Love Springs Eternal | Benslie

Chapter 5

Ben and Leslie woke up at 10am to the alarm Leslie had set. They took turns showering in Ben's bathroom, Ben going first. When Leslie came out from her shower, Ben gaped at her outfit. She was in a loose-fitting tank decorated with flowers, a cardigan over the top, finished off with a pair of denim jeans. It was a stark difference to her usually very formal way of dressing.

"Miss Knope!" Ben exclaimed. "How brave of you to show off so much skin!"

"Oh, shut up, Wyatt," she spat, but with a hint of a smile on her lips. "Steph and I are going to be out most of the day, I presume. There goes my rule about not spending more than an hour with any of your family on my own."

"You could always say you can't go," he suggested. "I'll help you come up with an excuse."

"No offence," she started, "but I'd use one of my lame excuses before I trusted you to come up with a good one. Besides, I said I'd go, and if there's one thing I hate more than rule breaking, it's people who back out of plans they made."

"Fair enough," Ben said. "Mom said breakfast is on the table whenever we're ready."

They went downstairs and scoffed down breakfast. Before long, Julia had pulled Ben off to help with wedding things and Steph had let Leslie know she was ready to go. For the most part, the car ride to the mall was silent. Occasionally, they'd swap small talk about the weather and how they were doing today.

"So, at the risk of sounding cliché," Steph chuckled, "what are your intentions with my brother?"

"To be honest," Leslie sighed, "I just want us to move past Cerseigate. It's been a point of contention between us and I'm still a little raw about it. I know it happened in high school, but it hurt to hear because I liked him that much. Maybe even loved him."

"But he apologised for it and you guys are dating now," Steph pointed out, confused. "I'd have thought you would have been past it already."

"There was a lot between then and when we got together," Leslie admitted. "Cerseigate was just the catalyst. I wish he'd just told me the truth about how he felt. It would have saved both of us the heartache, and the unforgivable arguments that we had."

"So the relationship isn't rock solid yet?" Steph asked.

"I suppose not," Leslie replied as they pulled into the parking lot. "I still care about him. I never stopped. I'm still not sure we're even dating sometimes. It doesn't feel like it."

"I know my brother was an idiot," Steph said. "But he's trying. You're the only person besides his family and Chris he's ever cared about the opinions of. He cares about your opinions because he loves you. Even if he hasn't said it yet."

Leslie shifted uncomfortably in the seat before deciding to get out of the car. "Let's go shopping!" she exclaimed, to Steph's disappointment.

Leslie wasn't sure what Steph wanted to go shopping for. She figured it was probably an excuse to get Leslie alone so she could question her about her relationship with Ben. It was a good ploy, she had to admit. From the sounds of it, Ben's siblings were incredibly protective of him. It was a nice thought. At least he wouldn't be alone when they "broke up".

"So, what were you wanting to shop for today?" Leslie asked as they walked through the doors of the mall.

"I just figured Mom would pull Ben away to help with wedding stuff and you might get overwhelmed spending time with our family by yourself," Steph admitted. "Plus, there's nothing wrong with treating yourself!"

"Good point," the blonde chuckled.

"You're a conservative dresser," the older woman observed. "You looked like you'd come from a job interview when you got here."