Jester (Man x Man) ✔

11) a n e c d o t e s

Benjamin could feel his cheeks burning even after everyone had emptied their dessert plates and sipped their coffees and teas. Ever since returning to the table the others had been giving them knowing glances.

None of that seemed to distress Eli, and Benjamin could have given anything to have even a jot of that poise. Eli's hazel eyes were lit up with genuine delight and his gestures spirited. He was grinning happily, so full of life.

Benjamin held his hand, entwining their fingers under the table. He wasn't going to feel self-conscious or embarrassed, he was going to smile and make the best of their time together. 

"We should get the check and go to that club of yours." Miles got excited. He had been quieter than normally, but was getting back to his usual can't-shut-up-
even-if-my-life-depends-on-it mode now that he had had a couple of glasses of wine. After agreeing with Miles, they waited for the check and everyone was digging out their wallets and debit cards.

"That's on me." Benjamin told Eli, whose hand was half-way to put a bill on the check book.

"No, I'll pay." Eli refused once his eyes locked with Judith's. She was studying them intensively and the look in her eyes annoyed Benjamin. He knew what she was suggesting and although she was just trying to take care of him, Benjamin didn't like the implication.

"I asked you here, so let me have this, okay?" He insisted and furrowed his brows to Judith, who turned her gaze promptly. 

"I'm not some charity case." Eli objected, his eyes still on Benjamin's friend. 

"I know you're not. You pay for my drinks all the time." Benjamin made sure he said those words loud enough for Judith to hear them. Then he placed his bill on top of the other bills and added: "This is on me. You can get me a drink later."

••••

Eli had grown quiet after talking about something with Judith on their way to FAB, and it worried Benjamin. He needed to have a few words with Judith before she managed to scare Eli off.

"You okay?" Benjamin whispered in Eli's ear when they were taking off their jackets inside the noisy night club. 

"I'm fine. I'll get us something to drink." Eli smiled and pulled Benjamin closer, his hand on the back of his head, and pecked his forehead before walking away.

Benjamin shrugged, staring after Eli. Then he sat down at their table next to Steven. Miles sat next to him and Ash took the chair on his right. The rest of the group had headed to the bar counter with Eli.

"Nice mosquito bites." Steven pointed out, wiggling his eyebrows.

"What?" Benjamin breathed and as soon as he saw his reflection from the shiny surface of the table. "Dammit, Eli.."

"What did I do?" Eli chuckled as he handed Benjamin his drink. He placed his own glass on the table and sat next to Benjamin, who opened his mouth to complain about the marks on his neck.

"Eli, can I have a few words with you?" A brown haired man, who had the brightest ice blue eyes Benjamin had ever seen, interrupted them. He was wearing black from head to toe and everything about his demeanor oozed confidence and charisma.

"Yeah, sure." Eli got up promptly, a serious expression on his face. He didn't say anything to Benjamin or the others before following after the mystery man.

"Who's that?" Benjamin blurted out while watching how Eli and the man started talking in a quiet corner near the main entrance. They seemed close judging from their gestures: the mystery man held his hand on Eli's shoulder while he leaned closer to say something. 

"Oh, that's Logan. He owns the club." Steven commented, his voice casual.

"What does he want from Eli?" Benjamin continued. He didn't want to admit the sight of Logan standing so close to Eli and touching his shoulder made him feel a bang of jealousy inside his chest. 

"They're friends. Logan was the one who introduced Eli to us." Steven started smiling and turned to look at Shirley and Ash: "Remember what Eli was like back then?"

"He was such a sweetie." Shirley nodded, a smile spreading on her lips too. 

Benjamin didn't say anything, he just stared at the others questioningly. He had thought he knew barely anything about Eli, but he hadn't noticed how little that actually was.

"Eli had never had a drink in his life and every time someone swore the poor guy winced." Ash offered once he saw Benjamin's puzzled expression. 

"When Logan brought him to meet us, he looked like he wanted to sprint out of the door." Steven laughed. "But then we teached him how to drink, fuck and party."

"In that order." Shirley chuckled. Benjamin wasn't sure if he wanted to know what she meant by that, but it didn't matter, because the conversation was already moving on.

"Logan found him from the streets and took him in. Eli lived with him and — what was his name?" Steven halted, furrowing his eyebrows and brought his thumb and forefinger to his chin. "Zack. Yeah, he lived with Logan and Zack for like a year before he found a place of his own."

Benjamin studied the duo with new eyes. None of the things he had just heard sounded like the Eli he knew, but then again he barely knew him at all. Yet, now more than ever, he was dying to get to know him.

Then he saw Logan handing something to Eli, who took it and stuffed it in his pocket. The smile he had on his lips when he petted Eli's arm didn't quite reach his ice blue eyes. 

Who are you really? Benjamin wanted to get up and ask the man, but instead he smiled as he watched Eli walking back to them.