Page 125 of Smart Ass

“No problem. Memory is strange.” He’d deleted all videos of Ben before he left Orbit, but he still remembered some of them as clearly as if they were right in front of him. “And I’m still thinking of it as my middle name. Please just don’t use it in public.”

“Will you come out with us now?” Quincy asked. “Ben told us you were listening before, but you never said anything.”

“How would that work?” Oliver asked. He’d enjoyed seeing Ben spend time with friends, but he’d tried not to intrude beyond monitoring his pulse and location.

Evan looked around the room. “Can’t you transmit data anywhere with an internet signal? Ben said you always talk in the car. Just have Ben bring a camera with a mic and speaker. We can put it in the middle of the table or something.”

“Are you sure that would be alright?” Oliver asked. “Wouldn’t it be weird?”

“No weirder than a phone call. Oliver, we really want to get to know you. You’re special to Ben, so you’re special to us, too.”

Another kind of warmth swept through Oliver at Evan’s words. “I feel pretty close to you guys, too. Ben talks about you all the time.”

Evan gave a fond look down the hall. “He’s an amazing guy. Please just… be patient with him. He hasn’t had it easy.”

“I’ve heard a little bit. Though most of his stories involve you being there for him when his parents weren’t.”

Evan shrugged. “His parents were dicks.”

“And you’re a good friend. He loves you, even if he doesn’t say it.” Oliver wanted to make sure Evan knew.

“Oh, I know. Ben’s not good at talking, but he always comes through with his actions.”

“I’ll take care of him in any way that he lets me,” Oliver promised. “In words and actions. I don’t think he believes me yet, but I’m not going anywhere.”

“That means more than anything else,” Evan assured him. “Just don’t leave him, and you have my blessing.”

“Thank you.” Oliver was more overcome than he’d expected. He hadn’t known that he wanted Evan’s blessing, but he appreciated it to the depths of his soul.

He noticed motion in the bathroom. “Ben will be back out in a moment.”

“I should start breakfast,” Quincy suggested, walking into the kitchen like he owned it.

“Have you been cooking for Ben?” Oliver asked.

Quincy started taking things out of the fridge. “Every day. He wasn’t eating, and I love to cook. Did he tell you that I just started a job at a cafe?”

“No! I hadn’t heard yet. Tell me about it.”

Quincy chattered about his job while Ben got dressed—provocatively in front of the camera—and then joined everyone in the kitchen.

Oliver had known that he wanted to make more friends and be part of Ben’s life, but he hadn’t realized how easy and natural it would be. How Quincy and Evan would ask him about his favorite movies, or how Ben would brag about Oliver’s musical talents and demand that he sing for them.

He hadn’t imagined that Quincy would ask if Oliver could enjoy the food in some way, and then make a perfectly proportioned small plate to hold up to the camera so he could savor the bright colors and glistening sheen of sizzling oil. Oliver even took a few photos of his first “meal” to save as a memento.

When they finished, Ben teased Evan about watching Quincy’s butt while he washed dishes, which made Evan blush and Quincy beam.

Oliver, surprisingly, didn’t feel jealous at all. Quincy’s butt was nice to look at… but it was much more fun to see the brotherly teasing between Ben and his best friend, and feel like he was included in everything.

They made plans for the next day, but no one seemed to want the gathering to end. The conversation meandered all over, and eventually they ended up in the living room, squabbling about movies to watch. Quincy got up to make popcorn, and Oliver chatted with the spark while listening in on Ben and Evan’s conversation at the same time.

“My Dom has more sexy appendages than yours,” Ben told Evan smugly. It wasn’t even tangentially related to the conversation, though Quincy was pretty talented, filling glasses with ice and water at the same time.

Oliver snorted, projecting back to the living room. “I sure do. And they’re all standing ready for your punishment.”

Evan laughed and Ben’s eyes shone with glee.

“Would you really punish him?” Quincy asked from the kitchen. “He’s right that you can control more appendages than me, so it wasn’t really like he was being rude.”

Oliver laughed with the others, though he silently sent Quincy a few links about brats to catch him up.

“Ah,” Quincy nodded wisely. “So Ben’s just a brat all the time, isn’t he?”

They all laughed harder, Oliver swelling with warmth.

Hanging out with Ben’s friends was fun. Easy. Like working with Ben, but a thousand times better because Ben was so relaxed and happy. Oliver realized that he was, too.

Oliver could see their whole lives stretching out this way.

He’d never imagined it could be this good.