A/N: Yay! Finally another chapter! I'm sorry it has taken me so long. Trying to get all my thoughts onto paper proved to be a challenge, and I am graduating this month...so the hassles with that are tremendous. Anyway...here is chapter 6 and I have started chapter 7, so no worries, but it could be a while until that is up! Please review...its brightens my day!
Disclaimer: I do not own RENT...although I secretly wish I did!

Chapter 6 – Telling the Bohemians part 1

Benny and Maureen got to the café and he opened the door for her to enter once again. The bells that were hanging above the door announced their presence, but as they spotted Mimi and Roger in a corner booth, they noticed that they seemed oblivious to everything around them.

Mimi had a jean miniskirt and a tank top on; she had cleaned herself up well. She quit the Catscratch Club and was going to school full-time to be a social worker. She had been clean every since that Christmas Eve when she stared death in the face and nearly lost everything. Roger sat next to her in loose fitting jeans and a band tee. He was able to help support Mimi through school, because his music career was finally taking off.

Maureen glanced at Benny and smiled, both knowing that they were going to surprise Mimi and Roger especially now that they didn't even see them coming. Hands still clasped together, the couple made their way over to the booth that Mimi and Roger occupied.

"Hey guys," Maureen chimed, catching their attention.

"Oh hey—" Mimi started, her greeting cut off by the surprise of the familiar man that had a hold of her hand.

Roger's eyes shot from Benny's face to their hands and back again, shock spread all over his face.

"Surprise," Benny joked nervously, not knowing how to take their reaction. He watched as Mimi's face recovered from the initial shock into pure happiness for them.

"Oh my god guys, this is awesome!" Mimi announced, getting up from the table and hugging Maureen.

They both breathed a sigh of relief at the positive reactions of their friends. They felt better knowing that they had at least two people behind them in this, and not everyone was against them.

Hugs were distributed all around and finally Benny and Maureen got to sit down across the table from Roger and Mimi.

"So when did this all happen?" Roger asked, genuinely wanting to know how something this big could have happened without him even noticing.

"Well," Benny and Maureen started in unison, looking at each other and giggles escaped both their lips. Benny gestured for Maureen to continue the story.

She smiled as her eyes traveled back to Mimi and Roger.

"Well," she repeated, "it all happened yesterday…yeah, yesterday. I went out for a walk, because I had an awful lot on my mind and I needed to get some fresh air. I wasn't even half way down the block when I heard someone was calling my name, and low and behold…it was Benny. We got to talking and he asked me to go out with him that night, and we did, but I was getting sick and caused it to be a drag."

"No she didn't," Benny chimed in, rolling his eyes at her.

Maureen tried to look sternly at him, but the smirk that was tugging at her lips gave her away.

Mimi and Roger smiled at their playful bickering, as Maureen continued the story.

"Anyway, this morning I wasn't feeling good, and Benny came over to take care of me," she told them as she felt fingers slid between hers, which made her smile become wider. "He even made soup," she whispered to them as if it were top secret that Benny could cook, "and not even from a can."

The couple across from them laughed as Benny's face tried to show a look of surprise that his secret was out, but failed miserably.

Maureen decided to go up to the counter to get something to drink, and asked Benny if he wanted anything. He gave her money to get him a coffee, and to cover whatever she wanted to get. She went to grab her purse, but Benny held it from her.

"What do you need this for Mo, I just gave you money," he said playfully, "I know you too well, you are going to pay for it yourself and then try and give me back my money."

Maureen stood there, trying to rack her brain for a comeback, but nothing was coming to the surface.

"No," she stuttered, her face revealing how bad of a liar she really was. "I was—it's just a habit!"

Benny could help but laugh at her as she turned around, feeling defeated, and walked toward the counter.

"You seem to know her better than most of us do," Mimi stated, Benny's glance being reluctantly torn away from Maureen to focus on what Mimi was saying.

Benny's smile stayed on his face as he nervously scratched above his ear. Maureen came trotting back to the table, carefully putting Benny's coffee in front of him. She sat down in the booth, sitting on the very edge, trying to be as far away from Benny as she could. Her hand came up to block out everything to the right of her, including Benny. Mimi noticed Maureen's little game and the look of confusion and amusement on the face of the other occupant of the bench across from her; she couldn't help but smirk at the couple.

Benny scooted as close to Maureen as he possibly could, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder.

"Come on Mo, you know you can't really be mad at me," he whispered for her ears only, sending shivers up her spine.

She could feel herself melt into him, and a smile formed on her face involuntarily. Maureen turned her face to his, gently grazing her lips across the fake pout of the gorgeous man that sat next to her.

His face broke out in a wide smile, knowing that his method had worked.

They turned back, remembering that Mimi and Roger were sitting across from them. Maureen formed to Benny's side, looking at the smiling faces across from her.

"You guys are so cute," Mimi chimed, grabbing Roger's hand, watching the couple look at each other, blushing.

"Could you guys kind of keep this a secret, we want to tell Mark and Collins our self, so they don't hear it from other people, especially Mark," Maureen asked them, receiving nods as answers.

They sat there for the next two hours, just talking about everything that was going on and how so much had changed. They decided to go out and walk the city for the rest of the night until about 10, when they all went home. Maureen asked Benny to stay at her place, and he was more than willing. They both knew that nothing big was going to happen, because this relationship was important and to keep it they knew they had to move things slow. Maureen was glad to have a relationship where things were moving slow, she wanted to know Benny as a friend before they became lovers. From past experiences she figured out that sex always had a way of complicating things. She was willing to try another method.