#knope-Wyatt triplets

[an-actual-oppossum]

I've been rewatching Parks & Recreation this week and it occurred to me that 95% of the characters are in their mid-thirties or older in Season 1.

Leslie Knope is 34 in Season 1. Ron Swanson and Chris Traeger are both in their early 40s at their first appearances. Donna meagle is also estimated to be in her mid- to late 40s. Ben Wyatt is 35. Andy Dwyer is 29. Tom Haverford is somewhere in his early to mid-twenties. The youngest main character is April, who starts as 19 and ends the series as 26.

And sure, by the end of the series younger characters like April and Tom are ~26 and ~30-ish, respectively, with spouses and lucrative careers. But you know what? It still took Tom 6 years to launch a successful business that he was passionate about, and that only happened after his two other businesses failed (one of which catastrophically), and even then that business ultimately failed, too. It took April 5 years at her job to find a role she cared about (Deputy Director of Animal Control), which she considered turning into a career (veterinary school) only to realize she wasn't actually that passionate about it. It wasn't until she was 26 that she actually figured out what she wanted to do with her life (which is ironically helping other people figure out what they want to do with their lives). She got married to Andy at 21 but doesn't become a mother until she's 34. And Andy works random odd jobs and short-term gigs until he's in his thirties.

Leslie doesn't start having a successful career in which her work is duly acknowledged or marry Ben until she's in her late 30s. She's 37 when she gets elected as a city councilwoman. She has her triplets and gets promoted to the National Parks Department when she's 38 or 39.

Donna doesn't settle down with her eventual husband until she's in her late 40s/early 50s and doesn't find a job she genuinely cares about until she's in her mid-50s, but arguably has the craziest and coolest life of everyone in the show.

And Jerry/Larry/Terry/Garry? Finishes the series as a 75-year-old working his dream job, with an amazing home life.

The point is, most of those incredibly inspiring, determined, and hard-working characters don't start having major success in their careers and personal lives until their late twenties and mid-thirties at earliest.

So it's okay if, like me, you're in your mid- to late twenties and still have no idea what you want to do with your life. Or have an idea of what you want to do but no clue how to actually do it... or otherwise just simply haven't had any noteworthy successes towards those professional goals yet. Because even Leslie Knope didn't start having those successes until she was in her late 30s.

[tana-draws]

I feel like I just did crack. What the fuck was the dream I had last night. For some context I didn’t go to bed til at least ten, my body woke me up for no reason at two (a miracle in disguise cause I had to finish something) and then k went back to bed at theee and woke up at four. The dream was in the second round of sleep. Ok so basically I was (but it switched between first and third so sometimes it was me sometimes i was a spectator. I think sometimes I was a memeber if the persons family as well?) twilight sparkle, but her family was my family and she was married to Ben Wyatt from parks and rec. and I think sometimes she was Leslie Knope cause I vaugley remember her doing a political thing and getting pissed because a bunch of people used turtles as step stools? But she was also twilight.

Anyway MeLightSlie kept like resetting time because she didn’t want her loved ones to die. Which actually makes a killer twilight sparkle au thing cause of the alicornism, I’m totally doing something with that, but anyway apparently she needed to like idk hook up somepony to the machine (she chose tempest shadow) and she sdid it again but because it happened so many times tirek (mlp) came for divine retribution or something.

And basically at this point in the dream the building she was using was somewhat Minecraft like, and tirek was on the floor above her/me (I’ll be using them interchangeably to refer to melightslie) and he was placing eggs on the floor below via the typical Minecraft “one block missing and ladders against wall” staircase style and for some reason I just knew once he placed the egg on the fourth corner he would come and attack me, so I broke two window panes and escaped but I got caught by three guards, who were supposed to be the Benslie triplets from parks and rec except their names were wrong and they all had wings? And this was another perspective switch (to third) but anyway I think the implication was supposed to be that they were like erased from existence due to melightslies fuckery and were pissed as a result (I would be to)

erm I don’t remember much else from that segment aside from that it gave me MAJOR deja vu. Like major even now thinking about it it reminds me of something but I can’t name it. Ok so there’s more but I’m tired, don’t remember as much about the rest of the dream, and need to get ready for something, may add more later.

[ironverseocs]

The Knope-Wyatt Triplets | Sonia, Stephen, & Wesley

Thrice the chaos, thrice the fun

Wesley —> @stuckyalwaysandforever Sonny —> Carey (no Tumblr) Stephen —> @girlofiron (Me)

[sakurablossomstorm-blog]

So I watched ‘Little Evil’ earlier, and this silly drabble came about.

~~~

“He looks like you,” Leslie said, rubbing Ben’s calf with her foot.

Ben frowned. “Him? Really?”

“There’s a similarity. You both have brown hair and eyes,” Leslie said, looking at the actor on the screen.

“Is that it?” Ben asked, shifting a little closer. “Just the same hair and eye colour?”

Leslie squinted. “No, there’s something else. I can’t put my finger on it.”

It was a Thursday night, and with the triplets all tucked up in bed, Leslie and Ben thought they’d have a glass of wine and watch a movie. It just so happened that the movie was about a child antichrist.

Leslie shrugged and snuggled back to her position on Ben’s shoulder. They carried on watching the film in silence, until Leslie paused it again.

“Ok, don’t think bad of me for saying this but…if one of our children ended up being the antichrist… which one do you think it would be?”

Ben pursed his lips. Secretly he had been thinking it too as he watched the movie. Their triplets were angels…destructive angels, but still wonderful. But did others see their children as devils? He knew Roz certainly did.

“It’s hypothetical, of course,” Leslie said, bringing Ben out of his thoughts. “I love our children dearly but…if there had to be one…who do you think?”

Ben thought for a moment. “I’m not sure. I mean, Stephen’s kind of wild and breaks the most things.”

“Yeah that’s true,” Leslie said, bringing a finger up to her lips as she thought. “But Sonia sometimes I think is older than her age. She could easily plan a rapture and form a cult at her age.”

“She’s three.”

“I know,” Leslie said, her eyes a little wide. “But she’s already shown an interest in our taxes. I wouldn’t be surprised if she somehow formed a cult at three.”

“Then there’s Wesley,” Ben murmured. “He’s just so quiet, he couldn’t be the antichrist.”

“Silent but deadly,” Leslie mumbled. “He kind of reminds me of the kid on the movie. If you wake Wesley up from his nap when he’s not ready, he gives you a look like that.”

Ben paused. “Oh yeah he does.”

Both parents looked at each other with a grin. “But then they are so sweet,” Leslie said, leaning into Ben again. “They’re adorable when they all pile into our bed on a Sunday morning. And when Stephen runs at me for a hug when I get home from work, and Sonia curls up on your lap when she’s tired, and when Wesley draws pictures of all of us. They’re perfect. They aren’t devil children. I love them.”

“I know,” Ben said, kissing her forehead. “I love them too.

They stayed in that moment for a few minutes, before Ben heard a shuffling, he looked over the top of Leslie’s head and saw Stephen standing at the bottom of the stairs.

“Stephen, buddy, what are you doing up?” Ben asked.

“I can’t sleep,” Stephen whimpered. “Wesley’s barking in his sleep.”

Ben and Leslie exchanged worried glances, and they both silently agreed that Wesley was most definitely the top contender for the child antichrist.

[rocinantescoffeestop]

AO3 / Whumptober 2021 Day: 12 Fandom: Parks and Recreation Characters: Wesley Knope-Wyatt, Leslie Knope Tags: Family, Frostbite, Soccer, Made to Watch, Hot Chocolate, Next Generation

Summary: Wesley hates the cold more than he hates sports, so watching a soccer match in the middle of November is his worst nightmare come true.

—

@whumptober2021 | @whumptober-archive

[rinka-fuka]

I’m suing whoever deleted this scene

Children, attack your father.

[nutriyumaddict]

27 from the prompt list 😊

Hi! Thank you so much! :)

Ben and Wesley! Hope that’s okay…

27. “It’s three in the morning, what could you possibly want?” 

2025

“It’s three in the morning, what could you possibly want?” Ben asked groggily, turning over to give Leslie a quick glance. Yeah, she was sound asleep. She was sound asleep and snoring, which actually was good considering she’d probably only gotten three hours of sleep the night before.Then he turned back and gave ten-year-old Wesley a more thorough look as the pre-teen stood next to the bed, staring at him through his glasses. He looked upset and Ben quickly sat up.

“What’s wrong?” He whispered, not wanting to wake Leslie up unless it was a full-blown emergency.

His son’s rumpled pajamas had stripes on them instead of puppies or soccer balls, but it still wasn’t too much of a stretch to see him as the little boy he was just a few years ago. Small and scared and unable to go back to sleep after a scary dream.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Wes answered quietly.Ben frowned. Now if one of the triplets couldn’t sleep, there were certainly enough diversions around their house–toys, Gryzzzl pads, books, etc. And really, the last time he was woken up by a child with a nightmare was…well, just last year. It was Sonia and Leslie handled that with a midnight cookie baking session and some girl talk.

“You know,” Ben whispered, sitting up and swinging his legs over the sides of the bed. “Monsters aren’t real and no matter what your mom says, there is no Kale Demon. That’s just–”

“No, dad, I know. I’m not a baby.”

“Alright,” Ben agreed. “What’s going on then?”

Wes sighed and kind of shrugged. “I don’t know. I just couldn’t sleep and I wanted to see if you were up.”

“I’m up now,” Ben nodded.

Wes nodded too but made no effort to say anything else or go back to bed.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Wes kind of shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Oh Hillary, of course I’d like more pancakes. Ben, where’s your pancake bill?” Leslie sleep-talked next to him.

Ben turned to pat Leslie lightly on the hip. “Right here, babe. It’s okay. Enjoy your pancakes,” he whispered and then turned back to Wes, “Let’s go downstairs so we don’t wake mom up from her pancake party with Hillary Clinton.”

Once in the kitchen, Ben turned to his son. “Want a grilled cheese?”

“With spinach,” Wes added, already looking for some plates.

He nodded and grabbed the bread and a pan. “Get the get the cheese and spinach and butter out of the fridge.”

A few minutes later, the two were standing near the kitchen counter, splitting a sandwich and a pile of baby carrots.

“So, grandpa?” Wes started, looking down at his plate. “Mom’s dad. He died, right?”

“Yeah,” Ben confirmed. “A long time ago, when she was…” he trailed off. Oh. Is that what this was about?

“Ten,” Wes finished, staring at his glass of milk. “Like me.”

“Yeah,” Ben answered. “But–”

“So, that’s really a thing that could happen? You could die?” Wes still wasn’t looking at him but he heard the boy’s voice crack.

He rubbed his forehead. “It’s a thing that could happen, but it’s not going to happen.”“You don’t know that,” Wesley argued back.

They’d already discussed death a bit with the kids, thanks to an unfortunate situation with the kids’ second grade class’s hamster, but they hadn’t really had to go into specifics before. And definitely none of the triplets had ever wondered about the loss of a parent.

Ben considered his possible answers. He could insist that yes, that was a thing he could know for sure, and that there was no way he was dying for a very long time and that was the end of it. Or, he could try to be honest and positive and make sure Wesley knew how much he loved him.

“Wesley, I love you very much,” Ben started.

“Oh my god, dad! Are you dying?”

“What? No! No. No, I am not dying. I’m just saying that I love you very much. Because I do.”

Wes smiled just a little. “I know. I love you too.”

“Good. Um, and yes, sometimes bad things can happen but, we can’t spend our lives worrying about them all the time. Because then you waste so much time being unhappy and scared, that you miss out on all the good stuff.”

“Okay,” Wesley answered, still sounding a bit skeptical.

“Like splitting a grilled cheese with your son–”

“But, dad–”

“Alright now that I’ve said that, I realize we’re doing this because you were up and worried. But I was asleep and not worried, and now I’m having this moment with you. Um, okay, how about this–you miss out on getting a good night’s sleep and dreaming about pancake parties like your mom. Or going to the model train museum in La Porte.“

“Yeah, I want to go there,” Wes answered, munching on a carrot.

“I know. Why don’t you and I drive up there this weekend and check it out.”

“Really? But I thought we had to go to that picnic for mom’s campaign thing?”

Ben shrugged, “I think mom, Stephen, and Sonia can handle the official picnic appearance. We can sneak up state instead and explore the museum. We can hit the Steam Engine Museum too.”

“And get t-shirts?” We asked.

“No, I think we’ll go to a museum and not get shirts,” Ben made a face that quickly turned into a smile. “Of course we’ll get t-shirts. From both places. Maybe we can pick up some new models too and set them up on the track.”

The model train track in question was still in various stages of being unpacked after they had relocated mainly back to Pawnee for Leslie’s run at governor.

Finally, Ben got a real smile from his son. And then a hug.

“I love you. Don’t die,” Wesley said.

“I promise you that I’m always going to do everything that I possibly can not to,” Ben assured his son. 

[firstelevens]

For the six word story! You can do all or some, just trying to help fill that long ass bus ride!!!: Merlin/Arthur, Arthur/Gwen, Peter/MJ, Ron/Hermione, I’ve been watching a lot of big fat quiz and it feels like people would ship Richard Ayoade/Noel Fielding lol, Niall/Louis (or any other 1d ship you love), Ben/Leslie, Tong Stark/whoever you’re feeling rn!

Merlin/Arthur

“Glad you’re alive, you absolute clotpole.”

———

Arthur/Gwen

No one else loves quite so fiercely.

———

Peter/MJ

“Go,” she says. “But come back.”

———

Ron/Hermione

Seventh year passes in long letters.

———

Ben/Leslie

Sonia groans. “You’re both so embarrassing!”

[parksanddownton603]

I can’t believe Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt invented the Enemies to Lovers relationship trope. Like OTP to end all OTPs right here.

[jomiddlemarch]

The sunshine of a friendly gaze

Ben would have been worried that it was Thanksgiving morning and there was not the smell of roasting turkey already filling the house by 8 am, a saucepan of cranberries bubbling away sort of the way he imagined Leslie’s mind did if the cranberries represented ideas for the expansion of Pawnee’s summer rec league, except that the babies were three weeks old. It didn’t feel quite right calling them “the triplets” anymore, since they’d arrived and had each made it clear they were entirely, Knope-i-ly individual, beyond Sonia’s tuft of blonde hair and the dimple in Wesley’s chin. Steven screamed the loudest, like a Ringwraith, and Sonia had a strong left hook. Wesley smiled the most, which meant he needed to be burped the most, but despite the lack of intent, Ben was happy with the small grin on the small face.

 Leslie had been up with Sonia most recently and he found them on the starting-to-sag recliner in the den. Neither of the boys was down, but he could hear the opening chords of their morning symphony on the staticky monitor and he quickly poured an enormous mug of coffee. And then chugged down half of it, aware that Steven’s shriek could ruin even the finest brew.

 “So, you decided to listen to me and keep it low-key this year?” he said, gesturing at the relatively bare kitchen counters, the un-set table. Her collection of vintage turkey salt and pepper shakers was out but that was always true.

 “What do you mean?” Leslie said. She didn’t sound tired, per se, but she didn’t sound chipper and driven, which was tired for her.

 “No turkey in the top oven, no succotash, no 12 pans of bread going stale. No holiday music playing. And the babies are not all wearing turkey-themed onesies,” he said, letting the caffeine flood him, lighting up this neuron and then that. He’d been up with Steven at 1 and had had a hard time falling back to sleep again until he started mentally reviewing the plot-points of his latest rare-pair Spock/Starbuck crossover fanfiction. He was on chapter 3 and he knew how chapter 5 began, but not how to bridge it and keep Laura Roslin from commandeering the ultimate epiphany…

 “I mean, yes and no, babe” Leslie said, patting Sonia’s back.

 “What part is the no, Leslie?”

 “Well, no turkey, but I found a Pinterest page about how to make one from waffles and so I thought we’d do that. And there was a waffle calzone recipe, with a maple-sausage filling, so I pinned that too. Ann is bringing a salad,” here, Leslie made a sound like a half-swallowed gag, a sound Wesley made before he spit up, “and Ron is bringing brisket he smoked. And Ken Hotate said he’d bring a traditional Wamapoke dish and clams Casino. And--”

 “And there’s more?” Ben said. He’d known her long enough he shouldn’t be surprised but that was Leslie for you. For him.

 “Yes. If you look at the binder, you can see the prototype of the babies’ sweaters and caps. My mom finished Wesley’s as a favor,” she said. “And Tom is bringing DJ Roomba’s grand-daughter, DJ Sparkxxx and he promised to put actual holiday music on. And no Raffi.”

She had the faintest hint of a whipped cream mustache, he noticed, and her hair was in two lo-sided pigtails. He glimpsed the silver of her wedding band against Sonia’s back and the way his daughter’s face fit against Leslie, just where her heart beat. Wesley cooed into the monitor and he spoke before Leslie could.

 “I’ll get him. Happy Thanksgiving, Lesliemin. I love you.”

For @sassy-doctor-foster for Friendsgiving from far away! And any other lovers of Parks and Rec and fangirling...

[girlglassestheotherone]

Parks and Rec The Next Generation and Why Each Characters Are Friends (Future Sonia edition)

As inspired by a chat with my tumblog wife @kickassleslie

Sonia and Oliver are best friends who bond over their mutual love of math and being total nerds. In more complicated ways that I think Parks and Rec doesn’t hold up anymore, they also love hunting with Ron Swanson. But in this perfect future they are just nature nerds together. Sonia does kiss Oliver after a mathlete competition because Sonia has a crush on Oliver and both have been told most of their lives by their moms that they would make a cute couple. They go on a few dates but it doesn’t work out because Oliver is gay and Sonia is only half gay. I used to be bi I can make that joke. They are each other’s soulmates and are together in the universe where the soulmates are with each other. There they have five kids, Oliver is a stay at home dad/successful children’s book writer (they are all books about math) and Sonia becomes a lawyer – judge – Supreme Court justice. In the Soap Opera universe they are also together but it’s dramatic because Sonia’s twins were actually fathered by her lover John, who was cheating on his boyfriend Stephen, and she was also cheating on John with his twin Dawn who wears an eyepatch and Westley is lost at sea OR WAS HE PUSHED

Sonia and Leslie Perkins Traeger who I decided everyone calls LC because I decided her middle name is Christine are not immediately besties unfortunately after the families all move back to Pawnee. That is because the finale decided to have that scene where Leslie and Ann think Oliver and Sonia are going to be a future couple instead of the much cuter scene where Sonia and LC are talking and their moms say future best friends!! Which is the finale’s only flaw. Plus initially Oliver and Sonia are in the same classes until LC skips a grade and Sonia thinks LC is kind of mean because she was kind of a bully to her brother Oliver as a child. It takes a few Galentines Days for LC and Sonia to finally become friends, especially after they join rival roller derby teams and are briefly enemies, Sonia as captain of the Eagleton Eagles and LC as captain of the Pawnee Bread Factory Fires. Sonia has a crush on LC but it’s not reciprocated because LC is tragically heterosexual except in the Unexpected Pairings universe which is something I decided is a universe where someone on AO3 put Stephen and Oliver (instead of my canon Oliver and Westley) together. In that universe LC is a dancer while her wife Sonia is a congresswoman, Senator and then President. In the soap opera universe they are back to being enemies and Sonia blames LC for Westley being lost at sea OR WAS HE PUSHED

Sonia and John are the biggest jocks of the Parks and Rec TNG world, they spend a lot of time briefly trying to defeat each other at various sports, much to the disinterest of their friends. Due to their competition they are both no longer allowed at the Pawnee bowling alley. They love animals even if John can’t understand why Sonia likes eating them. They are the couple I would ship in every universe: Sonia/Dawn, Samuel Knope Wyatt/John, Samuel/Dawn, even when in the universe where Sonia is technically married to Oliver and the Soap Opera universe where twins John and Dawn exist and Dawn has an eyepatch, and is actually the reason Westley is lost at sea OR WAS HE PUSHED there’s also a normal universe where twins John and Dawn exist but Sonia and just Dawn are the couple and the triplets are constantly asking them where’s the rest to the twins. In every Sonia/Dawn or John universe Sonia follows her mom’s path to governor/POTUS after being an 19 year old mayor while John/Dawn are basketball coaches except in the soap opera one where their job is wearing an eyepatch and being mysterious

[benjiwyatt]

do you have any ben/leslie headcanons! i love your posts abt them so much it's great to see someone get as emotional abt them as i am asjdkajhjd

i got this message and i was like "god, i dont really know if i have any headcanons" and then i opened my notes app and started typing and didn't stop for over an hour

i'm literally putting this under a break and organizing it into categories bc it's absurdly long

here it is

A COLLECTION OF BEN AND LESLIE HEADCANONS

PRE-RELATIONSHIP/S3

basically canon but leslie definitely had a crush on a young benji wyatt and followed the story religiously for the first couple months before she started college

ben is only slightly jealous leslie had ann go out with chris to try and get more money for the parks budget rather than leslie asking him out with the same goal. he knows it’s insane, unethical, and illogical but he’s still excited that he gets to spend the night with her on a date plus two other people even if it is to accuse her of bribery.

ann realizes early on that leslie was attracted to ben and teases her mercilessly about it. she thinks it’s absolutely hilarious that leslie wants to make out with "mean ben.” after april and andy’s wedding, she realizes it's more than just attraction and she lays off.

before ben can even think rationally about what he’s doing, he’s in line at bed, bath, and beyond with a crock pot in his arms, calling stephanie to ask her to send him their family’s chicken soup recipe

ann knew ben liked her from the beginning and was totally positive when she ran into him in the hospital asking for leslie’s room number while holding jj’s waffles and a tub of homemade soup.

ben realizes he’s falling in love with leslie when he is at city hall with her until 3am one night trying to budget for the amount of cotton candy machines she wants for the harvest festival. in his exhaustion, he naively believes her when she tells him she’ll go home in a bit so he leaves. he never gets a text from saying she made it home so he stops at jj’s the next morning and brings a takeout container of waffles and a coffee complete with an outlandish amount of whipped cream and sugar to the parks department. he finds her asleep in the conference room. he starts trying to convince sweetums to donate more cotton candy machines that afternoon.

chris had to have known ben liked leslie. he’s not an idiot. in the deleted scene from their wedding, they read out emails from their “tumultuous first week in pawnee” and chris writes to ben saying, “why are you so focused on leslie knope?” ben replies saying, “i’m not. whatever. shut up.” there’s no way chris is this oblivious. ben takes her out for a beer. ben pays out of pocket for a children’s performer to help her out. ben shows up on chris and ann’s date just because he thinks leslie might be there. chris can’t be this dumb. but when they take the city manager jobs in pawnee, he knows it can’t happen so he cuts ben off when he starts to ask about dating someone in city hall. he cracks down on the rule in front of leslie after the tom incident to hammer it in. he starts setting ben up on a bunch of dates to try and head it off. he sends them to indianapolis for the little league pitch because, realistically, he knows they’re the best bet for success but makes sure to interrupt their dinner and invites them to his apartment to continue to run interference the rest of the night. after their fights in 4.06-4.08, he hopes he won’t have to worry anymore. the next work day, they come into his office looking nervous and happy and he knows he’s about to lose the partner and best friend that’s been by his side for the past decade.

april and andy knew they were secretly dating. it went unspoken aside from a few implicit teasing remarks from april and a few suggestive attempted high fives from andy but leslie assured ben they wouldn’t tell anyone despite their ostensible behavior.

BREAK UP

ben had commissioned the li’l sebastian plush for leslie after he had died but the toy shop didn’t finish it until after they broke up. he felt bad not going to pick it up so he did despite not being able to give it to her. he kept it for all those months and sometimes thought about getting rid of it but could never bring himself to do it.

when leslie made personalized copies her books for her friends with individualized annotations and notes in the bylines, she had two copies for ben. there was one that she gave him during their breakup that was very simplified and watered down where the note basically just said “i’m really glad you decided to stay in pawnee.” then there was a second copy that she kept while they were split up that was totally covered in notes and random thoughts she couldn’t say during their time apart. she gives him that copy when they get back together and it may or may not be the best gift he’s ever received.

april was much less abrasive with them during the break up because she’s a sweetheart and wants her friends to be happy.

the first time leslie admitted she was in love with him was during a long night of drinking and crying at ann’s house

ben craved the taste of sugar during their breakup because he got used to tasting the sweetness when he kissed her

ben found himself unable to sleep at night without the sound of leslie talking in her sleep to comfort him

april texted leslie the night of the halloween party to let her know that ben and andy were at the hospital after a fight and everything was fine and she didn’t need to worry. leslie was mad at andy for a few days after and he couldn’t figure out why.

the only photo in ben’s bedroom was of himself, leslie, and li’l sebastian at the harvest festival. if he got caught staring at it and crying, he would just say he missed li’l sebastian so much.

april and andy started having star wars and star trek movie nights to try and cheer ben up

DOMESTIC

ben and leslie got in the habit of having weekly game nights with april and andy during the campaign since they were all basically living together. it became a tradition that kept going as often as they could make it happen, even after the kids were born. they try to have game night at least once a month. april pretends to hate it.

one of my absolute favorite ideas about them is that she sleeps much better when he’s around to keep her grounded. after they get together for good, she starts getting closer to 5 hours of sleep a night.

another favorite involving leslie’s sleeping: ben is typically accustomed to tuning out incoherent nonsense that she babbles in her sleep but she also has some of her best ideas when she’s not busy trying to focus on a million different things. when he hears her coming up with legitimately good ideas or making speeches or having solid debate arguments, he takes out the notebook he keeps in his nightstand to record her thoughts and quotes. he revisits and revises the notes to strengthen her statements and make them more professional and less rambling but makes sure to keep her distinct voice apparent in them.

ben prefers pancakes to waffles but he will go to the grave with that secret

this isn’t a headcanon because nbc posted it but one of ben’s holidays on leslie’s calendar is watch synchronization day which is the day they celebrate syncing their watches to, as leslie puts it, “always be in harmony, like our hearts” which is just one of the sweetest fucking things in the world

leslie makes ben read and watch all the harry potters because he didn’t get into them when he first tried. ben is much more of a success than ann. she buys him a ravenclaw scarf for christmas.

their first fight as a couple was a historical debate gone awry

since ben clearly has some affinity for custom stuffed animals, he has some made for the triplets.

they’re both dog people but they adopt a cat because sonia and stephen beg for one and it does fit their busy lifestyle much better. they love the cat. they get a dog when the kids are older and life is slightly less hectic.

they both love striped shirts and sweaters so much that they have to make a conscious effort to avoid wearing them on the same day and matching

leslie makes sweets and bakes desserts while ben typically handles cooking the actual meals

BASED ON EPISODES, QUOTES, AND THROWAWAY LINES

i always loved the ann/ben dynamic in bus tour because there’s been such an obvious shift in ann’s attitude towards him in this episode. maybe it’s because she and tom just broke up and she just turned chris down again and she’s frustrated with relationships but i think it’s her realizing ben isn’t going anywhere. since the campaign is winding down, she realizes that things aren’t gonna go back to the way they were because ben is now part of this and he’s clearly in it for the long haul. ann’s definitely jealous that ben is just as important to leslie as she is and she now knows she’s never gonna get that full attention back. ann sits ben down to have a real “don’t you dare hurt her” speech after this ep and before win, lose, or draw. this is when he tells ann he wants to marry her.

they discover they both adore the princess bride after ben says “as you wish” to her one night and after that it becomes their movie.

the wildflower mural becomes a thing between them when ben says he considered that to be their first date, prompting leslie to tell him what the mural means to her.

ben puts banjo boogie bonanza on one of the mix cds he gives leslie at the beginning of their relationship

harrison ford movie nights start after they both reveal they had a crush on him as a kid. ben was obsessed with han solo and leslie was into indiana jones’ whole history teacher vibe.

they basically hate each other’s taste in music and stop exchanging mix cds once that becomes apparent that they aren’t gonna find much common ground. they both love tom petty, al green, and etta james and music in that vein though.

ben makes leslie watch game of thrones just to try to explain why he’s called her khaleesi. she gets into it, not so much because of the show itself, but because of how passionate her boyfriend is about it.

they start learning basic french during the s4 campaign because they think it will be useful to have a basic multilingual vocabulary for their political careers and because leslie confesses she has always dreamed of seeing paris. they study spanish next.

ben makes leslie watch the star wars prequels just so he can complain to her during them. he doesn’t think she’s paying attention and then he reads about midichlorians in the paper.

ann is also in on ben’s plan to sneak vegetables into leslie’s waffles.

they will sometimes jokingly refer to themselves as the “dream team” or “dynamic duo” because, despite chris’s absurdity, it’s true

i’m open to literally any origin of this because no matter what it’s perfect but i like to think that “i love you and i like you” started at some point in season 4 when, at some point, leslie went “i like you” and ben replied “you like me?” “mhm” “hm just like me?” “yes i like you. i love you and i like you. both.” “mmm i love you and i like you too”

i barely even register some of these things as headcanons since they just live so solidly in my brain

this might be my favorite ask ever thank you for loving benslie enough to ask me this and be genuinely interested

if anyone read all of this, i love you

[andrewsambags]

Some major foreshadowing in Parks and Recreation

Episodes 2.13 vs 6.20

[ironverseocs]

Stephen Knope-Wyatt • The Finer Things • A Parks&Rec Story

Once, there were three triplets who lived in chaotic harmony. As the years passed and they grew older, life threw its challenges at them. They adapted the best they could, but time was an inevitable force which forced them along their own paths. Stephen failed to accept the change. To cope, he lashed out, broke bridges, and ran away.

He lived on his own for two years. He cultivated new relationships, new jobs, new homes — new adventures — as a way of escaping time, living fifty lives instead of the one he was given.

In two years time, what was supposed to be his escape from permanency had to go ahead and cement itself. Stephen wasn’t nearly as willing as his newfound friends to see this nothing of a life become all he had to show for himself. He was so unwilling that he took the only other option available to him: the thirty-three hour drive to Indiana.

Coming back to Pawnee was the hardest thing for him to do. He had a lot of explaining to do and nowhere near enough strength to handle the weight, so the entire drive back served as a canvas on which his anxieties danced. There was a large chance, he figured, that he’d just be turned away at his parents’ doorstep. He thought to himself, he could stay away forever; he would save himself a lot of pain that way. Yet, as Stephen drove across every state line, his heartbeat told him to keep going, because sometimes, the hardest way forward was the only way forward. Sometimes, the finer things in life didn’t come so easily.

gif inspiration from “Rivers and Roads” by The Head and the Heart.

forever tag: @ocfairygodmother @ocappreciation @ochub - want to be added? dm me or send me an ask! I’d be delighted to add you :)

[sakurablossomstorm-blog]

Lockdown Chapter 26 - Leslie V

The last chapter! I just wanted to say a huge thank you to anyone who commented, kudosed, or read this story. It really means the world to me and I really hope you've enjoyed this story. It's been such a challenging thrill to write and I'm so glad for the positive feedback I've had for it!

Also on ao3.

~~~~

“Look who’s here to see Daddy!”

Leslie loved the look on Ben’s face. It looked like he had dozed off since Leslie left to get the triplets, but he still looked alert, and a dreamy smile spread across his lips as he caught sight of their children.

Stephen broke away from Leslie and made a beeline for Ben. “Daddy!”

“You have to be really careful, Stevie,” Leslie said to the three year old. “Daddy’s hurt. Just gentle hugs, ok?”

Stephen nodded, and Leslie lifted him up onto the bed. She watched as Stephen looked over Ben, like he was analysing him. She was worried that they’d be scarred by this, their father in a hospital bed with a huge wound on his thigh. Not that they’d be able to see it, but she didn’t want them to get upset.

Ben seemed to read Leslie’s mind, and gave her a soft nod, telling her that it was going to be ok. Stephen’s fingers carefully prodded the edge of Ben’s bandages that were peeking out of the blanket.

“Hurt?”

Ben smiled sadly. “A little, but I’m ok.”

He pulled Stephen down into a cuddle and kissed his son on the top of his head. Soon, Wesley and Sonia got jealous, also wanting time with their dad in this new surrounding.

Leslie helped each of them get settled next to Ben in a way that didn’t disturb his IV wires or bandages. There was no room for her, but that was ok. She took a seat next to the bed and held Ben’s spare hand.

“Did you see April?” Ben asked, peering over Wesley’s head to get a better look at his wife.

“I did,” Leslie said quietly. “She’s ok. Angry and upset, but that’s understandable. The doctors thought she might’ve broken her wrist, but it’s just badly bruised.”

She leaned in a little. “Did you know she knew the gunman? Andy told me. I don’t know how, but seeing her again probably freaked him out and stopped him from killing anyone else.”

She pulled back and swallowed. Two people died. The gunman’s ex-wife and the judge who was ruling their divorce. Two people who wouldn’t get to spend time with their families tonight.

It could have been them. One of them could have easily been killed. He was right on top of them at one point. When the bullet went into Ben’s thigh, she thought it was the end. But here they were, sat in a hospital and Ben making good progress.

It had barely been a day. But she could tell he was getting better.

Leslie felt Ben squeeze her hand, and she looked up. His eyes were tired, but still bright and determined.

“It’s going to be ok,” he told her. “We’ll get through this.”

She knew what he was talking about. There’d be nights where she’d wake up screaming in fear that someone could be in their house with a gun, and Ben would have nights where he’d be trembling, covered in sweat as he remembers the pain.

But they had to be strong. Earlier today, Leslie didn’t think that she would ever get to see her family again. She thought it was karma because of the stupid, petty fight she got into with Ben that morning. But, her time wasn’t up yet, and she was going to push this as far back as she could, and live each day like it was her last.

She stood up from her chair and kissed each of her children sweetly. Then she manoeuvred so she could get to Ben. Her lips pressing against his in the warmest kiss she could muster. Leslie needed this feeling to be burnt into her lips, she wanted to feel alive again.

“I love you so much,” she whispered to him, and Ben grinned softly.

“I love you too,” he said, clinging hold of her hand.

It would be a day they’d never forget, no matter how much they tried. But, everyone made it out alive. She, Ben, April and Andy were safe.

She had half a mind to patch things up with Ron. Being in a situation like that made her very briefly see the error of her ways.

Then again, he wouldn’t have known about today. He said he’d never come back to City Hall, he’d probably think she was over-reacting, resulting in another fight.

Leslie sighed. She’d carry on hating him for a little while longer.

For now, she took a seat back down next to Ben and listened to the triplets babble excitedly about the finger painting they did at kindergarten.

She got what she wanted. She’d be spending tonight alive and with her family. And despite the day being the worst thing she’d ever experienced; the night was the start of a new beginning for them.

They’d come out of this stronger, braver, smarter, and landing on their feet.

Just like they always do.

[rocinantescoffeestop]

Is it Wesley or Westley Knope-Wyatt? Calling all Parks&Rec fans.

If it’s Westley, one can say he’s named after the Princess Bride, which canonically is a movie both his parents adore.

If it’s Wesley, one can say he’s named after the Crusher boy from Star Trek: Next Generation, which canonically is a series with which Ben Wyatt is obsessed.

His parents are total dorks. We love ‘em.

....What was the point of this post, again?