Falling - Benny and Nina - An Adapted In The Heights Roleplay (COMPLETE)

35 - Falling on the Fire Escape

The next morning Benny woke up just before the sunrise. He smiled at Nina still asleep in the crook of his arm. He carefully pulled his arm from underneath her and went out onto the fire escape. A view he'd missed. He leant against the railings looking out over the buildings into what was still a dark sky. He continued to question how he was going talk to Nina about her depression. He didn't want to upset her.

A few minutes after he left her, she woke up as well. Though she was a bit upset not to see him next to her, she was also a bit relieved. She didn't really feel like seeing anyone, or getting up, for that matter. After a bit, however, she decided to get up and start her day, despite it barely being light outside. She felt small, though she and her surroundings were no different.

Benny continued to look out from the fire escape. He wondered if Nina was up yet, he was tempted to go see and bring her out with him to watch the sunrise, but luckily for him she came out anyway.

Her eyes still half-closed, she wandered to the fire escape. "Hey, Benny." She was still extremely tired. Despite how brief it seemed, her pondering was stretched out over multiple hours. Nina had been up until four the previous night, and it was around six in the morning.

"Hey baby" he took ahold of her hand and gently kissed it. "How did you sleep? Any better than the last few nights?" She looked too tired to have slept all night, they had got back to the apartment at 7:30 and were asleep by 9. She'd had 9 hours of sleep, so he thought.

"I slept alright. I'm just really tired."

"I bet you could sleep all day today if you were able too." He chuckled, resting his head on her shoulder.

"I probably could," Nina admitted. She stepped in front of him, pulling Benny's arms around her and holding onto them in front of her stomach.

Benny held her close, he hoped that she'd be able to feel the heat radiating off his arms even if she couldn't from his chest. He gently kissed her neck and then looked out towards the sunrise.

She glanced at the ground for a moment. What would her dad say if he were see them right now? What would happen when her dad found out about them?

Benny and Nina both had the same thought on their mind. Though Benny was the first to verbalize it. Benny turned so he was holding Nina by her waist at arms distance away. "I don't know what we are going to do when your parents find out, surely they will find out soon. If not, we ought to tell them before it's too late." He said looking into her eyes.

"I know," she said solemnly, a hint of a tear in her voice. "I'm just scared of my dad, and what he'll do."

"Same, but no matter what he tries to do, I promise you that I will stay by your side."

"I know that. It's just- you don't know what my dad can or will do. You haven't seen the full raging flame, really, only a spark of it. Take the most scared you've ever been of him and multiply that by what, a thousand? That's about three fourths of his rage. And with these circumstances? I wouldn't be surprised if he came out with all of it.

"Oh." Benny looked down at the floor. "I guess our only hope is to be there for each other then, promise to stay beyond the sunrise, and hope that he may understand."

She wanted to make a snappy comeback, but couldn't find the will.

Benny raised his arms to her upper back, and gently moved them up and down, rubbing her back. He eventually paused and said "Could you teach me some basic Spanish, such as some simple phrases I can use around your parents, to show them I'm trying to learn about your culture. And then some cute romantic phrases I can use when talking to you." He looked back up towards her eyes.