Page 48 of A Different Form of Oxygen
Ben and I grab dinner at a nearby pizzeria. I have to tell him to slow down several times while he continues to shove pizza in his mouth. I know a lot of it has to do with nerves, so I continuously reach across the table offering him calming touches. I check movie times at several theaters before leaving the restaurant. The line at the movies is short and we grab our tickets and head inside. Ben’s eyes beam toward the concession stand, licking his lips as his eyes point toward the popcorn.
“Can we get some popcorn and candy Papi? Oh, I want a Slurpee too!”
“You can get anything you want, beautiful boy.”
We grab the food, and Ben slurps his red frozen drink while tucking a pack of red vines under his arm. We are the first two people in the theater, and that was the perk of picking a movie that’s been out a while. I glance over at a smiling Ben with his lips reddening from his drink. He didn’t wear any make up today and his eyes were still slightly red from earlier, but he is still as beautiful as ever. His hand touches mine as we reach for popcorn at the same time, causing a shy smile.
“Thank you for bringing me out tonight. I really needed it.” I knew from the waves of contentment rolling off his body that he meant it.
The movie begins to play, and I wrap my arm around him, and he buries his head into my shoulder, releasing a small humming sound. Ben being so relaxed against me helps me relax, and his laughter filling the air is a constant reminder I made the right choice bringing him here. If he is going to learn to trust me in the bedroom, he needs to first be able to trust me outside it. Ben remains plastered against me smiling at the screen until the movie ends. I stand up from my seat, offering him my hand and he slides the last red vine between his lips before taking it.
“Where to now?” he asks with his mouth full of candy.
I laugh. “You aren’t tired yet? And no talking with your mouth full.”
His cheeks are flushed, and I love that I have that effect on him even outside the bedroom. “No, I’m wide awake and sorry, Papi; I just got really excited. I guess we can’t go anywhere if I’m choking, huh?”
I pull him against me as we head for the car. “I was thinking we could pick up some dessert on the way home and spend the rest of the night snuggling on the couch. How does that sound?”
“Perfect,” he says, pressing a kiss against my cheek. “Oh, after we get dessert, can we also swing by my place. Your clothes don’t exactly fit me, and I can’t keep washing and wearing the same thing every day.”
“Sure, baby. Whatever you want.”
We get back to his house after grabbing some cake to go from a nearby bakery. Before shutting off the car in his driveway, I turn toward him. “Did you want me to grab some things for you and you wait here, or did you want to come with me?”
He swallows hard, reaching for my hand. “I want to come with you, if that’s okay. I don’t want to be left alone and I don’t trust you picking my clothes,” he says, eyeing me up and down.
Laughing, I release his hand and step out of the car. The house is quiet and dark when he gets the door open. He flips on the lights and I shut the door, locking up behind us. “Wait here while I check the house, okay?”
He nods, with quickening breaths. “I’m just going to water the plants in the kitchen. Casey has been watering my plants outside.”
After kissing his cheek, I do a quick walk through the house, flipping on all the lights and checking all the windows. Everything is locked and secure and there is no evidence of anyone forcing their way inside, or evidence that anyone has been in here at all. “Coast is clear, Angel,” I shout from his bedroom.”
I hear Ben’s loud footsteps move through the house. “Good, let me grabs some thing and then we can get out of here.” He wraps his arms around himself, staring out the window. I walk toward it, shutting the blinds and curtains. “Don’t worry baby, It’s just you and me here.”
He nods, releasing his hold on himself. He grabs a bag from the nearby closet and shoves clothes, and other things he needs inside. He does it so quickly, I’m not even sure he knows what he’s packing. “Slow down, Angel. We have all the time in the world.”
Walking up behind him, I wrap my arms around his waist, pressing a kiss into his hair.
“How about we make sure everything you packed in there matches.” He laughs and the tension lessens. He examines everything in the bag and erupts with more laughter. “I don’t even know what I just put in here.”
Ben pulls everything out of the bag and starts over, taking his time. It doesn’t take long for us to walk out the door after he gets everything he needs, and I help him turn all the lights off.
Ben hugs his bag to his chest when we get back in the car and the drive to my house is silent. He seems relieved and in a better mood when we reach my driveway. Once inside the house, I lock the door as soon as I close it behind us. That earns me a sweet smile from Ben. I love doing anything I could to make him feel safe. We eat in mostly silence and Ben wastes no time throwing himself on the larger couch after he finishes his dessert.
“You coming, Papi?”
I clean the mess from the table and walk his way. He lifts his head so I can sit down. He snuggles in closer in my lap and I run my fingers through his soft un-gelled hair. His body begins to shiver, and my arm stretches as I reach for the throw blanket hanging over the couch. He becomes less fidgety as I lay the knitted blanket over his curled-up body. He was right, this was perfect. Every moment may not have been, but seeing him happily curled up against me and completely relaxed was everything.
