October 2015 Drabbles
Rating: G-PG
Timeline: all over the place
Summary: 1. Ben taking care of a pregnant Leslie after she sprains her ankle, 2. Stephen the storyteller, 3. Cuddle-fic (takes place during Are You Better Off?), 4. Ruta Baga Ginsberg, 5. Ben and Stephen carving a pumpkin, 6. Cliff-jumping, 7. Ben and Leslie, teaching the triplets to drive, 8. Sonia painting Ben's nails, 9. Ben comforting a tired, pregnant Leslie, 10. Bobo's full name, 11. The triplets hosting a seance
1. Ben taking care of a pregnant Leslie after she sprains her ankle
“Are you mad? You seem mad,” Leslie comments, as Ben fusses with a folded up plaid comforter and a dark blue throw pillow down at the end of their bed.
It’s three in the afternoon and he’s got a work suit on and although he looks slightly less frazzled than he did an hour ago when he met her at Dr. Saperstein’s office, he still seems very concerned.
Or mad. She’s not quite sure yet.
Seemingly satisfied, Ben lifts her leg up so that her foot is delicately resting on top of everything and elevated above her heart.
“I’m not mad,” he answers finally, giving her a look she can’t quite figure out.
“Are you sure? Because-”
“Leslie, I’m not. I promise,” he assures her.
She starts to question him but he’s talking again before she can even get any words out.
“Alright, I know sometimes I say I’m not mad even when I really am, but I would never say I promise if I was actually mad. I’m just…worried. You fell and you called me on the way to the doctor’s office and you scared the hell out of me. I just…I’m still a little freaked out.”
“Okay. That’s fair,” Leslie answers and watches as Ben picks up the homemade ice pack and gently places the plastic baggie filled with ice cubes against her ankle.
“Mother…flopper! Oh, that is cold! Cold! I’m not a penguin, Ben!” She practically jumps up but he holds it in place regardless.
Although the sealed plastic bag is wrapped in a cloth napkin-one of her favorites, one with owls on it, it’s as cold as a god damn glacier. And even though she’s been trying not to swear as much while she’s currently growing babies inside her…fuck, that is super fucking cold.
“Babe. It’s ice. It’s going to be a little icy.”
“Well, that’s too icy.”
“No, it’s not. And it needs to stay on there for fifteen minutes.” He crawls up the length of the bed and sits next to her, his legs spread out next to hers and when Ben speaks, his voice is all soft. “Are you okay?”
Is she okay?
Her ankle is throbbing and if she’s being honest, she’s the one that’s mad. So mad at herself for being so careless. But instead of saying any of that, she tries to give him a smile, before snuggling against him, while keeping her propped-up foot still.
“I’m fine. Well, except for my ankle. I was just so worried about the babies that I wanted to make sure nothing happened when I fell. And I wanted you there. I’m sorry I scared you.”
“Leslie…of course you should have gotten checked out and you definitely should have called me so I could be there too. There’s nothing to be sorry for.”
She nods even as her eyes start to water. Earlier she had been so panicked as Ben had held her hand and Dr. Saperstein checked on her and the triplets, that she hadn’t even been thinking about anything else. But now…her mind is filled with a million something elses.
“How did you even fall?”
Leslie takes a breath. “I was walking with Donna in the parking lot, we were coming back from lunch, and I tripped in a pothole or something. I’m not sure. You know, as City Manager, you should really do something about that…the potholes,” she clarifies.
After helping her up and back to her office briefly for a quick phone consultation with Ann, Donna had then driven her to Dr. Saperstein’s office in her Mercedes. She’d stayed with Leslie until Ben got there. Thankfully, he’d just been at a meeting off-site and close enough to get to her in about ten minutes.
Still, it was a long ten minutes.
“Well, until I can get all the potholes filled, please, please be careful when you walk,” he implores her now.
“I was wearing those black shoes, the pumps,” she says quickly, trying to get it all out at once. “I changed into the flats I had in my desk drawer before going to see the doctor, because I really couldn’t walk in the heels after I fell but…” she stops and starts crying, everything finally gushing out in a big hormonal, guilty-feeling explosion. “Oh my god, Ben. Why did I wear those shoes? I felt unbalanced the other day, I should have stopped wearing them but I was running late and…hallway…and…they were closer, and…” she trails off, an emotional pregnant-mess.
“Oh, Leslie. Shhhh, it’s okay,” his arms go around her and she feels instantly better. But also still pretty terrible because of all the what-ifs running through her brain.
“Ben, I’m a horrible pregnant person. I didn’t take the time this morning to find safe shoes and-”
“Honey, you’re not a horrible pregnant person. That’s not-”
“Something could have happened.”
“But it didn’t,” he returns, as she sniffles next to him. “You’re fine, well…except for your ankle.”
“And my knee,” she adds, glancing down to where her now-torn pants leg is stilled rolled up from when Ben had cleaned off the skinned, starting-to-bruise spot when they first got home. He was so gentle and careful as he washed the dirt and blood off and she had thought, he’s going to make such an amazing father. He’s so kind and tender and super sexy.
Okay, well, that last part is probably not appropriate, but it’s true none the less.
“And the babies are fine,” he continues. “But yeah, you should probably start wearing more practical shoes.”
She nods. Now they’ve both got an arm resting on her belly, Ben turned to snuggle into her, and she feels a bit calmer and really, Leslie would feel even better if her ankle didn’t still throb every so often.
And if the ice wasn’t so ridiculously cold. Seriously, her whole foot is practically going numb.
“Definitely,” she responds, starting to get the tears under control. “I’m just angry at myself for being so…obtuse about my footwear. But I’m hanging up my black pumps and just wearing very sensible sneakers for the next four months. Maybe slippers. Or moccasins? I don’t know. Something safe and flat.”
He laughs. “Yeah, well…just tell me that you’re not going to make a fuss about working from home tomorrow with your foot up. Because that’s what is happening, even if I have to stay home and work from bed with you.”
“Hmmm, now that could be fun.”
“With your foot elevated, babe,” he adds, giving her a look.
“Right. That would probably still work.”
Ben considers this and nods. “Yeah, we can probably figure something out.”
____
2. Stephen the storyteller
Note: This drabble is based on wafflesjunior’s awesome headcanon that Stephen is a long rambling storyteller. She said people could incorporate it into triplet fics, so I wrote this.
“And then Chip went to battle the ant monsters,” Stephen whispers to his parents, as they sit on the edge of his bed. The little boy’s stuffed teddy bear Chip is also all ready for bed, tucked in under the covers with the five year-old and the only light is the glow from the small nightlight in the corner of the room.
Ben and Leslie had finished reading a story to all the triplets about forty minutes ago, but then Stephen had wanted to tell his parents a bedtime story. The unexpected request was so cute that they eagerly agreed.
That was a half an hour ago. It’s slightly less cute now.
But only slightly, because it is still pretty much completely adorable, Leslie thinks. But long. It’s a very long story…with lots of twists and turns.
“That was very brave of Chip,” she whispers back, as she leans over to kiss her son’s forehead. She also gives Chip a kiss on his little furry teddy bear forehead.
“Goodnig-”
“Wait! There’s more!“ Stephen says, grabbing onto Leslie’s arm. “Ant monsters can fly and the eagles gave them wings. Before Chip was born.”
“Flying ants? Do they have cool robot ant wings?” Ben asks, sitting back down with apparent interest, but then Leslie turns around and gives him a look, so he adds, “Hey, buddy, why don’t you tell us more about the flying ants tomorrow?”
“But daddy, it’s impotent.”
Both of his parents make a confused face, then Leslie gets it and corrects the little boy with, “important. It’s important. And it is, but your brother and sister are already asleep. You should be too, honey.” To emphasize her point, Wesley quietly snores in the background.
“Ant monsters like donuts and cookies. But Chip likes ice cream. His favorite is vanilla.”
Leslie frowns. “Are you sure you don’t mean chocolate?”
Stephen shakes his head. “Vanilla, with bug sprinkles. The ant king likes cake.”
“Chocolate cake, right?” Leslie guesses. The cake must be chocolate. Who would like a plain vanilla cake? Certainly not royalty.
“Yes!” Stephen confirms with a smile. “Chocolate cake with wet pebbles. And the fight was with cake and pumpkins. Chip hurt his arm but Bobo flew him home.”
“That’s very exciting,” Ben responds, not bothering to mention that ostriches can’t fly. “But now you really should try to go to sleep. Because…um, the ant king told me that little boys need to be asleep by nine o'clock or the kingdom will be invaded by…mean ice cream hawks.”
Leslie smiles at her husband’s words and reaches back to take Ben’s hand.
“You can’t talk to ants, daddy,” Stephen says with a giggle, like Ben had just suggested the most ridiculous thing ever. “That’s silly. The ants talk like dinosaurs. I can tell you how that happened!”
“No,” Leslie and Ben both say at the same time, gently but firmly. Leslie gets up and Ben moves forward, leaning down to give both Stephen and Chip another kiss goodnight.
But Stephen is undeterred.
“Long ago, the dinosaurs liked magic parks and they kept them clean and pretty, so everyone could play. Just like mommy,” he begins.
Leslie sighs and sits back down on the edge of the bed with a smile. How can she resist an opening like that? She can hear Ben laugh quietly behind her as he runs his hand along her back.
“Alright, the short version. How did the dinosaurs meet the ants?” Ben asks, leaning back and getting comfortable.
____
3. Cuddle-fic (takes place during Are You Better Off?)
“Come here,” Ben says and it takes Leslie a minute to see him in the bed, where he’s all bundled up, with two comforters around him.
“Are you sure there’s room for me in your comforter cocoon there?”
“Yes,” he says, nodding. He even unwraps and then holds the covers out to further entice her.
“Okay, but Ben, you have to help me brainstorm ideas for Founder’s Week. You have to promise if I get in there with you, you’re not going to be all sexy and tempting. I need to work.”
“I promise.” But even as he says it, Ben looks all sexy and tempting.
“Ugh, I just know this is a trick, but…” Leslie trails off and gets in bed with him and he proceeds to bundle them both up, so that they’re facing each other and sharing his pillow.
“How are you even cold? Aren’t you from Minnesota? It’s May.”
He just laughs and shrugs and holds her close.
Yeah. This is definitely a cuddle-trick.
“Okay, we’re meeting with everyone at Ron’s cabin tomorrow and we’re not leaving until we have a plan about how to celebrate the most amazing town in the world.”
“Right” he agrees. But even as he says it, his hands are reaching around, sliding under her pajama pants, and then squeezing her bare butt.
“Seriously?”
“What?” He asks, trying to act all innocent.
Well, two can play at this game, she thinks. Plus, his butt always gives her such great ideas.
Leslie pushes her hands back as well and right under his flannel pants, until each palm is cupping one of his warm and perfect ass cheeks. She gives them both a firm squeeze.
And then continues on with her brainstorming.
“So far we have a pie-eating contest, a giant petting zoo, and the founder’s week parade,” she tells him, all while continuing to grope his backside.
“That sounds good,” Ben agrees, teasingly rubbing his hands along her skin, and when he reaches the backs of her thighs and lightens up his touch, she wiggles and laughs.
Damn it, he knows she’s super ticklish there.
“Ben. Come on. Focus. The public forum is next week.”
“You’re telling me to focus?”
“Yes,” she says, but even as the words are leaving her lips, she’s scratching her fingernails lightly on the back of his thighs, before slowly heading back up to his butt.
“Okay, here’s a question that I’m going to ask everyone tomorrow at the cabin-what makes Pawnee the best city in the world?”
“That’s easy,” he says, right before giving her a kiss. A really warm kiss that makes her smile and absentmindedly try to slide her leg up his, as he pushes her pants down farther and places a hand between her thighs.
But still, there’s a Founder’s Week to plan. So she asks, “What is it? The waffles at JJ’s?”
Ben grins at her. “No. Leslie Knope is what makes Pawnee the best city in the world.”
Oh. That is so sweet.
Fuck it, she thinks, before moving even closer to him, so that their foreheads and noses are touching and her hand is working its way around his hip to the front and down.
They can just brainstorm tomorrow at the cabin.
____
4. Ruta Baga Ginsberg
It’s just a few days until Halloween and Ben is sitting on the bed, waiting, when Leslie finally comes out of the bathroom to model her Halloween costume for him.
They’d been invited to a party at April and Andy’s and although there’s not an official costume contest, Leslie is just competitive enough to have spent the last week getting the perfect outfit together for the event.
For the last few days, she’d been privately working on a Halloween costume that she wouldn’t even tell him any details about. Whenever he’d ask, she’d wave him off and just say that she didn’t want to ruin the surprise.
Well, that’s not quite accurate. Leslie did tell him it was completely amazing and the best costume she’d ever designed.
But now, when she’s dressed up and standing in front of him expectantly, Ben is…confused.
His pregnant wife is a big yellow and purple root vegetable, that much he can figure out, and the costume crazily seems to be even more padded than her currently very rounded belly. But, Leslie has also got a big black robe hanging open over it, large glasses on the bridge of her nose, and a lacy collar around her neck.
Her own blonde hair is tucked up under a dark green, vegetable-top looking wig, with all the hair pulled up in a tight, no-nonsense bun.
“Well?” She asks impatiently, like she has a secret she can’t wait to share with him. “What do you think? Do you get it? Ben? Do you get it?”
Is she a turnip?
A parsnip?
He’s about to ask for a hint but then, all at once, he gets it and starts laughing-huge belly laughs that almost knock him over.
“Oh my god.”
Ben gets a hold of himself, and takes his phone out so he can snap a couple of pictures as she smiles cutely at him. Is it actually possible to get turned on by your wife when she is dressed up like a Supreme Court vegetable?
Yes, he thinks. The answer is yes.
“Babe? Come on, do you know who I am or not?”
Ben grins. “Yep. I do. You are Justice Ruta Baga Ginsberg.”
She walks closer, practically beaming. “That’s right. You figured it out!”
“Of course I figured it out. And now, please tell me you’re going to show me how Ruta Baga Ginsberg kisses,” Ben asks, reaching out so that his hands are on her hips (at least where he thinks her hips are), pulling her even closer.
Her padded and baby-filled tummy pushes against him and Ben wonders briefly if there’s some vegetable-costume equivalent of a furry.
____
5. Ben and Stephen carving a pumpkin
“No, daddy. Make the eyes scarier!”
Ben frowns for a second and puts the sharp knife down on the table, away from the wide awake six year old. Sonia and Wesley were satisfied with the basic triangle-eyes and smiling, toothy grins that he and Leslie had carved on the first two pumpkins-but not Stephen. Not their little artist.
So, while the other two jack o’lanterns are already out on the front porch, the third pumpkin is still sitting on the dining room table. Hallowed-out but still uncarved.
“Scarier how?”
“Meaner,” Stephen replies, like it’s completely obvious what mean, scary eyes look like.
Ben’s frown stays in place and he reaches for a piece of paper and a pen, offering them to his small son.
“Show me.”
The little boy hunches over the paper and gets to work on mean and scary eyes, so Ben can then carve them into the orange pumpkin’s flesh.
“Are you two still working on his pumpkin?” Leslie asks, coming into the dining room after getting their two other children into bed.
“Yep. He’s very opinionated on exactly how his jack o'lantern should look,” Ben tells his wife, as Leslie joins him in watching their son carefully draw large pointy eyes that kind of look like…hairy stars?
Leslie runs his hands through the little boy’s brown hair as he works carefully on his pumpkin face design.
“Well, it’s almost bedtime. So-”
“Nooooooo! Mommy! Not yet! We’re not done!”
“Yeah, babe,” Ben agrees, smiling at her. “We’re not quite done yet. Just a few more minutes.”
Besides, Ben thinks, Stephen was the only triplet to conk out today in the backseat, on the way back from the pumpkin patch. No doubt his afternoon nap has made him less prepared for bedtime than his two sleepy siblings.
“Like this daddy!” Stephen finally and eagerly pushes the piece of paper at Ben.
He studies the drawing.
Yep, those look like hairy stars…and there’s three of them. He feels like he should maybe ask Leslie to carve these, since she’s a little better at detailed stuff like this, but Ben really wants to do it.
He wants to work on this project with Stephen and get it just right so his son laughs and smiles and then maybe he’ll take a few photos and keep them on his phone forever, so he can always remember this Halloween, when Stephen was six and he and Leslie let him stay up a little past bedtime to finish carving a pumpkin.
And if he’s getting a little emotional over this, Ben doesn’t even need to look at Leslie to know that she’s probably tearing up as she watches him and Stephen work on this together.
He reaches out and touches his hand softly to hers, before asking just to make sure, “And these are monster eyes?”
“Nooooooo. Robot eyes, daddy.”
“But I thought it was a scary monster pumpkin?”
Stephen nods his head quickly. “A scary monster robot pumpkin!”
“Cool,” Ben responds, as he reaches forward and picks the knife back up.
____
6. Cliff-jumping
He’s got such warm hands.
Way back when they used to sneakily meet in Ann’s office and spend a couple of hours working together, they’d each keep a hand hidden out of sight and under the table, their fingers joined while they read reports or scheduled meetings. Sometimes Ben would trace little patterns over the top of Leslie’s thumb with his own, and it would make her shiver and want more. Make her anxious for later that evening when he would come over and they kiss on her couch and end up naked in her bed.
On the way home from the Smallest Park that one cold night in November, they held hands even while Ben drove them to her house. It all seemed so fragile and delicate, like everything might fall apart if they didn’t keep touching. They let go briefly to get out of the car, then entwined fingers again walking up the pathway to her door.
Once inside, those amazing hands of his hardly ever left her body-cupping her face, her breasts, spreading her thighs wide and then grasping her hips, as he nuzzled into her skin and made her moan and push against him.
After they celebrated their marriage surrounded by friends, Ben took her hand in his and led her out of City Hall, to the car, and back to their new home.
This morning, Ben has her hand again, squeezing it, full of comfort and reassurance as she lies on a table, bright lights above and a little curtain separating them from the surgery that’s taking place on the other side. He’s looking at her, his dark brown eyes as wet and tear-filled as her blue ones, as Dr. Saperstein lifts one, two, and then three little babies from her body.
They’re small but healthy and beautiful with tiny, adorable fingers and toes.
Ben has such warm hands and he doesn’t let go until she’s whole again.
____
7. Ben and Leslie, teaching the triplets to drive
“So, hey. Hey,” Ben says, nervously walking into the kitchen while Leslie’s unloading the dishwasher.
“Um, tomorrow, why don’t you just stay home and relax and I can take the kids out to practice driving?”
Leslie stares at him instead of grabbing another clean plate from the dishwasher. “Why?”
“Oh, no reason. I was just thinking maybe you’d want some time for craft stuff or something. You know, have the whole house to yourself and-”
“Why would I want the house to myself?”
“No. No, I just meant-”
What’s going on?“ She asks, walking towards him.
Ben is so bad at being sneaky and she knows that he’s trying to rearrange her plans with Sonia, Stephen, and Wesley for some reason that he doesn’t want to mention.
“Why don’t the kids want me to take them driving?”
He looks at her for a few seconds-kind of like a deer caught in headlights.
“Ben? Why don’t-”
“Alright,” he takes a breath. “Honey, you are so good at so many things. And you are a wonderful teacher, I just think that maybe it might be better if I took them tomorrow. You know, just kind of show them the basics and then you can take over, and um, fine-tune everything.”
The triplets were going to be starting driver’s ed in a couple of months at school and Ben and Leslie had thought it would be nice to start giving them driving lessons so that the kids had some idea of what to do when the class started. Nothing too involved, just empty parking lots and deserted side streets.
Leslie had spent a couple of hours with them last weekend and she had thought it went well.
She ran through last week’s events in her head-binder review, safety quiz, obstacle course she set up in the parking lot. Post-lesson wrap-up of what they each needed to work on this week. Scorecards filled in. Yep, it all seemed good.
“What? Last weekend was fine. Why don’t-”
“I just think, I mean, you’re…a little intense and detail-orientated sometimes. Which is good! It’s so good, but I think that for this, maybe I could-”
“What? We all had waffles and then the kids and I went to the parking lot. They all did a good job.”
“You yelled at Stephen. You gave Sonia a D. And Wesley told me all the photos you took while he was driving made him nervous.”
“Stephen was going to hit a stop sign!” Leslie says. “Sonia ran over three of my cones. And what? I’m not supposed to make a learning to drive scrapbook? Oh my god, Ben, you would have yelled too if you saw how fast we were approaching that stop sign.”
He nods. “Probably. But it’s just also all the binders and the checklists, going over the alcohol chart, the photos, and then the yelling…which was justified. I know you only yelled at Stephen because you needed him to stop the car quickly, and he knows that too, but you know, he’s a little sensitive sometimes, and-”
“So what you’re saying is, you’re the fun one and I’m the yelling one.”
He makes a face. “Babe. You know that’s not true. You are completely the fun one. I’m just maybe…a little more patient? A little less planned out? I don’t know. Look, they’ll probably go out with me tomorrow, it’ll be completely boring, and then they’ll be begging for you to take them again. Let’s just give it a try.”
He walks the rest of the way over and wraps his arms around her.
“The chart is important,” she says stubbornly. “I know we want to think they’re not going to be drinking yet, but Ben, once they start driving…” she trails off.
“Absolutely,” Ben agrees, giving her a kiss. “The chart is very important and they will all be carrying copies of the chart with them at all times. Agreed. And you can still make them binders and even quiz them about safe driving.”
“Okay,” she says, relenting.
Fine. Maybe the obstacle course was a little much.
Leslie rests head against his shoulder and says, “You know, my dad never got to take me out to practice driving. You should take them. It’ll be a nice memory.”
She pulls her head back to look at him. Ben smiles and kisses her again.
“But I’m taking photos as you leave the house and I’m still making a scrapbook.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” he says, pulling her in for another kiss.
____
8. Sonia painting Ben's nails
“Daddy, can I paint your toes?”
Ben looks up from the papers spread out in front of him and focuses on his six year-old daughter.
“Does mommy know you have that?” She’s holding a bottle of pink sparkly nail polish and Ben distinctly remembers Leslie having a conversation with Sonia just the other day about her playing with her mother’s make-up things without permission.
“Yes,” Sonia nods solemnly. “She gave me this one. It’s mine as long as I leave the others alone.”
“Well, why don’t you paint your toes then?”
Sonia pulls her pant legs up to reveal her toes and yep, all ten are light pink and sparkly.
“Well, how about your fingernails?”
Sonia makes an exaggerated groan and thrusts her little hands towards him, all ten fingers-pink.
Ben laughs.
“I wanna paint yours! Don’t worry, I’m good at it!”
He has a quick late afternoon conference call in about five minutes with his staff, but then Sonia is looking at him with her big adorable eyes. And really, isn’t this why he works at home on Tuesdays anyway? So he can have moments like this after the triplets get home from school?
“The boys are being stupid and I’m bored. Please?”
“Your brothers are not stupid.”
“They’re trying to put all of the shoes in our room into a tower. It keeps falling over.”
“Okay, well, that is a little silly,” Ben agrees. “But pink sparkly polish?”
Sonia nods. “Like a fairy! We’ll match!”
He considers this and supposes a fairy isn’t that far away from an elf king.
“Okay, but you have to be quiet, daddy has a phone call to make.”
“Yay!” Sonia shouts and then covers her mouth, her eyes going all wide, making Ben smile. She quickly and quietly gets down on the floor and eagerly pulls his socks off.
A few minutes later, Ben is going over some details with his staff, while Sonia slowly and painstakingly colors in all ten of his toenails a lovely shade of sparkly, glimmering pink.
When he gets off the call, her surveys her work.
“Nice job.”
He holds his hand up for a high-five and she smacks her little palm against his.
“You have pretty toes now,” his daughter declares.
“Um, thank you? Now, let’s go take a look at this shoe tower upstairs, huh?”
LATER THAT NIGHT:
“Babe? Your toes are pink?” Leslie asks, crawling into bed beside him.
Ben pushes his right foot towards her and pokes her gently in the thigh.
“Yep, courtesy of Sonia. Oh and I hope you gave her that pink nail polish. I believed her but I guess she could have been making that up.”
“Yeah,” Leslie says. “That one is hers. Hmmmmm…”
He watches as she crawls down further and kind of examines his toes up close. Then Leslie kisses the top of his foot.
“What?”
“This is kind of sexy.”
Ben makes a face. “Really? My pink sparkly toes? Let me guess-is it elf king-ish?”
She turns her head to look back at him and nods, and then Leslie quickly straddles him facing the wrong way, her head just around his knees as she continues to look at his toes.
But then she wiggles up a bit and her face is no longer by his…feet.
“Uh, what’s happening?” Ben asks, staring at her ass. She still has her pajama bottoms on but it’s definitely working for him regardless.
“What do you think is happening, my good with numbers husband?”
“Oh my god,” Ben responds, as he starts to tug Leslie’s floral pajama pants down. “Sonia is the best wingman ever.”
____
9. Ben comforting a tired, pregnant Leslie
“What can I do?” Ben asks, walking into their bedroom after a late work meeting. He takes in the scene-Leslie on the bed in a big t-shirt and black maternity yoga pants, her hair up in a messy ponytail. There are bags under her pretty blue eyes.
“You look…well, I always think you always look beautiful, but you also look-”
“Completely exhausted?” Leslie finishes for him.
“Yes,” he confirms, sitting down next to her on the bed. It’s only eight at night but she’s just so tired looking. But also so beautiful. Sexy, even.
He tries again. “What can I rub?”
Leslie rolls her eyes. “Perv.”
Ben gives his wife a look. “Well, I was talking about your feet or shoulders, babe, but if you want to pull those stretchy pants down, I’d be happy to put my fingers anywhere you’d like. Lady’s choice.”
They share a grin and then Leslie readjusts to lean against him and he shoulders the weight willingly.
“Maybe later, right now just cuddle me.”
“You got it, m’dear. Are they kicking tonight?”
“Yep,” she says as he puts his hand on her lower abdomen. “Busy little triple cherries.”
Ben smiles beside her and feels their babies move around inside his wife. At six-and-a-half months pregnant, Leslie’s gotten to the point where getting around easily is a bit of a struggle, but she’s still trying to do it all. And while he’s just as in awe of her as always, he also feels a little concerned that she’s trying to do too much.
That she’s not eating enough vegetables.
That they haven’t read enough books on breastfeeding or done a good enough job baby-proofing the house.
That she’ll fall over and-
“Stop worrying. I’m fine. We’re all fine. I promise.”
Ben takes a deep breath and wraps his arms around her even more, as much as he can in her very pregnant state. He used to be able to envelope her completely in his arms and now all he can do is reach around her as best he can and hope it’s enough to make her feel secure and loved.
“Okay. But stop trying to reassure me…although I do appreciate it. I’m supposed to be comforting you here. I’m the sham-wow.”
“We can take turns being the sham-wow. But I’m just extra tired tonight. And my lower back is killing me.”
He knows it’s a lot for her to admit that, and (aside from Dr. Saperstein) that he and Ann are the only two people Leslie will be completely honest with about how she’s really feeling and how difficult this has been lately.
Ben is pretty sure she’s even been telling Marlene that she’s feeling “great!” because his mother-in-law has taken to emailing Ben almost daily and making him promise that he’s taking good care of Leslie.
And that she’s pretty sure that her daughter is not actually feeling “great!” all the time.
He moves back a little to give her some room, even though she pouts when he does. “Lie on your side.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Leslie mumbles and then laughs quietly as Ben helps her get situated on her right side. He uses pillows to get her comfortable and support everything and then he’s pushing his
fingers along the lower half of her spine, focusing his gentle pressure to the area above her tail bone.
“This help?” he asks, one hand on her hip, the other continuing to lightly touch her.
“Oh my god, I love you so much. Yes.”
“Good. Close your eyes.”
“But I should really go over that report for-”
“That can wait. Come on. Just close your eyes for a few minutes and let me take care of you. Of all four of you.”
He hears Leslie sigh. “Okay. But only because that feels so amazing.”
“Alright. I’ll take it.”
They’re quiet for a few minutes as he touches and continues to massage her lower back. Eventually, he ends up spooning her from behind, his arm protectively around her abdomen.
Ben feels a baby (or two or three) kick every so often and he can’t even imagine what that must feel like for her.
“Are you ready for this?” Leslie asks quietly.
Ben smiles into her hair. “Yeah. I mean, I’m not going to lie and say I’m not scared, but I’m also looking forward to being a parent with you. To doing this amazing thing with you. To raising our family together.”
“Me too.”
Ben can hear her voice crack a little and he sits up so he can lean over and kiss her cheek.
“Are you going to cry?”
“Maybe.”
Ben crawls over so he’s facing Leslie and he lies down next to her again, this time his head sharing her pillow, so close their noses are almost touching. And yeah, her cheeks are a little damp and he brushes a fingertip along the wet trail.
”I love you more than Game of Thrones,” he tells her.
Leslie smiles back and says, “I love you more than waffles.”
And then she makes a face that he easily interprets.
“You want waffles now, right?”
____
10. Bobo's full name
Notes: Written for wafflesjunior on tumblr.
“But why is this one named Margo T. Cuddlepants?” Beautiful, visiting-from-Michigan Ann asks in a Russian accent, picking up the stuffed giraffe and holding her up from the spot on the sofa next to Leslie.
Before being tucked into bed by all the adults in the house, Sonia had left a small squad of stuffed animals to keep Leslie and Ann company, including Margo T. Cuddlepants, Waffle-nose, a teddy bear, and Piney, a monkey.
Leslie laughs and explains, “Because I thought she needed a middle initial and last name to make her more dignified and I told Ben and then, he told Sonia. I had been drinking whiskey with Ron in the old Parks department office and-”
“Oh, that night Ben locked you and Ron up together?”
Leslie nods. “But I still stand by the name. Very dignified.”
“But seriously? That was a strange plan. I’m still surprised it worked,” Ann comments, pulling waffle-nose onto her lap.
The two women are on the couch, sharing an after-dinner bottle of wine after the three five year-old triplets had gone to bed.
“Well, it did,” Ben interjects from his spot at the dining room table, where he’s working on his tablet. “So, I wish people would quit criticizing it.”
Leslie giggles at that, as Ann asks, “But what about the ostrich?”
“Oh! That’s her favorite. His name is Bobo and he’s very judgmental and condescending, at least I think so.”
“And he likes crackers,” Ben pipes in soberly. “Very expensive crackers.”
“Well, I think Bobby, Bono, um Bobo needs a full name too,” Ann says and then hiccups.
Leslie nods. “Good plan. What are you thinking?”
“How about…J. Bobert Feathershire?”
“What’s the J for?” Leslie asks.
Ann gives it some thought for a second or two and shouts out, “jelly beans! Oh, sorry. Jelly beans,” she whispers.
At Ann’s outburst, Ben walks into the living room and stops in front of the couch. “Okay, I’m going upstairs. You two need anything?”
“Jelly beans!” Leslie requests, while Ann nods and then takes another sip of wine. “We still have two years’ worth of Oscars to get through.”
“Um, I don’t think we have-”
“Yes we do. In the cabinet next to the glasses, behind the pasta and the brown rice.”
“Ah, of course. The secret jelly bean hiding place. Okay one bowl of jelly beans coming up, goofball,” he tells them, pausing to kiss the top of Leslie’s head. He looks over at Ann, and says, “Sorry, goofballs. You are both goofballs.”
As he turns around and heads towards the kitchen, Leslie whistles at his still-perfect and adorable butt.
“Let me guess. Enjoying the view, babe?” Ben asks without even bothering to turn around.
“Wasn’t me,” she tells him. “That was J. Bobert Feathershire.”
“Oh! The third!” adds Ann. “J. Bobert Feathershire the Third. And he liiiikes you.”
Of course, Bobo is upstairs with Sonia, but neither Leslie or Ann seem too concerned about that detail as they clink glasses and giggle drunkenly.
____
11. The triplets host a seance
When Leslie rounds the corner upstairs, she hears Sonia’s unmistakable voice telling her brothers to “close your eyes and hold hands around the table.”
Intrigued, she sneaks around the corner and pokes her head into their six year olds’ bedroom.
“But BoBo doesn’t have hands,” Wesley complains.
“Just grab his wing then.”
All three kids are sitting around the small round table, with assorted stuffed animals helping them form a circle.
“What’s going-”
Leslie turns around and covers Ben’s mouth before he can say anything else.
“Shhhh, look,” she whispers. They both quietly continue to sneak a peak at their little triplets.
“Li'l Sebastian? Are you here? We’d like to talk to you,” Sonia requests.
Ben pulls her back towards their bedroom. “Are they having a seance? For a mini-horse?”
“I think so,” she pauses. “Oh my god, I have great idea. Stay here.”
Leslie walks the few steps into their bedroom, where she grabs her Li'l Sebastian stuffed animal from the closet and meets Ben back in the hallway.
“Really?” He asks, seeing the toy in her hands. “You’re going to try and scare them with that?”
“I’m not try to scare them. I’m going to make it awesome and make their seance a wonderful success.”
With that, she gets down on her hands and knees and starts slowly pushing the stuffed animal towards the door.
“Are you gong to help?” She asks quietly, turning around to look at him.
“What? Oh, sorry, just enjoying the view, babe.”
But then Ben walks around her and slowly pushes the triplets’ door open while Leslie animatedly uses her hand to gallop the stuffed animal inside. And then she makes a loud whiney-like noise startling all three first-graders.
Sonia screams in surprise, while Stephen runs away and hides in the closet. Wesley stays seated, holding tightly onto BoBo’s ostrich wing, but he looks fairly unsettled by everything.
“Mommy!” Sonia finally squeals.
“Look,” Leslie tells them. “Li'l Sebastian! Your seance worked! He’s right here!”
As she says this, Ben goes to the closet and retrieves Stephen, holding the little boy’s hand as he leads him back into the bedroom.
“It’s okay, honey. It was just mommy. See?” He points to Leslie and stuffed Li’l Sebastian.
“Oh, did that scare you? Stephen, I’m so sorry. It’s okay. I told daddy it might be too scary,” she says, giving her son a big, comforting hug.
“Wait. What? No, that’s not…” Ben trails off and instead decides to just go have a seat on the floor by Wesley, so he can pull the little boy into his lap and tickle him until he giggles.
Timeline: all over the place
Summary: 1. Ben taking care of a pregnant Leslie after she sprains her ankle, 2. Stephen the storyteller, 3. Cuddle-fic (takes place during Are You Better Off?), 4. Ruta Baga Ginsberg, 5. Ben and Stephen carving a pumpkin, 6. Cliff-jumping, 7. Ben and Leslie, teaching the triplets to drive, 8. Sonia painting Ben's nails, 9. Ben comforting a tired, pregnant Leslie, 10. Bobo's full name, 11. The triplets hosting a seance
1. Ben taking care of a pregnant Leslie after she sprains her ankle
“Are you mad? You seem mad,” Leslie comments, as Ben fusses with a folded up plaid comforter and a dark blue throw pillow down at the end of their bed.
It’s three in the afternoon and he’s got a work suit on and although he looks slightly less frazzled than he did an hour ago when he met her at Dr. Saperstein’s office, he still seems very concerned.
Or mad. She’s not quite sure yet.
Seemingly satisfied, Ben lifts her leg up so that her foot is delicately resting on top of everything and elevated above her heart.
“I’m not mad,” he answers finally, giving her a look she can’t quite figure out.
“Are you sure? Because-”
“Leslie, I’m not. I promise,” he assures her.
She starts to question him but he’s talking again before she can even get any words out.
“Alright, I know sometimes I say I’m not mad even when I really am, but I would never say I promise if I was actually mad. I’m just…worried. You fell and you called me on the way to the doctor’s office and you scared the hell out of me. I just…I’m still a little freaked out.”
“Okay. That’s fair,” Leslie answers and watches as Ben picks up the homemade ice pack and gently places the plastic baggie filled with ice cubes against her ankle.
“Mother…flopper! Oh, that is cold! Cold! I’m not a penguin, Ben!” She practically jumps up but he holds it in place regardless.
Although the sealed plastic bag is wrapped in a cloth napkin-one of her favorites, one with owls on it, it’s as cold as a god damn glacier. And even though she’s been trying not to swear as much while she’s currently growing babies inside her…fuck, that is super fucking cold.
“Babe. It’s ice. It’s going to be a little icy.”
“Well, that’s too icy.”
“No, it’s not. And it needs to stay on there for fifteen minutes.” He crawls up the length of the bed and sits next to her, his legs spread out next to hers and when Ben speaks, his voice is all soft. “Are you okay?”
Is she okay?
Her ankle is throbbing and if she’s being honest, she’s the one that’s mad. So mad at herself for being so careless. But instead of saying any of that, she tries to give him a smile, before snuggling against him, while keeping her propped-up foot still.
“I’m fine. Well, except for my ankle. I was just so worried about the babies that I wanted to make sure nothing happened when I fell. And I wanted you there. I’m sorry I scared you.”
“Leslie…of course you should have gotten checked out and you definitely should have called me so I could be there too. There’s nothing to be sorry for.”
She nods even as her eyes start to water. Earlier she had been so panicked as Ben had held her hand and Dr. Saperstein checked on her and the triplets, that she hadn’t even been thinking about anything else. But now…her mind is filled with a million something elses.
“How did you even fall?”
Leslie takes a breath. “I was walking with Donna in the parking lot, we were coming back from lunch, and I tripped in a pothole or something. I’m not sure. You know, as City Manager, you should really do something about that…the potholes,” she clarifies.
After helping her up and back to her office briefly for a quick phone consultation with Ann, Donna had then driven her to Dr. Saperstein’s office in her Mercedes. She’d stayed with Leslie until Ben got there. Thankfully, he’d just been at a meeting off-site and close enough to get to her in about ten minutes.
Still, it was a long ten minutes.
“Well, until I can get all the potholes filled, please, please be careful when you walk,” he implores her now.
“I was wearing those black shoes, the pumps,” she says quickly, trying to get it all out at once. “I changed into the flats I had in my desk drawer before going to see the doctor, because I really couldn’t walk in the heels after I fell but…” she stops and starts crying, everything finally gushing out in a big hormonal, guilty-feeling explosion. “Oh my god, Ben. Why did I wear those shoes? I felt unbalanced the other day, I should have stopped wearing them but I was running late and…hallway…and…they were closer, and…” she trails off, an emotional pregnant-mess.
“Oh, Leslie. Shhhh, it’s okay,” his arms go around her and she feels instantly better. But also still pretty terrible because of all the what-ifs running through her brain.
“Ben, I’m a horrible pregnant person. I didn’t take the time this morning to find safe shoes and-”
“Honey, you’re not a horrible pregnant person. That’s not-”
“Something could have happened.”
“But it didn’t,” he returns, as she sniffles next to him. “You’re fine, well…except for your ankle.”
“And my knee,” she adds, glancing down to where her now-torn pants leg is stilled rolled up from when Ben had cleaned off the skinned, starting-to-bruise spot when they first got home. He was so gentle and careful as he washed the dirt and blood off and she had thought, he’s going to make such an amazing father. He’s so kind and tender and super sexy.
Okay, well, that last part is probably not appropriate, but it’s true none the less.
“And the babies are fine,” he continues. “But yeah, you should probably start wearing more practical shoes.”
She nods. Now they’ve both got an arm resting on her belly, Ben turned to snuggle into her, and she feels a bit calmer and really, Leslie would feel even better if her ankle didn’t still throb every so often.
And if the ice wasn’t so ridiculously cold. Seriously, her whole foot is practically going numb.
“Definitely,” she responds, starting to get the tears under control. “I’m just angry at myself for being so…obtuse about my footwear. But I’m hanging up my black pumps and just wearing very sensible sneakers for the next four months. Maybe slippers. Or moccasins? I don’t know. Something safe and flat.”
He laughs. “Yeah, well…just tell me that you’re not going to make a fuss about working from home tomorrow with your foot up. Because that’s what is happening, even if I have to stay home and work from bed with you.”
“Hmmm, now that could be fun.”
“With your foot elevated, babe,” he adds, giving her a look.
“Right. That would probably still work.”
Ben considers this and nods. “Yeah, we can probably figure something out.”
____
2. Stephen the storyteller
Note: This drabble is based on wafflesjunior’s awesome headcanon that Stephen is a long rambling storyteller. She said people could incorporate it into triplet fics, so I wrote this.
“And then Chip went to battle the ant monsters,” Stephen whispers to his parents, as they sit on the edge of his bed. The little boy’s stuffed teddy bear Chip is also all ready for bed, tucked in under the covers with the five year-old and the only light is the glow from the small nightlight in the corner of the room.
Ben and Leslie had finished reading a story to all the triplets about forty minutes ago, but then Stephen had wanted to tell his parents a bedtime story. The unexpected request was so cute that they eagerly agreed.
That was a half an hour ago. It’s slightly less cute now.
But only slightly, because it is still pretty much completely adorable, Leslie thinks. But long. It’s a very long story…with lots of twists and turns.
“That was very brave of Chip,” she whispers back, as she leans over to kiss her son’s forehead. She also gives Chip a kiss on his little furry teddy bear forehead.
“Goodnig-”
“Wait! There’s more!“ Stephen says, grabbing onto Leslie’s arm. “Ant monsters can fly and the eagles gave them wings. Before Chip was born.”
“Flying ants? Do they have cool robot ant wings?” Ben asks, sitting back down with apparent interest, but then Leslie turns around and gives him a look, so he adds, “Hey, buddy, why don’t you tell us more about the flying ants tomorrow?”
“But daddy, it’s impotent.”
Both of his parents make a confused face, then Leslie gets it and corrects the little boy with, “important. It’s important. And it is, but your brother and sister are already asleep. You should be too, honey.” To emphasize her point, Wesley quietly snores in the background.
“Ant monsters like donuts and cookies. But Chip likes ice cream. His favorite is vanilla.”
Leslie frowns. “Are you sure you don’t mean chocolate?”
Stephen shakes his head. “Vanilla, with bug sprinkles. The ant king likes cake.”
“Chocolate cake, right?” Leslie guesses. The cake must be chocolate. Who would like a plain vanilla cake? Certainly not royalty.
“Yes!” Stephen confirms with a smile. “Chocolate cake with wet pebbles. And the fight was with cake and pumpkins. Chip hurt his arm but Bobo flew him home.”
“That’s very exciting,” Ben responds, not bothering to mention that ostriches can’t fly. “But now you really should try to go to sleep. Because…um, the ant king told me that little boys need to be asleep by nine o'clock or the kingdom will be invaded by…mean ice cream hawks.”
Leslie smiles at her husband’s words and reaches back to take Ben’s hand.
“You can’t talk to ants, daddy,” Stephen says with a giggle, like Ben had just suggested the most ridiculous thing ever. “That’s silly. The ants talk like dinosaurs. I can tell you how that happened!”
“No,” Leslie and Ben both say at the same time, gently but firmly. Leslie gets up and Ben moves forward, leaning down to give both Stephen and Chip another kiss goodnight.
But Stephen is undeterred.
“Long ago, the dinosaurs liked magic parks and they kept them clean and pretty, so everyone could play. Just like mommy,” he begins.
Leslie sighs and sits back down on the edge of the bed with a smile. How can she resist an opening like that? She can hear Ben laugh quietly behind her as he runs his hand along her back.
“Alright, the short version. How did the dinosaurs meet the ants?” Ben asks, leaning back and getting comfortable.
____
3. Cuddle-fic (takes place during Are You Better Off?)
“Come here,” Ben says and it takes Leslie a minute to see him in the bed, where he’s all bundled up, with two comforters around him.
“Are you sure there’s room for me in your comforter cocoon there?”
“Yes,” he says, nodding. He even unwraps and then holds the covers out to further entice her.
“Okay, but Ben, you have to help me brainstorm ideas for Founder’s Week. You have to promise if I get in there with you, you’re not going to be all sexy and tempting. I need to work.”
“I promise.” But even as he says it, Ben looks all sexy and tempting.
“Ugh, I just know this is a trick, but…” Leslie trails off and gets in bed with him and he proceeds to bundle them both up, so that they’re facing each other and sharing his pillow.
“How are you even cold? Aren’t you from Minnesota? It’s May.”
He just laughs and shrugs and holds her close.
Yeah. This is definitely a cuddle-trick.
“Okay, we’re meeting with everyone at Ron’s cabin tomorrow and we’re not leaving until we have a plan about how to celebrate the most amazing town in the world.”
“Right” he agrees. But even as he says it, his hands are reaching around, sliding under her pajama pants, and then squeezing her bare butt.
“Seriously?”
“What?” He asks, trying to act all innocent.
Well, two can play at this game, she thinks. Plus, his butt always gives her such great ideas.
Leslie pushes her hands back as well and right under his flannel pants, until each palm is cupping one of his warm and perfect ass cheeks. She gives them both a firm squeeze.
And then continues on with her brainstorming.
“So far we have a pie-eating contest, a giant petting zoo, and the founder’s week parade,” she tells him, all while continuing to grope his backside.
“That sounds good,” Ben agrees, teasingly rubbing his hands along her skin, and when he reaches the backs of her thighs and lightens up his touch, she wiggles and laughs.
Damn it, he knows she’s super ticklish there.
“Ben. Come on. Focus. The public forum is next week.”
“You’re telling me to focus?”
“Yes,” she says, but even as the words are leaving her lips, she’s scratching her fingernails lightly on the back of his thighs, before slowly heading back up to his butt.
“Okay, here’s a question that I’m going to ask everyone tomorrow at the cabin-what makes Pawnee the best city in the world?”
“That’s easy,” he says, right before giving her a kiss. A really warm kiss that makes her smile and absentmindedly try to slide her leg up his, as he pushes her pants down farther and places a hand between her thighs.
But still, there’s a Founder’s Week to plan. So she asks, “What is it? The waffles at JJ’s?”
Ben grins at her. “No. Leslie Knope is what makes Pawnee the best city in the world.”
Oh. That is so sweet.
Fuck it, she thinks, before moving even closer to him, so that their foreheads and noses are touching and her hand is working its way around his hip to the front and down.
They can just brainstorm tomorrow at the cabin.
____
4. Ruta Baga Ginsberg
It’s just a few days until Halloween and Ben is sitting on the bed, waiting, when Leslie finally comes out of the bathroom to model her Halloween costume for him.
They’d been invited to a party at April and Andy’s and although there’s not an official costume contest, Leslie is just competitive enough to have spent the last week getting the perfect outfit together for the event.
For the last few days, she’d been privately working on a Halloween costume that she wouldn’t even tell him any details about. Whenever he’d ask, she’d wave him off and just say that she didn’t want to ruin the surprise.
Well, that’s not quite accurate. Leslie did tell him it was completely amazing and the best costume she’d ever designed.
But now, when she’s dressed up and standing in front of him expectantly, Ben is…confused.
His pregnant wife is a big yellow and purple root vegetable, that much he can figure out, and the costume crazily seems to be even more padded than her currently very rounded belly. But, Leslie has also got a big black robe hanging open over it, large glasses on the bridge of her nose, and a lacy collar around her neck.
Her own blonde hair is tucked up under a dark green, vegetable-top looking wig, with all the hair pulled up in a tight, no-nonsense bun.
“Well?” She asks impatiently, like she has a secret she can’t wait to share with him. “What do you think? Do you get it? Ben? Do you get it?”
Is she a turnip?
A parsnip?
He’s about to ask for a hint but then, all at once, he gets it and starts laughing-huge belly laughs that almost knock him over.
“Oh my god.”
Ben gets a hold of himself, and takes his phone out so he can snap a couple of pictures as she smiles cutely at him. Is it actually possible to get turned on by your wife when she is dressed up like a Supreme Court vegetable?
Yes, he thinks. The answer is yes.
“Babe? Come on, do you know who I am or not?”
Ben grins. “Yep. I do. You are Justice Ruta Baga Ginsberg.”
She walks closer, practically beaming. “That’s right. You figured it out!”
“Of course I figured it out. And now, please tell me you’re going to show me how Ruta Baga Ginsberg kisses,” Ben asks, reaching out so that his hands are on her hips (at least where he thinks her hips are), pulling her even closer.
Her padded and baby-filled tummy pushes against him and Ben wonders briefly if there’s some vegetable-costume equivalent of a furry.
____
5. Ben and Stephen carving a pumpkin
“No, daddy. Make the eyes scarier!”
Ben frowns for a second and puts the sharp knife down on the table, away from the wide awake six year old. Sonia and Wesley were satisfied with the basic triangle-eyes and smiling, toothy grins that he and Leslie had carved on the first two pumpkins-but not Stephen. Not their little artist.
So, while the other two jack o’lanterns are already out on the front porch, the third pumpkin is still sitting on the dining room table. Hallowed-out but still uncarved.
“Scarier how?”
“Meaner,” Stephen replies, like it’s completely obvious what mean, scary eyes look like.
Ben’s frown stays in place and he reaches for a piece of paper and a pen, offering them to his small son.
“Show me.”
The little boy hunches over the paper and gets to work on mean and scary eyes, so Ben can then carve them into the orange pumpkin’s flesh.
“Are you two still working on his pumpkin?” Leslie asks, coming into the dining room after getting their two other children into bed.
“Yep. He’s very opinionated on exactly how his jack o'lantern should look,” Ben tells his wife, as Leslie joins him in watching their son carefully draw large pointy eyes that kind of look like…hairy stars?
Leslie runs his hands through the little boy’s brown hair as he works carefully on his pumpkin face design.
“Well, it’s almost bedtime. So-”
“Nooooooo! Mommy! Not yet! We’re not done!”
“Yeah, babe,” Ben agrees, smiling at her. “We’re not quite done yet. Just a few more minutes.”
Besides, Ben thinks, Stephen was the only triplet to conk out today in the backseat, on the way back from the pumpkin patch. No doubt his afternoon nap has made him less prepared for bedtime than his two sleepy siblings.
“Like this daddy!” Stephen finally and eagerly pushes the piece of paper at Ben.
He studies the drawing.
Yep, those look like hairy stars…and there’s three of them. He feels like he should maybe ask Leslie to carve these, since she’s a little better at detailed stuff like this, but Ben really wants to do it.
He wants to work on this project with Stephen and get it just right so his son laughs and smiles and then maybe he’ll take a few photos and keep them on his phone forever, so he can always remember this Halloween, when Stephen was six and he and Leslie let him stay up a little past bedtime to finish carving a pumpkin.
And if he’s getting a little emotional over this, Ben doesn’t even need to look at Leslie to know that she’s probably tearing up as she watches him and Stephen work on this together.
He reaches out and touches his hand softly to hers, before asking just to make sure, “And these are monster eyes?”
“Nooooooo. Robot eyes, daddy.”
“But I thought it was a scary monster pumpkin?”
Stephen nods his head quickly. “A scary monster robot pumpkin!”
“Cool,” Ben responds, as he reaches forward and picks the knife back up.
____
6. Cliff-jumping
He’s got such warm hands.
Way back when they used to sneakily meet in Ann’s office and spend a couple of hours working together, they’d each keep a hand hidden out of sight and under the table, their fingers joined while they read reports or scheduled meetings. Sometimes Ben would trace little patterns over the top of Leslie’s thumb with his own, and it would make her shiver and want more. Make her anxious for later that evening when he would come over and they kiss on her couch and end up naked in her bed.
On the way home from the Smallest Park that one cold night in November, they held hands even while Ben drove them to her house. It all seemed so fragile and delicate, like everything might fall apart if they didn’t keep touching. They let go briefly to get out of the car, then entwined fingers again walking up the pathway to her door.
Once inside, those amazing hands of his hardly ever left her body-cupping her face, her breasts, spreading her thighs wide and then grasping her hips, as he nuzzled into her skin and made her moan and push against him.
After they celebrated their marriage surrounded by friends, Ben took her hand in his and led her out of City Hall, to the car, and back to their new home.
This morning, Ben has her hand again, squeezing it, full of comfort and reassurance as she lies on a table, bright lights above and a little curtain separating them from the surgery that’s taking place on the other side. He’s looking at her, his dark brown eyes as wet and tear-filled as her blue ones, as Dr. Saperstein lifts one, two, and then three little babies from her body.
They’re small but healthy and beautiful with tiny, adorable fingers and toes.
Ben has such warm hands and he doesn’t let go until she’s whole again.
____
7. Ben and Leslie, teaching the triplets to drive
“So, hey. Hey,” Ben says, nervously walking into the kitchen while Leslie’s unloading the dishwasher.
“Um, tomorrow, why don’t you just stay home and relax and I can take the kids out to practice driving?”
Leslie stares at him instead of grabbing another clean plate from the dishwasher. “Why?”
“Oh, no reason. I was just thinking maybe you’d want some time for craft stuff or something. You know, have the whole house to yourself and-”
“Why would I want the house to myself?”
“No. No, I just meant-”
What’s going on?“ She asks, walking towards him.
Ben is so bad at being sneaky and she knows that he’s trying to rearrange her plans with Sonia, Stephen, and Wesley for some reason that he doesn’t want to mention.
“Why don’t the kids want me to take them driving?”
He looks at her for a few seconds-kind of like a deer caught in headlights.
“Ben? Why don’t-”
“Alright,” he takes a breath. “Honey, you are so good at so many things. And you are a wonderful teacher, I just think that maybe it might be better if I took them tomorrow. You know, just kind of show them the basics and then you can take over, and um, fine-tune everything.”
The triplets were going to be starting driver’s ed in a couple of months at school and Ben and Leslie had thought it would be nice to start giving them driving lessons so that the kids had some idea of what to do when the class started. Nothing too involved, just empty parking lots and deserted side streets.
Leslie had spent a couple of hours with them last weekend and she had thought it went well.
She ran through last week’s events in her head-binder review, safety quiz, obstacle course she set up in the parking lot. Post-lesson wrap-up of what they each needed to work on this week. Scorecards filled in. Yep, it all seemed good.
“What? Last weekend was fine. Why don’t-”
“I just think, I mean, you’re…a little intense and detail-orientated sometimes. Which is good! It’s so good, but I think that for this, maybe I could-”
“What? We all had waffles and then the kids and I went to the parking lot. They all did a good job.”
“You yelled at Stephen. You gave Sonia a D. And Wesley told me all the photos you took while he was driving made him nervous.”
“Stephen was going to hit a stop sign!” Leslie says. “Sonia ran over three of my cones. And what? I’m not supposed to make a learning to drive scrapbook? Oh my god, Ben, you would have yelled too if you saw how fast we were approaching that stop sign.”
He nods. “Probably. But it’s just also all the binders and the checklists, going over the alcohol chart, the photos, and then the yelling…which was justified. I know you only yelled at Stephen because you needed him to stop the car quickly, and he knows that too, but you know, he’s a little sensitive sometimes, and-”
“So what you’re saying is, you’re the fun one and I’m the yelling one.”
He makes a face. “Babe. You know that’s not true. You are completely the fun one. I’m just maybe…a little more patient? A little less planned out? I don’t know. Look, they’ll probably go out with me tomorrow, it’ll be completely boring, and then they’ll be begging for you to take them again. Let’s just give it a try.”
He walks the rest of the way over and wraps his arms around her.
“The chart is important,” she says stubbornly. “I know we want to think they’re not going to be drinking yet, but Ben, once they start driving…” she trails off.
“Absolutely,” Ben agrees, giving her a kiss. “The chart is very important and they will all be carrying copies of the chart with them at all times. Agreed. And you can still make them binders and even quiz them about safe driving.”
“Okay,” she says, relenting.
Fine. Maybe the obstacle course was a little much.
Leslie rests head against his shoulder and says, “You know, my dad never got to take me out to practice driving. You should take them. It’ll be a nice memory.”
She pulls her head back to look at him. Ben smiles and kisses her again.
“But I’m taking photos as you leave the house and I’m still making a scrapbook.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” he says, pulling her in for another kiss.
____
8. Sonia painting Ben's nails
“Daddy, can I paint your toes?”
Ben looks up from the papers spread out in front of him and focuses on his six year-old daughter.
“Does mommy know you have that?” She’s holding a bottle of pink sparkly nail polish and Ben distinctly remembers Leslie having a conversation with Sonia just the other day about her playing with her mother’s make-up things without permission.
“Yes,” Sonia nods solemnly. “She gave me this one. It’s mine as long as I leave the others alone.”
“Well, why don’t you paint your toes then?”
Sonia pulls her pant legs up to reveal her toes and yep, all ten are light pink and sparkly.
“Well, how about your fingernails?”
Sonia makes an exaggerated groan and thrusts her little hands towards him, all ten fingers-pink.
Ben laughs.
“I wanna paint yours! Don’t worry, I’m good at it!”
He has a quick late afternoon conference call in about five minutes with his staff, but then Sonia is looking at him with her big adorable eyes. And really, isn’t this why he works at home on Tuesdays anyway? So he can have moments like this after the triplets get home from school?
“The boys are being stupid and I’m bored. Please?”
“Your brothers are not stupid.”
“They’re trying to put all of the shoes in our room into a tower. It keeps falling over.”
“Okay, well, that is a little silly,” Ben agrees. “But pink sparkly polish?”
Sonia nods. “Like a fairy! We’ll match!”
He considers this and supposes a fairy isn’t that far away from an elf king.
“Okay, but you have to be quiet, daddy has a phone call to make.”
“Yay!” Sonia shouts and then covers her mouth, her eyes going all wide, making Ben smile. She quickly and quietly gets down on the floor and eagerly pulls his socks off.
A few minutes later, Ben is going over some details with his staff, while Sonia slowly and painstakingly colors in all ten of his toenails a lovely shade of sparkly, glimmering pink.
When he gets off the call, her surveys her work.
“Nice job.”
He holds his hand up for a high-five and she smacks her little palm against his.
“You have pretty toes now,” his daughter declares.
“Um, thank you? Now, let’s go take a look at this shoe tower upstairs, huh?”
LATER THAT NIGHT:
“Babe? Your toes are pink?” Leslie asks, crawling into bed beside him.
Ben pushes his right foot towards her and pokes her gently in the thigh.
“Yep, courtesy of Sonia. Oh and I hope you gave her that pink nail polish. I believed her but I guess she could have been making that up.”
“Yeah,” Leslie says. “That one is hers. Hmmmmm…”
He watches as she crawls down further and kind of examines his toes up close. Then Leslie kisses the top of his foot.
“What?”
“This is kind of sexy.”
Ben makes a face. “Really? My pink sparkly toes? Let me guess-is it elf king-ish?”
She turns her head to look back at him and nods, and then Leslie quickly straddles him facing the wrong way, her head just around his knees as she continues to look at his toes.
But then she wiggles up a bit and her face is no longer by his…feet.
“Uh, what’s happening?” Ben asks, staring at her ass. She still has her pajama bottoms on but it’s definitely working for him regardless.
“What do you think is happening, my good with numbers husband?”
“Oh my god,” Ben responds, as he starts to tug Leslie’s floral pajama pants down. “Sonia is the best wingman ever.”
____
9. Ben comforting a tired, pregnant Leslie
“What can I do?” Ben asks, walking into their bedroom after a late work meeting. He takes in the scene-Leslie on the bed in a big t-shirt and black maternity yoga pants, her hair up in a messy ponytail. There are bags under her pretty blue eyes.
“You look…well, I always think you always look beautiful, but you also look-”
“Completely exhausted?” Leslie finishes for him.
“Yes,” he confirms, sitting down next to her on the bed. It’s only eight at night but she’s just so tired looking. But also so beautiful. Sexy, even.
He tries again. “What can I rub?”
Leslie rolls her eyes. “Perv.”
Ben gives his wife a look. “Well, I was talking about your feet or shoulders, babe, but if you want to pull those stretchy pants down, I’d be happy to put my fingers anywhere you’d like. Lady’s choice.”
They share a grin and then Leslie readjusts to lean against him and he shoulders the weight willingly.
“Maybe later, right now just cuddle me.”
“You got it, m’dear. Are they kicking tonight?”
“Yep,” she says as he puts his hand on her lower abdomen. “Busy little triple cherries.”
Ben smiles beside her and feels their babies move around inside his wife. At six-and-a-half months pregnant, Leslie’s gotten to the point where getting around easily is a bit of a struggle, but she’s still trying to do it all. And while he’s just as in awe of her as always, he also feels a little concerned that she’s trying to do too much.
That she’s not eating enough vegetables.
That they haven’t read enough books on breastfeeding or done a good enough job baby-proofing the house.
That she’ll fall over and-
“Stop worrying. I’m fine. We’re all fine. I promise.”
Ben takes a deep breath and wraps his arms around her even more, as much as he can in her very pregnant state. He used to be able to envelope her completely in his arms and now all he can do is reach around her as best he can and hope it’s enough to make her feel secure and loved.
“Okay. But stop trying to reassure me…although I do appreciate it. I’m supposed to be comforting you here. I’m the sham-wow.”
“We can take turns being the sham-wow. But I’m just extra tired tonight. And my lower back is killing me.”
He knows it’s a lot for her to admit that, and (aside from Dr. Saperstein) that he and Ann are the only two people Leslie will be completely honest with about how she’s really feeling and how difficult this has been lately.
Ben is pretty sure she’s even been telling Marlene that she’s feeling “great!” because his mother-in-law has taken to emailing Ben almost daily and making him promise that he’s taking good care of Leslie.
And that she’s pretty sure that her daughter is not actually feeling “great!” all the time.
He moves back a little to give her some room, even though she pouts when he does. “Lie on your side.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Leslie mumbles and then laughs quietly as Ben helps her get situated on her right side. He uses pillows to get her comfortable and support everything and then he’s pushing his
fingers along the lower half of her spine, focusing his gentle pressure to the area above her tail bone.
“This help?” he asks, one hand on her hip, the other continuing to lightly touch her.
“Oh my god, I love you so much. Yes.”
“Good. Close your eyes.”
“But I should really go over that report for-”
“That can wait. Come on. Just close your eyes for a few minutes and let me take care of you. Of all four of you.”
He hears Leslie sigh. “Okay. But only because that feels so amazing.”
“Alright. I’ll take it.”
They’re quiet for a few minutes as he touches and continues to massage her lower back. Eventually, he ends up spooning her from behind, his arm protectively around her abdomen.
Ben feels a baby (or two or three) kick every so often and he can’t even imagine what that must feel like for her.
“Are you ready for this?” Leslie asks quietly.
Ben smiles into her hair. “Yeah. I mean, I’m not going to lie and say I’m not scared, but I’m also looking forward to being a parent with you. To doing this amazing thing with you. To raising our family together.”
“Me too.”
Ben can hear her voice crack a little and he sits up so he can lean over and kiss her cheek.
“Are you going to cry?”
“Maybe.”
Ben crawls over so he’s facing Leslie and he lies down next to her again, this time his head sharing her pillow, so close their noses are almost touching. And yeah, her cheeks are a little damp and he brushes a fingertip along the wet trail.
”I love you more than Game of Thrones,” he tells her.
Leslie smiles back and says, “I love you more than waffles.”
And then she makes a face that he easily interprets.
“You want waffles now, right?”
____
10. Bobo's full name
Notes: Written for wafflesjunior on tumblr.
“But why is this one named Margo T. Cuddlepants?” Beautiful, visiting-from-Michigan Ann asks in a Russian accent, picking up the stuffed giraffe and holding her up from the spot on the sofa next to Leslie.
Before being tucked into bed by all the adults in the house, Sonia had left a small squad of stuffed animals to keep Leslie and Ann company, including Margo T. Cuddlepants, Waffle-nose, a teddy bear, and Piney, a monkey.
Leslie laughs and explains, “Because I thought she needed a middle initial and last name to make her more dignified and I told Ben and then, he told Sonia. I had been drinking whiskey with Ron in the old Parks department office and-”
“Oh, that night Ben locked you and Ron up together?”
Leslie nods. “But I still stand by the name. Very dignified.”
“But seriously? That was a strange plan. I’m still surprised it worked,” Ann comments, pulling waffle-nose onto her lap.
The two women are on the couch, sharing an after-dinner bottle of wine after the three five year-old triplets had gone to bed.
“Well, it did,” Ben interjects from his spot at the dining room table, where he’s working on his tablet. “So, I wish people would quit criticizing it.”
Leslie giggles at that, as Ann asks, “But what about the ostrich?”
“Oh! That’s her favorite. His name is Bobo and he’s very judgmental and condescending, at least I think so.”
“And he likes crackers,” Ben pipes in soberly. “Very expensive crackers.”
“Well, I think Bobby, Bono, um Bobo needs a full name too,” Ann says and then hiccups.
Leslie nods. “Good plan. What are you thinking?”
“How about…J. Bobert Feathershire?”
“What’s the J for?” Leslie asks.
Ann gives it some thought for a second or two and shouts out, “jelly beans! Oh, sorry. Jelly beans,” she whispers.
At Ann’s outburst, Ben walks into the living room and stops in front of the couch. “Okay, I’m going upstairs. You two need anything?”
“Jelly beans!” Leslie requests, while Ann nods and then takes another sip of wine. “We still have two years’ worth of Oscars to get through.”
“Um, I don’t think we have-”
“Yes we do. In the cabinet next to the glasses, behind the pasta and the brown rice.”
“Ah, of course. The secret jelly bean hiding place. Okay one bowl of jelly beans coming up, goofball,” he tells them, pausing to kiss the top of Leslie’s head. He looks over at Ann, and says, “Sorry, goofballs. You are both goofballs.”
As he turns around and heads towards the kitchen, Leslie whistles at his still-perfect and adorable butt.
“Let me guess. Enjoying the view, babe?” Ben asks without even bothering to turn around.
“Wasn’t me,” she tells him. “That was J. Bobert Feathershire.”
“Oh! The third!” adds Ann. “J. Bobert Feathershire the Third. And he liiiikes you.”
Of course, Bobo is upstairs with Sonia, but neither Leslie or Ann seem too concerned about that detail as they clink glasses and giggle drunkenly.
____
11. The triplets host a seance
When Leslie rounds the corner upstairs, she hears Sonia’s unmistakable voice telling her brothers to “close your eyes and hold hands around the table.”
Intrigued, she sneaks around the corner and pokes her head into their six year olds’ bedroom.
“But BoBo doesn’t have hands,” Wesley complains.
“Just grab his wing then.”
All three kids are sitting around the small round table, with assorted stuffed animals helping them form a circle.
“What’s going-”
Leslie turns around and covers Ben’s mouth before he can say anything else.
“Shhhh, look,” she whispers. They both quietly continue to sneak a peak at their little triplets.
“Li'l Sebastian? Are you here? We’d like to talk to you,” Sonia requests.
Ben pulls her back towards their bedroom. “Are they having a seance? For a mini-horse?”
“I think so,” she pauses. “Oh my god, I have great idea. Stay here.”
Leslie walks the few steps into their bedroom, where she grabs her Li'l Sebastian stuffed animal from the closet and meets Ben back in the hallway.
“Really?” He asks, seeing the toy in her hands. “You’re going to try and scare them with that?”
“I’m not try to scare them. I’m going to make it awesome and make their seance a wonderful success.”
With that, she gets down on her hands and knees and starts slowly pushing the stuffed animal towards the door.
“Are you gong to help?” She asks quietly, turning around to look at him.
“What? Oh, sorry, just enjoying the view, babe.”
But then Ben walks around her and slowly pushes the triplets’ door open while Leslie animatedly uses her hand to gallop the stuffed animal inside. And then she makes a loud whiney-like noise startling all three first-graders.
Sonia screams in surprise, while Stephen runs away and hides in the closet. Wesley stays seated, holding tightly onto BoBo’s ostrich wing, but he looks fairly unsettled by everything.
“Mommy!” Sonia finally squeals.
“Look,” Leslie tells them. “Li'l Sebastian! Your seance worked! He’s right here!”
As she says this, Ben goes to the closet and retrieves Stephen, holding the little boy’s hand as he leads him back into the bedroom.
“It’s okay, honey. It was just mommy. See?” He points to Leslie and stuffed Li’l Sebastian.
“Oh, did that scare you? Stephen, I’m so sorry. It’s okay. I told daddy it might be too scary,” she says, giving her son a big, comforting hug.
“Wait. What? No, that’s not…” Ben trails off and instead decides to just go have a seat on the floor by Wesley, so he can pull the little boy into his lap and tickle him until he giggles.