“Hey, bucko,” Jace said in forced jovial tones that Ben had already learned to interpret.

“You aren’t coming.”

Jace sighed heavily into the receiver. “I wanted to call you yesterday but it was the night from hell. I didn’t get in until 3 a.m.”

Ben frowned and plopped down onto the sofa. “So do you have to work this weekend?”

“No,” Jace answered cautiously, “but my sister is out of town and someone has to take care of Samson.”

“Oh, come on! This is the third time you’ve canceled! I haven’t seen you once this month.”

“The other two times were because of work,” Jace replied calmly. “This is the first time because of Samson.”

“He’s a cat! Load up his food bowl and he’ll be fine overnight.”

“I haven’t been home for over a week,” Jace countered. “He needs to see me sometime. Anyway, I can get you on an afternoon flight and we can--”

“Forget it.”

“What?” Jace asked, sounding startled.

“Forget it,” Ben repeated. “You have fun with your cat. I’m going to do my own thing.”

“Ben, I’m not trying to--”

“I just need my space,” Ben interrupted. “I’ll see you next weekend.”

Ben hung up the phone, feeling instantly ashamed. He wasn’t being fair to Jace, he knew that. Part of him also knew that he could get away with acting like this. As difficult as Ben could be, he never managed to ruffle Jace’s feathers. Ben supposed this skill came from dealing with annoying passengers every day.

The phone rang again. Ben wanted to pick it up and be civil, but he also didn’t want to appear insane by letting his mood shift too suddenly. He should probably pretend to really be angry, at least for a little while. He picked up the phone.

“Just let me--”

“I’ll call you later,” Ben said before hanging up again.

All right. So maybe he was being psychotic.

He didn’t really mind that Jace was so crazy about Samson. That proved that he was capable of long-term love and dedication. Sure, he was a little possessive with his cat, but then, Samson was overprotective of Jace. They were cute together, and Ben had just passed up the chance to be curled up in bed with both of them. And for what? Because the plan had changed? Jace had managed to visit Austin five times in two months. Just because schedules were tight in the last three weeks was no reason to punish Jace. Ben was being childish.

Time to admit he was being an idiot. He didn’t know why love made him act so irrational, but he was pretty sure he wasn’t alone in his emotionally induced insanity. Every time he saw Jace the feelings intensified. They got along so well and their relationship had been so harmonious that it was hard not to selfishly want as much as he could get. Instead, his behavior had cheated him out of more of that time. Ben reached for the phone so he could call and apologize. It rang before he could pick it up.

“Hello?” he said tentatively.

“Italy,” Jace said as quickly as possible.

Ben furrowed his brow in confusion. “What?”

“I’m taking you to Italy, you spoiled shit!”

“You are?” Ben asked, feeling like a tool, but a very happy one.

“Yes. I wanted to tell you in person, but--”

“I was being a dick, I know,” Ben said apologetically. “Are you serious?”

“Spring break,” Jace confirmed, sounding friendlier. “You up for it?”

“If you still want me,” Ben chuckled nervously.

“God knows why, but I do.” Jace’s voice took on a seductive tone. “Now get your ass to the airport and come apologize to me properly.”

* * * * *

The world is a very big place. That was obvious enough, but Ben had never known exactly how large until now. Hour after hour passed, and even flying over it at five hundred miles per hour, the ocean below refused to give way to land. The sun set unnaturally soon eight hours into the flight, obscuring with its departure any sign of progress or time. Ben tossed and turned in his tiny seat, immensely uncomfortable but unable to do anything about it.

Jace dozed peacefully beside him, as much at home here as anywhere else. When Ben’s attempts to “accidentally” wake him failed, he turned his attention back to the in-flight movies. The individual monitors on the back of each seat were good, but the program selection was dreadful. Already Ben had drudged through multiple films that he never would have watched on the ground.

Eventually he did manage a sort of fitful sleep until the flight crew began serving breakfast with pursed lips and raised eyebrows. Except when it came to Jace. They were all smiles and courtesy with him, even though he insisted he didn’t know any of them. Maybe they sensed he was one of them.

Ben wanted to weep with joy when the plane finally began its decent, which turned out to be extremely gradual because it took another hour before the airplane was on the runway, and what felt like three eternities before it taxied to a gate and they were allowed to disembark.

“We’re never doing that again,” Ben swore while they stood waiting at the luggage carrousel. “We’ll start new lives here in Rome. Anything but another flight like that.”

“I liked it.” Jace stretched contentedly. “It was really relaxing. Back home you barely get in the air before landing again. I’m thinking about applying for international routes. The pay is certainly better.”

“Wouldn’t you be home less?” Ben asked. He already couldn’t get enough of Jace. Any less time spent with him and he would start developing withdrawal symptoms. He could just see himself clinging desperately to a framed photo of Jace while trembling with the shakes.

“I don’t think it would be so different, really,” Jace answered. “We’ll see.”

Local time was three in the morning. Some careful math in Ben’s head told him it was around dinner time back home.

“Hopefully we can still take a shuttle bus to the main terminal,” Jace said, checking his watch. “After that it’s just a few train connections to the hotel.”

“All right,” Ben said, snatching their luggage off the conveyer belt as it came by. “Let’s do it!”

Jace looked surprised. “Really?”

“Of course,” Ben replied, trumping his puzzled look. “Why not?”

“I was sort of counting on you not being up for it.”

“Public transportation, you mean? Hey, I used to live in Chicago, don’t forget.”

Jace sighed. “Well if you aren’t going to insist that we take a taxi, then it’s up to me.”

“Big baby,” Ben laughed.

They walked out of the relatively small airport and were assaulted with offers as soon as they stepped into the night air. A dozen taxi drivers were competing for their attention, making offers in English and a slew of other languages. Feeling completely overwhelmed, Ben pressed past them to where the actual vehicles were. He was vaguely aware of Jace asking him to wait, but he was eager to get into the solitude and comfort of a car. Not wanting to be in cramped quarters again, he headed for the biggest vehicle, a white minivan.

The driver appeared, happily taking his luggage from him. Ben allowed himself this luxury and crawled into the backseat of the car. Jace was soon next to him, tutting something about not choosing so quickly. Then the driver was behind the wheel, but before he pulled out another man took the passenger seat.

“My brother,” the driver explained with a smile. “Where you go?”

Jace gave him the address. The man nodded wordlessly, and guided the vehicle away from the airport. Ben looked out the windows, eager for his first glimpse of a European city. So far, Rome didn’t look all that different from Houston.

“Are you sure we actually left Texas?” he asked Jace.

“Hm? Oh, I see what you mean. All highways look pretty much the same. Wait until we’re in the center of Rome. You won’t believe the difference.”

Ben checked the meter to see if cabs here were as notoriously expensive as they had been in Chicago. Except there wasn’t a meter. That couldn’t be right. He shifted in his seat, scanning the dashboard as casually as possible. He was certain that there wasn’t a proper meter. Nor was there any sign of a taxi license or driver ID. Surely such things were required, even in a different country. How did people know if they were getting ripped off? Were they supposed to haggle the price before they got in the vehicle? He looked worriedly to Jace who met his gaze and nodded knowingly.