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 Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 8:12 am
Caleb felt utterly exhausted. Two fights in one night, two times of almost getting caught by the cops…it was just too much.
When he got home, he had sent a quick text to Benji asking if the other boy wanted to come over, and promptly collapsed on the couch, sending yet another message to the white haired male to bring one of those taco pizzas if he could manage it.
He kept the phone resting on his chest and flung an arm over his eyes.
He had tried to kill someone. He had honestly tried to just snuff out a life, and he had no…no real guilt over it except for the guilt he felt that the other senshi still lived.
Sure, perhaps his rage had been a little misplaced…the one he had tried to kill hadn’t been the one who had actually killed others but…
But it seemed a fair way to live…kill whatever wears black. If you wear black and have a chaotic aura…don’t even bother talking. Just slaughter.
With a sigh, Caleb lowered his arm and again picked up his phone, sending one last message to Benji. ‘I might have done something really stupid. I don’t know. The door is unlocked so just let yourself in if you can make it. Sorry for the spam.’
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 10:14 am
Benji was just coming off his shift from work when his phone buzzed. He knew who it was, after all, who else would it be texting him this late at night? Peter knew he worked, but there wasn't really a reason to hear from him right now, same with Raleigh. But Caleb... He would text whenever. Whether it was some random picture or something he saw and wanted to share, or if it was some ransom occurrence he felt the need to talk about, he seemed to be the only person these days to say anything to him besides casual hellos. When it came right down to it, he didn't mind all too much.
Attention like that was nice, even if he still didn't know what to call what they had.
Tonight's message, however, seemed alot more worrisome. The first few he missed while his hands were full fiddling about working on making his own dinner to take home, but the third came right after he washed his hands and he looked at it.
Well ********.
What had the boy done? Had he gotten back together with Xi-wang? Or a one night stand with someone? ********, had he gone and fought with his family and they were cutting him off? The idea that it wasn't something normal didn't cross his mind at all, and maybe later, he'd be thankful for that given how his life normally went, but for now he was worried as hell.
'Yeah, I'll be there in 20. Just getting off of work and making the pizza. Don't do anything else stupid until I get there, got it?' In record time Benji had whipped out the best pizza he could, paid for it, then got on his bike and raced to Caleb's apartment, still covered in flour and smelling like sweat and bacon. Bike parked, shirt brushed off, he went right into the apartment without knocking, plopping the pizza on the counter and accidentally slamming the door behind him.
Woops.
"Alright, I'm here! So what the ******** happened?" He tried his best for the tone he gave to not sound angry, and it came off as more panicked. Better, but not quite what he was looking for. "Is it Xi-wang? I'll ******** kick his a** if he tried anymore stupid bullshit, I swear to god!"
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 3:01 pm
Caleb had fallen into a light doze in the time between the answering texts from Benji and when the door slammed and he heard the other male’s voice, Caleb sat up quickly, smacking himself in the face with the phone which had been thrown in the air in surprise.
“Son of a b***h, ow!” He rubbed at his nose and looked over at the white haired male, a rather stupid looking smile crossing his face as he realized that yet again...Benji had come. And he had actually brought the pizza, the smell of it causing Caleb’s stomach to give a huge rumble, and the grin on his face to only grow.
“No, no it’s not Xi-Wang. It’s well. It was me. I almost got arrested twice tonight...and I almost killed a guy too…”
He ran a hand through his brown hair and looked at least a little sheepish. “I wish I would have...I hate people who are on the other side. I was minding my own business earlier, on patrol, you know? And this girl was there, and I don’t know. She was one of the corrupted senshi, and boy was she a pain in the a** she…”
A look of guilt passed over Caleb’s face and he sighed. “She killed two people in front of me. And then blamed it on me, said she would have let them live if I hadn’t attacked her...and then I ran into this dude, he was one of the other kind of chaos assholes...he was in a tree draining this family and I just...I don’t know. I saw red and I would have killed him, I wanted to kill him...but the cops showed up so I ran. That other b***h left me with the cops after me too so. It’s been...kind of a shitty night…”
He swallowed, closing his eyes for a moment, and finally looked back at Benji. “I...don’t regret almost committing murder. I do regret that he got away...and I regret that I didn’t stop the girl before she killed the family...but I don’t regret almost killing...I guess...that makes me kind of really ******** up, hm?”
It was so easy to talk to Benji. So easy to pour out everything to the male...even if Benji did think him a monster...at least...it was easy to talk to him.
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 6:51 pm
"Ouch, are you okay?" Maybe he shouldn't go bursting into people's houses like that... Caleb didn't look any worse for wear giving the fact that he was wearing that goofy a** grin again, so Benji relaxed and grabbed the pizza, popping it on the coffee table and taking a seat on the couch beside him.
While he listened, he didn't take his eye off of Caleb once, trying his best to give his full attention and not listen to the grumbling of his stomach or the urge to inject some wisdom or another. He had these experiences before, and back then, he had no one to listen to him at all... He wouldn't let his friend go through that too, not if he can help it.
Once he was done talking and seeming to wait for a response, Benji shrugged slightly.
"Not at all. When you think about it, this whole goddamn world is ******** up. I don't blame you, I would have tried to kill them too. These bastards go around killing people and tossing bodies away like it means nothing, so they can all go ******** themselves and die in pits." At that, he flicked open the pizza box and offered Caleb a few napkins he had stashed in his pockets.
"I'm not saying you shouldn't feel anything because of the fact you did that, but all in all, what can you do? It's war, people keep dying, and it's one thing if soldiers like us, or those on the other side die, but these people, this civilians just living their lives and minding their own business don't' deserve any of this pain and suffering they go through at the hands of Negabastards. So yes, you should be mad, and yes, I'm proud of you for kicking their asses as best you can. I don't recommend you getting arrested... That's a bit more complicated, and I can't exactly pay for Bail... Could probably bust you out though. As Chara, not as Benji." Was that enough ranting? As much as he wanted to be here for Caleb, he had no idea what he was supposed to say like this, so hopefully that was enough.
To maybe help just a little bit more, he reached out to Caleb, taking his hand into his own and pulling it up to his lips to press a small kiss to it in what he hoped was a comforting manner.
"Uh... Anyway, if You need me, I'm here... I mean, yeah, obviously I'm here, but I'll stay too. Tonight. I'll stay tonight."
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 6:33 pm
The very fact that Benji was here listening to him made everything suddenly worth it. The fact that he could just…unburden himself to the other male and not be given a judgmental look or not treated as though he were crazy…it was as welcome as a glass of water on a hot day.
For a long moment he just stared at Benji, grinning again, and when his hand was kissed, the grin only grew until it almost hurt. “You…you can’t even imagine just how perfect you are, Benji. I never realized how much I just needed someone who could know…all of me to just listen. It…it feels great not to have to hide everything…”
It had been constricting. It had felt so…disgusting to have to hide so much from Xi, and perhaps that had been part of why they hadn’t lasted. When you had that many secrets…you didn’t really have much of a chance for a real relationship so...
So maybe it really was more of a blessing that it had ended.
“I would love you to stay tonight, Pookie. I like it when you stay over…it makes me stupidly happy. But…” He drew the hand that Benji had kissed along with Benji’s own and returned the kiss. “You make me stupidly happy. Thank you for being here…and for bringing the pizza. But…honestly…as much as I’m excited to eat the pizza? You make me happier. I’m glad that you’d bust me out of jail. I’d do the same for you, you know. I’d do anything for you, Benji.”
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Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 11:10 am
"You're going to end up breaking your face smilin' like that." Benji's face was quickly turning red from all the compliments, and he didn't quite know how to respond. While he wanted to respond to those sweet words, he just couldn't bring himself to.
Something kept holding him back, even with how much Caleb reassured him how happy he was to be around him. Yeah, Benji felt the same way too, finding so much relaxation and contentedness being around Caleb but... It was too fast, too soon... It had been nearly two months since they first met, and they've went through alot of stressful things together, secrets coming forth way faster than he'd like to admit, but that wasn't bad, right?
So then why did he keep finding himself hesitating?! It was so damned clear Caleb liked him, so why couldn't he just let himself go and be happy with that?!
Benji just didn't know.
"Yeah, I'll stay. I always do when s**t hits the fan, don't I?" His hand slipped away from Caleb's, trembling only slightly at the confession of dedication and doing his best to try not to think too hard about it. It was there, lingering in the air, and he didn't want to just brush his friend off but...
"I know you would, and I got your back too. Thick and thin, I won't let you get hurt. Except maybe a thwhack on the head if you call me Pookie again. Can't you give me a nicer nickname?" At that, he moved away, just a bit to give himself more proper room to finally grab a slice of the Pizza for himself and taking a big ol' bite of it so he wouldn't have to say anything else.
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Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2018 8:39 am
Caleb laughed, seeming almost oblivious to Benji’s hesitation, though he didn’t comment or protest when the other boy pulled his hand away. “I just don’t understand why you don’t like when I call you Pookie. It’s a cute name and you’re a cute…but handsome guy so…” He gave an overly dramatic sigh and grabbed a piece of pizza for himself, taking a large bight and looking at Benji thoughtfully.
When he finally swallowed his mouthful, he was smiling again. “Also I can’t help if I break my face when smiling. I can’t seem to turn it off when you’re around so…one of these days it might just break and then you’ll be not only picking up the pieces of my life, but the pieces of my face too. How sad.”
He snorted at the thought and moved over towards Benji again, giving a contented sigh when they were once again touching. “I’m glad. I’m happy that we have each other. I couldn’t ask for a better…” Pausing, Caleb shrugged. “Friend? Ally? Whatever you are. I couldn’t ask for a better you.”
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2018 6:27 pm
"Pookie sounds like a dog, that's why! If I'm... Cute or handsome or whatever, then I should get a better name, that's all I'm sayin'!" Another bite and he rolled his eyes, enjoying the food and the contact between them. Caleb wasn't the only one who found comfort in the physical contact. Maybe not exactly the same way, but... It was certainly appreciated.
"You can say partner for now. We're close, very close, so I think Partners work just fine... And.. Yeah, I couldn't ask for a better you. Hrm... Maybe one who got into trouble a little less, but hey, I think I could work on that too." Benji playfully rubbed his leg against Caleb's and finished off his pizza in quite happiness.
"Hrm... What do you wanna do after this? A movie? Maybe go on a ride on my bike, or maybe a walk, or some extra patrolling? I'm here to do what you want."
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 4:22 pm
“It doesn’t sound like a dog…I have never once called a dog Pookie. I don’t know. But, if it’s really bugging you, I’ll stop, Benji. I don’t want to upset you. Not too much, anyway.”
Caleb took another bite of his pizza, seeming thoughtful and mulling over the word partner. It had so much meaning from one dumb little word. It made him feel good though. Like he was a part of something…good or strong or just…intimate. “Partners…That…can go so many ways though, Benji. Are you talking just…like partners going out and saving the day, like Batman and Superman…or partners like, holding hands and going to the movies and I pay for the tickets and the candy and you get the popcorn and soda kind of partners?”
He felt a light tingle in his leg from where Benji was rubbing his and laughed. “…Honestly, it all sounds good, but a ride on your bike would give me a perfect excuse to wrap my arms around you, so I think that sounds like the best thing to do. If we end up at the movies, so be it, as long as we’re together…partner, I don’t care where we end up.”
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Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 3:07 pm
"Well, you haven't ever called a dog Pookie before, but I have called them poochie before, and there's the whole pokemon named Poochyena, So.. Yeah. It doesn't really bother me... Unless you start using it in public all the time. I got a tough guy image to maintain." Benji knew at this point there was no one who would believe him right off the bat that he was any tougher than a marshmallow, but he knew different!
Around Caleb there wasn't that need to be tough though, so he let it slide and just went back to eating the next slice he took into his hands. At first he wasn't going to think too deeply into the implication of 'partners', but he was forced to think about it now that Caleb had asked... Well s**t.
"The kinda Partners that always got each other's backs. Best friends, powered and not, there to fight side by side and give comfort and more when needed or wanted. I think more like... I dunno. Why can't we be like Batman and Superman, but we like doing the whole candy and movie things too? You can hold my hand if you want when your scared or something, or if you want to, but if I'm honest, I'm not too big on PDA if you know what I mean." To him being affectionate out in the open felt weird and uncomfortable. So far they had only really been cozy here in his apartment, so the moment he walked out that door, it was gone and he didn't think about it too much until he was alone again.
"I'm not ashamed or anything! It's just not my style. I get... Uh... Embarrassed. Or I think I would. I dunno, stop making me think too much about it." Caleb had said he didn't care, so... He'd leave it at that. It was too much at once to actually think alot on his feelings for the other boy. Time and time again he found himself hurt by throwing himself into his stupid overactive need to love someone, so right now, he was happy with what they had, even if it didn't have an exact name like 'love'. Partners was fine, Partners was something he could handle.
Right now, that's all he could give.
The scowl that he couldn't help from forming slipped away pretty quickly at the thought of his bike and having one of his favorite people behind him on it.
"Yeah, sure! Let's do that. We can ride around town for a while, maybe head to a place and grab milkshakes. I got gas money so we can keep going until we're ready to go home. Just let me know when you're ready."
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2018 4:56 pm
Caleb laughed softly, wondering if that was permission to call him Pookie in private…or just Benji blustering as Benji did. Regardless…it was really cute.
Sometimes though. Sometimes he wished that Benji did think about what he was saying before letting things come out of his mouth. Not that anything he said was in any way hurtful it just…it just wasn’t what Caleb wanted to hear. He liked the idea of holding hands and kissing and…maybe that was just because he never really went anywhere with his last boyfriend so…so this time he had to do things right but…
But he wasn’t even dating Benji so he should just stop thinking about these things and…and the fact that the white haired male suddenly looked so grumpy made Caleb’s stomach clench uncomfortably, and he got up, stretching. “I’ll go and change into something better then, milkshakes sound fantastic, Benji.”
He made his way towards the door to his room and paused in the doorway. “…What do I wear for this? I’ve never been on a motorcycle before…jeans? Do I need a jacket or something? This is…new for me. I have a bunch of clothes though so, I’m sure I can put something together…but jeans I think is a must, yeah?”
It was a safe change of topic, and even though he wanted to harp on the other things…well. Talking about what to wear for a ride on his…partner’s bike would just have to do for now.
For now.
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2018 11:12 am
Benji didn't allow himself to feel anything else right now besides the excitement of finally sharing the love of his bike with someone else. Not the regret of not just saying they were dating, nor the certainty that he felt that somehow Caleb was upset by what he said. Between the two of them, he couldn't help but feel like Caleb was the more... Sad emotional between them. He knew that he himself was a horribly quick to anger kinda emotional so... What a pair they really made...
He didn't want to think about it.
"Jeans are fine. A jacket too, doesn't have to be leather, just something to keep your arms safe, oh, and no open toed shoes!" While Caleb went to go change, he started cleaning up, moving the left over pizza to the kitchen to chill in it's box for a bit before they would ziplock it up for later.
"I got a helmet for you too. I expected sooner or later you'd cave and come with me for a ride, so I want to keep you safe." Truth be told, he had been trying for a while now to get someone to ride with him, and he was internally delighted that the first person would be Caleb. "Don't complain about how dorky it is, rather dorky than dead. I'll go outside and warm it up for you."
While he wanted to stay, it was far too tempting to just follow Caleb into the bedroom and wrap his arms around the taller man, keeping them from leaving any time soon, and honestly he didn't want to be stuck here for now. Not that he didn't like being here with Caleb, it was just that the call of the road just happened to be stronger tonight. Maybe later, not so much, but right now, very much so.
Before Caleb could protest, Benji picked up his helmet and headed right out, grateful for the cool spring breeze. It was a perfect night to go on a ride, for sure.
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