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Kenji is at the end of his rope.
The booming bass and drunken laughter coming from the party down the hall alone would have put Kenji on edge, but the passive aggressive email from his Literature professor and the sudden downpour when he went stress-jogging already had him grinding his teeth in annoyance long before the music started. College, much like high school, has proved to be challenging for Kenji. Unlike his high school days, however, he doesn’t have the comfort of being at home. No, he’s now halfway across the country, living alone in Georgia while attending UGA.
At first he was excited- striking it out on his own, not having a dozen servants around the corner keeping tabs on him for his father. For a while, he was living the dream. He ate whatever, whenever. He stayed up as late as he wanted. He could go out and do whatever he wanted. And, best of all, his boyfriend Ben- who’s attending Georgia Tech- was only an hour away.
The reality of the situation came crashing into him like a pachycephalosaurus into a jeep door (a scene from that movie Kenji was in as a child, if you were wondering).
No one else in his three bedroom apartment meant nights are rather lonely. He would have gotten a simple studio apartment, but his father insisted he not ‘live in a hovel’. He never learned to cook, so as far as meals go, it’s been either takeout or instant ramen. There isn’t much to do, and he isn’t 21 yet so bars and clubs are out. Most of his freetime has been spent in his lonely apartment. And where Ben is concerned, they’re lucky if their schedules will allow a single day a week together, if at all.
As it is, he hasn’t seen his boyfriend in person since the last week of September. Tonight is Halloween.
Which explains the very loud party down the hall. He briefly contemplated maybe going to said party, to let loose and dance away his frustrations, but then he remembers who the apartment belongs to: Zach Mitchell.
It was just his luck that the creep from Camp also happened to get into UGA and live in the same building as him. When he ran into the guy when he moved in, Kenji nearly had an aneurysm. He’s seen how Zach looked at Ben when the other teen wasn’t looking. He’s seen the flock of girls he had at camp and the revolving door of girls (and a few guys) he’s had at his apartment since moving in. He’s heard the suggestive comments he gives Ben whenever he ‘happens to run into him’ when Ben comes over to visit Kenji. He hates to let the guy get to him, but he’s made it a point not to have Ben over at his apartment too often just to get around such instances.
He’s avoided making a scene so far, and going over to that party is just asking for trouble.
Now if only the drunk party goers would stop banging on his door and asking if they could use his bathroom, he'd be fine.
By the sixth knock, he’s about ready to call the cops. Or at the very least, throw caution to the wind and finally give Zach a piece of his mind.
Choosing instead to be the bigger man, he finished re-submitting his paper to his Lit. Professor- hoping to avoid any more unpleasant emails- and settled in for a night of horror movies and spicy ramen.
When a seventh round of knocking rapps on his door, Kenji decides he's finally had enough. He pauses the movie- that totally isn’t scary nope no siree - and begrudgingly stomps his way to his front door. He swings it open and immediately starts going off.
“Look, if you need a bathroom, use Zach’s. This ain't a public toilet and I ain't gonna clean up your barf--”
His brain finally catches up with what he's seeing, and the sight floors him.
There, standing in his hallway in what Kenji assumes is a knock-off Rambo costume, is Ben.
“Hi to you too, love. I’m guessing the people down the hall have been bothering you?”
“Ben? What are--”
“Trick or Treat.” The other teen says lamely as he waves his hands semi-enthusiastically, his perpetually red cheeks somehow even brighter than normal. He's clearly embarrassed, though if by his greeting or something else, Kenji isn't sure.
Kenji's eyes rake all over his boyfriend’s form, admiring the way the shitty hallway light somehow contours everything perfectly. Ben has had a pretty consistent growth spurt since last year, and it's clear he's grown more. Kenji no longer has to look down at Ben to meet his eyes, not that he's complaining. And though his frame is still slight, the guy has gotten more toned- which, Ben claims, is completely due to genetics and not hitting the gym. The muscles in his arms are fully on display in this getup and Kenji has a hard time focusing on little else.
“Hey, are you gonna let me in? If you're busy, I get--” Before Ben can even finish his sentence, Kenji yanks the guy inside his apartment and firmly shuts the door.
Before Kenji speaks, he clears his throat and recomposes himself. “You look great, babe.”
“Thanks, love.” Again, Ben’s cheeks light up brighter than the strobe lights down the hall.
“What are you doing here?” Kenji asks, genuinely curious.
“Oh. I just thought maybe we could hang out tonight? I was going to call and ask if you were free, but I kind of wanted it to be a surprise. Like I said, if you’re not free, then--”
“Nope. 100% available for whatever.”
“Oh! Great!” Kenji smiles at his enthusiasm.
“Just one question, babe.”
“Hmm?”
“What’s with the costume?”
“The... OH! Yeah, sorry. I went shopping yesterday for something to show up in and bought one labeled ‘Man of the Jungle.’ I thought it meant Indiana Jones or maybe even Tarzan. All that was in the package was a torn up headband, a dirtied sleeveless muscle shirt- which I totally don’t fill by the way- and polyester shoe-coverings to make them look like boots.”
“You added your own touch though with your dork pouch.” Kenji muses. Ben pats the thing proudly.
“Never leave home without it.”
“Did you want to go out? I have my jock-werewolf costume from last year I can throw on.”
“Hmm, not really. Was hoping for a quiet night in. Well, as quiet as one can expect on Halloween night.” As if on queue, the music from down the hall seems to get louder.
"You sure? It'd be a shame to waste your costume. We could go prank some houses nearby, light their pumpkins on fire?" Kenji says jokingly. Ben, bless him, actually seems interested. Kenji has noticed a bit of a pyro streak in his boyfriend, always watching fireplaces or getting really excited by fireworks. After a moment, Ben shakes his head, the length of time from his question to Ben's response pulling a quiet laugh from Kenji.
"Nah, let's just watch a movie or something."
“Sounds good. Join me?” Kenji gestures at his couch and Ben plops himself down, Kenji getting comfy next to him.
“Wow, is this ‘Rosemary’s Baby?’ I didn’t take you for a horror fan.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I just clicked on the first thing on Netflix that seemed like a scary movie.”
“Riiiiight. I’m willing to bet you picked it cuz you thought it wouldn’t be scary.” Ben says, looking up at him teasingly. Crap.
“Pfft. What? That’s crazy. You’re crazy.”
“Put your money where your mouth is, City Boy. Let’s switch to a jump-scare filled movie. Bet you wouldn’t last five minutes.”
"Big talk from someone who was so scared during Darius' scary story he held onto me with a vice grip."
"Don't act like you didn't enjoy it." Ben teases, earning a smile from Kenji. "So? Wanna try? Or... are you all talk?"
Damn it. Kenji knows without a doubt he’s going to fail, but his competitive streak wins out as he agrees to Ben’s challenge. To be fair, if the roles were reversed, it would probably end up the same.
“You’re on, Jungle Boy.”
“Ooo, new petnames. Love it, scaredy-cat.”
“What do I get if I win?”
“You mean if you can resist jumping behind the couch longer than five minutes?” Kenji looks at the other teen nonplussed and Ben just smirks as he continues. “Alright. You last longer than that and I’ll give you a treat. No tricks.” He raises his eyebrows suggestively and it has Kenji gulping, though not in fear.
Kenji nods in agreement.
“A-and if I lose?”
“Hmm… I’ll tell you after I win.”
“Hey- What?”
“Don’t worry, you’re confident you’ll last longer, right?”
“I- Yeah of course.”
“Then let’s get started.” Ben scrolls through the horror section and selects something Kenji is sure he’s heard of but is also sure he’s never seen. ‘Incredulous?’ No... 'Insipid' or something… Maybe it was 'Insidious'?
To Kenji’s shame, he screamed and latched onto Ben the second the loud string music and bright red title screen came on. They weren't even two minutes in. Ben immediately paused the movie and held Kenji. It took more time than he’d care to admit, but he eventually calmed himself and looked up at his boyfriend.
He expected a smug smile or a chuckle waiting to break free, but the look on Ben face was nothing short of adoration… and maybe a little amusement.
“Sorry, love. I didn’t think you’d get scared so bad. That was mean.” He strokes Kenji’s hair soothingly, the taller of the two leaning into the touch. "I saw this with my mom, so I knew it was coming."
This was something he loved about Ben. He could be just as teasing and competitive as Kenji, but when push came to shove, he never takes it too far or stops as soon as he knew the taller teen is really upset. Kenji for the most part can say he’s the same, though he’s definitely lost his cool and crossed a line once or twice. Ben was always forgiving though.
Kenji sits up and, with some effort, pulls Ben onto his lap. He cuddles him, burying his face in the other's neck and feeling the long hairs tickle him. Ben sighs contentedly in response.
“You won, fair and square, B.”
“Ken--”
“So,” Kenji cuts him off. “What’s the prize you want, babe?” Ben is silent for a moment.
“We’re already doing it.” Kenji pulls away in surprise and looks down at the other.
“Really? All you wanted was to cuddle?” The shorter teen bites his bottom lip and averts his gaze. Since getting together, Kenji has noticed that Ben only does this when he’s shy about asking for something. So, he patiently waits for him to spill.
“Um… maybe a little makeout sesh too?”
“Babe, all you had to do was ask.” Kenji says, his wolfish grin making Ben gulp this time.
A peck at first. Then another. Then a dozen more.
“Hmm, missed this.” Ben muses, humming contentedly.
“Same. Classes have been--” Ben puts a hand to Kenji’s lips, shushing him.
“Kisses now, catching up later.” The other says as briskly as possible, then resumes his ministrations, cutting off any room for the conversation to continue.
Kenji can’t find it in him to mind.
They start out slow, as they always do, but eventually Ben is on top of Kenji, practically devouring him as things get heavier. They break once in a while, admiring the other for a moment as they catch their breaths, then they’re back on each other again. At some point their shirts come off, their hands becoming bolder.
They’re not sure how much time passes since they started making out, but it’s much too short for either of their liking when they’re suddenly interrupted by Kenji’s door being knocked on for the eighth time tonight.
“Ignore it. They normally just go away.”
“Mhmm.” Ben is on him again.
The knocking resumes not five seconds later.
Kenji exhales exasperatedly and gently nudges Ben off of him before he stomps up to his door again. It vaguely occurs to him he doesn’t have a shirt on anymore, but he’s too riled up to care.
When he opens the door, he’s expecting to find another drunk party goer standing there, but he should have learned from Ben’s impromptu visit that he should expect the unexpected. Standing before him this time, in a ridiculous cowboy outfit, is Zach- the culprit of the headache down the hall. The dude is literally posing with his thumbs hooked on his belt, framing the oversized buckle. The other tilts his head up in acknowledgement then, flashes a smirk.
“‘Sup, Ken?”
“Zachary.”
“Hey, uh, has anyone come over looking for a bathroom? My apartment only has the one so I was afraid some of them may have been bothering the neighbors for a quick commode.”
Huh, he didn’t peg Zach as someone who cared about anyone else, as mean as that sounds. Then the music changes and a round of cheers echoes down the hall and he’s instantly reminded that no, that isn't the case and dismisses the notion.
“As a matter of fact yeah, six people came knocking.”
“Oh, shoot. Sorry about that, man. I’ll get ‘em to wait their turns in my apartment.” Zach's eyes wander a bit, his tone almost distracted.
“While you’re at it, maybe turn the music down? I know Mrs Vasquez next door to you is deaf, but I can hear your whole playlist all the way down here.”
“Sure, bud. No prob.” He says, still seemingly distracted.
He looks past Kenji into his apartment, and it’s then that he remembers what he was occupied with not a minute ago and it clicks as to what the guy is trying trying to do. Kenji shifts himself to block the whole entrance. It doesn’t take much for his wide frame to cut off Zach’s view. The other meets his eyes again and laughs weakly.
“You’re certainly bigger than I remember.” Zach says nervously. Despite clearly being intimidated by him, the guy is still trying to look into his apartment.
“Looking for something?” The question catches Zach off guard, though he shakes his head dismissively.
“I’m just, uh… wondering if Ben is around?”
“Why?”
“Just wanted to say hi.”
Yeah, I’m sure. A devilish grin spreads on Kenji’s lips before he replies.
“He is here, but we’re a little,” he leans in close to Zach’s ear, his voice coming to a whisper, “busy at the moment.”
Zach is silent for a beat, then as if he suddenly realizes that Kenji is half naked, gives him a once over then stutters a quick ‘bye’ before heading back towards his own apartment. Kenji swears he saw the guy’s cheeks go red before he left.
“Kenji?” Ben calls from behind him.
“Coming, babe.”
He firmly shuts the door, confident they won’t be bothered for the rest of the night. At least, not by anyone from down the hall.
“You were talking for a while. Who was it?”
“Zach.”
“Oh! You should have told me. I could have said hi.”
“He was just here to ask if people were knocking on the door. Which they were.”
“Still, I wanted to ask about Gray--”
“Nah, then he wouldn’t have left. Dude’s super into you.” Kenji says in a sing-song voice.
“What?? No he’s not.”
"Whatever you say, babe.” He’s told him before, albeit jokingly, and Ben has always taken it that way. He doesn’t need to know Kenji is 100% serious when he tells him about Zach. “Anyway, where were we?”
Ben just smiles up at him as Kenji rejoins the other teen on the couch.
--
When Kenji wakes up in the morning, it’s once again due to a knock on his door. Ben is sound asleep on top of him, his soft hair tickling Kenji's bare chest. The pair drifted off not long after resuming their makeout session, the exhaustion of university catching up with them. It’s fine- any time he can be with Ben is always something Kenji treasures, no matter how it’s spent.
The knocking resumes, pulling a groggy moan from Ben, now awake.
“Morning, love.” Ben gets out, muffled by Kenji’s chest.
“Yes it is. Seven AM, in fact, if my clock is to be believed.”
“Still early. Sleep more.” Kenji chuckles softly.
“Sounds great, too bad the person on the other side of my door can’t take a hint.” As if on queue, another knock echoes in the quiet apartment.
“Hmmm, better answer it then…”
“Gotta scooch off of me to do that.”
Ben reluctantly complies, flopping down the other side of the couch. Kenji, once again, forgoes putting his shirt on before heading to the door.
Kenji half expected it to be Zach again, but the person at the door turns out to be a different neighbor asking if he has any change for the laundry room downstairs. He hands over a couple dollar’s worth of quarters and closes the door. He turns back and finds that Ben has gone, but a quick search is all he needs to find that the other migrated to his bed, having made himself more comfortable and fallen asleep once more.
He wastes no time in joining him. He’d really like to start his day already, grab breakfast and hang out with Ben before the shorter teen has to drive back in the evening. But as he’s watching his snoring boyfriend’s chest rise and fall, sleepiness returning to him, he decides that this is good too.
Though, when has Kenji ever needed an excuse to take things easy?
2024 Update!
