Split Love

1: The Loveseat

Ben and Daniel just got back from their road trip to Montreal. It was quiet except for In My Blood by Shawn Mendes playing softly in the background .

These were two boys had known each other for ages. Had crushes on each other for years. But the two only found out they loved each other 3 months ago.

It was a comfortable silence, but a question, that had already been discussed every other day that week, still hung in the air.

"Should we tell people?" Daniel said, finally asking after fidgeting with it on his mind, yet again.

Ben looked at him briefly then back at the road. Daniel knew his answer.

He pressed on."Why should we be scared to tell people, we're happy? That's all that matters right?"

"Daniel, I told you. I have been bullied before, I just don't want to go back to that point of life. You understand right?" Ben had hated grade 8 from start to finish. School was hell, figuring out who he was was hell, and bitchy girls just made it worse.

Daniel knew. He could never forget the hateful tones he'd overheard, but he still thought it would be easier to finally come out, though he wouldn't do it without Ben.

Ben shifted, uncomfortable, and bit his lip, bad memories rushing in as the once comfortable silence turned tense.

"Why the sudden urge anyway? It's not like you're ecstatic to tell people too." Ben said lightly, trying to soften the mood.

"I don't know. . . I just feel like it'd be easier trying not to 'act gay' all the time." Daniel said, using air quotes when saying "act gay".

Ben tensed. Clearly the topic was sensitive. Daniel mumbled, "sorry, forget it" and turned his head to look out the window.

"Hey," Bens soft voice. It was always soft when he spoke to Daniel, never to anyone else, and he liked it that way.

Ben reached across with one hand to hold Daniels. Daniel looked back at him. Wide blue eyes meeting narrower green ones, set in freckled faces.

"We'll be fine like this, okay?"

-------------------------------------------------------

Finally summer had come. It was a Tuesday on the last week of school, and the amount opeople throwing parties was overwhelming. Eventually, half way through June teachers stopped their weak efforts in taking down "Tessa's end of year party! Totally legal stuff man!" and "Samantha is celebrating! She passed the 11th grade! Go Sami-cakes!" posters.

Naturally you couldn't not go to one of these parties. Not when Daniel and Ben were two of the most crushed on and popular guys in the school.

The boyfriends were cuddled together on a love seat in Bens room. Daniel stretched his shorter legs over Bens lap, head resting on a pillow while they both scrolled through Instagram.

A ping from Daniels phone. He snorted.

"Who's texting you?" Ben said with exaggerated suspicion, scrunching up his nose and leaning over Daniel trying to see his screen.

Daniel giggled, "Stop! Get off of me!" And tried to push him off but Ben was taller and stretched farther, swiftly snatching his phone.

Ben pushed up invisible glasses and said with a nasally voice: "who's sending you nudes this time?" Daniel laughed but threw himself back on the other boy.

"Give it back! No one is sending me nudes!"

"WHOS 'NO ONE?!'"

"BEN!"

They both relax, laughing.

"It's just Sarah sending a mass text inviting people to her party" Daniel said, still smiling like a fool.

A grin crept up Ben's freckled cheeks. "We should go, just ignore her and piss her off, eat her food. . ."

"Okay if she doesn't hate you already," Daniel giggled, grabbing his phone back and shoving it in the back pocket of his jeans. "That would do the trick."

Ben exaggerated a sigh and pressed his hand against his forehead. "Sarah? Hating me? I not sure I could live with that!" Daniel laughed and leaned forward to press his lips to the other boy's. Ben kissed back, he reached around and put a hand on the small of Daniels back under the hem of his shirt, which caused a small gasp, letting Ben pull him closer and closer until Daniel was lying flat on his back, hands stretching up to clasp around Ben's torso.

Ben placed his elbows on either side of Daniels head, their lips moving in sync. The light kiss quickly turning heated as Ben started moving down Daniels chin and to the soft skin under it. Daniel moaned softly then tilted his head backward to let ben kiss his neck roughly, he ran one hand through Bens short brown hair. Ben dragged an intoxicatingly slow hand down Daniels chest.

A breathless moan,  "Ben-"

Crreeeaaakk

The two lovers flew apart, cheeks flushed. Daniel scrambled into a sitting position, Ben almost flipped over backward to get off him.

The door opened as Ben's fat tabby cat strutted into the room, minding her own business, she didn't seem to notice the two kids with pink faces and rumpled clothes. The boys met eyes. Bens face grew even warmer at the sight of Daniel; strawberry blonde hair sticking out at odd angles, shirt slipping off one muscular shoulder, tortoiseshell glasses tilted off one ear. He laughed with a golden smile.

Ben hugged him closer and laughed with him.

They met eyes, Daniel sighed. "I should go home, I've been gone 'hanging out' too long."

Ben didn't want him to go but nodded anyway. Daniel grabbed his bag and slipped out the door.

Now alone, Ben smiled so hard he thought it might crack his face in pieces. He loved him.

He was so happy.