A Flight's Desire

Chapter 41: Staying

Robin and Ben had a silent breakfast with each other. She gave him the spare key to her place before he left. "Just in case I'm not here when you get back or your shooting gets over earlier." She was getting ready to send off some of the belongings to L.A. via the courier express that was going to come by that day.

Ben was fascinated by Budapest like he had been the very first time he went there. The entire way to the studios for his first day of shooting, his head was practically out of the window. He was noticing more of the city now that he didn't have the tension of an audition over his head.

Entering the live set that was going to be shot at the Four Seasons, he felt like a little child again who was intrigued by the blinding white lights in an underground tunnel bridge. He first went around the set and got himself familiar with the area of land that he would have to cover in that day's shoot. He talked to many of the crew members and asked how they would be taking the scenes that day.

They were shooting the last episode and that would need the most from everyone. They were so close to getting the series to the fans, which made the atmosphere around the set very tense. But the directors kept the mood lively and encouraged people time and again. The shooting went by really smoothly because they were on a time constraint. He had to do his own stunts, which he had a lot of fun doing. He had studied gymnastics in school and was happy that he could put that learning to use.

When lunch break came, he found himself seated in the writer's room alone with his thoughts. He was attacking his food by piercing it with the fork but he wasn't in a mood to eat. He didn't even notice it when a certain teenager sat down next to him until she poked his arm. "Hey."

Ben felt as though he had come out of a trance. "Hey!"

Bella sat next to him with her lunch. She was eating with the rest of the cast in Adelaide's trailer when she noticed that Ben was missing and went to search for him. The others had volunteered too but Bella, like her character, had the best tracking skills. It didn't take her long to figure out where Ben would be since he didn't want to be just an actor. "Why do you seem so lost?" She asked, opening up the pudding in her hand.

Ben smiled. Bella was only eighteen-years old and was mature way beyond her age. He had come to be quite protective of her and they were great friends. They had a lot in common because she was studying literature as well. She would contact him while reading his favourite novels and both of them would have long conversations about character analysis. "No reason."

Bella continued to poke his arm. "Come on....tell me....tell me na! It's only me."

He gave up. "It's nothing really. At least it is not something that you need to be worried about." She cocked her head to one side and he sighed. "I have this friend. Um...." He wondered if he should continue. It wasn't that he didn't trust Bella. He needed to talk to Karen somehow, but she was busy with the tour. Seeing no other option, he continued to talk. "I like her and she likes me....I think, but we can't do anything about it."

Bella frowned. "Why not?" The equations weren't adding up to her. "If you like her and she likes you, then what's the problem? You should go get the girl, brother....before it's too late. This life waits for no one."

Ben squinted his eyes at her because she was quoting the Benefactor's line. "I wish I could but am I not supposed to respect her decision?"

"Pfft. All I can see is a sad Ben Summers who is putting on a facade for everyone on sets." Bella dusted her hands and sat to face him. "You are the glue that holds this group together. Now don't let that get to your head."

He smirked. "I won't."

"You are always the one to get us together and play games and stuff. Whenever there is a problem, we turn to you. Not because you have the most experience in this field, but because you are the one who can answer us without letting us feel like we are the newbies. And today, you are sitting in Lee's chair in the break room. Don't you think you are wasting time by not telling this person how you really feel?"

Ben looked at it from that way. "It's not that easy."

Bella shrugged. "It seems otherwise to me."

Meanwhile, Robin was alone with her thoughts, which was not necessarily a good sign. She was lost in her own world and only when the head of the shifters called her name twice did she realise that she was being talked to.

Her furniture was going to stay in Budapest but her writing desk was getting shipped home. Apart from the essentials that she needed for the last two weeks that she would be living in Budapest for, the rest of the cardboard boxes were taken to the airport and were shipped over. Lincoln received the confirmation of the delivery and would check the items off of the list that they shared over Google Documents once they arrived. It was only Robin who had to come home next. Looking at her almost empty apartment, she was met by grief. It was hard to say goodbye to a place that gave her so much to remember.

She made a plan to show Ben around because he had told her that he would need a proper Hungarian to show him around and though Robin wasn't one by birth, she was one by spirit. She made a plan to show him around in the next few days once she got to know his shooting schedule.

Robin was thinking over the short conversation that she had had with him. Did he believe her? Because it was hard for her to believe in herself. She was lying to herself and to him. But being who she was, she couldn't let him see who she really was.

She did not know when she fell asleep on the couch but she was in a deep sleep and didn't notice when Ben reached the apartment and let himself in. He found herself sleeping without a quilt which made him cover her with the one that rested on top of the sofa. He knew that he shouldn't stare at her sleeping but she looked so peaceful. He kissed her forehead and switched off the lamp next to her before tip-toeing to his room and closing the French doors silently, careful not to wake her up. He picked her book up from the top of the bed and decided to start reading it.

Seeing her so peaceful in the next room, he made a decision. Bella's words were echoing in his ears and he knew he owed her one. It did seem otherwise. She was right! He was going to talk to Robin tomorrow and tell her how he really felt.

He was going to fight for her.