Benji’s Family

The room got eerily quiet as I turned and walked to sit down across the small kitchen table from Alex. The only sounds were that of the coffee percolating and the bacon sizzling in the pan. Alex was watching me, tapping the box he’d received a little while earlier but he wasn’t smiling or frowning or even looking as if he truly was seeing me.

I glanced at Mama and she was busy with a half smile spread across her lips, there was the slightest nod as she turned to me with a smile, “Help your self to the coffee, boys. I’ll be back in a moment. I think I hear Papa calling.”

She waddled away and I looked at Alex whose attention was now fully on me. I rolled my eyes. “She didn’t hear him calling did she? Did you suggest it or was it her own thought?”

“She asked me what the box was.” Alex frowned.

“And you told her, and she then decided to leave her cooking for a non-existent errand.” I interrupted.

The longer the question was left unanswered the more annoyed i was getting and it was showing in my voice.

Alex’s tapping increased rapidly as he became more flustered with me. “I didn’t tell her to go. It really bothers you?”

“It bothers me because it’s wrong to make people do what you want. Whether it’s a suggestion through telepathy or through manipulating their heart strings.”

“So you get angry at yourself for doing that?” Alex growled.

“Of course I fucking do. I hate that you pander to my needs. You think I like being broken? Or that I know you do things, say things, avoid things because it’ll set me off. I’m eteranlly grateful you know these things and you help but I hate that you have to do it.”

Alex sighed. “I didn’t manipulate her. I told her it was a gift and she took the initiative to leave. I promise.”

I shook my head. “You don’t have to promise Alex, I believed you the first time. I will do my best to keep my sanity. And I’ll do my best to never disappear on you.” I grinned at him then looked down at the box he was still furiously tapping against the table. I held out my left wrist and laid it on the table in front of him. “Well put your tracker on me, let’s ease that fear shall we?”

Alex stared at me for several moments before he stopped tapping and opened the box. “You really don’t mind do you?”

I shrugged. “It’ll make you feel better.”

“And that matters you?” Alex asked

“Of course.” I reached across the table with my other hand and took his hand in mine. I couldn’t help dropping my gaze as the words tumbled out of my mouth, “I’ll do anything to make you happy.”

“Anything?” I heard the smirk in Alex’s voice and looked up to confirm it with a grin of my own.

“Anything. Please.” I begged, “Put the watch on.”

Alex stared at me a while longer making me squirm in anxiety before he did as I asked. “I think I’d do anything if you say please like that.”

I rolled my eyes. “You want me to beg?” I grinned at him to let him know I was mostly teasing, but I would beg if he wanted. I could dream of begging every night. And from the look on Alex’s face he saw my thoughts perfectly.

“You should probably project less. Benji is upstairs and his parents are sensitive, but not telepaths.”

Mama walked in just then. “We heard it all , bǎobèi. For not being a telepath he’s loud.”

I shook my head. “I’m loud, but you are a path, while Alex said you were sensitive. You would be pegged as a pin-point telepath, a familial telepath, or short-range telepath. They are all different, the range of telepath is varied. It can be a touch only, or a general visual range, or short-range – which is what I expect you are. But a familial could do it too, meaning you only hear others that are considered close – like family.”

“How do you know all that?” a man walked in.

I turned to show him the tattoo on my right temple and tapped. “The Venatori study human pathetic abilities because we have them ourselves which is why we bred with humans long ago.”

The man took a step back and glared at Alex. “You bring Feras into our home?” He stomped his foot and pointed towards the door, “Out! Now!”

I sighed. “No, sir. I’ll leave. This is Alex’s family. I won’t get in the way of that.”

I stood up and walked around the table and leaned down and pressed a hard kiss to Alex’s lips. He growled and grabed my hoodie and pulled me closer. “You aren’t going anywhere.”

He stood up and I felt his body against mine as he looked over my shoulder at Benji’s father. “Papa, Nox is not like the others. I would never put you in danger, you know that.”

Mama walked up to her husband and put her hand on his chest. “Chen, you know Alex wouldn’t bring someone here who would harm us. Did you see that kiss? Reminds me of when we were courting.”

The man looked at us and sighed. “Sit down, eat breakfast.” He sat where I had been sitting.

“Yes, sir. Coffee?” I asked. I knew Alex wanted some and so did I.