The Boy With the Bruise - benjey

24 - The "L" Word

The house smelled like milk chocolate, spearmint, and fire wood.

As Jorge closed his eyes to drink in the sweet new smell, Benji allowed the heavy luggage to fall to the floor beside him as he kicked off his shoes. He moved to stand behind Jorge and hug him.

"Do you like it?" He sounded uncertain, which made the smaller boy turn around in his grasp to roll his eyes and grin.

"It's perfect," Jorge reassured. The older didn't seem any less uncertain, so Jorge pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and grabbed his bags. "Why don't you show me around?"

...

"... and this is the backyard. We have a really good stereo - you should go play something," Benji suggested, sliding open the glass door to allow Jorge to step out. There was a small pool near them, and Benji walked over to turn on it's heater as Jorge began to fiddle with the stereo and find a good song to listen too. When Jorge finished and turned back around, he laughed.

"Woah... it looks so clean!" he exclaimed, moving forward to dip his hands in the slowly-warming water.

Benji shook his head, smiling at the boy's sudden amusement. "Since we don't come up here, the neighbors use it in exchange of upkeeping it."

Jorge responded with a nod, letting their conversation taper off. The night had become darker, and their heavy breaths were beginning to cloud in the evening air. Crickets chirped in the distance, becoming louder as time went on, overlapping against the music that played in the background. Somehow, it seemed faint; muffled. Benji sat next Jorge, tossing off his socks and rolling up his pants so that he could dangle his feet in the water. Jorge did the same.

It seemed like an eternity before they began to speak.

"What now?" Jorge asked softly.

The only light that was present came from the pool light, and as the pair ambiently kicked their feet in the water, the waves caused it to flicker and dance upon their faces. "Before we left, I promised you that we could be ourselves, right?" Benji's words make the sweet memory come flowing back to the spanish boy, who smiled almost sadly. "So let's be ourselves."

Something clicked. Jorge didn't know what, but something did. Before he could even realize what was happening, Benji's hands were tangled in his hair, their bodies close enough to generate the heat that had been starved from them.

They had never kissed outside before, in fear of being seen, but now that they were miles away from home, secluded in the secrecy of a place only Benji and him knew of, they were finally able to be themselves.

Finally.

Benji's lips curled into a smile as he felt Jorge's icy fingers slide against the warmed skin underneath his shirt. He teased him, leaning away from the kiss so that Benji would follow his lips, staring back and forth between his amused eyes and red-dusted cheeks.

"Calm down," Jorge whispered. "We have two weeks. No need to rush things."

He could feel Benji let out a warm breath against his lips, but he couldn't decipher if it was from satisfaction or being annoyed.

"Why wait?"

Before Jorge could answer, though, Benji wrapped his arms around the smaller boy's waist and jumped into the pool, pulling the unsuspecting boy with him.

The water was warm, but their touches were warmer. The pool lights illuminated their bodies as their clothes flowed against their skin and hair rippled underneath each other's fingers, lips coming together to kiss slowly underneath the surface. The music was loud enough to be heard underwater. They stayed under for as long as they could before they lost their breath and resurfaced.

"You're a dick, Benji," Jorge joked, combing back his wet hair as he clung to Benji, whose feet touched the bottom of the pool and kept the pair afloat.

Benji's fingers came up to help Jorge comb back his black locks, whispering. "You can call me Benjamin, if you want."

Jorge's heart began to beat faster as his eyes locked with the boy who kept him above the surface, sensing the fact that Benji rarely let anyone call him that. The rippling light surrounded the pair, illuminating them as they stared. Jorge breaks the silence. 

"I love you, Benjamin."

The words slip out of his lips before he can realize that he was the one who spoke them. Four words was all it took for Benji's doubts about the younger's feelings to vanish, replaced with confidence.

"I love you too, Jorge."

When they begin to kiss again, they don't stop. 

...

i kinda wish i wrote this better :(
feedback is always appreciated :)
have a good day plzzzz
love you xx