Strangers With Benefits
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Written by Pink-Butterfly
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Episode 18: But I’ll never hurt you
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Nathan’s racing heartbeat was interrupted by the loud sound of the door rattling open behind him.
"Hey, Nate, sorry i took so long i couldn't find the shade of pink that you asked me to g-" Ivan’s deep and monotone voice rung through the room, making Nathan spin around quickly to catch his surprised eyes, his grip on all the art supplies loosening slightly.
Ivan seemed to speechless, his mouth opening to take a breath and t
Strangers With Benefits .Written by Pink-Butterfly.Episode 19: No more reasons . "Why are we all here again today?" Sal asked, cheek smushed against the palm of his hand. "And why do you look so happy?" He asked, looking over at Jordan, who sat next to Hal as per usual, with shit eating grins on both their faces, though Jordan’s dulled down with his comment."I'm always happy." he said, popping a frie in his pouty mouth."Not when i'm here." Sal mumbled, making Jordan feel a tad bit guilty.They were at their usual both, yet again, though this time they added two chairs, on either side on the table. Hal was already there with his boyfriend, him sitting next to the window, across from Jeremy and Jordan next to him across from Sal, leaving one seat next to Sal and another next to Jordan."Come on guys, they should be here soon." Hal beamed, bouncing his leg excitedly."Who's 'they'?" Jeremy asked, raising an eyebrow."You'll see." Jordan said, a cheshire smile across his soft feat
Strangers With Benefits .Written by Pink-Butterfly.Episode 20: You . "Your friends are really loud, you know." Ivan commented loosely as the two walked in the dimpy lit streets, on their way to Nathan’s house."Yeah, I know”. The other snorted. “It’s just the beginning, soon you'll get used to it, the way they act, their mannerisms and talking styles so don't worry." The other smiled, looking over to admire Ivan’s features under the yellow streetlights.His boyfriend just looked so fucking damn handsome. "I think you should try and get a haircut." Nathan smiled, running a hand through the older's long black hair. "I can't even see your face anymore and I don’t like that."Ivan chuckled softly as he took a strand of his hair between his fingers and looking up at it from under his lashes."Hmm... Should i?" He asked already considering it. "Mhm, yeah, you would look super hot if we could actually see this face of yours clearly." Nathan teased, earning a slap on the shoulder from
Strangers With Benefits .Written by Pink-Butterfly.Episode 21: Netflix and Chill . "What are you looking at?" Ivan asked, his deep voice music to Nathan’s ears."You." He simply answered.Ivan chuckled resisting the urge to blush at that sentence directed at him, reaching under the sweater to scratch his stomach and unknowingly flashing his tummy and the waistband of his boxers to Nathan."What's up with you being so romantic all of a sudden, huh?" He teased, the younger then pulling him closer by hooking a finger in the waistband of his loose pants."I don't know." He mumbled, looking up at Nathan with doe eyes, the older running a hand through his hair and pushing his black locks back. "Maybe it’s because im giddy over you. I'm kind of over the whole 'i'm hiding my feelings for you not to freak you out' kind of thing."Ivan snorted finding it amusing, Nathan having lost count of the number of times he was graced with his boyfriend's beautiful and adorable smile."And how long
Strangers With Benefits .Written by Pink-Butterfly.Episode 22: wash not brush?? Once his contacts were out of his eyes, Ivan took his white toothbrush from the small cup on the sink, the initials "I.V.C', being written on it with a permanent marker. They both brushed their teeth, Nathan loving to see how domestic they looked in the mirror, just doing their nightly routine."Well, goodnight then kids." She said with a small smile, waving at them from down the hall. "And we're getting up early to go to the salon so no funny business."Nathan snorted, agreeing with her conditions before pulling Ivan in his room, they both headed to bed, Ivan already slipping into the covers, before Nathan bolted to the bathroom, coming back a few seconds later with both hands behind his back."Hold on Ivan." He said, getting closer to the bed, and sitting next to where his boyfriend laid down. "I have to do this before we cut your hair."Whilst speaking his words, he got out two thin hair ties from
Strangers With Benefits .Written by Pink-Butterfly.Episode 23: He’s mine "I'm nervous." Nathan said as the three stood in front of the hair salon."Why?" Ivan asked, pushing his glasses further up his nose, a very cute gesture Nathan was still not used to."He always is when we go to the hair salon. When he was a kid he even cried." His mother sighed, running a hand through her shoulder length hair."Mom!" Nathan piped, Ivan chuckling behind them, before taking a step towards the salon."Come on, we'll be late for the appointment." He said, grabbing Nathan’s hand and pulling him inside under the caring gaze of his mum.Once all three of them were situated at a station with stylist at their side was when Nathan really started to panic. He absolutely hated hair salons because they always cut too much hair and the sound of the scissors snapping and the sight of his strands falling on the tiled floors was just terrifying to him."Can i, get an undercut, and a very. small. trim. Plea
Strangers With Benefits .Written by Pink-Butterfly.Episode 24: 7even "Is that Ivan Carey?" Whispered a voice."Him? wait, is it?" Another added"Damn, did he have some kind of glow up over the weekend or is it just me?" Someone commented.Ivan Carey had never felt this much attention on him since he had been the first person in his class to lose his tooth. All the stairs, all the whispers were making him regret his bangs, now he couldn't hide behind his long hair.Furthermore, Ivan didn't understand why he was getting so much attention all of a sudden. he was still the same guy, with his neat uniform and bored expression. He'd just cut his hair, and worn his glasses because he forgot his contacts at Nathan’s after their city date."Someone got popular over the weekend." The familiar deep voice of Nate said behind him just as he reached his locker.Ivan turned around, facing his friend from the art club."I don't even understand what's happening." He said, taking out his books f
Strangers With Benefits .Written by Pink-Butterfly.Episode 25: Boyfriends ."Alright kids!" The coach yelled through the field as the boys finished their warm up. "We have an important game in a two weeks so i expect to see you all working harder than usual."Nathan ran a hand through his sweety hair, the black strands falling back against his forehead. He was grateful for his undercut, because it really was starting to get hot as they neared the end of the school year.The team gathered around Jeremy and the coach in a large circle, the retired football player taking the time to explain the new strategies and telling each player what they would have to work on at home."You think we might win?" Dan asked Nathan, he was in defence, and one of the most uneasy guys in the team."Of course we can." The captain said as he slapped the other's back. "We haven't lost one match since the beginning of the semester. We'll crush them.""You're always insecure for big matches, and we always
Strangers With Benefits .Written by Pink-Butterfly.Episode 26: I wanna kiss you but if I do... .The couple slowly walked towards the lockers, both of them exchanging their indoor shoes for sneakers. Students still roamed the hallways, but it was mostly people who, like Ivan and Nathan, hand just finished their club activities.Since the two had started dating a few days ago, Nathan had given up on ignoring Ivan in school and now spent most of his time with him. People had noticed Ivan getting closer to their group of friend in general, but no one really cared if he hung out with Nathan specifically."Don't worry about Jordan, I'm sure he'll be fine." Ivan said as the two walked out of the school gates. He'd noticed how the younger had been slightly grim since his practice, not as flirty as usual.He brought his hand up to rub against Nathan’s shoulder, also taking the opportunity to slip his practice bag off the younger and carry it himself."I can carry that you know." Nathan
Strangers with Benefits.Chapter 58: Now, and forever.One fractured, two broken ribs. A fracture in his nose and many, many stitches lining his arms.That was just the start of Ivan’s ailments that were treated at the emergency room that day.The doctor who was treating him had also informed him that he'd need to stay overnight to make sure that nothing was wrong, like ensure that his ribcage wouldn't move the wrong way while the injury was still fresh and require surgery, and also to monitor the treatments for dehydration and severe malnutrition that they were providing him with. Basically, his stay might last even longer than intended.Thankfully, though, he's expected to make a full recovery, and as of right now doesn't need any surgery.Ivan stayed silent during most of the process- Nathan couldn't stay with him during most of it, so whenever the nurse asked him an evaluation question, he'd answer the question simply and nothing more. When they would ask him about how all this
Strangers with Benefits.Chapter 57: We're gonna keep you safe. "Hey, Ivan," A woman's voice chants softly, accompanied by a few matching pairs of footsteps. He lifts his head up to see- long, stringy hair falling over his eyes, obstructing anyone else's view of his face. The entire family was there; Nathan immediately came to sit down at his side and places a comforting hand on his thigh, his mother coming up to also sit on the corner of the mattress, and the mother’s boyfriend hovering in the doorway. He makes Ivan a little uneasy.When the brunet doesn't say anything in reply, the woman just takes a moment to scan over the severe bruising on his chest. "Did he kick you?" She asks hesitantly. Nathan must've filled her in on the situation. Ivan nods. Swallowing her thoughts, she says. "Okay- I'm just gonna feel so I can see what's going on. Tell me if I'm pressing too hard."When the boy nods in affirmation, she does as Nathan had and moves to run her fingertips along the
.. Strangers with Benefits.Chapter 56: Hurt, but safe..Nathan’s already worried before he gets the text; Ivan had been extremely quiet the entire night after he went home, only sending a few messages back and forth at first, and then stopping completely.He's laying relaxed on his bed- of course he's a little unnerved, but he's got no choice but to simply wait for a reply. His phone is clutched limply in his palm. Nathan’s just buzzing in anticipation, waiting for the text that said the boy was okay; so instinctively when it vibrated against his leg he immediately jumped on it to see what it was.It was a text- but not the one that he was hoping for.Upon reading Ivan’s message, he's sent spiraling straight into panic mode. What happened? What did he mean? What was he planning to do? He calls the number- hands already beginning to shake- but it is fruitless. There is no answer. He calls again. Nothing but a factory default voicemail.The longer he sits there, the more realiza
Strangers with Benefits.Chapter 55: What was all of this really worth?.The next morning came too fast for everyone involved.Nathan could barely bear to let Ivan go home, because he was just too worried for his safety. There were so many variables that could jumpstart Ivan right back into the negative mental state he had been in for this past day, and him going back to his parents made up most of them. How would his dad react to his running out? Would his mother patronize him like usual, or turn to something worse?From what he had seen in their time together, it seemed as though any negative stimuli, when struck the right chord, would shoot Ivan’s mental health right down into the depths. That's what worried him the most. What happened when he was alone.It was hard sending the boy home, but there wasn't much of a choice. As he was being driven home, he thought of his excuse; he stayed the night at the school for a school function. As long as it could draw him mind away from Nath
Strangers with Benefits.Chapter 54: disappointment was always around the corner for them. .There wasn't a single thing that Nathan’s mom could do that wouldn't impress Ivan, it seemed, because she was willing to rent a suit for him to wear to prom out of her own pocket. She didn't even have a second thought- and that in itself almost made Ivan cry. But he didn't want to look like a baby, so he just showed his gratitude without any tears. It was a classic, minimal navy blue suit with a tie of a similar color and dress shoes to fit the occasion. The color was meant to match Nathan, who was planning to wear a black suit but with a tie of the same blue- a cute little plan formulated by the blonde himself. Ivan didn't really care what he got- he just wanted to go to the prom with his boyfriend. Unfortunately after being out for almost two hours, by the time they got home the couple didn't have a lot of time to spend together- an hour at the most so Ivan’s paren
Strangers with Benefits.Chapter 53: something is wrong .The future wasn't coming fast enough for Ivan- maybe it was the constant hazing at school and the growing feeling of disdain towards his mother who was now frequenting his home. He was scared to even enter the living room when either of them was home- just stayed in his room and avoided them.However, for some reason, he didn't find himself as stressed about the whole prom thing as he thought he would.This was an important school event for anyone's high school career, just about everyone would be there, and they would probably ridicule him for going with Nathan ; but something about Nathan’s constant reassurance that it would be fine comforted him deeply. Nathan was finally starting to get to him. And he's relieved.“Would you like to come over and rest for a little while, babe?" His boyfriend in question's voice says through the speaker of Ivan’s cell phone into his ear. That voice would always be comforting to him, espe
Strangers with Benefits.Chapter 52: will you be my prom date .The two boys were in pure, happy bliss their entire evening at the park. Any time Ivan and Nathan were alone together, it seemed as though life was easy once again. Of course, they knew better than to believe that would last after they had parted ways, and that was enough for them to cherish this time.Nathan- who was happy as could be- ate more than normal and had absolutely no problem keeping it down, which was a relief to them both. It helped his energy, the sandwiches they had prepared serving as fuel for his good mood.Nathan was just glad to see him finally being a boy, not a lifeless object that was treated like he didn't exist.They played a few little games; seeing who could skip the farthest rock in the pond, playful tickle fights when Nathan noticed he was reverting back to his normal solemn state to make him laugh again.“Do you think you're gonna leave here to go to college after we graduate?" Ivan asks in
Strangers with Benefits.Chapter 51: it’s wrong but I want this . "How long has this been going on, Ivan?" Nathan’s mother asks as she dabs an ointment onto the youngest male's cheek to promote the healing of his burns, her voice bouncing back off of the tile walls of the bathroom.He's got a firm bite on his lip to avoid crying out, along with Nathan, who holds his hand tight.The brunet shrugs his shoulders.“A while- ouch!" He replies, taken by surprise when she touches the tender blisters on his cheekbones.She doesn't want to hurt him, but she has to. "I'm sorry. Just a little more." The woman mumbles, clearly focused on keeping him pain-free.Ivan isn't entirely sure how to react to her kindness; nothing like this had ever happened to him before. This woman, basically a complete stranger, until some weeks ago, was helping him with a smile on her face towards the boy. Of course he had Nathan to thank, but still, she didn't have to do all this. She didn't have to listen to his
Strangers with Benefits.Chapter 50: home abuse is an ongoing thing .They pull into a moderately sized family home- well kept and expensive-looking, much larger than Ivan’s own. There are no other cars in the driveway.Opening his own door, Nathan gives the boy a smile and cooes, "Follow me, baby," which in itself makes him unable to follow the directions.This almost proves to be true when he finally does step out of the car, and the pain in his head is so overbearing that he has to lean against the car for support; Nathan spots this quickly and comes rushing to his side, holding him up by the waist. Ivan resists the urge to simply melt into his chest and disappear, but he knows it'll only cause more suffering.Nathan mutters a few comforting words and tugs Ivan into the front door of his home as the older fights back tears. His mother wasn't home yet, so he had no problem getting him upstairs and into his room without questions; thankfully, though, she would be in roughly an hou