Trigger warning for this chapter as it contains brief teenage sex, if that is something you are not comfortable with then you can skip the chapter the rest of the story will still make sense I promise.

The night's events kept playing in Rose's head as she walked back home with Ethan and Benny each at her side. She was quiet, not speaking or even looking at them, too caught up in her own thoughts and wanting to say anything. Benny and Ethan kept exchanging concerned glances at each other, neither sure if they should breathe the silence. After several long and frankly awkward minutes, they were standing outside of Ethan's house.

"Rose? Are you sure you're okay?" Ethan asked, turning to her and Benny, as he stood on the steps.

"I'm fine" Rose's voice was so small that it almost wasn't audible, "thank you for saving me again."

Ethan nodded awkwardly and waved to her and Benny, as he went inside.

Benny now turned to her, even in the dark he could see the start of bruising on her arm from where Atticus had grabbed her violently. Rose didn't look at him, just kept her eyes down at her feet. He wanted to hold her and tell her it was okay but he couldn't bring himself to do it, something was holding him back. They started walking again, back to their houses, Benny was very grateful that he lived next door to her, he didn't want either of them walking alone after what just happened.

They reached the spot on the sidewalk between their houses, the normal spot where they would say hello and goodbye to each other everyday. They both just stood there for a moment, neither of them staying anything. Benny ran a hand through his messy brown hair, "is your mom still out of town at that conference?"

Rose looked up enough to stare at his chest but not enough to meet his eyes, "yeah she won't be back till tomorrow night."

Benny wasn't sure what he was so nervous to ask the thing he wanted, it's not like they hadn't spent the night together dozens of times, they had seen each other in their underwear so often it was downright criminal. He sighed, things had changed since their summer trip to France no matter how much the two of them pretended otherwise. "Would you mind if I spent the night tonight?" he asked softly, "I don't want you to be alone."

Rose raised her head, her eyes looking into his bright green ones, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. They hadn't spent the night together since before they went to France and even then he never asked to spend the night he just would show up or she would ask him. "Yeah, I would really like that, I don't want to be alone right now."

His heart rate increased slightly as he reached out his hand taking hers in his. The heat from her skin permeated the cool night air. They walked over to her house, she unlocked the front door and they stepped inside. They made their way up to her bedroom, Benny stretched, "mind if I take a shower really quick? I smell"

Rose chuckled, the sound making Benny's heart skip a beat, he was happy to hear her laugh after what happened, part of him had been worried it might have damaged her. "Yeah, of course, I should probably take one too," she gestured to herself, torn leaves and dirt hung onto her clothes and hair.

A smirk played on his lips, his flirty and goofy aura starting to return, "you know we could always shower together? For protection."

Rose rolled her eyes at him "in your dreams Weir"

Benny shrugged casually, "hey it would be a shame if I didn't at least suggest it, but I'll be quick then you can get clean." He stepped into the bathroom and shut the door, the sound of water starting a moment later.

Rose continued to stand there, alone with her thoughts again, she had been an idiot. How could she ever have trusted Atticus over Benny, no matter if she just thought he was being jealous, she still chose to believe another guy over her best friend. Even after all of that Benny had still come to save her, she shuttered not wanting to think about what would have happened if he hadn't.

She heard humming coming from the bathroom, Benny was humming a song she didn't recognize, her heart rate increased again but this time it wasn't from memories of the night and the terror she felt. Her thoughts drifted to Benny on the other side of the door, naked in the shower, humming that tune. Her mind imaging the water rolling down his bare chest, his waist, and-" she shook her head as if trying to will the thoughts away. What in the world am I thinking? Benny is my best friend, why am I thinking about him like that? She knew she had thought about him in that way before, the late nights when she was all alone, she had dreams of them. The things she wanted him to do to her and the things she wanted to do to him. This was different. He was here, in her house, alone, like they had been so many times before and she could not be having these thoughts now.

The sound of the water shutting off, steered her back to reality, after a moment the door opened up and Benny walked out with a towel around his waist. "I'm all done, your turn" it took all of her willpower to keep her eyes focused on his face, what was happening to her? Benny tilted his head slightly, "do you still have some of my spare clothes here?"

"Yeah" Rose was happy for the distraction, she walked over to her closet and grabbed a pair of underwear, a shirt, and some shorts and handed them to him. "I'm going to shower now" she said quickly before stepping into the bathroom and shutting the door.

Benny looked at the bathroom door curiously as if he was trying to read her mind through it, maybe he was losing it but was she acting weirder than normal. He could hear the water turn on as he dropped his towel and pulled on his underwear. He looked briefly at the shirt and shorts and wondered if Rose had handed her those, she knew he only slept in his boxers, even when she was around.

After several minutes, once Rose was very sure that she was clean and free of any traces of the night's occurrences, she turned the water off. She reached out a hand to grab her towel but one felt air, she cursed, instead of getting his own towel, Benny had used hers.

Benny heard the water shut off then his name being called, he froze before opening the door slightly "hey did you call me? You okay?"

"You took my towel! Can you go grab me another one from the closet"

Benny went over to the closet and grabbed a gray towel before returning to the bathroom door. "Do you want me to just leave it on the other side of the door for you?"

Rose huffed "I don't want to track water all through the bathroom, just come in and hand it to me."

"You want me to come into the bathroom, while your in the shower to hand you a towel"

"Grow up Benny, the shower curtain isn't see through, you'll be fine"

Benny swallowed before opening the door, she was right, you couldn't see through the shower curtain but as she popped her head out, he couldn't help but think. Her wet hair clung to her showers, all he could see of her was her head and one shower and arm that she had held out to him. He walked over to her slowly holding the towel out for her to take.

Rose grabbed the towel and noticed Benny was still standing there "are you going to leave so I can get out or are you going to continue to stand there?"

Benny quickly realized his mistake and left so she could get changed. After a few minutes she came out of the bathroom wearing her underwear, her hair now in the towel. Benny nearly choked on his spit, but tried to recover quickly "looking good hot stuff" his normally playful done coming back.

Rose chuckled as she let her hair down out of the towel and started to dry it. "I'm glad to see you're not still mad at me."

Benny stopped and looked at her, confusion on his face, "I could never stay mad at you, you know that. Honestly I wasn't even mad at you before, I was-" he didn't want to say hurt even though that was what he had felt.

Rose sensed his meaning "I am so sorry Benny" she turned to him "I should have trusted you about Atticus, I should have never accused you of acting that way because you were jealous."

Benny ran a hand through his hair again "It's fine really, you had a point, I might have been jealous just a bit."

She stepped closer to him "still I should have listen to you, if you hadn't of come to save me when you did-"

Benny shook his head "let not talk about that okay, I think we have had enough of that for tonight, it's late we should go to bed."

Nodding Rose stepped around him and flopped back on the bed, patting the spot beside her, an invitation for him to join her. Benny climbed in bed beside her and clicked the bedside light, darkness overtaking them. Neither of them spoke for a while, Rose was sure Benny had probably already fallen asleep when she heard him sigh, "you okay Benny?"

"Yeah I'm okay I can't sleep"

"Me either"

Silence again, before Rose reached out her hand gently and felt his cheek, rubbing it softly with her thumb.

"Rose" his voice sounded strained.

"Benny" she moved a bit closer to him instinctively.

Benny's skin bristled under her touch, he felt her move closer and he reached out a hand letting it red on the bare skin of her side. She was so close now that he could almost taste her breath. He was trying to think straight but it was becoming increasingly more difficult as his hormones were in full hyperdrive.

"Rose what are you doing?" he managed to ask softly.

She was silent for a moment because speaking "just laying her with my best friend, I could ask you the same thing, you're the one with your hand on my hip?"

His heart was hammering so fast it was becoming painful, his fingers tightened instinctively just slightly. "I- I don't think what I'm doing" he admitted.

Rose's voice lowered again "what do you want to do?"

"Kiss you" the words came out so fast he barely registered they were his.

There was a brief pause before "then kiss me"

Benny blinked in the darkness, "did you just tell me I could kiss you?"

"If you make me say it again, you'll lose your chance"

He didn't need to be told twice, Benny moved his free hand slowly till it felt the side of her face in the darkness. He leaned in, his heart still racing until he could feel her lips brush against his. He hesitated for a moment, the reality of the situation hitting him before he closed the distance between them. Her lips were so soft, he started kissing her slowly, savoring the moment, their lips moving together in sync. After a few long moments like this, he couldn't help but pull her closer, the act deepening the kiss.

His tongue explored her mouth, his hand tangling in her hair as he could feel her breathing quicken. The kiss broke briefly as both of them tried to catch their breath.

"I never knew you were such a good kisser" Rose giggled still in his arms and millimeters from his face.

"I can't believe you let me kiss you"

"Why? I've wanted to kiss you for so long, I just never thought you wanted to."

He could hardly believe what he was hearing "wait really?"

"Yes, I've wanted you for so long and now I have you."

Benny leaned down again kissing her again this time more feverishly. His hands roaming up her side and against her skin. "Tell me if you want me to stop, okay? If you want me to stop I will"

"Don't stop" Rose breathed arching in the kiss, "I want you, all of you, if you want me"

Benny's mind was going in a million directions again, did she really just tell him that? Of course he wanted her, he was a hormonal and horny teenage boy and she was his insanely attractive friend, how could he not want her. He did stop for a moment, thinking about how big of a step this would be. Not only for their friendship but as people in general, they were both teenagers and virgins. Sex was a huge step and something they shouldn't do lightly. The more he thought about it though the more he knew that he didn't want anyone else but her now and forever.

"Do you want to have sex with me?" He asked against her lips.

"Yes"

That's all it took before she could say anything else, he was on top of her. Her body pinned beneath him, he was kissing down her neck as his hands roamed up her thigh, pulling her more flush to him. He was still in a state of shock when he felt her shifting, her hand behind her back as he saw the shadow of her being thrown off to the side.

He couldn't see much of anything in the dark but he continued to kiss her neck as his hand moved slowly up her stomach and onto her chest. She let out a small gasp as he gripped her breast gently moving it around in his hand. He was at a loss for words, this was really happening. He was now painfully aware that the only thing separating the two of them was the thin fabric of their underwear.

He captured her lips again, "are you sure about this? Are you sure you want to have sex with me? Once we do this we can't go back"

"Please Benny" Rose begged slightly "I'm sure I love you and I want you in every way possible"

He wasn't sure he heard her right, "you love me?"

"Of course I love you, I have since the first day I met you"

He kissed her again this time more greedily "I love you too Rose." He gently removed his boxers, kicking them off to the side before slipping her underwear off. "I'll go slow and he gently I promise, if you want to stop at any point just tell me."

"Okay"

He took a deep breath lining himself up, he pressed slowly and lovingly into her. The sensation sending jolts of electricity through them both. He couldn't get over how good she felt, the feelings and emotions making him a little dizzy. He felt her move her leg to wrap around his thighs as he kissed her again, his body moving in her at a steady rhythm.

Rose gasped and began moaning, gripping his back a bit desperately as he picked up the pace. He could feel himself getting close, he cursed himself for not being able to last long. His kisses and movements were now hungry and desperate. He was so close, he felt her hit hers just before he took one last breath and gave in.

CRASH, Benny felt a jolt of pain, and opened his eyes. Light was streaming in the room and he looked up to see Rose looking down at him from the side of the bed with a curious smirk on her face.

"That must have been one hell of a dream" she propped her head on her hand. "You woke me up with all those noises you were making. So tell me, what were you dreaming about?" She smirked.