Beer and a Bunny
Also posted in the ficathon at Leslie-Ben: http://leslie-ben.livejournal.com/176322.html
Spoilers: through Season 4, episode 1, "I'm Leslie Knope"
Rating: G
Just a little drabble about how Ben spends the Friday night after Leslie's campaign announcement.
*************
Ben doesn't get home until around 9:30 on Friday night. April recognizes one of the bags Ben is carrying when he walks in the front door - it's the small gym bag she'd seen in Leslie's office that morning, but not later in the afternoon, and she could guess what was in it. It's just about the right size for a few items of clothing, maybe some toiletries. But the other one she wasn't expecting - it's from an upscale toy store at the mall in Eagleton. That must be where he went after Leslie's announcement.
He takes them both into his room and then emerges a few minutes later, heading for the laundry room with a small basket of clothes. Then he goes straight back into his room. He looks tired.
She goes to the fridge, grabs a Miller Lite, heads for his room and knocks once on the door, which is ajar. He comes to the door and opens it, holding a little stuffed rabbit. The soft, expensive kind. He definitely looks tired.
"Hi?"
She hands him the beer, which he takes, raising an eyebrow.
"What's with the bunny?"
Ben looks at it as if he's forgotten he was holding it. "I have a baby niece. In Chicago. I, uh, I have to figure out how to send this."
"You can probably buy boxes at the post office."
"Right. Um, thanks." He gestures vaguely with the beer, leans as if to go back into his room again.
She nods her head back towards the living room, where Andy is merrily crashing into the walls in Mario Kart. "It's a stupid game, but Andy likes to play against other people, and I'm bored with it. So you have to play now. We've got bagel bites." She says this all in a flat monotone. But she holds his gaze.
"Oh." She glares at him. "OK, I'll be there in a few minutes." She gives him a look which clearly implies "If you aren't, I'll knock on your bedroom door."
She moves down the hall again. "Congratulations. On the new niece," she says, over her shoulder, as she disappears.
An hour later, Ben's on his third beer. While Andy changes from Mario Kart to Lego Harry Potter, Ben catches April's eye from opposite ends of the couch, and whispers, "Thanks."
"Shuddup," she whispers back. But she gives him a sideways smile and shoves his shoulder, before Andy lands back on the couch and they settle in to play. Andy whoops as Ben smashes a statue of a goblin into smithereens. "Awesome, dude, you are totally on fire today!"
Spoilers: through Season 4, episode 1, "I'm Leslie Knope"
Rating: G
Just a little drabble about how Ben spends the Friday night after Leslie's campaign announcement.
*************
Ben doesn't get home until around 9:30 on Friday night. April recognizes one of the bags Ben is carrying when he walks in the front door - it's the small gym bag she'd seen in Leslie's office that morning, but not later in the afternoon, and she could guess what was in it. It's just about the right size for a few items of clothing, maybe some toiletries. But the other one she wasn't expecting - it's from an upscale toy store at the mall in Eagleton. That must be where he went after Leslie's announcement.
He takes them both into his room and then emerges a few minutes later, heading for the laundry room with a small basket of clothes. Then he goes straight back into his room. He looks tired.
She goes to the fridge, grabs a Miller Lite, heads for his room and knocks once on the door, which is ajar. He comes to the door and opens it, holding a little stuffed rabbit. The soft, expensive kind. He definitely looks tired.
"Hi?"
She hands him the beer, which he takes, raising an eyebrow.
"What's with the bunny?"
Ben looks at it as if he's forgotten he was holding it. "I have a baby niece. In Chicago. I, uh, I have to figure out how to send this."
"You can probably buy boxes at the post office."
"Right. Um, thanks." He gestures vaguely with the beer, leans as if to go back into his room again.
She nods her head back towards the living room, where Andy is merrily crashing into the walls in Mario Kart. "It's a stupid game, but Andy likes to play against other people, and I'm bored with it. So you have to play now. We've got bagel bites." She says this all in a flat monotone. But she holds his gaze.
"Oh." She glares at him. "OK, I'll be there in a few minutes." She gives him a look which clearly implies "If you aren't, I'll knock on your bedroom door."
She moves down the hall again. "Congratulations. On the new niece," she says, over her shoulder, as she disappears.
An hour later, Ben's on his third beer. While Andy changes from Mario Kart to Lego Harry Potter, Ben catches April's eye from opposite ends of the couch, and whispers, "Thanks."
"Shuddup," she whispers back. But she gives him a sideways smile and shoves his shoulder, before Andy lands back on the couch and they settle in to play. Andy whoops as Ben smashes a statue of a goblin into smithereens. "Awesome, dude, you are totally on fire today!"