Officially Cumberbatched? A sequel to 'Well and truly Cumberbatched'

Chapter 71

We arrived at the coast, a few minutes' walk away from the café, from the mumblings of life.

The expansive coastline was silent, the large orange sun was almost blinding as it came into view, surely to sink into the embrace of a peaceful horizon. Crashing against the shore, waves gently swept the beach, gifting it with small deposits of debris.

"It's so peaceful, it owes the world nothing, and yet gives it this anyway." I finally said, wrapping my arms around myself.

"What does?" Ben asked.

"The sea, nature. It's not like people. It doesn't give you something and expect something back. It just...gives."

"Interesting."

"I didn't mean you Ben, I just meant society in general. It asks for too much sometimes without giving a lot back. Like for food and shelter and guidance, and the knowledge to have such things and it gets that. But it doesn't feed, shelter or nurture the environment they live in is all, well the majority don't seem to anyway, people think too much about themselves these days." I said looking over at him and he nodded.

"What about us then? Isn't it the same? The giving and taking." he asked as we walked along the sand, I stopped to look at him.

"You're not wrong. It's okay to give and take but I think we've, well, I've been getting it woefully wrong recently."

"You're not wrong either."

"Ben, I."

"Rosie, I think we should save the existential conversations for later. I want to show you something over there." Ben said, halting my thoughts in their track. I nodded following him, underwhelmed.

"A wall?" I asked, was that it? I'd seen this wall many times before.

"No, look closer."

I ran my hands along the grey stone, its markings bumping under my fingertips. On closer inspection, I saw a rather familiar quote, rubbing my ring finger in remembrance.

"How?" I asked, flabbergasted.

Ben shrugged, kneeling next to me. "I know how much you loved this beach, Gen mentioned the family visited here all the time when you were younger and well, I thought this would be something nice to come back to. Something new."

...

"Rosie, are you okay? It's been ten minutes, and you've barely said a word." he asked, I nodded looking over at him.

"Yeah, yes...I am."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes. I am. Sorry, urm...thank you. That's such a nice and unexpected thing. It's beautiful, honestly." I smiled, his arm around my shoulder.

"You're very welcome." he softly said, pressing his nose against my hair.

"You really do know how to keep a girl guessing."

"No Rosie, I know how to keep you guessing."

"Ahem, my dear Wandikins. Don't go dashing your mother aside because me" I added, he squeezed my shoulder.

"Of course I wouldn't. I just mean that you matter to me, I want this to work despite the shitshow that has been the last few weeks, months even. You know that." he softly said, I felt my face warm.

"You're a good man Mr Cumberbatch."

"Imperfections included Mrs, you're a good woman."

...