THE STIGMA (BOYS DON'T CRY.)

. D A Y F I V E .

Patty held Ben's face still in one hand and dabbing the blood off his bottom lip with a medical gauze. Patty's left had cupped Ben's left cheek, his thumb occasionally wiping stray tears that managed to fall. Ben's face, neck, collar bones, ribs, fists, knees, stomach, and hips were littered with purple bruises. Ben's eyebrow had a huge cut in it, which was deep enough that he needed to get stitches. His shirt and jeans were torn from Sir trying to pry the lanky boy off him, not to mention he also threw punches and kicks back at the blonde boy. Patty apologised immediately whenever Ben would wince at the pain.

"You didn't have to throw punches at him," Patty told him, focusing in cleaning the cuts on his face. When Patty made eye contact with the bruised and battered boy, he couldn't help but to crack a small grin and giggle at his annoyed look. Patty's giggle turned into laughter as Ben tried to hold back a smile. Patty laughed hard enough to tumble back, but if it wasn't for Ben catching him by his hips, he would've fall hard. The room had gone a dead, but comfortable silent. Neither of them said or moved at all. Patty could've sworn he saw Ben's eyes go dark for a moment and caught him checking out his feminine body; his small waist, feminine legs, small hips. The comfortable silence was beginning to turn sexual.

Ben quickly snapped back into reality and pulled the smaller boy back up, "Well, he deserved it," Ben responded back to what Patty had said five minutes earlier. "I don't like people in my personal space." Patty eyeballed Ben's clothes, pulling the fabric that stuck onto Ben's body because of the blood. Ben winced when Patty pulled on the waist band of his jeans that sat very low on his hips. Patty jumped and quickly retreated his hands to himself with widened eyes. Ben noticed the small change in his eyes. He couldn't find the words to describe it, but the emotion in his eyes completely changed. 

Ben shrugged off his button down and his jeans, freeing his cuts, scrapes, and bruises. Patty inspected every single one of them, his heart plunging down to his stomach. Delicately running his thumb over a bruise on his hip, Ben let out another wince and a small jump. 

Ben let out a quiet chuckle, placing his hand on the scrawny boy's leg, "I'm okay, I'm okay," He told him. When their eyes matched, Ben noticed Patty's eyes watering. Patty's hands were covering his mouth, like he was a five year old who got caught doing something bad. Rubbing Patty's knee, the smaller boy jumped, letting out a girly squeal. Ben's shoulders shook as he laughed silently. "You're so ticklish."

"Am not!" Patty quickly defended himself, crossing his arms across his chest. It'd be safe to say he was embarrassed for letting out such a girly noise. If Sir was there, he would've yelled at him; not to mention how close the two boys were sitting together, their knees were nearly touching. Ben raised an eyebrow at him, followed by giving him a smirk. Patty's arms loosened up a little bit out of curiosity. Like a cheetah hunting down their prey, Ben was real quick to pounce on the smaller boy and sit on top of his hips. He pinned his wrists over his head while using his free hand to tickle the giggly boy underneath him.  Squirming and giggling, Ben stopped for a second, freeing Patty's wrists. Maintaining eye contact, Patty slowly slid his hands down and began to tickle Ben's feet. Patty then slowly stopped when he realised he wasn't getting any laughs or pleas for him to stop like he did himself. Patty frowned, pushing out his bottom lip to make a pout. "Damn."

"Were you trying to do.... this?" Ben asked, turning around so his back was facing confused, smaller boy underneath him. Ben lightly grazed his finger tips on the bottoms of the smaller boy's feet, making his shriek and kick his legs. Ben cracked a genuine grin which he hasn't made in who knows how long? Patty shifted his body, kicked his legs, and punched Ben's back, trying to get him to stop tickling his feet. After minutes of Patty pleading Ben to stop, he did and turned back around so they were facing each other again.

Loud banging on the metal door frightened them both. Ben quickly got off Patty and helped him up, returning back to what they were doing before. Before they knew it, Sir yanked open the metal door and glared at them both. 

"What are you two boys doing?" He asked Patty, coming closer. Ben and Patty quickly glanced at each other.

"I'm helping Ben with the bruises, cuts, and scrapes, Sir," Patty told him. Sir glared at the shirtless blonde Patty was helping. He nodded at Patty briefly.

"That's very kind of you, boy," Sir started, "Well, I'll leave you two to it." Patting Patty's back a little too roughly, Sir walked out of the room, slamming the metal door shut again.

"I feel like he might've patted you too rough, Patty," Ben whispered, not knowing if Sir was eavesdropping their conversation outside. Patty peeled off his button down and had Ben exam it. There was a red hand print on Patty's pale back as he expected. "There's a huge hand print on your back."

"Hell, I wasn't expecting him to do it that hard," Patty admitted. "I don't even know why he likes me so much, to he honest."

"Probably because you're the only one that actually volenteers for things without him asking to," Ben said, closing his eyes so Patty could examin the damage what was left. 

"That's probably why," Patty agreed. "Your eye will heal on itself. Now let's clean up the marks on your back."