Collins sat on the couch in the apartment he shared with Angel. It was so silly to think that, after two years, but he did. This was their apartment, and no matter how much time passed, no matter who he was with, it would always belong to him and Angel. He had a newspaper spread across his lap, but wasn't really looking at it. His gaze was unfocused, staring at an unknown point across the room, lost in thought.
In the time since Angel's death, Collins, while he hadn't moved on, necessarily, had begun to live. Living was what Angel did best, and he knew that was what he would want Collins to do, too. It was hard, but he did it for him, though he'd never actually expected to live this long.
And then Benny came along. Benny had been there for him ever since Angel's funeral, and now they'd become so much closer. Now, they were in a relationship together, something that often surprised Collins. Never had he expected to be with anyone after Angel, and certainly not his best friend. But there they were. And Benny made Collins happy. Though some days, like today, his mind would drift back to Angel, wondering when they'd be together again.
Even if it had been a few years since Angel had last set foot in the apartment, his presence was still very much inside the place. Benny would never change it though. He knew, and understood, how big of a part Angel played in Collins' life. He wished, however, he could help him to move on. He tried so hard to drag him from the depths of his depression. He loved him. Their relationship had become something worth the time and energy. His best friend turned boyfriend - it was perfect.
"Collins?" His voice called out as he opened the door up to the apartment and stepped inside. He removed his coat, eyes searching and finding the man he looked for. He folded his coat across one arm and continued towards the couch. The look on his face made him frown. "Hey," he continued, sitting down right beside him and trying to figure out what he was looking at. He came to the conclusion that it was nothing very quickly. "How're you feeling?" As if it wasn't obvious already.
Collins literally jumped, startled, when Benny sat down beside him. He hadn't heard him come in. Blinking a few times, he turned to look at his boyfriend. "Hi Benny," he said, a small smile on his lips. He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on his lips before turning back to his newspaper. "Me? Oh, I'm fine," he said quickly, staring at the words on the page without really seeing them. He didn't want to tell Benny about what he'd been thinking, though he was sure Benny knew. It wasn't hard to figure out. But he knew it upset Benny sometimes, that Collins couldn't be with him completely, and he didn't want to get into that now. "Did you have a good day?" he asked, neutrally.
Benny wanted Collins to be better than fine. He knew that it probably wasn't best to bring up that subject now though. He didn't want to upset him. He was depressed enough. He kissed him gently and put a hand to his shoulder. "I did," he said with an offered smile. He wasn't so sure that Collins had had a good day.
"How has yours been? Do anything interesting?" He asked. They seemed to have good days and bad days. He knew Collins was trying to live but he knew he also needed to live in more happiness than he did. He had to move on. It was hard to tell someone to move onto someone that influenced their life as much as Angel did Collins. They had a love that was easily envied. But Benny wanted to have a deeper relationship than what they had now.
Collins reached up and placed his hand over Benny's on his shoulder, setting the newspaper aside and shifting his body so he was facing him. He smiled, a small but genuine smile. He did love Benny, truly. Benny made him happier than he'd been since Angel, and he was so supportive of him, so patient with his mood swings. He chuckled at his question. "If you can call talking to a group of 100 kids about something they don't give a shit about interesting, then yeah," he said, eyes sparkling just a little, "I did. I'm just glad I only had one class today. I needed some time to just relax."
"Well, I'd call it frustrating," he joked with a chuckle. He didn't think he'd ever be cut out to be a teacher. How Collins did it, he would never know.
"Frustrating," Collins echoed, as though he'd never heard the word before, then nodded, a rueful smile playing on his lips, "Yeah, I'd say you're right, there, Benny," he agreed with a smirk.
"Well, we've got plenty of time to relax. You could use it."
Collins suppressed a mournful sigh when Benny mentioned they had lots of time. He knew he was referring to the here and now, but Collins couldn't help thinking about how much time he had left before he died. That was where his thoughts had been all day, but he tried to shake them off. Stop that, he scolded himself, You're not being fair to him. He knew he had to stop doing this to Benny, to stop acting this way. Sooner or later, Benny was going to get tired of it and leave him. He didn't want that at all.
Wrapping an arm around Benny and leaning his head against his shoulder, Collins smiled, forcing thoughts of Angel out of his mind. "We do. And I'm glad you're home. I much prefer relaxing with you than alone."
"Me too. Can't think of a place that I'd rather be," he said with a smile, leaning his head against Collins' as it rested on his own shoulder and putting an arm around his boyfriend lovingly. He turned his head, even pressing a kiss against Collins' with what he hoped was a comforting smile. He would be caring and patient as long as he could. Sure, there were times when he was frustrated and tried to push more out of the relationship. It was hard to live in the shadow of a dead lover. Especially someone as influential and close to Collins as Angel was. He didn't want him to forget but he wanted him to move on - to live like he was supposed to.
Collins sighed contentedly as Benny wrapped his arm around him. It was so nice to be able to just sit here, the two of them, together. He cherished these moments with Benny. Still, he could sense that Benny knew what was on his mind, and that it was upsetting him, and he didn't want that tonight. There had been too many nights of Benny trying to comfort Collins. It was time for them to have a night without Angel coming between them. It wasn't as though those times never happened, they happened all the time. But the past couple of days, Collins had been in a funk, and he was ready to focus his thoughts on Benny.
Placing his free hand on Benny's chest, he kissed his shoulder lightly. "I love you, you know," he said softly, meaning it with everything in him. Benny was all he could ask for in a boyfriend, and he loved him dearly for it. "Did you... uh... want to go out tonight?" he asked curiously.
"I know," Benny always knew that. "And I love you too." He was everything he had ever really wanted. He loved him so much and it was why it became frustrated on the nights he couldn't bring him up.
"Actually, I was thinking maybe we could go out and grab something to eat. Get our minds off of everything. Just the two of us," He offered, wondering if that sounded acceptable and fun to Collins. It could be good for the both of them, it really could.
"Dinner would be great," he said sincerely. It would be just what he needed to keep his mind off Angel and on Benny. Wrapping his arms around Benny in a quick hug, he stood, offering his hand to help him stand. "Let's not go to the Life, though," he said after a moment's thought, "We always go there. I want to try something new. Take me to one of those places you would have taken Alison!" He grinned at Benny, loving the idea of going to a fancy restaurant with him, although not completely sure they'd let him in. He wasn't the most... well dressed of men.
Wherever Collins wanted to go, Benny would have been fine with. He wanted this to be a good night for him and if he wanted to go to a fancy restaurant then Benny would see what he could accomplish. "We're going to have to dress up. They're pretty stubborn about who they let through the door. You all right with that?" He asked, grabbing his hand as he stood to his feet, a smile on his face.
Collins grinned again, feeling completely happy for the first time that day. "If it means I get to see you in a suit," he said, looking him up and down suggestively, "Then I have no problem at all wearing one. Just hope yours will fit me." Collins had no suits of his own. The closest he had was what he had worn to Angel's funeral, and there was no way he was wearing that on his date with Benny.
"Come on," he said, tugging him toward the bedroom, "Find me something to make me look presentable," he teased.
Benny grinned. They were in luck tonight too, because Benny still had a suit that he hadn't had taken in yet. He was almost positive that it would be perfect for Collins. He walked with him towards the bedroom, grinning all the while. "I think I have just the thing," he said, crossing the room to where he kept his things. He didn't have all if his clothes here but he kept a large portion of his stuff with Collins. He hadn't officially moved in with him but he did stay with him a good deal of the time. It just never had been the right move to move completely in.
"I have this one. I haven't had it altered. I think it'll fit." He said, pulling out the suit by the hanger and revealing it to his boyfriend. "What do you think?"
Collins looked at the suit. He'd never been fond of them, never worn one since his father had forced him to wear one to a cousin's wedding when he was 16. But tonight, he was willing, even wanted to wear one. He wanted a special night with Benny, and what better way than this?
"Looks good to me," he said with a shrug, taking the suit from him and laying it on the bed. He quickly stripped of his pants and shirt before sitting on the bed to pull on the suit pants.
Benny wore suits often enough. Every special occassion or even that he had to look especially good for, he jumped into a suit. He had worn one on less ocassions though after his falling out with Allison. He hadn't yet picked out his suit yet but instead had been watching Collins change.
"Hey," Collins said, "What are you gonna be wearing, Mr. Coffin? I want to see you get changed, too!"
Benny laughed when he addressed him and reached to grab his own suit.
"Sorry, it was just so intriguing watching you," He joked playfully before he set his suit out. He quickly started to strip out of his own clothes and began to climb into his pants.
Now it was Collins' turn to watch as Benny removed his clothes. His eyes raked over his boyfriend's form, smiling, pleased with what he saw. Slipping on the jacket of his own suit, he said, "Damn! If I wasn't already in this thing, I'd say we should just stay home." But he was, and there was no way he was going to get out of it before they'd gone to dinner. Standing, he ran his hand briefly over Benny's chest before taking his suit jacket and holding it out for him to slip into.
Benny flashed a grin at Collins, catching the gaze that swept over his body.
"Maybe I shouldn't have given you that suit so fast then," he teased, in watch of that hand that trailed over his chest. Damn, his hands could drive him insane. But, dinner was still on! Benny slipped back into the coat that Collins held out for him and turned to face him, dressed up nicely.
"Look good?" He asked, gazing Collins' form adoringly. They both would look great tonight.
"You look incredible, Benny," he said softly, moving close to him for a kiss. It was going to be hard for him to keep his hands off of Benny tonight. There was just something about him in a suit that drove Collins wild.
"And what about me?" he asked, and stepped back, holding his arms wide for inspection. "Do I pass? Think they'll let me into one of those classy places now?"
Benny kissed him gently on the mouth. He took a step back as if to observe the man before him. He looked really good. After a few seconds of looking him up and down. He had to admit that he looked him over a few more times than really necessary but he did like what he saw.
"You look great! I think they'd be crazy if they didn't. You look like you fit right in." He took a step towards him, purposely running his hands down his chest, pretending that he was just trying to see how the clothes fit on him. That wasn't the case though, he just wanted to touch him. Collins knew exactly what he was doing and didn't mind in the least.
"Everything meet your approval?" he teased, brushing his own hands over the front of Benny's jacket.
"Every last thing," Benny assured his boyfriend with a smirk.
After a moment, Collins stepped away, taking Benny's hand in his and pulling him toward the door. He'd never thought it would be possible for him to actually be excited about getting this dressed up to go to a fancy restaurant, and yet, there he was. Collins deliberately left the jacket Angel had given him hanging on the hook by the door. It wasn't an easy choice to make - since Angel had given it to him, he'd worn it always. In the dead of winter and in the middle of summer. But not tonight. Not tonight. "Come on, Benny," he said, "Take me out now!"
The excitement was shared between them. Already Benny was imagining that the night was going to be good for the both of them. They could get out, drop every stressor and just have a good time. This is what it should be like, he thought, all the time. Grinning, he held Collins' hand and started out of the room with him.
"Let's go. I promise you won't be disappointed." He walked out the door with him not once thinking of losing the grip he had against his hand. "I know just the place too. It has the best food," he informed him.
Collins smiled as he walked down the street with Benny. He felt... light. For the first time in days. They were going to have a great evening together, he just knew it. He squeezed Benny's hand, just looking at him and smiling.
"What's this place called?" Collins asked, After they had walked a couple of blocks in a comfortable, happy silence. His mind was busy imagining what the restaurant would look like - he'd seen pictures of fancy places in magazines. Clean, white tablecloths, waiters in fancy suits, expensive dishes, and lots of forks. "And... how many forks will there be?" he asked, suddenly a bit nervous about the idea. He didn't have the first clue about proper restaurant etiquette.
Benny had forgotten all about the utensils and proper dining etiquette. This was always entertaining, though at the same time a lot of it was pointless. Benny still wouldn't understand the need for so many different utensils at one dinner table. He understood how to use them, though and what they were for.
"If I remember correctly, there'll be three to pay attention to here. There's a salad fork, a dessert fork and a dinner fork. Then there's also the serving forks but that's easier." He said, thinking back to all the forks. Forks were very useful tools and restaurants had them in abundance.
"You're in for quite an experience," he said with a grin. He'd help him and try to coach him before they got there. He remembered his own first at a fancy restaurant. It was shocking how perfect everything ran and how serious the people within were.
Collins listened carefully, trying to take in what Benny was telling him. Salad fork. Dessert fork. Dinner fork. Were they all the same size? Was there some clue as to which was which? He didn't voice those questions though. When he saw the forks, then he would ask.
"The serving fork. That sounds like it would be bigger than the other ones," he commented. He was actually beginning to feel like a small child, with his lack of understanding of this other world. He was supremely glad Benny was going to be with him.
"Yeah, that's a bigger fork. It's actually obviously something you probably wouldn't eat with." Unless you liked eating with large forks, but that wasn't very common.
"I'm glad I'm doing this with you," Collins said, chuckling, "If I was alone, I'd probably use the dessert fork for my salad and get myself kicked out!" He laughed at the absurdity of the notion, but also wondered if it wasn't so far off the mark.
"They all take their forks too seriously. It's like all eyes are on you if you use the wrong one. It's like a sin to these people to use the wrong utensil." And that wasn't too much of an exaggeration at all. They really did look at you badly if you used the wrong utensils. "The waiters are rather nice though. I've walked away from the table on a few occassions just to ask how to use something. No one had to find out, and they were more than happy to help me." Even Benny had slipped up every now and then. "I'm sure you'll do fine. I'll lead you through it," he laughed.
Listening to Benny, Collins could feel his face growing hot, already anticipating the mistakes he would make and the looks he would get. He was by nature a shy man, though normally didn't care what other people thought. Tonight, though, he was more worried about Benny. He didn't want to embarrass him. All his self-conscious fears seemed to be multiplied.
Slowing his pace a little, Collins asked, "Are you sure you're okay with this? I don't want to do anything to embarrass you." His face was now flushed and he couldn't quite look at Benny.
"Collins, you'll be fine." Benny squeezed his hand lovingly. He wouldn't be embarrassed by Collins no matter what he did. He could have the entire restaurant staring at them and he'd laugh it off because it was with him. He loved him deeply, they had been boyfriends for some time now and good friends before that. They were worth more than a few staring restaurant employees and customers.
"You won't embarrass me. No matter what you do." He tried to assure him of that. He didn't want to back off from it because Collins didn't know all of the proper etiquette. That would just make it a bigger adventure and they were out to have fun and a good time.
"That sounds like a challenge, you know," Collins said with a smirk, "You should know better than to say something like that to me!" he teased, letting go of Benny's hand to playfully grab his ass.
Benny laughed and playfully gave him a silly little shove when he grabbed him. He raised his eyebrows at him and then shook his head. "I should have caught myself before that one," he agreed with a smile. "Though, be careful, I could always tell you the wrong fork." He joked as if he was holding the identity of the forks above his head.
Gasping in mock shock, Collins exclaimed, "You wouldn't!" bringing a hand dramatically to his chest. "And here I thought you loved me!" He laughed heartily at their banter, not really caring about forks or rich people at the moment, only about Benny.
"Oh, I love you," Benny laughed. "And it would be done with all the love in my heart." He teased with that same grin.
"Loving humiliation," Collins grumbled, good-naturedly of course, "Sounds just great." But he couldn't keep a straight face and instead leaned in to give Benny a quick kiss on the cheek, squeezing his hand.
"It's the best type of humiliation there is," he responded with a chuckle. As silly as it was.
"So, Mr. Coffin, are we just about there?" Collins asked, eager to see this place. He wondered if it would look like the one he had seen in the magazine, but simply couldn't visualize himself in a place like that. He couldn't wait to get there!
"It's right around the corner, actually. Are you ready?" He asked, a smile playing along his mouth as he started around the corner.
A slow smile spread across Collins' face. "I am," he said simply, confidently. No matter what this restaurant was like, what kind of people would be there, he knew this was going to be a night to remember. A night with Benny he'd always remember and cherish. As they rounded the corner, Collins scanned the storefronts, finally spotting the only restaurant on the block.
"Is it that one?" he asked curiously, feeling his excitement growing. He picked up their pace, walking straight to it and looking in the large front window.
The restaurant was almost exactly as he had pictured it; it was as though it could have come directly from the pages of his magazine. It was as perfect as a picture. The table cloths a perfect white, the floors clean enough that you could see the white ceiling reflecting against it. The chairs were tall, deep browns and burgundies and everything looked like it was taken straight from a book on dining. There was some art tastefully displayed in paintings here and there but all of it looked so perfect. He could see a few diners - the restaurant wasn't very busy at the moment, for which Collins was grateful, and watched them briefly before turning to look at Benny.
"Wow..." he breathed. It was all he could manage in the moment. He'd never, ever imagined that he, Collins, would be eating in a place like this!
"How's it look?" Benny asked him, not yet walking to the door. He wanted to know what Collins thought just by his observance from the outside in. He never thought he'd see the day where they went here to eat, but he was glad he was.
Collins' eyes were still wide as he looked at Benny. "It's amazing, Benny," he told him. He felt like a child looking into a toy store, knowing he could have anything he wanted inside. He was that excited. He took Benny's hand again, tugging him toward the door. "Come on! let's do this!"
Collins paused briefly at the door, thinking. "You know," he said, turning to Benny once more, "I never thought I'd be in a place like this. Never thought I'd want to be. See what you've done?" he teased, swatting him playfully on the chest, "You've corrupted me!"
Benny laughed, following him to the door. It was great to see Collins filled with that much excitement. It'd be an amazing night, he told himself as he started for the entrance.
"I think you like being corrupted," joked Benny, as he reached his hand out for the door. "Come on then," he said, pulling him right inside the door. As soon as he walked through the door there was someone at the door in wait. Another good thing about these restaurants, Benny thought, was the fast service.
"Two please," he instructed, flashing a little grin to his boyfriend before the employee waved them in his direction as he led over to a table that the two of them would be sharing as they dined. He really hoped that he was liking this, and from the look of things, it was.
Collins followed the maitre d' to their table, trying his best not to look too enthralled by his surroundings, even though he was. His eyes darted around, taking in everything - the tablecloths, the shiny floor. And, of course, the forks! Benny was right: there were three little ones and a big one on all the tables they passed.
Arriving at their table, Collins took his seat, taking this opportunity to look at things a little more closely. It was incredible! No scratches on the plates. Cloth napkins. Candles on the table. Nothing like his apartment. It was going to be perfect for their romantic dinner. Collins smiled at Benny.
"This is just perfect," he said, eyes reflecting the love he had for the man before him, "Thanks for bringing me here."
Benny watched his boyfriend, eyes shining happily for how he reacted to the new experience. It was so worth it to see him smile as he did. The restaurant was perfect, and so was the man he was sharing dinner with. He couldn't imagine anyone else he would have as much fun with coming into this place. It was perfect for them; romantic and just what they needed.
"I wouldn't want to take anyone else," he smiled, so glad he was already enjoying himself because he too was getting a lot of enjoyment from being here with Collins.
Collins grinned at Benny, then took a menu and opened it. Scanning over the items, his expression changed quickly from a curious excitement to a curious confusion. Collins was a smart man - had always been at the top of his class in school. But he couldn't read the menu.
"Benny?" he asked, cautiously, "What language is this in?" He was quite glad that there were no prices on the menu, because he could tell, from the beautiful script that everything was written in, that anything he ordered would probably cost him a week's pay.
Benny had forgotten all about the menu. Over time the way that these restaurants worked became habit. Though, he even remembered his first time gazing at the menu with a general expression of 'what the hell?' It'd have probably been comical to see but Benny feared that it probably hadn't been with the company he'd kept.
"Oh, I forgot about that." Benny said, looking down at the menu as he opened his own. "It's in Italian. It confused me at first too, but you get used to it." Though, he doubted he was going to be used to it right now. "I can teach you though, I had to learn the menu." He said, with an assuring smile that he wasn't alone in that.
"Why don't you just pick me out a vegetarian pasta. I'm sure I'd like whatever you suggest." He didn't want Benny to have to read him the entire menu. Collins looked up as the waiter came by with glasses of water. He couldn't help but stare - even the water glasses were fancy!
"I think I'll know what you like," Benny knew he liked vegetarian pasta, and he also knew that there was a very well prepared and delicious dish that was served at the restaurant. Benny smiled and nodded his thank you to the waiter before he took a sip of the water.
"Oh, what would you like to drink?" He asked, the water reminding him that they should probably order something to drink as well unless they wanted to just drink water and that was hardly as good as making use of the beverages they served. "They have nearly everything here."
Collins picked up his own water glass, taking a sip. That was no tap water! It had to be bottled water. He suddenly imagined a man in a tuxedo carefully pouring water from a bottle into a fancy glass. The idea made him giggle, just a little, and he quickly took another drink to hide it. He was pretty sure this wasn't a good place to be giggling.
At Benny's question, Collins scanned the menu, looking at the various Italian words, trying to find something that looked like a beverage section. Having no luck, he placed it back on the table and looked at Benny.
"Doesn't seem like the kind of place to order a beer," he mused, "And I don't think I'd want one anyway. Tonight's more special than that. How about wine?"
Benny adored every little reaction that Collins had. He really was adorable here and Benny was proud that he could take him somewhere that would make them both this happy. He was so content, and in high spirits.
"Wine sounds good, I like the sound of that," it sounded a lot more special than a beer did. Collins had good judgment that they didn't have it there either. Only the best here. Though, the selections still were amazing if you could actually read them. As a man rounded their table again in expectation of their order, Benny quickly read off what they wanted, and the wine, using the Italian names like a professional.
"You won't be disappointed," he promised his boyfriend when the order had finally been made.
Collins just stared at Benny as he ordered in Italian. God, there was something about that that just made him want to lean over and kiss him. But he knew he couldn't, not here.
"You're going to have to speak Italian for me some more when we get home," he told him. He'd always loved when Angel spoke Spanish. Collins' smile turned briefly into a frown, but once again he pushed away thoughts of Angel. Tonight was for him and Benny. Collins and Benny.
A grin spread over Benny's mouth when he asked for him to speak in Italian later. Oh, he could definitely do that! His Italian might not have been the most perfect. He spoke well though, and Italian was a beautiful language.
"I think that can be completely arranged," he promised his boyfriend. Anything for Collins. He loved it when Collins was happy and when he liked the things that Benny could do. He had noticed the frown, easily picking up on little things like that but he tried to push it out of mind. He wouldn't let anything hurt them tonight.
The grin made Collins want to kiss him even more. Oh, there would be some kissing going on when they got home! Especially if Benny was speaking Italian. A pleasant little shiver ran through Collins' body as he imagined it. "Good," he said quietly, then quickly looked away from Benny. He didn't need to be thinking about that right now.
The waiter came and brought their wine, filling their glasses part way and leaving the bottle on the table, along with some warm bread accompanied by various spreads. It was all arranged very precisely, and Collins was almost afraid to touch it. In time, though, he took his glass and held it out toward Benny.
"To us," he said, smiling.
"To us!" He joined, glass held out to Collins before pulling it back and taking a slow sip. "I love you, Collins." He reminded him, an easy show of his love after he had taken a drink of it. Even if no words needed be said, he thought it added a nice touch and he meant it with all of his heart.
Collins took a tentative sip of his wine, holding it briefly in his mouth to savour the taste. He'd never experienced anything like it. It was the most wonderful tasting wine he'd ever had. He didn't even want to think about how much it must cost.
"I love you, too, Benny," he replied, lovingly, when he'd recovered from the initial bliss of the expensive wine. Taking another sip, he smiled. "Wow... This isn't like any wine I can afford!"
"It's really good, isn't it?" Sometimes it stunned Benny that he was able to afford it. There had been a time when he could only dream of affording a dinner like this one. Hell, it would have probably been off-limits to even dream it. Now, though, he was quite proud that he was able to and able to share it with Collins; the man closest to him.
Collins put his glass down after taking another small drink, not wanting to drink it too quickly. Eyeing the bread, he smirked.
"Is there a special knife I need to use for that, or is it safe to say I can use the one he brought with it?" He didn't wait for an answer, though, knowing he was supposed to use the supplied knife. He cut several slices, placing one on each of the little plates on the table.
"For you," he said, handing one to Benny, grinning as he looked over the selection of spreads, trying to find one that was just plain garlic butter. He'd go with that first, then maybe get more adventurous with his next piece.
"Thanks," he took the plate with an adoring smile. His eyes wandered over the spreads on the table. He went for a light coloured spread, having found early on that he enjoyed the mozzarella mixture the most.
"Even their bread is really good," Benny assured him, that even that was something to like about the place. Everything was just so well-made. Though, for the price of it, it really should be.
"After their water, I'd be disappointed if their bread wasn't good!" Collins admitted. It seemed as though everything here was going to be the best he'd ever tasted. He wondered if it would be hard to go back to his regular food after this. Taking a bite of his bread, Collins made a happy sound low in his throat. He chewed slowly, savouring, just as he had with his wine.
"Benny," he asked, looking at him with a silly, childish expression, "Can we eat here every day?"
Benny laughed; he wished he could eat in a place like this every day. He didn't have that type of money though. He'd be driven into the ground before he could blink. The place ran a high bill and once every so often was easy to pay for. However, once every day-- No, he didn't have that type of cash.
"Sure, if you want me living in a cardboard box," he joked playfully, taking a bite out of the bread on his plate. Collins shrugged, as though it didn't bother him much if Benny was living in a box.
"Long's I got this kinda food, I'm good," he teased, kicking him lightly under the table to make sure he knew he was joking.
Benny chuckled and shook his head. "I'd make sure you came to visit me in that box all the time too, I'm not going to share my box alone." He retorted
Collins grinned. "I'd bring my doggie bag with me," he offered, "Since you won't be able to afford to bring us both here when you're living in a box." Turning his attention back to the bread, Collins surveyed the spreads once more. Deciding on one that looked like it must have been tomato based; he brought it to his lips, taking a large bite.
"God, Benny," he moaned, "If all I had was this bread, I could leave here a happy man!"
Benny laughed. "Man, if I knew that was the way to get you to moan, I'd have introduced you to bread a lot sooner," It was a joke of course and one said with the laughter of a tease. "But, it is good, isn't it? Just wait 'till they bring the actual dinner. It's amazing." He promised him.
"You know full well that's not the only way to make me moan, Benny," he retorted, flashing a wicked smile at Benny, "And yes, it is good. I can't wait for the pasta!"
A grin started to tug at Benny's lips and it grew again as he chuckled. "Yeah, but you know, I like finding new ways." He offered a mischievous grin to the comment.
Collins laughed heartily at Benny, not caring if he drew stares from other diners. He was here to have a good evening with his boyfriend, and that's exactly what he was doing. He leaned in closer to Benny at his next comment, whispering, "I like when you try to find new ways, too."
Leaning back in his chair as the waiter brought their food, Collins continued to smirk at Benny before being distracted by the wonderful aroma of his food. He looked at it, and even just its appearance was ritzy. He loved it! Wanted to try it now. Reaching for a fork, he froze, hand hovering over the three nearly identical utensils.
"Benny? I think it's time for you to tell me which one to use..."
"Use the dinner fork. Which is the one with four prongs, longer than the others. It looks a little more standard." He explained, holding up his own fork. "The smallest one is the dessert fork and the wide one, that's the salad fork." He explained to him quietly.
Collins looked between the forks as Benny explained it to him. Hearing his boyfriend describe each one, he could now see that they weren't so similar after all; each had its own subtle difference. Taking the dinner fork, he speared some of his pasta, smiling gratefully at Benny. His mouth watered in anticipation, and as he took the bite, he moaned happily once more. He'd never tasted anything like this. It was like heaven in his mouth and he felt he could never get enough of it. He took another bite, and another, eating quickly before he came to his senses. Blushing a little, he gave Benny a lop-sided grin.
"It's good," he mumbled, putting his fork down to keep himself from eating too quickly.
"I knew you'd like it," Benny laughed as he started eating it so quickly. It was delightful to see that he really did like what he'd ordered. He cut into his own food and took a bite. Collins nodded, picking up his fork once more, eating a bit more slowly.
"I love it, Benny. I love this place. Thank you for bringing me here." Collins reached across the table to take Benny's hand, giving it a loving squeeze, then returned to his meal. "Everything is perfect," he said quietly.
"I'm glad you let me bring you here. This really is turning out to be perfect." He agreed. He couldn't have imagined a more perfect event for them. They needed somewhere to go out and to have a good time and this was a place that could be strictly theirs. No memories to haunt him while here. It was strictly Collins and Benny.
Collins was thrilled that they were having such a nice night together. No... interruptions. Collins' heart and his mind were focused completely on Benny and he was able to relax and have a good time with him. It seemed like it had been so long since they had. Finishing his pasta, Collins looked at his plate a little sadly.
"It's gone," he sighed, "I wish I had some left, to take home. To remind me of this night." Not to mention the food was simply the best he'd ever tasted!
It wasn't long before Benny too had finished off his food. It was delicious, as always. He wasn't even going to deny that he thought it tasted even better because he was there with Collins. Everything was better when he shared it with him. He gently set the fork down and used his napkin before setting it neatly aside. He'd long waited for them to be able to relax like this again. Lately it'd been a little difficult but perhaps tonight was the start of better times again.
"I'll be around to remind you. Plus, we can come back again. It'll be our place." He offered to Collins. They needed somewhere that they could call their own. A place that had their memories built inside of it, not mixed with anyone else that could take them away from one another.
Collins' eyes lit up at the idea of coming back here, and he grinned, taking Benny's hand again, just holding it, just to be able to touch him. He once again felt a powerful need to kiss him, but he knew that there would be time for that soon enough.
"I'd like that. Our place. Collins and Benny's place," his eyes twinkled with love and happiness as he spoke.
"It sounds nice when you say it like that." Collins' and Benny's place; perfect. They would have a pleasant time each and every time they ever went there together. It would always pull back good memories to them whenever they thought back to the restaurant.
"I can't wait, either, Benny," he admitted. In all honesty, he'd come back tomorrow if he could. But he knew that wouldn't be possible. "But I don't want my man living in a box, so we'll wait a little while," he smirked, squeezing Benny's hand, not wanting to ever let go.
Benny laughed at the reminder of the box. Sure, they wouldn't be able to come here as often as they could places like Life, but they could come every so often and it would make it all the more special.
"Well that's good. I wasn't looking forward to the box."
The waiter came around quickly to take their plates and leave behind the check, flipped upside down on the table. Benny reached for it with the hand not clutched to Collins'. He had an estimate of what it would be and he hit about right. He knew Collins really didn't need to see it. It was high priced, very high, but he had enough and flipped the check back over on the table. Then, remembering tip, he was sure that there would be quite the nice little stack of crisp bills for the payment.
Though Collins didn't want to know how much it cost, he scanned Benny's face as he looked at the bill, searching for a clue as to the price. But Benny's expression was unreadable, which was probably for the best. He was used to things like this, had obviously gotten very good at not reacting to outrageous prices the way... well, the way Collins would.
He didn't watch, either, as Benny put the money on the table, not caring to see how much cash was left. Instead, he busied himself with looking around the restaurant, memorizing every detail he could, so he could always remember their place. He even stood, giving himself a better view, as he waited for Benny.
When it was finished, Benny grinned to his boyfriend and started to stand. "Are we ready?" He queried him to make sure that he was ready to leave the restaurant.
"I think so," Collins said with a nod, taking one last look around. He took Benny's hand, lacing their fingers together as he headed toward the doors. He nodded to the maitre d' as he passed, like he had seen some other people do, but couldn't help from giggling, just a little, as he imagined what he looked like. All dressed up, eating at a rich-man's restaurant. He was sure if one of his friends saw him now, they wouldn't believe it was really him. And he liked that feeling.
Benny laced his fingers with Collins' and started for the door with him. He glanced back to the restaurant once more before he reached the door. He nodded his goodbye as well to the maitre d' and continued on out the door and into the warm summer night.
"I bet everyone would be surprised to see you now," Benny commented with a smile, in reference to his clothes and the fancy restaurant they attended together.
Collins was sure they would be surprised. "Yeah," he agreed, "No one would believe that I would come to a place like this. Probably because they know there's no way in hell I could afford it," he admitted with a shrug. "But I don't mind. I was there, with you. That's all that matters."
As they walked, Collins soaked in the warm night air. He was so glad they had gone out. Eating at home together was always nice, but this was just so special. And the fact that they'd do it again excited him. He looked forward to that day. He glanced over at Benny, finally looking him over the way he had wanted to the whole time they were in the restaurant.
"You look so good in a suit, Ben," he told him, "I love it."
"You look great yourself," Benny commented with a grin. He loved to see Collins in a suit. He'd never been able to see it like that before and he was stunning. Though, he was sure he looked good in anything he put on. Collins' grin matched Benny's at his compliments. All ego aside, they were a good-looking couple. And in suits? Well, that was even better!
Benny stopped suddenly, rounding Collins to press right up to him. Now that they were out of the restaurant, he thought he could steal that kiss he'd been wanting.
"I've been waiting to do that," he said, after pressing their mouths together.
Collins didn't mind at all. He'd been wanting the same thing. The kiss was nice, but all too brief, and Collins pulled him right back in for another. He snaked his arms around Benny's neck, holding him firmly against him as he deepened the kiss, tongue exploring his mouth.
"Me too," he muttered, when he finally broke away.
"That was even better," he commented, wanting more kisses where that came from. He imagined there would be. Tonight was too wonderful to be without many more sweet, loving kisses between them. They were quite the pair, the two of them.
"It was," Collins agreed, not pulling away from Benny. He wanted to be close to him, just like this. It didn't matter that they were in the middle of the sidewalk. He kissed Benny again, with the same passion as the last, fingers brushing through the short hairs at the base of his neck.
"We should finish this at home," he whispered, breathlessly.
Benny kissed him deeply once more. He didn't care where they were, he didn't want to lose the kisses he was apart of right then. His whisper sent chills up and down his spine and he smiled. He felt like rushing home just so he could attack him with sweet kisses. The evening could only get better now, he was sure.