Matthew dreams of Dominic. He dreams of his golden hair splayed out on the pillow, dreams of soft, tanned limbs wrapped around his own skinny form, dreams of sparkling grey eyes staring at him from across the room. Not content with only visiting him during the day, Dominic has captivated him past the point of return. Indeed he is infatuated, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
Because, for Matthew, this is something of a relief. He'd spent so long wondering if he'd ever fall in love. Numerous nights he had laid on his bed and doubted himself, his own capacity for love far outstretching anybody else's towards him. Nobody treated him the way he wanted to treat anybody else, and he hadn't had a long-term relationship in such a long time. Loneliness settled in his heart, and it seemed like it was the only thing here to stay.
Looking back now, Matthew feels like he was being melodramatic. He had everything he wanted: the band was successful and they were flying high on positive reviews and hundreds of album sales. Life couldn't be better for the trio, but Matthew still felt as if something were missing, not realising until now that it had been standing in front of him the whole time.
The change in status hadn't been too difficult. The pair had always been closer than most, and the sudden switch went unnoticed by many people. Only those astute enough to tell the difference between Matthew's wild mood swings and his purposeful changes in demeanour around Dominic ever guessed what had happened; for everybody else, they simply waited for an announcement.
It took a long time. Dominic didn't feel like he was ready. He said that Matthew was too eager, too clingy, too much like so many ex-girlfriends before him. Matthew told Dominic that he didn't care enough and maybe he should open his heart a little. The pair remained inseparable, but perhaps it was the arguing between them that kept them together. Both would, shamelessly, admit that they thrived on conflict, and the bitter words and barbs flung back and forth across the dinner table only fuelled the fire that they'd rekindle that night in their bunk.
Matthew smiles to himself in his sleep. The beginning was rocky, yes, but eventually things settles out. They found a path that seemed familiar, and they chose to walk it at their own pace. The two ambled along, hand-in-hand, helping each other through album after album, interview after interview. If one was distraught after a particularly scathing review, the other would hold him tight and kiss away his tears. If one got too excited after a post-gig party, the other would always be there to care for him and stop embarrassing himself too much-although Matthew took great joy in teasing the drunken Dominic.
They cared for each other so much that people began to envy them, jealous looks sent their way wherever they went. Trapped inside their own blissful world, they were invisible to Matthew and Dominic, who happily went about their daily lives without a qualm. The pair had found what they wanted most in life, and they were fully prepared to enjoy it to the maximum.
In fact, since that difficult start, everything had been pretty smooth since then. Matthew had been hung on the edge of his seat for a few years, waiting for the blow-up that he knew would happen. With all his past girlfriends, he reached the point where he thought they were finally communicating and suddenly she'd turn around and slap him in the face, screaming all his failures into his eyes.
Dominic never did that.
Matthew smiles again and rolls over, meeting a warm torso. In his sleep, his arm subconsciously wraps itself around Dominic's waist, long fingers stroking the skin of his back and twirling around a dimple in the otherwise smooth skin. Dominic shuffles closer to Matthew, seeking the warmth of the other man, the two locked in an embrace. He can smell Matthew's shampoo, fresh apples greeting his sleepy mind, and his hand finds his hair, stroking through the thick locks gently. His eyes fall shut again and the smoothing motions of Matthew's hand lull him back into a dreamless sleep.
Matthew bites the inside of his cheek as Dominic breathes out, his hair fluttering against the side of his face. He strokes it away and leans into the pillow once again.
It took them a while to find it but, when they eventually did, they found perfection.