From an outside perspective, Benjamin Kovensky was standoffish. Though interestingly enough, he seemed to always be surrounded by people. There was undeniably something about him that made him difficult to approach. He was well known - well liked. The mediator - an instigator - the team captain - the shoulder to cry on. It was the contrast between the warmth of his smile and the cold shoulder he gave to those outside his circle. There was no colour lighting his eyes until he knew or took an interest in someone. It felt good to be under his attention.
"Hm. I'll take it." As much as Benji wanted to push the words to be repeated out the boy's mouth, he refrained. Instead, he enjoyed watching Emery as he gushed happily to himself.
He was a sweet kid. Like a shy animal, it took time for Emery to finally warm up. Benji was persistent, his curiosity piquing when he noticed the shadow of a boy following behind The Hunter Nolan. At first, it felt like a favour to a friend. Then, a genuine friendship formed between them. Although his lack of assertion did sometimes grate on him, Benji couldn't help but genuinely like the kid. He was sweet to Emery - which was a rare and selective kind of treatment from Benji.
It made some people.. jealous.
The feeling of embarrassment was weighing on Emery, taking the air from his lungs and suffocating him. It was too much to bear. "Uh, um...I was going to plant it against the wall, so the vines could climb up it as it grows." The brunette spoke quietly, eyes glancing away as he desperately tried to change the subject.
With an awkward shuffle around Benji, still avoiding eye contact while his face remained red, he walked towards where his plant was set on the ground. Emery lifted the pot and brought it near the wall of the greenhouse. "Lets clear some of the ivy first…" He mumbled, more to himself than any sort of direction. As his lithe fingers pulled at the vines, he felt an awkward silence. "So, what were you up to this summer?" He asked timidly, finally glancing to the other now that his face had palled.
Benji dropped the hand held to his mouth that he used to silence his chuckles. He didn't want Emery to think he was making fun of him, but it was funny to see him shift in and out of his awkward mannerisms.
"My summer? It wasn't very fun." As he tugged at the veins of ivy, Benji recalled the letters he had sent to his friends throughout the break. They mentioned little of what he did. "I mean, I worked for most of it. Trained in competitions for the rest."
When Benji responded that his summer wasn't very fun, Emerys brows knitted together with concern. He silently listened as the other explained about his busy schedule of work and training. "Oh, I'm sorry." Emery replied meekly, shifting awkwardly as he felt bad for asking about something unpleasant.
"Um, uh…" He mumbled, trying to think of something positive to say. "Oh, um...At least it looks like the training paid off!" The words fluttered from his lips cheerfully, his innocent eyes glancing down at the other's body, noting its athletic appearance, before lifting to meet his gaze again.
After a mere moment, it dawned on Emery the implications of what he said, and his face blushed a light pink. "Uh, I mean-...I-...You-...I- I bet you did great...at your c-competitions. You're a hard worker…" Emerys gaze dropped to the ground, embarrassment washing over his face.
"The hell? Don't apologize. And yeah, you bet." A nasty smirk pulled Benji's lips as he flamboyantly ran a hand through his hair. "Look here, Em. This is the face of a winner." He was fucking bragging. Mostly so Emery wouldn't misunderstand. It wasn't fun, but Benji enjoyed staying busy. A workhorse, through and through. "What about you? How was your summer here?" He tried to hide it, but there was a slight hesitation to his inquiry.
Emery giggled softly at Benji's boasting, feeling grateful at the change in subject. It was much easier talking like this with a task, something to help ease his mind while his hands worked. As Emery helped pull at the vines, he huffed as he tugged with his entire weight. The vines had become stuck to the wall, and required much of his puny strength to free.
Emery was always most comfortable talking about someone else. Even if he didn't always know what to say, it was still better than the uncomfortable attention brought onto himself. At least with Benji however, Emery knew the interest was genuine, and wouldn't be used to trick him later.
"It was fine," The reply was quick, almost robotic from its over use. The thought of bothering someone with his problems was difficult, and always made him feel guilty but he forced himself to continue knowing Benji wouldn't allow for such a meager answer, "It was a bit boring." Emery left out the part of the intense loneliness that plagued him. "But I had time to work on hobbies," He added, never wanting to sound too down or unappreciative.
Benji bit the inside of his cheek. It kept him from saying anything out of line. He appreciated Emery's growth in the ability to open up. But it still concerned him. "You know, it's okay to be more honest with yourself. I'm glad you had your hobbies, but it's important to acknowledge how you feel instead of dismissing them." Benji offered his friend a soft smile and brought the pot between them.
"Yeah, sorry…" He apologized instinctively, a frown forming on his lips. Once some space near the wall was made, Emery began digging a small hole for the plant. The ground was cool, the shovel sliding into the moist dirt easily. Carefully, the two transferred the Scottish flamethrower, delicately with the support trellis.
When everything was done, and cleaned up Emery stood back to admire their hard work. Even in its juvenile state, he still found it beautiful. As he whipped his dirty hands together, he peered up at Benji with a tender expression. "It will probably only be in bloom for another week or two," He spoke softly. "But, I'm glad we got to see it together." A light blush formed on his cheeks, and he quickly glanced away. "Thank you for helping me. It was fun. And...I'm glad you're back." They spent the rest of the early evening in the greenhouse, admiring the flower and exchanging laughter.
