𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 | 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐳 ✅

ｆｉｆｔｅｅｎ

Marcus sucks on his front teeth loudly, a hissing sound created because of it. The cause for his hissing? The nurse, who more or less smacked him with a bag of ice while throwing a few bandaids onto his cheek and elbow, both of which were busted open when he was slammed into the lockers multiple times.

 Despite the pain that aches throughout his body and the ringing of his ears, he only reacts with the slightest twitch of his face. Whether it be his lip, nose, or eyes twitching, he doesn't show any other reaction, wanting to save his energy for when he has to walk out of the nurse's office and go back to class.

"Acting like a damn monkey." He knows she meant for her words to be heard, and Marcus nearly reacted with a scoff. He stops himself though, instead, doing a quick eyeroll that the nurse doesn't see. "I better not see you in here again." Marcus has to bite his tongue, making sure he doesn't snap back at her with the same amount of attitude. The number of insults he could throw at the old lady alone because of how she did her hair would make her cry like a baby. "Go to lunch," she grumbles, turning her attention to cleaning her desk, which looked about as trashy as her makeup. Still, he bites his tongue harder, giving a sound of acknowledgment before hopping off the table. A knife seems to have been placed under his left knee cap, as when he places weight on it, he feels it pop before pain runs through his leg.

 Still, despite this pain that shoots through his leg, he limps his way out of the nurse's office, the door closing behind with a quiet thud. And walking down the hallway his head starts to ache because of the terrible rhythm his feet make. When he steps with his right foot it sounds normal, but when it comes to his left foot it is much softer and sounds out of place.

 Class my ass.

 His offbeat steps become faster, the boy limping as fast as he can since he wants to get out of this hellhole. While moving towards the exit, he tosses the ice out, the plastic bag filled with water at this point from how warm his skin is.

 But his steps falter when he hears loud steps over the dull ringing in his ears. Looking over his shoulder, Marcus spots someone turning in the hallway and sprinting his direction. He isn't given a moment to figure out who it is before they slide to a halt beside him, grab his arm, and yank him into an open janitor's closet. 

 The door closes as fast as it was opened, Marcus falling back against it from the quick movements. He moans quietly, his head throbbing from the impact. It's soon muffled for some reason. Marcus wonders what it is, but has to make the room stop spinning before he can.

 "Shush, Marc," a voice hisses, the hot breath hitting his face. Breathing it in by mistake, he is engulfed by the smell of sugary gum, making him go on a temporary sugar high. When he comes down from it, his eyes focus on the person holding him hostage, noticing the hat the sits on top of their head.

 "I think they're gone," they speak once more, making Marcus completely sure his captor is Benny. Slowly, he takes his hand from Marcus' face. He moves towards the wall, flipping a switch to light up the small area. The change in lighting makes Marcus squint, bringing his hand to cover his eyes. "You look terrible." Benny's words make him scoff, swallowing dryly in hopes to dampen his even drier throat.

 "You don't look bad yourself," he chuckles, a cough passing his lips soon after. He feels his lungs slam against his ribcage, forcing him to let out a quiet "fuck" as he places his hand on his torso, rubbing the area softly.

 "How many guys were you up against?" Benny asks, looking up with the biggest pair of doe eyes Marcus has ever seen. And without any fucks to give, he lets the thoughts roll off his tongue.

 "You look fucking adorable." Roses blossom on Benny's face as his eyes widen, diverting his attention to anywhere but the dark skin in front of him. "I was up against four." He moves to stand up a bit straighter against the door, a sound coming from his lips. "You can guess who was leading the pack," he groans, the tension in his back and shoulders easing a bit.

 "Yeah. Phillip came into class really late with a huge bruise on his arm and jaw." Marcus chuckles once more, happy to have left a mark on the son of a bitch. "What'd you do?"

 "Hit 'em with my belt..." His words trail off, a thought coming to mind before escaping past his lips once more. "Are we hiding in the janitor's closet?" His words seem to go in one ear and out the other, as Benny doesn't even look at him. Biting his lip, he lets a moment pass before his arm moves on his own, his fingers wrapping around Benny's arm and tugging him the slightest bit. It catches him off guard though, the boy tripping over his own feet, colliding with Marcus' chest with a soft thud. Benny can feel his muscles tense up underneath the thin layer of cotton, and he feels his face get evermore redder. "This is the most cliche thing that's ever happened to me," he chuckles. "What'd you do, anyhow?" Benny can hear the teasing in Marcus' voice. He wants to roll his eyes or snap back at him with an insult. However, he wants to hear Marcus' teasing again, finding it to be both attractive and irritating at the same time.

 "I may-" he draws out his words, trying his best not to freak himself or Marcus out, "or may not have punched Phillip in the face in the boy's bathroom in between first and second period..." His words trail to a silent halt, his body tensing up as he waits for Marcus' reaction.

 "You...You stood up for me." Benny can only nod in acknowledgment before he notices the tone in his voice, making him lookup. He watches Marcus' neutral expression turn to glee, a large grin forming on his face. He wraps his arms around Benny before pulling him in for a large hug, surprising the shorter boy. His head lays against his chest, allowing him to get a large whiff of Marcus' cologne again. He swears his knees went numb for a split second.

 "I didn't do much," he mumbles, pulling away once Marcus let go of him.

 "You did more than anyone else has for me." Marcus smiles once more, finding himself filled with joy. It makes a small smile form on Benny's lips. He bites his bottom lip at the feeling he receives from Marcus' expression, not liking the way it feels like his guts have been reorganized.

 Tell. Him.

 "C-Can w-w-w-" Benny stops himself, taking in a heavy breath to calm his nerve. It doesn't do much when he still feels Marcus looking down at him, his gaze so sharp it could cut diamonds. "You want to skip school? My house should be empty right now." Another smile forms on Marcus' face, this one softer than the last. Silently he nods his head, making a grin form on Benny's face in response.