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something-tofightfor · 4 years ago

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Tipping Point - 6

Pairing: Benjamin Greene x Reader (friendship)

Word Count: 7094

Rating: M (language, marital issues)

Summary: His marriage to Julia over (for the most part), Benjamin decides to take control of his life... and of his future.

Author’s Note: Things are happening. The next few chapters are rapid-fire change... hold on to your butts.

“Benjamin.” He felt someone nudging his shoulder. “Wake up.” He opened his eyes, blinking slowly and fighting the urge to stretch, though he desperately needed to. My legs weren’t meant to bend like this for so long. He turned to face the man next to him, fighting back a yawn. “You were out.” I was. He rubbed at his eyes, nodding.

“Yeah, I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep on a plane, but…” He stifled another yawn. “Nine hours will do it, I guess.” Eric laughed, the outline of his face just visible in the dim lighting. “We landing?”

“Yeah, just about.” Eric cracked his neck, pointing at the window. “You might be able to see the lights if you open the window, it’s gonna be dark when we land.” Benjamin reached up, pushing the window shade slowly, and peered through the small window. Nothing yet. Just clouds. Keeping his eyes on the glass, he thought back to the previous six weeks - and the series of events that had led him to his current situation: on a plane with Eric and about to land in Chicago for a three week holiday.

---

He’d met Julia the following day in front of the law office that they’d initially gone to, the woman dressed casually. “I’m meeting the kids for lunch afterward.” She sniffed, looking him up and down. “See that you didn’t bother to -”

“I came from work, Julia. I’m on my lunch break.” He shook his head. “Can we just… enough with the attitude for once?” His tone softened. “This isn’t what either of us wants, but it’s what is, and we don’t have to…” He coughed, trying to hide the hitch in his voice. “We’re both dealing with this in our own ways, Julia.” She laughed at that, leaning in.

“Yeah, you’re sure dealing with it, Benjamin.” What’s that supposed to mean? “With that little American that’s been popping up on your page?” He groaned, gritting his teeth. Guess not.

“Fuck’s sake, Julia. She’s Eric’s sister, and she’s seeing someone. I’m sure that that’s apparent to you by the man she’s posing with in her profile picture?” He gestured toward the building. “You’re allowed to talk about all of this publicly with your friends and family, so why am I not allowed to make a new friend?” He swallowed hard. “Especially one that’s indirectly involved in my life via the roommate I wouldn’t need if you’d been willing to swallow your pride and see a fucking marriage counsellor with me.” I’m done mincing my words. I’m done trying to stay civil since you so obviously won’t.

She seemed surprised at his outburst, unable to respond aside from mumbling his name a few times, her eyes flashing in the sunlight. Good.

“Let’s get this done with, Julia. Sign these papers and…” He stopped, feeling a lump rise in his throat. “And get you on your way to lunch.” She turned on her heel and walked toward the building, Benjamin a few steps behind. It took only a few minutes to finish adding signatures where they were needed, and Benjamin was surprised to hear that the actual processing of the final paperwork would take weeks if not months, depending on the backlog. The representative had told them that there was nothing more that was needed - and as soon as they received the official decrees in the mail, it would be as if they were never married in the first place; as if the previous 40 months of their lives hadn’t happened. But they did. They …

They paused on the sidewalk, staring at each other, and Benjamin didn’t know what to say. I won’t see her again. Not after this. This is the last time I… He stared at her face, the way the lines in her skin had deepend; seemingly over the last few months. Maybe she’s just as upset as I am. “Julia, I…” He thought back to seeing her in the museum for the first time, the way that only a few friendly words of conversation had changed his life.

“Goodbye, Benjamin.” She shook her head and turned away from him, but his hand shot out, gripping her elbow and forcing her to turn back. “What.”

“Julia, I…” Keep it together. “I don’t regret it. None of it.” He could feel his heart pounding against his ribs. “I lo-”

“I do.” She spat the words out, tearing her arm from his grasp. “All of it.” She walked away from him, but all Benjamin could think about was that the wavering of her voice had given her away. She’s lying.

But he let her go, watching the back of her head as it disappeared into the crowd of people, and then he turned in the opposite direction, opting to walk the ten blocks back to work. I need the air. Surprisingly, he hadn’t thought about Julia while he walked, instead focusing on other things; work deadlines, reminding himself to pay his mobile bill, what he was going to have for dinner that evening, meeting Zac and Bianca for drinks later in the week. Stay busy. Stay preoccupied.

He texted you after arriving back at the office, letting you know that he’d signed the last bit of paperwork, and even though you’d taken some time to respond, he appreciated the simple honesty of your message: Onward and upward, Benjamin. You’ll be alright.

And he had been - carrying on with his life and trying to move past the time he’d spent with Julia. He wasn’t interested in dating, and though both Zac and Bianca had suggested people that they knew would be willing rebounds, not looking for anything serious, Benjamin declined. Focus on myself. It’s what I need. He’d met Leo just over a week after signing the papers with Julia, and the two had spent a few hours at the bar, the youngest Day apologizing profusely for his initial treatment of Benjamin and promising to keep in touch, now that they were both in London and seeing Benjamin didn’t always mean seeing Julia. “She’s best in small doses, Benjamin. You know that as well as I do.” Leo’s name started popping up in his notifications much more often - while yours began appearing less.

He’d asked you why one night, near the end of May, and you’d laughed it off at first, but Benjamin had persisted. “Please tell me. If I did something wrong, I -” He watched as the expression on your face changed, the wood of your headboard visible behind you as you shifted on the mattress.

“You didn’t. It’s Noah.” Benjamin’s stomach dropped, but he stayed quiet. “He thinks...he thinks that it’s strange that we talk so much.” Is it? “You’re in another country, Benjamin, but he just…”

“I’ve only met you once, and I’m.. was... married.” You rolled your eyes, tongue poking into your cheek.

“I know, and that’s what I’ve told him, it’s not like…” You paused. “I told him you were going through a divorce, and you just wanted someone to talk to that had nothing to do with that situation, and I think that made it worse. He said…” You frowned. Said what? “He thinks you’re just trying to keep me close in case I come back out there, so you can…” Benjamin said your name, sitting up straight.

“That’s ridiculous. You’re my friend, I’m not…” What a prick. “You’re too smart to let that happen.” He decided to make a joke, wanting to remove the worried expression from your face. “Besides, you know what a fuckup I am, you wouldn’t ever let yourself get involved with someone like me.” You didn’t know everything, but you knew basics, and though Benjamin would have told you what he’d gone through if you’d asked, you never had. Do I want her to?

“Yeah, you’re downright awful, Benjamin Greene.” You sat up, too, frowning. Sometimes I feel like I am. “You know I don’t mean that, right? I even told him that you were the one that encouraged me to give him a chance, but it didn’t matter.”

“I don’t want to come between you two.” Benjamin shifted the phone into both hands, making sure that you could see his whole face. “I’m serious, especially if you’re happy.” He saw you flinch at that, but before he could say anything else, you cut in.

“It’s still new, Benjamin. I’ve only been seeing him for like two months, so I don’t know if I’m happy yet, but I do know that I’m glad I didn’t just turn him down without even seeing.” He nodded, but he was slightly thrown off. You’d know if you were happy. You’d know immediately. He thought back to the pictures he’d seen of you at the game, the images where there was a slight distance between you and Noah. She’d know. “Anyway,” you continued. “I’m just trying to -”

“Don’t explain yourself. Not necessary.” He rolled his eyes before speaking again, putting the topic to rest. “Besides, we know the truth, right?” You agreed. “I like talking to you.” A lot. “But I’m not going to let you risk ruining a relationship for me, so do what you need to do.”

A few days later, Eric had come home from work, grinning from ear to ear, and Benjamin had been curious as to why. “I’m going home for a few weeks.” He flopped onto the couch, putting his feet up. “Got approved for leave at work, and I’m leaving the second week of July. I won’t be back ‘til August.” Three weeks by myself? I haven’t had that in...Benjamin shook his head back and forth slowly.

“That’s great Eric.” He thought, an idea popping into his head. “Maybe I’ll request some time off then, too. Summer’s usually not too busy - or so I’ve heard - it would be a good time for me to get away, enjoy some time by -”

“Come home with me.” Eric leaned in. “My sister’s house is plenty big enough for both of us to stay, and I’m sure she’d love to show you around the city.”

“I can’t do that, there’s no way…” Benjamin quickly turned the offer down. “I can’t intrude on that, you’re going home to see you fam-” Eric waved him off.

“You could meet all of my friends. They’ve all been curious about the people I’ve met while over here.” What? “Just think about it, Benjamin. There’s plenty of room, and flights are cheap as hell right now.” I can’t. He’d told Eric that he’d think about it, already mentally running through the reasons why it was a terrible idea in his head. It’s not … I can’t… I don’t want…

But four days later, Benjamin had the same three week period as Eric requested off and approved as vacation time - and round trip airline tickets booked.

---

He blinked, watching as the lights of Chicago became visible through the low-hanging clouds. “It’s massive.” He spoke quietly, but Eric laughed, agreeing. Benjamin felt the man settle back into the seat next to him. “And you live outside of -”

“About 40 minutes outside the city, but everyone does.” He sighed. “You’ll see.” And she’s coming to get us in the middle of the night. Thinking about you made Benjamin smile, and he remembered the change in your tone of voice as soon as you’d learned he’d be coming home with Eric, the way you’d immediately started planning things for the three of you to do. We’ll see if anything actually comes of it. Benjamin was familiar with canceled plans, and so until he was actually doing the things you’d suggested, he wouldn’t count on them happening. “I’m going to sleep the whole way back in the car.” Eric was grumbling. “Didn’t sleep for shit on this plane.”

By the time the wheels touched down on the tarmac, Benjamin was almost giddy with excitement. First time in the United States,and I get to see a city like this. As they deplaned, Benjamin separated from Eric, promising to meet him at baggage claim after going through customs. The process was always nerve wracking, and though he’d traveled plenty after changing his name, Benjamin felt a nagging sense of worry that he’d be stopped at the border and detained. But he answered the bored sounding woman’s questions, had his passport stamped, and was on his way toward the luggage carousels much faster than he’d anticipated. He saw Eric waiting next to one of them after only a few seconds of searching, and Benjamin readjusted his bag over his shoulder, heading in that direction.

He called out Eric’s name just as the conveyor belt began to move, but before he got an answer, he felt two arms wrapping around his waist, your voice excitedly saying his name. Oh, well. Hello. He hugged you back, leaning into it, and when you raised your head to meet his eyes, Benjamin felt his chest get tight. What? “Welcome to the United States, Benjamin Greene.” You ginned up at him, giving him one final squeeze before you let go and stepped back. “I hope your bags come off the plane first, because I don’t want to be here all night.” He laughed with you - as did Eric - and luckily, you got your wish. The three of you headed out the doors and to the parking garage within ten minutes, you and Eric talking excitedly between the two of you, and Benjamin simply looking around.

He went to climb in the backseat of your car, but you stopped him, pointing at the front. “What? Eric should -” Eric snorted and shook his head, pointing at himself.

“Eric is going to fall asleep in a few minutes, so he needs the whole back seat.” You laughed as your brother said your name. “Benjamin slept for the last few hours, so he’ll be able to stay awake to get you home.” I will? Still trying to process the sudden jolt of emotion that he’d felt when you hugged him, Benjamin took his place next to you, buckling his seatbelt. “Just don’t freak out because everything’s backwards,” Eric mumbled as he stretched out. “Wanna get home in one piece.”

“I’ll get you there, you dick.” You replied to your brother with mock anger, turning your head to look at Benjamin. “But seriously, it was super weird for me to be in a car in London, so if you -”

“I’ll be fine.” Benjamin leaned back in his seat, turning his head toward you. “I’ve been to countries where they drive like you do.” Both of you were quiet for a few minutes as you exited the garage, paying and then navigating back to the freeway. “How far away are we? Eric said…”

“Well it’ll be faster right now because there’s no traffic,” you told him as you smoothly merged into a new lane. “Maybe 25 minutes. Probably less.” That’s so much time. “How was your flight?” You started out asking him simple questions, and without much prompting, you and Benjamin fell into conversation as if you’d been having them in person for years instead of only for a few months with the aid of technology. It shouldn’t be this easy. Eric had been true to his word, falling asleep in only a few minutes, soft snores coming from the back seat. “He always sleeps on car trips. He has since he was a kid.” You glanced over at him, Benjamin taking the opportunity to watch your movements in the darkened interior of the vehicle. “You can sleep too if you want. I slept for most of the flight back here in December, and then I fell asleep in the car on the way home.”

“Nah.” He raised one arm, scratching the side of his head. “Not gonna leave you alone to drive all this way.” Benjamin went silent, waiting. What else is there to say? “You didn’t have to come get us.”

“Oh, but I did.” You jerked one thumb at your sleeping brother before settling your hand on the gearshift. “I never woulda heard the end of it from him if I didn’t.” True. “It’s… it’s good to see you, Benjamin.” He heard the hesitation in your voice. “I was surprised when Eric … when you said you were coming.” He kept his eyes on the road in front of him, watching as the lights illuminating the road flicked by. I was too.

“I haven’t been on holiday in years.” He rubbed one thigh with the palm of his hand, fighting not to reach out and place it over yours. “Seemed like the perfect time.” What is wrong with you, Benjamin? “And…” He turned his head fully toward you, watching as you briefly met his eyes. “You did promise me pizza a while ago.” The sound of your quiet laughter and agreement filled the car, and Benjamin again felt his chest tighten. What is happening?

---

Though you did have plenty of room in your house, it turned out that there was only one spare room with an actual bed in it, which Eric had claimed. The man carried his suitcase into the house and immediately went up the stairs, mumbling about how he couldn’t wait to pass out, leaving you and Benjamin standing in the front hall. “Well.” He turned to you, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve never seen him like this before.” You laughed, tossing your keys and bag onto the kitchen counter.

“He’s always like this when he travels. Complains the first night, sleeps for about 8 hours straight as soon as possible, and then he’s fine.” You flipped the light switch, illuminating your kitchen in a soft light. It’s cozy in here, looks lived in. He glanced around the room, not wanting to look too nosy, but you said his name, calling his attention back to you. “I went shopping earlier, got some things for you guys - mostly stuff that I know Eric likes, but he also sent me a couple things he said you keep in the apartment for yourself?” You did what? “ You moved through the kitchen, placing your hands on cupboards and drawers, telling him where things were. “Anything in the house is fair game. You see something, go ahead and eat or drink it - or use it.” Crossing your arms, you leaned against the counter. “I mean it. You’re a guest here, but you don’t have to ask before -”

“You didn’t have to do any of that.” Benjamin stepped forward. “I would have sorted a trip to the grocery out, I -”

“You flew thousands of miles to see m- to see Chicago. I’m not going to let you go hungry… or thirsty.” You straightened up, beckoning him over to where you stood. “Don’t tell Eric.” Tell him what? You waited until Benjamin was next to you to open a drawer, pointing out a small but familiar tin. “I remembered you said that was your favorite tea, and so I had some shipped in for you.” You looked up at him, and Benjamin was acutely aware of how close he was standing to you and the way your arm felt, brushing up against his. Stop it, Benjamin. Not the time. “Problem is that Eric also loves it, but I didn’t get it for him, I got it for you because I…” Your jaw worked, words trailing off as you stared at him. You what? “I wanted you to feel at home here, even though…” At home? He stayed quiet and after what felt like forever, tore his gaze away from yours to look at the tin, the tip of one finger resting on it. “I hope it’s enough, I didn’t know how much you’d drink, but…”

“It’s perfect.” He felt a lump in his throat that he quickly swallowed, reaching up with one hand to squeeze your shoulder gently. “Thank you. It’s really… unnecessary.” You laughed, turning toward him, and taking a deep breath.

“It’s also kind of an …” You wrinkled your nose, rolling your eyes. “An “I’m sorry you have to sleep on a pull out couch in the rec room for three weeks’ present.” Quickly stepping away from him, you moved back through the kitchen, grabbing the handle of his suitcase as you passed it and dragging it behind you. Why is she… Benjamin shut the drawer, following you, and only a few seconds later - after pointing out the bathroom on the main floor - you were in the room where he’d be staying. “It’s not much, but it’s…” You sat down on the edge of the bed - blankets and pillows already arranged on it - and looked up at him. “I spend a lot of time in this room, and it’s comfortable. Quiet, you’ll be able to sleep, and it gets dark, the curtains…I thought you’d like it more than a blow up mattress in the second spare bedroom.”

“It’s great.” He looked around, eyeing the bookshelves and desk, the TV that was mounted above a stand on the wall. “You won’t miss it while I’m here?”

“No.” You remained seated, using one hand to stifle a yawn. “No, I can still come in here and grab what I need, and we can always fold the couch up if we want to be in here.” You rubbed at your eyes. “Big TV’s in the other room anyway, this one’s…” He said your name quietly, and you stopped speaking.

“Go to sleep. It’s late, and you’ve done a lot of driving.” He inhaled, a thought crossing his mind. “You don’t have to work tomorrow, do you?” You stood, stretching, and Benjamin fought to keep his expression neutral as he watched the arch of your back, the way your neck looked as you turned your head to the side, eyes closing, another yawn escaping your lips.

“Nope.” You opened your eyes, looking back at him. “That’s the other surprise.” Surprise? For who? “I’m off for the next two weeks, so I can spend plenty of time with you ...and Eric.” She paused. She paused after… You said goodnight after that, explaining where all of the light switches were, where the plugs were for his phone and any other devices he’d brought with him, pointing out the whiteboard where you’d written the wifi information down for him and then paused in the doorway. “Sleep as late as you want, Benjamin. We won’t bother you if the door’s closed.” You watched him for a few seconds, and though he would have sworn you wanted to say something else, you turned and left the room, your quiet footsteps fading as you made it back to the stairs.

On autopilot, Benjamin opened his suitcase and pulled out a fresh pair of pajama pants and a clean t shirt along with his toiletries before heading down the hallway and into the bathroom. It didn’t take him long to change and get ready for bed, and after he plugged his phone in, Benjamin wandered around the small room, fingers trailing over the spines of the books on the shelves, eyes moving over all of your knickknacks and pictures. “Stop it.” He spoke out loud to himself after a few minutes, running a hand through his hair and turning back toward the bed. “Whatever you’re thinking, Benjamin, it needs to stop right now. This isn’t a good idea.”

But he was unable to sleep for a long time that night, tossing and turning on the mattress as he thought about what you’d said - and had almost said to him. Did I come here to visit her, or did I come here to visit the city?

---

True to your word, you spent a lot of time with the two of them over the following few days, taking both him and Eric grocery shopping the next afternoon, cooking dinner when the three of you got home. It was nice to relax, and even though it was warm and humid outside, Benjamin enjoyed it. The three of you sat in your small backyard as you ate, Eric catching you up on his life since January, and Benjamin giving both of you a quick recap of his situation.

It felt good to talk about what he’d been through and how he was feeling, and even though he didn’t go into a large amount of detail, he could tell you were listening intently, not just to placate him. It’s like I’ve been friends with these two for years, I can’t believe it’s only been a few months. You went out with Noah on the second day, apologizing profusely for abandoning them, but Eric took Benjamin to visit with a few of his friends, introducing him to some of the bars in Northbrook. This is so much different than home.

He enjoyed himself, though he allowed his mind to wander to you a few times, even when Eric’s female friends were talking to him, asking about what he did and whether or not he’d ever been to America before. It’s all the same. He was polite but held back from allowing any of them to pull him away from the group, preferring to drink his beer and keep an eye on the various sports that were being broadcast. He’d contemplated the merits of an American fling; there was no harm in it, nothing holding him back. Benjamin wanted to experience everything that he possibly could while on holiday, and despite the fact that he was still reeling from the end of his marriage, he’d promised himself that he would stay open to any opportunity that presented itself.

Though still waiting on the paperwork to come through, for what it was worth, he and Julia were no longer married. His ring was sitting in a box in the flat in London, and when people asked, he told them that he was single, which got him more than a few appraising looks from the other people in the bars. He was a few years older than both you and Eric, as well as many of Eric’s friends, but Benjamin had never found that a focus on age was important to him. Julia had been proof of that, and Allie before her - but was wary of the very young women that seemed most interested in him. That’s not worth it. Not at all. Eric’s personality attracted many people to their tables, and after not having gone out with large groups for such a long time, Benjamin was slightly overwhelmed by the time he and his friend were back in an Uber and headed back to your place.

“You’re gonna go home with an American girlfriend, Greene.” Eric wasn’t drunk but he was toeing the line, the happiness of being home with his friends coupled with cheap drinks making it easy. “Any of ‘em give you their number?” Benjamin laughed, leaning back against the seat.

“Couple of them asked, but I declined. I don’t know that I want to meet someone in a bar, Eric… it’s not my…”

“You’re goin’ home in a couple weeks, Benjamin.” Eric sniffed. “Look, all I’m saying is that you’re here for a while, and not everyone is looking for something long term.” He squeezed Benjamin’s shoulder. “You came here to have fun, right?” I did. He nodded. “Then let yourself have fun. There’s nothing wrong with flirting, nothing wrong with being friendly.” Eric closed his eyes, tilting his head back. “But my sister would probably kill you if you tried to bring someone back to her place, so…” What? Why? Benjamin blinked rapidly. “I tried that once, told the girl all about what my situation was and then tried to sneak her into the bedroom, and… Jesus, Benjamin, I’ve never heard someone yell so loud.” Eric opened his eyes. “So if you do end up meeting someone, I wouldn’t try to -” So it’s just about a stranger in her house, not about me. Got it.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Eric. That’s just disrespectful.” The thought of seeing any sort of disappointment on your face made him anxious, though Benjamin didn’t know why. “I’ll keep that in mind, though.” Change the topic. “So you dated the one girl, Ashley?” Eric began talking, the conversation lasting until they’d been dropped off in your driveway. The first thing Benjamin noticed was that there was a second car parked there, and it wasn’t Eric’s.

“Oh, it looks like you get to meet Noah, Benjamin.” Eric scratched the side of his head. “Still a little weird that they’re dating if you ask me, but he always had a thing for her so…we’ll see what happens.” Eric led him to the front door, and Benjamin found himself taking deep, slow breaths. This will be good. It’ll make him see that there’s no reason for him to worry. “Noah! You and my sister better be decent!” Eric unlocked the front door, pushing it open and calling out, even as Benjamin winced. “Where are you?”

“Living room.” The man’s reply was deeper than Benjamin had expected, and they walked toward the sound of it. “Watching a movie.” He thought about turning and walking straight into his room, but Benjamin steeled himself, stepping into the darkened room where you and Noah were sitting together on the couch, your legs stretched out across his lap. “What’s up, Eric?” Benjamin’s eyes went immediately to the TV to see what you were watching, but before could figure it out, the screen paused. “And you must be Ben.” Here we go.

“And you’re Noah.” Benjamin turned toward the man, watching as he moved your legs, his fingers curling around your bare calves. “I’ve heard a -”

“He goes by Benjamin, Noah.” Your voice was quiet, and Benjamin’s eyes moved to you briefly, watching as you reached out to put a hand on his arm. “Doesn’t like -” It’s not worth it. Eric flipped the light on, and Noah walked over, reaching out to shake Eric’s hand before pulling him into a quick hug. “Did you guys have fun?” You stood too, stepping closer to where the three men stood, and Benjamin watched as you eyed your brother, one eye narrowed. “Eric did, I can see that.” You turned your gaze to him. “What about you? How was your first American bar?” Would have been better if you w-

“Well, we went to a couple.” He laughed, shrugging his shoulder. “Lots of sports, lots of beer, lots of people.” He paused, but before he could speak again, Noah had stepped closer, blocking you from Benjamin’s line of sight.

“Good to meet you, Benjamin.” Noah stuck his hand out and Benjamin took it, his eyes moving slightly downward, as the man was a few inches shorter than him. “I’ve heard a lot about you - from both of ‘em.”

“Good things, I hope.” He kept his speech clipped, following Noah’s lead and sizing the man up before dropping his hand. Play nice, Benjamin. She likes him, don’t ruin this for her. “It’s good to meet another one of Eric’s friends.” He motioned toward you with his chin, wetting his lips. “And it’s nice to meet you, not just see you in her pictures.” This feels like a standoff. Why does it… there’s no reason. “I’m sure, “ he continued, rolling his neck from side to side. “I’m sure that we’ll see more of each other while we’re here, but I’m still a little jet lagged, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head to bed.” He nodded once at Noah before turning to Eric. “See you tomorrow?” Eric tapped his forehead with one finger in a mock salute and then Benjamin finally let his gaze fall on you, noticing that you were tense. Oh no. “G’night.”

“‘Night, Benjamin.” You paused. “Let us know if the TV’s too loud.” He assured you that he would before turning and walking from the room, heading down the short hallway and into his bedroom. He again changed quickly, grabbing a bottle of water from the kitchen after brushing his teeth. Laying down, Benjamin scrolled through his phone aimlessly, ears trained to the door and the faint sounds of the TV. This is ridiculous. It only took twenty minutes for him to climb off of the bed and dig through his bag, pulling out headphones and connecting them to his phone. Won’t be able to hear anything now.

But after ten minutes of a podcast, Benjamin realized that he wasn’t paying attention. This is a problem. Despite being tired, it took Benjamin a long time to fall asleep - even after switching to music, as his thoughts ran wild.

---

He woke up before both you and Eric the following morning, shuffling to the kitchen and starting to cook breakfast without bothering to get dressed. Focused on what he was doing and deep in thought, he didn’t hear you come into the room until you’d taken a seat on the counter behind him. “Smells good, Benjamin.” Shit. He turned to face you, glancing up and watching you smirk, eyes bright. “I’m taller than you for once.” You are. You hadn’t bothered to change either, and though you were wearing a t shirt like you had been the first night he’d met you, your legs were again bare, a pair of shorts replacing the sweats. “Are you cooking for yourself, or…”

“I’ll make you breakfast.” I haven’t cooked for anyone else in months. “Hope you like French toast.” You assured him that you did, and he busied himself adding eggs and a little more milk to the bowl, long fingers moving through your spice rack as he found cinnamon and vanilla, adding them to the liquid. “Do you think Eric will -”

“No.” You sighed. “He’s still out, I looked into the room on my way down here..” Ask the real question.

“Did Noah stay? Should I -”

“He left, Benjamin.” He heard you shifting behind him as you hopped off the counter and moved to the refrigerator, pulling out a carton of juice. “Can you grab me a cup? I don’t want to -” He moved quickly, glancing up and opening the correct cupboard on the first try, handing you a cup without breaking stride. “Thanks.” You poured yourself a drink and then instead of staying where you were, you got back onto the counter, sitting almost directly behind him. “We finished the movie and then he left. Said it felt weird to stay with you guys in the house.” Good. He had the thought before he could stop it, and though he was almost positive you hadn’t seen it, he felt his shoulders stiffen. “What did you think of him? I know you only -”

Benjamin stared down at the bread in the pan, watching as the egg bubbled and browned. He’s … I don’t know. “I can’t really answer that.” Flipping the pieces over, Benjamin adjusted the heat, giving himself a few extra seconds to turn and look at you. “He didn’t say much, and I had a couple drinks, I don’t… it’s not fair to judge based on that.” I don’t like him. The truth was that Noah - being Eric’s friend - was probably a perfectly nice man, and Benjamin didn’t want to assume anything. “I’d have to actually sit down and talk with him before I... “ He cocked his head to the side, watching as you drank from the cup, your eyes never leaving his face. She sleeps on her right side, there’s marks from the pillow on her face. “Why? Why does my opinion matter? I’m -”

“Because I trust your judgement.” You set the cup down, crossing your legs at the ankle. “Eric and I have known him for years, but you… your opinion is new.” You don’t want my opinion. Part of his revelation the night before was that he was attracted to you, and had been for months. He wouldn’t act on it - especially with you being involved with someone else - but Benjamin knew that he had to be honest with himself. It didn’t start out this way. He reminded himself of that as you waited for his answer. It was just nice to talk to someone new, but it… things changed after I knew Julia and I weren’t going to… “Shit, Benjamin!” You jumped off the counter, pushing past him and interrupting his thoughts.

“What?” He quickly turned, silently cursing himself for getting distracted and watched as you shoved the pan off the hot burner and onto the back one, twisting the knob back to ‘off’.

“You must have bumped the…” You laughed, peering into the pan. “I think I saved it, but that could have been bad.” He looked down, reaching for the spatula and lifting the edge of one of the pieces of bread. It’s a little dark, but not ruined. You nudged him with your elbow, Benjamin sucking in a breath at the contact. “What would you do without me?” He waited a beat and then answered.

“Not sure. Probably burn your house down.” Though you moved away from him after he answered, stepping over to get plates out of another cupboard, the sound of your laughter ringing through the kitchen was well worth the loss of proximity.

---

The rest of the first week passed quickly, and though you didn’t ask him what he thought of Noah again, Benjamin could tell that you wanted an answer. I don’t know what to say. He’d come over again, the four of you eating dinner outside together, and though he tried not to, Benjamin watched the two of you closely, trying to assess the situation. She said she didn’t know if she was happy, but that was months ago, and… she seems alright now. The closer Benjamin watched, the more he saw similarities between his relationship with Julia and yours with Noah. But is it real, or am I just imagining things?

Though the man had warmed up slightly after the first meeting, Benjamin noticed that Noah was much more hands on with you when he knew Benjamin was near. This seemed to surprise both you and Eric, but neither of you commented on it, though Benjamin watched you shift away from Noah on your outdoor couch, putting a few inches of space between you on more than one occasion. The man was more often than not the one to initiate anything physical, too. Hugs, kisses - even touching each other all seemed to stem from Noah’s side of things, and although it made him feel smug, Benjamin couldn’t help the smile from appearing on his face when you called him out on it, raising your voice slightly and telling him to give you some space. “It’s hot as fuck out here, Noah, Jesus.” You stood from the couch, moving back over to where Benjamin and Eric were seated at the table. “Give me like four seconds of…” Everyone had laughed, Eric muttering about you and the heat, but Benjamin had seen the flash of annoyance in Noah’s eyes.

The other man talked a great deal, too. It wasn’t just about his interests or current events; even Eric had made a comment one morning after the four of you had spent time together, asking you if Noah made it a point to rehash the past and talk himself up all the time, or if that was new. “Honestly?” You were stretched out on the couch, Eric in the living room recliner and Benjamin at the other end of the sectional, your feet only a few inches from his thigh. “It’s only been recently, Eric.” You sat up, wrapping your arms around your knees, eyes on Benjamin, who was focused on the TV, though it was only to keep up appearances. Don’t say anything. Let them talk this out. “It’s like he’s trying to… prove something.”

“Maybe he’s threatened by Benjamin.” Eric swung his head to the side and Benjamin met his gaze, waiting. “You know, good looking Englishman staying in his girlfriend’s house?” He heard you groan, muttering the word ‘girlfriend’ under your breath. “Single, literally sleeping directly below you every night?” I didn’t know that. Benjamin hadn’t ventured up to the top floor of the house, since all that was up there were bedrooms. “He’s gotta be sure you know what a catch he is.”

“He’s your friend, asshole. Why don’t you ask him.” Benjamin ducked as one of the couch pillows went sailing by his head, Eric laughing as he caught it. “Whatever it is, it’s strange, and I don’t like it. It’s like he doesn’t trust me.” At that, alarm bells went off in Benjamin’s head.

“He’s got no reason not to trust you, or me.” Benjamin reached over, tentatively touching your knee. “Look, I know it’s not the same, but it turned into Julia acting as if she didn’t trust me either - and for no reason. I’d smile at someone in a shop or a restaurant, or someone on the street, and she’d blow up about it. It got to the point where I just… resented her for it.” He realized that he was still touching you and pulled his hand back, sitting up straight. “Do you want me to say anything to him? Tell him he has nothing to worry about, that -” That he’s acting like a peacock for no reason? “That I’ll be gone in two weeks, and then he won’t have anything to worry about?”

“No.” You shook your head, stretching out again, this time on your side. “No point. Maybe if I just act like it’s not happening, he’ll drop it.” Benjamin’s heart thudded in his chest. That’s not at all what you should do. It doesn’t work.

---

To Benjamin’s surprise, you knocked on his door a few nights later, Noah standing behind you. “Hey. Noah’s got something to ask you.” Though you sounded fine, Benjamin saw the worry in your eyes. What’s going on? He stood from the couch - which he’d folded back up for the day - and walked toward the door.

“Want to come out and have a couple drinks with me, Benjamin?” What? “I work tomorrow, so it won’t be late, but there’s a place we can go that’s pretty close.” That’s the last thing I want to do.

“Sure. Just let me…” He glanced down. “Do I need to change?” You laughed, covering your mouth. “What?”

“No, believe me, you’ll be one of the best dressed people in this place…” Even Noah chuckled at that. “It’s just a dive bar, Benjamin.” You sighed. “Jeans and a t shirt are fine.”

---

If you want to be added or removed (I can start a Benjamin tag list too) … please let me know.

General:

@the-blind-assassin-12 @its-my-little-dumpster-fire @obscurilicious @sweetybuzz25 @suchatinyinfinity @lexxierave @gollyderek @poindexted @ificouldhelpyouforget @elanor-of-imladris @thesandbeneathmytoes @luminex3 @geeksareunique @weallhaveadestiny @mfackenthal @thesumofmychoices @yannii04 @beautiful-thinking @drinix @agentlingerie @blah-blah-fuckit-shit @dreams-with-thoughts @wangmangagavroche @traeumerinwitzhelden @jigsawlover10 @malionnes @addictedtofictionalcharacters @riddlefeeligns @beautifuldesastre @lovemarvelousfics @emyyjemyy @pheedraws @fairywriter-oracle

Uncategorized:

@madamrogers @ethereal-heavcns @editboutique @marauderskeeper @ilkaeliseb @delicatelilyflower @king4thesirens @ymariejp @mr-robot-x @rageshots @introvertedlibrary @writing-for-a-chance @yesixoxo @ilikebeachessushiandsmallanimals @swiftyhowlz @dylanobrusso @malik-payne @lynne1993 @ladyblablabla @audreychaz @tc-elliot @kind-wolf-blog @honeyydippaa @binbonsadoration @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes @jeanettexkillian @avengerswhore @elioelioeli0 @projectcampbell @giggleberts @elfmama

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seocompanysurrey · 8 years ago

Text

Image SEO: Optimizing images for search engines

If you are, for instance, a blogger or you write articles for an online magazine or newspaper, you might encounter this question on a daily basis: should I add an image to my article? The answer is “Yes”. Images make an article more vivid and can contribute to the SEO of your article. In this post, I’d like to explain the steps that you should take to fully optimize an image for SEO.

When you optimize an image, make it as small as possible – in terms of download size – by using the right image compression. A well-optimized image also has the right name and alt text, so it’s optimized for search engines too.

Use images

Images, when added with a certain consideration, will help readers understand your article better. “A picture is worth a thousand words”. Yeah, well, probably not for Google, but it can spice up a 1,000 dull words, illustrate what you mean in a chart or data flow diagram, or simply make your social media posts more enticing for sure.

It’s a simple recommendation: add images to every article you write online. They’ll make it more appealing.

Finding the right image

If you have the opportunity to add your own image, please do so. Your team page needs pictures of your team, not this dude on the right or one of his stock photo friends. Off topic: let alone that the dude needs a haircut.

Your article needs an image that has the same subject as your article. If you would use an image just to use an image and get a green bullet in our SEO plugin, you are doing it wrong. The image should reflect the topic of the post, or have illustrative purposes within the article, of course.

There is a simple image SEO reason for that: an image that is surrounded by related text, ranks better for the keyword it is optimized for. More details on image SEO later.

New to SEO? Learn the Basics of SEO in our Basic SEO course »

$ 199€ 199 - Buy now » Info

Alternatives

If there is no way to use images of your own, there are other ways to find unique images and refrain from using stock photos. Flickr.com is a nice image source for instance, as explained in this article: How to Use Creative Commons Images from Flickr. I also like the images provided by sites like freeimages.com (formerly known as sxc.hu). Check here for more image resources. You should stay away from the obvious stock photos, and rather pick the ones that look (ok, just a bit) more genuine. It almost seems like images with people always look like stock photos, unless taken by yourself. In the end, that is still the best idea.

Obvious alternatives for photos could be illustrations, like we use, or graphs, of course. An honorable mention should go to animated GIFs, as these seem to become more and more popular these days.

Even with Animated GIFs being very popular these days, don’t go overboard. It’ll make your post less attractive to read, as your reading will be interrupted by the movement of the image, of course. Like in the post where I found the image above.

Preparing images for use in your article

When you have found the right image to use, either an illustration, chart or photo, the next step is to optimize that image for use on your website. There are a number of things that you should think about:

Choose the right file name

Image SEO starts with the right file name. Of course, this is the first location to use that keyword. Without even looking at the actual image, you want Google to know what the image is about. It’s simple: if your image is a sunrise in Paris showing the Notre Dame, the file name shouldn’t be DSC4536.jpg, but notre-dame-paris-sunrise.jpg. The main keyword would be Notre Dame, as that is the main subject of the photo, that is why I added that at the beginning of the file name.

Scale for image SEO

Loading times are important for UX and SEO. The faster the site, the easier to visit and index a page is. Images can have a huge impact on loading times, especially when you load a huge image and show it really small, like using a 2500×1500 pixels image and showing it at 250×150 pixels size. The entire image still has to be loaded. Scale the image to the size you want to show it. WordPress helps by providing the image in multiple sizes after upload already. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean the file size is optimized as well, that’s just the image size.

Use responsive images

This one is essential for SEO as well. Images might ruin the mobile experience and could increase bounce rate. Go check Bruce Lawson‘s talk at WordCamp London (2015) about responsive images and the use of the picture attribute. He also brought this plugin to my attention as an alternative: RICG Responsive Images For WordPress. The plugin adds the srcset attribute to your images, making it possible to serve a different image per screen width. Note that WordPress adds this behavior by default from version 4.4 and they urge you to update the RICG plugin to the latest version in that same article. If we can automate this process like that, it might be the future of web images, IMHO. I like it.

Reduce file size

The next step in image SEO should be to make sure that scaled image is served in the smallest file size possible. There are tools for that. Of course, you could just export the image and test what percentage of quality is acceptable, but I prefer (especially with retina and similar screens) to use 100% quality images.

Optimize image file size, for instance using JPEGMini

You can still reduce the file size of these images by, for instance, removing the EXIF data. We recommend using tools like ImageOptim or websites like JPEGMini, PunyPNG or Kraken.io.

Next to using tools like the ones mentioned above, please use tools like YSlow to check if your image optimization succeeded.

Adding the image to your article

Don’t just stuff it in somewhere. I already mentioned adding it close to related textual content. That simply helps a lot. It makes sure the content is relevant for the image as well, as it is the other way around.

Our SEO for WordPress eBook guides you through every aspect of Search Engine Optimization »

$ 25€ 25 - Buy now » Info

Captions

The caption of the image is the text that accompanies the image. If you look at the images in this article, it’s the text in the gray box below it. Why is that text important for image SEO as well? People use that text in scanning an article. Next to headings, people tend to scan the image and include the caption as well in that scan. Nielsen actually wrote back in 1997: “Elements that enhance scanning include headings, large type, bold text, highlighted text, bulleted lists, graphics, captions, topic sentences, and tables of contents.” In 2012, KissMetric even stated that “Captions under images are read on average 300% more than the body copy itself, so not using them, or not using them correctly, means missing out on an opportunity to engage a huge number of potential readers.”

Do we add captions to all images? No. As mentioned, sometimes images just serve another purpose. Decide whether the image at hand is an image you want to use for SEO as well or not. Keeping over-optimization in mind, I’d say you should add a caption if it would make sense to the visitor if that caption is added. Think about the visitor first, don’t add a caption just for image SEO.

Alt text and title text

The alt text (or alt tags) is added to an image so there will be a descriptive text when the image for whatever reason can’t be displayed to the visitor. I can’t put it any better than Wikipedia: “In situations where the image is not available to the reader, perhaps because they have turned off images in their web browser or are using a screen reader due to a visual impairment, the alternative text ensures that no information or functionality is lost.” Be sure to add alt texts. Make sure the alt text includes the SEO keyword for that page and relates to / describes the image.

When hovering an image, IE shows the alt text as a ‘tooltip’. Chrome shows the title text like it was intended. Title text for images is similar and a lot of people that use these simply copy the alt text. More and more people simply leave these out. What is it for? “The title attribute can be very useful, but it is not a safe way of providing crucial information. Instead, it offers a good way to provide non-essential information, for example, the mood of the image, or what it means in context.” it’s nice to have information indeed, and isn’t taken into account for image SEO.

Read more: ‘Read more about alt tag and title tag optimization’ »

OpenGraph and Twitter Cards

I mentioned using the image for social sharing. If you add the right image tag to your <head> section like this:

That will make sure the image is included in your share on Facebook (and OpenGraph is also used for Pinterest, for instance).

Our WordPress SEO plugin has a Social section where you can set and even preview your Facebook post when you use Premium. Make sure to use a high-quality image, like the original image you use in the post, as higher quality / larger images tend to be used by the social platforms more often. If you have set this up correctly, and it doesn’t work, try to flush Facebook’s cache in the URL Debugger.

Twitter Cards do the same for Twitter and are also generated by our plugin.

Alignment

Let me be honest, this is a pet peeve of mine. Images shouldn’t break the left reading line. I’m sure there are studies about this but I’m taking full responsibility for this myself: I just really don’t like it when text starts on the right of an image, only to jump below the image later:

Maintain the left reading line; don’t align images to the left

If an image is used that is the same width as your textual column, that would be no problem. It will even help emphasizing the image more.

Note that this has absolutely nothing to do with image SEO, but I saw an opportunity to express my opinion and used it :) I think it’s bad for user experience. Just to please me: don’t. Thanks a lot for that.

XML image sitemaps

If you are a web developer, you might wonder about XML image sitemaps. I’d rather say images in XML sitemaps. Google is pretty clear about this:

To give Google information about images on your site, you’ll need to add image-specific tags to a sitemap. You can use a separate sitemap to list images, or you can add image information to an existing sitemap. Use the method that works for you!

Every now and then, people ask us about XML image sitemaps. We don’t generate these in our plugin, but as Google states, instead, these images are included in the page or post sitemaps. Just scroll down in our post sitemap and find that we have added images to all our latest posts (there is a column telling you that). Adding images to your XML sitemaps help Google index your images, so be sure to do so for better image SEO.

TL;DR

Image SEO is the sum of a number of elements. With Google being able to recognize elements in the image better every day, it makes sense to make sure the image and all elements contribute to user experience as well as SEO. It would be foolish to try to fool Google.

Take these things in mind when adding an image to an article:

Use a relevant image that matches your text

Pick the right file name for your image

Make sure image dimension match the image size as displayed

Use srcset if possible

Reduce file size for faster loading

Add a caption for easier scanning of the page

Use an image alt text, title text is optional

Add OpenGraph and Twitter Card tags for the image

Don’t break the left reading line using an image

Use images in your XML sitemaps

Besides contributing to SEO and user experience, images can also play an important role in conversion!

Keep reading: ‘Visually direct and captivate your visitors’ »

from Yoast • SEO for everyone https://yoast.com/image-seo/

#Yoast • SEO for everyone

0 notes

mccullytech · 8 years ago

Text

Image SEO: Optimizing images for search engines

Use images

It’s a simple recommendation: add images to every article you write online. They’ll make it more appealing.

Finding the right image

There is a simple image SEO reason for that: an image that is surrounded by related text, ranks better for the keyword it is optimized for. More details on image SEO later.

New to SEO? Learn the Basics of SEO in our Basic SEO course »

$ 199€ 199 - Buy now » Info

Alternatives

Obvious alternatives for photos could be illustrations, like we use, or graphs, of course. An honorable mention should go to animated GIFs, as these seem to become more and more popular these days.

Preparing images for use in your article

Choose the right file name

Scale for image SEO

Use responsive images

Reduce file size

Optimize image file size, for instance using JPEGMini

You can still reduce the file size of these images by, for instance, removing the EXIF data. We recommend using tools like ImageOptim or websites like JPEGMini, PunyPNG or Kraken.io.

Next to using tools like the ones mentioned above, please use tools like YSlow to check if your image optimization succeeded.

Adding the image to your article

Our SEO for WordPress eBook guides you through every aspect of Search Engine Optimization »

$ 25€ 25 - Buy now » Info

Captions

Alt text and title text

Read more: ‘Read more about alt tag and title tag optimization’ »

OpenGraph and Twitter Cards

I mentioned using the image for social sharing. If you add the right image tag to your <head> section like this:

That will make sure the image is included in your share on Facebook (and OpenGraph is also used for Pinterest, for instance).

Twitter Cards do the same for Twitter and are also generated by our plugin.

Alignment

Maintain the left reading line; don’t align images to the left

If an image is used that is the same width as your textual column, that would be no problem. It will even help emphasizing the image more.

XML image sitemaps

If you are a web developer, you might wonder about XML image sitemaps. I’d rather say images in XML sitemaps. Google is pretty clear about this:

TL;DR

Take these things in mind when adding an image to an article:

Use a relevant image that matches your text

Pick the right file name for your image

Make sure image dimension match the image size as displayed

Use srcset if possible

Reduce file size for faster loading

Add a caption for easier scanning of the page

Use an image alt text, title text is optional

Add OpenGraph and Twitter Card tags for the image

Don’t break the left reading line using an image

Use images in your XML sitemaps

Besides contributing to SEO and user experience, images can also play an important role in conversion!

Keep reading: ‘Visually direct and captivate your visitors’ »

from Yoast • SEO for everyone https://yoast.com/image-seo/

#Yoast • SEO for everyone

0 notes