“No,” Ben jolted forwards, seizing Ari by the lapels of his coat and for one mad moment he wanted to press a bruising kiss onto Ari’s lips. But even making contact like this was risking it, and so the next moment he let go as if he had been scalded. But the tortured, half-crazed look remained in his gaze, having been unsheathed by Ari’s insistence that he knew what Ben needed now. Couldn’t he see that what he needed was Ari himself?
“I was never happy before.” He shook his head, forcing himself to step further away. “I thought I was but then you forced my eyes open and I can never - I will not see the same way again Ari… not…as long as you draw breath.” Ben could feel the chasm in his chest being torn open even further with every passing moment, but he held on as his eyes burned hot. Ari had reached into the depths of his soul, dipped his fingers into the darkness he found there and turned everything to liquid gold; a Midas come to life.
He searched Ari’s eyes as his own stung, his vision growing blurry. “Can you honestly tell me you’re happier now?”
“I was never happy before.” He shook his head, forcing himself to step further away. “I thought I was but then you forced my eyes open and I can never - I will not see the same way again Ari… not…as long as you draw breath.” Ben could feel the chasm in his chest being torn open even further with every passing moment, but he held on as his eyes burned hot. Ari had reached into the depths of his soul, dipped his fingers into the darkness he found there and turned everything to liquid gold; a Midas come to life.
He searched Ari’s eyes as his own stung, his vision growing blurry. “Can you honestly tell me you’re happier now?”
![[Image: WEY2zhj.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/WEY2zhj.jpeg)