Fic: The Best Part
For the second year in a row, Ben wouldn't mind if his birthday was forgotten entirely. The list of other occasions and people that wanted attention was long and he had never been the type to seek the spotlight, anyway. His parents were torn between concern and relief. His sister swallowed every impulse to argue. Lindy would support whatever he decided. Most everyone had their own dramas to attend to and their own celebrations to wish they might ignore. But Winona pouted.
"The holidays are enough of a reason for you to have a party," countered Ben.
"That's not the point." Ben sighed at her slightly pleading tone. "I want to celebrate you." Ben was special and special to her, and she didn't know that many ways of showing it. Parties, gifts, dancing, sex... He refused them all.
"We can have a private dinner."
Winona cocked her head. "How private?" Her tone had gone from pleading to playful in a way only Winona could fully pull off. And was just as sigh inducing for different reasons. "Does it involve my underwear?"
"I have a girlfriend," Ben answered with exasperation. "That would be inappropriate."
Winona shook her head; she didn't really see why, and she didn't care about appropriate anyway. But she did care about Ben. "Whatever you want."
"A small dinner with you and your people and me and Lindy." She nodded. "Close people. I mean it about small." She nodded again. "And no underwear."
She giggled. "Teddy and Cooper?" she suggested.
"That's fine," he agreed.
"Do you want to eat out or in?"
"I wouldn't mind going out." Ben thought he'd have more fun if it was less like a party. "As long as it won't be a paparazzi fest." He didn't want the attention. Not on him or his family or his friends, even the ones who were used to it.
She gave him a wink and quick kiss on the cheek. "I know how to get around them."
Winona arranged a quiet, but not wholly private, table at a restaurant so upscale Ben wouldn't think to try it. But one of Winona's greatest talents was to drag people out of their comfort zone in such a way they ended up thanking her. It was just the right amount of fancy.
After dinner they returned to the twins' apartment for cake and presents. Except for Winona's -- she gave her box to Lindy prompting Ben to sit on it rather than let her open it -- the gifts were mostly practical or simple, but artistic or goofy, like Ben himself.
"What's that?"
Winona placed two cakes on the table in front of Ben, forty candles lighting the circle of friends around him. "I don't think he wants me to say."
Cooper rolled her eyes. "The cakes. Why are there two cakes?"
"I made that one." Winona nodded to the smaller cake. "But I ordered another because..." She shrugged. Because she worried her's wouldn't be good enough. She stood straight and led the others in a bizarre four person harmony singing "Happy Birthday to you".
Cooper shook her head. "You're ridiculous," she whispered to Winona when the singing ended. "But very sweet."
Games followed and movies and music, and Winona made Ben and Lindy stay past midnight so she could wish him well on the real day.
"Thank you," Ben accepted her many happy returns. "We can go now?" His eyes twinkled. He was teasing her.
"If you must. You're always welcome to stay."
"I know." He gave her hand a squeeze. "I have plans. I'm flying down to see Amelia."
"Right now?"
He shot her a look. "In the morning. Right now, I'm going to -- bed." He'd started to say sleep, but imagined how that would go. Easier to be up front.
"I have a bed."
He should have anticipated that, too. "Winona..."
"Shhh." She touched two fingers to his lips. "But we do have rooms to spare and if you and-or Lindy ever want one, it's yours. Amelia, too, for that matter."
Ben smiled and kissed her fingertips. "I'll tell her."
"The holidays are enough of a reason for you to have a party," countered Ben.
"That's not the point." Ben sighed at her slightly pleading tone. "I want to celebrate you." Ben was special and special to her, and she didn't know that many ways of showing it. Parties, gifts, dancing, sex... He refused them all.
"We can have a private dinner."
Winona cocked her head. "How private?" Her tone had gone from pleading to playful in a way only Winona could fully pull off. And was just as sigh inducing for different reasons. "Does it involve my underwear?"
"I have a girlfriend," Ben answered with exasperation. "That would be inappropriate."
Winona shook her head; she didn't really see why, and she didn't care about appropriate anyway. But she did care about Ben. "Whatever you want."
"A small dinner with you and your people and me and Lindy." She nodded. "Close people. I mean it about small." She nodded again. "And no underwear."
She giggled. "Teddy and Cooper?" she suggested.
"That's fine," he agreed.
"Do you want to eat out or in?"
"I wouldn't mind going out." Ben thought he'd have more fun if it was less like a party. "As long as it won't be a paparazzi fest." He didn't want the attention. Not on him or his family or his friends, even the ones who were used to it.
She gave him a wink and quick kiss on the cheek. "I know how to get around them."
Winona arranged a quiet, but not wholly private, table at a restaurant so upscale Ben wouldn't think to try it. But one of Winona's greatest talents was to drag people out of their comfort zone in such a way they ended up thanking her. It was just the right amount of fancy.
After dinner they returned to the twins' apartment for cake and presents. Except for Winona's -- she gave her box to Lindy prompting Ben to sit on it rather than let her open it -- the gifts were mostly practical or simple, but artistic or goofy, like Ben himself.
"What's that?"
Winona placed two cakes on the table in front of Ben, forty candles lighting the circle of friends around him. "I don't think he wants me to say."
Cooper rolled her eyes. "The cakes. Why are there two cakes?"
"I made that one." Winona nodded to the smaller cake. "But I ordered another because..." She shrugged. Because she worried her's wouldn't be good enough. She stood straight and led the others in a bizarre four person harmony singing "Happy Birthday to you".
Cooper shook her head. "You're ridiculous," she whispered to Winona when the singing ended. "But very sweet."
Games followed and movies and music, and Winona made Ben and Lindy stay past midnight so she could wish him well on the real day.
"Thank you," Ben accepted her many happy returns. "We can go now?" His eyes twinkled. He was teasing her.
"If you must. You're always welcome to stay."
"I know." He gave her hand a squeeze. "I have plans. I'm flying down to see Amelia."
"Right now?"
He shot her a look. "In the morning. Right now, I'm going to -- bed." He'd started to say sleep, but imagined how that would go. Easier to be up front.
"I have a bed."
He should have anticipated that, too. "Winona..."
"Shhh." She touched two fingers to his lips. "But we do have rooms to spare and if you and-or Lindy ever want one, it's yours. Amelia, too, for that matter."
Ben smiled and kissed her fingertips. "I'll tell her."