Get It - 3. A Hopeless Case

A Hopeless Case

“Can’t believe Gina’s really here.” Benny looked at the arrivals screen at Dunedin Airport. “Well almost here. Thanks for playing Chauffeur.”

“Oh, is that all I’m here for?” James huffed, but it was compromised by a small quirking of his lip.

Benny butted into his side. “You know that’s not the case.” This was James. His best friend—he’d written and talked to Gina about him for years. Now she’d finally get to meet him in person. She’d love him.

Gina gave a high pitched squeal when she saw him. Benny’s smile stretched his cheeks. He threw his arms around her. “Shit, sis, you look different. Did you get taller or something? You’ve got a tan.”

“Mediterranean. Loved it.”

“You look good. It’s so nice to see you again.”

She hugged him again, then moved to James. “So this is James. Nice to meet you.”

James stuck out a hand and Gina ignored it, gripping his upper arms and kissing each of his cheeks. Benny swallowed a chuckle at the blush that crept over James’s face. “Glad to finally meet you. Benny’s told me so much.”

“Good things I hope?”

He eyed his friend, giving him a slow nod. James laughed and Gina slapped Benny.

“Of course only good things.” James grinned at him, cracking those dimples, and said still staring at him, “He’s in total awe of his big sis.”

Benny felt the heat rise to his face. Yeah, he did look up to Gina. But who wouldn’t? She rocked.

Something glittered in the light, and Benny frowned before letting out a yelp—“Gina! Explain that. Right now.” He pointed to a fat diamond ring on her hand.

“I was wondering how much I’d have to flash my fingers around before you’d notice. Yeah. I’m engaged.”

There was more jumping and cries, and the entire journey back to Benny’s place he made Gina tell him everything about the guy. Italian, thirty-two, owns a couple of restaurants in Venice. They met when she tried to praise the food to the waiter but it came out wrong, and the waiter had brought management. Fabio had been visiting the restaurant at the same time and decided to talk to her. Fabio spoke perfect English and cleared up the misunderstanding. Ending with asking her out. Five months later, he popped the question.

“I’m so happy for you,” Benny said for the fiftieth time, hugging her again. James gave commentary on what to watch out for when Benny showed Gina around his small place. “So, this where you’ll be staying. I’ll crash at James’s.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind the floor.”

“Hell no. I’ve changed the sheets. Everything’s fresh. Sorry some stuff is in boxes already. But I’m leaving the place in a couple of weeks.”

“This is great. I always tried to picture the place my little bro lived. It’s not bad for a student. God, you should’ve seen where I roomed. Now that was disgusting. I’m so glad not see any mold here.”

James pointed to the small inbuilt closet. “There might not be mold, but be careful opening that. Sometimes the door comes off.”

Benny stifled a laugh as the memory of James yanking it open to grab his coat. He’d ended up flat on his back cursing the world off. Of course it was just as well nothing serious had happened. Still, James had avoided the closet since.

“So, where are you moving to for next semester?” Gina asked, flopping onto the bed.

“I haven’t found a place yet. Well, I thought I had, but it fell through. Now I’ve been told to wait until classes have started, apparently it often happens that students decide not to come back from their summer holiday and need to sub-let. Some deals can be good too.”
“Yeah, and until then he’s with me,” James said with a sigh.

“Hey, I’m not that bad to live with.”

“No, just a royal pain in the arse.”

Benny feigned being hurt. “What! I cook for you—slave away for hours in that kitchen. And that’s how I’m repaid?”

Gina swung her head to James. “Oh, do tell, what’s the most annoying thing?”

“Oh, just that he’s blind to the most obvious.” Something about the way James said it made Benny pause.

Quietly, he asked, “What am I blind to?”

James stared at him and didn’t say anything a moment. Then, glancing at Gina, said in a cheery tone, “The cups with teabags left around the place. Scattered clothes on the floor and chair. You don’t seem to see that as annoying.”

“Well, if you gave me a drawer to put my clothes in, they wouldn’t have to be everywhere else. Also, I’m not sure what’s worse, me being blind to it, or you knowing it and not suggesting a way to make it better—or just telling me.”

At this point Gina slipped out of the room. Damn, he hadn’t wanted this to turn into a fight. James stood, frowning. Benny let out a slow breath. “Look, James, I’m sorry about cluttering up your place. I wasn’t aware it was such a problem, but I’ll work on it, okay?”

James crossed over to him. “Shit. I’m the one who should be sorry. What an arse I was, and in front of your sister. Really, really-really, Benny, living with you is the best. And damn, you so can cook.”

Benny went to punch James’s arm, but half-way decided against it and wrapped his arms around James instead. Their foreheads pressed together. This was . . . comfortable. Nice. “Forgiven.”

* * *

The bitter weather forced them inside. Still, the DVD evening would be fun. Gina popped one into the player, while Benny grabbed blankets from James’s trunk. His friend called from the kitchen. “Salt or sugared, Gina?”

“Butter and salt,” Benny yelled back.

“I know what you want, doofus. What about sis?”

Gina laughed. “Butter sounds good to me.”

“It’s no hassle either way. I like it sugared.”

“In that case, I’ll just nick from the both of you.”

“Sweet,” James and Benny said at the same time. He dumped the blankets on the couch and peered into the kitchen to grin at him. “Can I help?”

“No. You go too heavy on the butter.”

“Yeah, but it tastes so good that way.”

“Well it’s not so good for your health. Now scram,” James said swatting at his backside. “Go flick on the movie.”

Benny settled in on the opposite end of the couch from his sister. Where he always sat for movies. The DVD started, and he grabbed the remote and paused it for James. “Hope the holiday hasn’t been too lame for you.”

Gina poked out her tongue with a grin. “Nah, it’s great to see you again.” She looked toward the kitchen and back. “You’ve really got a routine going on here. You almost seem grown up—which is weird, because I still think of you as my baby brother.”

Yeah, you’ll always be my big sister, too.

James came in and placed two bowls on the coffee table. “Play, play!” He snatched the remote from Benny’s hand, slumped next to him on the couch, and pressed start.

Not even a third of the way through, James nodded off. His head lolled back on the back of the cushions. Benny steered his friend’s head to his shoulder and let it rest more comfortably. He focused on the movie, knowing he’d need to give a summary when James woke up again in twenty minutes. Gina glanced over at them and laughed silently.

A quarter hour later, James woke with a start and swatted at the fine trail of drool running from his mouth. “Ugh.”

Benny chuckled and wiped a spot he’d missed. Then looked at his t-shirt. “Ew, gonna have to change this tomorrow. Jamesy’s goobies.”

The last comment scored him a pinch on his side. “So, what did I miss?”

He gave Benny a quick run-down and, nice and easy, they continued watching the rest of the movie.

Gina insisted on crashing on the couch rather than be taken back to his place. He and James loaded her up with blankets and disappeared into the bedroom. They brushed their teeth, quickly, silently. Benny noticed how nice James’s were. Pearly white if he could borrow the cliché. He spat into the sink and rinsed. James was already wiping his mouth.

“What?” he asked.

Benny grinned. “Nothing. Let’s get to bed. Do you mind if we keep the light on for a bit? I have politics readings to catch up on.”

“Sure.” James smirked. “You know I can sleep through anything.”

On the way to the bed, Benny searched for a t-shirt to wear to bed, dismissing two and throwing them on the floor. James shook his head. Opened his dresser and started taking out clothes and squeezing them into other drawers. Turning to him, he tapped the drawer with his foot.

“For your clothes and stuff.”

* * *

James opened the mixed cookie pack, picked out a toffee chocolate and crammed it into his mouth. Benny sipped on his tea. “Do you think Gina will find her way to the bank?”

James smirked. “What? Right on Left street will confuse her? Never.”

“See, knew I should have gone with her. Should have insisted.”

“Just relax, Benny. She’ll find it. I think she wanted to give us a bit of space, anyway.”

“Hmmm. Maybe.” Though he loved Gina around, the constant doing things and showing around was a little tiring. Now he could blob with James for a couple of hours. Nice.

James devoured another toffee chocolate cookie. They’d always been his favorite. Benny’d tried to bake some for him once, but the effect was no comparison. And because the cookies only came in a pack mixed with nine other sorts he didn’t particularly like, Benny had to stick to those ones.

“So, you planning on doing anything with Heath later this week?”

For the last week, he hadn’t had much time to think about him. Now that he did though, maybe he should text him, and organize something for when Gina left. He pressed his palm against the cell phone. But he couldn’t be bothered fishing it out his pockets and sending him a message just right now. “Um, probably. But he still hasn’t given me any real indication what he wants.”

James paused a cookie at his lips. “Or he has, and you just don’t see it.”

“Fuck. Maybe.” Benny rested his head back on the top of the couch. “What about you and Shaun? How’s that going?” He twisted his head to watch his friend.

James picked up his tea. “I don’t think it’s going to get past the third date.”

“How many dates have you already had?”

“Three.”

“Oh. Bad in bed?”

James choked on his tea and, spluttering, laid it back on the coffee table. “I wouldn’t know.”

“Good.” Okay, that just slipped out. Was it good? Benny shook off the thought.

“Good?” James repeated.

Benny shrugged and grabbed a cookie. Um . . . “Well yeah, I’d hate it if you weren’t going to tell me where he ranks.” He waggled his brows and James playfully slapped him on the back of his head. “But seriously, three dates with you and you didn’t get physical? Jeez, there’s something wrong with the guy. I’d have been all over you. Huh. Probably by half-way through the first date.”

James went quiet. “Do you hear what you say?”

He dunked the cookie into the tea. “Yeah, I guess you’re wondering how on earth I’d ever manage a long term relationship. But I can be more than sex.”

“I know.”

Benny met his gaze. Thanks man.

James grabbed the last toffee chocolate and turned it in his hands before passing it to Benny. “Damn these are good. Try it.”

“But they’re your favorite.”

“Just shut up and eat.”

* * *

“I can’t believe how quickly the week has passed. I wish you didn’t have to go tomorrow already.”

“I had a great time, Benny.” Gina turned to James twirling some spaghetti onto his fork. “And, James, thanks to you too. It’s nice being able to hang out with the both of you. I feel like I know you so much more now. It’s a . . . good feeling knowing you’re here to look out for my little bro.”

Benny wanted to say he didn’t need looking out for, but it was a nice compliment to James, so he let it slip. Plus, the guy had saved his butt on occasion, and since the Heath thing, always had ice cream in the freezer.

James smiled at Gina. “Come back again soon, yeah?”

“Sure, hey,” Gina said, keeping James’s gaze. “Maybe by that time Benny would have gotten it together, and I’ll be introduced to his boyfriend.”

Benny slapped her upper arm. “Hey, you make me sound like a hopeless case.”

Gina’s grin widened. “Well that’s because you are.”

“Pity you didn’t get to meet Heath. He’s my sort of . . . challenge.”

James snorted and then started a bout of coughing. “It’s . . . beating the shit . . . out of you.”

Benny scowled. Gina nodded. “Unrequited love is such a bitch.”

Love? Sure he liked Heath, thought of him as a great guy to try having a relationship with, hoped that if they ever got things underway it would turn into that, but it was just too soon to call it love.

“Hey, I haven’t seen the guy,” Gina complained. “Do you have a pic?”

Benny snapped out of his thoughts and pulled out his cell phone with a grin. “That’s him.”

“Huh.”

Benny looked at his sister. What did that mean? “Huh?”

Gina stood up and piled dirty dishes together. He followed her into the kitchen. “Again, Gina, what’s with the ‘huh’?”

She smiled broadly. “The guy’s hot, Ben. Really a looker. Sort of looks like he might be, uh, related to . . .” She pointed toward the table. What? To who? James?

He shook his head. “Heath is nothing like—” He stopped the rest of the sentence. Now he thought about it they did have a few similarities. Hair. Eyes. Height, build, shoe size. Okay, so maybe more than a few. But—but what?

His heart sped up. He filled a glass of water and headed back out. His gaze slipped over James; the pasta slipping off his friend’s fork before he could get it into his mouth, the frustrated grin, those dimples. Something stirred inside him. James looked up. Benny could feel a wave of heat rising to his cheeks. He glanced away, moving quicker towards his bag. First, take pills and sit down.

And then he really needed to think.

* * *

Benny brushed his teeth and climbed into James’s bed. They’d been sleeping together like this all week while Gina was in town, but tonight was the first one Benny felt apprehensive. For the rest of the evening before he had dropped Gina off, he’d not been able to focus. He kept looking at his friend, eying his physique. Gina was right; James looked quite similar to Heath. And realizing that was making his head spin and his blood also.

James, in boxers and t-shirt like himself, hopped into his side and turned off the lamp. Benny did the same.

“Night, Benny.”

“Sleep tight,” he replied, but it came out croaky.

Half-way through the night, Benny was still awake, and now James cuddled up to him. Warm breath tickled his neck. An arm slid up higher onto his chest. It felt nice. Really nice. Sexy nice. A sudden image of him pressing into James and encouraging him to thrust had Benny hard as a rock and wondering why he wasn’t freaking out more.

Carefully, he twisted around so he faced James. That’s when he noticed James wasn’t asleep either.

They just stared at each other.

Then Benny closed the inches between them with a small shift of his head and kissed him. James’s lips were soft under his. He was about to pull away again, when a hand braced his hip, the grip demanding he stay put. James responded to the kiss deepening it, a moan coming with it. And Benny was responding in like. A surge of shivers exploded all over his body at once. His gut screamed at him to get closer.

He threw a leg over James’s hip. Totally new territory. They really should stop and talk about this. Someone needed to tell him what was going on. Instead he ran his hands down James’s torso over the toned muscles. “You’re so God-damn beautiful.” The words slipped from his mouth, unexpected. But true—yeah, a hundred and ten percent true. And he didn’t just mean physically.

James’s hand was now running up Benny’s body. He pressed himself flush against James. Felt it as his hardness touched James’s. He was this hot for him too? More bursts of electricity and something else filled his insides. Benny paused as his hand slid under the elastic of James’s boxers. He felt the heat at his fingertips, urging him to continue. But before this went further they had to talk.

James sensed his hesitation and loosened his grip on Benny.

“What the hell is happening here?” he said, his voice a shadow of his own. The most frightening thing about what they were doing was that it didn’t frighten him at all. It felt right, rubbing himself against James didn’t embarrass him. Or even confuse him—well, it did that a little. But it also seemed so comfortable.

He looked into James’s eyes, and sucked a breath at what he saw there. The way James looked up at him, the way he blinked, a tear rolling down the side of his cheek. It all seemed so clear. “How did I not see it?” he asked aloud and fell onto James’s chest. “You’ve wanted this a while, haven’t you? How long?”

James didn’t say anything for a while. Then the answer rumbled through his chest, making Benny slam his eyes shut. “Since the first time I met you.”

Oh fuck. What—what torture. Just as well he didn’t like ice cream. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Why the hell hadn’t Benny thought of this sooner? He wasn’t sure if he should curse them both or laugh and be happy. Because he was that. So very, extremely ecstatic. This is so right.

James swallowed. “I’ve been planning to talk to you ever since our little fight the other day. I was going to tell you tomorrow. After Gina left. But I was nervous. Anxious. Because above anything else, I don’t want to ruin what we have.”

Benny mulled over James’s words, letting the assortment of feelings rush over him. Claim him.

“What we have.” He sighed into James’s t-shirt and slid his hand to his friend’s. He gripped it. A familiar hold. He linked their fingers together, sparking more electricity. He lifted himself up just enough to met James’s gaze. “You know, what we have is practically a marriage without the sex. How on Earth did it take me this long to see it?” He was so desperately looking for a relationship—James was right, he was totally blind to what was right in front of him. What he already had.

“So what happens now?” James asked.

“What do you mean, what happens now? James, dear, I know you’re not quite so naive.” He secured his lips with his own, teasing his tongue into James’s mouth. He groaned again. The sound alone was enough to make Benny lose it. His hands traveled to James’s boxers. He pressed through the material. James eyes rolled back, but his arm gripped Benny’s wrist.

“What about Heath?”

“Who?”

The corner of James’s lip twitched. But it dropped. He was waiting for a serious answer.

“There’s not even scant comparison between you two. James, you’re my best friend. I would choose that over Heath any day—and ditch the sex. I’ve loved you, like, forever. I just want to kick the shit out of myself for not having seen this sooner.” Really, really-really, how could he not have seen it?—even when James had come into his mind while he was jerking off, the possibilities hadn’t been triggered. Shoot, he felt like the dumbest, stupidest person alive.

Still, he also felt the luckiest.

They started kissing again, all over, exploring each other’s body in a new much more intimate proximity. Thoughts cascaded Benny’s mind. He paused. “So, are you really going to go home for the summer holidays now?” He bent down and teased the head of James’s erection with his tongue. “’cause I’m thinking, we have a lot to catch up on.” Quite a few years worth, in fact.

James shook his head. “No.”

Benny pulled back up. “No?”

“Uh-huh. Why don’t you come home with me instead?”

And with a smile just as big on the inside as it was on the outside, Benny pulled James into a deep kiss.

>>The End<<