Oh! Sounds about right to me. Very good then! Hold on a moment and then I'll connect you."
Dominic twirled the phone cord in his fingertips and grinned as he waited for Matthew to come on the line.
"What's your name and what can I do for you tonight?" Matthew asked. His voice was every bit as smooth as Dominic had remembered it to be, and he found himself faltering a moment.
"Um. Larry."
"No need to be nervous, Larry," the host reassured him with a friendly laugh, "please, take your time!"
Dominic suddenly covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to be certain he wouldn't be recognized. "Well, I had a question about outer space, sir."
"Go on, I'll do my best to answer it."
Dominic decided to just go for it. He swallowed, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Have you ever seen Uranus?"
The DJ didn't really know what to expect as far as a reaction went, but he hadn't really banked on hearing Matthew positively cackle with laughter on the other end of the phone line.
"Really, I mean, you could try to at least lay something new on me! Please, I've heard that one a million times, Larry. You got anything else, hit me with it. Seriously, please do!" Matthew's tone was jovial, yet tinged with a bit of mischief. He lowered his tone to say deeply into the microphone: "Bring. It. On."
His mouth hung open in shock, Dominic's face turned beet red as he hung up. But only for a moment; soon thereafter he found himself laughing too.
"Well done, Bellamy," he laughed to himself, switching off his light.
A few miles away Matthew removed his headphones, leaning back in his seat in the booth. He reached for his Dr. Pepper, taking a small sip, dragging one hand through his thick brown hair.
"Nicely played, Dominic."
He smiled.
Author: millionstar
Pairing: Belldom, AU
Rating: R for now, I suppose?
Warnings: Language, this chapter.
Summary: America. The 1970's. QBUT Radio is a station with some familiar looking staff members.
Feedback: Is appreciated, if you're so inclined.
Disclaimer: I don't own Muse, no profit is being made and this never happened.
Author's Note: As always, thanks and constant love to dolce_piccante & myz_bee for all their help. Thanks as well to captivemuse & lalalive23, two of the best cheerleaders around. Love to all of you. <3
ALSO: Big props to rowanfaire & ms_belle10 for letting me pick their radio-minded brains! :)
"So, what's he like?" Dominic asked, following Tom around the small break room, his sideburns blowing dramatically when he walked past the small fan on the table.
Tom shrugged. "He seems really nice and professional."
"And?"
"And what?"
"Dom, I just showed him around after you left because Chris asked me to, I didn't interview the man!"
"Well maybe you should have," the blond grumbled.
"Bro," Tom asked, spinning around, "what is your damage? If you wanna talk to the dude, talk to him! I'm not your personal fact-checker. I have my dignity, you know." He patted down his afro as he spoke, clearly irritated. "Why are you so interested in him? Oh wait. No, you think he's...?"
Dominic shrugged. "You don't know, he may be."
Tom sat down with his sandwich and squinted his eyes in thought. "I guess anything is possible. But it would never work, Dom. He's classy and polite and he's all business. Meanwhile, there's you, all roller skates and hairspray and gay clubbing."
The blond glared at him good naturedly. "Still, there's no harm in doing some investigating, is there? Hmm."
"Hmm, what? I know that look, and whatever you're planning, stop it now."
"What? I was just thinking that his bio information would be in his employee file. His emergency contact information and the like. If there's a girlfriend, her name might be in it."
"Long shot, Dom," Tom replied, taking a swig of his Tab. "Besides, those files are in Chris' office and I don't think he'd want you snooping in there."
"I was talking to Anna earlier," Dominic commented lazily. Anna was the receptionist for the radio station, as well as being the object of Thomas Kirk's eternal affection.
Tom perked up. "Yeah? She ask about me?"
Dominic squeezed his eyes shut and massaged his temples. "Let me think... hmm, she may have mentioned you, but it's," he shook his head, putting one hand out dramatically, "a little foggy?"
"Dom! Come on, man, don't leave me hanging like that! I'll do anything, man."
"Anything?"
"You heard me."
Dominic squinted. "Then do me a solid. Sneak into the office and take a peek at Matthew's file. Chris wouldn't think anything if he found you in there, after all."
Tom seemed to be mulling the proposal over in his mind, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.
"What could it hurt?" Dominic continued, leaning forward as he glanced at the door to make sure noone else came in. "Just a quick peek."
Tom nodded, standing. "Right."
Dominic felt a surge of victory flow through his body. He watched as his friend tossed his trash in the bin and smoothed his hair once more. But instead of taking the door that led to Chris' office, Tom took the other door in the room, the one that led to the lobby.
Dominic was confused. "You're going the wrong way..." he began, pointing.
Tom winked at him from the doorway. "Decided I'll go talk to her myself. Do your own dirty work, Dom."
"Thomas," Dominic said, lowering his voice to a tone that always made the other man laugh, "c'mon, man!"
Tom snickered, but only for a moment. "If you want to know something about Bellamy, just fucking ask him, Dom! Man up, princess!"
"Ask me what?"
Neither of them had heard Matthew walk in from the side door, a McDonald's cup in his hand. When he sat down at the table, in the chair next to the blond, Dominic flushed slightly.
"Oh, hello Matthew," he said, straightening up in his chair.
"I'll leave you two alone," Tom smiled sweetly from the hallway, closing the door behind him. Dominic made a mental note to put a tack or 20 in Tom's chair when he got back to his desk.
The brunet smiled, cocking his head to the side, then took a long swig of his drink, the blond trying hard not to pay attention to the way Matthew's lips wrapped around the straw. "Hello, Dominic! So," he slapped the table, Dominic jumping in a combined fit of surprise and good old fashioned nervousness, "ask away, what do you want to know?"
"Um... what's in the cup?"
You are an idiot. A complete dunce. Dominic sighed.
"Dr. Pepper. I'm afraid it's a vice of mine. Well, caffeine in any form is a vice of mine, you could say. I suppose it's helped turn me into the creature of the night that you see before you." Matthew removed the lid from his cup and turned it up, a piece of ice sliding into his mouth. He crunched on it, the sound carrying in the small room. Dominic glanced at his eyes and returned their smile for a beat before turning away.
"You're here awfully early today," the blond commented. Typical that now that Matthew was here in front of him, he went blank and couldn't think of anything clever and smooth to say
"I am! I couldn't sleep and decided it might be a good idea to familiarize myself with things here at the station. You go on the air in just a few minutes, don't you?"
"I do, yeah," Dominic replied, smoothing his hair back confidently. The mere mention of his show brought his confidence level back to what he deemed to be an acceptable level.
"Then perhaps I can watch you in action!" Matthew piped up. "I'd love to see you in your element, it's always fascinating to watch different jockeys honing their craft. If that's alright with you, that is!"
Baby, Dominic thought, I'll blow your goddamn mind.
"Of course I don't mind," he replied smoothly, with a smile as he stood up. In a moment of boldness, he looked at Matthew and winked, just before his feet betrayed him and he tripped over them, stumbling awkwardly into his chair. Horrified, he froze, momentarily cursing his newest pair of bellbottoms for getting him in this mishap. It was very true that Dominic was blushing, but he was also able to recover quickly. Smoothing his hair back, he hurried out of the room, leaving a grinning Matthew alone.
The brunet chewed on his straw, mulling over what he'd just seen. It was only when Tom entered the room again that Matthew shook himself out of his reverie and smiled.
"Mind if I sit?" Tom asked. "I just had a quick question for you."
"Course not, please do!"
"Well," he began, "some of us like to gather down at Gunther's for a drink or twenty on Saturday nights. Just wanted to make sure you know that you're welcome to join us anytime, if you like. We'd love to have you." Sure, it was a lie, but Tom had been thinking that the gang should start meeting for drinks after work sometime. Now he had a reason to make it happen. "And, you can feel free to ask your significant other to meet you there. One big happy family, that's us here at QBUT!"
He had laid the trap, now he just needed Matthew walk into it. After all, the existence of a significant other, male or female, was what Dominic was after. Tom didn't really know why he was being so nice to Dominic suddenly. Perhaps it was the fact that he'd just managed to finally score a date with Anna? Bottom line, he cared about the blond and decided it wouldn't hurt to do a little investigating on his behalf.
"Gunther's, yeah. Cass and I noticed that place when I came to town looking for an apartment! Thanks, Tom."
"Cass," Tom commented, "that's an interesting name! Is it-"
Matthew stood suddenly, loosening his tie. "I'm so sorry, but I need to dash, Tom, I'm going to check out Dominic as he begins his rotation, forgive me?" That ever-present smile was once again visible on Matthew's face; Tom reckoned nobody could ever deny it anything. He nodded.
"Oh, sure! Go, enjoy! No problem, man. See you around!"
"Thanks!"
Out of the corner of one eye, Tom spotted an empty sugar packet resting on the table. He pushed it across the red plastic tabletop, lips pursed together in thought. Cass? Matthew had confirmed there was someone, but now the question became, what kind of someone? He was so distracted that he didn't notice Anna walk in. She opened the refrigerator, retrieving her bottle of juice and giggled at the sight of Tom so lost in thought.
"Earth to Tom. You in there?"
"Wha- oh, yeah! Sorry!"
"It's okay. I have to get back to my desk anyway."
"Anna! Hold up."
"Yeah?"
"When I say the name Cass, what comes to mind, a man or woman?"
"Easy. Both. I knew a guy named Cass in college. Yet, it could also be short for Cassidy, you know? Later, Tom."
Tom frowned in confusion, waving at her retreating figure. "Well, fuck."
* * *
Dominic was rather pleased with himself so far. He'd been on the air for about an hour, with Matthew standing outside the booth watching him. Every now and then he'd give Dominic a wide-eyed, enthusiastic thumbs up, causing the blond to burst out in giggles. Dominic couldn't help himself; Matthew's enthusiasm was endearing and cute. It made the DJ wonder just how enthusiastic Matthew could be in other, more intimate, situations.
Out of the corner of his eye he spied Matthew still watching him. He shook his head and cleared his throat. "How are all my cats and chicks tonight?" he crooned into the microphone, adjusting his headphones. His eyes narrowed; he hated the way they kept his hair plastered to his head. "Are you just chillin' at home tonight or getting ready to go out and tear it up at the club? And, my dirty Den mates, if you're going out, how exactly do you plan to get down?"
He glanced at Matthew again, his eyes never leaving the other man's. Licking his lips, he continued.
"What's your groove of choice? The bump? The hustle? Or maybe, just maybe, you're into the Funky Chicken?"
Outside the booth, Matthew laughed, one eyebrow raised.
"No worries, my little minxes," Dominic continued, "if you're doing the Funky Chicken I promise I won't tell anyone. We'll keep it our secret, yeah? Listen, in the end, as you're getting down the way you want to get down, all is right with the world. Let's keep things going. Diamond Dom's in the mood for some divine Miss Donna Summer. 'MacArthur Park', my pretties, here on QBUT."
He removed his headphones and glanced for what seemed like the millionth time at the window in the door of the booth. This time, Matthew was beckoning for him to come outside for a moment. Dominic stood, smoothing his trousers, and walked to the door. He opened it just a bit to find Matthew leaning against the doorframe casually. Dominic caught the faint hint of the other man's cologne, something slight and sweet; his breath caught in his throat. And for some reason, the blond's eyes automatically latched onto Matthew's neck.
"Um, hello?"
Dominic shook his head, forcing his eyes to meet Matthew's own. "Sorry!"
"I just wanted to let you know I need to run, I have some things to prepare before I go on tonight. Thanks for letting me hang with you, though, it was a total blast!"
"Oh, okay," Dominic replied, smiling. "Thanks!"
"Maybe I can come back tomorrow and watch you again?"
"Well, starting tomorrow, I go on vacation for a week." Dominic bit the inside of his cheek, disappointment bubbling up inside him. "Maybe as soon as I come back?"
Matthew grinned as he backed away slowly. "You got it."
Dominic ducked back into the booth, but before he closed the door he heard Matthew's voice coming to him again. "Dominic!"
He peered out the door. "Yeah?"
Matthew snapped his fingers and pointed at Dominic as he continued to walk backwards down the hall. "You're ace."
The DJ blushed, closing the door.
On the fourth day of his vacation, Dominic turned over and stared at his lava lamp. The green globs of goo floated before his eyes and he sighed. Home alone at midnight on a Friday night. What would Tom and Morgan say if they could see him?
It was true that Dominic liked to party as much as the next guy. Hell, he'd spent many a night at Pulsations dancing till the sun came up. He loved the way that the sound system there throbbed to the beat of whatever disco jam was filling the club. He loved the scores of young men like himself who couldn't get enough of the smoke, the sweat and the liberation that they were able to experience behind those doors.
But slowly, over the past few months things had changed. Drugs had worked their way into the club in the past few months and it wasn't uncommon to find men blowing each other in a dark corner just for a hit. It was something that Dominic wanted no part of, and so he instead found himself coming home to an empty apartment instead of partaking in something that had somehow become sullied. He wasn't into drugs and he wasn't into fucking a dozen guys in one night. He'd often preferred to spend the evening having a drink with some hot guy, dance with them, maybe allow the occasional kiss on the way out the door, but that was it.
He respected himself too much to fuck in a stairwell or alleyway, and it was that very thing that meant nearly every night these days Dominic Howard was alone. In fact, he talked a big game, but he hadn't slept with another man in nearly a year. That was a tightly guarded secret, though. For all intents and purposes, everyone at the radio station still thought Dominic was a player. He wished he still were in some ways.
Dominic was considering a nice, satisfying wank to help him fall asleep when the new voice on the radio floated to his ears.
"How now, dear listeners, it's that time again. Come walk with me through the annals of the unknown. This is..."
Dominic smiled.
"... The Other Side. I'm Matthew Bellamy, for QBUT. I'll be back with you to take your calls after a word from our sponsors."
The new guy was good, there was no doubt about that. He had a voice for radio, and Dominic had to admit that Matthew knew his stuff - Dominic wasn't really interested in the supernatural, yet each night this week he'd been sure to tune in out of sheer curiosity. It was a testament to Bellamy's talent that he'd managed to hold Dominic's attention.
Subterranean waters? UFO sightings? The Loch Ness Monster?
Please.
There were times that he would find himself giggling at some of the phone calls Matthew took, though. Some of these people really needed to get a life and lighten up a little. Perhaps that was why Dominic found himself reaching for his phone and dialing the station's hotline number that he knew by heart. Or maybe he was just hot and bored, or had inhaled too much hairspray that day. Who could say?
Lila, a station employee who'd been there as long as Dominic, answered the call. "QBUT call in line for The Other Side. Make it fast."
He deepened his voice. "Yeah, I have erm, a question for Mr. Bellamy."
"About? Time is of the essence here, sir."
"About a celestial being. One that's far, far away..." Dominic bit his lip to stifle his laughter.
"Oh! Sounds about right to me. Very good then! Hold on a moment and then I'll connect you."
Dominic twirled the phone cord in his fingertips and grinned as he waited for Matthew to come on the line.
"What's your name and what can I do for you tonight?" Matthew asked. His voice was every bit as smooth as Dominic had remembered it to be, and he found himself faltering a moment.
"Um. Larry."
"No need to be nervous, Larry," the host reassured him with a friendly laugh, "please, take your time!"
Dominic suddenly covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to be certain he wouldn't be recognized. "Well, I had a question about outer space, sir."
"Go on, I'll do my best to answer it."
Dominic decided to just go for it. He swallowed, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Have you ever seen Uranus?"
The DJ didn't really know what to expect as far as a reaction went, but he hadn't really banked on hearing Matthew positively cackle with laughter on the other end of the phone line.
"Really, I mean, you could try to at least lay something new on me! Please, I've heard that one a million times, Larry. You got anything else, hit me with it. Seriously, please do!" Matthew's tone was jovial, yet tinged with a bit of mischief. He lowered his tone to say deeply into the microphone: "Bring. It. On."
His mouth hung open in shock, Dominic's face turned beet red as he hung up. But only for a moment; soon thereafter he found himself laughing too.
"Well done, Bellamy," he laughed to himself, switching off his light.
A few miles away Matthew removed his headphones, leaning back in his seat in the booth. He reached for his Dr. Pepper, taking a small sip, dragging one hand through his thick brown hair.
"Nicely played, Dominic."
He smiled.