Of all the responses Ben had steeled himself for, it wasn't this. His eyes immediately went to Ari only to find his inner thoughts reflected directly on the man's face. And it wasn't often Ben had seen Ari this flummoxed. It wasn't easy to render Ben at a loss for words either, yet he found his cheeks flushing pink at the mere dream of being married to Ari. With his knowledge of Society, it hadn't even occurred to him, and the fact that Mr. Holm found it so easy to conclude was enough to make Ben freeze.
He shut his eyes. Even entertaining such a fantasy though was both heart-wrenching and blissful. It also made his head spin even more than it already was and he heard himself say, "I need to sit down."
And so he did. Flopping himself unceremoniously onto an obliging stack of hay, he ran a hand through his dark curls, looking up at both of the two other men. He opened his mouth again to speak but closed it again, imagining he looked quite like a fish at the moment. His eyes mirrored Ari's, widening even more as he processed what he'd just heard. Here, Ben thought he'd had the full conversation covered: approach the subject with caution and once Mr. Holm understood what they were asking of him, beseech him to keep what he saw to himself. But Mr. Holm hadn't even understood that bit.
He found himself grateful that Ari managed to find the words that he was unable to. As his eyes flickered up to meet Ari's he could see his own pain reflected in his blue-grey eyes. He took a breath, gazing intently at the redhead. "You see, Mr. Holm," He added, his tone gentle now. There was no need for harsh words when he was now certain the foreigner wasn't privy to the rules of society that they were caught breaking. He looked quickly at Ari. "The reason why we ask for your discretion is because...what you found him and I doing...is not erm-" Merlin help him; up until he realized his feelings for another man, Ben had always expected to deal with awkwardness like this with his own children. Now it felt like he was handed the exact situation he'd always planned on jokingly shoving onto his wife. Except this talk was to a near stranger, and he was handling it with Ari.
"Deemed in Society as....acceptable." He gazed back at Mr. Holm. With his elbows propped on his knees, he laced his fingers in front of him to steady himself on the hay-bale; a pensive motion, yet nonetheless perhaps betraying what he was pleading: I will do anything.
He shut his eyes. Even entertaining such a fantasy though was both heart-wrenching and blissful. It also made his head spin even more than it already was and he heard himself say, "I need to sit down."
And so he did. Flopping himself unceremoniously onto an obliging stack of hay, he ran a hand through his dark curls, looking up at both of the two other men. He opened his mouth again to speak but closed it again, imagining he looked quite like a fish at the moment. His eyes mirrored Ari's, widening even more as he processed what he'd just heard. Here, Ben thought he'd had the full conversation covered: approach the subject with caution and once Mr. Holm understood what they were asking of him, beseech him to keep what he saw to himself. But Mr. Holm hadn't even understood that bit.
He found himself grateful that Ari managed to find the words that he was unable to. As his eyes flickered up to meet Ari's he could see his own pain reflected in his blue-grey eyes. He took a breath, gazing intently at the redhead. "You see, Mr. Holm," He added, his tone gentle now. There was no need for harsh words when he was now certain the foreigner wasn't privy to the rules of society that they were caught breaking. He looked quickly at Ari. "The reason why we ask for your discretion is because...what you found him and I doing...is not erm-" Merlin help him; up until he realized his feelings for another man, Ben had always expected to deal with awkwardness like this with his own children. Now it felt like he was handed the exact situation he'd always planned on jokingly shoving onto his wife. Except this talk was to a near stranger, and he was handling it with Ari.
"Deemed in Society as....acceptable." He gazed back at Mr. Holm. With his elbows propped on his knees, he laced his fingers in front of him to steady himself on the hay-bale; a pensive motion, yet nonetheless perhaps betraying what he was pleading: I will do anything.
![[Image: BenDarkSig.jpg]](https://file.garden/aNtr-m887DiA_8M6/Sets/BenDarkSig.jpg)