[ Ben smiles, too - a fragile and shy thing, hidden quickly as he ducks his head forward. He does feel a little guilty, now, sharing his happiness, when he'd just learned that Kieran hadn't gotten a chance to be with Mary-Beth. But then he looks up and sees that coaxing smile on Kieran's face, and when he speaks again, telling him to keep talking, Ben tries: ]
I keep thinking... it has to be too good to be true, you know? Like any second I'm going to wake up and realize it was a dream, or even if it is real, then the next time I see - [ Ben hesitates, just for a second on the pronoun, giving Kieran a quick, uncertain glance. ] - him, I'm going to say something wrong or do something wrong and it'll be over and I'll have ruined it.
[ And Ben can't look up at Kieran, now, focusing his eyes instead on his hands as he picks at a stray thread on the cuff of his hoodie. Silently, he reminds himself of the same thing he's been repeating over and over. He hears it in his brother's voice, reassuring him. He is like anyone else. He isn't separate from other people. It's okay, for him to be the person that he is. That the person he is deserves to exist. ]
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[ Ben smiles, too - a fragile and shy thing, hidden quickly as he ducks his head forward. He does feel a little guilty, now, sharing his happiness, when he'd just learned that Kieran hadn't gotten a chance to be with Mary-Beth. But then he looks up and sees that coaxing smile on Kieran's face, and when he speaks again, telling him to keep talking, Ben tries: ]
I keep thinking... it has to be too good to be true, you know? Like any second I'm going to wake up and realize it was a dream, or even if it is real, then the next time I see - [ Ben hesitates, just for a second on the pronoun, giving Kieran a quick, uncertain glance. ] - him, I'm going to say something wrong or do something wrong and it'll be over and I'll have ruined it.
[ And Ben can't look up at Kieran, now, focusing his eyes instead on his hands as he picks at a stray thread on the cuff of his hoodie. Silently, he reminds himself of the same thing he's been repeating over and over. He hears it in his brother's voice, reassuring him. He is like anyone else. He isn't separate from other people. It's okay, for him to be the person that he is. That the person he is deserves to exist. ]
Do you... know Cole, at all?