IX.
Ben and Jimmy snuck into the house sometime after two. Jimmy fretted the whole time that every tiny noise they made could be heard by everyone sleeping inside, but Ben didn't pay it much mind. They climbed the stairs and started changing for bed.
"I really am sorry about my friends," Jimmy started, when Ben grabbed him from behind, mouth attaching immediately to the most available patch of flesh and hands fumbling with the top buttons of his pants.
"When are you going to stop apologizing about that?" Ben rumbled breathy against Jimmy's ear, nibbling the lobe, "Everything went fine. They were nice guys. I liked them."
"They were jerks to you," Jimmy replied, moaning softly in the back of his throat, his fingers interlacing with Ben's. He untangled himself from Ben's embrace, turning to face the other boy and drawing him into a firm kiss. Their lips parted, Ben's tongue dove in, tracing every contour of Jimmy's gum walls until Jimmy whimpered and they broke apart, gasping for breath and leaning into one another.
"Don't worry so much about it," Ben told Jimmy, trailing kisses along his jaw and up across his forehead, "Tomorrow you're going to meet my friends, and I promise, they will avenge me."
"You're such a dork," Jimmy laughed, working at un-tucking Ben's shirt and slipping his cold hands up underneath to ripple over smooth, warm skin, causing the other boy to shudder and kiss him hard and insistent, "I need to go brush my teeth."
"You need to finish taking off my clothes," Ben returned smartly, guiding Jimmy's hands to the buttons of his shirt.
"Your brother and his wife are sleeping right next door," Jimmy pointed out, though he didn't put up much of a struggle as Ben peeled away his own shirt, and then he started undoing the top buttons of Ben's shirt.
"Trust me, Hal deserves this," Ben replied, cringing, "You have no idea how many girls I had to listen to throughout my late teens, panting his name next door."
"Yeah, well," Jimmy whispered, pushing away Ben's shirt when the buttons were undone and lifting up the undershirt to expose Ben's belly and chest, then fluttering kisses along his sternum, "Unlike those girls, I actually want to be able to look your brother in the eye in the morning."
"You haven't looked my brother in the eye yet," Ben argued.
Jimmy released the shirt, it slid down most of the way, and he smacked Ben in the stomach. Ben grunted and doubled over slightly, grimacing. Jimmy spun away, digging his toothbrush and the bottle of paste from his bag and promptly exiting the room. Ben sighed, and slumped a moment. He finished taking his shirt off, and tossed it across the floor, then started undoing his pants, slipping them off and exchanging them for a pair of sweats. He looked for his own toothbrush, finding it when Jimmy returned, so he left to brush his teeth and by the time he got back, Jimmy had changed into his own night clothes, spirited away all of their dirty garments, and was sitting cross legged on the bed thumbing through a book he'd taken off one of the bookshelves. Ben sat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward on his knees and rubbing his hands over his face.
"Are you sure you don't want to go over to your parents' house tomorrow?" Ben asked, "I mean, we'll have been here three days before you…"
"My mom said Monday night," Jimmy interrupted, closing the book and climbing off the bed to return it to the shelf, "So we'll see them Monday night."
"Well, still, we can just go over and…"
"She knows when our flight came in. She said Monday night," Jimmy replied, heading to the light switch, "Which side of the bed do you want?"
"Oh. I get a choice tonight?" Ben perked eagerly, "Because you always…"
"Forget it, you can sleep by the wall. I'll take the outside," Jimmy decided, flicking the lights off.
Ben rolled his eyes, pushing himself into the bed and pulling the covers back, sliding under. He heard Jimmy stumble across the room, and then slip into the covers. Ben's eyes adjusted to the low light, and he propped himself up and found Jimmy's wide eyes, anxiously scanning the ceiling. Ben wrapped his arms around Jimmy, settling against the other boy, his face nuzzling against Jimmy's neck. Jimmy closed his eyes and relaxed at Ben's warm touch.
"I just found out my best friend is gay," Jimmy quietly noted.
"Yeah, I know," Ben mumbled response.
Jimmy furrowed his brow, turning slightly so he could see Ben's eyes through the dark.
"What? How did you know?"
"It was kind of obvious," Ben said plainly.
"No. It wasn't obvious at all," Jimmy argued.
"Because nothing is obvious to you, baby," Ben grinned, pulling Jimmy to him and resting their lips together, murmuring there, "Because you are so very oblivious."
"I am not oblivious," Jimmy whined.
"Oh, so then you noticed he was jealous of me all night?"
"Well…okay, he told me afterwards but…"
"Because he's got a thing for you," Ben added.
"Well…that is…what? He does not."
"Yes. He does," Ben said firmly, pulling back and absently pushing the hair from Jimmy's face, "He got this sad look every time I touched you. He wouldn't even look at me."
"He just got out of a relationship," Jimmy protested, his heart hammering in his chest, his cheeks flushing. He was thankful the lights were out, he didn't want to explain his severe blush to Ben, "He was heartbroken."
"No. He was heartbroken when you told him you would leave with me," Ben countered softly. He smiled distantly and whispered, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone so crushed. Except maybe me, a year ago, when you said you could never love me."
Jimmy winced, turning onto his back to look sheepishly up at the ceiling as he mumbled, "Well…see…I just said that then…because…well…the thing was that…that I uh…"
"Were already in love with me?" Ben supplied.
"No," Jimmy snapped, then squirmed, "Maybe," then sighed, "Yes."
Jimmy scowled at the ceiling, playing back the night's events in his mind. He thought of his argument with Ryan, of Ryan's determination to push Ben away, then Ryan isolating himself when he failed, and then their conversation before Jimmy left: to numb the pain.
"Shit," Jimmy grumbled, absently reaching for Ben's arms and securing them around himself, shifting so that he was more comfortably folded against the other boy, "And what am I supposed to do with that?"
"Maybe I shouldn't have told you," Ben lamented.
"No. It's good that you did," Jimmy replied haggardly.
"Because you never would have figured it out?" Ben teased.
"Shut up," Jimmy muttered. He closed his eyes and sighed, "I guess I'll deal with it tomorrow. Night, babe."
"Good night," Ben whispered reply, maneuvering to give Jimmy a quick peck on the lips, and then settling down. Both boys soon drifted off to sleep.
