Good in Bed

Something Special

"What're you doing, mami?" Victor asks, as he enters the kitchen, the evening summer sun shining sharp as a blade through the window.

"Oh, don't you look nice." Isabel has an apron on over her pink and red floral dress. She's peeling an under ripe plantain from a pile and setting it on the cutting board in front of her, beaming.

Victor smiles weakly in return. "Thanks. You, too."

"You're sweet, mi lindo..." Isabel pauses, mid-peel. "Well, I said I'd make mofongo for dinner tonight, so... I'm making mofongo."

Rolling his eyes and sighing, Victor grabs an apron from the hook on the wall beside the fridge, draping it over his bright purple and yellow shirt and tying it around his waist. Isabel eyes Victor for a short moment before she goes back to busying herself with the plantains.

He washes his hands before he dries them with a paper towel, nudging Isabel away with his hip as he picks up a plantain from the pile. "I got this. You should go finish getting ready before they come."

"What time is it, anyway?" Isabel's face twists and she scoffs, throwing her hands up in frustration before she swipes her wrist across her forehead.

"Like six-thirty."

"Shit... I hope I have time to fix my hair..." She glances at her own reflection in the window and grimaces. "Ay, I look like I just got done playing with you when you were a baby. You never could keep your hands out of my hair."

Shaking his head and chuckling to himself, sheepish, Victor passes the tip of the paring knife through the tough peel of the plantain before he slips his finger into the slit to separate the exterior from the starchy fruit inside with a crack, all under Isabel's suspicious gaze. "Seriously, I know what to do. I've watched you make it plenty of times. Might not be as good as yours, but..." He clicks his tongue. "They won't know the difference."

"Okay, well... if you know what to do... have at it, then." Isabel wrenches off her apron, hesitating as she watches him for a second longer. She restrains her smile and shuffles over to the doorway. "Don't forget the g--"

"The garlic, I know." Victor doesn't look up as he slices the bare plantain into small sections and gathers it into the bowl beside him on the counter.

"And the--"

"Oh my god, mom, just go!"

"Ay dios mio! Okay, okay. Fine. Just shout if you need me. I'm going for real."

Once Isabel finally exits the kitchen, Victor's shoulders relax as he continues cutting the plantains, humming quietly to himself as the knife clacks against the board. He fills the bowl to the brim with the final rounds of plantain before he wipes his hand in the front of his apron and crosses the kitchen to where the pots and pans are hanging above the stove, grabbing a large pot and placing it gently on the front burner. On the backburner, a pot of tomato and pepper sauce simmers gently.

As he pours the oil into the pot, his pocket vibrates, and Victor turns on the burner as he sets the bottle of oil aside on the countertop.

He peeks down at the oven, which is warm and lit, and opens it ever so slightly, peering inside at the two dishes perfuming the air with adobo and cumin. Closing the oven, he turns around to lean against the counter as he pulls his phone out of his pocket, eyebrows knitted together.

"I need ur help to decide what to wear pls 🥺👉👈" Benji had written.

Victor glances over his shoulder and exhales before he opens the chain of messages between them.

"Sure show me what ur thinking bb 🧐" Victor writes back, smirking.

The three little grey dots pop up on the screen immediately.

"Ok so"

"Theres this fit which I figured would be more family friendly even tho it's kinda boring"

Benji attaches a photo of himself in his room, posing coolly in front of his mirror with a hand in his hair and clad in a black floral shirt with a simple pair of skinny jeans.

"You look nice 🥰". Victor grins as he writes back.

"I dont wanna look nice i wanna look mesmerizing and breedable 😑"

Victor rolls his eyes and snorts to himself. "🙄 you always look mesmerizing and breedable, mi ❤️ Show me the other outfits you were thinking abt"

"Also your nails look sexy 😍" he writes back immediately after.

"Aww thank u babe 😘"

"They're black like my soul 💀"

"hold on" Benji writes in quick succession.

A second later, a video pops up of Benji standing in front of his mirror again, this time slightly to the side, wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt with red and navy blue diamonds making stripes across his chest, tucked into a short black skirt in a way that accentuates his small waist. He also has a plain black collar around his neck, along with a simple silver o-ring on a chain underneath it. The corner of his lip is turned upward mischievously, as if challenging him.

Victor's breath quickens, heat rising into his face and other parts of him, when his eyes travel downward to where Benji's other hand is holding up the lower edge of his skirt, showing off the lacy black panties he has on underneath and the underside of one of his ass cheeks peeking out; Victor's mouth goes dry.

He wishes he could reach out and grab at that soft, supple flesh. Benji winks, before he looks into the camera with hooded eyelids and says in that sultry voice of his: "Can't wait for you to fuck me, Daddy."

Victor almost drops his phone on the floor as he scrambles to lower the volume, the adrenaline in his veins making his head spin. He gulps as he returns to the message chain.

"What do you think of this one? 🙃🙃" Benji writes.

"Oh wait oops wrong one 🙄 oh well" he adds immediately after.

Swallowing loudly, Victor types back: "Extremely mesmerizing and breedable wowwww 🤤😍"

"Thank you Sir 😊 although its a lil too risque so i think i'll pass"

"Aww 🥲 good call tho i wouldn't be able to keep my hands off you 😏"

"Ur a nasty man Daddy 😷"

Victor shakes his head and grins as he adjusts the collar of his shirt. "But u love it 😘"

"Gross 🙄😘💕"

"I have one more to show u tho 🙈" Benji sends right after.

"Oh?"

There's a pause and Victor watches the dots on the screen again, just as another photo pops up in its place.

He's standing in front of the mirror in a short burgundy jumpsuit, his other hand in his pocket as he gazes at something off to the side Victor can't see. Peeking out from underneath the fabric hugging his thighs loosely are garters attached to a pair of black stockings. His cheeks are flushed despite his cool, placid expression.

"Cute right 😍😍😍" Benji had written.

Victor's eyes rove up and down Benji's figure and Victor zooms in on the picture so he can take in every detail of him. "That one's amazing too 🥰🥰🥰🥰"

"Lemme show u the best part... 🥵"

Benji includes a photo of himself sitting in front of the mirror, cheeks a deep red as he grins evilly, elbow on the floor behind him as he leans backward. His legs are spread and there's a gap in the area where his crotch is, and his panties are pulled to the side, exposing his plugged up hole and the clear chastity cage around his cock. Victor almost loses his balance.

Holy shit...

"That's my good boy 😌💕 I'm glad you did as I requested 🙈" Victor writes immediately, hands shaking.

"As u can see there's this nice little zipper for easy access... 😜" Benji writes.

"And of course I did i AM a good boy 👼" he adds.

Crossing his legs, Victor licks his lips as he types. "That's the one 😈😈😈"

"You're so predictable 🥱🙄 I knew u would pick that one 😌"

"😤 u just wanted to tease me huh" Victor writes, shaking his head and laughing to himself as he adjusts the waistband of his slacks before he leans with his elbows against the top of the island.

"Noooo I would never 😇😈"

"Well I'll have to come up with a suitable punishment then 😊"

"Terrifying 🥱"

"So if I was wearing this and begging you to let me cum would you let me? 🤔" Benji adds immediately after.

Pausing, Victor lets his fingers hover over the keyboard as he smirks before he types. "Of course not you'd have to earn it 😏"

"🥵🥵🥵"

Victor chuckles quietly to himself, just as something crackles beside him. "Oh, shit--"

He sets his phone down on the counter and darts over to the island, grabbing the bowl of plantains and eyeing the bubbling oil. Gulping, he holds a single round right over the oil before he drops it into the pot and watches as white bubbles surround it almost immediately.

Taking a deep breath, he carefully adds the rest of the plantains into the oil as he turns his face away, before he empties the bowl and stirs the contents quickly. When he's done, he leaps away from the stove top.

Letting his breath out slowly, Victor grabs his phone from the counter as he watches the bubbling plantains from afar, before he turns his attention to the spoon in his hand.

"Btw I'm making mofongo. And Im realizing now that this would leave some cute marks behind if I spanked u w it 😘" Victor writes, before he smooths his hair down on his ears and poses, brandishing the slotted spoon next to him as he smirks. He takes a selfie and sends it, giggling to himself.

"Ohhhh u rly know how to spoil me Daddy 🤭 and u know i love a man who cooks 😏"

"Can't wait to feed u 🍆😉"

"😳 omg 😋 my body is ready~"

"But you'll have to be on your best behavior of i won't let you cum 🤭"

"Ugh and I love it when ur evil 🥵"

Victor goes to type a response just as footsteps interrupt him.

"Dang, it smells ambrosial in here--"

Panic floods Victor's system as he juggles his phone a couple of times. He slams it face-down on the counter just as Adrian's head pops through the doorway.

"Oh, hey, Victor. Where's mom?" Adrian asks, raising an eyebrow from under a dark bowl cut.

Victor stares at him with wide eyes, panting. "U-uh... she's getting ready."

"I see..." Adrian pauses, watching him curiously for a moment, before he turns his attention to the stove. "You're making the mofongo." It's more a statement of fact than a question.

"Yeah... yeah, I am..." Victor stirs the plantains, just as they're about to gain a smattering of golden-brown coloring.

"Hmm... Is it difficult?"

Humming, Victor gets a few plates from the cupboard and rips off a few sheets of paper towels to cover each plate. "I mean... not really. Just takes some time. Do you wanna help me mash the plantains when they're done?"

"Well..." Adrian purses his lips as the rest of his face twists. "I don't think I'll be strong enough, and I'm not just saying that to be facetious. Not sure if you noticed, but I'm not exactly a superstar athlete like you. Or at least... that's what the kids at school say. I'm just 'Victor Salazar's little brother, the nerd.'"

Victor frowns. "People really say that?"

"Not to my face..."

"What the hell..." Victor mutters to himself as he gives the plantains one final stir before he scoops them out of the pot and places them on the paper-lined plates in small batches. Heat rises and bubbles in his veins and he takes a deep breath. He holds it, counting to ten before he releases it.

"It's not a big deal or anything. Just a little bit... frustrating, is all. Disheartening, if you will." Adrian stares down at his feet as he worries the bottom of his sweatervest anxiously.

"Do any of them give you a hard time?"

"Less of a hard time and more like they simply don't wanna talk to me. Like it's my fault I skipped a grade... I can't help it that I'm smart, okay?"

"That's true." Victor sprinkles a bit of salt on the plantains as the oil drains from them. "But also... being smart isn't the most important thing. It can be your thing, but it's not the only thing. You'll find the people who appreciate you for you, though. You just have to give them a chance to find you... But also, sometimes kids can just be dicks."

"Where's the lie..." Adrian mutters as Victor smiles down at him.

Victor wipes the salt from the tips of his fingers before he rests both hands on Adrian's shoulders as he leans down to face him. "This year is gonna be better. And if not... just tell the people bothering you to fuck off. Or I can always just scare them for you." He pats Adrian's cheek gently.

"Thanks... I just wish I could be as cool as you." Adrian sighs.

"Oh, please. You're already super cool and relatable. Like, I thought your sociopolitical commentary on the cultural relevance of Spongebob in the age of social media was extremely compelling."

"And they did Stephen Hillenberg so dirty..."

"Right..." Victor sighs, squeezing Adrian's shoulder. "But in all seriousness, it took some time for me and also for Pilar to get in the groove. It'll happen to you, too. You just have to be patient and don't lose track of what makes you, you."

Adrian hums thoughtfully, turning his face toward the steaming plantains. He picks one up and pops it into his mouth, breathing loudly from his lips and hissing as he chews. "Oh by god it's so goo... buh scawlding."

Victor chuckles as he takes an apron and passes it to Adrian, who takes it with a bemused expression on his face.

"So, the thing is... you don't have to be that strong to mash the plantains. You just have to be persistent. It's more of a test of endurance," Victor says, smiling softly as he ruffles Adrian's hair.

"That's a food safety violation," Adrian snaps.

Victor rolls his eyes. "Okay, okay. You got me..." He holds his hands up in surrender. "But my point is, it's up to you and only you what and who you wanna be. Everything people tell you, everything they expect of you, isn't your problem; it's theirs. All that matters is that you're happy with yourself. Got it?"

Adrian nods pensively. "You're right..."

"Anyways... If you really don't want to, you can always help with something else. We should probably get on this, though, 'cause it's--"

The doorbell rings and Victor's eyes dart to the clock on the wall as sweat sprouts from his pores. It's 7.02.

"Damn, they're super punctual..." Victor mutters, before he makes his way to the doorway. "I'll get it!" he shouts down the hallway.

"Wait, wait, I'm coming, too!" Isabel hisses from down the hall. She jogs over, face full of makeup, as she closes the clasp on one of her hoop earrings, before she calls behind her. "Mando! Pilar! Adr--oh." She turns her head forward. "Come on, our guests are here!" She shoos everyone to the front door as she flicks her hair away from her forehead and clears her throat. "Wait... Victor, how's the mofongo doing? We need to feed--"

Victor smiles, nodding as he sets his hand on the doorknob. "Mami, relax. We'll figure it out."

--------------------------------------

"You're absolutely positive you couldn't wear something more... I don't know... masculine? Like a pair of pants?" Richard says, his face twisted as he scowls at Benji's exposed legs. He opens the door to the red brick building looming over them even as the late summer sun shines brightly in the distance.

Benji bristles, shrugging as he adjusts his shades before he enters, everything on him uncomfortably tight, his ambient temperature warmer than it should be. "I like myself too much to subject myself to that, thank you very much."

"Dick, leave him be." Alice glares at him as she balances a round dish on one hand. She looks Benji up and down. "It's a great outfit, sweetie. You look very fashionable."

"Thanks, mom."

Alice adjusts the light shawl draped over her shoulders, where it contrasts with her newly-chestnut hair. "And besides, neither of us held a gun to your head and made you come with us. You're here out of your own free will. Which means you can go home if you're not happy."

"Exactly."

"I'm just saying... Wearing normal clothes never hurt anyone." Richard glances around the hallway curiously before Benji steps in front of him and waves a hand for them both to follow him up the stairs.

Gripping the railing tightly, Benji grits his teeth. He's already regretting wearing his vibrator, because every single movement he makes frustrates him far more than it should, grating at his patience with each passing moment on top of that which his parents' bickering so helpfully provides. "Well, I'm done with this conversation. I thought we could have a nice time out together, but I guess I was getting my hopes up."

"We will have a nice time out together. Right?" Alice shoots Richard a sharp glare as she forces a smile, looking like a doll that's been possessed by a malevolent spirit as they make it to the second level, footsteps echoing off the tiles.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll behave..." Richard grumbles to himself as he sticks his hands into his pockets, irritated. "I hope these people are normal, at least..."

"I'm sure they will be. Victor's such a nice boy, he was obviously raised right."

Benji smiles, shivering to himself, as he takes his shades off and pushes them through his fringe to hold it back from his face. He bites his lip and raises his hand to the chain around his neck, his breath hitching in his throat as he remembers how Victor's hands feel gripping at it, warm and strong. "Mhm... He's nice all right..."

Alice narrows her eyes at him for a moment, her lip curling up ever so slightly as she smoothes down the front of her olive dress. They stop in front of the green door marked '201' and Benji takes a deep breath as he takes his sunglasses from his head and slips them into his pocket quickly.

"How do I look?" Benji and Alice say simultaneously.

"For God's sake, you both look fine," Richard snaps. "I would hope so, after you spent two hours getting ready..."

Muffled voices filter out from within as Benji rolls his eyes and raises a hand to the doorbell, pressing down and waiting as it chimes loudly.

As soon as he does this, the low voices turn to shouts coupled with the sounds of footsteps and scrambling and Benji's pulse quickens as the door opens.

"Hi, come on in."

It's as if the wind has been plucked from his lungs as Victor appears in the doorway clad in an apron, hair tousled and wavy, his lips curling up as soon as their eyes meet. Benji exhales. He'll never tire of the sensation that seeps into every part of him when he lays eyes on Victor, simmering and airy and mellow all at once.

Before he can stop himself, his feet carry him to Victor, and he's grabbing his face with both hands like he's in a trance, bringing their mouths together as Victor gasps in surprise but allows it. Victor wraps his arms around his back and draws him closer, their lips and tongues mingling as everything falls away, becoming insignificant.

When they pull away, staying in each other's arms as Benji swipes his thumbs across Victor's cheeks, all they can do is stare at each other and smile softly as their families exchange pleasantries around them.

"Hey. I'm really happy to see you," Benji says quietly, eyes roving across Victor's deep brown face.

"Ugh, not this again..." Richard mutters from closeby; Alice elbows him in the ribs and hisses something under her breath.

Victor chuckles, rolling his eyes as Benji does the same, his own irises sparkling. "Me, too."

"You pierced your ears."

"Mhm. I figured I'd surprise you."

"Well, you definitely did." Benji rests his hands on the side of Victor's neck and admires the little diamond studs dotting his lobes. "It looks really pretty on you."

Biting his lip, Victor cranes his head down to peck Benji on the lips once more. "Thanks." He takes a step back, their bodies still connected at the middle, and takes Benji's chin between his fingers as his eyes trail from his face down his jumpsuit to his garter-clad legs before returning to his face. He breathes: "You look amazing."

With a mischievous smirk, Benji takes Victor's hand and guides it to his middle, pressing his fingers gently against his abdomen even as it stings ever so slightly. Victor raises an eyebrow as the pads of his fingertips come in contact with the two, tiny round pieces of metal just above the waistband of his jumpsuit, hidden from view by the starched fabric. Benji bites his lip. "I'll have to show you this later..."

"O-oh..."

"Are you two just gonna stand around whispering and staring at each other all day or are we gonna go eat? I'm starving." Pilar's voice snaps them out of their reverie.

"God, we're such a mess, babe." Benji chuckles lightly and smacks himself in the forehead as he leads Victor across the room back toward the doorway and over to their parents. "Sorry, I can't believe I forgot to introduce you all..." He clears his throat and motions to Alice and Richard. "Mom, Dad, this is Isabel and Armando, Victor's parents."

Isabel engulfs Alice in a hug while Armando gives Richard a firm handshake, as Richard eyes them both warily. Benji swallows the lump in his throat as he watches, not particularly thrilled with the way Richard looks like he's about to make a horrible joke and be the only one to laugh at it.

"It's lovely to meet you, Isabel, Armando," Alice says warmly. "You can call me Alice."

"Richard," his father all but grunts, stiff, as Isabel pulls her hand away from his grip with an unreadable expression on her face.

"And this is our daughter, Pilar, who for once has decided to grace us with her presence, and our youngest son, Adrian," Armando says awkwardly, resting a hand on both of their shoulders in turn. When Pilar and Adrian stand beside each other, it's as if Pilar is standing beside a much shorter twin with hair whose length matches their difference in size.

"See, I stay in my room because of that," Pilar snaps.

Victor forces a smile as he claps a hand over her mouth with a whispered "Shut up and don't ruin this for us."

Alice nods at them both, before she squeals. "Ohhh, what a beautiful family you have! Adrian, you're so cute I could just eat you!" She pinches his cheeks.

"Please don't. And I prefer 'handsome', but cute is fine, too, I guess." Adrian grimaces as Pilar presses her eyebrows together in confused disgust beside him.

Chuckling before she shoots Adrian a glare, Isabel motions toward the dish in Alice's hands. "Thank you. But you really didn't have to bring anything with you!"

"Oh, this? It's nothing, just a little lemon icebox pie Benji and I whipped up earlier, we can have it for dessert. I didn't wanna show up empty-handed."

"Stooooppp, you're too much!" Isabel takes the dish from her. "Let me put it in the kitch--Victor, did you finish the food yet or not?"

"Uhh... About that..." Victor pauses, and all Benji can do is watch him with a bemused expression as the ghost of a smile paints itself onto his lips. "I was working on it... But I still need to finish making the mofongo... And cut the meat..."

Isabel gives him a panicked look coupled with a tight-lipped smile and Benji resists the urge to laugh when Victor gives her a look that he knows means "Relax, I got this." She shuffles into the kitchen, setting the pie on the counter and muttering to herself. "Thank goodness... I can't believe I forgot to make dessert..."

"Let me help," Benji says hurriedly, determined. He glances around quickly before he pulls Victor away and reaches behind him to grip at his ass firmly. "Or I won't let you play with me," he whispers just as he pulls away.

Victor smirks and grabs Benji by the arm, dragging him into the kitchen as Isabel and Armando welcome Richard and Alice into the living room. "You know you can't resist me..."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Benji blinks innocently, as Victor rolls his eyes and chucks an apron at him. Peeking behind them as he catches the apron, Benji slips his hand into Victor's pocket along with the familiar tiny remote. "Hold on, I have something for you..."

Victor smirks as he immediately presses the buttons and Benji stops in his tracks when the vibrations pick up, making him shudder against his will. Shaking his head, Victor puts on the pair of mitts from the counter and opens the oven behind them, setting the steaming dishes filled with fragrant meat carefully on the island.

"I'm gonna go to the kitchen and hang out with the cool people... and Adrian," Pilar drawls, before sticking her tongue out playfully as she enters the kitchen, too, pulling out her phone from the pocket of her black jumpsuit.

"Hey! Victor said I'm cool, too!" Adrian calls from down the hallway as he disappears into his room.

Pilar snickers as she nudges Benji with her arm."You know I'm just playin'. If we really wanna get technical, the only cool people in this house are me and Benji."

"I know that's right." Benji high fives Pilar with a wide grin before he turns his face to Victor. "No offense, babe."

Shaking his head and snorting, Victor tosses the oven mitts back onto the counter. "None taken.

Benji washes his hands in the kitchen sink and watches Victor get to work on the plantains as he pulls a knife out from the block next to the stove. "Tell me what to do."

"We need to cut the pork and the vegan chicharron to accompany the plato principal."

"I'm not the only one eating the vegan one, am I? You didn't have to go out of your way." Benji frowns.

"Nah, I'll try some, too. Smells decent," Pilar says, pursing her lips.

Victor's lip twitches as he tries fruitlessly to suppress a smile. "Babe... Are you okay with handling... meat?"

"Of course. I just won't eat it." Benji snickers. Foil crinkles loudly as he removes it from the top of one of the dishes, the steam rolling out around it.

They're quiet for a moment as they eye each other, and Victor slips his hand into his pocket with a smirk just as something pulsates inside Benji and he bites his lip. Pilar stands hunched over with her head resting on her hand as she stares down at her phone where it lay flat on the counter.

Victor glances at her before he leans in closer to Benji and whispers: "You will soon..."

Benji says nothing, face hurting from smiling to himself as his hand shakes ever so slightly, incensed yet exhilarated all at once as he tries to compose himself despite his face going hot. He watches his own mother as she gesticulates wildly while she tells a story, and snorts quietly to himself as he tries to forget his and Victor's previous escapades; his cheeks somehow get even hotter at the thought.

Isabel peeks over at them occasionally and makes eye contact with Victor from across the room, impatient, as she chews on the insides of her cheeks. Victor simply smiles at her, taking his time, before turning his attention back to Benji and giving him a quick kiss on the temple.

"Can I help with that?" Benji juts his chin toward the mortar filled with partially mashed plantains.

"Of course, mi amor." Victor steps back as Benji slides over to take his place.

"Wait!" Adrian shuffles over to the island from the hallway. "See, the thing is... Victor said I could help with cooking, too."

"Yeah, sure thing, buddy. Go ahead." Benji motions for him to take a spot beside him and Victor in front of the cutting board instead. Victor cuts off a portion of the roast and sets it in front of him. "You know how to use a knife, right?"

Adrian rolls his eyes as he slides to the other side of the counter. "Of course I do. I'm thirteen. I'm not a baby."

"Okay..." Benji chuckles, holding his hands up in faux defense. Victor snorts beside him.

"Yeah, don't worry, babe. He's got it." Victor winks at him before he kisses him gently on the cheek. "But I appreciate you looking out." He turns to Adrian. "Try to get as much of the meat off the bone as possible, okay? We don't want it to go to waste."

"I know, I know..." Taking the chef's knife in his hand, Adrian stands over one of the pieces of roasted meat, face scrunched up in concentration as he makes several shaky slices, going slowly.

Smiling softly, Benji watches him for a moment. "Nice knife work. Plus, it's good you're taking your time. Helps reduce injuries."

Adrian beams as he peeks up at him. "Thanks."

They chatter amongst themselves as they prepare the food, the camaraderie between the three siblings reminding Benji so much of what he'd forgotten he'd yearned for. Humming, Victor slips behind Benji as he peers down into the mortar.

Benji sighs as Victor presses himself against his back, something rigid digging into one of his ass-cheeks in a way that's difficult to ignore, but he tries anyway, swallowing. Victor takes his hand and brings it to the pestle, curling his fingers around the handle; he grins against Benji's ear.

"You just gotta do this..." Victor murmurs as he uses Benji's hand to mash the plantains, and they both watch as he thumps it around to break down the golden fibers that perfume the air with fried oil. "You can handle it on your own, right?"

Pilar snorts. "Oh my god, you guys are nasty..."

Victor plants a heavy kiss to Benji's neck and he can't even bring himself to push Victor away as he gasps quietly to himself, unable to resist the urge to press his ass up against Victor's groin, biting his lip as he gazes out to the living room.

The vibrations inside him make his vision hazy, and he's thankful for the chastity belt pressing into his cock hard enough to keep him from getting fully erect, even though it throbs even worse, making it hurt so good when Victor touches him.

"What? We're not doing anything," Victor snaps.

"Yeah, okay..." Pilar mutters.

"This feels inappropriate..." Benji says quietly, voice strained, as he chuckles breathily. "I know I'm irresistible, but come on. Boundaries, babe."

Victor pauses for a moment before he smacks himself in the forehead. "Wait, I see it now."

Adrian watches them from across the countertop with narrow eyes as Victor presses himself into the space beside Benji and the loss of his heat behind him hits him immediately. He sighs wistfully to himself. Victor picks up the knife from the cutting board and continues slicing more of the vegan chicharron before he arranges it on another plate.

"I have a question." Adrian strokes his chin as he puts the cut-up pieces of meat onto one of the plates on the island.

"Sure. Shoot," Victor says.

Drumming his fingers against the cutting board for a moment, Adrian hums before he stretches his arms out behind him. "Well, I guess I'll just go right out and say it... Since you're both guys... how do you decide who does what?"

Victor and Benji both pause what they're doing and look at each other with raised eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" Victor asks, reaching into his pocket and pressing the button on the remote a couple of times.

Benji bites his lip hard as the vibrations inside him intensify and he smacks his palm down on the top of the counter to disguise the grunt of pleasure threatening to spill from his throat as he glares at Victor.

With a crooked smile, Victor glides behind him for a moment, pressing his front against his ass again as he reaches for something on the other side of him. When Victor rubs against him briefly, Benji freezes in place as the sensation pulsates painfully around his cock. All he can do is take steady breaths through his nose as Victor chuckles evilly into his ear before he returns to standing beside him.

"Are you okay?" Adrian asks, squinting at Benji.

"Y-yeah... don't worry... about me..." Benji says slowly, squeezing his thighs together as he narrows his eyes at Victor. "Just a little... tired. From all this... m-mashing."

Adrian shrugs. "I just mean, like... well, I was reading something online that was essentially talking about how men and women have certain roles, right? Because of biology. So, men hunt and protect and play sports, and women cook and clean and raise kids, but... It just seemed so... wrong? I mean, I've never seen dad go hunting, and Pilar burns everything she touches--"

"It's true, stoves really don't work for me, I don't know why." Pilar nods as-a-matter-of-factly as she looks up from her phone. "The one time practice does not make perfect."

"Yeah, she almost set our apartment on fire at least ten times," Victor says.

"Anyways..." Adrian says, clicking his tongue. "I guess my question is... well, which one of you," he points between Victor and Benji, "is the 'woman' and which one is the 'man'? That seems extremely incorrect, since you're both guys, and you're both cooking right now, but... I'm so confused."

"Let me let you in on a little secret, hermano," Pilar says, resting a hand on Adrian's shoulder. "Well, first, you should probably stop going on that website because it sounds stupid."

Benji shudders. "Sounds like something written by, like... evangelicals, just to rot your brain."

"Word... But my point is... it's all fake. It's all bullshit."

Adrian brings his hand to his hair and threads his fingers through it, gripping at the roots. "Okay, but now I'm even more confused because this was on Twitter. Since, you know, I don't have to lie about my age anymore. And also, mom says different stuff, and so do the kids at school--"

"You know what a social construct is, right?" Victor asks, as he puts the final piece of vegan chicharron on the plate and slides it across the island before he pulls the other empty plate toward him.

"I've heard of it." Adrian nods. "Basically something we... made up?"

"Sorta. But there's a little more to it. Like, you know how people will argue there are only two genders? Or that being gay is 'unnatural'?" Benji asks, making air quotes next to his head with one hand.

"Those people are ignorant af."

"Right. But those are all things we as a society, well, I mean... at least in a lot of Western countries... and countries that were colonized... hell, basically all of us in recent history since the dawn of capitalism, collectively, decided that we would accept them as fact. But it wasn't based on how we actually behave, right? I mean, there are a lot of indigenous cultures, for instance, that don't subscribe to these ideas--"

"Like our ancestors," Pilar muses.

"Exactly. So... it's all relative."

Adrian purses his lips and it's silent for a moment as Victor slices the roasted pork into strips and Benji continues to mash the plantains until his elbow aches; Benji sighs as he straightens out his arm against the counter.

"Everything he's saying is right, by the way." Victor gives Adrian a ghost of a smile as he cups his hand around his mouth. He leans over and whispers in Benji's ear: "That's my smart boy."

Benji rolls his eyes as Victor kisses him gently, heat rising in his cheeks. "I did my homework. Not here to be spoon-fed."

"Then... why do these rules exist if there's no basis in fact?" Adrian says, his face contorting in confusion. "I mean... I named a few outliers off the top of my head so, clearly, it doesn't hold water..." he mutters more to himself than to anyone else.

Victor's eyes go wide and he wipes his forehead in the back of his arm, chuckling. "God, we can have a whole discussion about why that's the case and I'm sure it would go on for the whole night."

"It all comes down to control." Pilar shrugs as she swipes a piece of pork and munches on it as sets her phone down on the counter top. "Divide--" she tears away a sinewy piece of meat as she grins, "--and conquer."

"Such is the way of the world." Benji winks at her and she nudges him with her shoulder in return.

"Okay, but... that still doesn't answer my original question." Adrian's face twists in confusion again.

"Well..." Benji glances from Victor to Adrian, biting his lip as Victor kisses him quickly on the neck. When Victor pulls away, he holds his gaze for a moment; Benji squirms, the air entering his lungs heavy, almost immoveable.

Victor shrugs, reaching into the mortar. He stuffs the mashed plantains into a ramekin, mixing some of the meat in, too. But he's decisive when he says: "It doesn't matter."

Adrian compresses his lips together and nods slowly. Benji watches as Victor upturns the ramekin onto the baking sheet and a little mound slips out, before he slowly follows his movements with his own.

"I guess that makes sense." Adrian smiles, and Benji can't stop himself from reaching out and ruffling Adrian's hair affectionately.

"It's good to ask questions." Victor raises his gaze to the living room, where Isabel is all but glaring like an owl roosting on a branch overlooking its territory. He rolls his eyes as he opens the oven and places the mounds of mofongo inside. "Okay, we should probably start feeding everyone before mom lays an egg... But these have to go into the oven for a second because they're... lukewarm."

When he returns to the island, Victor snickers as he presses himself up against Benji's back again and as much as Benji wants to bend over and let Victor do even more, he swallows a moan and narrows his eyes at Victor as he smirks down at him.

"Oops, sorry... my bad..." Victor mutters as he slides across Benji's ass to stand on the other side of him, as Pilar shakes her head at them with a look of mild annoyance playing at her lips.

Benji leans over on his elbows and peeks over at Victor, teasing, as Victor slips his hand discreetly into his pocket and the vibrations instantly intensify, his heart threatening to burst from his chest. Fingers scraping at the surface of the counter, Benji realizes he wants Victor's cock inside him instead of this stupid, amazing vibrator...

Fuck fuck fuck--

Victor's breathing heavily through his nose, nostrils flaring and hands shaking as he wipes down the counter, slithering around Benji and rubbing up on him again with his cock straining against his trousers underneath his apron, as Benji locks eyes with him through the haze. He clears his throat and pinches his apron at the front to adjust it, self conscious.

"Pilar," Victor almost squeaks out as he chucks the rag onto the island and grabs Benji by the arm. He clears his throat, before he growls: "Take the mofongo out in like five minutes. We'll be back... in a bit."

He doesn't even wait for a response as he grits his teeth and drags Benji down the hallway, his body rigid all over, in all the places Benji likes. Benji chuckles, letting Victor pull him along as if he were on a lead, right before Victor jerks the door open and shoves him inside.

His mouth is on him in an instant, properly this time, and Benji doesn't even think when he wraps his arms around Victor's back, clawing at his clothes, rabid and heated, Victor's fingers tugging painfully at his hair. All he can do is moan as he kisses him back.

"You're fucking evil, you know that?" Benji hisses when they part, frustration lacing his words as Victor presses him against the sink with a bemused smirk painted on his lips.

Planting a hard kiss on Benji's neck as he sucks on it hard enough to leave a mark, Victor snorts. "So I've heard."

Benji scoffs as their middles rub together, the porcelain behind him hurting but not quite as it digs into his tailbone. He can't help but moan quietly to himself as Victor holds him in place by the hips, simply watching him.

Rolling his eyes, Benij twists around so he's facing their reflection in the mirror before them, rubbing his ass against Victor's crotch smugly as the gentle tingling crawls up his spine. "So... I guess you're gonna put me out of my misery now, right?"

Victor grabs Benji by the shoulder and turns him back around. "Who told you that?"

"What do you mean? You're so easy to predict, babe. I push you a little, and you give in." Benji shrugs, examining his nails as he feigns boredom even as his cock twitches inside its confines, hurting so damn good. "Isn't that how it always is?"

Taking a step back, his eyes dragging up and down Benji's body as if he's picking him apart molecule by molecule, atom by atom, Victor bites back a smile as he undoes his trousers, the sound of his zipper cutting the silence between them. Benji's breath catches in his throat and he swallows the revitalization sizzling through him.

Victor chuckles, and Benji wonders if he's full of some sort of sadistic glee as his own cock twitches with painful arousal; he crosses his legs. "Get on your knees. And make it quick."

Benji doesn't know what compels him to obey, but he doesn't wait for another beat as he sets one knee down on the cool tiles, before the other one descends beside it. It's as if time is standing still and all he can focus on is Victor towering over him in that way that makes Benji want nothing more than to surrender as he reaches out to stroke his cheek with the side of his thumb. Benji's eyes flutter closed.

He sighs as he reaches between his legs and unzips his jumpsuit, exposing the lacy black panties hugging his ass. Moaning quietly to himself, Benji slips his hand down the front of his panties, his fingers gliding over the little padlock holding his chastity cage together.

"Uh-uh," Victor tuts, shaking his head, almost... disappointed? He takes a half-step backward. "Get your hand out of those panties, my little whore. I didn't give you permission to touch my property..."

Benji gasps quietly and looks up at him with wide, pleading eyes as he shifts his weight from one knee to the other. His breath catches in his throat and he shivers, giddy and exhilarated all at once. He pretends he didn't hear Victor's order, pulling his panties down to expose himself to Victor.

"I've been spoiling you too much," Victor says, as he pulls his leaking erection out of his trousers and holds it in front of Benji's face as if it were a hearty meal.

Benji does his best to put on a pout as he reluctantly takes his hands away from his own groin, letting them dangle at his sides. "But, Daddy..." he whines.

"Don't 'but, Daddy' me, kitten." Victor smacks him on the cheek with his cock as Benji stares up at him defiantly and nuzzles his cheek against it. "Get to sucking 'til I tell you to stop."

"You won't like it when I use my teeth." Benji's eyes roll back in his head as he takes in Victor's weight and the musky scent of his dick and he knows he's lying to himself because he just wants it in his mouth more than anything right now.

Victor groans, slipping his thumbs inside Benji's lips at the corners and opening his mouth up wide. "Good thing you won't use them... Right? Because I'd much rather use you."

Oh my god...

And it's as if every rational thought goes out the window, his brain immediately short-circuiting. He doesn't even think before the words tumble out of him. "I'm just a hole for you, Daddy."

Head going hazy again, Benji simply allows Victor to man-handle him, raising his hand to rest at the juncture between Victor's dick and the curly hairs at the base of it as Victor slips his cock into his mouth. He uses his other hand to pull the zipper of his jumpsuit down to his middle, letting the stiff material fall down around his shoulders and leave his scorching body exposed to the cool air, the relief making him exhale loudly.

"Holy fuck..." Victor whispers, threading his fingers through Benji's hair and tugging with abandon. Benji can't stop the surge of satisfaction that implodes within him, breathing through his nose before he gives a particularly hard suck. "Your mouth is so... so... Jesus..."

Yeah, I know...

And if Benji's mouth wasn't occupied with Victor's dick, he knows he would be smirking with the way he's rendered him entirely incoherent. Instead, he bobs his head and grips Victor's cock firmly with a strong hand, peering up at Victor through his eyelashes as he gasps to himself in pleasure, his own eyes tightly closed as Benj opens his throat more and more for Victor's length.

Benji chuckles, the vibrations making Victor's cock twitch against the back of Benji's throat that turns his chuckle into a groan. He presses himself down so far, he's breathing in Victor's sweat and patchouli cologne as his skin presses up against his nose and he almost gags; it's as if no matter how far in Victor gets, he'll always want to push himself even more, just to show that he can. Because fucking hell he'll never get enough of him.

Victor lets his head fall back as his hands trail down Benji's face to the sides of his neck, and a trail of saliva drips out of Benji's lips as Victor presses down gently on the supple skin at the base of his face, the cut-off blood flow making Benji more acutely aware of the sensation of his consciousness slipping away every so slightly, the room around him disappearing momentarily.

When Victor's muttering grows even more incoherent, his tongue tripping over itself as Benji simply holds him in his throat, Benji holds his breath, the sound of his blood flowing beating in his ears like a drum, the vibrations inside him becoming suddenly more apparent than before.

He's on the edge of convulsion as he pulls his face away from Victor's dick, gasping for air as the corners of his eyes sting with tears that tumble down his cheeks just as he presses Victor back into his throat over and over again as if he were injecting him like a drug directly into his veins.

The room spins when Victor finally pulls out of him and Benji stares up at him with hooded eyes as Victor spills droplets of cum across his lip before he holds his cock in his hand, not even needing to stroke it more than a few times as he bites back a moan and spills his seed all over Benji's face.

Benji closes his eyes and lets his mouth hang open as Victor blankets his chest with cum, too, the white liquid warm and sticky as it oozes across his skin in a way that has him bucking downward, and he's so fucking close--

His nerve endings are alight and Benji sighs in anticipation, just as the vibrations cease completely, right as he approaches his limit.

He's heaving when his eyes snap open and he stares up at Victor, who's tucking himself into his pants and all Benji can do is slump against the sink, his mouth hanging open as Victor smirks down at him, smug, in a way that makes him so fucking angry, heat spiking through him as the edges of his vision go dark and red.

Victor crouches down in front of him, face twisted in concern, voice gentle and innocent. He reaches behind Benji and grabs a bit of toilet paper before tipping Benji's head up by his chin. "You okay, kitten?"

Rolling his eyes and panting, Benji snatches the paper from Victor's hand and dabs it against his cheek. His tongue flits out from between his lips and comes in contact with the salty dribble of Victor's cum as it makes its way down his face. And if his dick wasn't constrained right now he knows the sensation of being covered in cum would make him cum, too--but he won't say 'chamomile'.

"I'm fine," Benji growls, voice hoarse, before he swipes up the cum that lay drying on his chest. "Aside from the whole 'not being able to cum' thing."

"You'll get your turn later."

"But I want it now."

"Well, too bad. We have a dinner to eat. Maybe if you're good I'll think about it." Victor shrugs, feigning nonchalance, as the corner of his lip turns up ever so slightly. He wipes Benji's face carefully, shoving his fringe away from his forehead before he kisses it lovingly.

Benji closes his eyes and squirms as Victor cleans him, his groin aching with need, as if every touch is enough to get him right to the edge, before Victor pulls away and stops what's coming right in its tracks, as if he were poking him with a needle over and over and expecting him not to react to it--because he knows he won't; Benji's too good, after all.

But he's also never been more turned on in his life, the magma bubbling beneath the surface, that which Victor is the only one allowed to control.

His clothes are still disheveled and almost dangling off him when Victor helps him up so he can wash his face; Benji tries one more time to rub up on Victor as he leans back against him, humming quietly to himself. But Victor's fingers around his throat tell him to contain himself. And even as his cock and all his muscles twitch helplessly, he stops, and Victor kisses him gently with one of his powerful hands gripping at his face and holding him in place.

He's patient when Victor helps him dress again and they examine themselves in the mirror, flattening their tousled hair and making sure all the evidence has been hidden, and he's even patient when Victor drags a teasing hand along the imperceptible zipper at the back of his jumpsuit before he lets him go and kisses him one more time as he leads them back out into the hallway once they're presentable, with no stray hair out of place.

Clearing his throat, Benji slips his arms around Victor's bicep and he almost hangs off him like a tree sloth on a branch, nuzzling his face into his neck as they return to the kitchen, only to be greeted by six pairs of curious eyes on them.

"So good of you to finally join us," Isabel says sarcastically, as Alice giggles beside her and swats her arm. "I'm not even gonna say anything... Just sit down before the food gets cold. If you reheat it again, it won't taste very nice."

Victor and Benji scramble into their seats, with Victor sitting beside Isabel and Benji next to Pilar, muttering 'Sorry' under their breath even as they grin at each other and Benji takes Victor's hand in his own underneath the table.

"What did you say this was again, Isabel? It's definitely... different," Alice says with a smile as she pokes at the mound of mofongo topped with pork and drizzled with red sauce with her fork.

Isabel flips her hair over her shoulder proudly. "It's mofongo, aka a Puerto Rican plantain dish. It's pretty easy to make but super tasty. I hope you like it."

"Ohh, how nice!" Alice claps her hands excitedly. She takes a bite and chews quickly before she immediately takes another. "Wow, okay... I'm gonna need a recipe because this is delicious!"

"It was all Victor." Isabel beams and winks at him across the table, squeezing his shoulder as he smiles back at her, before she digs into her own meal.

Benji glances across the table to where Richard sits silently between Alice and Armando, his arms crossed over his chest stubbornly. He frowns as he stares down at his plate, as if he intends to set it on fire and make it disappear so he can replace it with a steak instead.

"This is the vegan one, right?" Benji asks, raising an eyebrow at his own food as he picks up his fork and his stomach growls.

Squinting for a moment and leaning forward, Victor nods. "Yeah, you're good, babe."

"Cool, thanks."

When Benji takes a massive forkful of mofongo and brings it to his lips, Victor's eyes bore into him as he watches him expectantly. The mashed, fried plantains are savory but faintly sweet and garlicky, the spicy sauce adding a strong but pleasant kick and melanging perfectly with the smoky vegan chicharron. Benji can't help but grin as he turns to face Victor, giving him a thumbs-up as he stuffs even more into his mouth.

They continue eating, chatting idly over their food, and throughout the entire meal, all Richard can do is poke at his food and scowl as it goes cold. It isn't until his stomach roars that he concedes, his scowl softening as he hurriedly finishes his meal and scrapes the sauce from the plate before asking for seconds.

Victor puts on an innocent face when he nudges Benji with his elbow and rubs his leg against his as they eat, the prickling sensation distracting him from his food as his attention focuses on Victor again, his breath stopping, his entire body freezing every time, until Victor pulls away and he can breathe again.

The effect Victor has on him is dizzying, intoxicating, and when he slips his hand between Benji's legs and strokes his inner thighs, Benji almost convulses in his seat as he crosses his legs and clamps them together so hard, he wonders if he'll crush Victor's fingers.

Chuckling under his breath, leans in to whisper into Benji's ear, his breath hot enough to melt him and make Benji's eyelids flutter closed as he imagines what it would feel like for Victor to have his mouth on him properly, all over him, inside him--

"I didn't tell you you could close your legs..." Victor mutters so only he can hear. "Open up, baby."

Benji presses his lips together as tears prick at the corners of his eyes and he nods, reluctantly letting his legs fall apart just as Victor reaches into his pocket, making Benji jolt as pleasure shoots up his spine and he shudders with euphoria. He glares at him with the intensity of a million suns as Victor gives him a toothy, smug grin. "F-fine."

"That's my good boy." Victor bites back a laugh and Benji doesn't know if he wants to punch him or suck his dick again as his heart shimmers in his chest.

But as Victor touches him under the table, Benji can't remember the last time he wanted Victor to simply rail him, either, although it's been a while, he's sure; or maybe he isn't, because his brain feels like it's on fire as he squirms in his seat, casting side-long gazes at Victor constantly as he chews on his lip, frustrated, each brush against him adding more fuel to the fire.

When they finally finish their dinner and Isabel slices some pie for dessert, Benji is on the verge of exploding as Victor cuts a piece of light, lemony pie and slides it onto the end of his fork.

"Say 'ahhh'," Victor says, holding the utensil in front of Benji's face evilly as the vibrations pulsate deep with Benji, and he knows Victor knows, too.

Benji does as he's told, chomping down on the fork and chewing as he makes eye contact with Victor the whole time, even as he swallows. That's what'll happen to your dick if you don't let me cum.

You can try. But I know you won't, Victor's gaze answers.

"Y'know, Mando, ever since Benji decided he doesn't like girls, I didn't have a real man around to talk about sports with," Richard all but announces, taking a sip of his beer as he claps Armando on the shoulder.

Benji's ears perk up and he raises an eyebrow as Armando chuckles awkwardly. Victor peeks over at him curiously as he chews on his pie slowly, head tipped to the side as he makes silent eye contact with Benji. Benji shakes his head.

"Well, I mean... people don't decide, they just... you know. They're born that way," he says, giving Richard a tight-lipped smile before he downs the rest of his own beer. "And it doesn't make you less of a man."

"Yeah, yeah... you know what I mean..." Richard mutters. "But anyways, I like you, Mando. We should go see a football game together sometime."

"Ah yes, the epitome of heterosexual male bonding, watching a bunch of other men touch each other as they play with balls," Benji says sarcastically, as Victor and Pilar chuckle on either side of him.

Richard grits his teeth. "It's extremely macho--Ah, what the hell, you don't know what you're talking about..."

Benji rolls his eyes. "Well, I mean, Victor doesn't like girls, either, but I'm sure he could kick your ass at literally any sport. Right, babe?" Benji squeezes Victor's bicep.

"I mean... I don't wanna brag..." Victor says with a chuckle, "but Georgia State's team was undefeated this season, so..."

"That's right. Proud of you, babe." Benji kisses Victor hard on the mouth as Richard sighs beside them.

"Dick, for the love of god, can you stop acting so scandalized when you see them kiss? Get over yourself..." Alice grumbles as she pours herself another glass of wine. "Damn... some people, right, Isa?" she teases, elbowing Isabel in the side. "Ooo, this stuff is really good. I'm feeling a little tipsy already..." She giggles, inebriated. "It's been so long since I had a proper drink..."

Benji's pulse quickens in expectation of the inevitable and he shuts his eyes tightly, bracing himself for what never comes. He opens one eye and sighs in momentary relief.

Richard scoffs. "Oh, jeez, woman, I can't do anything without you complaining... You know it's hard for me... I can't keep up with all this PC crap."

Taking a deep breath, Benji holds it in his lungs for a moment before he exhales, sending a piercing glare in both parents' directions. This is why we can't have nice things...

But when Benji turns his attention back to her, Isabel's face is solemn. She glances at Victor as if she'd aged twenty years in the blink of an eye, the weight of life pulling every skin cell on her body into the ground. Her eyes dart away almost at once. And when she swallows her own wine, she recoils as if it burns her throat, mouth twisted from the acridity in that way Benji recognizes all too well.

Shame.

Isabel sets her glass down as she sucks at her teeth, staring at her hands as she fiddles with them on top of the table before she hides them out of view. Benji exhales slowly as the chatter around the table goes quiet.

"W-what's happening?" Alice asks, rubbing Isabel's arm soothingly. "Why are you so quiet now? Did I say something wrong? Oh, shit, I did, didn't I..."

Adam's apple bobbing, Victor tenses as he glances down. He shoves the crumbled pie crust around his plate absently as Benji reaches out and takes his other hand in his own, kissing it gently, soothingly, with the hope that his lips have the power to draw the anxiety out of him.

"No, you didn't say anything wrong, Alice..." Isabel says quietly, resting a hesitant hand on Victor's shoulder. Victor forces a smile. "I just--don't want to--I don't want to act like... a hypocrite. Because... well... I'm not proud of it, but I used to do the same thing."

"Mom, you don't have to..." Victor says weakly.

"No, mijito, I do. It's not right. I have to just be honest. And I'm... I'm trying to be better. To do what God asks of me, even if it's hard." Isabel smiles sadly as she runs her thumb along his arm. "I wasn't very kind to you when you first came out and I will never forgive myself for that as long as I live. You know that." Her voice grows quieter with each syllable.

Victor bites his lip, not making eye contact with anyone as Benji squeezes his hand reassuringly beside him, giving him a comforting smile. "I know. It's in the past, mami."

"What?" Alice's smile fades slowly. She withdraws, eyes going small and cold, as if she'd suddenly grown sober.

Isabel purses her lips and shakes her head as she lets her hand rest between Victor's shoulder blades. "It might be in the past, mi amor, but that doesn't make it okay." She turns to face Alice again. "I don't wanna make this all about me, because, well... I have a bit of a tendency to do that. My point is... I should have done more to accept things. Instead of turning to the church... wishing I could change things... feeling ashamed over something that isn't even about me. And being so cold to Victor when all he needed... was for me to be there for him."

Alice doesn't say anything for a long time, sitting with her legs crossed and her chin raised as she glares down at Isabel even though the other woman has a few inches on her. Benji tenses, swallowing thickly as he watches her, perched regally like a lioness surveying her prey before she pounces. Isabel's lips squeeze together tightly and she looks away, swallowing thickly as she shrinks back.

"So you want me to feel bad for you?" Alice finally says.

"No, obviously not." Isabel bristles.

"Well, then, what reason could you possibly have for that sort of behavior?"

Isabel opens her mouth and closes it a few times, and Benji can't even look at her as the rage bubbles inside him, along with a strange pride that only brightens against the darkness of the night seeping in through the windows when Alice takes an angry sip of wine. Gritting his teeth, Benji shoves his plate away from him as he watches Victor blink back tears, sighing away the weight of knowing that he can't take the pain away. All he can do is hold his hand.

"You're right. There was no excuse," Isabel says.

Pilar shifts uncomfortably in her seat as she scowls down at her lap, as if she's battling with herself, while everyone else around the table wordlessly stuffs pie into their mouths to give them an excuse to say nothing.

"At least now..." Armando sets his fork on the side of his plate with a gentle clatter, "we've all learned from our mistakes. And all we can do is move forward, while remembering where we misstepped in the past." He gazes across the table, pupils landing on Isabel, then on Adrian and Pilar, and finally, on Victor, as he smiles warmly at him. "'Cause even though we aren't perfect, at the end of the day, what's most important is our kids. And making sure we show them that we love and support them, even if it might take some of us time to come around, and even when our kids might not need us anymore."

Victor gives Armando a small smile and rests his hand on top of Isabel's. His voice is so quiet, it's almost a whisper when he says: "Thanks, papi."

"I know I was selfish... And I made Victor's life harder than it needed to be," Isabel says, resolute, as she gives Alice a look full of conviction. "But that's not who I am anymore. And I need you all to know that."

"We know, Isa," Armando says gently.

"Okay, this is getting awkward..." Pilar mutters to herself.

Getting? Benji almost snorts.

"People can change if you give them the chance." Isabel pours the last bit of wine into her glass before she takes a sip.

Alice bristles beside her. "Yes, but it shouldn't come at the expense of those who we're supposed to love. Our kids. Our own flesh and blood."

Isabel nods slowly, conceding, giving Victor one last apologetic look. "That's true. I should have taken that to heart sooner."

For a moment, Alice is quiet, as if pondering Isabel's words. She nods slowly, before she turns her attention to Richard instead. "Dick, do better. Or I'll... I'll divorce you."

After they've finished eating, they eventually migrate to the patio at the back of the building, sitting on the sturdy lawn chairs in a circle around the fire pit. With a few more drinks, Alice's coldness toward Isabel wears off and they've returned to their inebriated giggling on the opposite side of Benji and Victor, who can't help but raise an eyebrow in suspicion. And before them, the fire crackles in golden tongues licking at the dark surrounding air, a subtle reminder that summer is drawing to a close.

In the air smelling of burning wood, little yellow orbs float around them. Pilar and Adrian are in the midst of creeping through the space, enclosing them in their cupped hands before releasing them in the way Benji remembers doing when he was a little boy.

Something itches at Benji, and the only thing that makes it stop is when he reaches out to cup his hands around another orb hovering beside Victor's shoulder. Benji smiles to himself when he brings his hands down in front of his chest, making a little opening and holding the firefly to Victor's face. Victor leans forward from the back of the chair, his grip tightening around Benji's back as he peers down at the little creature, in awe, as the soft golden glow reflects off the surface of his glasses.

"Aww, that's adorable, mi amor," Victor says fondly, just as the firefly takes off and glides off into the night. He raises his hand from Benji's leg and brings it to his cheek as Benji lets the backs of his fingernails trail along Victor's spine absently, shifting ever so slightly in his lap. "Almost as adorable as you."

"Shut up..." Benji mutters, looking away for a moment as he tucks a lock of hair behind his ear. He leans down and presses his lips to Victor's, rolling his eyes affectionately. "We're not doing this again, babe. We already came to the conclusion that we're both equally adorable."

"Agree to disagree..." Victor mumbles, in the tone Benji knows means "I think you're wrong but I don't wanna argue because I love you too much".

Benji smiles smugly as he curls up with his head against Victor's chest, sliding down and letting his arm drape across Victor's neck. Even though the evening air is tinged with humidity and the heat seeping away from the day, there's something pleasant still about the way he can simply listen to the way Victor's heart beats in tune with his own as they sit joined together. Victor kisses the top of his head and for a moment, Benji lets his eyelids flutter closed as he inhales the scent of Victor's deep, woody cologne, made more robust by the burning firewood.

It almost makes him forget about the throbbing need within him, but he knows he needs to be patient. So he ignores the way Victor's cock presses gently against the underside of his thigh.

"Someone's a little sleepy, huh..." Victor says, a hint of a laugh coloring his voice.

"No... I'm just... really relaxed..."

Victor hums, shifting underneath Benji. Opening one eyelid a crack, Benji watches as Victor slips his hand into his pocket and, soon enough, the vibrations inside him start up again as his cock throbs in its confines in a way Benji has almost gotten used to.

Benji presses his lips together into a tight line and glares up at Victor in the darkness as he stares off in the other direction, feigning innocence. Glancing over his shoulder to where both of their dads sit, discussing what looks like a serious matter, Benji can't help but freeze when Richard makes eye contact with him across the fire.

The heat seeps into every part of him, his breath stolen by his own self-consciousness as Richard watches him with a blank expression for a moment, not even reacting before he turns away, where he would always grimace in disgust.

"You okay, babe?" Victor asks sweetly, as he runs his knuckles along Benji's goosebump-laden arm.

"What do you t-think?" Benji says sarcastically, as he shifts his leg right over Victor's crotch, teasingly slow.

Victor swallows loudly just as the fire crackles beside him, and he stares off at something Benji can't see, right before he nudges Benji gently to get off his lap. "I wanna show you something."

"What do you wanna show me?" Benji slides onto the ground before he offers Victor a hand to help him up.

"You ask a lotta questions, babe, did I ever tell you that?" Victor says with a cheeky grin as he slips his hand into Benji's and pulls him away from the patio and toward the wooded area that's nestled right beyond it. Benji shakes his head and chuckles lightly to himself. Victor glances over his shoulder to see that no one even notices their departure; he turns on the torch on his phone as leaves crunch beneath their feet. "I could say something romantic like 'I go into the woods when I wanna quiet my mind and think about you in peace' or some shit, but I'll be honest, I really just wanted to mess around with you in the woods a little bit."

Benji giggles as he squeezes Victor's hand and steps over a fallen, rotting tree. "You know me so well. I've always wanted to fuck in the woods."

"I know... There aren't any dead bodies here, though, by the way. Not very spooky or interesting. Just... full of dead leaves instead."

"Awwww, maaaan." Benji clicks his tongue. "Oh well, at least we won't have an audience." He winks. "Although that would make it spicier... no pun intended."

Victor snorts as they pause in a clearing, resting his phone on the branch on one of the trees beside him before he leans back against it.

"C'mere." Victor crooks a finger and Benji doesn't even hesitate as he walks into his arms.

He presses himself hard against Victor's front, shoving him into the tree and kissing him as if Victor's mouth contains all the secrets of the universe. Victor's fingers grip his face so tightly, Benji's sure he'll find his fingerprints engraved into his skin, and he loves the way Victor's waist fits so perfectly in his own hands. Moaning almost silently and melting into him, Benji doesn't even complain when Victor grabs him by the front of his jumpsuit and shoves him away.

Still connected at the lips, Victor flips Benji around so he slumps against the bark, gasping quietly as it digs into his cheek. He doesn't even react as Victor grabs him by the hips and tugs him forward so his ass is pressing up against Victor's hardened cock. His legs shake and he salivates in anticipation, as Victor undoes his jumpsuit and pulls his panties down, letting his dick rest against Benji's ass cheek, thick and heavy, as the cool evening air tickles the skin between his legs.

Benji whines and bites his lip, grinding back against Victor in frustration for a moment, just as Victor lands a hard smack against his ass. The sting radiates across his skin. He squirms, mewling, right as Victor leans in closer to him and clamps his hand across his mouth.

"I'm gonna need you to be real quiet, baby. So no one comes in and bothers us..." Victor mutters, kissing Benji gently on the temple. "Can you be a good boy and do that for me?"

Eyebrows furrowed together, Benji nods wordlessly, the sounds of chatter and laughter and crickets all around them dispersing, dissipating and gliding away like a wave going back to sea. The only thing on Benji's radar now is Victor's voice, culminating in that simple instruction. Because the only thing he cares about right now--as Victor's fingers slip between his lips and his own teeth dig into them--is making Victor proud of him.

Victor chuckles and brushes Benji's hair out of his eyes lovingly before he buries his face in Benji's neck as he lets his hand trail down his back slowly, teasing. "You're being so good today, baby... so, so good."

"Thank you, Sir..." Benji murmurs.

He slips his hand between Benji's asscheeks and slips the vibrator out his hole, making Benji clench around it, the familiar sensation of holding something inside him gone far too quickly for his liking. Whining in frustration to himself, Benji's fingers curl into the bark next to his head, nails digging into the gnarled surface.

When Victor mouths against the back of his neck, he pushes his panties to the side before prods against Benji's hole and strokes himself a few times, groaning as he wraps a strong arm around Benji's middle.

"Hurry up..." Benji whines, pressing back up on Victor. "I've been waiting all day, for fuck's sake."

There's a sharp sting and a loud smack against Benji's other ass cheek. "You're such a fucking whore. Just be patient."

Benji gasps, stilling himself for a moment, before he rolls his eyes, lip curling up on one side. Victor sighs as he prods against Benji again, this time slow, teasing, as if he has no intention of moving, but it serves only to turn Benji on even further as he shivers from excitement.

"You're fucking with me on purpose," Benji snaps. "I'm bored," he lies.

In a split second, a hand clamps around his throat and Victor slips inside, stretching him open, and all Benji can do is let out a high-pitched gasp as his eyes roll back in his head and he's overcome with ecstasy, knees shaking as he tries his hardest to keep himself upright against the tree.

"Well, you talk a lot of game for someone who isn't allowed to get hard." Victor pulls out and thrusts back inside, opening Benji up again as the bark scratches against his cheek. He groans into Benji's ear, but he can hear the smirk in his husky voice. "And for someone who isn't allowed to cum without my permission."

Victor sucks on his neck, right behind his ear, as he chuckles and rocks his hips into Benji again. Benji can't even speak as he takes it, his mouth hanging open, a little gasp exiting his lips as Victor rubs against that spot inside him that makes him lose his focus on anything else but the sensation.

It's something that comes so naturally to Victor at this point, that it's like he's memorized a map of Benji's body and circled everything he knows will drive him mad, and he hits every spot so perfectly that all Benji can do is bite the back of his arm and let Victor do what he wants, so overcome with pleasure, it's like he's floating outside his body, watching himself getting fucked into oblivion.

"God... you're so fucking tight, baby..." Victor murmurs, rambling breathlessly as he slides deep inside Benji. He grips the underside of Benji's thigh and raises his leg off the ground, both of them groaning in unison as Victor slips even deeper into him. "You're taking my cock so well... such a good boy... my good slut--fuck--"

Benji moans against his own skin, his heart stirring with pride at Victor's words. His muscles tense in every part of him as he waits expectantly for Victor's order, because he knows he's been good enough to deserve it. He presses himself back ever so slightly, and even with the painful throbbing in his cock, he can't get enough of the feeling of Victor inside him, setting all his nerves alight.

Victor speeds up his thrusts, balls slapping against Benji's ass, his hand gliding along the column of Benji's neck as he chokes him and fucks him so hard it's all he can think about, and he awaits the welcome sensation of Victor filling him up with his seed, the tendons popping out of the backs of his knuckles as he grips the trunk of the tree.

But it never comes.

Grunting, Victor pulls out just at the last second, leaving him at a loss, and bites the juncture of his neck and shoulder, making Benji hiss, as he spills his hot cum all over Benji's bare ass.

He could almost cry as Victor shudders behind him, the puffs of air beating cooly against where his teeth had been moments before, as Victor smacks his ass cheeks a few times with his softening cock before his belt jingles as he tucks himself back in.

Benji can only stand there, blissed out of his mind, as Victor kisses him, slow and hard, in that way that leaves him wanting more and chasing his lips even as he pulls away, as if his desperation will make Victor have mercy on him and let him have the release he craves. But as he leans against the bark digging into his chafed skin, heaving, he remembers it's just part of the game.

"Thank you, baby," Victor says, as he nuzzles his face into Benji's neck for a moment, before he pulls away, and Benji mewls quietly at the loss.

Victor hums and kneels, the leaves crunching under his legs, as Benji peeks over his shoulder and his breath hitches in his throat when Victor makes eye contact with him.

Shoving Benji down with a hand on his lower back, Victor chuckles to himself as his tongue flits out, lapping at the stripes of cum covering Benji's pale ass, the sensation of it dragging along Benji's overheated skin making him shudder.

Taking his time, Victor licks the stripes of cum from the surface of his ass, and all Benji can do is bury his face in the crook of his arm as Victor's tongue caresses him. Benji sighs just as Victor smacks him one last time before he slips the vibrator back inside Benji's hole. Victor fixes Benji's panties and zips up his jumpsuit before he pushes himself to his feet again.

"There we go..." Victor mutters, grabbing Benji by the hair and pulling their mouths together.

Benji gasps as Victor slips his tongue into his mouth, the salty taste of Victor's cum mixing between them and making Benji lightheaded as he raises his arm to tangle in Victor's hair, too. Victor kisses him so hard and so long, he sucks the breath out of him, and even as he pulls away, Benji's drawn back to him again, as if pleading for him to squeeze out all the oxygen from his body so there's nothing left at all. But Victor smiles at him in the dimness as he takes a step back and takes Benji by the hand, leading him out of the woods.

"Thank you for your cum, Sir," Benji finally says in return, cheeky, as he stands up on his toes and kisses Victor on the cheek.

Victor gives him a Cheshire cat grin. "My pleasure."

They make their way back through the trees by the light of the flashlight from Victor's phone, the static still crackling between them but quieted for now at Victor's request. And Benji reminds himself once again that he can be good. Patient.

He glances at Victor from the side of his eye in the darkness, and Victor does the same, his thumb gently swiping the back of Benji's hand every so often in that tender way that almost makes him melt again, and he can't stop the smile from blooming on his lips.

Until Victor freezes, stopping Benji in his tracks, too. "What was that?"

"What do you mean?" Benji whispers back.

"I heard something..." There's a soft crack nearby and Victor gasps. "Shit--"

The little light emanating from his phone falls to the ground, leaving a tiny sliver of gold peeking out from beneath the leaves. His arms wrap around Benji's back like a vice. Rolling his eyes, Benji leans over and picks the phone off the ground, brushing off the dirt, before he brandishes it in front of him.

"Where was it coming from?" Benji asks, pointing the flashlight to the space beside them as Victor tugs at his arm

"I don't know, let's just get outta here! Before we get attacked by like, a bear or something--"

Another slightly louder crack emanates through the woods, and Victor makes a strangled noise as he pulls Benji along with him back toward the opening leading out of the woods, where the light from the street greets them, beckoning them forward.

There's one more crack and the flashlight lands on a small figure standing statuesque in place, staring back at them with wide, dark eyes, and Benji shakes his head as he laughs. "Babe... it's just a deer. Look."

"Oh my god..." Victor deflates, smacking himself in the forehead before he buries his face in both hands. "This is super embarrassing."

"It's okay, seriously." Benji can't stop himself from giggling some more as he rubs Victor's arm soothingly while they walk. He snorts to himself. "Who would win in a fight? My six-foot-tall jock boyfriend or one small deer?"

"I'm six-one..." Victor mutters, but he chuckles despite himself as he drapes an arm over Benji's shoulder. "But I don't know, I feel like it would be close." He smiles against Benji's skin as he kisses his cheek lightly, just as they leave the woods behind them.

"Personally... my money's on the deer," Benji teases.

Benji slips his hand into Victor's back pocket and gives his ass a gentle squeeze as they trek back toward the gentle glow of the fire. When Victor plops down on the chair again, Benji doesn't think further as he lowers himself back onto Victor's lap, even though he knows it'll only serve to frustrate him again.

He's gotten used to the friction, the drawn out buzzing and crackling inside him that threatens to make him snap. But he knows better than to give into it, if only for the fact that he can't risk disappointing Victor with his own impatience.

Squirming in his seat, Benji takes a deep breath and holds it in his lungs for a moment before he exhales slowly; he's not reached his limit yet, and Victor knows this better than he lets on. And that thought makes a shiver shoot up his back as he empties his mind of thoughts, focusing instead on how much he's enjoying spending time with Victor and their families.

No. Their family.

Beside them, Adrian is lying with his bottom half on the chair, his legs hooked around the armrests while his head and torso are on the ground as he simply stares up at the fire, mesmerized.

"Ay dios mio--Adrian!" Isabel snaps, slurring her words ever so slightly as she points at him with her wine glass. "What did I tell you? Sit normally or you're--you're gonna break your n-neck!"

Adrian rolls his eyes and slips off the chair onto the grass, rolling over onto his back before he sits up, smacking the blades of grass away from him with a grimace. "Ugh, can't do anything fun around here..."

"She should probably worry less about that and more about the fact that she's drunk off her ass..." Victor mutters, before he waves his arm at Armando from across the fire pit. "Dad, we probably need to cut her off... She's gonna be pissed if she gets hungover tomorrow..."

Armando nods, chuckling to himself as he takes the opened bottle of wine from where it sits beside Isabel on the grass and hides it on the other side of him, out of her line of sight.

"I feel like my mom stressed yours out a little bit over dessert," Benji muses, running a hand through his hair before he links it with the one draped over Victor's neck. "Maybe I should've told everyone I'm an alcoholic to break the tension."

"Noooo, mi alma, absolutely not," Victor says, lowering his voice. "When you're ready, not before. You know that."

"Yeah, I just... honestly, like... I feel like there's never gonna be a 'good' time for it to come up, you know? Now's a better time than ever, right?"

There's a pause and Victor watches Benji with an expression that would be difficult for him to read if he were any other person, a look so serious that Benji could almost worry about Victor getting angry at him. But Benji holds his own expression firm and steady; he trusts that Victor will never direct his anger at him again.

"Are you sure?" Victor finally asks.

Benji takes a moment to gaze out at their family sitting together around the fire, deep in conversation, before he raises his face upward, where the cloudless summer sky sits peppered with faint stars like a blanket knitted in a thick, dark yarn that lets only the strongest light through, watching over them. He can't help but smile.

"Yeah. I am," Benji says, emphatic. "I'm still amazed that my mom didn't spill it yet, though. And I guess, in a similar vein, the fact that your dad is still talking to mine, which means mine hasn't said anything racist after my mom and I had to remind him to mind his tongue."

Victor chuckles, rubbing Benji's back soothingly. "I guess people can surprise you."

They lock eyes and Benji nods as his mind drifts to the day when that white brick building loomed over him, right before the moment when his fate would be irrevocably tied to Victor's forever.

"So, how do you wanna do this?" Victor asks, bringing Benji back to the present and into his arms.

"Uhh..."

Normally, now would be the time when Benji starts sweating uncontrollably and trying to keep himself from keeling over and vomiting all over his shoes, but for some reason, his pulse is as placid as a lake sitting frozen on the tundra, as if his blood isn't even moving at all.

"I guess I'll just wing it."

Victor chuckles, clapping his hands in front of him, almost startling Benji. "Okay. Listen up everyone. Benji has something he wants to share."

"Damn, babe, you don't waste any time, huh..." Benji mutters, as everyone turns their attention to him, curious.

"Oh. I thought you meant like. Right now, before you lose your nerve."

"I meant--you know what, what the hell..." Benji shakes his head, good-natured, as he shifts in Victor's lap so he can face their family. "Yeah, I do have something to share, actually. But I also don't want this to be a whole thing. This isn't like, a Q&A or whatever."

They nod, and Benji's strength begins to wane despite himself, but he doesn't let it. He sits up straight, ignoring the sensation that comes along with any sort of movement he'd made today, Victor's solid form reminding him that he isn't alone.

"Well... mom, dad, Victor..." he looks to each of them in turn, "you already know what this is about. But... I wanted you all to know. Because... well..." Benji pauses, weighing his words in the scales of his mind, pursing his lips as he struggles to name his compulsion.

"Because we're all family now, right?" Victor says, his voice almost innocent as he brushes a lock of hair from Benji's eyes. "And families trust each other."

Benji smiles, nodding, before he leans in to kiss Victor gently on the cheek. "That's exactly it. So, um..."

It's quiet as everyone turns their attention to him, and unlike when he's playing his guitar or losing himself in his paintings, the gnawing of self-consciousness makes his cheeks warm somehow as he swallows the lump in his throat. He wrings his hands anxiously as he chooses a spot behind his mother's head to stare at instead. When there's a warm weight on his back, Benji inhales the crisp air of courage, revitalized once more.

"You got this, babe," Victor urges soothingly, reassuringly, as he slips his hand into Benji's, and Benji knows he's right.

"Okay, well... when I was younger, and I was still figuring myself out... I struggled. A lot. And it may come as a shock because, I mean... look at me." He pauses, motioning up and down at himself with a grin, "but I wasn't a huge fan of the whole 'being gay' thing. And I didn't like myself very much. So... I drank. A lot. Because I was scared about what would happen if I was honest with myself and the people around me."

He pauses as, from the corner of his eye, Alice looks away, and something pangs in his chest. The wind picks up, swirling through the trees almost dangerously to urge him onward. When Victor squeezes his hand, he continues.

"Basically... I'm an alcoholic," he says simply, as naturally as if he'd just exhaled. And as quickly as he'd said it, it's over.

It hangs in the air between them, as Isabel and Armando and Pilar turn their attention to him as if they're inspecting him, and Pilar's mouth hangs open in a little 'o' as she nods. Adrian stares off into space at something in the darkness, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

"Thank you for telling us. For being brave," Armando says warmly, smiling at Benji, and he can't help but smile back, relieved. "I know that must have been hard."

"Thank you for being so cool about it," Benji breathes. If only my real dad had been that cool...

"You know your dad and I love you very much, sweetie, no matter what happens," Alice says sternly.

"I know, I know. I love you, too."

Isabel takes a sip from her empty wine glass, frowning as she feels around for the bottle in the vicinity of the legs of her chair. She clicks her tongue when she glances around and it's nowhere to be found. "I just think it's funny that... you--" she points at Alice, accusatory, "wanted to come for me for how I acted when Victor came out when--when your son turned to alcohol instead because he didn't even feel comfortable enough to be honest with you!" She hiccups. Benji bites the inside of his cheek so hard, it draws blood.

"Whoa, mami, that was way outta pocket!" Victor snaps, his hand tightening on Benji's leg.

"You're lucky I can't move... 'cause other...wise... I would kick your ass," Alice slurs, smacking Isabel on the arm.

"What? I'm just saying." She holds her hands up in front of her defensively. "And I'm not judging either. I mean, damn, I'm not Mother Teresa, after all. I just know this sort of thing can be... difficult to deal with." She glances at Victor. "And it can be good to have your parents in your corner."

Benji takes a deep breath and holds it in his lungs, forcing a smile. He wants to believe her. "Am I allowed to talk again or are we just gonna keep making this about ourselves?"

"All right, all right..." Isabel mutters, under the pointed glares of everyone aside from Richard. "I'll try not to steal your thunder again."

"Thank you... Anyways..." Benji sighs, rolling his eyes. "I mean, that was mostly it. I don't need to... go into all the details, that can be for another time when we're all... sober," he adds drily, smirking, as he eyes Isabel and Alice, whose eyes are drooping as if they weigh as much as watermelons. "Thanks for coming to my Ted talk."

A silence falls over them, and Benji raises an eyebrow as no one says anything more for a long time, the only noises coming from cars off in the distance.

"Oof, that's rough, man," Pilar says, breaking the silence. She pats Benji's shoulder awkwardly. "It's good you're better now, though, I guess."

Benji chuckles. "Thanks. It's definitely... a lot easier than it was when I was younger, that's for sure."

She gives his arm a squeeze as she glances to Victor, before she looks him dead in the face, her tone more genuine than he's even heard from her when she finally speaks again. "I'm only saying this 'cause you're the coolest guy my brother has dated but I'm glad you're still here. No cap."

"You know what..." Benji's eyes twinkle as he peeks over his shoulder, and Victor's eyes lock with his in return. "I'm glad I'm still here, too. Otherwise we wouldn't have met. And I wouldn't be so fucking happy." And he means it.

They sit for a while longer around the fire, the night deepening around them even beyond the limits of possibility, the air cool as it whips every which way. Benji shivers as he retreats into the heat of Victor's chest, the rigid muscle pressing against his spine, strong arms snaking around him and drawing him protectively against him. His eyelids flutter closed; he could stay there in Victor's embrace for the rest of his life if Victor would let him.

Benji's watches Isabel and Alice still in the throes of conversation that looks more like a sparring match than anything else, voices raised to frightening levels right before they burst into tipsy laughter. He raises his eyebrow and shakes his head. Richard and Armando sit sipping at their nth beers as they nod and grunt at the other about sports and Martin Scorsese movies and World War II trivia and Benji wonders once again what the hell is wrong with cis-het men.

"Ugh I'm so bored..." Adrian mutters, burying his face in his hands.

Pilar frowns, ruffling his hair. "I know, right? Hanging out with adults is the worst. And I am an adult..."

"We don't have to stay here. Like... this was kinda just supposed to be so our parents could get to know each other, so... We could always go do something else, " Benji says.

"Like what?"

There's a pause as all four of them stare at each other, eyebrows raised.

"Well, actually..." Pilar says slowly, as she glances up at the sky, pensive. "I was organizing my makeup collection before you guys came over... and you're good at organizing, right, Benji?"

Benji grimaces for a moment, before his eyebrows shoot into his hairline and he tips his head to the side. "Wait... what if we wore the makeup... while organizing the makeup."

"If you wanted a makeover, you could've just asked."

Victor grins and shakes his head. "Oh my god, remember when you kept putting makeup on me while I was asleep and then I would wake up and you would yell at me for ruining it when I rubbed my eyes?"

"I put a lot of hard work into that!" Pilar snaps, standing up from her seat. She grabs him by the wrist and shoves Benji aside. "Come on, I've gotten better since then... You get to go back to being my guinea pig..."

"Wait, uh... can someone paint my nails? I've been wanting to try something!" Adrian calls after her as Benji rises from his seat, too.

Benji smiles at him and wiggles the fingers of one hand in front of his own face. "Yeah, come on. I can do it so it looks really clean and perfect. See?"

"Okay, I'm already obsessed with this."

They run to catch up to Victor and Pilar, out of breath as Benji almost tackles Victor with a giggle as they approach the stoop. He drapes himself across Victor as they climb the stairs, their laughter reverberating off the walls of the empty building as they make it back to Victor's apartment and go inside.

Benji almost expects, wishes, for Victor to shove him to his knees and make him suck his dick again when they go into the bathroom to wash their hands, but he shivers when Victor gives him a knowing look and says nothing as he wipes his hands, before he kisses Benji hard, slipping his tongue into his mouth, and gives him a quick swat on the ass to tell him to pick up the pace as they make their way to Pilar's room.

They all pile onto Pilar's bed as she curls up on her chair beside it and pulls out her makeup palettes. Victor sits in front of her while Adrian hums to himself and applies yellow nail polish to his nails to match his shirt. Benji sits with his back against the wall, beside Victor and Adrian, simply observing them curiously, as he brings his knee to his chest. They chatter mindlessly as heavy guitar riffs and screams emanate from Pilar's speakers.

"You said you're an 'alcoholic', right?' Adrian asks, picking the brush up from Victor's now yellow nail as he glances at Benji. "I've heard of alcoholism before but I don't really get it. What does it... do?"

Benji chuckles as Victor's mouth falls open. "Adrian, damn, warn a guy before you ask that..."

"It's okay. I'm not, like, offended or anything. It's just... a little weird to be able to talk about it openly with people who aren't like... a social worker or therapist." Benji leans back with his palms on the bed and stares up at the stark white ceiling that contrasts with the deep black of the walls.

"Yeah, it's better to be direct, at the end of the day," Pilar says, before she clicks her tongue and grabs Victor's chin. "Hold still!"

"I'm not doing anything!" Victor snaps.

Pilar rolls her eyes. "Well, when you talk, your big ass head moves."

"My head isn't big..." Victor mutters, before he clamps his lips tightly shut, just as Pilar groans and squeezes his cheeks.

"I still gotta do your lipstick."

"As I was saying..." Benji shoots PIlar a glare, before he turns his attention back to Adrian. "Lemme use a metaphor. You like candy, right, Adrian?"

Adrian nods as he leans in closer to Victor's nails, trying his best not to get any polish on the cuticle. "Mhm. My favorite used to be Skittles but I think I'm more of a Starburst kinda guy these days."

"Ewww. Swedish Fish all that way. Get some taste, lil' bro." Pilar wrinkles her nose.

Victor shakes his head and covers his face with his other hand as he chuckles to himself and Benji can't help but do the same.

"Well, have you ever eaten a lot of candy even though your mom told you not to, and then you got sick and just felt really bad afterward?" Benji asks.

Pausing, Adrian taps his finger against his lip before he nods again. "Yeah... more times than I'd care to admit."

"It didn't stop you from wanting to eat more of it, though, did it?"

"Hell no."

"Right. Now... imagine doing that every day, and you can't stop even if you want to. And imagine doing it not because it's fun, but because you have something... really big and stressful that you're trying to distract yourself from. So you basically feel like shit all the time."

Adrian's face goes uncomfortably serious as he nods a third time, this time far too sagely for Benji's comfort. "I see... and the thing you were trying to distract yourself from..." He twists the cap of the nail polish to close it before he sets it on Pilar's nightstand. "Was because you're gay and you... didn't want to be at the time? That's... really depressing."

"It was super depressing..." Benji says quietly, wrenching his mind away from the dark recesses of his mind he'd walked through alone for all those years. "I drank because I couldn't accept myself and it was..." He sighs heavily. "Really lonely. And it sucked."

Victor glances at Benji before he raises a hand to Benji's shoulder and pats him carefully.

"Ohhhh, so that's why you don't drink even though you're allowed," Adrian says.

"Yep."

"And that's why Victor doesn't drink, either. Because boyfriend solidarity or whatever."

Benji raises an eyebrow. "I mean that's part of it but also Victor technically can't drink for another... five months."

"'Technically'." Adrian makes air quotes next to his head. He puts the finishing touches on Victor's nails.

"Meanwhile, kids in Europe, where they have normal laws and free healthcare, are drinking at eighteen." Pilar grimaces as she touches up the area around Victor's eyes with some concealer. "Make it make sense."

"We really aren't missing out, though, but I get what you're saying," Victor says with a giggle. "Europe has its own problems, though, obviously..."

"Like what? Too much of a work-life balance?"

"Oh, I don't know... xenophobia, legacies of colonialism, racism... a bunch of other shit," Benji muses.

Pilar rolls her eyes. "So the same stuff as here."

"Yep. Pretty much. And our governments all like starting wars over oil, so what's new. It's almost like a lot of countries suck. But anyways..." Victor raises his hands up in front of him to examine Adrian's work. "Damn, man, nice job. I feel really pretty." He bats his eyelashes cutely, and Benji can't help but lean in and kiss him tenderly on the shoulder.

"Thanks. Yellow really is your color." Adrian turns around and hums to himself as he slides a few bottles of nail polish across the nightstand before he places them gently in front of Benji. "Benji, you're an artist, right? Which color do you think would look good on me?"

Leaning forward, Benji purses his lips. He moves the bottles of green and yellow and white and indigo across the blanket with little clicks as he picks up the indigo and green. He holds them up to Victor's face. "What do you think, babe?"

"Definitely indigo. No question." Victor grins, just as Pilar smacks his cheek.

"I said stay still!" she snaps. "Otherwise, you're gonna look like a clown."

Victor glances over Pilar's shoulder at the mirror on her desk. "I already look like a clown."

Benji snorts as he twists the cap of the nail polish and wrenches it open; he motions for Adrian to come closer. "You don't look like a clown, babe. You look like..." he squints for a few seconds. "Halle Berry if she had facial hair."

"Okay, I'm not mad about that 'cause she's really pretty." Victor nods, his cheeks darkening ever so slightly.

Pilar pauses, eyebrows knitting together as her mouth twists in one direction and then the other. "Uhhh... I'm gonna pretend you didn't just say that because I had a huge crush on her as a kid."

"Gross, isn't she like... mom's age?" Adrian says, wrinkling his nose as Benji drags the brush full of indigo polish across the surface of the nail on his index finger.

"Wouldn't that make her a MILF, then?" Benji muses.

"I keep hearing that word and no one will tell me what it means and also I'm kinda scared to Google it."

Victor chuckles, covering his face in the back of his hand as Pilar snorts, keeled over with her forehead against her knees. "We'll tell you when you're older, okay? I don't need mom lecturing me in the middle of the washing machine section of Home Depot again after she overheard you asking me what kind of dog we're getting 'cause you found a collar in my room. It was embarrassing."

Benji's face heats up and his eyelid twitches as Victor makes eye contact with him. He swallows thickly as he nudges Victor with his shoulder. "A 'dog collar', ey?"

"Benji, I swear to god if you say anything--"

"Oh, please, babe, I was literally lecturing you about boundaries earlier, I'm in no position to be saying anything." He winks.

"But you didn't get in trouble," Pilar says.

Clicking his tongue, Victor swats at Pilar's hands as Benji chuckles beside him. "That's not the point..."

"I just wanted to know! But whatever, mom and dad said no anyway." Adrian shrugs. "Apparently there's 'not enough space', even if we got a chihuahua or something small. It's not fair."

"Yeah, our parents can be strict if they wanna be. That's why the trick is to go adopt an animal and bring it home and then say 'well, I guess we're stuck with it'. They're not gonna return an adorable little puppy to the pound," Pilar says sagely, grinning mischievously as she holds up one finger. "I mean, Victor and I are both over eighteen, so..." She glances at Victor expectantly.

"What?" Victor squints at her.

"Ever since mom fixed herself after she treated you like crap when you came out, you basically have immunity. You could literally physically fight mom and she would say sorry to you."

Sighing, Victor rolls his eyes. "Not true. She was pissed at me after the whole... Connor incident."

"Yeah, yeah, she gave you a little slap on the wrist 'cause she found out her 'perfect' son isn't actually so perfect after all, big deal." Pilar waves a hand dismissively. "What's she gonna do, ground you? Get real, man."

"Who's Connor?" Adrian asks, raising an eyebrow.

"My mortal enemy." Benji clenches his fist, rage pulsating through his veins. "Let's hope you two never cross paths 'cause he's the worst."

Victor shakes his head, good-natured, as he raises a hand and gently taps Benji's nose with one finger. "You're cute when you get angry, babe."

"Shut up, no I'm not..." Benji bites back a smile.

Pilar lets out an exasperated sigh. "Anyways... Just try it out. Get Adrian a dog and as soon as they find out it was you who did it, they'll calm down."

"I'm not gonna take advantage of them..." Victor says.

"Wait, Victor, can you actually?" Adrian's hand jolts and Benji hisses as he accidentally draws a stripe on the side of Adrian's finger. "Oops."

"You gotta stay still, buddy, I'm gonna get nail polish everywhere." Benji chuckles as he wipes it with a piece of tissue paper, lifting his leg to examine the dark bedsheets and shrugging when it seems spotless.

"We're not getting a dog!" Victor snaps. He rubs the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger and groans.

Adrian pouts. "I could help you do your homework and stuff... I'll proofread your essays! Or I can pretend I broke my leg and you can say you have to take care of me so you can get an extension on your assignments."

"That's actually kind of a good idea..." Benji mutters.

"Oh my god, babe, you're on their side, too?" Victor says sarcastically as he drapes his arm across his forehead dramatically. "Can't trust anyone in this house..."

"All right, that's enough..." Benji gives Victor a good-natured side-eye as he sets the nail polish aside and Adrian holds his hands up to his face in awe. "What do you think?"

"This color is everything," Adrian says, beaming. "Thanks, Benji."

He opens his arms wide and carefully wraps his arms around Benji's back, as Benji does the same. When they part, Benji holds his hand up for a high-five.

"Glad you like it. Try not to touch anything for a while so you don't mess it up. Maybe stick your hands in some ice water or something."

"Good idea. I think I'll do that while I watch more Attack on Titan." Adrian slides off the bed slowly and shuffles across the room before he disappears into the hallway with a muffled 'See ya', leaving Benji alone with Victor and Pilar, as Pilar tries to hold Victor's eyelid steady.

Benji slots himself against Victor's side, draping Victor's arm over his shoulder as he wraps both of his own arms around his middle. He sighs, letting his head rest against Victor's chest, the silence between them cut in half only by the steady beat of Victor's heart in Benji's ear as he takes it in, eyes going wide as Victor presses against the faint outline of the remote in the pocket of his pants. Benji jumps ever so slightly, biting his lip as he squirms in his seat, glaring at Victor as he crosses his legs and rests his hands in his lap, his mind flooding with fog almost immediately.

He takes a deep breath and holds it as he watches Pilar swipe black lines onto Victor's eyelids, biting into his lip as he wraps both arms around Victor's, almost digging his nails into his skin. After hours of taking it quietly and patiently, Benji knows he's approaching his limit. And when Victor peeks at him from the corner of his eye, lip curling up ever so slightly, he wonders if Victor realizes this, too.

"For fuck's sake, Victor! I'm gonna have to redraw this line again!" Pilar snaps, chuckling her eyeliner pen at the wall and almost screaming. "Ugh I give up!" she pauses, glancing around the room as she leans over to pick it up. "What's that noise?"

"What noise?" Victor asks innocently, and Benji's breath almost vacates his lungs completely as he draws his legs closer to his body.

"That buzzing... is there another damn mosquito in here?" She lifts her pillow and stands up, inspecting the ceiling.

Benji shuts his eyes tightly and scoffs. "I don't hear anything..."

"Hmm..." She sighs, plopping back down on the chair. "Whatever, lemme try this one last time or else it's gonna drive me up the fucking wall--"

"Oh, please, how hard can it be?" Benji teases, chuckling low in his throat. "I can drive a car and do eyeliner at the same time."

Victor snorts, letting his hand trail down Benji's spine inch by tantalizing inch. "Is that so? You wanna bet on it?"

Biting his lip, Benji nods. "Y-yeah..." He leans in closer and whispers in Victor's ear. "Please, Daddy. I... I can't take much more of this. I'm... I'm getting close... And I've been so good, Sir... Please..."

Pilar stares at them, face twisted in confusion, as she shoves the eyeliner pencil into Benji's hand. "Have at it, weirdos..."

Smirking, Victor lets his hand rest against Benji's lower back, his fingers toying with the little metal zipper only he and Benji know about. His breath is scorching when it hits Benji's ear. "Are you sure you can't hang in there a little longer, kitten?"

"I really can't, Sir," Benji whispers back, tears slithering into the corners of his eyes as a wave of pain and pleasure and frustration and static hits him all at once. "I need it--I need you."

Victor kisses Benji softly on the cheek, his dark red lips sticking to his skin in a way Benji knows will leave a mark of ownership on him for a while, just in that way that makes Benji shiver in anticipation.

"I'm so proud of you, baby." Victor's fingers encircle Benji's slightly smaller wrist as his heart swells with pride.

"What're you two dorks whispering about? God, don't tell me it's something nasty..." Pilar mutters.

Rolling his eyes, Victor turns his attention to Pilar. "I, uh... I think I left the straightener on in my room."

"You don't even have a straightener!" Pilar snaps.

Victor rolls his eyes and pulls Benji to his feet. "I do, it just doesn't work." He pauses, chuckling to himself, and Benji would laugh, too, if he didn't want Victor to bend him over this instant. "Get it, 'cause I'm gay."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Just go." Pilar raises a middle finger as he and Benji dart out of the room.

They almost trip over their own feet in the few seconds it takes to cross the hallway between Pilar and Victor's room.

And when Victor slams the door shut, he locks it a split second before Benji has him pressed up against it, their mouths locked in a heated battle, just before Victor flips them around so he's shoving Benji into the hard surface none of them even bother to pay attention to in favor of the heat radiating between them and their groins and everything everywhere, all around them.

If Victor's knee wasn't holding Benji's legs open the way he craves, in that way that makes his spirit leave his body and feel so fucking good, he'd wonder if maybe, he was in Hell, even though he knows this is undoubtedly Heaven instead.

Benji moans quietly into Victor's mouth as Victor shoves his tongue between his lips, the back of his head digging painfully into the door, but he can barely even sense it as Victor kisses the life out of him, his own hands traveling south and digging into Victor's ass and hips hard enough to bruise.

He can't even bring himself to think beyond the primal as Victor pulls away and loops his finger through the ring on Benji's chain, tugging him away from the door as he guides him to the bed, slowly shuffling backward across the floor, their gazes held between them, smoldering, until the backs of Victor's thighs bump into the mattress. Benji doesn't know what comes over him when he reaches out, palms connecting with Victor's sternum, and Victor lands with a soft thump on his bed, right before Benji climbs on top of him, grabbing him by the chin as he connects their lips again.

Victor gasps against Benji's teeth, and Benji can't help but grin as Victor melts beneath him for a moment, and his eyelids flutter closed as he separates from him, pressing tiny kisses tinged with deep red wax to the side of his mouth, trailing down his jaw to his neck as Victor groans to himself and scrambles for something for a moment, before there's that familiar sensation of stiff pleather wrapping around his neck, the metal clasp cool against his hot skin.

Chuckling to himself, Victor grips the collar firmly, controlled, as he brings Benji back toward his face, his other hand almost ripping Benji's hair out at the roots the way that makes his cock twitch in its confines, which would normally get him excited if he hadn't been in this oversensitive, aroused state for hours without being able to cum. But Victor doesn't care and Benji loves that even more.

"You said you could do my eyeliner while driving a car..." Victor teases, voice husky, as he pulls away, grinning evilly as he unzips his pants. "I think I have a good substitute."

Benji swallows, squirming on top of Victor as his heart booms so loudly, he wonders if it'll break his ribs. He just wants Victor's cock inside him more than he's ever wanted it in his life and he wants to finally cum, dammit!

And when Victor's cock springs out, smacking him in the stomach, he crosses his arms behind his head as he watches Benji from beneath hooded eyelids, smirking. "What're you waiting for, kitten? Get to it."

"You really like calling me kitten lately, huh..." Benji mutters, as he reaches behind himself with shaky hands and unzips his jumpsuit, although somehow, the one time he wants it off swiftly, the zipper catches on every piece of fabric that's suddenly materialized. "Fucking hell this thing is complicated."

Rolling his eyes, Victor sighs as he shifts underneath Benji's weight and sits up. "Let's just take this thing off... It was convenient before, but now it's just getting in the way..."

Victor kisses Benji gently on the cheek as he undoes the top of Benji's outfit, tugging the zipper down to his belly before he separates both sides and slips it off Benji's shoulders, pressing his lips delicately along his broad chest. Benji bites his lips tightly as he raises himself up off Victor's lap and shimmies out of the rest of the jumpsuit, before he tosses it behind him and sits there in only his panties, the cool air making him shiver as Victor's eyes go back to taking him in.

"I like this a lot..." Victor taps his finger gently right beside Benji's navel, where the simple silver barbell peeks out. "It looks really good on you, baby."

"Thank you... I wanted to surprise you. And I guess it worked." Benji's cheeks heat up and he almost looks away, but stops himself just in time, because there's nothing Benji likes more than being admired by Victor, even if it makes him weak in the knees at the same time.

"You definitely did." Smiling, Victor gazes at his piercing lovingly for a moment longer, before he tilts his head up so he can face Benji. "Where were we..." Victor says, humming, before he drags his hand slightly down to Benji's hips, where his fingers toy with the lacy panties Benji's all but spilling out of. "I want these off, too."

Benji gulps, scrambling to take them off as Victor orders. "Yes, Daddy."

"That's my good boy... Now I want you to ride me and make me look cute as I asked." Victor smiles, pinching one of Benji's nipples hard enough for the sting to make Benji hiss in pleasure and pain.

"Whatever you say, Daddy..." Benji says, a challenging glint in his eyes even as he comes more undone with each passing second.

He grits his teeth as he reaches behind himself, breath going ragged as he pulls the vibrator out of himself slowly and sets it aside, his insides aching to be filled again, as he whines and feels around for Victor's cock. When his hand makes contact with that thick, fleshy rod he's become all too familiar with, he bites back another moan as he strokes him a few times before he positions the head of Victor's dick right in front of his puckered hole, not even hesitating before he sinks down onto it.

As Victor stretches him open, Benji's head falls back, completely and utterly boneless, mouth opening in a silent plea for more. If he weren't completely gone, he would be wondering why Victor's cock fits into him so perfectly, as if it were made of magic, because as soon as he slips inside, Benji loses all semblance of rational thought, as if all he's been built for is taking Victor in every possible position.

Victor chuckles breathily as he raises his hand to Benji's cheek, caressing it gently as Benji nuzzles against it, every touch from Victor only serving to earn a response from Benji that he can't even control. But he can't even bring himself to complain as he raises himself up on his knees and drops down around Victor's cock, gasping as he hits that spot inside himself hard enough to make himself see white.

"I wonder if you'll be able to keep your hands steady..." Victor muses, as he slips the eyeliner pen into Benji's hand and grips his hips with the other.

Swallowing, Benji nods quickly. "Y-yeah... Of course I can... What do you take me for, an... an amateur?"

Gritting his teeth, Benji rocks himself gently on Victor's cock, his brain going hazy but sharp all at once as he sets his wrist down against Victor's cheek, stilling his hand as he uses the other to hold Victor's eyelid down.

"Please don't move... Sir..." Benji mutters, as he draws an unhurried line across Victor's upper lid, hissing as Victor's eye twitches underneath the delicate skin.

Benji slowly exhales as he drags the pen from the inner part of Victor's eye to the outer bit, biting his lip as he nears the end. Just a few more millimeters...

But when Victor's hips buck up into him, sending a wave of pleasure bursting through him, Benji gasps. He claps his hands over his mouth, tears pooling and stinging at the corners of his eyes as the eyeliner clatters to the floor.

"Oops..." Victor mutters apologetically, but the way he's grinning up at Benji makes him realize he's not sorry at all.

"Is that the best you got, Daddy?" Benji says, voice quiet and gravelly, as he grinds down onto Victor's cock and moans low in his throat; Victor's grip tightens on his thighs. "I'm starting to realize this actually isn't that bad..."

Biting back another moan, Benji slowly, tantalizingly, swirls his hips around as he leans down, fringe blanketing his eyes as he presses his lips to Victor's. He lets his hands rest on the outside of Victor's neck gently, but he's not afraid to squeeze him anymore if he asks; he can almost see why Victor likes being on top so much.

When Victor kisses him back fiercely, Benji's head goes light and heavy at the same time again, just as Victor shoves him off him hard and his back collides with the mattress with a thwump.

He barely has time to register when Victor's wrenching his legs open, the adrenaline boiling in his veins as his knees hit his chest and Victor's weight is on him, reminding him of his place, where he belongs, his mouth hot, skin slippery against him as he holds him down and slides his cock back inside even deeper than before. It's enough to split him in half in the best way, the way that makes him lose his ability to imagine anything but the present sensation of Victor in every crevice of him.

His head drops back and Victor's face is immediately at his neck, mouth sucking hard enough to leave those marks of ownership Benji craves, the ones he'll wear even when his collar is off to remind himself and others of who he belongs to. Nails digging into sinewy, muscled flesh, all he can do is breathe Victor in and take his dick over and over again, gasping and whining into Victor's mouth as he clings to him, desperate for release.

"P-please... please, Daddy..." Benji breathes into his ear, body wracking with another wave of pleasure as Victor hits that spot just right. The corners of his eyes prick again, his entire body buzzing with electricity. "Please let me cum... I've been so good..."

Victor grins against his skin as his huge hands grip the undersides of Benji's thighs almost painfully, but it turns to pleasure just as quickly. He pulls out and thrusts inside one more time, giving his ass a good, hard smack, before he reaches behind Benji toward something on the nightstand. "You have been a good boy... and you're asking so nicely, baby..."

Benji can't even bring himself to speak when Victor pauses, holding the small key in front of Benji's face as if it were a gift. He growls, grabbing for it, just as Victor holds it right out of his reach.

"Be patient, I'm getting to it, you whore..." Victor mutters, as he slips his hand between them, shifting in Benji's hole as he slides the key into the little padlock holding his chastity cage together.

"For fuck's sake, thank you, Daddy..." He gasps as soon as Victor frees his cock from its confines, and the relief that shoots through him is like nothing he's ever experienced, his dick so painfully hard as it slaps against his stomach and against his piercing, he would wonder if it was about to fall off if he were in a different state of mind.

But right now, all he wants is for Victor to fuck him so he can make up for all the times he didn't get to cum that evening. He cranes up to kiss Victor, slipping his tongue into his mouth as his hands wander down to Victor's ass, and he digs his fingers into the flesh, urging him on. Victor slides into him again and Benji's eyes leak pathetically as he whines and reels and writhes under him.

It only takes a few thrusts for Benji to reach his limit. But even as the tears stream down his face, Victor's movements speed up and Benji's body is on autopilot as he thrusts his hips back, breathing Victor in as he approaches his peak, too. Victor's whispering filthy words into his ears as he always does, reminding Benji that yes, he is Victor's amazing cumslut and he does take Victor's cock so well, because that's exactly what Victor trained him to do.

Benji's heart swells with pride as Victor grips his throat and slams into him so hard, he almost sees stars, every single particle in his body shaking as he holds Victor's gaze. And even though his hole is going to be sore tomorrow, right now all he can think is 'Yes yes yes...'

"Cum for me baby..." Victor finally commands, squeezing the sides of Benji's neck for a few seconds and groaning as he spills his cum deep within him, and Benji delights in the sensation of it sticking to his insides.

Almost immediately, Benji's body shudders as if the ground were trembling beneath their feet. It's as if a switch activates inside him with those words, because as soon as they leave Victor's lips, Benji's world goes blindingly bright and quiet, as if everything in the universe were hitting him all at once and he's entirely helpless to stop it.

His eyes roll back in his head and he loses track of how many times his orgasm hits, the cum spurting out of his cock so hard and so intensely, it covers his entire torso. Victor's still thrusting into him and he doesn't know where Victor's body ends and his own begins.

He takes a massive gulp of air, so overwhelmed with how Victor feels inside him, their flesh joining together as parts of the fabric of the universe, it's as if he's suspended in that moment with Victor for an eternity, where everything floats around him and flesh and time and space itself don't even exist. It's bliss.

And then everything goes black.

Something jostles Benji's shoulder, once, twice, thrice. His head lolls, limp.

"Hey, Benji, baby... Hey--Jesus Christ--Wake up!"

Victor's voice is high, but he tries to hold it steady, even though he can't fool Benji no matter how hard he tries. Something smacks him gently on the cheek. "Please, this isn't fucking funny--"

Benji stirs, head pounding, eyelids opening slowly and closing tightly almost immediately as he groans, the light burning and stinging his pupils as if someone had kicked sand into them. "Ugh, I'm fine, babe. Relax. And... stop talking so loud..."

"Oh, thank god..." Victor mutters, and there's a thud beside Benji as Victor's warm presence sidles up beside him. "But please, don't tell me to relax."

"Babe, I just passed out a little, it's not the end of the world..." Benji rolls his eyes.

"'Just passed out a little'? Benji, baby, this isn't a joke. Don't downplay it, okay? I was so fucking worried... Please don't ever do that again."

"All right, all right... Fine. I won't downplay it. But did you think I died or something? Or that I even have control over this?" Benji giggles, rolling over onto his side and burying his face into Victor's neck, inhaling his sweat and musk as he wraps an arm around him.

"I don't know!"

Sighing, Benji opens his eyes again and props himself up on his elbow. He takes a deep breath, the scent of sweat and sex still wafting around them; he holds it before he exhales. "It's fine, babe. Really. I'm okay. You just... you fucked me too good. It's the only explanation."

"Ugh..." Rolling his eyes, Victor groans, but his lip curls up, too, satisfied. "I guess you're right..."

"Of course I'm right. Your dick was giving me a religious experience. You should be proud of that." Benji's face goes completely serious. "I'm not even joking."

"Good to know... Let's hope it doesn't happen again, though..." Victor's face darkens as he slides himself up into a sitting position and grabs a glass of water from his nightstand, holding it out to Benji. "Drink."

Benji does as he's told without protest, humming quietly to himself as he sips and sips and gulps, not realizing how thirsty he was as the cool liquid splashes down his parched throat, until he finishes the glass and sets it aside with a contented sigh. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, baby. Do you want anymore?"

He contemplates for a moment before he shakes his head and plops himself down on Victor's chest. "No thanks. I'm good on water, but I do want some major cuddles right now."

"That can be arranged, mi corazon." Victor engulfs Benji's form with his arms, drawing him close enough that every part of them tangles together--hair and limbs and lips and fingers.

They lay like that for a long time, breathing in sync, bodies converging, until their sweat dries and the air is cold enough to warrant them hiding under the covers still wrapped up in each other. But Benji doesn't mind; in fact, he would be more than happy staying just like that for far longer, until the sun rises over the horizon, perhaps on his last day on earth.

And as Victor strokes his hair until it almost lulls him to sleep like a lullaby of flesh on flesh, he almost stops the absent little drawings his fingers are making on Victor's chest as he thinks of nothing in particular, reveling in the sensation of simply existing in this time and space together.

"Did you wanna head back outside?" Victor asks gently, plucking an individual strand of hair from Benji's cheek and smoothing it away from his face absently.

Benji's eyes snap open and his pupils follow along as Victor brings his hand down again and strokes his knuckles along the soft flesh of his wrist. "Not really." He burrows the side of his face even further into Victor's chest, reaching up to lace their fingers together. "I'd much rather stay here with you."

Victor chuckles. "We'll have to get up eventually, babe."

"Ugh, don't remind me..." Using their joined hands, Benji drapes Victor's arm over the top half of his face, so only his mouth and nose are still exposed.

"At least in less than twenty-four hours, we'll be together in our bed."

"We're gonna have too much space..." Benji sighs, pulling Victor's arm away from his face and bringing his hand to his lips, kissing it gently.

"I thought you liked space." Victor raises an eyebrow.

Rolling his eyes, Benji rolls off Victor's sweat-dampened chest and lies down flat on his own chest, wincing as the fresh piercing digs into the mattress with a sharp sting. "I do. Just not... too much space. I wanna at least know you're in the apartment with me."

Nodding, Victor mirrors Benji, rolling over to lie beside him, staring at him with a wide grin as he presses their foreheads together. Benji can't stop himself from beaming, too, when he raises a finger to poke Victor's nose gently. They both break out into giggles.

"I'm really excited," Victor says, his warm, brown eyes sparkling.

"Me, too. And I'm most excited about the fact that we won't have awkward roommates barging in on us in the middle of having sex 'cause they're tryna bring in a replacement pet fish."

"Oh my god, I can't believe my dad thought he could fool Adrian like that..."

"He's way too smart for that shit, come on."

"Right?" Victor laughs quietly. "He's definitely smarter than I was at his age..."

Benji shakes his head and rolls onto his side, exhaling loudly as he props his head up on his hand. "Maybe we should go back out, before they start looking for us..."

"That's the spirit."

"But I'm incapacitated because you did a number on all my body parts so you have to be nice to me. Starting with maybe uhh... cleaning me up? Please?" Benji peers up at him with wide eyes, before he adds: "Sir."

"You know you didn't even have to ask, baby..." Victor chuckles to himself as he slides off the bed and into his trousers, wrinkling his nose as his eyes trail over the sheets. "Aaaaand it looks like I'm gonna have to do another load of laundry tomorrow. Fan-tastic."

"No one told you to torture me so much." Benji feigns innocence as he drapes his wrist over his forehead dramatically, sticking his tongue out from between his teeth as he grins mischievously and peeks up at him through one eye.

"Oh now it's too much, when before it was 'Yes, Daddy', 'Please, Daddy', "Whatever you say, Daddy', 'Is that the best you got, Daddy?', 'I'm just a hole for you, Daddy', etc cetera, et cetera," Victor mimics, as he zips up his pants.

Benji almost squeals with laughter as he kicks his legs. "Well, yeah, you've come a long way since you started actually listening to me."

"Hmm... You're right." Victor leans down to kiss Benji gently on the forehead, smoothing his hair down with a crooked smile.

"I know I am." Benji gives him a smug grin. "But I did have a lot of fun today, by the way. I know I like to act like I'm annoyed at you, but... I really do find our whole dynamic to be really fucking enjoyable."

Victor's face softens ever so slightly. "Glad I wasn't too mean."

"Mmm... The meaner the better."

Victor gives him a pensive look before landing a soft smack on his red behind. "Stay here. I'll come back in a second."

"Hey, one more thing, before you go."

"Hm?"

"I love you." Benji smirks, devilish, before he adds: "Daddy."

Victor rolls his eyes, before he leans in, eyelids hooded, and whispers: "Love you, too, baby."

Once they clean up and strip the bed, they dress themselves in some fresh clothes from Victor's closet and retreat back to the fire, where Isabel and Alice are still deep in conversation. As soon as Alice spots Benji, her face twists and she raises a shaky wrist to her face as she examines her watch.

"We should probably get going soon, it's late..." she mutters.

"Oh, don't be silly, Alice. The night is still young! We don't have anywhere to be til tomorrow afternoon," Isabel says, clicking her tongue. "Plus, it's been a while since I got to sit outside and just talk with a friend. This is really nice."

Alice bites back a yawn and pouts before she shrugs. "Eh, why not..." She pauses, rolling her eyes good-naturedly as she gathers her shawl snugly around her. "You annoy the shit outta me at times, Isa, but at the end of the day... you're not so bad. I guess I've been having a good time, too."

Isabel gives her a tight-lipped smile. "Likewise. I know we sorta got off on the wrong foot, but I'm glad that we can get along for the sake of our sons."

"I can be a bit of a hardass, but it's only because I think our boys deserve the best we can give them, especially since Benj's my one and only." Alice blinks at Benji slowly from across the fire. "So I appreciate that." She chuckles, and Isabel does the same. "You definitely seem like a good person. Just... imperfect, at times. Like all of us, I suppose."

"Exactly."

"But I still just can't wrap my head around what you said over dinner--"

Benji shakes his head and sighs as he tunes out the conversation, turning his attention to where Armando and Richard are still sitting across from them.

Adrian is chattering excitedly with Armando and Richard as he leans against Armando's chair, pointing to his nails. Richard's face pinches together as he tries his best to keep what he's thinking away from it. Armando, however, smiles as he nods, impressed.

"This is a very nice color on you, flaco. Very... macho. Good choice," Armando says.

"Actually, Benji picked it out for me. He's really good at color theory, you know. He also paints really cool subject matter, especially surrealist stuff. But, I mean, it's not a surprise, 'cause he can do everything basically," Adrian prattles excitedly, and Benji can't stop the grin that overtakes his face.

Armando chuckles as he glances at Benji, where he's perched on Victor's lap again. "I'm very familiar with Benji's work." He turns his attention to Richard, who looks on with his eyebrow raised in confusion, as he nudges his arm with his elbow. "You must be very proud of him, Dick. Not many people are so talented and passionate about these sorts of things. And just because it might not be something you understand, doesn't mean it's not valuable."

For a moment, Richard simply stares at him as he takes a few more sips of his beer, taking his time, before he sighs and sets the bottle down, all while Benji holds his breath. Richard purses his lips, before he exhales, deflating.

"You know what, Mando... I think you're right," Richard finally says, giving Benji the tiniest of smiles. "I know I give you a lot of crap, son, but... I just don't want you to end up like me and your old lady."

Benji isn't sure how much of that is the alcohol talking, but he can't stop himself from swallowing the pricking at his throat and at the corners of his eyes; this is the closest he's ever gotten to an 'I'm proud of you'. "Thanks, dad. That... that means a lot."

"I mean, at the end of the day, isn't that being a man's all about? Sticking to your guns no matter how much people try to tear you down?"

"Well, I mean, maybe not to that extreme... And you remember what I said about not forcing ourselves into boxes, right?" Armando chuckles to himself. "But we do all have our paths, and there's no right way to live our lives, as long as we're being true to ourselves. I think Victor and Benji have that all figured out." He locks eyes with Victor's across the fire, giving him a small, proud nod. "Sometimes I feel like we learn more from our kids than they learn from us."

Benji doesn't know what time it is or how much has passed, but even in the thickness of the night air, with the flames dancing and crackling and wafting the strong, earthy scent of burning wood into his nostrils, Benji doesn't feel the weight of tiredness. The only sensation of value to him right now is the weight of Victor's form around him as he rests his head back against his shoulder and stares off into the sky.

Where the heavens had been clear before, they'd been replaced with a thick layer of clouds that block even the light emanating from the moon. Benji inhales a fiery breath and holds it contemplatively before he exhales. Victor's hand is solid under his own, where their fingers tangle together like the threads on a loom, each moment an addition to the tapestry of their shared life. Benji finds his mind wandering and for the first time, he pictures their future in his mind's eye.

He'd imagined what his own life would look like—finishing his degree, becoming an art teacher, moving into his own little house full of plants and maybe some cats and dogs and open space and paintings in every corner. Everything would be there for the sole purpose of creation. Because that's what his purpose is. Or was.

To create. Alone. And then to die.

But in his mind, everything is the same except for one major detail: where it had been only himself and his animals, he's now joined by Victor beside him, whispering in his ear as they share an inside joke; he's holding his hand, the two of them curled up in their shared bed, limbs wrapped around each other with a cat resting between their legs as they whisper to each other that they want 'just five more minutes' in each other's arms. In another image, they're drinking hot chocolate in front of the roaring fireplace as snow blankets the outdoors.

Without warning, his thoughts careen away again, this time stopping at a scene very similar to the one before him in this moment, but bigger, more peopled--but full of love nonetheless.

The scene changes once more to Victor and Benji both grey, with hairlines receding, but still smiling and laughing as they prepare a meal together in their simple, rustic kitchen with fresh vegetables from their garden, eyes glowing as if they had just had their first kiss moments ago.

Even though he doesn't know what compels his brain to shuffle itself this way, flooding him with so much serotonin, he's afraid he'll ignite, he almost doesn't want to stop imagining. He's never wanted anything more than a quiet, solitary life, but that thought quickly shrinks before it vanishes completely.

And as his lips dance upward, Benji realizes that now, he wants to share his life with someone else; he never thought he would ever be loved so well enough that he could deserve it.

"What are you thinking about, mi amor?" Victor asks quietly.

"Just about... how happy I am. To be here with you," Benji says. He sits up, eyebrows knitting together as he runs his fingers absently through the hair at the base of Victor's neck, before he leans down to connect their lips, drawing Victor closer to him.

When they pull away, Victor smiles up at him and Benji's hopes reflect back at him. Victor exhales, warmth painted in his eyes as it always is when he brings his gaze to him, as if refusing would cause his heart to stop beating.

Benji traces the curve of Victor's cheekbones all the way down his jaw, taking in every cell, every molecule and atom and subatomic particle on his skin in anticipation, his fingerprints etching into the fabric of Victor's skin, the very skin he's mapped out so many times before and intends to continue to do so until his muscles and joints and tendons give up on him and he can no longer move. Their souls mingle between them as if nothing else were there, the entire universe hanging in the background.

"Me, too," Victor breathes.

And he kisses him again.