Chapter Text
Under bright yellow lights and many ominous cameras, Eddie and Benny sit on the fountain bench, engrossed in conversation. Benny is animatedly talking about the competition.
“Do you think there’s ever been a case of a contestant getting injured from another contestant?”
Eddie shrugs. “I’m sure there’s been at least one.”
“Y’think they would help whoever got injured if it was serious enough?”
“This gameshow? Have the decency to help an injured person?” Eddie snorts. “Don’t make me laugh…”
Benny’s prior words seem to die in his throat. He tilts his head. “Wait…I’ve never really heard you laugh.”
“Not much to laugh about here, now is there?” Eddie says.
“Yeah, but now I want to know what it sounds like.”
Eddie scoffs. “Well, I can’t laugh on command.”
“You don’t need to.” Benny says, matter of factly. “I can make you laugh.” He grins, putting his hand to his chest in pride.
Eddie raises an eyebrow. “Oh, like you’re so funny?”
“Excuse you!” Benny gasps, as if Eddie had said something scandalous. “I am very funny!” Oh, now he HAD to make him laugh.
“Really?” Eddie casually swings an arm behind the bench and nods his head at Benny. “Prove it then.”
“Uhhhhhmmmm.” Benny’s eyes trail the floor as he searches for something to say. He’s realizing it’s hard to be funny off the top of your head. He comes up with a tactic that he thinks will work.
“Why did the chicken cross the road?”
Eddie deadpans. “Really Benny?”
“Yes! Why did the chicken cross the road?”
Eddie sighs. “Why?”
“To get to the other side!” Benny says with a cheery smile.
“That’s the best you could come up with? A five year old could have told me that joke.”
Benny’s smile fades. “I thought you would laugh.”
“At the oldest joke ever?” Eddie snarks.
“Fine, fine!” Benny thinks for a second before speaking again.
“Knock knock.”
Eddie sighs dejectedly. “We’re really doing this?”
“Yes! Knock knock!”
Eddie rolls his eyes. “Who’s there?”
“Orange.”
“Benny-“
“YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SAY ORANGE WHO.”
Eddie pinches the bridge of his nose. “Orange who.”
Benny grins cheekily. “Orange you glad I told you this joke?”
“No.” Eddie responds bluntly.
Benny chuckles nervously as he talks. “Okay, okay, last one, you're gonna laugh.”
“I don’t think I will.”
“Knock knock.”
Eddie has given up. “Who’s there?”
“Interrupting cow.”
Eddie incredulously side eyes the orange haired man. “Do you seriously think I’ve never heard that joke before?”
“Interrupting cow.” Benny says again.
“Fine. Yes, interrupting cow wh-“
“BAAAAAAAAA.”
Eddie squints his eyes at Benny. Benny just stares back blankly. “Benny,” Eddie starts. “Do you know what sound a cow makes?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“It’s fucking MOO.”
Benny slouches in disappointment. “I thought you would laugh if I said something stupid.”
“Well, stupid is your default setting, so I’ve grown used to it by now.” Eddie wears a barely perceptible smirk.
Benny’s jaw slacks. “Hey!” He sputters. Okay, clearly telling absurd jokes wasn’t working. At least Eddie had seemed slightly amused. He was going to have to try something else. As he looks over at Eddie, his eyes travel to his side.
Suddenly, Benny reaches out and pokes Eddie’s side. Eddie jumps in surprise.
“What are you doing?” He grumbles.
Benny doesn’t answer him and instead jabs him faster.
Eddie tries to swat his hands away. “Benny, this isn’t going to work! I’m not 4 years old!”
“It has to work eventually!”
Admittedly, Eddie was amused by the absurdity of Benny’s tactic and he was clearly fighting a smile. But, he didn’t want to give in to his amusement. Now, although childish in nature, it felt like a competition. And laughing would be losing.
Eventually, the brutal bull secures a grip on Benny’s wrists to pause his onslaught.
“Benny. Just stop.” Eddie says.
“Fineeeeeee.” Benny groans. He’s fresh out of ideas. As he watches Eddie go to pull away his hands from his wrists, he grabs Eddie’s hands in return to stop him. There’s a glint in his eyes as a new idea forms.
Still holding his hands, Benny stands, trying to pull Eddie up with him. Eddie reluctantly stands with Benny, pulling himself up awkwardly.
Benny grins. “Let’s dance.” He says, as he wraps a hand around Eddie’s waist.
“I’m not really good at dancing.” Eddie mumbles.
Benny pulls Eddie flush against his body as he winks. “That’s okay, I have enough skills for the both of us.” He murmurs to him.
Eddie can feel the heat on his face, so close to Benny he can feel every contour of his body. Benny’s hand is warm against his as he gently curls his fingers.
Slowly, Benny leads Eddie into a waltz, stepping in time to imaginary music. Eddie hesitantly follows his lead. At first, it’s a simple slow dance, sweet in its nature.
But, as they make their way around the fountain, Benny starts to take big, exaggerated, steps as they waltz across the room. He’s taking such long strides that he’s practically dragging Eddie along behind him. It’s clearly for comedic effect.
Eddie can feel himself smiling. He covers his mouth to try to conceal it but the pull of his lips is impossible to hide.
Suddenly, Benny stops and jokingly lowers Eddie into a dip, supporting him with a hand on his back. It could have been intimate if Benny wasn’t making an incredibly stupid face.
He leans next to Eddie’s face and whispers coyly to him, his lips ghosting his ear. “Cmon Eds, at least show me some teeth.”
Eddie allows himself to grin, but he does it without opening his mouth. “You’re gonna have to earn it.” He murmurs back.
Benny’s smile only seems to widen. He gently slides himself out of Eddie’s grasp, and steps a good distance away from him. He begins to twirl around on his heels, in some weird and stunted salsa. Benny looks, to put it simply, incredibly stupid.
“Cmon Ed’s, I thought we were dancing!” He calls.
Eddie bites his lip to stifle his laughter. Benny continues to twirl in circles, occasionally wiggling his eyebrows towards Eddie.
One turn, however, was not executed as well as the others. Benny’s feet tangle together and he stumbles forward…...straight into the fountain. He grabs the edge of the fountain in an attempt to stop his fall, and his legs almost lift off the ground from the momentum.
Eddie thought he had caught himself in time until Benny straightened up and water dripped down his neck. As he turns his head towards Eddie, he can see that the front half of his hair is wet and that it hangs down in front of his eyes, which are furrowed in annoyance.
Like a dam was broken, Eddie bursts out laughing.
His laughter booms through the large space and vaulted ceilings, reaching so far the shopkeeper could faintly hear it. He doesn’t bother to hide his joy like before, and besides his hanging hair, his face is completely unobscured. Benny takes in his crinkled, closed eyes, his mouth curving up and creasing his cheeks, the usual tension that takes hold of his body melting away. He takes in the warmth of it and the strange rhythm it has.
It’s music to Benny’s ears. Although, it’s harder to enjoy when he knows Eddie’s laughter is a result of his humiliation.
Eddie’s laugh already begins to fade. He’s still chuckling slightly as he says, “Nice hair, you trying to copy me?”
“SHUT UP!” Benny snaps at him, but the words have no true bite. He can feel his ears turning pink from Eddie’s teasing tone. He tries to push his wet hair out of his eyes but it just flops back down with a wet thump.
“Hey, at least you laughed.” Benny points out, trying to save himself from further embarrassment. “This proves I AM funny.”
“I think anyone would laugh at you falling on your ass.” Eddie snickers.
As Benny attempts to fix his hair, his eyes go wide in realization. “MY GLASSES!” He yells out. He quickly throws off his jacket and plunges his arms into the fountain, searching frantically.
He retrieves them, drying them on his shirt before sliding them onto his face.
Eddie’s laughing quietly from the sight, covering his mouth with his hand.
“Hey, I said show me some teeth!” Benny says, as he forcefully takes Eddie’s hand away from his mouth.
“Okay, okay…” Eddie swats Benny's hands away but doesn’t hide his smile anymore, his teeth shining under the set’s bright lights. He glances up at Benny’s hair, water still dripping down his face.
“I think there's a hair dryer in the dressing room.” Eddie suggests, pointing towards the exit.
Benny’s eyes light up. “Really? Sweet!” He grabs Eddie’s hand and drags him along to the dressing room.
“By the way…” Benny starts, smiling wide, “You should laugh more often. It’s nice.”