Neighbors (boyxboy)

Chapter 47: Starlight is for People in Love

Chapter 47: Starlight is for People in Love

"Ok, so...where..." Ben asked, wincing as he sat in the driver's seat. Chris stretched his long legs, and adjusted the seat so it reclined a tad. "Must be nice," Ben snarked. "Getting cozy? If you had your license, that would be me, relaxing and taking a nap or whatever."

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty exhausted. Someone kept me up all night long," Chris smirked. "And loved every second of it."

Ben said nothing. Because Chris was absolutely right. He loved every second of it.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going? Or should I just drive in circles around the island?" Ben checked his rearview mirror, backing out of the driveway.

"Your house first. We got to get some clothes and bring the baby with us. Not a road trip without him." Chris closed his eyes, and settled back in his seat. "Wake me when we get there. Turn on the heat though, bunny, I'm cold."

"Oh, jeez. Are you really going to sleep?" Ben laughed. "All right, well you only have barely ten minutes and then you're Mr. Navigator."

Chris nodded, eyes still closed.

===

Twenty minutes later, the car had added one large duffle bag with a couple pairs of jeans, shirts, underwear, a ton of socks, jammies, a gigantic bottle of lube and a forty pack of condoms.

When Chris sorted everything, Ben sitting on his bed, Bruno at his feet, he'd given Chris a strange look. "Is this a vacation or are you kidnapping me?"

Chris put one hand in his hair, looking a little frazzled. Last night, as he and Brian sat on the couch, and while Brian watched his videos, Chris was finding himself doing the unthinkable. The incredibly predictable. The shockingly prosaic thing. He typed into Google: What should I do to make my boyfriend happy? And spent the entire evening thinking and rethinking, making plans, disgusted at himself for wondering what Ben's face would look like when he found out. Would he smile? Would he laugh in Chris' face? Hoping it would be perfect.  But afraid he was just being an idiot.  

"No, but we are going somewhere overnight. I just don't want to forget anything." He held up Ben's hairdryer, eyebrow raised in a question. What the fuck were they supposed to bring? Ben silently shook his head. He paused holding one of Ben's black leather belts, again gave Ben a look, this time much more hesitant. Ben blushed but nodded, not exactly sure what he'd just agreed to, but he was already hard thinking about it.

And then, they were on the road, headed for the ferry.

And then they were cruising highway 2, east into the forest and the mountains. Bruno curled up in the backseat. Ben singing softly to songs on the radio. Chris watching his boy. Smiling to see Ben so happy.

And then driving up a winding road that ended in a lodge.

And then knocking on the door. Ben hesitantly looked at his boyfriend, who refused, still, to tell Ben what was happening.

"Hello?" An older woman opened the door, wearing jeans and a heavy wool sweater.

"Reservation for Chris Jensen." Chris stood stiffly in front of the door, never really happy talking to strangers. Ben would have done it for him, but this was Chris' rodeo. He had no idea what was going on.

"Oh?" The woman took out her cell phone and scrolled through the reservation list. "Oh! Oh no. I think you boys must have clicked the wrong box! Shoot. You reserved the Eagles Eyrie." The woman winced. "It's kind of the honeymoon cabin, up at the top of the property. But," she grabbed some paperwork from just inside the door and began flipping through it. "We did have a cancellation in the ..."