a night in || ben

[Alaric Tomas Jester]

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tag: ben; words: 0585; outfit: link

one more last try

I'ma get the ending right

Somehow, Ric had talked himself in to leaving campus at a decent time that evening. He did not have any real reason to stay after, so he ended up going home pretty soon after classes let out. His students all had his cell phone number in case he was needed, anyway. So, he'd gone home, changed out of his uncomfortable shirt to one he liked better, and a hoodie since the damn heat in the apartment was not working quite right. The landlord promised to get it fixed soon, but Ric was not holding his breath. It was not too cold in the place, anyway, as it was just starting to cool outside. It was just enough for a hoodie to be comfortable. His cat, it seemed, was not too fond in the change of weather, though, and often perched on top of his laptop or keyboard when they were on because of the heat they produced. Well, that was the assumption Ric made, anyway. "Tux, now, we've talked about this. I do not need your help," he stated as he sat the cat down on the floor again so he could resume working on the keyboard without him being in the way. "Spoiled thing." Ric shook his head fondly with a slight smile as he took another drink out of the can resting on the stool that stood next to the keyboard. He had not meant to grab the vanilla Starbucks Double Shot earlier, honestly, he had not. However, after opening it, he decided it would be a waste to not finish it. He would just drink a shit ton of water and eat some crackers or something to counteract the stuff a bit. Maybe he should dilute it with water. Then it would probably taste gross, though. As good as the drink was, and with as fast acting as it was, he still preferred the Coke Zero he kept stashed in his fridge. He would definitely stick to that. Though, he might grab one of the coffee drinks from time to time when he really needed a pick-up. Who knew? Maybe it would lead to enough of an energy crash that he would sleep really well. That would definitely be worth the slightly rapid hart beat and tingling in his fingers.

Alaric honestly had no idea how long he was there working on some silly little thing that would not leave him alone, that he knew would make it near impossible to sleep if he did not work on it. Music was almost like a time warp for Ric, and always had been. It kept out the bad things, amplified the good, helped you through those negative feelings. It was just amazing. Of course, a knock on the door broke through his concentration, and Alaric glanced over to the door. He was rather confused because it was kind of late, and it was very rare for him to get visitors. His rent was not due yet. Then, it hit him that it was probably Ben or Salizar. With a smile, Ric got up and went over to the door to open it, pausing for a moment as the room spun because he stood up too fast. The choir teacher unlocked the door and opened it, only to smile again when he saw Ben there, and he wasted no time in actually letting the other man in, always glad for the company. "Hey, you," he said warmly, shutting the door once Ben was inside.

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[Benton Kade West]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, background-color: #fff; width: 505px; border-top: 10px #95D9DE solid, bTable] ☼ sunshine YOU CAN BE MY he was late. well, kind of. he hadn't ever exactly planned any exact time as to when he would be done at the school, knowing how long he could stick around there doing little to nothing before coming home at all kinds of wacky hours, but he felt late. or maybe he was just excited to spend time with one of his gorgeous men. he just hopped that ric would want company. he was excited to have some alone time with ric, but he was strangely excited to just relax. while he could relax all the same at his own apartment, he knew that he once he allowed himself to lay down on his bed, he would be out for the night and nothing or no one would get him up. he was exhausted. maybe he was getting sick. he hadn't really been sleeping well the past few nights, but that also could have had something to do with the constant feeling of being watched. while he knew it was ridiculous to feel that way, it didn't stop him from wandering around his semi-empty apartment, looking for anyone who could have followed him home. so he was paranoid. so what? while originally he'd told himself that he wouldn't stop off at his apartment that night at all, he couldn't stand the idea of going all the way over to ric's place in the same dressy clothes he'd worn to school that day. while he did feel professional and spiffy in his dress shirt and loosened tie, he also was starting to feel a little over dressed. it was ridiculous to think that he could be over dressed for anything, considering that his style was typically always the same. he brushed off the thought as he pushed into the door of his own apartment and tugged the tie over his head, stripping as he walked toward his bedroom. after shrugging out of his shirt and throwing half of his outfit onto his unmade bed, ben pushed himself toward his closet and pulled out a simple gray shirt and hoodie, tugging them on lazily before jotting down a rather messy note saying where he was headed and telling him not to wait up. just to be safe

[/b]. he thought to himself with a slight smirk, though he was sure that he would behave himself. tonight, he was on his best behavior.

after climbing into his car and stopping off at the grocery store to pick up a few items, ben made his way toward ric's apartment, a smile stuck to his lips. he was officially willing to admit that he was excited. ben was always kind of a heartbroken person, even when he was a kid. he never got too attached to people because he just expected for them to break his heart or be dishonest when it came to admitting their feelings. he felt different when it came to ric. the warmth that pooled in his belly when he thought of the male was familiar now that he'd gotten used to the feeling when he was around salizar, but originally he'd been blown away by the idea that he could ever trust someone so blindly. he'd loaded up his arms with his purchased items happily and closed the door to his car with his hip, not bothering to care if someone noticed him. it wasn't until he reached the door that he knew was to ric's apartment that he his smile turn a little lopsided. he knocked once seriously before it turned into the beat to 'shave and a haircut'. he was starting to grow anxious, though the sound of the door opening in front of him washed all of that anxiety right away.

"i'm on my best behavior tonight. scouts honor." he said with a laugh, shifting his weight to juggle the bag in his arms slightly. ben was never a boy scout, though if he was one, he was pretty sure that he wouldn't have lasted long. "look. i even brought you groceries. kind of." he mentioned in a teasing tone, flashing him a pointed look before moving into the apartment happily. he was practically bouncing with excitement and he didn't bother to cover it up. it didn't hit him until after he was already inside of the apartment that he hadn't even asked ric if he had plans tonight. while he felt his face slowly start to heat up at the thought, his slight nervousness disappeared as he caught the other male's smile. returning it, ben wandered further into the apartment, dropping the bags onto the counter. he probably should have been phased by the lack of homely items and overkill of musical ones, but it reminded him of his own home. it was familiar and relaxing, in a way. "hey yourself." he said happily, leaning over to plant a quick kiss on ric's cheek before leaning against the counter in a goofy fashion.
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826 WORDS
OUTFIT
RICY

let the fluff ensue!

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CREDIT

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[Alaric Tomas Jester]

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tag: ben; words: 0700; outfit: link

one more last try

I'ma get the ending right

"look. i even brought you groceries. kind of." Alaric chuckled as he arched an eyebrow slightly, making sure he had locked the door again before looking to Ben. "How does one 'kind of' bring groceries?" he questioned, flicking his hair back out of his eyes, smiling all the while. It was nearly impossible for Alaric not to smile when Ben was around. Both him and Salizar just made him want to smile a lot. He was definitely glad for some alone time with Ben, though. Ric felt it was easier to get to know each of his boys better if he got to spend a little time alone with each of them. His focus was not tugged in two directions that way. Alaric was the kind of person to put his all into a relationship, and he felt that the only way he really could was by getting to spend equal time alone with them. It just made sense to him. He smiled at the kiss pressed to his cheek and just kind of took a moment to watch Ben before laughing softly as he flicked his hair out of his eyes. "'M glad you came over. Pretty sure I'd have ended up falling asleep at the keyboard if you hadn't." That was something that happened more often that Alaric would admit to, especially when he felt himself starting to get depressed again, which was not the case that night. He was simply inspired, but generally tired from work. Having Ben there, though, was almost like having a glass of cold water splashed on his face. Alaric felt completely awake again. It was a little odd having someone in his place, simply because the only people he had ever had there were his sister, her husband, and their daughter. Alaric usually went out to meet up with friends, and before, his love life had been non-existent. The change was definitely a welcome one, though. Having Ben there just lifted his mood even more. "How's your evening been?" He was pretty sure that Ben had stayed on campus after classes had let out, but he could not remember exactly if it was that night in which he did, or if that had been a few nights ago. Ric's sense of time was highly skewed and had been for a long while. Sometimes it worked in his favor, other times it simply worked against him. Alaric closed the distance between them to wrap his arms around Ben's waist in a hug, always loving hugs and being close to people, his boys more so than anyone. It was an innocent gesture, but one that meant a lot nonetheless. Alaric had always been more of a touchy-feely type of person, finding comfort in it. There were just sometimes that words were never enough, in both good and bad situations.

"You are aware," Ric said as he gently squeezed Ben's smaller frame, "that I have no intentions of letting you leave now that I've got you here, right?" There were no hidden meanings to Alaric's words, something that could easily be told from the tone of the teacher's voice and the warm smile he had. That was not to say that he would mind if something less innocent came of their night together, but that was not Ric's intention. He just did not want Ben to leave. He really liked having the other man close and the idea of falling asleep next to the other teacher was one that he really liked. There was something comforting of having someone sleeping next to you, or something, in the case of pets. That was why Ric never minded when Tux vacated the guest bed to join him on the other, as pathetic as that sounded. He was the type to have no problem snuggling up to and laying next to someone who was just a friend, either; it had just been a while since he had a friend stay over. Usually because when he really wanted someone close, it was the same time that he did not want to be around people. However, Ric had a feeling that Ben and Salizar would surpass that usual boundary he had.

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[Benton Kade West]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, background-color: #fff; width: 505px; border-top: 10px #95D9DE solid, bTable] ☼ sunshine YOU CAN BE MY this man was so adorable. there was something about ric that made ben want to squirm and shift closer to him at the same time. the feeling was definitely new, in a way. while he felt the warm fuzzies when it came to salizar and he it wasn't a new concept for him when it came to people he was attracted to, ric brought it to a whole new level. "i'm not really sure..." he said, shooting ric a playful look. "but hey, i made it happen." he made everything happen. if ben really put enough motivation into something, things usually fell into place. he didn't typically have to try too hard for something to happen, but he gave it his all anyway. maybe he it was just his optimism that made things happen. his eyebrow lifted slightly at the idea of ric falling asleep at his keyboard, but the smile that tugged at his mouth was definitely warm. "well in that case, i'm definitely glad i came over." he said happily, leaning forward enough to press a gentle kiss to his lips. originally he had been tired, but simply being in alaric's presence was enough to make him wake up entirely. "my evening has been... interesting." he commented, tilting his head with slight interest. "I found out tonight that you have a bit of a... problem when it comes to locks on your classroom." he said, knowing that his eyes were starting to shine with excitement. "don't look into it." he hinted, shooting the other an excited smile. he had debated if he wanted to tell the male about finding izzy playing the piano, originally. he'd wondered how ric would take the news of having a student break into his classroom to involve himself in music but at the end of the day, he figured that his boyfriend would be just as excited as he was at the news. it wasn't every day that you stumble onto that kind of talent. there was a kind of passion that ben always held strong to. he could see it when he looked into the others eyes. as those brilliant blue eyes moved closer to him, embracing him with warmth, ben couldn't help but feel his smile grow. personally, benton was very big on space invasion. he had always been a very touchy feely person; always a snuggler. it appeared that ric was one of those people that he wouldn't have to watch himself around when it came to that part of his personality. resting his chin on the others chest lightly, ben happily wrapped his around around his lover. he was more than happy to just allow himself to be held in this gorgeous man's arms. he laughed lightly at the others words, his rather innocent smile turned into a smirk quickly. "i was kind of hoping you would say that." he said, moving his hand up to brush sliver strands of hair out of his face. "besides, you can't just hold me like this and expect to go back home tonight." he pointed out playfully before kissing his chest simply. sure, if he went home he would be in another man's arms, but ric was new territory. "aren't you at all curious about what i brought you?" he asked, laughing to himself as he pulled away from the other male enough to reach into the bag, pulling out a box of brownie mix along with the ingredients that he would need to make it. "i definitely have an agenda tonight. just so you know." and they had all night to get through all of his plans. 606 WORDS OUTFIT RICY ---------------- CREDIT

[Alaric Tomas Jester]

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tag: ben; words: 0604; outfit: link

one more last try

I'ma get the ending right

Alaric laughed softly at the playful look his boyfriend shot his way, unable to keep from smiling. It was definitely nice to have someone else around the apartment. He did like having space that he could go to and just work on music without much interruption, unless Tux was in one of those moods; but, having people around was always nice as well. "Congratulations on accomplishing something without knowing how. It takes great skill," Ric said teasingly with a slight smirk, unable to keep his amusement from his tone. The piano instructed lifted an eyebrow slightly as Ben mentioned that he had an issue with the locks on his classroom doors and that he should not look into it. Well that just completely piqued his curiosity. Alaric knew that one of the students, or a couple, would sneak in after hours from the fact that sometimes the door would be unlocked when he got there (which he never left it unlocked because of the equipment in the room) or something would be out of place, often a stool moved somewhere it should not have been or one of the workbooks left out. He had yet to figure out who it was, though, and any time he did stay late, nobody showed up. Well, nobody that was a student, anyway. "You figured out who has been getting in there, then?" he replied with a soft laugh, flicking his hair out of his eyes. "I've known someone has been getting in. Wasn't ever worried 'cause nothing was stolen, so..." Ric shrugged a little as he flicked his hair back out of his eyes again, making a mental note to get it trimmed sometime soon.

He smiled brightly at Ben's reply of hoping he would have said there was no way Ben was leaving. It was good to know that the other man was of the same point of view that he was. "besides, you can't just hold me like this and expect to go back home tonight." Alaric smiled at his boyfriend's words, gently squeezing the other man again, seriously unable to get past just how cute Ben could be without even trying. Honestly, the guy was just so... Well, Ric lacked the words that fit accurately (something he found to be true when he tried to explain Zar as well), but it was in a good way. The words he wanted were very good words, but nothing could be deemed good enough in his view. Honestly, Alaric was not sure how he had managed enough luck to stumble up on Salizar and Ben, quite literally on accident; but, he was very glad that he had. Ric was the type of person who quickly grew attached to people, and his boys were no exception to that. He did not put stock in things being permanent just yet, but Alaric already knew that it would be quite simple for him to fall for the other two. The only thing that was really needed was time. "That would be rather rude of me, wouldn't it?" Ric replied with a heavy sigh, absently toying with Ben's hair as they stood there. "And we can't have that at all."

Alaric shook his head slightly, denying the want to pout when Ben pulled away from him, but he laughed softly at the other man's question. "'Course, I'm curious. You're just highly distracting," Ric stated, nodding as he pressed a kiss to the side of Ben's head. He smiled as the other man pulled out the items in the bag and chuckled softly. "An agenda, huh? What might this agenda be, my good sir?"

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[Benton Kade West]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, background-color: #fff; width: 505px; border-top: 10px #95D9DE solid, bTable] ☼ sunshine YOU CAN BE MY it was as if ben couldn't stop himself from smiling when he was around ric. there was something about being around this man that just felt good. he had thought that he was gorgeous ever since he first laid eyes on him, but he never imagined that he would be able to admit it out loud without awkwardness ensuing. "you know, i try." he mirrored the smirk that covered alaric's lips, though he couldn't help but laugh at himself. "i'm pretty awesome at not knowing what i'm doing." he admitted, tilting his head. sadly, the comment was entirely true. ben had always just been one to smile and nod and just go with the flow. he had never really been great at being a fantastic leader or making huge moves, but once he got started, nothing would stop him. excitement flashed to his eyes along with a soft look of guilt as he nodded at his boyfriend's question. "well, i found one person in there. i mean, there's no promise that it's just him..." he thought allowed, letting it sink in that ric didn't sound as surprised as he'd figured he would be. "i don't think that you have to worry about things being stolen with this one." he said easily, almost comfortably. while he didn't know izzy all that well, he didn't come across as a thief. then again, half of the kids in that school seemed convinced that they were innocent or perfectly normal. a small smile crossed his lips as his eyes wandered. "izzy steel. how much time have you gotten to spend with him, musically?" he asked, allowing his full interest shine through his eyes. he was excited and it definitely showed. ben had always been drawn toward people that had a knack for music, but it was even more exciting for him when it was someone so young with talent. his wide smile slipped slightly when he realized that this must be how his father felt with him. it took him a few minutes to push the ache in his chest away, though ben tried not to let it show on his face. he shivered slightly at the feeling of fingers in his hair, but he tried to keep his mind off of it. tried being the key word. "oh, definitely rude." even though he was sure that there wasn't truly a rude bone in alaric jester's body. sighing dramatically as he looked toward ric, ben couldn't help but notice the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement. "you are not helping my 'best behavior' claim, you know." he complained playfully, allowing his fingertips to trail over his hip fondly, forcing his eyes to remain on the task at hand. lifting the box of brownies in a very showcase-like way, ben allowed a smile to creep onto his lips. "well first we are making brownies. or well, we can try to. because i'm not really the greatest cook in the world... but they sound fantastic to me right now." he said lightly, slipping his arm around ric almost out of instinct. he was such a terrible space invader. it was going to be difficult to put any serious space between them, if ben kept this up. "and then... i don't know. i'm just making it up as i go along." he laughed softly at his inability to sound organized at all. "but i figure that we have at least twenty five minutes to figure out our next step while these things are cooking." he suggested, a flash of emotion skittering across his face before disappearing just as quickly. "tonight is all about relaxation and conversation." 612 WORDS OUTFIT RICY ---------------- CREDIT

[Alaric Tomas Jester]

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tag: ben; words: 0761; outfit: link

one more last try

I'ma get the ending right

"You're pretty awesome in general, babe," Ric replied with a nod and a slight smirk, his voice teasing though showing sincerity in his eyes. Alaric really did think very highly of the other man. Ben was just... something else; and, that was in a very good way. Alaric always felt like smiling around Ben, and that was not something he was particularly used to. It was more like he spent more time searching for things to make him happy, whereas with Ben, he just was. There was no searching needed. It was very nice in Ric's opinion. It was one of the many reasons he could see himself eventually falling for Ben, completely anyway. He knew he was slowly developing stronger feelings for both of the men that took up most of his free time, but things were still just in that new, learning stage. Ric planned on enjoying every moment. He did not want to rush into anything, mostly because he did not think things would really work if anything was rushed, especially with something that involves three different people with three different personalities and emotions being tied in. It made things a bit more complicated.

Alaric could not keep from smiling with a nod as Ben told him that thievery was not something he really needed to worry about. That was definitely a good thing and made Ric glad he had not really pushed harder to find out who was breaking in to the classroom. He was, however, antsy to know what Ben knew. If the look in the other man's eyes was anything to go by, the news was good. "izzy steel." Izzy. He should have guessed. The quiet teen tried too hard to hide whatever skills he had to be someone without talent. From what Alaric had learned about people, the ones who generally possessed a lot of talent were the ones that tried the hardest at their skill to improve and show those what they could do, and the ones that tried the hardest to keep it a secret. Those that kept it a secret though, well, that was generally when it was that much more special and meaningful. It meant there was an emotional attachment there, and something deeper than a pretty voice. Alaric shook his head at Ben's question, choosing to not question the look that crossed his boyfriend's face, figuring that if it was something Ben wanted to discuss, he would. After all, the man knew Ric was always willing to listen. "No, not really. He fakes it in choir and only half-way puts any effort in piano class. The kid spends more time hiding whatever skills he's got than actually doing anything," he replied, though he wished he could get the kid to open up more. Maybe Ben could help, though, since he had already heard Izzy seriously play once.

"you are not helping my 'best behavior' claim, you know." Alaric clicked his tongue ring against his teeth and smirked a little, flicking his hair back out of his eyes. "I'm finding it very difficult to have any sort of issues with this." The choir teacher chuckled softly with a slight smirk, once again flicking his hair out of his eyes as he stayed close to Ben, pretty much determining that distance between them that night was going to end up being very scarce. With the clinginess they both generally had, though, it was no wonder. "Making it up as you go is often the best way," Ric replied, nodding a little with a smile. After all, everyone who knew him knew that making it up as he went was pretty much all he did. One step at a time was the only way to take it. Looking ahead too much caused just as much badness as looking back did. That was why living in the now was much more important. "Well, you being here has definitely made sure 'm heading for the whole relaxation thing. So, we're off to a good start." Ric smiled softly as he ducked down enough to press a kiss to Ben's shoulder before gently squeeze-hugging his man again. "And I love getting to hear you talk, so conversation is definitely a must." Every time he talked to either Ben or Salizar, he learned more about them; and, that was something that Alaric greatly enjoyed. It was just nice, a good change from what had become the norm in his life. "I'm a decent cook, though, so I can always assist. My sister taught me when I was younger."

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