Work Text:
TOO DUMB TO TAKE A HINT
Ben hated having to travel on his own, so he was lucky that his childhood best friend (Y/N) had acclimated to his new friend group when she would visit him on the Bohemian Rhapsody set, meaning that he would have a constant travel companion to any of their regular reunions. Ben was entirely grateful for this fact when he was travelling to New York for Joe’s birthday because a freak storm in New York meant that all flights from the UK were being redirected to Minneapolis. What was meant to be an 8-hour flight with a short ride to Joe’s turned out to be a 10-hour flight with an 18-hour drive ahead of them.
“Can’t believe this is happening,” Ben grumbled in his seat as (Y/N) finished researching the changes to their travel plans. “Travelling is bad enough, but now we’ve got more travelling ahead of us. Unplanned, I might add!”
“Calm down, Ben,” (Y/N) soothed as she patted Ben’s hand placatingly. “At least you’re not doing it alone. You’ve got me, and my ‘Road Trip’ playlist to keep you company.”
“That’s true,” Ben smiled as he turned to look at (Y/N). “Are we going to set off as soon as we land or…”
“Ben, we have been in the air since 10.45 this morning,” (Y/N) said as she rolled her eyes. “When we reach Minneapolis, we’ll have been flying for around 10 hours. I know it will only be around 4pm when we land, but I don’t think I can face an 18-hour drive straight away.”
“So, we get a hotel room then?” Ben suggested. “And we can plan the road trip from there. Get Joe’s input on what the chances of us reaching New York anytime soon with the weather.”
“There really is a brain in there, Benny Boy,” (Y/N) said laughingly as she messed up Ben’s hair that he had let grow again after his latest role. “Just wait ‘til I tell the guys this…”
“Don’t you dare,” Ben said, pulling out the puppy dog eyes. “The guys already prefer you over me. If you tell them I’ve got a brain, I’ll lose all cred with them.”
“Whatever you say Ben,” (Y/N) smiled as she settled back in her seat to enjoy the rest of the flight. “Now, let’s just relax and enjoy the rest of the flight. We can worry about everything else when we land.”
“Yeah,” Ben agreed, a small smile gracing his features as (Y/N) lay her head on his shoulder. And when Ben chanced a look down at (Y/N) after some time, he was pleased to see she had dozed over. He pressed a chaste kiss to her hairline before following her into slumber.
What Ben missed was the small smile that came to (Y/N)’s lips in response to Ben’s soft kiss.
When the plane landed, it seemed as though everyone had the same idea and the line for the airport hotel check in desk was a mile long. Ben was able to help out the young family behind them in the line, by helping keep the children amused, while (Y/N) got in touch with Joe to let him know what was happening.
Joe had informed (Y/N) that there was no rush for them to get to New York because the storm was that bad, roads were flooding and being closed. So, he didn’t know what their chances were of getting to his house were in the immediate future. (Y/N) reassured Joe they would be careful and will keep him informed of their progress.
Eventually, Ben and (Y/N) reached the desk and Ben turned on the charm and smiled at the girl behind the computer. “Twin room, please?”
“You’re just in luck,” the girl, her name badge read ‘Candy’, said with a smile. “We’ve only got one twin room left. Can I have your details please, sir?”
“Uh,” Ben hesitated, turning to briefly look at the family behind him. “Before we go on, can I ask, do you have any family rooms left?”
“Unfortunately, no, sir,” Candy replied, having caught Ben’s quick glance at the family.
“And there’s only one twin room left?”
“Yes, sir,” Candy confirmed. “But we do have some doubles left, although we do not have any futon beds left.”
“That’s fine, Candy,” Ben said. “We’ll take a double and some extra bedding please.”
“No worries, sir, I can sort that out for you,” Candy smiled. “Can I take your details please?”
Before Ben could open his mouth again, (Y/N) grabbed his arm and hissed at him. “Why are you booking a double when we can take the twin?”
“Because the young family behind us need the twin room,” Ben explained casually. “While you were talking to Joe, I was talking to them. They’re not actually a couple and I would feel bad about forcing them to share a bed with each other and the kids. He’s just helping her get the kids back from their father.”
“So, instead you’re going to force me to share with you?” (Y/N) asked, her arms crossed, and an eyebrow cocked.
“No, you’re going to have the bed and I’ll use the extra bedding to make a bed on the floor,” Ben explained, but he was then interrupted by Candy clearing her throat, reminding them of the current situation. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll book us into the hotel room. Why don’t you go over to the car hire place and see about a car for tomorrow?”
(Y/N) just shook her head and grabbed her hand luggage before making her way over to the car hire kiosk as suggested by Ben. Things were hard enough for her this time around already without having to witness him charming his way into the affections of either Candy or the young mother behind them.
When they finally reached their room, (Y/N) practically collapsed on the bed while Ben leaned against the wall and laughed at her. The relationship between (Y/N) and beds had always left Ben in fits of laughter. She was a total bed fiend; she was a nightmare to get out of bed once she found her way into one.
“What are you laughing at?” (Y/N) asked as she eyed up Ben.
“You,” Ben replied succinctly. “No matter where we go, you always have the same reaction to the beds.”
“I do not,” (Y/N) retorted, but then she thought back to all the hotels she had stayed in when visiting Ben. “On second thoughts, I think you may be right.”
“I may be right?” Ben scoffed. “Of course I’m right. Who do you think is the first person who has saw your reaction to most of the hotel rooms you’ve stayed in? Most people check out the view or the bathroom first, but not you, no. You burrow your way into the bedcovers and it’s a fight for me to get you to leave. Even for dinner.”
“Hey, it’s all because of you that I was in those hotel rooms in the first place,” (Y/N) called out in return. “Now move, I want to shower and get some food before I get some sleep. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us tomorrow.”
“As you wish,” Ben said with a deep bow. “Would madam like pizza from room service for dinner?”
“That sounds delicious,” (Y/N) said as she stuck her head out the bathroom door while the sound of the shower could be heard behind her. “And onion rings and garlic mayo. Oh, and make it stuffed crust, if possible, please.”
“As you wish,” Ben repeated as he made his way over to the phone to order room service. “And don’t take too long, you’re not the only one wanting to shower before you eat.”
Luckily, Ben was able to shower before their food arrived and they both sat on the bed to eat all their food while a movie played in the background. Ben and (Y/N) were so caught up laughing about the time they ran into each other on the set of Eastenders on his first day as the new Peter Beale. He hadn’t told anyone what role he had gotten as he had been auditioning for several in the run up to his casting, he just said he got the job and they would see soon. It just so happened that it was also (Y/N)’s first day on the job as part of the catering team, and she had kept her new job a secret too as she didn’t want her friends to start asking her about the cast.
They were so caught up in talking about the past, they didn’t realise the first film had ended and a new one was just about to start. It wasn’t until Ben caught a glimpse of the recognisable white lettering on a red background did he groan.
“That better not be Apocalypse,” he said as he reached for the remote, but (Y/N) was closer and managed to grab it first.
“Tough if it is,” (Y/N) said as she sat on the remote. “I like it, it’s a good film. And did you know, I actually know one of the actors in that film? He’s one of my bestest and oldest friends.”
“Is that so?” Ben asked, deciding to play along. “What else can you tell me about this friend, or are you under some kind of contract to not reveal his deepest, darkest secrets?”
“No, contracts,” (Y/N) joked, but she decided that now would be a good time to test the waters between them and see how Ben would react to her showing a more romantic interest in him. “We’ve known each other since we were kids, and he’s the perfect gentleman. He’s always been there for me, believed in me when I wanted to go to catering school when my parents wanted to me to go to university. Study business or something ‘useful’, as they would say…”
“Wow, what a guy,” Ben interrupted, feeling himself fall into (Y/N)’s soulful eyes. “Sounds like he’s flawless.”
“No, he has his flaws, too,” (Y/N) said as she moved to lean against the pillows and patted the pillow telling Ben to move up beside her, but he shook his head and remained lying at the bottom of the bed. “Like, he’s too dumb to take a hint when I’m offering him a bed for the night.”
“Wh-what…?” Ben spluttered.
“Ben, we’ve known each other since we were kids,” (Y/N) reiterated. “We shared a bed countless times throughout childhood, and this bed is big enough for the both of us to share. So, there is absolutely no point of you being a martyr and sleeping on the floor.”
“Are you sure?” Ben asked, his voice full of trepidation. “I wouldn’t want to assume…”
“You’re not assuming anything, Ben,” (Y/N) said as she playfully kicked his shoulder. “I asked you to share the bed. Now, get up here so we can get some sleep. It’s about 10 o’clock back home and I’ve booked the car hire for 9 tomorrow morning.”
Without any further argument, Ben cleared the food debris away and climbed back on the bed. (Y/N) smiled at Ben as she climbed under the covers and pulled back the covers for him. They exchanged their goodnights before shutting off their respective lamps. After all, they had a long drive to make tomorrow.
When Ben woke up the next morning, he didn’t expect to have a face full of (Y/N)’s hair. Nor did he expect to wake up to (Y/N) using his chest as a pillow, but that is exactly how he woke up. It wasn’t something he ever expected to happen between them, but now that it had, he didn’t find it all that unappealing. It almost felt like (Y/N) filled that space in his chest that he had been feeling for a while now.
Truth be told, he had been feeling as though something was missing in his life after they finished filming BoRhap, but he just kept ignoring it. Joe had noticed though, and he kept joking around with him about it. Joking that the gap in his life could be filled by him if Ben couldn’t find that special person to fill it. In fact, now that he thought about it, Joe would subtly bring up (Y/N) when they were having these discussions, almost as if he were suggesting she was what was missing from his life. Ben made a promise to himself to talk things over with Joe before he decided to broach the subject because he didn’t want to ruin their friendship in the long run. But, then again, (Y/N) did tell him last night he was too dumb to take a hint…
“Morning,” (Y/N) yawned, interrupting Ben’s line of thought. But then she realised her exact position and pulled away from Ben, an embarrassed blush tinting her cheeks. “Sorry, apparently I get clingy in my sleep.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ben reassured (Y/N) with a smile, realising that he was feeling empty now she was out his arms. “I didn’t mind.”
(Y/N) smiled at Ben and turned to check her phone that had been on the bedside table, giving Ben a chance to scold himself for his last comment. The last thing he wanted was to reveal his feelings while he was still trying to figure them out.
“Oh, Joe’s text,’ (Y/N) suddenly said. “He says he feels sorry for the hassle we’ve gone through, so he’s organised our route back to New York. Says he’s emailed the plans to both of us.”
“That’s good,” Ben said as he made to leave the bed. “While you’re reading it, do you mind if I go for a run? I know we’re going to be cooped up in a car for God knows how long…”
“10 hours, give or take,” (Y/N) said absentmindedly as she read over the email. “Go ahead, I’ll see you soon.”
Ben jumped into the bathroom to change into joggers and a hoodie before pulling on his running shoes and leaving the hotel room. Ben decided to read his email from Joe while waiting on the lift to take him down to the lobby.
By the time the lift reached the lobby, Ben had decided against going for a run. He couldn’t believe what Joe had emailed to him, so, he had to call him. Ben knew it was too much of a risk to call from the vicinity of the hotel in case (Y/N) decided to go for a walk too, so, he walked to the nearest park and make the phone call.
“What the hell, Joe?” Ben asked in lieu of a greeting when Joe answered the call.
“And good morning to you, too, Benjamin,” Joe greeted, ignoring Ben’s tone. “And might I be so brave as to say: ‘you’re welcome’?”
“She’s my best friend, Joe…”
“Who you have been in love with forever,” Joe argued. “Will you just admit it!”
“Alright, alright,” Ben said after a moment’s silence. “I was going to talk to you about that when we got to New York.”
“Oh, do tell,” Joe said as he relaxed in his chair. “What happened?”
“We had to share a room last night,” Ben began. “There was only one bed, I was going to sleep on the floor but…”
“She talked you into sleeping in the bed with her,” Joe supplied. “And she gets clingy when she’s sleepy. I saw it when (Y/N) would visit the set and we were chatting in your trailer. She always ended up with her head on your shoulder, or even one time in your lap.”
“Really?” Ben asked, he could barely believe how oblivious he had been.
“Yeah,” Joe reaffirmed. “That girl is definitely Jonesing after you Jones.”
“Good one,” Ben laughed. “But you think this is going to work?”
“Of course,” Joe said proudly. “Your girl talks to all of us without you having to be there. The whole gang has had some input her, but mostly Lucy. Trust us, you follow that and by the time you reach Toledo, you won’t need two beds. Never mind by the time you reach New York.”
“What happens if it doesn’t work?”
“Don’t be a pessimist. Besides, I’ve only got one room ready for the two of you here…”
Ben laughed at that comment. “Whatever you say, Joe. See you in two days.”
“See you in two days,” Joe said before ending the call.
Ben just shook his head and stood to have a quick run around the park before heading back to the hotel. If it was this obvious to his friends, he really was too dumb to take a hint.
Getting back to the hotel, Ben was pleased to see (Y/N) had tidied the room up after their meal the night before. She had also packed their suitcases, but left Ben’s toiletries and a fresh outfit out for him to change into.
“I hope you don’t mind?” (Y/N) asked hesitantly. “I know you prefer travelling in comfort, but I guessed you wouldn’t want to wear the same stuff you’ve just ran in.”
“That’s perfect,” Ben smiled as he gave (Y/N) a brief hug, then headed off to go shower. “I won’t be long. Then we can get on the road.”
(Y/N) decided to relax on the bed while Ben showered, she grabbed her phone and decided to scroll through social media to see if Ben had been mentioned in any of the gossip pages.
There were several posts speculating on Ben’s recent whereabouts since there had ben some radio silence from him. (Y/N) knew it had been because his dad was ill and he had gone home to visit and spend time with his family, but the paps were speculating that he had been holed up with a new girl. There had been no posts about him travelling to America, but some were wondering if he was going to make an appearance at Joe’s birthday bash.
(Y/N) went so far with her stalking that she never heard the shower stop or notice Ben come out until he was standing in front of her with his body glistening in its post-shower state.
“Forgot to take my clothes in,” Ben said as he grabbed his clean clothes.
(Y/N) just nodded her head as a pink tinge made an appearance on her cheeks. She had never had that reaction to a guy before, but just seeing Ben dripping wet and in a towel had her mouth running dry and her heart beating faster. She was definitely catching feelings here. If not already head-first and up to her knees in feelings.
Meanwhile, Ben smiled to himself when he got back into the bathroom. Phase one of Joe’s plan appeared to have worked. Ben was sure he had caught a glimpse of a blush rising on (Y/N)’s cheeks when he walked into the room clad only in a towel.
Yeah, Ben had definitely been too dumb to take a hint.
An hour later, they were off. Ben decided to take the first shift of driving as suggested by Joe. Apparently (Y/N) had made a comment that Ben looked good when he was driving, especially when he had his sunglasses on. So, Ben made sure to add to it with his baseball cap too.
“Well, if you’re driving,” (Y/N) began as she connected her phone to the car’s Bluetooth stereo. “Shotgun is not shutting her cakehole, and is picking the music.”
“As you wish,” Ben said again. He knew The Princess Bride was one of (Y/N)’s favourite films, and he was hoping she would catch on to his true meaning soon. It had been one of Joe’s suggestions, but Ben realised he tended to use that phrase whenever he was agreeing with her. “What playlist are you putting on?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see,” (Y/N) teased, playfully hiding her phone from Ben’s line of sight while she set up the music.
Soon, though, the opening bars of ‘I’m In Love With My Car’ reverberated throughout the car and Ben just burst out laughing. “Why did I not guess you’d play this one at some point?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” (Y/N) replied jokingly, before turning serious. “I just need to ask you a question though; ‘what exactly are you doing with that car, Roger?’.”
Ben’s laughter grew, he couldn’t believe how convincing (Y/N)’s imitation of Joe being Deacy was. “That was good. We need to film more of us pretending to be Roger and Deacy just to wind Joe up.”
“Definitely,” (Y/N) agreed while her eyes continued to peruse Ben’s profile. “Ben? Would you ever ditch me for a car?”
“What? No!” Ben said without hesitation, (Y/N) was his best friend there was no way she would ever come second to anything: not man, machine, nor beast. Especially if this ended the way he wanted it too. “You’re always going to come top of my list.”
“That’s good to know,” (Y/N) smiled. “You’re top of my list too.”
Ben smiled at that. The two of them then spent the next 60 miles or so singing along to pretty much every Queen song ever all the while sneaking sly glances at each other when the other wasn’t looking.
Five and a half hours later, Ben and (Y/N) arrived in Rockford, Illinois, as per Joe’s directions. Apparently, this was the best place to call halfway between Minneapolis and Toledo, according to Joe. They hadn’t really had lunch, just the odd snack here and there that they had bought before they set off, so, Ben offered to buy a late lunch/early dinner.
“I fancy a big bowl of spaghetti,” (Y/N) said as she rubbed her grumbling stomach. “And lots of garlic bread.”
“Italian sounds nice,” Ben agreed. “Will make up for that poor excuse of a pizza the hotel made last night.”
So, they sourced a good Italian restaurant which had a take-away menu and a dish that appealed to both of them. They then decided to drive to a little park where they could eat their meals and then take a walk to stretch their legs before the next stage of their journey.
“Since I’m shotgun this time, do I get to choose the music?” Ben asked as they finished their meals.
“As if!” (Y/N) scoffed. “Your music taste sucks. I have to travel a lot with my catering company, I know good drive tunes.”
“Is that so?” Ben asked as he reached out to grab (Y/N)’s hand and spin her to him.
“Yep!” (Y/N) smiled, purposely popping the P, before she stretched up to place a chaste (playful?) kiss to Ben’s lips that left him stunned. She then began to walk back towards the car but turned back to Ben when she realised he was still standing where she left him. (Y/N) then let out a shrill whistle at Ben that she knew would knock him out of his daze.
“Did that just happen?” Ben muttered to himself as he brushed his fingertips to his lips. “Did (Y/N) actually just kiss me on the lips?”
“Come on, lover boy,” (Y/N) called back to Ben, not realising the conflict going through his mind over the meaning of the kiss. “I want to get to Toledo before they give up our room and we’re left in some motel. Joe promised us a good room.”
Ben suddenly snapped back to reality and ran after (Y/N), while she screamed with laughter. He guessed only time would tell about the kiss, and he knew that the hotel in Toledo would be the best place to have the discussion. Not the middle of a park in Rockford where anyone would be able to listen.
The kiss didn’t appear to affect the remainder of the car journey. They continued to listen to (Y/N)’s music choices, but this time it was more show tunes rather than classic rock. This resulted in some raucous laughter from the pair of them, especially when some of the songs from Little Shop of Horrors came on and Ben tried to do the voice of Audrey II.
“Feed me, Seymore,” Ben sang, causing (Y/N) to burst out laughing as he purposely caused his voice to break in all the comedic places. “Feed me all night long.”
“God, we need to watch that soon,” (Y/N) choked out between laughs. “And it will be good to compare it to the remake when it comes out if the cast rumours were true.”
“Let’s not speculate over a movie that’s not finished casting yet,” Ben said, before the conversation spread to other, more comfortable topics.
The conversation moved back to talk of their families and how everyone was doing, which lead to (Y/N) remembering the paparazzi stories she had read. She explained how some were reporting stories of his dad’s illness to some far-fetched ones that he was dating some actress or other.
“Y’know none of that is true,” Ben said reassuringly as he reached out to take (Y/N)’s hand. “Dad being ill is true, but not the dating. I’d never do that to you.”
(Y/N) just hummed in response and let Ben leave his hand in hers and in her lap when she needed to use her hand for driving. Their conversation for the rest of the ride to Toledo was more personal to them.
When they arrived at the hotel in Toledo, there was no question over the fact that Joe appeared to have booked them a double room again. There was also no question over where Ben was sleeping. They still tended to their own hygiene needs while the other waited in the room, but what (almost?) new couple used the bathroom together?
Once they were both ready for bed, although it was still early, they silently climbed into bed and turned to face each other. Silently, they communicated that it was time they talked things over.
“How do you feel about me, Ben?” (Y/N) asked quietly.
“I’m crazy about you,” Ben whispered in reply. “Like the world would stop turning if I didn’t have you in my life.”
“Wow!” (Y/N) whispered. “I thought there were feelings there, but I didn’t realise they were that deep.”
“Believe me, neither did I,” Ben smiled. “Not until these past couple of days. What about you, how do you feel about me?”
“I was jealous, yesterday,” (Y/N) admitted as she ducked her head to hide her embarrassed blush from Ben’s eyes. “The way you were chatting with that young mum behind us, and the way that hotel receptionist looked like she could devour you, I just wanted to claw their eyes out. And then when I decided to Google you last night and they were speculating who you may be dating, I don’t know, it just broke my heart.”
“Oh, (Y/N),” Ben soothed as he pulled her into his arms. “As I said earlier, I would never do that to you. After my mum, you’re my number one girl. Always have been, always will be.”
“Do you mean that Ben?” (Y/N) asked, her voice still small and unsure.
“Have I ever lied to you?” Ben asked, and (Y/N) shook her head in the negative. “Exactly, so why would I start now?”
“You’re the best, Ben,” (Y/N) smiled as she burrowed deeper into Ben’s embrace.
“Of course I am,” Ben smiled. “So, does this mean I get to call you my girlfriend now?”
“Only if I get to call you my boyfriend?” (Y/N) countered and she reached up to press her lips to his.
Their first kiss was everything it was meant to be. It held all the passion and promise of what was to come, but, at the same time it was full of the innocence and sweetness of a first kiss.
The chemistry between them had been obvious to everyone around them, even to the guys on the first day that Ben introduced (Y/N) to them. Apparently the both of them had been too dumb to take a hint for so long, but at the hands of the mastermind that is one Joseph Francis Mazzello III, Ben and (Y/N) had finally took that hint and found their way to each other.
In the morning, when Ben woke to the sound of his phone, he took a moment to just bask in the joy of waking up with his arms full of (Y/N) without the same fear he had woken up to when he found himself in the same position the previous morning. Soon, however, he knew he had to check his phone, just in case it was urgent.
It wasn’t an urgent message, exactly, but it was music to his ears. Joe had responded to the picture they had posted in the group chat of them the night before with the caption ‘We took the hint!!!’. The message read ‘That’s great guys 😊, but my birthday’s a bust ☹. Storm’s caused major disruptions. We’ll celebrate at a later date, but as a congrats gift I’ve extended your stay at the hotel. Enjoy 😉.
“Huh,” Ben, said as (Y/N) began to wake in his arms. “We don’t need to leave this hotel room for a few days, if we want. Joe’s just text, he’s happy for us, but the storm means he has to postpone his birthday celebrations. So, he’s extended our stay as a congrats for us.”
“That’s good,” (Y/N) smiled as she burrowed deep into the bedcovers again. “We’ve wasted enough time over the past few years. I don’t want to waste any more.”
And they didn’t.