Playing Games (Benedick / Beatrice)
Author’s Note: This is an AU and it’s from Beatrice’s POV. Let me know what you think!
And a huge huge thank you to the lovely Georgie who has very kindly helped me beta’d it.
In a quiet corner of a surprisingly empty café on a sunny weekend sits Beatrice, her thick fiery locks are in a messy bun, loose pieces falling around her face. She stares intently at her laptop with her fingers tapping furiously against the keys as if her life depended on it. In a way, her life does depend on it. “Fuck!” she mutters frustratedly, dropping her head onto the table with a soft thud.
A soft chuckle catches her attention and she whips her head around, glowering at the source and fails terribly when she finds Benedick’s face right by hers. He peers over her shoulders, studying the scene on her laptop. He pushes his black rimmed glasses up and grins. “I didn’t know you play,” he says softly without his usual hint of derision and sarcasm.
She can’t remember when her loathing and utter disregard for him transitioned into indifference and then eventually, accepting the fact that he will be in her life whether or not she likes it since her sweet cousin is in love with his best friend and she likes coming to his uncle’s café. However, recently her heart has been pounding in her chest whenever he’s near and she can’t figure out why. He has been nicer to her since they agreed to cease their war of words - as Hero likes to call it - but that doesn’t explain the heat creeping up her cheeks when he’s in the room. She notices that he smiles genuinely at her more often than he used to and Hero notes that his mood seems to be better when she’s around, which she has denied repeatedly.
She can’t figure out what has caused the change between them and it’s driving her insane. They don’t like each other. The foundation of their relationship are sarcasm and loathing. People change but not them. Not this way. Right?
“You know,” he begins slowly, leaning over her and his arms comes around her to rest his long fingers on her laptop. His nails are neatly trimmed and she smiles a little. She likes that in a man. Wait. What? No. Since when has she taken notes on what she likes in a man. And she definitely does not see Benedick as a man. He’s just the annoying person in her life that she can’t get rid of. She shakes her head slowly and tries to focus her attention on the screen but it’s taking everything in her to do it because his scent surrounding her is so very distracting. He smells like coffee and soap. She shivers a little. “If you want to kill the ogre, you need be smart,” he explains, “Distract it with a magic spell before you attack. Go for its’ eyes first then victory will follow.” He taps on the keys rapidly and Beatrice watches in amazement as her character takes out the hideous one eyed creature easily. “Just like that,” he grins smugly. She smiles too, enjoying the way the smile brings out the sparkle in his eyes.
“Thanks.” She clears her throat awkward, turning away when he catches her studying his face. “I didn’t know you play too.”
Benedick grins - a little too sexy for her own good - and looks straight into her eyes and she finds herself a little breathless at the proximity of their faces.“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, my dear Lady Disdain.” If he just leans in a little, their lips would touch and she gives up denying the fact that she would very much like to know if his lips feel as soft and warm as they look.
She finds herself enthralled and slowly leaning into him but quickly turning her face back to her laptop when his uncle yells for him. He groans disappointedly too and she takes comfort in that. “Ben!” he yells again. “Get back to work and stop bothering Beatrice!”
“Sorry, Uncle Leo!” he shouts back. He turns his attention back to the blushing ginger. “My shift ends in an hour,” he whispers with a hopeful smile. “If you don’t have any plans, I could give you more tips for the game. After dinner of course.”
“Oh.” For the first time in her life, Beatrice finds herself at a complete loss for words. He has rendered her speechless and to her horror, she sort of likes it. What?
“If you’re busy, you don’t have to go,” he assures her after moments of silence.
He looks like a kicked puppy with those big brown eyes and she feels her heart melting. “No!” she says a little too eagerly. “I’m not busy. I’d love to…get those tips,” she scrambles to look less desperate to spend more time with him.
“Brilliant,” he beams, his smile bright enough to rival the afternoon sun. “It’s a date.”
And a huge huge thank you to the lovely Georgie who has very kindly helped me beta’d it.
In a quiet corner of a surprisingly empty café on a sunny weekend sits Beatrice, her thick fiery locks are in a messy bun, loose pieces falling around her face. She stares intently at her laptop with her fingers tapping furiously against the keys as if her life depended on it. In a way, her life does depend on it. “Fuck!” she mutters frustratedly, dropping her head onto the table with a soft thud.
A soft chuckle catches her attention and she whips her head around, glowering at the source and fails terribly when she finds Benedick’s face right by hers. He peers over her shoulders, studying the scene on her laptop. He pushes his black rimmed glasses up and grins. “I didn’t know you play,” he says softly without his usual hint of derision and sarcasm.
She can’t remember when her loathing and utter disregard for him transitioned into indifference and then eventually, accepting the fact that he will be in her life whether or not she likes it since her sweet cousin is in love with his best friend and she likes coming to his uncle’s café. However, recently her heart has been pounding in her chest whenever he’s near and she can’t figure out why. He has been nicer to her since they agreed to cease their war of words - as Hero likes to call it - but that doesn’t explain the heat creeping up her cheeks when he’s in the room. She notices that he smiles genuinely at her more often than he used to and Hero notes that his mood seems to be better when she’s around, which she has denied repeatedly.
She can’t figure out what has caused the change between them and it’s driving her insane. They don’t like each other. The foundation of their relationship are sarcasm and loathing. People change but not them. Not this way. Right?
“You know,” he begins slowly, leaning over her and his arms comes around her to rest his long fingers on her laptop. His nails are neatly trimmed and she smiles a little. She likes that in a man. Wait. What? No. Since when has she taken notes on what she likes in a man. And she definitely does not see Benedick as a man. He’s just the annoying person in her life that she can’t get rid of. She shakes her head slowly and tries to focus her attention on the screen but it’s taking everything in her to do it because his scent surrounding her is so very distracting. He smells like coffee and soap. She shivers a little. “If you want to kill the ogre, you need be smart,” he explains, “Distract it with a magic spell before you attack. Go for its’ eyes first then victory will follow.” He taps on the keys rapidly and Beatrice watches in amazement as her character takes out the hideous one eyed creature easily. “Just like that,” he grins smugly. She smiles too, enjoying the way the smile brings out the sparkle in his eyes.
“Thanks.” She clears her throat awkward, turning away when he catches her studying his face. “I didn’t know you play too.”
Benedick grins - a little too sexy for her own good - and looks straight into her eyes and she finds herself a little breathless at the proximity of their faces.“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, my dear Lady Disdain.” If he just leans in a little, their lips would touch and she gives up denying the fact that she would very much like to know if his lips feel as soft and warm as they look.
She finds herself enthralled and slowly leaning into him but quickly turning her face back to her laptop when his uncle yells for him. He groans disappointedly too and she takes comfort in that. “Ben!” he yells again. “Get back to work and stop bothering Beatrice!”
“Sorry, Uncle Leo!” he shouts back. He turns his attention back to the blushing ginger. “My shift ends in an hour,” he whispers with a hopeful smile. “If you don’t have any plans, I could give you more tips for the game. After dinner of course.”
“Oh.” For the first time in her life, Beatrice finds herself at a complete loss for words. He has rendered her speechless and to her horror, she sort of likes it. What?
“If you’re busy, you don’t have to go,” he assures her after moments of silence.
He looks like a kicked puppy with those big brown eyes and she feels her heart melting. “No!” she says a little too eagerly. “I’m not busy. I’d love to…get those tips,” she scrambles to look less desperate to spend more time with him.
“Brilliant,” he beams, his smile bright enough to rival the afternoon sun. “It’s a date.”