Kessie's Short Stories

If I Want You, Then I Want You

Originally written 12/4/2021

The moment Benjamin should have started to worry was when it was five minutes past the time Regina usually got home.

"Wonder what's taking Reggie so long?" Benji asked Audrey. The duo were currently in the master bedroom, doing nothing more than relaxing. The siamese kitty didn't bother to respond to him- instead taking to purring as she continued her nap. But it was Audrey's calm that made him more anxious.

"THAT ASSHOLE!" Regina's voice screeched before a loud bang resonated throughout the house. Benji immediately jumped out of bed and straight to the front door. He was met to a view of Regina- absolutely red in fury that wouldn't waver no matter how hard she tried. And, to be fair, she did try. There was no way she was going to wantonly rip off a good jacket to hang on the rack.

"Fuck him!" she continued to shout. "Fuck that fucking fucker- fuck!"

"Which fucker?" Benji carefully asked. "You talk about at least three on a normal day. Including me."

"Who else?!" she demanded. "That prodigal fucktard came to 'visit' me at work just to piss me off! That FUCKER thinks he can just insert himself into my life now?! Piece of shit!"

She was about to kick the wall, but Benji quickly asserted himself in front of her. He cursed in both surprise and genuine hurt at the force she put into the kick. That was going to bruise later. At least he didn't hear a crack. That was something, right?

His grunt was what broke her from her rage. Or, at the very least, most of it. A moment of genuine horror crossed her face before Regina spun on her heel to head to the bedroom.

"Regina...!" Benji tried to say, trying to move on his whacked leg but couldn't help but flinch. "Wait-!"

All he got was the surprised mewl of Audrey as Regina generously tossed her out of the bedroom, then the sound of another slammed door. Groaning at the pain in his leg, Benji sunk down to the floor to nurse it. He had to give Regina a few minutes to cool off anyway. If the poor guy went anywhere near his girlfriend, she'd toss him out the room like he was a cat too.

The seven minutes it took for him to be able to walk on his leg again was more than enough time. He couldn't help but tiptoe as he walked over to the bedroom door. Audrey was still there, prowling the area back and forth as if she were a bodyguard. Benji bent down and gave her a long stroke against her back. He got back up to carefully open the bedroom door. The silent prayer he made was in the hope that Regina hadn't done anything too drastic in between then and now.

A sigh of relief nearly escaped his lips in seeing her, but at the same time, his heart had stopped. Regina was sitting on the bed, her body curled into a ball as she held her hands to her head. She held onto her hair in very large clumps. It looked like she was holding it enough to hurt. Her face was obstructed from his view, but he could only guess that she had cried at some point. There was no way for her to be so stressed and not cry.

Audrey casually walked right past Benji and straight to the bed. She found a spot right at Regina's feet and curled up as if nothing were amiss.

"The cat says that it's time for stress hugs." Benji carefully tried to joke, further making his way into the room.

Regina didn't move from her position before telling him, "The cat's better at detecting ghosts than reading time- let alone knowing I need physical contact."

Benji absently rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you?"

Of course, she didn't bother to answer him. Instead, she slowly started to uncrumple herself. Her arms hung loosely at her sides, and had her legs lightly crossed in front of her.