Dean could only stare, dumbfounded at his own rookie mistake.
"I'll ask you one more time, sugar." Benny's voice remained soft, but it was ten times more serious."Where did you find this?"
He didn't want to lie to Benny, but his mind was still grappling to think up a reasonably believable one.
"What makes you think I found it?" Dean mentally slapped himself for that one. What a genius….
Benny's puzzled expression turned into concern.
"Well… I really can't think of any other reason you'd have one of these in your pocket."
"I..." Dean left the word hanging like a lonely apple on a dying tree.
"Look, you're not in trouble. I just want the truth. I would ne'er lie to you; I hope we c'n have an agreement t' be honest with each other."
"I found it under your bed. I'm sorry. I was snooping in those boxes, and I was going to ask you what it was but-"
Benny cut him off, "You were going through my stuff; and you found it here, in a box." He didn't sound upset, just more serious and also making sure to clarify just what Dean was saying.
"Yes. I'm sorry I broke your trust." Dean's remorse was not so much pretending as it was an accurate projection of just how sorry he was for getting caught.
"That's not so much what I'm concerned about, darlin'. This here is dangerous witchcraft; please do not mess with it. You could really get hurt; or end up dead."
Dean did his best to look scared or surprised; he tried maybe a little too hard.
"I… I'm sorry. I didn't know."
He wished that whole episode hadn't happened just then. He should have been smart enough to dispose of the hex bag before Benny got back… Now everything was fucked up. He had fucked up.
Benny looked as though he were about to say something, but instead he just tossed the hex bag onto the floor, crushing it with his rubber-soled hiking shoe and tossed the obliterated remains into the trash bin. Then he moseyed over to the bags of groceries and took a few things out.
"We'd better get goin' on the jambalaya before this meat goes bad."
...XoXoXo...
The jambalaya was amazing. No, it wasn't just amazing, it was mind blowing. Dean had never tasted a dish that was so thrown-together looking, and yet harmoniously tasty at the same time. Benny was no doubt a very skilled cook.
"Who taught you how to cook like this?" Dean asked only after spouting countless accolades concerning the food.
"I sort of picked up bits n' pieces from friends. I know a lot of good cooks. Then I add a little bit of personal touches. I'm glad you like it."
"Like it? God, it's the best food I've ever had. You can cook for me any time, Benny."
"Well 'm glad to hear that." Benny's voice went really soft, like it did when he was deep in thought.
"Look, Dean, there's somethin' I've b'n meanin' t' ask you."
"Hmmm?" Dean swallowed the very last morsel of seasoned rice that could possibly fit into his stomach.
"I know you said you weren't stayin' in town very long. But I… I can't deny I've already taken a shinin' to ya. I guess I really would like t' know what your plans are so that I… can prepare m'self for when you'll be leavin'."
Dean gulped. He got a knot in his stomach and he was sure the three helpings of jambalaya crammed into it didn't help matters.
"I'm still not sure, Benny. Could be tomorrow, could be next week. As soon as I get my job done I'll be heading back to Kansas."
"Oh." Benny sounded dismal in contrast to his usual light hearted, sweet charm.
"I don't want to sound heartless, but… I don't want to get too involved… In my family we don't typically have long term relationships. It's better that way." The last comment was really Dean trying to convince himself, not Benny. Because if he was honest with himself he knew he would be very sad to leave the man when the time came.
""An' I don't s'pose there's an'thin' I could do t' change your mind…" Benny stated rather than asked.
Dean genuinely felt bad that he had very well may have broken Benny's heart.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I just can't leave my family hanging, no matter how much I've enjoyed my time with you."
"I know, Dean. I guess I just… was foolishly hopin' we could spend some more time together."
"Well we can, for now. I still have to get my job done. I figure I'll be gone all of tomorrow but tonight and the night after I can still be here."
"I guess we should make the most of it, then hmm?" Benny wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin and started gathering the plates.
...XoXoXo...
Dean smiled and assisted Benny in cleaning up after supper. It was a bit of a tough process to wash dishes, as Benny's hut had no running water. They heated up some sea water in a metal pot and used the kitchen sink. It had been a long time since Dean had gone without such basic amenities. It made him really appreciate the seedy hotels he grew up in.
He did find it a little novel, not having running water, but he could imagine it would get old after a while.
"With no running water how do you shower?" Dean just had to ask.
Benny smiled at Dean's curiosity.
"Well I shower on the shrimpin' boat. It has a stall shower and a couple of toilets. On the off season or on days off I heat up some water and use a hand pump t' run water though a little piping system I got set up on the south side of my hut. It has a shower head and everythin'. The water pressure is terr'ble though, so I prefer t' use the one on the boat."
Dean laughed a little at the last comment.
"Why do you live like this? Is it… what you prefer?"
Benny paused his scrubbing in the sudsy salt water, and Dean thought for a moment that he'd struck a chord.
"I… Well let's just say that I got used t' a certain way of livin'. Old habits die hard."
Dean nodded, and realized not for the first time that he had nothing else to say.
"I have an idea." Benny said in his usual soft tone.
"Yes?" Dean was grateful for the break in awkward silence.
"I tell you somethin' about m'self and you tell me somethin' about you. We'll take turns until dishes are done. It can be an'thin' you like. The only condition is it has to be true."
"Okay." Dean agreed readily. "I guess I should start."
"Suit yourself." Benny said neutrally as he struggled to scrape the layer of rice from the bottom of the pan.
"Until last night, I'd never had sex with a man." The fact came off of Dean's tongue like water dripping off a leaf. Talking with Benny usually made him unusually chatty, and he was never really sure why; it was likely Benny's calm, non-judgmental disposition.
"Well, I am glad to have been your first." Benny said in a sweet tone.
"It's your turn." Dean said quickly, hoping to end any future commentary about Dean's sex life.
"I have no family." Benny deadpanned.
"None?"
"None."
"Why?"
"It's your turn."
"But what about all those pho-" Dean cut himself short, realizing what he was just about to dig up again.
"Hmm? What was that now?"
"Nothing. It's my turn... I um.."
"Were you referring to the photos?" Benny's voice was still as calm as ever.
"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't mean to bring up my, uh… snooping again."
"Naw, don't you worry 'bout it, mon cher. You're a curious sort, I c'n tell. Now go ahead, it's your turn t' tell me somethin'. And make it good."
Dean was still reeling from Benny's completely amiable response. But he did his best to come up with a good tidbit of information.
"I have a brother, and a dad. My mom died when I was three."
"'Aww, 'm sorry. It's no good to go through life missin' a parent."
Dean shrugged and continued to obediently dry the clean utensils.
The Cajun man broke the silence again: "Well I guess since you did see those photos, and it is ma turn, I might 's well tell you what they're from. They used t' belong t' someone very close t' me; a ph'tographer. I kept them, since I'm all… sentimental."
"Oh." Was all Dean could say. He knew that he wasn't supposed to ask questions; mainly because he didn't want Benny to ask any of him. But he so badly wanted to ask if the photographer was even still alive. The question sat at the tip of his tongue for a full minute before he finally decided to move on and take his turn.
"I've never been in love." The hunter confessed quietly.
Benny paused all movement for just a second as he processed the statement. He used an even softer than usual tone as he said , "Well there's plenty of time for that, darlin'. Just you wait n' see. You're still so young. Lots of love and loss to be had yet."
"I hope not." Dean referred to the 'loss' mentioned.
"Well… I've been in love." Benny stated, evidently taking his turn in their little game.
"Lots of times. Gotten ma heart broken even more 'm afraid."
Dean looked away for a moment. The conversation was getting to serious for him; too real. Even now he could feel his heart aching for Benny and the crazy, terrible things he must have gone through in life.
"Well these dishes are all done. I guess we c'n move on t' somethin' else." Benny said with a hint of mischievousness in his voice.
"Oh? Like what kind of 'something else?'" Dean played along.
"We'll think of somethin'." Benny smiled before he pulled lover into a kiss. He used his tongue early in the kiss, which was something Dean found arousing.
The hunter grabbed the back of Benny's head and ran his hand through the short hair, unable to grasp it but it still communicated what he wanted. Benny increased the intensity of their kiss and he too put a strong hand against the back of his lover's head. Dean noticed very quickly that Benny's erection was pressing against his hip.
In a daring maneuver, the young man pried away from the lip-lock and went to his knees. He tried not to look as apprehensive as he felt.
A long, deep groan of approval came from above as Dean fumbled with undoing the button and fly of Benny's thick denim jeans. Once that was accomplished, Benny assisted in getting his cock out of his briefs.
Dean stared, never had he gotten the opportunity to look at a cock from this close, nor at this angle. It was fucking huge. It was hard to believe he could try to fit something like that in his mouth. But he wanted to try. And wisely, he decided to start small.
He licked the tip, which tasted salty, but not from sea water. Benny was already leaking small amounts of precum and the fact that he got this turned on just from Dean's kissing and going to his knees was a little flattering.
Goaded by Benny's heavy breathing and tiny moans that escaped with every little touch of his tongue, Dean let the cock go into his mouth and slid back out again. Even with his valiant effort, he could just fit half. He'd received a few blowjobs in his day, so he decided to do what he knew felt good and he grabbed the remaining half with his hand and used his other hand to massage his lover's big, heavy balls.
"God damn, mon cher. Feels good." Benny encouraged in his wonderful, deep husky voice.
Dean pushed himself further and worked more of the thick length inside his mouth, being careful not to use teeth or to choke. It was difficult, but he enjoyed the challenge. He also liked turning his strong, burly lover into a gasping, pleasured puddle with just his mouth.
Eventually he was at an impasse, where his jaw hurt like a bitch from the constant stretch and Benny was on a plateau of pleasure that would need a little something more to hurtle him over the edge. He finally let the cock slip out of his mouth completely and he stood up to resume kissing the Cajun man.
"I think we should take this to the bedroom." Dean whispered hoarsely, his throat a little sore from the recent unconventional use.
"I would like nothing more…"