jorgebenitez

[jorgebenitez]

"Oh shit, he doesn't know, damn you really do like to keep it close to your chest huh? Knew I'd have to watch out for you, most likely to commit a murder and get away with it over here." He smiled, obviously satisfied that he was once again right. "Don't feel too bad about it, reading people is a talent of mine, my friend Ainsley says I'm an empath. Really it's just a necessity. Nah, you don't have to do or have anything, somebody tells your otherwise just tell them to fuck off." He chuckled, "As long as you got what you need and you're not hurting anybody you're good. Its your fuckin' life, right?"

"Yeah, it does," she agreed, smiling quietly to herself. "I mean, you don't have to be too shocked. Oh I'm sure, Lip's never been subtle a day in his life. I'm sure he's on to me too, he asks all the same vague but somehow still pointed questions you do." She frowned, hesitant to admit when he was right. "Okay, sure, when you put it like that. That tracks for you, it might even be a miracle Nova found someone with a head almost as big as her's," she teased. "I don't need to have a specific type though, do I. Like can't I just know when I know?"

[jorgebenitez]

"No formal deal, I've got you. It just feels really good when you figure something out about yourself and accept it so I'm happy for you in that way. It'll be our little secret. I'll work on my shocked face. I told her that Lip guy was not romantic interest, I've caught him staring at my abs that time we all swam at your apartment." Benitez shot Cecily a dull look, "You're telling me you don't like picnics. I can see you reading a book on a blanket right now as clear as day. Confident women but not cocky. I like a cocky woman, but that can't be shocking since I'm with Nova. She's cockier than I am most days."

Cecily narrowed her eyes right back at him, too stubborn to outright admit he'd clocked her. Once he caught on she laughed as Benitez threw his arms around her, then shook her head, "Just Bridget, and now you. I don't want to make some big formal deal about it, but if you could not tell Nova... She'll be mad I told you first." She didn't if that were actually true but regardless it felt like something that should come from Cecily herself. "Oh please don't," she sighed, exaggerated, while he tried to pin down her type, the small quirk of her lip letting him know she didn't actually mind. "Picnics? Where you are you getting that, no, I don't know. I like people- women, who are.. sure of themselves, I guess, not in an arrogant or even extroverted way, just confident. Or maybe comfortable's more like it."

[jorgebenitez]

"For you Ads, I know what you want." Benitez grinned, "When it comes to partying, you're a simple girl over anything, you just want to catch a vibe and ride it out so how about some simple, verified clean, and classic MDMA. Here you go. He pulled a baggie out of his pocket and dangled it in front of his best friend, "As long as you promise me you'll make some memories tonight."

"As you should, okay, nevermind. Venture on." Their collective guilt hung heavy in the air between them, a fleeting reminder of things they didn't talk about. Not outside of group anyway. Pursing her lips she considered his offer, and sure she was on a fine level now and she'd drank a lot already but who was she to deny such generosity either. Rather than make a decision herself she turned it on Benitez, brows raising. "Surprise me?"

[jorgebenitez]

"Well I'm not easily influenced, and in their defense, one of them is bald so they're a little less strong in the influencing there. Wait, are you trying me and saying I'm not well maintained, because I can almost guarantee I'm the most put together of your exes. And even if I'm not, fuck 'em." Benitez grinned, "I'm confident that you won't leave me for a cute girl. If before we got here was any indication, you're very satisfied where you're at." Benitez turned Nova around by her hips so her back was pressed to his front and he wrapped his arms around her midsection, "Eh, you talk a good game, but you Lisbons are all poker face. You all love me. If you didn't I probably wouldn't be allowed over as much as I am."

"And yet not a single one of their hair maintenance skills has rubbed off on you. So that defense is pretty flimsy. Either way, for saving the day I feel like I should get some kind of special privilege, like you letting me throw a cute braid in there one of these days." Nova stated pouting her bottom lip out and pushing some strands of his hair behind his ear, before handing him the hair tie. "You mean, I didn't really give you much of a choice. One day you were just stuck with me and now you can't find a way to get rid of my anymore, can you?" She rolled her eyes, struggling to hold in a smile so he wasn't under the impression that he could just sweet talk his way out of everything with her, even though as of now that was very much the case. "I'll overlook you throwing me under the bus cause I like you that much. But if a cute girl seduces me away from you just remember you set yourself up." She cupped his face in her hands and leaned in to press a kiss to his lips in return. "Yeah, but you're outnumbered all the time when you come over to my place. So what's the difference?"

[jorgebenitez]

"Well every little bit counts, especially when it comes to keeping me alive." He shrugged, "Not just a business venture, it's philanthropy. Straight people get charged twice as much, like a reverse Stonewall. Allyship comes in all forms. Tonight it's only shit that keeps you up in non lethal doses." The quiet part was between them, hell it was always in the back of his mind, and he gave her a quick smile while he rocked on his heels, "You need something? For you it's on the house."

"Okay honored but I can only fend them off for so long," she teased, nudging him right back. "Not quite. Oh so this is a business venture for you." Ade shot him a pointed look, smirking even knowing he'd see right through her bullshit. "And here I thought rainbow capitalism was just corporate. What are we pedaling tonight, anything good?"

[jorgebenitez]

Benitez narrowed his eyes at her, so she knew he was suspicious. He and Cecily got along so well because they thought alike a lot of the times, at least he thought so, and he knew that he could talk around in circles all day, but that did make sense on the off chance that he was off base when it came to Cecily and where her romantic interests reside. "Oh shit, I was right and you just told me. Do your sisters know?" He grinned and pulled the younger Lisbon into a hug, "Happy Pride, Cecily. And hey if I've got to keep this between you and I, say less. But with that being said...can we talk about girls together? What's your brand of baddie? I'm thinking..." He crossed his arms and placed his hand on his chin in faux deep thought, "the artsy nature loving queer girls who like having aesthetic picnics in the park is your vibe. Then again you are a Lisbon so history would say southsiders like Strad. Yeah...I can see you with someone who'll shake things up for you."

"Or something." She shrugged, and then realizing how that came off added, "We know each other just from being in the same Lisbon-Cruz extended universe but I don't know, we've never really hung out until now." Maybe she'd been wrong about her sisters all having the same type, maybe it was a proximity thing. "I mean I'm still navigating it, trying to decide if that's even a label I identify with..." By that she meant was ninety perfect sure she was, she just hadn't said anything with her chest yet. Smile growing, she took her drink from him. "Not fucking with you."

[jorgebenitez]

"Nah, not really. Most of my friend group is queer, if you recall I didn't want a girlfriend, you were just undeniable." Despite his sweet words, Benitez opened and closed his upturned hand rapidly in a 'gimme' motion. "What do you think you can go up against thirsty women pissed and disappointed....actually yeah, they'd just hit on you and I can make my great escape." He made a show of taking her hands and kissed the back of each, "Who do you think I am? This is not an everyday situation, I am extremely outnumbered and as you pointed out, a cis-het man so just keep me close and keep me safe."

"That's what you actually wanted a girlfriend for this whole time, isn't it? For all the free hair shit?" She asked before taking one of her gloves off to hand him one of her revolving hair ties. Unfortunately for him this particular one had a small bow attached to it. "Do you want me to hold your hand? Would that make you less afraid of running into all the scary women?" Nova cooed, struggling to hold back a laugh as she held her hands out for him. "Have intimidating women always been a weakness of yours or is this a more recent development?"

[jorgebenitez]

"Oh I know, I just knew you'd be a safe space. You know I count on you to protect me from the lesbians." He grinned as he knocked his shoulder into hers, "Isn't every conditioner leave in if you...leave it in? Oh make no mistake, I'm not looking at all. Yeah, she's with her sisters. I was putting some work in you know. It's one of my most lucrative nights of the year."

"Ooo hot take. Not sure you're allowed to have an opinion on that, you know, as a straight cis man, but," she dropped her voice to a whisper, leaning in to him some. "Your secret's safe with me. Like, a leave-in or just conditioner? If you're looking in the wrong places it is, all you really need is a gel or a mousse maybe. I'll send you a list. Is Nova here?"

[jorgebenitez]

"Yeah Stradlin, so you two are like...friends or something? What is with you Lisbons and soutsiders?" There was a double meaning in there, but when Cecily mentioned the word 'gay' her comment flew over his head, only hitting him when he was returning with their drinks, "Hold up, what did you mean when you said you were new to the whole gay thing?" He narrowed his eyes as he passed her drink to her, "Are you fucking with me?"

It wasn't that Cecily didn't trust him or anything like that, she was just matching his energy. "Ohh Stradlin," she said as though that description just now jogged her memory. She'd argue she could be a tough crowd too, just not in the literal greaser sense he'd meant it. "I like it, I think the waterfall's a bit much. I don't know how it ties into pride either, or if it's camp, but I'm still pretty new to this whole gay thing, so..." She gave him a knowing look as she finished off the rest of her drink. "Nope, I'm good- On the questions, I mean, I do want another drink."

[jorgebenitez]

"I'll take your word for it, because I don't have a fucking clue what any of them looks like. I do like some of their songs though, hate that one about silk, way too on the nose." He told her as he gratefully took the hair tie and went about managing his unruly curls and tying them down. "Jesus, you sound like Nova. I just use like... I don't know this conditioner. Have you seen the prices for hair care shit? It's a scam, Ads. And I'm not a sucker."

[jorgebenitez]

"Don't give me that look, you need to be more aware of your surroundings. Head on a swivel and all of that." Benitez shot Cecily a smile that would usually disengage Nova's ire, he wasn't sure if it would work on other Lisbons, but figured it was worth a shot at least. "Cute Latinx shorty runs with a tough crowd, and you apparently." Benitez would poke and prod and joke around, but he wasn't actually interested in forcing her to tell him anything about himself, knowing the Lisbon women's secrets were held close to the chest. It was more him saying without saying that if she wanted to tell someone he was cool, not that his sisters wouldn't be, but they were family so it was different, "Now that you mention it, yeah. What do you think of the theme? Personally I don't see how it ties into pride, but it could be camp or whatever, which I'm famously not good at 'getting' you know? Besides that, nothing really. Why...is there something you want to tell or ask me? Oh wait I lied, "Do you want a drink?"

[jorgebenitez]

"Do you have a hair tie or something? Three lesbians tonight have tried to hit on me and then were very pissed when they found out that I'm a cis straight man and not Naomi from Muna. I can't help it that my curls get unruly in humidity like this."

[jorgebenitez]

"And who are they?" Benitez strolled up behind Cecily, barely biting back a knowing smile and his good mood was not just the result of him getting a little high off of his own supply. Of course he knew who they were, while Benitez was a free agent, not a greaser he was too smart not to know. Stradlin was old guard greaser and the littlest Lisbon seemed smitten, her sisters could believe Cecily had something going with the walking pride parade that was Lip, but he wasn't that dense and they'd been flirting around this topic for a while, even before Stradlin was in the picture. "I love pride don't you? Is something about people standing on business about who they are that's just...gratifying, right?" @cecilylisbons

[jorgebenitez]

"Anybody ever tell you that you maybe have too much family?" Raph said thinking maybe he should have at least brought Onyx or something considering his brother was completely locked into their sister, sticking near her as if he were her personal body guard, "2 and a half against a million just seems unfair, what if we get into a heated debate, I'm done for. Probably not though right? Who can think about arguing when our sister is like the center of attention and seems like she's loving it." @lisbonnova

[jorgebenitez]

"Your Tia Cecily is a hater." He told his daughter before he kissed her forehead and finally freed up his hand, placing the kid in her rocker now that she was well and truly sound asleep. "It's not active if A) you didn't make the account and B) you don't put effort into messaging back." He shrugged, "Yeah, probably that and you'd love it. Okay now I have to look up January Dreams because I don't know anything about them aside from what you've told me and none of that is what they look like." He pulled up her insta though, "So like a chick with attitude? She's flipping off the camera in like half of her pictures." Benitez chuckled, "That's not unlike most of your sisters. Alright here," Benitez tossed the phone, "Swipe left on her and send a message."

"Because you're so handsome," she repeated, deadpan with a smirk. "It's not even that, I just wouldn't say I'm actively looking. Being on an app feels pretty damn active to me." Cecily looked up, pursing her lips. "She could be. Sharing a book, how does that work, are we reading passages to each other?" Chuckling, she shook her head. "Not quite. Vienna was my favorite in January Dreams, if that helps."

[jorgebenitez]

"Because I'm so handsome, right? You've always thought it, even if you didn't say it." He raised an eyebrow, "So...you are open to the idea of meeting someone, alright. All I need to know is that this doesn't really freak you out aside from the fact that you're a grandma who doesn't see validity in a dating practice that is now decades old." Benitez winked and swiped right, "Oh wait, she's cute. But is she your type...which brings me to my next question, what is your type. Maybe we should have Lip over here since I'm sure that he knows. I bet you like the bookworm types, am I right? Kind of like their idea of a perfect night is you and her sharing a book and a bottle of wine?"

"I could see it, I guess." Generally speaking Cecily didn't hold anything against him; she did, however, think the affair was stupid, on both his and Nova's parts, but that seemed to more or less work itself out eventually. "In all seriousness? No, not really. If I meet anyone I'd rather it happen organically. That doesn't mean we can't get a good laugh at what's out there though. Mhm, we're still friends. I think Bridget's the only one that actually caught on to that."

[jorgebenitez]