The Umbrella Academy Preferences

Short Ben Imagine: Do Over

the only thing that's left is the manuscript
one last souvenir from my trip your shores
now and then i reread the manuscript
but the story isn't mine anymore

He wasn't their Ben, not by a long shot. He was cocky, arrogant, and sure as hell wasn't the family type. You met him when he was at his lowest. He was in the crypto scam and you stayed loyal to him while he was in prison. Now here he was, sitting at Grace's birthday party surrounded by loud and annoying children. The entire atmosphere made his head pound. He enjoyed parties but this kind of party was just giving him a headache.

Ben sipped his beer as he watched the kids blowing bubbles and playing in the various ball pits, probably contracting all kinds of germs. He couldn't help but scoff at how any parent would allow their kid to play in something so gross. Then something had caught his eye, your head had popped out of the ball pit followed by little Coco, one of Diego and Lila's twins.

You were laughing along with Coco as you two explored the ball pit, he could hear your laughter. He wasn't fond of kids but tolerated Diego and Lila's. You encouraged him to be more involved with them when you were around. He hesitated at first but would reluctantly try and engage with them. The feeling was still foreign to him.

Ben never pictured himself here in this moment but after all he had been through, it was now a new chapter of his life. Seeing his family die, watching the world end, nearly dying himself. He thought he'd never be here with someone like you. Someone so kind and so well rounded. You saw past all of his flaws and past mistakes, even if he still dwelled on them from time to time.

He'd never admit it but the more time he spent with you, the more he was able to move past his other life. As he held you at night, his mind drifted to his time as a Sparrow. He was rugged and just a mess but tried hard to hide it by trying to be the best one. His relationships were always a disaster, especially with his siblings. He was a lost soul that didn't know who the real Ben was.

You opened a lot of doors for him. You dragged him to shows, out to dinner, late night walks in the park. You even convinced him to dance with you in the rain. Ben smiled to himself as he remembered your wet hair sticking to your face. You looked adorable. You reminded him that there was still good in this world and he was allowed to enjoy it. He deserved to enjoy it.

Ben fantasized about your future quite often. Would you get married? What would the wedding be like? Would you have or want kids? What would the house look like? These thoughts had never crossed his mind before he met you. Now it consumed him, it was all he could really think about.

"Damn she has a lot of energy." Your voice rang out. "Wore me right out."

"Looked like you two were having fun." Ben replied, offering you a sip of his beer.

"Total blast." You confirmed, sipping his beer. "You looked lost in thought. Something on your mind?"

Ben took his bottle back and shook his head. "Nothing of importance."

You were the bookmark of his new life, his new adventure. You gave him a chance to rewrite his own story.