[ whoever said "distance makes the heart grow fonder" can kiss kate's badly-in-need-of-a-tan ass. they clearly never had a boyfriend as wonderful as benedict, whom she decides is never allowed to take trips away from her ever again. so what if he was technically obligated to thanks to some family responsibility, so what if it was only ten days? that kind of time feels like an eternity to every couple comfortably deep in that sweet honeymoon stage. kate is being robbed here, she tells you! robbed!
it's why she doesn't even mind staying up late to pick him up at the airport following his red-eye. she's one of only a few waiting at the gate, but she still carries a placard with her, with the words neatly written on it: ]
[ Transatlantic flights are no fun, no matter which class of the plane you sit in. Not that Benedict would know how it feels to fly coach, but he can extrapolate, and even just thinking about sitting in those cramped seats with his knees jammed in the back of the seat in front is enough to make his back hurt.
Even in first class, though, it's not exactly a picnic. The only consolation he had was what he knew was waiting for him on the other side: the comfort of his own home, and, of course, Kate.
The airport is quiet at five am, the rush of early-morning travelers not yet swollen to its peak, and Benedict has flown in and out of here often enough to know exactly where he's going, which is why the sound of his loafers on the hard tile is purposeful and confident as he strides through the long corridors to the exit.
He'd forwarded Kate his itinerary and told her of his plans to hire a taxi to take him home, assuming based on past experience that she'd probably still be asleep when he landed and not wanting to ask her to go through the hassle of getting up to collect him. Why bother, when it's easier for him to pay someone else to drive him instead? It's why he doesn't notice her immediately, his head ducked down as he looks at his phone, scrolling through his apps to find where the Uber icon is. When he does glance up, though, she'll get to see his eyes widening in surprise for a moment before a slow smile blooms on his face, and then he adjusts his trajectory to head straight towards her. Even the sign doesn't seem to embarrass him much, he's far too focused on the pleasure of seeing her where he didn't expect to. ]
Sweetheart. [ Finally close enough to touch, he abandons his rolling suitcase and slides his arm around her waist instead, his free hand lifting to cradle her jaw as he bends down to kiss her warmly. ] I told you I was going to hire a car, you didn't have to come get me.
[ it's sheer will (and four cups of coffee) that has kate still standing solid on her feet before the sun has even come up, but boy does she feel a sudden burst of warmth and energy upon seeing him. she readily admits to herself now that she's gotten spoiled; days and nights spent at his side have become so commonplace that these days they spend more time sleeping over at each other's place than bothering to sleep alone. so the ten days she'd had to go home to her empty apartment has been rough, but now those days are long behind her. ]
Didn't I, though? I'll forgive you wanting to see a taxi driver before wanting to see your girlfriend, but only if you kiss me again.
[ of course she doesn't actually wait for him to initiate, because kate takes what she wants, so she is soon rising up on her toes and tugging his head back down with a hand behind his neck to draw out a longer, deeper kiss that might have made anyone who dared to watch them at that moment blush. ]
[ It's like they went from famine to feast and back to famine again; before The Party Trip, they spent a lot of time together, naturally, but they also spent a lot of time apart, just like any regular friends do. Now, though...
Well, there's a reason there's an extra toothbrush in his bathroom, and twice as much shampoo as before in his shower. She's even got a set of pajamas tucked away in his drawers, though she usually just wears something she's stolen from him when she decides to spend the night. He's not complaining.
He's certainly not complaining about being kissed again, letting his hand fall down to her waist to join its twin so he can wrap his arms around her securely and hold her close to his chest as she licks past his teeth. Appropriate physical displays of affection? We don't know her. ]
I always want to see you. [ Benedict, you sap. ] Did you stay up all night to wait for me, or did you actually wake up before dawn?
Right, I think I'm going to be the one driving us home, then...
[ He blithely dips his hand into her jacket pocket to filch her car keys, slipping them into his own pocket instead. Kate's a wonderful girl, and an excellent girlfriend, but he doesn't necessarily trust her behind the wheel of a car when she's sleep deprived.
Also, potentially, Benedict simply likes to be in control.
If only he could be in control of his physiological reactions as well as he'd like. The blush that creeps up his collar at her comment about sleeping in his bed couldn't be stopped even if he'd had a gun to his head, and he finds himself needing to clear his throat. ]
I got here just fine, [ comes kate's petulant protest, but it's clear her heart isn't really in fighting it when she does little to stop him from pocketing her keys. it probably has something to do with how distracted she gets watching him try and fail to stifle his blush, lips spreading into a smug little smile. it's pretty endearing he still gets so bashful over things, considering all that they've done.
slipping her hand into his she leads them off towards the parking lot, eager to get back into a private, enclosed space. ]
[ This is the sort of scene Benedict had never really considered could be a part of his life: being met at the airport, walking hand-in-hand with a loved one, feeling comfortable enough to show off his relationship like it's commonplace and not something that feels could be snatched out of his hands at any moment.
Sometimes he wonders if he's still dreaming. ]
Mother and Father are well, they send their regards. The girls were cross as two sticks that you weren't around for them to pester, but they'll get over it. I think they've both decided to stalk you on social media, so be prepared to be harassed by some pre-teens soon.
That won't stop them, [ he mutters darkly, though he's really only joking. He can't blame his sisters for finding the fact that their older brother has a steady partner something shocking. He finds it pretty shocking himself, to be honest.
Waking up in sheets that smell like her helps a lot, he's found. It's very sweet of her to prepare his bed for him that way.
After stowing his luggage in the back of her car, he circles around to the driver's side, folding himself behind the wheel and immediately shoving the seat back as far as it would go. Never once has he made any sort of comment about her little purple car, but he definitely wouldn't complain if she wanted to upgrade to something with a little bit more leg room. ]
Yes. It's all sorted. [ Reaching out to rest his hand on her knee, he leans over the armrest and nudges her chin up so he can steal another, nearly tender kiss. ] Hi.
[ could kate get another car? probably, yes. she knows enough people. will she? unlikely, sadly, but it's not because she likes to see her boyfriend suffer (though it is a specific kind of hilarious to see such a large man stumble out of her cute little vehicle) but mostly because the car is such her brand. maybe if there's a purple corvette lying around... maybe.
she's wearing a skirt (because of course she is) so his hand comes upon her bare knee, sending a little shiver up her spine. when he leans in to kiss her, kate hums in approval, pressing further in and slipping her arms around his neck to keep him there for another, deeper kiss, tongue licking its way into his mouth. ]
Ooh. Hello.
[ don't give her an inch, benedict, you know she'll take a mile. ]
[ Early on in their friendship, Benedict already understood that in order to win her favor with any sort of gift, he had to offer her something that was purple.
It's nice to have parameters to work within.
Kate's habit of not wearing proper trousers — admittedly less important in the mild weather of her home country — has also been noted, especially when it means Benedict's palm comes in contact with bare skin more often than not. He squeezes her knee gently. ]
[ He quirks his eyebrow at her, amused, and makes a show of hemming and hawing for a minute. ]
I don't know, that worked out rather well for us last time...
[ Last time, when they were still pretending to be "just friends."
Gods, he really does have to thank his aunt for orchestrating his happiness. She just managed to push him into the arms of someone he was already interested in, not one of her many society connections. She's going to be insufferable if she ever finds out.
He resolves never to tell her a thing.
Squeezing her leg again, he leans back into his own seat and shifts her little beetle into reverse. ]
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2021-11-14 09:32 pm (UTC)it's why she doesn't even mind staying up late to pick him up at the airport following his red-eye. she's one of only a few waiting at the gate, but she still carries a placard with her, with the words neatly written on it: ]
HOT STUFF.
no subject
Date: 2021-11-14 09:49 pm (UTC)Even in first class, though, it's not exactly a picnic. The only consolation he had was what he knew was waiting for him on the other side: the comfort of his own home, and, of course, Kate.
The airport is quiet at five am, the rush of early-morning travelers not yet swollen to its peak, and Benedict has flown in and out of here often enough to know exactly where he's going, which is why the sound of his loafers on the hard tile is purposeful and confident as he strides through the long corridors to the exit.
He'd forwarded Kate his itinerary and told her of his plans to hire a taxi to take him home, assuming based on past experience that she'd probably still be asleep when he landed and not wanting to ask her to go through the hassle of getting up to collect him. Why bother, when it's easier for him to pay someone else to drive him instead? It's why he doesn't notice her immediately, his head ducked down as he looks at his phone, scrolling through his apps to find where the Uber icon is. When he does glance up, though, she'll get to see his eyes widening in surprise for a moment before a slow smile blooms on his face, and then he adjusts his trajectory to head straight towards her. Even the sign doesn't seem to embarrass him much, he's far too focused on the pleasure of seeing her where he didn't expect to. ]
Sweetheart. [ Finally close enough to touch, he abandons his rolling suitcase and slides his arm around her waist instead, his free hand lifting to cradle her jaw as he bends down to kiss her warmly. ] I told you I was going to hire a car, you didn't have to come get me.
no subject
Date: 2021-11-14 10:02 pm (UTC)Didn't I, though? I'll forgive you wanting to see a taxi driver before wanting to see your girlfriend, but only if you kiss me again.
[ of course she doesn't actually wait for him to initiate, because kate takes what she wants, so she is soon rising up on her toes and tugging his head back down with a hand behind his neck to draw out a longer, deeper kiss that might have made anyone who dared to watch them at that moment blush. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-11-14 10:08 pm (UTC)Well, there's a reason there's an extra toothbrush in his bathroom, and twice as much shampoo as before in his shower. She's even got a set of pajamas tucked away in his drawers, though she usually just wears something she's stolen from him when she decides to spend the night. He's not complaining.
He's certainly not complaining about being kissed again, letting his hand fall down to her waist to join its twin so he can wrap his arms around her securely and hold her close to his chest as she licks past his teeth. Appropriate physical displays of affection? We don't know her. ]
I always want to see you. [ Benedict, you sap. ] Did you stay up all night to wait for me, or did you actually wake up before dawn?
no subject
Date: 2021-11-15 12:32 pm (UTC)[ to her credit, she sounds awfully chipper for someone whose last few hours have blurred so much she can't recall if sleep was ever really a thing. ]
The point is I'm here. And you're here. Finally.
[ as if it wasn't just a little more than a week. as if they hadn't phoned or texted every day the entire time. ]
Let's get you home. I slept in your bed all day yesterday so it would smell like me. You're welcome.
no subject
Date: 2021-11-15 01:54 pm (UTC)[ He blithely dips his hand into her jacket pocket to filch her car keys, slipping them into his own pocket instead. Kate's a wonderful girl, and an excellent girlfriend, but he doesn't necessarily trust her behind the wheel of a car when she's sleep deprived.
Also, potentially, Benedict simply likes to be in control.
If only he could be in control of his physiological reactions as well as he'd like. The blush that creeps up his collar at her comment about sleeping in his bed couldn't be stopped even if he'd had a gun to his head, and he finds himself needing to clear his throat. ]
Erm. Thanks. That'll be...nice.
no subject
Date: 2021-11-15 02:16 pm (UTC)slipping her hand into his she leads them off towards the parking lot, eager to get back into a private, enclosed space. ]
How's everybody?
no subject
Date: 2021-11-15 02:28 pm (UTC)[ This is the sort of scene Benedict had never really considered could be a part of his life: being met at the airport, walking hand-in-hand with a loved one, feeling comfortable enough to show off his relationship like it's commonplace and not something that feels could be snatched out of his hands at any moment.
Sometimes he wonders if he's still dreaming. ]
Mother and Father are well, they send their regards. The girls were cross as two sticks that you weren't around for them to pester, but they'll get over it. I think they've both decided to stalk you on social media, so be prepared to be harassed by some pre-teens soon.
no subject
Date: 2021-11-15 10:46 pm (UTC)[ possibly entirely because social media overwhelms her. she can barely keep up with phone updates as it is.
steering them through the parking lot, they soon happen upon kate's purple beetle, the driver's side of which she graciously concedes to benedict. ]
Did you get to take care of everything you needed to though?
no subject
Date: 2021-11-16 03:25 am (UTC)Waking up in sheets that smell like her helps a lot, he's found. It's very sweet of her to prepare his bed for him that way.
After stowing his luggage in the back of her car, he circles around to the driver's side, folding himself behind the wheel and immediately shoving the seat back as far as it would go. Never once has he made any sort of comment about her little purple car, but he definitely wouldn't complain if she wanted to upgrade to something with a little bit more leg room. ]
Yes. It's all sorted. [ Reaching out to rest his hand on her knee, he leans over the armrest and nudges her chin up so he can steal another, nearly tender kiss. ] Hi.
no subject
Date: 2021-11-16 01:17 pm (UTC)she's wearing a skirt (because of course she is) so his hand comes upon her bare knee, sending a little shiver up her spine. when he leans in to kiss her, kate hums in approval, pressing further in and slipping her arms around his neck to keep him there for another, deeper kiss, tongue licking its way into his mouth. ]
Ooh. Hello.
[ don't give her an inch, benedict, you know she'll take a mile. ]
Miss me?
no subject
Date: 2021-11-16 02:18 pm (UTC)It's nice to have parameters to work within.
Kate's habit of not wearing proper trousers — admittedly less important in the mild weather of her home country — has also been noted, especially when it means Benedict's palm comes in contact with bare skin more often than not. He squeezes her knee gently. ]
More than you know.
no subject
Date: 2021-11-16 08:47 pm (UTC)not to say she still doesn't want to completely devour him. but now she'd like to cuddle too. ]
I missed you too. Let's get out of here before I make out with you in a parking lot. [ again. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-11-16 09:00 pm (UTC)I don't know, that worked out rather well for us last time...
[ Last time, when they were still pretending to be "just friends."
Gods, he really does have to thank his aunt for orchestrating his happiness. She just managed to push him into the arms of someone he was already interested in, not one of her many society connections. She's going to be insufferable if she ever finds out.
He resolves never to tell her a thing.
Squeezing her leg again, he leans back into his own seat and shifts her little beetle into reverse. ]
Seatbelt, Kate.