#para4

[domdiegotorres]

@ the gym...

diego didn't know what possesed him to go to the school gym, maybe because he was bored and kurt was out working... or maybe because he wanted to catch buck wearing little clothes. he hoped the other male was there, he was excited to meet him face to face and maybe they could do something more than trainning.

he put some yoga pants and a shirt and headed towards the gym.

@buckwildes

[augustcastle]

sunday morning

August hums along to the song on the radio as he opens up the register. It’s early, just him and Daisy opening the cafe, which is fine because somehow--Sundays are fast-paced and slow all at the same time. A lot of shoppers out or people just finishing up with runs, midday strolls. Definitely a more relaxed vibe than a weekday. 

“You here until close?” 

He looks over his shoulder at Daisy, closing the drawer, “Mid-afternoon. Gonna see if Aiden wants to grab dinner or something.” 

Her eyes brighten just slightly and August smirks, amused. She’s got a school-girl crush on his brother. Completely harmless but so very obvious, “Is he coming here? My hair looks nice today.” 

“You know Aiden has a girlfriend, right?” And he’s not trying to upset her or rub it in her face, but wants to make sure she’s living in reality. 

“What--I can’t get compliments on my hair?” She asks, grinning and he can’t help but chuckle, shaking his head as he checks the glass containers to make sure no pastries need brought out from the back. 

[the-fahrenheit-alliance-pj]

試演会 7月30日@PARA4階

『華氏同盟Ⅳ』の試演会をPARA神保町の4階で行います。 どうぞご予約のうえご参加ください。  ※PARA アーティストコースの方むけです。(入場無料)

23年7月30日 .....................11:00 .....................12:30 .....................14:00 .....................15:30 .....................17:00 .....................18:30 ・上演時間は約40分を予定しています。 ・開演時間の10分前より入場可能です。 ・1公演1名様のみのご入場です。 　必ずご来場の時間をご予約のうえお越しください。 予約フォームはこちら....>>　bit.ly/42H5PXO

[bbcfromalabama]

https://www.downloader.world/share2/?para1=36466&para2=2&para4=265&para3=Secret_Society_2:_Never_Enough

[benjiclarington]

New Parents || Para

WHO: Benji Clarington ( @benjiclarington ) and Topher Hummel ( @topherxhummel ) ; mentions Austin Pillsbury-Schuester ( @psitsaustin )

WHERE: The Sunshine Mall, Tophji’s dorm room

WHEN: 16th July 2019

NOTES: Hazing is a lot more creative than it used to be; after anonymously being a delivered an animatronic doll and electronic bracelets, the boys are expected to follow a strict set of rules for ‘caring’ for their daughter Daffodil Daphne if they expect to make it into AXi in one piece. So, ever the rule followers, the boys go to the mall to get the doll some clothes.

TRIGGERS: N/a

WORD COUNT: 6356

"We look like idiots..." Benji whispered, the animatronic baby cuddled close in his arms. "It's bad enough we have to get clothes for it, but we actually have to hold it like a fucking baby. The thing has an altimeter in it. If you tilt it too much, it cries. I probably already reset the time," he explained, grabbing a cart from shopping cart return of the mall. "Where are we going first?"

"Could be worse," Topher remarked under his breath as his gaze darted back and forth from Benji to their general surroundings. "Chances are this will probably be easier to explain than anything else they could have cooked up. Sure we'll all be laughing about this by the end of the week." He motioned with his head in the direction of a nearby baby supply store. "Start there and make up a plan as we go along?"

Benji looked at the Baby Supply Store, then nodded, grabbing Topher's wrist with his free hand and dragging him towards the store, his frustration over the whole thing getting the better of him. "The faster we can get this thing into a stroller or something, the better. At least then we can pretend it's a real baby then."

Topher gave a nod of agreement as he followed along then glanced back at his best friend. "This is probably a stupid question for me to ask, but are you alright? What's on your mind?" Sure, he was quite annoyed himself that apparently some higher power thought this would be a fantastic idea, but he was just trying to take things one step at a time and work on the figurative fires one by one.

"I'm fine," Benji shot back, not bothering to even turn his head. He couldn't handle this right now; of all the people to be pair up with on a task like this, it had to be the person he was quietly in love with. All those torturous dreams of the two of them being together, doing things just like this, and this definitely didn't help. "Stroller, right?" He asked, letting go of Topher's hand when they made it into the aisle.

The Creative Writing major decided to drop the subject and instead nodded once again. "Yep, stroller then clothes. We can chuck whatever else we might need on to the list as we go along," Topher answered. "Maybe one of those portable carrying things too, that parents strap to their chest or back." He took a quick moment to do some mental calculations then took a deep breath. "Damn, I think that would drain me of money for a bit," he muttered.

Benji grabbed one of the strollers with a cover off a hook and opened it, kneeling down to place the boy's baby inside. "Okay. Grab one while I strap her in," he said, making sure the baby wouldn't fall and reset their time again. "We need a nickname. I'm not calling her Daffo--what...? Chris, you're not paying for any of this. Don't worry." he assured, going back to trying to figure out all the buckles.

Topher went to pick up one of the nearby portable carriers and soon returned. He set it on the floor then joined Benji in trying to figure out the buckles. "How about Daphne for the nickname? It's close enough to Daffodil, but more of a mainstream name that it won't raise as many eyebrows. As for the money thing, it wouldn't be too much of a problem. I've got plenty of ready to eat and one step stuff back in the dorm then I don't think I've got any major outings lined up where pitching in money would be necessary."

"Daphne. I... kinda like that," Benji said, unable to hold back a small smile. He knew he couldn't let himself get swept up in this fantasy, but it was already becoming difficult. "Chris, I have an unlimited credit line. You're not paying for anything," he stressed, finally getting the buckles fastened. "C'mon, let's check out and go to a store for clothes. Do you wanna push or should I?"

He probably could have initiated a back and forth match about the money situation, but didn't want to risk it. Animatronic or real, babies could pick up on that type of stuff. There were too many real risks present with a crying Daphne among them. So Topher remained quiet and just gave a small smile of his own. "Then we're in agreement with the nickname. As for the stroller, I'll handle it."

Benji nodded, standing back up. He made quick work of paying for the items, not even bothering to look at the cost, before turning back to Topher. "Baby store ideas? I mean, this decides everything. Do we want our baby to be Preppy? Hipster? Artsy? This is a big decision," he teased.

That got a laugh out of Topher and he responded, "Maybe a blend of our styles? I mean, I switch between prep and hipster on a dime. Then you look like you just left a fashion show in the best way possible. Got the king of swag over here, gracing us with his presence."

Benji turned away, hopefully hiding the fact that he was blushing. He hooked the shopping bag holding the carrier onto the stroller handle, then smiled. "Let's just... try Baby Gap? At least to start?"

"Yeah, Baby Gap to start with. But I do mean it with the king of swag thing. Care to teach me your ways?" Topher rattled off as he started to push the stroller out of the store. "I also meant what I said earlier. Maybe we'll be laughing about this by the end of the week."

"I could teach you if you really wanted," Benji replied with a giggle before immediately covering his mouth with his hand; why did Topher have to be so good at giving compliments? He could feel his heart beating out of his chest. "Please tell me we're not 'she a girl, so she wears pink' parents," he begged.

Topher gave a nod then immediately shook his head at the inquiry. "Pardon my French, but there is a snowball's chance in hell that I'm going to be that way. Clothes are clothes, colors are colors, and who are we to assign them to certain genders? Then in the words of some of my friends back home, what even is gender?"

“Baruch HaShem,” Benji muttered under his breath, walking the two of them to an aisle. “So we need PJs and three day outfits. And shoes. And accessories,” he added, already scouring one of the aisles. 

If he was in his right mind, he probably would’ve realized that he was already doing exactly what he didn’t want to do—getting lost in the fantasy of being a family with Topher—but the first sight of pink ballet slippers in their doll’s size forced him to forget again. “Look at these!” He said excitedly, showing them to Topher. “Daphne can be a ballerina just like her dad!”

Topher gave a light chuckle as he glanced at the ballet slippers. "Yeah, that would be pretty cool. She'd literally be following in your footsteps," he joked before his attention drifted to a nearby rack of clothes. "Dude, there's a little blazer over there. I wore a blazer once and let me tell you, it felt like I was living all of my snooty author dreams. Plus, there's nothing wrong with being pretentious every once and awhile, as long as it's not overdone."

Benji set down the ballet shoes, then turned to the baby blazer. "Okay. I'm not gonna lie. That's really cute. It's the Summer though. I think it's too hot for a blazer..." Benji acknowledged, giving Topher a little frown. "Maybe something a little lighter?"

"You're right," Topher replied as he tried to find something more suitable for the summer. "I think I see a onesie over there with a rainbow stripe pattern. Who says pride month is over? Then there's a couple of superhero themed ones that could look adorable."

"Rainbow onesie? I love i--" Benji started, only to be cut off by the sound of Daffodil starting to wail. "Chris--help," he shouted, pulling up the hood of the stroller and unbuckling the doll from the seat as quickly as he could. 

"It's okay, Daph. It's okay," he cooed as if it were a real child, switching his bracelet to 'feed' and trying to bounce her, starting panic when the crying didn't cease after a few seconds.  "I changed her before we left. Does she want you, or should I try another setting?"

Topher immediately turned his attention right back to Benji and Daffodil. Panic immediately started to flood his heart when the crying started then it only increased when he noticed the same emotion on his best friend's face. "I'll try taking her. If that doesn't work, then we need to go through the other settings," he answered in a calm tone as he held his free arm out in the offer of taking the doll. "Hey Daphne, it's alright. We're right here. We're not going anywhere."

"Daphne, I'm giving you to Chris, okay?" Benji assured as he handed the doll over, becoming more panicked the longer the doll cried. Even though the real-life stakes of their doll crying were small, that didn't keep Benji from being worried. "Is it working?"

The Creative Writing major fiddled with the bracelet until he found the appropriate setting then did his best to keep himself calm. "It's okay Daphne," Topher reassured as he carefully bounced around just a bit and held her close. It took a few more moments before the crying slowed down and then the doll was quiet. "Apparently I'm as good with babies as I am with elementary school children."

"Baruch HaShem for that," Benji whispered, quickly getting lost at the sight of Topher comforting their baby. "You'd be a great dad. I can already tell," he said breathlessly before remembering that this wasn't a dream. Oh no, how long had he been staring at Topher like school boy? 

"So. Rainbow onesie?" He said quickly as he turned to face the clothes rack, silently praying that Topher didn't notice how awkward he was being.

"Yeah, rainbow onesie or one of the superhero ones. Thank you very much and the same thing goes for you," Topher replied as he continued to hold Daphne. "I'll hold her for a bit a longer then put her back in the stroller. Course if she starts crying again then that plan can go out the window and I'll just keep holding her."

"Right. Of course," Benji replied, scouring through the onesies for one in Daphne's size. "This is definitely what she's gonna wear tomorrow," he said, throwing it over his arm, "And one of these for PJs, maybe?" He offered, holding up a grey bunny pajama onesie.

Topher hummed in agreement as he glanced up at what Benji was selecting. "I know she's only a robot, but I think she'd look adorable in just about anything really. Babies probably have that effect where they can pull off whatever outfit," he rattled off before he noticed a particular onesie. "Dude, there's one right by you that says level one human. Think it'd be perfect for the kid of two gigantic nerds?"

Benji looked where Topher was pointing, then laughed, picking up the onesie. "We're definitely getting that one too." He looked down at the three onesies--one PJs and the other two day outfits--in his arms, then turned back to Topher. "So we need one more onesie, then shoes. And maybe like a headband? I think I saw a cool one ove--" he started, jumping when the baby started to cry again.

Topher gave a nod of approval then carefully started switching through the different bracelet settings in order to see if any of them would help. When he landed right back where he started, he tried the cuddling and light bouncing approach again. It calmed the crying only slightly and immediately made concern appear on his face. "I can grab the headband if you're cool with taking over this mini investigation?"

Benji nodded and took the baby from him, bouncing it as he switched to the different settings on the bracelet. The crying slowed down for a quick moment, only for it to start back up again. And harder. "Christopher?" Benji called, panic in his voice. "It's okay, Daphne. It's okay," he kept whispering, obviously at a loss for what to do.

Topher soon returned with the headband and handed it to Benji before he offered up an arm to take Daphne again. He ran through the settings on the bracelet one more time until one caught his eye. "We might need to burp her since you just used the feeding setting if I'm not mistaken. Then either way, we can try changing her as a back up, just to be safe."

"Are you telling me there's actually an order to this? Great. More to remember," Benji replied, taking the headband and holding it against one of the outfits, smiling softly to himself, before looking back up. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Glad I got you here for this too," Topher agreed as he carefully burped Daphne. "But I'm operating under the assumption that there is an order to this. But I honestly think that with anybody else, probably would have lost my patience long before now. Guess it's because of the knowledge that we've got each others' backs?"

“To the ends of the earth,” Benji replied, a soft smile on his face. He bit his lip hard, the sight of Topher showing how good of a father he’s be sending a number of thoughts through his head, but eventually shook himself out of it, turning back to the shelves of the store. “Shoes then check out?” He said, wanting desperately to distract himself.

"Shoes then check out," Topher repeated in a tone filled with agreement. His mind just wouldn't stop racing and honestly, he needed a distraction of his own. "I'll grab the shoes real quick then meet you at the register? Three pairs of shoes for different days and all that related business," he rattled off then gave Benji a soft smile of reassurance.

Benji nodded and started to walk over to the register, grabbing a second headband that caught his eye from a shelf on his walk over. In the back of his mind, he knew there was no reason for him to spend this type of money on a doll they would only have for three days—even if the price was so small in the grand scheme of things that it wouldn’t matter—but he was still enjoying, and encouraging it. 

Thankfully, he made it to the counter at that moment, meaning he wouldn’t have to think about the reasons behind his actions any longer. He started to check out, then smiled when the cashier complimented him on his clothing selections. “Thank you!” He replied, raising an eyebrow at the cashier’s next question. “Um... husband, actually,” he replied as casually as he could, deciding to play out his fantasy a bit—what Topher and the cashier didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them—“his name’s Chris. He actually ran to get Daphne some shoes.”

Topher soon reappeared with the shoes and had managed to get Daphne back in the stroller while he was gone. "Here are the shoes. Sorry it took me a bit, kind of slower than a turtle," he quipped then held up his cane as an explanation. The Creative Writing major aimed to lightly rest his head on Benji's shoulder while the cashier finished ringing everything up. 

"Do you want to head for the food court and grab a quick bite or do you want to head back?" Personally, he had just enough energy to do one or the other and would probably gain his second wind shortly. Then there was the possibility of his mind deciding to royally screw him over with topics it just wouldn't drop and hadn't dropped since he'd arrived at Joie. But nobody here really needed to know all that now, did they? So he remained still for a few moments and closed his eyes before his attention flicked to Daphne as well as fixing the little things that might make the doll start to cry yet again.

"Food court would be lovely," Benji said, smiling as Topher rest his head on his shoulder. "I'm thinking a nice pretzel and maybe a hotdog? Yum. My treat," he said.

With one swipe of his credit card, he paid for the items, then picked up the bag and slid it onto the handle of the stroller next to the other one. "Plus I want to get Daphne into one of her new outfits. She's gonna look so cute!" He grabbed Topher's wrist and pulled lightly on it, wanting to leave the store. "Please?" he said, giving his best puppy dog pout.

Topher gave a hum of agreement as he followed after Benji and pushed the stroller along. "Yeah, we can make a pit stop by the food court," he responded. As they walked around in search of the food court, it took all of his energy to not start dwelling on this yet again. Who in the whole wide world had sent them this baby doll? Why them, of all people at Joie? But the silence that fell snapped him out of it and Topher remarked, "Sorry for not being the best conversationalist right now. But tell me, whatcha got on your mind?"

"Hmm?" Benji responded, his head on a swivel as he searched for the food court--he wasn't very used to actually having to go to the mall nowadays. "Right now, I'm just trying to find a way to have fun with this whole 'baby' thing," he half-lied. He had already found his fun in imagining this could actually come true some day. "Pretzels!" He said happily, finally seeing the sign for the pretzel kiosk at the front of the food court in the distance.

Topher had to resist the urge to lick his lips once they reached their destination and instead settled down on a nearby bench as he pulled the stroller close to him. He carefully removed Daphne then fiddled with the bracelet settings until he finally found what he was looking for. The slightly younger male held the doll close as he watched Benji. Of course, it wasn't too long before his heart picked up in speed like it did every time he bothered to look at a cute guy and his attention drifted back to Daphne.

Benji came back with their food items, as well as a jumbo pretzel that he intended to split with his best friend. "She's gonna be getting hungry, right?" he asked, gently running his hand down their baby's head as if to somehow help with soothing her. "I feel like she's usually hungry again by now, judging by this morning."

"I imagine she will be," Topher agreed as he resumed messing with the settings until he found the feeding one. "So it'll be ready in case she does start crying soon," he explained before his attention landed on the pretzel. "Alright, so what do you want to talk about now that we've gotten the objectives of the day accomplished?"

Benji shrugged and simply jutted out the pretzel for Topher to take part of. He knew what he wanted to talk about; the same thing he always did: the fact that he was desperately in love with his best, straight, friend. But he refused to think to about that right now. He wanted to cherish this time together. This was the closest to really being together that they two of them would ever be. 

He was about to speak when an older woman who was walking by stopped and turned towards them, smiling brightly. "Well aren't you two the cutest? You look just like my son and his husband," the lady said, "And she looks just precious. What's her name?" She questioned, pointing at Daphne; from her angle, the doll looked just like a regular baby resting in Topher's arms.

"Thanks," Topher directed at both the woman as well as Benji after he'd gotten himself a piece of the pretzel. Those questions as well as the comments didn't do much to ease the near constant panic that lingered in the back of his mind. Not to mention that it created a true Gordian Knot of a situation or at least that's what it felt like in his opinion. 

"Her name is Daphne. Hope your son and husband are doing well, the same goes for you," he rattled off with ease. Now the Creative Writing major could only hope that anything he said could be written off with ease. But there was one thing that he did want to explain slash create a fake one for first. "She's actually a baby doll. We're in a class together at the local college and the project is to look after a baby for three days." This was soon followed by a shrug as Topher's attention drifted back to those nonstop thoughts while his gaze flicked down to Daphne.

The older woman laughed lightly at Topher's explanation, doing a double-take at the baby as she realized that it was in fact just a doll. "Oh, the crazy things they have you kids do for lessons nowadays," she said with a content sigh. "And my eyes aren't the way they used to be, I suppose. At least I got the loving couple part right. Although that's not much to brag for--you can see the way you two look at each other a mile away! You don't find couples like that too often in your generation; you've got something special here." She gave a nod to punctuate her piece, then turned her head. "Nice talking you to you two! Such sweet boys..." she murmured, more to herself, as she walked away. 

By this point, Benji was looking straight down at the floor, not wanting Topher to see how bright red his whole face had turned. He wanted to speak, but stayed silent, desperately wishing that he could somehow read what was going through his best friend's mind.

"Nice talking to you too," Topher responded as a farewell when he finally glanced up to meet the woman's gaze again. If the previous remarks hadn't caught his attention before, then these new ones definitely wouldn't let go of it. He looked back down at Daphne as he used the bracelet to feed her in the hopes of taking his mind off the chaos that had just been unleashed in his mind. There was a hell of a lot to potentially unpack from this exchange of words and Topher could only hope some of the hidden meanings remained locked away. 

"Think I wouldn't have noticed the doll factor at first glance myself if I was in her shoes," he lightly quipped as he shrugged. "And I don't think my eyes are even that bad. But hey, cool that she's accepting. Definitely inspires a bit more faith in humanity at least."

"Definitely..." Benji whispered in reply, still trying to process everything the woman said to them. Was the way that he looked at Topher really that obvious? And if it was that obvious to a stranger, what if Topher had noticed too, but was just playing nice because he didn't want things to be awkward between the two of them? He knew Topher well enough by now to know that that was definitely something his best friend would do. 

As he thought, he mindlessly scooted away from Topher a bit just in case his thoughts we right; he didn't want Topher to think he was one of those 'Predatory Gay' stereotypes that straight guys were always afraid of... he knew he needed to get over Topher, but his heart just wouldn't let him go.

Topher almost started in on another tangent about faith redeeming stories as well as people behind them, yet decided to save it for down the road. Instead he started to carefully burp Daphne once she was finished and remained tight-lipped. He honestly could have gone on at length about how he felt incredibly lucky to have such awesome people in his life and how they built up his faith in the human race everyday, Benji among them. But of course, there was a chance that a love letter could have written itself in between the lines and he just didn't want to play with fate today. "You want to head back in a bit? Think we got everything that we need.”

Benji bit his lip, thought for a moment, then nodded. What was once a nice time out had suddenly been engulfed in a near-tangible cloud of uncomfortableness, but as much as he tried, Benji had no real clue how to fix it. "Did... did she burp okay?" he asked, trying to give the two something to talk about. "She'll probably take a nap on the way home."

"Yeah, she did," Topher answered just as Daphne burped. He carefully placed her back in the stroller as he gave a nod of agreement. "Would you be cool with driving us back? I would, but I'm honestly worn out and the last time I was in a car while worn out, I ended up needing to use this." He gestured to his cane as he said that last part then removed his keys in order to hold them out.

"Yeah, I can do that," Benji responded as he took Topher's keys. "Take a nap on the car ride back."

 -~-~-~-

"Chris? Can you tell me if my knees are completely straight? I can't see myself in the mirror," Benji called from his side of the room. While Topher was doing his homework, Ben was doing his homework as well, but, as someone studying dance and circus performance, instead of writing essays, he was trying to perfect his full mountain back bend.

Topher glanced up from his laptop before he responded, "Yeah, your knees are completely straight." He currently rested on his bed with Daphne propped on a couple of the pillows that he had and his laptop in front of him. "I honestly have no clue as to how you do that. It would take a miracle for me to be that flexible."

Benji slowly unwound himself until he reached a normal standing position then smiled, raising his arms to stretch as he spoke. "Practice mostly. It's really fun and freeing once you start to loosen yourself up. Plus guys just drool over it. I can't wait to show Austin," he added nonchalantly, bending down to touch his toes as his next stretch.

"Well, I imagine that Austin will be no different," Topher idly commented after he'd taken note about everything else Benji said. "How did that date go, by the way? Think we talked about it a bit the night of when you got back and forgive me for being nosy, but I want to be a good best friend. Also cause I kinda want to know the answer to the 'is he a gamer' question."

"It was really good!" Benji replied--he wasn't lying, it was a great date, but it still wasn't the person he wanted to go on a date with. "He's such a sweetheart and we're planning a second date for sometime soon. He is a gamer, but a casual one, so that's like... half a point towards his 'basically my perfect man' score card. Although he's an amazing kisser, so that definitely makes up for it. Ugh."

Topher hummed along in approval as he listened then closed his laptop in order to show Benji had his full attention. Of course, he came to regret it once the kissing detail hit his ears, but for reasons he just couldn't put his finger on. "That's cool. I honestly don't know what would happen if he either wasn't a fan or was just as much of a nerd as the two of us combined. But he sounds like a cool guy."

"Honestly, Chris? He's, like, so close to my perfect guy that it's crazy. Like, it almost feels too close to believe. Like, my biggest complaint is that he's only a casual gamer. D'you know what I mean?" He stood back up and walked over to Topher's bed, sitting on the corner of it. "He's just... almost perfect," he added with a sigh.

"I get what you mean, but then again, there is that whole 'no human being is perfect' thing as well as the 'our imperfections make us who we are and that's beautiful' thing. Basically all that positive self help stuff guidance counselors rattle off like it's going out of style," Topher answered with a light shrug. "As basically an outsider to the world of dating, sounds to me like you found your match. I hope you guys have a grand old time on your second date."

"I hope so too," Benji whispered, looking down as thoughts flooded through his mind. After a moment, he looked back up, wanting nothing more than for the thoughts to stop. "What about you? Thought more about asking Hannah out?" He asked, both out of distraction and out of hope that the answer was no.

"Not really," Topher responded as his tone dipped into a more absent-minded one. "Kinda been a bit too busy with other stuff, you know? Plus, dating and I don't really mix. Only had two girlfriends in the past and the break ups were messy as hell. Took a long time until we got back up to being friends."

Benji nodded, "That makes--" he started, only to be cut off by Daphne starting to wail. The noise caught him off guard and made him jump, but as soon as the shock was out of the way, he had already turned on his bracelet and pulled the baby doll into his arms, bouncing her as he shuffled through the settings. "It's okay, Daphne... It's okay, baby..." he whispered repeatedly, his tone growing more panicked as she continued to cry.

Topher held his hands out in order to take Daphne as his own eyes widened with panic. "It's alright guys," he repeated over and over in his usual calm tone. Sure, the concern was unbelievably real when it came to both his best friend as well as their doll daughter, but if he took the time to dwell on it then precious moments would be wasted. "We're right here Daph. It's okay darling," he reassured.

Benji passed Daphne off to Topher, but her cries only grew louder. "I don't know what's wrong," Benji stressed, the cries starting to stress him out further. "I went through all the settings and she's still crying. She's never cried this hard before. Chris, fix it!"

"I don't know either, but slow your roll for just a moment," Topher started as he got to work on running through his own bracelet's settings while his mind raced a mile a minute with various thoughts as well as potential reasons that this was happening. 

"Panic won't help anybody in this situation, okay? Now, let's think about this for a bit. We've fed her, burped her, and changed her all in the past few hours. She doesn't want to be alone, but also doesn't want one of us in particular."

"Okay, then what does she want?" Benji asked, covering his ears to try to muffle Daphne's wails at least a bit. The doll was essentially screeching at this point, and unlike his counterpart, Benji did not take this kind of pressure very well. He could feel himself getting more overwhelmed by the moment. "Chrissss," he begged, pleading for him to come to a solution.

The solution was right on the tip of Topher's tongue, but hell, he didn't want to say it out loud. Of course, there was the fact that his family and friends always came first. There wasn't a thing in the world that he wouldn't do for Benji and even though Daphne was doll, he did have to admit he'd grown attached to her already. "Ben, listen to me. Maybe we should try holding her at the same time. I have no idea how in the whole wide world we're going to pull it off, but it's worth a try."

Benji nodded wildly, scrambling to get next to him in the bed. Yes, the end of their shopping trip earlier that day had left some awkwardness in the air, but after dealing with minutes of their baby wailing its head off, Benji was willing to do anything to make it stop--awkwardness be damned. He laid down on the bed and opened his arms wide. If Topher laid down next to him and placed Daphne in the middle, they could both hold her without squishing her or tipping her over. "Like this?"

"Yeah, like that," Topher confirmed. He shifted away for just a moment in order to hurriedly place his laptop under one of the pillows that Daphne had been resting on just a few minutes ago. "I can move it later," he remarked under his breath. 

A light yawn worked up and escaped his mouth once he officially laid back down. Of course, the whole 'sharing a bed with his best friend' thing did put his mind on edge a hint once again, yet it was nothing compared to how tired he felt after this long day. "Night Ben, night Daph," Topher murmured as sleep slowly took hold over him.

Benji breathed a sigh of relief when Daphne's crying finally stopped, then turned his head slightly, surprised to see that Topher was planning on the three of them sleeping in the same bed like this. Of course, Benji was far from complaining--he couldn't even count how many dreams he had of the day coming where something similar to this would happen--but he could barely believe it; he wanted to pinch himself. He moved himself slightly so that his head was on Topher's arm and his arm that was not holding Daphne was wrapped around his best friend, then closed his eyes. 

Comfortable, he gave a content sigh. "Goodnight, Chris."

-~-~-~-

Morning eventually rolled around and Topher honestly wasn't too surprised when he woke up in the middle of his bed. He had tendencies to toss and turn during the night, especially if dreams were added into the equation. Sleep was carefully rubbed out of his eyes as he took note of the fact that Daphne had been moved during the night too. The doll securely rested against his chest, but his tired mind didn't register the bonus arm draped across his waist until he turned slightly. His gaze rested on Benji's sleeping form, which was adorable on the one hand yet set off multiple red alerts in the back of his mind. "Ben? Ben? Earth to Benji Clarington?"

"Mmm... Chris..." Benji whined, still in a dream. He stirred slightly, instinctively cuddling Topher closer to him, before he slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times before he was awake enough to realize the position he was in, but as soon as he processed the situation, he let go of Topher's waist and scooted back, darting his eyes away.

On the one hand, part of Topher wanted to tell Benji that he didn't have to do that. He tended to get cold at night anyway, regardless of the season. But the panic that gnawed at his mind just wouldn't leave him be. Instead, he gave his best friend what he hoped was a reassuring enough smile as he carefully sat up with Daphne in one arm then held his laptop under the other as he shuffled over to plug it in at his desk. He soon returned to his bed and laid back down with a yawn from the lingering sleepiness. "You don't have to leave," he muttered. "I get cold."

Benji stayed silent as he watched Topher move. The entire time, he was worried that he had finally ruined their friendship. Thoughts like, 'If Chris didn't think I was a 'Predatory Gay' before, there was no question that he does now,' piling up in his head. He started to plan his path to get up and leave, possibly even try to sleep at Hunter's for the rest of the night, but all those intrusive thoughts slowed when Topher smiled at him--and when Topher told him he didn't have to leave, they stopped entirely. 

 "...O-Okay," Benji whispered, not sure what else to say. Was Topher letting him do this? Cuddling on the couch was a normal thing for the pair, but spooning in a shared bed... that was something else entirely--or at least Benji thought.

Topher pushed the blankets down then carefully pulled them up and over the trio. Sure, he would probably be blowing a gasket over this much later in the day, but that was a problem for future Topher. He was still unbelievably tired after playing up the fatherly role. Not to mention that his mind randomly chiming in with side comments about cute guys and how handsome Benji was didn't do much to help matters either. For the time being though, he needed rest and as much as he could possibly get. "Goodnight again you guys."

Benji hesitated for a moment, then slowly wrapped himself around Topher again, pulling him close much like the position they woke up in. Thankfully, Benji's head was behind Topher's because, otherwise, he would not have been able to play off or explain the giant smile that was splayed across his face. It was a small thing, and he knew it would never be the same as the relationship with his best friend that he had spent the last 7 years fantasizing about, but it still made him happy--at least for now. 

 "Goodnight, Chris," he whispered. "We love you."

[benjikarofsky]

Oh What A Night || Para

WHO: Benji Karofsky (@benjikarofsky) and Franco Del Rio (@southsidefranco). Mentions Topher Pierce (@topherxpierce​).

WHERE: NS Italian Restaurant

WHEN: 29th March 2019

NOTES: Trying a new approach, Benji throws caution to the wind and asked Franco out on a date; what starts out rocky, ends with neither man regretting their decision to say “yes”.

TRIGGERS: Smut Warning (sectioned off with: ‘~*~*~*~*~’ for skippability **kinks listed at the beginning of smut section**); descriptions of kidnapping and discussion of the emotional toll after the fact; vague drug mentions

BOLD: Benji

ITALIC: Franco

WORD COUNT: 4588

Benji was waiting outside the Italian restaurant of Franco's choice, a single rose behind his back. If he was honest with himself, these last two weeks had been a rollercoaster and not even he could have predicted that it would end in two people (who may or may not hate each other) attempting to go on a date. 

vvHowever, if Franco really didn't mind this whole "'being used' to  help Benji get over Topher" plan that he suggested, Benji figured the least he could do was change up his attempts at moving on. From what he could tell, a worst-case scenario would be the date being a bust, while best-case was it being the opposite; there didn't seem to really be much to lose.

Franco was waiting for a punchline from Benji. He didn't believe the guy was asking him on an actual date for a second and he kinda thought it was a joke until he got to the restaurant and saw Benji standing there, looking good in a leather jacket, one of his weaknesses when it came to guys. He looked down at his own outfit wondering if maybe he should have tried harder. 

He quickly checked his pockets, his keys, phone, cigarettes all there. He'd come out without his drugs tonight because, he'd no intention of staying late. The moment his hands started to shake or his head started to hurt he was gunna be a goner. He approached Benji and smirked, "Well well well, how the tables have turned".

Benji ducked his head, suddenly starting to regret this decision. He considered somehow digging himself out of this by pretending it was a joke or something, but as he saw Franco walk up, he decided there was nothing wrong with trying. And although the Karofskys did not share many family values, one of the few they did have was that if they were going to try something, they were going to try their hardest. 

"Very funny, Franco," Benji responded, revealing the rose from behind his back and jutting it out to him. "You look very handsome. ...Wanna head inside? Our reservation's in 5 minutes."

Franco watched as Benji gave him the rose and his eyes widened as he choked back the laugh that wanted to escape his lips. He was not expecting a rose, "Benji, you got me a flower, I didn't realise you cared so much" he smirked, taking the flower and twirling it in his hands, he didn't think he's ever been brought a flower before. 

 He laughed again, "Come on then, let's go and eat some grub, I'm famished", it wasn't a lie, he hadn't been eating properly for many reasons so he was desperate to get some decent food in him.

Benji gave an awkward laugh and nodded, leading the way for the two to go inside. Once they made it to the table, ever the gentleman, Benji pulled Franco's seat out for him before sitting down himself. Not sure exactly how to start a real conversation between the two of them, he grabbed a menu and started to look at it, trying to decide what he wanted. 

 "Um. So... what made you choose this place?"

Franco watched as Benji picked up his menu and smirked at him, "Gotta say, knowing how well you can perform, that leather jacket is fucking hot" he said, not bothering with his own menu. He knew what he wanted, "I picked this place cause I am Italian and I ain't paying".

Benji rolled his eyes, staring at the menu. "Stop it, Franco," he murmured, keeping his voice low. "This is a date, remember? Give it a chance."

Franco smirked again, “So this is a real date? Like you don’t think I’m Topher and playing out some fantasy in your head”

Benji sighed. He knew Franco was probably trying to rile him up, but he refused to have this date devolve into the same routine without at least trying first. "I called you Franco, didn't I?" he replied, flipping the page of the menu, "I asked you out. Asked where you wanted to eat... If I was pretending you were him, I would've taken you to a restaurant he likes."

Franco laughed, “Yeah you might have done but forgive me thinking this is some sort of joke” he finally admitted, looking around, “Last time I saw you, you were pretty hell bent on calling me a whore so, forgive for being confused by this foreign concept”.

"What did I say about talking about that Benji..." he murmured, gently setting down the menu. "You and I both know that's not how I usually am. I want to be romantic. In fact, I prefer it," he admitted, trying to get Franco to look him in the eye.

Franco continued to stare at the table, “I ain’t romantic” he said shrugging his shoulders, “I get my kicks out of being a douchebag and sleeping with people. Hell, I’ve slept with Aaron on days I’ve seen you”.

Benji shrugged. "It's not like we're exclusive or anything, Franc. I mean, you literally offered for me to 'use' you. Who am I to get mad at you for sleeping with people?" He moved his head, still trying to catch his eyes. 

"Hey..." he started, his voice low, "if this is too much, we can just forget it. We can grab a burger and I'll walk you home. ...Maybe this was stupid of me to suggest..."

Franco finally looked up and sighed, "No. Its not too much. I just didn't expect it too be real". He gulped and laughed, "I think if I asked the people I wanted to on a date, they'd laugh in my face". He nodded at the menu, "Know what you're having? I'm starved".

"Yeah, I do," Benji replied, barely audible. When a waiter made their way over to the table, the two made quick work of ordering food, then passed off the menus to the waiter as they left. "So. I guess... you should tell me about yourself?" Benji asked, not sure exactly what to say. "Like... what do you like to do with your free time?"

Franco rolled his eyes but felt his hand move to his elbow, "Not much" he nodded, "I used to box which got me out of a situation before but then that bit me on the ass" he said his thoughts trailing to the kidnapping. He sighed, "Quite often now I stay inside, afraid of my own shadow" he breathed quietly

Benji nodded; from what he could tell, this had already been the longest interaction between the two of them that didn't appear to be sex-related. "I didn't know you boxed... and I'm sorry you're not able to leave home a lot nowadays. If you wanted, we could spar together sometime? I know enough about boxing to hold my own, at least."

Franco shook his head at the offer, "I don't often allow myself to box against others. I'm quite dangerous once I get going. I used to have this massive stance on no fighting but I guess, when you go through what I did, you lose sight on what you believe".

Benji frowned, trying to use his words carefully. "...Just because you change based on a situation doesn't mean you've lost sight of your beliefs," he explained, slowly realizing he needed to hear this as much as Franco did. "Beliefs... codes... morals... those are all a great starting place, I think. Like, they're a great way to help you realize what you think is important. ...But they're also stiff and rigid. And you know what isn't? Life." He sighed. "You can't get mad at yourself for adjusting to life and it's fuckery... Just because your box of values doesn't fit through every shape life shoves you through doesn't me you've lost sight of them."

Franco didn't know why he was talking about this, he hadn't really spoken to any one about what happened to him since it had happened, "Life didn't just throw me through a small circle Benji" he said, using the shape analogy, "It through me through a circle which had metal spikes sticking out waiting to hurt me". He looked back down at the table, "I don't know how people get life back on track after something like that happens".

Benji nodded; he was surprised Franco was having this conversation with him, but he was happy it was happening--he didn't think he had ever seen Franco vulnerable before. "I know you've heard this a lot, but... it takes time. And there's no step-by-step guide on healing because people are so different. The best you can do is talk things out and look for ways to help yourself heal. The flashbacks and the memories... they'll probably never disappear completely, but they'll come less frequently and on the occasions that they do come back, you'll know how to cope with, and grow from, them."

Franco noticed that his hands were shaking again. He bit his lip and swiftly moved them so they were under his legs, pushing weight down on them. He gulped, "I mean, I have been sleeping at night and not having the nightmares recently but there is a lot of weed and a lot of alcohol behind that". He sighed and looked up to Benji's his eyes filled with sadness, "I'm sorry, I'm ruining... whatever this is. I've just never had someone to really talk to about it".

Benji shook his head, being sure to never let his eye contact falter. "I'll level with you, Franco. I wasn't expecting anything in particular to come out of this, so you're not ruining anything. We're talking. About things that are important. And if that's what you need from me, I'd much rather be that then whatever you were classifying me as before now," he admitted. 

He took a deep breath before continuing: "I think you and I both know that self-medicating isn't a healthy way to get through this, so I'm not gonna even bug you by hammering on that. But... talking to someone. That's a good first step for replacing bad coping habits with better ones. View that as a victory. You're gonna have a lot of small ones before you start seeing the larger ones."

Franco nodded at the words. Benji was meant to be a quick fuck, someone he slept with when one of them was mad but this, this was different and it felt kind of nice. He sighed, "You know, after it all happened, I nearly quit The Serpents". He still thought he would, especially when Dare found out what he was doing, "A serpent never shows cowardice" he breathed out, "Darius found me, as cowardly as they come. No fight in me, nearly dead and covered in my own urine". He didn't know why he was saying this but he felt his eyes sting as he tried to hide the tears.

Benji placed his hand on Franco’s, gently rubbing his thumb against Franco’s knuckles. “Hey...” he said softly. “Topher was Serp for a while, and I have my opinions on it, but I also know that it’s a family. And you deserve to have a family.” He paused there. Wanting to stress that statement. 

“Also, you didn’t show cowardice. You lived. You lived through something that is the work of most people’s deepest nightmares. And you know what? You refused to let that defeat you. You worked yourself up from one of the lowest, scariest points that I honestly can’t even imagine. And sure, you’re not finished yet, and recovery takes time, but if you really think that refusing to let this defeat you shows anything besides unparalleled strength and bravery…” he shook his head, then grabbed Franco’s hand, moving his head to try to meet the man’s eyes. “Then let me say it for you: You are brave, Franco. You. Are. Brave.”

Franco had heard this all before. Hell, even Darius had said it too him many times both when he was in hospital and when he'd gotten out and very nearly quit the Serpents but, it didn't make it better. It didn't make him want to stop numbing the pain. He shook his head, trying to rid his face of all emotion, "What happened to me, I would never even wish on my worst enemy but yeah, I did fight and I did come back from it but I wouldn't call it brave, I'd call it survival" he finished. He dropped his gaze to their hands, "Can we talk about something else now?"

Benji nodded, not taking his hands off Franco's. "We can talk about something else, sure. But I wanna say one more thing: It's not just survival. It's survival of the fittest." 

 When Benji finished his sentence, the waiter came and dropped off their food, leaving Benj to give a delighted "Oo!". He didn't eat Italian food much, but this food did look particularly good. "Y'know, Italian was a good idea. Although, Greek is good too." he teased.

Franco watched as the waiter brought their food over and looked longingly at his plate. He hadn't eaten properly in days, forgoing  food for his other addictions. He looked next to the plate and saw the rose, "Greek is OK, but nothing beats a proper Italian". He picked up the rose, "This, was a really cute addition. "

Benji smiled, a slight blush apparent on his face. "I wanted to be a gentleman... Besides, you're worth it," he added, his voice barely audible.

Franco couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face at Benji's words. He bit his lip and scoffed, "I'm worth it?" he asked, "Man, I never I thought I'd hear you say that. And to think, I set out tonight tonight to get you all riled up".

Benji ducked his head, a blush apparent on his face. "Something like that..." he murmured. At Franco's next statement, Benji tilted his head. "Really?" he questions, "Why?"

Franco shrugged his shoulders, taking a bite of his food, his eyes fluttering at the incredible taste, "I just assumed this was some joke" he began to explain, "Like you didn't really want to date me you were just trying to fill a gap so I was gunna push you until you wanted to fuck again".

Benji shrugged. "I mean... I guess I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to fill a gap. I definitely do want to get over Toph, and wanting to get over him definitely was a deciding factor on considering asking you out, but..." he took a breath, his voice low but serious, "I decided to approach the date with an open mind and really go on a date with you. And I'm glad I did. You're... you're more than I gave you credit for."

Franco laughed, shaking his head, "Please for the love of God get that impression out of your head" he said, his eyes never leaving Benji's face, "I am and always will be an absolute asshole but I'm trying my hardest to behave at the moment".

~*~*~*~*~

Kink warning: Semi-public, foreplay/over-the-clothes rubbing, footsie/foot play, domination, teasing; ‘blink-and-you’ll-miss-it’ versions of the following: begging.

"I'm an asshole too, Franco. You know that. You act like you can't be an asshole and still be an okay person." He took a bite of his food before smiling and gently running his foot down Franco's leg, the tablecloth covering the view. "...Who said you had to behave?"

Franco smirked but his eyes widened a little when he felt Benji under the table. He looked around the restaurant and raised an eyebrow at him, "Dude, what are you doing?" he asked, he wouldn't lie, this was hot but he'd never been so public about anything.

Benji shrugged, trailing his foot higher up Franco's leg. "You said you were trying to behave. I'm showing you you don't have to," he whispered, eating casually while his leg did the opposite under the tablecloth. "If you hate it, just tell me."

Franco felt his eyes flutter a little, "I meant trying not to make you angry" he explained, taking a bite of his food, "But this, I think I'm quite enjoying it" he breathed, his hand reaching up and messing with the bandana around his neck, it making him feel a bit hot under the collar.

Benji smirked, finally putting his foot down. "Y'know, you don't have to make me angry. You could just like... call me," he whispered. "Are you okay?" he questioned, tilting his head.

Franco bit his lip and nodded, "I just assume you did the calling" he breathed out. He nodded, "Why wouldn't I be? I'm just, this is hot".

"Just wanted to check," he whispered, lifting up his fork to take another bite. As he did, he lifted his foot and trailed it up Franco's leg and to his crotch, gently brushing against it.

Franco went to take another bite of his food but he felt Benji's foot brush against his crutch and he dropped his fork, looking around, "Fuck" he whispered under his breath, "This is good".

"Franco..." Benji hummed, slowly moving his foot up and down Franco's length. "Something wrong?" he teased.

Franco took a deep breath as he ate another bite of his dinner, "You aren't playing fair Benji" he breathed

"You said you wanted to rile me up," he whispered, his foot moving painstakingly slow, "Now it's my turn."

Franco gulped his hands gripping the edge of the table, "I wanted to make you angry so you'd fuck me. I didn't plan to give you a boner at the dinner table".

"Oh, I will. Don't worry," he replied, his foot moving a little faster, "I'm just reminding you who's in charge first." 

At that moment, he pressed his full foot against Franco's crotch and gently rocked it. "Trying to get me worked up so you get what you want... Bad boy, Franco," he reprimanded, still appearing just be simply eating his food.

Franco took another deep breath, as he tried to eat another bite, "Always in charge" he whispered as he ate. Franco gripped the table hard trying to stop the audible gasp leaving his lips, "I'll literally do whatever you want" he breathed, "Anything" he practically begged as he bit down on his lip, his eyes never leaving the table.

"Well, it sounds like you finally learned how to beg, so I won't make you do that," he purred, going back to simply tracing Franco's length with his toes. "Apologize for being a bad boy--" he picked up the pace a bit-- "then I'll massage your little problem away and we can finish our date normally," he smirked, "minus your pants being a little sticky."

Franco nodded, "I'll still do anything" he whispered. He gulped and bit his lip, "I'm sorry I was bad" he breathed out, "I can't help it around you".

"You will later," Benji assured, starting to rock his full foot against Franco's crotch again. He gradually picked up the pace as he talked. "But we were having such a nice, wholesome date, and I wanna get back to that, so let's fix your little problem," he teased, rocking even faster.

Franco gripped the table even harder as he dropped his head to his chest and bit down on his lip as he felt himself cum in his pants. His cheeks flushed red from how quickly he'd been able to release, "Fuck Benji".

Benji smirked and took a bite of his food, finally setting his foot back down. "What do you say?"

Franco took a bite if this food and sip of his drink, "Thank you" he breathed out, his eyes looking down at his plate

~*~*~*~*~

Benji was about to go back to eat his food as normal when he noticed Franco looking down. "...Was it too much?" asked, his tone nervous.

Franco shook his head, "No it was just a first for me. I've never done anything in public like that".

Benji frowned. "I should've asked earlier. I'm sorry. I just... got worked up," he admitted. "I won't do it again."

Franco laughed, "I thought your were just showing me who is boss" he muttered taking another bite of food

Benji smiled, holding back a small laugh himself. "Fine. Maybe I was showing you who's boss because you succeeded in getting me worked up again..." he set down his fork to look at him. "Seriously though: if you never want me to do that again, tell me."

Franco smiled over at Benji, "Look, if I'd wanted you to stop I'd have told you too" he admitted, "But it was hot Benji"

"Good," Benji replied, a smile stuck on his face. "HaShem... You really know how to push my buttons, don't you?"

Franco took another bite of his food and shrugged his shoulders, "I didn't even try this time" he said, a cocky smirk on his face, "Hell what would you have done if I'd tried"

"We probably would've had to get the food to-go," he half-joked, picking at his food while he talked. "I'm having a great time."

Franco laughed a little and nodded, "Yeah well, this Definitely is not how I expected this evening to do" he smiled. He noticed, his hands were shaking, his cravings, although there weren't as strong as they normally were, "I'm having a good time too".

Benji couldn't help but smile, happy to hear Franco was getting something out of this too. "So," Benji started, taking another bite of his food before continuing. "We've had the serious stuff. We've had the--" he cleared his throat--"stuff. Now we have to talk about something fun! Tell me something about you that I wouldn't know. Like, for me, I speak three languages."

Franco smiled back and nodded, "It's crazy but for a moment there, you kind of made me forget" he admitted. He didn't know how it had happened but it had. He thought about the question, "Erm, not really that much to tell about me. You know I box. Maybe that I actually have a sister".

"You do?" Benji asked, legitimately curious. "How come I've never heard of her?" After a second, he batted the question away. "Wait no. I asked for something about you. I wanna hear something about you."

Franco nodded, "Yeah Isabella Del Rio" he smiled, "I don't talk about her cause I don't have contact with her". He sighed and shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know Benji, I can't think of anything you don't know about me" he said, but it was lie, he could admit to the drugs here but he really didn't want to.

Benji squinted dramatically at Franco, unable to completely remove the smile from his face. "So you're telling me: I'm supposed to just leave this date without hearing one fun thing about you that I couldn't already guess?" He picked up his glass and playfully said, "Hmm. Guess this isn't going as well as I thought," before taking a large sip.

Franco sighed, "Erm,I don't know. Would it counts if I told you I used to be a sugar boy" he said turning his head away, embarrassed. He heard Benjis last words and couldn't stop the disappointment on his face, "I'm sorry".

Benji was about to comment on Franco's bombshell, but stopped short when he saw Franco's face. "Franc... I was teasing you," he clarified, setting his cup back down. "Don't apologize to me. I'm having a great time." With that out of the way, he turned his attention back to the bombshell at hand: "You used to be a sugar baby?! Why?"

Franco breathed a sigh of relief, "Yeah sorry I just, didn't want to disappoint you" he smiled. He bit his lip and looked down at the table, his cheeks red with embarrassment, "I just liked being brought nice things and having sex every once in a while".

Benji bit his lip and played with the food on his plate, staying silent for a moment while he thought. After what felt like an eternity, he finally replied: "I could... do that for you. At least semi-nice things. But... not because I want a power dynamic. Just... because I like talking and spending time with you ...and doing other things with you. ...even if you rile me up," he added, his voice barely audible.

Franco smirked and shook his head, "That was a while back" he admitted, "I mean it was nice to have money and food and stuff but the kinky stuff he liked, the idea of it now freaks me out a little. I mean, I can cope with hands pining me down but everything else, after the kidnapping, I just can't".

Benji nodded, not taking his eyes off his plate of food. "I'll keep that in mind..." he said softly, wanting to at least acknowledge what Franco said. In an attempt to turn the conversation back to a more positive note, he smiled and said, "did you know there's a dating website to find sugar daddies now? It's called, like, 'A Sugar Daddy For Me dot com' or something... And that wasn't even the weirdest dating website I found."

Franco smiled and laughed, "I bet you signed up right away" he joked, "I'm lucky that I've not needed dating websites to hook up with people".

Benji smirked. "Yup. You know me so well." He shrugged slightly, "hookups are nice. And easy to find. The only time you'll need a dating app for more hookups is if you get bored with the guys you're already hooking up with."

Franco laughed, "I got you and I got Aaron Hummel, I'm not getting bored any time soon" he smiled, eating more of his food

"And don't forget that you're not done with me tonight yet," he whispered, giving a flirty smile.

Franco smiled and nodded, "Yeah, the night is still very young" he breathed. It was this moment he felt his hands start to shake again and he moved them back under his legs, "This food is good, been a while since I enjoyed a good meal".

Benji looked down at his meal, then back up at Franco. "I agree. I'm not huge on Italian food usually, but even I'll admit that this is particularly good." He lowered his voice slightly before continuing, "I'll bring you new tupperwares of food later tonight when I get back to campus, okay?"

Franco smiled and nodded, "I appreciate the food" he said, "It's been a long adjustment coming from a family with some money to having literally nothing".

Benji couldn't help but frown slightly; he had forgotten to check in with Franco around the time that the stash of food he brought him was supposed to run out and he felt guilty. How long have Franco been going hungry? "Whenever you need more, just call me, okay? You don't have to wait for me to remember."

Franco shrugged his shoulders, "It's not like I’ve starved Benji" he said, "I have the money to buy bread and things like that". He continued to eat and smiled, "This is just a massive rarity".

"Well..." he looked down at his plate, not really enough food left to use as something to play with as he thought. "...Maybe this could happen again?"

Franco finished his food and nodded, "I'm not really the dating kind of guy but, sure... I'd love to date you again".

Benji smiled brightly. "Perfect. Can't wait."

[lieutenant-maggiesawyer-blog]

 Maggie leans back in her chair with a deep sigh. She glances out her office door, watching as her Detectives move around the pin hard at work on their latest cases. She’s been stuck in the office all day doing paperwork, and she’s really over it. She loves being able to be in charge of the Precinct for the most part, but sometimes she misses getting out in the field. She still gets to on big or really important cases, but she’s not out nearly as much as she was as a detective.

She hears her phone vibrating against her text and she grabs it, surprised when she sees Kara’s name on the screen. Sure, she’d caught up with the woman a few days ago, but she hadn’t thought it would be a regular thing. “Hey, Kara,” she answers casually and bit skeptically. She’s not really sure why the younger Danvers would be calling her.

But then she hears Kara’s panicked voice, rambling on the other end and she sits up straight in her chair. “What? Kara, slow down.” She says, trying to understand what the distressed woman was trying to tell her. All she hears is “Alex”, “Andreas” and “kidnapped”, the rest just fades into the background. “I’ll be right there,” she says, quickly standing up from her chair. She grabs her jacket and her gun and runs out of the office, barely remembering to lock the door behind her. “I’ve got to go. Call me if you need anything, but please try not to,” she tells her Sergeant, her second in command.

She’s on her bike headed for the DEO and she barely even remembers making the trip. All her panicked mind can think about is Alex and Andreas and if they’re okay. Kara hadn’t told her much over the phone before she hung up and rushed out the door. As soon as she’s parked, she quickly shows her badge and very impatiently goes through all the security measures she has to go through. Luckily they still had her in the system from years ago, so it didn’t take quite as long as it should have.

“Alex?” She asks fear laced in her voice as she rushes into the command room. She sees Kara, Winn, Alex and a whole gang of agents around the large table. She’s happy to see that Alex is at least okay, but now her mind goes over to Andreas. “What’s going on? Where’s Andreas?” She asks, coming up behind Alex, grabbing her arm to turn her towards her.

[rosiehw-w]

Broken Stars

Their last days together were very different. It was like going back to London had brought them to a reality that none of them were sure if it was what they wanted. After the incident of Ed at Avery’s dancing lessons it was like they got apart. They did not talk a lot about it anymore and Rosie felt guilty about it too so she avoided to asked him to go out with her or for the kids and she kept busy with work and the kids. At the end of the day they talked about the kids mostly and avoided the topic about their emotions. Rosie did not want to push his buttons again. The other night she saw him exploding and breaking down and she was scared of seeing him again. She suffered with his pain and she was not sure if she wanted to face it again. She did not know how to help him, how to react or how save him. Probably she found the best way to get away from the situation. She had a scheduled trip to New York City for some work. She had important contracts with Paige and Claudelie and she needed to fly to America to make some public appearances and social events that she had signed up before Leo was born. She saw this as the best way to give Ed some space and they could clear their minds. The distance could help them or maybe it would make things worse. She did not know but she did not hesitate in taking this opportunity to leave. Rosie was not sure if Ed was good with it but they did not discussed it. The model had work to get done. Leo was almost one month old and he could travel with her while Avery and Brooks stayed with Ed. Their talks were short but she let him know that she would miss him and she would be fine during her week in New York.

She left with tears in her eyes because her family was during a rough moment and leaving Ed always broke her heart but this time was different, it was painful but for different reasons. She was not convinced If she was doing the correct thing but she flew to the other side of the world with Leo, her assistant, PA and a baby sitter would be helping her in NYC during her time there because she would be very active. The support from all the companies during the scandal time meant a lot for Rosie and she wanted to be professional and give them the best. During her days in the big apple, the model attended to parties, events, and shops and was very active due her contract with the different companies she was working too. She also have herself some time to hang out with friends like Joan Smalls and Matt who insisted in taking her for dinner and they always would end at her apartment with the little Leo who was the sensation. It was true that Rosie posted a lot about the products they were promoting but she was posting all what she was doing because she hoped Ed would see it. She missed him and they were not talking as much as she wished. They texted a few times to ask about the kids but they did not talk about anything more so every picture she posted was dedicated for him, to show him how her day was going and also demonstrate that no one had retired their support and love for the rumors around him. It was otherwise, everyone showed her their support and love for Ed and Rosie appreciated it and wished that Ed could see that.

After a week, Rosie was finally coming back to London. Exhausted and dying for being at home with her other three babies under the same roof. The model was surprised when she got a text from Ed offering to pick them up from the airport. After the horrible moment he lived because of her petition to go out, she did not want to expose him anymore to something bad but he insisted so she was excited about seeing him. The private flight landed punctual and with a tired but excited Rosie with a little baby in arms. When the plane’s door opened and she was helped to walk downstairs and she was about to get to the last stair, she felt a warm touch in her arm and a familiar smell filled her senses. She looked up and saw Ed holding her and be sure that Rosie and her baby were safe. “Hey” She said with a big smile.

[actuallyberry]

UH OH | SEBCHEL

WHO: Sebastian Smythe (#5)  and Rachel Berry(#10) WHAT: The pair are in for a surprise when their internet alter egos meet for the first time to realize...they know of each other already and don’t exactly hit it off. WHERE: The KnickerBocker Hotel, NYC WHEN: Sunday, February 18th WARNINGS: Implied smut and some dirty talk I guess. 

Rachel: arrives at the Knickerbocker at 2:50, getting the keys to her room, and letting them bring up her backs. She felt confident, mostly because she was prepared and so ready for this to happen. She only hopes he's who he seems to be and not some sham though she knows it could go both ways- though she's more than confident in her abilities to please, be naughty, and be the good girl she's supposed to be- of course that meant she'd need a punishment to remind her of her place and how she's meant to act, but she knows it is all apart of the appeal. She tips the man who sets her bags down in front of the door and with a soft thank you Rachel made her way into the room. Of course she'd seen pictures but it was bigger and more beautiful than she could have imagined. It would be the perfect room to explore in and she stripped down to her underwear and grabbed her toiletry bag before rushing to the bathroom to shower. The tiny brunette stood naked in front of the mirror as she styled her hair and when she felt happy with how it looked she walked back into the bedroom area and slipped on her white lingerie- to add to the good girl appeal. She had carefully picked out her hairstyle, her outfit, and how she'd be when he opens the door. Rachel had given strict instructions to prince-seduction and the person at the front desk. Of course it didn't mean he'd listen but if all went as planned he'd be escorted up and let in. In fact he'd be let in any minute and with a last flip of her hair over her shoulder Rachel sits herself in the middle of the bed, legs crossed at the ankle a small smile on her face as she waited.

Sebastian had been purposely putting off meeting the girl he met online, partly because he was a bit wary, partly because he wanted her to want him even more. He had never met anyone on a website like FetLife and although he didn't feel unsafe, he did have an odd feeling about the meet up. It could potentially be awkward; he knew she wasn't overly experienced in the "FetLife genre" and neither was he, but what if she turned out to be inexperienced in sex all together? He wasn't in this to take someone's virginity or to help them get back at an ex; he was in it for a good time and he hoped that that's what it would be. As he's escorted to the room, he hikes a duffel bag over his shoulder and adjusts the sleeve of his coat, heart racing a little in excitement. As they arrive, the employee hands Sebastian a key and he waits until he's out of sight before slipping it into the slot, unlocking the door, and pushing it open. His eyes immediately fall on the girl on the bed, eyes running up her body, taking in her appearance. Clearly it was the same girl in the pictures and he holds back a sigh of relief knowing he hadn't been catfished. As the door falls shut behind him, he sees her face and his brows furrow. "Don't I know you?"

Rachel: hears the beep of the lock and she tenses a bit, her nerves shaking her to the core. Her breathing techniques she learned in yoga come in handy and she calms herself down just as the door closes. Rachel looks up at him with dark eyes and her mouth falls open with a slight gasp. “Sebastian Smythe?” Rachel says quietly, sitting up completely, posture straightening, and her body going tense again. “You’re who I’ve been talking to?” She swallows the lump in her throat and stifles a laugh. Of course it would be someone who seems to detest her in the real world. What was she supposed to do now. “Rachel Berry.” She murmurs, realizing she hadn’t actually answered his question. “You’re going to leave aren’t you?”

Sebastian mind races, freezing in spot as he tries to place the girl's face. She says his name and he licks his lips; obviously she knows him too, and Sebastian doesn't know whether that's a good thing or not. "I..." he starts, but with the name it clicks and he shakes his head. "You're that annoying girl from Tumblr." He can't believe that out of every woman in New York City, that Rachel Berry is the one he's been sexting this whole time, and if he wasn't there to see it himself, he would never have believed it. "Yes," he responds bluntly and turns towards the door.

Rachel: flushed pink and stands from the bed. “I’m not annoying.” She says, a tone not helping her prove that. “And I don’t think you should leave.” Rachel can’t help herself and she stomps her foot her arms crossing over her chest. “I don’t think you should leave because you know I can give you what you want and I have a feeling you can do the same.” It’s a lame attempt at persuading but she can’t not get what she wants. She needs it after the week she’s had and maybe the fact that he doesn’t like her means he will be even rougher. “Please daddy?” She looks up at him through dark lashes and a slight pout.

Sebastian ignores Rachel, shaking his head. This is what he gets for trying something new online and going to pursue it. He should have just left it alone and ghosted her after she expressed wanting to meet up. He rolls his eyes and swings open the door, one foot out, before freezing at her last plead. He slowly turns his head to look over his shoulder, letting out breath. It is what he wants...

Rachel: sees him walk out but then he's looking over his shoulder and she's sure she can convince him to stay. She needed this and if he has been as busy as he's claimed he probably needed this sort of outlet too. "I know that I'm annoying and overbearing and you don't like me but I promise you it's a totally different story with a cock in my mouth." It's a dirty word and she blushes, looking down at her lap, "And there are plenty of other ways to ensure I can't talk, right?"

Sebastian told Rachel to shut up

Rachel listened because she likes being told what to do

Sebastian likes that about her.

Rachel made sure to prove to him she’s as good with her mouth as she’s insisted. 

They have crazy kinky sex and then after they come down and clean up Sebastian peaces out without a word.

[quinnxfabray]

if you’re ready

Quinn moaned in pleasure as she took the first bite of her chocolate mousse cake. “You’ve got to try this,” she said with a grin, carving out another spoonful and offering it to her sister across the restaurant table.

The days had flown by since that fateful night. Everything blurred together for Quinn except the time she spent with Marley -- that was when everything slowed down around them, or seemed to. Especially times like this. She wasn’t taking Marley on a date by name, it just happened to be Saturday night and Quinn just happened to take her to one of the nicest restaurants in the area, and there just happened to be candlelight and wine. For her, anyway, though she let Marley sneak sips when no one was looking, even as they giggled afterward like sisters do.

They were still taking things slow physically, too, though Quinn was running out of reasons why. They could barely cuddle up on the couch for a night of Netflix without it turning into yet another makeout session. She’d even stolen a quick kiss from Marley as they entered the restaurant.

[aidenoconnell]

bad habits.

Aiden steps out of the shower and dries himself off, scrubbing the towel through his wet hair. He’s pretty excited to be going on another date with Luci again. It’s kind of elevated too as he offered to swing by to get her and she agreed, now he’s got her address. He pulls on some jeans and a t-shirt over his head, thinking about pulling on a light bomber jacket as well. It’s cooler tonight and Aiden’s okay with that. Sometimes the heat in the city gets to be too much. 

He brushes his teeth and figures out his hair before pulling on some shoes and finding the remote to his TV buried until some pillows, he turns it off. Dating is still so strange, actual dating too. Taking it slow, getting to know one another and feeling it out. His mom seems delighted about it and Aiden can’t help but roll his eyes (with a smile) because Kim O’Connell just wants her son to be happy. And realistically? He’s pretty content with his bar, his livelihood and getting by but sure, it would be nice to have someone by his side. Especially after the mess with Holly. 

Aiden: I’m on my way. Be there in 20 if I don’t get stuck on the subway.

He grabs his keys and wallet, slipping his arms through the sleeves of the jacket and heads out. Luckily, he gets to Luci’s apartment in that twenty minute promise. He lets her down he’s outside.

[littlexbutxfierce-blog]

Something Felicity had kept a surprise from Oliver and probably most of their friends, was that she had been in the process of getting Smoak Technologies started. She had been excited to get it started, and now felt like the perfect opportunity to try. It was still in the early process of things, but with the money she had saved up, she was very close to finalizing everything. That was why she wanted to wait, just in case it fell through. It wasn’t an entire secret, though. Oliver knew this was something she had wanted for a long time.

She got ready for the day and swiped on another layer of lip gloss, before checking the kitchen for her husband. “Hi, handsome,” she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, loving how warm he was and maybe she was just excited to show him everything today. “So, I have a surprise for you,” she sing-songed and tiptoed to peck his cheek before making her way to the coffee maker.

Mia was already up in her high chair in the kitchen and she kissed her hair gently. “Well, there’s two parts to this surprise, but I’m focusing on the other one first,” she grinned at Oliver. She knew that with her mother showing up, it would mean a very loud conversation about babies and the parts of her life she wished her mother wasn’t so enthusiastic about. But it meant that she and Oliver could spend the day together and she had plans for them that night as well. 

@archerxqueen​

[augustcastle]

lunch dates

A week after the warehouse photography shoot, Luci nails him down for that lunch date, which is perfectly fine with him because he’s in-between jobs and she was in California for about a month...so he does miss her. Their aunt has a house near Napa, so it’s easy to get stuck there for long periods of time. He hasn’t been since he was little...he should really look into visiting at some point. 

“Did you get taller?” Luci asks him as she stands from a table outside the bistro they’re going to eat at when he approaches. 

He hugs her tightly, her hair easily getting into his face but he doesn’t mind. “Nah, think you’re gettin’ shorter.” 

She laughs, pulling back from him, “That’s a high probability.” 

He smiles as he sits down across from her, taking in her golden tan and long blondish-brown hair. She hasn’t changed since he’s seen her last and maybe, he thinks, that’s what he likes best about his cousin. She’s a port in the storm, a constant, even when life is absolutely hectic and crazy. 

August taps on the menu with his fingertips, trying to figure out what he’s going to order. He’s wearing a pair of blue faded jeans, a white t-shirt and red sunglasses, ironically matching with Luci with her red sundress. 

“Aiden at work?” 

“He’s gonna join us later,” Luci chinhands, giving August that sparkly ‘in love’ look that she typically sports when talking about her husband, “You got me all to yourself for a little.” 

[dizzywoods]

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[roseange80-blog]

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[360yosoy]

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