Jay's Fantastical Sleepover Extravaganza

It was hard to keep his mouth shut, but Benji did his best, if only for Stanley's sake. They humored Jay as he shut more windows and showed off more useless rooms, including a recording studio he admitted he didn't know how to work with. He continued searching for nothing. To his credit, he found a whole lot of it.

Finally, they ended up in a room to the left of the main hall they started in. Aside from the fancy couch and the TV the size of Benji, it was a pretty normal living room, all things considered. Still sparse, but not unlivable.

"I'm sure you're all excited to see a room that isn't empty for once, heheh!" The kid was surprisingly self-aware.

"Nice living room you got here!" Benji paid a compliment. Maybe he just hadn't had enough time to furnish everything. "When'd you buy this place, again?"

"Oh, I've 'ad it for two years."

"Wow!" Too long for it to look like this! But Benji didn't say anything. Jay reminded him of one of those rich guys he used to see as a kid in Manhattan. Only in looks though. None of those snobs would've passed up the chance to fill a place like this with gilded knicknacks. The closest thing he could find here was a heart of gold, at least from what Stanley told him. He could be sentimental. Not like Benji was much better.

Thunder boomed. The rain pounded against the windows so hard, it was a wonder they didn't crack.

"Geez, this storm's really going to town. Is it ever gonna let up?"

"Well it 'as to stop raining at some point. This isn't London."

"Hey Jay." Stanley spoke up. "Mind if we check the weather station?"

"Oh, splendid idea!" Jay clapped.

Benji tapped his husband's arm with the back of his hand. "Where'd we be without ya, Stan?"

Stanley looked off to the side with that coy smile he missed so much as Jay picked up a remote and turned it to channel 10.

"...Severe storms are set to last through the night into the early morning." A news reporter pointed at the general Los Angeles area on a map of the whole country. "You'll want to make sure to keep off the roads if at all possib–"

The phone rang.

"Excuse me, I should go answer that." Jay began to leave. "Do feel free to make yourselves at home!"

And with that, the little dandy frolicked away from the group, down the hall and around a corner. Benji faintly heard his shoes on the stair steps before disappearing entirely.

"Do we sit down?" Toni looked around at the older guys for answers.

Instead of answering, Maxy sat right down in one of the chairs. "I don't see why not."

"Maxy...!" Poor Kenji nearly had a heart attack.

"Relaaax." Benji tried to put him at ease. "He said he could make ourselves at home, right? Why don't you sit down and enjoy the tube?"

"With all due respect, sir, this couch probably costs more than I make in a year."

"More reason to use it while you can!"

"Knowing Jay, he'd want you to be comfortable. Now sit, sit!" Stanley urged.

The boys sat on the couch, including Kenji.

"I'll take one of the chairs here–"

"Hold on there, Stan." interrupted Benji. "Could I talk to you for a sec?"

Stanley chuckled. "Sure thing."

As the older men walked away, Benji caught a pair of anxious eyes tailing them. Kenji could be a worrywart, but being in America kicked it into overdrive. He could understand; a lot of the freedoms they had in Jiyukoku State don't exist here. Having lived in Jiyukoku his whole life, coming here must've been oppressive. It was oppressive. But it's what Benji and Stanley knew. They could handle themselves.

The two ducked into one of the empty rooms.

"So, uhhh," Benji began, "nice kid."

"Yeah." Stanley smirked. "That's not all you came to tell me, is it?"

"Listen, I don't know exactly how to phrase this without soundin' like I'm putting the guy down, but what's the deal with" Benji motioned around, "this?"

"I have no idea." Stanley shook his head.

"None at all?" Benji got the feeling Stanley held out on him. On one hand, it was really none of his business, but having known Stanley for basically their entire lives, it felt weird whenever stuff like this came up. Now there's this whole person in Stanley's life he barely knew about, other than that he liked Kenji and Stanley cared a lot about him. Him worrying to death about the kid is the main thing keeping them apart for these six long years. The least Benji wanted to know was why.

"I've got a couple of hunches, but..."

"C'mon, Stan. You know I can keep a secret."

Stanley's eyes softened. "You're right. I just..." He sighed. "His paranoia can become a little contagious. To be honest with you, for a while all I knew was that he seemed sweet and troubled."

"Yeah, I can see it."

"Heh. Over time, I've been able to piece things together from the little things that slip out, but I still don't have the entire puzzle. How's little Jimmy doin', by the way?"

Strange change in subject, but who was Benji to refuse? "Between Sammy and Kenji, he's calmed down some. Right now, he's been saving up enough to move out on his own. Of course he's doing a lot better since Higgy chilled out."

Stanley smiled. "Good for him. He and Jay kinda remind me of each other. Both are skittish types. Unlike Jimmy, Jay doesn't completely hate his job. It's just that with how famous he is, people are hungry for any details they can get on him, you know? But he's a private guy, and that just doesn't jive well."

"I see..."

"Plus he's just so hard on himself." He shook his head. "Obsessing over the little details. It's like he never has time to just be. I've managed to help him relax some with some encouragement, some guidance, but that's just it. He doesn't have much."

"Does he not have pals?"

"No, other than me and his sister, the boy's an island. Those kids were isolated, and now people know his name from here to Timbuktu. So the paparazzi, the press, even other celebrities swarm him like vultures, tryin' to pry any crumb of privacy he has left to twist into a story. He can't trust nobody, because there's nobody in his shoes." Stanley's eyes drifted toward the floor. "They say there'll never be another Jay Kingston. I hope so."

"Dang." Benji experienced a rare moment of not knowing what to say. "I feel really sorry for the kid."

"Sorry." Stanley scratched his mustache. "I went on a little rant there."

"You're fine."

"The way I see it, he needs two things: People to confide in, and a break from his career, maybe permanently. But I can't see the second happening any time soon. He's too big for people to let him walk away quietly."

"So that's why..."

"I'm so sorry Benj'," he looked pitiful with his eyes glistening,"I miss you every single day, but I don't know if I can leave him like that."

Benji rested a hand on Stanley's arm. He couldn't deny it pained him to hear that, but he understood. If he could hold him right now, would that be risking it?

Stanley nearly said something.

His husband interrupted. "Wait, isn't there a third one?"

"A third what?"

"A third Kingston."

"Oh... the oldest. From what I've heard, he's just trying to get away from things."

Benji squinted. "But isn't he famous too?"

"Fame's not what he's tryin' to get away from."

Something else came to mind. "I meant to ask a little earlier, but what about their folks?"

Stanley gave him a look that told him all he needed to know. He sighed. "Let's not go there. Besides, most of what I know now I learned in the past few years or so. Jay's really opened up to me recently. He'd probably have a cow if he heard what I told you, but it feels good to tell someone. I'm getting greys over this boy. Ain't that a shame?"

"Nah. You've gotta start growin' old like the rest of us!" Benji ran a hand through his own grey hair. "Look at you. Don't look a day over 35!"

"Oh stop it!" Stanley rolled his eyes. It was great to see him laugh again.

"Sometimes, I wonder... Nevermind." Now wasn't the time to bring that up, just after Benji had gotten him smiling again.

Stanley gave him a suspicious look, but let it go. "We should probably head back."

"Yeah, we've been gone for a bit."

"I'll probably ask him about," Stanley waved a finger around the area, "this when he comes back from his trip. He probably doesn't want to talk about it in front of the boys."

Benji nodded. "They probably wouldn't think less of him for it. I mean, Higgy would be the one you'd have to worry about, but–"

Stanley burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"Higgy."

Benji laughed with him.

"It's killing me. If only he'd just be natural!"

"You know he can't help but try to impress." He shook his head, taking note that neither of them moved toward the door. "If I knew he'd be this shaken up, I'd've given him a couple pointers on how to be more smooth."

"Like he'd take 'em."

They both laughed.

Suddenly, Stanley took a couple long strides to the door, looked both ways, and came back.

"Are you lookin' for somethin'?" asked Benji.

"No, I'm not looking for anything." Stanley put on a Cockney accent.

Benji shook his head. "Nice try, Jay." He took a step toward the door, even though he didn't want to. "We should head on back–"

He felt a peck on his forehead.

Stanley played innocent. "Huh? What?"

"You know good and well what!" Benji pointed. "You think you can pick on me just because I can't reach you."

The taller man looked around. "I never said that."

"Ya don't have to. Hmph." Benji walked up to the door and checked to see if anyone was around. He then hustled back to his husband and gave him a kiss on the hand. "There."

The two snickered for a bit, feeling lively as ever, but they'd have to reign it in. After all, it's what they knew, at least in America. Maybe one day, things would change. For now, they stepped forward to go face the world side by side like they always have.