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Published:
2021-06-01
Updated:
2021-06-02
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2/?
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if you believe in that kind of thing

Summary:

A collection of Love Victor one-shots and drabbles.

Chapter 1: Set in S2. Victor is wearing his vintage Nike Cortezes and Benji seizes the opportunity to flirt with his boyfriend.

Chapter 2: Set in S1. Benji confronts Victor about kissing him in Willacoochee.

Chapter 1: vintage nike cortezes

Summary:

This one was inspired by one of the S2 stills showing Victor and Benji talking at the counter at Brasstown where Victor is wearing his Nike Cortezes again.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Nice shoes. Vintage Nike Cortezes?"

 

Victor stops wiping down the counter he had been cleaning at the sound of his boyfriend's voice behind him. Even after spending the summer practically attached at the hip (or should that be lips?), every day that they're together is a revelation for Victor. He turns around to face Benji, a boyish grin already spreading across his face. 

 

"Yeah, some guy once told me they were my destiny." 

 

Benji slowly walks closer, one eyebrow arched playfully. 

 

"Some guy, huh?" His voice softens to a low rumble as he leans in and rests his hands on the counter to either side of Victor. "Well, it sounds like some guy was hitting on you."  He gently nuzzles the side of Victor's neck with his nose.

 

Forgetting their banter, Victor let's out a skeptical, "Really?" Despite Lake declaring them a grossly affectionate couple, Victor still sometimes finds it hard to believe that Benji wanted to be with him of all people. 

 

Benji blushes and lowers his gaze self-consciously before nodding slightly. He turns around so that he's leaning against the counter to the side of Victor and rests his elbows on the counter behind him. "Uhm-hm," he hums softly. He looks up sideways at Victor through his eyelashes to gage his reaction. 

 

Victor leans forward across the counter with interest. "But we only just met. You already liked me then?"

 

Benji turns to face him. "Have you seen yourself?" He reaches up to affectionately tap Victor on the nose. "One look at those big brown eyes, and I was done for." He smiles crookedly.

 

Victor breaks into a toothy grin and his eyes crinkle in that way that Benji finds irresistible. "Interesting...." His eyes light up and he decides to seize the opportunity to get some answers. "Does that mean - Call Me Maybe? Did you sing that for me?"

 

Benji turns a deep shade of crimson and he toes the floor with his Converse. "I don't know if I'd go that far."

 

But Victor isn't ready to give up yet. "Nah-ah-ah. I can tell when you're lying. Fess up."

 

Benji tries again to avoid the question. "I plead the fifth. I have a Constitutional right to not incriminate myself."

 

But Victor is merciless. "Spill it, Campbell. Don't make me tickle you." His reaches towards the back of Benji's ears, fingers wiggling.

 

"Okay, fine. Just don't tickle me." Benji sighs dramatically and raises his eyes to the ceiling before finally tilting his head to look at Victor. "Some of the inspiration for that performance may have come from you and your truly abominable - yet somehow captivating - rump-shaking."

 

Victor fist pumps triumphantly. "I knew it!" Benji rolls his eyes but can't help finding his boyfriend's enthusiasm endearing. 

 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Enough already. Are you satisfied yet?"

 

Victor stops suddenly, a serious expression overtaking his face, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Wait a minute." He holds a finger up for emphasis. "Was I really the only person who applied for this job?"

 

Benji chuckles nervously. "What, you think I threw out a stack of perfectly good applications because I was so charmed by your awkward interview that I was desperate to have an excuse to spend more time with you?" He snorts in mock indignation. "Because that would be… that would be completely pathetic."

 

Victor looks at him smugly. "Things that are completely pathetic…" He makes a circle with the thumb and pointer finger on his right hand and raises it in front of his face. "Things that are terminally adorable…" He again makes a circle with his left hand and raises it up, overlapping it slightly with the first. "And then there's you, right there in the middle…" He leans forward and peers through the gap in his fingers.

 

"Wow. A Venn diagram joke? Really? I think maybe you're in that pathetic-adorable semi-circle thingy with me." He wiggles a finger flippantly at the center of Victor's out-stretched hands.

 

Victor stretches his arms, loops them over Benji's head and pulls him against his chest so his boyfriend's head is tucked under his chin. "Of course. Wherever you are, I'm right there with you. It's my destiny…"

 

They stand there for several minutes, just enjoying being together. Until Victor breaks the peaceful silence with a loud gasp. "The espresso machine!"

 

Benji shoves his shoulder indignantly. "Oh, come on!"

Notes:

Thanks for reading! In an effort to improve my writing, I'm going to try to post something every week or so, no matter how short. I have a few more ideas for future updates, but feel free to throw ideas in the comments and I might give them a try!

You can find me on tumblr under the same username if you want to follow whatever nonsense has caught my attention at the moment.

Chapter 2: the one where Benji finds out

Summary:

Inspired by the Friends episode "The One Where Ross Finds Out" because for better or worse, Friends is the grand daddy of the coffee shop au

Benji stops by Brasstown to confront Victor about kissing him in Willacoochee.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The night can't end soon enough for Victor. He hasn't had a good night's sleep since he'd run out of that motel room after kissing Benji and ruining everything.

He isn't sure when or how it happened, but Benji had somehow become one of the most important people in his life and his absence ached like the pain of a phantom limb. Victor's only hope is that the letter he'd dropped in Benji's locker might somehow smooth things over, although he honestly isn't hopeful after their heated confrontation at Brasstown earlier in the week.

And right now, the only thing that Victor wants is for his shift to end so he can crawl into bed and hopefully get some sleep. Brasstown has been empty for nearly an hour, any potential customers likely deterred by the persistent spring rain falling outside. He used to love these kind of quiet nights when he closed with Benji, the late night talks and latte art practice. But now, alone with his thoughts, it feels like the passage of time has stopped altogether as he replays the disastrous events of the last few days over in his mind on a loop.

Even though there's officially five minutes left until closing, he's already taken the liberty of wiping down tables and stacking chairs.

Much to his annoyance, the door chime jingles behind him. He rolls his eyes, but manages to say, "We're about to close, but I'm happy to prepare your order to go" in a well-practiced voice that is far too chipper for the advanced hour.

He allows himself a moment to train his face before turning around and hears the familiar thunk of heavy boots stop several feet behind him. He turns, only to find Benji standing there, eyebrows knotted and lips pursed, water dripping from his hair. Victor feels like his emotions have been refracted, splayed into a spectrum - the warm red of hope bleeding into the sharp green of surprise which in turn fades into the indigo darkness of fear.

"So I'm not at band practice right now like I should be."

This statement is delivered with such vehemence, that Victor momentarily wonders if it's supposed to mean something to him. Cowed slightly by Benji's aggression, he can only manage a weak, "Okay?"

"Okay? It's very not okay. It's actually the complete opposite of okay."

"Okay, Benji. I get it." Victor feels the telltale heat starting to build in him, annoyed with Benji's accusatory tone.

"I got your letter." He pulls it from his back pocket and slaps it onto the nearest table. "I have a boyfriend. You have a girlfriend. You had no right to tell me you had feelings for me."

"What?" Victor scoffs, throwing aside the rag he's holding and crossing his arms across his chest.

"Things were going great with Derek until you-"

Victor holds up a hand. "I'm going to stop you right there. Things were going great with Derek? Really? Is that why you spent the night of your anniversary dinner with me instead of him? Is that why you dragged me on a road trip with you and spent the day dodging his calls?"

Some of Benji's anger fades and he replies more calmly. "Look, my relationship with Derek isn't perfect." His voice cracks a little as his emotions start to rise. "But at least it was something. At least I wasn't alone anymore."

His eyes search Victor's for a moment, hurt and vulnerable, and Victor briefly thinks the worst of the argument has passed. But then Benji's face darkens again and he rounds on Victor angrily once more. "I was happy enough with him. Until you kissed me." He points a finger accusingly at Victor.

"You know what, Benji. You don't get to put all the blame on me for this. I was happy enough with Mia, too. I was fitting in at school. I could pretend that it was enough. At least until I met you. Until you started talking about destiny, and you sang to me at Battle of the Bands and drew pictures of me for my birthday. This isn't all in my head, I know it."

"That was just another stupid crush on another stupid guy who was never going to like me back. It was - it was harmless, an escape from reality…" Benji's voice lacks the conviction it once held and it sounds like even he doesn't believe what he's saying.

Victor takes a step closer. "Until what? Until I kissed you and it all became a little too real?" Victor's voice softens. "Look, I know it was wrong to kiss you. But I'm glad that I did. Because…"

He raises his eyes to the ceiling for inspiration, struggling to find the words to express just what that kiss had meant to him. "Because when I kissed you, I felt things that I've never felt before in my life. Things I didn't even know I could feel. And it made me realize that I don't want to spend the rest of my life hiding who I am and pretending to be happy. I want the real thing." He shrugs helplessly, letting his guard down completely. "I want you. And I think the real reason you're so upset is because you felt everything that I felt, but you're too afraid to admit it."

Benji studies his face carefully. Thinking that he's won Benji over, Victor tentatively reaches for his hand. Benji steps backwards reflexively and the definitive clap of his boot heels echoes through the room.

Benji's eyes meet his defiantly. "It's not that easy." He shakes his head and crosses his arms in front of him. "Just stay away from me and stay out of my relationship. You have no idea what you're talking about."

He stalks out of the door, slamming it behind him and dissolves into the rainy night. Victor follows him, yanking the door open. There's no sign of Benji but he still yells into the blackness. "Fine! I don't need you anyway!"

He pulls the door closed, angrily sliding the locks into place. Suddenly exhausted, he slides into the nearest chair and buries his head in his arms. Despite his best efforts to control his emotions, a few tears manage to escape and he quickly swipes them away with the back of his hand.

He stands, readying himself to get through the necessary closing tasks so he can leave this God-forsaken building, when he hears it. A soft tapping against the glass of the door. He spins around to find Benji staring at him, looking somber. He smiles sadly at Victor and presses his right hand to the glass.

Victor isn't sure if it's the storm outside or something else, but suddenly it feels like the entire room is filled with static electricity, the air thick and crackling, his skin tingling. He walks slowly towards the entryway, holding eye contact with Benji as he turns the locks and opens the door.

For a moment, they simply stand there. Then Benji whispers so softly that Victor can barely hear him over the rain, "You were right. I felt it, too."

Benji takes a step towards Victor as Victor takes a step towards him and they meet at the threshhold. Benji wraps his arms around Victor's waist, pulling their bodies flush against each other. Victor's fingers quickly find their way to Benji's hair, tangling in the wet strands. Benji's lips are cold from the night air, although it doesn't take long for Victor's to warm them again. While their first kiss had tilted them both off axis, this one serves to right them, grounding them back to center.

They pull apart and stare at each other as the rain falls around them.

Notes:

Thanks for reading! In an effort to improve my writing, I'm going to try to post something every week or so, no matter how short. I have a few more ideas for future updates, but feel free to throw ideas in the comments and I might give them a try!

You can find me on tumblr under the same username if you want to follow whatever nonsense has caught my attention at the moment.