Long Away

Chapter 9

Ben checked his looks in the mirror above Freddie's wardrobe. He still had no idea where Roger was going to take him today. To be on the safe side, he had picked out warm clothing, a tight fitted black sweater and some dark gray jeans with sparkling stones on the pockets. For better or worse, there wasn't anything in their store that wasn't extravagant, Freddie made sure of that. At least for today it was fitting. Now that his outfit was taken care of, he had other things to worry about. He fiddled with a strand of hair that just wouldn't stick the way he wanted it to. He groaned in frustration.
"You look fine, darling," Freddie assured him. He was lazing on his bed, flipping through a phone book in search of Deaky's number and address.
"Fine is not exactly what I'm going for," Ben mumbled.
"You look stunning. Is that better?"
"I don't know, I don't really appreciate lies." Ben saw Freddie's reflection reach for a pillow. He spun around, only for it to hit him in the face. He threw it back, but Freddie caught it with one hand. Ben turned back to the mirror.
"That did not help."
"You know, you really shouldn't be so concerned. I bet Roger would even like it if your hair was a bit messy." Freddie smirked. Ben ignored the teasing tone in his voice.
"You think?"
"I can go ask him if you want," Freddie offered innocently.
"No, no! Don't even think about it." Freddie stood up and walked towards the door.
"Freddie!"
"Relax, handsome. I'm just checking on him. The poor boy is probably way more nervous than you are." Freddie closed the door behind him.
"I doubt that," Ben whispered to himself. He ruffled up his hair and gave it another skeptical glance. He sighed. This was pointless. What he needed was to calm his nerves, not try to fix something that wasn't a problem. He checked the clock on Freddie's bedside table. Roger wanted to leave at five, which meant he still had almost twenty minutes. A nice cup of tea would hopefully help him relax. He went into the kitchen to heat up some water. While he was waiting for it to come to a boil, he overheard Freddie talking loudly in Roger's room.
"Oh don't be ridiculous, dear! If he wasn't into you, why would he have agreed to go on this date?" Ben couldn't make out what Roger was answering. By the sound of it, Freddie was standing by the door, which made it easier to hear him. His voice was softer when he spoke again.
"Look, I understand why you're worried, but Ben is not the type to do something like that. Just because it happened once does not mean it'll happen again." Ben was equal parts confused and concerned. He didn't want to eavesdrop, but that did not sound good at all. He wondered if Roger had had any bad experiences with dating that he didn't know about. What Freddie said was right, why would he go on a date with him if he wasn't actually interested? Had someone done that before to make fun of him? Ben poured the hot water into a cup with a bag of raspberry tea. For a second he thought about drinking it on the sofa so he could hear what else Freddie was saying to Roger, but decided against it. This conversation wasn't meant for him. Whatever was going on, he would ask Roger about it himself. He went back into Freddie's bedroom and closed the door.

Ben finished drinking his tea and walked nervously up and down the room. At point five o'clock, Roger knocked on the door.
"Ben? Are you ready to go?" Ben couldn't help himself, he had to try one last time to get his hair in order. He combed through it with his fingers before opening the door. Roger stood in front of him looking absolutely breathtaking. He had put on a white turtleneck which was tucked into his high waisted brown trousers. A leather belt and a golden necklace completed the look. He too had put more effort than usual into his hair, only with more success than Ben. Silky golden locks framed his face, and a subtle bit of eyeliner and mascara - probably Freddie's doing - made him look more gorgeous than Ben had thought possible. What really caught him off guard though was a single red rose Roger was holding. Surprised, Ben took a step back. Roger smiled, visibly pleased with his reaction.
"Oh wow," Ben uttered under his breath. He took the rose and looked closely at its delicate petals.
"I wasn't expecting that. I don't think I've ever gotten flowers from anyone before," he confessed.
"So, how does it feel?", Roger asked.
"I think I could get used to it. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Roger stepped aside to reveal a glass vase he had placed on the kitchen table.
"You can put it in here." Ben carefully placed the flower in the water. He noticed Freddie in one of the armchairs in the living room, trying to hide his smile behind a book.
"You might have better luck with reading if you didn't hold that upside down," Ben helpfully pointed out. Roger dramatically shook his head.
"Let's get outta here, shall we?"
"I'm just happy for you two," Freddie defended himself.
"But please, do me a favor and be careful," he added in a serious tone. "You want to make sure nobody notices this is a date." Ben's smile faded from his face. In all his excitement he had completely forgotten the time he was in, the risk both him and Roger were taking by simply acting affectionate in public. Roger didn't budge, he did not forget what they were getting themselves into.
"We'll be fine," he said calmly. Freddie gave a small nod in response.
"Alright. Enjoy yourselves." Roger smiled at Ben.
"I think we can do that."

***

Aaand I think right now is a good moment to end the chapter, don't you? But hey, at least that means I can't leave you hanging for another one. Probably.

Tay