Actions

Work Header

chloroform girl

Summary:

bladee watches a football game with his friends and discovers something about himself

Notes:

title from chloroform girl by polkadot cadaver. saw someone on tw calling my other fic cringe the other day I don’t think I’ve ever been that embarrassed in my life LOL T_T this one was super hard to write I feel like it came out super stupid. enjoy
(;ω;)

Work Text:

it’s not exactly his idea of a romantic date night… or even a date night at all… but there he is, sat on the couch, his head leaning on jonatan’s shoulder, staring at the tv. he insisted this game was important and the guys would want to watch it too so they should all hang out then, have a fun time, get some beers, whatever.

 

ben doesn’t hate it, don’t get him wrong, watching the game is… fine, it’s okay, though there are definitely more interesting, less dull things to do on a friday night than looking at some men kicking a ball and whatnot. still, he won’t complain, at the very least he gets to be with jonatan, his hand splayed on his thigh… sigh, good times.

 

they’re about a quarter through, if he remembers the times right. all the guys are wearing white jerseys so he guesses that’s the team he’s, too, going with. white looks nice on jonatan, it suits him. his (now it’s his, apparently) team has been playing alright, they’re 1-0, his friends got up and screamed a little when that first point was scored. ben got up too, in sympathy, cheered a bit, got a hug from jonatan, a hug from ludwig. those kinds of hugs guys give each other while watching football together, those weirdly passionate ones, ben finds it funny.

 

speaking of ludwig, benjamin’s currently holding his hand, sneaky, out of jonatan’s sight, because his greed knows no bounds. the soft, absentminded rubbing of ludwig’s thumb on the back of his hand gives him something to think about when he gets tired of having his eyes assaulted by the amount of bright green shining from the screen into his face.

 

the periodic squeezes on his thigh, from jonatan, make him feel acknowledged, like a silent “you having fun there?” eh… something like that. he replies by pressing his cheek just a bit more on jonatan’s shoulder. he thinks of kissing him. something chaste, nothing crazy, but he doesn’t know how okay his friends are with pda. they already know him and jonatan are together, of course, it’s pretty damn obvious. still, he thinks doing something sappy like that makes him look like too much of a fag.

 

“ben, get me another beer, would ya?” zak calls out to him, sat beside jonatan.

 

“mhm” benjamin straightens up, ludwig gazing longingly at him as he lets go of his hand. fag, ben thinks, just as his boyfriend squeezes his thigh one last time before pulling away so ben can stand up.

 

“hey, one for me too, ben” axel chimes in, on ludwig’s side.

 

“sure” he replies plainly. somehow getting up to go to the kitchen feels more like a nice break for his mind rather than a nuisance or a chore. the guys keep chatting about the match but ben can’t really join in, since apparently you have to know all the secret special terms to join their secret little football club. whatever, he rolls his eyes as he opens the fridge, he was just gonna grab the two beers and go back but… that bottle of gin looks kinda tempting right now… the game would definitely be more fun if he was at least tipsy… right? right??

 

ben takes a couple gulps, washes it down with his own beer, grabs two more for axel and zak and walks back inside the living room. just as he’s handing zak his bottle he gets a glare. huh? what the hell is his problem?

 

“you didn’t even think to open it?” damn, no need to talk to him like he’s fucking stupid. plus, zak’s a grown man, he can open it hims-

 

“my bad” ben apologizes, going back to the kitchen to look for a bottle opener, maybe take a couple more swigs of that gin. he hands both axel and zak their respective beers, not even getting a thank you in return. only a “took you long enough” from axel, what a dick.

 

it’s whatever. they’re just a bit on edge since the game’s 1-1 now, he guesses. benjamin goes back to his seat between jonatan and ludwig, feeling an arm circling his waist as jonatan pulls him just a bit closer. in that moment, he feels so warm… maybe it’s the gin, he’d rather think love is a beautiful thing that can do all sorts of things to your head. his hand looks for ludwig’s yet again.

 

as his pinky intertwines with his friend’s, ben looks at the screen… yeah, he’s tipsy now. he can feel a hand running up and down his side, then axel yells something at the screen, some player just did something he thought was dumb, apparently. he can even hear jonatan scoff, feel his hand squeezing his waist roughly, subconsciously taking out his frustration on benjamin, who has to suppress a little sound.

 

jonatan does notice, however, murmuring a “sorry, baby” just loud enough for ben to hear, the sound of his words seamlessly hiding under zak’s compliants, seems he’s pissed too. ben shakes his head, a silent “it’s fine” actually, he finds it he wouldn’t mind if jonatan did that again. staring at the screen, ben prays for a miracle.

 

it does not come. or maybe his pleads were misinterpreted, his team scores another goal, just before that fifteen minute break in the middle. everyone gets up again, ben included, yelling and hugging again, though it’s not long before they’re all sat down once more.

 

“ben, I’m fucking starving, go get us something to eat” axel speaks up. jonatan gives him a look, but it doesn’t go any further than that, partly because benjamin is already getting up, stumbling a little.

 

“woah,” jonatan grabs his hips, trying to keep his boyfriend from faceplanting right there on the living room floor “how many beers have you had, babe?”

 

benjamin fantasizes of the ground opening and swallowing him whole in that moment. flustered, he quickly brushes jonatan’s hands away from his body, and with a quiet “don’t do that” he starts walking away. but just before he can cross the door he feels the need to clarify, maybe alcohol just makes him too damn chatty, “he said ben” not babe, they’re not dating. I mean, they are, but not like that, it’s a different thing, like, something like being really close friends, it’s not weird. it’s not a weird thing. it doesn’t make him any less of a man.

 

ben’s in the kitchen now, his hands automatically searching for that bottle of gin yet again. when he’s done gulping down the liquor, he looks for a bag of popcorn, quickly shoving it in the microwave so he can sit down again, right there on the floor. sigh… why does he have to be the one to do this anyway? he could understand earlier, since he was the least interested in watching the game, doesn’t matter if he missed some parts, but now? they’re not even playing! this isn’t even his house! why is axel is being such a fucking asshole for no reason?

 

he gets up after hearing the soft ding from the microwave, burning his hands as he takes out the steaming bag, cursing under his breath.

 

“here” he’s back in the living room now, handing axel a neatly plated bowl of popcorn, who just nods. god, would it fucking kill him to say thank you?

 

before he can protest, he hears zak’s “hey, I want some too” then why didn’t you just say so earlier, jackass? ben thinks, but actually replies with a simple “okay” instead, as he goes back inside the kitchen.

 

he repeats the whole process, both gin and burning his hands included, and he’s back in front of zak before he can think about it, with another bowl of popcorn. he gets a bit of a hiccup out just before speaking, courtesy of the liquor, zak looks at him weird. “…here” ben hands him the bowl, quickly getting pushed back to his seat with a “get out of the way, you’re blocking the screen” that really could’ve been a thank you, you know.

 

he falls back on the couch, pressed to jonatan’s side, his arm back around ben’s waist. the second half of the game is just starting, they’re 2-1, that’s nice, he guesses. he pulls out his phone, just a little more scrolling then he’ll try to keep up with his friend’s conversation… if he can get this damn thing unlocked. “ben, don’t drink more” jonatan mumbles, yet again only meaning for benjamin to hear him, while he watches him clumsily tap on the screen, always misclicking one or two numbers on his password.

 

benjamin frowns, ironically visibly more annoyed than when he had two guys ordering him around like a housemaid, jonatan rubs his side to try and appease him “don’t frown, it doesn’t look pretty” ben hiccups again, pushing jonatan’s face away from his ear. ugh, he’s not a fucking doll for him to be telling him this stuff. he’s not jonatan’s little girlfriend that sits awkwardly with his friends and tends to them and doesn’t know how football fucking works. he’s a man. he doesn’t have to look ‘pretty’.

 

a dull thud snaps him out of his thoughts, axel’s hand impacting on the couch “fuck!!” followed by an exasperated “oh my fucking god” from zak, and a harsh squeeze of his waist from jonatan. ben flinches, hiccups again. other team just scored a goal, 2-2, ludwig sighs, running his hand down his face. damn, is it that serious?

 

“did that fucker hit his head before the game or something? jesus…” he hears jonatan’s voice just beside his head “ben, can you go get me another beer?”

 

“mhm” ben gets up, making a conscious effort to not flop right back down on the coffee table in front of the couch. he can still sense the pressure of jonatan’s touch on his waist, it fills his head with all kinds of different feelings that are probably really inappropriate for the time, the place and the people he’s with, apart from jonatan. he passes on the gin this time, as he opens the fridge, probably won’t help with what he’s going through, only make it worse.

 

“here,” he’s back on the couch, handing jonatan his cold beer “got one for you too” he misses ludwig’s hand as he’s trying to pass him the bottle, but he’s nice about it, brushing it off with a chuckle and a “thank you” ben nods, hiccuping again, jonatan pulls him close. they probably look so much like a couple right now… benjamin feels his stomach turn. perhaps it’s the gin, asking for a way out, or maybe butterflies…? perhaps it’s a third thing he won’t acknowledge, he pushes that feeling down.

 

ben settles down, staring at the screen. dull, he can’t keep his mind from wandering. he wishes he was in bed right now, with jonatan. laying his head on his bare chest, tracing his tattoos with his fingertips, listening to his heartbeat… oh, to hear jonatan’s warm words wash over him like thick syrup, he always knows just what to say. it puzzles benjamin, how could a man like that even exist, let alone be interested in him?

 

the hand digging into the flesh of his midsection snaps him out of his thoughts “mnh-!” ben whimpers, instinctively turning to hide against against jonatan’s side, even if he was the one causing him harm in the first place. thankfully, the high pitched sound couldn’t really be heard over the exasperated yelling of his friends, 3-2, no one’s happy.

 

“shit, sorry” jonatan lets go, “goddammit! fucking idiot” immediately going back to throwing curses at the screen. benjamin sighs, all this shouting is getting to his head. he wonders if that hand could’ve possibly left a bruise on his waist just now, red, purple, yellowish skin… something jonatan could press down on… no one pays much attention as he grabs one of the pillows on the couch, placing it over his lap.

 

can this thing be over already? he wants to go home with jonatan, go to bed, the gin is making him sleepy… ben guesses, he’s not really sure what emotion he’s exactly feeling right now, but he doesn’t feel in control of himself and that’s enough to bother him. twenty minutes left, 4-2, more yelling.

 

“ben, why don’t you get off your ass for once and get me another fucking beer?” kitchen again, more beer for axel. back in the living room, to the kitchen, more beer for zak.

 

the match ends, ben feels hot and in a daze, lap empty, sitting with his legs crossed. so many voices around him, no one is happy, 5-2. jonatan gets up, “ben, we’re going outside for a smoke, you coming?” he just shakes his head, “alright, whatever, man, goddammit…” his partner walks out along with ludwig and zak, all three barking about how shit that game was.

 

it’s just him and axel now, “fuck!!” benjamin can hear a thud on his right, he turns to look, it was a kick. “I can’t fucking believe this is happening to me!!” axel hits the coffee table, the empty beer bottles clinking as they scatter on the floor.

 

“…you okay?” ben should’ve probably just left with the other guys, he shifts uncomfortably.

 

“no, I’m not okay, you fucking idiot, do you know how much money I just fucking lost?” axel walks over to him, his hand gripping his shoulder, ben can feel the slight tremble of his anger.

 

“huh?”

 

“huhhhhh?” axel mocks him, ben winces “I bet on that fucking game, benjamin, I just lost, like, ten grand on that fucking bullshit” he’s sweating, how many beers did axel have again?

 

“oh, man, that’s… not that much?” ben’s trying to de-escalate the situation. it doesn’t help, now his left shoulder’s getting grabbed too.

 

“not that much?? on fucking nothing I think it’s a pretty good amount, yeah, dumbass,” axel sighs, doesn’t seem to calm him down one bit though “you’re lucky I don’t just snap your fucking neck right now” ben feels his cheeks go red, heat pooling low on his belly.

 

“m-my neck? how- how would you d-do that, how would…” he manages to mumble, looking up through his lashes.

 

“how?? with my bare hands, idiot,” axel notices the flush, the squirming, the glassy eyes, “how much did you even drink, you useless piece of shit? do you realize how ridiculous you look right now?”

 

“I- beer, just- just beer, axel” ben has noticed, just now, the hands on his shoulders were slowly closing in this whole time, drifting to his neck.

 

“well, that’s not the fucking question I asked now, is it?” he doesn’t get choked, however, instead hearing the sharp sound of axel’s open hand hitting his cheek. ben moans, the heat from the impact driving him crazy, what the hell’s happening to him?

 

“oh, benjamin, you’re a fucking whore” axel spits out, “you’re getting off on this, you sick bastard?” he gets another slap, same place, same sound coming out of ben’s throat “you know your boyfriend’s right outside? I’d be so fucking embarrassed if I had to date a slut like you”

 

“axel, l-let go of me, let go…” ben makes halfhearted attempts at pushing him away, “have to… I- j-jonatan’s not my- my- that…” axel keeps hold on ben, not budging even just a little bit, “let me go, axel, please- ah-” he feels the hand on his neck tightening.

 

“you fucking love this don’t you? you’re nasty, ben, you’re sick” axel backs up, only to drive his fist right into ben’s stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs.

 

“mngh-! fuck, axel, w-we can’t, we really can’t, please…”

 

“please what, whore? speak up, can’t fucking hear you with jonatan’s dick stuck in your throat”

 

“axel, we’re- we’re not- we don’t do that- ah-! fuck!” ben shuts his eyes as he feels another punch on his side, right where jonatan had grabbed him earlier, hurts so good, he’s so unbearably hard. “need you, p-please, need you so fucking bad” ben pleads, not thinking about what he’s saying, what he’s asking for, his mind filled with the overwhelming craving of more. “hit me more, please, fuck me, axel, fuck me, plea- mnh-!” third slap, his brain is melting “yes! yes! please!”

 

“you’re disgusting,” axel sits on top of him, kissing him, so violent, all teeth and tongue, “fucking prostitute fag, you make me sick” it stings, the words, the hair pulling. ben’s hands are already undoing his pants.

 

he’s cut short by axel, who pins him down on the couch, positioning himself between his legs “lift your shirt” ben complies immediately, baring his torso for axel’s eyes… well, more like, axel’s fist, landing right on his stomach again, he feels like throwing up, he moans “mnh-! fuck, axel, please, fuck me fuck me fuck me please-” ben palms himself over his pants, desperate, feels like he’s about to burst. his rambling’s interrupted by having his wrist grabbed, roughly, pulling his hand away from his crotch, his hips buck up uselessly, he looks pathetic. “noo, axel, plea- ah-!” ben feels the slap, right on his cock, and some switch inside him flips “yes! more, need more, please!” he’s leaking like a broken faucet.

 

“goddammit, can you shut the fuck up? do you know how annoying it is to hear your fucking sissy voice all the fucking time? give me a fucking break” axel grabs one of the pillows on the couch, pressing it down on ben’s face, he can hear the other’s pleased sounds from under the fabric, even as ben squirms and tries to fight, he’s getting somewhat choked after all “gonna fucking kill you and do your corpse while it’s still warm, how’d you like that one, you whore?”

 

“yes!! please!” his voice comes out muffled, axel undoes benjamin’s pants with one hand, the other working to keep the pillow in place. “raw, do me raw, fuck me! kill me!! hit me more, axel!!” he lets go for a second, for the sake of planting a strong punch right on ben’s ribs “ah-!! shit! yes yes yes! more!” axel keeps going, but then stops, just a few more punches shy of ben coming in his pants like a teenager, he can feel it.

 

axel’s tugging ben’s pants down now, “does your little boyfriend know you let his friends fuck you?” he asks, purposefully trying to touch a nerve. to no avail, ben’s gone, there’s a slut on his couch right now that looks just like him but that’s about as far as the similarities go.

 

“he knows!! please, I- ah-!” he’s interrupted by another slap right on his groin, his whole body twitching with the action, then he feels his underwear being ripped off “yes!! yes yes yes, need you so bad, just put it in, please, need it- ngh- fuck!” another punch connects right with his sternum, making him see stars, his whole upper body hurts.

 

“shut the fuck up!” he can’t see it, since the pillow’s still over his face, though not being pressed anymore, but he can hear, the clinking of axel’s belt, the zipper on his jeans… “god, you’re lucky I really need to clear my head right now, on a normal day I’d be too worried about catching something to ever think of doing a whore like you” ben feels his legs being pulled apart, “how many guys have you slept with already?” he hears him spit right after finishing his sentence, hearing the wet squelching of axel coating his own member.

 

“everyone! I’ve- ngh-” something pokes at his entrance, axel grabs his hips more than hard enough to bruise, he’s in heaven “I’ve slept with every guy I know!” …which is a pretty big exaggeration, more like, just zak, jonatan, ludwig, and maybe nino too, if that one time counted…? but he knows exactly where that answer’s gonna get him.

 

“fucking whore, can’t believe I’m gonna stick my dick inside a fag” and just like that, ben feels the sudden intrusion, in one sharp thrust, axel’s all the way inside him. he’s met with a pained moan, ben feels like he’s being torn in half, even if he did do some… stuff… with jonatan before leaving their house, it still hurts.

 

axel’s not doing anything to help it either, holding ben in place with his bruising grip, his legs over his shoulders, the obscene sound of skin hitting skin ringing inside the room, “fuck- you’re tighter than I expected for someone so ran through” he sighs, some of the tension on his shoulders easing.

 

“mngh-! yes! you’re so big, axel, so- ah- big!” benjamin’s hands claw uselessly at the cushiouns under him, he has made no move to get that pillow off his face either. axel sees an opportunity, he takes it.

 

“shut up,” he presses down on the pillow, suppressing a groan as he feels ben getting even tighter as an involuntary reaction, “shut up, whore!!” the man under him thrashes, not shutting up either, axel has to hear the whining and the moaning, so fucking annoying.

 

ben sees the light, suddenly, the literal light of the living room as the pillow’s removed from his face, three pairs of eyes staring at him. “j-jonatan, fuck! I- I wasn’t- fuck fuck fuck!” he covers his eyes with his arm, overwhelmed, he can’t think properly with axel pounding him so harshly.

 

“hope you don’t mind,” axel groans, above him, “he’s just- fuck- helping me blow off some steam”

 

jonatan leans down, his face right above ben’s, he removes his arm from his eyes “ben, you can’t be this easy, we were gone for like, twenty minutes at most” he’s smiling- no, he’s mocking him. he’s calling him a slut. a hooker. worse than a hooker. he’s not even fucking for cash!!

 

“jonatan…” ben whines, dragged out, he’s so sore “need you, ah- need you, please”

 

“you seem pretty busy right now though, don’t you?”

 

“no, I- mngh- fuck!” axel slaps him again, and he moans, right in front of jonatan, can’t have some shame even in his presence “I’m not! please!”

 

jonatan shrugs, not even acknowledging what just happened, don’t gotta be a rocket scientist to guess ben would be into that kind of stuff. “alright, if you insist” benjamin stares at his belt as he undoes it.

 

on the other end of the couch, zak gives a light push on axel’s arm, deadpanning “my turn”

 

axel doesn’t even turn to look at him, focusing on making sure ben wakes up tomorrow with purple marks on his hips “go away,” he complains, breathy, picking up the pace just the slightest bit “I’m not done”

 

“you’re no fun” zak rolls his eyes, crouching on ben’s side, to jerk him off.

 

“ah-!! fuck fuck fuck!” ben shakes, just as jonatan’s about to shove his dick down his throat, he goes stiff for a second, rope after rope of his own spunk covering his belly, then he’s limp. none of the men acknowledge him, apart from axel, ben’s spasming insides pushing him over the edge as he comes with a string of curses and a slap on ben’s thigh.

 

jonatan pushes his length inside ben’s mouth, just as he’s trying to catch his breath, panting, immediately choking him. the man above him doesn’t bat an eye, holding ben’s upside down face in place so he can fuck it properly, benjamin thinks he might die right there.

 

“my turn” zak repeats, this time actually pushing axel away, not wasting time as he pulls out his cock, he feels right at home inside ben’s body. zak sighs, yeah, axel was right, it’s a pretty good way to blow off steam after that shit game they just watched.

 

“hey, don’t take too long” he hears ludwig on his right, waves him away.

 

“leave me alone,” zak pats ben’s side, who’s currently fighting for his life with a cock down his throat, gagging, spit flowing out of his mouth like there’s not enough already, he doesn’t remember the last time he breathed “ben, jerk him off, or something, I don’t know- fuck- I don’t care”

 

benjamin slaps weakly on jonatan’s thigh, it’s enough for him to understand though, he pulls out, just for a moment. ben coughs, coughs like there’s no tomorrow, chokes on his spit too while he’s at it, he can’t catch his breath. jonatan pats his cheek with the back of his hand, sighing, “come on, you’re being ridiculous” ben finally takes a big gulp of air, first thing he does with it is moan, zak keeps pressing on that one spot inside him that makes him see stars. his poor exhausted cock twitching weakly here and there, he’s actually gonna die, he can’t even formulate a sentence to ask for a break.

 

well, that, and the fact that his throat is full yet again, not much room for talking, he realizes. there’s a dick in his hand now as well, he doesn’t remember how that happened but getting his fist fucked is probably the least strenuous thing he’s currently going through, so it’s really whatever.

 

before leaving for a smoke, too, axel whispers something to zak, something only he can hear. one could argue it is rude to share secrets with just one person when they’re all together, but, is it really still a secret when zak brings his fist down on ben’s abdomen, right after axel’s done talking?

 

ben’s muffled sounds of pain and pleasure come out as simple, obscene gurgling, jonatan relentlessly fucking his face. then all three of them realize: ben gets tighter every time he’s hit, even his hand squeezes involuntarily…

 

jonatan punches his arm, throwing his head back with a sigh as he feels benjamin’s throat contract and vibrate as he tries to whine and complain, so comfortable “fuck, ben, do you realize?” jonatan looks down, the face he’s fucking into an absolute mess of bodily fluids “your body was made just for this, just to take whatever men throw at you” he rambles “to take a good fucking, a nice beating, bring me a beer and then sit pretty and quiet, only for that, ben” on any other occasion benjamin would feel sick to his stomach, have an actual argument with jonatan over what he just said. there’s probably not enough oxygen getting to his brain right now for that kind of deep thinking though, no room to feel insecure about anything at all.

 

a harsh punch right on his lower belly makes him jump, pulling off jonatan with a gasp, more coughing “fuck-! ben, take it, mngh-!” zak’s hand presses down on his waist as he pumps a load deep into his guts. the gin finds a way out, covering himself in his own piss as zak’s buried deep inside him, he whimpers, can’t even speak. “jesus, ben, what the hell’s wrong with you? oh my god” zak gasps, pulling out of the limp, beat up boy under him.

 

“axel’s gonna fucking kill you, you know that right?” ben’s dick twitches at jonatan’s words, he tries to grasp any of the men towering over him, his arms flailing weakly, he feels like throwing up. he manages to claw at jonatan’s pants as he feels someone grab his thighs.

 

“my turn” ludwig groans as he pushes his length into ben’s sloppy, well used insides. he can’t think, god, he’s really about to die pumped full of jizz and covered in piss, what a way to go.

 

“ben,” he feels a slap on his cheek, “you okay there?” he nods, it comes automatic, can’t even conceive a different reaction, ludwig’s pumping his cock as he pounds him, there’s no world where ben would want to stop right now. he’s a man, he can take it. “alright” jonatan shrugs, forcing himself back inside benjamin’s mouth with a forceful thrust.

 

just a few seconds after, ben’s coming again, maybe, he’s not really sure, his whole body hurts like hell and he feels like he’s melting, that must mean something, he guesses. he feels a pair of hands squeezing around his neck, jonatan’s hips stutter as ben’s throat squeezes him deliciously, he can feel the thick, hot load sliding right into his stomach, he’s gonna die. “yeah, take it, good boy, that’s it” jonatan finally lets go, giving a couple more shallow thrusts before pulling out of his mouth. ben coughs, yet again, ludwig hasn’t stopped stroking him and he’s aching so much he wants to kill him.

 

“woah!” ludwig gets a weak kick to his shoulder, courtesy of the spasming boy below him. ben’s clearly trying to say something, some dragged out, pained sounds coming out of his mouth, quickly covered by jonatan’s hand. he props him up, making him stare at his belly, then lower, where his and ludwig’s bodies are joined “look at the mess you made, slut, can’t take you fucking anywhere”

 

he sees ludwig shut his eyes as he buries himself as deep as he possibly can inside ben, the sickening heat of his release flooding his guts, he can’t stop shaking. “fuck, ben, oh my god” ludwig grabs his thighs yet again, panting as he pulls out of him. it’s over, finally, he goes limp.

 

the occasional spasm gives away the fact that he’s not dead, just exhausted, the living room is a mess of panting and sweat. they manhandle him like a rag doll, somehow he ends the night in a bed, with… someone, hopefully jonatan.

 

his head spins as he stumbles in front of the bathroom mirror the next morning, he’s never looked more beautiful than with his pale skin covered in purple, yellow bruises. he might’ve broken a rib.