Sometimes Ben looked around and wondered how he got there, like he just woke up in a strange place in a bed different from his. Meandering down the water tunnel of this aquarium, Ben watched a manta ray's belly slide by amongst all the other fish. Here, in this dim aquarium, a blue glow painted the crowd inside and Ben felt lost in it. A little tugboat in a wide ocean.
Ben's attention wandered as he did a little people watching. He picked out the couples: two well-dressed young people who were standing close enough to be together but with enough awkward space to tell Ben this might be a first date. He noticed two parents, two women taking maybe a million pictures of their son, who had the biggest eyes in the world. It was pure sweet amazement and Ben understood why they wanted to capture this moment forever.
Finally escaping the tunnel, Ben sort of walked with the crowd. A couple of other kids ran past an old man and woman, talking a mile a minute. The older couple had found a bench to sit down and rest. He caught them holding hands and Ben sighed, finally minding his own business.
"Were we playing hide and seek?"
Ben turned to see Nino with a smile as Evie ran right to his side. Evie grabbed his hand, pulling him along to the closest tank. Stumbling, Evie held all her tension in her shoulders and limbs too overwhelmed by everything to relax. No matter how many times Ben promised they had the whole day to hangout.
People passing them gave them second glances as Nino and Evie were the only people wearing sunglasses inside. Today, it was nonnegotiable that Evie chose an inside activity. Just spending a few days at their private beach and monitoring her time outside, Evie still had pink skin and a burnt nose. Evie was too stir crazy not to go out at all.
"I got tired of waiting," Ben admitted. Nino fell into step by his side and handed Ben a water bottle. "You're the only people who'd ever go to the gift shop first and you didn't even buy anything."
Nino shrugged. "Evie's never been. We took bets to guess what she'll wanna buy in the end. I'm thinking the penguins are gonna win her over."
Shaking his head, Ben was more interested in watching Evie than the fish. "What do you guys even do? I mean, she's never been to the beach, the aquarium, or the movies—" Ben added, remembering tonight's plans. "How do you guys not get bored?"
"The Ventura castle is isolated and anything we want, we can just get there," Nino explained. "It's safer."
"But you left."
"Well..." Nino took a breath and crossed his arms. "Dante is the head of the family. If something happens to him, it all goes to Bianca. I'm not his special little errand boy like Anthony and I'm not the baby, Matty, who's the favorite." He bumped Ben's shoulder. "So, me leaving isn't really a big deal."
"From what I'm hearing, you have severe middle child syndrome."
A snort flew out of Nino like he was gonna fall over. "I've never really thought about it like that. I'm just like..." he thought about it, looking at the fish swimming by. "I'm not as necessary to the family. They don't really need me—"
"That's not true."
The words jumped out of Ben in a panic. With every word Nino said, the more Ben panicked, the more he felt worried for Nino. He was beating himself up and Ben wanted to hold that man back, go easy on himself.
Ben said, "Bianca went out of her way to make sure you're the one who watched Evie. If she didn't need you, she wouldn't have come. If Anthony didn't need you, he wouldn't have stayed so long. He was only supposed to warn us and go. He stayed to babysit Nino. I think you need to wake up and stop sleeping on your family."
Nino didn't speak up. His eyes just flitted down and Ben still felt aggressive, still felt like he needed to struggle against someone not fighting back at all. "You're great. Not just because you help people or because of the things you do. It's who you are. You're just great. I don't know what to tell you. Everybody l—" Ben caught himself before he said the forbidden four-letter word "—likes you. Boohoo."
That tiny little smile pinched Nino's lips again. He asked, "What about you?"
"Me? What about me?"
"Do you need me?" Nino asked, linking their hands together.
"No." Ben smiled and squeezed Nino's hand, shaking his arm. "But I do just want you around."
"So..." Nino smiled, rolling his eyes to the ceiling as he held onto that single pointed note. "So, that means you want me?"
A handful of jokes landed in Ben's head, but that wasn't what he wanted to say. He squeezed Evie's hand and said instead, "Yeah. I guess it does."
Surprise flickered across Nino's face. As he turned to look at Ben, Ben raised up on his toes and pressed a kiss to Nino's cheek. He landed flat on his feet, beaming up at Nino, but Nino still had this surprised expression.
"Are you guys dating again?" Evie spoke up.
They jumped and Nino let go of Ben's hand. He switched his expression fast and Ben bit his cheek, so he wouldn't smile too big at the blush staining Nino's face. He narrowed his brow, covering his embarrassment up with a puffed up chest and a severe, warning point. "You need to mind your own business. You're too nosey. Your mom might kill me if I send you back a gossip."
Evie hummed like she wasn't quite buying it and dragged Ben to the next tank. For the rest of the day, whenever Ben glanced at Nino, Nino would have to look away, caught in the act of staring at Ben. They might bump and Nino would mumble an apology. That charm, that suave demeanor had finally cracked and Ben wondered what it would take to make the whole thing crumble.
***
Sighing, Ben jotted down some dialogue for his book that he randomly thought about earlier. It looked like nonsense, but that was Ben's future problem. Giving up seemed like a viable option all of a sudden. He could get a job at the local grocery store, stock shelves, use a different name, and never pick up a book again.
He glanced at the crowded coffee shop and the line forming at the counter. Ben felt cooler by association just by being here. The café had spray painted murals and open brick walls with neon everywhere.
"Don't make that face," Nino said. "You just got here."
Nino sat a coffee beside Ben's laptop and Evie slid a little plate with a fancy croissant on it, full of molten chocolate and covered in chocolate chips and powdered sugar. Nino sat across from Ben and popped Evie on his lap, crossing his arms around her. She melted there, losing all her bones as she messed with Nino's long fingers. He resigned himself to it immediately.
"I'm going to feel guilty if you don't turn your book in on time," Nino said.
Ben sighed again and tickled the keys without writing anything. He was slogging through the middle, tiptoeing towards the midpoint and to an ending he didn't know. Ben felt just as lost inside this book as he did outside of it. He couldn't slip into this voice again, not when his own demanded so much attention. It was hard writing a vampire romance when you were already in one. Too much of a good thing.
"I extended the deadline," Ben said.
"I know and I feel bad."
"It's no big deal."
"Write," Nino instructed. "We're abandoning you here for a few hours. When we're done, we'll pick you up some food."
"Can we skip the indoor mini golf tonight?" Ben pleaded to Evie. "I'm going to be a husk of a person. We can watch a movie instead."
"That's fine," Evie said.
"It's settled," Nino said and kissed the top of Evie's hand, before she slid back onto the floor. Standing up, Nino walked around the table, setting his hand on Ben's back. Leaning down, Nino also kissed Ben's head. "Don't go anywhere else. Stay here. Call me if you need me."
Ben nodded, his face prickling. It was clear Nino didn't care about a little PDA, but Ben thought being that beautiful probably let him get away with a lot of things. Ben watched them go, a little wilted that they had to separate. Still, he didn't want it to all be for nothing, so he put his fingers to the keyboard and started typing.
Nino planned to take Evie through anything that looked remotely like a tourist trap upon her request. More importantly, she wanted to buy souvenirs. She was fascinated by the quirkier things, by the gaudy and over the top joke gifts that regular people would probably find cringey. She thought they were funny.
"Are you Ben?"
Ben looked up at one of the café associates. He wore a relatively nice button up and pants, which was in stark contrast to the rest of the staff wearing t-shirts, but he wore an apron like everyone else. Ben assumed he must be management, but this guy looked young like he was just starting college and had never tasted liquor in his life.
And he was more than a little good looking. That was what made him look the most out of place with clear, airbrushed skin, dark sharp eyes and full pink lips. His inky black hair was shiny, even if it was choppy and his proportions were wild. Tall, slender, with wide shoulders. He looked like a model, like there should be a line of people trying to discover him.
"Um," the associate spoke up again. "I'm sorry, but are you, Ben?"
Ben flushed, realizing he had just been staring at this guy like an idiot. "Oh, uh yes."
"Great, here's your water," he said and placed down a water cup.
"Oh, thank you."
"Sorry it came out a little late."
"It's fine. I didn't even know I was getting one." Ben tried to play it off as a joke.
"Was that your family?" The associate asked, before clarifying. "The two that ordered for you?"
"Um..." Ben thought about telling the truth, but it seemed too complicated to explain the story to this stranger. He chose the path of least resistance. "Yes. I guess they are."
The associate smiled and he doubled in attraction, burning so bright, Ben must've lost ten brain cells on the spot. "You guys make a cute family."
"Thanks," Ben whispered, feeling bashful all of a sudden, glancing down at his screen.
"If you don't mind," the associate said, and Ben knew this man probably never offended anyone ever. Not with that amount of pretty privilege. He asked, "Can I ask what you're working on? I can't tell if you hate it or not."
"Oh, uh..." Ben laughed at himself, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. He blushed up to the tips of his ears and explained. "I'm just being dramatic, honestly. I'm, uh, a writer, so I love it, but I hate it."
This beautiful person laughed. "Got it. What do you write?"
"Romance."
"Oh, that's so cool."
Ben straightened his back, unable to help but smile. He nodded. "Yeah. I guess it is."
"You seem nice. I don't think I have to worry about Nino anymore."
"I worry enough for us both," Ben said when he realized himself, when he heard the associate again. Glancing up, the associate was already walking outside, passing the café window under a black umbrella with sunglasses on. Ben shot up, trying to gather another peak. He immediately pulled out his phone and called Nino.
"Hey, what's up?" Nino answered immediately. "Miss me?"
"Uh, hey, first of all, I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."
"Okay..."
"But I need you to come back."
And it wasn't long until Nino was strutting through the doors with Evie clinging to his back. He rushed back to Ben's table. Ben held up his hands, trying to persuade him to calm down and believe him. Everything really was alright, but it suddenly hit Ben as that man was walking away that he had seen him before that he might've known him.
"I need your phone," Ben said. "Can you show me your family picture again?"
"What is going on?" Nino sighed, but still took out his phone. He showed Ben the family portrait and Ben nodded, pointing to Mathew at the bottom of the screen. "I think I just met Mathew."
"What?"
"He's really handsome. I should've known immediately."
"Hold on," Nino grumbled.
"I missed Uncle Matty?" Evie whined, looking at Ben for the first time like he betrayed her. "Uncle Matty is the best."
"Better than me?" Ben pointed to himself, but Evie didn't have time to answer, which was probably for the best, Ben didn't think his ego could take the hit.
"Wow, Nino," Mathew's voice appeared from the speaker. "You're fast. I didn't think I'd be caught so quickly. That must mean Ben can recognize me—oh! Have you shown him my picture? I'm flattered."
"Matty," Nino grounded out, more annoyed than surprised. "What are you playing at?"
"Just feeding my curiosity. It's not fair that everyone gets to meet Ben, but me."
"It's not a competition, Matty. Didn't you stop and think that maybe suddenly bombarding Ben might scare him. We are on the run."
Mathew laughed on the other line. "I knew you'd be like this. Ben," he said and Ben straightened up, surprised to be included. Mathew spoke to him as if they had already met. It was so familiar, Ben couldn't help but feel flattered. "Nino's always hated sharing. When we were kids everyone had to have their own toy, their own snack, and bed. Nino would throw a fit if he had to share."
"He's gotten better," Ben said. "But he really does like to get his way—"
"Doesn't everyone?" Nino jerked the phone closer to himself, glaring at the receiver. "But why did you leave already? Matty, didn't you stop to think about saying hi to me?"
"Did you want me to?"
"God." Nino rolled his eyes. "Are you and Anthony competing to see who can be the pettiest?"
"It's not my fault, Nino. You're the one who made it clear that you didn't want to see us."
Nino paused, searching for something to say.
"I'll take that silence as a pass. Next time, I'll say hello."
Nino nodded. "Okay."
"Let me talk to him!" Evie demanded. She jumped onto Ben's lap and took the phone away. She started going on and on about the beach and penguins at the aquarium. Ben held the phone for her and accidentally hit Nino's back button, landing him back at his family photo.
Curiosity sunk its claws into him and he swiped over, glancing at the top of his album to see dozens and dozens of photos. Evie playing in the water. Evie in the midst of a cannon ball. Ben and Evie playing together. Every shot was candid, taken in secret. Ben had no idea.
He swiped over to the next and started noticing a pattern. Picture after picture at the aquarium were pictures of Ben. Some were on his back while he was looking at the tank. Some Nino was able to get when Ben was talking and pointing at something he saw. The final picture was them back home at the condo. Ben and Evie had fallen asleep on the couch, cuddling and being blissfully unaware.
"Hey!" Nino snapped and grabbed his phone while Evie was in mid sentence. "What are you doing? Don't go through my phone."
Ben stilled, his stomach falling at his feet. He said, "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." His face officially caught fire, burning from his own embarrassment.
"You always take things too far," Nino said.
Ben almost snapped back but took a deep breath. Nino always attacked like a wild animal, snapping at him the first chance he tried to reach out. This time, Ben wasn't going to fall for it. He wasn't going to fall into the same old trap to start yet another fight that would just have them running around in circles.
"What are we doing?" Ben asked, clenching his fists so Nino wouldn't seem them shake. "I need to know what this is because... because if you do stuff like that, I'm going to hope for more—"
"You weren't supposed to see that." Nino cut him off. Nino huffed and took Mathew off speaker phone. "Matty, don't go. I need to know how you figured out where we were hiding."
His brow still severe, Nino turned his back to Ben and Ben forced himself to speak up again. Feeling brave, Ben used what he knew to give him the strength to speak up. Nino liked him enough to take his picture. Nino liked him enough to go out of his way not to bite him, to make sure Ben knew Nino wanted him and to go out of his way to give Ben those little affirming touches. Nino liked him enough to pour his coffee, order him food when he forgot, and come to the beach where he might burn alive.
He said, "I think you're a more loving person than you'd care to admit. You don't have to hold yourself back all the time. Not with me."
Nino didn't turn around. He just stormed outside and spoke to his brother on the phone.