I Am Looking for Someone to Share in an Adventure (one-off)
Title: I Am Looking for Someone to Share in an Adventure (one-off)
Author:
thekeyholder
Beta : the lovely tamarelmensdorp . Million thanks!
Pairing : Belldom
Rating: PG
Summary: Checking out a new coffee shop can lead to unexpected adventures.
Feedback: would be lovely if you have some time! <3
Warnings: nada.
Disclaimers: I don’t own Muse, but original aspects belong to me. So don't steal, please!
Author's note: This story is dedicated to futuristicfury, who kindly gave me the prompt 'Matt and Dom share a muffin'. I hope you like it, dear, and hope that you get well soon! Some of you might notice two characters whom I "borrowed" from the TV show Gotham - the reason for including them in the story is that around the same time I got this prompt, I also got a Gotham coffee shop AU one, so I decided to mix them. xD Matt and Dom will appear as episodic characters in the Gotham story! Lastly, I just wanted to add that I took the title from The Hobbit.
I Am Looking for Someone to Share in an Adventure
Matthew is walking home from the museum, his bag heavy with books he’d like to look through that evening. It’s sunny, and it looks like everything is sparkling with life. However, even from such a distance, he can feel the magnetic pull of his bed, with its promise of laziness and comfort. Matthew chides himself: he’s moved to this city almost a month ago, and he still hasn’t explored it, not even his fancy neighbourhood.
He thinks about that cute coffee shop with the purple umbrella neon sign. There are always people in it, and the smells coming out are heavenly. So Matthew decides to check it out, in an attempt to crush his social awkwardness. With a sigh, Matthew opens the door. A glance around reveals that there are still empty tables left, so at least he won’t be forced to interact with a stranger.
Matthew looks at the menu, and repeats his order in his mind a few times, so he won’t stumble over his words. There are two baristas; as luck would have it, Matt gets the funny looking one, as the other one is already busy with a customer.
“Hello, what can I get for you?” the barista asks with a disarming smile, and Matt already feels less nervous.
“Hi. I’d like a Caramel iced latte macchiato.”
“Certainly. Here or to go?”
“Here.”
“All right. Would you like anything else? A cookie or a muffin? They’re really good.”
Matthew doesn’t doubt his words as he looks at the wonderful display. He didn’t plan to pamper himself, but why the hell not? There’s a solitary XXL muffin just on his right which has his name written all over it.
“Uhh… that Raspberry Chocolate Muffin too, thanks.”
“Right away,” the barista replies as he types in Matt’s order.
It’s only then that Matthew notices the limp of the barista, and he feels bad for making him walk. Matt remembers the time when he sprained his ankle during uni, and winces in pain. He’s far away in thought, and he only looks up when he hears surprised voices. It looks like the normal looking barista was about to grab the same muffin Matt’s barista went for.
“Oh, sorry, Oswald.”
“Sorry.”
It’s only then that Matthew has a better look at the other customer waiting at the counter, and deduces that he ordered the muffin Matthew has picked for himself.
“I’m sorry, sirs, it looks like we only have one Raspberry Chocolate muffin,” Matthew’s barista, who’s apparently called Oswald, announces with a blush.
Before the guy can recommend something else, though, Matthew adjust his glasses, and mumbles to his ‘muffin thief’: “That’s fine, you can have it.”
The ‘muffin thief’ is a gorgeous blond demigod with expensive clothes and trendy sunglasses. He looks like a winner, like the type of person who gets everything he wants, and honestly, Matt’s not in the mood to break that pattern. He suddenly regrets not ordering his drink to go.
“That’s not necessary, we can share it,” the blond guy says.
“No, you go and take it,” Matt replies, and wishes that the guy would just stop smiling, because that’s Matt’s weakness, and he really doesn’t need to make a further arse of himself.
“I insist. Oswald, Jim, don’t worry - we’ll share it.”
“Okay, Dom, let us know if you need anything.”
Looks like the baristas even know the demigod. He’s probably a regular, Matt muses as he pays (though Oswald only charges him for the coffee, saying that the muffin is on the house).
“Take a seat, please, we’ll bring your order in a few minutes,” Oswald tells Matthew, and smiles at him reassuringly.
Matthew is surprised by his kindness, he always is when strangers treat him nicely, despite his awkwardness. Most of them see him as a loser, and brush him aside. However, he’s not quite sure what to think of this Dom guy who decided to share the muffin with him. Why complicate the situation? Matt’s face is burning as he follows the blond who smiles at him over his shoulder. He shuffles awkwardly as he sets down his heavy bag, and takes a seat in the quiet corner picked by Dom. Matthew tells himself to stop being a coward, and actually look the guy in the eyes, and behave like a normal human being.
“Hey. Thanks again for…” but he doesn’t know how to continue.
“Don’t mention it, it’s perfectly fine,” Dom takes off his sunglasses, and Matthew groans inwardly at the unfairness of the world: the guy even has nice eyes. Not fair.
“I’m Dom, by the way.”
“Matt.”
They shake hands. See, it’s not that difficult, Matt tells himself.
“D-do you come here often?” Matthew asks, and he feels like he’s on fire, initiating a discussion with a stranger.
“Oh yes, almost every day if I have time. Everything is great, and the staff is just so kind. I’ve known Oz since he opened the place, around three years ago.”
“The guy with the… uhh, black hair? The one who served me?”
“Yeah, the one that looks like a bird,” Dominic leans in, and whispers, “Don’t criticise his hair in front of him, though. He’ll get mad and he’s scary when he’s mad.”
Matt giggles. He actually likes Oswald’s hair, and would love to dye his own hair black, but he’s never been brave enough for such radical changes.
Just then, the other barista brings over their order. Matthew blushes again as he notices the muffin with the two forks.
“Enjoy.”
“Thank you,” Dom and Matt say in unison, and then breakout in laughs. Matt grabs his drink, and doesn’t even look in the muffin’s direction.
“So, Matt… do you live in this area, or did you drop in by chance?
“I live close by… two blocks down, actually. Recently moved into the city,” he adds quickly, as if to explain why he hasn’t been to the café before.
“Oh, really? How do you like it?” Dom asks with what Matt assumes is genuine interest.
Memories of the evenings spent in his tiny flat flash across Matt’s mind. “Uh… I haven’t seen much of it, to be honest,” Matt admits, touching his face to hide the redness of his cheeks. “I usually work late.” Because I dread going back to an empty home, Matt adds in his mind.
“Ah, very well, now I can offer my city guide services,” Dom grins.
Matthew’s first instinct is to blurt out a no, but he’s been so brave today, he should push himself further. Maybe Dom doesn’t mean it anyway.
“Sure, that would be great. That is, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course, I don’t. How about Saturday? Since I guess you’re busy during the week.”
“I’m free on Saturday,” Matt peeps with wide eyes.
“Excellent! There are so many things we could do! The city centre is nice, and there’s a great Vietnamese restaurant if you’re into spicy food. The St. Michael cathedral, the castle, and we definitely need to take a walk along the river. They sell the best ice cream there. Although the museum is very impressive too. I suppose we could go there on a rainy day.”
Matthew smiles with downcast eyes. “No need for a tour there.”
Dom’s eyebrows rise up. “Oh, you’ve already been there?”
“Every day. I work there,” Matthew can’t help but laugh at Dom’s surprised expression.
“Then you’re the one who’s supposed to give me a tour.”
“It can be managed. Just a warning, I might bore you with art history nerdiness.”
“Nonsense, I like nerdiness,” Dom says.
Matthew doesn’t dare confronting the strange and wonderful feelings bubbling in his chest.
“What do you say, shall we attack this poor muffin?”
“Go ahead, I think we’re outnumbering it,” Matthew says with a smile.
Dom picks up his fork, and cuts the muffin in half.
“He bled to death,” Matt adds playfully when the raspberry filling squirts out.
“He’s a mess, but a very delicious one,” Dom licks his fork, and pushes the plate closer to Matt.
Matt tastes the muffin and hums in delight. All the awkwardness was worth it for this mouthful. He pointedly doesn’t think about the possible new friend he found. “Dom, forgive my rudeness, but I forgot to ask. What do you do?”
“Programmer by day, ninja by night.”
Matt snorts.
“Joking. But the programmer part is true. Not even closely as interesting as you,” Dom replies.
“Me? Interesting?” Matt’s tone is incredulous. “Not sure there’s anything interesting about a curator.”
“There is plenty, I assure you. By the way, I thought you were a professor or something when I saw you,” Dom adds with a grin.
“It’s my clothes, isn’t it?” Matt groans.
“That, and you have that professor-y vibe about you: the glasses, the intelligence in your eyes, and your bag. I bet it’s full of books, isn’t it?”
Matt laughs, embarrassed. “You’re right. We’re planning a new exhibition, and I have to do some research for it.”
“I hope I’m not robbing you of precious time then, Mr Professor.”
“Not at all,” Matthew smiles at Dom, but he has to look away after a second, because he can’t take in more of Dom’s gorgeous smile without exploding.
That’s when Matt notices Oswald looking at them with a wishful expression on his face, and he smiles and winks at Matt when he notices that he’s been caught. Matt turns back to Dom, and as he’s drinking, he wonders if it is really that obvious that he likes Dom a lot. But then Dom said he’s known Oswald for years, maybe he noticed something about Dom? Is Dom actually flirting with him?
Matt almost chokes when the thought crosses his mind. Indeed, he’s quite clueless in such things; his best friend, Chris, would always shake his head at how every compliment and attempts at flirtation flew over Matt’s head. So what are Dom’s intentions? Matt watches him talking about some school trip they did to the museum where Matt works, and Dom is so animated and beautiful, it hurts.
“You know, I might be allowed to give you a tour all alone. The museum is closed on Mondays, so there won’t be anyone to bother us,” Matthew throws in the offer, painfully aware of his sputtering. Hopefully, Dom can see between the lines if he is so inclined.
“You would? That would be amazing!” Dom exclaims, as gleeful as a child. “You can tell me everything about the paintings!”
Matthew doesn’t think Dom caught the allusion to a romantic date, but it’s fine. He sighs. The one time he tries to flirt, and it isn’t even noticed. Just his luck. He glances towards Oswald, as if the man could help him interpret the situation, but Oswald is busy ogling Jim. Oh. Okay. Matt thinks he could probably learn from the barista: if he were to look like that at Dom, surely it would be noticed?
“He’s kind of obvious, isn’t he?” Dom snickers.
“Ha, yeah,” Matt replies, very eloquently. He didn’t realise Dom was watching him.
“Oswald is in denial, though. So deep in denial. Jim isn’t better either. I’m betting you a fiver that they will be still pining for each other next month.”
“What? No, I don’t think they can resist,” Matt laughs and sips the last drops of his drink.
“It’s a bet then?” Dom asks impishly.
“Yes!”
They shake hands again, and Matt doesn’t want to let go.
“See you here on the 5th next month at 5:30,” Dom laughs.
“I’ll mark my calendar.”
They remain quiet for a minute, and Matt is aware that they will have to say goodbye to each other soon. He doesn’t want to go. He needs a reassurance. Anxiety is coiling in his stomach, but the thought of not getting to know Dom more kills him. He was very brave that day, he should go out with a bang. Didn’t Dom say he’d show the city to Matt on Saturday? Matt should just ask about that. It would be a normal request, after all.
“We’ll… uh… we’ll see each other sooner than that, right?” Matt asks almost too quietly.
“I thought you would never ask.” Dom turns very serious suddenly. “My offer for Saturday still stands. I know you don’t know me, but I’m not a murderer. Which is exactly what a murderer would say, but I’m afraid of killing even spiders, let alone people.”
“That sucks, because I hate spiders,” Matt adds with a smile.
“Sorry, mate, you’ll have to find someone else to save you from spiders. I’ll just run away.
“In all seriousness, though, you can bring someone with you on Saturday, of course. But I think it would be more fun just the two of us.”
Matt pushes up the glasses on the bridge of his nose. “So… is it a date then?”
Of course, the colour of his cheeks betrays him again.
“If you want to. I really hope so,” Dom gulps, and this is the first time Matt sees him anything less than self-confident. He was flirting then! But why didn’t he say anything about Matt’s offer?
“I’d really love to, Dom.”
The blond laughs with relief.
“May I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“When I told you about seeing the museum together alone… ummm, I thought you would pick up on that,” Matt doesn’t really know how he’s able to squeeze the words out of himself. Maybe he’s braver than he thought. Or maybe it’s because of Dom.
“I did.”
“Well, you didn’t say a bloody word!”
“Sorry, I’m an evil bastard sometimes. I wondered if you would ask it more bluntly.”
“You are evil!” Matt huffs. “You know, not everyone is so well-versed in asking people out! What would you have done if I hadn’t asked a second time?”
“I would have asked myself, of course. I wouldn’t have let you run off.”
Matt stops breathing for a moment. How is it real that such a beautiful human being wants to go out with him?
“Just to spare you more nervousness, I’m going to ask for your number.”
Matt laughs, and takes a pen from his bag. He writes his number on a napkin, making sure that it’s readable.
“You know, I never got a napkin with a phone number, so this is quite exciting,” Dom says. “Just to be sure, I’ll save it in my phone too.”
“Give me a ring, so I’ll have your number too.”
“Okay. Don’t hesitate to message me, if you get bored. I’m also very fond of puppy pictures.”
“Got it.”
“You’re not a cat person, are you?” Dom asks suspiciously.
“I’m both. Used to have cats and dogs when I lived with my parents. Had to leave them home when I went to uni.”
“Maybe you can get a pet after you’re settled in?”
“Yes, I thought about that. Hopefully, the landlord will be fine with it.”
“If it’s a dog, it can stay at my place.”
“What if I get a cat?”
“Your problem, mate. Just like with the spiders. Not helping you out there. Nu-uh.”
Matt laughs. “Might just get fish then.”
Dom looks at his watch. “Sorry, Matt, but I have to go. I actually came on a break here, still have some stuff to do.”
“Oh, you work around here?”
“I live in the building across. Doing home office today.”
Matt gets up too, takes his bag, but doesn’t bother putting his coat back on - the evening is rather warm.
“Oh, that’s great. We live really close to each other.”
“Yep, so we can meet up here sometimes, if you want to hang out.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll message you about Saturday. I guess you’d like to sleep in?”
“Preferably,” Matt laughs, and waves goodbye to Oswald and Jim.
They are standing in front of the café, watching the people pass by.
“I’m really glad we met,” Dom says, and squeezes Matt’s shoulder.
“Me too. Thanks for the muffin.”
“Anytime. I’m looking forward to Saturday. May I?”
Matt isn’t sure what Dom is asking permission for, but he nods. Dom looks like a bold guy, but Matthew wouldn’t have thought he’d go for a kiss. Oh, boy. His heart is beating faster already.
Instead, Dom kisses his cheek, just fleetingly, but when he looks at Matt again, he’s sporting the brightest grin Matt has ever seen. He can’t help smiling back. Dom’s cologne is tickling his nose in a very pleasant way too.
“Take care, yeah?”
“You too, Dom. See you soon.”
Matt watches Dom cross the street, before he starts walking towards his building. He doesn’t think he’s ever met anyone who’s turned his life upside down in such a short time, but he also hasn’t been this excited in a long time. He can’t wait for Saturday for more adventures.
Author:
thekeyholder
Beta : the lovely tamarelmensdorp . Million thanks!
Pairing : Belldom
Rating: PG
Summary: Checking out a new coffee shop can lead to unexpected adventures.
Feedback: would be lovely if you have some time! <3
Warnings: nada.
Disclaimers: I don’t own Muse, but original aspects belong to me. So don't steal, please!
Author's note: This story is dedicated to futuristicfury, who kindly gave me the prompt 'Matt and Dom share a muffin'. I hope you like it, dear, and hope that you get well soon! Some of you might notice two characters whom I "borrowed" from the TV show Gotham - the reason for including them in the story is that around the same time I got this prompt, I also got a Gotham coffee shop AU one, so I decided to mix them. xD Matt and Dom will appear as episodic characters in the Gotham story! Lastly, I just wanted to add that I took the title from The Hobbit.
I Am Looking for Someone to Share in an Adventure
Matthew is walking home from the museum, his bag heavy with books he’d like to look through that evening. It’s sunny, and it looks like everything is sparkling with life. However, even from such a distance, he can feel the magnetic pull of his bed, with its promise of laziness and comfort. Matthew chides himself: he’s moved to this city almost a month ago, and he still hasn’t explored it, not even his fancy neighbourhood.
He thinks about that cute coffee shop with the purple umbrella neon sign. There are always people in it, and the smells coming out are heavenly. So Matthew decides to check it out, in an attempt to crush his social awkwardness. With a sigh, Matthew opens the door. A glance around reveals that there are still empty tables left, so at least he won’t be forced to interact with a stranger.
Matthew looks at the menu, and repeats his order in his mind a few times, so he won’t stumble over his words. There are two baristas; as luck would have it, Matt gets the funny looking one, as the other one is already busy with a customer.
“Hello, what can I get for you?” the barista asks with a disarming smile, and Matt already feels less nervous.
“Hi. I’d like a Caramel iced latte macchiato.”
“Certainly. Here or to go?”
“Here.”
“All right. Would you like anything else? A cookie or a muffin? They’re really good.”
Matthew doesn’t doubt his words as he looks at the wonderful display. He didn’t plan to pamper himself, but why the hell not? There’s a solitary XXL muffin just on his right which has his name written all over it.
“Uhh… that Raspberry Chocolate Muffin too, thanks.”
“Right away,” the barista replies as he types in Matt’s order.
It’s only then that Matthew notices the limp of the barista, and he feels bad for making him walk. Matt remembers the time when he sprained his ankle during uni, and winces in pain. He’s far away in thought, and he only looks up when he hears surprised voices. It looks like the normal looking barista was about to grab the same muffin Matt’s barista went for.
“Oh, sorry, Oswald.”
“Sorry.”
It’s only then that Matthew has a better look at the other customer waiting at the counter, and deduces that he ordered the muffin Matthew has picked for himself.
“I’m sorry, sirs, it looks like we only have one Raspberry Chocolate muffin,” Matthew’s barista, who’s apparently called Oswald, announces with a blush.
Before the guy can recommend something else, though, Matthew adjust his glasses, and mumbles to his ‘muffin thief’: “That’s fine, you can have it.”
The ‘muffin thief’ is a gorgeous blond demigod with expensive clothes and trendy sunglasses. He looks like a winner, like the type of person who gets everything he wants, and honestly, Matt’s not in the mood to break that pattern. He suddenly regrets not ordering his drink to go.
“That’s not necessary, we can share it,” the blond guy says.
“No, you go and take it,” Matt replies, and wishes that the guy would just stop smiling, because that’s Matt’s weakness, and he really doesn’t need to make a further arse of himself.
“I insist. Oswald, Jim, don’t worry - we’ll share it.”
“Okay, Dom, let us know if you need anything.”
Looks like the baristas even know the demigod. He’s probably a regular, Matt muses as he pays (though Oswald only charges him for the coffee, saying that the muffin is on the house).
“Take a seat, please, we’ll bring your order in a few minutes,” Oswald tells Matthew, and smiles at him reassuringly.
Matthew is surprised by his kindness, he always is when strangers treat him nicely, despite his awkwardness. Most of them see him as a loser, and brush him aside. However, he’s not quite sure what to think of this Dom guy who decided to share the muffin with him. Why complicate the situation? Matt’s face is burning as he follows the blond who smiles at him over his shoulder. He shuffles awkwardly as he sets down his heavy bag, and takes a seat in the quiet corner picked by Dom. Matthew tells himself to stop being a coward, and actually look the guy in the eyes, and behave like a normal human being.
“Hey. Thanks again for…” but he doesn’t know how to continue.
“Don’t mention it, it’s perfectly fine,” Dom takes off his sunglasses, and Matthew groans inwardly at the unfairness of the world: the guy even has nice eyes. Not fair.
“I’m Dom, by the way.”
“Matt.”
They shake hands. See, it’s not that difficult, Matt tells himself.
“D-do you come here often?” Matthew asks, and he feels like he’s on fire, initiating a discussion with a stranger.
“Oh yes, almost every day if I have time. Everything is great, and the staff is just so kind. I’ve known Oz since he opened the place, around three years ago.”
“The guy with the… uhh, black hair? The one who served me?”
“Yeah, the one that looks like a bird,” Dominic leans in, and whispers, “Don’t criticise his hair in front of him, though. He’ll get mad and he’s scary when he’s mad.”
Matt giggles. He actually likes Oswald’s hair, and would love to dye his own hair black, but he’s never been brave enough for such radical changes.
Just then, the other barista brings over their order. Matthew blushes again as he notices the muffin with the two forks.
“Enjoy.”
“Thank you,” Dom and Matt say in unison, and then breakout in laughs. Matt grabs his drink, and doesn’t even look in the muffin’s direction.
“So, Matt… do you live in this area, or did you drop in by chance?
“I live close by… two blocks down, actually. Recently moved into the city,” he adds quickly, as if to explain why he hasn’t been to the café before.
“Oh, really? How do you like it?” Dom asks with what Matt assumes is genuine interest.
Memories of the evenings spent in his tiny flat flash across Matt’s mind. “Uh… I haven’t seen much of it, to be honest,” Matt admits, touching his face to hide the redness of his cheeks. “I usually work late.” Because I dread going back to an empty home, Matt adds in his mind.
“Ah, very well, now I can offer my city guide services,” Dom grins.
Matthew’s first instinct is to blurt out a no, but he’s been so brave today, he should push himself further. Maybe Dom doesn’t mean it anyway.
“Sure, that would be great. That is, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course, I don’t. How about Saturday? Since I guess you’re busy during the week.”
“I’m free on Saturday,” Matt peeps with wide eyes.
“Excellent! There are so many things we could do! The city centre is nice, and there’s a great Vietnamese restaurant if you’re into spicy food. The St. Michael cathedral, the castle, and we definitely need to take a walk along the river. They sell the best ice cream there. Although the museum is very impressive too. I suppose we could go there on a rainy day.”
Matthew smiles with downcast eyes. “No need for a tour there.”
Dom’s eyebrows rise up. “Oh, you’ve already been there?”
“Every day. I work there,” Matthew can’t help but laugh at Dom’s surprised expression.
“Then you’re the one who’s supposed to give me a tour.”
“It can be managed. Just a warning, I might bore you with art history nerdiness.”
“Nonsense, I like nerdiness,” Dom says.
Matthew doesn’t dare confronting the strange and wonderful feelings bubbling in his chest.
“What do you say, shall we attack this poor muffin?”
“Go ahead, I think we’re outnumbering it,” Matthew says with a smile.
Dom picks up his fork, and cuts the muffin in half.
“He bled to death,” Matt adds playfully when the raspberry filling squirts out.
“He’s a mess, but a very delicious one,” Dom licks his fork, and pushes the plate closer to Matt.
Matt tastes the muffin and hums in delight. All the awkwardness was worth it for this mouthful. He pointedly doesn’t think about the possible new friend he found. “Dom, forgive my rudeness, but I forgot to ask. What do you do?”
“Programmer by day, ninja by night.”
Matt snorts.
“Joking. But the programmer part is true. Not even closely as interesting as you,” Dom replies.
“Me? Interesting?” Matt’s tone is incredulous. “Not sure there’s anything interesting about a curator.”
“There is plenty, I assure you. By the way, I thought you were a professor or something when I saw you,” Dom adds with a grin.
“It’s my clothes, isn’t it?” Matt groans.
“That, and you have that professor-y vibe about you: the glasses, the intelligence in your eyes, and your bag. I bet it’s full of books, isn’t it?”
Matt laughs, embarrassed. “You’re right. We’re planning a new exhibition, and I have to do some research for it.”
“I hope I’m not robbing you of precious time then, Mr Professor.”
“Not at all,” Matthew smiles at Dom, but he has to look away after a second, because he can’t take in more of Dom’s gorgeous smile without exploding.
That’s when Matt notices Oswald looking at them with a wishful expression on his face, and he smiles and winks at Matt when he notices that he’s been caught. Matt turns back to Dom, and as he’s drinking, he wonders if it is really that obvious that he likes Dom a lot. But then Dom said he’s known Oswald for years, maybe he noticed something about Dom? Is Dom actually flirting with him?
Matt almost chokes when the thought crosses his mind. Indeed, he’s quite clueless in such things; his best friend, Chris, would always shake his head at how every compliment and attempts at flirtation flew over Matt’s head. So what are Dom’s intentions? Matt watches him talking about some school trip they did to the museum where Matt works, and Dom is so animated and beautiful, it hurts.
“You know, I might be allowed to give you a tour all alone. The museum is closed on Mondays, so there won’t be anyone to bother us,” Matthew throws in the offer, painfully aware of his sputtering. Hopefully, Dom can see between the lines if he is so inclined.
“You would? That would be amazing!” Dom exclaims, as gleeful as a child. “You can tell me everything about the paintings!”
Matthew doesn’t think Dom caught the allusion to a romantic date, but it’s fine. He sighs. The one time he tries to flirt, and it isn’t even noticed. Just his luck. He glances towards Oswald, as if the man could help him interpret the situation, but Oswald is busy ogling Jim. Oh. Okay. Matt thinks he could probably learn from the barista: if he were to look like that at Dom, surely it would be noticed?
“He’s kind of obvious, isn’t he?” Dom snickers.
“Ha, yeah,” Matt replies, very eloquently. He didn’t realise Dom was watching him.
“Oswald is in denial, though. So deep in denial. Jim isn’t better either. I’m betting you a fiver that they will be still pining for each other next month.”
“What? No, I don’t think they can resist,” Matt laughs and sips the last drops of his drink.
“It’s a bet then?” Dom asks impishly.
“Yes!”
They shake hands again, and Matt doesn’t want to let go.
“See you here on the 5th next month at 5:30,” Dom laughs.
“I’ll mark my calendar.”
They remain quiet for a minute, and Matt is aware that they will have to say goodbye to each other soon. He doesn’t want to go. He needs a reassurance. Anxiety is coiling in his stomach, but the thought of not getting to know Dom more kills him. He was very brave that day, he should go out with a bang. Didn’t Dom say he’d show the city to Matt on Saturday? Matt should just ask about that. It would be a normal request, after all.
“We’ll… uh… we’ll see each other sooner than that, right?” Matt asks almost too quietly.
“I thought you would never ask.” Dom turns very serious suddenly. “My offer for Saturday still stands. I know you don’t know me, but I’m not a murderer. Which is exactly what a murderer would say, but I’m afraid of killing even spiders, let alone people.”
“That sucks, because I hate spiders,” Matt adds with a smile.
“Sorry, mate, you’ll have to find someone else to save you from spiders. I’ll just run away.
“In all seriousness, though, you can bring someone with you on Saturday, of course. But I think it would be more fun just the two of us.”
Matt pushes up the glasses on the bridge of his nose. “So… is it a date then?”
Of course, the colour of his cheeks betrays him again.
“If you want to. I really hope so,” Dom gulps, and this is the first time Matt sees him anything less than self-confident. He was flirting then! But why didn’t he say anything about Matt’s offer?
“I’d really love to, Dom.”
The blond laughs with relief.
“May I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“When I told you about seeing the museum together alone… ummm, I thought you would pick up on that,” Matt doesn’t really know how he’s able to squeeze the words out of himself. Maybe he’s braver than he thought. Or maybe it’s because of Dom.
“I did.”
“Well, you didn’t say a bloody word!”
“Sorry, I’m an evil bastard sometimes. I wondered if you would ask it more bluntly.”
“You are evil!” Matt huffs. “You know, not everyone is so well-versed in asking people out! What would you have done if I hadn’t asked a second time?”
“I would have asked myself, of course. I wouldn’t have let you run off.”
Matt stops breathing for a moment. How is it real that such a beautiful human being wants to go out with him?
“Just to spare you more nervousness, I’m going to ask for your number.”
Matt laughs, and takes a pen from his bag. He writes his number on a napkin, making sure that it’s readable.
“You know, I never got a napkin with a phone number, so this is quite exciting,” Dom says. “Just to be sure, I’ll save it in my phone too.”
“Give me a ring, so I’ll have your number too.”
“Okay. Don’t hesitate to message me, if you get bored. I’m also very fond of puppy pictures.”
“Got it.”
“You’re not a cat person, are you?” Dom asks suspiciously.
“I’m both. Used to have cats and dogs when I lived with my parents. Had to leave them home when I went to uni.”
“Maybe you can get a pet after you’re settled in?”
“Yes, I thought about that. Hopefully, the landlord will be fine with it.”
“If it’s a dog, it can stay at my place.”
“What if I get a cat?”
“Your problem, mate. Just like with the spiders. Not helping you out there. Nu-uh.”
Matt laughs. “Might just get fish then.”
Dom looks at his watch. “Sorry, Matt, but I have to go. I actually came on a break here, still have some stuff to do.”
“Oh, you work around here?”
“I live in the building across. Doing home office today.”
Matt gets up too, takes his bag, but doesn’t bother putting his coat back on - the evening is rather warm.
“Oh, that’s great. We live really close to each other.”
“Yep, so we can meet up here sometimes, if you want to hang out.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll message you about Saturday. I guess you’d like to sleep in?”
“Preferably,” Matt laughs, and waves goodbye to Oswald and Jim.
They are standing in front of the café, watching the people pass by.
“I’m really glad we met,” Dom says, and squeezes Matt’s shoulder.
“Me too. Thanks for the muffin.”
“Anytime. I’m looking forward to Saturday. May I?”
Matt isn’t sure what Dom is asking permission for, but he nods. Dom looks like a bold guy, but Matthew wouldn’t have thought he’d go for a kiss. Oh, boy. His heart is beating faster already.
Instead, Dom kisses his cheek, just fleetingly, but when he looks at Matt again, he’s sporting the brightest grin Matt has ever seen. He can’t help smiling back. Dom’s cologne is tickling his nose in a very pleasant way too.
“Take care, yeah?”
“You too, Dom. See you soon.”
Matt watches Dom cross the street, before he starts walking towards his building. He doesn’t think he’s ever met anyone who’s turned his life upside down in such a short time, but he also hasn’t been this excited in a long time. He can’t wait for Saturday for more adventures.