Bishop Takes the Queen Ch. 02

D'metrius chuckled. "Of course you do. Tips for bedroom games? Did you bore Dean already?"

"Fuck you very much, your majesty, but I don't need your help in that arena. Dean's creative enough to keep me on my toes, and I've been practicing-"

"Shit, bitch, I didn't ask for a detailed playbook of your sex life."

Ben snorted. "Kinda sounded like you did," he said. "I mean, with your offer to spice it up."

"You're shameless. No wonder you give Dean such a hard time."

"He loves it, and I'm not ashamed, so yes, I agree with shameless."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. What did you call me for? Does Dean know you called me?"

"No, and I'd like to keep it that way, so name your bribe right now before we get too far gone."

"Need to know what I'm getting into before we get to the cost of your bribe," D'metrius noted.

Ben hesitated. "You can't tell Dean about this."

He snorted. "Benjamin, this's sounding more and more nefarious by the minute."

"No," Ben denied instantly. "Not nefarious, it's just." He sighed. "You're gonna tell Dean aren't you." It was a statement.

"Straight-bait, you're words cut deep," he said, pretending to be hurt. "Isn't that why you're bribing me?"

He could almost see Ben's shrug. "I just know who I'm dealing, and yes. So, what do you want?"

"I still don't know what you're asking me for." He smiled, and it felt good. "Oh, oh! I know. Stay home on New Year's Eve."

"D'metrius!" Ben whined. "That's not negotiable. That's why I'm calling, actually."

"Oh, is it now?"

"It is," Ben agreed. "I don't, ah. Well, you know. I'm not exactly, um, the usual type of guy who goes to these shows, right?"

"Understatement of the year," D'metrius interjected.

"So, yeah. I wanted, I don't want to embarrass Dean. I was wondering if you could help me find something to wear. So I don't embarrass him."

"Is that all? Definitely not what I thought you were gonna ask me for."

"Please, Metri? It's important."

D'metrius bit his lip, loving how much these two loved each other, and also how helpless they both were. "Well, I guess, as your fairy godmother, I could help you just this once."

"I just don't want him to be ashamed of me, you know? Like, I don't want him to not feel comfortable. I dunno what I'm trying to say, I just want Dean to be happy."

"I'll take you out. What's your budget?" D'metrius got up, looking for a clean shirt. "You have time now?"

"Budget? I dunno. I have no idea what to wear, so I'm just gonna trust you and your love of Dean not to screw me over on that. And yeah, I have time now. I was, I mean, there's only a few days left. I know I waited too long, but I've been stressing over this, and then I thought you'd be the person who could make me look Dean-fabulous."

"Dean-fabulous?"

It was annoying that he could hear Ben's smile through the phone. "Yeah, like, I don't wanna be fabulous-fabulous. I just want something that will make Dean's jaw drop, know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'll text you a place to meet me. Be there in half an hour, yea?"

"Yeah," Ben agreed. "Thanks, D'metrius. Really."

He showered quickly, feeling the need to clean his imagined Carlin fingers from his skin before he went anywhere. He arrived ten minutes late, and played it off like it was on purpose.

"So, ah, why are we at a bridal store?" Ben asked, looking annoyed.

"So you can be Dean-fabulous," he said, stating the obvious. "Come on, let's get you all prettied up. You wanna buy or rent?"

Ben hesitated. "Um, if renting is an option, is that indicative of how much this stuff will cost? I mean, I haven't worn a tux since my sister's wedding, like, ten years ago or something. And I didn't pay for it then."

"Renting it is. Come along, Straight-bait."

He started walking towards the door and after a few steps Ben followed him. "Are you just making fun of me?"

D'metrius shrugged. "Maybe. But, you won't know for sure until Dean sees you."

"You're the worst, you know that, right?"

He chuckled. "Benjamin, you'll be writing ballads about me after this, I promise you. Dean's got some pretty specific kinks."

Ben blushed hard as D'metrius opened the door. An electronic chime announced them and a clerk greeted them from the desk. He had Ben try on several styles of tuxedos, then picked the one that Dean would like best. Ben ordered his tux and paid, and then they left.

"Okay, so I pick it up tomorrow afternoon. Then what? Are there directions on how to put this all on? Or will you dress me?"

"I'm not your mamma," he snapped playfully. "I had you rent it for a few days for a reason. You'll figure it out, and if not, watch Youtube." He walked with Ben as he headed for his car. D'metrius had walked there, and planned to walk home. "Also, pick Dean up at least an hour early. Maybe two."

"Huh? Why?"

He smiled wryly. "Just trust me on this."

Ben bit his lip as he thought it through, then flushed hard when he figured it out. "Let me take you out to lunch or something, as thanks," Ben offered, unlocking his car.

"Nah, Straight-bait, I'm good," he said, suddenly not feeling good at all as a rogue thought of Carlin in a tux stopped his heart for a second.

Ben hesitated, then came around his car, stopping D'metrius from heading towards the bus stop. "Hey, at least let me drive you home. It's no problem, really. I'll drive you. It, I mean. Are you okay?"

"Was there a subcontext for this trip, Benjamin?" he asked, suddenly suspicious.

Ben sighed. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, I wanted to dress to the nines for Dean, but also, it feels like you're not okay. Dean said you've been weird lately, in a funk. You wanna talk about it?"

He frowned. "That little snitch should mind his own p's and q's."

"He's just worried about you."

D'metrius hesitated, then a cold wind blew around him and he decided he'd take Ben up on his offer to drive him home. "I'm a big boy, Ben. You can tell Dean that, too." D'metrius opened the passenger door and Ben looked slightly relieved, then moved back to his own side of the car.

Ben waited until they were both in the car, buckled up and on the road before he spoke again. "So, um, Dean told me that you had a real bad breakup that left you messed up. I did, too, I mean, with my ex. I thought we'd get married, and she pulled the rug out from under me hard. I just thought-"

"What a little bitch," he swore. "What's he telling my secrets for?"

"I asked him, actually," Ben defended. "It felt, I mean, you have been off, I've noticed, and I don't even know you that well. You okay?"

He thought about lying, but he didn't have the energy. "Not really, but it's my problem."

"You can talk to me, or Dean. Us, you can talk to us, maybe we can help?" D'metruis shook his head, staring out the window. "Did you met someone?"

D'metrius gagged a little. "How'd you know?"

Ben shrugged. "I guessed, and you confirmed my suspicions. Is he straight?"

D'metrius chuckled, a dry, humorless laugh. "I thought he was, but he came on to me."

"Oh, well that's good, right? What's the problem then?"

"He... I don't wanna talk about it."

"Um-hmm, so it's commitment problems. Him or you?"

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Benjamin! You always go straight for the jugular?"

Ben shrugged again. "No point beating around the bush. It's you, isn't it? He wants a relationship and you're not interested."

"I can neither confirm nor deny that statement."

"You are interested?"

D'metrius studied the passing scenery, blatantly ignoring Ben's question.

Ben snorted. "You are. I thought you were this gayboy playboy. Or maybe boi? B-O-I? Isn't that how you spell it?"

He sighed dramatically. "You're ridiculous."

"And you're avoiding the question. You're afraid to get hurt again, aren't you? You don't want to give up your philandering."

It wasn't fair, how easily Ben laid out his entire struggle. "You know what, I think I'm done talking about it."

Ben shrugged again. "Fine. I'm not interested in meddling if you don't wanna talk about it. If you change your mind, you know how to reach me." They drove in silence the rest of the way to D'metrius's apartment. D'metrius wanted to ask Ben why he cared, but he didn't. He wanted to ask what Ben thought he knew about him, but he didn't. The longer the silence the more pissed he became, but mostly at himself.

Ben pulled up to his apartment, then pursed his lips as D'metrius unbuckled. "Hey, thanks again, I really do appreciate it. The thing for Dean. I owe you one."

"You don't owe me shit, and don't thank me yet, Straight-bait," he said, getting out of the car. He tried to put away his pissiness, Ben didn't deserve it. "You just tell Dean that this is a late Christmas present from his favorite Queen once he opens the package, if you know what I mean." Ben looked confused and he smiled, then kissed his hand and blew it towards Ben. "Buh-bye Straight-bait!" He twirled once and headed for the door, enjoying Ben's mild bewilderment even though he knew his good spirits would be temporary.