Silver crashed face first to the floor, but was up a moment later, flinging Kissa off and back toward the front door with one flick of her hand. Her eyes burned rage and pain toward Ben. "Why didn't you just tell me?" she hissed, voice too low to mean anything good.
He sighs, rolling his eyes. “Silver, please. Is it that big of a de-“
Violet elbows him and approaches Silver, leaving him rubbing his ribs. “Silver, I’m sorry. Is your, umn, face okay? Love?”
Silver turned away from Ben in disgust and wiped her face. "Yeah, I'm fine." she muttered.
"Sil," Miki said, coming around the island to her sister. "Hon, you're bleeding." She reached up and wiped Silver's face where she had smeared blood across her cheek from her nose.
Ben rubs his forehead, sighing softly.
Augh, Child.
He bites his lip and clenches his teeth, remember a few similar happenings with him in her place.
He purses his lips, approaching her and nodding for Violet to go.
Violet gives his hand a quick squeeze before returning to the counter and he slips his hand into Silvers.
“Will you come talk with me? Please?”
Silver snatched her hand away from him and glared, wiping her nose again and taking a tissue from Miki to press against it. "Basement." she growled, and turned on her heel, throwing the basement door open before she reached it and stomping down the stairs.
This is… not going to be fun.
He swallows and follows, bringing a tissue box with him for her bloody nose. He jogs down the steps, stopping at the bottom.
Silver headed straight for the nearest punching bag and threw her fist into it, not caring about her nose anymore and letting the blood stream down her face. She waited until she felt Ben at the bottom of the stairs before she stopped punching, her chest heaving. "Talk."
He bites his lip, trying to find the words.
“It’s best to start with I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d get so worked up. This is on me.”
She pressed her tissue to her nose again, her back still to him. "Yeah. It is."
Ouch.
He takes a breath.
“I should have thought before I joked. I know how it feels to be on the other side of that situation, and it’s… not fun.”
He wrings his hands, breathing hard.
She let out a breath, some of the fight leaving her. He was really trying hard to make it up to her.
"How long have you two been married?"
Thinking, he stares at the ground. “A few weeks? I- I didn’t want to make a big deal of it.”
Slowly she turned to stare at him incredulously. "A few weeks?" she repeated. "Ben, we're family. You didn't have to make a big deal out of it but it would have been nice for you to let us know."
I let Cage know.
He bites the inside of his lip, starting to sweat.
I didn’t mean to upset you.
He shifts his weight, crossing his arms across his chest and staring at the floor.
What do I say?
She sucked in a deep breath and turned back toward the punching bag. "Ben, do you know how hard it is for you to yell at me every single time I think about Gabriel when you and Violet are so stupidly in love with each other."
He stays silent, rubbing the ground with the toe of his shoe.
We’re a good bit older.
He opens his mouth to talk, but closes it again. His face starts to drip with sweat and he swallows, heading over to a punching bag and punching it off of its rope. It bursts into flames and he sighs, some of his heat letting up.
Silver stepped away and wiped her nose one more time. The blood flow at slowed down enough that it wasn't running down her face. Her anger had ebbed into tired frustration and she didn't know what else to say.
Ben turns away from the punching bag and faces Silver. He looks down to his hands, rubbing them.
“When-“ He inhales. “When I was 14 my brother decided to ‘help’ a girl around his age. I hated,” He gives a small, uncomfortable chuckle. “I hated her guts. She was mean, violent and very bad for him. I caught them, umm, making out in the living room once. I was so angry with him. I had told him I hated her and he didn’t care, and I cried so hard. He apologized, but told be I was overreacting.” He shakes his head. “I might not say the right thing right now, Silver, but I’m trying. I’m trying to say what- what I wanted him to say. I know this isn’t the same, because we’re married and much older and to my knowledge you don’t hate Vi.” He chuckles, wiping his watery eyes, “but I’m sorry.”
Tears filled her eyes and she sniffed, for an entirely different reason than her bloody nose. "Dang it, why can't I stay mad at you, you idiot." She muttered, turning to him. After a pause she threw her fist into his shoulder as hard as she could and then wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face into his chest.
His shoulder throbbed a little, but he didn’t care. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head, holding her tight.
“I’m really sorry.”
"I don't mind that you're married or that you were kissing I just…" she sighed. "It felt like you were doing exactly what you get mad at me for and when I got upset you just laughed at me. I know you're stressed and tired and you're trying to protect us but sometimes it feels like you make rules for us that you don't follow yourself." She looked up at him. "We're not actually little kids, Ben. Cage and I are nineteen."
He nods. “I know. I know. I’ll try not to break my own rules, Silver, I’m sorry. But we are married.” A grin crosses his face. “I have proof on the license.”
She rolled her eyes. "Oh my word, I believe you. You don't need to prove it. Just… the next time you get married and don't tell anyone, don't start having a moment in the kitchen for anyone to see." She paused and squinted at him. "Why were you kissing her like that in the kitchen? You never do anything like that where anyone can see you."
He purses his lips. “I may have forgotten, because, you know, you screeched. The whole thing is now a blur.” He gives her a smile.
She groaned and gave him a shove. "Lies." But she couldn't wipe the grin off her face. "Come on, let's go upstairs. I'm starving."