Skin (2/?)

[million_star]

Title: Skin (2/?)

Author: millionstar

Pairing: Belldom, AU

Rating: This chapter, R.

Here there be: Language.

Summary: Taken from the mkmeme prompt: here: Dom Howard is a (The) young millionaire Playboy who runs an empire and has a fondness for red velvet smoking jackets. He frequents his Playboy Club quite a lot. He loves his Bunnies. Matt Bellamy, on a whim of Howard's staff, is taken on as the first (and only) male Playboy Bunny, with a costume and everything. Dom doesn't really approve... at first.

Disclaimer: I don't own Matt or Dom, no profit is being made, and this is fiction. Also, if any OC's bear a resemblance to certain inhabitants of Camelot, well, it's simply coincidental.

Beta/Support: As always, the legendary, flawless dolce_piccante & the always wonderful waltzingstar.

Author's Note: I must confess that I have taken a couple liberties with this prompt and I can only hope that the OP will forgive me and enjoy all the same. Thank you for reading.

One

"Dammit, Dom.  You ate all the popcorn.”

“Get off my back.  You ate the last piece of the second pizza, you gigantic pig.”

Leo frowned from his position next to Dominic on the bed, propped up on a mass of luxuriously soft pillows, arms sprawled out, as he struggled to breathe in the food coma he was currently nursing.  “What’s your fucking point?” he grumbled.

Dominic giggled as Leo turned into his arms, moaning in mock pain.

“This is the last time I let you talk me into a boys’ night in with cheesy old horror movies and mountains of junk food,” Leo went on, wrapping his arms around Dominic’s midsection.  “You are a horrible, evil man.  I’m not gonna be able to fit into my favorite skinnies tomorrow, I bet.  Evil.”

“So dramatic.”

“When I die from pepperoni overdose I’m gonna fucking come back and haunt your skinny blond arse.”

Dominic played with his best friend’s hair and smiled.  "Your hair is so fucking soft, what shampoo do you use?"

"Nuh-uh.  Not telling.  Trade secret."

"Right."

"Fine.  Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course."

"It's unicorn spunk."

The two of them burst out laughing.  “Fuck you.  Thanks for coming over, Leo.  This is nice.  It’s been too long since we’ve just hung out like this.”

“I hang out all the time.  Just not with pants on and not in front of you.” Leo yelped when his bad joke earned him a slap to his backside.

“Speaking of hanging out, tell Daniel I said thank you for letting me borrow you for a night.”

“Nah, it’s cool.  His sister is in town so he made plans to visit with her, it all worked out fine.”  Leo yawned, the sound of a screaming teenage girl being chased by a killer with a hacksaw droning in the background.  “Besides, Dan knows you’re family.”

Dominic smiled, rubbing Leo’s back as the Irishman purred his approval.  “Family is good.  But a partner...”  he trailed off, his statement left hanging in the air.  Leo waited for a beat and looked up at his friend.

“A partner...”

“A partner,” Dominic swallowed, staring at the television screen, “is good too.”

Softly, Leo nodded, waiting for Dominic to continue.

“I’m sorry.  I don’t even know what I’m talking about,” Dominic laughed, “let’s just-”

“Nope.  Don’t shut me out,” Leo said quietly, sitting up and pulling Dominic’s head onto his shoulder.   “Talk to me.  Please?”

“How long have you and Daniel been together now?”

“Four years.”

“Tell me about it.  Tell me how it feels, to be that much in love,” Dominic whispered.

Leo has known better than anybody else the loneliness that Dominic struggles with but it’s with one statement that he realizes that it’s more than loneliness - it’s a palpable longing for something Dominic has never had.  It makes Leo’s throat tighten but he smiles, dropping a kiss to Dominic’s head.

“Leo?”

“Sorry, mate, sorry.  It’s... it’s hard to put into words.”

“How does he make you feel?”

“He makes me feel,” Leo smiled, unable to contain his happiness, “safe.  Protected.  Like I can face anything life chooses to throw at me as long as I have him by my side.”

“I love that,” Dominic sighed into Leo’s shoulder.  “It’s so lovely.  Tell me more.”

“It’s terrifying, sometimes, though.  To be so in love with somebody, so completely devoted to them that you can barely tell where you end and they begin... sometimes I worry.”

“Why?”

“Because I am constantly scared of losing him.”

“But, no,” Dominic shook his head, “you can’t think like that.”

“I’m a realist.  Life is so unpredictable, you know?  You have to embrace what you have as hard as you can while you have it, our existence is so fleeting. I dunno,” Leo mused, “it sounds mad I suppose, but that’s how I feel.  But it’s an exhilarating sort of worry, if that makes any sense.  I wouldn’t change it for anything.  It makes life worth living.  I’ll tell you something else,” he turned to Dominic, “I can’t wait till you find it for yourself, Dom.  And, you will.”

Dominic turned away, reaching for a bag of Skittles and opening them.

“It’s true.  A heart as big as yours needs another big one to love.  A heart, I mean.  Although, there is nothing wrong at all with a nice, sizeable dick also.”  He grinned, watching as his friend flushed while rifling through the bag.  Dominic handed him five red Skittles and reached for the remote. “You’re so cute when you blush.”

“Fuck you,” Dominic laughed, throwing a Skittle at Leo’s face, both of them whooping when Leo opened his mouth and successfully caught it.

"How's he doing so far?"

"Who?"

"Who the fuck do you think?"

Dominic shrugged, carefully biting his lower lip.

"Don't play coy, Howard.  I know you've been watching him.  Hell, he's three doors down from you every night.  Was inspired of you to move him into this wing, away from the girls, and their prying eyes and ears."

"I'm beginning to think hiring him was a mistake."

Leo's eyebrows rose and he moved a bit closer.  "What?  Why?  It's only been a week!  I thought you were over the moon with his first two contributing articles?"

Dominic stared at the television screen as the end credits began to roll.  "That's not what I mean, and you know it," he said softly.  "Of course he's incredibly bright, and a fantastic writer."

"His eyes are fucking gorgeous, too."

"Um.  Yeah."

"I love his hair, did you notice how he's spiked it today?"

Of course, Dominic had noticed, and immediately.  Before Matthew could even speak to him Dominic had mumbled an apology and excused himself, retreating to his office and locking the door.

Dominic had made a habit of this, actually.  He'd become a master at Matthew Bellamy evasion.

"He's distracting me," Dominic said softly.

"How is he distracting you?"

"By existing," Dominic pouted, crossing his arms.

"But, perhaps," Leo began carefully, scooting a little closer, "perhaps, it could be a great thing if you two got to know each other better.  Don't you think that it might be time to begin to consider-"

"Leo, don't-"

"No," Leo spat, Dominic's eyes widening at the tone of his voice.  "For once, you listen to me.  Goddamn it, Dom, I love you like a brother.  How long has it been, four years now?  It breaks my heart to sit and and watch your life pass you by because one fucking wanksock hurt you.  And, I know," he reached for one of Dominic's hands, "I know he hurt you, to the core.  I do.  But what's worse is that he's got you thinking that all men behave that way, and I am here to tell you that they don't, Dom.  They don't.  Please, don't let him do this to you.  Besides, Matthew thinks you don't like him."

"Wait, what?" Dominic shrieked.  "Why?!"

"Well, what do you expect, Dom?  You practically refuse to be in the same room as him most of the time!  Of course he's noticed it; I heard him commenting to Elena about it just this morning." Leo frowned, remembering the scene that he wasn't meant to be privy to, the one that had been on his mind all day.

"I think that will work, absolutely, sunshine!"

"Okay," Matthew muttered, "thanks for your input, Elena."  He made to leave the room, but Elena caught him by his fluffy bunny tail, stopping him in his high heeled tracks.

"Waitwaitwait, get back here, what's wrong, frowny nipples?"

Matthew laughed.  "It's silly, I think I'm imagining things."

"Lay it on me, stud," Elena urged, grabbing his hand and leading him back to the chair in front of her desk.  "What's up?"

"It's Mr. Howard, I mean, Dominic."

"Ah, yes, what about our fearless leader?"

 

"I don't... christ, this is stupid."

"Spill, Bellamy.  Or else, I'll get Morgan, and believe me, she has been known to twist balls to extract information."

"I don't think he likes me very much," Matthew commented, wrinkling his nose, "and I can't figure out why that would be the case.  I mean, I've tried to engage him in conversation a few times and he practically takes one look at me and bolts in the other direction every time."

"Oh, sweetie," Elena knelt in front of Matthew, straightening his bunny ears, "no, no."  She smiled as she continued to primp him daintily, her attention now on his bow tie.  "I've known Dom for years now.  He's just... he, sometimes, takes shyness to a whole new, nuclear sort of level, that's all."

Matthew chewed on his lower lip.  "Yeah?"

"Trust me, sunshine."

"Can-can I confide in you?" he blurted out suddenly.

"Absolutely."

"Sometimes I look at him and I wish he... liked guys, you know?  He's just so fucking gorgeous that I can't stand it."

Elena's breath caught in her throat, her pulse quickening.  She remained silent, despite the fact that she wanted to clap her hands and squeal like a teenager.

"I feel better," Matthew said, mostly to himself.  He stood and shook his head.  "Yeah.  Confession is good for the soul, and all that.  Okay, thanks, Elena, and," he lowered his voice, "not a word, right?  We'll just pretend I never said that."

Elena nodded.  "Whatever you wish, Matthew."

"You can call me Matt, if you like."

"I prefer Matthew," she grinned.  "Suits you, somehow."

Matthew blushed, and Leo chose that moment to enter the room properly.  "Hey, hey, my little crumpets, how are we today?" he boomed brightly, flashing them both a blinding smile.

"Look, I know that it was a private conversation, and that I had no right to listen to it.  I am, I assure you, quite angry with myself."  One glance at Leo from Dominic confirmed this; he looked positively queasy with unease.  "My point is, do you really want him to think you dislike him?"

"God, no!  Of course not."

"No more hiding, then, yeah?  You don't have to get close if you don't want to, but try to be a friend to him.  Okay?"

Dominic nodded.  "Yeah.  Leo?"

"Yes, captain, my captain?"

"You have a Skittle in your hair."

"What color?"

"Yellow."

Leo wrinkled his nose.  "Ewww, yellow.  I'll get it later."