Son Of A Preacher Man (5/?)
Title: Son Of A Preacher Man (5/?)
Author: millionstar
Pairing: Belldom, AU
Rating: This part, PG)
Warnings: Language, Sudden Southern Drawls, Tight Blue Jeans.
Summary: AU Belldom, set in the Deep American South. Enough said, y'all.
Feedback: Is welcome & appreciated, if you're so inclined. :)
Archive: Links only.
Disclaimer: I don't own Muse, no $$ being made, and this is fiction. Title taken lovingly from the song of the same name.
Author's note: As always, eternal thanks to my lovely, dear ladies dolce_piccante, myz_bee and frolicandfall for constant inspiration, love and support. BTW, lalalive23 is uber smexy.
And as always, HUGE thanks to my girl M, captivemuse for her help in all thangs Southern. Your assistance is critical and greatly appreciated, and a case of Cheerwine is headed your way, girl! <3
One | Two | Three | Four
"Good sweet Lord," Dominic groaned. The sight before him was like something from a dream; it was beautiful. "I ain't seen nothin' this delicious lookin' in a good, long time."
"Stop it. You're makin' me blush, boy."
"It's true, babe," Chris interrupted, as the three of them sat at the table, "you probably made way too much for supper! But, I ain't complainin'."
"Complainin'? Hell, no," Dominic agreed. He winced upon realizing his words and blushed. He glanced at Kelly sheepishly. "Sorry, ma'am."
She laughed. "S'okay, Dominic. Believe me, I've heard much worse. Besides, I didn't know what ya liked, so I just kept cookin'."
Kelly wasn't exaggerating. The table held a veritable bounty of traditional southern comfort foods, the stunning centerpiece being a large platter filled with country fried steak. The collection of bowls that framed the steak included mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed corn, green beans from Kelly's garden, baked macaroni and cheese, and Dominic's favorite, a plate towering with fried green tomatoes. Completing the spread was a basket of homemade biscuits with warm blueberry jam.
"Well, you've spoiled me," the blond grinned, filling his plate for the second time. "I ain't had a supper this good since-" he stopped speaking, concentrating on the tablecloth as he tried to squash memories of his mother's cooking.
"Since when, doll?" Kelly asked, frowning.
"In a good long time," he replied, forcing a smile on his face. "I appreciate y'all bein' so good to me like this."
"It's our pleasure, was damn nice of you to come out here like this and offer to help! I just wish Matty woulda stayed," Chris commented, pouring himself another glass of iced tea.
"Matthew seems really nice," Dominic commented casually between forkfuls of tomatoes.
"He's the best friend I've ever had."
Dominic chewed carefully, the wheels turning in his brain. Upon swallowing he decided to roll the dice. "Reckon he had a hot date tonight?" He noticed the way Chris stiffened at his words, it was subtle, but there all the same. It piqued Dominic's interest that much more.
"Nah, I don't think so," the other man replied with a smile.
"Well, of course not!" Kelly interrputed, "sittin' at home every night like he does, it makes me crazy! I keep tellin' that boy to let me set him up with one of the girls, but he's damned stubborn."
"Baby," Chris said lowly, "leave it. He just ain't lookin' to date any of those girls, that's all."
That statement lit up in Dominic's brain like a sweet southern sunbeam. He ain't? Hmm...
"Dangit," she frowned, standing "forgot the applebutter for the biscuits!"
Dominic spoke casually once she'd left the room, while tearing his biscuit into small pieces. "I musta had Matthew all wrong, if Kelly's lookin' to set him up with a... well, y'know."
"A what?"
"A woman."
"W-why wouldn't Kelly do that?"
Dominic raised one eyebrow at Chris, spooning the hot jam over the pieces of fluffy biscuit on his plate.
"But." Chris' eyes were wide. "How'd you know?"
The raised eyebrow was now waggling suggestively. The smirk on Dominic's lips made Chris shake his head with a giggle. "Good Lord. Wow. I just... okay, then."
Smirking grey eyes gave way to curious ones. "Problem?"
"No, no! Lord, no. Ain't none of my business, and there ain't no problems here," Chris smiled.
"Okay, then," Dominic whispered, flushing a bit. The look on Chris' face put him at ease quickly, though. While he wasn't ashamed of his homosexuality, the fact remained that it was hard to gauge how people reacted to learning about it. More often than not he was met with suspicious eyes or outright disgust. In Chris' case, though, all he saw was friendship and an acceptance that put him at ease instantly.
"So, Kelly ain't rightly made the connection yet, has she?"
"Naw, she's clueless. I reckon Matty'll tell her when he's ready to."
Dominic nodded, continuing his meal. It was difficult not to choke on it though, because truth be told, he felt like turning cartwheels naked at his hunch having been proven correct.
About an hour or so later the three of them sat on the front porch in the warm summer night. Dominic and Chris had insisted on doing the dishesThey'd managed to easily kill the apple pie Kelly had made in no time, and now the only thing left to do was to sit and try to breathe after eating so much food without exploding.
"I think I'm gonna die," Dominic gasped, undoing the clasp on his belt.
"Naw," Kelly grimaced, both hands on her enormous belly as she and Chris shared the porch swing, "me first."
Chris laughed. "Lightweights. "
"How are you not miserable right now?" Kelly asked, the three of them bursting into laughter. They sat in a companionable silence for a while, fireflies fluttering around them, the only sound in the air the one of crickets chirping. Well, until Kelly spoke, that is.
"So, Dominic, you got a girlfriend?"
"Baby!" Chris interrupted, aghast.
"What? I'm just curious!" She turned to Dominic with apologetic eyes. "But - oh! I didn't mean to pry! Just curious, to get to know ya better n'all."
"S'okay, don't fret. And to answer your question, no, there ain't no girlfriend." He glanced at the couple, Chris peering at him curiously while Kelly continued excitedly.
"Well, there's a bunch of girls in town who are gonna wanna change that real soon, I guarantee that!"
"I can't much see that happenin', ma'am."
"Why not? You're a gorgeous guy!" She turned to Chris, pecking his cheek "I mean, apart from you, baby." Hell, she'd been thinking it, she might as well say it aloud. She knew Chris would merely laugh at her, anyway - and he did.
"I ain't interested in none of them, Kelly."
"Well, you ain't met none of them yet, silly!"
Dominic cleared his throat. He wondered for a fleeting moment it what he was about to do was smart, but knowing that Chris had reacted favorably only spurred him on. It wasn't in his nature to hide, and he wasn't gonna start now.
"If I met any of those girls, I reckon the first thing I'd do is ask them if they have any hot brothers."
Silence.
Dominic was afraid to look up, afraid to say anything else; he kept his eyes on the tops of his black leather boots, waiting for the inevitable barrage of questions he knew were coming.
"Oh my GAWD!" Kelly exclaimed.
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. His heart began to pound in his chest, and when Kelly launched her very pregnant self at him, he yelped in shock. Her arms wound around his back, hugging him tightly as she exclaimed...
"Lawsy me, I just... ain't you the cutest thing ever!!"
... which made Dominic and Chris both burst out laughing. The night from that point on consisted of Kelly's attempts to find out what Dominic liked in a man; it seemed she was determined to play matchmaker, whether the target in question was straight or gay. Eventually, though, they parted ways, with Dominic (who, because he was a proper Southern gentleman, had promised Kelly to think about her offer, even though he knew wouldn't be needing her services) and Chris deciding to meet again in the morning. Chris walked Dominic to his truck, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"So."
"Yeah?" Dominic had his hand outstretched, luring one of the many fireflies in the night air to light on his palm.
"What of Matty, Dominic?"
The blond looked up, smiling. "What about him?"
"I know that look on a guy's face. See? All I did was mention his name and your face lit up like the Fourth of July!" he teased. "I just..."
"You can say anything ya want to me, Chris."
"He's caught yer eye, ain't he?"
"Completely."
"And what now?"
"Well, I reckon that's up to Matthew, ain't it?" He winked. Chris shook his hand one last time with a grin and the two of them parted for the night.
Once Dominic was home in his bed, behind his locked door, his thoughts turned to Matthew.
There were no broken showerheads in the Howard residence that night.
As for Dominic's headboard, well, that's another story altogether.
Author: millionstar
Pairing: Belldom, AU
Rating: This part, PG)
Warnings: Language, Sudden Southern Drawls, Tight Blue Jeans.
Summary: AU Belldom, set in the Deep American South. Enough said, y'all.
Feedback: Is welcome & appreciated, if you're so inclined. :)
Archive: Links only.
Disclaimer: I don't own Muse, no $$ being made, and this is fiction. Title taken lovingly from the song of the same name.
Author's note: As always, eternal thanks to my lovely, dear ladies dolce_piccante, myz_bee and frolicandfall for constant inspiration, love and support. BTW, lalalive23 is uber smexy.
And as always, HUGE thanks to my girl M, captivemuse for her help in all thangs Southern. Your assistance is critical and greatly appreciated, and a case of Cheerwine is headed your way, girl! <3
One | Two | Three | Four
"Good sweet Lord," Dominic groaned. The sight before him was like something from a dream; it was beautiful. "I ain't seen nothin' this delicious lookin' in a good, long time."
"Stop it. You're makin' me blush, boy."
"It's true, babe," Chris interrupted, as the three of them sat at the table, "you probably made way too much for supper! But, I ain't complainin'."
"Complainin'? Hell, no," Dominic agreed. He winced upon realizing his words and blushed. He glanced at Kelly sheepishly. "Sorry, ma'am."
She laughed. "S'okay, Dominic. Believe me, I've heard much worse. Besides, I didn't know what ya liked, so I just kept cookin'."
Kelly wasn't exaggerating. The table held a veritable bounty of traditional southern comfort foods, the stunning centerpiece being a large platter filled with country fried steak. The collection of bowls that framed the steak included mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed corn, green beans from Kelly's garden, baked macaroni and cheese, and Dominic's favorite, a plate towering with fried green tomatoes. Completing the spread was a basket of homemade biscuits with warm blueberry jam.
"Well, you've spoiled me," the blond grinned, filling his plate for the second time. "I ain't had a supper this good since-" he stopped speaking, concentrating on the tablecloth as he tried to squash memories of his mother's cooking.
"Since when, doll?" Kelly asked, frowning.
"In a good long time," he replied, forcing a smile on his face. "I appreciate y'all bein' so good to me like this."
"It's our pleasure, was damn nice of you to come out here like this and offer to help! I just wish Matty woulda stayed," Chris commented, pouring himself another glass of iced tea.
"Matthew seems really nice," Dominic commented casually between forkfuls of tomatoes.
"He's the best friend I've ever had."
Dominic chewed carefully, the wheels turning in his brain. Upon swallowing he decided to roll the dice. "Reckon he had a hot date tonight?" He noticed the way Chris stiffened at his words, it was subtle, but there all the same. It piqued Dominic's interest that much more.
"Nah, I don't think so," the other man replied with a smile.
"Well, of course not!" Kelly interrputed, "sittin' at home every night like he does, it makes me crazy! I keep tellin' that boy to let me set him up with one of the girls, but he's damned stubborn."
"Baby," Chris said lowly, "leave it. He just ain't lookin' to date any of those girls, that's all."
That statement lit up in Dominic's brain like a sweet southern sunbeam. He ain't? Hmm...
"Dangit," she frowned, standing "forgot the applebutter for the biscuits!"
Dominic spoke casually once she'd left the room, while tearing his biscuit into small pieces. "I musta had Matthew all wrong, if Kelly's lookin' to set him up with a... well, y'know."
"A what?"
"A woman."
"W-why wouldn't Kelly do that?"
Dominic raised one eyebrow at Chris, spooning the hot jam over the pieces of fluffy biscuit on his plate.
"But." Chris' eyes were wide. "How'd you know?"
The raised eyebrow was now waggling suggestively. The smirk on Dominic's lips made Chris shake his head with a giggle. "Good Lord. Wow. I just... okay, then."
Smirking grey eyes gave way to curious ones. "Problem?"
"No, no! Lord, no. Ain't none of my business, and there ain't no problems here," Chris smiled.
"Okay, then," Dominic whispered, flushing a bit. The look on Chris' face put him at ease quickly, though. While he wasn't ashamed of his homosexuality, the fact remained that it was hard to gauge how people reacted to learning about it. More often than not he was met with suspicious eyes or outright disgust. In Chris' case, though, all he saw was friendship and an acceptance that put him at ease instantly.
"So, Kelly ain't rightly made the connection yet, has she?"
"Naw, she's clueless. I reckon Matty'll tell her when he's ready to."
Dominic nodded, continuing his meal. It was difficult not to choke on it though, because truth be told, he felt like turning cartwheels naked at his hunch having been proven correct.
About an hour or so later the three of them sat on the front porch in the warm summer night. Dominic and Chris had insisted on doing the dishesThey'd managed to easily kill the apple pie Kelly had made in no time, and now the only thing left to do was to sit and try to breathe after eating so much food without exploding.
"I think I'm gonna die," Dominic gasped, undoing the clasp on his belt.
"Naw," Kelly grimaced, both hands on her enormous belly as she and Chris shared the porch swing, "me first."
Chris laughed. "Lightweights. "
"How are you not miserable right now?" Kelly asked, the three of them bursting into laughter. They sat in a companionable silence for a while, fireflies fluttering around them, the only sound in the air the one of crickets chirping. Well, until Kelly spoke, that is.
"So, Dominic, you got a girlfriend?"
"Baby!" Chris interrupted, aghast.
"What? I'm just curious!" She turned to Dominic with apologetic eyes. "But - oh! I didn't mean to pry! Just curious, to get to know ya better n'all."
"S'okay, don't fret. And to answer your question, no, there ain't no girlfriend." He glanced at the couple, Chris peering at him curiously while Kelly continued excitedly.
"Well, there's a bunch of girls in town who are gonna wanna change that real soon, I guarantee that!"
"I can't much see that happenin', ma'am."
"Why not? You're a gorgeous guy!" She turned to Chris, pecking his cheek "I mean, apart from you, baby." Hell, she'd been thinking it, she might as well say it aloud. She knew Chris would merely laugh at her, anyway - and he did.
"I ain't interested in none of them, Kelly."
"Well, you ain't met none of them yet, silly!"
Dominic cleared his throat. He wondered for a fleeting moment it what he was about to do was smart, but knowing that Chris had reacted favorably only spurred him on. It wasn't in his nature to hide, and he wasn't gonna start now.
"If I met any of those girls, I reckon the first thing I'd do is ask them if they have any hot brothers."
Silence.
Dominic was afraid to look up, afraid to say anything else; he kept his eyes on the tops of his black leather boots, waiting for the inevitable barrage of questions he knew were coming.
"Oh my GAWD!" Kelly exclaimed.
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. His heart began to pound in his chest, and when Kelly launched her very pregnant self at him, he yelped in shock. Her arms wound around his back, hugging him tightly as she exclaimed...
"Lawsy me, I just... ain't you the cutest thing ever!!"
... which made Dominic and Chris both burst out laughing. The night from that point on consisted of Kelly's attempts to find out what Dominic liked in a man; it seemed she was determined to play matchmaker, whether the target in question was straight or gay. Eventually, though, they parted ways, with Dominic (who, because he was a proper Southern gentleman, had promised Kelly to think about her offer, even though he knew wouldn't be needing her services) and Chris deciding to meet again in the morning. Chris walked Dominic to his truck, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"So."
"Yeah?" Dominic had his hand outstretched, luring one of the many fireflies in the night air to light on his palm.
"What of Matty, Dominic?"
The blond looked up, smiling. "What about him?"
"I know that look on a guy's face. See? All I did was mention his name and your face lit up like the Fourth of July!" he teased. "I just..."
"You can say anything ya want to me, Chris."
"He's caught yer eye, ain't he?"
"Completely."
"And what now?"
"Well, I reckon that's up to Matthew, ain't it?" He winked. Chris shook his hand one last time with a grin and the two of them parted for the night.
Once Dominic was home in his bed, behind his locked door, his thoughts turned to Matthew.
There were no broken showerheads in the Howard residence that night.
As for Dominic's headboard, well, that's another story altogether.