"I feel really… exposed and gay in this outfit," Victor says, eyeing himself in the mirror as he turns to the side and pinches the loose green floral crop top to adjust how it drapes from his shoulders.
Benji snickers as he uncrosses his legs and re-crosses them the other way before he reaches out and cups Victor's ass through his shorts. He's wearing an identical crop top. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"Well… I don't mean it in a negative way, of course, more in the sense that like… it's not really me, you know? Not sure if you noticed, but I tend to like to keep things low-key…" Victor holds his hand out and lets his wrist go limp. "Less Spongebob wrist."
"None of that is bad. But it is a little outside your comfort zone, I'll give you that." Benji stands up, rolling his eyes and gently bumping Victor aside with his hip before he sets his elbow on Victor's shoulder. "Wouldn't it be cute if we finally got some couples' clothes so we can be coordinated, though?" He pauses, stroking his chin. "Or we can get something that's more 'you', if you'd like."
Victor hums, examining them both very obviously in the mirror. "You know what… we do look pretty damn good."
"We look fruity and hot."
"Exactly."
"So you're gonna get the crop top… and the shorts?"
Hesitating, Victor opens his mouth to respond before he closes it and nods quickly. "Sure. Why not? Even though the shorts barely cover my underwear."
"That's why I'm wearing a jock," Benji says with a wicked grin and a wink as he grabs Victor's ass again.
Victor snorts and smacks Benji's ass in return before he pulls him in by the face for a kiss, walking him backward until his shoulder blades press up against the dressing room wall.
When they pull away, Benji grins as wide as the horizon as he lets his head fall back against the wall with a thump, panting.
"Y'know…" Benji murmurs against Victor's lips, dragging his hands along Victor's back lazily, "I've always wanted to have sex in a dressing room…"
"Well, you can keep wanting, 'cause it's not happening." Victor claps Benji on the shoulder.
Pouting, Benji rolls his eyes. "Okay, fine… I guess I'll just have to survive."
Victor chuckles, kissing Benji gently on the cheek before he takes a step away from him, freeing him from his position against the wall. Benji stands up straight, slipping his thumbs into his pockets.
Taking one last look at himself in the mirror, Victor grimaces, sighing as he rocks back and forth from the heels to the balls of his feet. "Okay… time to buy this very loud ensemble before I chicken out."
"I'm so proud of you, babe."
"I would say save the praise til the end of the day…"
"Well… you're gonna rock it." Benji winks, finger-gunning at Victor in the mirror.
"I hope you're right…"
They leave the little shop shortly, clad in their matching outfits, the bell ringing like an omen behind them as the door closes, and Victor immediately regrets it all as he slides his shades onto his nose. Benji slips his hand into Victor's as they wander down the bustling promenade at Bourbon Street, the crowds making Victor squeeze Benji's hand tighter.
"Hey, Vic, relax," Benji murmurs in Victor's ear, nuzzling his nose against his cheek. "No one here knows you."
"I know, it's just… there's a breeze on my stomach…"
Benji chuckles and shakes his head, before shoving his hair from his face. "Well, you could always just take the shirt off… otherwise, you'd better get used to it, princess."
"Don't call me that." Victor grits his teeth, setting his hand on the back of Benji's neck.
"Or what?" Benji purrs, eyelids fluttering closed for a moment before he sidles even closer to Victor in the heat. "Shit, I love it when you do that…" He takes Victor's hand and slips it into the back pocket of his own shorts, then lowers his voice to almost a whisper. "Be a man and use me. Maybe it'll help you feel better."
"Tatooine."
Benji clears his throat and pulls away. "All right, I got it… Do you wanna talk about it? Or put your regular clothes back on?"
"I just feel like I'm basically walking around naked even though like… this shirt is only down to right above my belly button, which isn't even that bad, and the shorts are also… reasonable, after a while. It's just so foreign, I have no idea how you do it."
"Yeah, I get it. It's weird at first. And sometimes the discomfort is your body telling you you aren't ready or that it's not right, but sometimes it's us getting in our heads about what others will think of us. It's just up to us to decide which voice to listen to."
"That's true…" Victor says, contemplating, as they wander over to where Lake is standing, face glued to her phone outside a souvenir shop with a glowing sign hanging above the doorway.
Benji squeezes Victor's hand, reassuring. "You have nothing to prove to anyone. It's all up to you."
"I know. But I guess in this case it's one of those things that's like… it's normal to be afraid, but you should still do it anyway, you know?" Victor beams, winking at Benji.
"Right… that's so true…" Benji says, voice trailing off.
A soft smile blooms on Benji's lips as he picks at his cuticles with his thumb absently. He looks off into the distance, past the balconies with their blue floral arcades and hanging ferns, as if his mind is wandering somewhere else.
"Hey, guys," Victor says, waving as he pulls Benji toward Lake.
"Victor… oh my god…" Lake says, gasping as she covers her mouth with her hand. "You look incredible. How the hell do you look better in a crop top and booty shorts than me?"
"They're not booty shorts…" Victor says weakly.
"Well, they may as well be!"
"Okay, well… I'll take the W, I guess. Thank you, Lake."
"Shiiiit, Salazar, I was wondering when the day would come that Benji finally turned you. Didn't think it would be so soon, though…" Andrew says as he exits the store and joins the trio.
"Thanks. You know, I'm just trying new things. You might find it fun. Liberating, even. Because, you know, gender is a prison and whatnot," Victor teases, scrunching his nose.
Benji grins as he leans on Victor before craning his head up to kiss his cheek. "Babe, you sound gnc as fuck."
"I don't know what that means, but thank you."
A second later, Fee jogs over to the group, breathless when they stop and lean over with their hands on their knees. "Hey, guys. What's everyone looking at?"
"Nobody tell them," Andrew mutters.
"Oh, you're matching. Nice," Fee says, pointing between Victor and Benji before holding both thumbs up as they gulp for air.
"What were you running from, babe?"
Fee takes another deep breath and straightens their posture. "I saw a street performer with a monkey."
"Ahhh. And you tried to p-"
"Yes, I tried to pet the monkey. And then the guy got pissed at me, so I ran away." Fee hides behind Andrew's shoulders as the rest of them burst into laughter.
Once Mia returns from the souvenir shop and coos over Victor and Benji, they continue their way through the French Quarter, the summer heat slowly sapping their energy, bit by bit. They duck into an ice cream shop that, luckily for them, is air conditioned to the point of freezing them, too, but the crowd within means they have no choice but to go outside and continue their journey, a free-for-all toward the waterfront.
"Wait… so you're telling me this isn't vegan? But there're no animal products in it." Lake says as she takes a bite of her lavender honey ice cream.
"Well," Benji says, pausing as he licks at the dripping vegan mango and chocolate cone, stopping it before it gets on his fingers. "There's a lot of debate in the vegan community, actually, about whether honey is vegan or not."
"Oh, yeah, I've heard about that. Something about not exploiting the labor of the bees, right? Sounds a little Marxist, don't ya think?" Fee says, biting into the side of their own cone.
Benji chuckles, adjusting his shades. "I mean, there's a little more to it than that. Mostly 'cause a lot of vegans think humans taking honey is just generally bad for the bees and their well-being and that it hurts them."
"But I don't think that's actually true, given the evidence," Victor says, his arm linked with Benji's as they walk. He tugs down the bottom of his crop top, feeling a bit too exposed, before he nibbles on his own ice cream. "The bees don't need all the honey they produce."
"That's true. I don't personally have a problem with it and I'm not as strict about it as some other people are, but I still try to avoid it. That's just one of the arguments, though." Benji shrugs. He wipes his forehead with the back of his hand and grimaces as they stop in the middle of Jackson Square, the early afternoon sun beating down on them.
"Speaking of bees…" Fee says, laughter tinging the edge of their words, "what about the birds?" They pause, wheezing with laughter, before they smack Victor on the arm. "Get it? Like the birds and the bees? You guys know what I'm talking about."
Lake raises her eyebrow. "I never understood that metaphor."
"Me, neither," Benji says, a blank look on his face. "Like, who's the bird and who's the bee?"
"Is the bird supposed to be a dick?" Victor asks.
Fee sighs, rolling their eyes. "Okay, nevermind, this is clearly too postmodern for you…"
Victor chuckles just as his face falls and he pauses in his tracks, melted orange sorbet raining down the sides of his cone. He grimaces and leans down to lick at it, only for Benji to stop him with a hand on his chest.
"I got it, babe."
Raising an eyebrow, Victor can only watch, frozen, as Benji wraps Victor's cone in a napkin and takes it out of his hand, gently placing it in the other. He then proceeds to grip Victor's wrist firmly in his own hand, ignoring the other tourists zigzagging around them as his tongue flicks out to lick at Victor's ice cream-covered fingers.
"O-oh…" Victor says, his entire body on the verge of combustion.
Benji smirks as he laps at the sweet liquid and stares up at Victor over the top of his shades and through his eyelashes, as he trails his tongue from the first knuckle up to the tip of Victor's pointer finger, before he closes his eyes and takes his finger into his mouth.
It's using all of Victor's willpower to stop himself from moaning as Benji all but deep-throats his digit, sucking every last drop of sorbet from his skin before letting Victor's finger fall from between his lips with a dramatic pop.
"There ya go. All clean." Benji winks slyly.
The only thing can do for a long moment is simply stare at Benji, who's slipped his hand back through Victor's. He returns to licking his own ice cream nonchalantly, not paying them any mind, as Victor adjusts his shorts with a grimace.
"Did we all bring sunscreen?" Mia asks, breaking the silence and clearing her throat before digging around in the bag hanging from her narrow shoulders, her large hat flopping around her. She produces a bottle of sunscreen. "We should definitely re-apply. Especially you three." She motions to Benji, Lake and Fee. "Benji, you look like a mottled disaster."
"Love you, too, sis. It's not like it hasn't been pointed out to me before," Benji says sarcastically.
Victor shakes his head and chuckles as he reaches out and plucks something from the tip of Benji's nose. "The skin on your nose is starting to peel, babe."
"So my dream of being a lizard is coming true. Finally."
Rolling his eyes, Victor snatches the bottle of sunscreen from Mia and dabs some on Benji's pink face as Benji grimaces.
"Maybe we should go hide in the shade?" Andrew says, shielding his eyes with his hand. "It's hot as balls here."
"Or… we could find a bar and do some day-drinking? We all have fake IDs, right?" Lake says.
Benji tenses against Victor, taking a large bite out of his ice cream and holding it in his mouth as Victor raises an eyebrow, incredulous, rubbing the viscous white liquid into Benji's skin, his own face twisting.
"Uh… no? I don't have a fake ID and I will definitely get carded. I mean… look at me," Victor says, making a circle in the air in front of his own face. "I look twelve."
Lake frowns, stomping her foot. "Oh, damn-Wait, unless we just buy some booze and we can drink it someplace else? Like… in an alley while someone keeps watch and tells us when the cops show up so we can drunkenly stumble away."
"Funny that you say that, Lake, because did you know… that New Orleans is one of the few places in the country where you're actually allowed to drink alcohol in public?" Fee says, holding their arms out wide, triumphant, as they step over to one of the grassy areas on the side of the square. "We could literally just drink here, if we wanted to."
"Another brilliant idea from my beautiful partner," Andrew says, kissing them on the cheek.
Cringing, Lake eyes the grass. "Ew, no thank you. I don't wanna be around all the bugs."
"But you would be okay with a random alley?" Mia rolls her eyes, holding her bag open and sticking it under Lake's nose. "We have a blanket. We'll be fine."
"Okay, so, who wants to be in charge of getting the booze?" Lake asks, eyeing each of them in turn. "Ooo, Benji. You're the only other one who's over 21." She winks.
Benji takes a final bite of ice cream and tugs gently at Victor's arm, pulling him away from their friends. He swallows the cold chunk of ice cream and smiles curtly. "Uh… Can you give us a second?"
"Sure…" Lake says, eyeing Benji suspiciously, as he pulls Victor off toward the fountain in the middle of the square, cutting through the crowds around it.
"What's going on, babe?" Victor asks once they're out of earshot.
Benji hesitates, leaning against the edge of the fountain and staring off at the pointed navy spires of the otherwise bone-white cathedral that casts its shadow across the square. He chews on his lip as Victor sighs and leans against the fountain next to him, their hips whispering against each other.
"Okay… you can tell me when you're ready." Victor gives Benji a tiny smile before he reaches out and gently taps Benji's lower lip with his thumb. "Stop chewing on your lip… do you wanna hold my hand instead if you need something to get the energy out?" He holds his hand out to Benji, who glances at him apprehensively for a moment before he takes it and squeezes it hard, making Victor grimace.
"Thanks…" Benji mutters, declining his face as his pupils flit to Victor's face through the gap in his shades.
Victor grits his teeth and rubs his thumb across the side of Benji's hand soothingly. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."
Face flushing and not from the sunlight, Benji inhales. "You have to promise you won't tell anyone, okay? Not even Mia knows this."
"Oh… kay…" Victor says slowly, drawing out his syllables as his eyebrows furrow.
"Promise me."
"Yes, I promise. Of course."
Benji takes a deep, long, slow breath, shutting his eyes tightly.
"I'm an alcoholic, Victor."
There's silence between them for a moment that drags on and Benji's gaze returns to Victor's face as he presses his lips hard into a line. Victor's entire body is rigid until his mouth falls open.
"Ahh… I see."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Benji asks, squeezing Victor's hand again.
Victor waves his other hand in front of him quickly. "No, no, no, no, no. That's not what I meant. Like… It wasn't super obvious or anything like that. I just-but wait. What about that time at the party?"
"The thing is…" Benji's shoulders deflate and his gaze goes to his feet again. "I slipped up. Because I was stressed out. And it definitely didn't help that Connor was there… just generally being a dick and trying to steal you…"
"Wait… you were… jealous?" Victor asks, blinking back incredulity.
Benji shifts his weight from one foot to the other. "No…"
Blinking, Victor raises an eyebrow. "B…"
"Okay, fine. I was. And you know why already so don't make me say it."
"Oh, babe. You had a crush on me. That's embarrassing." Victor grins mischievously, swinging their joined hands back and forth between them.
Blushing, Benji turns his face away. "We're literally dating."
"Still…" Victor clears his throat, standing up straight, his smile fading. "But in all seriousness… Thank you for telling me."
Benji exhales the breath he didn't know he was holding and smiles softly. "I'm still learning how to let people in… and like I said, I trust you. I really don't wanna slip again or possibly even relapse. Like, that's why I told you to keep an eye on me at the party. And I even thought about it a bit after you… y'know, lost it on me."
"Shit…"
Victor shakes his head for a long time as he gazes out through the lower end of the square, past the short palms swaying in the light breeze. A little horse-drawn carriage whizzes by, the rhythmic clip-clopping of hooves matching the pace of Victor's heart. They both stand there, silent for a while, as Benji simply peers up at Victor from the corner of his eye.
"Is there anything I can do to make things… at least a little easier for you?" Victor finally says.
Tipping his head to the side, it's Benji's turn to raise an eyebrow as he swipes his arm over his brow, grimacing as he wipes away the sweat. "What do you mean? Like… accommodating me?"
"Yeah. Like, if it would help for us to not go drinking with the others, for instance. We can do something else." Victor releases Benji from his grip and instead lets his hand wander to Benji's exposed shoulder as he caresses the spot where Benji had rolled up his sleeve.
"I can't ask you to do that."
"You're not asking, I'm offering. I just want you to feel comfortable. And to be honest… I really don't mind not drinking. It's a small price to pay."
Benji smiles, letting his head rest against Victor's shoulder and slipping his arm across Victor's lower back. "I mean, it's usually easy to fake it and people don't really give me as much trouble about it as I get older. I can be around it, I just need to keep my distance because I know I'll crave it. And if I buy it myself, I'll feel guilty for spending money on it. But like… it's still something that's kinda hard to talk about. So it's easier to just… not."
"That makes sense. And don't worry, your secret's safe with me."
"Thank you. And thank you for being so cool about this whole thing."
Victor leans down and kisses Benji's forehead. When he pulls away, he can't help but chew on the inside of his cheek for a moment before he speaks. "I just have one question, though… and I don't wanna make it seem like I'm trying to shame you or anything like that."
"Yeah?"
"Why did you wait so long to tell me about this?"
Benji stares down at his feet, kicking at a pebble on the scorching asphalt with the toe of his boot. "I guess I was just… nervous. That you would maybe think differently about me or something. Either like I'm some sort of freak or a piece of glass you need to handle carefully."
Victor smooths down Benji's hair and sighs. "It doesn't change anything. You're still the same person I fell in love with, but now I just know you a little better."
"God, that's a relief…" Benji murmurs, glancing behind them to the bronze horse statue sitting in the middle of the square, before he returns his attention to Victor again. "But before… when you said that thing about being afraid but doing it anyway… It made me think about why I've been keeping this to myself for all these years."
"Glad I could help." Victor squeezes Benji's arm and squints as he smiles.
"But, honestly… saying all this is terrifying." He takes Victor's other hand and presses it to his chest. Victor tenses, counting the beats. Over a hundred.
"I know… But I'm glad you did. And you know I love you no matter what. Even if you killed someone, I would help you bury the body."
"That's a little disconcerting, but also… probably the most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me," Benji says wistfully, voice shaking as he tugs at the corners of his eyes and tips his head back, blinking quickly and avoiding the curious gazes of the onlookers they'd both forgotten about who are inhabiting the square, too.
"I'm just saying… there's nothing you could do or say to make me not want you, okay?"
Benji shakes his head as a lone tear drips down his cheek from under his shades. He wipes it away with his wrist hastily, hiding his face with his hand, before he grabs Victor by the chin and pulls him into a deep kiss, injecting into it all the fervor of the waves crashing around inside him. Victor kisses back with equal intensity, lower back pressing into the granite of the fountain, before they reluctantly pull apart.
"I love you so much, Victor. And I feel like I fall even more in love with you every day." Benji's voice is soft, as if speaking any louder would break their little bubble of magic and dreams. "No one's ever said anything like this to me before and actually meant it."
All Victor can do is smile, his body going warm and golden not only from the sun, before he presses their foreheads together, fitting them together comfortably, perfectly. "I feel the same way. And I'll keep saying all this because I mean it and it's the truth."
"Hey! Benji! Victor!" a nearby voice calls, piercing through their carefully-crafted bubble. "That's a long second!"
"Oh, shit. I forgot about that," Benji says.
Victor steps away from the fountain, grimacing as the underside of his thighs comes unstuck from its surface. He reaches down and links their hands as Benji's lip curls up ever so slightly. Victor leans down to kiss Benji one final time before he sighs.
"Okay, so… I have a plan. Just follow my lead, all right, babe?"
"Yeah, I got it."
They shuffle across the gravel rolling and scratching beneath their feet, back to their friends, who are standing in the shade of a tall tree.
"You guys were gone for a while. Is everything okay?" Mia asks, eyebrows furrowed.
"Don't worry about us," Victor says, waving his hand dismissively. "I was just thinking that I'm not really in the mood to drink lately… And Benji said he won't drink, either. You know, boyfriend solidarity and whatnot."
"Yeah, exactly… Plus, do you really need more than one person to buy alcohol?" Benji says, glancing at Victor as he laces his arm around Victor's and squeezes his bicep.
"I guess you're right." Lake sighs, shrugging. "I was just looking forward to taking a trip to the liquor store with my butt twin, that's all."
Benji chuckles, shaking his head. "I'll have to sit this one out, but we can always go somewhere else together. That is, if Victor won't get lonely with me leaving him for a little bit."
"I'll be fine." Victor snorts, shoulders shaking.
"Anyway, I'll be back in a few minutes, hopefully with some vodka." Lake adjusts her purse on her shoulder and darts back toward the bustling streets of the French Quarter.
"Wait, babe!" Mia calls, waving to garner her attention. "Meet us down on the waterfront, it's just down there."
She motions in the opposite direction, past the fountain and the heavy iron gates and the horse-drawn carriages just outside, and beyond the trolley tracks and the artillery park, to where the Mississippi River stretches its vast surface and splits New Orleans from the other towns within the metropolitan area.
"Okay!" Lake says, holding her thumb up, before she disappears.
Victor kisses Benji on the temple, smiling as he whispers in his ear. "Don't worry, babe. I got your back."
They join the rest of the group and continue to wander closer to the water, commandeering a spot on a little grassy strip beneath a tree and rolling out the blanket before piling on top of it.
For a short time, they sit in a circle, staring off at the river and chatting about whatever pops into their heads as they await Lake's return.
"Shit, I wish I'd brought my sketchbook with me…" Benji says, gaping at the view of the river with a huge red steamboat crossing their path and making the waves pick up on the otherwise peaceful water. He pulls out his phone from his tightly-compressed pocket and snaps a few photos.
"Heyyyy bitches!" Lake calls from the trolley tracks as she marches over to them, brandishing a bottle of vodka. She plops down on the blanket beside Mia and exhales loudly. "I didn't even get carded."
"What did you get besides vodka?" Mia asks, taking the bag full of mixers from her arm and peering inside.
"Just like… coke and juice and shit. Oh, and cups."
They pour up drinks for everyone, Benji and Victor opting instead for soda in their red solo cups.
"Are you sure you don't want me to top that off with some vodka?" Andrew asks as he pours a few glugs into his own cup.
Victor wrinkles his nose. "Nah, we're good."
Benji takes a sip of his drink and glances over at Victor as he takes his shades off and hooks them over the collar of his crop top. He stretches his arms up toward the branches above before he sets his cup aside.
Scooting back a bit, he curls up with his head on Victor's lap as he stares up at the leaves of the tree overhead, watching it swaying in the breeze erupting off the surface of the river.
Closing his eyes, Benji hums contentedly along with the upbeat jazz playing down the road, and Victor can't stop himself from gently flicking some of his hair from his forehead.
"That's a good idea, butt twin," Lake says with a giggle as she plops her head on Mia's lap, too.
Chuckling, Benji opens his one eye a slit and points to his lips. Victor rolls his eyes before he leans down and cups Benji's face carefully, pressing their lips together like a space rock colliding with the earth's atmosphere. When they separate, Benji whines quietly and grabs blindly for Victor's face until Victor kisses him again. And again. And again.
They sit and drink on the water even as the sun begins its descent, for once enjoying the fact that they have nowhere to be, no responsibilities, and no one to answer to.
For now, all that concerns Victor is the view, the coolness of the shade in the late afternoon light as the shadow expands, the scratchy blanket overlaying the pliable ground, the banter and laughter of their friends, and the warm but pleasant weight of Benji's head on his legs, his hair sticking to Victor's sweaty, bare thighs. Running his fingers through Benji's hair in that way he'll never tire of, he sighs, content.
"I still can't get over this picture," Mia snorts, tripping over her words a bit and flipping through her album on her phone before she looks up.
"Which one?" Benji asks, tilting his head in Victor's lap.
"The one from that haunted tour thing."
Lake snatches the phone instead and brings it closer before passing it back to Mia with a neutral expression before her face splits and she laughs. "I'm literally dead."
Mia snickers and holds her phone right over Benji's face, just as he takes it from her, peering at it for a moment before he breaks into a fit of giggles and gives it to Victor. "God, Victor, you look completely clueless."
Victor blinks, squinting at the photo of him in a haunted pub at night, smiling foolishly and staring off into the distance, as Benji and Andrew both hide behind Fee, looking petrified, as Fee brandishes a fire poker like a sword.
"What were you guys hiding from, anyways? I didn't even see anything scary," Victor says.
"Oh, please," Lake says slowly, rolling her eyes. "Of course there wasn't anything there. You know they just make shit up to sell tickets and make money, right? It's just another tourist trap."
"There has to be at least some element of truth to it, though, babe. I definitely got some bad energy over there." Mia shivers as Andrew nods sagely.
"I mean, it had to be because it was in our heads. We were expecting to be scared."
"So are you saying we just placebo effected our brains?" Benji muses.
"Maybe." Lake shrugs.
"Lemme see that…" Andrew says, slurring his words and grabbing the phone from Victor's hand. "Okay, I wasn't hiding, I was just crouching. The ceiling was too high."
"Yeah, sure." Benji rolls his eyes.
"Babe, you almost jumped into my arms but you stopped yourself because you realized, and I quote, 'these twigs," Fee says, waving their arms like rubber bands beside them, "wouldn't be able to hold you.'" They down the rest of their drink, a goofy smile on their lips.
"Well, I thought I saw a ghost or something, and I don't know if I believe in that sort of thing but I definitely felt something, too. Like Mia said, bad vibes."
Andrew claps Benji and Mia on the shoulders. "Exactly!" He narrows his eyes as Victor. "Don't gaslight us. I've seen enough 'based on a true story' haunting movies to know not to fuck with spirits when you're in their territory."
"I wasn't gaslighting, I just didn't see anything, but maybe it's because I didn't bring my glasses…" Victor says, shrugging and stroking Benji's hair absently.
"Ignorance truly is bliss…" Fee mutters, pouring themself another drink.
"Well, either way… You guys didn't believe me when I said I wouldn't be scared… and I was the only one who didn't scream like a little kid." Victor teases, his head falling back as he smiles smugly.
"Next time, I hope your visually impaired ass brings your glasses so you'll understand," Benji says, his voice low and suspenseful.
Victor giggles, poking Benji gently on the nose. "Your attempt at being menacing isn't working very well, babe."
"Dang it… It's the face, isn't it."
"Yes, exactly. You're way too pretty to be scary."
"You're gonna regret saying that, Victor Gabriel Salazar," Benji says, tapping the tips of his fingers on both hands together before he laughs maniacally.
Soon the sun sets and they pack up their things before wandering back through the French Quarter and the rainbow streets, leaving the meandering waters of the Mississippi behind.
They stop in a little Cajun restaurant for dinner, sampling some jambalaya and gumbo, dirty rice and etouffee, all of it smelling strongly of onion, pepper and celery and sassafras and spice, the hot food pleasant and relaxing in comparison to the exhausting heat of the day.
Once they finish off their dinner with pecan pralines and custard tarts, they return to their Airbnb, the cicadas and absence of human noise a welcome reprieve.
Mia and Lake retreat to their own room, as Andrew and Fee slip away to their shared room, leaving Victor and Benji alone in the living room, the ticking of the grandfather clock against the wall like a metronome reminding them of their short time left.
"Did you wanna go out in the backyard?" Benji asks, standing in front of the sliding glass door and unlocking it.
Victor smiles gently and nods as he flips the light on outside. "Yeah, let's do it."
Benji pulls the door open and motions for Victor to step out ahead of him before he follows him out, the heavy air cooler against their skin now. Pursing his lips, Benji glances around the concrete patio before he plops down on one of the metal chairs under the awning a few feet from the pool and stretches his legs out in front of him.
The yard is private, with a tall wooden fence enclosing it and cutting them off from the world. There are a few trees dotting the spaces by the fence surrounded by little patches of grass, but the rest is concrete and brick and stone.
Sighing, Victor shuffles over to Benji, perching on the arm rest before he drapes an arm around Benji's shoulder, as Benji lets his head rest against Victor's hip with a soft smile. Victor pulls out his phone from his pocket and places it on the table.
"I think I'm gonna hop in the pool for a bit. Did you wanna join me, babe?"
Benji sits up and wraps an arm around Victor's back. He taps his lip with his pointer finger, contemplating. "Sure, why not?" He juts his chin toward Victor and sets his phone on the table next to his. "You first, though."
"Yeah, yeah…" Victor mutters as he tugs his crop top over his shoulder and chucks it at Benji, who takes a shirt to the face with a giggle instead. He undoes his shorts, wincing as he pulls them off him and throws them to Benji more gently this time.
Victor approaches the steps into the pool clad in only his boxer briefs, peering down into the water that glows as it moves ambiently within, the little waves slapping the white tiles gently. He shrugs, dropping his underwear and kicking them aside before closing his eyes and tossing himself off the edge into the deep end of the pool.
The water pierces like ice through his skin, the loud crack of his body hitting the surface echoing around him even underwater as his toes tap against the rough bottom. He lets himself sink before he kicks off from the floor, using the momentum to propel himself upward, the weight around him engulfing him like a smooth blanket and trying with little success to drag him back down to the bottom.
When he breaches the top of the water, he takes a deep gulp of air as he throws his head back, flicking his hair out of his face before he grins and drags his palm down his face.
"All right. Your turn, princess," Victor says, flailing his arms back and forth beside him as he treads water.
"Okay, fine…" Benji says, sighing before he slowly rises from the chair and walks over to the pool. "Is it… really deep?"
"I mean, here it's probably like 10 feet. But over there…" Victor motions to the other end of the pool, "it's like 3 feet. Which, now that I think about it, it's probably too deep for you."
"Fuck you."
Grinning, Victor wades over to the stairs and crouches in the water so his shoulders are covered. He holds his hand out and peers up at Benji in the dimness. "Well? What are you waiting for?"
Benji rolls his eyes and peels his crop top off before he sets his fingers on the top-most button on his shorts, hesitating for a moment as Victor lets his head drop back into the water, curls sopping with water.
Glancing to the door, Benji gulps before he undoes his shorts and tosses them behind him, standing in only his jock before Victor. He swallows before he steps out of his jockstrap and flings it somewhere in the dark.
He slips his feet into the water, descending the stairs into the pool quickly until his waist is submerged; he shivers, goosebumps dotting his skin, as he takes Victor's hand.
Victor pulls him slowly into the water, tipping his head to the side as he watches Benji take the final step and give him a crooked smile.
"This is nice…" Benji says, lowering himself so the water comes up to his chest.
"Wanna go a little deeper?"
Benji nods. Victor smiles in return as he tugs him gently toward the deep end, his dark gaze never wavering from his face even as he steps back and the floor of the pool declines beneath him. By now, the water has become pleasantly warm.
Adam's apple bobbing, Benji follows Victor's lead, eyes darting to the lights around the pool that had gathered groups of fireflies hovering above them in a cloud of green.
"Hey… eyes over here," Victor says, cupping Benji's cheek with his other hand and turning his head so he faces him as he takes another step backward. "You good?"
"Yeah… I'm good," Benji says quietly, squeezing Victor's hand as he takes another stride forward, breath hitching in his throat.
Victor stops in his tracks, the water up to his neck. He raises an eyebrow as Benji presses his lips together into a line, hand still gripping Victor's tightly under the water. Benji smiles gently before he takes another step closer to Victor.
"We don't have to go any farther if you don't want to."
Rolling his eyes, Benji moves a bit closer to Victor in the water, before he grimaces and grabs onto his arm. "I think this is good. I can barely touch the bottom at this point…"
"C'mere…" Victor says with a soft chuckle as he unclasps Benji's vice-like hands from his arm and draws him to his chest. "Is it okay if I…?"
"Yeah…" Benji says, wrapping one arm around Victor's shoulder and taking Victor's chin between the fingers on his other hand as their breath mixes between them in the night air like a crackling cocktail of condensation.
They stare at each other in the dimness as Benji ties his legs around Victor's waist, using all his strength to keep his limbs from slipping off him, heart hammering from exertion and anxiety and something else all at once.
Victor rests his forehead against Benji's, nuzzling gently as their noses brush ever so slightly, as his hands wander to the underside of Benji's thighs and he grips at them as he walks them slowly backward to the wall as the distant buzzing seems to come closer.
Benji presses their lips together, kissing Victor softly as their chests slide together under the water. He unwraps his arm from Victor's back and lets his hand trail down between them, before it makes its way down Victor's side, as the other cups Victor's face. Their tongues brush together at first before tangling and dancing, lips bruising around them before they're moaning into each other's mouths.
Lips falling open, Victor groans quietly as Benji tugs at his lip with his teeth. His eyes roll back in his head as he digs his fingers into Benji's back, before he's gripping at his ass, their bare cocks slipping against each other deliciously.
All Benji can do is chuckle breathlessly as he drags his mouth along Victor's neck, sucking on the skin there, and Victor doesn't even care about the ensuing questions he'll get from his parents tomorrow evening when they see the purple marks left behind or the absolute roasting he'll receive from Pilar, either.
"Are we about to fuck in the pool?" Benji asks, a diabolical grin painted on his face as he wiggles in Victor's grip.
Humming, Victor squeezes Benji's ass underwater, eliciting a soft groan from Benji's throat as he grins mischievously. "I don't know… are we?"
"You know I'm down if you are…"
Victor slides his hand between Benji's cheeks, circling his hole with the tip of his finger a few times and breathe-laughing as Benji squirms around him even as he drops his head back, his eyelids fluttering closed as he enjoys himself and simply allows Victor to have his way with him.
Benji gasps, gripping at Victor's shoulders as his mouth falls open, eyebrows furrowing as he goes limp in Victor's arms before he grabs Victor's chin roughly and brings their mouths together, kissing him again and quietly urging him to go further but whining into the kiss when Victor doesn't.
But Victor just keeps playing with him, teasing him with a smirk, those massive hands mapping every inch of him, skin rubbing skin just enough to satisfy him and create sparks while also making him press back against it in want of more. Benji takes a sharp, quick inhale as Victor finally starts spreading him open-
The sliding glass door squeaks open. Victor jumps as Benji pulls away from him, flushed and panting.
"Hey, there you two are," Mia says, stepping out onto the patio, followed by Lake, Andrew, and Fee.
"Ohhh, you're out for a swim but didn't invite us. I see how it is," Andrew says with a chuckle, standing on the edge of the pool.
Victor gives him a tight-lipped smile. "It was kinda… unplanned."
"Why am I not surprised..." Lake says, pulling out a chair at the table, the sharpness of cement on metal scratching their eardrums. She sits down.
Their friends all gather around the glass table on the patio as Victor rolls his eyes, wishing they could give him and Benji some alone time.
"Wait, are you guys naked?" Fee asks, eyeing Victor's discarded underwear beside the pool.
Benji snorts, his head tipping to the side. "No, I wore my brand new outfit into the pool to get it completely damaged by the chlorine."
"Yeah, don't mind us, we're just… chillin'," Victor says with a grimace.
Their friends stare at them for a moment before they all collectively sigh.
"Anyways…" Mia says, clapping her hands. "What should we do tomorrow? I can't believe it's already our last day."
Victor glances at Benji through his eyelashes as he slowly wades across the pool with Benji still clinging to him like a starfish on a rock and grinning at him fiendishly in the darkness. The water wants nothing more than for them to stay, the weight curling around their bodies and holding them back.
"So I was looking online, right…" Mia says, pulling out her phone. "And for some reason they have a bunch of… plantation tours." She grimaces. "Not only that, but they make them look like these… cute little vacation spots. It's so gross."
"See, on one hand, I can't say I'm surprised. I mean we are in the Deep South. But on the other hand…" Lake says, clicking her tongue and shaking her head, "the fact that they make light of it is super yikes."
"Yeah, I would rather give my money to literally anything else," Andrew says, crossing his arms behind his head as he leans back in his chair and stares up at the sky.
"Looks like… the art museum is one of the last places left for us to see," Mia says.
"Wait, Mia," Benji calls, plopping down on the steps, shivering as his shoulders come in contact with the air, as Victor does the same. "What about that warehouse gallery in Bywater? Studio BE I think it's called?"
"Oh, shit, you're right. The one with all the murals about Civil Rights and BLM and stuff." Mia leans across the table as she types in her phone.
"That's the one. It looks so cool but it'll be fucking amazing to see in person."
"I mean… por que no los dos?" Lake says, holding both her hands up and pursing her lips.
Mia nods, shimmying excitedly. "Good point. It's only like… a fifteen minute ride away. Easy."
"Do you wanna get out?" Victor murmurs into Benji's ear, shoving him gently with his slippery shoulder as the buzzing of the nighttime insect orchestra picks up.
"Yeah, but…" Benji motions with his head to their friends, who are busy peering down at their phones as he wraps himself around Victor again, this time burrowing for warmth. "Should we wait for them to leave?"
Victor turns his attention to their friends. "Okay, I'm gonna suggest you all look away unless you wanna get an eyeful of my dick," he calls as he rests his hand on the railing. "I'm not responsible for any potential ensuing feelings of jealousy."
"Oh, come on, man, I've seen your dick before. Like a bunch of times in the locker room. And I was only a little jealous," Andrew says, rolling his eyes.
"Cool."
Mia gives Benji a Cheshire cat grin. "I mean, I've drawn it in class, so."
"Oh, yeah… I forgot about that…" Victor scratches the back of his neck. "So is there anyone here who hasn't seen my dick?"
Lake raises her hand and glances around. "Just me, huh."
"No, you definitely have," Mia says, grabbing Lake by the wrist and pulling her hand down gently. "Remember that one time when we-"
"Ohhhh, right. Yeah nevermind. I have."
Victor gives them all a forced smile as Benji giggles beside him, hanging off his shoulder. "Well, we're getting out now."
Their friends hold their hands up in front of their eyes as Victor climbs out of the pool, the cold night air whipping against him and making him shiver. He pulls Benji along with him up the stairs before he leans over and scrambles to pick up their discarded clothes as he slides into his boxer briefs.
"Uh… Vic, babe…" Benji says, the pitch of his voice rising as he shuffles across the ground and cups his dick to his body with his hand. "Where are my shorts?"
Victor pauses, squinting in the dimness and frowning. "I have no idea. Just go inside and I'll find them for you, babe."
"Thanks-Oh, and my phone, too. I'm gonna-Night y'all." Benji motions awkwardly toward the door before he darts over and disappears inside.
"You guys can look now," Victor says after a moment, striding over to the table and pulling on the crop top he picked up from the ground, wondering why it's so snug. He grins sheepishly as he picks up his and Benji's phones. "Have you… by any chance seen the rest of our clothes?"
There's a chorus of 'no's as they all search around their seats, before Fee winces, shifting in their chair and reaching behind themself.
"Oh, wait. I think I'm sitting on someone's outfit," they say, tilting their whole body to the side as they pull out the wrinkled, rolled up crop top and shorts from underneath them. "There ya go."
"Thanks. I'm gonna turn in now. Night." And with a short wave, Victor retreats inside, too, shutting the door quietly behind him.
"God, that was super embarrassing… but also really sexy…" Benji says, grinning as he runs his hand through his damp hair and enters the foyer, wearing a t-shirt and loose shorts.
"Wow, you actually look normal." Victor gives Benji a crooked smile before he cranes his face down to kiss him on the cheek, slipping Benji's phone into his pocket as Benji rolls his eyes. "I guess we should have expected our plan to go a little awry."
"Did you wanna go outside and sit on the front porch for a bit? It's freezing in here."
"Sure. Lemme just put these away…" He rolls up their clothes and tosses them through the doorway to their room before jogging down the foyer.
Victor opens the front door and ushers Benji outside onto the creaky boards of the porch, where two rocking chairs sit, side by side. He rounds the one closest to the door, sitting down on the one next to it, before patting the cushion on the other and glancing at Benji expectantly. Benji plops down with a smile, rubbing his hands together with a toothy grin.
They sit together without speaking a word, gazing off down the empty street. When they listen more closely, the sounds of distant laughter and explosions that they aren't sure are gunshots or fireworks burst through the air. But otherwise, it's peaceful, with only the occasional car rolling down the road to break their peace, but it's easy to ignore them.
Benji turns his gaze to the sky, fixing his eyes on the waning face of the moon as it hovers over them, casting its glow on everything it touches. Even the stars are strong enough here to cut through the blackness, the light pollution much less severe here than in Atlanta.
And as Victor's pupils fixate on Benji, making the rest of the world fade away, he can't help but smile, blessed with the knowledge that he and Benji are in their own private paradise.
"Whatcha lookin' at?" Benji asks after a long moment of silence, his voice cutting like a snapped guitar string, beautiful and precise.
Victor bites his lip as he smiles. "Just you, darling… I was thinking about how lucky I am. To have you."
Shaking his head, Benji brings himself back to earth, staring instead down at his own feet, as if he'd not earned the right to see what's outside their space. Victor reaches out, taking Benji's hand in his own and squeezing it as he'd become so accustomed to doing. His own left hand is momentarily engulfed by a phantom before it slips away.
"You're so corny," Benji says with a hint of a laugh in his voice.
"I don't care." Victor shrugs, rubbing his thumb over the side of Benji's hand, smooth and soft but firm, solid. "I've had so much fun with you these past few days."
Benji presses himself back gently with his foot, his chair squeaking as it rocks back and forth. "Me, too… I hope next time we get a chance to do this with just the two of us."
"Yeah…"
Victor, too, rocks himself in his chair, as the breeze picks up, ruffling the leaves and petals of the magnolia tree erupting from the earth before them and their damp hair all at once.
Chuckling to himself, Benji closes his eyes and lets his head fall against the back of his chair, the porch light casting an eerie shadow across his face, the chiaroscuro obscuring his eyes and the pink tinging his cheeks.
"Y'know… I had this really sweet mental picture, just now."
"What kind?" Victor asks.
"It's just funny because we're kinda like… two old grandpas, just sitting on the porch… just looking at stuff… and not worrying about anything… I don't know, it's just… really nice."
Victor peers at him for a long moment, not realizing until he's lightheaded that he's holding his breath, as if expecting Benji to say more. But he also can't stop his lip from curling up.
And when the image pops into his mind's eye, his heart clenches, and his hand moves on its own accord, bringing Benji's palm to his lips as he kisses it gently, as if to say 'That's exactly what I want, until the end of time.'
Instead, all he says is: "Yeah. It is."
He doesn't know how long they sit like that, their gazes crossing occasionally but always going off in different directions with no more words spoken between them as the darkness deepens around them.
After a while, Benji yawns, bringing his other hand to cover his mouth before he straightens it out. Victor bites back a smile and strokes the back of his other hand before he stretches and stands, pulling Benji up to his feet, too.
"Let's go to bed."
Victor opens the door to the house, limbs heavy, and steps inside behind Benji before locking the door behind them and shutting off the porch light.
"Can we cuddle? I can literally feel my balls retreating into my body," Benji says, shivering, as he grabs Victor by the arm and scampers down the hallway back into their room, as if he'd suddenly been reinvigorated by a battery.
Victor grins, shaking his head as he follows after him. His voice is dripping with sarcasm. "The mental picture you just gave me is so sexy."
"I'm just thinking that it's probably cold from all the ghosts living here. Since, you know, people probably died in this old ass house."
"That's… definitely a thought," Victor says, a hint of a laugh coloring his voice.
They pause outside their door. Victor raps against it.
"Come in," Andrew says.
"Hey, guys," Victor says, pushing the door open and letting Benji go before he enters and shuts it behind them.
Andrew peers up from his phone as he lies cross-legged on his bed, with Fee resting their head on his stomach. "Aww, look who it is. And in their clothes, no less."
"Haha, hilarious," Benji says flatly. He makes a beeline for the ensuite. "I'm gonna wash up… care to join me, mon cher?"
"Oh, that's new," Victor says, following after him.
"Well, we are in New Orleans, after all."
Victor kisses him gently on the hair as he rolls his eyes and gently pushes him into the bathroom. "Gotta work on your accent, though, babe. Er… Mon cher."
They wash up quickly, somehow gravitating toward each other throughout the entire process, descending into a series of minty kisses. Giggling between them, they finally break for air. Victor tucks a lock of hair behind Benji's ear while his back is pressed up against the hard surface of the door, where Benji holds him in place at the waist.
"Are you guys still alive?" Andrew calls from the other side of the door.
With a final kiss, they separate and exit, with Victor opening the door and making a little bridge with his arm for Benji to pass under to go back into the room before Victor shuts off the lights.
"There y'all are," Andrew says. "And still clothed! Amazing."
Victor adjusts his shorts as he follows Benji, who wastes no time in leaping into bed and burying himself under the covers.
Benji scoffs, shifting under the covers. "Oh, don't worry, it won't be for much longer, 'cause I'm taking off my clothes again as we speak."
Andrew sighs. "Good to know."
"I'm gonna hide under your bed and scare you in the middle of the night," Victor says, taking his crop top off and tossing it on top of his suitcase, before joining Benji under the covers and tangling their limbs together.
"Ahhh, how terrifying." Andrew waves his hands around and rolls his eyes, feigning being afraid. "I'll believe it when I see it, Salazar."
"Good luck fitting under there, there's like two inches of space," Fee says, not even looking up from their phone.
"Fee, you're ruining the bit."
"I'm just saying, you're not that skinny, bestie."
Victor narrows his eyes, wrapping the sheets around Benji like a burrito. "Anyways… I'm turning off the lights."
He doesn't wait for a response as he pulls the little string on the lamp and everything goes dark aside from the blinding screens of Fee and Andrew's phones.
It's quiet for a moment as Benji and Victor huddle against each other for warmth. Victor's lower half is unusually constricted and he squirms until he realizes it's because he's currently encased in his short shorts. His face twists and he grumbles as he undoes them, his hand brushing against Benji's side.
"You okay?" Benji whispers against his ear as he shivers beside him.
"Yeah. Just taking my shorts off," Victor whispers back.
Benji chortles, nuzzling his face into Victor's neck happily. He's lying completely bare beside him. "Did you wanna maybe… continue what we were doing before?"
Victor hesitates, raising his gaze to where Andrew and Fee lie in the bed beside them, phones glowing. He swallows as Benji hooks his leg over Victor's and scoots a tiny bit closer to him, the mattress squeaking and making Victor's heart stop in its tracks. "Uhh…"
"Oh, it's okay. We can just sleep, then," Benji says, draping an arm over Victor's middle, the little hairs on his arms tickling his skin as he draws him close.
"I mean… I'm just worried about us getting caught, is all."
Humming, Benji sidles a little closer to him again, as if he intends to burrow into his chest cavity, their already-awakened middles rubbing against each other, making Victor bite back a gasp. Benji takes Victor's hands from his back and drags them slowly down to cup his ass as he grins against Victor's neck, his lips like two sly devils with minds of their own.
"Then let's just go slow, okay? They look like they're too focused on their phones."
Victor gives Benji's ass a hard squeeze as Benji scoffs gently against his ear. He lets his other hand travel up Benji's spine, counting his vertebrae as he caresses the soft yet taut flesh and Benji shudders atop his chest. "That means you'll have to be nice and quiet."
"Mhm… I can do that," Benji murmurs, pressing a soft kiss under Victor's ear before he follows it with another right below it, taking a short pathway to Victor's collarbone.
Groaning to himself, Victor lets his head fall back against the pillow as Benji slowly grinds his hips down against Victor's, his bare cock rubbing against Victor's clothed one.
"Shh…" Benji whispers, squeezing his knees around Victor's hips before he licks a stripe from the base of Victor's neck, along his Adam's apple, making Victor shiver.
Victor grunts as he threads his fingers through Benji's locks and brings his face up to his, kissing him deeply and swallowing his moans as he reaches under the pillow and withdraws the little bottle of lube he'd hidden there.
The inside of Benji's mouth scorches his tongue the same way his body does at every point of contact, igniting his nerve endings as they roll their bodies against each other in a slow, simmering rhythm. Victor's mind slowly slips away as he kisses Benji harde. He uncaps the bottle of lube, millimeter by millimeter, taking a deep breath smelling faintly of chlorine and holding it, as he covers the bottle with his other hand to conceal the noise.
When the cap pops off without making a sound, Victor exhales relief into Benji's mouth as he feels around blindly and Benji slides against him. He grabs at muscle and separates Benji's cheeks before he drizzles lube on his own fingers, shivering at the coolness against his overheated skin, and on Benji's hole, as Benji gasps into his mouth in turn.
Victor nips at Benji's lower lip as he runs his fingers along the skin of Benji's ass, dipping his fingertips occasionally between his cheeks and gently prodding against his hole as he distributes the lube in every direction.
Benji whines into his mouth as Victor reaches down and caresses the underside of his thigh, chuckling to himself when Benji tenses under his touch and grinds his dick down against Victor's again, making him jolt with pleasure.
The bed squeaks gently and Benji gasps when Victor freezes. He peeks to the side again, sighing; neither Fee nor Andrew reacts.
"How're you doing?" Victor whispers against Benji's lips.
Benji groans quietly as his sweat-slicked chest slips against Victor's, pressing the skin of his back into the mattress, which had become a crater full to the brim of bubbling lava. He pushes himself back against Victor's hands and presses his mouth to Victor's chest as he shudders in frustration.
"I'm good…" Benji murmurs as quietly as he can muster, rocking backward and muffling his moans against Victor's skin.
Grabbing at Victor's face in the darkness, Benji tilts his own face up to capture Victor's lips with his own just as Victor finally slips a finger slowly into the ring of muscle between his cheeks, making Benji shudder as he clutches at the sheets beside Victor's waist and at Victor's shoulder all at once.
Victor slowly thrusts his finger in and out a few times, delighting in the way Benji squirms and gasps in his arms as he rubs against him, before he slides it in even deeper, feeling around inside Benji's tight heat until Benji grunts in pleasure and bites down on the juncture between his neck and shoulder to stifle his moans; Victor hisses.
"What was that noise?" Fee asks.
Shutting his eyes tightly, Victor goes still. Something bright bursts through Victor's eyelids as Benji goes completely still, too, using all his willpower to stop himself from crying out.
Andrew clicks his tongue. "Fee what the fuck, they're clearly asleep. Turn that off."
"It's probably just a ghost," Fee mutters, shutting off the torch on their phone and sighing.
"Okay, well, then you're taking the side next to the gap because I don't need something possessing me."
Victor rolls his eyes as the heat burrows into his face. He feels around for Benji's stubbled face and brings their lips together again as he continues opening Benji up, letting his finger massage his insides for a few moments longer before he slips another one in beside it, letting his other hand thread through Benji's hair as they kiss and grind against each other, intoxicated by the smell of sweat and sex and each other's essence.
Sucking on Benji's tongue, Victor kisses him even harder as he slides another finger into his hole, stretching him even further and making Benji's leaking cock twitch against his stomach as Victor curls his digits inside him.
Benji shudders, kissing him so fiercely he forgets to breathe as Victor thrusts his fingers deeper inside him, twisting his wrist as Benji mewls and arches his back as he grinds back onto his fingers, fucking himself, needy and impatient.
Victor wishes he could throw the covers off them, to relieve them of the temperature that's almost baking them and making their sweat coat every surface of their skin, but he doesn't want to risk it, and it feels too fucking good.
Ignoring the muttering from the bed beside them, Victor instead rolls them both to the side as carefully as he can, face twisting as the cool air agitates the wet stickiness all over his stomach, before he's inserting a third finger into Benji's hole and stretching him even more while stroking deep inside him and making him go rigid as he pants into Victor's mouth, their teeth clicking like dice in the darkness.
The lights from the screens beside them finally go dark and Victor holds his breath as he pulls away from Benji's lips for what feels like the first time in ages, before he puts his lips right up to Benji's ear, pleased with himself when Benji shudders at his touch.
"I want you to turn around…" Victor whispers, giving one particularly hard thrust of his fingers into Benji's hole and giggling almost imperceptibly to himself as Benji inhales sharply. "And face the wall. Very quietly."
"Okay…" Benji's voice comes out strained, before he swallows loudly. He moves beside him, slowly revolving, before he's pressing his back up against Victor's chest.
Their bodies all but mold together perfectly, the heat radiating between them magnified tenfold when they connect again. Victor drizzles more lube on his cock as he places feather-light kisses on the back of Benji's neck, stroking himself again and biting his lip as pleasure washes over his body. He pauses in his tracks when there's a squeak in the bed behind him, staying still and holding his breath for a moment, before he exhales.
Benji whines quietly as Victor presses the tip of his cock against Benji's stretched hole, before he takes Benji's face gently in his other hand and brings their lips together, sliding inside as Benji almost seizes with pleasure against him.
Victor could listen to the way Benji's breath hitches in his throat-knowing how much Benji trusts him with that little expression of vulnerability-a million times, and he would never tire of it. He kisses Benji back, their tongue tangling sloppily as Victor thrusts ever so slightly into Benji, using all his mental strength to keep from making a sound, but it's getting more difficult with each passing moment as Benji draws him further into him, grinding his hips back and mewling as Victor's hand finds his throat, squeezing gently.
His movements get desperate and messy soon, but Victor is still trying as hard as he can to stop from holding Benji down and fucking him mercilessly, and telling him how much of a filthy slut he is and reminding him of who his hole belongs to, but he can't do any of that without drawing attention to them.
Instead, he focuses on the way Benji writhes in his arms, as if the torturously slow movements are driving him mad, and Victor realizes there's something lovely about that, too, especially the way their bodies move in tandem like a single wave with a mind of its own. When Benji clenches around him, making the tiniest noise into Victor's mouth and almost biting down on his tongue, Victor knows he's cumming and he just wishes he could see it.
Instead, Victor gasps, shooting his load inside Benji right after, the tightness urging him on as he digs his nails into the delicate skin of Benji's neck, breathing loudly through his nose and forgetting where his and Benji's bodies begin and end as he's overcome with pure bliss, his soul leaving the earth for a split second before it comes back down and re-enters him.
He's drenched with sweat and cum, slipping against Benji as if they'd both fallen into a deluge, but he doesn't care, because for now, all he wants to do is hold Benji as they both come down from their high, shaking and shuddering in post-orgasmic exaltation.
And with "I love you"s breathed against each other's lips, they fall asleep in that position, every bit of energy released and drained from them, leaving the collective reservoir empty. And they sleep, without interruption, all the way until the birds start their song in the morning.
The next day, after seeing the last of the sights in New Orleans, they pack all their belongings into Victor's car to return back to Atlanta.
"Nice hickies, you dorks," Lake teases, reaching into the front seat and shoving Victor's shoulder playfully.
"You, too." Victor rolls his eyes, peering at the single purple mark just under her jaw through the rear-view mirror, as Benji cackles beside him.
"Huh?" Lake pulls out her compact mirror from her purse and frowns as she examines her neck before she gasps and turns to Mia. "Babe! I told you not to leave any marks!"
Mia sips her coffee nonchalantly. "Oops."
Grumbling, Lake fishes out a container of concealer from her bag and dabs it on, before snapping her mirror closed. "There we go."
"You got a lil' somethin'..." Andrew says, leaning on the back of the seat in front of him as he pokes Lake's neck. "The color doesn't match."
"Oh shit… it's 'cause I got a tan, isn't it." Lake scoffs.
Fee leans forward, too, and squints at her before breaking into a grin. "I still think it deserves a 'you tried' sticker."
"It's okay, no one'll see," Mia says with a roll of her eyes.
Victor glances at Benji from the side of his eye as he rests his arm on the console and ignores the noise from behind them. He returns his gaze forward to the road stretching out before them, empty and inviting, the bountiful forests beckoning them on all sides.
Benji shifts in his seat, sidling closer to Victor before he curls his hand around Victor's, pressing his lightly calloused fingertips against Victor's palm and squeezing gently as he flashes Victor a small smile. Victor's own grin widens as he shakes his head and brings the back of Benji's hand to his lips, kissing it with every ounce of love he has sitting within his soul.
"Eyes on the road, Romeo," Benji teases, and Victor kisses his hand one more time
And as the sun sets behind them, Victor and Benji can only chuckle as everyone and everything else falls into the background.
