Work Text:
You have tried. You have tried so goddamn hard.
You have gotten up at five in the morning to do a sunrise hike. You have put on hip waders and gone fishing. You have built a fire to cook the fish that you caught over—and dropped the fish into said fire.
Now, you’re in the bathroom, picking leaves and twigs out of your hair after taking a tumble while trying to climb a tree. You sigh tiredly, looking yourself over in the mirror. You reach up, swiping some dirt off of your cheek.
You hear a knock on the door, followed by, “Babe?”
You force a smile onto your lips, chirping, “Yeah!”
Benny pushes the door open, a warm smile on his lips. “Dinner’s ready.”
“Okay! I’m almost done cleaning up in here.”
“Perfect.” He darts in, pecking your cheek before he leans away again, shutting the door behind himself. You sigh softly, closing your eyes and summoning all your strength. This is gonna be fine. You’re a good girlfriend, you’re down to try whatever he likes—right? You can swing this. You’re doing pretty well so far…Minus the fish incident, and the tree…Thing. You stretch, rolling your sore shoulders before you straighten your shirt.
You step out into the hall, and frown when you find the light off. You look back and forth before heading down the hall toward the living space. The cabin that Benny chose is in a beautiful location, and while the outdoors isn’t exactly your favorite, the cabin is perfect. The furnishings are plush and cozy. You can see the flickering of the fireplace as you get closer to the living and dining room.
“Babe?” You call out, “Is the power out or…Something…” You trail off, then go quiet at the sight of the table set for two, and lit with candles. You blink, surprised, then look over to find Benny walking from the kitchen with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
“What is this?” You ask with a stunned laugh.
“It’s dinner,” Benny answers—as if that should be more obvious. But you figured you’d have something easy—beans and hot dogs, sloppy joes, something like that. But the kitchen smells heavenly, and the wine seems to be the kind that had a cork removed, not a top unscrewed.
“Can I—” You start to gesture toward the kitchen, but Benny tuts softly, leading the way to the table. He sets the glasses and wine bottle down before he draws your chair back from the table. You lower into it, glancing back with a smile and a murmur of, “Thank you,” As he eases it closer to the table.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Benny adds as he pours you some wine.
“Very,” You nod. Before you can ask any questions, Benny leans down over you, pressing a warm kiss to your lips. You lean up into him, raising a hand and curling it in the fabric of his shirt. Before you can deepen it, he draws back. He gently chucks under your chin, then turns to get the plates of food waiting on the kitchen counter.
–
“So what’s the plan for tomorrow?” You ask. You’re a little sleepy, full of good food and good wine, and cuddled back against Benny. You’d tried to talk him into letting you do the dishes, but he’d led you to sit in front of the fire instead. He’d leaned back against the couch, and drawn you to sit between his legs.
“Mmm…” Benny kisses your temple, seeming to think for a moment. “Could spend the morning in bed…Have a late breakfast…Go for a walk, see where the day takes us.”
You frown a little bit, tipping your head back to look at him.
“But you come up here to be all—You know. Busy and outdoors-y.”
“Yeah, but you hate it.“
Your expression falters, and you lower your gaze as Benny chuckles softly, curling his arms around you.
“I don’t hate it,” You grumble as he gathers you closer. “It’s just not—I’m not used to it, I don’t—”
“Baby,” Benny soothes, lips brushing your cheek. “I’m not mad. I just don’t want you to feel like you’ve gotta do these things ‘cause I like them. We’ve got the cabin for a week, so let’s find a middle ground, huh?”
You smile a little, taking one of Benny’s hands in both of yours.
"Is that why you made such a nice dinner?” You ask.
“No. That’s why I talked Will and Frankie into driving up here to drop off takeout, which I put it on plates.”
You cackle at his admission, tipping your head back against his shoulder.
“Was I absolutely awful today?” You ask.
“No.” Benny dips his head, nuzzling your jaw gently. “I could see you trying. That means a lot to me, you know?”
“I didn’t hate all of it. The hike was nice…Insanely early, but the sunrise was pretty.”
“Maybe we can put that on our list for later in the week. Head out a little later, choose a point nearer to here.”
“What about between now and then?”
“We don’t need every moment planned,” Benny insists, intertwining your fingers. “Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”