Chapter Text
Can we kiss? With poison on our lips?
The body lies in front of him, white and limp and cold. The pale skin is almost snow-white, dimming the already fading brown of soft hair that gently rests upon the forehead. Slightly parted lips that once bore the brightest shades of red now merged into the grayness, the skin dry and raw under the cold winter sun, like scraps of paper.
Well I’m not scared.
Dominic reaches out to scoop the fragile body from the ground and drags it closer to his body. He cradles the figure in his arms, pulling it tight against his chest as he shifts in his sitting position to heave it up on his lap. The small figure barely weighs.
Can we touch and taste forbidden bliss?
His whole body feels numb from the freezing cold, senses so overridden that the painful coldness feels like no more than a distant stimulation. Drops of snow flutter down past the bare branches of the tree above, dotting his black clothes with white specks, and coming to rest on the pale face in his arms.
He wipes them away.
They can’t stop us now, I won’t let you feel alone.
The raw material of his ragged clothes lights his skin with distant pain. Unbothered, he buries his face deeper into the coarse black scarf that’s tightly wrapped around his neck. A cough violently shakes him, clawing at his throat and crushing his chest. When it passes, he gently lifts the back of the head with trembling hands and buries a kiss in the mess of brown, a gentle yet desperate one. Body cradled in his arms, a face that once showed the most beautiful smile buried deep in his scarf, Dominic gazes forward, and upward, the shrill wind freezing the tendrils of tears that run along the curves of his face. He takes in the scenery, the endless field of snow shining so bright his eyes hurt, the edges only dotted with heaps of whiteness from the trees. The horizon is blurred with grayness, the cloudy sky covered with shades of white and gray and blue, dimming the world in a blanket of silent calmness. He shifts, leaning back against the tree trunk that now stands so thin and fragile and bare, and hugs. Tightly.
I am coming for you.
The boy was small. In his memories, he had always been small. Dominic was six when he first saw the tiny boy sitting on one of the benches that encircled the playground, thin arms hugging his pulled-up legs tightly against his body. He didn’t play with the other boys or girls like Dominic, he only sat there with his face half-buried behind his crossed arms as he nervously flicked glances towards the playing kids, a sharp tinge of blue blinking uncertainly. His messy, dark brown hair fluttered gently as a late summer breeze swept through the playground, making him shiver slightly. His presence had piqued Dominic’s interest. He freed himself from the group of kids that were picking the roles for a round of hide-and-seek, and wandered towards the bench the smaller boy was sitting on. The boy’s head snapped up as he saw Dominic approaching him, blue eyes filled with wariness and lips parted to say something. But it was Dominic who first broke the silence.
“Hi.”
He spoke, smiling shyly.
“Why aren’t you playing with us?”
Dominic flopped down onto the bench next to the smaller boy, wondering how a boy of his age could look so thin, so fragile. He’d barely last in the slightest scuffle.
“I just… um… I don’t think they’ll like it much,” the boy muttered, an awkward smile appearing and vanishing just as quickly, “And besides, I’m fine with this.”
Dominic frowned.
“What do you do here, then? Do you just watch?”
The boy shrugged slightly.
“Kinda. It’s pretty fun.”
“But why won’t you come play with us?”
The boy shifted awkwardly where he sat, scrunching his face as he shrugged the question off.
“Just… just because.”
“Hm.”
Dominic remarked, absently picking at a thread that escaped the sleeve of his shirt.
“Not much fun, are you?”
He quipped, catching the boy off guard as he cracked another shy smile.
“Yeah. Yeah, I guess so.”
The boy let out a small snicker and relaxed a bit next to Dominic, unfolding his legs, which barely even brushed the ground. The two giggled for a while, looking at each other, before Dominic spoke.
“I’m Dominic. But my mom and my friends always call me Dom, so I think it doesn’t matter, really.”
Dominic smirked at Matthew, and the boy giggled again in his soft, low voice.
“I’m Matthew.”
“Nice to meet you, Matthew!”
They turned their attention to the other kids for a moment, watching them in silence. Matthew slightly shifted sideways towards Dominic.
“So, do your friends call you Matt?”
Matthew’s eyes darted upwards, brows furrowing as he contemplated.
“Uhhh, no, I think. No, they never call me like that.”
Dominic giggled.
“I’ll call you Matt. Dom and Matt, isn’t that short and easy?”
Matthew laughed, his narrow shoulders shaking with the movement.
“Well, okay, I think so, maybe, yeah. Matt and Dom.”
He looked as if he were circling the phrase in his head over and over again, letting the term sink in. The small smile on his face revealed the crooked tooth that poked out under his upper lip.
“No, actually,” Dominic leaned towards Matthew, who frowned upon seeing the sudden serious expression on his face.
“It’s Dom and Matt.”
Dominic pressed his lips together, stifling his laughter as Matthew giggled excitedly at the silly remark.
“Matt and Dom,” he challenged.
“No, it’s Dom and Matt!” Dominic retorted, launching forward to tickle the other boy. Matthew shrieked in surprise and joy, rolling off the bench as he tried to scramble away from him. He was laughing uncontrollably, lying on the ground, and Dominic loomed over him with an exaggerated frown upon his face.
“Seriously, dude, you look as if you’re gonna break your bones if you roll off a pebble.”
Matthew was giggling hard, as if he was overwhelmed by a joy that somehow felt so foreign, so rich to him. He looked up at Dominic, feigning hurt.
“S’ not funny!”
Smiling, Dominic helped him up from the ground, Matthew absentmindedly dusting away the dirt that lingered on his clothes.
“Why are you so small and thin? You look like a twig.”
Matthew smiled sadly at Dominic’s blunt remark.
“I get sick a lot. All the time.”
He fidgeted with a leaf that had clung to his pants. Dominic wondered what it was like to always be sick. He barely got ill himself, he thought.
“Why?” Dominic asked.
“I don’t know, nobody told me that, actually.” Matthew scratched the tip of his nose, frowning.
“I never understand what the doctors are saying, and my parents tell me it’s all fine so I don’t have to worry.”
He then looked at Dominic with the best seriousness he could muster.
“I think I’m born sick, Dom.”
Dominic burst into laughter at the other boy’s seriousness, thinking how stupid Matthew was, and poked at the bony arm.
“Nonsense. No one is born sick, you idiot. You’re just, uh—“
He scrunched his nose, trying to remember the difficult word he had learned a few days ago.
“—vulnerable. You’re just more vulnerable to sickness.”
Matthew, though looking a little hurt, nodded, rubbing his fingers along his left wrist. His voice cracked slightly.
“D’you think so?”
“Yeah, I think so. You’ll be all healthy when you grow up. Dad always says you’ll be stronger when you grow up.”
A spark of joy shone in the blue eyes.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Matthew smiled, glancing at the ground beneath them.
“I hope so. I can’t wait to grow up, then.”
Dominic looked around, watching the other kids still running about the playground, their game long since forgotten. He briefly considered taking Matthew with him to join them, but shook his head as he realized that the scrawny boy would probably break his neck if he ever fell from a rough shove from other kids.
“C’mon, I’ll show you around.”
Dominic finally said, taking Matthew’s hand and walking towards the exit of the small playground.
“You- you will?”
He heard Matthew stammer out as he sped up after Dominic. His hand was cold, despite the warmth that still lingered in the summer air.
“Yeah, I will. Why not?”
Dominic looked back, confused as to why his newfound friend sounded so surprised. Matthew shook his head, thin lips curling into a soft smile as he caught up to Dominic.
“Nevermind. Let’s go, then.”
Keep us apart, it’s too much to ask.
“Howard, get your scrawny ass here right now!”
The classroom door banged open amidst the loud noise of students hurrying to pack their bags. A few people looked up, while others were busy with their own friends from different classrooms to catch up with their days. Slinging his messenger bag on his shoulder, Dominic looked up to find Matthew, shirt crumbled and — as always — oversized, leaning against the doorframe with arms crossed and a smirk upon his face. Blue eyes glistened mischievously under the messy brown hair. At the age of fifteen, he was still skinny and small and shy — but was somehow annoyingly… Well. Annoying.
“Oi, who are you to call me scrawny?”
Dominic retorted, jumping over a chair and darting towards the door. The classroom was a mess of loud noises and excited teenagers chatting and running and getting ready to escape school into the warm, summer afternoon. Matthew sprang out into the corridor, but it didn’t take long for Dominic onto grab his waist in a way that nearly made them both stumble to the ground.
“What did you call me, huh?”
Dominic challenged Matthew, playfully punching his side as the smaller boy laughed breathlessly, folding his body to shield himself from Dominic’s vicious blows. Dominic giggled, working his fingers to tickle him mercilessly, as Matthew howled at Dominic’s fingers insulting his sensitive spot. Suddenly, Matthew’s whole body shook, and he braced himself against the wall and coughed violently. Dominic instantly retreated, stammering out apologies.
“Oh, shit, Matt, did I hurt you? I’m so sorry I—”
The playful jab at his stomach almost knocked him out of balance, and as he bucked in pain, he could hear Matthew’s laughter fading away. He looked up to find his assaulter playfully running away through the busy corridor, his eyes tingling in mischief as he glanced at him from behind.
“That was not funny!”
Dominic shouted, sprinting towards his running friend, and they ran down the corridor, through the doors and out into the sun. Warmth instantly washed over his skin as Dominic advanced on Matthew, his high-pitched giggle scattering through the air. After a moment, the other boy finally slowed down, coughing and shaking from laughter as he braced himself against a tree. Dominic caught up to him and playfully slapped the back of his head.
“You wanker!”
Dominic exclaimed, unable to control the laughter bubbling inside him. Matthew was still laughing, his hand clutching his side. After a few moments, he stood up, still wheezing from the run.
“That— that was funny.”
“It wasn’t! You’re using your weakness as your weapon and I can’t even tell if it’s real or not!”
“I mean, that’s what makes it fun—“
Matthew darted to the side as Dominic lunged at him again, but this time Dominic’s firm hands took hold of his bony shoulders.
“Arhgh, let me go!”
“No, you idiot.”
Dominic giggled, holding Matthew firmly as he started to steer him. Matthew attempted to wrestle Dominic a few more times along the way, stirring up more scuffles, but just like all other cases when Dominic had Matthew in his grip, it died off quickly as Dominic easily caught him in a light chokehold with an arm around his neck. The fight finally died after a series of laughter and giggles and wheezing pleas, and soon they were walking along the road side by side, the soft warmth of the sun soaking their skin. Matthew did look a bit paler after their chase, but a red flush soon returned to his face as they wandered into the shallow woods near their town.
“Oh, look, Dom. Have you ever seen that path?”
Dominic looked at the narrow path Matthew was pointing at. It was, in fact, a new finding. It was pretty unnoticeable, the entrance hard to spot between bushes, but it was there, beckoning the kids like a pathway to a new, mysterious world.
“Uhh, I don’t think so. Wanna try?”
“Yup!”
They both walked along the narrow path through the trees, none of them speaking in the soft and comfortable silence they were so familiar with. The forest was shallow, with small trees and soft ground, a place they’d visit often after school. Bright green leaves were lit up by the dazzling sunlight, warm breeze weaving through the thin trees and encircling their bodies. The crisp, fresh scent of summer flooded the air, and the occasional hoots of distant birds drew the perfect scenery for an afternoon walk. A few minutes later, they reached a clearing they hadn’t seen before.
“Wow…”
It was a place at the edge of the small forest, the other side giving way to grassy fields with occasional boulders sticking out here and there. The clearing itself was filled with… with stuff. Old toys, broken machines, torn clothes, and papers that were too soaked and filthy to make out what they originally said. They were all practically waste, things thrown out by people and rightfully so, judging by the state they were in. But that didn’t matter — for Dominic and Matthew, they shone brighter than any treasure, than gold or silver
“This is awesome!”
Matthew shrieked in excitement, bolting into the mass of things and immediately starting to rummage through the piles of antiques. Dominic giggled, slowly making his way carefully between a broken chair and a half-smashed piano. He eyed the countless items, ducking to pick up an exotic wood carving of a leopard, when Matthew called.
“Dom, Dom, look at this!”
Dominic turned and instantly burst into laughter. Matthew, in his oversized shirt and scruffy hair, was holding a broken guitar high up in the air. The guitar itself was beyond repair – half of the body was ripped apart, two strings were nowhere to be seen, and the neck was slightly crooked in an odd direction. Nevertheless, Matthew held it up like it was a new shining guitar ready for the stage.
“Look Dom, I’m a rockstar!”
Giggling, Dominic set down the wooden figure and walked towards Matthew, who hugged the too-big guitar to hold it up and attempted to play the broken strings. He stroked the remaining four strings, which made the most weird sound that made Dominic grimace.
“Okay, that sounds horrible.”
“No, it doesn’t!”
Matthew protested, strumming the strings once again, wincing slightly this time.
“Okay, well, it might sound a little bit horrible.”
Frowning, he kept on playing the broken instrument when an idea sparked up in Dominic’s head.
“Oh wait, hold on for a sec!”
Smiling, he busily searched the multiple piles while Matthew looked at him with a questioning look. After a few moments, he picked up a piece of an old drum toy with a triumphant shout and found two different-length drumsticks from the same pile. Leaping back towards Matthew, he dragged a wooden box over from one of the piles and positioned it in front of them before sitting down on it and placing the drum in front of him. Experimentally, he drummed on the small instrument, having no rhythmic sense whatsoever but still managing to impress the newborn rockstar. He heard Matthew’s high-pitched giggle, soon followed by the weird, broken sound of the guitar. He looked up to find Matthew standing up straight, his hair stood up in a weird angle in the soft breeze, beaming brightly as he strummed away at the guitar with vigor.
“Look, Dom, we’re a band!”
Dominic smiled at how hyped Matthew was.
“A band does not have only two members, Matt.”
“Why not? Or maybe we can get another player. I don’t know, maybe Chris?”
Dominic thought of the sporty boy who was always off to play soccer, and giggled at the image of him playing with the two of them.
“Chris would look hilarious.”
Matthew giggled, stroking the strings over and over again and signalling Dominic to join in. Rolling his eyes with a smile, Dominic started to play a random beat, with Matthew matching his pace as he moved to sit down beside him. They sounded horrible, and they soon burst into laughter at each other’s serious looks, concentrating on their own instruments. Matthew’s blue eyes sparkled, his usually pale cheeks flushed with excitement, and Dominic grinned widely at the sight of his silly friend playing a broken guitar.
***
“But what if we really were in a band?”
Matthew broke the silence. Their instruments long since forgotten, they were lying on the pile of things, dozing off under the setting sun. Being awakened from his sleep, Dominic tilted his head to look at Matthew, who was staring at the sky, his eyes shining brighter than ever.
“Hmm?”
“I don’t know, like in a real band, you know? What if there was like a different universe out there somewhere, and we were in a band together? Where we were rockstars and people would cheer for us?”
Dominic tucked his hands behind his head, making himself more comfortable. He thought about Matthew’s suggestion — what if there were alternate versions of them, Matthew playing the guitar and him playing the drums? What if there was a world out there, where there were people cheering for them on stage? It sounded ridiculous enough, but Dominic couldn’t help but smile at the thought.
“That’s ridiculous."
Dominic grinned, and Matthew chuckled in embarrassment.
“I know, I know. Funny, right? Imagine me singing in front of a crowd.”
They both giggled at the imagery. Dominic imagined Matthew on a stage, in front of thousands of people, singing and playing the guitar, the crowd chanting along with him. It was a ridiculous idea, he knew, but somehow it was heartwarming at the same time. He imagined himself behind a drumset, a proper one, watching Matthew perform to the crowd in front of him, singing with the most beautiful voice ever, when Matthew spoke again.
“But seriously though, it would be so awesome, you know?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I think I know what you mean.”
Matthew turned his head towards Dominic. The fading sunlight cast shadows along the sharp angles of his face.
“Do you think we would have met in other universes, too?”
It was a silly question, Dominic thought, but the serious look on Matthew’s face indicated that the smaller boy was being earnest. His brows were slightly creased and his blue gaze bore at Dominic intensely. Smiling, Dominic shifted from his place to lie down a bit closer to Matthew, tucking his arm beneath Matthew’s head as he squirmed closer to Dominic with a joyous giggle.
“It’s not the universe that matters. It’s the people.”
Matthew cocked his head up to look at Dominic in the eyes.
“So what you’re trying to say is…?”
“What I’m trying to say is, silly, that I will be able to find you anywhere because you are you.”
“Oh.”
The sky was erupting with a thousand shades of the sunset, of countless red, orange and blue. Dominic looked up, wondering if they were out there somewhere, too. Some different versions of them.
“Of course we would meet each other. I’m sure we would find each other in any universe, I have no doubt in that.”
We’re running away.
“I’m still not sure if you should be running, Matt!”
“Me neither!”
With that remark, Matthew suddenly disappeared from Dominic’s view, vanishing completely beneath the tall grass of the massive field. Dominic’s heart lurched as he sped towards the spot where Matthew had gone. He sighed in relief as he found the boy in question giggling uncontrollably whilst lying face down on the ground.
“I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be running off that wildly, considering you have been in bed for two weeks straight.
Dominic remarked, flopping down on the ground next to Matthew, who had turned to lie on his back and was still giggling, his arm pulled up on his face to shield his eyes from the sunlight.
“Well that’s what makes it much more fun!”
Matthew exclaimed, twisting and stretching his body across the soil as if to feel as much as he could. His skin was deathly pale from the weeks of sickness, but the color on his lips was slowly returning as he gladly soaked in the sunlight he had missed so much during the past few weeks.
“You sure you feel okay?”
“I feel fucking amazing, Dom! Stop worrying!”
Dominic smiled down at Matthew, who was beaming brighter than he ever did during the past few weeks. A nasty flu had confined him to his bed, and Dominic didn’t want to recall how miserable it was for him to watch his best friend in that worst state, his body not at all helping to improve the situation.
“Okay, then, how do you feel?”
“I feel fucking invincible!”
“Oh, yes, you sure do.”
Dominic relaxed next to his friend, propping himself up with his elbows and gazing lazily around with half-lidded eyes. The air was still a bit chilly, but the shining sun and the green that covered the once-barren field indicated that spring was indeed here. In the far distance, he could see their village, their fields of crops and the fences that kept their sheep. He breathed in, enjoying the sweet scent of grass and soil he missed so much during winter. The season had an appeal of its own, but to be honest, Dominic was never a fan of winter. Even more so, considering that Matthew could barely leave the house during the cold season.
He felt someone intensely staring at him, and turned his head towards Matthew, who instantly snapped his head away, a pink blush rising on his pale face. A mischievous smile quirked at Dominic’s lips. He loomed over his embarrassed friend, trying to make eye contact with him as he kept avoiding his gaze.
“What have you been staring at so much, hmm?”
Matthew blushed more.
“N—nothing.”
“But I just literally saw you staring at me, didn’t you?”
“N—no, why would I do that?”
“I don’t know, maybe I look good under the sun, hmm?”
“S–says who?”
“Uh, says your blush?”
Matthew shot Dominic a deadly glare.
“Ugh, you do, okay? It’s not my fault that your blonde hair looks fucking fabulous under the sun. Or how stupid face looks so beautiful in certain angles.”
Matthew retorted, staring straight into Dominic’s eyes, suppressing an embarrassed grin. This time, it was Dominic’s time to blush, and he quickly moved away from Matthew, gulping, settling back to staring at the distance. He could swear he heard Matthew giggle softly.
An awkward silence hung between the two, the soft sound of wind rustling the grass and distant chirps of birds quietly decorating the background. Dominic glanced down, fiddling with a few small grasses with his hands, the warm sun getting hotter and hotter on his skin as minutes ticked by. He lifted his head a little bit, glancing sideways at Matthew, who had tucked both of his hands behind his head and was closing his eyes. Though Dominic knew he wasn’t sleeping. Slowly, he shifted and lowered his body next to his friend, the warmth of the heated grass softly spreading out on his back. He stretched his arms above him and spread them out sideways, left arm brushing against Matthew’s soft hair. Humming, Matthew rolled closer to Dominic to comfortably rest his head on his arm, pulling his hand to his body. Dominic smiled. He also tried to ignore how hot his cheeks felt, even counting the warmth of the sun in.
They laid like that in silence for quite some time. The sunlight was enchanting, though they were both far from asleep. Dominic was sure Matthew could feel how outrageously fast his heart was beating. His eyes were closed, his whole sense concentrated on the soft, tiny sensation of Matthew leaning against his body, head resting gently on his arm. He could feel Matthew slowly breathe in and out. Weak and shaky, but healthy.
“Dommy?”
Dominic hummed at Matthew’s call.
“We’ve laid like this countless times before. Why does it feel different now?”
The unexpected question again suddenly alerted Dominic’s relaxed state. His heart clenched at the remark. So apparently, he wasn’t the only one feeling like that.
“Um… does it?”
“Yeah.”
Dominic stayed silent for a moment.
“Do you, too?”
“Huh?”
“Do you feel a bit different, too?”
Matthew’s heart beat steadily against Dominic’s side. If he concentrated enough, he could hear Matthew’s soft, small breaths amidst the sound of nature surrounding them. Dominic closed his eyes.
“Yeah.”
Matthew hummed lightly in response.
“Do you think this is weird?”
Dominic tried to analyze the question properly inside his mind, but the sunlight was too warm and the breeze was too soft and the whole situation felt so magical, his brain refused to function. Not that he felt the question should be properly analyzed, anyway. Smiling, he turned his head to bury his nose in Matthew’s messy brown hair. Feeling what the other boy was doing, Matthew giggled softly, inching in closer to hug Dominic’s body.
“No, not at all. Actually, I think this is wonderful.”
Take off your clothes and take off your mask.
Dominic carefully lifted the scoop full of hot soup and poured it into a small bowl. Two more scoops and the bowl was full, and Dominic closed the lid of the pot and placed the ladle on top of it. He reached for a spoon in the drawer and picked up the glass of water he had poured earlier. Placing them all on the tray, he gently picked it up, tongue slightly poking out of his lips in concentration, trying to balance the whole thing. He walked out of the kitchen, wooden floor creaking beneath him, and strolled across the living room and into a small room.
Matthew was buried under a heap of blankets, with only his eyes poking out from under the worn, white sheet. He was lying sideways, semi-curled up in a ball, though his eyes were awake, albeit slightly. They widened upon Dominic’s entrance, flickering to his smiling face and the tray in his hands.
“Get up, lazy boy. Time for lunch.”
With a muffled groan, the small figure buried itself deeper into the blankets. Chuckling at the boy’s childish behavior, Dominic set the tray down on the bedside table, and sat down on the mess of blankets.
“This is unfair.”
A small grumble came from the heap of white, and Dominic, laughing, gently poked at the spot where he assumed Matthew’s belly would be located. Just as he expected, the boy yelped and sat up immediately, throwing half of the blanket away, revealing a thin, fragile upper body. He glared at Dominic angrily, the pupils slightly dilated from his fever. Giggling, Dominic reached out to ruffle Matthew’s hair, which the brunet batted off with his hand with a grunt.
“What is?”
Dominic asked as he put the tray on Matthew’s lap, the other boy shifting in his sheets to sit more properly, his back against the headrest.
“You said I’ll be healthier when I’m grown up. I’m grown up now, and I’m still sick, for God’s sake.”
Dominic giggled slightly at Matthew’s childish pout.
“You’re still 20. That’s still a kid.”
Matthew scoffed as he picked up the spoon.
“As if you’re older than me.”
“I am, in fact.”
“It’s just one year. Being 21 doesn’t make you an adult either.”
“Well, still makes me the Mommy, apparently.”
“Piss off.”
Dominic chuckled at Matthew’s comment and watched him take the first spoonful into his small mouth, lips tightening around the silver material to fully suck off the soup. Matthew hummed, nodding in approval as he instantly took the next scoup.
“‘S good?”
“Mm–hmm.”
Matthew nodded enthusiastically as he devoured the food, grimacing slightly as the hot soup ran down his throat. Dominic caught himself staring at his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly as he swallowed. Feeling a sudden wave of heat washing over him, he reached for the tray and drank the cup of water that he had poured for Matthew. The cold water running down his throat kind of brought him back to his senses, and as he looked out the window, he could see people walking by in the distance, arms tightly wrapped around themselves. It was freezing that day, but the house was warmly lit by the fire crackling in the living room, and the small heater he’d placed in Matthew’s room was doing more than just keeping the cold away.
“Oi! That’s my water!”
Dominic shrugged as he swallowed.
“What? We have plenty of water. And it’s not like that I won’t get you another cup.”
“You better.”
Winking, Dominic put the empty glass down at the bedside table with a promising grin, and Matthew gave in, rolling his eyes and chuckling lightly.
“You’re a fucking joke.”
Matthew muttered with twinkling eyes before he took another gulp. Dominic cocked his head to the side, raising his eyebrows.
“A joke that can cook, apparently.”
“Well, can’t argue with that, your cooking skills are bloody admirable.”
“Is it now?”
“I’d prefer something like a hot tomato pasta rather than a bowl of dull soup, but considering the circumstances, yeah.”
Dominic was about to retort when Matthew coughed roughly, his thin body shaking as he placed his arm to his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut. After a moment he calmed down, breathing in and out heavily and trying to avoid Dominic’s worried glance.
“…fuck.”
“You good?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, I guess.”
“You sure?”
“It’s just a cold, Dom. I’ve been through this like, every single year. You’re overreacting.”
Matthew brushed him off, picking up the bowl to finish the remaining soup.
“Okay, then.”
Dominic stood up, picking up the empty glass on the table, and strode towards the door.
“W-wait, where are you going?”
The embarrassed call drew a soft chuckle from Doninic, and he turned around with a faux frown.
“I’m just getting more water like you demanded, stupid.”
Cheeks blushing slightly, Matthew scoffed, though a restrained smile was threatening to take over.
“Fine, then. Make it quick.”
Dominic hummed in response, heading towards the kitchen again. When he returned with a fresh cup of water, Matthew had laid the finished tray on the bedside table and was looking out of the window with his hands gently resting in front of him. The pale light that came through the glass traced along Matthew’s sharp features, and his eyes reflected the whiteness of the snow outside, lips slightly parted as he stared out into the distance. His thin t-shirt was slightly twisted to one side, revealing a pale shoulder that shone almost white under the crisp winter sun. Dominic couldn’t help but freeze in the doorway for a second to stare at his friend, his delicate body positioned so softly among the white blankets and sheets, glancing into the winter day like some broken, yet beautiful angel that lost its wings.
“What are you doing there?”
Dominic snapped back into reality at Matthew’s teasing remark, his friend curiously eyeing Dominic as he made his way towards the bed, the blush that rose to his face not helping the situation at all.
“Um, here’s the water?”
Giggling, Matthew took the cup and drank, exposing his soft neck in full display as he knocked his head backwards. Ignoring the sudden swell of warmth across his body — again — Dominic picked up a book he’d been reading from a chair, gesturing to Matthew to move aside a little bit. Cup still clutched in his hands, Matthew shifted to the side and Dominic slid onto the bed, kicking off his shoes onto the floor. After a few moments of silent twitching and muffled whispers of arguing to each other to move aside more, the cup was set down on the bedside table, and they were both sitting side-by-side with the blanket drawn over their lower half of their bodies. Dominic opened the book as Matthew snuggled closer, resting his head on Dominic’s shoulder as he comfortably sank into the fluffy pillows. Dominic knew Matthew had closed his eyes, probably planning to doze off in his favorite position in the whole world, so he gently rested his head against the soft brown hair, eyes slowly following the letters.
It wasn’t long before he heard Matthew’s soft, rhythmic breaths, body completely melting into Dominic’s side as the smaller man slept soundlessly. Grinning, Dominic let himself become fully immersed into the book, his sense of time and place melting away in the clear winter sunlight. Crisp and chilly air blew gently through the window but their shared body heat warmed him enough, the slight fever that radiated from Matthew’s body warm against his skin. It was like a trance, that moment, where everything was trapped in the serene, white beauty of silence and peace. Dominic didn’t know how much time had passed when he realized he was slowly dozing off too, his head slowly dropping forward as his eyes threatened to close. Blinking, he closed the book and laid it on his lap, yawning. Then he slowly turned his head sideways to look down at the sleeping Matthew.
Only, he wasn’t asleep.
Met with intense blue eyes, Dominic felt sleep abandon him instantly as something stirred from his inside. Slightly dazed from sleep, Matthew was staring at Dominic, chin raised to look up at him. The shimmering sunlight lit up the face in the most angelic way possible, sharp angles standing out like those of a sculpture, the blue of his eyes burning brighter than anything else. The air suddenly felt thick with heat and they were close, too close to each other all of a sudden, and Dominic didn’t dare move an inch. He didn’t — couldn’t — look away, and they stared into each other’s eyes for who knows how long, frozen in the pale light, the whole world going silent and distant as they searched each other’s eyes and beyond, until Matthew seemed to snap out from his dreamy state.
“Oh—“
Dominic was already sitting upright when Matthew looked away, head turning to face the window as he bit his upper lip shyly. He gulped as Dominic gently cupped his face with one hand, guiding it back to face him. Half-kneeling, half-sitting facing Matthew, Dominic softly pressed a light kiss on Matthew’s cheek, the trembling sigh of the smaller boy almost inaudible. His thumb traced along Matthew’s sharp chin, the sensation soft and warm under his touch, chuckling quietly as Matthew slightly leaned into his touch, and pressed his face against Matthew’s pale neck. Matthew gasped.
“Dom, stop, Dom I’m sick— you’ll get a cold too if you—“
Ignoring the soft protests, Dominic gently pressed a soft kiss along Matthew’s neck, the other boy whimpering at the touch. Locking one hand with Matthew’s, the other moving from his face to rest behind the soft brown hair, Dominic whispered into Matthew’s ear.
“Hmm. Have I ever gotten sick when I spent time with you?”
“N-no, but—“
“See? I don’t mind. Plus, it’s just a cold, it won’t kill me.”
“But I don’t want you to—“
Shushing the boy, Dominic traced Matthew’s soft lips with his thumb, feeling the feverish blue gaze burning into his skin. Matthew shakily exhaled, thin fingers hugging Dominic’s shoulders ever so lightly.
“I’m fine. And—and if I have to be bedridden the whole next week because of you…”
Dominic met Matthew’s eyes, their faces now close enough to feel each other’s soft breaths. Matthew’s cheeks were red, maybe it’s because of the fever, or maybe not. Dominic didn’t care. Gently leaning in towards the small boy, he whispered.
“I’d be glad to.”
Their lips brushed against each other, a shiver running down Dominic’s back at the faintest touch. He softly pecked at Matthew’s small lips, the other boy’s eyes fluttering closed at the gentle sensation. After a few moments, Dominic pressed their lips together, both closing their eyes out of reflex as they felt each other closer than ever before. He sighed as Matthew’s lips moved against his own, sudden warmth engulfing his body as he gently explored his mouth. They were slow, nervous, moving gently and softly yet savoring each and every bit of each other. Dominic leaned in closer, pressing Matthew against the headboard and feeling him shiver as their chests were flush together.
“D-Dom,”
Matthew’s small mutter slowed Dominic to a halt, the blonde pulling back a little, uncertainty suddenly pooling at his gut. He gulped, both excited and scared at what the smaller man would say. Was he being too fast? Did the sick boy mean the protests before? Suddenly doubting all his prior actions, Dominic stared at Matthew. The azure eyes were ablaze, burning brighter than anything he’d ever seen before.
“Yes?”
If you don’t want to, we could—
The almost-spoken words died in Dominic’s mind as Matthew leaned in again, desperately, his wet lips sliding over Dominic’s, tongues merging in the warmth of their breaths. Bony fingers scraped his scalp, pulling Dominic firmly towards the bed, and soon Dominic was lying on top of the small, writhing Matthew, their hands tangled in each other’s hair and as they clung on to each other for dear life, their mouths never breaking apart for even a second. Between the soft gasps, Matthew managed to breathe out a sentence, albeit breathless and desperate, and Dominic felt as if his whole world had just lightened up so much more, the happiness and pleasure burning not only through his body but also radiating out, washing his current, and future life, with pure bliss.
“What took you so long?”