#mr Ben

[popcornforone]

Bunked Up

A Mr Ben Fan Fic

I gave you a vote & you overwhelmingly chose Mr Ben as this weeks fic. This one I’ve had completed in draft since the end of November but then I had Christmas writing then the January & February challenges, so it been patient waiting for its turn.

Synopsis:- You are need an extra teacher for your field trip, your new boy friend mr Ben agrees to help.

Word Count:- 3000

Warnings:- DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UNDER 18! PIV unprotected sex, swearing, muffling, orgasms, established but secret & new realationship, lover colleagues, PDA, bed creeping, small bed scenario.

Thanks as always for the read peoples, I hope you enjoy this, it’s been a very fun write.

“Free for a second Ben” you poke your head around his class room door. “I need to vent & you always love to tell me to calm down” in you stroll, youve only been back at school 3 days teaching & are already stressed. Being the new head of geography is already proving hard work. Bens busy reading a the new poetry anthology he needs to get his 15 year olds to work on. His feet are up in the desk. He slowly lowers his book & his glasses & eyes pop up from behind it. Instantly making you calmer. Who could ever be angry at such a handsome face.

“Couldnt this wait until later” he groans, but he knows from your tone this needs to be off your chest now, you both like to try & leave work at work.

“Ben!”

“What”

“You’d rather I talked about this when we go out for dinner tonight?” It’s Thursday & you’ve decided to make tonight your date night. You’ve been seeing each other for the last 6 months & are soon going to have to have that chat about where you see this going.

“No you’re right sorry” he puts his book mark in & closes the anthology. You know he’s read this at least once, he took the book with you when you went on your mini break in the summer to the Hamptons.

“So you know George,”

“Yes”

“Well his wife now needs to be induced for the triplets they are having” Ben wonders why this affects you.

“Okay so…”

“The date they have been given in October 4th”

“&…”

“It’s when our field trip to Florida is happening, to take the kids to the keys just before storm season”

“So….” Ben can’t see the point”how does he having his babies effect your trip, he doesn’t teach Geography”

“No but he’s a man & he has always volunteered for trips to be the spare man if one is needed.” Ben sees your issue. “Me Jenny & Scott are all the geography teachers & we have to leave 2 teachers behind to teach the rest & set supply, so we need another man on the field trip”

“Okay yes” you look bemused.

“What do you mean yes”

“Yes I’ll do it…” your jaw drops.

“Ben… I…I… I wasn’t expecting that”

“Why not”

“Well you don’t even teach a humanity & no one cares if a Religious study’s teacher goes away for 5 days, but your head of English”

“Did you just want 5 days without me?” He says & takes his glasses off & bites the end of them. You dampen your panties instantly. That always makes you want to jump his bones.

“Ben stop it”

“Make me” you lean across his desk & pull at his dark blue tie. He groans. His lips that you kiss every day feeling more plump today for some reason. He holds your neck gently, cradling it.

“You sure you want to come on a boring geography field trip. I only came in here to have a moan…”

“You’ve done that in both respects” he giggles.

“Ben”

“What” you playfully dig him in the ribs.

“I’ll need to go clear this with the principal, but if you really did want to, then it would be a huge help then me having to email everyone in the school tomorrow morning”

“If it’s okay with the head, I’m in”

“Ahhh” you squeeze him “my hero & don’t worry all you need to do is be a chaparone, we will do the teaching, we just need a male teacher.” He hugs you back.

“It’s geography, what could go wrong?”…

Ben wasn’t happy when you got to where you were staying for the field trip. Yes he got his own room but it was a half double bed & a little basic. He was upset you weren’t on the same floor as him. But he put on a happy face as the wind & rain blew at him as the kids collected data each day. You are built for these field trips. You can stand in the winds & speak to kids, you’ve been doing it for years, the cold doesn’t get to you until at least the last day of each trip which is why now as head of department, you’ve organised for the last day of the field trip to be either organising the data the kids have collected or going to a museum so your not all frozen. Ben however usually takes kids to plays or to readings or lectures. When you packed him lots of waterproof clothes & thermals he laughed, now he wished you’d packed more.

He stands there as the kids are busy measuring the long shore drift. You’ve told him he can have a break for a few minutes. So he’s sat on a sea defence, desperately clasping to a flask of coffee he brought with him to keep warm. You look up & see this & mouth to Scott to keep an eye on everyone & walk across the beach to Ben. He try’s to man up straight away the second he senses you walking over but you can tell he’s not enjoying this.

“Told you these weren’t for the faint hearted”

“I ain’t volunteering next year no way, thought you said this would be fun”

“It is”

“Since when”he scoffs struggling to undo the top of his flask, his hands shivering in his gloves. you sigh & take it from him & undo it straight away. A seasoned professional at how to survive the elements.

“Ben I promise you that we have one more day here on the beach after today taking data then it’s class room based & a museum & no more wind & rain & sea breeze okay” you rub his hat ruffling his hair under it.

“You’re made of strong stuff you know” he says a small smile forming on his face after sipping his hot drink. The colour coming back into his face.

“Years of doing this Ben, be glad we’re not doing this in December”

“Well I wouldn’t be here” he say & you look concerned. “Those triplets would be almost 2 months old by then” you both laugh & you slowly take his hand in yours giving it a squeeze.

“I know I say this a lot, but I really am thankful you did volunteer to do this” this makes him smile too.

“Anything to make my girl happy”

Tomorrow you are all off to a museum before flying back to New York. The kids you’ve all been looking after & who haven’t been in bed before 1pm no matter how hard you all tried every night, are finally all knackered. All in their rooms by 11pm. Clearly they have reached exhaustion, because no matter how many brave faces you & the teachers have put on, you’re all spent too.

Jenny has agreed to man the corridors tonight if there’s anything that goes on. She hadn’t done it for the first 3 nights of the trip at all & had got the most sleep. You slip into your jammies & sit on your half double bed which squeaks & is hard & sit there with a mug of hot water, reading your romance novel. Finally some you time as you hear the rain clatter on the window. Or so you thought, a polite knocking happens on your door & you grown. The kids know to not talk to you unless it’s a complete emergency tonight, you slink out of bed & grab your Hoodie to put it on over your top, it’s not completely see though but it’s not the best for a kid to see. You yawn as you open the door.

“This had better…” the door is pushed open. Large familiar hands engulf you in second, kicking the door shut behind the large man. Your lips peppered & your neck caressed.

“Oooh baby”

“Ben” you moan your hands all up in his hair. You can feel his erection through his bottoms. “Baby we’re on a field trip”

“Couldnt sleep, have only had about 6 hours sleep since we got here”

“Why didn’t you fucking tell me” you say & hold him back a few seconds. His puppy dog eyes filled with sorrow & tiredness.

“Didn’t want my girl to have something else to worry about”

“Ben you should have told me” you caress his face. He smiles at your touch. “I’d have got you another mattress or”

“It’s not the same, you weren’t there to wake up to”

“I’m not always there for you to wake up to”

“But your here in this building, sleeping the floor bellow, it’s ached not being able to touch you or kiss you or pleasure you” he closes the gap between you both again. Little kisses around the base of your neck. He loves to do that. His hand slips inside you jammies.

“Ben please”

“Why not” he relaises you have no underwear on.

“No Ben you misunderstand” his eyes dilate as you smirk”oooh Ben please” your own hand going into his trouser, teasing his erection.

“Oooh fuck baby” he yanks down your jammie bottoms & the two fingers that were on your clit slip inside your sex. You grab onto his shoulder & whimper.

“Fuck Ben”

“Just getting you ready baby, want my girl to enjoy it all as we have no lube”

“Any condoms” you hadn’t brought your birth control tablets with you.

“Erm….” He looks embarrassed.

“Ben there’s solutions in pharmacy’s.” You tug off his T-shirt as the rain gets heavier outside. He pushes you on your bed which creeks & takes off your hoodie & top. Looking at you already on the edge of bliss just by his fingers taking you.

“Your fucking needy baby”

“Only cos you like it.” You wrap your legs around him & get your feet in the back of his waist band. You both wriggle so his penis springs free, rubbing your skin just above your clit, getting some of your pubic hair on it. He takes his fingers from inside you & sucks.

“Fucking delicious” he moans before his fingers grip his length. Pre cum drips across your sex. The way you groan when he slowly Edges all the way inside you. It may have only been a couple of days where you hadn’t had sex, but this felt needed by you both. His eyes wide, as he sinks deeper into you & the way his moustache curls has you feeling even more in heaven than you already are.

“Fuck Ben” his hand covers your mouth.

“Shhhh the kids below” he reminds you. His first thrust powerful. You grip his skin. The bed creeks louder than your moan.

“Ben” you whimper “the bed will give us more away” he giggles with you. “Can you do slow & sensual?” So far all your sex sessions have been rough & passionate. No holding back, you both feel like you’ve had a work out by the end of it. He raises an eye brow.

“I can try beautiful” he whispers before then kissing all around your ear. His next couple of movements slower, rubbing your walls, hitting your spot as you hiss in pleasure trying to be quiet. “But when you look as sexy as this, it hard to control myself”.

No matter how hard you try to be quiet & he try’s to be slow, noises fill the room. The bed even slow creeks, the headboard hitting the wall. You moan every 3 thrusts fuck out loud. Eyes time you do he sucks on your breasts & then you squeeze his bum making him whimper. Feeling him raw always makes your eyes roll, his length knows what to do as you grip onto him. Your legs still wrapped around him. You’re squeezing him too, pushing him deeper, making him feel bigger, the pleasure unmatched. As your collective climax approaches, he gives up. His large hand no longer over your mouth. The bed rocking & rolling with you as you both pant & swear. The air turning blue.

“Fuck fuck b..” before you can scream Ben snogs you. He knows how loud you screech his name when you cum & he knows hearing it will make him reply back with your own name. His tongue taking over sets you off, your body jolting through your climax. As you clamp around you, his own high hits, filling you up with his seed. He always digs his hand in hard to your hip when he finishes. He pants, lying flush on top of you. You ruffle his hair eventually when your lips separate. His sweaty body warming your though. The bed no longer creaking as you both lie in silence as the rain stops & you both fall asleep in each others arms.

You both slept so well. Just being near each other made you both feel safe & secure. Your heat radiating. It was the perfect way to end your school trip. Or so you both thought.

Ben crept out of your room like he was a naughty school boy at about 5am after peppering you with kisses as an apology for not staying the whole night & went back to his bed. You both made sure to shower before joining the other teachers & your students in the canteen for breakfast. You walked in first & grabbed a coffee & a pastry. A few kids looked your way but not too many. But when Ben walked in the whole of your field trip turned to face him & then back at you & then him. Ben was never good at poker faces, he turned bright red instantly as the room filled with loud gossip. His name on everyone’s lips. He slowly went to get his breakfast & then sat down next to you at the teachers table like he had done every morning, with his hand on your thigh.

“Slept well Ben” Jenny asked.

“I did” he sheepishly replied.

“Probably too well that you almost stumbled up the stairs this morning” said Scott. He shot looks between you both.

“Fuck did you see”

“No” Scott said “but we all heard her bed creek for 20mins last night, the walls are thin” you both look at each other. You look a little more mortified than Ben. Ben then takes the hand from you thigh & locks it around your fingers, rubbing across your knuckles.

“What can I say” says Ben now proud of his night time activities “she’s the love of my life & not sharing a bed with her this week has been torture” you drop your cutlery in shock at what he just said the whole canteen falls silent.

“You… you love me?” You say not realising the whole room can hear you.

“Yes baby, I do” your face lights up.

“Good cos I love you too” you both forget you are in a room full of high school students & tenderly kiss. His lips soft & full of the love you both just declared.

A collective awwwwww from all the students fills both your ears & you remember where you are.

“Alright you lot just shhh okay” says Ben.

“You know they’ve been shipping us for a while Ben”

“Really” he raises an eyebrow, you know that smile to well.”well then let’s given them something to talk about”. Ben leans in & presses a lingering kiss to your temple before turning back to his breakfast, acting like he didn’t just declare his love in front of a room full of teenagers. You, on the other hand, are still reeling, the warmth of his hand in yours grounding you. Jenny smirks over her coffee.

“Well, at least it’s official now. The worst kept secret in the school.”

Scott shakes his head, laughing.

“You two really thought no one knew?” Ben feigns innocence, taking a bite of his toast.

“We were subtle.” He proclaims, this makes some of the students near bursts into laughter.

“Sir no offense, but you literally stare at her like shes the star cheerleader in the team” one of the kids says, another chimes in,

“also she looks at you like you’re the only person in the room.” You glance at Ben, & he gives you a little shrug, as if to say, they’re not wrong. You roll your eyes but squeeze his hand under the table. Jenny sighs dramatically.

“So what happens now? A romantic wedding in the school gym? Matching ‘his and hers’ coffee mugs in the staff room?”

Ben grins, finally regaining his confidence.

“I was thinking something more low-key. Maybe just moving in together first?” You choke on your coffee.

“Excuse me?”

He shrugs, pretending to focus on his breakfast, but the slight pink in his cheeks gives him away.

“I mean… it’s not like I ever want to wake up without you again. I want to be bunked up with you…” he gulps & then looks you seriously but softly in the eyes, love pouring out of them “…forever”

The students erupt into more cheers and dramatic awwws as you sit there, staring at him in stunned silence. Eventually, you shake your head, laughing.

“Well,” you say, nudging him with your knee under the table, “let’s get today over with & then when we get back tonight we can have a chat without additional ears” you caress his face. Ben smirks, leaning in just close enough for only you to hear.

“I’ll make sure when we get back that the only person that hears you orgasm is me” you blush crimson, for the first time in days, despite the exhaustion, the cold, & the chaos of chaperoning teenagers, you feel completely, utterly warm.

[ladamedusoif]

Visiting - Overview and Masterlist

(moodboard by the wonderful @cutesyscreenname)

*cross-posted on AO3*

*Series In Progress*

Pairing: Professor!Ben (College AU) x OFC Lydia/fem!Reader (reader POV/2nd POV)

Summary: Seeking a change of scenery after her life falls apart, Lydia crosses the Atlantic and arrives in a small New England town, to spend a year expanding her intellectual horizons as a visiting professor of art history at a small liberal arts college. Her growing friendship with Ben Morales, professor of Hispanic literature, forces Lydia to confront the fallout from her past - and raises unexpected questions about the future.

About Lydia: A couple of years ago she'd have told you her life was over. Now, at 41, Lydia has realised the future is hers to make - even if that means never opening her heart up again.

She's an art historian and European - though this should not be taken to imply a specific appearance or ethnicity! Her family and other aspects of her background are established.

You'll notice that the physical descriptors for Lydia are deliberately loose, other than: her age, that she's fem/AFAB, her hair is starting to grey, and she's got stretch marks and a whole metric ton of issues with her own body. In other words: she can look whatever way you want her to look in your own imagination, bearing these aspects in mind, and be from wherever you want her to come from.

Rating: Explicit (18+) - individual chapters will have their own ratings (there's a lot of fluff and angst ahead) but smut will be very clearly signalled. Expect bad language throughout. If you read beyond the warnings on each chapter, you are agreeing you're 18 years or older.

Content: Professor Ben College AU; smaller-than-usual-for-this-fandom age gap (she is 41 and Ben 47 when the story begins); canon is not a thing here; slow burn; explicit smut (eventually); discussion of infidelity and emotional abuse; discussion of self-esteem issues; references to body issues; strong language; alcohol; I'll update if I need to as the fic continues

A/N: My love for Mr Ben is well-known but I couldn't stop thinking about him as a literature professor and, well, here we are. This is my first fic, and it's written as an AU with nary a sprinkling of canon about a character who existed for five minutes in a sketch. Make it make sense, Rose.

This is going to be a multi-chapter series (I have a plan and an outline document and everything). I plan to add some headcanons for Professor Benjamin at some point, and will pop some little drabbles in amongst the full chapters.

There will be smut - but this is a slow-burner. You have been warned.

Main Series:

Chapter 1 - The Visitor

Chapter 2 - Bright in the Sea

Chapter 3 - Ghosts

Chapter 4 - Save Me

Chapter 5 - This Must Be The Place

Chapter 6 - If You'd Accept Surrender

Chapter 7 - Forget Who We Are

Chapter 8 - Sister Winter

Chapter 9 - Open Your Eyes

Chapter 10 - Something About You

Chapter 11 - My Favourite Work of Art

Chapter 12 - If I Must Have A Future

Chapter 13 - Coming Soon!

One-Shots and Drabbles:

An Inspecteur Calls: A Pedrotober One-Shot

Books: A Merry Fic-Mas One-Shot

Christmas Tree: A Merry Fic-Mas One-Shot

Please let me know if you'd like to be added to a taglist!

Thanks: to the people who made me feel less bonkers for developing an entire world around Ben and Lydia - @cutesyscreenname, headcanon collaborator, moodboard creator, and Prof Benjamin E. Morales enabler supreme; the incredibly encouraging, kind, and heroic fic writers whose understanding of how to embrace the sensitive and emotional hidden side of 'canonical' characters is an inspiration - @lunapascal, @imaswellkid, @julesonrecord

(bookshelf divider by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more)

[peepawispunk]

Same vibes.

[wildemaven]

Professor Ben taking break from writing his book… for some relief

[firsttarotreader]

Mr. Ben - Knight of Pentacles

On the day of the blog’s 3rd anniversary, the next character in our series “Pedro’s Characters as Tarot Cards” is Mr. Ben, from SNL. Mr. Ben is the Knight of Pentacles.

The Knight of Pentacles is a very practical Knight. He’s reliable, efficient, he works hard, he’s very committed to his work and patient. He works diligently, not in a rush and steady. A person with this card’s energy is a methodical, practical person, dependable and diligent. They approach their duties with unwavering commitment and methodical problem solving. They are dedicated, hard working, sometimes slow but reliable. Grounded and realistic, they don’t get swayed by trends and superficial concerns. Not the most romantic or emotional, but steady, committed and reliable.

Mr. Ben is a high school teacher giving a lecture during an assembly about student technology use. He goes on stage and talks about fancams students make of him every day and he doesn’t understand why they do it or what the purpose of them are. He shows cute and romantic fancams with pictures of him being all sexy while he teaches his classes or just doing mundane things but caught in poses that are sensual and provocative in students point of view. He doesn’t understand why he is “father” and the lady who makes lunch in the school is “mother”, and gets even more confused with the students slangs and online trends. He also gets surprised when the students already know he is dating another teacher, Ms. Jenny, and they both confess it. Mr. Ben is a very practical teacher, he is concerned about his work, committed to it, he is a beloved teacher, he is not swayed by the younger generation online trends and has a grounded and realistic demeanor. He seems to be confused by things outside his duties and his commitment to them. Mr. Ben just wants to work and has no idea what the students are even on about, so he is, for these reasons, our Knight of Pentacles.

[guiltyasdave]

I wish SNL would release the footage of Pedro filming all those Mr. Ben edits!!!!

i would pay a lot of money to see those lmao 😭

[pedroversereads]

Author Masterlist

All authors featured, and which stories.

Switch to SFW Author List

See individual character masterlists for Ao3 links where available.

A

• absurdthirst - cowritten with WardenParker

▻ The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dating Your Ex (Marcus Pike)

▻ Vampire Waltz (Max Phillips)

▻ You're So Vain (Dieter Bravo)

B

• blueeyesatnight - That's Not Your Name (Dieter Bravo)

D

• djarins-cyare - Be-All and Endor (Din Djarin)

F

• frannyzooey - Take Me To Church (Din Djarin)

• frenchiereading - Mouthfuls of You (Frankie Morales)

• fuckyeahdindjarin - Palomino (Jack Daniels)

G

• goodwithcheese

▻ Paranoid Heart (Javier Peña)

▻ The Layover (Frankie Morales)

I

• intheorangebedroom - Pleased To Meet You (Frankie Morales)

J

• justagalwhowrites - Lavender (Joel Miller)

L

• ladamedusoif

▻ Tempered In The Fire (Din Djarin)

▻ Visiting (Mr. Ben)

M

• musings-of-a-rose - For You (Javi G)

O

• oonajaeadira - Good Things Take Time (PATS)

P

• punkshort - Somewhere To Run (Joel Miller)

S

• sixhours - The Ghosts of Babylon (Joel Miller)

• something-tofightfor

▻ Life Is Good (Frankie Morales)

▻ Locked Down (Dieter Bravo)

▻ On Deck (Jack Daniels)

T

• the-blind-assassin-12

▻ Point of No Return (Ezra)

▻ Recall (Jack Daniels)

• the-ginger-hedge-witch - Read You Like A Book (Marcus Pike)

• tinydappledleaf - Stay (Ezra)

W

• whatsnewalycat - Psychomanteum (Dieter Bravo)

• WardenParker - cowritten with absurdthirst

▻ The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dating Your Ex (Marcus Pike)

▻ Vampire Waltz (Max Phillips)

▻ You're So Vain (Dieter Bravo)

• wildemaven - Sweet Creature (Dieter Bravo)

[ozarkthedog]

The hallway outside of your history professor's office is empty when you timidly knock on his door. A muffled "come in" can be heard from the other side and you enter, softly closing the heavy door until you hear it click.

"Took you long enough."

You gasp when you feel him at your back. His firm chest pressing up against you as he reaches around you to lock the door.

"Sorry, professor."

"I told you," your professor leans down into your space to whisper into your ear, "when it's just me and you I want to hear my name on your lips."

"Sorry...Ben. For keeping you waiting."

"That's alright," his large hand teases the inside of your thigh, inching towards where you're already leaking for him. "If you make me wait, I'll make you wait."

His hand disappears under your skirt, rubbing you over your panties. You know better than to let out the moan that builds in your chest.

"You're not allowed to come until I say, understand?" He waits for you to nod, picking up speed as the wet patch grows under his fingers. "Now go be a good girl and bend over my desk. Been dying to taste you all morning."

hope you feel better soon ozzie 😇💙

I AM SCREAMING.

That gif sent me over the edge. jfc where am I? Who am I other than a puddle for this man.

😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

Tysm for the love and this filthy blurb that’ll stay with me for a while no doubt. 😅🥵💙

[bluestar22x]

Yeah, good thing poor Mr. Ben didn't find the fanfics. XD

At least he didn't find the fics...

[popcornforone]

Smothered

A Fan Fic based on a Mystey Pedro Pascal character

Day 8 of Pedrotober (prompt Corona)

Masterlist

This is soft but I knew the second I saw Corona as a prompt exactly what I wanted to do. This was the first fic I wrote for Pedrotober too. I love it.

Synopsis:- After a break up,Mrs Flores invites you over for a bbq.

Word count:- 1150

Warnings over & above:- drinking, lack of consent, swearing, over protective parents. Mainly soft but sexual tension.

Yea this is one of the best I’ve done for the month. Thanks @alyssamariag & @norththelemon for the prompt. Kinda want to turn this into a series if I had the time.

Your mum tries to do her best for you, it’s smothering sometimes & today is another showcase of this. She’s asked you to bring your special marinade for a bbq the Flores family are having in their garden to celebrate the end of summer. Your mum has been telling you for the last 6 weeks that her son is now recently divorced & knowing you went through a break up 6 months ago, both parents are trying to fix you up together. But neither of you have made an effort. You’re not ready to date again, & if he’s divorced he’s probably older than you. You don’t need that kind of baggage, you also have no idea if he comes with kids or if he was the reason behind the divorce. After your ex cheated on you with another man you’re not as confident in yourself as you once were.

You arrive before your mother to the Flores’ house & bring in a large box of Corona beers & your madianded chicken to be thrown on the grill. Once you put those items down in the kitchen, Mrs Flores, a woman you only vaguely remember from childhood, runs up to you like you’re her only daughter. She’s in all pink with a perfect silver bob & pink nail varnish. Not a blemish insight.

“Thanks for inviting me” you say as she hugs you.

“Pleasure bonita” she says & then looks at the beer you brought over. “Hmmm corona, how imaginative, anyhow come outside sit sit” she says with sarcasm. You sigh. You remember you mum telling you that she says it how she sees it, you have a very small memory of that happening in the past. You walk into the garden & decide to sit between a couple of ladies in their 50s & 60s, all the husbands around the grill, clicking tongs, making it look like they know what they are doing. You could easily do this much better than them but you don’t want to destroy a man’s ego. A man standing by a grill is not to be distributed. You do have a look around for this mythical son of mrs Flores but he’s not here.

Your mum arrives 10min later, same over the top reaction from Mrs Flores as she welcomes her in, making sarcastic comment about how she only brought salad & how she needs to feed you up & put a bit more meat on your bones. It’s not like you’re skinny, but even so Mrs Flores believes you need to eat more.

Time passed & it was still no closer to the food being ready, but it was starting to smell good & there was still no sign of this man. Clearly this must have been a ploy to get you to this gathering. Mrs Flores has everyone in the palm of her hand talking about her life & her clubs & her high standards & how no one will be good enough for her boy.

“Except this one, we always joked that your princess & my prince would get freaky one day”

Then all eyes turn on you after Mrs Flores comment. You try to not act pissed off & stop the scowl forming on your face. You politely excuse yourself to use the bathroom, but you sneak a corona away & go to the kitchen where no one is in or looking at, you just to get 5 minutes of quiet. You’d much rather do that than say something to the host & upset them. You were not brought up that way.

As you lean against the sink checking your phone & sipping the cool beer, the door to the hall opens. He almost falls into the kitchen as he is also carrying a huge crate of corona. You put your bottle down & steady the box to help him in.

“Woooo” you both say guiding the beer to the counter.

“Thanks” says this smooth masculine voice.

“Don’t mention it” it’s only then that you look at the man. Late 40s, fluffy brunette hair. Brown eyes so big they are like puss in boots from shrek. A shirt that clings to him with a beach pattern but not too loud. Nice smart shorts. A smile that would break a thousands hearts. You didn’t believe in love at first sight until that moment as your heart leaps out of your chest.

“Hi” he says, you don’t reply. Lost in his eyes. Lips parting. Frozen in time. You don’t know he’s having the same reaction. You need to remember to breathe. He notices the beer on the side, grabs it & swigs it. You notice his hand tremble. He’s nervous too.

“Hey that’s mine” you finally say going to grab the beer from him. He pulls is arm away.

“Really?” He gulps again”you sure about that”

“Yes” you say tentatively, a drop of water from the bottle drips onto your skin hissing. Steam coming off your skin, from this sensual introduction. Could the tension be any stronger?

“You want it?” You nod. “Then come claim it” & he all but downs the bottle.

“Hey that’s not fair”

“Life not fair”

“How am I…” you then see a few drops on his lips & you don’t ask for consent. He doesn’t look like he needed to give it either. Your lips lock, a man you had met 3 minutes ago you were making out with in an almost strangers kitchen. The way his tongue felt as it tangled with yours is intoxicating. How that luscious hair felt in your hands was like it was meant to be. Neither of you let go, feverishly enjoying this moment. He could have been anyone’s partner outside but clearly there was a spark between you & you had both felt it.

Crash!

The bottle he had been holding slipped from his grip smashing across the tiled floor.

“Shit” you both screech & you both start to pick up the glass, before mrs Flores bounces in.

“What the hell is…Ahhh darling” another over the top reaction. Once the glass is out of his hand she hugs him like everyone else before taking her flip flop off & she starts to hit him. “You are late, your always late my prince & now you smash bottles & not join our guests”

“Prince?” You ask confused

“Yes” mrs Flores says “this is my son, the teacher, the divorcee” you suddenly see the resemblance & are shocked you hadn’t noticed it. You stick your hand out & finally tell him your name, even thought you had been making out seconds ago. He looks you up & down once more & smirks.

“Hi im Ben! Most people know me as Mr Ben, deputy head at the high school 5 blocks away”

[ladamedusoif]

Paper: A Visiting First Anniversary Update

Paper is the traditional gift for a first anniversary. What could be more fitting for a pair of academics still trying to figure out their future? 

A year ago, I posted the first chapter of my first foray into fanfiction and my first attempt at writing fiction since I was a teenager. Visiting took a lot of courage to write, let alone to post; but the sheer pleasure in drafting and planning Ben and Lydia’s story made me feel I should share it. 

There are still three chapters of the story to come, and I know I’ve been slow and not a very good or engaged writer.

Life has been complicated lately, and for various reasons it has just been easier not to be on here as much (if at all - and if it was noticed!) But I had to mark their anniversary, somehow. So, a year in, and with the story still unfinished, here are some reflections - and, if you read to the end, a (slightly smutty) sneak peek for chapter 13…

I launched the two dorks into a fic world dominated by DBFs and age gaps and all sorts of other tropes that Visiting just wasn’t, never would be. The tropes have shifted somewhat but their story still doesn’t speak to any of the big ones. That’s Ben and Lyd, though. They never were ones for following trends.

At times I’ve felt strongly that this wasn’t a story anyone really wanted, that it was my fault for writing it badly. Some chapters felt both vital and nigh impossible to write, as I second-guessed myself and the readership and wondered what I was doing wrong, exactly. And then sometimes a chapter I’d poured everything into just… went unseen, it seemed.

And then I would receive the most beautiful comments and responses to the story, as readers find it and connect on some level with Lydia, Ben, and their little world. In my sort-of Tumblr hiatus I know these comments have built up and I need to respond properly to each and every one. But know that I am eternally grateful, incredibly touched, and that many of them have made me cry. The same goes for the people who recommended the story on fic lists, who sent wonderfully kind anons about the work, who have made me want to keep going with it.  

There is a bittersweetness to the anniversary of starting Visiting. There are people on here who were such vocal, enthusiastic cheerleaders of the story both in public and in DMs who just fell away after a chapter or two. (I still wonder if they have been keeping up.) There are people on here who I was so close with, who knew the motivations for the story and its inner workings, who chose, out of the blue, to act as if it - and I - no longer existed. Such is life. Such is the nature of online friendship. But it’s particularly strange when someone has been there for the drafting and writing and then…isn’t. 

But such instances are in the minority. The readership for Visiting might be small, but it’s brought me into touch with some incredible, wonderful, generous people who have become firm friends. There is no greater feeling than knowing that your little story about two middle-aged academics finding themselves falling for each other when they least expected it is liked - heck, loved, even, by even one or two other people. (Tell your friends! More readers welcome! But you guys are the best ones.)

A final, more general observation about this story and why it exists. We have often seen statements on here about how dark!fic is “healing”, a way for people to work through experiences and issues in their own lives. I would argue that softer fic is healing, too - that healing doesn’t have to be sought or validated through creative explorations of brutality, violence, coercion and pain. It can be, of course - but it’s just as valid to seek it in stories that are softer, kinder, warmer, even. Lydia’s conviction that she is permanently broken, that she is fundamentally unlovable, could not be undone with anything other than love and safety. And the story does seem to have reached some people in that way, and for that I’m really delighted and proud. 

And I’m really touched and grateful to all of you who have stuck with the story, have got in touch to comment, to ask if there’s more, to talk about how much you love it. You have no idea how much it means, truly. There is more coming: three chapters more, in fact, if I can just get my brain together. But, as a thank you and an anniversary gift, here’s a little bit from the next chapter:

You rest your head on his shoulder and bring your arms around his waist, hugging him close to you under the blankets as you enjoy the symphony of nocturnal sounds in the back yard. 

He chuckles as you hold him tight. “You must know by now I’m not going anywhere, Lyddie.”

“Don’t laugh when I say this, but - sometimes I feel like I need to hold you extra close, just to be sure you’re real.” 

He tilts his head and smiles at you. “That I’m real?”

“That you’re real. That all of it is real, Ben. I’m not used to things… working out, I guess. All my life I was left lonely or things fell apart, and - I still have to remind myself that yes, this is real, I’m not dreaming.” You sip your champagne thoughtfully as he kisses the top of your head, broad hands caressing your body.

“It’s real, love.” He kisses you again, gently squeezing your hip. “Even if I sometimes wonder how I got so lucky.”

You push away the blankets and wrap your arms around his neck as you begin to make out, his hand snaking up under the skirt of your floral-print summer dress and pressing greedily into the flesh of your thigh. 

He breaks away to kiss and suck on your neck, pausing to whisper in your ear: “Does this feel real enough, baby?”

You give a little cry of pleasure before breaking into fits of giggles, grinning as you feel Ben’s smile against your skin. “I guess it’s pretty real, Ben, as these things go…”

“As these things go?!” He pulls back, leaving a parting kiss on your collarbone, before spreading out the blankets a little on the wooden decking. “Lie back, Lyd, and I’ll give you real.”

And now, if you don’t mind, I will enjoy a celebratory ice-cold Corona, and raise it to my idiots-in-love who are still waiting for their happy ending.

[timbit-robin-art]

She Fantastin’ on my Five til I Cyclops.

[wildemaven]

Professor Ben

Inspired by Visiting

[teaganrae15]

I’m movie lovers🎬🎞️🎥

[bebx]

hear me out…. vampire Victor and werewolf Reed

[pedroversereads]

Mr. Ben Masterlist

• Visiting by ladamedusoif (Ao3)