My Little Lion Man (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Be Distressed

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Be Distressed

We pull up to Benji's house slowly, his knuckles white from clenching the steering wheel too tightly. I want to lean over and run my fingers along the bumps to soothe him, but I know that might not actually make the situation any better and stay still. The truck rolls into the driveway after only ten minutes and I take the time to admire his house. It's one floor with drawn curtains and no flowers on the lawn. I admire the large tree standing in front with a broken tire swing, the only thing on the whole yard that looks maintained. The house is cute, just very bland, and with the curtains drawn tight you would never know anyone lived there. Especially since no other cars were around.

Benji slowly released the wheel, unbuckled his seatbelt, and threw the door of his truck open. I figure it's now safe to follow and slide out of the truck as well. I hear Annie clapping her hands together in excitement even before opening up the door to haul her out. I set Annie on the ground and watch her bolt to the front door, where Benji is already stepping inside. "Annie hold up!"

I run to catch her and grab ahold of her hand, halting her footsteps.. "It isn't polite to barge into other people's houses Annie Baby, you need to wait and be invited in," I whisper to her. Her doe eyes widen and she nods enthusiastically, seemingly absorbing the information.

Benji holds the door open for us, gripping the door knob tightly in his hand. I lead Annie into the foyer, smiling meekly as I pass through. Benji looks...tense to say the least. His form is stiff, shoulders held back in a guarded position. His eyes flick inside down the hall, to us, and then back—as if he's expecting something to appear from one of the rooms. I can feel Declan at my back, following my lead in surveying what I assume is the living room.

The area is quaint. There is one red worn couch against the wall closest to the door with a fancily carved wooden rocking chair in the corner. A boxed television set sits across from them on a wooden desk and a darker wooden coffee table stands in the center of the room, practically on top of the couch and desk with a lone lamp sitting in the middle. The walls, a pale yellow, match the red carpet which happens to be stained in several places.

With the description, you would think that the house smelled terrible and was filthy, but it was quite the opposite. The house was spotless. More than spotless actually, it was glowing. There wasn't a piece of lint on the carpet, nor a speck of dust to be seen on any furniture. Even the house gave off a faint small of bleach and febreeze.

And suddenly I was also regretting asking to come over.

A throat is cleared behind me and I give a jolt, turning to see Benji and Declan standing still close to the now closed front door. "Hey Beautiful, my room is the first door down the hall. Go on ahead." Benji directs the statement to Annie who grins toothily in excitement. She squeezes my hands, yells a loud thank you, and skips down the hall.

After I hear a door open and close I turn my attention to the boys. They are both standing rather stiff, meeting each other's gazing everyone so often and seemingly waiting for my reaction. As if Declan had been here before and wasn't expecting any different. As if he knew that there wouldn't be any pictures hanging up of Benji, or his family for that matter, and was just waiting for my reaction to it. To the home being unlived in and cold.

"If you don't want us here we can leave Benji. I didn't mean to...put you...to force you...I'm really sorry." My whispering fills the silence as I wring my hands, realizing that maybe this wasn't what I was expecting. Or maybe Benji's house was what I was expecting and that's why I was scared.

"It's...fine." Benji's smooth voice stutters. He's staring intently at the carpet around his feet, maybe hoping the ground there would swallow him up. Because I sure was hoping the ground around my feet would do the same. My face was too enflamed to function.

"No it's not. I'm imposing on your place. Your house. And that's really not cool at all." Declan nodded along with everything I was saying, crossing his arms haughtily as if this was all my fault. It's not like he tried to stop me or anything. He thinks a little before he talks...I guess...and therefore if anything he should have warned me of the consequences of my actions.

I send a quick glare his way to note my frustration in his inability to stop me from doing stupid things. He rolls his eyes dramatically with a huff but keeps quiet from there. "It really is alright. I swear," Benji says softly. I take note of the softness that has creeped into his cold voice over the past months. "I just didn't feel like running into my father. But we're alone for the afternoon, so...yeah."

He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly as if his familial issues are something to be embarrassed about. "Hey Cutie don't worry about it, "I say cheekily, punching his shoulder, "my dad's not exactly your biggest fan either."

"That's an understatement," Declan mumbles. I scoff, but nod in agreement anyways because it really is true. My dad can be a jerk sometimes.

Or a lot of the times.

Whatever, he loves me.

"So! Care to give me a tour?" Benji stares at me confused for a split second before linking our fingers and dragging me protesting down the hall to his room.

"You and your damn curiosity," he grumbles. I grin, liking the feel of his hand in mine. This is the second time we've linked fingers like this and it is heaven. His hands are leaner than mine, with longer fingers and soft as baby butt pads. I just want to take his hand and rub it all over my face, maybe even it lick it a few times, but then another hand grabs my lonely one from behind.

Declan's hand is rougher then Benji's. The pads are hard and calloused, rubbing my palms as he repeatedly grips my hand with his thick fingers, as if it might disappear on him. We walk like that through the hall, resembling a choo-choo train made out of teen boys. I want to giggle with delight so bad but know it would ruin the moment.

We make it to the first door of the hall, which surprisingly takes a bit because the house has several open doorways that lead to the kitchen, a laundry room, and others miscellaneous places as we walked. Only, there are giggles coming from the other side of the hall where a door is slightly ajar. We drift to the door that is obviously not Benji's room, since his was the first door we had run into, and Annie pops out of it like a jack-in-the-box full of contained energy. She sends the door into the wall with a bang as she jumps up and down in the room.

"Ben Ben, I didn't know you had so many cool toys!" She shrieks, a pile of stuffed animals in her arms. My eyes widen as I look around and recognize the room for what it is.

Green wallpaper.

Flower wall decals.

Untouched toys stacked pristinely against the walls and a toy box shaped like a treasure chest thrown open next to a sports car bed.

It's a bedroom. For a child. Who I can only imagine would be Benji's younger brother or sister.

And Annie had just barged in and unsettled everything. 

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A/N

All I can say is I hope you liked the chapter and that I'm going to start praying now it doesn't take long for the next chapter to come out.

So, what do you think is up with Benji's dad? Benji's "clean" house? Benji's supposed sibling? And Benji, Declan, and Lion holding hands together all at one time???? Gasp, I tell you, gasp.

Oh! and I can't decide on a gender for Benji's sibling so, vote on which? 

**My Baby Benji on the side**

Luvs and Kisses,

Kitty