LOVERBOY [bennett x razor]

chapter 23: a life worth living

credit to @meeowrk_ on twitter :)

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS BRIEF MENTIONS OF PHYSICAL ABUSE AND SUICIDAL IDEATION/THOUGHTS.

"razor? can you please tell me what's going on?" bennett had shifted them to a more comfortable position so that his back was leaning against the wall, and razor was nestled on his chest.

he watched razor's back rise and dip with his breaths. he would have thought he was asleep if not for the way he felt razor tense up in his arms after asking that question.

"i know you're awake, raze."

hearing this, razor got up. "raze? me?"

bennett blushed and looked away. "well, yeah. like razor but short. it's a nick name." he glanced back to the boy on him. "is... that okay?"

razor lovingly snaked his arms around bennett's neck. "yes. i like it." he snuggled into the crook of his neck.

"razor," while one hand patted tenderly on razor's back, the other pushed him away, gently. "you can't avoid the question by being cute. tell me what happened. please."

"cute? me?" he pouted and innocently looked at bennett with big puppy eyes.

GOD HOW IS HE SO ADORABLE, LORD BARBATOS IS TESTING ME— NO! STAY FOCUSED, BENNETT!

he flicked razor's nose, but maintained eye contact. "yes, you. i know it must be hard for you to tell me. and if you don't want to that's okay. just tell me you're okay, raze."

nothing. no words left razor's mouth, and he looked to be debating whether to tell him or not.

bennett brushed razor's silver bangs from his eyes and tucked them behind his ear, slipping his hand down to his cheek and holding it there. "please," he pleaded.

razor furrowed his eyebrows. "okay." he took a shaky breath before continuing. "on friday, i went home. found elliot in closet crying. he was hurt. bruises on face and wrist. bleeding leg."

"what!? is he okay??" bennett held razor's shaking hands. he assumed it was because of what had happened.

"yes. he tripped on rock and cut leg. but... bruises were- were no accident." again, razor cried, choking out his last sentence.

"what do you mean?"

"because i got home late. my mom— kylee hurt him. she hurts us when she's m-mad. my baby brother was hurt because of me, benny!"

"no, no, it's not your fault, you didn't know, razor. this isn't your fault, and i'm sure elliot doesn't blame you either." bennett rubbed up and down his arms, while soothingly speaking and reassuring him. "what happened after that?"

razor hiccuped. "kylee yelled at us. then p-pulled me away and- and beat me."

throughout the explanation, bennett had been biting his lip and clenching his jaw, doing his best to keep his emotions in check. but when he heard why razor had been all bruised, he bit so hard he bled. bennett didn't care though. all he cared about was razor and his brother's safety.

"hey, hey, you don't need to keep going, come here." he pulled razor back in. right now, bennett held a traumatized, bruised, and tired boy in his arms and all he could do was whisper in his ear that everything would be okay. he felt helpless, frustrated that he couldn't do anything more.

razor held him and sobbed violently, to the point of shaking. "benny, why?! my b-brother, why does he hurt?? why!? i hate living! i don't wanna live anymore, benny, if all it is is pain!" his muffled cries pained bennett.

"razor. i will make life worth living. i will do anything for you. i will do everything i can to help you and elliot. i'll make sure that woman can never hurt you again, just give me time."

"i do not deserve living, bennett! i make people sad. i make my brother hurt."

"you're wrong, razor. you make me happy, not sad. and fischl and my parents and your brother, too. i know he doesn't blame you. he loves you so much." he wiped a tear off razor's cheek. "i'll be with you from now on, okay? i'll keep you safe."

the bell rang, signifying the end of lunch, and interrupting their conversation. although clearly distressed and unfit to go to class, razor swallowed down the last of his sobs and removed himself from bennett to gather his stuff.

"l-let's go. we can't be late." he sniffed.

bennett saw through him, however. his eyes and nose were red and swollen, as well as wet. at one point during their lunch, he had removed his mask and revealed a large bruise on his cheek and a bleeding lip. in other words, there was no way he could go to class without raising any brows.

"we aren't going to class, not like that. stay here, i'll call my dad to pick us up." bennett pushed off the wall and got up as well. he grabbed his phone and clicked a few times, then raised it to his ear and walked a few steps away.

"hey, dad, can you come pick us up?" he said once his dad answered.

"who's 'we,' bennett?" on the other side of the line, albedo replied to his son.

"oh, just me and razor. something came up and he isn't feeling well, he can't go to class like this."

"is he ill? shouldn't he contact his guardian? razor's a good kid, but he isn't mine, bennett. legally, i can't take him home early unless i was on his emergency contact list."

"he isn't... physically sick, but he's quite shaken up, he can't go, dad. and no, he can't call his mom, she— well, let's just say she isn't available. can't you just tell them you were asked by his mom to pick him up?"

"you want me to lie?"

"not like you haven't done it before."

"you're right, but i can't anyway, bennett, i'm in the middle of an experiment that i can't leave unattended. you should ask kaeya."

"SO YOU LED ME ON THIS WHOLE TIME—"

"oh no, seems i must go now, good luck, bennett~"

"YOU KNOW THAT DOESNT MEAN ANYTHING TO ME, DAD."

nonetheless, after hanging up with albedo, he called his pops, kaeya, and explained the situation, which kaeya was happily on board with. they'd get picked up in ten minutes. he walked back to tell razor.

bennett found him standing where he left him, staring at a swaying tree nearby. he gripped the straps of his backpack, not noticing bennett approaching. he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to let him know he was there.

"hey. we're gonna go home. my home, i mean. my dad, kaeya, is gonna pick us up. wanna walk around a bit?" he smiled.

"yes. thank you, bennett."

slipping his slender hand into bennett's calloused one, razor stood closer than ever to bennett, grateful to have someone like him in his life.

m

hi... its been a while... BUT IM BACK BABYYY THAT MOND EVENT LIKE A MONTH AGO HELPED ME GET OVER MY WRITERS BLOCK LETS GOOO!!! i promise there will be some comfort and fluff in the next chapter!
-b