Summary: Michael gets stuck and Ben helps him.
Rated: PG-13
"Shit, I have to get this off before Brian picks me up for the movie." Michael tugged again. "What the hell am I gonna do? Fuck, this is so hard, I can't believe I can't get this off. And I can't believe I'm taking out loud to myself." Sweat broke out on his forehead and he could just imagine what Brian would say if he could see him now. No, don't even think about it. It's too horrible. Maybe soap will work, he thought.
Ben could hear Michael cursing as he walked through the door. He went into the bathroom and when he saw Michael, he almost burst out laughing. "Hey, big fella. You stuck?" Ben couldn't contain himself any longer. He started to laugh so hard that his face turned red.
"I'm glad you think this is so funny, Ben, but if you don't help me get out of this, I'm gonna scream. Brian will be here any minute to pick me up for the movie and he'll have a field day with this. I can just hear his snide comments. Not to mention the fact that all of Pittsburgh will know what happened to me. So, maybe instead of laughing, you could help me figure a way out of this?"
Ben wiped the tears from his face and tried really hard not to laugh. Michael was very upset, he could tell because his face was changing colors. It went from red to purple to blue. It was hard not to laugh, but Ben couldn't help it. "Okay, baby... I'll... I... I..." Ben almost choked on his words. He couldn't help but laugh again. "I'll be right back." He managed to make it to their bedroom and bury his face into his pillow in hopes that Michael wouldn't hear him laughing.
Michael was grumbling in the bathroom. "Does he think I'm deaf? I can hear him laughing with his face in his stupid pillow. Shit! I...just...can't...get...this...off!" He pulled harder and still it wouldn't budge. "Ow! Fuck, that hurt!"
Ben took a deep breath before he entered the bathroom. As Michael turned around, his face redder than ever, Ben lost it. "Baby... Michael... I'm so... sorry... I can't..."
Ben ran from the room and Michael could hear him trying not to laugh as he ran down the hall to bury his face in his pillow once again. "Maybe he'll suffocate," Michael grumbled, "or maybe he can just smother me. I'd be better off dead than to have Brian see me like this." He tugged harder to no avail. "Fuck, it's never gonna come off." Michael sat on the lip of the tub to catch his breath. Suddenly, his worst nightmare was coming true. The doorbell rang and he knew it was going to be his friend. "Fuck!"
Michael heard Ben open the door and greet Brian.
Ben returned to the bathroom, his face more composed. "Brian's here..." Snicker. "Do you want me to tell him you don't... feel..." Gulp... "good?" Ben grabbed the towel off the rack and shoved it in his mouth. He didn't want Brian to hear him laughing. He knew that if Brian walked in and saw Michael like this, he would never hear the end of it from his lover.
"I'm so happy that you find this so amusing. Would you like to video tape me? Maybe you can send it in to that fucking stupid show... funniest whatever." Michael hissed, "Just keep Brian out of the bathroom and try to think of a way to help me."
Ben started to feel bad, so he leaned over and kissed Michael on top of his head. "I'm sorry, baby, but I have to ask. What made you stick them in there?" He struggled to hold in his laughter while he waited for Michael to answer him.
"I don't know," Michael whispered. "I guess for the same reason you touch something even though the sign says wet paint. Shit, Ben, can't you remember how this fucking thing works?" Michael was very frustrated. He couldn't get the vision of Brian's face out of his head. He knew exactly what he would look like. He had seen that look before and Michael sure as hell didn't want to see that look directed at him now.
"Okay, let me think a minute." Ben said. "Oh, wait, I remember now. You just push it together and then they should slip out. Try it and if that doesn't work," he snickered, "we could always ask Brian if he remembers." Ben started laughing again. Michael just glared at him. He really looks adorable when he's frustrated, Ben thought to himself.
Michael did as he was told and to his utter relief, his fingers slipped out. Grabbing Ben, he kissed him deeply. "Thank you so much for remembering that! I love you." He kissed Ben again, all over his face, and hugged him tight. "You're the best boyfriend a guy could ever have." He continued to kiss Ben's face until he heard Brian come in the bathroom.
"Didn't you two get enough of that shit last night?" Brian asked as he walked in on Ben and Michael kissing. Bending down, he picked up the multi-colored item from the floor. "Oh, hey, Mikey, I remember this thing. It's one of those Chinese finger traps. I used to love these things."
"It figures." Michael laughed as he put his arm around Ben and secretly squeezed him. Ben just smiled knowingly.
"Mikey, remember that loser Jason in our English class? He got his fingers stuck and no one would tell him how it worked?" Brian started laughing as he pushed his fingers easily in and out of the trap. "What a jerk."
Ben looked down at Michael and winked.
"Yeah, I remember him," Michael said. Poor guy had to go to the Principal's office and even he couldn't figure out how it worked. Michael started laughing. "I just got a shipment of these in, today. I was going to sell them at the store. I better put an instruction booklet inside though, just in case some kid gets stuck and I'm not around to tell him what to do." He looked at Ben and they both laughed.
"What's so funny?" Brian asked.
"Nothing," Ben and Michael said together.
"Hey, are you ready to go, Bri?"
Michael leaned over and whispered in Ben's ear "Thanks for not saying anything."
"You're welcome, but you owe me, boy toy wonder," Ben whispered sexily back to him.
"I'll pay up as soon as I get home," Michael said as he kissed his lover good-bye.
"Come on, Mikey, you can fuck his brains out later. Right now, we have to go or we're gonna be late," Brian said as he dragged his best friend out the door.
Michael turned and winked at Ben as the door closed behind them.