Ben knew that they were probably a long way off having kids of their own but the truth was that he was still looking forward to it when the time came. There wasn’t a doubt in Ben’s mind that Jed was going to make an amazing father and it was a side of Jed that he really couldn’t wait to see.
“Exactly,” Ben chuckled as Jed said it was a deal that they couldn’t refuse. The two of them moving in together really had made Ben start thinking more about the future and he was looking forward to everything that their life together was going to have in store for them. Ben didn’t doubt that there were going to be hardships along the way and the truth was that they had already faced some of those but he knew that no matter what happened they would face it together and he truly was glad about that.
If Jed had changed his mind then Ben knew that he would have tried to understand but he couldn’t deny that he was glad that Jed didn’t seem to have done that. If anything Jed seemed to be just as excited as Ben was and that was enough to make Ben feel even more excited. He knew that there were those out there who might feel like he and Jed were moving too fast but they were committed to each other and they had been through so much already so it made sense that they wouldn’t want to waste a moment. Jed had been thinking about moving out anyway so it had given them the perfect chance to move in together and start the next chapter of their life together. It had taken them a while to find a place that was perfect for them but they had found it in the end and now Ben was looking forward to them being able to spend their first night together in their new home.
“It’s no less than you deserve,” Ben said gently. Jed really did deserve to have people around him who loved him after everything that he had been through with his father and Ben was beyond glad that Jed had found that in Mystic Falls.
“I guess we’re good for each other then,” he said, a smile touching his lips as Jed said that he made him better too. Ben really had been just drifting through life when he met Jed, he hadn’t been able to stay in one place for too long because he had known that his curse would eventually give him away but arriving in Mystic Falls and meeting Jed really had changed everything for him and not a day went by when Ben wasn’t glad about that.
“You do the same for me. You never let me give up when it felt like finding a way to stop the monsters was hopefully, you never gave up on me,” Ben said gently, the kiss that Jed pressed to his cheek more than enough to bring a smile to his lips. Jed was the first person who had ever taken that chance on him and Ben knew that he was never going to take it for granted. Without Jed he would have moved on after learning about the Salvatore School and realising the danger that he would be putting the students in. He hadn’t thought that it would ever be possible to have a life like this but Ben knew that he really wouldn’t have it any other way now. He had Jed and their friends around him and that was more than he’d ever had before. As Jed said that the fact that he’d died for him was going to make a great story to tell their kids one day, Ben couldn’t help but laugh.
“Maybe we shouldn’t tell them that bit,” he chuckled.
“I’m not sure they’d like learning that their dad was burnt to a crisp,” he added with a grin. At the time it had broken Ben’s heart and he would be the first to admit that he had never felt a pain like it before. Jed had taken to joking about it, though, and Ben was able to do the same because it was much better than thinking about how things would have been otherwise.
“That’s not such a bad thing,” Ben grinned as Jed said that patience wasn’t his strongest virtue. There were some things like letting Jed take time to figure things out that Ben would have been willing to wait for but there were others that he wasn’t and now he couldn’t wait to start living with Jed.
“Perfect,” Ben said, his expression softening once Jed had put one of his shirts back in the bottom of the wardrobe. Sealing up the box once more, his smile returned as Jed nudged his shoulder.
“You love it,” he teased. Ben had never felt like this about anyone before and even though he’d had one night stands over the years he’d never felt the instant connection with anyone that he had felt for Jed or the amount of attraction that he felt for his boyfriend. There wasn’t a doubt in Ben’s mind that Jed was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and he knew that Jed felt the same.
“You don’t need to thank us, son. It has been a pleasure bringing you into our family.” Ric would be the first to admit that it was touch and go for a while at first but in the end Jed had come through and let them in and Ric was glad that he had done. Now they trusted and loved each other and Ric knew that wasn’t going to change now that Jed was moving out. Ric knew that Jed hadn’t had the unconditional love of a parent after his mom died but he and Jenna had been able to give him that and they were going to continue doing so.
“Just don’t be a stranger, okay? That goes for you too Ben.” They would see both of them at the school but it wasn’t quite the same so Ric knew that they would have to make sure that he and Jenna saw the boys outside of school as well and he had a feeling that it wouldn’t be too difficult to get into a routine of doing that.
Heading outside, it wasn’t long before the car was packed and Ben felt a smile touch his lips as Jed repeated the words “let’s go home”. It still felt a little surreal even now but Ben couldn’t wait to get there. His smile widened as Jed kissed his cheek again and soon enough they were on their way. Their house really wasn’t that far from the Saltzman residence so it didn’t take them long to get there at all. They’d already had the furniture delivered so they didn’t have to worry about that and Ben pulled the car onto the drive before killing the engine.
“I can’t believe we’re actually here,” he admitted, his smile returning as Jed reached for his hand once more. Letting go of Jed’s hand so they could get out of the car, Ben opened the trunk so they could start unloading before pulling a key to the house from his pocket and holding it out to Jed.
“Would you like to do the honours?”JED SALTZMAN