#I’m so so happy Hugo decided to adopt him as an advisor at the end

[asexual-squidward]

Posts about LOST making me revisit my thoughts / headcanons about what happens with Ben and Hurley on the now-peaceful island.

I love the idea of the dynamic between Ben knowing everything about how the island works, but not much about popular culture or actually having a life outside of following orders and doing things for the sake of the island. And Hurley wanting Ben to loosen up and also deal with some of that trauma that he’s got going on, but also being very ‘???’ about how the island works.

And Hurley has an uphill battle because the remaining people on the island:

Don’t know who he is just emerging from the forest and proclaiming him to be the new protector

Ben is here and has a history of being the Cause Of Problems and now he’s claiming to be good now and this new guy is vouching for him but how can we trust him when he’s a known liar

So trying to get Ben used to living a more settled and less traumatic life is challenging because the guy has been essentially running on fumes for years and now his conscience and trauma is catching up with him and isolating himself doing paperwork isn’t going to help that.

Headcanons for Ben & Hurley’s Adventures On The Island™️

Ben is sometimes very exasperated at Hurley continuously questioning stuff that he understood (or learned not to question) when he was barely a teenager. But also Hurley keeps trying to get Ben to sit down and eat some goddamn popcorn because what do you mean you haven’t watched [movie]?!

Ben has to to unlearn lying automatically as a form of putting up walls. Hurley becomes very adept at telling when Ben is lying (he doesn’t know if that’s part of being the Protector or if his friendship with Ben has granted him that).

Hurley introduces Ben to ‘his culture’ (ie movies and video games. He uses his powers as Protector to ransack an out-of-business Blockbusters at least once) - while also reading books Ben recommends even though he’s not much of a book guy but he wants to meet him halfway.

Both of them help each other process their grief, trauma, and PTSD from [gestures to the entirety of LOST]. Including flashbacks, nightmares and panic attacks. Both of them are good listeners, it’s getting the other to talk about their problems that’s the struggle (Hurley rambles about other things to change the subject while Ben will just keep working until he drops)

Following from that, Hurley keeps getting imposter syndrome and thinking he’s not good enough to be the Protector. And he doesn’t understand why Ben trusts him (Ben also has this exact fear too but hides it far better)

Ben is still unused to hugs, which is an issue as Hurley is a big hugger. He has picked ben up in a bear hug and spun him around at least once.

Basically Hurley has adopted the human equivalent of a rescued attack dog as his emotional support animal.