A Little Bite of Magic Goes a Long Way (BxB)

20 ~ Ben

"So, that's what started all this," I said, stroking Matt's thick, sandy hair.

He was curled up with me on the bed, his head on my shoulder, and we'd both just had a long conversation and a good cry—two things my father would rather have had his intestines ripped out by rabid dogs than do, and of which I was therefore very proud.

"I'm sorry you thought I didn't defend you to my dad."

"I'm sorry I thought so, too," Matt replied, sniffing.

"Hey, that's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault—it was a misunderstanding. Now the cupcake, on the other hand..."

He shifted away from me and looked up, the long lashes around his blue-gray eyes still wet with tears. "Ben..." he swallowed, and his lips—slightly chapped from crying and probably from mild dehydration—parted, as yet another apology prepared to escape them.

"Shh, Matt—it's enough, already," I said, silencing him with the press of my fingertips. "I'm sorry. You're sorry. I forgive you, and you..." I raised my brows.

"Of course I forgive you," he said, losing another tear. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Sure I did," I countered. "If I hadn't, you'd have known better than to think I'd agree with my dad. I think..." I hesitated, brushing my fingers over the smooth skin at the back of his neck. "I think we've been headed towards this for a long time, babe."

"Towards what?" He leaned back from me again, his eyes widening and brows drawing together with concern. "I told you, Ben, I'll give it all up—the museum, the magick—everything. Please don't—"

"Matt, Love, just listen, okay?" I sighed. "I just mean that we've been headed for...this kind of a moment; you getting deeper into this other world, and me just holding on tighter and tighter and getting more and more afraid every day. Afraid that I'll lose you, one way or another. Whether to some magical accident, some monster, or..." I held my breath a moment, but it needed to be said. "...or a better man. One way or another, it feels like you're going places I can't follow. And as much as I want to hold on to you, it's not right of me to hold you back."

"Ben..." His eyes were filling again, but I forged on.

"So...Will you take me with you?" I asked. "Or at least...will you try?"

"What do you mean?"

"I won't lie. This world you've become a part of still scares me; but if you're a part of it, then I want to be a part of it too. If you'll let me, that is."

"Ben..." Matt's bottom lip trembled. "You've been a part of it all along, dummy," he said. "You showed it to me, remember?"

"Only by accident," I said, frowning.

"A happy accident, then," he insisted.

That made me laugh. "You remember how we met?" I asked.

"Of course. I was riding my bike and you hit me with your car."

"Yeah," I smiled.

Given what a stressful, terrifying moment that had been—thinking I'd killed someone and might be going to jail for a long time—it was funny that the fear wasn't what I remembered about it. What I remembered was how I'd felt when a handsome, sandy-haired man had picked himself up off the pavement, dusted himself off, and told me that he was fine.

Extremely relieved, and already a little bit in love.

Then of course he'd fallen over, and I'd panicked and taken him to the hospital, and more or less hadn't left his side since.