"What a good boy," Victor murmurs from his spot between Benji's legs, as he tips the candle to the side, sending a cascade of wax that lands in cherry blossom petals across Benji's chest.
Benji hisses before his mouth falls open and his head drops back to the sheets behind him. He arches his spine as he struggles against the rope rubbing against his chest and binding his arms behind his back. When Victor pulls out of him and thrusts back inside, Benji moans and Victor grins.
Victor leans down to shove his tongue down Benji's throat as he grips the underside of his thigh, pressing it up against his chest as he rocks his hips into him again, swallowing Benji's tiny gasps. Sweat and wax mix together on their torsos as they rub together, the heat enough to keep the wax from solidifying between them.
"Can I please look at you?" Benji asks, barely able to get the words out before he groans from a particularly hard thrust. "S-since I've been so good…?" he grits out.
"Of course, baby," Victor says as he reaches down to pull the blindfold off Benji's face and chuck it aside. "It's only fair, since you've been so patient, as usual." He taps his fingertip lightly against the tip of Benji's nose.
"Thank you—" Benji says sweetly, a small smile curling his lips, before he takes a particularly hard thrust and almost cries out.
Another tip of the candle and Benji sighs as he peers up at Victor through heavy-lidded, golden eyes, pupils raking down Victor's body just as Victor pulls Benji's legs up and drapes them over his shoulders, framing him.
He blows the candle out before setting it on the nightstand beside the bed, a wisp of smoke dissipating into the surrounding air, forgotten, fleeting, just like the compulsion Victor has to blurt out something he knows he'll regret.
"You look so pretty like this," Victor says instead, as he rolls his hips again, leaning down to press his lips to Benji's neck, nose dragging against the soft, silken skin of his throat and vibrating as Benji moans. "God, you're so tight…"
He inhales Benji's scent, the warmth of spice and sweat mixing together and spurning him on, and he almost can't control the rocking of his body, moving faster and with bolder strokes.
"O-oh, yeah?" Benji asks, stuttering before he bites his lip to contain himself as Victor fucks his hole over and over again. When he wriggles, unable to break free from his bonds, he smirks. "How tight am I… daddy?" he teases.
Even folded in half, Benji can only chuckle breathlessly as he clenches around Victor and all Victor can do is pause mid-thrust as his face blooms with heat.
"For fuck's sake…" Victor murmurs as he pulls out of Benji, smacking him hard on the ass before he grabs him by the ropes spider-webbing his chest. "Why are you so… mouthy?"
But Victor's words hold no bite as the corner of his lip curls up ever so slightly and he flips Benji over with ease so he's lying with his cheek pressed into the bed. Benji watches him from the corner of his eye but doesn't move as Victor clutches at the roots of his hair when he leans down and presses their lips together, tangling their tongues in a suffocating dance.
Victor slips back inside Benji with ease before he lifts Benji up by the hips, slamming into him and making him yelp in pleasure before he changes his pace, thrusting quick and shallow as Benji's moans turn to soft staccatos.
"Mm… yes…" Benji says slyly, voice muffled by the sheets, but Victor can't help but notice the mischievous grin on his face even still. "Fuck my hole, daddy."
Rolling his eyes as an odd, molten pride pools within him, Victor hooks his fingers around the rope binding Benji's arms behind him and lifts his chest off the bed.
"Whose ass is this?" Victor breathes against Benji's ear.
"Y-yours… yours, daddy," Benji's words slip out this time, as if his mouth can't hold them any longer and Victor plunges into him, slapping him on the ass again.
"That's right."
And when Victor grabs Benji by the throat, thrusts getting so erratic, making the backs of his legs almost seize from exertion, he almost falls out of Benji, who shudders and writhes and whines around him.
But when the sensation in the pit of his stomach is back again but different this time, stronger, Victor cums with such a ferocious intensity that even connecting his and Benji's lips isn't enough to drown out the sound of his groan as he shoots his load inside Benji's shaking, overheated body.
Once Victor unties Benji's arms, wrists and forearms littered with pink and red mottles to match the wax cooling on his skin, they lay together on Victor's bed, Benji in his favorite spot under Victor's arm as Victor strokes his hair and kisses his forehead. Benji picks at the smooth pink layer covering him absently, leaving behind bits of broken wax in its wake.
Benji props himself up on his elbow and reaches his hand out toward the nightstand, opening and closing his fingers. He doesn't even have to say anything as Victor picks up the glass of water and passes it to him to drink; then Benji passes it to Victor to have a sip, too, before he sets it back down and wipes his mouth in the back of his hand.
"Did you have fun?" Victor asks after he's swallowed the mouthful of water he sloshed around in his cheeks.
"Oh, yeah, it was nice. I can already feel my thighs getting sore," Benji says with a giggle, sliding over so he's lying chest-to-chest on top of Victor. He crosses his wrists under his chin.
"I wasn't expecting you to pull the 'daddy' card so early on," Victor says as he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively and slips his arm between the pillow and his head.
"What do you mean? It's been… over four months at this point?"
"Already? Shit," Victor says, sliding his hand through Benji's sweat-slick hair and pushing it out of his face. "It feels like it's been longer. But in a good way."
Benji stares up at the ceiling for a moment and opens his mouth before closing it again, face flushing. Victor wraps his free arm around Benji's back with a sigh of contentment.
"You okay?" Victor asks gently after a moment's pause. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No, not at all," Benji says, returning his gaze to Victor's face before a weak smile stretches across his lips. "I'm just… thinking."
"About what?" Victor says, running his thumb across the divots in Benji's spine, trailing over each of the bony vertebrae that poke out like pale little hills.
"It's just… really surreal that I've managed to have you for that long," Benji admits as his pupils flit off to the side. "And that you haven't gotten tired of me."
"That's actually really relatable. I think about that from time to time, too. And it makes me a little anxious."
Nodding solemnly, Benji slides off Victor's chest and lies down beside him on the bed again as Victor does the same. Benji raises a hand to cup Victor's cheek and they simply lay there for a moment, breathing in tandem, with the only other sound being the gentle electronic rhythm of Dua Lipa's "One Kiss" playing in the background.
"I think the only thing we can do is just—Well, I don't actually know. I could say it's best to just take it day by day, and to not think about the fut—" Benji says, but his voice catches in his throat, his face falling as he swallows. "Not think about the future," he finishes, his voice trailing off, but he smiles nonetheless, lip quivering.
"You're right," Victor says, eyes sparkling, before he encircles Benji again and pulls their faces together.
One kiss is all it takes
Fallin' in love with me
Possibilities
I look like all you need
When they pull away, Victor presses their foreheads together, eyelids fluttering closed as if looking at Benji straight-on would blind him, like looking directly into the sun without a filter.
"Oh, by the way... I do have some feedback from… earlier. On how to improve for next time." Benji separates them but lets his hand rest on Victor's arm.
Victor hums. "I'm listening."
"First, I wanna say that overall, it was super fun and you know I love when you get a little… possessive," Benji says, peering up through his eyelashes at Victor. "It's really fucking hot."
Chuckling modestly, Victor bites the inside of his cheek before he says: "Typical Scorpio," and sticks his tongue out.
Benji giggles and smacks him on the arm. "What can I say? Like obviously I hate it normally but like… Well, I guess that explains it, then."
"What do you mean?"
"I think it's just because I know you wouldn't normally act that way."
"True. I mean… I respect you too much," Victor says with a nod.
"And I appreciate that. But anyway…"
"I'm guessing you were a fan of the wax?"
"Yeah, god, that was fire," Benji says, laughing quietly to himself, and Victor can't help but join in. "I'll have to add that to my list of 'likes'. But it wasn't stressful for you, right?"
"Once I got over the idea that I might drop the candle and set my room on fire, it was actually pretty fun. And it's definitely a turn on that you're really into it. You know I'm a simple bitch. You're happy, I'm happy."
Snorting and tucking a lock of hair behind his own ear, Benji blushes before he runs his fingers absently across Victor's collarbone and bites his lip for a moment.
"I just have one little… small criticism, though. Like, nothing major. Just something to keep in mind," Benji says slowly, as if picking through a container of words and examining each one with a magnifying glass before choosing it, as he stares out through the window behind Victor at the grey clouds in the heavens.
"Don't worry, babe, I can take it."
"Okay, well… you can make me wait a little longer and make me beg a little more when I ask you to do things. Does that make sense?" Benji sets his hand on the little strip of sheets between them, running his finger over its slightly rough surface.
Victor exhales the breath he was holding. "Oh, that's it? Yeah, I can do that."
Benji breathe-laughs, shaking his head. "Did you think it would be worse?"
"I don't know what I was expecting, but I'll admit our little discussions have made me more okay with receiving less-than-positive reviews," Victor says sheepishly as he scratches the back of his head.
"'Reviews'... seriously? You're not a product," Benji says, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"You know what I mean."
Rolling his eyes, Benji leans up and presses a kiss to Victor's forehead before he rolls onto his back, letting his arm hang off the side of the bed as the other rests on top of his forehead. Victor drapes an arm over his middle and slides over so he's lying on Benji's chest.
There's a deep rumbling beneath Victor's ear and he glances up at Benji as he lets his other arm drop beside them before he slips his fingers through Victor's hair, tangling with the curly strands.
"Oh, yeah. You know how I have that photography project that's due in a few days?"
"The one you haven't started on yet?" Victor says, a teasing lilt in his voice.
"I didn't know what to do, but I think I have an idea. Although, I'm not sure if you're gonna be down for it or not."
"Why wouldn't I be?" Victor asks as he picks his head up off Benji's chest and sits up, resting on his arm as he gazes down at Benji.
Benji hesitates before he sits up, too. "Well, since the prompt I chose is 'unorthodox', right away I thought of drag. And since you're my muse—"
"That sounds like it would be fun, yeah," Victor says quickly. "Of course I'll be your subject."
Beaming, Benji bounces his shoulders before he wiggles closer to Victor on the mattress and gives him a quick peck on the lips. "Awesome, thank you so much."
"What's the plan, B? Since I'm pretty sure you don't have any dresses lying around, especially none that would fit me," Victor says, motioning up and down at his bare form with a grin.
Stroking his chin, Benji frowns. "I was thinking that the theatre department would be good but I would want to go during a time when we could get some privacy and also I don't have access to it."
"Dang it… wait!" Victor says, holding a finger up. "I feel like it was either Fee or Lake who said they do theatre stuff. Something about an extreme game of D&D, but a play…"
"Babe, say that again and think about which one of our friends would say that. It's not Lake," Benji says, barking with laughter.
"Shit, you're right. But in my defense, she got really into her character when we played last time."
Benji reaches behind him and picks up his phone from the nightstand as he plops back onto the bed. He holds it over his face as he unlocks it and taps around on it. "Hey, I'm not denying that it's fun as hell. I just know she would deny it and act like we're nuts if we mentioned this out in public."
"You know if you need to chat with Fee, they're across the hall," Victor says as he rolls off the bed with a grunt.
"Good point," Benji says as he drops his phone next to him and rises. He makes a face as he turns around and wrinkles his nose. "We should probably, uh… shower first."
"Right." Victor peers down at the sheets and smiles wryly before he pulls them off the bed and shoves them into his laundry bag. "I'll take care of that later."
"And I'll help," Benji says, standing on his toes and grabbing onto Victor's shoulder as he pulls him into another kiss.
Victor can only smile and shake his head. "Okay."
—-
"I don't think I've ever actually been on this side of campus before," Victor says.
Benji stands beside him in front of the low, red brick building that doesn't know if it wants to be older or modern, its concrete overhang casting a long shadow across the grass as the early May afternoon sun beats down on everything it touches.
Victor peeks over his shoulder, glancing through the brick columns on both sides as Benji fiddles with the keycard before he adjusts the strap of his bag on his own shoulder and swipes it through the card reader next to the door.
"Babe, stop doing that. You look suspicious," Benji whispers as he pulls the door open and motions for Victor to step through as a wall of cool air bursts out from within.
"Sorry…" Victor whispers back. "Thank you, kind sir. How chivalrous," he teases as he approaches the door.
"Fine, you can get the door yourself, then," Benji replies, sarcastic, as he goes to shut the door right before Victor jogs inside.
Giggling, Victor catches up to Benji and drapes an arm over his shoulder as Benji leads the way through the deserted, open atrium, the glass panels before them providing a magnificent view of the garden.
"Did you wanna do our shoot out there?" Victor asks as he points ahead.
Benji purses his lips, eyes going wide as he searches the grove inhabited by a little concrete walkway, along with some bushes of purple and pink flowers that flank the path on each side. There are a few blossoming magnolias, along with a cherry blossom tree losing its petals in sheets that look like pink raindrops.
"Yeah, that would be awesome," Benji breathes.
"So where are we going?" Victor asks, squinting at one of the signs on the wall.
"Fee said it's… down here." Benji points down the right-hand corridor as he snakes his arm around Victor's waist, then pulls him along with him.
Their footsteps echo in the empty building, everything around them still, as if life had ceased to exist within this space. Even when Benji spots the door labeled 'Costumes' and unlocks the door, the noise continues its eerie ricocheting as they enter the spacious room filled with racks of clothes of all colors, sizes and fabrics, along with tables lining the walls that are littered with makeup and costume jewelry.
"Whoa…" Victor breathes, as Benji gazes around the room in wonder.
"It's like being at the mall. But without pushy staff members."
Victor nods but doesn't say anything as he unfurls his arm from Benji's shoulders and approaches one of the racks.
"Did you need any help figuring out what to wear?" Benji asks as he follows Victor's lead.
"No, thanks. I wanna surprise you," Victor says quickly.
Benji pouts, stepping back. "Oh. I guess I'll go… hang out. Over there." He motions toward the opposite end of the room and ducks behind a tall rack of clothes so he can't see Victor anymore.
"I'll miss you, baby," Victor calls and Benji licks at his teeth as he rolls his eyes.
"Wonder what he's gonna come up with..." Benji mutters to himself as he cards through some gaudy primary-colored polyester shirts, cringing as he moves them across the steel pipe they hand from, the loud scraping of metal on metal grating at his eardrums.
His eyes quickly glaze over and Benji sighs as he finds a spot in the corner with a single red couch that looks suspiciously similar to the ones he's seen at the library but he doesn't question it, instead shrugging as he plops down in the seat.
He hums to himself as he peels the strap of his bag off him and sets it beside him before he unzips it and rummages around in it. When his fingers brush against cool, smooth plastic, he slowly pulls out his camera and sets it on his lap, pressing the 'on' button and waiting for it to load.
With a small smile, Benji flicks through the photos he'd taken, chuckling to himself when he comes across one of Victor, mid-sneeze, that he hadn't had the heart to delete. There are mostly candid photos of Victor interspersed with landscapes and artsy pictures of rain and buildings. He finds himself focusing more intensely with each passing moment.
"All right, I think I have…. something," Victor says from across the room, voice growing. "I didn't feel like taping my dick to my leg, so..."
"You don't tape it to your leg—"
When Benji looks up, his breath leaves his body as if someone had crushed his lungs in their hand; all he can do is stare, muscles in his hands seizing and making him almost drop his camera.
Victor strides over, teetering atop a pair of black six-inch tall stilettos that make him tower over the ground on long, twig-like legs.
The world stops its rotation and Victor seems to glide toward him in slow motion, clad in thigh-high fishnets and a faux fur jacket reaching his knees that looks as if it would swallow him whole like a giant furry beast. Underneath the monstrosity is a short, strappy and unsurprisingly, tight, satin slip so close to Victor's skin tone it blends in almost seamlessly, as if he's not wearing anything at all.
His shining, blood-red lips and smokey black eyeshadow, coupled with the glossy gelled down curly fringe on one side of his face, create an imposing image; Benji swallows the lump in his throat.
"Holy shit…" Benji breathes, setting his camera aside as Victor approaches, his serious, focused expression breaking into a smile.
"What do you think?" Victor asks in a high-pitched voice, standing before Benji and bringing one knee in as he pops his hip to the side and sets his knuckles on his waist. "And how's my makeup?"
"I'm questioning my sexuality again," Benji says, eyeing Victor up and down as he stands, mouth dry.
"Girl, me too," Victor says in the same voice. "Okay, I should stop, that feels unnatural." He clears his throat.
"You look incredible. Surprisingly, I don't see anything wrong with your makeup, either."
"'Surprisingly', thanks," Victor replies in his normal voice but with a hint of sarcasm, beaming as he twirls around slowly. He rubs his silver-ring-adorned hands along his body. "I feel… fierce," he adds, growling dramatically as he makes a clawing motion in the air.
Benji chuckles, face flushing, but he can't peel his gaze away from Victor. "I never understood people who would look at someone hot and be like 'step on me' but honestly… now I get it."
Covering his mouth with his hand as he laughs, Victor stumbles a bit with an "oops", hands shooting out to the sides as panic flashes across his face for a split second before he rights himself again.
"You good?" Benji asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine. These things are just… mad high. Not easy to walk in and I feel like a baby gazelle which kinda kills the vibe," Victor says, balancing himself on the tips of his toes.
"Wanna sit down?" Benji says, sitting down again and patting the spot beside him on the couch.
Victor pauses, before another grin blooms across his lips. "How about I sit on your lap so we can play the tall queen and short king couple," he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
Biting his lip, Benji nods and opens his arms. "Hop on."
Shuffling over, Victor gently crouches down and slides onto Benji's lap, draping his own arm around Benji's neck. He crosses his legs and rests his heeled feet over the edge of the sofa, letting them dangle.
"I'm not crushing you, am I?" Victor asks, brushing the hair from Benji's eyes.
Pressing his lips together into a line as Victor's weight bares down on him, Benji's legs shake ever so slightly, as if someone had dropped a bag of cement on his femurs, and he grits his teeth.
"You are… a bit heavier than me, no offense," Benji says, voice strained.
"Okay, well, I don't wanna kill you," Victor mutters, sliding off Benji and instead taking the spot beside him before crossing his legs again. "And it does feel kinda weird…"
"I honestly can't stop staring at you like… I don't know why but I'm really into this look."
"Yeah?"
Benji contemplates a moment, staring up at the metal-clad ceiling. "It's probably because it's you, though. I don't think I would get this turned on if it was anyone else."
Victor's mouth scrunches to the side as he raises an arm, letting it descend over Benji's shoulders. "You're turned on by me in drag."
"I guess so," Benji says with a shrug.
"Then maybe we should do something about that," Victor says with a coy smile as he rests the tip of his finger against his plump bottom lip.
"The whole 'acting like a stereotypical woman' thing isn't really working out for you, I hate to say it."
"That bit isn't my thing but the aesthetic is nice, I'll admit," Victor says, pulling his finger away from his lip and wrinkling his nose at the red that comes with it, before glancing off to the side of the room at the mirror on the wall and fixing his hair.
"It really does suit you…" Benji says, resting his hand on Victor's leg and brushing against the rough fishnet as he draws closer to him, pulled like a leaf to a puddle. "And I guess it's kinda like… I don't know, sociologists say your behavior isn't dictated by how you dress, right?"
"That's true, too," Victor sighs, lips hovering just a few hair's lengths away from Benji's. His other hand reaches up to cup Benji's cheek, rubbing circles on it with his thumb.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want you to fuck me while wearing this whole ensemble," Benji whispers. "Especially the heels."
Grinning triumphantly, Victor straightens out his back a bit and thrusts his chest out. "That can be arranged."
"Not now, though. I don't wanna ruin your makeup."
"How about we do this photoshoot first and then we can take a little break… and I can thank you for all the beautiful pictures?" Victor asks, voice low as he trails his hand to Benji's chin and grips it as he stares down at him through kohl-lined eyelids.
Benji nods vigorously; he doesn't remember the last time he'd been so horny that his insides ache with not just desire but a feral need. He has no idea why the haze has taken hold of him so strongly that the only thing he can fixate on is Victor towering over him and pressing him down into the couch as he leaves a trail of sanguine kisses all over him and makes him scream in pleasure.
"Okay… let's go outside, shall we?" Victor says, breaking Benji from his thoughts as he glances out the window behind them where the sun hangs suspended in the middle of the sky.
"Good idea…" Benji says absently, searching around for his bag, camera and supplies.
"I think you're gonna need to help me, though," Victor says, pushing himself to stand very slowly as he attempts to balance again.
"Right…" Benji sidles next to him, letting Victor drape his arm over him for support. "You should be okay but be careful so your heels don't go through the dirt. Because that would suck."
"I'll keep that in mind…"
They wander into the garden through the glass doors, sun showering them as they walk across the path. Most of the area is paved, aside from the little patches of mulch with flowers scattered about, along with the stony areas underneath the trees that give way to grass that sprouts out of the packed earth.
Benji assists Victor across the ground as his ankles wobble dangerously with each step.
"You're gonna have to learn to walk in those at some point," Benji teases, taking a few long strides backward as Victor poses against the tree. "It's not like it's hard."
"Oh yeah? Then show me how easy it is," Victor argues, crossing his arms over his chest and almost knocking himself off balance again.
"Fine, I will," Benji grumbles, making his way back to the door. "I'll be back in a few."
"So you're just gonna leave me here alone to be bored, I guess," Victor says, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"You'll be fine," Benji says, rolling his eyes and smiling as he shakes his head.
Relief floods Benji as he re-enters the building, and he's pleased that for at least the moment, he doesn't have to watch Victor's lithe frame bombarding his pupils like a lighthouse cutting through the darkness and guiding him to shore. It lasts but a moment before something within him crackles and ignites, kindling that he wishes he could put out.
He sighs as he retreats back to the room that resembles something more like a forest of clothes. At the back of the room, he spots a rack where dresses and coats hang. In the back corner, there's a nook for hats and scarves and other accessories and finally, the point of contention—shoes.
Benji scans the pairs aligned neatly on their shelves, a few of them misaligned where Victor had undoubtedly disrupted them—he knows it's a struggle finding heels to fit him. His eyes catch on a strappy silver pair of stiletto sandals and he checks the size—9, a bit too small, he realizes, upon doing a size comparison with his own shoe.
"Right… the thigh-highs…" he mutters to himself, giggling as he slips the shoe back into its spot meticulously.
Humming, he sits down in front of the shelf and digs around a bit more until he finds a pair of spiky burgundy stilettos studded with silver beads, and his mind is made up immediately. He examines them, plucking his shoes off before sliding the heels on his feet not unlike Cinderella with her glass slipper.
Pushing himself off the ground with his hands, Benji stands, barely making any unwanted movements as he examines himself in the mirror, noticing that the floor is much farther away now. He takes a few steps, the muscle memory making his feet much surer; he's still got it.
He found what he came for, so Benji knows he should head back outside and not keep Victor waiting. But something compels him to turn back around.
Through the racks of clothes in front of the window, Benji catches a glimpse of Victor sitting on the grass in the garden, hunched over as he rips apart a blade of grass. Benji smiles and rolls his eyes; he should have more faith in his boyfriend's ability to entertain himself.
He returns to the dress rack and peers down at it, tapping his feet excitedly at his newfound height, which is one of the many advantages of wearing heels, he's come to realize. He cards through the clothes, the flapping of various textures of cloth like sails in the breeze, as he examines each item in turn—too floral, too short, too much like a potato sack, too—
"Wait…"
Bobbing his head, he pulls out a long, black A-line dress with loose, black puffy sleeves and shoulder cutouts that remind him of something a vampire would wear. It has a diamond-shaped cutout for the cleavage with laces halfway down that attach to a corset.
Benji strips off his shirt and tosses it onto the pile of clothes that Victor has left behind, then peels his skinny jeans off—or at least tries to—without taking his shoes off. He almost topples over like a stack of precariously placed pebbles in a fit of curses, but grabs the rack before he plummets face-first into the tile floor.
Once he's standing in the middle of the room essentially bare aside from his underwear and heels, Benji examines the dress, turning it his hands and in his mind as he decides on a strategy for how to put it on.
He can already tell it won't get over his shoulders. Pursing his lips, he loosens the laces on the corset and steps into it carefully, before pushing his arms through the sleeves and tightening the laces at the waist.
Gathering the flowy black skirts together, he gives himself a once over in the mirror, grinning at the hourglass figure enhanced by the corset and the lower half of the dress that offsets the broadness of his shoulders. The little bit of cleavage, along with the exposed skin of his arms and the tops of his shoulders makes him feel a bit… scandalous.
He doesn't bother tucking, because the pang of arousal sends shivers up his spine and he knows that will only make things even more uncomfortable; the dress is voluminous enough to make it unnoticeable.
But still, something is missing.
The makeup table calls out to him and he sighs as he sits down in front of it. A quick glance out the window again, and Benji shakes his head at the sight of Victor picking flowers now.
"Okay nothing too fancy…" Benji mutters, as he rummages through the palettes of eyeshadow and lipsticks and even bronzers and concealers he doesn't use frequently.
He opens a lip palette and contemplates for a moment before he chooses a shade of deep burgundy similar to that of his shoes, lining the outer part of the lip with expert precision, before dabbing a bit of lighter red and blending the shades together to create an ombré effect.
Once he's satisfied with his lips, he opens a liquid eyeliner pen and lines his eyes in black for a simple winged look, before swiping a bit of red eyeshadow onto his lids and examining the final product. He then rises from his seat and takes one last look in the mirror, running a hand through his hair before he makes his way out the door again.
"How long does it take to find shoes?" Victor says, not looking up as Benji marches across the path, dress billowing behind him.
"I decided to do a little more," Benji says with a sly grin as he takes his camera in his hand again. "Need any help?"
"I got it," Victor says more to himself than to Benji as he rises, shaking, from the ground, reaching out a hand to steady himself against the tree.
"Whoa," Victor says when he finally turns to look at Benji, raking his gaze down his form slowly and then back up again. "Damn… you look… like the mom from the Addams family. But way hotter."
Benji throws his head back and laughs, smacking Victor on the arm and almost sending him careening back into the dirt. "Not what I was expecting, but I'll take it."
"No, but seriously. I love it."
Biting his lip and averting his gaze, Benji's cheeks warm as he takes a step back. "Thanks… Are you ready for our photoshoot?"
"Yeah… yeah. You're gonna have to direct me, though." Victor pops his hip to the side, seductive, then sets one hand on the tree and the other on his waist.
"Hmm…" Benji hums as he takes several steps back, ending up in the shade of one of the magnolias. He brings his camera to his face and looks through the lens. "I'm gonna take a few test shots. So you can just… do whatever."
Victor gives him a wan smile as he stands up a bit straighter but his expression falters even further quickly. "My feet are… hurting already. I can't believe people wear these all day."
"I know, right?" Benji says as he snaps a few photos before he glances down at the screen. "These look good. I'll show you later, though."
"Cool," Victor says, holding a thumb up as he turns slowly, looking down at his feet as he adjusts himself atop the packed-in stones on the ground. "Tell me what I need to do."
"So… I need you to move over to that branch…" Benji says, stroking his chin as he wanders off to the side, before he motions to where the branch juts out from close to the roots of the tree. "I think it would be nice if you like, leaned against it. Maybe do a little 'come hither' thing."
"Okay…" Victor says as he teeters over to the branch and does as Benji instructs. "What do you mean by 'come hither'?"
"Are you familiar with the term 'smizing'?" Benji muses.
"I've heard of it. I think."
Benji chuckles as he crouches down, waddling a bit closer to Victor.
"It's basically smiling with your eyes. But keep your face neutral—like this." He points to his own eyes as he squints slightly and fixes his gaze on one of the azalea bushes behind Victor. "Don't think too hard about it. Just relax."
Victor raises an eyebrow before he squints, the beams of sunlight streaming through the flowering branches above shining in his face. "Huh?"
"I mean, you're kinda doing it right now." Benji snaps a photo, the repeated click of the button ringing in his ears. "Just keep doing that. But tip your head up a little bit more, please."
"Like this?" Victor asks as he inclines his head, skin glowing in the light, ethereal.
"Yes, that's perfect. You're a natural."
Soon they fall into a comfortable rhythm, with Benji directing Victor into various poses—leaning against different parts of the tree, later reclining against it and sitting in the grass once Victor's feet had begun to protest.
"All right, I think this'll be the last set," Benji says as he stands over Victor, who is lying in the grass with his arms splayed out around his head.
"I should get some pictures of you, too, once we're done." Victor peers up at Benji with a smirk.
"We'll see," Benji says, face heating up again as he snaps a few more photos. "Can you, uh… pull the coat down a bit? So we can get some… shoulder?"
Victor bites his lip for a moment before his mouth curls up like a dangerous, upturned arch. "I'll do some spicy poses if you let me take some pictures of you."
Benji sighs as he pushes his hair away from his forehead, but can't stop his facial muscles from giving him away. "Okay, okay. Fine. Deal. Now, let's see some skin."
Chuckling, Victor slips his jacket down as Benji asked, exposing the bare flesh and the thin strap of his dress. He stares up at the bits of sky peeking through the tree as Benji takes a few more photos.
"Damn, that's pretty," Benji mutters, pausing when Victor undoes the coat and lets it fall open around him.
Gasping softly, Benji captures the image of Victor's vulnerability, the way he looks so dainty among the folds of faux fur, like a kitten peeking out from the warmth of its mother's belly.
Victor finally peels the jacket off him completely before he sets it aside, lying in the grass in only the light brown slip, one of the straps hanging off his shoulder.
"Okay… I think that's enough…" Benji says quietly before he swallows, cheeks burning.
Sitting up slowly and giving Benji a sly grin, Victor then brushes the loose grass off himself before he reaches out. "Your turn. We had a deal."
"Yeah, I know. Just give me a second to breathe and set myself up." Benji hands his camera over to Victor before he searches around and stands up.
Without thinking much further, Benji examines one of the branches of the tree that juts into the sky from the middle of the trunk, then latches onto it and hops up, the rough bark digging into his skin as he does this. But he doesn't even mind.
"I didn't know you could... climb," Victor says with a laugh as he shuffles closer to Benji, pointing the camera at him.
"Well, there's a lot you don't know about me, Victor Salazar." Benji brushes his hair with his fingers and adjusts his dress before he holds his hand up in front of his face. "Don't take any yet."
"Just let me know when you're ready."
After a few minutes of fiddling with his hair, Benji sighs. "Okay. Let's get this over with."
"Stooooppp, you look stunning," Victor says, pouting as he snaps a few photos. He brings the camera away from his face for a moment. "Holy shit, these look good and I don't even know what I'm doing…"
"Are you done?"
"No, just a few more. Move over a little more so you're leaning against the trunk. Carefully," Victor says, flapping his hand.
Benji groans and shimmies across the branch and Victor takes several more photos a bit too eagerly.
"Okay, I think that's enough. One of these is gonna become my new wallpaper for my phone, though, just FYI," Victor says with a chuckle.
"Brilliant… I'm gonna come down now." Benji glances down at the ground, where it sits only about two feet away from him and he shrugs.
"Wait, let me help you, you're really high up," Victor says, voice rising an octave as he hustles over.
"It's not that high." Benji raises an eyebrow. "Ohhh. It's 'cause of the… fear."
Victor scratches the back of his neck as he stands between Benji's legs, their faces almost aligned. "C'mere."
"I'm not a baby."
"But I thought you liked being carried?"
"Sometimes I do, but not now." Benji shoves him away gently before he slips out of the tree with ease, just as Victor takes a step back.
But as soon as his heel-clad foot makes contact with the earth, Benji wonders which god he'd offended that day as his ankle twists, sending him careening forward.
"Ow!"
There's a thud. Benji's head knocks against something solid but soft. Ribs?
When he looks up, rubbing his eyes, Victor is groaning and rubbing his head where it smacked into the grass. Benji's feet are tangled up behind him in his skirt but otherwise, nothing on him is broken.
"Are you okay?" Benji asks as he sits back on his legs.
"Yeah. The grass is nice and soft," Victor says. He takes a deep breath and smiles as he props himself up on his elbows. "I've had worse injuries."
For a moment, they simply stay like this, gazing at each other as the wind caresses the leaves and petals and blades of grass and finally, their skin. Benji has to stop himself from leaning down and taking Victor's lips in his own.
"Shit, that's right. Where's my camera?" Benji asks, scrambling around and searching the ground frantically.
"Don't worry, it's right there," Victor says, pointing to his discarded coat. "It broke the fall."
Benji heaves a sigh of relief, clutching at his chest. "Oh, thank goodness."
"But yeah, we should do this more often, it's really fun."
"You actually like it? I thought you were just sorta going with it," Benji says, tucking some hair behind his ear as he slides off Victor and sits cross-legged beside him.
"Of course. It's cool… Like, when I was younger, I thought it was just, like… role play, I guess. But it's one of those things that sorta just lets you be yourself. I get it now."
Benji purses his lips, taking in Victor's words like a fresh towel soaking up water. "Right… like at the end of the day, we're still the same people, just… we look a little different."
"Honestly, I used to be a little scared of the ambiguity. Of, I guess… giving myself too much freedom. And just having fun."
"Mhm, I know," Benji teases,knocking his shoulder against Victor's. "But in all seriousness, I'm glad we did this and that we both learned something about ourselves."
"Yeah…" Victor sighs, laying his head on Benji's lap.
Benji's breath hitches in his throat and all he can do is rest a shaky hand on Victor's cheek, delighting in the way the spring sun bounces off the sheen of his hair. Victor's deep brown eyes peer up at him and Benji's brain short circuits as Victor cups his cheek and gently pulls him down for a kiss, mingling their lipstick so that when they pull away, the red stains the sides of their mouths.
He wonders if Victor can hear the way his heart pounds as he reaches up and swipes his finger along the corners of Benji's lips before he sits up again, simply watching Benji for a moment.
"Your pupils are massive," Victor says, breathless.
"So are yours," Benji mumbles.
"What's that?" Victor shoves Benji backward into the grass and straddles him as he runs his fingers down Benji's face gently before he plants a smack on Benji's lipstick-stained cheeks.
"I've literally been hard this whole time so can you please just fuck me?"
"Hmm… I don't know, can I?" Victor clamps his hands down on top of Benji's wrists, pinning them next to his head.
Benji shifts underneath Victor's weight, their clothed cocks pressing against each other and Benji's throbs with need from that alone. But Benji finds that the struggle yields nothing, his hips held firmly in place. This only makes his dick twitch as he stares up at Victor's form hovering over him like a beautiful giant.
"Fuck." Is all Benji can say as he struggles, even though he knows he won't get out of it so easily.
Victor kisses him again, and it starts off slow, their lips barely brushing, sweet, before they're gliding against each other, tongues and teeth and spit, as Victor presses Benji's arms together over his head.
Moaning into Victor's mouth, Benji squirms as Victor holds both of his hands down with one of his own as he slips his free hand inside the top of Benji's dress, caressing the prickly, pale skin. But Benji can only focus on the way Victor's tongue tangles with his own at the same time, just before his body wracks with waves of pleasure as Victor pinches one of his nipples.
When Victor finally pulls away, releasing Benji from his hold, he gazes at him with dark eyes, holding their stare as he unties the top of Benji's dress and pulls it open to expose his chest. Benji bites his lip as Victor leaves a line of red splotches across his pale skin before he takes one of Benji's nipples in his mouth and nibbles gently.
"Please, just…" Benji breathes, arching up to meet Victor's mouth, "don't get lipstick on the dress."
"I know," Victor says with a smirk as he trails his hands down to Benji's waist, his mouth dropping. "I hate this thing. It's in the way." He tugs at the corset before he lifts Benji's skirt and exposes his lower half, too.
Benji swallows thickly as Victor pulls Benji's underwear down swiftly and his leaking, rock-hard erection springs out.
When Victor takes Benji's cock in his mouth, all Benji can do is gape as Victor drags his red lips along his shaft, leaving behind bits of color in their wake. Benji tries to buck into Victor's mouth but Victor's steel grip on his hips keeps him grounded in his place.
Letting his head drop back into the grass, Benji reaches down to press Victor's head down onto his cock, holding him down as Victor peers up at him, before he takes him deeper into his mouth, making Benji cry out in pleasure.
A little flock of birds that had gathered in the corner of the garden startles, the frightened flapping of wings ringing out as the birds depart, but neither Victor nor Benji pays this any mind.
Victor grins as he pulls his face away from Benji's cock, a little line of saliva and precum still connecting them for a moment before he lifts Benji's legs and presses them up against his chest.
All Benji can do is grab the backs of his thighs as Victor takes his balls in his mouth, before he parts Benji's cheeks and laps at his hole as he reaches up to play with Benji's nipples some more with one hand while he touches himself with the other.
"W-wait…" Benji moans, disheveled, eyelids heavy on his face as he grips at Victor's back.
"What's up?" Victor says, before he kisses the inside of Benji's thigh.
"Can I… suck your dick, too?"
Pausing, Victor sits up before he pulls his underwear off and tosses it aside as he grins. "I think I'd much rather sit on your face."
Benji ignites as soon as those words leave Victor's lips and he nods so quickly he gets dizzy. "Oh my god… please."
With a chuckle, Victor hikes up his dress before he shuffles over, throwing a leg over Benji's face as he positions himself right above him. Benji separates Victor's cheeks, licking at Victor's hole as he moans, before he leans over to attend to him again.
It's difficult for Benji to focus as Victor touches him, alternating between wrapping his lips around his cock and tonguing his hole, making Benji's mind go hazy. When Victor slides his fingers inside him, loosening him up, he gives him a hard smack that brings him back to reality, and he remembers what he needs to do.
Soft sighs floating from his mouth, Benji slips his own fingers inside Victor, too, shivering when Victor groans atop him. He fingers Victor, and at the same time, he takes his dick between his lips.
"You've gotten so good with your mouth, baby," Victor coos as he grinds his hips down against Benji's face.
Benji's eyes roll back in his head as he whines and curls his fingers inside Victor just as Victor does the same to him. The warmth pooling in his stomach almost overwhelms him as he sucks harder on the head of Victor's cock before he takes him into the back of his throat.
Feeling his peak nudging at his insides, Benji sucks at Victor's dick more insistently just as Victor climbs off him, panting, as he swipes his arm across his forehead.
"Get up," Victor says.
"O-okay."
But Benji doesn't have to think beyond that as he obeys, only to have Victor grab him by the hair and pull him toward him before he slips his tongue into his mouth and rubs up against Benji's backside. Victor's stiff erection pokes at Benji's hole.
"Do you wanna fuck my ass?" Benji asks.
"That's a silly question," Victor teases, nipping at Benji's earlobe. "But in all seriousness, I would if we had lube."
Benji motions across the garden. "Check my bag. Front pocket."
Victor separates himself from Benji before he crawls across the grass and rummages through Benji's bag. He returns holding a bottle of lube that he brandishes triumphantly. Then, he kneels behind Benji and kisses him hard as he lifts the back of his skirt again, exposing his ass.
He drizzles the lube generously over his shaft before he grips Benji's hips and slides inside him deep enough that their bodies press together like two pages in a book. Before he continues, Victor fiddles with Benji's bodice, undoing the laces and pulling it apart before he kisses him again.
Moaning into Victor's mouth, Benji rocks his hips back in time with his gentle, slow thrusts before Victor raises his hand to slip inside the top of his dress once again for a moment before he pushes Benji gently up against the front of the tree. Benji reaches under his dress and touches himself as obviously as he can as he glances over his shoulder.
"It sure is nice to… ah… be able to touch m-myself," Benji teases.
Taking Benji's hand in his own before he twists it so it's behind his back, Victor grumbles. "God, you're such a… naughty boy."
Benji's heart speeds up and his skirt falls back down in front of him as Victor starts thrusting harder and deeper, massaging his insides as each movement sends his rational thought processes farther and farther away. He floats off with a smile, eyelids fluttering closed as he lets Victor take the lead fucking him into oblivion.
When Benji opens his eyes again, he gasps when he comes face to face with the last person he'd ever want or expect to see him on the opposite side of the glass.
"Shit, Connor's… mm... here."
"Huh?" Victor says before he plants a kiss between Benji's shoulder blades and gives a particularly hard thrust, making Benji gasp.
Benji chuckles, mouth dropping open as he braces himself against the tree with one hand, raising the middle finger on his other and making eye contact with Connor, who stands wide-eyed and petrified in place as if Medusa herself had turned him into a statue.
Something about the image fills Benji with a sick sense of glee as he arches his back against Victor with a wide grin. Even as he's spilling out of his clothes, torso a battlefield of kiss marks, the wave of satisfaction is too intense to stop him. He wraps Victor's arms tightly around him, possessive, as he winks and rubs his hand across his own chest.
"J-just… c'mere," Benji breathes, gaze unwavering, as he pulls Victor's face up to meet his, fingers twining through his hair, and their tongues slide together.
As soon as Benji does this, his body shudders and he cums so hard his vision blurs, just as Connor frowns, red-faced, and darts away, defeated.
—
"I can't believe Connor saw us," Victor mutters, covering his face in his palm, cheeks boiling and not because of the sunlight.
Laughing, Benji presses back up against Victor's chest and tightens his hold on the hand wrapped around his waist. "To be fair, I'm actually surprised we haven't been caught sooner. Although that one time with Fee and Andrew was pretty close…"
"God, don't remind me."
"But yeah… something tells me he won't bother us again…" Benji says with smug satisfaction. He peeks over his shoulder at Victor, whose softening cock is still buried inside him.
"Weren't you embarrassed?" Victor asks, nuzzling his face against Benji's neck as he shifts a bit closer to him on the grass that sticks to their sweat-slick bodies.
"Uh… kinda. But I also don't know if it was the fact that he's so goddamn annoying or just that I have a humiliation kink, but it was a huge turn on."
Victor giggles and presses a kiss to Benji's shoulder before he sighs. "We should probably get out of here before someone else sees us."
"You're right but I really don't want to. I could just stay here with you forever. I—"
Benji stops himself and tenses under Victor's arm. He takes a deep breath but doesn't continue, instead running his fingers along the skin of Victor's knuckles.
"You okay?" Victor asks, voice soft and gentle like the breeze ruffling their hair.
Exhaling loudly, Benji shifts in front of him before he rotates in Victor's arms, coming to face him. Benji stares at him for what seems like an eternity and Victor wonders if the flower bushes behind him are more interesting as he glances behind him before returning his gaze to Benji, who is still focusing intently on him, eyebrows knitted together, expression grave.
"Well, I think I just… realized something, is all."
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Victor asks slowly.
"I love you, Victor."
Victor blinks, as if the wind has spoken to him. "You do?"
"Yeah. I think I knew like… pretty quickly, but I was… I was scared to say it. Because I didn't know how you would react and now I'm starting to realize that I should have just kept my mouth shut—"
"No, no. Wait—"
"I know I told you that it's better to not think so hard about the future. You seemed… happy to do that. But I can't. I—I can't not think about the future. Because every time I do, I just see you," Benji says, his words cascading from his lips like the rain from stormclouds, furious and uncontrollable, as if he had wanted to drop the bomb and run away before he sees its impact.
Victor is quiet for a long time as he takes in Benji's words, eyes glistening as he peers at him with an unreadable expression painted on his face.
"I should go…" Benji mutters as he turns away, passing his wrist across his cheeks and sniffling as he sits up. "This was a mistake—"
"Benji, no—" Victor says quickly, body acting on its own accord as he bolts up, his arm jutting out, and he grabs Benji by the hand. "I'm—hold on, I was just surprised. Please. Stay."
"You don't have to say it back, like, I understand if I said it too early or you don't feel the same way—"
Swallowing, Victor pulls Benji back to him, concern creasing his face as he brings them face to face again. "You didn't," he sighs, taking Benji's face between his hands so he has no choice but to look at him. "I'm sorry it's taking me so long to say it, but… I want to. Give me a second."
As soon as the words leave his throat, the clamoring of Victor's heart drowns out the sound of the birds and crickets in the surrounding trees as everything falls away from him.
Even the sun focuses its beam of light on Benji alone, as if the universe itself has prepared for this very moment. Benji's eyelids flutter closed in anticipation as he glows in the afternoon warmth and Victor knows it's not just the fault of the giant floating ball of fire in the heavens.
Victor's voice is heavy on his tongue, sticking to it like a leech, and the only way he can get it out is through force of will alone. He takes a deep breath, cradling Benji's kiss-stained cheeks in his palms.
"B-Benji… I love you. I love you so much that it terrifies me," Victor says, his voice getting quieter and mistier with each word. Benji cranes his head up closer to hear. "And I've never wanted anyone else more than I want you. So, I'm, uh… sorry I probably made you feel terrible just now. But I mean it when I say I love you."
Biting his lip, Benji nods as a tear drips down his face, only for Victor to brush it away with his thumb. Victor sniffles, blinking back the salty drops that threaten to spill from his own eyelids.
"I forgive you," Benji says gently, their noses brushing. "Now, will you finally kiss me, Victor Salazar?"
And even though Benji won't see it, Victor nods before he does what he asks, connecting their lips as if it were the first time.