Green and blue hydrangeas

CHAPTER 5

(A/N: This chapter does contain mentions of abuse, I'll mark where it's at so if you don't wanna read it then you don't have to.)

"Al...Al...Alto, please, calm down and speak slower. I can't understand you." Ben said, trying to ease Alto into coherent sentences.

He heard Alto hiccup and sniffle before taking a few deep breaths and repeating himself again.

"I...I need you to come over, I need help." He said, his voice strained.

"Ok, ok I'll be over asap, just try and hold out for me ok?" Ben replied, putting on his shoes.

"Alright, please hurry."

"I will."

A knot of worry rose in his chest. He'd never heard Alto so scared, much less crying. Whatever happened, Ben was going to be there for him. He didn't care that he would get worse. He only cared for Alto. Ben arrived at Alto's apartment, spare key in hand, ready for the worst.

"Alto...?" He called, walking in cautiously.

"I'm in here..." Alto whimpered from the bathroom.

Ben entered. Alto sat on the floor, back against the wall, knees tucked up to his chest. His bandages sat on the counter. His shirt, undone. Ben knew he'd seen his wound but didn't know why he was so panicked. Alto had fared much worse in the past. Nonetheless, he was going to help.

"Al, what happened, what's wrong?" Ben kneeled to look him in the eye.

Alto looked up with puffy eyes and ragged breathing. He uncurled himself exposing his chest and left shoulder. Ben had expected a bloody mess of stitches. Instead he was greeted with a large patch of green and blue skin swirling and spiraling together like mixing paint. Unconsciously he reached up and grazed his neck, where his own marks sat. He now understood why Alto had been so upset. His mark had been filled. They had spoken about their marks before. Ben even got the chance to look at Alto's a few years back. He honest to god never thought that either of them would be touched by their soulmate. Still, here Alto sat with his mark colored, crying his eyes out.

"Oh my god..." That's all Ben could say.

He opened his arms. Alto flew into them shaking, crying, holding onto him like his life depended on it. The two stayed like that for a long time. After a while, Alto loosened his grip and let himself fall back on the wall.

"I'll go grab you something to drink, you're dehydrated." Ben said, gazing at Alto's chapped lips and getting up. Alto didn't protest.

He returned with a bottle of water. Alto downed it immediately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ MENTION HERE~~~not really that big but it's there~~~~~~

Ben sat next to his friend. He knew Alto had trauma pertaining to his mark. Even if he didn't have the details, he knew enough. It was something about his highschool sweetheart wanting him to be her soulmate. She decided to force him to 'show his love' and be with her even after nothing happened when she touched his mark. The whole thing reeked of abuse and fucked him up big time. Even though Alto got out, he never fully shook his trauma.

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After a minute or so of silence Alto stood up. His legs wobbling a bit. Ben shot up to catch him if needed.

"I need to get up... my ass is bruising." Alto said, stumbling to his couch.

He flopped down. Ben followed after. Like before, Alto leaned on his friend's shoulder. Ben rubbed his back in response.

"Thanks.... for being here."

"I had to be. I couldn't just leave you."

Alto looked up at Ben, tearing up again.

"Com'ere." Ben said, cuddling him. "It's okay, you're okay."

They sat there for another long time, seeking comfort in each other's presence. Ben knew Alto would bounce back to his weird self in another day. Ben eyed his patterned mark, gorgeous colors they were, then his face.

Alto broke the silence. "I'm gonna find who did this and kill them myself."

"No you won't."

"How do you know that?" Alto said, his mood lightening.

"I just do." Ben chuckled.

Alto looked away. "If I look at it anymore I'll puke."

Ben paused, thinking a bit. "How 'bout we bandage it back up till you're ready to face it again?"

"Yeah, ok." Alto replied, brightening up.

Ben helped him re-dress his wound, double checking the bandages when he finished. The two then sat back down, ordered uber eats, and watched a so bad it's good movie. After it finished Alto turned to Ben.

"Would you mind staying, just in case I have a panic attack or nightmare?"

"Yeah, I'll stick around."

"Thanks again for all this. I know I can be a pain in the ass but I really do appreciate it."

"God, Al, you don't need to thank me. Besides, you know I love you most when you're an ass."

With that, Alto punched his shoulder and laughed.

As he was preparing for bed, Alto popped in the room.

"Hey, Ben?"

"What's up?" He asked, a toothbrush in his mouth.

"Please don't tell anyone about this." Alto looked away, ashamed.

"Of course." Ben replied, striding over and placing a hand in his shoulder.

Alto looked at him. "Thanks man." He sighed in relief. "This whole this is pretty embarrassing. Glad to know you won't spit."

"No way, you'd never do that to me, unlike some people." Ben said, rolling his eyes.

Alto snickered. He recalled when Jack snitched on Ben for hiding all the snacks in the break room and pinning the theft on a junior researcher.

"Yeah, guess I'm better than nothin'. Anywho good night." Alto said before leaving.

"Night."

The next morning they went their separate ways, Clef still had time off via doctors note leaving Ben stuck double hauling work. By the time Ben got home he was near passing out. The whole week had been a mess. One thing in particular he couldn't shake was the color of Alto's mark. Despite his distaste for them, he could still appreciate their beauty. Alto's was beautiful, the sky blue paired with leafy green looked wonderful on him, it was like a softer hue of the flowers blooming in his lungs. Ben forgot about that. Sure he'd coughed up a few bits of flower during his time at Alto's and now when he was thinking of him, but other than that, nothing changed. He didn't worsen or improve, only stagnated. It was nice being able to mostly get on with his life. It was nice to be able to ignore it altogether for a night with someone like Clef. That thought brought him into a violent fit, hacking, choking, wheezing. This was one of the worst ones Ben had. He stared at the bloodied bits on the floor and found himself comparing them to Alto's mark again. The more he thought the stranger he found it. Why do Clef's marks match the flowers? He put the pieces together, Alto's marks also covered his wounds. He was the one to bandage him up. A few days later Alto saw his marks colored.

The realization hit him like a truck. 'Alto is my soulmate.'

Ben once again unconsciously touched his throat, Alto's statement ringing in his head.

'Alto's gonna strangle me.'