With Every Single Beat of My Heart

Two

You are the one for me
I am the man for you
You were made for me
You're my ecstasy
If I was given every opportunity
I'd kill for your love

Ben had no intentions of being like everybody else in Joe's life. He wasn't going to walk on eggshells around him and treat him like he was dying, because he wasn't. He was sick, that was true, but he was surviving well enough.

Joe was more than his illness and Ben was going to prove that to him. If they were going to hang out and be buds, then Ben wanted to treat Joe the same way he would treat any of his other friends.

Sure, there were some restrictions. Joe couldn't have caffeine or a lot of sugar. He couldn't have overly fatty foods and he couldn't do anything that would make his heart race.

It was strange since that was everything Ben had previously done on a daily basis. He lives wildly and didn't give a fuck about anything else. He took care of himself, but only for vain reasons. He knew it was selfish, but he could at least admit it now. He was growing up and while it may seem a little bit late (he was in his bloody 20's after all) it didn't matter to him.

One step at a time. That was all that mattered.

Ben knew Joe was worried that things would change and there was no denying they would but perhaps they could change for the better. Ben would stop dicking around in the darkness and be aware of what Joe could and couldn't do.

He didn't bring him coffee again, but instead a caffeine-free drink that his boss had made on the spot. It wasn't overly sweet but had a decent flavor to it. A little treat for him to drink as they walked around the hospital.

Joe's mother was overprotective, but Ben worked around that. He never kept him out late on nights they would hang out and any time he would drop by the Mazzello household he was a perfect gentleman.

It wasn't long until he realized that aside from his mum and step-dad, Joe was the only number in his contacts that he constantly used. His friends, the people he used to drop hundreds of dollars for, stopped calling him. Stopped trying to have him come out.

And Ben didn't care in the least. Joe was more than enough company for him and he got along with his employer and coworkers well enough. Some of the people at the hospital warmed up to him well enough. He was no longer the nuisance that was more of a bother than anything. He was a warm face to see in the cold halls.

The kids had warmed up to him as well, though he thanked Joe for that. He gave him the confidence to actually mess around with the kids and have fun without focusing on the reason they were at the hospital, to begin with.

It wasn't long until Ben began realizing how much of an influence Joe had on him and in more ways than one. There had always been a lingering thought in the back of Ben's mind, the spark that would light up whenever he saw a handsome face. He never focused on it, always directing himself to beautiful girls with large breast and shitty personalities. Girls he could bury himself in without caring about in any situation.

And now here there was a guy who made his heart beat twice as fast, who always brought a smile onto his face and made him laugh with ease. Finding another man attractive wasn't something Ben had been against, but also never tried for himself. He just saw no point in it.

He didn't do relationships. Never have. He slept around and showed off his wealth to any girl who would willingly hang on his arms and make him look good.

And he had Joe who would roll his eyes and call him an idiot, completely unimpressed by the things he had to offer. Ben would stop by Joe's place of work and spend almost half his weekly paycheck on old books and black and white films. Joe would just shake his head, challenging him to read what he purchased and watch what he bought. It was magical and humbling and Ben never wanted it to stop.