FIC: Worth Waiting For [PG13]
Title: Worth Waiting For
Pairing: Leslie/Ben
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 5298
Spoilers: Immediately follows the events of 3x05 “Media Blitz”
Summary: After Pawnee Today, Ben could use a stiff drink…
A/N: It’s been a long, long time since I’ve written any fanfic that I wanted to post somewhere. I’ve never used LJ for fanfic, before, so let me know if I did anything wrong. Oh, and please let me know what you think of the fic! I love this pairing and would love to continue writing for them!
After Leslie answered a few more questions about the Harvest Festival, the cameras mercifully shut off. Ben fidgeted in his chair and glanced towards the door. He would love to bolt, but Leslie was thanking Joan and he knew he should follow her lead.
“Well, just let everyone know that we’re bringing it back, and that it’s going to be a great chance to see the town at its best,” Leslie finished, rising from her chair and extending a hand. Ben shot up behind her. Joan smiled at him while she shook Leslie’s hand.
“And will you be there too, Mr. Wyatt?” Joan asked, still sitting, still smiling, in a way that unnerved him. “I see the other rumors are true too…you are easy on the eyes,” she added with a wink.
Ben shifted on his feet and glanced at Leslie. She was frowning slightly at Joan.
“Uh, yeah, I will be there,” Ben answered. “Thanks again for letting us clear the air on your show.” He extended his hand and Joan took it and squeezed, a little too hard and a little too long. Thankfully, someone on the crew approached Joan and started talking about tomorrow’s show.
Leslie walked off the stage and Ben dutifully followed, hurrying a little to walk beside her.
“Leslie, I’m so sorry about all this,” he started, but Leslie waved a hand.
“Forget it, people aren’t talking about it anymore, they’re talking about the Festival, which is a good start,” she said, with a grin on her face. Ben smiled back.
“And also how good-looking I am, apparently,” he said, shaking his head. “I bet it was that guy, ‘The Douche’, who started that one. He was coming on pretty strong.”
Leslie giggled, but didn’t answer. They walk in silence all the way to her car. It was getting pretty late and Ben figured they had done all the damage control they could for one day.
“So, what’re you doing tonight?” Leslie asked as they pulled up to City Hall.
Ben smiled. “Either passing out as soon as I get back to my hotel, or drinking myself to death so I never have to face anyone again.”
“Oh, come on. Tom invited everyone to go to The Snakehole tonight. I think Chris is going,” she added, not moving to get out of the car. Ben hesitated.
“Are…uh, are you going?” he asked, picking something off his pants. He glanced over and Leslie was looking out the window. Her face was strangely unreadable.
“Yeah, I think so. I mean, I could really use a night out with friends. And a couple of strong drinks,” she said this last part with a grin, and nudged his shoulder with her elbow. Ben couldn’t help but grin back.
“Yeah, I could use a drink, too,” he said and moved to get out of the car. “I’ll follow you there?”
“Nah, don’t do that, we’ll just ride together. I like having someone to talk to in the car. Plus, it really stresses me out to have someone follow me, y’know? Anyway,” she started to babble as she backed out of the parking spot, “one of us could be the DD, if we need it.”
***
Ben was surprised to see almost everyone from the Parks Department at The Snakehole. He trailed behind Leslie, following her lead. He still felt like an outsider when they all got together and didn’t want to get in anyone’s way. He knew he was not the most laid-back or fun guy, and didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s fun.
He almost ran into Ron while lost in thought. “Whoa, son, watch the whiskey,” Ron said, holding out his hand with a barely perceptible smile. Ben took his hand and shook it.
“Sorry, Mr. Swanson. Lost in thought, I guess,” Ben sighed. “Look, I really want to apologize for today-”
“Please, let’s not talk about that now. I have this exquisitely strong liquor that I need to enjoy and I’m sure you need the same. Now, here, let me get you one,” Ron said, as he motioned to the bartender. “We’ve all got a big booth over there, so if you hurry you might be able to squeeze in next to Leslie.”
“Oh, uh, I…that’s…um, I’ll just,” Ben sputtered as he tried to pull off a dismissive wave towards the table Leslie was heading towards. Ron stared at him with an amused smile.
“Whatever, son, just go and I’ll bring you the drink.”
“Uh, sure, thanks, then,” Ben quickly said and hurried away, catching up to Leslie in time to slide into the booth next to her. The booth was big, but not quite big enough for everyone, making it a tight fit. Ben was suddenly hyper-aware that his shoulder was crowding Leslie.
“Sorry, do you need more room? I can get a chair or something,” he offered. Leslie smiled at him and he hopes for one brief second that she lets him stay where he is.
“Don’t worry about it, Ron’s gonna sit at the end, he usually does. Besides, we’ll probably all be shuffling around shortly. Maybe we can even get you to dance! Again!” Leslie answered with an infectious grin. Ben returned it.
“Not likely.”
***
He’s not sure how it happened, but he suspects Ron Swanson is the man to blame for his current drunken state. The man had a never-ending supply of different liquors sent his way, and before he knew what was happening, Ben was very tipsy and still crammed into a booth with a bunch of people he hardly knew. And they had somehow decided that Truth or Dare was an appropriate game to play.
“All right, Leslie, Truth or Dare?” Tom eagerly asked. Leslie grinned at him and struggled to find her straw for a few minutes before answering.
“Uh, truth,” she finally said.
“Dammit, Leslie, you suck at this!” He said, throwing his arms in the air. “All right, then, in all honesty, how pissed are you at Ben for trying his best to ruin your Harvest Fest project?” Tom asked, giggling and pointing at Ben. Ben frowned into his drink.
Leslie bumped his shoulder with hers and he looked up. She smiled sweetly at him and his stomach flipped a little. “Oh, come on, Tom, let it go. Ben’s trying his best to help us, not hurt us. I’m not mad at all.”
Leslie picked Ann for the next round and everyone’s attention turned towards her, except for Ben’s. He was still staring at Leslie, puzzled and more than a little charmed. Just a short time ago, Leslie never would have said anything nice about him, let alone recognize that he wanted to help her. He felt a foolish grin spread over his face and he finally, finally, admitted to himself, without reservation, that he had fallen pretty hard for her.
She glanced over at him as Ann dared Chris to stand up in the booth and shout something ridiculous. It was her turn to give him a puzzled look. “What?”
He felt caught, but couldn’t tear his gaze away. He blamed his slow reaction time on the alcohol and reached for another sip. “Oh, I was just thinking…that may have been the nicest thing you’ve ever said about me.”
Leslie made a face. “Oh, come on, that can’t be true.”
“I think it is,” he interrupted, grinning stupidly at her.
Leslie blushed and glanced away for a quick second. “Well, I guess I couldn’t hate your guts forever, could I? Despite the whole shutdown of my job, endless calzone suggestions, and your giant media disaster? You’re sorta a nice guy, I guess.”
Ben started giggling uncontrollably, choking on his drink. “Thanks, I guess. You’re sorta nice too.”
A few more rounds went by and a few more drinks were consumed and the game slowly fizzled out. Chris and Ann left for the dance floor, Tom went to mingle, April and Andy had left somewhere in the middle of the game, and it was just Ron, Leslie, and Ben left at the table.
“So, tell me, Ben, where are you headed after you leave Pawnee?” Ron asked, pushing another drink towards him. Ben took it without question, but involuntarily threw a glance at Leslie. She was frowning into her drink, her expression once again unreadable.
“Uh, back to the city for a little bit. Then to another small town. Sterling, or Snerling, not really sure. Chris knows a little more about it than I do,” he answered.
“Are you going to do the same thing there that you did here, in Pawnee?”
Ben paused. That was a loaded question, and he felt that Ron had asked it on purpose. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Leslie watching him. He didn’t know why he continued to worry about her reactions to his answers; it wasn’t like she had shown much interest in him, other than a possible friendship. Maybe he was hoping to see a hint in her reactions, something to guide him.
“Well, actually, probably not. This is…well, this is the first time I’ve ever really been this involved in any department. It makes it harder to cut jobs when you get to know the people,” he settled on.
“You’ll keep in touch, though, right?” Leslie piped up. He turned to her, suddenly noticing that even though they were the only two in the booth, she was still sitting extremely close. He moved over slightly to give her more room.
“Oh, uh, yeah, of course,” he said. “But that’s still a couple of weeks away, and I’ll be here for the Harvest Festival, so let’s just enjoy that, right?”
Leslie nodded distractedly and began to shove him out of the booth. “I gotta go to the bathroom. Then I’m going to go talk to Ann real quick, I’ll be back sometime.”
Ben obediently let her pass and sat back down when she left. He watched her wave to Ann and then stumble her way to the bathroom.
“Ben,” Ron’s voice snapped him back to reality. “Look, son, I really have no interest in hearing anything about your personal life, but it’s become pretty obvious to me, an astute observer, that you like Leslie, in way that’s a little more than just friends. Am I right?”
“Oh, I just…she’s…I mean, who wouldn’t, right? She’s really nice,” Ben lamely stammered out.
“Like I said, zero interest. You don’t have to explain yourself, because I don’t care. I can’t really tell if she likes you in the way you’re hoping for, Ben, and I suspect that’s because she doesn’t quite know that herself. I will tell you this, though: Leslie’s last serious boyfriend moved away. So you’ve got to make a decision about where you’re really going next, or else you’re going to lose your chance. So man up, son,” Ron finished, slurring slightly at the end of his rant. It didn’t quite sound like he was done, but he never continued the train of thought.
Ben grabbed his glass and downed the contents in one quick gulp. Ron stared at him for a good few seconds, then clasped his shoulder. Hard. Ben winced.
“I like you. But I like Leslie more. And so does everyone else who knows her. So watch yourself, whatever you decide,” Ron said as he stood up to wander back to the bar. Ben nervously wiped his sweaty hands on his pant legs and stood up too. He saw Leslie bobbing around with a very excited Chris and an extremely drunk Ann. He made his way over to them, giving them all a small wave. Chris grabbed his shoulder and squeezed, even harder than Ron had.
“Ben Wyatt! Nice suit, buddy, you look great! Very professional! This is great, huh! Best town we’ve been to yet! We won’t be the same after we leave here, that’s for sure!” Chris said, and Ben glanced at Leslie, who was beaming proudly. He smiled at her.
“No, we won’t,” he agreed. He held his hand out to Leslie. “Want to dance?” She smiled, but shook her head.
“Nah, I’m getting a headache. It’s too loud in here. Want to take a walk?” she suggested. Ben retracted his hand, disappointed, but nodded.
***
Outside the bar, the air was cool and crisp. Ben realized now, walking around, how drunk he really was.
“Wow,” he slurred out, startling Leslie. “I could not be the… whatever…driver tonight. Designated. Are you good to drive?”
Leslie shook her head. “No, I’ve had a little too much to drive right now. My house isn’t very far, though, we could walk there, take a shortcut through the park, get some water and some food to sober up. We could come back for the car later. Is that okay?”
Ben stared at her, confused. “Oh, you’re ready to go home? I could just call a cab. My hotel is not far. I don’t think.”
“No, I don’t want to go home yet, I want to go for a walk, then home,” she said, taking off in one direction. Ben continued staring at the spot she had just left, still confused, then hurriedly tried to catch up with her.
“Damn, this suit is not very comfortable to walk in,” he muttered.
“You look good,” Leslie said and Ben’s head snapped around to look at her. She was so hard to read. Was she flirting or just being nice?
“Thanks, Tom picked it out,” he said. “He said my old suit sucked.”
Leslie snorted. “It was pretty dorky,” she agreed. Ben stopped walking and Leslie turned towards him, slowing down but not stopping.
“You. Are. Relentless!” he tried to say seriously, but his face broke into a huge grin. He jogged up to meet her and poked her in the side. She smacked his hand away, but returned the grin. “I guess it works, though, I mean, Joan Callamezzo seemed to be coming on pretty strong, right?”
Leslie rolled her eyes. “Joan’s crazy.”
“Because she thought I was handsome?”
“No, you are handsome, she’s just crazy, as in crazy crazy. Like, really, actually crazy. Like, don’t get involved crazy.”
Ben stumbled a little, but caught himself quickly. Leslie seemed unaware she had said anything out of the ordinary. He noticed the road had changed into softer dirt and realized they were in the middle of the park Leslie had chosen as a shortcut.
“So, I can call a cab from your house, I don’t want to be a bother,” he said, after a few beats of silence. Leslie nodded. More silence passed and Ben began to feel uneasy.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, to keep you so quiet, Leslie?”
Leslie stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face him. Ben, caught off-guard, ended up a few feet in front of her and had to backtrack.
“Ben,” Leslie started, then stopped abruptly. He tried to make out her expression, but it was too dark and he was too buzzed. She shifted from foot to foot. “You’ll keep in touch, right?”
He squinted and furrowed his eyebrows. “Yeah? Are you worried about that?”
She looked off into the distance. “I guess. I mean, you’ve really helped out so much and you really don’t have to. It’s something a friend would do. We’re friends, right?”
Ben felt confused. He was having a hard time following this conversation. “Right. I guess.” Leslie made a face at this and Ben hurried to correct himself.
“I mean, look, Leslie, it’s hard for me to make friends. No one likes me when they first meet me, and hardly anyone…actually, no one, until you, even gives me a chance to be their friend. I don’t really know how to be a friend to someone anymore.”
“Well, I can help you out. Friends keep in touch, okay? You call me, I call you, or whatever. If you’re in the area, you stop by and we get lunch.” Leslie’s eyes met his and something in Ben snapped. He shook his head. “What?”
“No, I can’t…” he started, still shaking his head. “It’s not…I don’t want…”
“Oh, well, I mean, you don’t have to, if you don’t want to. I just thought we were becoming friends, and it would be nice-”
“It’s not that, Leslie, it’s just that I…I, uh…goddammit,” he muttered. Ben took a deep breath and strode forward with purpose. He had to do this before he lost his nerve. He cupped the side of her face with one palm and leaned in, stopping just before he got to her lips.
“I just…really, really like you,” he said quietly, and closed the rest of the distance.
At first, she didn’t react and for one horrible moment Ben thought he had made a mistake and considered pulling away. But suddenly, like a bolt of lightning struck her, Leslie’s hands shot up and cupped his cheeks and she kissed him back, hard. He tipped his head slightly and tangled his hands in her hair. Their first kiss broke and they both met again for an electric second one, this time, Leslie grabbed onto his tie. Ben stumbled forward and Leslie couldn’t help but laugh, breaking their kiss again. Ben, dazed, stood still for a moment, then grinned.
“Sorry,” he said, trying to make himself serious again. It was too hard with Leslie’s radiant grin.
“That was my bad,” she said. “C’mon, let’s go home.” She grabbed his hand and started jogging deeper into the park and Ben let her lead the way.
***
Once they made it to Leslie’s house, Ben started to feel awkward. He watched her struggle with her keys, his hands shoved in his pocket. He fiddled with his tie, wishing for the hundredth time that night that he had changed before going to The Snakehole.
Leslie finally got the door open and he followed her inside. The first thing that struck him was how very Leslie it was. Messy, but not too messy. Sensibly decorated and bright. Very, very bright. The whole place was littered with open binders, he guessed for the Harvest Festival.
“You do all this work at home?” Ben asked. Leslie disappeared into the kitchen, then reappeared with a tall glass of water and handed it to him. He obediently took it.
“Yeah,” she nodded, looking around. “I have to. There’s not enough time in my day to do all this. And if it doesn’t work, we all lose our jobs.”
Ben looked at the floor. He was suddenly very aware of how he had started out as “the enemy” in Leslie’s mind, and if this did not go as planned, how easily he could return to that status. “It will work. I know it will.”
Leslie smiled. “That may have been the most optimistic thing I’ve ever heard you say, Benjy. Oh, sorry,” she rushed out.
“No, it’s okay,” he said, gulping down his water. “After everything I’ve been called here, especially after today, that name is more than fine right now.”
Leslie sat down on the couch and moved her stuff around so Ben could sit beside her. He lowered himself down, close but not too close. Leslie made a face at him, then closed the distance, laying her head down on his shoulder. He hesitantly put his arm around her.
“Leslie, I,” he started, but then didn’t know where to go. “I don’t know what I was going to say. I’ve been really bad with words today, if you haven’t noticed.”
Leslie laughed softly. “Yeah, what was that all about? You’ve been so smooth and collected the whole time I’ve known you.”
Ben shrugged, forgetting for a moment her head was on his shoulder. She moved to sit up. Damn it. “I don’t know what happened. No one’s ever brought that stuff up around me. I guess I just…imploded, when I finally had to deal with it. I didn’t know how to.” He shook his head. “The moment I heard those DJ’s say Partridge, Minnesota, I knew what was going to happen, and I couldn’t stop it.”
Leslie laughed again. “Imploded, I’ll say. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that.”
“All right, all right, I looked like a fool,” he grinned, lightly shoving her. She playfully pushed back.
“Oh, I can’t believe I almost forgot,” she said, bolting up and running to her kitchen table. Ben waited, puzzled. She came back quickly, holding something. “April gave this to me tonight, she said it won a prize in her class.”
She handed over a photograph and Ben couldn’t help his burst of laughter. “Oh, God, this won a prize?”
Leslie grinned. “For the most accurate representation of melancholy.”
“God, I don’t know whether to be flattered or embarrassed. This was when we watched the Perd Hapley stuff, wasn’t it?” Leslie nodded. “You’ve gotta see that entire thing, it gets pretty ridiculous near the end.”
Leslie held out her hand. “Can I keep that? It’s the only picture I have of you, and you’re leaving soon,” she trailed off at the end and suddenly the mood changed. He handed it over.
“Leslie,” he said softly. She sat down beside him again. He reached over, wanting to touch her cheek, but she seemed guarded and unresponsive. “We don’t have to talk about this now.”
“No, we do,” she said, looking at him seriously. “I can’t explain it exactly, but I feel something for you, Ben, and I know now that you do too. I can’t…get involved in something if you’re just going to leave in a few weeks. Maybe we should just ride it out as friends and pretend like nothing happened tonight in the park.”
He shifted his weight and turned toward her. “I don’t want to do that.”
“Do what? Leave or pretend like nothing happened?” He heard the challenge in her voice. He understood from her tone that this conversation had meaning that went well beyond tonight.
“I can’t,” his voice wavered a little and he took a deep breath. “Leslie, I can’t just decide right this moment to stay in Pawnee, even if I want to. I’m obligated to the state to leave for Snerling. After that, though, I can come back,” he reached for her hand. “I will come back, if you want me to.”
“It’s for months, though, isn’t it? What if you have to stay longer? What if you have some other Harvest Fest, or something better, to keep you there? What if there’s some girl there that you like better? You might not want to come back in a few months,” Leslie rushed out, squeezing his hand and refusing to look at him.
He didn’t know what to say, so he climbed closer to her on the couch and slowly leaned in, lips inches from hers. He paused before he went any further and searched Leslie’s face for a hint that she wouldn’t reject him. She finally met his eyes and he saw the permission he was looking for.
Their kiss started out soft and sweet, but soon she was pushing him slowly down until he was on his back and she was lying beside him. As their lips met again, he felt a surge of desire pulse through his body and suddenly her lips parted, allowing him access. They made out like teenagers for a while, clumsily and passionately, until she forced him out of his suit jacket. He kicked his shoes off, tugging on her jacket. She broke their kiss to sit up and shrug out of it, throwing it on the back of the couch. He took the moment to really look at her.
Even with her hair messy from his hands running through it, her lips swollen and red from their kissing, and her cheeks flushed, Ben still thought she was amazing. He had never been good with expressing his feelings.
“You are an amazing person, Leslie,” he said, softly, and she looked down at him, surprised. She blushed and looked away.
“Do you, uh,” Leslie looked nervous. “Do you want to go somewhere more comfortable?”
Ben tried to contain his eagerness and nodded calmly. She grabbed his hands and pulled him up. They stood together for a moment, hand in hand, eyes locked. Leslie reached up and loosened his tie. “This was a nice suit. It looks good on you.”
Ben grinned and kissed the top of her head. Leslie smiled back and led the way to her bedroom.
***
When Leslie came padding into the kitchen early the next morning, Ben was already in there with a cup of coffee, wearing his dress pants and his undershirt. He smiled at her.
“Good morning,” he said, offering her a mug. She took it gratefully and poured herself some coffee. “I wanted to make breakfast for you, but I couldn’t find any eggs. Or waffle batter. Or even cereal, for that matter.”
“Oh, yeah, I’ve been meaning to go shopping,” she said absently. “How’s your hangover?”
He waved his hand over the coffee. “Not too bad, really. Want to go to JJ’s for some waffles, then? If I can’t make you breakfast, I can at least take you out for some.”
She smiled. “Sure. I’d like that. Oh, wait. My car is still at the bar. And yours is still at work.”
“Oh, yeah. I guess we’ll have to pick up your car first, then get some waffles, then go into work.”
“We might be late,” Leslie worriedly looked at the clock. “And oh no! What if people notice we came in together! In the same car, people will know, they’ll talk. We’ll have to coordinate our entrances at different times…” she trailed off as she went back to the bedroom. Ben shook his head at his coffee, unable to contain his smile.
***
Ben had a change of clothes in his car, which Leslie worriedly insisted he change into before coming into the building, convinced that everyone would know what had happened between them. He had asked if it was really that awful to be seen with him and Leslie had just smacked his arm in response. She explained that she just wanted to keep it between them, until he was no longer in charge of her budget. Although, Leslie was very bad at being discreet, Ben discovered throughout the day.
When they first walked in, barely separated by time, to Leslie’s dismay, they were bombarded by April and a camera.
“Leslie, wait,” April said, stopping her. “I have to capture the spirit of friendly, can I take your picture?”
“Huh? Oh, sure, April,” she said, distractedly, smiling.
“You can’t look like you know I’m taking a picture. Do something friendly to him,” she said, pointing to Ben. Leslie glared at him, like he had planned this. He threw up his hands in mock surrender.
“Okay, fine, let’s shake hands like we just met. No, wait! I’m giving you a tour. Let’s shake hands like that,” Leslie said, extending her hand.
“Is there a special handshake for tours?” Ben teased, drawing another glare from Leslie. He held out his hand and Leslie took it, momentarily letting her guard down and giving him a sweet smile. He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. He heard the click of a camera.
“Cool, that’ll be lame enough,” April rolled her eyes and began to walk away. Ben caught up with her.
“Hey, when you print that out, make a copy for me, will you?”
April stared at him. “Sure, whatever, weirdo.”
Later, at lunch, Ben brought his sandwich down to Leslie’s desk and she became so awkwardly flustered in front of Tom that Ben thought she was going to blow the whole thing right there.
“You can’t be in here,” she gasped out. Ben paused, opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again. He squinted at her.
“Uh, why not?”
“Because! I have work to do. On the Festival. It needs to be done, right now, only by me, and I can’t eat at all. Or I’ll eat here. But I have to do it by myself,” she sputtered. Tom glanced over and raised his eyebrows as Leslie stood up and began physically shooing Ben out of her office.
“Okay, okay, geesh, I’m going. Forget it.” Ben walked out of the Parks Department and wandered until he ended up on a bench on the fourth floor, eating his sandwich and people watching.
Near the end of the day, as Chris was leaving, Leslie strolled into their office. She nodded politely at Chris and sat down in the chair in front of Ben’s desk.
“Leslie,” Ben smiled at her. “Get all your important lunch work done?”
“What? No, there’s still a lot to be done,” she said, dismissively. He frowned, unsure if there was a joke in there.
“Well, I’m really glad you stopped by. I wanted to talk to you a little more about the next couple of weeks. After the Festival.”
Leslie groaned. “I figured. Can’t we just figure all this out later? Just enjoy the little time we have together?”
Ben grabbed a blank sheet of paper from his desk and began scribbling all over it. “No. I mean, yes, we can enjoy ourselves, but I don’t want too look at it that way, like we’re terminally ill, or something. Do you want to try this long-distance? Instead of just waiting for me to finish in Snerling? Here,” he said, pushing the paper towards her. “That’s my email, my work cell number, my personal cell number, my Indianapolis address, my office address, and the number of the Snerling hotel we’ll be at. I will keep in touch.”
Leslie took in all the information and grinned. “You don’t just have a card?”
Ben snorted. “Not with all that on it, no.” Leslie began copying the information onto the bottom of the sheet. “What’re you doing?”
“I want a copy for my fridge at home and a copy for my desk here,” she answered. He smiled.
“So, uh, yeah,” he scratched the back of his neck, suddenly nervous. “I just wanted to show you that I was serious about keeping in touch with you, I’m serious about wanting to come back. If you would want me to, I mean.” He paused. He hated that he was so unsure of himself, but Leslie was still hard for him to read. “Do you want me to?”
Leslie quietly finished copying his information and ripped the paper cleanly in half. She met his eyes and he saw the sincerity in her gaze. “I want you to come back, Ben.” He let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
“Oh. Good,” he smirked. “Good.” They smiled at each other and a comfortable moment of silence passed over them.
“So, do you want some help on the Harvest Festival, then?” Ben asked, sure that she had been planning to stay well past her shift.
She grinned at him. “Do I! Come to my office, I have to show you the fat coaster plans. Oh, and the pet store wants to showcase their exotic breeds. Do you think we could get a snake cage? And should the bunnies be next to it, or is that just inviting disaster?”
As he happily listened to Leslie ramble on about the pet store, Ben thought back to what Chris said in the bar last night and thought nothing could be truer. He would not leave Pawnee as the same person he was when he first arrived. And he was glad for that.
The End
Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you thought!
Pairing: Leslie/Ben
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 5298
Spoilers: Immediately follows the events of 3x05 “Media Blitz”
Summary: After Pawnee Today, Ben could use a stiff drink…
A/N: It’s been a long, long time since I’ve written any fanfic that I wanted to post somewhere. I’ve never used LJ for fanfic, before, so let me know if I did anything wrong. Oh, and please let me know what you think of the fic! I love this pairing and would love to continue writing for them!
After Leslie answered a few more questions about the Harvest Festival, the cameras mercifully shut off. Ben fidgeted in his chair and glanced towards the door. He would love to bolt, but Leslie was thanking Joan and he knew he should follow her lead.
“Well, just let everyone know that we’re bringing it back, and that it’s going to be a great chance to see the town at its best,” Leslie finished, rising from her chair and extending a hand. Ben shot up behind her. Joan smiled at him while she shook Leslie’s hand.
“And will you be there too, Mr. Wyatt?” Joan asked, still sitting, still smiling, in a way that unnerved him. “I see the other rumors are true too…you are easy on the eyes,” she added with a wink.
Ben shifted on his feet and glanced at Leslie. She was frowning slightly at Joan.
“Uh, yeah, I will be there,” Ben answered. “Thanks again for letting us clear the air on your show.” He extended his hand and Joan took it and squeezed, a little too hard and a little too long. Thankfully, someone on the crew approached Joan and started talking about tomorrow’s show.
Leslie walked off the stage and Ben dutifully followed, hurrying a little to walk beside her.
“Leslie, I’m so sorry about all this,” he started, but Leslie waved a hand.
“Forget it, people aren’t talking about it anymore, they’re talking about the Festival, which is a good start,” she said, with a grin on her face. Ben smiled back.
“And also how good-looking I am, apparently,” he said, shaking his head. “I bet it was that guy, ‘The Douche’, who started that one. He was coming on pretty strong.”
Leslie giggled, but didn’t answer. They walk in silence all the way to her car. It was getting pretty late and Ben figured they had done all the damage control they could for one day.
“So, what’re you doing tonight?” Leslie asked as they pulled up to City Hall.
Ben smiled. “Either passing out as soon as I get back to my hotel, or drinking myself to death so I never have to face anyone again.”
“Oh, come on. Tom invited everyone to go to The Snakehole tonight. I think Chris is going,” she added, not moving to get out of the car. Ben hesitated.
“Are…uh, are you going?” he asked, picking something off his pants. He glanced over and Leslie was looking out the window. Her face was strangely unreadable.
“Yeah, I think so. I mean, I could really use a night out with friends. And a couple of strong drinks,” she said this last part with a grin, and nudged his shoulder with her elbow. Ben couldn’t help but grin back.
“Yeah, I could use a drink, too,” he said and moved to get out of the car. “I’ll follow you there?”
“Nah, don’t do that, we’ll just ride together. I like having someone to talk to in the car. Plus, it really stresses me out to have someone follow me, y’know? Anyway,” she started to babble as she backed out of the parking spot, “one of us could be the DD, if we need it.”
***
Ben was surprised to see almost everyone from the Parks Department at The Snakehole. He trailed behind Leslie, following her lead. He still felt like an outsider when they all got together and didn’t want to get in anyone’s way. He knew he was not the most laid-back or fun guy, and didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s fun.
He almost ran into Ron while lost in thought. “Whoa, son, watch the whiskey,” Ron said, holding out his hand with a barely perceptible smile. Ben took his hand and shook it.
“Sorry, Mr. Swanson. Lost in thought, I guess,” Ben sighed. “Look, I really want to apologize for today-”
“Please, let’s not talk about that now. I have this exquisitely strong liquor that I need to enjoy and I’m sure you need the same. Now, here, let me get you one,” Ron said, as he motioned to the bartender. “We’ve all got a big booth over there, so if you hurry you might be able to squeeze in next to Leslie.”
“Oh, uh, I…that’s…um, I’ll just,” Ben sputtered as he tried to pull off a dismissive wave towards the table Leslie was heading towards. Ron stared at him with an amused smile.
“Whatever, son, just go and I’ll bring you the drink.”
“Uh, sure, thanks, then,” Ben quickly said and hurried away, catching up to Leslie in time to slide into the booth next to her. The booth was big, but not quite big enough for everyone, making it a tight fit. Ben was suddenly hyper-aware that his shoulder was crowding Leslie.
“Sorry, do you need more room? I can get a chair or something,” he offered. Leslie smiled at him and he hopes for one brief second that she lets him stay where he is.
“Don’t worry about it, Ron’s gonna sit at the end, he usually does. Besides, we’ll probably all be shuffling around shortly. Maybe we can even get you to dance! Again!” Leslie answered with an infectious grin. Ben returned it.
“Not likely.”
***
He’s not sure how it happened, but he suspects Ron Swanson is the man to blame for his current drunken state. The man had a never-ending supply of different liquors sent his way, and before he knew what was happening, Ben was very tipsy and still crammed into a booth with a bunch of people he hardly knew. And they had somehow decided that Truth or Dare was an appropriate game to play.
“All right, Leslie, Truth or Dare?” Tom eagerly asked. Leslie grinned at him and struggled to find her straw for a few minutes before answering.
“Uh, truth,” she finally said.
“Dammit, Leslie, you suck at this!” He said, throwing his arms in the air. “All right, then, in all honesty, how pissed are you at Ben for trying his best to ruin your Harvest Fest project?” Tom asked, giggling and pointing at Ben. Ben frowned into his drink.
Leslie bumped his shoulder with hers and he looked up. She smiled sweetly at him and his stomach flipped a little. “Oh, come on, Tom, let it go. Ben’s trying his best to help us, not hurt us. I’m not mad at all.”
Leslie picked Ann for the next round and everyone’s attention turned towards her, except for Ben’s. He was still staring at Leslie, puzzled and more than a little charmed. Just a short time ago, Leslie never would have said anything nice about him, let alone recognize that he wanted to help her. He felt a foolish grin spread over his face and he finally, finally, admitted to himself, without reservation, that he had fallen pretty hard for her.
She glanced over at him as Ann dared Chris to stand up in the booth and shout something ridiculous. It was her turn to give him a puzzled look. “What?”
He felt caught, but couldn’t tear his gaze away. He blamed his slow reaction time on the alcohol and reached for another sip. “Oh, I was just thinking…that may have been the nicest thing you’ve ever said about me.”
Leslie made a face. “Oh, come on, that can’t be true.”
“I think it is,” he interrupted, grinning stupidly at her.
Leslie blushed and glanced away for a quick second. “Well, I guess I couldn’t hate your guts forever, could I? Despite the whole shutdown of my job, endless calzone suggestions, and your giant media disaster? You’re sorta a nice guy, I guess.”
Ben started giggling uncontrollably, choking on his drink. “Thanks, I guess. You’re sorta nice too.”
A few more rounds went by and a few more drinks were consumed and the game slowly fizzled out. Chris and Ann left for the dance floor, Tom went to mingle, April and Andy had left somewhere in the middle of the game, and it was just Ron, Leslie, and Ben left at the table.
“So, tell me, Ben, where are you headed after you leave Pawnee?” Ron asked, pushing another drink towards him. Ben took it without question, but involuntarily threw a glance at Leslie. She was frowning into her drink, her expression once again unreadable.
“Uh, back to the city for a little bit. Then to another small town. Sterling, or Snerling, not really sure. Chris knows a little more about it than I do,” he answered.
“Are you going to do the same thing there that you did here, in Pawnee?”
Ben paused. That was a loaded question, and he felt that Ron had asked it on purpose. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Leslie watching him. He didn’t know why he continued to worry about her reactions to his answers; it wasn’t like she had shown much interest in him, other than a possible friendship. Maybe he was hoping to see a hint in her reactions, something to guide him.
“Well, actually, probably not. This is…well, this is the first time I’ve ever really been this involved in any department. It makes it harder to cut jobs when you get to know the people,” he settled on.
“You’ll keep in touch, though, right?” Leslie piped up. He turned to her, suddenly noticing that even though they were the only two in the booth, she was still sitting extremely close. He moved over slightly to give her more room.
“Oh, uh, yeah, of course,” he said. “But that’s still a couple of weeks away, and I’ll be here for the Harvest Festival, so let’s just enjoy that, right?”
Leslie nodded distractedly and began to shove him out of the booth. “I gotta go to the bathroom. Then I’m going to go talk to Ann real quick, I’ll be back sometime.”
Ben obediently let her pass and sat back down when she left. He watched her wave to Ann and then stumble her way to the bathroom.
“Ben,” Ron’s voice snapped him back to reality. “Look, son, I really have no interest in hearing anything about your personal life, but it’s become pretty obvious to me, an astute observer, that you like Leslie, in way that’s a little more than just friends. Am I right?”
“Oh, I just…she’s…I mean, who wouldn’t, right? She’s really nice,” Ben lamely stammered out.
“Like I said, zero interest. You don’t have to explain yourself, because I don’t care. I can’t really tell if she likes you in the way you’re hoping for, Ben, and I suspect that’s because she doesn’t quite know that herself. I will tell you this, though: Leslie’s last serious boyfriend moved away. So you’ve got to make a decision about where you’re really going next, or else you’re going to lose your chance. So man up, son,” Ron finished, slurring slightly at the end of his rant. It didn’t quite sound like he was done, but he never continued the train of thought.
Ben grabbed his glass and downed the contents in one quick gulp. Ron stared at him for a good few seconds, then clasped his shoulder. Hard. Ben winced.
“I like you. But I like Leslie more. And so does everyone else who knows her. So watch yourself, whatever you decide,” Ron said as he stood up to wander back to the bar. Ben nervously wiped his sweaty hands on his pant legs and stood up too. He saw Leslie bobbing around with a very excited Chris and an extremely drunk Ann. He made his way over to them, giving them all a small wave. Chris grabbed his shoulder and squeezed, even harder than Ron had.
“Ben Wyatt! Nice suit, buddy, you look great! Very professional! This is great, huh! Best town we’ve been to yet! We won’t be the same after we leave here, that’s for sure!” Chris said, and Ben glanced at Leslie, who was beaming proudly. He smiled at her.
“No, we won’t,” he agreed. He held his hand out to Leslie. “Want to dance?” She smiled, but shook her head.
“Nah, I’m getting a headache. It’s too loud in here. Want to take a walk?” she suggested. Ben retracted his hand, disappointed, but nodded.
***
Outside the bar, the air was cool and crisp. Ben realized now, walking around, how drunk he really was.
“Wow,” he slurred out, startling Leslie. “I could not be the… whatever…driver tonight. Designated. Are you good to drive?”
Leslie shook her head. “No, I’ve had a little too much to drive right now. My house isn’t very far, though, we could walk there, take a shortcut through the park, get some water and some food to sober up. We could come back for the car later. Is that okay?”
Ben stared at her, confused. “Oh, you’re ready to go home? I could just call a cab. My hotel is not far. I don’t think.”
“No, I don’t want to go home yet, I want to go for a walk, then home,” she said, taking off in one direction. Ben continued staring at the spot she had just left, still confused, then hurriedly tried to catch up with her.
“Damn, this suit is not very comfortable to walk in,” he muttered.
“You look good,” Leslie said and Ben’s head snapped around to look at her. She was so hard to read. Was she flirting or just being nice?
“Thanks, Tom picked it out,” he said. “He said my old suit sucked.”
Leslie snorted. “It was pretty dorky,” she agreed. Ben stopped walking and Leslie turned towards him, slowing down but not stopping.
“You. Are. Relentless!” he tried to say seriously, but his face broke into a huge grin. He jogged up to meet her and poked her in the side. She smacked his hand away, but returned the grin. “I guess it works, though, I mean, Joan Callamezzo seemed to be coming on pretty strong, right?”
Leslie rolled her eyes. “Joan’s crazy.”
“Because she thought I was handsome?”
“No, you are handsome, she’s just crazy, as in crazy crazy. Like, really, actually crazy. Like, don’t get involved crazy.”
Ben stumbled a little, but caught himself quickly. Leslie seemed unaware she had said anything out of the ordinary. He noticed the road had changed into softer dirt and realized they were in the middle of the park Leslie had chosen as a shortcut.
“So, I can call a cab from your house, I don’t want to be a bother,” he said, after a few beats of silence. Leslie nodded. More silence passed and Ben began to feel uneasy.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, to keep you so quiet, Leslie?”
Leslie stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face him. Ben, caught off-guard, ended up a few feet in front of her and had to backtrack.
“Ben,” Leslie started, then stopped abruptly. He tried to make out her expression, but it was too dark and he was too buzzed. She shifted from foot to foot. “You’ll keep in touch, right?”
He squinted and furrowed his eyebrows. “Yeah? Are you worried about that?”
She looked off into the distance. “I guess. I mean, you’ve really helped out so much and you really don’t have to. It’s something a friend would do. We’re friends, right?”
Ben felt confused. He was having a hard time following this conversation. “Right. I guess.” Leslie made a face at this and Ben hurried to correct himself.
“I mean, look, Leslie, it’s hard for me to make friends. No one likes me when they first meet me, and hardly anyone…actually, no one, until you, even gives me a chance to be their friend. I don’t really know how to be a friend to someone anymore.”
“Well, I can help you out. Friends keep in touch, okay? You call me, I call you, or whatever. If you’re in the area, you stop by and we get lunch.” Leslie’s eyes met his and something in Ben snapped. He shook his head. “What?”
“No, I can’t…” he started, still shaking his head. “It’s not…I don’t want…”
“Oh, well, I mean, you don’t have to, if you don’t want to. I just thought we were becoming friends, and it would be nice-”
“It’s not that, Leslie, it’s just that I…I, uh…goddammit,” he muttered. Ben took a deep breath and strode forward with purpose. He had to do this before he lost his nerve. He cupped the side of her face with one palm and leaned in, stopping just before he got to her lips.
“I just…really, really like you,” he said quietly, and closed the rest of the distance.
At first, she didn’t react and for one horrible moment Ben thought he had made a mistake and considered pulling away. But suddenly, like a bolt of lightning struck her, Leslie’s hands shot up and cupped his cheeks and she kissed him back, hard. He tipped his head slightly and tangled his hands in her hair. Their first kiss broke and they both met again for an electric second one, this time, Leslie grabbed onto his tie. Ben stumbled forward and Leslie couldn’t help but laugh, breaking their kiss again. Ben, dazed, stood still for a moment, then grinned.
“Sorry,” he said, trying to make himself serious again. It was too hard with Leslie’s radiant grin.
“That was my bad,” she said. “C’mon, let’s go home.” She grabbed his hand and started jogging deeper into the park and Ben let her lead the way.
***
Once they made it to Leslie’s house, Ben started to feel awkward. He watched her struggle with her keys, his hands shoved in his pocket. He fiddled with his tie, wishing for the hundredth time that night that he had changed before going to The Snakehole.
Leslie finally got the door open and he followed her inside. The first thing that struck him was how very Leslie it was. Messy, but not too messy. Sensibly decorated and bright. Very, very bright. The whole place was littered with open binders, he guessed for the Harvest Festival.
“You do all this work at home?” Ben asked. Leslie disappeared into the kitchen, then reappeared with a tall glass of water and handed it to him. He obediently took it.
“Yeah,” she nodded, looking around. “I have to. There’s not enough time in my day to do all this. And if it doesn’t work, we all lose our jobs.”
Ben looked at the floor. He was suddenly very aware of how he had started out as “the enemy” in Leslie’s mind, and if this did not go as planned, how easily he could return to that status. “It will work. I know it will.”
Leslie smiled. “That may have been the most optimistic thing I’ve ever heard you say, Benjy. Oh, sorry,” she rushed out.
“No, it’s okay,” he said, gulping down his water. “After everything I’ve been called here, especially after today, that name is more than fine right now.”
Leslie sat down on the couch and moved her stuff around so Ben could sit beside her. He lowered himself down, close but not too close. Leslie made a face at him, then closed the distance, laying her head down on his shoulder. He hesitantly put his arm around her.
“Leslie, I,” he started, but then didn’t know where to go. “I don’t know what I was going to say. I’ve been really bad with words today, if you haven’t noticed.”
Leslie laughed softly. “Yeah, what was that all about? You’ve been so smooth and collected the whole time I’ve known you.”
Ben shrugged, forgetting for a moment her head was on his shoulder. She moved to sit up. Damn it. “I don’t know what happened. No one’s ever brought that stuff up around me. I guess I just…imploded, when I finally had to deal with it. I didn’t know how to.” He shook his head. “The moment I heard those DJ’s say Partridge, Minnesota, I knew what was going to happen, and I couldn’t stop it.”
Leslie laughed again. “Imploded, I’ll say. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that.”
“All right, all right, I looked like a fool,” he grinned, lightly shoving her. She playfully pushed back.
“Oh, I can’t believe I almost forgot,” she said, bolting up and running to her kitchen table. Ben waited, puzzled. She came back quickly, holding something. “April gave this to me tonight, she said it won a prize in her class.”
She handed over a photograph and Ben couldn’t help his burst of laughter. “Oh, God, this won a prize?”
Leslie grinned. “For the most accurate representation of melancholy.”
“God, I don’t know whether to be flattered or embarrassed. This was when we watched the Perd Hapley stuff, wasn’t it?” Leslie nodded. “You’ve gotta see that entire thing, it gets pretty ridiculous near the end.”
Leslie held out her hand. “Can I keep that? It’s the only picture I have of you, and you’re leaving soon,” she trailed off at the end and suddenly the mood changed. He handed it over.
“Leslie,” he said softly. She sat down beside him again. He reached over, wanting to touch her cheek, but she seemed guarded and unresponsive. “We don’t have to talk about this now.”
“No, we do,” she said, looking at him seriously. “I can’t explain it exactly, but I feel something for you, Ben, and I know now that you do too. I can’t…get involved in something if you’re just going to leave in a few weeks. Maybe we should just ride it out as friends and pretend like nothing happened tonight in the park.”
He shifted his weight and turned toward her. “I don’t want to do that.”
“Do what? Leave or pretend like nothing happened?” He heard the challenge in her voice. He understood from her tone that this conversation had meaning that went well beyond tonight.
“I can’t,” his voice wavered a little and he took a deep breath. “Leslie, I can’t just decide right this moment to stay in Pawnee, even if I want to. I’m obligated to the state to leave for Snerling. After that, though, I can come back,” he reached for her hand. “I will come back, if you want me to.”
“It’s for months, though, isn’t it? What if you have to stay longer? What if you have some other Harvest Fest, or something better, to keep you there? What if there’s some girl there that you like better? You might not want to come back in a few months,” Leslie rushed out, squeezing his hand and refusing to look at him.
He didn’t know what to say, so he climbed closer to her on the couch and slowly leaned in, lips inches from hers. He paused before he went any further and searched Leslie’s face for a hint that she wouldn’t reject him. She finally met his eyes and he saw the permission he was looking for.
Their kiss started out soft and sweet, but soon she was pushing him slowly down until he was on his back and she was lying beside him. As their lips met again, he felt a surge of desire pulse through his body and suddenly her lips parted, allowing him access. They made out like teenagers for a while, clumsily and passionately, until she forced him out of his suit jacket. He kicked his shoes off, tugging on her jacket. She broke their kiss to sit up and shrug out of it, throwing it on the back of the couch. He took the moment to really look at her.
Even with her hair messy from his hands running through it, her lips swollen and red from their kissing, and her cheeks flushed, Ben still thought she was amazing. He had never been good with expressing his feelings.
“You are an amazing person, Leslie,” he said, softly, and she looked down at him, surprised. She blushed and looked away.
“Do you, uh,” Leslie looked nervous. “Do you want to go somewhere more comfortable?”
Ben tried to contain his eagerness and nodded calmly. She grabbed his hands and pulled him up. They stood together for a moment, hand in hand, eyes locked. Leslie reached up and loosened his tie. “This was a nice suit. It looks good on you.”
Ben grinned and kissed the top of her head. Leslie smiled back and led the way to her bedroom.
***
When Leslie came padding into the kitchen early the next morning, Ben was already in there with a cup of coffee, wearing his dress pants and his undershirt. He smiled at her.
“Good morning,” he said, offering her a mug. She took it gratefully and poured herself some coffee. “I wanted to make breakfast for you, but I couldn’t find any eggs. Or waffle batter. Or even cereal, for that matter.”
“Oh, yeah, I’ve been meaning to go shopping,” she said absently. “How’s your hangover?”
He waved his hand over the coffee. “Not too bad, really. Want to go to JJ’s for some waffles, then? If I can’t make you breakfast, I can at least take you out for some.”
She smiled. “Sure. I’d like that. Oh, wait. My car is still at the bar. And yours is still at work.”
“Oh, yeah. I guess we’ll have to pick up your car first, then get some waffles, then go into work.”
“We might be late,” Leslie worriedly looked at the clock. “And oh no! What if people notice we came in together! In the same car, people will know, they’ll talk. We’ll have to coordinate our entrances at different times…” she trailed off as she went back to the bedroom. Ben shook his head at his coffee, unable to contain his smile.
***
Ben had a change of clothes in his car, which Leslie worriedly insisted he change into before coming into the building, convinced that everyone would know what had happened between them. He had asked if it was really that awful to be seen with him and Leslie had just smacked his arm in response. She explained that she just wanted to keep it between them, until he was no longer in charge of her budget. Although, Leslie was very bad at being discreet, Ben discovered throughout the day.
When they first walked in, barely separated by time, to Leslie’s dismay, they were bombarded by April and a camera.
“Leslie, wait,” April said, stopping her. “I have to capture the spirit of friendly, can I take your picture?”
“Huh? Oh, sure, April,” she said, distractedly, smiling.
“You can’t look like you know I’m taking a picture. Do something friendly to him,” she said, pointing to Ben. Leslie glared at him, like he had planned this. He threw up his hands in mock surrender.
“Okay, fine, let’s shake hands like we just met. No, wait! I’m giving you a tour. Let’s shake hands like that,” Leslie said, extending her hand.
“Is there a special handshake for tours?” Ben teased, drawing another glare from Leslie. He held out his hand and Leslie took it, momentarily letting her guard down and giving him a sweet smile. He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. He heard the click of a camera.
“Cool, that’ll be lame enough,” April rolled her eyes and began to walk away. Ben caught up with her.
“Hey, when you print that out, make a copy for me, will you?”
April stared at him. “Sure, whatever, weirdo.”
Later, at lunch, Ben brought his sandwich down to Leslie’s desk and she became so awkwardly flustered in front of Tom that Ben thought she was going to blow the whole thing right there.
“You can’t be in here,” she gasped out. Ben paused, opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again. He squinted at her.
“Uh, why not?”
“Because! I have work to do. On the Festival. It needs to be done, right now, only by me, and I can’t eat at all. Or I’ll eat here. But I have to do it by myself,” she sputtered. Tom glanced over and raised his eyebrows as Leslie stood up and began physically shooing Ben out of her office.
“Okay, okay, geesh, I’m going. Forget it.” Ben walked out of the Parks Department and wandered until he ended up on a bench on the fourth floor, eating his sandwich and people watching.
Near the end of the day, as Chris was leaving, Leslie strolled into their office. She nodded politely at Chris and sat down in the chair in front of Ben’s desk.
“Leslie,” Ben smiled at her. “Get all your important lunch work done?”
“What? No, there’s still a lot to be done,” she said, dismissively. He frowned, unsure if there was a joke in there.
“Well, I’m really glad you stopped by. I wanted to talk to you a little more about the next couple of weeks. After the Festival.”
Leslie groaned. “I figured. Can’t we just figure all this out later? Just enjoy the little time we have together?”
Ben grabbed a blank sheet of paper from his desk and began scribbling all over it. “No. I mean, yes, we can enjoy ourselves, but I don’t want too look at it that way, like we’re terminally ill, or something. Do you want to try this long-distance? Instead of just waiting for me to finish in Snerling? Here,” he said, pushing the paper towards her. “That’s my email, my work cell number, my personal cell number, my Indianapolis address, my office address, and the number of the Snerling hotel we’ll be at. I will keep in touch.”
Leslie took in all the information and grinned. “You don’t just have a card?”
Ben snorted. “Not with all that on it, no.” Leslie began copying the information onto the bottom of the sheet. “What’re you doing?”
“I want a copy for my fridge at home and a copy for my desk here,” she answered. He smiled.
“So, uh, yeah,” he scratched the back of his neck, suddenly nervous. “I just wanted to show you that I was serious about keeping in touch with you, I’m serious about wanting to come back. If you would want me to, I mean.” He paused. He hated that he was so unsure of himself, but Leslie was still hard for him to read. “Do you want me to?”
Leslie quietly finished copying his information and ripped the paper cleanly in half. She met his eyes and he saw the sincerity in her gaze. “I want you to come back, Ben.” He let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
“Oh. Good,” he smirked. “Good.” They smiled at each other and a comfortable moment of silence passed over them.
“So, do you want some help on the Harvest Festival, then?” Ben asked, sure that she had been planning to stay well past her shift.
She grinned at him. “Do I! Come to my office, I have to show you the fat coaster plans. Oh, and the pet store wants to showcase their exotic breeds. Do you think we could get a snake cage? And should the bunnies be next to it, or is that just inviting disaster?”
As he happily listened to Leslie ramble on about the pet store, Ben thought back to what Chris said in the bar last night and thought nothing could be truer. He would not leave Pawnee as the same person he was when he first arrived. And he was glad for that.
The End
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