InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Bite the dust"

There really were just finishing touches left on the little houses Emilia and Benji had built on his sister's property, and he was quite pleased with how it was all coming together. Over the last month, he had spent more time at Tori's condo than anywhere else outside of home, but today, he'd wanted to have her over so he could show off what he'd done.

Benji had decided to sit outside the little cottage while he waited for Tori and Daisy to arrive, Pepper at his heel. She heard his girlfriend's arrival before he did, the border collie getting up and hurrying over to investigate the new car, and her excitement was palpable when Daisy jumped out with a bark and immediately went to play with the older dog. Chuckling, Benji finally reached the car as well, looping an arm around Tori's back and greeting her with a kiss.

---

Tori was excited to get to spend some time at Benji’s cottage. While they had been spending a majority of their time at her condo, she was excited to finally give Benji the painting she had been working on for him, and to let Daisy just run. The pup had to shit on a leash more often than not, she thought she might enjoy getting to shit wherever she pleased.

Thankfully Pepper’s barks made it easy for Tori to park her car, letting Daisy out first, who took off at full speed with Pepper. “Bye!” she called out to the dogs, not at all worried about the pair. They’d be back when they got hungry or tired, and until then she would enjoy her boyfriend. A label that still made her stomach flutter when she thought of it.

She pressed against Benji’s chest as she kissed him back, her hands moving up his chest, to slip around his neck. While her hunger was fully sated, her libido was not, and she felt her heart race as she nipped playfully at his lower lip. “Mmm, I think we’ve officially become chopped liver,” she teased, speaking of their status to the dogs that had raced off to play.

---

How was it she could make him feel so alive with just a kiss? Benji had felt like a shadow in his own life for so long, but it was like Tori had turned on the floodlights, chasing away the shadows and letting him feel again. The practicalities mattered less to him than they ever had before. As long as she never stopped looking at him the way she was now, he was sure they could figure anything out that came their way.

"Their loss," Benji said with an amused grin playing on his lips. He took a step back, his hands sliding down her arms to take her hands. "Ready for the tour?" he asked, shifting over to walk next to her, keeping one hand wrapped around hers and bringing it up to his lips to press a kiss against the back of her hand as he started walking them toward the cottage.

As he led her inside, Benji refused to feel self-conscious that there wasn't really much furniture yet. He hadn't ordered a washer and dryer yet, and there was only a loveseat in the living room. The kitchen appliances had been delivered earlier in the week, though, and his bedroom was done, though the sliding barn doors were closed, hiding it from view. All of the visible walls were painted a very pale mint green, and the floors and ceiling were a medium-dark wood, creating a warm and cozy feel. "Living room and kitchen here. It's a really short tour," he admitted. "The bedroom is through there," he told her, nodding toward the closed barn doors.

---

“Absolutely,” she said happily, her heart fluttering as he pressed a kiss against the back of her hand. Lilith, she was so incredibly in love with the man. There was something so incredibly hot about the fact that he was taking her into his home that he built. She nearly swooned as they entered, the entire place just radiating his calming aura. She could feel him in every inch of the space, from the gorgeous green that was on the walls, to the comfy loveseat that she couldn’t wait to snuggle up with him on. There definitely wasn’t room for the dogs and them, and Tori found herself excited to see how the two spoiled babes figured that out. Whenever they finally came back that is.

“This is gorgeous,” Tori said, her voice filled with wonder as she took in the space. If the bedroom was through the barn doors, she wanted to see his space. His trailer was one thing, and while she got a good view of Benji, it didn’t scream Benji the way this cabin did. “Can I go in?” she asked him, peeking over her shoulder at him with excitement evident in those dark eyes that sparkled with the softest of golden flecks.

At his okay, she pushed the barn door to the side to see just what he’d done with his bedroom.

---

There was a measure of pride in this space, in the work that he had personally put into making it happen, and seeing the way she took it in, the way she appreciated it even though she wasn't saying much, meant the world to him. Benji nodded, smiling at her as she looked over her shoulder.

As she slid the doors open to reveal his bedroom, he took the few steps to reach her, his hands resting on her shoulders and then rubbing down her arms as he leaned his head over her shoulder. "I was hoping you'd paint something on that," he whispered, nodding his head toward the large, blank canvas over the bed. Maybe it was silly, putting a blank canvas on the wall like that, but it felt symbolic in a way, to him.

---

It came as little surprise to Tori that his room truly felt like Benji. It was so beautiful and the colors, she couldn’t wait to see what he looked like in that bed. Laying under her as she rode him. That image, so clear in her mind, was all she was thinking about, when he came behind her. A happy little shiver raced down her spine, tipping her head to rest against his a moment as she took in his words.

“Really?” she asked after a beat of silence, turning to look at him with awe in her eyes. “Benji, this.. I can feel you in every inch of this place. This is absolutely gorgeous, you outdid yourself,” she said in a rush of excitement. “And you want me to paint what’s going to hang above your bed?” she asked in a stunned tone. Too many ideas raced through her head, of all the possibilities. Nothing seemed good enough, she knew without a doubt that she’d figure it out soon.

---

How could she be so surprised? Of course he would want her to paint something for his place! "Thank you," he murmured at the compliments. Turning his head, he pressed a kiss against the sensitive skin where neck and shoulder met before nodding slightly. "Yeah, of course I do. It won't really feel like home without a piece of you," he whispered, letting one hand slide around her, his hand slipping under her tank top, his palm pressing against the smooth, warm skin of her stomach.

Everything had moved so fast between them, but Benji had no regrets. He loved this woman, even if they would only have a decade or two before he aged so much that it looked like he was a pervy old man when he was with her. He would take every minute that he could get with her. "I know there's not enough room for much stuff here, but I want you to feel at home when you're here, too," he admitted, squeezing his arm around her gently.

---

Tori’s body was hyper aware of every place their bodies touched. The innocent brush of his arm against hers, and especially that intimate touch as his hand slipped under her tank top. The heat radiated through her, and Tori was grinning stupidly as she stole a quick kiss from him. It ended with a nip on his bottom lip, and her giving him a sensuous smile. He wanted her to feel at home here, no one had ever said those sorts of things to her before. She found she didn’t know how to respond, as she let his words sink in. He wanted her in his space, he wanted her things there, he wanted her to feel comfortable and at home.

Those dark eyes filled with tears, though they didn’t spill over. At least, not just yet. “I-I don’t know how to do any of that, but I’d really like to. I can bring just enough things, I already know what blanket I want to bring for the loveseat. It’s so soft and fluffy, and we can curl up under it,” she said, feeling her heart swell as she could so clearly see the pair curled up together. “Can we do the same with your things at my place?” she asked then, because of the new fantasy of being in her shower and finding his soap. “You really want me and some of my things here?” she asked again with wonder, having not even truly given poor Benji a chance to respond.

---

It seemed just a little silly and so obvious; they would do it by just doing it, wouldn't they? But then she was sharing a couple ideas, and he realized that she was just letting herself be open and vulnerable with him, and that realization made his heart feel so full. He pressed another kiss to her neck. "That sounds perfect," he agreed easily. He didn't have a lot of blankets, so he was sure hers would be the perfect fit.

He was about to reassure her that he didn't expect her to give up her condo and that he was happy to make himself at home there too when she basically suggested it to him. "Yeah. I don't have a lot of stuff, but I'm sure we'll be spending time there too." He was thinking about the possibility of getting a new bed for Pepper to leave at the condo when she asked that, and he chuckled softly, walking himself around her body and letting his hands slide around to her back in the process. "Absolutely," he told her, letting her see the truth of it in his eyes for a couple beats before he ducked his head and kissed her.

---

Tori was already overwhelmed, just processing the fact that Benji wanted her and her things here. When he moved around her so that she could see his eyes, overwhelmed didn’t seem the right word for what she felt. Her heart raced, and as he kissed her in an all consuming kiss, she knew that she was going to spend far more time here inside Benji’s cabin than at her ridiculously large condo.

Slender arms slipped around his neck as she kissed him back, losing herself in the man that she knew she loved. She didn’t question how it was possible, but she knew from the way her heart raced as they kissed, the way every part of her lit up at his touch. She wanted to live with him, the thought scared her as she had it. Tori broke the kiss then, her cheeks flushed. “I love you,” she murmured, instead of the thought she wanted to share. That she wanted to live with him, it was far too soon for that.

The dogs could be heard out in the yard, barking happily as they raced around. The couple inside the house were completely oblivious to the storm clouds that were gathering outside, getting ready to dump all over them.

---

He didn't want to stop kissing her, and his lips started to follow hers as she pulled back, but then she spoke, and if there was any other noise in the cabin, he might have wondered if he'd imagined the words. "I love you, too," he told her with no hesitation. There was no doubt in his mind that he was completely and irrefutably in love with her.

"So much," he added, bringing his hands up to frame her face. "I never would have guessed that pity kiss on my birthday would have turned into this, but I feel so damn lucky you decided to crash that party." The kiss had been so much more than that, but he couldn't help but poke a little fun at himself, remembering how down and out of sorts he'd been the first half of the summer. Tori had changed so much for him, had given him hope and love again, and he knew he would never want to let her go.

---

They were really doing this, she realized as he said those words back. Benji’s teasing stopped those tears from spilling over as Tori was overwhelmed with feelings she hadn’t felt since she had been human. She gave a watery laugh, squeezing her arms around him in a hug. “I just wanted to make you happy on your birthday,” she admitted, her cheeks just a touch flushed as she remembered that moment. She was so glad she had spoken to him, shared that joint, and kiss. Sure, she was still so embarrassed by how her abilities seemed to act up when around him, but she was starting to believe it was because he was hers. They were meant to be together.

Now, she realized she wanted to keep him happy for the rest of their lives. However long they had. She wanted that happy family that they visited in their dreams together, with their two children. All of her feelings were overwhelming her, and those tears that had been building finally dropped. Happy tears as she pressed against him, kissing his jaw. “Want to know a secret?” she asked in a soft voice, but she knew he did. She didn’t wait for his yes, she felt the nod of his head though. “I haven’t felt these emotions since I was turned. I-I didn’t think I could, I thought.. I thought that I was some evil scum of the earth that couldn’t experience love anymore, not… Not like this,” she whispered the last part, sniffling as she brought one hand down to wipe under her eyes. She still hadn’t told Benji everything about her time with Daniel, but enough that he knew she hadn’t found her own freedom recently, and how she had come to find Maya.

---

If he were a man more prone to anxiety, he would be worried about how often he seemed to make her cry, except for the fact that he could tell that they were most often tears of catharsis, happy and relieved at some new emotional milestone they'd crossed. Did it matter that they'd only known one another for two months? With everything they had shared in their dreams and also in person, how could they not have reached this point so soon? "You did," he assured her, not wanting her to doubt that she'd brought joy in his life that day.

She didn't give him a chance to say yes, but Benji didn't mind; his nod was enough, of course he wanted to know. He wanted to know everything about her, even the parts that he thought terrified her. "There has never been a single moment when I thought you were capable of being some evil scum of the earth," he told her firmly, bringing his hand up to brush his thumb over her cheek, wiping more of those tears away. "From that first night, sitting at the table in my trailer, I knew how big your heart was, and I knew you were meant to be in my life." He remembered that fierce desire to hold her, to protect her from the memories that had haunted her and knew that no matter how great his basic empathy was, he wouldn't have felt that strongly about just anyone.

---

Tori didn’t even try to hide the surprise at his words, he had never thought her capable of being that evil she knew she could be. She still remembered those days, when she didn’t stop feeding until the person was dead. Her body count was astronomical, though largely due in part to the fact that for so long she had been with Daniel. Something that Benji knew about, and as she looked into his eyes, she could see the honesty. He truly believed what he was saying, he wasn’t just saying pretty words to keep her there.

He was so much more than she deserved, and she knew it, but some part of her hoped that Lilith had sent him to her. A reward for doing better, for being better, and finding herself. She was just leaning up to press a kiss to his lips, when there was a brilliant spark of lightning that lit up the room, followed by a loud crack of thunder that felt like it shook the entire house. “Shit, the dogs!” she yelped as she scrambled to race towards the door. Just as she flung it open to allow both of the dogs to race inside past her, she heard the wind roaring against the cabin, and she found herself shutting and locking the door the moment they were both inside. “Looks like we’re inside for the day,” she said as she leaned back against the door. The storm had officially hit.

---

All he wanted to do now was pull her closer and take her to bed, to make love to her in the brand new bed and keep her there as long as they could handle. The weather, it seemed, had other ideas, and Benji startled slightly at the window-shuddering thunder. That her first thought was the dogs made his heart swell, and he took a couple steps to follow, but she was already at the door and the dogs were already racing inside. "I think we'll manage," he said, amused, as he went to the small laundry room off the entryway, opening an upper cabinet to grab a couple of the heavy duty towels he had designated for Pepper.

"C'mon, girls, let's get you dry," he said to the dogs, not at all surprised that they both had jumped up onto the loveseat and were curled up together. There was a reason he'd chosen the one he had, as the fabric wouldn't soak up moisture or dirt and would be easy to keep clean. He wasn't about to tell Pepper she couldn't be on the furniture. This was her home too, after all. Draping one towel over Pepper, knowing she would tolerate it, he opened the second towel and started rubbing it over Daisy's wet coat.

---

There was a moment, small though it was, where she worried about the dogs on the couch. Tori had even paused where she was leaning against the door, waiting for the reaction she would have gotten from Daniel. The yelling, how she was ruining things, how the dogs had to get off the furniture, but then nothing happened. Well, something happened, just not what her brain had supplied at first. Benji was prepared, having grabbed towels that he had multiples of. One was placed over Pepper, and he was happily rubbing down Daisy, as the pup kept trying to kiss at Benji’s face. Tongue trying to lick any part of his face that she could get.

A surprised giggle left Tori, the scene completely taking her by surprise. She hadn’t realized there was still so much unresolved trauma, having naively thought that she had worked through all of it. Maybe she needed to make another appointment with her therapist, it had been far too long since she had seen the woman.

Tears quietly slipped down her cheek, and she brought hands up to wipe them away, as she made her way over to Benji. The man who had broken the succubus. “Can I help?” she asked, the tears having dried up. She debated a moment telling him what was going through her head, and that barrier that kept her from telling most people things was down. “Thank you for being so patient with me,” she finally said as she came up to Pepper, taking the towel and starting with the dog’s feet, she started to dry off the pads of Pepper’s feet.

---

Daisy's long, wet tongue didn't bother Benji in the least, and he chuckled as he tipped his chin up to keep her from licking on or in his mouth. She could kiss his scruffy chin all she wanted, but he had to draw the line somewhere! He glanced over at Tori's question, tossing a ridiculously delighted grin her way. "Of course," he answered, thinking it was a bit silly that she might have thought he wouldn't have been okay with it. This was their little family, after all.

He'd gotten back to drying Daisy, working his way down her back, when Tori spoke again, and he paused. Reaching for her, he rested his hand on her thigh, squeezing gently. "Of course," he echoed his previous words, softer and more serious this time. He never wanted her to think he was rushing her or pushing her into the life he wanted. Benji rather hoped they were running headfirst into the life they wanted, a mix of things from both of them, and he couldn't wait to see what the finished picture looked like.

---

Benji’s hand on her thigh was warm, and his tone made her heart race, tears slipping down her cheeks before she could even try to stop them. Thankfully, she had at least dried off Pepper’s feet. “I know that I’ve got a lot to work on, but I’m going to call my therapist Monday. Maybe stop crying every time you do a normal thing,” she said softly, getting to her knees in front of the sofa with him.

“Once they are dry, can we kick them out of the bedroom and make love for the rest of the afternoon? Because I really just want to be tangled up in you, enjoying every minute of your body pressed against mine,” she said honestly, as she lifted the towel to start drying off Pepper’s head, starting with those ridiculously cute ears. She’d have tackled him right there, if the dogs weren’t soaked, and he wasn’t on his knees.

---

His smile was soft and warm and tinged with just a little concern for her. He couldn't even begin to imagine everything she was trying to work through, even if she had been free from her maker for nearly two decades. If she'd repressed all of that, of course there was a lot to work through now that she was with him. "You'll let me know if you need anything from me? Even if it's just coming and waiting in the lobby so I can give you a hug after?" he offered, not trying to invite himself to her therapy sessions but wanting her to know that he would support her in whatever way she needed and wanted.

Benji chuckled warmly at the request, leaning over to press a kiss to her shoulder now that she was kneeling next to him. "That was the plan," he confirmed. Pepper might protest at them closing the bedroom door, but she would just have to adjust to it. Besides, she had Daisy to keep her company, and there wasn't really much in the house for them to get into if they wanted to stage a bigger protest.

---

Tori’s heart swelled at his offer, nodding her head quickly. She would definitely be asking him to come and wait for her, if only maybe for that first appointment. It made her nervous to even think about, and so she pushed it away. It was something for another day, when she could schedule her appointment and know just what she was doing. Right now, the important thing was the wet dogs, and the gorgeous man that loved her back.

“Thank Lilith,” she said with a laugh, continuing down Pepper’s neck, towards her back. “You know, I was thinking… I might know what I’d like to do with the canvas.” she was making idle conversation, as she finished drying off Pepper. “I’m thinking I’d like to cover ourselves in paint, take the canvas off the frame, and make love on top of it,” she said rather innocently, shooting him a mischievous little smile. “I promise I have more I want to do after that, but I want it to have the essence of us.” Which had been how she had circled around to the idea.

---

Even though the pause in her words was short, Benji's imagination ran wild with ideas of what she might be thinking of for the canvas, though the most prominent thought was the rose bushes from their shared dream. What she said, however, was something he wasn't sure his imagination could have conjured up on its own. There were logistics involved that his brain immediately tried to figure out, but he made himself stop thinking logically and just focus on the sentiment attached to her idea.

"If that's what you want," he agreed easily. "But I still want you to paint something. I'd fill all the walls with your artwork if I could." There was no guile in the words, just a simple honesty.

---

Benji so easily agreed, and she had been about to say something, but all thoughts were lost. Dark eyes blinked rapidly as she processed what he was saying. Apparently she was officially done drying the dogs, because she dropped the towel she had been using. Seconds later, she had thrown arms around his neck, kissing him while they were both on their knees in front of the dogs. He would fill all of the walls with her artwork, the sentiment alone had her heart bursting. Her art typically didn’t see the light of day, and here was this man that wanted her to fill his life with it.

Tori found herself at a loss for words, and so she hoped her kiss would help her say the things she couldn’t. It meant more to her than words could say, but she wanted to show him.

---

The kiss nearly toppled him over, but Benji corrected, dropping the towel to wrap his arms around her. There was no need for more words, not when they were so good at letting their bodies do the talking for them. Without breaking the kiss, he maneuvered them upright before scooping her up to carry her to his bedroom. Only after he set her gently on the bed did he go back to close the barn door. "Sorry girls, this is a private party now," he told the dogs just before the door hid them from view.

Turning back to look at Tori, he lifted his shirt, tossing it away before crossing the short distance to the bed. "Now, where were we…" he said with a heated gaze as he knelt over her.