Picture Perfect
Rating: PG (except for the 3013 part which is firmly (ha!) NC-17
Timeline: 2008, 2013, and 2018
Summary: Ben celebrates three birthdays--one in 2008, one in 2013, and one in 2018.
Notes: For the tumblr dialogue prompt: “Do you ever think we should just stop this?” Written in January 2015, but apparently I forgot to post it here.
November, 2008
“Do you ever think we should just stop this?”
"What do you mean?" Chris asks, taking a sip of his organic ale, and then stabbing the last bite of his salad with his fork.
They’re in a busy bar and grill near Ball State University, students and others talking and drinking around them, as Ben and Chris sit at a table and finish up a quick dinner after work.
"I don’t know…the traveling? The making people angry? The-"
"I don’t make people angry," Chris tells him, with a smile and a quirk of his head.
"Right. I do that, and that’s fine. We’re a good team," Ben says. And it’s true. People are much less angry at him when Chris is around to diffuse the situation a bit with his infectious positivity.
In fact, he hasn’t gotten a death threat in a couple of years.
"The best team," Chris agrees. "No, wait…" he pauses. "A dream team!"
"True." Ben drains the last of his beer. "It’s just…this group of angry parents yelled at me and pelted me with garbage today because we shut down the Muncie community center’s after-school art classes. Someone took photos, I think for the local paper."
He wants to add and it’s also my birthday today but really, he doesn’t want Chris to make a big deal about it. It’s just a normal day. He’s another year older in another town and tonight he’ll use his laptop to read message boards and then go to sleep.
Just like any other night while working on the road.
"I’m so sorry, Ben. That is horribly inappropriate."
"Well, they were mad. And I understand that, but…" Ben shakes his head. "I don’t know. I guess I’m just feeling introspective today. Never mind. It’s fine."
"Are you sure? There is nothing I would like better than to get some wheatgrass juice at the health food store I saw a couple of blocks from here and then talk some more to my best friend, Ben Wyatt, about how he’s doing."
"No. That’s okay. I was just going to head back to my hotel and turn in. We have that early meeting with the city manager tomorrow."
"We do," Chris agrees as they get up from the table. "Hey, here’s an idea, I was going to go on a quick eight-mile jog around campus. Would you like to join me on that?"
"Oh…no. Thanks though." Ben makes a show of stretching his arms out and yawning.
Chris slaps him lightly on the back. “Well, then, see you tomorrow, buddy. Bright and early!”
November, 2013
She’s giggling beneath him in a way that makes Ben want to laugh back, kiss her, and never, ever want this moment to end.
"Is this a happy birthday? Is it special?" Leslie asks, wrapping her arms up and around his neck.
"God yes," he says with a fast push, trying to get even deeper. "You were so amazing tonight during the filibuster…and the party…and…"
"But babe, we didn’t even make it to the party," she says with a pout.
"Believe me when I tell you that this is the best party ever. The best birthday ever."
Leslie grins and wraps her legs up high around his waist. When she does, both roller skates hit him in the ass and kind of come together to pinch his skin, making Ben yelp in surprise.
"Oh god! Are you okay? I’m so sorry…oh my god, I-"
"No, no, it’s okay. This was my idea. Maybe this just isn’t the best position for…" Ben slips out and gets up on his knees. "Turn over."
After he says it, he quickly realizes his request will involve her maneuvering around some more in the skates.
He jumps off the bed and stands back while Leslie flips over. Because while the big, purple skates are very, very, incredibly sexy on his beautiful, naked wife, they are also extremely dangerous. Especially when he’s also naked and sporting a huge hard-on...the perfect accidental target.
Ben watches (from a safe distance) as she gets settled on her stomach and then up on her hands and knees. Leslie throws an adorable, kittenish look behind her shoulder and gives him a smile.
Like he admitted to Chris earlier, this night is completely like some crazy sex fantasy of his come to life-he lets his gaze travel from the tops of the roller skates, to her calves, her creamy thighs, and right to where she’s all wet and amazingly spread open and waiting for him.
Ben has to close his eyes for a minute, because the visual alone is almost enough. He takes a deep breath and opens his eyes again.
"Okay, I have to ask this, would it be horribly inappropriate for me to want to take a picture of you like this?"
Leslie leans her upper body down and laughs into the pillow, before turning her head to tell him, “Kind of…but it is your birthday. Go for it.”
Ben quickly gets on the bed and behind her, sinking slowly back inside.
"Fuck it, my phone’s in my pants on the floor. Downstairs…"
November, 2018
He pretends to still be asleep, even though he can hear three sets of little feet clomping up the stairs. He manages to hold in a laugh, but he can’t help smiling.
Ben hears Leslie whisper to the kids, “shhhh, daddy is still sleeping.”
"But it’s his birthday!" His daughter says loudly. "Doesn’t he want presents?"
"I drawed him a picture of a duck!" Another voice adds.
Ben’s grin gets even wider.
"I’m sure he wants presents. He’ll love everything. But one of his presents is that we let him sleep in," she explains quietly from the hallway.
Ben opens his eyes briefly and sees his family standing there in the doorway.
While the triplets are busy huddling around her, he and Leslie make eye contact. She smiles and mouths, I love you, before she leans down and adds to their kids, “Which we’ve done, because it’s seven in the morning. Children...go attack your father and wish him a happy birthday!”
There are shouts of “yay!” and “Daddy!” and “happy birthday!” as three little bodies come running towards him and onto the bed, pelting him in a shower of warm flannel pajamas, giggly cuddles, hugs, and kisses.
"Oh no!" He yells out in mock terror, as he tickles, hugs, and kisses them back.
When he looks back at Leslie, she’s laughing and capturing the whole thing with the camera on her Gryzzl tablet.
Timeline: 2008, 2013, and 2018
Summary: Ben celebrates three birthdays--one in 2008, one in 2013, and one in 2018.
Notes: For the tumblr dialogue prompt: “Do you ever think we should just stop this?” Written in January 2015, but apparently I forgot to post it here.
November, 2008
“Do you ever think we should just stop this?”
"What do you mean?" Chris asks, taking a sip of his organic ale, and then stabbing the last bite of his salad with his fork.
They’re in a busy bar and grill near Ball State University, students and others talking and drinking around them, as Ben and Chris sit at a table and finish up a quick dinner after work.
"I don’t know…the traveling? The making people angry? The-"
"I don’t make people angry," Chris tells him, with a smile and a quirk of his head.
"Right. I do that, and that’s fine. We’re a good team," Ben says. And it’s true. People are much less angry at him when Chris is around to diffuse the situation a bit with his infectious positivity.
In fact, he hasn’t gotten a death threat in a couple of years.
"The best team," Chris agrees. "No, wait…" he pauses. "A dream team!"
"True." Ben drains the last of his beer. "It’s just…this group of angry parents yelled at me and pelted me with garbage today because we shut down the Muncie community center’s after-school art classes. Someone took photos, I think for the local paper."
He wants to add and it’s also my birthday today but really, he doesn’t want Chris to make a big deal about it. It’s just a normal day. He’s another year older in another town and tonight he’ll use his laptop to read message boards and then go to sleep.
Just like any other night while working on the road.
"I’m so sorry, Ben. That is horribly inappropriate."
"Well, they were mad. And I understand that, but…" Ben shakes his head. "I don’t know. I guess I’m just feeling introspective today. Never mind. It’s fine."
"Are you sure? There is nothing I would like better than to get some wheatgrass juice at the health food store I saw a couple of blocks from here and then talk some more to my best friend, Ben Wyatt, about how he’s doing."
"No. That’s okay. I was just going to head back to my hotel and turn in. We have that early meeting with the city manager tomorrow."
"We do," Chris agrees as they get up from the table. "Hey, here’s an idea, I was going to go on a quick eight-mile jog around campus. Would you like to join me on that?"
"Oh…no. Thanks though." Ben makes a show of stretching his arms out and yawning.
Chris slaps him lightly on the back. “Well, then, see you tomorrow, buddy. Bright and early!”
November, 2013
She’s giggling beneath him in a way that makes Ben want to laugh back, kiss her, and never, ever want this moment to end.
"Is this a happy birthday? Is it special?" Leslie asks, wrapping her arms up and around his neck.
"God yes," he says with a fast push, trying to get even deeper. "You were so amazing tonight during the filibuster…and the party…and…"
"But babe, we didn’t even make it to the party," she says with a pout.
"Believe me when I tell you that this is the best party ever. The best birthday ever."
Leslie grins and wraps her legs up high around his waist. When she does, both roller skates hit him in the ass and kind of come together to pinch his skin, making Ben yelp in surprise.
"Oh god! Are you okay? I’m so sorry…oh my god, I-"
"No, no, it’s okay. This was my idea. Maybe this just isn’t the best position for…" Ben slips out and gets up on his knees. "Turn over."
After he says it, he quickly realizes his request will involve her maneuvering around some more in the skates.
He jumps off the bed and stands back while Leslie flips over. Because while the big, purple skates are very, very, incredibly sexy on his beautiful, naked wife, they are also extremely dangerous. Especially when he’s also naked and sporting a huge hard-on...the perfect accidental target.
Ben watches (from a safe distance) as she gets settled on her stomach and then up on her hands and knees. Leslie throws an adorable, kittenish look behind her shoulder and gives him a smile.
Like he admitted to Chris earlier, this night is completely like some crazy sex fantasy of his come to life-he lets his gaze travel from the tops of the roller skates, to her calves, her creamy thighs, and right to where she’s all wet and amazingly spread open and waiting for him.
Ben has to close his eyes for a minute, because the visual alone is almost enough. He takes a deep breath and opens his eyes again.
"Okay, I have to ask this, would it be horribly inappropriate for me to want to take a picture of you like this?"
Leslie leans her upper body down and laughs into the pillow, before turning her head to tell him, “Kind of…but it is your birthday. Go for it.”
Ben quickly gets on the bed and behind her, sinking slowly back inside.
"Fuck it, my phone’s in my pants on the floor. Downstairs…"
November, 2018
He pretends to still be asleep, even though he can hear three sets of little feet clomping up the stairs. He manages to hold in a laugh, but he can’t help smiling.
Ben hears Leslie whisper to the kids, “shhhh, daddy is still sleeping.”
"But it’s his birthday!" His daughter says loudly. "Doesn’t he want presents?"
"I drawed him a picture of a duck!" Another voice adds.
Ben’s grin gets even wider.
"I’m sure he wants presents. He’ll love everything. But one of his presents is that we let him sleep in," she explains quietly from the hallway.
Ben opens his eyes briefly and sees his family standing there in the doorway.
While the triplets are busy huddling around her, he and Leslie make eye contact. She smiles and mouths, I love you, before she leans down and adds to their kids, “Which we’ve done, because it’s seven in the morning. Children...go attack your father and wish him a happy birthday!”
There are shouts of “yay!” and “Daddy!” and “happy birthday!” as three little bodies come running towards him and onto the bed, pelting him in a shower of warm flannel pajamas, giggly cuddles, hugs, and kisses.
"Oh no!" He yells out in mock terror, as he tickles, hugs, and kisses them back.
When he looks back at Leslie, she’s laughing and capturing the whole thing with the camera on her Gryzzl tablet.