None the Worse ✓

35) 'Getting Interrupted When You Least Want To Be Interrupted' And Other...

35) 'Getting Interrupted When You Least Want To Be Interrupted' And Other Moments That Make You Want To Scream And Kill The Ones Responsible

The squad had officially been reduced to four people, so it seemed. They'd lost Pi forever. He was not coming back. They were all out of ideas.

Even Benjamin's parents noticed. During dinner on a Thursday night, Eleanor said, "I haven't seen Pi in ages."

Benjamin took a sip of his water. "That's entirely possible."

Thijmen glanced at Ben knowingly, but she didn't seem to notice this. "Why?"

"Because he hasn't been here in ages."

"Yes, but why? Are you not friends anymore?"

"No..."

"Oh, okay."

The rest of the meal was eaten in near-silence, but at least they were close to being done. After Benjamin finished his plate (with Thijmen's help), he excused himself and left the dining room (with Thijmen), before lying down on his bed (with Thijmen).

"Does it bother you a lot?" Thijmen asked.

Benjamin rolled over to lay his head across his boyfriend's torso. He liked the way it went up and down as he breathed and he liked even more that he could hear his heart beating, but he didn't like the answer to that question.

"Kinda."

"I'm sorry about that." Thijmen reached up to stroke Benjamin's hair. Another thing he liked. He liked a lot of things about Thijmen. If he would ask him why he liked him, like at the Thanksgiving dinner, he'd have a long list ready.

"Thanks."

"At least you got all your other friends back. That's a good thing right?"

"It is," Benjamin agreed. It was nice not to be alone.

"Do you wanna do something?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Anything."

Anything made him think about stuff that shouldn't be thought about unless he was home alone with at least half an hour available for scientific research. He didn't act upon this, for obvious reasons. It was indecent, and Thijmen would probably leave him alone to look up fiftyshadesofgay.com and/or mope out of desperation. "Anything?" he peeped.

Thijmen raised his eyebrows. "Why the tone?"

"What tone?"

"Come on, Ben."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

But he knew, obviously, and Thijmen knew, obviously. He didn't act upon it, nor did he tell Benjamin to look up a different kind of dragon tale. They just lay there. They were bedclothes.

"We can kiss," he suggested.

"Oh?"

"Maybe. If you want. It's okay if you don't. I don't mind. Really. I'm serious. It's okay."

"Benjamin."

"Nevermind. I shouldn't have asked. It's okay, really. We can learn how to knit if you want."

"What."

"Goodbye."

Benjamin sat up all of a sudden, sneezed, realized his self-inflicted embarrassment wasn't a force strong enough to get him away from Thijmen, and lay back down. It's not like he could see his face, anyway, if he slouched enough.