The Rickbond tales

The day we met (Fluff)

After they let Ben home from the hospital, he was eager to know everything about him and Larry.
Larry tried hard to tell him stuff to make him remember but it didn’t seem to work.
As they arrived home, Ben was instantly greeted by bucks and Pete. Larry said: “I remember when you brought Pete. It was a wonderful day.”
“Can you tell me about it?” Ben asked and Larry nodded.

Few years ago

A few weeks after they started living together, Ben snuck into the house quietly. He knew that Larry was in the kitchen and that he would NOT be happy about the news. He was covering ‘the news’ with his jacket, trying to sneak into the bedroom, but he was stopped by Larry, calling from the kitchen.
Larry said: “Ben?! Is that you? Where were you? I’ve got the dinner ready!”
Ben’s heart raced as he heard Larry coming to him. He straightened his back, holding ‘the news’ tighter to his body.
Larry looked at him and said: “Everything alright?”
Ben smiled and said: “Uh…y-yeah. Everything’s fine.”
Larry raised an eyebrow and said: “What do you have there?”
Ben looked down and said: “I…uh…a present.” “A present, huh?” Larry said, leaning against the doorframe. Ben said: “Y-yeah. You can’t see it now. I need to…uh…”
Larry sighed and reached out his hand to him. Ben hung his head in defeat and pulled out ‘the news’.
“This is Pete.” Ben said, holding his arms out to Larry and Larry finally saw it. “A parrot?! A damn parrot. Really?!”
Ben smiled and said: “Not JUST a parrot. He’s  a scarlet macaw.”
Larry took it in his hands. He petted his tiny feathers and Pete unfolded his wings. Larry smiled and said: “Aww, sweetheart. You’re a cutie, aren’t you? Yes you are. Oh yes you are.”, as he walked back into the kitchen, holding him in his hands. Ben jumped from happiness and followed Larry into the kitchen.

Back to present

Ben smiled as Larry told him the story. He said: “I’m a cheeky husband, aren’t I?”, and giggled. Larry smiled and said: “Yeah. But the best one.”
Ben looked into his eyes and Larry was fighting a terrible urge to kiss him. He knew that basically he was a stranger to Ben and that this could ruin this whole thing.
Ben said: “What about Bucks? How did he appear here?”
Larry smiled and said: “You’ve always wanted a dog. I got you Bucks for Christmas. I still remember your face when you opened the gift.”
“That’s so sweet, Larry.” Ben said and Larry smiled. He then said: “Come on now, let’s have lunch, we’ve got places to be.”

......

After lunch, they decided to have Larry drive to the café, where they met. Larry saw that Ben hesitated before grabbing the car handle and said: “Oh, shit. I didn’t think about that.”
Ben said: “I…uh…I’d  rather walk if that’s alright.” “Of course, baby. I’m so sorry.” Larry said and Ben smiled. He really was a gentle and caring soul.
After they arrived at the coffee shop, Ben looked around. The place seemed familiar, but he didn’t know why particularly one table in the corner of the room.

Few years ago

Larry was in a café, working on his computer. He sat by a table in the corner. The café wasn’t exactly crowded, but the seats were mostly taken.
Then, Larry saw a guy walk in. He looked slightly over thirty. He wasn’t muscular, but wasn’t skinny either. His shoulders were wide and his back in a shape similar to triangle. His blue eyes glistened as he walked over to the register.
Larry could see him talking to the cashier and based on his lip-reading skills, he ordered a tall mocha and a cappuccino.
Then, a more familiar face appeared, as Martha walked into the room.
Larry waved at her and she smiled, but proceeded to walk over to the guy, who handed her a coffee cup with a smile. She pointed over to the table where Larry was sitting.
Larry quickly adjusted his clothes and tried to act cool.
“Hey.” Martha said and sat down by the table, followed by the guy, who sat down as well.
Larry said: “H-hi.” And closed the laptop, shoving it into his backpack on the floor. She said: “This is my friend, Ben. We know each other from college. He used to date my friend. Ben, this is Larry.”
“Hello, Larry.” Ben said with a smile and Larry shook his hand. Martha said: “He just moved to the city. He lives nearby. We could take him for a beer someday.”, smiling and Larry nodded.

Back to present

Ben smiled and said: “So you liked me from the beginning?”
Larry blushed and nodded. He said: “Yeah, I mean…You’re a handsome guy.”
Ben said: “And we started dating?”
Larry giggled and said: “Not until like a few years later.”
“Years?!” Ben said, shocked and Larry said: “Yeah. I didn’t dare to tell you, because we became pretty good friends.”
“When did that change then?” Ben asked and Larry said: “One evening we were in a pub and I got drunk…”

A few years ago

As Larry sat at the bar with his friends, Simon, Martha, Jim, Mat, and Ben, he felt the weight of the world slowly lifting off his shoulders with each sip of beer. The laughter and chatter of his friends filled the air, creating a warm and comforting atmosphere.
But as the night went on, Larry began to feel the effects of the alcohol creeping up on him. His words became slurred, his movements clumsy, and his laughter louder than usual. Simon shot him a concerned glance, Martha rolled her eyes, and Jim muttered something about needing to cut Larry off.
Ignoring his friends’ subtle hints, Larry turned to Ben, his closest friend in the group, and pulled him aside. “Ben…” Larry slurred, a goofy smile plastered on his face. “I have to tell you something.”
Ben raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “What is it?”
In a moment of liquid courage, Larry blurted out, “I have feelings for you, mate. I’ve always had them.” The words spilled out before he could stop himself, a confession he had been holding in for far too long.
Ben’s eyes widened in surprise, his expression shifting from amusement to confusion. “Larry, I…I had no idea. I mean, I value our friendship, but I never thought…”
Larry’s heart pounded in his chest as he awaited Ben’s response, the alcohol dulling his senses and clouding his judgment. In that moment, he felt vulnerable and exposed, unsure of what would come next.
After a tense moment of silence, Ben finally spoke, his voice filled with compassion. “Larry, I appreciate your honesty, but I don’t feel the same way. I hope we can still be friends, though.”
Larry felt a wave of disappointment wash over him, but he nodded, accepting Ben’s response with a forced smile. As he stumbled back to the bar, his friends exchanged knowing glances, understanding the unspoken conversation that had just taken place.

Back to present

“So we didn’t end up together?” Ben asked, concerned. Larry said: “Not then, no. But a few years in, you had a girlfriend. She was terrible. I hated her. She always told you what to do and she was just mean.”
“Sarah?” Ben said and Larry nodded, disappointed that he remembers her and not him. He said: “Yeah. Sarah. You came to my house for support. You finally left her, but you were broken and hurt. I offered to help you. This time, you got drunk.”

A few years ago

“I wish I had a guy like you, Laz. You are great. I regret turning you down before.” Ben said, sitting on the sofa in Larry’s living room and holding a bottle of beer.
Larry smiled and said: “You’re talking nonsense.”
Ben looked in his eyes and said: “No. I’m serious. I wish I accepted it before. I wish we got together then.”
Larry’s glance met Ben’s, as he tried to work out if Ben was joking, too drunk to think or actually serious. Ben whispered: “I love you, Larry.”
He leaned in and Larry didn’t resist. Their hands travelled over each other’s body and explored every inch. Ben then suddenly pulled away. He said: “I-I’ve never done this.”
Larry replied: “We won’t do that. We can’t. I get that you’re lonely, but I’m not a toy, Ben.”

Back to present

“…It took you weeks to convince me that you actually meant it and even more weeks for us to actually start being intimate.” Larry finished his speech and looked at Ben, who was listening intently. He said: “So we started dating then? Years after we first met?”
“Yeah. You were my best friend back then. And you still are, only…just mine now.” Larry replied with a smile and looked at his wedding ring.