Fate || BENNIFER

Not Going Anywhere

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Recommendation: Listen to Secret Love Song, Pt.2 by Little Mix.
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Jennifer's P.O.V

I turned in front of the mirror like a hundred times, and felt frustrated not being able to find a single angle of my body that I could recognize. Most of my jeans wouldn't do up, and my dresses no longer looked the way they used to.

Ben's patience was probably reaching the limit, as he had been watching me change for a while. Maybe it had been a bad idea. We knew from experience that we couldn't have normal outings like other couples, and although the world had changed a lot since the first time we were together, now it was a delicate moment in which we cherished our privacy more than ever.

"Does it look too tight?" I asked in a concerned voice.

"It looks great. You look great." He answered as I went back to the mirror. "This says that bloating is completely normal at ten weeks."

"Where are you reading that?" I asked as I turned around to look at him.

"Google." He said in a funny tone.

The simplest outfit was the chosen one after so many attempts. Comfortable wasn't my usual pick, but given the situation, that was the best choice. I was nervous, and it was more than obvious.

"No one is going to notice you've gained a little weight. Absolutely no one." He said placing his hands on my waist. "We'll be discreet. And if we're lucky, no one will see us."

"I admire your positivism." I said.

"Grab a coat." He said laughing.

The kids were with my mom, so we got to spend the night as we preferred. We chose to go out to dinner. Whether or not it had been a good choice remained to be seen. Ben drove us downtown, to one of my favorite restaurants, where we had had multiple dates a decade before. He remembered.

He opened the door for me, held my hand, and helped me out of the car. I wasn't wearing an expensive dress or heels, not even the best hairstyle, but he made me feel as if I were. We walked inside hand in hand, and between kisses and expressions of affection we had a lovely dinner. Not even once our eyes moved away to check around. The moment was ours to enjoy, and without worries that could break the intimate atmosphere that had been created from the very first instant we sat at the table.

We were too far from the windows to be aware of the crowd growing outside. It wasn't until we were ready to walk out that we saw the flashing. I froze for a moment, but fortunately, a waiter was so generous to offer us a more discreet exit. We still had to reach the car, which was parked on the main street, almost in front of the restaurant. We surrounded the building, and though we were very quiet, the moment the wall stopped covering us, a paparazzi saw us. He warned the rest, and in a matter of seconds all the attention had been drawn to us. We moved fast to the car while Ben did everything he could to cover me. He became a barrier between me and those cameras.

"You already got it. That's enough." I heard Ben say as he covered his face from the flashing.

He didn't leave my side one second until I was in the car and the door was closed.

We looked at each other, but it wasn't "I told you so". We tried. We knew that could happen. But it had just begun. We were half way home when Ben realized the same car had been behind us all the time. They hadn't had enough. But we were not willing to give them what they wanted. The driveway was our advantage, once we were inside, there was nothing they could do.

Ben rushed out of the car to open my door. He was a gentleman, and he liked it, so I let him. I stood in front of him. His fingers touched my neck as he moved away my hair. He reached down to grab my hands gently yet firmly, stared into my eyes, and smiled.

"I don't care what the world thinks. I love you." He said. "You remind me of home, of the simple things in life. You remind me of hope, every kiss from your lips to your thighs. The sound of your voice, the shape of your eyes, and the curve of your smile. The way your hand feels in mine. The conversations we share late at night. I have met no one like you, because you are all the things I keep coming back to."

Breath held without thinking and eyes closed as our lips met softly. It felt like the world had stopped. I forgot everything. It was real peace. As the kiss got comfortable, my body started melting.

"Don't you dare leave." I said caressing his beard. "Ever."

"I'm not going anywhere." He replied.

He ran his fingers through my hair and gently guided my head closer, eventually making me lean on his chest.