"Dear Lord." Ethan breathe, his heart rate picking up slightly as he looked in the mirror of the hotel room's bathroom for about the hundredth time.
Taking another shaky breath, he straightened his clothing for the last time. Ethan had dressed in a soft black cardigan over a royal blue button-up, the cuffs of which were loosened and peeking out from under the sleeves of his sweater. Black slacks and casual navy converse made up his lower half– and he still wasn't feeling too sure about the way his hair was sitting. For the first and probably the last time in his life, he found himself actually worrying over his unpredictable locks.
A knock on the door made him jump. "You look amazing Ethan, let's just go already!"
"You're not the one who's going to be telling their parents the biggest lie of the century in less than twenty minutes." Ethan was able to squeak back (in a very manly way) and straightened his spine, opening the bathroom door. Grasping the slim winter jacket that hung on the outside of the bathroom's door, he pulled it on over his cardigan turned to his partner for the night.
"No, I'm only the one who's going to be under a microscope the rest of the night." Despite his willingness and even excitement to come the night before, Benny was feeling rather nervous himself. Not that he was considering backing out...he would never! His shot with Ethan was on the line! But that didn't stop him from shifting his feet uncomfortably and shoving his hands in and out of his pockets.
"Right, sorry." Ethan replied and managed to sound a bit sheepish. "Ready, then?"
"Whenever you are, gorgeous." Benny gave a crocodile grin that somehow managed to be charming as well, and Ethan smiled back. Clad in shiny black oxford shoes, black trousers and a midnight blue button-up with half sleeves (which matched Ethan's own button-up perfectly) Benny looked to be the absolute definition of stunning.
Who knew Benny could be as classy as he looked? He'd just pulled all these things out of the back of his closet before they'd left the city. Did he mention Benny had a bike? Like, a motorcycle? No? Funny, neither did Benny– until he'd pulled Ethan onto the great metal beast and stole off with him into the night "for the occasion". That was before they'd even left the city to travel to Whitechapel.
As things turned out, Benny really was a hopeless romantic. Although it was cold and snowy, he'd been a perfect gentleman the entire time, and had offered Ethan his helmet for the ride. Ethan had refused of course, insisting that if his own face and eyes burned in the snow and cold, he'd be uncomfortable, but if Benny's eyes were messed up, they would crash and die. So, he pushed through the rough ride, and although his face nearly froze off, Benny had made it up to him later by warming him gently with soft hands and sweet, unexpected kisses.
'You don't even know how much I've wanted to do this.' Benny had murmured. No one in the vicinity had seemed to mind the two young men thoroughly getting to know each other in the back of the room. It had been a cozy, very nice restaurant, and Ethan had warmed up very quickly.
It wasn't unlike when Benny reached over to gently but firmly place an arm around Ethan's shoulders, pulling him close.
"Can't have people being suspicious, after all. Can't have you slipping and falling on my watch." Benny tried to pass it off, but Ethan could see the playfulness in his eyes. "What if one of your grandparents were to drive by?"
"I think you're just taking all the liberties you can." Ethan laughed, but walked a little closer to him, taking care to walk carefully on the snowy sidewalk. It was a nice night. Not like the night before, when the clouds themselves nearly froze out of the sky, but maybe that was all on account of being a couple hundred miles away from home.
"Well, there's that." Benny shrugged and they continued making their way to where Ethan's parents were waiting to greet them at Ethan's childhood home. Of course, they had no idea that they'd soon be meeting BENNY rather than Erika.
God help them.
"So, why don't we have a quick quiz?" Benny asked as they fast approached the final block.
"Good thinking." Ethan nodded and his heart began fluttering annoyingly, as it had been for the majority of the last forty-eight hours. "Uh...what are the names of my parents?"
"Ross and Samantha Morgan." Benny stated confidently. "You're dad works with the local insurance company and your mom is a nurse at the town hospital, so she had to work extra hours and had to take a few nights off to make sure this party came through. And you have a younger sister named Jane, who's blonde and annoying and always hounds you for hush money whenever you're being secretive, so I should be extra careful not to screw up when she's within hearing range."
"I thought I was supposed to be giving this quiz!" Ethan huffed teasingly, but was secretly impressed that Benny had remembered even that much. It didn't seem like he was listening all too well earlier that day and the night before.
"Right, sorry." Benny flashed him a smile leant down to rub the tip of his reddened nose against his date's. Ethan blushed, and reminded himself that he'd have to stop doing that if he were to put on a convincing act.
"Okay...the names of my grandparents? From both sides."
"Ross' parents are Alison and Martin Morgan, and Sam's parents are Phoebe and Daniel Rayne. Your grandpa Martin passed away four years ago, and since then, your grandma Allison usually spends most of her time alone, but your dad has convinced her to come into town for the week."
"Nice." Ethan smiled. "So what high school did I go to, and what have I been doing since?"
"You went the local schools here from preschool all the way to your senior year...you never moved away from Whitechapel except for the time you went to stay with your great grandparents in Nova Scotia, but that was kind of a bust– but I won't SAY that!" Benny grinned apologetically, holding his hands up.
"In high school you were a very cute, very shy geek in the Chess, Math, and Science clubs and you kicked ass in every one of them. When you graduated, you moved to Toronto to go to law school, and since then you've been working your ass off to pay your dues." He got a different look on his face then, his smug expression dropping.
"Anything else?" Ethan asked, hating how soft his voice sounded, but at the same time knowing how pathetic the next part of Benny's description was going to sound. Of course, Benny was a nice guy, maybe he'd just play it down.
"And although you've been with her for years, eight days ago you're blonde hag of a girlfriend threw your beautiful proposal in your face." Benny didn't shoot him any pitying looks or pull him closer, but he did seem to deflate on himself a little, which confused Ethan more than anything else. "Her name was Erika Jones, and she also grew up in this town. You guys go to law school together, and up until the split, you were living together too. But if anyone asks, you broke up last year, and we'll find a way to make that convincing."
"That about sums it up." Ethan gave a shaky sigh and stopped Benny before they could go any further. They'd almost reached his house. Ethan's hands were cold now-almost numb, but he managed to pull out the engagement ring he'd planned to give to Erika.
It was a simple white gold band, on the thicker side, with a sort of old-fashioned, rustic look to it. Only a few small diamonds glittered here and there, amongst small, meaningless designs etched into the metal. Looking at it now, Ethan could see that maybe it was a bit masculine, and none too dazzling at first glance...he could easily see how Erika had seen it as plain, and probably offending.
"Listen, if anyone asks, tell them the wrong shipment came in." Ethan said quietly as he handed the ring to Benny. "I don't know how I could've ordered the wrong size..."
"Maybe the company was the one who made a mistake." Benny shrugged and was prepared to stow it away in his pocket, until he saw the inscriptions on the ring. Eyeing it closely, he let his arm slip from around Ethan and examined it closer. "Well, it's shimmery...but a bit masculine for a girl, don't you think, E?"
"That's what I was just thinking." Ethan shrugged, embarrassed. "I guess I wasn't thinking too much when I made the choice."
"Well, for someone so smart, you kinda make a habit of it." Benny grinned, still examining the ring, and hesitated. Then, before Ethan could think to say anything, Benny was slipping the metal band around his ring finger, right next to his own family ring that decorated the middle one. Stunningly, it seemed to fit flawlessly.
"Huh." Benny's eyebrows narrowed in thought and he gave a light chuckle. "What a coincidence. It fits...perfectly. "
The funny thing was, he didn't sound teasing.
"Yeah." Ethan agreed quietly, still staring at the ring around Benny's finger, and with a slight rush of heat, thought of how natural it looked. Maybe he really was awful at this whole engagement thing...that ring was supposed to have been for a GIRL.
"So, I know that this 'engagement' is supposed to be new and all..." Benny put air quotes around "engagement" before slipping off his own rather clunky family ring. "But I have a feeling that we'll really sell it if you wear this."
"You don't have to do that." Ethan said, although the ring was already being placed in his hand. "I think we'll sell it fine either way."
Benny gave a knowing smile and said "Humor me," before assisting Ethan in slipping on the ring, which to Benny, looked old and majestic. If complimented Ethan nicely. Although it also looked beautiful to the shorter of the two, Ethan thought it seemed rather out of place on him, because he'd never thought of himself as neither old fashioned nor classy. Benny then grasped Ethan's hand again as they began walking slowly up the snowy drive.
"Hey E?" Benny asked, just as they got to the front steps.
"Benny?" Ethan asked, grinning nervously. This was all so surreal...never in his dreams had he thought he'd be in this situation. Never had he thought he'd be at the front porch of his childhood home, cuddling up for warmth with another guy, much less Benny Weir.
"I know it's not really any of my business-" Benny started. "But I want you to know that this Erika chick was way out of line when she broke your heart." Ethan found himself suddenly immersed in staring at the slippery steps. One small glance to his left told him that Benny was doing the same thing. "God knows why you ever put up with her, because she sounded like a total bitch."
"Benny!" Ethan laughed and Benny smiled back.
"It's true. You were really neutral in your descriptions, but she sounded expensive and selfish...and I wouldn't feel too bad about the split, because she didn't deserve you." The last part was accompanied with Benny leaning down to press his forehead against Ethan's.
"Thanks, Benny." The shorter man leaned up until his lips met Benny's warm ones, which was the second time he'd initiated a kiss between them. Benny, Ethan noted, seemed pleasantly surprised. After first going to Benny's house, and gaining his help with this whole 'engagement' scheme, Ethan wasn't sure how he'd felt.
He still wasn't sure. One thing he did know, was that after all this was over, maybe he'd like to try dating Benny for real. After just a few days spent in close company with the other man, he was sure he didn't want to lose him. Even if they ended up not getting together in that way, even if it didn't work out, Benny was a wonderful person. Ethan would be a fool to let a friend like him go.
"She didn't know a good thing when she had it." Benny murmured when they pulled away, and if Ethan wasn't mistaken, he thought he heard an undertone of wistfulness. Trying not to be overtaken by his thoughts and emotions, Ethan simply smiled in response.
"Let's go meet my parents, Benny." Ethan said, taking the other man's hand, and before he knew it they had climbed the few stairs to the front door. The deep chime of the doorbell could soon be heard ringing throughout the house.
"Be natural." Ethan whispered quickly, smoothing himself down.
"You're telling me." Benny murmured back, rolling his shoulders. "Loosen up a bit, your too tense."
"I'm loose." Ethan too wriggled his shoulders and arms with some effort and let go of Benny's hand in the process.
"E, you're ramrod straight. Oil it up."
"Not everyone can be as perfect as you a-"
"Yes?" Before the two could continue hissing at each other, the door was swinging open, and the men squinted with the sudden onslaught of light. A blonde woman in a simple but classy green dress stood in the door, with a smile just as bright as the lights. "Ethan! Oh, sweetheart!"
"Hey mo-" Ethan found himself being crushed by said mom, who was just about the same height as he, if not a little shorter. A moment later, and the brunet was being dragged into the house none-too-gently.
"Oh, I'm so glad you could make it! But we'll have to make this quick, the dinner starts in a half an hour. Where's Erika?" Samantha Morgan exclaimed, and beckoned Benny indoors as well. Once inside, she then turned her full attention to him. "And who's this you brought with you?"
"Um, mom..." Ethan was looking both happy and nervous. "Where's dad? I think we need to talk about something-"
"There he is!" Ross materialized from around a corner, and Benny's head reeled, not expecting the experience to be so bizarre. Here he was, a complete stranger, and he felt like he already knew these people...but he guessed that's how it was supposed to be, what with him being Ethan's 'fiancé' and all. Ross went to give his son a brief hug, and Sam was still gazing at him with what appeared to be neither apprehension nor particular excitement. Just mutual curiosity, and Benny smiled rather shyly, or at least that's how he hoped it came across as.
He hopes it wasn't one of those nervous-as-all-hell-I'm-gonna-throw-up smiles. So he just focused on his breathing.
"It's good to see you, Ethan. You're mother's been dying to see that fiancé of yours." Benny just barely kept himself from freezing in nervousness and tried to run through his head every scenario he'd imagined and every reaction he'd planned out. Somehow, he'd forgotten all of them. "Who's this, son? A friend?"
"I'm Benjamin Weir, sir. Call me Benny." Benny gave his best smile, trying not to look arrogant or particularly confident. He instead, tried to look nervous. It wasn't hard. "I'm a very very good friend of your son's."
"Is that right? Good to meet you, welcome to our home." Ross nodded, quickly switching his attention back to his son. "So where is that bride-to-be?"
The last statement made Ethan flush, then pale as his sister and her boyfriend came down from upstairs to greet them.
"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you guys about." Ethan said hurriedly. "Hey Jane." He said offhandedly as Jane sauntered over to give him a half-hearted hug, although Benny could see in her eyes that it was genuine.
"How long has it been, Ethan? Town life too much for a city-boy like you?" Jane raised a blonde eyebrow. "Five months? Six?"
"Four and a half." Ethan found himself scowling slightly at his seventeen year-old sister. Looking over her shoulder, his scowl deepened and Benny could see him becoming more aggravated. Somehow, he didn't picture Ethan as being the over-protective big brother type until just now. "Beat it, Jane...and friend. I need to talk to the parents."
"Whatever." Jane smiled, giving Benny a discreet once-over with an eyebrow raised as she passed him, closely followed by a brunet in a t-shirt and jeans. "Where's your girlfriend?"
"Talk to you later, Jane." Ethan rushed out somewhat in annoyance, before practically slamming the door on her boyfriend's backside. Ethan didn't seem to hear the boy's startled yelp, or care in the least, and locked it for good measure.
"Listen, mom, dad." Ethan began, turning around. "I have to tell you something really significant before the party begins."
"Well, we have a bit of time before then. We'd have even more time for big talk tomorrow, but...' Ross replied, and went to sit down on the couch while his mom bustled about, checking something on her planner. "What's up?"
"It's just that this might come as somewhat of a shock." Ethan tried to approach it gently, as though he was earnestly concerned about what his parents would think of his very new, very male fiancé. Benny, sitting just beside him, knew that the cute brunet didn't have to pretend all that much either. He too, was feeling something more aggressive than butterflies fluttering in his stomach. More like vampire bats.
"What is it?" His mom suddenly looked up from the screen of the device she held in her hands. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Is it Erika, Ethan? Is this about why she isn't here yet? She's not hurt, is she?"
"No! No, it's nothing like that." Ethan assured. "At least, no I don't think so. In fact, I haven't seen her in a while...this is actually about Benny." Ethan threw him a nervous glance.
"Is that who this is?" Sam asked, smiling at Benny from her seat across from him. "So sorry, how rude of us. I didn't catch your name earlier, sweetie. I'm Sam Morgan, Ethan's mom, and this is Ethan's father, Ross."
"Oh, I know all about you, Mrs. Morgan." Benny grinned sheepishly, feeling a faint blush tint his face. This was turning out to be much more nerve-wracking than he anticipated. "I mean...that is...Ethan's told me all about you." The taller brunet laughed lightly, sheepishly holding a hand behind his head to rub absently at his hairline. "Both of you, actually."
"Did he?" Sam's eyebrows rose.
"All good things, I hope." Ross pipped up.
"Yeah." Ethan scooted forward in his seat a bit, clasping his fingers together in a gesture of what Benny recognized as stress. "Okay...I need you guys to have an open mind...because this'll come as a bit of a surprise. But Benny..."
Ethan looked at Benny, and the taller brunet looked back with a sweet smile, and took his hand without hesitation. Whether or not Ethan was really his fiancé, he could see that the boy needed help. Despite their engagement being fake, the nerves were REAL, and they both needed reassurance. Ethan squeezed his hand, and their mismatched rings slid together between their interlocked fingers.
"Benny...is my fiancé." Ethan said with both softness and conviction, and averted his eyes to the creamy colored carpet while Benny rubbed a soothing thumb over his fingers. It was a long five seconds or so before he could force himself to look up, and when he did, he found Benny facing his parents seemingly fearlessly while the other two were staring speechlessly at their joined hands. More specifically, Ethan thought, at the rings that decorated them.
It was the longest, most pregnant pause either of them had ever experiences. In reality, though, it was probably only fifteen seconds or so. Ethan swallowed, wondering what the hell he'd just gotten into.
"What...what about Erika?" Ethan's mom said after a while of trying to get her thoughts together. "I thought..."
"No, Erika wasn't right for me." Ethan shook his head quickly, letting out a huge breath of air. He could feel that his hands were shaking, but at least he was telling the truth now, if only for a moment. "I thought she was...and I tried everything to believe it...tried everything to make it work. But Erika and I were done a long time ago."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Sam asked faintly, still gazing every now and then down at their hands. Benny scooted minutely closer to Ethan, eyes on the floor.
"I didn't know what you would think." Ethan forced out, not having been expecting that particular question. "I'm sorry I let you think that Erika was still in the picture, but I just didn't know how to say it, I-"
"Didn't want to deal with it until you had to?" Ross laughed lightly, though Benny could tell that he was still trying to figure out how to formulate his thoughts to words. "Ethan..."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Ethan said again, hunching his shoulders a bit. "It's just...well, you know...I know this isn't exactly the kind of situation you'd expect from me..." He tried to put his thoughts into words while his mind reeled. He'd never been in any scenario even remotely like this, like this, having to lie to his parents. This scenario was just that– a scenario, a...fake, (Ethan winced internally at the word) an act. But the emotions were too real. "Benny is..."
Benny is a male. Another man. The Morgan family had never really discussed their opinions on homosexual relationships, and up until just a few days ago, Ethan was sure he'd only ever desired women. How would his parents react?
"Well, we don't blame you for anything son." Ross spoke for both of his parents, albeit rubbing the back of his neck a bit uncomfortably- a habit shared with Benny. "It's not like that at all!"
"This is a bit of a shock." Sam added lightly.
"Benny, do you mind if we talk to Ethan in private?" Ross asked as politely as was possible at the moment.
"Just for a moment." Sam added, giving him a small smile as she straightened herself up.
"Oh– yeah!" Benny nodded rapidly, surprised, and smiled a little guiltily as he stood up. "Not-not at all, I...I wouldn't want to intrude-"
"No, you wouldn't be intruding." Ethan stood up too, quick to reassure Benny. His head swam for a moment from the speed at which he's stood, and he looked bravely at his parents, but Benny could still feel his hand shaking. "Mom, dad, anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of Benny."
"Are you sure, E?" His dad asked, and Benny was mildly surprised and a bit miffed that he hadn't been the first to give Ethan that name.
"Of course." Ethan nodded, and tried to give his parents a smile.
"This is a pretty big commitment, Ethan." Ross began, trying to be gentle. "And I know that you're a man now...and you're well capable of making your own decisions, it's just that..." He made a helpless gesture and let out a small, nervous-sounding laugh. "We'd never met- we hadn't even known about Benny until just a few minutes ago. Are you sure about this?"
"No disrespect to you, Benny." Samantha reassured, smiling kindly but with a clear look of distress on her face.
"Dad, would I be here with my fiancé right now, if I wasn't sure?" Ethan's voice was both soothing and firm, yet somehow managed to have an edge of panic to it. Benny found himself slipping an arm around the shorter boy's shoulders. Ethan's took on an imploring and strained tone. "I need you to trust that I know what I want."
"Well..." Sam seemed to be arguing with herself internally. Surprisingly, it was Ross who spoke up.
"That's...all we need to hear." Ethan's father forced out, then looked at his wife, half expectant and half looking like he was waiting for her to object. "Right Sam?"
"...right." The blonde blinked, and then clapped her hands together suddenly, letting out a quick breath of air, with a little sound of exclamation. "Well! Isn't this interesting! We'll just...have to get to know Benny a little better now, won't we?"
Stunning both of the boys, Ethan's mother only gave a couple moments of hesitation before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Benny's lean form.
The brunet blinked, and then was quick to wrap his own arms around Sam, careful of her dress and jewelry. When she pulled back and gave his cheek a pat, he smiled as calmly as he could and gave a friendly nod to Ethan's dad. Now, everything hadn't been settled completely, and Ethan was sure he'd hear one or two more lectures before all of this was over, but for now, it seemed his parents were willing to put that aside.
For his part, Ethan was sure as hell trying to make everything run smoothly– it was their anniversary, for gods' sake. He wanted them to be happy...which was why he'd recruited Benny in the first place.
"Well, people should be pouring in any minute." Ross broke most of the remaining tension. "From your mom's side of the family, at least. You know how they love to party."
With a playful wink, Ethan's dad shrugged on a stylish jacket over his formal suit, while Sam rolled her eyes. Then, both of them ushered themselves into the kitchen, bickering over who was going to get there first out of their respective families. Behind their backs, the boys shared a relieved, disbelieving, almost hysterical look and took the time to compose themselves before following. They hadn't even gotten undressed, and white, fluffy flakes of snow still stuck to some stray locks of hair when they headed out the front door to make their way to the party.
.
.
By the time the party had first started getting into swing, Benny was feeling both more confident of his ability to act, and surer than ever that he'd end up screwing himself over somehow. Which wasn't due to the little he'd seen of Ethan's family so far; they all seemed like lovely, sociable people, even if he hadn't actually talked to most of them yet. Even Ethan's grandparents, who were apparently notorious for whopping ass and taking names to get everything done exactly the way they wanted.
The setting itself was elegant, the party being held in the sun room of a massive old church. The floors had been refurnished to shine a nice dark, wooden color, and the rounded tables that had been placed around the perimeter were covered in smooth, cream and lilac sheets.
There was a lack of party streamers, but bouquets of ribbon-bound flowers sat in the middle of the tables, and silver balloons floated periodically around the room. Equally distanced lamps lit the room elegantly, and a big, brass chandelier complimented the beamed ceiling, along with paintings of angels and rays of sunlight striking through clouds.
It was all very beautiful, and Benny wished suddenly that he would've taken his grandma along with them (wouldn't that have sold it?). For as overbearing and strict as she was, she was also fun and loved architecture and art. And, for all of her poise and elegance, she'd thrown some wild parties in her day and loved to dance.
Dancing, Benny soon found, was not one of Ethan's strong suits.
Law? Web design? Electronics? Science in general? Sure, but most definitely NOT dancing or...partying at all. It was frustrating in the best way and cute as hell.
"Nah, Ethan's never been a dancer." A chipper voice was saying to his right as Benny was trying to coerce Ethan into joining him on the dance floor. "Not a dancer, not a drinker, not a partier."
Her words echoed Benny's thoughts just minutes earlier and the lean-framed man found himself blinking at the short blonde girl next to him. Where had he seen her before?
"Jane, not now." Ethan scowled up at the girl, and Benny suddenly remembered- this was Ethan's little sister! He'd seen pictures of her, briefly, He'd even seen her just an hour earlier, but he must have been so nervous that he forgot what she looked like.
"Actually, dad's the only one who thinks he knows how to dance, and isn't that a train wreck every time he steps onto the floor?" Jane made a face as the three turned to watch Ross do the running-man. Benny nearly spat out his drink and turned the other way, just so he could force himself to be polite. Jane smirked, excused herself, and walked off somewhere to get some more sparkling water.
"Oh no." Ethan ducked, and Benny seen two women walking in their direction. "Heads up! Those are my mom's sisters, and they love to gossip. They probably want to know all about Erika, and-"
"Dude, chill." Benny winked and held out a hand to Ethan. There were only a few people left attempting to dance after Ross had gotten through doing the Hammer-time and sprinkler successively. At the flailing display, Ethan's mom had retreated behind her hands and behind their grand table, where the anniversary gifts sat. "We can handle them. But first...would you join me in a dance?"
The words were asked playfully, but held an undertone that made Ethan blush. Looking up at his date bashfully, Ethan worried his lip between pearly teeth and fidgeted in his seat a bit.
"Oh, baby, don't tell me you don't know how to dance?" Benny asked in a pitying voice, which made Ethan's face positively flame because he actually sounded sincere. "You poor thing!"
"I know how to dance!" Ethan protested hotly. "I just...I'm not good at it...and it's been so long..."
"No, I won't stand for this!" Benny stated, voice light but also serious as he placed down his hardly-touched glass of wine and took Ethan's hand. "Let's take this outside."
"What?!" Ethan blurted, being hauled up to his feet, away from his quickly-approaching aunts. "B-Benny! No! We can't-"
"I said," Benny leaned closer, well aware of their audience of about four people now watching them closely. The taller of the two leaned down so much that he was practically whispering into Ethan's ear. "Let's take this outside."
"Oh my god..."
Once outside, Benny had to restrain Ethan's fists from beating lightly on his chest in embarrassment. They were in between a couple of well-spaced cars in the church's large driveway and Benny was pulling Ethan closer. Apparently he was serious about teaching Ethan to dance, and was placing the shorter Brunner's hand flat against his side, right next to his shoulder blade. Through Ethan's embarrassment, this surprised him.
"You're going to let me lead?"
"I wouldn't force you to play the woman's role at your own family's party." Benny chided gently, placing his left hand on Ethan's upper bicep and taking his other hand in his own. For a moment, they just stood there in the cold winter air, holding each other loosely. "Now tell me what you remember."
"A-about dancing?" Ethan asked, and at Benny's nod confessed, "Not much. I guess I kinda know the basic waltz, and the basic foxtrot...I think."
"It's a start if I've ever heard one." Benny nodded again and smiled comfortingly. "E, I want you to enjoy yourself when we go back in there...and what better way to do that than to dance the thoughts away?"
Ethan gulped. The prospect of dancing in front of everyone in the church with Benny was nauseating, terrifying...but also, strangely exciting. Until a moment ago, he hadn't seriously considered it. "I'll step on your feet. I have two left ones."
"You've done worse to me in the past." Benny responded. "The wet floors? My nose?"
"Hn." Ethan looked down and off to the side at Benny's teasing.
Although Ethan held the leading position, it was Benny who started to lead them into some motion resembling that of a slow foxtrot. At first, having gone completely stupid in his bashfulness, Ethan stumbled and stepped on Benny's feet, much to the delighted amusement of the taller man.
"It's okay. I don't mind, as long as I get to keep seeing you turning that color."
"Shut up." Ethan looked down at their feet and tried to remember the steps.
Right now, they were just sort of shuffling, trying to get used to the other's rhythm. Ethan thought back to his middle-school days when his mom had tried to teach him the advanced foxtrot. His mind was blanking.
"Just hold onto me. We'll get started, kay? Let's start slow." Benny murmured, and held onto Ethan just a bit tighter. "You remember the first basic set?"
"Uh..." Ethan was still uncomfortable, but felt himself relaxing at Benny's soothing tone. "Um...yeah. Slow, slow, quick-quick."
"Yeah, perfect." Benny beamed, and encouraged Ethan to lead by stepping backwards and giving him a gentle pull forward. "Slow, slow, quick-quick. You're leading, so you'll start off with your– ah!"
"Sorry! I told you I'd-"
"No! It's fine, it's fine...okay. Start with your left foot. There we go, E...there. Slow, slow...quick-quick. Forward left, forward right, left, left. Forward, forward, left-left."
Hey! Ethan was smiling within the next minute or so, actually beginning to finally get the hang of their dance together. He adjusted his hold on Benny a little and the taller man beamed to see him taking some incentive. Ethan shifted them ever so slightly, and began making broader steps forward, turning Benny in their dance instead of Benny pulling him. In the cold, winter night their slow, careful footfalls made light grinding sounds on the snow-dusted gravel. Neither of them paid mind.
"Hey, you're really good at this." Benny grinned, wanting to pull Ethan closer but holding back so as to keep their positions correct and their slow dance smooth. Carefully, they weaved in between and around the vehicles in the parking lot.
"No, this is all you." Ethan replied modestly. It was the truth. If Benny hadn't guided him, hadn't gotten him moving, hadn't coaxed him into remembering a rhythm he thought he'd forgotten years ago, Ethan would still be sitting awkwardly at one of the tables inside. Certainly not having this much fun. Yeah, it actually was fun, and he couldn't stop smiling like an idiot.
"I kinda wish we had music to dance to." Ethan murmured shyly. Benny, for as long as Ethan had known him, had always been the one to state their thoughts first. Benny flushed happily at the admission, and began humming a little, making Ethan chuckle.
"What's that you're humming?" Ethan asked, and Benny just shook his head.
"Nothing special." The taller man gently coerced Ethan to slow their dance, and when they had stopped completely, he kissed Ethan's fingers and thanked him for the dance.
"You're too much." Ethan had chuckled, and pulled Benny down for the third Ethan-initiated kiss of their relationship. Whether or not it was based on a lie, Ethan found himself absolutely melting into Benny's embrace, suddenly shivering though it wasn't from the night air.
"We should get inside." Benny panted after they'd come up for breath, simple gasps of air between kisses no longer enough to keep them breathing (or thinking) normally. "E, I'm sorry I made us stay out here so long. Your so cold."
"Don't be silly." Ethan murmured against a delectable pair of kiss-bruised lips, tasting the aged wine on them faintly. "I wanted to. We'll head in in a second, promise."
"Okay," Benny chuckled breathlessly, cupping Ethan's cool, flushed face. "Okay. Fine by me."
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AN: Yoooooo. I can't believe it's been like four years already since I posted the first chapter! Omg! What the hell have I been doing?! In all actuality, the beginning of this chapter up until the part with Jane telling Benny that Ethan can't dance has been written for probably two and a half years. I just couldn't muster up the strength to finish it until just recently. The next chapter will be the last, featuring more of the party, more dancing (!), more drama and family issues, as well as a small guest appearance and maybe some confrontation. I'm still working out the kinks. Plus, this is a winter-themes fix, so it feels a little weird to be posting it in the summer. Due to the winter theme, I've been debating on whether to wait until like November or Christmas to post the third and final chapter, but that seems a little ridiculous to me now that I've gotten into writing it again. I feel like I'm gonna update a lot sooner than that.
Ah well! I guess we'll see what happens! Better to have updated once than to not have updated at all! :D Am I right? I tried editing the first chapter as best I could and I'm pretty sure the mistakes in this chappie are minimal, but if you fine them, do tell! This second chapter to me, seems a lot longer than it actually is (around 6,500 words). Alas! Drop me a line if you can find it in your heart! Until next time, I hope y'all are doin' fine, and Happy Summer! :)
Uploaded: Saturday, June 23rd, 9:15 PM