Date Night

(Tuesday Evening)

When Ben and Chad enter the theater Ben grabs his hand, and he looks back at him. "Let's stay in the back. We made enough of a spectacle in the lobby."

Chad makes a face, "Sure. Okay." before he takes a seat in the back row and Ben sits to his left. One by one he pours the candies into separate paper cups, before he offers Ben the cup of caramel chocolates, "Want some?"

Ben takes a sip of his soda, "No. Thank you."

Chad pours a couple into his hand before placing it back into of the of cup holders, and when the movie starts Ben asks, "What's this about again?"

Chad smirks, "You'll be more scared if I don't tell you."

"So, it's a horror movie," Ben concludes before nodding.

"Would you like some veins?"

"What?" Ben frowns at him.

Chad holds up the bag of red twizzlers, "Would you like some vines?"

"Oh," he breathes in relief before shaking his head. "No thanks. I'm good." Ben watches as Chad bites into one, and he takes a deep breath as he forces himself to face the screen again.

After a little while Chad looks at Ben, "How is this not scaring you?"

Ben lifts his shoulder, "Ghost movies don't really scare me, and neither does possession." before he faces him. "Sorry." He hears Chad groan, "How are you holding up?"

"Ghosts scare the shit out of me," Chad comments. "They're real, you know."

"Yeah," Ben evenly responds. "I know."

"And you're still not scared of them?" he disbelieves. "They're invisible. They move objects with their mind. They can even take over people's bodies."

"That's just poltergeists," Ben devalues. "And ghosts really aren't that common anyway. Only a witch can truly communicate with them."

"So, which is it?" Chad asks. "Are there really not that many or does it only look that way because only witches can talk to them?"

"Honestly?" Ben continues to stare at the screen. "I'm not sure."

"Cool," Chad immediately comments. "That's cool." He distracts himself from the movie, "So… What kind of movie would scare you?"

It takes a minute for Ben to answer, "You know those movies that depict domestic abuse, that are sometimes even based on true stories?"

"Yeah?" he slowly answers.

Ben looks down before nodding, "Those scare me."

"Really?" Chad furrows his brows. "I always thought those were just uncomfortable… and sad." Ben looks back at the screen. "Why do those scare you?"

"Because," Ben begins, "it's normal. You get used to it." He pauses, "It's just always that way, and, then, one day out of nowhere someone just dies." before his eyes shift to his soda. "Well, maybe not out of nowhere." He takes a drink. "When it's in a movie you can see the events leading up to it, and that ominous feeling of knowing what's going to happen, that's what scares me… It's knowing that it's going to happen and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

After a minute Chad asks, "Ben?" and he looks at him. "The other night—"

"You don't need to worry about that," he quickly dismisses. "I was just being stupid."

"You were saying how great your father was, as if he's not," Chad continues on, before he remembers, "You said you're sick." He doesn't even look at him. "Ben. I would really like to hear about it."

"Hear about what?" Ben counters. "My father? You know how he is."

"I know he gets mad easy," Chad comments, and when he fails to respond Chad questions, "And what about being sick? What's that all about?"

"I rather think," Ben irritably replies, "that my medical problems are none of your business."

Chad sighs, "Come on. We've known each other forever."

"What do you want?" Ben swiftly turns to him. "For me to list it all out for you?"

He's quiet for a second, "Yes." and then Ben turns away from him.

He takes another drink, "Where should I start?" and he looks up as he names them off. "There's my high body temperature, my high blood pressure, high heart rate as of late, malnutrition, and undiagnosed insomnia and probably anxiety… My mother thinks I'm depressed." He doesn't face him, "I feel like I'm missing something. Oh. Right." before he half laughs. "You know, I completely forgot about this frickin' fractured shoulder I still have, because my fucking father thought the best time to lay a hand on me would be when I was already hurt."

"What do you mean, lay a hand on?" Chad seriously questions.

"What do you think it means?" Ben snaps, before he shakes his head. "He's never done it before and he claims it will never happen again, but the fact is that everything that went wrong this year went wrong because of him. If it weren't for him, I'd be speaking English right now. I'd be doing better in school. Mal and I would be okay."

Chad watches as Ben shakes his head, "You make it sound like he's the reason your shoulder got hurt."

"No. Of course, not," Ben immediately says. "I fell. It was all my fault, aaaall my fault." He takes another drink and hears the straw make that annoying noise, "Damn it." before he sighs. "I have to get a refill."

When Ben stands Chad reaches for his wrist, and Ben looks back at him. "Just finish telling me what you have to say."

"There's nothing to tell," Ben frowns.

"No. There is," he insists, and Ben looks toward the door. "Please. I want to know."

Ben takes a deep breath before sitting back down, "Look. Everything I've just told you, I told you in confidence. You understand?"

Chad nods, "Yeah. Of course."

Ben faces him, before he slowly says, "There's only one thing you really need to know, and that is I could die any day."

"Because of your father," Chad assumes.

"No," Ben quietly corrects. "Because of my high body temperature. Even with medicine it's still fairly high, and I've been hospitalized for it countless times." He gauges Chad's expression. "You're still my choice for king, and I need you to be prepared for when I die."

Chad shakes his head, "No. I don't want to get the crown like that."

"And I don't want to die in a hospital bed with my father sitting next to me, insisting on how much he loved me," Ben counters, "but we can't always get what we want."

"I don't want you to die," he whispers.

Ben can see the tears shining in his eyes, "Unfortunately, that isn't up to us." before he puts the cup back in the holder and places his hand on his shoulder. "I've dealt with this illness my entire life. There's no reason to believe I'd get so sick any time soon. I just need you to be prepared for in case I do." He pauses, "And if something should happen to me… I'm really tired of just surviving. If I were to die, you should know, I'd be at peace with it." Chad looks from his eyes to his lips. If he could just lean forward and show how much he cares, would that give Ben more strength to fight or would it only keep him from receiving the crown? "Chad?"

"You can't leave me with the crown," he denies. "I'm stupid." He smiles, "I'm an idiot, remember? I couldn't even rule my own kingdom without you there to tell me not to do something, much less an entire country."

Ben widens his eyes, "I have faith in you."

Chad's eyebrows raise, "Faith in me?" before he shakes his head. "I'm a pill popper, a junkie. I have no credibility."

"We're both ill in our own ways," Ben evenly comments, "but yours can be overcome." His eyes shift, "And if for some reason you can't get over this…" He meets his eyes again, "This addiction has not changed who you are. You became dependent on a painkiller. That's it. You're still the same person as when the year began." He doesn't speak. "I have enough faith in you for the both of us, and I sincerely hope that when the time comes you will honor my wishes." Ben leans forward a little, "Okay?"

He gulps before nodding, "Yeah. Okay." and after a pat on the shoulder Ben reaches for his drink. Chad watches as Ben stands up and moves to the door, and when the door shuts again he tries his best to recompose himself. How pathetic was he, crying over some guy like this. Except, it's not just some guy. It's his childhood friend, his inexplicable crush, who claims he could die any day. Why hadn't he said anything before? If this was a lifelong thing and he'd been suffering, then why didn't he come to him? The answer is simple: he must either not like him enough or he likes him too much, and with that knowledge Chad attempts to calm himself before reaching for the cup of sour candy.

In the midst of the second half of the movie Ben groans, "Why does there have to be so much gore in this?"

Chad turns to him, "You're not squeamish?"

Ben almost laughs, "No. Not at all."

"Then what is it?"

"If I tell you, you'll think I'm weird," Ben concerns.

"Everyone's weird," Chad frowns, and then the woman from the movie shrieks. "Come on. You just told me about all of your medical problems. You can tell me about this."

"Good point," Ben says, before he unsurely asks, "You want to know another secret?"

"Sure."

It takes Ben a moment, "This is like a really big secret." before he turns more towards Chad. "Are you sure you can keep it?"

Chad makes a face, "Yeah. Sure." Ben gives him a look. "I promise."

Ben nods before he meets his eyes, "So…" and he takes a deep breath before furrowing his brows in hesitation. "Gory movies tend to just make me really hungry."

"Okay. First off," Chad lifts a hand, "that's not weird. It's just gross."

"Yeah," Ben slowly says as his eyes move away.

"Why does it make you hungry?"

Ben wets his lips before excusing, "Well, scientifically speaking, red is a very appetizing color for people."

"Really?" Chad inquires.

Ben opens his mouth before confirming, "I can honestly say there's a study on it and that it's true."

"See," he comments, "that's still weird, because when I see the gore all I can think about is the blood and the flesh." Ben places his hand to his stomach, as it growls again. "And just how disgusting it all is." He gives him a look, "Is it not the same with you?"

Ben's tilts his head, "Not really… Like I said before, blood doesn't make me squeamish." and when Chad doesn't respond he continues. "I've actually had rare steak before, so maybe it just doesn't really register for me.

"How rare?" Chad questions. "Because, if it's like one of those steaks that's practically raw and has the blood filling the plate, I can't even look at those. Just the thought of it makes me want to gag."

"Yeah." Ben recalls, "Humans really can't drink blood. After a single pint they'd feel sick and at two liters the iron would become too toxic for them." Chad gives him a look. "What?"

"First off," Chad addresses, "how do you know that? And secondly, what's up with you saying them?" He looks him up and down, "I mean, you are human. Aren't you?"

Ben keeps himself from wetting his lips, "I learned it in Anatomy and Physiology." and he shuts his eyes for a moment as his stomach rumbles. He opens his eyes and notices Chad glance from his stomach to him. "I was researching something for a paper, and one question led to another. You know how it is."

"So, you're not like a vampire or something?" Chad makes sure.

Ben gives him a look, "Vampires are legally recognized as humans." before he looks away. "And the reason why I said them is because I say them for practically everything. I'm just objective like that."

"So, you're not a carnivore?" Chad questions again.

Ben faces him, "Do I look like a carnivore?" and as he watches Chad look over him he feels his heart thud faster.

"Open up your mouth."

"What?" Ben shocks.

"I want to see your teeth," Chad informs. "Smile for me." Ben takes a deep breath through his nose as he shows his smile, and he tenses to keep it as Chad's brows furrow. "You have an overbite."

Ben closes his lips before mumbling, "So?"

"So," Chad counters, "aren't dentists supposed to fix that?"

Ben looks away for a second, "It would have been cosmetic."

"You're a royal," Chad disbelieves. "You have the money."

"It wasn't medically necessary," Ben stresses. "What's wrong with just keep your teeth the way they were meant to be?"

Chad shakes his head, "Nothing, I guess. I just know my parents would have done it for me." before his expression softens. "A good smile is a key to good communication and trustworthiness. I couldn't even see half your teeth. How are you going to get any of your policies across if your smile isn't as good as what you're saying?"

Ben frowns, "Not everyone needs to charm their way through everything, Chad." before he sees him look down. "So what if only my top teeth can be seen and they're not as white as yours… Unless, you just think my smile is that ugly."

"No," Chad breathes. "Of course, not."

Ben slowly shakes his head, "Then what's the big deal?"

Chad faces him again before hesitating, "I just wonder, well, if your parents have been taking care of you."

Ben places a hand to his head, "Chad."

"And you mentioned before about malnutrition," he continues.

Ben widens his eyes at him as he snaps, "I'm malnourished, because I'm not good at taking care of myself. Okay? That's it. That's all." and then he lets out a long, calming breath. His stomach growls again and he shuts his eyes, "Seriously, though. I'm not going to be able to make it through the rest of this movie without something…" He looks back up at him, "Do you still have those milk duds?"

Chad's eyes shift, "Um." and then Ben shakes his head.

"Never mind."

"No. Wait," Chad hurriedly states, before he hands him the package of red strings. "You can have the vines."

Ben nods as he takes them, "Thanks."

Chad half smiles, "Any time."

When Chad and Ben exit the movie theater they are met by several crews of cameras, news vans blocking just about every rout; however, the black car is still parked at the curb in front of them. A blond reporter sticks her microphone up near Ben's face, "Would you like to tell us what you've been up to the last few weeks?"

Ben furrows his eyebrows, "What?" Her words far too fast and loud, yet muffled by all the other sounds.

"What happened to your shoulder?" she questions instead.

"No comment," Chad immediately frowns, before he guides Ben past her; however, several other reporters ambush him on the way to the car. Something so close shouldn't be so hard to get to. "No comment," Chad says again and again, until they make it to the car.

When Ben opens the door he hears a man shout in French, "Is it true your father ambushed you at the school?" and Ben stares at the brown, bearded man.

Chad pushes on his back, "Come on." before Ben's attention is brought back to the car and he goes inside. He presses the com button, "Starlit Nights." before he anxiously looks at Chad. "What's happening on social media?"

Chad gives a cautious expression before taking his phone from his pocket, and after a minute his mouth gapes, "Um."

"What is it?"

He shows the snippet to Ben. It's only about thirty seconds long, but the footage is clear. His father is breaking down the door to his dorm, and they title says how he ambushed him. Chad watches him place a knuckle to his mouth, "It's okay, you know."

Ben nods, placing his hand down to his knee, "You're right. It's nothing. No one could use that for anything."

Chad gives him a look, "Ben."

He hears his seriousness and faces him, "What?"

"I meant it's okay, like you'd be okay," Chad comments. "Like, I'd be here for you."

Ben sighs, "It just happened once." but Ben's eyes immediately look off. He was telling the truth in the moment, but now he realizes it had been a lie.

"That doesn't make it okay," Chad asserts.

"Look," Ben finds it hard to say, "it was an accident."

"The ball of a fencing sword falling off is an accident," he counters. "Breaking down someone's door isn't."

"Drop it," Ben yells, before he slowly shakes his head. "Please."

Chad nods, "Okay, but under one condition."

Ben frowns, "What is it?"

Chad glances at Ben's lips before looking away. He can't ask for that. He faces him again and thinks up, "Go out with me again."

"What?" Ben furrows his eyebrows.

"This night didn't go as good as I wanted it to," he explains, before he ruffles his blond curls with a hand. "I want to try again."

It takes a minute for Ben to compromise, "How about somewhere quieter, and, you know, more private?"

Chad smiles, "I'd be okay with that."

Ben nods, "Okay, then. I'll let you know when I'm free."

"So, what can I get you two?" the waitress smiles.

"I'll just have a few baskets of mozzarella sticks, a pitcher of soda, and some cookies and key lime pie for desert," Ben lists.

"So," Bridget makes sure, "that's three baskets of mozzarella sticks, a pitcher of Diet Cola, ten macadamia nut cookies, and one key lime pie?"

Ben shakes his head, "Sure."

Chad looks up from the menu, "I will have the lemon chicken with sauerkraut on the side and a fruit salad." before he hands the menu back to her with a smile. "Oh. And can we get two extra glasses?"

"Why two glasses?" Ben gives him a look.

Chad grins before taking the bottle out of his leather satchel, "I got your favorite."

"You didn't," Ben sighs.

He sets it on the table, "Come on. You've got to loosen up."

"Mal's not supposed to drink," he frowns.

Chad furrows his eyebrows, "So, you can't either?"

Ben makes a noise, "Well."

"Two wine glasses, please," he addresses the waitress.

"Anything else?" the brunette questions.

Ben stares down Chad, "No. That will be all."

"Okay, then," she replies. "I will be back with your order."

When Ben continues to stare Chad asks, "What?"

"How do you do it?" he questions with furrowed brows.

"How do I do what?"

"Get me to do whatever the hell you want," he disbelieves.

After a second Chad grins, "It must be my charming smile."

Ben rolls up the cloth napkin, "Oh, fuck off." as he throws it at him, and when Chad laughs Ben can't help but smile. "You're absolutely unbelievable."

"I know. I'm amazing, right?"

Ben laughs, "So, here's a question. Are you actually trying to be funny or is this thing where you turn a negative comment into a positive just some defensive mechanism?"

Chad shrugs, "Never really thought about it." before he smiles again. "Good thing I can be positive, though. With your negativeness about dying and all that, if you were with anyone else this date probably would have ended at the theater."

"Date?" Ben questions.

"You know," Chad excuses. "Just that we planned to spend time alone away from everyone and everything. We planned to go out and have fun." He pauses, "Death really isn't a good conversation to have on a date."

"I mean," Ben looks off. "You have a point there." He faces him again, "But if I recall correctly you're the one that was prying for information."

"I was just trying to open you up," he defends. "If you can't even tell me, then who are you going to tell?"

"That's the thing," Ben's frown deepens. "I don't really tell people anything. They just tend to find out for themselves."

"So, I'm the first person you told?" Chad's eyebrows raise.

"Without a reason to tell, yeah."

Chad's smile widens, "I must be special."

Ben's mouth gapes, "Or, maybe, it's just because you don't know how to make it through a single conversation without being a complete ass." and then Chad laughs.

He shakes his head, "Are you high right now?"

Chad continues to laugh, "Only a little. You're a real downer."

"Oh. Shut up," Ben smiles, before he sees the waitress come back in and set the items out in front of them. "Thanks, Bridget."

"No problem," she comments. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Ben meets her light blue eyes, "No. Thank you."

She nods, "See you in a bit." before she heads back out the archway, and when Ben turns towards Chad he notices his displeased expression. "What?"

"Nothing." He busies himself with his chicken, "I just don't really like her."

Ben shakes his head, "Why not?"

"Because."

"Because?" Ben prods on.

"Well, because," Chad sighs before facing him. "We're trying to hang out and here she is hitting on you."

Ben gives a look, "She is not hitting on me." and when Chad's expression doesn't change he explains. "We've just known each other for a while now."

Chad still looks displeased, so Ben uncorks the wine and smiles, "Come on. Loosen up."

He laughs and watches as Ben pours them their drinks, and when Chad takes his glass he lifts it up, "For an eventful evening."

Ben counters, "For an uneventful night." before they clink the glasses and drink.