Fic: "The Airport Gift Shop"
Title:The Airport Gift Shop
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~1000
Spoilers: For 5.05 - Halloween Surprise
Summary: So I'm losing my Parks fic posting virginity and adding to the already overflowing pile of fluff. Some short missing scenes around Ben's trip from Washington to Pawnee. I'm kinda nervous, so please be gentle. ;)
A/N: Thanks to the wonderful courtknees1 for the beta. And also thanks to the fabulous stillscape who has helped me out a lot with some as yet unpublished fic, and her advice was definitely of influence here too. It's too late to be birthday fic, but my real present was that I didn't ask her to beta this one. :)
***
“Think about your future.”
The words run through Ben's brain, over and over, like a screwdriver being forced into his skull through the temples. What does he want? He has no idea. No. He has ideas. He has too many ideas. Choosing one, that's the problem.
He loves this job. Well, he loves the idea of this job. Maybe the reality hasn't quite lived up to the expectation. But he's good at it. Really good. And he can't think of anything that he could be this good at in Pawnee.
Except for Leslie. He's good at being with Leslie.
But is that enough? Can he give up his career for her, again? You can't exactly make a living running your girlfriend's occasional small town city council races.
For an office made of glass, it can feel oddly claustrophobic.
Ben stands up, quickly loosening his tie and pulling it over his head. He throws it onto his desk, and as he does so, his eyes fall on the dark red box that stands open on the shelf behind him. The box that signifies so much. So much sacrifice, and so much love. The kind of love that doesn't come around very often. And suddenly he knows.
He may not know exactly what his future holds, but he doesn't care.
He just knows that right now, there's something much more important that he needs to do.
*********************************************
“How much?” Ben's eyes widen as the sales assistant repeats the figure. “Wow.”
“It's a beauty though.”
“Yeah. It is.”
He knows she'll love it.
Ben glances at his watch and then up at the departures screen that sits just outside the store. There's only twenty minutes to get to his gate. He pulls out his credit card.
“I'll take it.”
The assistant smiles, and pulls the diamond ring out from behind its glass case, carrying it over to the register to wrap up.
He starts to feel slightly queasy. He can't believe he's buying the most important thing he'll ever buy in an airport gift shop, but he needs it, and it's perfect, and he just doesn't care.
He can't wait to see it on her finger.
*********************************************
He pulls up outside Pioneer Hall, badly parking his rental car, almost forgetting to lock it as he runs for the front door. He didn't want to know how many speed limits he'd broken on his way from the airport.
He automatically heads in the direction of the Parks department, before remembering that she has a new office now. An office he hasn't seen yet. An office he has no idea where to find. He continues his march towards the Parks department, desperately hoping he'll find someone there who can tell him.
He glances at his watch.
5.33pm.
There's not a chance in hell anyone will be there thirty three minutes after knocking off time.
And then he sees her standing in the hall up ahead. The one person who is sure to know where he can find Leslie. The one person he can't believe he didn't think of asking first.
So he runs at her, yelling her name.
Ann halts and turns around.
“What the hell? Stop shouting,” pausing as she realises who it is. “Wait, what are you doing here? Leslie never said you were coming home.”
“I'm... surprising her.”
“Aw, that's sweet.”
“Yeah. Do you know where she is?” he says impatiently.
Ann eyes him suspiciously.
“What's going on?” She glances down, noticing the box clutched in Ben's hands. “Are you...? Oh my god, you are. Are you?”
“I just need to know where she is, Ann.”
The smile that had been developing on her face drops, and her eyes narrow again.
“Right, well, she's at what was supposed to be your new house with the realtor, trying to back out of the lease, because she's under the impression you aren't coming home...”
Ben cuts her off.
“Perfect.”
He starts in the direction of the exit, before turning abruptly to face Ann again.
“Do you have the address?” He knows the street, but not the number.
Ann ducks into the nearest office, picks up a notepad and scribbles down the information he needs.
“Sure,” she says, as she hands him the paper.
He grabs it, and runs.
“You're welcome!” Ann shouts after him. “And... good luck!”
Just as he reaches the door, Ben slows his run and beams back at her.
“Thanks Ann. You're the best.”
*********************************************
Her car is parked outside when he gets there.
This is it. No backing out now. He's really doing this.
And suddenly, he feels calm.
This whole day has been such a rush of confusion, and nerves, and excitement, and just damn trying to get to her as quickly as possible. And now he's here. He knows she's inside that front door. The front door of what will be soon be their first home together. And he's just happy.
He takes the red box from underneath the seat belt where he had so carefully secured it. He slowly opens it. The ring stares back at him, silently representing his future. The future he knows he wants. His future with her. He doesn't know what else it holds, but he's going to let today have this part. The rest can wait.
He slams the box shut and steps out of the car.
As he reaches the front door, he pauses. He smooths down his suit. And he smiles.
This is it.
*****
A/N: Right, so I totally understand if some of you are mad that I just made Ben buy the ring in an airport. I really do. I found the spontaneity of the proposal to be one of the things that made it so perfect, and I just wanted to do something to highlight that spontaneity. But I fully expect that some of you won't quite feel the same about it, and that's cool too.
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~1000
Spoilers: For 5.05 - Halloween Surprise
Summary: So I'm losing my Parks fic posting virginity and adding to the already overflowing pile of fluff. Some short missing scenes around Ben's trip from Washington to Pawnee. I'm kinda nervous, so please be gentle. ;)
A/N: Thanks to the wonderful courtknees1 for the beta. And also thanks to the fabulous stillscape who has helped me out a lot with some as yet unpublished fic, and her advice was definitely of influence here too. It's too late to be birthday fic, but my real present was that I didn't ask her to beta this one. :)
***
“Think about your future.”
The words run through Ben's brain, over and over, like a screwdriver being forced into his skull through the temples. What does he want? He has no idea. No. He has ideas. He has too many ideas. Choosing one, that's the problem.
He loves this job. Well, he loves the idea of this job. Maybe the reality hasn't quite lived up to the expectation. But he's good at it. Really good. And he can't think of anything that he could be this good at in Pawnee.
Except for Leslie. He's good at being with Leslie.
But is that enough? Can he give up his career for her, again? You can't exactly make a living running your girlfriend's occasional small town city council races.
For an office made of glass, it can feel oddly claustrophobic.
Ben stands up, quickly loosening his tie and pulling it over his head. He throws it onto his desk, and as he does so, his eyes fall on the dark red box that stands open on the shelf behind him. The box that signifies so much. So much sacrifice, and so much love. The kind of love that doesn't come around very often. And suddenly he knows.
He may not know exactly what his future holds, but he doesn't care.
He just knows that right now, there's something much more important that he needs to do.
*********************************************
“How much?” Ben's eyes widen as the sales assistant repeats the figure. “Wow.”
“It's a beauty though.”
“Yeah. It is.”
He knows she'll love it.
Ben glances at his watch and then up at the departures screen that sits just outside the store. There's only twenty minutes to get to his gate. He pulls out his credit card.
“I'll take it.”
The assistant smiles, and pulls the diamond ring out from behind its glass case, carrying it over to the register to wrap up.
He starts to feel slightly queasy. He can't believe he's buying the most important thing he'll ever buy in an airport gift shop, but he needs it, and it's perfect, and he just doesn't care.
He can't wait to see it on her finger.
*********************************************
He pulls up outside Pioneer Hall, badly parking his rental car, almost forgetting to lock it as he runs for the front door. He didn't want to know how many speed limits he'd broken on his way from the airport.
He automatically heads in the direction of the Parks department, before remembering that she has a new office now. An office he hasn't seen yet. An office he has no idea where to find. He continues his march towards the Parks department, desperately hoping he'll find someone there who can tell him.
He glances at his watch.
5.33pm.
There's not a chance in hell anyone will be there thirty three minutes after knocking off time.
And then he sees her standing in the hall up ahead. The one person who is sure to know where he can find Leslie. The one person he can't believe he didn't think of asking first.
So he runs at her, yelling her name.
Ann halts and turns around.
“What the hell? Stop shouting,” pausing as she realises who it is. “Wait, what are you doing here? Leslie never said you were coming home.”
“I'm... surprising her.”
“Aw, that's sweet.”
“Yeah. Do you know where she is?” he says impatiently.
Ann eyes him suspiciously.
“What's going on?” She glances down, noticing the box clutched in Ben's hands. “Are you...? Oh my god, you are. Are you?”
“I just need to know where she is, Ann.”
The smile that had been developing on her face drops, and her eyes narrow again.
“Right, well, she's at what was supposed to be your new house with the realtor, trying to back out of the lease, because she's under the impression you aren't coming home...”
Ben cuts her off.
“Perfect.”
He starts in the direction of the exit, before turning abruptly to face Ann again.
“Do you have the address?” He knows the street, but not the number.
Ann ducks into the nearest office, picks up a notepad and scribbles down the information he needs.
“Sure,” she says, as she hands him the paper.
He grabs it, and runs.
“You're welcome!” Ann shouts after him. “And... good luck!”
Just as he reaches the door, Ben slows his run and beams back at her.
“Thanks Ann. You're the best.”
*********************************************
Her car is parked outside when he gets there.
This is it. No backing out now. He's really doing this.
And suddenly, he feels calm.
This whole day has been such a rush of confusion, and nerves, and excitement, and just damn trying to get to her as quickly as possible. And now he's here. He knows she's inside that front door. The front door of what will be soon be their first home together. And he's just happy.
He takes the red box from underneath the seat belt where he had so carefully secured it. He slowly opens it. The ring stares back at him, silently representing his future. The future he knows he wants. His future with her. He doesn't know what else it holds, but he's going to let today have this part. The rest can wait.
He slams the box shut and steps out of the car.
As he reaches the front door, he pauses. He smooths down his suit. And he smiles.
This is it.
*****
A/N: Right, so I totally understand if some of you are mad that I just made Ben buy the ring in an airport. I really do. I found the spontaneity of the proposal to be one of the things that made it so perfect, and I just wanted to do something to highlight that spontaneity. But I fully expect that some of you won't quite feel the same about it, and that's cool too.