Work Text:
“Why don’t we just take the stairs? It’s literally only two floors.”
“Because,” Benny said, “the elevator’s already here. We would be insane not to use it when it’s just waiting for someone to step inside.” He bowed, motioning for me to enter.
I smiled, giving him a bow of my own as I waltzed into the elevator. “Why, thank you, kind sir.”
He looked up with an impish grin that made my stomach do summersaults. He pretended to lift a hat off his head as if he really were a gentleman from some old romance movie. “But of course, my lady.”
I could feel my face flush as I considered what it might be like to actually be Benny’s lady. No, no, no. Stop thinking like that. I had been reading way too much into our interactions ever since Benny saved me from being kidnapped, and it was seriously hurting my heart to think that I might like him more than he liked me. That I might like him differently.
I cleared my throat and pushed the button for floor 3. Neither of us said anything as I rocked on my heels.
“So–” I started, but couldn’t finish because the elevator jerked to a stop, causing my stomach to drop to the floor.
“Oh jeez!” The lights flickered and died, leaving us in total darkness.
“Benny?” I asked. I couldn’t see him. I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face.
His voice came from closer than I expected. “Hey, hey. I’m here.” A hand reached out and fumbled for my own, and my breathing began to steady. We’d be fine. Of course, we’d be fine.
“Shouldn’t there be emergency lights or–” Before I could even finish my thought, a few lights flickered on. “Oh. There we go.”
“We should probably use the emergency call button too.” Benny let go of my hand and faced the panel of buttons. But when he pressed the call button, nothing happened. “Hello?” He asked, pressing again. And again. And again until he was just pressing it repeatedly.
“Benny. Hey. Benny,” I said, reaching out to stop his hand. “I don’t think it works.”
Benny groaned. “Why? Why do the bad things always happen to me?”
I laughed at his antics. “I think I could make that same argument.”
“Your family also went on a cruise over fall break without you?” Benny asked, peering at me, eyes alright with teasing. I began to wonder if he was putting on a show for me, so I wouldn’t be scared.
“Hmm, well I can’t say that’s ever happened to me, but I was just kidnapped last month.” I meant it to be a joke, but Benny’s teasing eyes gazed into mine solemnly.
“Y/n, I’m so sorry we allowed that to happen to you.”
I shrugged and tore my eyes from his, suddenly uncomfortable with the subject I had brought up. “It wasn’t your fault. If it wasn’t for you, who knows what would’ve happened to me?” Before Benny could drag the mood down even more, I pasted a smile on my face and reached into my backpack for my phone. “Let’s call 911, shall we?”
Benny didn’t look satisfied but relented and gave me a nod.
I spoke with the operator until she asked me for the address, then I put it on speaker for Benny to answer.
"How many people are in the elevator with you?” the woman on the other line asked.
“Just the two of us,” I said.
“And you’re not in any immediate danger? No medical needs?”
“No.”
“Good. It looks like there was a power outage across Whitechapel, we’ve deployed all of our emergency units, so it might be a while until someone is about to come get you.”
“Uh, how long is a while?” Benny asked.
“Could be anywhere from two to three hours. So make sure you huddle up, that elevator is not going to retain heat very well, but you should be fine.”
“Thank you,” I told her while Benny groaned again. I swatted him to shut him up.
“My pleasure, stay safe, you two.” She ended the call.
“This is ridiculous! Three hours! What are we supposed to do for three whole hours?”
“Benny,” I laughed, “it’ll be fine. Maybe you could use your magic to get us out?”
Benny’s head shot up. “You’re right! I have magic! I can totally get us out!” He shook himself out and faced the elevator doors. “Whoo! Ok, ok, ok. I got this.” He took a deep breath and raised his hands to the metal. “Aperhi mihi!” Nothing happened.
Benny took another deep breath and closed his eyes. “Aperhi mihi!” He cried again. The metal groaned and parted a few inches, enough for me to see the elevator had stopped between floors.
“Sweet! Maybe your grandma can give us food or blankets through the crack so we don’t die!” My comment interrupted Benny’s concentration, and the doors slammed back together, rocking the elevator slightly. I reached for the railing, watching as Benny did the same until the elevator steadied again. “Sorry about that.”
“No worries, you’re right. We should see if Grandma can drop something off.” Benny smiled, but he looked tired. I guess the doors must’ve been really heavy to have made him exert so much effort. “I’ll call her.”
Benny’s grandma came by a few minutes later. “Benny! Let’s do it together. You just have to hold it, so I can pass the stuff to Y/n!”
“Got it!” Benny called through the door.” He got into his stance again, and I waited to the side, ready to grab whatever Grandma had for us. “One. Two. Three!” he called, repeating the same words. This time, the doors opened wide enough for a whole person to fit through. Unfortunately, the person would also have to be Flat Stanley because that’s how thin you had to be to actually make it to Benny’s grandma’s floor. She released her hold on the doors in order to pass me blankets and more. I heard Benny groan.
“Stay warm, you two!” Benny’s grandma winked at me as Benny lost his hold and the doors slammed shut once more.
“Thank you!” I called, unsure if she heard me. I looked at the pile on the floor. Two blankets, two sweatshirts, and some clementines.
“Would you look at that,” I said, “all the necessities of life right here in one convenient pile.”
Benny laughed, but he looked exhausted. I realized I think I actually would be fine if I was stuck in this elevator forever. Benny was all I really needed. But right now, he probably needed food. “Here,” I handed him the small orange, “you should eat something.”
“So demanding.” But he smiled and took it from me anyway.I began to slide one of the sweatshirts over my head. It was a little big on me, but the Christmas tree on the front with sparkly tinsel draped over it made me desperate to keep it. "What do you think?" I asked Benny with a giggle and an eyebrow wiggle. Suddenly, my stomach let out its best rendition of a baby Beluga crying out for its mother.
Benny just laughed and handed me his freshly peeled clementine. "I think you need some food too." I gave him a look but took the food. "Hey, don't worry. I'm still going to eat one." To prove his point, he reached down to grab one of the other clementines off the floor.
The small elevator was soon filled with the scent of oranges, and the thought came again that maybe this wouldn't be such a terrible experience. As I finished the snack, I threw Benny his very own Christmas sweatshirt. This one depicting Snoopy and his doghouse on the front and Charlie and the gang gathered around a pathetic Christmas tree on the back.
Benny slid it on and looked down at Snoopy, then at me. "I guess Grandma's really got a thing for the holidays, doesn't she?"
"And this comes as a shock to you?"
"I guess not," Benny said, sliding down the wall to sit closer to me. To sit very very close to me, in fact. I tried not to read too much into it. I was definitely getting chillier inside the metal deathtrap by the minute. I lifted up the blanket to allow him to slide his feet under.
"Thanks," he said. I was hyperaware of every spot where our legs touched, and when I shifted to increase our proximity, he didn't move away. "Are you still cold? We can add the other blanket too." He reached over me to grab the blanket by my side. I didn't tell him that I easily could've done that myself. Instead, I let him drape it over the both of us, and I cautiously leaned my head onto his shoulder, giving him plenty of time to move away. He didn't. He simply leaned his head to rest on mine. We sat in a comfortable silence for a minute or so until Benny had to break it. He's never been one for silence.
"Hey, Y/n?" He was careful not to shift his head.
"Yeah?"
"Are you asleep?"
"Benny, we literally just sat down. How on earth could I fall asleep that fast?" I breathed out a laugh.
"Well, I don't know. Maybe you're one of those people who can fall asleep anywhere at anytime." He shrugged, which jostled my head. "Oh, shoot. Sorry." I lifted my head off his shoulder and pretended to stretch out my neck. "You, uh. You don't have– I mean, you can keep leaning your head on my shoulder. If you want." Benny kept his head facing forward, but I could see his face flushing red.
"Maybe later," I said. "It's only five o'clock. I'm not ready to fall asleep yet."
"Got it. Yeah, you're right." Benny still wouldn't look at me.
"So, what should we do to pass the next three hours?" I had a pretty good idea of what we could do, but I wasn't about to say anything to Benny.
He hesitated, then said, "We could play 20 questions."
"Hmm," I said. "Orrrrrrr, we could play truth or eat." I smiled deviously.
"What the heck is truth or eat?" Benny shifted ever so slightly away from me. I knew it was so he could look at me, but I was already missing the feeling of him next to me.
"We ask each other any question we want, and if we can't answer it honestly, we have to eat a bite of the clementine peel."
"Are those even edible?" Benny glanced nervously at the peel like it was going to take a bite out of him."
Of course they're edible! What do you think our starving ancestors ate? They would have never wasted these peels like we do!"
"I think they'd be glad we don't have to anymore. I doubt they were excited to eat it."
"Do you wanna play or not?" I asked.
"Fine. Fine. Let's play," he conceded.
"Ok, I'll go first!" I reached over Benny's legs, returning the favor from earlier, to grab a peel and place it on my lap. "Alright, Mr. Benjamin Weir, what is the scariest monster you've faced so far?"
Benny seemed a little surprised at my question, but he didn't refuse to answer. I figured he wouldn't. "Um. I'm not sure. I mean, ghosts are pretty freaky, but if I had to pick just one? The car vampire ghost dude. He was a mechanic who got fired and wanted revenge on all his boss's descendants." Benny shivered but not from the cold. "I never want to see another red convertible again."
"I don't think that'll be a problem. It's not like any of us have the money for that kind of ride anyway." I fiddled with the orange peel in my lap. "I don't blame you, though." I looked up to meet Benny's eyes. "That sounds pretty freaky."
Benny snatched the peel from my lap with a goofy grin. "Your turn," he said.
I smiled back. "Ask away."
"Hmm," he pondered for a second. "Let's see." He squinted his eyes as if he focused hard enough, he'd be able to read a question off my forehead. "Got it! What's your biggest fear?"
"Ooo, easy. Snakes."
"Like Indiana Jones?"
"The one and only," I conceded with a shrug. "Well, I guess it's a good thing you're trapped in an elevator with me and not a snake."
"Trust me, there's no one else I'd rather be stuck with," I said before I could let myself filter my thoughts.
Benny's eyes flashed with surprise, but he gave me a wide smile. "Me too."
I smiled back, staring into his eyes for just a little longer than was comfortable. Benny cleared his throat. "Uh, your turn."
I blinked out of my trance, slightly annoyed that Benny could have such a strong effect on me. "Right."
We continued on like that for the next hour or so, asking each other easy questions that we knew the other knew we knew. Nobody had eaten any of the peel until I let my curiosity get the better of me.
"Who do you like?" I blurted out. Benny's eyes widened. "That's not a fair question," he protested.
"Yeah, it is. You agreed to play the game," I reminded him. He looked down at the peel in his hands. I silently willed him not to eat it. I wished for him to be brave enough to say the answer I thought he would. Hoped he would. He seemed to weigh his options out in his mind. "Clock's ticking, Benny," I said. Suddenly, he shoved the peel into his mouth. "No way," I laughed as Benny's face contorted to choke down the bitter orange peel. "I can not believe you shoved the whole thing in your mouth!"
Benny chewed and chewed. "This peel," he said, "is like chewing through leather." He grimaced again.
I laughed again. "You're familiar with the feeling of chewing on leather?"
"Not exactly," he finally swallowed. "But that is what I imagine it feels like. Just slightly more orange flavor."
"Honestly, that would not surprise me." I tried to hide my disappointment that he hadn't answered the question. I drew my knees into my chest and wrapped my arms around them in order to put some distance between us. Logically, I knew that it wasn't anything personal. It didn't mean he didn't like me, but I still felt compelled to protect myself in whatever way I could. "So," I managed in my best teasing tone, "why didn't you answer the question?"
"Uh uh uh," Benny tutted, wagging his finger in my face. "It's my turn to ask the questions here. Who do you like?"
I knew this was my chance. I could tell Benny how I actually felt. He was giving me the opportunity just like I gave him. But another part of me, the self-preservation part, knew that if I said something, there would be no going back. Things would change between us for better or for worse. And there were no takebacks.
"Give me that peel." I reached over to snatch a small piece that he hadn't shoved into his mouth, only for him to grab it and hold it just out of my reach. I clambered on top of him, desperate to get the peel, so I wouldn't have to face my feelings. Benny just laughed. "Benny, I'm serious. Give it!" I grabbed at his arm with the peel while his other one snaked around my waist to keep me firmly held to his chest. I felt my face burn with embarrassment at our close proximity. "Benny," I growled, "if you don't give me that peel, I swear, I'll take a bite out of you."
Benny seemed to weigh his options, then said with a smirk, "I think I'll take my chances." His arm left my waist, and he tugged at the collar of his sweatshirt just enough to drop the peel into the opening.
I collapsed next to him with a groan of frustration. "Benny!"
"Whoops," he said with a shrug.
"That's not fair! You didn't have to answer the question!"
His hands came to rest on my shins which I had just realized were resting in his lap. As I realized that just a few seconds ago, I had been in his lap, I felt absolutely mortified. "I wasn't going to make you answer a question I already knew the answer to."
"But I don't–" I stopped. "Wait what?" I was not about to give anything away. There was no way he could know. Unless–
"I said, I wasn't going to make you answer a question I already know the answer to."
"You know who I like?" I stared at him with the blankest expression I could manage.
"Yeah." His hands twitched every so slightly on my shins as he leaned in. His voice dropped to almost a whisper. "And I think he might like you too."
"He does?" My voice sounded breathy in my own ears.
"Yeah." Benny was close enough for me to feel his orange-scented breath mingle with my own.
"Does that mean he'll finally make a move?" My eyes flickered from Benny's down to his lips.
"I'd say there's a pretty high probability of that, yeah."
"Well, he'd better get on with it 'cause I'm not sure how much longer I can–" Benny's lips crashed into mine, unsure and a little too forceful, and I wondered for a split second if I was his first kiss. His hands tightened on my legs as I brought a hand up to run my thumb over his jaw.
I pulled away to rest my forehead against his. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to do that," I whispered, still slightly breathless.
Benny tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "You have no idea how long I've been wanting to."
I planted a little peck on the tip of his nose as he watched me with stars in his eyes. The only time he'd ever looked at me like that was in my dreams, and I'd almost gotten comfortable with the idea that that would be the only time he ever would. "So, how did you know?" I asked.
Apparently realizing the time for kissing was over, Benny drew away to reach an arm around me and pull me back into his side, my feet still in his lap. I pulled the blankets back over us and buried my face into his neck.
"Jeez, your nose is cold!" He flinched away ever so slightly.
"And your neck is warm, so get back here." I tried to bury my face in deeper which was a little difficult to do in my position. Benny laughed but didn't pull away this time. "Now tell me how you knew." My words came out a little muffled, but it was satisfying to feel Benny's laugh rumble through his chest.
"Yes, ma'am." I could practically hear his smile. "Remember when you got kidnapped?" His smile was fading. I don't think it could ever actually disappear completely 'cause that's just who Benny is. But this was serious Benny, who only comes out on very rare occasions. I took that as my cue to detach my face from his shoulder.
I began to fiddle my fingers in my lap. "Yeah, I remember."
His free hand rested on mine, bringing my fiddling to a stop with a touch of his own cold fingers. He had done something similar a month ago when he sat me on the steps outside of the house I'd been trapped in as he let me cry. His hand began to slide over mine, fiddling in his own style. "Well," he began, "I heard you tell Caroline that you didn't like Ethan. You liked me." His eyes were fixated on our intertwined hands.
I caught his hand with both of mine, interrupting his fixation as his eyes shifted to meet mine. I took a deep breath. "I meant it. I really really like you, Benny."
He smiled and brought his chilled hand to my cheek. "I really really like you too." His thumb brushed softly over my cheekbone. "I don't know what I would've done if something had happened to you." I brought one of my hands to his wrist, rubbing circles over the back of it with my thumb as I leaned into his touch.
"But nothing happened. You saved me." His brows furrowed slightly. He didn't look convinced but didn't argue either.
"Benny, why didn't you tell me sooner?"
He sighed. "I don't know. I guess I was just nervous. And I don't know, didn't want to come on too strong."
"I don't think that's possible."
He slid his arm out from behind me and turned to face me. I finally pulled my feet from his lap, but he kept our hands interlocked. "But you were going through a lot then. I didn't want to add to your stress, so I guess I was just waiting for a time when everything was a little bit calmer."
I snorted. "So you waited until I was trapped inside an elevator?"
He laughed and slid a hand through his hair. "I honestly probably would've waited longer, but you just had to go and ask me that question."
"Well, I have no regrets."
"Oh, yeah?" He leaned in again, his eyes flicking down to my lips. "Why's that?"
"Because it means I get to do this." I closed the gap between us, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.
Benny smiled and gave me another peck. "Well, I certainly don't mind that."
I nuzzled into his shoulder. "So... Does this mean I can like hold your hand and stuff whenever I want?"
Benny chuckled. "Sure. 'And stuff' sounds especially good to me." I punched him in the opposite shoulder. "Ow!" he groaned.
"Behave, young man."
"Fine. But you can forget the hand-holding if you keep treating me like a punching bag." The barely concealed amusement in his voice diminished his threat.
"Deal." I reached over and grabbed his hand, content with how perfectly it seemed to fit with my own.
We stayed like that for another hour or so, fingers intertwined as we talked about anything and everything. Finally, the lights blinked back to their full brightness, and the elevator shifted and began to move upwards. Benny and I clambered to our feet, ready to escape the metal deathtrap. I didn't know about him, but I was not setting foot in another elevator for a long while.
After returning Benny's grandma's blankets (she had us keep the sweaters for our walk home), Benny and I walked hand in hand back to my house where he left me with a very sweet kiss on the cheek just in case my parents just so happened to be spying on us.
I floated into my house, passed my parents with a simple 'goodnight,' and went up the stairs to my bedroom. Nothing could drag me down after the elevator.