Saturate

AJ unlocked the doors and got in as Ben got in on the passenger side. He slid the seat belt over himself as she turned on the ignition. She slowly backed up and began driving. She turned her radio down and turned on her head lights since it was already nightfall.

"So, you're not going to tell me what happened?" She asked quietly.

"It's a long story." Ben replied as he continued looking out the window.

AJ nodded and kept her gaze on the road ahead of her. "It's fine." She sighed as she moved into the passing lane.

He sighed, "I don't mean to be an asshole, it's just... I never had anyone that really bothered to talk to me. Let alone do anything for me." Ben admitted finally.

AJ turned, "I figured that."

"How?" Ben asked. Was he wearing a sign or something?

"Well, first of all, you give off a stand-offish persona that would intimidate anyone. And it seems like you haven't dealt with that many people, because you seem to be, like, watching me. Like you're expecting me to blow up or something." Said AJ as she got off on one of the ramps.

Ben smiled, "You're observant, aren't you?"

"I try." Said AJ with a smile as she stopped and waited for an on coming car to pass.

Ben looked back out the window as AJ pulled out into the road and continued on to the hospital. She parked the car and they both got out.

He stood next to her car and looked up at the hospital. He had only been there once when his Grandmother was in there. Other than that, he had no reason to go.

AJ grabbed his arm, "Come on, I'll make sure that my Mom tends to you."

Ben began walking with her to the Emergency Room. AJ made sure that he registered in the front before they sat in the waiting room. It was really bright inside the hospital, and it smelled like bleach. Ben leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes. AJ checked her watch and sighed.

Ben looked over at her, "What time is it?"

"It's eleven thirty." She answered with a small yawn.

Ben nodded and he closed his eyes once more. AJ couldn't help but stare at him. He was such a nice looking guy, not to mention that he was very polite. Who could've done this to him? She looked up when she thought that she heard someone coming.

Her mother slid open the glass door, "Ben Burnley the 4th?"

"That's you." Said AJ as she poked Ben.

He stood and followed her.

"Oh, deary. Looks like you've been through a lot." Said her mother. She had the same fiery red hair of AJ, but her skin was white paired with bright blue eyes.

"Ben, this is my Mom, Julie. Mom, this is Ben." AJ said as she introduced them.

"Glad to meet you Ben. So, tell me what happened." She said as she began examining his cuts.

"I had a disagreement with someone." Replied Ben softly.

Julie put her hands on her hips, "Well I'd hate to see the other guy. Let me just get your vitals and we'll put you in the back." She said as she grabbed the cuff.

AJ leaned against a wall, watching her mother. Ben figured that AJ must've gotten her looks from her father. She had a honey hue to her skin, chocolate brown eyes and a look of forever observing. But her hair and her features were that of her mother.

"Honey, can you go back and see if they have a room available. I'm pretty sure that four is open." Julie asked as she poked AJ softly with her clipboard.

AJ nodded as she headed towards the back.

"So who did this?" Julie asked in a more serious tone as she removed the cuff from Ben's arm.

Ben looked down, "Just someone."

"Well, I think that you should go to the authorities. They got you really good." Julie said as she searched his eyes for answers.

Ben nodded as he looked up at the clock in the corner of the room. This kind of scrutiny made him uneasy. "I'll be fine. It's nothing really." Stated Ben.

Julie nodded as she wrote down his blood pressure and temperature. "Alright, well Jane's a nice girl to talk to if you ever need to. I bet that she wouldn't mind considering she brought you down here." Said Julie as she led him to the back area.

AJ was standing at the nurses station. "They said that room four is open." She said with a smile.

"Alright, then that's where you guys shall go." Said Julie as she handed a clipboard to one of the nurses.

AJ smiled at her mother as she led Ben to the room.

A nurse came in, "Alright, just put on the gown. Just remove your shirt mainly and any jewelry that you might have. The doctor will be in with you shortly." She said as she handed Ben a hospital gown.

AJ smiled, "I'll wait outside for a bit, alright?"

"Alright." Said Ben as he smiled back at her.

AJ turned and stood outside while he took off his shirt and put on the gown.

He sighed, "You can come back in."

AJ entered once more and she took a seat in a chair by the bed. "How do you feel?"

"To be honest? I feel really sore." Ben said as he rotated his shoulder a bit.

She nodded, "Where?"

"Around my chest, my arms and my legs." Ben stopped. He didn't want to sound like a cry bag in front of the first girl to ever talk to him.

She noticed that Ben seemed nervous. He had his arms crossed his chest and he eyes kept boucing all over the place. "Ben, relax."

He looked at her, "I'm trying to."

She stood up, "I know that this might seem weird, but I know something that always helped me calm down when I was younger." She said as she got closer to him.

He sat up a bit, "And what was that?"

She grabbed his hand and held it. He could feel something pulse through him like a bolt of energy, and then he felt like he was able to relax.

She smiled, "See? I told you. Sometimes it's better to have someone hold your hand."

He leaned back, "And just how do you know this?"

"I know because my mom works here and whenever something bad would happen, she would just hold my hand. And everything wasn't as bad anymore." Said AJ as she shrugged.

Ben smiled, "Thanks for everything."

"It's nothing." Said AJ as she squeezed his hand gently.

When the doctor came in, they did a few stitches on his forehead and gave him some pain medication to take.

"See, that wasn't so bad now... Was it?" Asked AJ as she still had Ben's hand in hers.

He smiled, "No."

They got in the car once more, "So where do you live?" Asked AJ.

"Umm... On State street." Said Ben nervously.

"Do you really wanna go back there? I mean, my mom won't mind if you wanna stay over. There's a spare roll-away in my closet." Said AJ as she seen that he didn't look too excited about going home.

"Okay, I just need to get my stuff first." Said Ben.

AJ nodded, "That's fine. So which..."

"The blue one right there." Said Ben as he pointed his house out.

She pulled into the driveway.

"I'll be right back." Said Ben as he got out.

He entered the house as quietly as he could. He seen his father and mother both passed out on the couch in the living room. Only a blanket was covering the both of them. Ben walked towards them and covered them up a bit more. He leaned down and kissed his mother on the cheek before he headed upstairs. He grabbed his bag and grabbed some clothes, shoving them inside.

He made his way to his closet, he opened the door slowly and got out his guitar. He slung the bag over his shoulder and headed back downstairs. He closed the door quietly and walked back to AJ's car. He opened the door and got in.

"Got everything?" AJ asked as she popped open the trunk for him.

"Yeah." He said as he sat the guitar case into the trunk along with his bag.

AJ nodded as she began to pull out and head towards her house. She parked her car in the garage and led him upstairs to her room. She flipped on the lights and went to her closet.

She pulled out a folded up bed, "You can sleep in this." She set it up next to her bed. It was already made and looked better than his bed.

"I hope you don't mind the girly bedding, Raquel's the only one that uses this." She said with a chuckle.

Ben smiled, "It's fine."

"Well, I'm going to the bathroom to change and what not. I'll be back." Said AJ as she grabbed some clothes and went back down the hall way.

Ben sighed and sat down on the bed. AJ came back in sometime later wearing some pj pants and a tank top. She shut off the room lights, but kept the lamp on.

"Okay, so what's the story?" She asked as she sat cross legged on her bed.

Ben shrugged his shoulders, "My father came home drunk. I aggrivated him and this is what I got." Said Ben as he rested his elbows on his knees. He sat back up remembering that he had bruises on them from being dragged up the stairs.

"It doesn't have to be that way. Look, I know that my mom would let you stay here whenever you like. Don't be afraid to." Said AJ as she sat on his bed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry, I'm not to used to this." He said with a smile.

AJ looked him in the eye, "I know."

Ben felt something inside of his stomach like butterflies. She looked simply angelic in the moonlight. Ben felt like all he wanted in the world was her. AJ stood and got back on her bed.

Ben stood and walked to her, "I really want to thank you for everything."

"It was nothing." Said AJ as she felt her heartbeat beginning to race.

He leaned closer and kissed her. She kissed him back as she let her arms go around his neck. He pushed her down on the bed as he climbed on top of her. They managed to get under the covers as his hands shakily began lifting up her shirt. She pulled back and let him take it off.

She pulled off his shirt and he began kissing her once again. She managed to get his pants off and took off his boxers as well. He slipped off her bottoms off too. She looked up at him, he was simply beautiful. This was the first guy that she had ever kissed let alone do what she was about to do.

They were at it for a while until they reached their peaks. Both of them laid in the bed, sweating and gasping for breath.

She put her clothes back on as he did the same. They laid in her bed, and when she fell asleep Ben pushed some hair out of her face.

"I hope that you know that we're more than friends now." He whispered. He kissed her cheek and got up without disturbing her. He laid on the other bed and covered up. He sighed, thinking about what they had just done. He smiled and fell asleep.