Emotional

three

age 19

Jack was sprawled out on the sand, watching Ben splash around ridiculously in the river. Ben had been adamant on capturing a trout when they had first got here, and Jack didn't have the heart to tell him that all that splashing would scare away all the fish.

Suddenly, the sounds of water went quiet. Jack glanced up at Ben, who was now standing completely still.

"Ben?"

Ben turned around, his signature beaming smile on his face. "I finally caught one, Jack!"

Sure enough, a fish dangled from the blonde's hands, flopping and trying to escape Ben's grasp. But Ben didn't let it. He dug his blunt nails into the fish's tail, making sure his hold was secure. He stumbled his way out of the water and over to Jack, seemingly not noticing the blood starting to bead at the places where his nails were slicing into the fish's scales.

Jack blinked dully at his partner's catch when Ben sat in the sand beside him. The ravenette handed the blonde a rock and gestured to the trout. Ben beamed at him, taking the rock and setting the still struggling fish in the sand. He raised his hand and brought it down on the fish's skull, hearing a crunch that made his stomach twist pleasantly.

Jack handed him his pocket knife, knowing his Ben would want to be thorough. Sure enough, the blonde sliced through the fish's flesh, humming pleasantly as blood pooled out from the wound.

Ben had discovered this love of killing and disecting creatures his last year of high school when he shot a squirrel with a BB gun. It just made him so unbelievably happy, seeing it fall off its branch and landing with a thud. And naturally, curiosity led him to cutting open the animal and seeing what it looked like inside. Jack had walked in on him during this, and when Ben explained how alive he felt, Jack had taken to helping him. When Ben felt happy, Jack felt, well, he felt something.

Jack looked up when Ben made a disgusted sound. "I think it just pooped on me."

Jack felt something bubble up in his throat and escape through his mouth. Whatever the sound was, it made Ben look at him astonishedly.

"You... You laughed!"

"I did?"

"Yes!"

"Oh."

Ben grabbed Jack up with bloody hands, hugging him tightly. Jack relaxed into the embrace.

"Your laugh is beautiful."