Hello, readers!
Last chapter, I let you guys guess Ethan's past. I gotta say … very impressed with you guys. Yes, ya'll got it wrong, but your conclusions hold some validity and truth. I don't know how much I'll reveal each chapter, but I'd soooo love to hear your guys' change in theories if I do reveal something. It's really fun for me to read. It makes me feel engaged with you guys!
Also, I did not think this point through, but I realize a lot of law enforcement is in this fic, so if there are inaccuracies, I apologize. Give me some slack, too. I don't know law. XD (Help?)
Let's not stall. We shall begin!
The best part about the weekend for Ethan was forgetting everything related to his secret identity. Yes, there were days that Ethan took breaks in, but he was never not thinking about his plans, his schemes, and all the enemies. That is, except in the weekends. Although that was a perk, one of the bad parts that he has to endure during the weekend was seeing Benny's grandmother, Evelyn.
It seemed rude to have such a thought, and Ethan was aware of it. He might be evil, but he was a respectful guy when he wasn't Vision. But it seemed that since day one, Mrs. Weir never actually liked Ethan the way either of them hope. It was more like she endured him.
After the couple had spent their time together during the morning, they got dressed and headed to Benny's grandmother's house. If only Evelyn didn't judge Ethan so much, maybe he'd actually like the place. The only area he liked in the house was Benny's childhood bedroom, and that was because it was judgement-free.
The car was parked in the empty garage, and the two made their way to see Evelyn. As usual, Benny seemed to notice Ethan wasn't his usual self when he was going inside, but he didn't say anything. What was strange, though, was that he didn't look concerned. Ethan wasn't much of an attention seeker – in fact he hated attention – but he knew Benny was fully aware of how Ethan didn't like to be here much, and he didn't seem to care much this time. Maybe it was better that Benny seemed more distant, anyway. It wasn't a good idea for them to be so close, especially since Ethan might turn into Benny's murderer.
He didn't want to think about that. He hated the idea. Benny was the only person he ever loved romantically. It just seemed so strange that he'd do that. Will the two guys fight so badly that things end up this way? This only made Ethan want to embrace his boyfriend. But that wasn't happening – not here, anyway. Evelyn would only hate how affectionate Ethan was.
"Benny!" exclaimed Evelyn when she saw her grandson. She hugged him, thrilled to see him like she always was. Then she pulled away and smiled at Ethan. It was such a fake smile. "Ethan, how are you?" You don't care about me. Why do you ask?
Ethan nodded. "I'm good."
"Well, sit down, you two. I'll bring you some beverages." And so, the two men sat down in the living room. The further Ethan walked into the house, the more he wanted to escape. I'm not welcome here. What am I doing? His legs forced him to stand in front of the couch, and his muscles gave him no option but to sit. At this moment, Benny did seem concerned. A part of Ethan was relieved and a part of him didn't want this to happen. I'm just ruining things. You're doubting me, and you know it. Why are you nice to me? Benny held Ethan's hand and kissed him on the cheek. That didn't make Ethan's concerns go away, but he did feel better.
"Don't worry," Benny whispered to him. "She really doesn't hate you. I think she's just protective over me." Right. Because Ethan was a danger to him. Benny, why did you have to speak? The only thing he did was make Ethan's anxiety worse. When Ethan said nothing, Benny added, saying, "You don't believe me."
Well, of course he didn't believe Benny. Benny probably didn't overhear his grandmother talk to Ethan in private, saying literally how she didn't like or trust Ethan. She didn't know why she felt that way, and she seemed like she was trying hard to like him, but he guessed her gut instincts were right. Benny shouldn't be with Ethan. And he shouldn't know what happened between them. "I'll try to," he whispered back.
Once again, Benny gave Ethan a kiss on the cheek, and just then, his grandmother came with the beverages she had prepared. For the rest of their time there, Benny talked to his grandmother while Ethan stayed silent, sometimes only talking to answer some questions directed at him. But he knew better than to speak up and have Mrs. Weir hate his guts even more.
They usually stayed until before their usual lunch time come, which was when they'd leave to go eat at a nice place. This time, though, even an hour before that, Benny got a phone call. Ethan accidentally took a peak. He didn't really care who it was – well, that's what he thought until he saw Erica's name. Oh, right. He forgot Benny was suspicious of him. Just as he'd seen in his visions, Benny was going to be around the lawyer a lot, trying to figure out whether Ethan was vision or not. He couldn't believe his boyfriend would do this to him. He knew Benny had rights to suspect Ethan of such a thing because it was true, but this relationship was so screwed.
Benny was thankful Erica had called him. When he had called her earlier this morning, they had planned to meet up urgently when Erica was ready. He was supposed to go to her house to discuss this and to build some solid base on Benny's suspicions. Benny hoped he was right or else Ethan would be dating a guy who had trust issues based on one freaking sentence.
Oh, my God! Benny hated himself. How could he think such a thing? He hoped he was right? No, he definitely hoped he was wrong. Ethan was supposed to be innocent and good. He didn't want to find out that he was secretly seeking destruction – the sole thing Benny was trying to prevent as a superhero and a criminal researcher. He was with the law, and he was going to stand by it.
He was with it, but he didn't know everything about it. He was aware of a good portion, which was enough to get him through his job. This was where Erica's help came in handy. She was a lawyer, and she could help him – even the smallest amount help was good. During this call, she told him to meet up with her now. With that he ended the call and went to hug his grandmother before he left, and Ethan also got up to leave. They both headed to the garage, Benny's steps a bit faster than usual while Ethan was slowly trailing behind.
"Is it fine if I bring you home and take the car? I need to do something right now," he said.
Ethan got into the passenger's seat as Benny started up the engine. "You can take the car. Just drop me off by the park. My friend's house is near there. I'll hang out with her."
Benny nodded, and started driving away from the house, waving at his grandmother as she looked at him with a smile.
On his way to the park, a part of himself was curious about something. "Who is this friend you hang out with?" He's never asked this question as Ethan didn't like talking about his friend a lot.
Ethan seemed surprised. "Why are you asking now?"
"I don't know. Just wondering," he said. Silence from Ethan. He didn't expect Ethan to answer, really, so why was he asking? The car felt awkward, and the whole ride was silent. Benny wasn't willing to speak to Ethan at this point because it would feel weird. Frankly, he was scared. Not particularly of the topic that he brought up, but of the possibility that he was dating a criminal – a villain. Even that friend could be a partner in crime. Or maybe they're not. Maybe Benny was just going crazy because he felt like he was.
They reached the parking lot by the park where Benny wanted to drop Ethan off. Ethan unbuckled his seat belt, and said, "Bye. Love you."
"Love you, too." He was so used to saying this. Still, even though he had suspicions, that didn't mean he hated Ethan or felt anything bad except for confusion.
Benny looked at his phone, checking if Erica wrote any update. No, she didn't, but Rory texted him, talking about his horrible morning, his texts filled with emojis. Typical Rory. He'd have to reply to him later.
"Never mind," Ethan said, sighing, and got out. Benny was confused for a second, not realizing what was going on. But then he knew why Ethan had walked away from the car, frowning, not looking back at Benny one more time to smile at him and wave like most times, or even being his energetic self. Benny had fucked up. He didn't kiss Ethan goodbye. It was a habit they had when they separated to go on their own way after a car ride. Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal, but with Benny being distracted, asking questions all of a sudden, and now neglecting normal habits they had as a couple – that all probably made Ethan feel down. He wished he could yell out to Ethan to come back just so he could apologize, but Ethan was already gone out of his site. He was headed to the apartment buildings, and in the crowd of people, Benny lost his boyfriend.
This was the first time in his life that he let Ethan leave him looking unhappy while Benny felt it was his fault.
He hates me. He hates me. He hates me. He hates me. He hates me.
Ethan had never had thoughts like this towards Benny before. Benny was his rock, and he was there for him this whole time. But today felt different. Today felt like a breaking point – one he couldn't return from. Briefly, he closed his eyes just to see his visions. Just to confirm the things he had seen before but was too in denial to believe. Yep. He guessed this was a fixed point for him. They were never supposed to have a peaceful relationship after this. In fact, things will come to an end soon between them. And it wasn't going to end with a gentle break up. It was going to be ugly.
He hated his powers so much. He loved them because they were what made him scary to the public, what made him feel confident. But they were a burden. They ruined his life. They were the reason he was the way he was. Oh, the innocent days. How he missed them. How he missed not feeling this bitterness inside. But he didn't miss the petty guy he once was. He couldn't do shit before. He was stronger now.
Speaking of innocence, he probably should stop his trail of thought. After all, he was going to see his son, and he wanted to be the cheerful, supportive dad he wanted to be. Ethan's life was shit, and that made him concerned about how Daniel's life was going to be, but that didn't mean that he had to witness his father's dark side. Dear God, he didn't want his son to end up like him.
He rang the doorbell to the apartment. He could hear a really feint TV sound. One of the kids' channels was probably on. He smiled. He was always excited to be here. He loved Daniel with all his heart, and Sarah was the sweetest person he could be around these days.
Speaking of Sarah, she opened the door, genuinely looking surprised.
"Ethan," she said in her shock. He heard a gasp from inside. Oh, Daniel.
"Daddy!" exclaimed the child, running towards the door.
"Shhh," Sarah said. "The door's open. People can hear you. You can scream all you want when we get inside."
Daniel nodded, put a finger on his lips, then grabbed his father's hand, bringing him inside. Sarah closed the door, and that was Daniel's cue to speak. "Mommy, you said he'd come tomorrow. You lied."
"I didn't lie," she said, about ready to give her son a lecture.
"Yeah, don't tell her she lied. I didn't tell her I'd come today," he said.
"Okay," Daniel said casually and made Ethan sit down in the living room.
Sarah wasn't always invited to play with them, and that, Ethan had no control over. Besides, Sarah wasn't a particular fan of games. This time, she sat down as if to join them for once. "You wanna play?" asked Daniel, getting jumpy with excitement.
Sarah nodded. "Yeah. Can I choose the game?" she asked.
"Yeah!" Daniel exclaimed.
"Can you find the board games?" she asked. Despite the fact that all three of them in the apartment knew the board games were hard to find in the house since they were always lost, Daniel didn't mind as he was just happy to play with both his parents.
"Okay," he said, and scurried to his room to look for the games.
"Poor kid. He's gonna be in there forever," Ethan said.
"I know. I needed him away from hearing range. I need to talk to you," she said, and turned to him. "No offense, I love you, and I love having you here, but what's going on? You never come Saturdays."
"What? Are you worried for me?" he teased her.
"Well, yeah. You may have this whole evil thing going on, but you're still vulnerable, and you're still my best friend." And she was his. He loved Benny, but Sarah was always there for Ethan, despite the fact that she knew his deepest, darkest secrets. In fact, she was the one who knew about him more than anyone else did. She was that loyal and loving. "So, spill."
He guessed he should tell her. He looked at Danny's room to make sure the little child wasn't going to hear them. "Benny's meeting your girlfriend today," he said.
"And?" she asked, knowing there's more. There was always more, and she knew how to read him by now.
"And I know he suspects who I am. It's a matter of time before he finds out." He started fidgeting with his hands, as he did when he was talking about these things to Sarah. "He dropped me off by the park, and…" He sighed. He didn't want to admit it. "It's so hard being around him because I feel like he doesn't love me anymore. He says it, but it feels meaningless."
Sarah looked genuinely concerned for Ethan. "I'm so sorry. I mean, I knew it would happen at one point, but I didn't wish for you to go through this." She extended her arms. "Would you like a hug?"
Ethan shook his head. "I'm good. I guess I just need a break. If you're busy, though, I can-"
"Not busy. Don't worry. You're welcome here any time when I'm not at work. Or if you're willing to babysit," she said. At least he was welcome somewhere.
"Thanks," he said, feeling a bit better now that he said his feelings out loud. He'd feel embarrassed talking about emotions and bad experiences with someone else, but Sarah was different. She made him feel important and loved. Even when Benny would eventually leave him, he knew Sarah was going to be there for him.
Funny. Benny would leave him, and then Ethan would kill him. Maybe that's why. It still didn't seem right, like there's a piece missing. He wouldn't kill just because of a terrible break up. He doesn't even kill at all. Of course, he had killed Jesse Black, but that was out of self-defense.
"There's that face again," she said.
"What face?" he asked, knowing well what she meant. He couldn't help his expressions around her when he was hiding things.
"Ethan," she said, raising her eyebrows.
He didn't plan on telling her anything about his vision. Nothing was confirmed except that he saw a body bag and blood in his hands. And the world seemed to want him to keep it a secret as well because to his luck, Daniel came back, saying, "I found some of them!" Sarah gave Ethan a glance, then put her attention back to their kid, and they started playing.
Was Benny a traitor for doing this? A traitor to Ethan? He believed this was a valid concern. Problem was: he would be angry at both outcomes. If Ethan was truly the villain Benny speculated he was, then Benny would be angry at his boyfriend for doing these horrible things and lying to Benny for the years they've been together. If Benny turned out to be wrong, he would be mad at himself. Either way, he could tell their relationship was beyond repair. Might as well proceed with talking to Erica if things weren't going to turn out well.
He rang the door bell to Erica Jones's house. It was a small house, but it was one nonetheless. This was something Benny could never afford, but Erica was rich. She was born and raised into a rich family, and she was highly demanded as a lawyer. She was truly a respectable woman. She might be mean to Benny, but he could tell she expressed her affection that way to her friends.
She opened the door, and for the first time, Benny was looking at her in casual clothes. A t-shirt and some tights. It was a weird sight. Even when she hung out with Benny, like in the restaurant the previous night, she'd wear neat, elegant clothes. On top of that, she'd have her hair open, and she'd wear contact lenses. Right now, she had her hair in a ponytail and she wore glasses. He had to admit to himself, she looked pretty either way.
"Don't comment. I look hideous, I know," she said. "Just come in, doofus."
Benny stepped in. "Why do you always assume I want to trash-talk you?" he asked, and made himself at home, sitting on a couch in the surprisingly spacious living room.
"I don't know, actually. I hate you, so I assume you hate me," she said. She went to the kitchen island, grabbed some snacks and some water bottles that she had taken out, then sat down beside Benny. "Shall we start?" she asked.
He nodded. "We shall."
There was a laptop on the coffee table, which she opened, revealing a few documents and sites opened up. Erica began with, "So, I have all the information we've gathered over Vision." Yeah, thanks to me, Benny said, but he didn't say it out loud since Erica would probably try to humble him, which wouldn't work. "Surprisingly, it isn't much. The only thing we could prove is the height. Kinda. We have an estimated range. Besides that, we have some of your observations from your encounters. But I don't care about that right now. I wanna know why you suspect Ethan of all people."
Did she really want to hear this? Yeah, she did. She was a lawyer, so of course she wanted to know. "It's gonna sound stupid."
"I don't care if it sounds stupid. To you, it might, but your gut instincts might be right. Let me hear it," she said. Again, Benny was shocked. Erica was talking to him gently, unlike how she usually did. If she wanted information out of him, she wasn't doing bad.
"Well, my last encounter with Vision, he seemed to know my name. I know he sees stuff. He predicts things, and he can extract information. That much I know. It just felt … weird. I can't explain it. And he said one thing to me. I remember it word by word. 'You should have a little bit of confidence in yourself, Benny Weir.' Then later when I came home, Ethan said the same phrase. I know it sounds stupid, and it could be a coincidence, but what if it isn't?"
Erica was silent at first, nodding at what he said. "Okay, then. It's fine, Benny. We barely know anything about Vision, so if you are right, and you could be, we might have a criminal in our hands." He so badly didn't want his boyfriend to be an immoral, evil villain.
"Question: have you ever been around Ethan at any point when Vision appears?" she asked.
Benny thought about it. "Well, I'm always at work when he attacks, so I guess not." He felt his heart pounding. There was yet another reason to doubt Ethan. He hated the feeling. Ethan, forgive me. He loved him so much. He felt like fleeing. He didn't want to be doing this, but now Erica knew how Benny felt, and he usually saw her when she needed his help, so there was no avoiding talking about something as serious as this. Plus, she was his friend. Even if Benny stops doubting Ethan, Erica might not. She'd always been determined to be the best at her job, which included catching Vision. Until she eliminated Ethan as a suspect, she might not rest.
"Damn," Erica said. "Vision's the only person who's left me actually clueless. I wish he was a bit clumsier. He's smart, that's for damn sure. Which lines up with your theory. You've always said Ethan's smart, and when I met him, I can tell he's a clever guy. He was avoiding questions, though, and diverting them, but not frequently enough, so I didn't catch that immediately."
Benny bit his lower lip. "Do you want Ethan to be Vision? I mean, it's a fucked up question, but I'm curious."
Erica huffed. "Not sure. Obviously, you're my friend, and the last thing I want is to ruin your relationship. On that note, I don't want him to be Vision."
"But…"
"But I'd like to catch Vision as soon as possible. He's been a threat for far too long. How long has it been? About five years?"
Benny nodded. "Four years, almost five. And I've been out there for six years. I've never had anyone as difficult as Vision to deal with."
Erica whistled. "Four years is a long ass time." She laughed. "It's funny. Jesse Black started out as the scariest, most wanted villain in Whitechapel. All of a sudden, Vision comes along as his partner-in-crime. Jesse is stabbed in his house, and Vision turns out to be even worse than Jesse Black. What a rollercoaster." Of course, no one knew it was Jesse who was the villain they wanted to catch all this time, but it was revealed to them during the time of his death.
Benny shook his head, a bitter smile on his face. "Yeah, I hate Vision with a passion. And I hate myself for doing this."
Erica looked down at her documents, her expression not sympathetic, but focused. "Sorry, I know you're thinking about life and all, but is Ethan within the height range?"
Benny looked at the computer. Of course, he remembered the height range. Sometimes, he'd just look at it since it was the only solid thing they had about Vision, other than the fact that Vision was probably young. Still, he looked at the computer to make sure. "Sadly, yes."
Erica sighed. "Well, we don't have much to go by. We can't prove anything yet, and this could be all a coincidence. But to make sure, I need you to do something for me. Either find out something about Ethan, or something about Vision. As I recall, you said Ethan's very secretive about his past, right?" she asked, to which Benny nodded. "Red flag!" She closed the computer and continued, "I know it'll be hard since he doesn't open up to you, but maybe even the smallest detail might help. In case that doesn't work, there's always Vision to face. He … or she, probably a he, though, is a pain in the ass, but try to get something out of him. He plays games a lot with you? Play along."
Benny frowned. This was going to be hard. "Easier said than done. But I'll try."
Erica smiled. "Great. I guess we're done for today. Are you gonna get back to Ethan?"
Benny shook his head. "I can't face him right now. Besides, he's at his friend's house. He'll probably eat there. Don't think he wants to see me, either."
"Really? Why?" Erica asked, genuinely looking worried for Benny.
"I don't think I'm acting like my usual self around him. I feel so stupid. I even asked about the friend, and he was quiet the whole time. At this rate, I might not even have a boyfriend by the end of this," Benny said.
"Things will be all right. I hope. Just don't act fishy. If he's really who we think he is, he might already know we're on to him. And if he knows what you're up to, and keeps hiding secrets, then don't feel bad about not being with him. He wouldn't be right for you, anyway." Again, easier said than done. So much for proposing to him. "And if he's an innocent guy, then we don't want you losing him over something like this."
"Okay, then," he agreed. He should probably do something to take his mind off of things for now. "I guess I'll leave you alone. Try not to miss me too much," he joked, but it was hard to be cheerful at the moment. Still, his life was filled with negative things, and his mission was to make people happy – either by lame jokes or by helping out Whitechapel residents under an alias.
"You wish," she said.
With that, the two said their goodbyes. Maybe Benny should around Rory now, if he wasn't caught up in something. He could use some smiles and happiness. Even though Rory was kind of an idiot, he was a kind guy, and he was the first friend Benny had when he got this job.
Luckily for Benny, Rory turned out to be off duty, which was great. The two ate lunch together, and that made the mood for Benny less gloomy. Still, that didn't mean he didn't look gloomy, apparently. "You okay? You seem down, more than usual."
It was best that Benny doesn't tell Rory what's happening. Sure, the officer knew about Benny's secret, but this situation didn't need to spread to every person he knew. He wasn't really sure if his theory was right or not. "Just relationship problems. I can deal with it."
Rory seemed to be thinking about this for a bit. "Is that why you're hanging out with me in a weekend?"
Benny was tired and didn't want to answer this question as it would need some explanation. "Yep." That wasn't the sole reason, but he guessed he wasn't lying about it.
"You two seem great together. Things will work out well."
"Yep."
If Rory didn't get the hint that Benny was tired, he did now. "Sorry. I'm bothering you."
"It's okay," he said. He switched the topic to something less exhausting, which by the time he decided to go back to the apartment, made him feel a bit better, even if it was weird coming back early on a Saturday. The strangeness of this all made Benny realize how distant he was with his boyfriend today. He felt like an asshole. Great.
As he guessed, Ethan wasn't there. He was probably having a blast with his friend, whoever she was. Subconsciously, he hated this girl. He wished she wasn't in Ethan's life so Benny didn't have to feel lonely at times. But that was such a selfish thought for Benny, and it felt petty.
To get his mind off things, he realized he needed to do the much-dreaded work. For him, that meant collecting and analyzing data. He liked that, but sometimes it felt like a chore, which, for today, sounded perfect as a distraction. It worked for a second before he realized that Vision was always going to be tied to his life, especially in his job. Benny pretty much dealt with criminals, and Vision was the most mysterious one of them all. Maybe he wasn't so mysterious, after all. Maybe he'd been hiding under Benny's nose for two years. Either way, what a prick.
After an hour and a half, Ethan walked through the door, mostly looking at his phone. "Hi," he mumbled. There was a hint of a smile on his face, as there usually was when he got back from being around his friend.
Benny tried not to let his emotions show. After all, Ethan was still his boyfriend. "Hey, E. Did you have fun?" he asked.
Ethan looked up from his phone and pocketed it. "Yeah, I guess. Did you?"
Benny shrugged. "Eh. Not really." He might know what I've been up to. Maybe he knows what I'm thinking. Shit, why do I have to think this way? We still didn't confirm if it is him!
"Okay," Ethan said in a low voice and walked to the room. It was so weird. He'd normally feign interest in what Benny was doing, kiss him, then go to the room. Why does it feel like the sparks were gone now? Like things didn't feel right anymore? Well, maybe because Benny was being an ass in the morning, and Ethan had anxiety. What was Benny thinking would happen?
After around ten minutes, Ethan came out in sweatpants and a comfortable shirt, his tablet in his hand. He sat down beside Benny, like always, which made Benny feel like maybe this relationship wasn't a crap one, after all. "How was your day, beautiful?"
Things seemed to be all right now, as Ethan was silent for a while after hearing the word beautiful. He punched Benny lightly in the arm. "Out of all the pet names, you keep calling me that?"
"Well, you're not a pet," Benny said, grinning.
Ethan rolled his eyes. "That joke is lame, and you know it."
"No, it was great. My humor's amazing," he said. Things felt like they were okay, but he knew things might not stay the same. He kissed Ethan's cheek, who was opening his art program.
Ethan eyed Benny. "You know, you could warn me before you kiss me anywhere. I'm gonna draw, and if I mess up, I'm blaming it on you."
Benny smiled, knowing he should listen to Ethan so he wouldn't be pissed. To be fair, a lot of times, he was gentle with him. He wasn't as careful as he used to be before, though. He remembered first meeting Ethan, who was sort of unapproachable two years ago.
Benny had always known he was gay, but the problem was, there was no place made specifically for men to meet each other in Whitechapel. But, there was a bar he had been to that gays frequented. Last time he had gone there, he had a one-night stand with a random guy while drunk, and that didn't work out well. But he knew genuine relationships could come out of this, so he decided to give this a try again. He was probably crazy for doing this after failing to get good results the first time, but he was an irrational guy, and he admitted it. Plus, where would he meet guys willing to date him?
There, he saw Ethan, who was sitting alone, drinking. It was sad to watch, and at the time, Benny thought he could make a move on Ethan. He tried, and his hand brushed against Ethan's shoulder without his realization, which made the shorter man jump in his seat. When he looked at Benny, he gave a one second stare, and then went back to looking at his drink. "Not interested," he mumbled. He looked annoyed, and he even gave Benny side-eyes. Geez, Benny didn't know what was up with this guy. If he was uncomfortable or even mad, Benny should probably not be around him.
"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to bother you," he said, standing up to leave, but Ethan took a hold of his arm, and sat him back down.
"You know what? I change my mind," he said. "Guess I'll give you a shot."
Benny was confused. It felt strange that he just changed his mind in a matter of seconds. "Why?"
"Are you really gonna complain?" Ethan asked.
"Not really. Just curious," Benny said.
Ethan drink a bit of his beer, and by 'a bit', Benny meant a lot. "Whitechapel guys are the worst. None of them apologize for being jackasses. At least you have some decency."
That night, they slept together in Benny's apartment. When he woke up and saw Ethan sleeping, he looked like an angel. He knew he clicked with him, even though they spoke only for a bit. So, they gave the relationship a chance. Up until the second date, Ethan was still unappreciative of sudden touches, which Benny tried to avoid.
Benny never asked what caused Ethan to be jumpy to physical contact. He knew it was a sensitive subject, so he didn't talk about it. But he always speculated it could be abuse, or assault. If he was Vision, could this be why he chose this path in life?
"E, can I ask you a question?" he asked.
"Sure, but I can't guarantee I'll answer it," he said.
Well, he never answered before, so why did Benny feel bummed now? "Did someone hurt you before you met me?"
Nothing. Ethan stopped drawing for a second, then continued. If it was a no, he would have said so. Most likely, the answer was yes. "Who was it?"
Ethan put his tablet pen down. He looked at Benny with a seriousness he's never witnessed before. "Why do you care about me all of a sudden?"
Involuntarily, his body forced him to sit up straight. He was definitely shocked by Ethan's behavior. "I'm your boyfriend. That's why I care."
"Are you sure? Because it feels like you're interrogating me," Ethan said.
Benny should probably stop asking questions. Not only would it be useless, but it would probably feed into Ethan's anger. "Jesus, I'm sorry," he mumbled. He looked away, sitting silently with his thoughts before he got up to get himself some water. He needed to get up and … not look at Ethan, basically. He didn't know how to deal with this side of him. And he guessed Ethan had the right to be mad. Benny was acting strange all of a sudden. But it definitely broke Benny heart when he heard Ethan doubting how much Benny cared for him. Was Benny really that bad of a boyfriend? Whatever. He should go to the room and continue his work there.
He tried to do that, but not only were thoughts of Vision resurfacing, but he couldn't handle seeing Ethan this pissed off for the first time. He wasn't the type to run away from his problems, but today was definitely too much. Did he fuck up again? Was he ruining the one good romantic relationship he ever had, just because Ethan might have gone through abuse? It was an important thing to tell your partner, but if Ethan did have an abusive person in his life, it probably was traumatizing. He should know that as a criminal researcher who is involved in cases which included these kinds of crimes like abuse.
He didn't expect Ethan to come to him, yet he did. He was apologetic, and even though Benny whole-heartedly forgave him, he felt that their relationship wasn't going to be the same again, even if Ethan turned out to be innocent. Benny just had to hope things will go well.
That had a lot of POV shifting in there, but it felt right to me.
Well, of course, I revealed a few things, but there is soooo much more. I can't wait!
As always, leave your feedback, please. And tell me if you're adding something to your theory or changing it up. I loooove hearing from you.
Until next time!