⍟ Broken Strings {A Chaos Theory x Male Reader Story - Ben}

𝟻. 𝙱𝚘𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛

"Brooklyn got on that plane on her own. She chose where she went and who she went with. And it ain't here, it ain't us." She folds her arms.

"But what if she's onto something we just don't know about?" Ben jumps in.

"W-- What if--" Darius begins.

"We gave her an out." Kenji stands up, "Doesn't seem like she needed it, or wanted it."

"We don't know that." Darius huffs.

"Fine." Sammy shrugs, "You need proof?"

She marches over and takes Gia's phone from Ben. She takes a step back and scrolls onto Dark Jurassic, calling Brooklyn.

The phone rings and a wave of suspense washes over the group when Brooklyn picks up almost instantly.

'Soyona!' She answers cheerily, 'Soyona?'

"It's Sammy." Sammy responds flatly.

'Sammy, not right now, okay?' Brooklyn's voice drops to a whisper.

"Why? What are you doing?" Sammy scoffs.

'Nothing.' Brooklyn replies briefly, 'Working.'

"Working, huh? That's new." Kenji rolls his eyes.

'I don't have time for this.' Brooklyn grumbles.

"Where are you?" Darius frowns, "Are you okay?"

'I'm fine.' Brooklyn seemingly grows annoyed.

"You there?" Sammy calls into the phone after a moment of silence.

"Sammy, give me the phone." Yaz reaches for it but Sammy backs away.

'I've gotta go.' Brooklyn hands up without another word.

"Sammy why did you do that?" Yaz scolds as Sammy looks down at the phone screen.

"Me? She hung up!" Sammy scoffs.

"I might have been able to keep her on the line if you gave me the phone." Yaz argues.

"Hold on!" Darius steps in, "The phone doesn't matter, Brooklyn does."

"The sooner we leave for Malta, the better." Ben nods.

"You don't even know where to go once we get there!" Sammy throws her hands up in disbelief.

"We don't have time to keep debating!" Darius grumbles.

"She doesn't want anything to do with us!" Kenji folds his arms.

"Yes, she does, we just--"

"No, she doesn't!" Y/N cuts Ben off, "Was that not made clear from the phone call?"

"That's not fair!" Yaz scoffs.

The arguing begins to overlap, everyone shouting over each other in a nonsensical manner, not one point getting across.

"Basta!" Nonna finally shouts over the heated feud, quieting everyone down.

Gia and Nonna both begin lecturing them in Italian, Ben being the only one to understand even a lick of it.

"Chill out!" Gia finally switches back to English, "You can't let Brooklyn tear you apart!"

"Again." Kenji mutters.

Y/N storms out of the room and Ben waits a second before reluctantly following after him.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

Y/N sits on the bed he and Ben share while his boyfriend stares out the open window, letting the chill wind flow in.

"Why?" Ben finally asks.

"Why what?" Y/N huffs, refusing to look up at him.

"Why don't you want to go?" Ben rephrases.

"Because, Ben, Brookyln made her choice... and I'm sick of chasing after people who don't want to be followed." Y/N explains coldly.

"This isn't about Brooklyn." Ben sighs.

"Isn't it?" Y/N scoffs.

"Y/N, I--"

"What?" Y/N cuts him off, "You care? You want to make sure she's okay? Where was this when Brooklyn 'died'? When I needed you?"

"And you were buried in your laptop, dropping out of school and investigating things behind my back."

"I just... I needed to know, Y/N." Ben frowns, his tone desperate.

"You're not a detective, Benjamin." Y/N rolls his eyes, "You made me quit school without saying a word. You made me get in the van and travel miles and miles away, waiting until before we got to Darius' place to tell me what was going on."

"You want to protect everyone so badly that you're forgetting the most important part of all of this. Transparency. Communication."

"I know, I know." Ben takes a seat on the bed, running his hand through his hair, "I'm trying. I just... I'm scared."

"Me too, Ben. We're all scared." Y/N glances up at him for only a moment, "That's what I'm here for. To support you, to take away that fear, that hurt."

"But instead of letting me do that, you put all of your fear and hurt onto me. You leave me guessing, anxious."

"You could've told me about Brooklyn. You could've told me about us being hunted."

"I know I could've, my love. I should've. I was just scared you wouldn't believe me... you wouldn't understand." Ben tries his best to explain himself.

"When have I ever not understood? I'm one of the few people who would understand. You're not on your own fighting for your life in the jungle anymore, Ben. You have me. You have our friends." Y/N stands up, taking his turn standing by the empty window.

"How can I trust you if you don't trust me?"

"...You can't." Ben gives in.

"What?" Y/N twists around to face him.

"You can't trust me." Ben shakes his head, "I can't be transparent, and you can't trust me... I don't know why. I don't know why it's so hard for me, but I can't,"

"If I can't trust you, we can't be together." Y/N looks down at the wooden panels beneath his feet.

"I know." Ben nods slowly.

"I know."

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

Y/N slips out of the room, wiping a tear from his eye as he shuts the door behind him. He looks up and sees Sammy leaving her and Yaz's room, a similar look in her eye.

"Did you--" They both begin.

"Yeah." Y/N nods, glancing back at the door.

Sammy nods, "Yeah."

The two of them silently head for the kitchen, taking their seats at the table where Kenji and Darius are already laughing and talking with Nonna and Gia.

Ben and Yasmina join them after a moment, silently taking their seats as well.

Darius looks up, observing his friends before his eyes blow wide, "No..."

"Both of y-- Ow!" He whines as Kenji kicks his shin beneath the table.

"So..." He looks down at Smoothie as he waddles across the table, "This is it?"