Delicate

Chapter Twenty Four

Milan entered the diner, looking around until his eyes finally landed on someone very familiar. He couldn't help but smile as he walked towards his older brother. Ben looked up from his phone, and returned Milan's smile. He looked relieved too, as if he was half expecting Milan to not show up.

Ben got up from his chair as he looked over his brother. They hadn't seen each other in person in a few years, and Milan was no longer a scrawny fourteen year old with braces.

"Jesus Christ, are you taller than me now?" Ben grinned as he patted Milan's arm.

"You can't tease me for being short anymore," Milan chuckled. He had a growth spurt in sophomore year, and was now a good couple inches taller than his older brother. 

"I'm still older than you," Ben shrugged, "height is just a number."

"And age is what? An alphabet?" Milan retorted.

"Hey, you were always the math genius, not me," Ben raised his hands in defense.

The two placed their orders after that. Ben spoke about what all he had been doing since leaving home, how he basically turned his life around.

He was a high school drop out, so his job search was pretty limited, but he found his passion in cars. He got an apprenticeship at a garage where he learned for a few months. And then he got a job at the same place. Eventually he decided to move, and got a job as a mechanic in the city. He didn't tell Milan, but one of the main reasons he moved to the city was to reconnect with his younger brother.

"Getting kicked out was the best thing mom and dad ever did to me, if I'm being honest. I was miserable at home but now... I'm just free," Ben admitted, "how are things at home? They still showering you with love?"

"Not exactly," Milan muttered, "ever since you left, they jumped on my back for everything. School, extra curriculars, college, shit like that. It's exhausting."

"I'm sorry," Ben frowned.

"Fuck, they're even trying to control who I'm friends with and threatening to not pay my college tuition if I don't listen," Milan groaned as he recalled his conversation with his mom the day before.

"Wait, what?"

Milan sighed, before telling Ben what happened. He told him about Leo, involuntarily flushing red as he thought about the other boy. Ben caught onto that, but didn't say anything just yet.

The frown on Ben's face stayed as he listened to Milan rant about his home life. He told Ben what happened yesterday, and how he had been ignoring his mom since and had to sneak out of the house to meet him.

"They haven't changed one bit," Ben shook his head, "still suffocating their son. I'm not there anymore so now it's you."

"I finally see why you were always fighting with them. I didn't get it as a kid but I do now," Milan said, "I'm sorry for—"

"You were a kid, Milan, you don't have to be sorry for anything," Ben cut him off, "if anything then I should be sorry for not being a good... role model for you."

"You were always a good brother to me," Milan said. Ben looked up at him in surprise, not expecting Milan to say that.

"If you ever need a place to stay, then my apartment is always open to you," Ben said, "anytime you want to get away from them."

"Dad would lose his shit if I stay with you," Milan scoffed, "he would lose his shit if he finds out I'm even meeting you."

"All the more reason to do so," Ben replied with a sly wink, making his younger brother laugh, "so what's up with this Leo guy, huh?"