The Boy With the Bruise - benjey

10 - Underwater Kisses

It's quiet.

The echoes that bounce carelessly against the wide walls of the abandoned pool room are muffled as Jorge's mind began to swirl - not in a bad way, but not necessarily in a good way either. This boy. This boy who he had just met, this boy who had saved him from all kinds of danger. This boy was making him go insane, and Jorge didn't even know his last name.

It was so quiet, in fact, it makes the boys feel as if they were really underwater. Shielded from the deafening commotion of the real world, protected from all judgement and harm... it's a certain type of peace that not many get to experience, and it's perfect.

"Are you gay?" Jorge's soft voice asked. Benji was mildly taken aback by the blunt question, but shook his head slowly.

"I, uh... don't know, honestly," Benji confessed, pulling his knees to his chest as he hugged them tightly. "I've never really thought about it."

"How come?" Jorge questioned, peering up at the older boy as he shifted uncomfortably.

Benji shrugged. "I was raised in a family that heavily believed against it, that's all."

Jorge nodded, his eyes gluing themselves to the floor in disappointment. "Oh. Ok."

"I'm not against gay people, or anything," Benji spluttered, panicking at the smaller boy's evident sadness. "That was all my dad. I just... I've never experimented, so how would I know?" Benji sighed, his chin falling to his knees. "Before my dad left, it was always a big thing in my family. Don't grow up a faggot, and all that. It was all him, but he scared my mom and my sister, so... we all just went along with it. He drilled into our minds that it was wrong, and when he was around... I was never able too..."

"I get it," Jorge nodded, pursing his lips as he traced the design that was embroidered on his pants. "You were smart about it."

"What?" Benji softly questioned, peering up at the spanish boy once again.

With a sigh, Jorge began to explain. "It's a logical thing to do - experiment in a safe environment. I wish I'd have done that." Seeing Benji's questioning look, Jorge continued on. "I was in eighth grade when I realized I was gay. I stayed single until I got to high school, where I met Kaden. At first, we were friends... but, things escalated, and we began to go out. When we first started dating, my parents didn't know about it. Maybe... halfway through? Yeah, halfway - halfway through our relationship they found out. My homophobic brother ratted us out. They, uh, kicked me out of the house... and then they told me to get out of town, because at the time it was super conservative and they didn't want the reputation of having a gay son. Kaden eventually got a job in Canada, so... we just... moved."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

Benji looked up at the saddened boy. "Do you ever miss them?"

"No," Jorge admitted, a small smile appearing on his lips as he reminisced. "I miss my sister, though. A lot. I wish that she could've come with me. She'd love Canada."

It went quiet again as Benji digested the new information. He never expected Jorge to open up so soon, but he wasn't complaining about it one bit. It meant the spanish boy trusted him, and trust was all Benji could ask for.

The atmosphere around them swirled in a magical way, making Jorge practically drowsy as he stared up at the soft light shining through the holes in the roof. Soon enough, he found himself staring at Benji's face, studying it closely. It seemed too soft for his disposition, too kind for his muscular build. Somehow, though, it perfectly represented his personality. Soft on the inside, strong on the outside.

There was something about Benji that was unique. Interesting. It was nothing that Jorge had ever seen before, and he couldn't help but acknowledge how much he liked it.

How much he liked... him.

Benji hopped back onto his feet as he began to trail his fingers along the smooth surface of the tile that lined the sides of the pool, studying the tinted blue glass that contrasted with the white surface. Jorge slowly got to his feet as Benji grew closer. The only thing echoing through the room was the slow shuffling of their shoes and the short breaths they each took as they exchanged glances.

"Do you ever think about experimenting... now that he's gone?" Jorge whispered, leaning against the wall as Benji came to a stop against the wall close to him.

Benji stayed quiet. "Sometimes. I've only ever been attracted to girls, before, but now..."

Jorge held his breath. "Now?"

Benji's gaze left the intoxicating view of the room and found its way to the smaller boy's blushing face, his heart beating five times faster when he realized Jorge had done the same thing. With a small move, he shifted his weight off of the wall, moving so he was right in front of Jorge. They stood there for a few seconds, before Jorge realized how close they were and unconsciously began to hold his breath in anticipation.

"Now..." Benji breathed, staring at Jorge's lips before licking his own and closing the small gap between the pair.

Surprised, at first, Jorge didn't know how to react. He froze. Kaden hadn't kissed him like that for... for... had he ever kissed him like that? Was it supposed to feel this good? Why did it feel this good?

The thought of his boyfriend was drowned out by the boy in front of him, whose lips were soft and warm and tasted like strawberries. Jorge could feel Benji as he smiled into the kiss, deepening it as he wrapped a large hand around Jorge head and pulled him closer in a gentle way.

It seemed like only a moment had gone by once they finally pulled away, but they both knew that it had been longer. Neither of them had wanted to pull away, only doing so to catch some air. Benji's head rested on Jorge's forehead, his eyes staring down at the boy's swollen lips and tinted cheeks.

"Does that answer your question?"

The corners of Jorge's lips tugged into a mischievous smile, his hands reaching up to lightly grasp a handful of Benji's hair. "You know... I might need some more convincing."

Benji emitted a low chuckle as he wrapped both his hands around Jorge's neck, pulling him in for another kiss; and in that moment, everything was perfect. 

...

;)
love u xx