Everyone affectionately knew Y/N's favorite hobby in the world was crocheting. All of her childhood friends knew Y/N best for crocheting beautiful clothing items and delivering them out on birthdays or Christmases. Even her relatives would ask for a nice, handmade sweater for their daughter or son, and she constantly obliged.
Y/N's grandmother was a key inspiration for her past time. She was the one who taught Y/N how to sew various shapes and patterns. And every time Y/N would visit, the likely two would typically spend the Sunday afternoons crocheting together.
When Y/N's grandmother died, the crochet hook went away in the cupboard. She couldn't look at the colorful balls of yarn, the extensive assortment of accessories, and crochet hooks without being reminded of her beloved grandmother.
A couple of years passed and Y/N felt inspired once more to pull out her crochet tools again. When she first met Ben, he was intrigued by how skilled his lovely girlfriend was. Every so often he would go through the large chest of handmade clothes, brilliant scarves, and blankets that she would make, staring in awe of her handiwork.
Usually, he would naturally find her snuggled up on the plush armchair, balls of yarn pooled around her feet. Gentle music would be playing in the background, and Y/N would be working.
Today, Ben came home from hanging out with a couple of his mates when he walked on his girlfriend trying to complete her latest project. A small yellow and white sweater with sunflowers on the arm sleeves.
"What are you doing?"
He shrugged off his coat and threw it onto the plush couch, passively watching his girlfriend's hands move delicately and quickly. She looked up quickly and smiled before focusing her considerable attention back on the sweater in her hand.
"I'm just making a sweater for my coworker's daughter," Y/N explained just as she finished one more row on the granny square Y/N was making. Ben nodded and sat down on the couch facing her, watching her silently as she continued working.
"How come you've never made me one before?"
Y/N stopped and looked up at him. Her head tilted to the side as she thought. Ben never expressed interest in wanting a sweater before. Now that she thought about it, she's never made him a single thing ever since the pair started dating three years ago.
"I never thought you'd want one?" She said clearly. She did genuinely feel a twinge of guilt. Of all the things she has made for everyone; Y/N hasn't made a single item for her lovely and caring boyfriend.
"Why can I not have a sweater made by my girlfriend?" He pointed to the artwork in her hand. She shrugged and stopped working, carefully placing the sweater in her lap.
"Of course you can Ben! I'm just surprised. You never expressed any interest in my crocheting before," she shrugged, motioning to herself. Ben never brought up the topic before. Y/N felt herself grow excited to make Ben a sweater. The sight of him in a handmade sweater lovingly crafted by her made Y/N's heart beat rapidly.
"Well now, I am. Can I please have one?" He begged somewhat jokingly. Y/N rolled her eyes and nodded quickly, moving the sweater from her lap to the armrest. Y/N got up from her seat and walked towards the chest in the corner, Ben following behind her slowly.
Y/N unlocked the chest and revealed all the colored yarn that she had. Ben's eyes wandered across the different colors and sizes that were piled up in the chest.
"Yeah, what color? You can pick from this pile," She motioned, pointing out all the different colors. Ben nodded and crouched down beside his girlfriend, his hands instantly going to the pile of blue-colored yarn. His eyebrow furrowed and he sighed to himself.
"Do you have a Chelsea blue? Maybe a Chelsea one would look nice," He suggested, Y/N nodding slowly. She clicked her tongue and stood back up, pulling out her phone. She quickly searched and looked back at her longtime boyfriend.
"I don't have the color. I'd have to buy the color, but that shouldn't be a problem," She nodded, making Ben smile. He still kneeled in front of her, and she tapped his arms, motioning for him to stand.
"Stand up."
"For what?"
She spoke. "Well, I have to get your measurements," Ben nodded and stood back on his feet, his height towering over his girlfriend. He smirked slightly and watched as she rolled her kind eyes, pulling out the tape measurer she was using earlier.
She extended the tape measurer and firstly measured Ben's wingspan. He watched as she wrote down the numbers, next measuring his chest-length, shoulder-length, and finally, Ben's hip length.
"How long do you think it would take?" He asked her, returning to his initial position on the couch. Y/N shrugged, looking over the measurements she just took. She shook her head and looked at Ben.
"Maybe a couple of weeks?" She suggested, unsure of her answer. Once she finished making the sweater for her daughter's coworker, she would get started on Ben's. Time wasn't on her side today. While constantly juggling work, Ben's matches, and other activities, she didn't know how long she would take to complete it.
Weeks and weeks went by, and Y/N poured her sweat, a little blood, and a whole lot of tears into this sweater. Because it was Ben, she wanted the article of clothing to be perfect. She probably scratched and started the sweater over and over, wanting it to be perfect. Y/N delicately paid attention to each stitch she made, making sure the holes were not too loose.
Y/N grew more excited as she saw her progress unfold. So much time flew by that Ben had already forgotten about the sweater she promised him to make. He didn't even notice how late Y/N would stay up every night, trying to complete one more row before she fell asleep. Or when she would bring her things to the game, hurriedly working on the sweater while the team warmed up, or during halftime.
Sometimes, she would work on the sweater and forget to eat. But at the end of the day, Y/N didn't care. She never cared if Y/N got no sleep, or if she never ate. She didn't bat an eye when her fingertips and wrists would be so sore and swollen from the constant work she was doing. For Ben, it was all worth it.
A couple of weeks later and Y/N finally finished her latest project. She was at home when she finished the last stitches, holding up her handiwork in the air. Y/N was so delighted. Y/N shed a couple of tears in awe of the beautiful sweater. The Chelsea blue color was vibrant and bright, and the vibrancy reminded Y/N of the attractive color that rested in her boyfriend's eyes.
She waited patiently for Ben to return home from training. She placed the sweater in a gift box and set it on the counter, excited to see his reaction. Soon enough, Ben returned home tired and physically drained. He walked in the door and placed his training back on the floor, kicking off his shoes and placing them by the door.
"Ben!"
He looked up to see his girlfriend smiling at him with excitement, holding out the gift basket for him to take. He glanced at her curiously and received the package from her hands. Before he decided to do anything, he had placed a kiss on her cheek, mumbling a small greeting.
He sat down on the couch with the gift basket on his lap, opening it slowly. His expression turned into a bright smile when he eyed the sweater. Ben examined the close tight knits of the yarn, the way the yarn easily braided into one another. He glanced up at Y/N's facial expression. She nervously bit down on her lip, unsure of his reaction to the sweater.
He held out his hands towards her and wrapped her in a hug. He kissed the top of her forehead and sat her on his lap.
"Baby, this looks amazing!" Ben gushed, feeling over the material once more. Y/N giggled and picked up the sweater.
"Try it on!" She said, helping Ben pull the sweater over his frame. Her eyes sparkled and gleamed at Ben's reaction. The sweater fit perfectly, hugging his built frame.
"It looks nice! Maybe you could teach me and I could make you one in return," he suggested, kissing her temple. She let out a loud laugh and tapped Ben's stomach softly.
"We'll see how good your crocheting skills are compared to mine."
