closed starter, in the hotel bar, for @prettypaid !
old fashioned is forgotten almost as quickly as benji orders it, gaze settling on a familiar face at the other end of the room. he knows she walked in after him because he would have noticed her—always does, years of emotion and memories settling between them like a magnet. tongue darts over his lower lip as he wills his heartbeat to slow, pulse jumping at the pressure point in his neck. manages to wait until drink is in hand before he gravitates to her, elbows settling on the bar top. "she's not paying for her drinks tonight," he says, addressing the bartender in lieu of greeting her. "charge everything to my room."
at first , she doesn't hear anything ; completely engrossed in conversation as concierge looks at her wide eyed and concerned .. for her well being , probably . he should be . fingertips clutch the terry cloth , frame underneath clad in nothing but swim suit . is about to drop to her knees and beg when she finally hones in on the words coming towards her , turning to catch sight of a familiar face . brows furrow before they unravel and realization hits , "oh , hey ! see ?" she turns back towards homme behind screen that was typing furiously , "he knows me . stasia ... as in anastasia rowe . we , like , go way back ." she turns back to elijah and grins , "right ?" all of two seconds pass as a slight panic settles in , ".. right ?"
teeth graze his bottom lip as he watches the stricken expression on stasia's face, head starting to slowly bob up and down. "right—well, no, not exactly. mostly know anastasia here from her time on the screen. mostly the small screen, right, stas?" concerned brows do little to hide his sardonic tone. he's just fucking with her now, calling to her moments of infamy online as one final act of abusing his power in this situation, then his full attention falls on the hotel employee. after he shows his own identification and room key, and repeats anastasia's full name twice more, last word is that a manager needs to give final approval. "great, tell your manager to call up to my room when they're ready to speak to her." an assumption is laced into the question, his gaze cutting back to her when he realizes. "—unless you prefer to wait down here like a wet puppy?"
❝ you've got to try one of the loukoumades. ❞ pregnancy craving turned true delight, even with oven long empty, nana delights in their syrupy goodness even as her fingers grow sticky. ❝ i promise they're worth the extra sugar. ❞
"sugar gets a bad rep. all food's good in the right moderation and use. you know sugar helps with muscle restoration and electrolyte absorption? honey or even candy is great after a good workout." dangerously close to slipping into lecture mode, benji's lips press together in a sheepish smile. "they taste great."
locked out of her room , key inside , forgotten on tousled bed sheets after spending hours trying to find an outfit the night before . just her damn luck . took the morning to indulge a cold plunge , body akin to the nature of a wet cat -- shivering as she stands with a towel tucked to frame , trying to find someone to get her back in but concierge needs proof of identity and her purse is , well , also locked away somewhere next to her key card . "no , really . i swear with my whole fucking heart , it's me . trust , there isn't anyone in the world who would want to pretend to be me . just google me -- or , actually , don't ." there's a video still circling , several years later , of her indecency that since has not fallen discreet .
central air hits benji like ice water to the face, catching him off guard after an hour spent outside, ocean breeze far gentler than the artificial stuff greeting him after his walk. not much running to be done with a bad knee—tells himself it's fine, walking is heart healthy or whatever the professionals say. professionals like him ... technically speaking. something like recognition pulls him out of the self-loathing, stops him near the front desk. doesn't know if it's the hair or something in the eyes, maybe her voice sparking some familiarity. "stasia?" name feels and sounds unfamiliar on the tongue like he's never used it before. feigned concern furrows his brows as he assesses the situation, namely the towel. his amusement palpable. "what are we to do with you?"
𑁯 * hey, i think i just ran into benjamin yue at athens international airport ! you mean the thirty - two year old associate professor known for their worn in dark leather jacket? no way, i heard they were invited by the ellingtons. no surprise when you realize their family net worth is insane, i bet it’s all on off - shore accounts on the cayman islands. word goes that they are the groom's childhood friend, but it makes sense when you consider their clenched jaw, nothing gold can stay, & rolled up sleeves to get the job done, it matches their reputation. maybe they will bring some drama to the wedding, i mean their vibes are similar to alex karev and derek morgan. but truly, i don’t believe benji will be the one to speak up instead of forever hold their peace.
basics:
full name: benjamin yue
nicknames: benji
gender: cis man
pronouns: he/him
sexuality: pansexual
age: 32
date of birth: august 20
zodiac sign: leo
residence: townhouse in long beach
occupation: associate professor at brooklyn college, guest lecturer at california state university
appearance:
faceclaim: charles melton
height: 6'2
eyes: brown
hair: black
piercings: both earlobes
tattoos: the name of an ex - lover tattooed on his chest
other distinguishing features: a defined jawline, full lips, a quiet stare looking up from behind messy curls
fears: being deemed inadequate or undeserving, heights, hospitalization, being forgotten
hobbies: high-intensity swimming, reading, recreational sports within what he is physically able to do, baking sourdough bread
quirks: pacing when talking or during his lectures, carries a lighter but does not smoke, fidgeting, repeatedly bends and stretches his knees when sitting for long periods of time
pet peeves: being underestimated by colleagues or students, sitting down for too long, slow walkers, repeated excuses without attempts to improve
family:
mother: bernadette yue, deceased
father: zhāng yue, deceased
siblings: two older sisters
favorite:
ice cream flavour: mango or lime sorbet
time of the day / night: mid - morning
weather: rainy days
breakfast food: black coffee and scrambled eggs
dinner food: any sandwich made with his own homemade sourdough
colors: blue and gold
songs: liability by lorde, dog days are over by florence + the machine, sweetness by jimmy eat world, roses by outkast, too sweet by hozier
about:
surprise is the word people use to describe something sudden and unexpected. more appropriate word for benjamin would have been mistake, though his parents never used it ... even if he was born long after they decided to stop trying for a son, their two daughters in adulthood themselves by the time benji entered the world. if asked to describe bernadette and zhāng yue, he would say they were strict but fair and present. sisters loved to say he made their parents soft, but that came naturally with age and the experience of having successfully raised children before him.
he was clever and obedient—just never quite as brilliant as his sisters. exceptionally bright, people would say about the yue daughters. benjamin was always better with words than applying ideas, so he had to find another way to make the family proud. his parents never envisioned raising an athlete, but they showed up to every football game and cheered him on. hugged him when he got a full ride to play in university. benji majored in sports medicine only as a means to an end, planning on making it pro the entirety of his college career. early april of junior year saw the first tragedy: cancer, his father. terminal. zhāng had passed by late july, and within two weeks, stress or maybe just old-fashioned heartbreak caused a cardiac event for his mother. bernadette never made it out of the hospital.
benjamin was playing recklessly. everyone said it—maybe not to him. they were worried. scared. when someone loses everything, how do you tell them to be careful? no one had a chance to figure it out. benjamin went down during a bad play, one he initiated, and they say the whole field heard his knee crack. after that, he couldn't play. surgery only made it worse. giving up wasn't an option either, because even if his parents were gone, lessons they had instilled in him were not. keep going. so benjamin did. he graduated in the midst of complex grief, worked in the field for a few years before becoming an adjunct professor and now an associate professor, the youngest at his university. something to be proud of, people say. but the more time passes, the more benji finds himself going through the motions.
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