In which Ben and Nellie make up.
Nellie let herself into the apartment and dropped her bag in the hallway. She needed to come home and pack for Austin, but more importantly - she was supposed to talk to Ben. She had checked out of the hotel she'd been hiding in, so she had to either talk to him or be stranded in awkwardness until Miranda said they could leave. She heard the TV on so she walked slowly towards the living room. She stopped in the doorway and ran her fingers through her hair. She watched Ben as he sat on the couch and leaned against the doorjamb, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Hey," she said softly, adverting her eyes.
Ben looked up and was a little surprised to see her standing in the doorway, but he didn't look away. "Hey."
She chewed on her lip and watched the floor. "How's it goin'?"
"It's going," he shrugged. "How's it been going with you?"
"Okay," she nodded.
"Good."
She really had no idea how to start, so she skirted. "Miranda and I are headed to Austin soon."
"She told me," Ben nodded. "Sounds like fun."
Nellie nodded again and closed her eyes. She kept quiet for awhile, before finally issuing a quiet, "I'm sorry."
Ben frowned -- he didn't quite hear it. "What?"
Her eyes opened and rolled up. "I'm sorry," she said louder.
He watched her for a moment, before getting up and moving closer to her. "For what?"
She kept her eyes anywhere but on him. "For...takin' off. Avoidin' you."
He nodded for a minute, before placing his hands on her arms gently. "It's okay. Are you okay?"
She shrugged slightly. "I miss you," she mumbled.
"I miss you, too," Ben nodded. "But I want us to be okay."
"How? I mean...how do you want us?"
He paused, before moving a hand up to brush the side of her face lightly. "I just want you to be happy, Nell. I want us to be whatever you want."
She looked at him. "What if...what if everything gets fucked up? What if...you decide you don't want me anymore?"
"Nellie," he sighed softly, before brushing a thumb against her cheek. "You're my best friend. I'm always gonna be there."
"But what if you're not?"
"Why are you worrying about it?"
"Because. It could happen. We could start things and...and you realize I'm not what you thought. Or we could end up hatin' each other. I....don't want that."
"I've known you for too long to start hating you now," Ben replied. "Things are gonna get worse. Far as I can see, they can only get better."
Her arms tightened around herself a bit. "Doesn't stop it from bein' scary."
"I know," he sighed. "But trust me a little, okay? I'm not gonna hurt you."
"I don't wanna hurt you."
"I don't think you will."
"I'm sorry," she said again.
"It's okay," he said, leaning over to kiss the top of her head lightly. She closed her eyes and leaned into him. He moved in slowly, sliding his arms around her. "Just trust me."
Her head fell against his shoulder and her arms went around his waist. "I do."
"Good," he nodded, just holding her close. "Good."
She gripped onto him tightly and just stood with him quietly. He just held her close, relaxing and relieved that things were finally getting back to normal. "I want things...to go where they've been goin'," she said finally.
"Good," he said, pulling back to look at her with a smile. "Me too."
She nodded and looked down, a small smile coming to her lips. He watched her for a moment, just keeping her close. After awhile her head came up and she leaned in close, pressing her lips to the side of his head. Ben tilted his head slightly after a moment, turning to kiss her gently. Her hand moved to his cheek as she kissed him back. As she kissed him back, he leaned in closer, sliding his arms around her waist more. After a bit she pulled from the kiss slightly and rested her forehead to his, her other hand coming to his chest.
"When do you leave for Austin?"
"In the mornin' I think?"
"Okay," he nodded. "You probably have stuff you need to do to get ready."
Her fingers brushed against the buttons on his shirt. "I got time."
"Yeah?"
She shrugged. "I'm goin' home. Don't hafta pack too much."
"That's true," he nodded.
She nodded and kept her eyes on his as her fingers moved against his collarbone. He started to lean in loser to her, brushing his lips against hers again. She returned the kiss, pressing her body against his. He sighed softly into the kiss, pulling her in closer. She pulled back and held onto his shirt as she started to back towards her bedroom. He followed her lead, letting his fingers brush against her hips as they went. She kept her eyes on his as they moved into her room, and started unbuttoning his shirt. His hands slid up under the edge of her shirt, brushing against her stomach. Her breath caught slightly at that and she pushed his shirt off his shoulders, leaning in to kiss his chest softly. He closed his eyes at the touch, letting the shirt fall to the floor before pulling her shirt up over her head.
She dropped her shirt as well and backed up towards the bed. He followed her lead, continuing to push her back onto the bed and moving in over her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him closer, kissing him again. He kissed her back, sliding his hands over her chest and down towards her hips. She moaned softly and started to push his pants off his hips. He pushed himself up, helping to kick his pants off his legs before settling back in over her. She wiggled from her skirt and slipped her leg against his hip. He moaned slightly as he moved in closer, sliding his hand down over her leg. She gasped and pushed herself up closer. He leaned in to her more, deepening the kiss continuing to slide his hands everywhere. She met him, letting her hands move against him as well.
He continued to push himself closer until his body relaxed against hers, settling in next to her. She sighed and curled up against him. He brushed a kiss to the top of her head, and pulled her in closer. She closed her eyes and just kept close, staying quiet and enjoying the moment. His eyes started to drift closed as well, starting to fall asleep. It wasn't long before Nellie fell asleep too.
"Hey," she said softly, adverting her eyes.
Ben looked up and was a little surprised to see her standing in the doorway, but he didn't look away. "Hey."
She chewed on her lip and watched the floor. "How's it goin'?"
"It's going," he shrugged. "How's it been going with you?"
"Okay," she nodded.
"Good."
She really had no idea how to start, so she skirted. "Miranda and I are headed to Austin soon."
"She told me," Ben nodded. "Sounds like fun."
Nellie nodded again and closed her eyes. She kept quiet for awhile, before finally issuing a quiet, "I'm sorry."
Ben frowned -- he didn't quite hear it. "What?"
Her eyes opened and rolled up. "I'm sorry," she said louder.
He watched her for a moment, before getting up and moving closer to her. "For what?"
She kept her eyes anywhere but on him. "For...takin' off. Avoidin' you."
He nodded for a minute, before placing his hands on her arms gently. "It's okay. Are you okay?"
She shrugged slightly. "I miss you," she mumbled.
"I miss you, too," Ben nodded. "But I want us to be okay."
"How? I mean...how do you want us?"
He paused, before moving a hand up to brush the side of her face lightly. "I just want you to be happy, Nell. I want us to be whatever you want."
She looked at him. "What if...what if everything gets fucked up? What if...you decide you don't want me anymore?"
"Nellie," he sighed softly, before brushing a thumb against her cheek. "You're my best friend. I'm always gonna be there."
"But what if you're not?"
"Why are you worrying about it?"
"Because. It could happen. We could start things and...and you realize I'm not what you thought. Or we could end up hatin' each other. I....don't want that."
"I've known you for too long to start hating you now," Ben replied. "Things are gonna get worse. Far as I can see, they can only get better."
Her arms tightened around herself a bit. "Doesn't stop it from bein' scary."
"I know," he sighed. "But trust me a little, okay? I'm not gonna hurt you."
"I don't wanna hurt you."
"I don't think you will."
"I'm sorry," she said again.
"It's okay," he said, leaning over to kiss the top of her head lightly. She closed her eyes and leaned into him. He moved in slowly, sliding his arms around her. "Just trust me."
Her head fell against his shoulder and her arms went around his waist. "I do."
"Good," he nodded, just holding her close. "Good."
She gripped onto him tightly and just stood with him quietly. He just held her close, relaxing and relieved that things were finally getting back to normal. "I want things...to go where they've been goin'," she said finally.
"Good," he said, pulling back to look at her with a smile. "Me too."
She nodded and looked down, a small smile coming to her lips. He watched her for a moment, just keeping her close. After awhile her head came up and she leaned in close, pressing her lips to the side of his head. Ben tilted his head slightly after a moment, turning to kiss her gently. Her hand moved to his cheek as she kissed him back. As she kissed him back, he leaned in closer, sliding his arms around her waist more. After a bit she pulled from the kiss slightly and rested her forehead to his, her other hand coming to his chest.
"When do you leave for Austin?"
"In the mornin' I think?"
"Okay," he nodded. "You probably have stuff you need to do to get ready."
Her fingers brushed against the buttons on his shirt. "I got time."
"Yeah?"
She shrugged. "I'm goin' home. Don't hafta pack too much."
"That's true," he nodded.
She nodded and kept her eyes on his as her fingers moved against his collarbone. He started to lean in loser to her, brushing his lips against hers again. She returned the kiss, pressing her body against his. He sighed softly into the kiss, pulling her in closer. She pulled back and held onto his shirt as she started to back towards her bedroom. He followed her lead, letting his fingers brush against her hips as they went. She kept her eyes on his as they moved into her room, and started unbuttoning his shirt. His hands slid up under the edge of her shirt, brushing against her stomach. Her breath caught slightly at that and she pushed his shirt off his shoulders, leaning in to kiss his chest softly. He closed his eyes at the touch, letting the shirt fall to the floor before pulling her shirt up over her head.
She dropped her shirt as well and backed up towards the bed. He followed her lead, continuing to push her back onto the bed and moving in over her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him closer, kissing him again. He kissed her back, sliding his hands over her chest and down towards her hips. She moaned softly and started to push his pants off his hips. He pushed himself up, helping to kick his pants off his legs before settling back in over her. She wiggled from her skirt and slipped her leg against his hip. He moaned slightly as he moved in closer, sliding his hand down over her leg. She gasped and pushed herself up closer. He leaned in to her more, deepening the kiss continuing to slide his hands everywhere. She met him, letting her hands move against him as well.
He continued to push himself closer until his body relaxed against hers, settling in next to her. She sighed and curled up against him. He brushed a kiss to the top of her head, and pulled her in closer. She closed her eyes and just kept close, staying quiet and enjoying the moment. His eyes started to drift closed as well, starting to fall asleep. It wasn't long before Nellie fell asleep too.