Benielle: It's Complicated

Twenty-Four

*Ben hears a knock on his door and opens it*

*Danielle slaps a stack of papers against Ben's chest*

Danielle: "Have you seen the new scripts? Oh my god I couldn't stop laughing!"

Ben: "Well good afternoon to you too. Come in, why don't ya?"

*Danielle walks by him and sits in her favourite couch spot*

Danielle: "That's exactly what the script is like. It's SO us! Bantering as if our lives depended on it."

*Ben sits across from her*

Ben: "Our lives pretty much do depend on it. We argue like a married couple."

*Danielle laughs* Danielle: "We technically are."

Ben: "TOPANGA!"

*Danielle throws her head back and laughs*

Danielle: "That is my absolute favourite line. You're so animated Ben, I love it."

Ben: "It's a pleasure working alongside you. It's honestly the most fun I have."

*Danielle looks over at Ben and he smirks*

*Danielle feels a little awkward so she gets up*

Danielle: "Can I get us a bottle of wine?"

Ben: "Sure, you know where they are."

*Ben watches as she gets a bottle of wine from the kitchen*

Danielle: "Red or white?"

Ben: "Red's stronger."

Danielle: "Yeah but it's the middle of the day."

*Danielle comes back with a bottle of white wine and two wine glasses*

Ben: "I wish we could drink wine on the show. It would be so typical us."

*Danielle smiles and pours them a glass each*

Danielle: "Cheers to that."

*They clink glasses and take a sip*

Ben: "How've you been feeling?"

Danielle: "I'm alright. Life is just feeling very different right now."

Ben: "Yeah. Where are you staying?"

Danielle: "I've been with my parents for a couple of days. Still looking around for a place."

Ben: "How'd your parents take it?"

Danielle: "Shocked, just like everyone else. I'm sorry, I just hate talking about this."

Ben: "Sorry, sorry. I just care, ya know."

Danielle: "Yeah I know. And I know I can always come here if I need to."

*Ben looks down then back up again*

Ben: "About that... are we going to talk about what happened?"

*Danielle refills her glass and takes a long drink of her wine*

Danielle: "Ummm I'm not sure what you want me to say."

*Ben shrugs and sips his wine*

Danielle: "Well... it was fun, wasn't it?"

Ben: "Twenty-three years of fun."

*Danielle blushes* Danielle: "Okay so let's talk. Why were you so hesitant?"

Ben: "Well I mean... we've always had a platonic relationship. And you were upset. You dropped that news bomb and then came at me. The last thing I wanted was for you to feel any regret."

Danielle: "For what it's worth, I feel not an ounce of regret. I'd do it again."

*Ben smirks* Ben: "Again, eh?"

*Danielle laughs as she sips her wine*

Danielle: "I just want to take things slow, though. I don't want to get involved in anything serious, you know."

Ben: "Oh... Well yeah I get that. You need time. So the other day was just a one time thing."

Danielle: "I guess, but it doesn't have to be. I love being with you, I love your company, I love going out for dinner and having a drink with you. And the sex was great."

*Ben sips his wine then rests his chin on his hand, starring at her before answering*

Ben: "So we're staying platonic."

Danielle: "Honestly Ben, I don't know what you're feeling, and I sure as hell don't know what I'm feeling, so I just don't think it's fair to jump into anything if we're not sure."

Ben: "Everything you said you love about me, I love about you too. I want to be with you."

Danielle: "I'm just not sure, Ben..."

*Ben puts down his glass, leans back in his seat, and sighs*

Danielle: "How about this? How about friends with benefits?"

*Ben raises his eyebrows, taken aback, not sure how he feels about that, wanting more*

Ben: "Uhhh..."