Fic: Brave
Title: Brave
Author: saucydiva
Word count: 3.5K
Rating: R for adult situations, swearing and sex
Disclaimer: Clearly I don’t own it or I would put in ramps for all the seniors.
Timeline: Government Shutdown
Summary: As prompted by shornt:
what if i prompted you leslie/ben/ann threesome
what if
(ok no what ifs, i am prompting it. because.)
Author’s Note: Rikyl thought this was going to turn into a threesome.
No, I told her, but now that you mention it…
Ann Perkins was on the couch with Leslie Knope, watching The Notebook. It was an unorthodox choice for a post-breakup girls’ night, but, actually, it set the stage quite nicely.
They were sitting on her couch, watching Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams kiss in the rain, and Ann looked over at Leslie. Leslie, who had her lips slightly parted with just the very tip on her tongue touching her top lip, while she sat slightly forward as though she wanted to jump into the television but was just aware enough that she couldn’t.
Ann let her thigh shift slightly, and when her thigh touched Leslie’s she felt a spark.
Leslie glanced over at her, and Ann blushed, ever so slightly. And Leslie smiled a little bit wider.
Confidence, Ann, be confident. Be brave.
Ann took a swig of her wine, and touched Leslie’s shoulder. “This movie is ridiculously hot.”
Leslie clutched her left hands together, and looked a little confused.
Ann took another swig of her wine, and leaned in. She touched Leslie’s hair, pushed it back from her eyes, and tucked it behind her ear. “I need to tell you-I’ve never said this but-“
They were interrupted by the tinny sound of ‘Poker face’ coming from Leslie’s jeans. She jumped up, pulled out her phone, and flashed the screen at Ann.
“It’s Ben! Ben wants to know if I want to get a drink.”
“But we’re here, I had something to-“
Leslie didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Did I ever tell you I made out with Ben? Because I’m pretty sure I meant to.”
“Ben, Ben bought you a concert Ben, Ben might fire your friends Ben?” Ann said.
“He’s… you know. He did get me-the kids, the kids the concert, and you know, when he’s not slashing my budget for shits and giggles he’s sort of fun. He’s not so bad.”
“Well, sure, not if he’s sticking his tongue-ugh. Ok. I can’t believe this. When?”
“Like a week ago, after the concert. Remember, you were busy and I went to the Bulge? He was there… are you upset?” She asked, sitting back down.
Ann took a deep breath. “No!” That didn’t convince Leslie at all. “No. It’s great. It’s just great…. Have you… er… again?”
“No. It’s casual… just super casual second base stuff."
Ann grabbed her hand again. “It’s just that I never said this-“
“Let’s go to Ben’s place?”
“What?”
“He’s staying at the Super Suites. We’ll go there. You can tell me what you think of him, objectively.”
“I don’t-“
“Come on,” Leslie said, grabbing her BAC chart and Ann’s hand-there was that spark- and pulled Ann to her feet.
Ann went.
***
Leslie knocked on Ben’s hotel room, a firm, steady knock. When he didn’t answer immediately, she knocked again.
The door opened. “Leslie,” Ben said, pleasure in his voice. “Come in.”
Leslie grabbed her hand again, and she was-she was legitimately brushing her thumb over Ann’s hand again and again, and Ann wanted to melt into the floor. “I have Ann.”
His face fell, he leaned around the doorframe, and Ann blushed. The blush only deepened when he noticed their interlocked hands.
The room was typical Pawnee; a clean bed, a plain but serviceable desk, dresser, and one of those stiff-backed fancy chairs that no one ever wanted to sit in. Ann wondered where everyone was going to sit-and for that matter, were they going to sit? What were they doing there, exactly?
Leslie, still gripping Ann’s hand, sat down on the edge of Ben’s bed. Ben sat in the terrible fancy chair.
Silence.
Ben shot up. “Did you guys want anything to drink? OJ? Beer? I just got a Britta filter, though the water still tastes kinda…”
“Beers. Beers all around,” Leslie said.
Ben moved to the kitchenette, disappearing from view.
“Why are we here?” Ann blurted out, whispering into Leslie’s ear.
“I-“ Leslie frowned, her eyes crinkling. “I thought you were-and I was-“
“Fuck it,” Ann said, and she leaned over and kissed Leslie flush on the mouth. Leslie’s lips were warm and feather-light on hers, and she tasted like s’mores. Ann pulled back slightly, left her hand on Leslie’s shoulder and forced herself to look into Leslie’s eyes.
“There’s a reason I broke up with-“
But she couldn’t even get that out, because Leslie grabbed her face and kissed Ann back.
And it was a little awkward-Leslie’s fingers were a little tangled in Ann’s hair and she was pulling and ouch but Leslie’s lips were parting and she was pulling Ann closer and she was almost vibrating with anticipation-
And then Ann heard a noise that sounded like three open beer bottles hitting cheap carpet, or maybe that was Ben’s gasp. She twisted Leslie a little, so she could check out Ben out of the corner of her eye, and he was sans beers, staring.
Weird, Ann thought. This is weird, and she pulled away.
Or tried to, at least, because Leslie was clutching her fairly hard. Ann tilted her head at Ben, and Leslie’s eyes snapped to him. She fluttered a little-Ann could feel it-
and Leslie let go.
Ben broke the silence. “I could leave, if you two need a minute. Or you two can go back to your apartments. Or houses. Or condos. Really, wherever you live is cool.”
“You were in my house,” Ann muttered.
“You don’t have to go,” Leslie said.
“He doesn’t have to go?” Ann asked.
“I should probably go,” Ben said.
Leslie put her hand back on Ann’s, and turned back to Ben, “You should stay.”
Ann cut in, “Because we’re going to go?”
Leslie was firm. “No, we’re going to stay.”
“I don’t have three more beers. I could go get more beers,” Ben said. “Or we could go to a bar.”
“No, we should stay here,” Leslie said.
“I think I’m going to need some beer then,” Ben said.
“I think we should go,” Ann said. “And there’s beer at my house. Ben can stay here and drink his own beer, and we’ll go drink my beer and talk.”
“Most of my beer is in the carpet,” Ben said. “But that’s fine because I could go.”
“We’re going to stay,” Leslie said, popping up. “I’m going to go to the lobby and grab some pop from the vending machine. I’ll be right back.”
Ben sat down on the bed. “I’m really sorry about… I’m not sure what, but I’m sorry about-“ he gestured feebly. “This.”
“You two made out last week?” Ann said, bluntly. She only had a few moments, so she was going to quiz this guy for all he was worth.
“I was drunk. Really drunk. She’s great… nice hair, you know, and ideas, she has so many ideas…” And as he mused on that, he looked at Ann again and flinched. “I just wanted to be her... friend.”
“I’m her friend.”
“I didn’t realize… And I’d never try to come between you. Buddies?”
No. “Sure,” Ann said, and she shook on it.
Leslie chose that moment to return. “The vending machine was acting up, so I have two orange pops and a Mountain Dew. But I found some bourbon in my emergency box in the trunk. It was supposed to be a bribe for Ron, but this works too.”
She’d somehow sweet talked the night manager into giving her some plastic cups, so she set about making what turned out to be some terrible mixed drinks. Still, Ann drank hers, as this was a weird night.
Leslie had squished herself in between them, and the close proximity was driving Ann crazy. There was Leslie, sitting between them, and her body touching so much of Ann’s, and she was doing that thing she did where she was grazing her hand over Ann’s knee. It was making her a little lightheaded. And she leaned over and kissed Leslie on her jawline, then her earlobe, and she whispered I want you. Leslie shuddered, and even Ben must have noticed.
Ann felt herself tightening with anticipation as Leslie started skimming her palm over Ann’s leg. Her hand was hot through the denim, and when Leslie hooked two fingers in her waistband, it was the end.
Ann grabbed Leslie’s face sweeping her into a kiss, cradling the spot on her jaw that she had so recently kissed. She was trailing kisses down her neck, settling into a spot on her clavicle, her calves pressed against Leslie’s thighs. She moved back up to Leslie’s soft, lush mouth, kissing her in all the ways she’d been dreaming about-lightly, teasingly, then harder and more forcefully, then half a dozen small kisses along her bottom lip. Ann had been dimly aware that Ben was still in the room, but it was only then she realized that one of Leslie’s hands was occupied, and then Ben moved behind Leslie, kissing the left side of Leslie’s neck.
There was an awkward moment, when Ann made eye contact with him, and she had a moment where she could either call the whole thing off or continue. But if Ann left, and Leslie didn’t follow her out of the room… Ben couldn’t win. She narrowed her eyes. This was her chance, maybe her one chance with Leslie, and this guy wasn’t going to ruin that for her.
She decided to ignore him as best she could, treat him like her assistant. Assert herself-Leslie always said Ann just needs to learn to assert herself- and see what happens.
***
Ben collapsed on to the bench outside the Super Suites. He was exhausted; emotionally more than physically. The whole thing had been a little awkward; just too many elbows. Too much pressure. At least Ann had been into it.
Also, he tripped twice. Not that he never fell over, but he was fairly certain Ann had something to do with that.
He heard the door to the motel open, and he sensed, rather than saw, that Leslie had joined him.
“Ann’s dozing.” She paused, and then sat down next to him. “That was…” she trailed off.
“I know,” he said, not sure that he did.
The night was muggy, and there was a few fireflies buzzing around them. She put her hand right next to his, and he grabbed hers, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.
Ben tried to sort his thoughts. He preferred things neat; his books lined up, his shirts all pressed and facing the same way in his closet, and his covers tucked in. And here was this woman, creating chaos wherever she went.
His romantic life had been on a path; he lusted after the unobtainable, and then dated casually, never mixing his work life and his personal life. And yet here, he’d reached out for a friend and found this, this hurricane who swept into his life and his room and upturned everything.
He glanced at his watch. He had half an hour.
Chris-he always went for a midnight run, and as he was just up the road from Ben’s hotel, he passed by at the same time each night, often checking for Ben on this bench, who more often than not was out there too.
Half an hour.
He started tapping his foot. “Work tomorrow, right?”
“Absolutely. I’m essential these days.”
“Sure. And I’ve got budget meetings with the library first thing.”
She not only didn’t take the hint, she lectured him on the destructive powers of librarians.
He tried yawning.
He tried checking his watch in the most obvious way possible.
Finally he burst out, “Look I hate to come off like an asshole but Chris is going to run through this parking lot soon and I don’t know that he knows your car but he might and then that’s going to call the entire process into question can you maybe go?”
“Shit! Let me gather Ann,” Leslie said, kissing him on the cheek.
Ben raked his fingers through his hair. Too much stress.
***
The next morning, Ann woke up and reached for Leslie.
But Ann was alone.
This didn’t mean anything, though. Leslie’d driven her home last night, and though they hadn’t kissed, she’d given a long, lingering hug, and she’d touched her forehead to Ann’s, and she’d whispered something. Ann had no idea what, because Leslie’s lips had touched her earlobe, and she’d felt warm and confused.
Warm and confused. That was how she felt about last night; one of her strangest nights.
This morning, though, she knew exactly what she wanted.
Shower, lipgloss, and the jeans that make her ass look amazing. She looked in the mirror and fluffed her hair, and gave herself a smile. You can do this.
She stopped off at the florist on the way, and selected a dozen flowers.
“Someone special?” the clerk asked, wrapping them up into a bouquet. He winked, and she blushed. But then she smelled the flowers, and they smelled like summer and love and Leslie’s shampoo, and she gave him a wink back and a “Very special.”
She went to City Hall, because Leslie was there. Leslie, Leslie, Leslie, she thought, the name ringing her head every time she took a step. She felt like last night was plastered on her forehead, that whoever saw her would know what she’d been up to, but no one had stopped her or gave her a second glance. Leslie, Leslie, Leslie, and she walked into the Parks Department.
It was strange, the department empty, but it was the perfect place to tell Leslie how she felt. And there she was, in her window, smiling as she wrote something. Ann took another stop Leslie and then-
Ben was in there, in the office with Leslie, and he was touching her arm and he said something and she laughed and looked at Ben with hearts in her eyes. Ann clutched her flowers, and walked out of the office.
She leaned against the door. She smelled her flowers, sighed. She let the hand holding the flowers drop, and sighed again.
Shit.
She felt some a tear welling up in her eye.
She wiped it away.
She held a fist up to her lip.
Time to go.
She turned and almost walked into someone.
“Ann Perkins!” Chris, Chris whats-his-last-name said, putting his hands on her shoulders to steady her.
“Hey Chris,” she said, shaking him off, taking a moment to collect herself.
“Those are the loveliest flowers I’ve ever seen. Did someone give them to you?” he asked, glancing around.
“I got them for… myself, actually. I needed a pick-me-up.”
“Do you need to talk? Do you need to sit down? Can I get you some water? Or some vitamin C? I have some in my-“ he patted his pocket and frowned. “No, I have some in my office though.” He put his hand back on her shoulder.
She bit her lip, glanced at the door, and looked back at Chris. “You know, Chris, let’s go get that vitamin C.”
And when she took that next step, she heard Leslie in her soul so she started talking, a shade too loudly.
That helped.
A little.
***
Midway though Leslie’s speech-You’re a great guy, you’re going to make some woman very happy one day, if circumstances weren’t such, if Ann wasn’t my life and soul-Ben realized he was about to lose the one sort-of friend he’s made since he rolled in to Pawnee.
Not that she’d said that, but everyone knows “let’s just be friends” is not actually an invitation to the movies. And Ann-he didn’t know what Ann’s deal was, but even if she was completely cool with her girlfriend seeing other people, Leslie wasn’t interested.
So he said all the right things, laughed at her jokes, touched her arm because he understands, really, Leslie and you two are great together and we’ll have to get together sometime… for drinks. And he congratulated her on being brave and that was the worst part; watching her be brave in a way he couldn’t even imagine.
Though… there was no reason he couldn’t be, too, right?
He interrupted a story she was telling, yet another subtle attempt to sway him regarding the Parks budget. He admired her pluck; most people would be too self-conscious, but she just plowed right from morning-after talk to work.
“Leslie, you and Ann. How long have you two been…”
“Oh, we met two years ago.”
“And for you, how did you know you wanted to date her?”
Leslie leaned forward. “She’s always been… you know how sometimes you just meet someone and you…. It’s almost chemical. People say ‘chemistry’ and it’s so cliché, you know, ‘we have amazing chemistry’ but sometimes it’s really a thing. And it’s not always sexual… though it can be.” She gave him a shy little smile, looking just beautiful, and it really was a shame she didn’t want to hook up again.
“Did you always know that you’re-into women?”
“Oh I’m-at least I don’t think,” she said, frowning. “No, just Ann. But you know, if she’d never come on to me, I don’t think I would’ve. Yeah, she was really assertive, and there was this moment where she made it clear and it was like going to the eye doctor, when he switches from the one lens to the other because your prescription went up? And you just didn’t even realize what you were missing.”
So Leslie wasn’t the brave one, not really. It was Ann. Thank you, Ann.
They hugged, and he left the Parks department, walked the stairs, and headed to room 214. The door was open, and there was Chris-Chris- smiling that huge smile of his, the one that just lit up the room. At least he had Chris.
Or did he? Because there was Ann-frigging Ann Perkins, perched on the edge of Chris’s desk, a bouquet of flowers in her hands. And then Chris leaned over and kissed her cheek, and Ben cringed. Yet another beautiful woman Chris would be fawning over, distracted from his work and his friends.
And there was Ann, for whom one was never enough, apparently. It wasn’t enough she’d taken the first woman he’d been interested in for a while, but now she was going to date Chris too?
He walked into the room, smiled blandly at them both. They went through all the pleasantries, while Ann avoided his eyes, and Chris gave him a discrete look of glee.
Ben settled chair, pulled out a box of files-what files? Who cares?- and tried to ignore the pain in his heart. He might have told Leslie she was brave, but here Ann was getting exactly what he always wanted.
“Ben I forgot I was going to give you these-“ Leslie burst into the office, a mini-tornado juggling an armful of binders.
Chris greeted her with a warm, “Leslie Knope!”
She whipped around to him, “And you, I have more binders-“ but she stopped short. “Ann! You’re here… with Chris… you’re here with Chris.”
“Yeah,” Ann said, a little chilly, putting a hand on Chris’s arm. “And I see you’re visiting Ben.”
“I guess,” Leslie said, tossing the binders on Ben’s desk, dropping one labeled “RACOONS 2007” on the floor and not picking it up. “Or something.” She drummed her fingers on the desk once, twice, and then she almost fled the office with a I have to go make a call bye tossed over her shoulder.
He didn’t see what Leslie was being so weird about. She and her girlfriend had the weirdest welcoming committee he’d ever seen.
Not that it’d been bad. But it'd been weird.
“Friday night, then?” Ann asked, scooping up her flowers.
Chris nodded and walked her out of the office, his hand resting lightly on her back.
Ben put his head down on the pile of binders and sighed.
Author: saucydiva
Word count: 3.5K
Rating: R for adult situations, swearing and sex
Disclaimer: Clearly I don’t own it or I would put in ramps for all the seniors.
Timeline: Government Shutdown
Summary: As prompted by shornt:
what if i prompted you leslie/ben/ann threesome
what if
(ok no what ifs, i am prompting it. because.)
Author’s Note: Rikyl thought this was going to turn into a threesome.
No, I told her, but now that you mention it…
Ann Perkins was on the couch with Leslie Knope, watching The Notebook. It was an unorthodox choice for a post-breakup girls’ night, but, actually, it set the stage quite nicely.
They were sitting on her couch, watching Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams kiss in the rain, and Ann looked over at Leslie. Leslie, who had her lips slightly parted with just the very tip on her tongue touching her top lip, while she sat slightly forward as though she wanted to jump into the television but was just aware enough that she couldn’t.
Ann let her thigh shift slightly, and when her thigh touched Leslie’s she felt a spark.
Leslie glanced over at her, and Ann blushed, ever so slightly. And Leslie smiled a little bit wider.
Confidence, Ann, be confident. Be brave.
Ann took a swig of her wine, and touched Leslie’s shoulder. “This movie is ridiculously hot.”
Leslie clutched her left hands together, and looked a little confused.
Ann took another swig of her wine, and leaned in. She touched Leslie’s hair, pushed it back from her eyes, and tucked it behind her ear. “I need to tell you-I’ve never said this but-“
They were interrupted by the tinny sound of ‘Poker face’ coming from Leslie’s jeans. She jumped up, pulled out her phone, and flashed the screen at Ann.
“It’s Ben! Ben wants to know if I want to get a drink.”
“But we’re here, I had something to-“
Leslie didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Did I ever tell you I made out with Ben? Because I’m pretty sure I meant to.”
“Ben, Ben bought you a concert Ben, Ben might fire your friends Ben?” Ann said.
“He’s… you know. He did get me-the kids, the kids the concert, and you know, when he’s not slashing my budget for shits and giggles he’s sort of fun. He’s not so bad.”
“Well, sure, not if he’s sticking his tongue-ugh. Ok. I can’t believe this. When?”
“Like a week ago, after the concert. Remember, you were busy and I went to the Bulge? He was there… are you upset?” She asked, sitting back down.
Ann took a deep breath. “No!” That didn’t convince Leslie at all. “No. It’s great. It’s just great…. Have you… er… again?”
“No. It’s casual… just super casual second base stuff."
Ann grabbed her hand again. “It’s just that I never said this-“
“Let’s go to Ben’s place?”
“What?”
“He’s staying at the Super Suites. We’ll go there. You can tell me what you think of him, objectively.”
“I don’t-“
“Come on,” Leslie said, grabbing her BAC chart and Ann’s hand-there was that spark- and pulled Ann to her feet.
Ann went.
***
Leslie knocked on Ben’s hotel room, a firm, steady knock. When he didn’t answer immediately, she knocked again.
The door opened. “Leslie,” Ben said, pleasure in his voice. “Come in.”
Leslie grabbed her hand again, and she was-she was legitimately brushing her thumb over Ann’s hand again and again, and Ann wanted to melt into the floor. “I have Ann.”
His face fell, he leaned around the doorframe, and Ann blushed. The blush only deepened when he noticed their interlocked hands.
The room was typical Pawnee; a clean bed, a plain but serviceable desk, dresser, and one of those stiff-backed fancy chairs that no one ever wanted to sit in. Ann wondered where everyone was going to sit-and for that matter, were they going to sit? What were they doing there, exactly?
Leslie, still gripping Ann’s hand, sat down on the edge of Ben’s bed. Ben sat in the terrible fancy chair.
Silence.
Ben shot up. “Did you guys want anything to drink? OJ? Beer? I just got a Britta filter, though the water still tastes kinda…”
“Beers. Beers all around,” Leslie said.
Ben moved to the kitchenette, disappearing from view.
“Why are we here?” Ann blurted out, whispering into Leslie’s ear.
“I-“ Leslie frowned, her eyes crinkling. “I thought you were-and I was-“
“Fuck it,” Ann said, and she leaned over and kissed Leslie flush on the mouth. Leslie’s lips were warm and feather-light on hers, and she tasted like s’mores. Ann pulled back slightly, left her hand on Leslie’s shoulder and forced herself to look into Leslie’s eyes.
“There’s a reason I broke up with-“
But she couldn’t even get that out, because Leslie grabbed her face and kissed Ann back.
And it was a little awkward-Leslie’s fingers were a little tangled in Ann’s hair and she was pulling and ouch but Leslie’s lips were parting and she was pulling Ann closer and she was almost vibrating with anticipation-
And then Ann heard a noise that sounded like three open beer bottles hitting cheap carpet, or maybe that was Ben’s gasp. She twisted Leslie a little, so she could check out Ben out of the corner of her eye, and he was sans beers, staring.
Weird, Ann thought. This is weird, and she pulled away.
Or tried to, at least, because Leslie was clutching her fairly hard. Ann tilted her head at Ben, and Leslie’s eyes snapped to him. She fluttered a little-Ann could feel it-
and Leslie let go.
Ben broke the silence. “I could leave, if you two need a minute. Or you two can go back to your apartments. Or houses. Or condos. Really, wherever you live is cool.”
“You were in my house,” Ann muttered.
“You don’t have to go,” Leslie said.
“He doesn’t have to go?” Ann asked.
“I should probably go,” Ben said.
Leslie put her hand back on Ann’s, and turned back to Ben, “You should stay.”
Ann cut in, “Because we’re going to go?”
Leslie was firm. “No, we’re going to stay.”
“I don’t have three more beers. I could go get more beers,” Ben said. “Or we could go to a bar.”
“No, we should stay here,” Leslie said.
“I think I’m going to need some beer then,” Ben said.
“I think we should go,” Ann said. “And there’s beer at my house. Ben can stay here and drink his own beer, and we’ll go drink my beer and talk.”
“Most of my beer is in the carpet,” Ben said. “But that’s fine because I could go.”
“We’re going to stay,” Leslie said, popping up. “I’m going to go to the lobby and grab some pop from the vending machine. I’ll be right back.”
Ben sat down on the bed. “I’m really sorry about… I’m not sure what, but I’m sorry about-“ he gestured feebly. “This.”
“You two made out last week?” Ann said, bluntly. She only had a few moments, so she was going to quiz this guy for all he was worth.
“I was drunk. Really drunk. She’s great… nice hair, you know, and ideas, she has so many ideas…” And as he mused on that, he looked at Ann again and flinched. “I just wanted to be her... friend.”
“I’m her friend.”
“I didn’t realize… And I’d never try to come between you. Buddies?”
No. “Sure,” Ann said, and she shook on it.
Leslie chose that moment to return. “The vending machine was acting up, so I have two orange pops and a Mountain Dew. But I found some bourbon in my emergency box in the trunk. It was supposed to be a bribe for Ron, but this works too.”
She’d somehow sweet talked the night manager into giving her some plastic cups, so she set about making what turned out to be some terrible mixed drinks. Still, Ann drank hers, as this was a weird night.
Leslie had squished herself in between them, and the close proximity was driving Ann crazy. There was Leslie, sitting between them, and her body touching so much of Ann’s, and she was doing that thing she did where she was grazing her hand over Ann’s knee. It was making her a little lightheaded. And she leaned over and kissed Leslie on her jawline, then her earlobe, and she whispered I want you. Leslie shuddered, and even Ben must have noticed.
Ann felt herself tightening with anticipation as Leslie started skimming her palm over Ann’s leg. Her hand was hot through the denim, and when Leslie hooked two fingers in her waistband, it was the end.
Ann grabbed Leslie’s face sweeping her into a kiss, cradling the spot on her jaw that she had so recently kissed. She was trailing kisses down her neck, settling into a spot on her clavicle, her calves pressed against Leslie’s thighs. She moved back up to Leslie’s soft, lush mouth, kissing her in all the ways she’d been dreaming about-lightly, teasingly, then harder and more forcefully, then half a dozen small kisses along her bottom lip. Ann had been dimly aware that Ben was still in the room, but it was only then she realized that one of Leslie’s hands was occupied, and then Ben moved behind Leslie, kissing the left side of Leslie’s neck.
There was an awkward moment, when Ann made eye contact with him, and she had a moment where she could either call the whole thing off or continue. But if Ann left, and Leslie didn’t follow her out of the room… Ben couldn’t win. She narrowed her eyes. This was her chance, maybe her one chance with Leslie, and this guy wasn’t going to ruin that for her.
She decided to ignore him as best she could, treat him like her assistant. Assert herself-Leslie always said Ann just needs to learn to assert herself- and see what happens.
***
Ben collapsed on to the bench outside the Super Suites. He was exhausted; emotionally more than physically. The whole thing had been a little awkward; just too many elbows. Too much pressure. At least Ann had been into it.
Also, he tripped twice. Not that he never fell over, but he was fairly certain Ann had something to do with that.
He heard the door to the motel open, and he sensed, rather than saw, that Leslie had joined him.
“Ann’s dozing.” She paused, and then sat down next to him. “That was…” she trailed off.
“I know,” he said, not sure that he did.
The night was muggy, and there was a few fireflies buzzing around them. She put her hand right next to his, and he grabbed hers, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.
Ben tried to sort his thoughts. He preferred things neat; his books lined up, his shirts all pressed and facing the same way in his closet, and his covers tucked in. And here was this woman, creating chaos wherever she went.
His romantic life had been on a path; he lusted after the unobtainable, and then dated casually, never mixing his work life and his personal life. And yet here, he’d reached out for a friend and found this, this hurricane who swept into his life and his room and upturned everything.
He glanced at his watch. He had half an hour.
Chris-he always went for a midnight run, and as he was just up the road from Ben’s hotel, he passed by at the same time each night, often checking for Ben on this bench, who more often than not was out there too.
Half an hour.
He started tapping his foot. “Work tomorrow, right?”
“Absolutely. I’m essential these days.”
“Sure. And I’ve got budget meetings with the library first thing.”
She not only didn’t take the hint, she lectured him on the destructive powers of librarians.
He tried yawning.
He tried checking his watch in the most obvious way possible.
Finally he burst out, “Look I hate to come off like an asshole but Chris is going to run through this parking lot soon and I don’t know that he knows your car but he might and then that’s going to call the entire process into question can you maybe go?”
“Shit! Let me gather Ann,” Leslie said, kissing him on the cheek.
Ben raked his fingers through his hair. Too much stress.
***
The next morning, Ann woke up and reached for Leslie.
But Ann was alone.
This didn’t mean anything, though. Leslie’d driven her home last night, and though they hadn’t kissed, she’d given a long, lingering hug, and she’d touched her forehead to Ann’s, and she’d whispered something. Ann had no idea what, because Leslie’s lips had touched her earlobe, and she’d felt warm and confused.
Warm and confused. That was how she felt about last night; one of her strangest nights.
This morning, though, she knew exactly what she wanted.
Shower, lipgloss, and the jeans that make her ass look amazing. She looked in the mirror and fluffed her hair, and gave herself a smile. You can do this.
She stopped off at the florist on the way, and selected a dozen flowers.
“Someone special?” the clerk asked, wrapping them up into a bouquet. He winked, and she blushed. But then she smelled the flowers, and they smelled like summer and love and Leslie’s shampoo, and she gave him a wink back and a “Very special.”
She went to City Hall, because Leslie was there. Leslie, Leslie, Leslie, she thought, the name ringing her head every time she took a step. She felt like last night was plastered on her forehead, that whoever saw her would know what she’d been up to, but no one had stopped her or gave her a second glance. Leslie, Leslie, Leslie, and she walked into the Parks Department.
It was strange, the department empty, but it was the perfect place to tell Leslie how she felt. And there she was, in her window, smiling as she wrote something. Ann took another stop Leslie and then-
Ben was in there, in the office with Leslie, and he was touching her arm and he said something and she laughed and looked at Ben with hearts in her eyes. Ann clutched her flowers, and walked out of the office.
She leaned against the door. She smelled her flowers, sighed. She let the hand holding the flowers drop, and sighed again.
Shit.
She felt some a tear welling up in her eye.
She wiped it away.
She held a fist up to her lip.
Time to go.
She turned and almost walked into someone.
“Ann Perkins!” Chris, Chris whats-his-last-name said, putting his hands on her shoulders to steady her.
“Hey Chris,” she said, shaking him off, taking a moment to collect herself.
“Those are the loveliest flowers I’ve ever seen. Did someone give them to you?” he asked, glancing around.
“I got them for… myself, actually. I needed a pick-me-up.”
“Do you need to talk? Do you need to sit down? Can I get you some water? Or some vitamin C? I have some in my-“ he patted his pocket and frowned. “No, I have some in my office though.” He put his hand back on her shoulder.
She bit her lip, glanced at the door, and looked back at Chris. “You know, Chris, let’s go get that vitamin C.”
And when she took that next step, she heard Leslie in her soul so she started talking, a shade too loudly.
That helped.
A little.
***
Midway though Leslie’s speech-You’re a great guy, you’re going to make some woman very happy one day, if circumstances weren’t such, if Ann wasn’t my life and soul-Ben realized he was about to lose the one sort-of friend he’s made since he rolled in to Pawnee.
Not that she’d said that, but everyone knows “let’s just be friends” is not actually an invitation to the movies. And Ann-he didn’t know what Ann’s deal was, but even if she was completely cool with her girlfriend seeing other people, Leslie wasn’t interested.
So he said all the right things, laughed at her jokes, touched her arm because he understands, really, Leslie and you two are great together and we’ll have to get together sometime… for drinks. And he congratulated her on being brave and that was the worst part; watching her be brave in a way he couldn’t even imagine.
Though… there was no reason he couldn’t be, too, right?
He interrupted a story she was telling, yet another subtle attempt to sway him regarding the Parks budget. He admired her pluck; most people would be too self-conscious, but she just plowed right from morning-after talk to work.
“Leslie, you and Ann. How long have you two been…”
“Oh, we met two years ago.”
“And for you, how did you know you wanted to date her?”
Leslie leaned forward. “She’s always been… you know how sometimes you just meet someone and you…. It’s almost chemical. People say ‘chemistry’ and it’s so cliché, you know, ‘we have amazing chemistry’ but sometimes it’s really a thing. And it’s not always sexual… though it can be.” She gave him a shy little smile, looking just beautiful, and it really was a shame she didn’t want to hook up again.
“Did you always know that you’re-into women?”
“Oh I’m-at least I don’t think,” she said, frowning. “No, just Ann. But you know, if she’d never come on to me, I don’t think I would’ve. Yeah, she was really assertive, and there was this moment where she made it clear and it was like going to the eye doctor, when he switches from the one lens to the other because your prescription went up? And you just didn’t even realize what you were missing.”
So Leslie wasn’t the brave one, not really. It was Ann. Thank you, Ann.
They hugged, and he left the Parks department, walked the stairs, and headed to room 214. The door was open, and there was Chris-Chris- smiling that huge smile of his, the one that just lit up the room. At least he had Chris.
Or did he? Because there was Ann-frigging Ann Perkins, perched on the edge of Chris’s desk, a bouquet of flowers in her hands. And then Chris leaned over and kissed her cheek, and Ben cringed. Yet another beautiful woman Chris would be fawning over, distracted from his work and his friends.
And there was Ann, for whom one was never enough, apparently. It wasn’t enough she’d taken the first woman he’d been interested in for a while, but now she was going to date Chris too?
He walked into the room, smiled blandly at them both. They went through all the pleasantries, while Ann avoided his eyes, and Chris gave him a discrete look of glee.
Ben settled chair, pulled out a box of files-what files? Who cares?- and tried to ignore the pain in his heart. He might have told Leslie she was brave, but here Ann was getting exactly what he always wanted.
“Ben I forgot I was going to give you these-“ Leslie burst into the office, a mini-tornado juggling an armful of binders.
Chris greeted her with a warm, “Leslie Knope!”
She whipped around to him, “And you, I have more binders-“ but she stopped short. “Ann! You’re here… with Chris… you’re here with Chris.”
“Yeah,” Ann said, a little chilly, putting a hand on Chris’s arm. “And I see you’re visiting Ben.”
“I guess,” Leslie said, tossing the binders on Ben’s desk, dropping one labeled “RACOONS 2007” on the floor and not picking it up. “Or something.” She drummed her fingers on the desk once, twice, and then she almost fled the office with a I have to go make a call bye tossed over her shoulder.
He didn’t see what Leslie was being so weird about. She and her girlfriend had the weirdest welcoming committee he’d ever seen.
Not that it’d been bad. But it'd been weird.
“Friday night, then?” Ann asked, scooping up her flowers.
Chris nodded and walked her out of the office, his hand resting lightly on her back.
Ben put his head down on the pile of binders and sighed.