Comfort and Joy

[million_star]

Title: Comfort and Joy

Author: millionstar

Pairing:  Belldom, Non-AU

Rating:   PG

Warnings:  None, because I refuse to classify fluff as a warning. 

Summary:  In a small house on the Irish coast an image flickers to life on a laptop computer.

Feedback:  Always appreciated, but please, just enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Muse, no profit is being made, and this is complete fiction.

Beta/Support:  Thanks to dolce_piccante and waltzingstar for looking at various bits of this for me, as always. <3 

Author's Note:  This Holiday Belldom is a Christmas and birthday present for the wonderful bluebirdwine. (What?  It's December 25th in Australia as of now. :D)   L, it's not much, but I wanted to something for you to show you how much your friendship means to me - and let's be honest, Belldom is the gift that keeps on giving, we all know this to be true.  Anyway, I hope you like this little fic but more than that, Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas to you, sweet friend! <3

And, Merry Christmas, museslash - I'm so proud to be a member of this amazing and wonderful community! I don't have words to express my love and appreciation for you all!

In a small house on the Irish coast an image flickers to life on a laptop computer.

In the video in question, distinct voices come into earshot and a picture blossoms into being.  It's a winter's scene, and one that brings a familiar smile to the viewer's face.  The Observer makes himself comfortable under the heavy quilt he's carried to the couch and brings his hot chocolate to his lips as the scene plays out before his eyes on a criminally early Christmas morning.

"My nipples are freezing off," Matthew proclaims dramatically as he jumps up and down, a red toboggan perched atop his head.  "Oh, my bollocking Christ."  He jumps hard and snow, which had collected atop his head, shakes off into the wind in a cloud of white.

"They are not freezing off, Matt," a voice just out of shot rings out. "Jeez, you're so fucking dramatic."  Dominic comes into frame in his thin jean jacket, his seventeen year old body shaking in the frigid weather.  "Actually, if anything, your balls will freeze off before your nipples will."

Matthew narrows his eyes, teeth chattering.  "Explain."  He pulls the collar of his coat up and tries to bury his face in it, turning his back to his friend.

"Think about it," Dominic begins, turning to the camera, "and back me up here, Chris."

"Not getting into it," a quiet yet steely voice replies from behind the camera.

 

"Or don't then," Dominic grumbles under his breath as he turns back to Matthew.  "Well, it's simple anatomy.  Your nipples are attached to your chest-"

"And my balls are attached to my..." Matthew scrunched his face in concentration for a beat then threw his hands up, exasperated, "my body, yes, okay."  He turned to face Dominic again.  "What's your point?"

The only answer he got was a snowball to the face, from point-blank range.  Dominic cackled in laughter as Matthew sputtered and cursed through the shock of the sneak attack.  It was foolish of him, though, for while Dominic was busy laughing, Matthew was loading up for a retaliatory strike of his own.  Dominic never saw Matthew coming, nor did he see the massive hand full of snow Matthew shoved down his back until it was too late.  

Dominic screamed, the two of them laughing as they wrestled in the snow.  Carefully, the camera was put down and a larger boy ran into frame, tackling them both and pummeling them with snowballs. 

The Observer laughs, the sound echoing through the house as the video ends and another one takes its place. 

"What's with you, man.  You're acting weird lately," Christopher comments, the camera on Matthew.

Matthew fidgets awkwardly on the couch, gnawing on one (possibly two) of his fingernails.  "Just thinking."

"About what?"

The singer smirks a bit sadly but says nothing.

"Mate, you look like the weight of the world is on your shoulders.  It's Christmas, nobody should walk around looking as miserable as you've been.  Dom and I are worried.  Would talking about it help?"

Blue eyes finally meet the camera and Matthew doesn't even try to hide the  sadness they hold.  He seems overwhelmed with the effort to speak, as he opens his mouth twice but nothing comes out.  He shakes his head, his red hair stark against the white leather of the couch.  "I don't know, Chris.  I don't know what to do," he says quietly.  As soon as he speaks, he sits up, resting his elbows on his knees and it's only when he looks up again that the tears are evident.

"Matt?"

"I love someone," he says shakily.  

Happy laughter bursts to life from behind the camera. "Is that all?  Matt, who is she?  That's brilliant!"

Red rimmed eyes blink into the hands Matthew has covered them with.  "It's Dom."

Silence dominates the scene for a beat until full-blown sobs fill the air.  The camera is put down, Christopher walking into shot and sitting down beside his friend.  He pulls the skinny singer into his arms and allows him to get all of the stress and sadness out.  Finally, Matthew sniffles and raises his head, eyes wide and wild.

"Oh God.  Don't say anything to him, Chris, please, I couldn't bear it if he-"

"Hey, Matt, I'd never," Christopher smiles softly with a squeeze to his shoulder, "I promise you that.  How long have you felt like this?"

"A long time."

The bassist tries a different tactic.  "There's nothing wrong with you liking Dom that way.  You do know that, right?  Why the tears?"

"I can't imagine that he would want me that way, for one.  Then there's the band to consider, what if he did want me that way and it messed up our dynamic?  I'd never forgive myself.  But I can't turn it off, Chris.  I've tried and I just can't seem to turn it the fuck off."

"Let's approach it differently.  Have you ever stopped to think that maybe he would want you that way?  And that it doesn't have to be something that affects the band?"

"No," Matthew admits softly.

"You have to admit that it's possible, yes?"

"I guess."

"Talk to him, yeah?"

The Observer's face is unreadable at the end of this particular video; he frankly doesn't know what to think about something that clearly happened so long in the past.  He almost feels as though he's intruding on the most private of moments.  He pauses the video and shakes his head in an attempt to clear it.  He pats Matthew's shoulder on the screen with his fingertip, as though that might offer this younger version of him some comfort. 

Nodding, The Observer allows the footage to continue.

The shot was shaky at first but eventually Christopher steadied the camera and focused in on what appeared to be a holiday party of sorts, one that was packed with people.   Dominic and Matthew came into view, Christopher tightening the shot as he zoomed in on them.  They were talking animatedly by themselves in the doorway of the kitchen, happiness evident on their faces.  

They looked incredibly content with each other and happy to simply be in each other's presence. 

No words were exchanged between the two as the camera panned up slightly to reveal the mistletoe that was hanging from a bright red bow - seemingly unspotted as of yet.  Dominic pulled Matthew close, their fingers looping together and Matthew smiling in a manner which could only be described as bashful.  Unknown words were spoken between them, Matthew's fingers smoothing back a stray lock of blond hair from Dominic's forehead.  Tom came into frame, glancing at Christopher, his eyes wide.  

"Is this it?  Finally?  A whole year of this shit is about to come to a conclusion?!"

"I hope so," Christopher replied, "because I'm this close to locking them in a room together until they suss out what's happening between them.  They want each other so much and don't have the first fucking idea what to do about it."

Tom laughed softly, but it was a laugh that was heavily peppered with fondness as he gazed at his friends.  "It's long overdue, that's for sure. But..."

"What?" Christopher could be heard asking as Matthew said something that made Dominic flush and then throw his head back with manic laughter.

"This is a pretty big change.  Things are gonna be different from now on, aren't they?"

"Different, yeah, but in a good way."

They fell silent, surreptitiously watching the scene before them unfold.

Dominic spotted the mistletoe first, but it didn't take long for Matthew to lift his eyes to it as well.  In the exact instant that Matthew moved to pull Dominic to him, a young woman bumped into them, offering her apologies as she drunkenly stumbled past.  

"Fucks sake," Tom muttered.

"Dammit," Christopher mumbled in kind.

Dominic reached for Matthew's hand again, this time grasping it as though he'd never let it go.  They closed the distance between them at the same time, the two of them in a smooth sync as they drew close, Dominic's free hand wrapping around Matthew's waist protectively.  When their lips met for the first time, Matthew cupped Dominic's cheek softly, the kiss sweet, almost chaste in manner until you noticed how they were holding onto each other.  Their eyes opening, they blinked, as though they were seeing each other for the very first time before leaning in again to exchange their second kiss.

Their hands remained joined the entire time.    

From behind the camera, Christopher exhaled shakily.  "There," he whispered, Tom nodding at him for a beat before walking away.

The screen went black.

To say that the grin on The Observer's face was wider than an ocean would be a definite understatement.  This time, he feels privileged to witness something to heartwarming and something, as well, that is so critical to his entire life as he knows it.  

"So, how does it feel to be newlyweds?" Christopher asks.  Matthew and Dominic smile into the camera, Dominic raising a glass of champagne in the bassist's direction.

"It's fucking fabulous, and you can quote me on that.  I have the best job in the world, amazingly supportive friends, and now," Dominic turns to Matthew, who was busy loosening his tie (his red glittery tie, to be exact) and finishes, "the most wonderful husband on the planet."

"You mean the most wonderful and devastatingly handsome husband on the planet?" Matthew asks, unable to keep from pulling Dominic into a deep kiss, the rest of the people in the reception hall whooping and clapping as Dominic giggles into the kiss.  

"You're the one with the devastatingly handsome husband," the drummer comments, slapping Matthew on the backside, Matthew's eyes lighting up mischeviously.  

"How about you, Matt?  How do you feel in this exact moment," Christopher giggles dramatically, "the public wants to know."

Matthew went silent for a moment, his mouth open for a beat.  He shrugs and smiles at Christopher before turning back to Dominic.  He kisses Dominic again, dipping his husband, Dominic yelping and cackling with laughter.  He held on for dear life to Matthew's shoulders, but it was no good, and the two of them fell into a heap on the dancefloor, the crowd clapping.  

Christopher could be heard laughing hardest of all from behind the camera until finally Matthew's head popped out from underneath Dominic's bum and he beckoned Christopher closer.  

"How do I feel?  I think," he laughs again as Dominic tackles him from behind and assaults his neck with kisses, "I think we did good.  Damn good."

The Observer laughs as the scene ends - he can't believe he's never seen this particular footage before, but he is thankful that it's in his life now.  When the envelope containing the DVD arrived in the mail, it included instructions to not watch it until Christmas morning.  He'd complied with the request, and smiled as the sender finally appeared on the screen. 

"Hey, you," Christopher says from the computer.  "Let me first say Happy Christmas to you!"

"And to you," The Observer says softly, his heart warmed to no end. 

"I'll keep this short.  I've been taking videos of the band, hell, of all of us, for as long as I can remember.  Kels and I were looking through some old ones and we thought that you might like to see them.  I tried to pick ones that might be particularly relevant to you, you could say."

He smiled.  "Anyway.  Love to you and yours, mate.  Hope to see you, and soon!"

The image faded, The Observer wiping away a happy tear.  In that moment he was alerted that he had a call coming through on Skype, and he sniffled as he accepted it. 

The screen burst to life, Dominic staring out from therein with a smile on his face.  He looked as though he'd just rolled out of bed and had stumbled into the living room; his hair was mussed with sleep still, and the colored fairy lights behind him illuminated his face in a most attractive manner.  Even in his late fifties, he remained an inordinately handsome man. 

"Happy Christmas, love!" Dominic said excitedly.

"Morning, and Happy Christmas to you too, dad!" Nathan replied in kind, unable to keep the wide grin on his face from widening even further to painful status.  He was about to ask where his other father was but then he heard a voice calling out, just out of frame.

"Did you connect, Dom?"

"Yes, I connected, and I told you that, dammit.  Did I stutter?" Dominic grumbled good-naturedly as Matthew sat down next to him on the couch with a barely mumbled "fuck off".  Nathan could only smile as their eyes met and Matthew gifted Dominic with a quick but soft kiss; he loved the fact that his fathers were still deeply and completely in love after all these years.  They parted, Dominic smoothing back Matthew's lightly greying hair, both of them grinning.  

"Morning, gorgeous," Dominic whispered, pecking Matthew's cheek.

Nathan winced dramatically, still unable to keep the smile off his face.  "PDAs this early in the morning?  Some things never change, do they?"

Matthew looked into the webcam and his face lit up with enough happiness to power the entire hemisphere. 

"There's my boy.  Happy Christmas, son!" Matthew said, beaming.  "How's things?  Are you well?  Are you eating?"  Matthew squinted, peering into the webcam then turning back to Dominic with concerned.  "Hmm.  He looks thin.  I don't think he's eating enou-"

"Dad!" Nathan interrupted, laughing, "I'm fine, I promise!  I was up all night wrapping gifts, so I might look a little rough, that's all, but I'm fine."  

Matthew nodded.  "I just love you, son.  So much.  I worry."

"Me too," Dominic added, "we're so proud of you, and we can't wait to see you and the family in a couple days - we have mountains of gifts for you two and the little one!"

"Dad!" Nathan protested, "Deborah and I told you not to go overboard!  Leigh isn't even one year old yet!"

"Doesn't matter," Matthew answered, "she's our first granddaughter and I'll be fucked if I won't spoil the hell out of her."

"Language," Dominic admonished, slapping Matthew on the shoulder, the singer wincing.  

"Ow!  I know, I'm working on it, I promise, I promise!"

"We both need to work on that!  Although," Dominic added, turning back to the camera, "he's right.  The spoiling will be happening, my dear boy, and there's not going to be a thing you can do about it."

"What are you up to now, with the house all to yourself?" Matthew asked, sipping his coffee.

"Watching some old videos."

"Videos?" Dominic asked, putting an arm around Matthew, Matthew reclining into his touch, "anything good?"

Nathan nodded, a sly smile on his face.  "You could say that." 

*  *  * 

In a flat overlooking the Thames, an electronic conversation ended, a laptop computer was closed, and the happy couple who own it made themselves comfortable on their couch on a chilly Christmas morning.

Dominic pulled Matthew close, Matthew resting his head against Dominic's chest.  He practically purred when the drummer wrapped his arms around him as though he'd never let him go.  They stayed like that for a while, watching the fireplace roar in front of them. 

Eventually Matthew lifted his head, looking into Dominic's eyes, propping himself up for a soft kiss.  Dominic beamed, his hand massaging Matthew's neck. 

"Dom?"

"Hmm?"

"He's the best son on the planet.  We did good."

Dominic nodded happily.  "Yes.  We sure as fuck did.  Damn good."

Matthew smiled and moved in for another kiss.  He purred his next word into Dominic's mouth.

"Language..."