It's a Hard life | Hardzello♡

26. Roger

Quite nervous, Ben opens the front door. His eyes widen when he sees who this friend is. But they widen in a good way. "Roger?!" He exclaims surprised.
The slightly older man in the doorway nods with a big smirk. "That's me." He says.
With a big smile, Ben hugs the man. "H-how did you even know that I was here? It's so good to see you!" The blond says when they let go of each other.
The man grins. "I have my contact persons in this village." Roger says with a shrug.
Ben rolls his eyes with a smile.
Joe watches all this in confusion.
"Come in." Ben says with a big smile.
Joe nods in agreement.

"So, I went to your old house to see you and your parents again, but then they told me you ran away from home?" Roger asks after Joe got the three some coffee.
Ben and Joe look at each other in surprise. "They said I ran away? That's not what happened, at all." Ben says to his friend.
Immediately a confused expression appears on Roger's face. "But, then what happened?" He looks at the blond boy with concern when he sees a sad look appear on Ben's face.
But suddenly the sad look turns into a quite anger one. "They kicked me out. Yelled at me that I am no longer their son. They left my out in the snow like I was a stranger to them. That's what happened." Ben says. He realizes that he must have raised his voice when he sees the startled faces of Joe and Roger. "Sorry." He says with a chuckle.
"But why would they kick you out?" Roger asks confused.
Ben hesitates for a moment. But then he feels Joe taking his hand, squeezing it gently to encourage the boy. "Well, you know Allen, right?" Ben starts, looking away from Roger.
Roger nods. "Yeah, your best friend. Of course I know Allen." The man says with a smile.
"Well, this summer he had an accident, and he died. And everyone blamed me, including my parents, and I ended up homeless. I'm very lucky that Joe offered me to be he roommate back then." Ben looks at Joe with a big smile, and he receives a big smile back. 

'What?! How dare they kick you out?! I'm gonna go to that father of yours and beat some manners into that idiotic brain of him!" Roger clenches his fists, ready to punch someone.
Ben can't help but laugh. "Well that's very sweet, but please don't. It was a blessing actually. The past year they've only been yelling at me, saying disparaging things to me. I'm much happier now." He says with a reassuring smile.
The angry look on Roger slowly disappears. "Okay then. But you're sure that you're okay?" He asks, still a bit concerned.
Ben looks at his boyfriend for a second, and then nods. "Yes, I am." He promises his friend. 
Roger nods reassured, and can't help but grin when he sees the looks the two boys give each other. "Well, I'm glad you are. But I'm still gonna ask Brian to keep an eye on you." He says.
Both Joe and Ben look at the man in surprise. "How do you know Brian?" Joe asks curiously.
Roger shrugs with a mysterious smile. "Well, we met in college. We used to form a band with another friend of us. Brian played the guitar, and I played the drums." He says with a quite proud smile. Immediately a smile appears on the faces of the two boys.
"That makes sense." Ben smiles. 
Roger is about to say something, when his phone beeps. "Well, I'm afraid I have to go. But call me whenever you need me, okay?" He says to both boys after reading the message.
Ben smiles and nods. "I will, thank you." He gets up to hug his friend. "I'll walk you out." He says after they let go of each other. He shoots his boyfriend a smile before walking towards the front door with Roger.

"You found yourself a good one." Roger says with a big smirk.
Ben gives his friend a questioning look. "What do you mea-"
"Oh c'mon, the looks you're giving that boy? You two are obviously more than just roommates. He makes you really happy, doesn't he?" Roger interrupts Ben.
The blond immediately starts to blush. While looking at his shoes, Ben briefly nods.
"Well I'm glad he does. You deserve it." Roger says with a wink. 
Ben smiles, but his cheeks are still flushed. "Thanks. Will I see you soon again?" He asks.
Roger thinks for a second and shrugs. "I don't know kid, but I'll message you as soon as I'm in town again, okay?" He says with a smile.
Ben nods. "Okay. Say hi to Sarina for me, will you?"
Roger smiles. "I will. See ya kid."

"What are you blushing about?" Joe asks with a smirk when Ben returns to the living room.
The blond giggles softly and sits down on the couch again. "Well, Roger saw the looks we gave each other, and he could tell you make me really happy." Ben tells with a big smile. He presses his lips against Joe.
When they break the kiss, Ben can see the twinkles in Joe's hazel eyes. "Well I guess I'm doing a good job then." Joe smiles before kissing Ben again.
"Of course you are baby." Ben says after they pull away from the kiss. "You have no idea how happy you make me." He places his head in Joe's lap. He can't help but smile when he feels Joe playing with his hair.
"So, how did you meet Roger?" The ginger asks curious.
"He used to be my neighbour." Ben explains. "He and my parents became friends in a short time, and we went often to his house to barbecue or something. But then my parents changed and they became annoying, mean even. So they and Roger didn't have much contact anymore. But every time my parents were fighting, Roger offered me to stay at his place. He went to travel when he met his current wife, so I hadn't seen him in a while." Ben says while closing his eyes.
"Well he seems really nice." Joe says softly.
"He is." The blond mumbles in response.

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Not a very long chapter today, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!

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