Forever My Love Ch. 05

"Yes!" Tears built in his eyes. "You remembered my name."

"Yes!" He nodded. "You brought me to papa and he told me to say thank you when I see you."

"Is that so?"

Ben raised his face and stared into those eyes he'd once fallen over hills for.

"Really?" He asked. "Thank you so much. This means a lot to me."

"He seems to like you so much." David said softly. "He kept asking about you since morning. I didn't know I'd bump into you at this place."

"Yeah!" He took the boy into his arms and rose. "I visit the kids once in a while for donations and just to play with them. It makes me so happy and at peace. What about you? What are you doing here?"

"I visit the orphanage once in a while, when I am not busy for the same thing." They began walking slowly. "After what happened yesterday, I had to come here to do some good deed. I got a dose of what I might feel if I ever lost my son so it reminded me of what these kids must be feeling without someone to call their parent."

Ben was touched by his words.

"That's very sweet of you." He said with a smile. "I am sure these kids really appreciate you more than they show you. On their behalf, I am so thankful."

"There's no need." He said with an equal smile. "So tell me, how long have you been coming here and what made you love kids so much?"

Ben chuckled and began telling him of how he had loved kids ever since he was young. He told him of how much he had dreamt of having kids of his own. David paid so much attention that he got lost in the boy's smile. It took long but Ben told him about his childhood dreams, not revealing too much. He was so lost in the conversation that he didn't even care about how long they had been walking around. They gave got the boy some food and sat down to eat. It was a very good day for Ben, especially spending time with Michael.

"Well, from what you've told me, you wanted to have kids as soon as you were settled." David said with a raised eyebrow. "And from the look of things, you're pretty much settled. You're handsome, rich and one of the chocolates kings of this city. Why don't you bring in a kid into your life? You'd make a very good dad."

Ben took a deep breath as he felt a hurt deep inside begin.

"It's not the right time."

"Why?" David chuckled nervously. "You're handsome, surely, there must be a man or a woman in your life. It is rare that you're gonna see someone so handsome single."

Ben wanted to say something but he couldn't find his voice. He just chuckled nervously and rose from where he sat.

"I am so sorry. I have to go now." He said abruptly, picking up his bag. "I have lost track of time." He knelt in front of the boy that stared at him. "You take care very good of yourself, Michael, okay."

He leaned forward and kissed the boy's cheek.

"Bye, Ben!" The boy waved.

Ben nodded and smiled at David sheepishly before he rushed out of there like the hounds of hell were after him. David watched him, feeling some strange loneliness that he couldn't explain.

Ben on the other hand reached his car and quickly opened it, letting himself in. He sat there, arms tightly on the driving wheel, trying to catch his breath. His eyes glistened with unshed tears, a shimmering pool of unspoken sadness.

"Get a grip, Ben!" He said softly, taking a deep breath. "You cannot always be this weak. You gotta be strong."

With a deep breath, he started his car but to his surprise, it wouldn't. Strange, he thought. He tried again... it would ignite but would stop on its own. He tried and tried again but it continued like that until it wouldn't even start.

"Shit!" He said under his breath, hitting the wheel. "This can't be happening!"

He lay back, his eyes closed, trying to think of something. He was still lost in thought when he heard a knock on the window. Opening his eyes, he found a worried looking David staring at him. He took a deep breath and opened the window.

"Anything wrong?" He asked with concern.

"I can't start my car. And I don't know what's wrong with it."

"Really?" David asked, putting his son down. "Let me try."

Ben nodded, getting out of the car. David tried but the same thing happened.

"Oh, I have no idea what's wrong." He said softly. "But I can have one of my guards check it out."

"Isn't that gonna take too much time?"

"I am sure it won't."

David called his guard to check the car and the news they received didn't make them happy. Ben was told that something needed to be changed but he didn't care about that. He needed to get out of there.

"Great!" He sighed, hitting his forehead. "Just what I needed."

"It's okay." David tried to calm him down. "I can give you a ride back to the capital. My guard will remain with the car, fix it and bring it with him."

"Oh no!" He shook his head. "I wouldn't wanna..."

"You expect me to leave you here alone?" David gasped with a raised eyebrow. "If not for anything, for the sake of my son, let me give you a ride back to the capital."

Ben remained silent for a while, his eyes never leaving the handsome hunk.

"Alright." He nodded.

David smiled. "Thank you so much."

Ben smiled sheepishly without saying anything. A ride to the capital was like 3 hours and he knew he was gonna be with David for that long. He had to figure something out. He smiled when he felt an arm on his leg. He knelt and took the boy in his arms, enjoying his beautiful giggles.

"You, young man is gonna sit with me and tell me all about what you love to do."

David took Ben to his car after giving his guard instructions. Ben and Michael sat at the back seat while David started driving. He couldn't help but glance and laugh at the conversation that was happening behind him. It was beautiful. An hour's drive and it was quiet. Both Ben and Michael were fast asleep in each other's arms. It was a beautiful sight.

***

It was a dark, moonless night and the only noise David could hear was the sound of the car as it moved on the road. His window was half open, letting in the cool air that kept him alert and concentrated. He was still an hour's drive from the capital and funny thing was that it had been long since he had seen any car pass him.

There was a cool music playing on the radio. Ben and Michael were still asleep and he didn't wanna wake them. Suddenly, his car gave a slight jerk and the engine emitted ominous sounds. He didn't think there was anything wrong but began panic began setting in as the car began to sputter and slow down.

"No, no, no!" He said abruptly, his eyes widening. "Please no!"

He quickly swirled to the side and before he could stop it himself, the car came to a halt. David tried to start it, but the engine only responded with a feeble cough before going silent. Sweat beads formed on his forehead.

"What now?"

He glanced at his phone, which displayed a "No Signal" sign and he knew that shit was about to get real. The car was now completely motionless, parked on the side of the road. David sat inside, frustrated and anxious. He turned the key in the ignition, but the engine remained silent.

He glanced at the two behind that seemed to have no idea what was going on and he planned to keep that way. He didn't want to see the look on his son's face when he saw the situation.

David grabbed his phone and stepped out of the car, looking around. The highway stretched into the distance, disappearing into the darkness. The only sound was the distant howling of the wind. He tried calling his husband but the phone cut without ringing. He walked a distance from the car, begging for even just a signal but he wasn't lucky.

"God, no!" He said angrily, gripping his hair. "The fuck is happening!"

"What's going on?"

David felt his heart hammer in his chest when he heard a voice behind him. He quickly turned to find a worried looking Ben staring at him.

"The-the car stopped. I can't start it." He said softly. "And I cannot get any signal."

"How?" Ben gasped.

"I don't know, but don't worry, everything is under control." He reassured, getting closer. "I should be able to get a signal and get us out of here the soonest."

Before he could say any other word, thunder roared and almost immediately rain began to fall.

"Oh no!" David shook his head. "Could this get any worse?"

The distant rumble of thunder grew closer and rain poured down in torrents. They quickly ran back to the car, shutting the door in frustration. The sound of the rain violently pouring down the car must have woken Michael up as they heard his voice.

"Dad!" His voice shook in fear. "I am scared."

"It's okay, sweetie." David said with a smile. "I am right here and nothing is gonna happen. Remember, your father is a superman." He raised his arm and put confidence in the boy. "It's just rain."

Thunder roared again and the boy screamed, covering his eyes. Ben opened his arms and the boy didn't waste any time running into them.

"It's just rain, baby." He reassured, rubbing on his back. "Close your eyes and listen to the sound of my voice. As long as I am here, I won't let anything happen to you."

"Promise!" The boy asked softly.

"And hope to die." He chuckled.

He felt the boy's arms tighten around and he got excited. Ben began to hum, his voice a comforting melody. He kisses Michael's forehead, and he slowly began to relax, his tiny body gradually growing still. He began singing a rhythm that he knew was gonna help.

"Hush little baby, don't you cry,

Papa's here to sing you a lullaby.

When you wake, you'll see the day,

But for now, my love, just dream away."

As Ben continued to sing, Michael's eyes grew heavy, and his grip on Ben loosened. He started to drift off to sleep, his tiny body relaxing in Ben's arms.

"Sweet dreams, my precious boy!" He whispered.

Ben continued humming the lullaby until Mchael was in a peaceful slumber. David on the other hand was impressed with what he saw. He gazed intently at Ben, feeling a warmth open up like a flower in his heart. That was the most beautiful scene he had ever seen and what he thought he felt whenever he saw Ben just overshot. He had never seen Michael so relaxed in anyone's arms before.

"Wow!" He finally spoke. "I really can't help saying that you have this aura about you... a captivating blend of intelligence and beauty. It's really hard not to be drawn to you."

Ben raised his head and when his eyes locked with David, his cheeks flushed with a subtle blush as he lowered his gaze, humbled by David's words.

"Thank you so much." He chuckled nervously. "He seems to be asleep but I fear he might be awakened by thunder if I put him down. It's getting cold and..." He paused when he realized what he was about to say. "...and he needs to be warm. Do you mind grabbing my bag? I should have something to cover him up with."

David nodded and glanced at the back seat, seeing Ben's bag. He opened it and got out a beautiful pink baby blanket. It was large enough to cover Michael, but he couldn't help but wonder why Ben had it. He didn't wanna ask until Ben covered Michael and he saw the name "LEAH" imprinted on it.

"Leah!" He simply said, getting Ben's attention. "The name must really mean something to you."

Ben sat there silently, his fingers tracing the engraved name that had been etched there so long ago. He could remember it like it had been yesterday, holding his daughter's lifeless body in his arms just like he held Michael at that point. Tears welled in his eyes as he closed them, transported back to a time when life had taken the most important thing before he even realized how important it was.

"I am sorry." David apologized. "I didn't mean to..."

"I had a daughter!" Ben said with so much difficult. "Her name was Leah. She died six years ago before I could even embrace her."

David felt his heart get heavy.

"I-I am so sorry to hear that." He said in an apologetic tone.

"I had so many dreams for my daughter." He said with a tear rolling down his cheek. "I could imagine her growing up into a very beautiful girl, making me proud and happy. I didn't mind living a simple life as long as I had her. But life didn't give me that chance. Every chance I had was robbed from me and I felt like death was the only way. It's been six years but it feels like yesterday."

David wished he could pull the handsome man into a long and comforting hug, but he couldn't. He felt his pain and he couldn't help but feel like crying. He reached out and placed a comforting hand on Ben's shoulder, squeezing it.

"I understand, Ben. Losing a child is something no parent should ever have to go through. How are you holding up though?"

Ben sighed, rubbing his tears. "Some days are better than others, but there's always this emptiness inside me. I wish I could have done something for her. I wish I could have traded my life for hers."

"I am sure you did everything you could, Ben. There's no doubt that you were a loving and caring father. You can't blame yourself for what happened." He reassured, trying to smile but he could see the amount of pain Ben was in.

"I know." He nodded. "I just miss her so much. There have been nights when the grief was so overwhelming and I felt like I was drowning into it"

David nodded empathetically. They shared a brief comforting moment, Ben holding on tightly to the boy that still slept in his arms. David didn't wanna make things worse.

"Six years ago, I woke up in the hospital with a bandage around my head and my legs and no memories of what had happened to me in the last five years." He said softly. "I was in coma for two months and when I woke up, I had a husband and a three-month-old baby. It was so hard for me to accept because I felt like my life had been rushed without me realizing it."

He got silent for a while before he continued.

"I felt like something was missing. I yearned for something but didn't know what it was." He sighed. "But one thing that felt right was the love and the connection I felt with my son. It was pure and not forced. He might not have been my flesh and blood, but I didn't care about that. All I knew was that I had to show him unconditional love and that's all I have been doing all these years. He helped me face a lot of problems."

"Oh..." Ben gasped, glancing at David. "...I had no idea that Michael was adopted."

"He is." He chuckled nervously. "But I will never make him feel that way or let him know that he is."

Ben nodded.

"You're a good father and he is lucky to have you."

"I am the lucky one." David said with a genuine smile. "And seeing the love you have showered on him in the days you've known him, I can tell that he has grown fond of you. Thank you so much!"

"No need!" he smiled sheepishly. "Who wouldn't love this kid? He's one of a kind."

Ben and David stayed silent for a while before David began telling Ben the things he loved doing when he was young and in high school. It was a good story, to remove the sad environment and by the time David realized it, he was fast asleep.

He smiled lovingly as he stared at the scene before him and didn't waste any time to take his phone and capture the moment. Slowly and quietly, he moved closer and reclined the seat, making it more comfortable for both of the sleeping companions. After all, he was driving a Ford F-150, it could be made comfortable for sleeping.

David could feel Ben's breath on his face. For a moment, he couldn't help but stare at just how beautiful the boy was. David's gaze traveled over his features—the curve of his cheek, the graceful slope of his neck, the color of his lips that he couldn't help but admire.

He reached out gently, his fingers lightly brushing a stray strand of hair away from Ben's beautiful face, bringing it into full view. Ben stirred in his sleep, a faint smile gracing his lips. David smiled in response, captivated by the beauty of this intimate moment. He didn't know how long it took before he realized he was staring and probably drooling. His heart was racing a mile away and his hormones were starting to go wild.

"Fuck! What's wrong with me?" He sighed, rubbing the sweat off his face. It was cold but he felt hot.

Taking a nervous breath, he leaned down and placed a feather-light kiss on Michael's forehead, his lips barely grazing his skin. He pulled back, still gazing at the two wonderful souls with a warmth that could melt the coldest of hearts. He reclined his seat and stared for while before he turned off the light and just stared into the dark. He didn't wanna sleep for fear of what might happen as they were on the road side.

The rain started dying down and as it did, he slowly dozed off and didn't realize when he slept.

***

As the first glimmer of light began to break through the horizon, David stirred in the confines of his car. The soft rays of dawn filtered through the windshield, casting a warm, amber glow across the interior. He blinked a few times, his groggy mind gradually reawakening to the world around him. The faint chirping of distant birds reached his ears, a reminder that the natural world was also beginning to stir.

Yawning, the first thing that caught his eyes was the breathtaking scene of Ben sleeping with Michael in his arms. It was like the boy was meant to stay in those arms. He didn't hear him wake up which showed how comfortable he was with Beb.

With a smile on his face, he took out his phone and took several pictures, each perfect in its own way. He knew they had spent the entire night there but somehow, he needed to get them home. With a deep breath and hope in his heart, he reached out to the dashboard and turned the key, bringing the car's electrical system to life. To his surprise, when he turned the key again, the car's engine started without any challenge.

David's heart began racing and small smile crept on his face, revealing his inner feelings. He couldn't believe it.

"Yes!" He said excitedly, hitting the driving wheel. "Yes!"

"What's going on?" He heard a sleepy voice say.

He glanced at his side and found Ben slowly opening his eyes. Wow, he was even more gorgeous when he was just waking up. He cleared his throat quickly and pretended not to have been staring.

"Err... the car has started." He said simply. "And funny thing is, I didn't even get to do anything."

"That's good news!" Ben said happily, smiling at the man. "We can now go home." He realized he still had the boy in his arms. He moved but didn't wake up.

"You must be tired." David said softly. "I am so sorry that I got us into this and still let my son sleep in your arms the rest of the night."

"Are you kidding?" Ben raised an eyebrow. "This is one of the most peaceful I have slept in a long time. If I am tired, then it is worth it. Your son is really adorable and I like him so much." He glanced at him and felt the whole world disappear. "Just look at him."

He chuckled happily and tried getting up from the reclined seat.

"Wait!"

David quickly got out of the car and rushed to the door of Ben's seat. He helped him get the car seat up, making him more comfortable. The boy wrapped his arms around him and mumbled something but still didn't wake up.

"Are you ready?" David said softly.

"Yes!"

David got into the car and started driving. It was quiet for most of the journey except with few questions about work. The rest of the way, Ben had his eyes on the boy that was still sleeping in his arms. It didn't take long before they arrived at Ben's mansion, parking right near the entrance. David got out and opened the door for Ben.

"Wow, this is quite a nice place you've got here." He commented while looking around. "Looks like a five-star hotel."

"Well, chocolate king!" He joked, making David laugh. "Yeah, it is really nice." He remained quiet for second. "Thank you so much for bringing me home. If not for you, I'd have still been stuck at the orphanage."