The Barefoot Violinist

The Bull & The Wall

Bennett followed Cory down the garden steps to a more secluded area. Sitting on the bench together, Cory shifted closer to him. The air was cool and quiet, as if there wasn't a party just a few metres away. Sitting in silence, Bennett relaxed, staring at the midnight blue sky dotted with stars. He stiffened as he felt Cory's arm wind around his shoulders.

"Sorry, if you're not okay with it..." his voice trailed off while he looked down on the ground.

"It's okay. I'm just not used to it yet. This being friends and hanging out together." he explained leaning back and letting his head rest against Cory's arm. They fell into a comfortable silence, just looking up at the stars.

"Cory?"

"Hmmm?" he hummed lazily, enjoying the feel of Bennett's head against his arm, his eyes still closed.

"Have you thought about what other people will say when they see us hanging out together?"

"It's none of their business isn't it?" he frowns. "There's nothing wrong with two guys just hanging out is there?"

"No, but, it's not like we were the best of friends before. I mean, I have the scars to prove it." He immediately regretted saying that as soon as the words left his mouth.

Cory immediately pulled him closer, leaning his head against Bennett's. "I'm so sorry baby, it will never happen again. From now on, I'll be your personal hero." he promised in earnest, placing a kiss on Bennett's head.  

"Whoa, hold on there stud. We're nowhere near the baby phase. We're just hanging out" He pulled away slightly.

"Okay, so we'll hold of on the baby. How about I call you Bennie? No? Ben-Ben?" he suggested while Bennett snorted at his suggestions, shooting them all down.

"Just call me Bennett for now..." Suddenly Cory pulled his arm out from Bennett's head and immediately lay down so that his head was in Bennett's lap. "You're such a child you know?" he commented quietly, looking down at Cory who was grinning back. They sat like that for a while. Bennett looking up at the stars, while Cory's gaze never wavered from his face.

"You're so beautiful." Cole whispered without thinking, reaching to stroke Bennett's neck. His thumb tracing slow circles on his cheek. Bennett shivered at his touch. It felt mesmerising and at the same time electrifying. 

"That's not what friends say." Bennett shook his head, pulling away slightly, a small smile playing on his lips. 'What have I gotten myself into?'' he thought frantically. What do I do now? What exactly did hanging out mean? Cory seemed to think that it had romantic connotations from the way he's been acting, but Bennett was not so sure.  Bennett scrambled to make sense of his own feelings. This was a very strange situation he had gotten himself into.

"I'm your friend and I can say it," his dark eyes held Bennett's captive. Then he sighed again, this time brushing the hair from Bennett's brow. "You are so beautiful." barely a whisper, the words caressing his ears. 

Then Bennett panicked... Pushing Cory off his lap, he jumped up and brushed down his jeans. 

"Well... er... this was nice, thanks." he said awkwardly, thankful that the dark was hiding the flush that spread over his cheeks. Before Cory could even answer, Bennett bolted up the garden steps into the house trying to find his friends. 

He found Blue sitting outside, bleary eyed, holding a bottle of beer in her hand. She happily smiled up at him when he sat down next to her. She was a happy drunk. Cheerful, singing quietly to herself as she tried to focus and generally cracked people up with her snarky one liners that she threw out. 

"Where are the others?" he asked her as she leaned up against him. Smiling knowingly, she pointed to somewhere in the crowd. "What are they still dancing?" he asked surprised that Victor and Ellie had it in them to be dancing this long. 

"No, no, no," she whispered, yanking his collar so that her mouth is next to his ear. "They are making out!!" She screamed the rest, causing Bennett sharply pull away from her. Blue just carried on giggling at her own joke. "You should've seen your face!" she squawked loudly. 

"But seriously...", she turned his face toward her, swaying as she tried to focus on him. Bennett grabbed her by the shoulders to hold her still. "Ha, look at that. Everything is standing still!" she perked up. "You're magic, music man!" she shouted as she stretched out her arms trying to grab him, while puckering her lips comically. "Kissy, kissy." she laughed at her own joke again.

"Blue! The others? What were you saying?" she stopped her antics and a frown appeared across her face.

"Oh yes," her face brightened up again as she remembered. " Nobody must know that they are playing tongue hockey, okay?" she giggled again.

"Okay, okay nobody will know. I never heard anything." he said to appease her, which caused her to break out in hysterics. Victor and Ellie soon joined them on the grass, their faces flushed. Victor had a wide grin all over his face and Ellie shyly sat down next to him. He winked at Bennett in a knowing way.

"Ready to go driver?" Ellie asked, getting up when Blue could no longer stay upright.

They dragged her to her feet and then to the car. The trek seemed so much longer due to a wasted Blue. As agreed, Bennett would drop everybody at home, and take the car back to his place. Pulling up in front of Blue's house, he gently poked her at first to wake her up. After receiving no response, other than a long snore, he started shaking her awake. "Blue, it's home time." He smiled at the way that came out.

"Noooooo!!!" she screeched loudly in the car. 

"Quiet!" he said firmly, placing his finger over her lips, which triggered another fit of laughter.

In the end he took Blue home with him. Carried her like a sack of potatoes up the stairs and plopped her onto his bed. Tired he stripped down and fell down next to her, instantly asleep.