Roommates, part 3 - continued/?
Title: Roommates, part 3 - continued/?
Author: sunnyday678
Characters/Ships: Ben/Leslie
Rating: G/PG - early chapters; PG-13/R - later chapters
Summary: Leslie invites Ben to be her roommate; begins at the end of "Master Plan".
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em.
Author's Notes: The sexual tension's been a little one-sided up to this point in the story, but in this part Leslie may be starting to catch on (just slightly) to Ben's feelings for her...
Missed a Previous Chapter?: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2, part I | Chapter 2, part II | Chapter 3, part I
(3 - part II)
Leslie grabbed the wine bottle, and then Ben's arm. "Corkscrew?" she said, looking up at him mischieviously. "Yes, corkscrew!" he said, pulling the Swiss Army Knife out of his pocket and handing it to Leslie so she could open the wine bottle. "That's 9 tools down!" Leslie cheered.
"Um...what?" Ann said, squinting her eyes in confusion.
As Leslie poured them each a glass, and Ben started preparing the Chicken Parmesan, they took turns describing their day to Ann.
"And then we had to use the tweezers," Leslie began. "So I thought we'd play 'Operation', naturally, but Ben kept cheating," she said, giving him a mock glare.
"Not true," Ben said, his mouth quirked up. "Leslie, and somehow I bet you and everyone else in Pawnee already knows this, is very, nay frighteningly, competitive."
"Did you just say 'nay'?" Leslie said, her eyebrows arching. Ann sat on a barstool at the bar, but Leslie sat on the kitchen countertop just a few inches away from where Ben was cooking. "Don't ever let Tom catch you saying that: he'll think you're a bigger nerd than he and everyone else in Pawnee already knows you are!"
She had an adorable smirk on her face, and Ben couldn't resist egging her on. "Oh, I am a bigger nerd than anyone realizes, and you're the lucky one who gets to find out just how big. Didn't I tell you that every Friday night we'll be having a Battlestar Galactica marathon -- with Director's Commentary turned on? And tomorrow I'm going to set up my Obi Won Kenobe shrine in the living room, and you'll get to help me with the nightly ritual where we honor all the Star Wars characters -- we light candles shaped like light sabers, you'll love them. Oh, and -- you're going to be so excited -- I've ordered you 'How to Speak Klingon', Rosetta Stone's newest language learning series, since, clearly, we should only be speaking Klingon to each other when at home. It's a much more formal language."
Leslie stuck her tongue out at him. She also, instinctively, crossed her legs toward him, bumping his arm in the process. Her eyes found Ben's, and they lingered there for just a beat.
"More wine, Leslie?" Ann interrupted. He and Leslie had been talking so much, and he'd lapsed into another one of his foolish daydreams, that Ben almost forgot Ann was there.
"No, I'm good," Leslie said, taking a sip. Her glass was about halfway full. "Besides, Ben and I have been nursing beers most of the day."
"Oh, come on -- live a little!" Ann said, nodding toward the wine bottle.
"You're right: we're celebrating! But if I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get me drunk, Ann!" Leslie said as she topped off her wine glass.
Ann shot Ben a devious smile without Leslie noticing. He quickly turned around to focus back on making dinner.
+++
Over dinner, Ann quizzed Ben on his job, his family, his likes, his dislikes... Leslie would chime in often, but Ben knew this wasn't a regular dinner conversation. Leslie's best friend was putting him on trial. And, thankfully, he seemed to be passing: most of the time, after he answered, Ann would give Leslie more wine.
Leslie was thoroughly buzzed, and frankly so was Ben. "Ben, you're a really good cooker," she slurred. "So, dessert's on me." She retrieved a pint of ice cream from the fridge, and brought three spoons to the table.
Ann gave a very exaggerated yawn. "Oh, not for me, I'm going to head home."
Leslie whined, "No, Ann! Don't go! It's mint chocolate chip, your favorite!"
"Tempting," Ann said, getting up from the table. "But I have an early shift tomorrow, so..."
"Well, it was really nice meeting you," Ben said. He and Leslie had gotten up from the table too, and were walking with Ann toward the door. "You too," Ann said smiling at him. "I think you and Leslie make a really excellent pair -- of roommates!" she quickly added, giving Leslie a hug and giving Ben a devious look from over Leslie's shoulder. Ben looked down and shuffled his feet.
"Call me tomorrow!" Leslie called after Ann as she left. She shut the door and immediately swung around. "You're up for ice cream, right?" she asked Ben. "Yeah, sure," he replied. They settled back in their chairs at the dinette, and dug directly into the ice cream container.
After a minute, Ben cleared his throat. "So, we have to hurry and use the final tool before the night is over." Leslie had her spoon in her mouth, and Ben smiled at the way her eyes widened with anticipation. "We haven't used the key ring yet, and it's so obvious: I can put my new house key on it," he said. Leslie planted her spoon in the ice cream. "Of course! Let me grab it," she said, getting up to retrieve it from the end of the bar.
She flopped back down in her chair, and Ben was very aware that their knees were now touching. While she worked to get the key on the key ring, he allowed himself to examine her face. How wispy strands of hair framed her face... How long her eyelashes looked with her face bent down... How her cheeks glowed a faint pink...
"Ben?" she asked hesitantly. She'd looked up to find him staring at her lips. He shook his head in an attempt to wake himself from the daydream. "Yeah, sorry, I guess the wine's making me a little loopy," he said softly. He looked down for a brief moment before looking back at her, hoping the moment had passed.
But it hadn't -- or else she was still looking at him. There was a little confusion in her eyes, and something else too that Ben couldn't quite detect. "Here's your key," she said, not taking her eyes off him. Her fingers grazed his as she handed him the key.
"Leslie..." he began. When he noticed her eyes grow slightly larger, and maybe even a little softer, he retreated. "Thanks again for letting me move in here," he finished, staring hard at the floor. He stood up then, careful not to look her in the eyes, fearful of what may happen if he did. "Dinner, and dessert, were great, but I think I'm going to turn in now. Please don't worry about any of the dinner dishes -- I'll do them in the morning. Um, good night." He turned to go down the hallway, but not before hearing Leslie quietly say "Good Night" in return.
On to chapter 4, part I: http://sunnyday678.livejournal.com/2012/03/05/