Life Can Do Terrible Things // Ben Bruce

13. Meet The Family

Playlist: Trees- Twenty One Pilots
Picture: Issy's outfit

I woke up groggily, my eyes adjusting to the sunrise streaming through the window. I was cold with no warm body next to me. I sat up and tied up my hair, looking around and noticing Ben was outside, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I crawled out of bed and threw on last nights hoodie before walking outside. Ben turned and smiled brightly at me before standing up.
"Good morning lovely." He walked over to me and wrapped me in his arms. "Sleep well?"
I nodded, feeling unwell from jet lag and my hangover. "Could sleep more, but yeah." I rubbed my eyes. "Could I have one?"
He stuck the half finished cigarette in my mouth before lighting his own. I sat on the deck chair and watched the bustling London city below me. It seemed rush hour was the same everywhere you go. We smoked in silence, trying to wake ourselves up and fight drowsiness.
"Wanna get room service breakfast?" Ben asked, breaking the silence.
"As long as we can eat in bed." I reasoned.
"You're on." He winked, putting out his cigarette before walking back inside.
I put mine out and followed him back inside. He was laying in bed, the menu on his lap and the room phone glued to his ear. I sat next to him, laying my head on his shoulder and reading the menu. I barked my order to him and he told them to charge it to the Sumerian account. He hung up and we snuggled down into bed. Ben turned on the television to a local station playing a show I didn't recognise. I didn't pay attention to it, I paid attention to Ben's arms around me and his smokey scent.
"You know, your eyes turn grey when you're cold." Ben commented, smoothing hair away from my face.
"Yeah I know. Kids at school would tease me for it for some reason." I replied.
He pulled me closer, planting kisses on my head. "I'll make them green again."
I was beginning to doze off when there was a knock on our door. Ben removed himself to open it and brought our room service to bed. I took control of the remote and put on a movie that I recognised and we ate our breakfast on our laps, sharing and laughing.

We spent the rest of our morning together in our hotel room until around midday. Tessa bounded into our room and told us that there was a Halo competition going on in Sam and Cam's room and that we should join. We obliged, got up, got dressed and headed over. The first game was between Cameron and I, which I won. We kept playing until the "grand final" which was between Sam and James. James shit all over Sam and won the game. The prize of winning was that the band had to pay for his alcohol for the whole trip. I knew that he was going to milk to for all it was worth. At five, I decided it was time to get ready to go to dinner at Ben's. Ben and I left the room and headed back to ours. I headed in first, opening my suitcase to try and find something to wear. I brushed my short hair away from my face as I fretted over possible choices.
"Babe, you could go in a garbage bag and I'd still want to fuck you." Ben said, sitting on the bed behind me.
"You'd fuck anything with a pulse Benjamin." I retorted. "I want your mum to think I'm pretty."
Ben's phone began to rang. "Speak of the Devil, hello Mum."
I laughed and began to strip to my underwear, much to Ben's amazement. His eyes became glassy very quickly.
"Y-yeah hold on Mum." He said before removing the phone from his ear and covering the mouthpiece.
He mouthed for me to do a spin, which I did and I began to dress, much to Ben's disappointment.
I dressed into a silky black lace camisole with high waisted ripped blue skinny jeans and black ankle boots. I threw over a chunky grey and black knitted cardigan to keep me warm. Once I was dressed, I headed into the bathroom and began to do my makeup.

I looked in the mirror and gasped at my appearance. I had broken out and my skin was dry after last nights flight. My hair was in bushy around my neck. My hair now barely hit my shoulders after I impulsively cut it before we left for this trip. I wanted to cut it shorter, but I felt that Ben may kill me. I began to do my makeup, coating my face in thick foundation to hide my imperfections. I contoured heavily and filled in my brows before adding winged eyeliner and finishing off the look with a deep purple lipstick. I brushed my hair and straightened it before tying it into a low bun at the nape of my neck spraying myself with hair spray. I exited the bathroom to see Ben still on the bed, just in a different position and outfit than before. He was wearing a long sleeve grey shirt with holes in the neckline, paired with ripped black skinny jeans and combat boots. His hair was curly around his face and tamed for once.
"Wow." He breathed when he saw me. "You ready to go?"
I smiled and nodded, grabbing my handbag before we headed out of our hotel room.