Ballum••At the right time

Chapter 4••

It's been a week since Ben sat in his isolated living room. Since Callum paced his hallways and sighed at bens touch. But now Ben was sitting at the bar of The Queen Victoria, repeatedly calling out for Mick to refill his glass. "Don't you think you've had enough Mitchell?" Mick asked , taking yet another one of  Bens empty glasses. "Do your job , won't you Mick, and get me another glass." Mick rolled his eyes, turning around, dragging his feet around the corner to refill the glass.

•••
Callum walked down the square , a week later still trying to figure out why it is his stomach still hasn't unknotted. Ben wasn't good for him. Callum knew he had all sorts of things planned . All sorts of unexpected. Things that could get him thrown into a cell to rot. Callum couldn't live with that . He just couldn't . He pushed the heavy doors of The Vic open as they swung back , moving slowly under their weight. "You know Mick ... the usual" he said, maybe just loud enough so nobody but mick, standing a few metres away , could hear him. But Mick wasn't the only one who heard him. Ben lifted his eyes to see Highway, With his purple eyebags, indicating he clearly got no sleep , at all. Ben sighed , pushing himself up from his seat to move closer to Callum. "No sleep handsome?" Ben cleared his throat. Callum looked at him, unsure if he was talking to him , but as far as he could see nobody else looked as exhausted as he did. Maybe Ben did, but surely Ben wasn't talking to himself. Callum, ignoring his question looked at him  and nodded "Be careful on your way out Mitchell, a group, by the entrance" Ben held his breathe "Thanks.." he said rising from his seat. Opening the heavy doors of the Vic once again . Callum watched him leave , his eyes beginning to well up. Maybe he did. Maybe he really did love him.

•••
Ben took a look at his surroundings. "Group?" He muttered. As far as Ben could see there was no group "Trynna mess with me he is.." But around the corner Ben came face to face , so close to them that he could smell their breath , the smell of whiskey and smoke, with about 8 men , taller than he was . And in the moment all Ben could think about was Paul, these men, they looked like the men him and Paul met that day. Ben looked down trying to hide the pure fear these men bought to him. After all, Mitchells can't be scared right? The men laughed, loud, as if they had a megaphone pressed to their lips, causing Ben to flinch. "Wheres your boyfriend eh?" One man bellowed . Ben met his eyes. "Boyfriend?" He said , suddenly confused. " Halfway" the same man chuckled, "Where's he at" , Ben shrugged and tried to walk past , although he knew that wasn't going to work well. He was right. This man pawed his large hands around his neck and pinned him to the nearest wall . Ben closed his eyes . He was gonna be the same faith as Paul, he knew he was. "We can kill him, and when we kill him we'll kill you."
This scared Ben more than the thought of him meeting Pauls faith. "Who? Highway? What'd he do to you?" Ben replied, stuttering in a shaky voice as he did so. "We'll do it, not if we get 50k though"
They dropped Ben to his feet, and walked off , leaving Ben to process this. "24 hours Mitchell, best be quick" they called back once more.