Son Of A Preacher Man (25/26)
Title: Son Of A Preacher Man (25/26)
Author: millionstar
Pairing: Matthew/Dominic, AU
Rating: This part, PG
Warnings: Smut, language & fluff this chapter.
Summary: AU Belldom, set in the Deep American South. Enough said, y'all.
Feedback: Is always appreciated, but it's more important that you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Muse, no profit is being made, and this is fiction. Title taken lovingly from the song of the same name.
Author's Note: Your eyes do not deceive you, the notation in the title is correct, we are nearly at the end of our time in Sapphire Falls. I hope y'all enjoy this next-to-last chapter. As always, massive props to dolce_piccante for her constant inspiration and feedback! <3
One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen | Seventeen | Eighteen | Nineteen | Twenty | Twenty-One | Twenty-Two a | Twenty-Two b l Twenty-Three | Twenty-Four
"Daddy?"
"Yes, son?"
"How'd y'know that mama was the one you wanted to spend the rest o'yer life with?"
Gabriel looked up from his newspaper and into his son's curious eyes. Before he could answer, Dominic continued to speak.
"I mean... we don't have t'talk about it if ya don't want to. I was just thinkin'... but I don't mean to bring up sad memories, either."
"Dominic, believe me, it ain't never a chore to have your mama on my mind, let me be clear on that, son." With a smile, he crossed the porch and joined Dominic on their beloved porch swing, the two of them watching as Kevin played in the fall leaves in their yard with their new puppy. "But, it ain't rightly somethin' that happens the same way for everyone. For me, it happened on a Saturday afternoon in the summer when we were right about yer age."
Dominic's eyes lit up. "Tell me more!"
Gabriel chuckled at the memory. "We'd been downtown at the diner, grabbin' somethin' t'eat together, I think we'd been goin' together about a year or so by then. Wasn't much different about that day than a lot of the other Saturday's we'd spent together, we had a habit of meetin' up at the diner then goin' for a walk downtown. That day, a kitten had ran out in the street, and someone clipped it with their truck and kept on goin', didnt' even stop t'see if it was okay. I can still see that poor little thing, it was a grey tabby."
"What happened to it?"
"Well, your mama ran out into the street and picked it up. She cradled it in her arms, and turned t'me, with tears just flowin' down her face, tellin' me we had to get it to old Doc Jameson's office as fast as we could t'see if he could help it."
"And did he?"
"He sure did. I remember bein' in the waitin' room and your mama walked out, holdin' that little thing in her arms. And, Dominic," Gabriel continued, "she was the most beautiful creature walkin' the face of the earth in that moment-"
"With a purty little grey kitten in her arms?" Dominic offered with a grin. "Y'never stood a chance, did ya?"
Gabriel nodded, laughing. "Exactly. That was the moment when I knew I wanted her to be my Gretchen. There was no way I was gonna let her go. It was her soul, son. I knew she had a big heart, but that was the day I knew beyond a shadow of any doubt that she owned the sweetest soul of anyone I'd ever met." He sighed, squeezing his son's shoulder. "That answer yer question, son?"
"Yeah. Thanks, daddy."
The swing rocked slowly in the late afternoon sunlight, Gabriel waiting patiently for Dominic to continue to speak. When he didn't, Gabriel cleared his throat. "Are things okay with you and Matthew?"
At the mere mention of Matthew's name, a dreamy smile manifested on Dominic's face, and Gabriel had to suppress the urge to burst out laughing. He bit his lip, shaking his head in wonder at just how head over heels in love his son was with Matthew.
"Oh, yes."
"And," Gabriel chose his words carefully, "are y'thinkin' that Matthew is the one y'wanna spend the rest of your life with?"
"I don't think it, Daddy. I know it," Dominic replied as easily and calmly as though he were commenting that water was wet or that the sky was blue. "Things r'perfect, daddy. Damn perfect. Oops," he winced, "sorry, about the 'damn', I mean." Gabriel smirked, shaking his head.
It was true.
Five months after Matthew had defended Dominic's honor by decking Danny Newton, the incident that had led to said ass-kicking had all but been put in the past and forgotten. Matthew and Dominic were secure in their relationship, Christopher, Kelly, and their little one were happy and healthy, Gabriel was getting more and more comfortable in his role as pastor, Kevin was making friends at his new school, and business was booming at Bellamy's. Sometimes it seemed to Dominic that his life had suddenly and inexplicably become as perfect as something out of a fairytale - it was as if that one horrific incident had actually led them all to the place they were at now.
His only regret was that his mother wasn't alive to see it - but he liked to think that she was looking down on him, all the same.
"D'y'ever wonder where we go from here?" Matthew had asked just the night before, as the two of him were snuggling together on Matthew's couch, Daisy asleep at their feet. Dominic pressed a kiss to Matthew's neck, Matthew's fingers carding though Dominic's hair softly.
"As long as we go there together, I'm up for anything, blue eyes," Dominic had replied, lifting his head as they both smiled into a sweet, warm kiss.
Matthew nodded, smoothing the hair back from Dominic's face. "Good."
"Fuckin' love ya," Dominic had whispered, squeezing Matthew's midsection as tightly as he could.
"I fuckin' love ya, too," came Matthew's reply.
"Things are good, ain't they, Daddy? The lord's been good t'us."
Gabriel smiled again. "I reckon so, Dominic. I reckon so."
"Dang, I gotta go, Daddy, I'll see y'later okay?"
"Sure thing. Hey, bring a gallon of milk back, will ya? We're nearly out," Gabriel called after him.
Across town, Annie Bellamy had just sliced into her rare homemade apple pie, placing a large slice with a massive scoop of vanilla ice cream in front of Jacob and Matthew, who were sitting at their table, having finished supper just a bit earlier.
Matthew, chin in his hand, narrowed his eyes at his mother. "Mama," he said calmly.
"Yes, Matty?"
"What's goin' on?"
"I don't know what y'mean, baby," she smiled.
"This is Big News Pie, mama."
"What? Big News Pie?!"
"We only used t'get this whenever y'had big news t'give me when I was little. Like when Fluffy was hit by that car, and when we had to cancel that vacation when I was twelve. Actually, the last time y'served it was when y'broke it t'me that y'were havin' surgery a couple years back."
Annie cocked her head to one side. "Go on."
"That's why it's Big News Pie. So, what's goin' on?"
Jacob and Annie both burst out laughing.
"Damn, boy. Can't put nothin' past ya, can we? Fine, fine." His father left the room momentarily, and when he returned he had a large envelope in his hand, which he handed to Matthew. "Open these and take a look when y'get a moment."
"But... what?" Matthew asked, his forehead wrinkled in confusion as he scanned the documents his father had placed in front of him.
"Take a look, son, take your time, too."
Annie and Jacob sat quietly, working on their pieces of pie as they waited for Matthew to comprehend what these documents indeed represented. Jacob couldn't keep the grin off of his face as Annie squeezed his hand, their baby boy scratching the back of his head absent-mindedly.
The instant understanding dawned on Matthew's face, it made itself known with wide, shocked eyes that turned to Annie and Jacob.
"Y-yer signin' Bellamy's over t'me?"
"Yep," Jacob affirmed.
"But, why? I don't understand." Matthew's face went ashen suddenly, the young man standing up, putting one hand over his mouth. "Oh my god, are y'sick, daddy? Is somethin' wrong?! Mama?"
Annie reached for her son's hand, Jacob standing up to envelop Matthew in a fierce hug. "Sick? Lord, no! Don't be silly, boy," Jacob boomed, laughing loudly. "Y'worry too much, Matty! Y'gotta work on that, t'ain't healthy for ya!"
"But, why?" Matthew asked again, slowly sitting back down at the table. "Y'ain't lookin' t'retire are ya? Or are ya?"
"No, son, at least not just yet," Jacob replied as Annie busied herself with the apple pie that hadn't been out of their oven very long at all, slicing them each a piece. "But, I won't lie, I might be lookin' t'slow down a little, that's all. Maybe now and then yer mama and I can take a little vacation now and then, things like that! There's only one person I'd feel comfortable havin' t'see after things when I'm not around."
"Baby, surely y'must've figured that Bellamy's would someday be yours, yeah?" Annie asked, ruffling his hair.
Matthew shrugged, eyes fixated on the latticework of the pie crust on his plate. "I reckon, I mean... yeah."
"Matty, are y'not happy with this?" Jacob asked, frowning. "D'ya want t'take yer life in a different direction? Y'don't have t'sign the papers, son."
Matthew's head shot up, tears in his eyes. "Of course I'm happy, Daddy. I'm honored that y'think I'm responsible enough for this. There ain't no way I'd ever pass it up, of course I'll sign off on it. It's just... in a way, it don't seem right, Bellamy's existin' without you as owner... it's a big change."
"Believe me, Matty, I ain't goin' nowhere," Jacob stressed, "not anytime soon. I've been thinkin' about this for about a year now, yer mama and I, and well, you've grown into this amazin' young man right in front of us, and I'm just so damned proud of ya. The time seemed right."
A knock at the door startled them all, Annie standing suddenly. "Oh, that'll be Dominic!"
Matthew's face lit up as though someone had plugged a high-powered lamp directly into his ass. "Dom?" Annie returned with Dominic, he and Matthew locking eyes and smiling softly at each other.
"We invited him over t'share in the good news!" Jacob boomed, smiling and getting to his feet to shake Dominic's hand, Dominic smiling at him and asking him how he was.
"I'm so curious t'what the big news is - oh hell, is that pie?" Dominic asked, wide eyed, as his gaze fell onto the slice in front of Matthew.
This time, all three Bellamys nearly fell over laughing.
"I'm so happy for ya, Matty!" Dominic gushed later in the privacy of Matthew's tiny apartment.
Matthew nodded, shaking his head despite the large grin that he was sporting. "I know, I can't believe it, But they did," he affirmed.
"That's just, oh blue eyes, that's wonderful, we need t'celebrate!" Dominic pulled him into a kiss, Matthew jumping into his arms, both of them giggling. Dominic walked them to Matthew's bedroom, gently lowering Matthew to the bed before covering his body with his own. "It's sexy, y'know."
Matthew snorted, his hand snaking beneath Dominic's shirt. "What?"
"My man's an executive, a business owner. It's a fuckin' turn-on."
"I think y'ate too much pie, it's clouded yer judgment."
Dominic's mouth fell open in righteous indignation, Matthew giggling at his expression as he pounced, pressing their lips together again. "Too much pie, my ass. Ain't no such thing!" Dominic stared at the headboard for a beat, clearly distracted. "That was damn good pie, though..."
Matthew leaned up and kissed Dominic's stubble, letting his lips trail across Dominic's cheek. "It still blows my mind that anyone could think I'm sexy, let alone someone like you, Dom. Even if y'are a pie hog."
"I don't mind bein' a pie hog, as long as you'll stick by me when I'm old and fat from overexposure t'pie," Dominic giggled. Matthew's expression remained serious, though, and he reached for Dominic's hand, lacing their fingers together. He didn't speak, simply smiled as his eyes scanned Dominic's own.
"What is it?" Dominic asked, flushing.
"Nothin'," Matthew replied, "just thinkin'. About us, about gettin' older."
Dominic fell to one side, curling his body up next to Matthew's. He rested his head on Matthew's pillow and sighed happily. "Yeah? I do that sometimes."
"What d'you see when ya do?" Matthew asked, turning onto his side so he and Dominic were face-to-face. Their feet and legs wound together, their hands still joined.
"Just you," Dominic replied simply. "I see you, and me, in a place of our own, and I can't tell ya how many times I've fallen asleep at night with a smile on my face thinkin' about it. "What d'you see, blue eyes?"
"I see me, coming home t'you, over and over and over and over," Matthew whispered, "I see a million welcome-home kisses, and I see twice as many mornings wakin' up in each other's arms."
A protesting whine from the floor caught their attention, the two of them chuckling.
"And," Matthew added, "I see Miss Daisy there too." Daisy approved of this sentiment, for she jumped onto the bed, worming her way between the two of them, both giggling.
"Of course Miss Daisy is there too," Dominic cooed, Daisy licking his face.
"I'm so glad that you two decided t'be friends," Matthew commented. "Seems like just yesterday that she was a-barkin' and a-growlin' at ya!"
"We're not friends," Dominic corrected him, as Daisy made herself comfortable between them, "we're family. All three of us."
"Forever?" Matthew whispered, bringing Dominic's hand to his mouth, kissing the inside of his wrist softly.
Dominic nodded, a tear in his eye. "Forever.
He and Matthew sat up and shared a kiss, Daisy already snoring between them.