“Well, we’re staying with your brother for the night. Let’s have breakfast before we leave in the morning.” Mom says as she kisses my cheek, pulling me into a hug. Dad grabs Benjamin and squeezes him, causing Benjamin to squeal.
“Of course. Just call and let me know.” She pulls back and stares at me for a moment.
“I told you, Aaron.” When I give her a confused smile she brushes my cheek with the back of her hand. “You always needed me the most out of all of you boys. I told you—if it’s supposed to make sense—someday it will.” She looks at Benjamin, looks back at me. “I suppose in the end it did.”
I can feel the tears as they slip free. In front of this little Italian restaurant in our college town—my beautiful mother is shaking my entire world.
Back in 2018, when Drew was first getting close to Benjamin, I cried to my mom. I told her I was falling apart and she told me to give it time. Now—here we are four years later and yes—Benjamin is mine.
“Thank you, Momma. I love you.” She smiles up at me.
“I love you too, Little Bird.” She turns to Benjamin then—telling him to stop being shy and call her mom, to treat her like a mother-in-law. Benjamin’s blushing. My dad gives me a hug and tells me he loves me in his own way: unsolicited advice. Mostly surrounding apartment and truck maintenance—but even a thing or two aboutkeeping a partner happy.
“Listen—” he whispers, leaning over to speak in my direction. “If Bear’s worked up—just agree with him, okay? It’s best for the moment. You can bring it up again later when he’s calm.” Benjamin most definitely hears him—shooting me a glare that saysI fucking dare you.“Oops—sorry.”
Benjamin and I get into the truck to drive home and I sigh in relief. Just the two of us—at last.
“That was exhausting. Being asleep for five months really drained my social battery.” I joke, but Benjamin just stares out the window. “Button?” Nothing. He has his body angled away from me, arms crossed. “Oh my God—are youactuallymad about the favorite person thing?”
He turns to give me a nasty glare, then goes back to looking out the window. So—yes.
“Should I use this time to try my dad’s advice and just sayI was wrong?”
“Ugh.” He groans in annoyance. So—no. The drive home is very short and as we’re pulling up to the apartment complex, I look at him.
“Come on, don’t be mad.” Once we’re parked, Benjamin is out of the car.
No one has been home in five months so it’s a bit stale inside. Felix was nice enough to come and empty the fridge in the beginning, but the air feels old. I open a window in the living room and look around at the dust on the coffee table, the mantle.
Taking out the crumpled, slightly smeared note and button necklace the hospital had kept with my things, I leave the note on the kitchen island and head to the bedroom where Benjamin is. He’s turned away from me—unpacking his bag that Felix had brought over during his first week away. Very gently—as if he’s made of glass—I put the chain over his neck, setting the button down onto his chest. He’s breathing fast, hand grasping the button once I let it go.
“I thought—”
“I had it wrapped around my wrist, so it was with my things.” He sighs—defeated and relieved.
“That’s good. Thank you.” It’s silent for a moment before I try my luck again.
“Benjamin—are you still mad?” He huffs, resuming his unpack.
“Of course. Traitor.”
“Traitor?” I laugh, grabbing one of his hips, letting my thumb dip into his back dimples with the other. He shivers underneath my grip.
“Yes. Did Felix come to see you every day for five months? Nope. Did Felix play all your favorite music and shows to hopefully trigger some kind of reaction from you? Nope! Did Felix go talk to some random-ass guy twice a week—reliving all of his trauma just so he could be good for you when you woke up? You’re fucking right—nope again. Did—”
“Baby.” He stops—panting, letting me hold him from behind, wrapping my arms around his waist and dropping little kisses ontohis neck. “I’m sorry. Thank you. You did really well. You were a very good boy while I was away.Youare my favorite and it wasn’t nice to play around like that so soon. Please don’t be mad.” I lick the shell of his ear—listening to his gasp. “Let me be so nice to you. Let me thank you.”
Benjamin turns around in my arms—looking up at me with a cautious, guarded expression.
“Are you just doing that agree-with-me thing?” I laugh at him—moving to grab his hips and pulling him against me, one hand moving to squeeze his ass.
“I don’t have to use petty tricks like that, Button. You’re either right or I can fuck you into submission.” I watch his eyes narrow, head tilting slightly.
“Get naked and lay down.” He says and my eyes widen.
“Sorry?” Who the fuck is standing in front of me?
“Aaron—” He pushes me away from him. “I saidget naked. Lay down.”
