"M-mom, you're home early," Victor says quickly, on the verge of panic.
He catches the glint of steel from Benji's throat and by sheer willpower alone, manages to swiftly unlatch the collar from around his neck with one hand, fumbling with it, before hiding it behind his own back. Burying it inside his sleeve, he forces a saccharine smile, as Isabel raises her eyebrow and crosses her arms over her chest in front of the door.
"Hello to you, too," she says suspiciously.
"How was your trip?" He chuckles nervously.
Benji bites back a grin beside him as he stands up a bit straighter, putting on his best facade of the respectable boyfriend for her son to date and not the one who, only a few minutes before, had been tied up and fucked on her couch. "Good evening, Mrs. Salazar. It's, uh… Nice to see you again."
"Hi, Benji. Likewise." Isabel's voice is stiff as she turns to Victor and Armando, tone lowering and sharpening all at once. "We can talk about my trip later, but for now…" She gesticulates wildly between them. "Dime. What happened here?"
The trio all silently exchange glances. Victor swallows the thick lump sitting at the back of his tongue and adjusts the waistband of his sweats, grimacing as he tries to ignore the throbbing in between his legs, and sighing in frustration when his body doesn't cooperate with him. He clears his throat instead.
"Uhh…" is all Victor can manage to eke out.
Isabel shifts her weight from one foot to the other and sighs as she turns her attention to Armando with a raised eyebrow. "Mando?"
Armando raises his hands in surrender. "I don't know if it's something you wanna hear right when you get in the door, so maybe we should… talk about it when we're all less… tense."
"I'm not tense. I just thought we were done keeping secrets, is all." Isabel snaps, raising a hand to her forehead and pressing her palm against it, hissing quietly in disappointment as she peers at Victor from the corner of her eye.
Victor's face falls and he scoffs gently as he looks away, guilt pooling in his insides. He catches Benji's gaze with his own for a split second and Benji nods ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly, as if giving him permission to act on what's weighing on his mind in that moment. Taking a deep breath, Victor squeezes Benji's shoulder, his heart reverberating in his chest.
"You're right." Victor swallows again, remembering his mother's words from a few months ago, the air in his lungs stuttering, his blood warming him once again as he presses himself away from the wall.
Three pairs of eyes glue to him immediately, curious, and Victor almost regrets opening his mouth at all as he wipes his sweating hand on his trousers as discreetly as he can, acutely aware of the pleather digging into his skin inside his sleeve.
He closes his eyes tightly and takes a deep breath. "Benji and I…" He pauses, before the rest of the words tumble out of him like water from an open faucet. "Mayhavebeenhavingkinkysexonthecouchinthelivingroom." He takes another breath. "Anddadcaughtus"
"What?"
"What Victor's trying to say…" Benji says, resting his palm on the juncture of Victor's neck and shoulder as he turns his attention to Isabel, biting back his grin. "Is that, um… we got a little… carried away and didn't think very hard when we decided to… have kinky sex in your living room."
"No, it was my idea. I take 100% of the blame," Victor says quickly.
Benji's cheeks flush and he chews on his lip for a moment. "But I agreed to it. Enthusiastically, might I add. So we're both equally responsible. For being… irresponsible."
"Whatever it was, I really thought something bad was going on… But obviously it was… a misunderstanding." Armando says awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.
"Yeah… I guess you can call it that…"
Isabel presses his lips together so hard, she almost pierces her skin with her teeth as she stares at the floor for a long time, before she finally releases all the tension within her, letting out a long, morose sigh.
"Okay," she finally says with a shrug, almost dismissive.
Victor glances from Benji's bewildered visage to Armando's equally twisted one before he raises an eyebrow at Isabel. "'Okay'? That's it?"
"Well, what do you want me to say? You're twenty years old, not sixteen," she throws her hands up in exasperation.
"Uhh… Well…" Victor pauses, opening his mouth and closing it a few times before he says: "I know, but… Aren't you gonna like… scold us, at least?"
"For what? Having sex in an empty apartment? I mean, it's enough that Jesus could see it all from the kitchen." She motions to the crucifix hanging over the doorway as Benji covers his mouth to stifle his laughter.
"Well, that's just great… Thanks for that, now I'll never unsee it. So I guess I learned my lesson."
"I mean, do you really think your father and I haven't-"
Victor smacks his hand over his face as it goes red as Benji snorts. "Ugh, mom-"
"Isa, we don't-" Armando says quickly, agitated, as he rests a hand on her shoulder. He lowers his voice. "We don't need to go into the details…"
Isabel chuckles, resting her hand on the wall, fondness radiating from her. "What? I'm just saying… You guys think I'm some sort of… prude or something. Just throw the pillows into the wash and clean the cushions, it's fine."
"This is so weird…" Benji mutters, face flushed as he leans on Victor with a soft laugh.
"I know, right?" Victor says, wrapping an arm around Benji's back.
"Seriously. I mean, I can't ground you or anything, because you're a grownup, Victor." Isabel's eye sparkles as she reaches out and takes Victor's hand in her own, blinking affectionately at him. "And Benji, you're not my kid, as much as I wish you were-"
"Thank you," Benji says quietly, smiling to himself.
Isabel shakes her head and sighs. "My point is that even though you'll always be my baby, Victor, it doesn't mean you're an actual baby. And maybe it would be different if… I don't know, if Adrian was here or other people were around… But you were expecting privacy, so-"
Victor peers down the hallway into the living room and his lip curls as something dawns on him. He wishes it hadn't.
"Wait, you're telling me you guys had sex on the couch, too? I officially hate it here." Victor buries his face in his hands as Benji pats him on the back soothingly as he chuckles to himself. "I really did not need all this new information."
Isabel and Armando stare at each other in an uncomfortable silence for a moment before Armando clears his throat.
"Well, at least you don't have to worry about that since we're separated." Armando gives a weak chuckle but no one laughs with him and his voice peters out awkwardly.
"Mando, shut up," Isabel mumbles, smacking him in the middle with the back of her forearm.
"Oh. Right. Anyways… I think we're all on the same page, then, right?"
"So we're not in trouble." It's as if Victor doesn't even believe his own words.
"No, obviously. Just use your head next time. I'm just glad I wasn't the one to walk in on you!" Isabel cackles, elbowing Armando before she claps her hands.
"Please, don't remind me…" Armando mutters.
Victor groans. "Ugh, we get it, I have to be more careful. Can we please just… pretend this whole thing didn't happen? It's super embarrassing."
"I second that proposition." Benji grins wide. "Although, you weren't the one getting-"
"You better not finish that sentence," Isabel teases.
"Okay, well… you're really testing me…" Victor chuckles as he claps a hand over Benji's mouth, before he leans in and buries his nose in Benji's hair as he whispers: "Unless you're planning on using that filthy mouth of yours for something useful like sucking my dick." He plants a sweet kiss on Benji's cheek before he pulls away, eyeing him seductively.
Benji stares up at the ceiling innocently as Isabel squints at them both for a moment before she shrugs and strides through the doorway into the kitchen.
"Kinky, huh… Maybe I should do some reading…" she says to herself.
Please don't…
Armando follows after her, giving Victor and Benji a quick nod and a tight-lipped smile as he pats Victor on the shoulder.
"How much do you wanna bet that next time I'm over, one of your parents is gonna be tied up?" Benji whispers teasingly into Victor's ear.
Victor groans and massages his temples before he pokes Benji in the side as Benji ducks away giggling. "I know you let me have sex with you and I'm very grateful for that, and I love you very much… but I also kinda hate you a little bit right now."
Benji bursts out laughing and goes to poke Victor in return. When Victor snatches his hand in his own, Benji tries to pull away before he's pressing his hip up against Victor's and shoving him into the wall as Victor grins, too. Benji slips his hand out of Victor's sweaty grip, breathless, as he shoves Victor's side into the wall.
But Benji doesn't have the upper hand for longer than a split-second, when Victor knocks him away. Benji smacks him playfully on the arm before Victor smacks him back.
Soon they're just giggling and swatting at the air and occasionally each other, faces turned away, until Victor reaches out and grips at Benji's wrists, holding them still.
"Okay, okay, that's enough," Victor says breathlessly, swallowing before he exhales loudly through his nose.
"Why? I'm right where you want me, Dad-ang." Benji peeks over to the kitchen in the nick of time, face going red again before he clears his throat and corrects himself. "Dang, we should, uh… be more careful. Before we… knock over this… plant." He motions with his head toward the potted plant a few feet away in another corner, its thin fronds drooping.
Biting back a smile, Victor leans forward and brings their faces together, kissing Benji gently for a moment as his hands go limp around his wrists. Benji sighs, nipping at Victor's lower lip as he wraps his arms around his middle and Victor slips the collar from his sleeve into Benji's pocket before he engulfs his back.
"You're adorable," Victor murmurs against Benji's lips.
Benji peers up at him from beneath hooded eyelids. "So're you."
"I haven't eaten in ages and I'm starving," Isabel sighs from the kitchen, padding over to the fridge and pulling it open. "I know I left you alone for a few days but is there anything edible in here?"
Victor rolls his eyes and he and Benji pull apart, with Victor draping his arm over Benji's shoulder and leading him through the doorway, too, as Benji slips his hand around him to rest on his hip.
"I mean I made some enchiladas the other day and had some leftovers if you want. They're right there." He points to the glass casserole dish sitting on the middle shelf of the fridge and wrapped in foil.
Isabel beams, excited, as she leans over and pulls out the dish. "Oh! That sounds nice. I could go for some enchiladas…"
With a satisfied hum, Isabel sets the dish on the counter behind her as Victor shuts the door to the fridge. She peels the foil away before her humming stops and she turns her attention to Victor, a look of disgust written on her face, her lip curled, as she motions for him to come closer, disappointed. Armando approaches and immediately recoils.
"When did you even make these, flaco? I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to be… green," Armando says.
Victor peers down at the red sauce-covered, rolled up tortillas, the scent of peppers and tomatoes and cheese bombarding him before he pauses upon spotting the greenish-blue tint spread across the surface. "I could have sworn it was the other day…"
"I'm pretty sure you were telling me about making them like last week." Benji grimaces as he takes a step back.
"Well, I guess no enchiladas…" Isabel grumbles as she shuffles across the kitchen to the bin beside the island.
Scrambling over to the other side of the kitchen, Victor stretches his free hand out. "W-wait! I hate to waste food, I can just nuke it to kill the bacter-"
"That's how you get food poisoning." Benji sighs, pulling Victor closer to him. "I know you don't wanna waste anything, but let's be real. Didn't you pay attention in bio at all?"
"You're right…" Victor mumbles, pouting.
Isabel clicks her tongue and opens the bin before she flips the glass dish upside down and dumps out the remaining spoiled enchiladas into it with a thump. She sets the empty glass container into the sink and runs some water over it. "I don't know how I feel about my son-in-law being more conscientious of this sort of thing than my biological son but I'll take it. At least I can sleep soundly at night knowing you won't die of botulism." She chuckles.
Wait… son-in-law? Victor blinks and peers at Benji, whose lips are parted as he stares blankly at Isabel, cheeks aflame.
"Oh, come on, that was funny!" Isabel says, grabbing the sponge from the holder next to the sink as she peeks over her shoulder. Her face falls. "What? Did I say something wrong? Problematic?"
Benji closes his mouth quickly and shakes his head, before he laughs politely. "No, no. That was a good one, Isabel." He finger-guns before he approaches Isabel. "Why don't you sit down and I'll wash that for you?"
Victor almost panics as he slips over to the sink and gently shoves Benji and Isabel out of the way. "No, let me! I got it!"
Isabel sets the dish down in the sink and drops the sponge. "Stop, both of you! I got it!"
"No, really I insist!" Benji says loudly as he reaches into the sink.
They argue for a moment as Armando clears his throat from behind them and sighs, squeezing in beside them while they almost shout at each other.
"Nevermind. How about we order something for dinner since obviously we're not gonna cook anything at this point?" Isabel says, walking back over to the fridge and grabbing a menu from under one of the magnets and holding it out to Benji and Victor. "How does Chinese sound? It's my treat."
Victor glances at Benji expectantly as Benji catches his gaze and his lip curls up ever so slightly.
"Oh, uh… thanks. That sounds good," Benji says quietly as Isabel shoves the menu into his hand.
"And since it's just down the road, Benji and I can go pick it up," Victor says as he leans over the island and rests his elbows on the smooth wooden surface. He adds quickly: "That is, if it's okay with you, babe."
"Yeah, no problem. You know I'm always down for whatever you decide. And if it's the place I'm thinking… then it's gonna be delicious. Their mapo tofu is amazing."
Just as Victor presses his temple against Benji's as they pore over the menu together, the front door clicks open.
"Oh, uh… hi." Pilar closes the door behind her.
Victor raises his gaze from the menu and Benji does the same, holding his hand up in a short wave. They all exchange greetings.
"Whoa… It's… weirdly peaceful in here…" Pilar says suspiciously, crossing her arms as she glides in. Victor slides the menu across the counter to her.
Isabel clicks her tongue as her gaze roves over the kitchen, before she shoos them all away. "Vámonos, it's getting crowded in here. Let's go sit down at the table."
Linking his arm with Benji's, Victor takes a few steps toward the table before he glances toward the couch in the living room, where the pillows lay strewn in every direction, with something fluffy and glinting sitting in the corner. Victor's heart beats so loudly, it overwhelms all his other senses and he pauses in his tracks for a split-second, before he's sprinting into the living room.
"What's wrong with you, bro?" Pilar asks, her face twisting from across the room.
"Uhhh…" Victor swallows thickly as he grabs the furry end of the tail plug and hides it behind his back as he picks up a few of the pillows from the couch. "Forgot to clean this up…" he mumbles.
Benji raises an eyebrow, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips as he shuffles into the living room after him. "You good, babe?"
"Yeah I'm fine, it's just…" he peeks over his own shoulder and motions for Benji to do the same.
"Oh…"
"Mhm…"
Pressing his lips together as his face goes red for the millionth time that day, Benji reaches over and snatches the tail plug from Victor's hand before he marches down the hallway without batting an eye and disappears into the bathroom.
When Benji returns, they clean up after themselves, spraying lemony disinfectant all over the couch and stuffing everything they can into the laundry machine down the hall as Isabel orders their dinner.
"Okay, I'm giving you my credit card," Isabel says, standing in front of the door and handing the little blue rectangle to Victor, who takes it slowly, as if it would break at any moment. She glances at him before giving Benji a pointed look. "I swear to God if you let Benji pay-"
"Don't worry, Mami. I won't. He doesn't even have his wallet." Victor chuckles as he slips the card into his own wallet and shoves it into his pocket before he ruffles Benji's hair playfully.
"Thank you again. But I learned my lesson, Isabel. Victor knows to smack me if I even try," Benji teases, biting back a smile as he nudges a blushing Victor with his shoulder.
"Good. Now hurry back before my stomach starts digesting itself," Isabel says, swatting the air as she dismisses them.
"Wait, hold on, I'll come, too!" Pilar scrambles to her feet from the kitchen table, pocketing her phone. "Please don't leave me alone with these… dinosaurs."
"Hey! We're not that old!"
"Tell that to your pill organizer, grandma." Pilar rolls her eyes as she steps into her shoes.
Victor gives Isabel and Pilar a tight-lipped smile before he catches Benji's eye and sighs as he pulls the door open. "It's so nice to have the family back together… Well, almost."
They exit the apartment complex into the muggy late-summer heat, the light still bright even as it nears eight. Their long shadows follow them as they shuffle down the sidewalk, the crisp grass crunching under their feet as they take up the entire width of the walkway between the three of them.
Benji's and Victor's hands join together instinctively, a tightly tied knot along a rope, the tension making it so it's not easily separated with time. And even as their palms go slick with sweat, neither is willing to pull away.
"Okay, but seriously… something definitely happened before I came in and you know I'll find out somehow." Pilar's shoulder glides against Benji's as she flicks some of her dark hair away from her neck. She gathers it all into a high bun on top of her head and secures it with the scrunchie on her wrist.
"Oh, that. Yeah, your dad walked in on me and Victor having sex. I mean, I was kinda out of it but I'm pretty sure you were in the middle of choking me, right, babe?" Benji says coolly, pushing his shades up his nose.
"Daaaaaaamn, okay!" Pilar's eyes go wide for a moment before she grimaces. "I really didn't need that mental picture, though. Nasty. But I don't mean that in like. A homophobic way."
Victor groans loudly. "We know what you mean. But at least you didn't get interrogated because dad was worried you were abusing your boyfriend."
"Shit, man, for real? Yikes…"
"Yeah, I mean… it's not funny that it happens to people, obviously, but I guess it's a good thing your dad was actually like… being a dad. Mine would've gotten on a soapbox about how unnatural it is or something…" Benji sighs, kicking a pebble in his path.
"True… That would've been shitty." Victor's face falls for a moment as they approach the little shop with a little red awning and bright neon lights in the windows.
Pilar claps Benji on the shoulder with a small smile. "Well, our mom and dad have definitely come a long way. Mom especially, that's for sure."
"Really? What do you mean? She seems so cool." Benji says, incredulous.
Victor opens his mouth and closes it a few times, his eyebrows knitting together as he stares down the road lined with shops, eyes following the telephone wires connecting the streetlights. "Sometimes I forget how terrible she was to me when I first came out. It's wild to see what a difference a few years can make."
"Dad was like… too cool about it from the jump and it was weird." Pilar grimaces as they stop in front of the restaurant.
"He tried to bond with me over watching episodes of Queer Eye." Victor chuckles fondly. "And while I appreciated the gesture, it's not my cup of tea. At all."
"Yeah, that's almost too obvious…"
"Hey! I'll have you know I have four," Victor holds up four fingers right in front of Pilar's face, "crop tops now. And I was even planning on painting my nails tomorrow!"
"Oh, wow. Four," Pilar says sarcastically.
Victor clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes before he glances over to Benji. "Babe, tell her about how we went shopping together-"
Benji doesn't say anything, simply nodding as if he were somewhere else, his expression serious, contemplating. He raises their joined hands to his face and presses a soft kiss to the back of Victor's hand before he smiles gently at him. But his smile is short-lived as his lips go cold and flat again.
"Wait, babe. What's wrong?" Victor asks, his own face falling, too.
"Hm?" Benji raises an eyebrow. "Oh, nothing. I just… didn't know that your experience was so difficult. I guess I wouldn't have thought that because you and your mom seem really close."
Pilar snorts, rolling her eyes as she reaches out toward the door of the restaurant. "Yeah now. But it took a lot of… isolation and stress and visits to church and bullshit to get there."
Shrugging, Victor presses his lips together. "I try not to think about it too much, 'cause it's in the past. Like, yeah, it did hurt. For a while. But I try to keep looking forward, y'know? Not dwell too much on the bad shit."
"You're right…" Benji says quietly.
There's something about Benji's penetrating gaze that makes Victor forget about the mist of humidity engulfing him. He's even forgotten to worry about the fact that they're in the middle of the sidewalk, with people walking past and silently glancing at their linked hands before they continue onward in their stride.
But he doesn't think much of it when Benji's grabbing his face with both hands on either cheek and bringing their lips together so hard, it knocks the breath from him and on instinct, his arms wrap around Benji's back and he pulls him toward him. And Benji kisses him like his life depends on it, with a ferocious need that catches him off guard. All he can do is hold him close as their skin sticks together.
When they part, Benji is peering up at him as if he'd just seen the face of God and for Victor, head swimming with burgeoning want, he wonders if he had, too.
"I love you so much, Victor," is all Benji can say.
"I love you, too," he breathes back.
"And I would love to get our food before I pass out from heat stroke and starvation!" Pilar says, snapping them back to the overheated concrete.
She groans as she opens the door and the little bell dings as the cool air from within bursts out at them, bringing their body heat down to a reasonable temperature. Victor and Benji separate as Victor grabs the door and ushers Benji inside before him.
The sounds of water gently cascading down a waterfall inside coupled with soft flute music and idle chatter greet them. There's a till right in front of the mini waterfall and bamboo screen close to the entrance, where a cashier greets them and they exchange pleasantries. From behind the partition, screaming accompanies the clatter of pots and pans and sounds of food frying as the scent of heavily seasoned meat wafts over to them.
"What was that all about? I mean, I'm not complaining, of course," Victor whispers into Benji's ear before he hands his card to the cashier.
Benji rests his arm on Victor's shoulder and rises up on his tiptoes beside him. He whispers back: "I just realized how much there is about you that I don't know… and how excited I am to learn all about it. Starting with the coming out stuff. That is, if and whenever you feel comfortable enough to talk about it."
Victor can't stop himself from smiling, a glowing warmth pulsating within him as he leans down to kiss Benji again, just as the cashier hands Victor back his card, a polite smile on her face. "Let's talk about it later."
"Ugh, gross I can't take you two anywhere." Pilar groans and rolls her eyes from beside them as she crosses her arms over her chest, her lips curling up ever so slightly.
They return to Victor and Pilar's apartment, the sun still shining as they enter the brick building. Victor pulls open the door to the apartment and pauses.
"-I'm just saying, it might be fun to spice things up, you know? Just because we're getting older doesn't mean we need to act like it!" Isabel's voice drifts from the kitchen.
Armando's voice is quieter when he says: "I didn't say no, Isa, just that we need to learn more about it before we jump into it-"
The door clicks closed loudly and Victor winces as Isabel darts out into the corridor. She clears her throat, eyes wide.
"Finally!" she says dramatically as she snatches the bag of takeout from Victor's hand. "I was starting to worry that you'd forgotten about us and just went off somewhere else…"
She plops it down in the middle of the kitchen table and doesn't even wait for them to take their shoes off before she's passing containers around the already-set table. Pilar, Benji and Victor all exchange concerned glances as they wash their hands in the kitchen sink, before they all make their way to the table. The scent of five-spice infused sauces and deep-fried dough perfumes the air, making Victor's mouth water as he sits down and pats the seat beside him.
"Your throne awaits." Victor snorts knowingly as Benji slides into the chair beside him, his face reddening
"I kinda hate you right now," Benji whispers in his ear as he slips his hand between Victor's legs and grips at his inner thigh firmly.
Victor chuckles as Benji inches his hand a bit higher, the sensation going straight to his dick. In any other situation, he would bend Benji over the table and show him just how much a single touch can drive him mad, but all he can do is give him a tight-lipped smile just before Benji releases him from his hold with a smirk. Benji reaches for his chopsticks nonchalantly; Victor crosses his legs.
"I'll make you pay for that later," Victor mutters.
"Oh yeah? What're you planning on doing, huh?"
"You'll have to wait and see…"
But Benji can only laugh in anticipation.
Their meal pairs with idle chatter and laughter, the ambience within as warm as it is outside and as hearty as the steam wafting from their meals. Benji and Victor steal glances at each other as they bite back their smiles, their elbows brushing against each other as they eat, as if there's a secret floating between them.
"I was thinking…" Isabel's melodic voice cuts through their little bubble, as she twirls some lo mein into a little bundle at the end of her chopsticks, "we haven't had a game night in a while." She leans forward with her elbows on the table, almost examining Benji. "What kinda games do you and your family play, Benji?"
"Uhh… I mean, my family and I don't really do a whole lot of stuff together." Benji scratches the back of his neck sheepishly as he pokes at a piece of tofu on his plate with his own chopsticks.
Isabel opens her mouth to speak but Armando rests a hand on her arm.
"In that case, why don't we whip out the Monopoly board after dinner and I can teach you all a thing or two about balancing a checkbook," Armando says smugly, before he pops a piece of orange chicken between his lips and gives a Cheshire cat grin as he chews.
"Oh you are on!" Isabel says.
They finish eating quickly before they clear the table, with Benji and Victor once again falling into an argument with Isabel and Armando over who's going to do the dishes until Isabel concedes with a "Pichea, do whatever" and a wave of her hand.
Once the kitchen is clean, they set up the Monopoly board on the kitchen table and they all gather around it. Victor places the little metal playing pieces in front of him.
"Can I please have the T-rex?" Benji asks, pouting and batting his eyelashes at Victor as he peers up at him. "Pretty please?"
Victor sighs before he slides the little metal T-rex across the table and gives Benji a soft kiss just as he snatches the piece happily. "Fine. But only 'cause you asked so nicely."
"Then I want the dog," Pilar snaps, mimicking Benji as she flutters her long eyelashes, too. "Please."
"Nope."
Pilar scoffs. "But I said 'please'! And I did the whole," she pauses as she blinks quickly and points at her own face, "thing!"
"You're not Benji so it doesn't work." Victor shrugs, as Benji sticks his tongue out at her and laughs.
"Don't laugh, B. Your days are numbered."
Benji rolls his eyes before he leans across the table. "Oh yeah? What're you gonna do about it, huh?"
"You'll just have to wait and see, Benjamin," Pilar says cryptically as she snatches the little cat figurine from the pile.
Benji simply smirks as he places his piece on the corner of the board that says 'Go' while Isabel reaches for the duck and Armando for the penguin before they set them at the start as Victor distributes the colorful paper money to each player and they start the game.
"Okay, so we should make an alliance," Victor whispers to Benji as he rests his chin on Benji's shoulder.
"What?" Benji's face twists for a moment before it relaxes and he nods carefully. "Wait, actually… Yeah. Let's do it."
Pilar goes first, snatching up 'St. Charles Place' and putting four houses on it right away. Victor has the misfortune of landing on it and having to pay $625. He buries his face in his hands and groans as he loses almost half his money in one go. Otherwise, it's an uneventful time as they make their way around the board and pick up properties and Victor even manages to make back some of the money he'd lost.
Picking up the dice from the table, Victor narrows his eyes as he shakes them between his hands for a few seconds, examining the few unclaimed properties on the board. He releases the dice and they roll across the table and onto the floor.
"Oops." He darts after them and sits down at his chair before he re-rolls.
Six spots… And he lands on 'Park Place'. He gulps.
"Actually…" Benji says, pulling out a few bills and grabbing one of the little red plastic buildings from the pile, "I wanna put a hotel on 'Park Place'."
"Huh? But it's not your turn!"
"I mean, I'm allowed to do it whenever I want."
"But babe, I let you be the dinosaur!" Victor cries as he plays with the little metal piece sitting on the space labeled 'Park Place' on the board.
"Yeah, but I didn't make you. You chose to give me the dinosaur piece. And now I'm choosing to extract even more of your rent. So pay up. Babe." Benji holds out his hand and opens and closes it a few times.
Victor groans as he pulls out the little orange and yellow bills from under the edge of the board and counts his money before smacking it on the table in front of Benji, pouting. "Here you go, you greedy capitalist pig."
"Thanks, love," Benji says sweetly with a toothy grin as he counts his money, before he segregates the bills by color and slips them under the edge of the board. "You're just jealous 'cause you're broke."
"I'm only broke 'cause you play dirty!"
"I do not!"
"Then how the hell did you manage to get hotels on the Boardwalk and Park Place?"
Benji shrugs. "I guess I just got lucky."
"Yeah, I sold them to you 'cause I thought we had an alliance."
"Babe… there're no alliances in Monopoly. It's in the name. 'Monopoly'."
"Why are you guys having a whole discussion over this? Apúrate! We'll never finish this game," Armando snaps, sighing as he rearranges his piles of money.
"I just can't believe you betrayed me." Victor feigns hurt as he drapes his arm across his forehead and closes his eyes. "Does loyalty mean nothing to you?"
"Ouch, using my own words against me…" Benji mutters.
"Huh?"
"Nothing… All's fair in love and war or whatever."
"Have fun winning without my help, then! 'Cause I have like… twelve dollars left!"
"I will!"
"Oh, please. I don't know why you two are bickering like an old married couple when Pilar's the one cleaning us all out," Isabel says, not looking up from the array of seven deeds she has organized by color right in front of her. Her glasses sit on the tip of her nose.
"Yeah, damn, mi nena, how'd you get so good at this, anyway?" Armando asks.
"A true magician never reveals her secrets." Pilar smirks as she waves her fingers around in the air over her tall stack of deeds and burgeoning piles of rainbow money.
"Well, I'm coming for you," Benji says, pointing his middle and pointer fingers at his own eyes before turning them toward Pilar as he glares at her.
She scoffs. "In your dreams."
Armando raises his hands up in surrender. "As long as no one ends up in a headlock, that's all that matters."
"Dammit, there go my plans for the evening," Victor says sarcastically.
"Wait, that actually happens?" Benji asks, quirking an eyebrow.
Isabel's eyes go wide and her lips stretch into a tight smile as she glares at Armando. "No, it doesn't. We're not animals." She lowers her voice. "Don't embarrass us, Mando."
"What? I'm just saying, sometimes things get a little heated," Armando whispers back, defensive.
"Don't worry, it only happened…" Victor counts on his fingers as he grins at Benji, "like three times. Pilar is definitely stronger than she looks."
"Good to know…" Benji says, a bemused smile on his face.
"Also, if you wanted to get out of here and do something a bit less… lame, that can definitely be arranged," Victor whispers in Benji's ear.
Benji shakes his head with a soft chuckle as he takes Victor's hand and kisses the back of it, his breath warm against Victor's skin. "I don't think this is lame at all, actually. I'm having a really great time."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Your family's really cool."
Victor can't stop the grin that overtakes his visage and he leans over to press his lips to Benji's, sighing as he takes in the way Benji's flushed face radiates toward him, as if nothing else exists around them in that moment.
Someone clears their throat.
"Would you two stop whispering to each other and kissing and giggling and being weird and finish your turn already? I'm a busy woman and I have rent to collect," Pilar snaps.
Snorting, Benji reaches toward the two white cubes in the middle of the table and takes his turn.
They continue going around the board and Victor manages to pass 'Go' and collect $200 to add to his measly $12 and stay in the game, but barely. Outside, the night grows deeper and darker, the crickets and cicadas chattering off in the distance.
"Actually… now that I think about it…" Isabel says, moving her little duck around the board. "We haven't met your parents yet, Benji. Maybe we should fix that sometime soon, especially since you two'll be moving in together this coming semester."
There's a pause as Benji and Victor stare at each other.
"What? Is there a problem?" Isabel asks.
"No, it's just… My parents are really busy but I guess I can ask them. Because you're right, it would be good for you all to meet each other. Thank you for the offer, Isabel," Benji says slowly.
Victor tips his head to the side and peers at Benji, who gives him a small smile in return. The smile that Victor's learned means 'I'm okay, for real. I'm not faking it.'
"Well, I mean, we're pretty flexible so whenever they're free, I'd be happy to host here. I could make some mofongo… vegan, of course," Isabel thinks aloud, the tone of her voice rising with excitement. "I don't know, we'll figure something out but oh I'm so excited to meet them! It's gonna be fun!"
Benji chuckles coolly, pulling out his phone from his pocket. "I'm sure they would love to come over. Lemme ask them."
He pockets his phone after typing a quick message, and they resume the game until Isabel lands on 'Pennsylvania Avenue' and gives the rest of her money to Pilar.
"All right, mis nenes, I think now's the perfect time for me to turn in. Don't stay up too late, okay?" Isabel says, pushing her chair out as she rises from her seat. She tilts her head toward Armando with a small smile. "Mando? Did you wanna stay over tonight?"
Armando's eyes go wide for a moment before he nods. "That would be great, Isa. Thank you."
"Okay! Muah, goodnight, mis amores. I know you're grown but don't stay up too late, okay?" Isabel kisses Victor and Pilar on the cheek in turn as they all bid her goodnight. She gently squeezes Benji's shoulder and smiles down at him.
"Thank you for having me, Isabel. This was really nice," Benji says, beaming.
"Anytime, mijito. You're always welcome here."
She gives him and Victor one last look before she shuffles out of the kitchen and disappears into the hallway.
"I'm off, too. Goodnight, kids, and remember… Please, just lock your door." Armando waves at them before he jogs down the hallway after Isabel.
Pilar and Victor share a confused glance before peering at the doorway in wait as Benji watches them quietly. Once the door down the hall clicks closed, Pilar turns her attention back to Victor and Benji.
"Something's up with them…" Pilar says, her voice low as she leans forward across the table. "They've been spending a lot of time together lately…"
Victor pauses, pursing his lips. "Wait… I think you might be right…"
"Do you think they're finally gonna get back together?" Pilar's eyes flicker with hope.
"I don't know… do people even do that after so long?"
"Wait, how long have your parents been separated, again?" Benji picks up the dice from the table and shakes them around in his hand before letting them roll out with a clatter. A three and a four.
Victor taps his lip as he stares up at the ceiling. "I think it's been like… four years, at this point."
"I see…" Benji nods as he moves his little dinosaur piece seven spaces on the board, landing on 'Marvin Gardens' and exhaling relief. "Not to sound like a dick or anything but… sometimes I wish my parents had gone through with a separation, too."
"I mean… Sometimes it can be a good thing for sure." Victor rolls a nine and slides his dog across the board to 'Illinois Avenue'. "Shit… I'm out."
He passes his final hundred dollar bill to Benji, who grins mischievously as he snatches it up and adds it to his tower of hundred dollar bills. Pilar takes her turn.
"You made a noble effort, babe," Benji says, smug.
Pilar hums and chews on the inside of her cheek as she stares down at the board, deep in thought. "I didn't like the whole situation at first. It was just… another huge change after months of chaos. But it was kinda hilarious how much dad was trying to overcompensate for everything… I would make some shit up about how I was," she makes air quotes on either side of her head, "'stressed out because of the separation' and he would basically just let me do whatever I wanted when I went to visit. It was dope." She moves her piece six places and lands on 'The Boardwalk'. "Fuck!"
With a loud groan, Pilar plucks out a few bills from her pile of money as Benji and Victor just watch her. She smacks $2000 down in front of Benji just as her phone dings from beside her.
She picks up her phone and pauses as she stares down at it, her mouth curling downward as her dark hair falls over her face.
"Is everything okay?" Victor asks.
"Yeah… Rahim apparently just found out that Diego Luna is actually straight and now he needs someone to help him burn all the pictures he has of him," she says nonchalantly.
Benji grins. "Oh… so I guess we're done playing for tonight."
"So it seems." Pilar slips her phone into the pocket of her shorts as she rises.
"And you're not just making up an excuse so you don't have to watch me take all your money 'cause you know there's no way you'll win this round, right?" He gathers all his money into a stack and waves it around triumphantly.
Pilar rolls her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself, Benjamin."
"Well, don't call me that." Benji chuckles lightly. "Anyways, I won fair and square so you have to be nice to me."
"You may have won this time, Benjamin, but I want a rematch."
"Why? So you can feel the shame of defeat for a second time?" Benji scoffs.
"Nice one, babe." Victor cackles and throws his head back as he holds his hand up for a high five.
"Thanks." Benji smacks his palm gently to Victor's as Pilar rolls her eyes.
"Oh, fuck you. Actually, fuck both of you." Pilar slips into her shoes on in front of the doorway as she raises her middle finger at them. She opens the front door and flips her hair over her shoulder with an air of finality. "Later, losers."
Once Pilar leaves, Benji and Victor clean up the table before stowing the game away on one of the shelves in the living room.
"So…" Victor says, cupping the soft skin of Benji's cheek as they stand in the middle of the room. "Did you maybe wanna go to my room and we could…?"
"Um, actually… Can we go for a walk first? I kinda wanna go out for a bit."
Victor smirks. "Oh, babe, you know how much I love it when you ask me for permission to do things…"
"Yeah, I know." Benji bats his eyelashes dramatically. "That's why I do it."
"As if I could ever say no to you, mi amor…" There's a playful lilt in his tone as he gently pokes Benji on the nose and peers down at him from under hooded eyelids.
Benji bites his lip before he takes Victor gently by the chin and kisses him, long and slow. "You really spoil me… Sir."
"Now's not the time, love… But thank you," Victor whispers against Benji's lips right before he lets his hand travel down Benji's back to his ass, squeezing it quickly and immediately pulling away. "I forgive you for betraying me during Monopoly, by the way."
"Gee, thanks. I don't know what I would do without that," Benji says sarcastically.
Just then, something thumps from down the hall, followed by a giggle, and Victor's veins fill with panic.
"Yeah, okay, let's get the hell outta here… Where'd you wanna go?" Victor opens the door and steps aside so Benji can exit before him.
"Well…" Benji slips his hand into Victor's instinctively and pulls him along down the hallway toward the stairs, feet dragging along the carpet. "There's this new place down the road that has really good cookies… like, I don't even remember when I last had a chocolate chip cookie… It's been years… But now I really want one."
Victor grins and squeezes Benji's hand as they exit out into the still, quiet night air. "Okay, okay. Lead the way."
They take the route opposite from the way they'd gone earlier to the restaurant, making their way as if to go to Benji's apartment, until they make a turn down a side street that leads to a row of empty shops, most with the lights within shut off, but with the neon ones outside cutting through the darkness like rainbow razors.
That is, except for the one shop nestled in the plaza past the milkweed and hydrangea bushes that line the walkway, where a long wall of light drapes across the concrete, painting it gold. It's quiet aside from the typical buzzing from the trees that could be eerie if either of them were alone, but where their hands join, it's as if nothing can touch them.
Inside, there are a few other patrons sitting around the tiny round tables made for two or four, most of them blanketed in clouds reeking of weed and mixing with the smell of freshly baked cookies as Victor and Benji pass by. They both go up to the till, where the glass case displays an array of cookies-from sugar to M&M to cinnamon swirl and peanut butter and many more.
"It smells so good in here… aside from when you walk by the stoners," Benji says, peering down at the display case, rocking back and forth on his feet. "Damn, I wish I could have the M&M ones but they're not vegan so… vegan chocolate chip it is."
"Good thing I still have my mom's credit card," Victor says with a wide grin as he pulls out his wallet. "It's been too long since we've been on a proper, sit-down date, don't you think?"
"If this is your idea of a date I've got some words for you, mister," Benji teases, knocking Victor with his shoulder as he chuckles.
"Hey, I'm paying, aren't I?"
"Yeah, a whole five dollars… you're a big spender… Here I was, thinking I was worth at least ten…"
"Oh, shit, remind me to update your birthday present, then." Victor smirks as Benji smacks him on the arm playfully.
Once they order a little box of cookies, they sit down at the table beside the window that overlooks the empty street outside. Victor gazes out to where the trees loom over them, keeping watch, as he opens the box and slides it across the plastic table. He rests his head on his hand as he studies Benji, who hesitates before he takes one of the cookies in his hand.
"Didn't this place used to be an animal shelter?" Victor asks as his other hand disappears into the box in front of them.
Benji nods as he breaks the chocolate chip cookie in his hand in half and gasps quietly to himself as the gooey chocolate oozes out on his fingers. "Yeah… my parents used to bring me here all the time and just leave me to play with the animals when they had errands to run because it meant they didn't need to get a babysitter."
Victor snorts. "That's actually… kinda clever. Like obviously I wouldn't do it to our kids-Oops." He stops himself, a wave of heat washing over him. "It's way too early to talk about that, my bad."
"It's okay." Benji shakes his head and chuckles, cheeks going pink, too, as he wipes his fingers on a napkin. "I mean… we have time. We can cross that bridge when we get to it. Like… it's ok to not have things figured out."
"True…"
"Not to mention we can barely take care of ourselves at this point, let alone another living being."
"When you say it like that…" Victor chuckles as the chocolate melts on his skin and drips along it. "But yeah hypothetically… I would want to be a little more… involved in the life of a potential kid, for sure."
"I know what you mean. Like, looking back on it, it's a little fucked up and kinda neglectful, but at the time… I really couldn't complain, 'cause it was fun."
"Yeah, I mean I used to come here, too, but now I'm tryna think if maybe we ran into each other at some point…"
"Good question… I guess anything's possible. But it's good that we're here now. Together." He smiles before he pauses, picking up one of the halves of the cookie and holding it in front of Victor's face. "Say 'ah', babe."
"Ahhh," Victor says, opening his mouth, before he takes a small bite of the warm, sweet confection.
The flavor of butter and chocolate and rich dough bursts in his mouth and Victor hums as Benji wipes a crumb from his lip with his thumb, a twinkle budding in his eye. "And? What did I tell you?"
Rolling his eyes, Victor takes another bite as Benji does the same, continuing until they finish off the box between the both of them.
"But I'm actually kinda worried about our parents meeting each other." Benji says after a few moment's contemplation as he watches something invisible outside in the distance.
"Why?"
"I dunno…" Benji plays with the corner of the empty box, chewing on his lip. "It's probably dumb, but… I feel like they're gonna embarrass me somehow."
Victor sighs as he leans across the table and takes Benji's hand in his own, squeezing it reassuringly as he smiles gently at Benji before he kisses his hand and smooths his fingers across the soft skin. Benji relaxes a bit at his touch, because Victor knows to handle him delicately right now.
"Babe… we already embarrassed ourselves in front of my parents, so I feel like that's like… rock bottom, as far as this sorta thing goes," Victor says, a hint of a laugh tinging his words.
"That's a little different… Like, my dad especially isn't like… cool and fun like yours is. Like, I try talking to him about stuff but he's still like… you know, those typical borderline conservative middle-aged guys who don't have a good thing to say about anyone. And I love my mom, but she kinda makes yours look like, uh…" Benji taps his lip with his pointer finger as he stares up at the mottled ceiling. "Well, like someone who can actually keep a secret."
"Ohhhh… shit. I mean, I don't remember your dad being like… racist or violently homophobic when I was around but I'm sure you've seen more of it than me. And I get why you're worried. I do. But I'm not gonna judge you based on your parents and mine will still love you, too. And I will still love you. Obviously."
Benji smiles weakly but tenses again under Victor's touch. "Thank you. I appreciate you saying that, babe. And I love you, too."
"Always."
"But also like… I feel like… me…" Benji lowers his voice as he leans forward, "being an alcoholic will probably come up, too. And there's only so much policing of their behavior I can do… I think I need to become okay with the fact that people are gonna know and judge me for that."
Victor doesn't say anything for a moment as he rises from his seat, the metal scraping loudly against the linoleum. Their hands are still connected. He pulls Benji gently to his feet before dragging them both out into the now cooler air.
"I know that you tend to not care so much about what other people think about you, and I really admire that about you," Victor says, draping his arm protectively over Benji's shoulder as they shuffle across the sidewalk.
Benji gazes up at him with a crooked smile. "Thanks, babe."
"But I also get that it's hard to feel that way about yourself completely when there's a part of you that you just… hate. That you're ashamed of."
"Yeah… exactly…" Benji says quietly as he snakes an arm around Victor's waist. "I'm trying, though. And I… I don't hate that part of myself anymore. Now it just sorta mildly annoys me."
"And I'm proud of you for that, mi amor. That's progress." Victor kisses Benji on the forehead.
There's a silence between them for a moment as they wander back to Victor's apartment. Benji plays with the hem of Victor's shirt absently and Victor simply enjoys the closeness of Benji's form, delighting in how perfectly they fit together, how naturally.
"I'm trying to keep myself from saying 'I couldn't have done it without you'," Benji says finally as they near Victor's street. "So I'll just say 'thank you' instead."
"As you should. It's all you," Victor says, as he wraps his other arm around Benji, engulfing him.
"Yeah…"
They turn onto Victor's street a moment later and Benji pauses in his tracks. Victor stops, too, unwrapping his arms from around Benji and raising an eyebrow.
"I bet I could beat you back to your apartment," Benji says, his eyes twinkling in the darkness as he turns his face toward Victor.
Victor snorts. "No way."
"All right, then. Let's race."
"What do I get when I win?"
Benji rolls his eyes as he steps one foot backward into a lunge, smirking as he stretches his back out. "The chance to have sex with me, of course. The fuck kind of question is that… But you're not gonna win. I have a secret weapon."
"Oh, okay. I see how it is." Victor guffaws as he cracks his neck. "I'm still gonna kick your ass."
"Well… the only way you'll see my ass is if you're behind me," Benji teases, shaking his hips seductively.
"Fine. Let's go." Victor glances at the lamppost a few feet in front of them. "From here…" he points to it, lining up right behind it, "to my house. Last one there…" he pauses, tapping his finger on his lip as he thinks, "has to eat a bite of whatever's in the jar in the back of our fridge that's been there for months."
Benji wrinkles his nose but stands shoulder to shoulder with Victor anyway. "That sounds nasty… I'm in."
"I hope you like the taste of really fermented pickles."
"I've had your dick in my mouth."
Victor giggles. "Touché."
"Okay, are we doing this or what?"
"Yeah, yeah…" Victor clears his throat, stepping back with one foot as he hunches over in preparation as Benji does the same, his expression stoic and determined. "Okay… On your mark… get set… go!"
But as soon as Victor pulls his foot off the concrete, something collides with his shoulder. He's knocked off balance. Benji cackles evilly and takes off.
"Enjoy the view, loser!" Benji calls after him.
"You little-"
Victor regains his footing and bolts after him. His feet clap against the sidewalk. The buildings lining the block blur past him. His heart thuds in his ears almost painfully.
A few seconds later, he's zipping past Benji. He grins triumphantly. His apartment grows before him.
"Fuck!" Benji shouts.
There's a loud thump behind him.
Panting, Victor pauses in his tracks. He whips around.
"Oh, shit! Benji, are you okay?"
Victor swallows the lump in his throat and jogs over to where Benji is on the ground, shaking his head and hissing.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just-ow!"
Benji picks a piece of gravel out of the heel of his hand as he grunts quietly and examines it, just as a smear of red sprouts on his pale skin. Victor crouches down beside him, eyebrows knitted in concern.
"Can I see?" Victor asks gently, holding his hand out.
Biting his lip, Benji nods as he holds his palms up to Victor's face. The gentle summer breeze ruffles their sweat-soaked hair. Benji hisses again as he shifts on the ground.
"I think I scraped my leg, too…" Benji mutters, wincing as he pushes himself off the ground.
"W-wait, hold on. I got you…" Victor takes Benji's right arm and slowly pulls him up. "Do you think you'll be able to walk?"
Benji glances down the sidewalk and grimaces as he turns his attention to the red gash running down the side of his leg. "Umm… can you… help me?"
"Yeah, of course, of course," Victor says quickly, his eyes bouncing from Benji's leg to his other unscathed leg as Benji leans against him. "Is it okay if I carry you?"
With a crooked smile, Benji nods, his eyes glowing like little gold flecks against the blackness surrounding them. "I would like that very much."
"Okay, umm… Just… hang onto me, babe. Very carefully." Victor pauses, crouching down and wrapping his arm behind Benji's back before he hooks his other behind his knees.
Instinctively, Benji wraps his arms around Victor's neck in a way to avoid letting his wounds touch anything, as Victor grits his teeth and lifts Benji's feet from the ground in one swift motion, careful of his legs as they dangle in the air.
"Is this okay?" Victor asks.
"Yeah…" Benji breathes, Adam's apple bobbing as his cheeks redden ever so slightly in the low light.
Benji clings to Victor as he takes a few steps, the effort of holding Benji close not putting much stress on him.
After years of training for basketball, he'd developed a good amount of muscle on his otherwise thin frame. And the way Benji tenses against him in the best way, his gaze averted as his breath hitches in his throat even as he burrows his face in Victor's chest, makes him smile to himself. Victor kisses the top of Benji's head lovingly as he cradles him close. When Benji exhales, the little puff of warm air tickles Victor's skin and he shivers in delight.
"Babe… Do I even weigh anything to you?" Benji says with a chuckle as Victor carries him up the stoop.
Victor scoffs as he carefully balances Benji on one arm as he twists the doorknob and shrugs. "Not really. I can deadlift like twice your weight."
Benji swallows loudly. "Oh…"
"So you don't have to worry about me dropping you," Victor teases.
"That's not what I'm worried about…"
"Oh yeah?" Victor bites his lip and pushes the door open with his shoulder as they enter into the vacant building, footsteps reverberating loudly.
"What I mean is like… I appreciate you exploring your feminine side, babe, but it's also just really hot when you do macho shit."
Grinning smugly, Victor unlocks the door to his apartment and they slip inside.
Victor flips the switch on the wall right by the entrance as he presses the door closed with his leg and maneuvers through the doorway straight ahead into the kitchen. He grunts as he slowly pulls out a chair at the kitchen table with his foot, careful that it doesn't scrape too loudly against the floor, before he leans over and gently sets Benji down.
"Are you gonna let go?" Victor asks, bemused, as Benji clings to his neck like a koala to a tree as it shakes in the wind. "Aren't your hands hurting?"
"A little, but… you definitely helped me forget about it for a second."
Chuckling, Victor unlatches Benji's arms from around him as delicately as he can muster, before he sighs and stands up straight while Benji pouts up at him. "You're adorable but I need to patch you up, okay, baby?"
"Fiiiine… But we all know you're the cuter one of the two of us."
Shuffling over to the sink, Victor smirks as he washes his hands before he dries them with a paper towel before he opens one of the cabinets in the corner of the kitchen where his parents keep the first aid supplies.
"That's your cue to say 'No, babe, you're the cuter one' and then I'm supposed to deny it and then we argue and I pretend to be upset so you can kiss it better," Benji says resting his arm on the back of the chair as his hand dangles, before he rests his chin on the back of his forearm.
Victor grabs a rolled up bandage and some antibiotic ointment before he sets it down on the counter. He pokes Benji gently on the nose. "I'm not gonna argue with you about this 'cause I love you too much…"
Benji doesn't say anything in response; he can only sit there blushing as Victor cleans his wounds with some soap and water. He hisses even as Victor's gentle touches irritate the exposed, raw flesh, before he dabs his wounds with ointment and wraps them tightly in the soft, white bandages.
"Thank you for that… I think I'll be good to walk now, but useless if you ask me to hold anything," Benji says, smiling softly as he rises slowly from his seat. His face contorts before he shrugs and puts more of his weight on his leg, sarcastic when he adds: "Thanks for the date, though."
"No problem." Victor kisses him on the cheek.
They creep down the hallway to Victor's room, and this time, Victor makes sure to lock the door after them. Benji crawls into bed, lying on his side, vigilant of his injuries, before Victor slips in beside him, and they simply lie there watching each other for a moment in silence, breathing in each other's air as the space between them vibrates imperceptibly and crackles like the ions in the sky meeting those from the ground during a storm.
"So…" Victor says after a moment, averting his gaze to the Hannibal poster on the wall behind Benji as he reaches up to trace his jaw. "What do you wanna do? I, for one, am… not really that tired, actually."
"Me neither," Benji muses, leaning into Victor's touch.
"That still doesn't answer my question, though." Victor drags his hand along from Benji's ear to his chin, before his fingers begin their dance down the side of his neck and Benji sighs.
"Well…" Benji says nonchalantly as his eyes flutter closed and he swallows thickly, shivering. "Since we didn't get to finish what we started earlier, we could always…" He lets his voice trail off suggestively before he slits open one eye. "Babe… Where'd you put my collar?"
"Uhh… Didn't I give it back to you?"
Benji frowns momentarily and shifts in his spot before realization dawns on his face. He slips his fingers into his own pocket, wincing, and pulls out his collar as if he's performing a dissection. "Oh, yeah… Help me put it on?"
"Of course, baby," Victor says with a small chuckle as he takes the pleather strap from Benji's hand and secures it snugly around his neck. "There ya go… But we should probably get you something that isn't so… obvious, don't you think?"
"You're just covertly tryna drop hints about what you're getting me for my birthday aren't you."
"No comment." Victor tries and fails to bite back a smirk.
Benji rolls his eyes. "Well… I actually really like that idea… I've had my eye on some day collars, actually…"
"Can you show me?" Victor asks, curiosity piqued. Something warm runs through him and he isn't sure if it's pleasure or something else… something deeper he can't quite name.
"I'm pretty sure you don't have Cartier money."
"Not yet, but someday…"
Smiling, Benji gives him a peck on the lips. He lets his head drop down to the side against the pillow and watches Victor seductively. "Y'know… I have to admit that I… am a little turned on."
"Oh my god… you're such a whore…" Victor chuckles as he shakes his head and peers down at Benji. "Seriously?"
"Yes… seriously. Like you're one to talk..."
Benji swats at Victor's cheek with his fingers a couple of times before Victor's hand shoots out and he grabs Benji by the arm, stilling him.
"Ah-ah. What're you doing?" Victor scolds.
"What, you don't like it when I do that?" Benji teases, raising his other bandaged hand to repeat the action on Victor's other cheek.
Victor catches this one, too, before it strikes him, his eyelids hanging heavy on his face as he holds Benji right at the edge of his bandage. "You're not being a very good boy right now, baby."
"Oh, no, whatever will I do?"
Sighing, Victor rolls his eyes before he releases Benji's arms from his grip. Benji smirks triumphantly for a second as he wiggles his hands, before Victor grits his teeth and shoves Benji backward into the mattress by the shoulder with a soft thwump.
Benji's eyes go wide and he peers up at Victor like a deer happening upon a predator at night. He exhales. "I love it when you do that."
"I know," Victor says with a satisfied grin.
When Benji doesn't shy away from him, the tension in his body evaporating in that instant, Victor can only lean down and connect their lips. He presses into Benji so hard, as if he intends to snatch the breath out from deep within him.
Victor kisses him with such a hot ferocity that all Benji can do is moan into his mouth as he threads his fingers through Victor's curls with one hand and draws him closer, as if he'll never get close enough to him to taste him properly, no matter how hard he tries.
Their tongues mingle between them as Victor thrusts his into Benji's mouth and Benji whines as Victor grabs his arms again and pins them over his head before he pulls away. He heaves as he stares down at Benji, his hair splayed around him in a way that sparks Victor's imagination as he pictures everything he wants to do to him.
"I want you to stay like this. Don't move your arms," Victor says, voice husky as he gazes down at him, pure adoration coursing through him. "But god… you're fucking gorgeous…"
Scoffing, Benji glares at Victor, but he does exactly as Victor orders. "I won't be able to touch you, though."
"You won't have to." Victor leans down and presses a kiss to Benji's cheek before he nuzzles against his skin and drags his fingers across Benji's still-clothed chest.
Taking a deep breath, Benji then exhales at a glacial pace. "Why?"
"I don't want you to irritate your wounds. Just let me take care of you. So stop asking questions and just… enjoy it…"
Benji pouts as Victor presses his pointer finger to his lips and shushes him as he uses the other hand to stroke across his chest. And when Victor stops at one of his nipples and squeezes it through the soft fabric of his shirt, Benji moans quietly and gasps as Victor continues to roll and press his nipple between his fingers. Victor burrows his face into Benji's neck and takes in the scent of pleather mixed with Benji's unique essence that he knows he'll never get enough of. His dick twitches in his pants.
"You like that, baby?" Victor whispers, before he presses his mouth against the spot right beneath Benji's jaw and sucks on the skin there as he plays with Benji's nipples some more.
Humming, Benji nods, his whole body tense. "Y-yeah…
Victor pulls away again and presses his lips together into a tight line as he trails his hand down from Benji's chest and along his tight abs to the bottom of his shirt, slipping his hand under the fabric to the sweltering flesh inhabiting the space beneath it, his fingertips scalding on contact. Benji whines again as Victor simply lets his hand rest there, making the smallest, slightest movements that send Benji's abdominal muscles into tremors as he giggles to himself.
"You're tickling me," Benji mumbles, squirming across the mattress under Victor's touch.
"Oops…" Victor says, repeating the action and chuckling against Benji's neck as he gasps and wiggles away.
"Jesus Christ you're evil…"
Rolling his eyes, Victor reaches up with his other hand and presses Benji's arms back down over his head and into the pillow. "What did I tell you, you naughty boy?"
Benji mimics Victor's voice, his expression bored. "'Stay like this and don't move your arms'."
"Right… And what did you just do?"
Staring up at the ceiling, Benji feigns innocence and says nothing for a long while, before Victor's arm shoots out and he grabs Benji by the hair, forcing his face in front of his. But Benji still won't meet his eyes.
"You're only being soft 'cause I'm hurt," Benji finally says, smirking.
"I am not-You know what…" Victor sighs, licking at the backs of his teeth before he nods and releases Benji's hair. When Benji frowns, he chuckles to himself as he slips his hand under Benji's shirt again and shoves it up, exposing his chest to the air and making him shiver. "Call me soft one more time."
For once, Benji doesn't take the bait, biting his lip instead as his eyebrows knit together and he stares up at Victor, cheeks flushed as he lay there still, exhaling loudly through his nose.
"There you go… you smartened up real quick." Victor grins as he strokes Benji's hair lovingly, laughing quietly to himself, before he brings his hand down to Benji's nipple again. He traces a circle around it teasingly slow as he grabs Benji by the chin. "C'mere…" He gives a pointed look to Benji's hands, then to his bandaged leg where it lay atop a rolled up blanket, and finally to the bulge straining against Benji's pants. "And this time, you're going to do exactly what I tell you to do… or I just won't let you cum."
"That's not fair-"
"You're gonna stay like that because like I said, you are hurt, so I don't want you to move more than you need to. Is that clear, my gorgeous… dumb slut?"
Benji's eyelids flutter in frustration and he pouts, nodding. "Y-yes, Sir. I hear you loud and clear."
"That's my good boy…"
Victor can't help but smile as he presses their lips together again, pleased with the fact that Benji is making a concerted effort to do as he's told, shoulders rigid from holding his arms above his head and not moving them, even as Victor kisses the life out of him and toys with his nipples mercilessly.
And when Benji is kissing him back aggressively, frustrated, trying his best to keep himself from rolling his chest up against Victor's hands as he teases him, Victor can only laugh as he presses Benji deeper into the mattress and tugs on the ring of his collar roughly.
When Victor grinds his throbbing cock against Benji's leg as he loses himself in their kiss, he can only focus on the sensation of Benji's hot mouth against his own, the way he's practically begging him without any words to go further, but Victor can't let him have that yet, no matter how insistently Benji bites at his lips, canines almost tearing into flesh.
"God, you're such an impatient fucking whore," Victor whispers against Benji's mouth as he gives his nipple one final squeeze before he releases it and hurriedly tugs down Benji's sweatpants to finally release him from his confines.
Benji doesn't say anything as his eyes roll back into his head and his face contorts, his leaking cock springing out as Victor takes it eagerly in his hand, the familiar weight and shape forming perfectly within his grip.
Victor strokes him slowly, using his sticky precum to coat his dick from the head all the way down the shaft and to his balls, delighting in the little mewls dropping from Benji's lips as he lets his head drop back like a weight onto the pillow.
"What is it, my little cumslut?" Victor almost purrs, his lip curling up on one side as Benji peers up at him from beneath hooded eyelids, golden irises dense with lust as he smiles lazily in return.
"Your stroke game sucks, Daddy," Benji says, before Victor squeezes his cock and he can only bite back a moan as his face twists again.
"Well, if I'm so bad at it, then you won't care if I stop." Victor shrugs, dropping Benji's dick with a plop against his stomach and raising his hand to his face.
When he makes a show of licking the precum from his hand, making eye contact with Benji the entire time, Benji can only swallow thickly in disappointment, Adam's apple bobbing as he holds himself still, his glistening cock leaking against his abs as his chest rises and falls hurriedly.
"You're disgusting," Benji says sarcastically as his dick pulsates.
"Watch it, kitten, if you even wanna cum today. Or maybe we'll have a little 'interruption' like we did earlier."
Benji doesn't say anything, only mewls pathetically before his mouth snaps closed as Victor chuckles again and peels Benji's pants and underwear the rest of the way down his legs. Victor tosses them aside before he reaches behind him into his nightstand drawer and pulls out a bottle of lube.
He grabs Benji's legs and carefully shoves them up into his chest, exposing his puckered pink hole. "I want you to keep your legs like this. And keep them spread apart."
"Okay, Daddy…" Benji rolls his eyes.
"I'm not reminding you again…"
"I know."
"Good boy."
Victor uncaps the bottle and coats his fingers in the cool liquid as Benji watches him hungrily, the impatience written all over his face. But he stays quiet as Victor sets the bottle aside and slots himself beside him again, kissing him as he slips his hand between Benji's legs and lets his finger circle Benji's hole.
Moaning quietly, Benji kisses Victor back eagerly as Victor strokes the delicate flesh below his balls, making every effort to avoid touching his cock, right before he lets his finger slip inside Benji's tight heat, as Benji opens his mouth for Victor's tongue, too.
He slides his digit in and out of Benji a few times as he opens him up, coating his insides generously with lube, before he slips his ring finger in right beside it, taking a deep breath as Benji groans in pleasure from being stretched open again in the way he loves so much.
Victor bites Benji's lip just as Benji lets out a startling whine, before Victor quiets him with his tongue again and shoves his fingers further inside Benji, stroking against his prostate and making Benji relax even further against him, the tension sloughing away from him with each passing moment.
"You like it when I fuck your pussy with my fingers, huh, slut?" Victor whispers, his filter completely off at this point, as it tends to be when he fucks Benji. He slips his fingers in even deeper. "I can't believe I trained you to get off just from me fingering you… That's my good fucktoy…"
"Ahh… T-thank you, Sir…" Benji moans, eyes falling closed as sweat drips down his neck. "You… you trained me well."
"That's all you're good for, anyway… is being a hole for me to play with…"
Benji whines wantonly as he nods, his mouth dropping open as he breathes out his words. "Y-yes… I love it when you use me… F-for whatever you want…" His voice trails off as he drifts off giggling into the place where Victor knows he's been vying for all night.
When Victor adds a third finger, massaging Benji's insides and lapping up his little pleasured noises, Benji is completely undone at his hand, pure bliss on his face as Victor fingers him. Even though he's trying his best to stay still and in position for Victor, he can't help but smile lazily up at Victor as Victor's heart swells with pride and love and lust all at once, as Victor rubs himself up against Benji's hip, grinding his clothed cock against him, the friction delicious against his throbbing cock.
He doesn't even mind not being inside Benji because the way he's looking at him right now and bucking back against his fingers to get him deeper as Victor twists his wrist and touches his insides just the way he likes is all he needs right now.
Victor sucks on Benji's neck and whispers the filthiest things he can think of as he strokes Benji's insides faster and ruts himself against him so hard, he wonders if he'll set his skin on fire from the friction.
Benji sighs and struggles to keep himself still as Victor curls his fingers inside him at just the right angle and when Victor calls him a 'filthy fucking good for nothing whore' Benji can't stop himself from clenching around Victor's fingers, his body wracked with pleasure as he bites back a moan, tears streaming down his face as he cums all over his own chest without Victor even touching his cock, just as he'd been trained to do.
And when the world stops existing for Victor for a long moment, his body tensing as he releases all over the inside of his boxers right as his vision goes dark and everything is so intense it disappears, he can only exhale as he comes back to his apartment, to his room, to his bed, to Benji's ravaging, sweat-slick embrace as he lay beside him and around him.
Shaking, Victor pulls his fingers out of Benji as he swallows, the sensation and scent of cum surrounding them and the stickiness between his legs making Victor wrinkle his nose. But Benji lay there next to him, just as he'd left him, staring up at the ceiling in a daze, and Victor sighs, proud, before he gently draws Benji to his side and rests him carefully on his chest.
For a while, they simply lay there in each other's presence, slowing their breathing, and drinking water as they curl up in the soft but soaked sheets, spent. Victor closes his eyes, but he doesn't want to sleep just yet.
Benji drags his finger absently across the raised surface of the crucifix around Victor's neck as he comes to, humming quietly to himself as Victor inhales the scent of his sweat and the faint spice and coconut of his shampoo. They lay there for a while as they try to even out their breathing, each breath from one an echo of the other's, a circuitous reminder that they're both alive and in each other's presence.
"That was really fun," Benji breathes after a few minutes, nuzzling into Victor's chest, his hair tickling Victor's skin.
Victor chuckles, kissing the crown of Benji's head before he brushes aside his damp hair. "Well, you didn't have to do anything."
"Yeah, 'cause I hurt myself," Benji says innocently, yawning before he holds up his bandaged hands and pouts dramatically. He bats his eyelashes at him. "I'm barely functional."
"Next time you're not getting off the hook," Victor teases, pulling Benji closer to him. "You don't need hands to suck dick."
"Haha, very funny…" Benji mumbles against Victor's chest, still playing with the cross on its chain. "It's gonna be nice when we have our own place and we'll finally be able to do this sorta thing with more privacy, though."
Victor smiles fondly down at Benji as he squeezes his shoulder. "God, I know, right? I can't wait."
"We'll finally be able to fuck in the living room without someone walking in on us."
"Please… don't even remind me…" Victor covers his mouth to stifle his laugh.
Benji yawns into Victor's skin again before he curls his hand into a fist and brings it to rest under his chin, his eyelids fluttering closed. "You said you were gonna tell me about your coming out later. It's later."
"It's one in the morning. And you're about to fall asleep."
Groaning, Benji stretches his arm out in front of him before he props himself up on Victor's middle, his elbow digging uncomfortably into Victor's sternum for a moment before he plops down beside Victor and faces him, eyes forced open wide, as he sets his palm gently on Victor's cheek. "I just wanna know everything about you."
And it's as if those words alone open the floodgates.
Before Victor can even catch his own tongue, he's reminded of those months when he'd become a stranger to his own mother, a ghost, when she'd struggled to even look at him and if she did, it was always with the hope that maybe she was in some sort of nightmare that she just needed to pray hard enough to wake up from. And he knows she wouldn't think this now, but he wondered if she had wished he would just not be there.
He thought he'd processed it all but it's like a barely-closed wound he'd scratched at a little too hard upon recounting how it had just been one of those things they didn't talk about-unless it came with a huge helping of 'I'm praying for you because I don't want you to go to Hell.'
Sometimes it's easier to forget.
But sometimes, it's worth it just to feel, and as Benji strokes his hair and coaxes the tears from his eyes with gentle touches and delicate kisses, wiping it all away with the pads of his thumbs, patient as always, Victor can't help but acknowledge what a difference the days and months and years can make.
"But yeah." Victor sniffles. "It's all in the past."
"It is. But it doesn't mean it didn't have an effect on you. You dealt with a lot of pain," Benji says gently.
Victor sighs as he gazes down at Benji's earnest face and lets his hand rest on his hip, drawing him closer. "I guess it's like… I feel like I've forgiven her and I also feel like I should have, but… I don't think I ever did."
"Well…" Benji smooths down his hair, gritting his teeth for a moment before he exhales slowly. "It might make things easier but you're not obligated to forgive. Like your mom has clearly come a long way but that doesn't undo the hurt that she caused you. A thousand apologies can't fix or negate something like that."
"Yeah… You're right…"
Benji's eyebrows knit together and he presses their bodies together as he drapes the sheets over them both. "I'm always gonna be on your side and I'll support you with whatever you decide… But thank you for telling me. I love you."
On instinct, Victor's lip curls up and he nods as he engulfs Benji in an embrace before he reaches behind himself to shut off the light. He snuggles so close that all he can breathe in is Benji.
"I love you, too. Thank you for listening."