Crimson & Clover: Chapter 3

[sunshine_173]

Title: Crimson & Clover
Author: sunshine_173 
Rating: PG
Pairing: BellDom/Original characters
Summary: When Dominic, a young college student from NYC, visits his sister in a small town in Southern Italy, he comes across Matthew, an Italian born, English raised wine maker and connoisseur. After their brief encounter, Dominic finds himself taken by this enigmatic and seductive man. During the two months of summer, he experiences more than he could've imagined.
Feedback:  I'm a comment whore. Every time I read one, my heart goes *tingle*
Disclaimer: I don't own Muse, Matt or Dom. If I did, unspeakable acts would be committed.
Warning: Eh. A little drinking. Implications but nothing to take away innocence.
Note: I've been up for oh, 24 hours, desperate to get as much writing done as possible. tada! I'm so tired I can't even...So...g'night lol.
Love to lalalive23  for being my cheerleader etc. <3 <3

 

It was startling to Dominic how the smallest, most gentle and unassuming touch could be burnt so deep into his skin, so completely memorized in the molecules of his flesh that he still shivered despite the heat of the day. His mind's eye continued to mercilessly remember the finite details of the miniscule interaction he had with that enigmatic man. Like a slideshow, images of frighteningly vivid detail flamed across the blackness of his closed eyelids, dancing with mockery. The fullness of a pale bottom lip, the curve of a high cheekbone, the pronunciation of veins on a smooth neck. Even the flow of foreign words coming forth from the stranger’s mouth, his pink tongue darting out to lick his upper lip before caressing syllables that he made into music. All of this, all these memories, caused a need to rise up from the second ring of Dante’s hell and scorch itself into the very makeup of the blonde’s being.

He shook his head but could not clear his mind, for when he opened his eyes and looked across the six meters of stone piazza separating the fountain that he sat at and the raised platform that the brunette was currently standing on, he was greeted with a twinkling azure stare. 

It had been like this for the last thirty excruciatingly long minutes, ever since Dominic had retreated to his current seat in order to distance himself from the smirking stranger. But the space between them was weighted, as if every particle floating in unison around them had been injected with the same want that began to boil at the base of Dominic’s spine when he had watched the man slowly suck the wine off his thumb. 

Dominic was confused, to say the least, by his sudden base desire for the brunette. He liked women. Loved them, in fact. So when visions of a naked ivory body spread wantonly across a bed flashed through his mind, he was taken aback. He'd never been with a man. It wasn't that the thought was distasteful to him – he'd imagined more than once what it'd be like to veer into the path of homosexuality – but the opportunity had never presented itself. He had simply never seen a man he craved to dominate and be dominated by, especially in such a short period of time.  

The blonde continued to watch the stranger, his lean body bending down to ruffle the hair of a young boy, his straight back arching. He took in every detail he possibly could in an attempt to further understand the magnetic attraction that was slowly building an insanity inside him, and it became apparent as the man straightened, long fingers reaching out to toy with the collar of his shirt before sliding down to slowly undo the next button, that in order for this abrupt hunger to become temporarily pacified was to know him in every way he possibly could. 

The man's newly revealed skin was gleaming, the blinding heat of the sun causing a light sheen of sweat. The deep red shirt was now unbuttoned passed his chest, and Dominic swore when he twisted to the side and the shirt fell slightly, he saw a dark nipple peek out, contrasting sharply against the olive paleness of his skin. Too soon, he turned around, his back to Dominic's eyes. This didn't upset the blonde though. Despite not have the privy of seeing the brunette's ice and fire eyes, the curve of his lips, or the creamy skin of his neck, he was granted with the image of his narrow hips, tightly clad in black jeans. The curve of his arse was accentuated, and when he languidly bent down to grab yet another bottle of his wine, Dominic found himself squirming, unsure if the heat radiating throughout his body was because of the sun or something else entirely.

It seemed that the man had been bending a lot the last half hour, and Dominic vainly began wondering if it was completely on purpose. He thought for a moment that it was possible he knew he was being watched. The more Dominic pondered over it, the more that idea sounded plausible. It would explain why every move the man made seemed as if it was directed at the blonde. It would explain why every few moments, mischievous eyes would flicker towards Dominic and a maelstrom fighting behind bottomless irises would meet shocked grey.

Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear, was the only thought to race through Dominic's mind when those very same eyes found his.

Except this time he didn't look away. This time, he held his gaze. This time, the man turned to fully face him. Slender fingers were wrapped around the neck of a bottle, and Dominic swallowed tightly when he noticed the thumb of his hand bend and start to circle the opening. He openly traced his eyes over the man once more, not caring that he was unabashedly staring at the length of his body, and again he felt eyes burning trails all over his skin. When he looked back up, he wasn't surprised to see the man grinning, the devious smirk knowing.

The man turned suddenly, his head whipping around and a bout of Italian coming forth, a good-natured laugh falling from his lips.

Dominic let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as soon as the eye contact was broken, and he noticed that the crowd had thinned massively, only a small handful of people left. This fact both frightened and intrigued him, for the thought of being in close proximity and possibly speaking to this man alone was a pleasant one. Dominic wondered what the man's name was; Could it be David? Gabriel? Paulo? None of the names he thought of were adequate enough for this enigma. His mind continued to go off on a tangent, all his thoughts circulating around the man.

A shrill noise caused the blonde to jump, whipping his head around back and forth to find where it was coming from, only to realize a moment later that it was his mobile that emitted such a loud sound. Hurriedly, he snatched it out of his pocket, EMMA flashing on the screen. Glancing in the direction of the man as he flipped the phone open to answer, he caught a pair of amused blue eyes twinkling at him as pale hands wiped off a glass with an olive green towel.

"Hello?" Dominic noted that the crowd had halved, only four left. Two of them were children.

"Well jeez, Dom, I wouldn't want you to sound too chipper." His sister greeted him sarcastically, but he could tell there was a tinge of actual curiosity behind her words.

"Ha, sorry. Mind was elsewhere." Rubbing his face with his spare hand, he glanced up again, his heartbeat quickening when he watched the family that was previously standing and laughing next to the man walk away. No one else was in the piazza except for him and the man, the group of friends singing and playing guitar having left not long before. With wide eyes he watched the brunette bound up the small steps. He looked over his shoulder. The grin that spread across his face when he caught Dominic staring so intently was downright impish, and the blonde gulped when he licked his lips, his hand trailing across the surface of the barstand.

"Dom? You still there, buddy?" Emma's voice was beginning to sound worried, her brother's lapse of attention unusual.

"Yeah. Sorry. Keep getting distracted." Hands raised and undid yet another button, the opening in his shirt nearly down to his navel. The man fanned himself slowly, winking. He turned and began to set bottles into a small box.

"I can tell. All those sexy Italian women drawing your mind away from me or something?"

He snorted. "Or something." Women were the last thing on his mind as he nervously stood up, his eyes trained on the retreating form of the brunette. "So..."

"Oh right! Just letting you know there's a change of plans. Michael's not feeling too well, so he's just going to stay at home and get some rest. You and I are left to our own devices for dinner."

"What do you wanna do, then?" Dominic replied, taking tentative steps towards the lone barstand.

"Well I just came across some adorable baby clothes, so I'll shop around a bit longer if that's cool with you. Are you too bored?" He smiled when he heard a quiet "oh my god!"

"Not bored at all, actually. Take as long as you want. It feels rather nice to just exist for once, y'know?" The man still hadn't returned from the bar.

"I know right. Okay, well, I'll call you or find you in a bit and we can plan from there. Sound good?"

"Yep."

"'Kay. Love you!"

"Love you too, Em." But she'd already hung up.

Dominic flipped shut his phone, blindly reaching back and slipping it into the tight confines of his back pocket. Breathing deeply in, he shut his eyes and shook his head, his small steps forward lengthening. He didn't know exactly why he was so set in meeting this man, in exchanging some length of words. Acting completely on impulse was something he wasn't usually used to doing, and he couldn't deny that it was a breath of fresh air to not have to worry about the repercussions of an action.

Closing in on the distance between the barstand and himself, he debated how to go about this. He could either wait outside or pick up a box of wine glasses and hope that the man appreciates the help, despite the hidden reason for doing it in the first place. Dominic laughed to himself, thinking that it was foolish to believe that the brunette hadn't already realized that he wasn't hanging around the fountain for enjoyment. No, he knew what Dominic wanted. Dominic was sure of it, even though he wasn't quite sure himself what his motive exactly was.

Standing at the foot of the few steps, Dominic's impatience won over, and he raced up the steps and grabbed the medium sized box containing the glasses. His heart hammering a rhythm in his chest, he swallowed his nerves and stepped down, one long leg moving slowly after another until he was standing at the threshold of the bar. He glanced around, taking in the surroundings inside. The bar itself was located just inside along the far right wall, various alcohols and glasses placed neatly in dark wooden shelves. Several stools lined the bar table, their seats leather and a deep, chocolate looking red. The lighting was dim, most of the brightness coming from the wide windows on all of the walls. At the opposite side of the place was a small dining area, eight or nine black and glass tables sitting sporadically, matching black wooden chairs joining them. The whole place seemed very roomy, and as Dominic took a step inside and was greeted with a wave of cool air, his nervousness quieted down some.

And yet the moment he heard muted footsteps swiftly walking and growing louder, the blood in his veins stuttered in its flow, his breathing becoming shallow. He felt a flush rising up his cheeks and his ears were burning. Grey eyes were wide, the hue of the lighting casting curious shadows in the depths of his irises. Two more steps he took, than another, until he was standing still next to a stool, staring intently at an archeway that led off to what he assumed was the wine cellar.

The footsteps became even louder and too soon, far too soon for Dominic to ever be prepared for the sight of those universe eyes, a head of messy brown hair came through the archway, head tipping up to watch where he was going. For a single beat of blind shock, the man froze, staring at Dominic and the blonde could practically see the wheels in his head turning as he assessed what he came upon.

Three unsteady breaths and five heartbeats later, the blank face of the man transformed completely. Lips curled into a grin, the lower lip slowly sucked into his mouth and bitten. Blue eyes deeper than an ocean abyss twinkled, mischief shining like the flicker of a burning flame.

Automatically, Dominic found himself glancing down the body of the brunette merely two meters in front of him. He noted that the shirt had been buttoned back up some, though he still left three undone, his collarbone still deliciously on display for Dominic's wandering eyes. He had a slight sheen of sweat gracing his skin, the gleam of it highlighting the height of cheekbones and the olive tint to his skin. It seemed surreal to Dominic for a moment, being in his presence, the aura he held around himself so confident and so...alive that it caught him off guard. Dominic's gaze flickered back up to his eyes and he found himself being drawn in, gradually, almost magnificently.

Movement registered in his peripheral, and he watched without looking away from those crystal and ice orbs Matthew slowly approach him, his walk elegantly smooth. He raised one hand to glide along the smooth marble of the table top, trailing his fingers as he took one step after another and closed the distance between them.

"Dominic." A voice richer than chocolate and as smooth as silk met the blonde's ear, the formation of the name rolling forth from the brunette's mouth causing a small shiver to run down his spine. He stood barely a foot from him, completely captivated by this being before him, prison only to an undertow of opalescent and cyaneous depths. The brunette's mouth was open somewhat, his breaths coming out softly and Dominic gulped when he saw that damned pink tongue slowly dart out to lick along his full bottom lip.

Dominic jumped a little when he felt something graze his forearm, his eyes tearing away from the man's as he glanced down to the bottom right, catching in time the man's arm falling from the table top and swinging to a stop next to his hip.

"H-Hi." Was his ingenious response, his stomach knotting when the brunette's smirk deepened.

"What are you doing, tesoro?" Dominic swore he took a miniscule step forward, the space between them seeming considerably smaller.

"Uhm...I'm helping." He swallowed tightly, his penetrating stare intense and unnerving, his ever-present and knowing smirk causing the blush on his cheeks to deepen.

"Oh? Hmm..." He bit his lip again, a soft smile now resting on his lips as he broke eye contact and took a long and torturously slow glance down Dominic's body. The blonde was thankful that the box of glasses blocked his groin from view. "Thank you, Dominic, for your help." Everything about the man seemed to radiate "careful", for even as he reached out to take the box from Dominic, his hands brushing lightly against the backs of Dominic's, he made sure not to move fast at all.

The hair on the back of the blonde's neck rose, his skin tingling, but his eyes were still glued to the man's. He felt like the man was a hypnotist for a small moment, the way his eyes never left his as his hands pulled the box away and to his body, though the second it was in his hands alone, those eyes dropped downwards. He turned around after a while, the soft smile still on his mouth.

The man went back through the archway but returned quickly, this time walking with a bit more purpose than before, his gaze on Dominic as he circled him.

"Would you like a drink, Dominic?" His voice was from behind, and the blonde turned, startled to see him reaching up with both hands over his head and stretching. He automatically looked down to find that the shirt had risen some, dark hair peeking out and leading to the snap and zip of his trousers, hip dents prominent. "Darling?"

The pet name whispered out caused Dominic to shake his head and look away, staring straight ahead at the line of beverages. "Sure."

The man giggled, the sound entrancing, and stepped behind the counter and reached up, grabbing an amber colored liquor. Snatching a glass from a shelf, he spun around on his heel, standing directly in front of Dominic, and sat the glass down to fill it.

Dominic watched him, his face tilted downwards, dark eyelashes fanned out over his cheeks, the left corner of his mouth curled up into half-smirk.

 

Blue eyes flickered up, peering up at Dominic from under his eyelashes. "Yes, Do–"

"What's your name?" Dominic blurted out, unable to stop himself from asking the question.

Looking him fully in the face, he laughed throatily, his smile wide, wonky tooth and all. "You're rather curious, aren't you, love?" Calming his giggles down, he sat down the glass in front of Dominic. "Good ole JD. You look like you could use some. My name's Matthew. Or Matt. You can call me whatever you desire, pretty boy." Matthew gave an over-the-top wink, turning around to replace the whiskey.

Dominic snorted, reaching for the glass and bringing it to his lips, the comforting scent drifting up to meet his nostrils. His name wasn't at all what he thought it would be, the simplicity of it contrasting greatly with the man's character. The brunette turned, hooking his ankle around the leg of a stool behind him. He scooted it towards his body and settled down, resting his elbows on the marble, and sat his head in the palm of his left hand.

"So here for family?" Matthew said randomly.

"Uh, yeah." He swallowed a sip. "Visiting my sister."

Matthew furrowed his brow for a split-second, but spoke up before Dominic could question his look of confusion. "Where are you from, originally?"

"New York. Born and raised. It's been awhile since I've been out of the country, so it's a nice change of pace." Dominic said, feeling decidedly more and more comfortable in the presence of the coquettish brunette.

"That's depressingly cliche, darling." He tsked him, his Italian accent shining through at various syllables.

Dominic raised an eyebrow, setting his drink down and hopping up onto a stool. He mirrored Matthew's position, cocking his head to the side in question.

"How so?" Usually, he would be defensive, no matter how minor a reply may be. But this time, he was genuinely curious, something in the man's eyes telling him he meant no harm in his comment. "Where are you from?"

He giggled. "Benevento. I was born here. Moved to London when I was rather young. I'm based there, in London. That's where I have my shop. I come here to make wine, and to check on the vines. You know, the usual." His eyes sparkled, their hue drawing Dominic in once more, and he found himself looking into his eyes rather than responding to what he was just told. Matthew didn't seem to mind. He seemed to enjoyed the attention the blonde was giving him.

Leaning forward on his seat, Matthew licked his lips, his eyelids lowering slightly. His eyes seemed to darken a couple shades, and Dominic felt himself freeze in his seat, a deer in the headlights of a speeding car, a bird in the glare of a snake. Time stilled as Matthew's face came nearer to his, a ghost of a smile fluttering over his mouth.

 

"Tell me, Dominic, have you e–"

 

"Dommie!!" The sudden shout of a female voice broke the two apart, Dominic jumping in his seat and Matthew leaning back a little, still close to Dominic but not in a questionable sense.

"Emma, darling! You know pretty boy?" Matthew's eyes were wide in real shock, and he slid smoothly off his seat to walk towards the pregnant blonde who stood grinning in the doorway, shopping bags in both arms.

"'Course I do, silly, he's my brother." She giggled out as Matthew gently held her face in his hands and pecked her on the nose.

"Oh, is he now?" Matthew turned slowly around and eyed Dominic, who still sat in his seat at the bar, his mind in turmoil at the sudden change of events. He wanted to know what Matthew was about to say.

"Mmhm, but it looks like y'all have already met."

"Yeah, I saw him doing a wine tasting. Thought I'd...you know, taste. His wine." Dominic coughed, tipping his head back and gulping down the last of his JD, willing his embarrassment not to show.

Unexpectedly, he heard a low chuckle pass behind him, and he whipped his head quickly around to see Matthew walking passed to the archway.

"Dom? You okay, bud?" Emma asked, shifting her weight onto one hip as she stared curiously at her brother.

"Yeah. Yeah, I just think the heat got to me, you know." She nodded slowly and he slid out of his seat, walking towards her and snatching away what looked like the heaviest bags. Emma rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless at the gesture, turning her head when Matthew appeared before them, brandishing a bottle of wine at her.

"For you, my beautiful." Matthew said this to Emma, his eyes on Dominic. His sister didn't notice, she was too busy looking at the bottle before she glanced up, a wide smile on her face.

"Awww, baby, thank you!" She reached out with her free arm and gave Matthew a side hug, taking the bottle of wine from him. "How long are you going to be open?"

"Not much longer, actually. I have some cleaning to catch up on at home." Matthew's eyes flickered between Dominic's and his sisters.

Emma pouted, sighing. "Well that's not fun. Alright. We'll have to find somewhere to eat for dinner, I'm starving. We'll stop by sometime and catch up, yeah?" She directed the latter bit at Matthew, a hopeful smile on her face.

"Of course, doll. I can't deny you anything." Matthew smiled at her, again glancing at Dominic's stunned face. He suppressed a snicker.

"M'kay, Dom, let's go. I'm seriously ravaged." Turning towards her brother, she poked him in the side and giggled when he bent, a smile stretching across his face as he narrowed his eyes at her. She turned, waving at Matthew and headed out the door.

Dominic went to follow her.

"Dominic, aren't you going to say goodbye?" Matthew's voice was quiet, teasing.

"Er, bye Matthew." He swallowed, chancing one more look at those eyes. He found the brunette grin when he said his name, his eyes darkening again.

He took a step toward Dominic. "I'll see you, mio tesoro."

Eyes wide, Dominic turned, the predatorial stare both frightening him and sending tingles of possibility throughout his body.