happy little accidents

Ben snorted, unlocking the car with a click before leaning against the driver's door. "Audience of one, eh?" he teased. "Sounds like a pretty exclusive showing. I'd at least expect a standing ovation after a performance like that." At the mention of him being the "passenger princex," Ben opened the driver's door with an exaggerated bow. "My sincerest apologies, I'll temporarily take over chauffeur duties tonight only." He looked up with a crooked grin. "I didn't realize how much you liked me riding behind you on your bike, gods." Ben teased, chuckling softly. His laugh grew as Pan defended their cuddly reputation. "Oh, I know you're a teddy bear. A mouthy dangerously sarcastic teddy bear. But, a teddy bear all the same." He offered a half grin to them. "And if I'd picked walking, I have a feeling you'd spend the whole trip trying to steal my hoodie instead of hugging me." He pointed toward the passenger seat. "Nice try, but this hoodie is mine. Between you and Cass I'm running low." He joking said. At the question about the client, Ben groaned dramatically as he climbed into the driver's seat. "No, she tipped." He sighed. "Actually, she tipped me fucking well after all the bullshit." He buckled in before continuing. "The problem was she wanted me to do this super patchy, uneven tattoo because she thought it'd look 'more authentic.' I spent fucking forever explaining that I wasn't about to intentionally do bad work." He shook his head, laughing. "When she finally agreed to let me do it the right way, she goes, 'Wow, you're really passionate about this.'" Ben glanced over at Pan with a look. "Like, yeah. I fucking love what I do, lady." He started the car, the engine rumbling to life. "But, seriously, enough shop talk." A half smile came onto his face. "Music is in your hands tonight." He motioned towards the phone cord awaiting to be connected.

"That is much appreciated, cousin." Mariah chuckled. She loved that she and the twins found family in Ben and his family. Even though he wasn't her blood cousin, the bond they shared felt just as strong as any blood cousin she had. She chewed on her bottom lip as Ben spoke to her. Her gaze fell on the twins as she nodded. "I did it for them. Everything I've done, I did for them." She built this business for them. She moved to Merrock for them. She left her wedding for them. She left the love of her life for them. Probably the only love she would ever had. She would do it again to keep them happy and safe. All of this had to be for the best. "I know you're right. I just...doubt myself sometimes." she said looking down a bit. Her eyes went back to the twins briefly to make sure they were out of earshot. "He wasn't a bad man, Ben. He treated the twins and I very well. He loved us. I know he did. I could feel it." She took a breath. "But after what happened to me...knowing that that could happen to my babies...I...I couldn't stay there. And I knew I wouldn't be able to convince him to leave with me....leave with us. So I left without him and he and his family will probably see it as the biggest betrayal they have ever experienced." These were the things that kept Mariah up at night. Betrayal in Jonas' family was not taken easily.

Ben's smile faded as Mariah spoke, his expression turning thoughtful. He let the sounds of the pool fill the silence for a moment before answering. "Mari..." He looked over at her, his voice gentle. "I'm pretty sure it's like normal to doubt yourself. And, you don't have to convince me that he loved you or anything." He shook his head. Everything Ben knew about Mariah's previous situation he understood completely. He never once thought badly of anyone involved, but Ben also never tried to judge people. Being so openminded was a trait that Ben had from a young age. "I believe you and in you, cuz. And, being in that, err, lifestyle, I don't see him leaving it..." His eyes drifted toward the twins, happily playing again. "Love and safety aren't always the same thing." He sighed softly. "You made a hard ass decision. Not because you stopped loving someone, but because you loved them more." He nodded toward Schuy and Sera. "I can't imagine how much that hurt, Mari. Seriously.." Ben rested a hand on her shoulder. "And, for what it's worth, I think protecting your kids is always the right choice." A small smile returned to his face. When she mentioned Schuy wanting to be like him and Pan, Ben couldn't help but grin. "Aw, hell." He laughed. "I dunno if I should be honored or mildly concerned." Her words about finally having family nearby made his heart squeeze. "Well, you've got us now." His smile was genuine, not the cheeky or half ones he usually formed. "And you're fucking stuck with us. Like gorilla super duper glue stuck." Before he could say anything else, the twins latched onto his hands, chanting for popsicles. Ben laughed as they tugged him toward the edge of the pool. "Whoa, whoa! Give your poor cuogino a fighting chance!" He exaggerated each step as though they were somehow dragging his full-grown ass across the deck. "Ahhhh, I'm being overpowered by two tiny pool pirates!" He looked back at Mariah with a cheeky grin. "I tried to resist, but it looks like I gotta join them." A second later, he scooped up the cooler with one hand and held it above his head dramatically. "The treasure has been secured, mateys." He opened it with a flourish. "Alrighty, Captain Schuy and Captain Sera, what color popsicle are we having today?" Ben glanced over at Mariah, motioning towards the various colors. "Want one too, cuz?"

"I guess, if you want to look on the bright side, there are much bigger problems than us not being able to make up our mind because our food choices are so good," she said with a warm laugh. It could be that nothing sounded good and they struggled to find anything on the menu that they wanted to eat, so… small victory, maybe? It might not have helped them feel any better right then and there where they were standing in the ice cream shop with a million decisions to make, but you had to take what you could get, victory-wise. "Everyone has cooties, if you look hard enough," she answered with a laugh, "and yeah, you are a lug -- lug is a good thing! It's a lovable thing! I'm definitely not going to complain about having a lug for a neighbor." In fact, she might take advantage of that. Eating like a teenage linebacker meant that he had plenty of strength to help with projects she might need an assist on, too. Widening her eyes when she saw Ben pull out the card and tell her to put her wallet away, she slid it back into her pocket and held up both hands as though to surrender, "okay, okay -- but you're right, I am getting the next one!" Because that was how friendship worked. That, and threatening one another to steal bites of ice cream, which did steal a giggling laugh from her as she nodded, "I think I can allow that. As long as you still let me have the cherry on top!"

Ben laughed as he accepted the receipt from the cashier. "You're right, my dude. We're fortunate enough to have too many good choices. That's not too bad of a deal I suppose." He bumped her shoulder lightly as he stepped aside to wait for their order and motioned for Elena to follow suit. "Alright, I guess I can accept the title of 'lovable lug.' That's probably the nicest insult anyone's ever given me at least." He pointed at her with a teasing wink and cheeky grin. "But, don't get any funny ideas, Lena. Just because I'm a lovable lug doesn't mean I'm helping you move a couch without at least being bribed with pizza." Ben paused for a moment then quickly added, "Actually, make that pizza and beer." He chuckled before crossing his arms. "No sweat, I'll hold you to getting the bill next time. I have a very good memory when free desserts are involved." Ben laughed again, finding himself feeling so happy for the current moment. Being around friends was something Ben tried to savor. He pretended to pout about not getting a cherry before saying, "Fiiiine, you can have the cherry. I won't touch it."

Mandy stood, watching Gatsby greet him, knowing the visit would involve cuddles and treats. Everyone who showed up to her studio knew that her dog would most likely be there to look cute and distract with that cuteness. He probably was the reason most people came back or tipped well. “Mmm, yeah, I see, carrying the weight of the whole place on his chubby little butt. Next trick, he should do the accounting for me. I’m sure he’d win an award for that too,” she snickered. “Har, har, I spotted coffee and since I’m your second favorite person here, I too deserve a treat. I’ve been working hard!” She said, nodding towards her canvas, careful not to trip over Gatsby’s potato-like body. “Feel free to grab a set of paint that I already set out, and add more if you like. And you know where the smocks and the water cups are,” she nodded at him, sipping on her coffee. “This is very yummy, by the way,” she grinned. “You can’t escape it. You might as well accept your fate,” she hummed. “Just don’t step out into the sun too soon or you’d be Edward Cullen,” she teased.

Ben let out a laugh, giving Gatsby another scratch under the chin. "Hey, don't sell him short. I think he's already running quality control around here. If he likes you, you're allowed back. If not, well," He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Sorry, shop policy." He looked over at Mandy with a grin. "And excuse me, you're one of my favorite people, so that alone is a privilege. Don't complain about ranking." Ben teased her. Reaching into the pastry bag, he placed one of the pastries wrapped in a napkin on a free surface near her. "There. Compensation for all your hard work. Don't say I never take care of you, Mandy poo." He wandered over to the paint station, slipping on one of the smocks with an exaggerated sigh. "I swear, every time I come here I end up looking like I lost a fight with a rainbow...And I fucking love it." At the compliment about the coffee, he pointed at her with a smug smile. "I knew you'd like it. Never doubt my coffee recommendations." He settled onto the stool, eyeing the paints before squeezing out a little amount of a few colors onto his palette. Yellow, green, and red globs of paint now sat atop his palette. He snorted at the Edward Cullen comment. "Oh, pleaseeee." He struck an overly dramatic pose before picking up a paintbrush. "If I sparkle in the sun, I expect you to gas me up instead of making vampire jokes." He wiggled his eyebrows. "'Ben, you're positively radiant today.' Like, that's what friends are for." With a chuckle, he dipped his brush into the yellow paint before glancing over at her canvas. "Looking great over there." Ben complimented the start of her masterpiece while mixing some colors.

Ben laughed, giving Pan an exaggerated look of disbelief. "What was going on back there?! Pure fucking survival." He held up his keys like they were a trophy once again. "I dropped 'em behind the cabinet, then somehow managed to knock over some bottles of soap trying to fish them out. It was a whole production. I'll charge admission next time since you're so interested." He glanced down at his untied shoe before shrugging. "Also, if I eat pavement before we make it to Mack's, just know it wasn't fate. It was pure laziness...Unless you wanna tie it for me." Ben teased before bumping his hip lightly against Pan's. "We're driving, troublemaker. As entertaining as it'd be to take a scenic walk with you, I'm not risking you getting hangrier than you already are. I enjoy the land of the living." At the mention of the last client, he let out a long sigh. "Right? I spent twenty minutes explaining that I wasn't about to give them an infection for the sake of 'authenticity.'" He rolled his eyes dramatically. "It's like this is my life, lady, I know what I'm fucking doing, gees." Feeling Pan's arm loop around his shoulders, he smirked, looking over at them. "You know, you get awfully cuddly when you're hangry." His grin turned teasing. "I'm not complaining, though." He nudged them again, just enough to be playful. "Besides, if I'm your princex, I guess it's my royal duty to make sure you don't starve." He twirled the keys around one finger. "C'mon. Burgers, fries, maybe a milkshake if you promise to behave." He flashed Pan a crooked smile.

"Because the second that you see the menu, every idea goes right out of your brain?" she asked, barely holding back a laugh. Elena knew that feeling all too well. And even worse still was when you decided what you wanted based on what was on the menu only to turn around and see someone be handed a delicious looking sundae that you needed to have for yourself. She was really, really good at asking people in public spaces what they had just gotten delivered, to see if it was something that she wanted for herself. No shame. Sometimes it was just nice to know what tasted good! "Thanks, I try!" she laughed, craning her head to see if anyone in the ice cream shop had a s'mores sundae to see what it looked like, but… she supposed that she was going to have to let it be a mystery until she got it. "That does sound good, you're right… but I like your idea. I trust you enough to not think you have cooties or germs, so we should be okay to share," she grinned, nudging him gently as she stepped closer to the counter and began to pull out her wallet, smiling to the young girl working behind the register. "This lug and I will take a s'mores sundae and a cookie jar sundae, please!"

Ben let out an exaggerated sigh as he stepped up beside Elena. "Exactly! I walk in with a game plan, and then I read the menu and suddenly I'm like, 'Actually... I need seventeen different flavors and a second stomach.'" He laughed at the cooties comment and shrugged his shoulders, wagging his eyebrows a bit playfully at her. "Don't all boys have cooties though?" He teased her. When Elena called him a lug, he looked over at her with mock offense. "A lug?" He pointed to himself. "I'll have you know I'm a gentleman...who just happens to have the appetite of a teenage linebacker." As the cashier rang them up, Ben reached into his pocket. "Nuh-uh, put that wallet up," he said, already pulling out his card. "I've got this." He flashed Elena a grin. "You can get me next time we decide supporting the town requires eating ice cream or whatever." Sliding his card across the counter, he leaned over just enough to whisper, "Besides, if your s'mores sundae ends up being better than mine," He narrowed his eyes dramatically. "I'm absolutely stealing at least two or three bites, so I should pay." He winked and flashed another grin to her.

Mariah chuckled and shook her head. "If there are Doritos in there, I get them before the twins, alright?" Mariah was a junk food junkie, but she was trying to set a better example for the twins. Trying was the operative word. She smiled as they watched the twins knowing they were so happy. Especially since Ben had become a part of their little family. Sera loved him the most and she knew exactly why. It was simple. He looked like her father. He looked like Jonas. She remembered the first time that Ben had slept at their house. Sera saw him sleeping in the guest room and screamed daddy at the top of her lungs since she could only see his tattoed arm and dark hair. She had woken up the entire house. Her smile instantly faded when Ben turned around and she ran to her mother crying. Mariah understood. Seeing the back of Ben, she would've thought the same. "If I could bottle their energy, I wouldn't have any trouble keeping up with them." she chuckled softly.

Ben laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "Deal. The Doritos are all yours, cuz. I'll make sure the twins don't stage a snack heist and nab them." His smile lingered as he listened to Mariah talk about the business, though it softened when he heard the uncertainty in her voice. He leaned back on his hands for a moment, watching Schuy and Sera play before looking back at her. "Mari..." His tone was gentler now. "I think it's absolutely smart." He shrugged yet held a firm smile in place. "Is it scary? Fuck yeah. Starting something from scratch always is. But you've worked your butt off for this. You've got investors who believe in you, you've got contracts lined up before you've even opened your doors, and you've thought through how to protect yourself and the twins. That's not someone jumping into the deep end without looking." He offered her an encouraging smile. "That's someone who's prepared for everything, cuz." He nudged her shoulder lightly. "And besides... if you waited until you weren't nervous anymore, you'd probably never do it. Sometimes being brave just means doing the thing while you're still scared." His grin returned when she mentioned Schuy's carnival bear. "I did!" he laughed. "I watched that video like four times." He shook his head, chuckling. "Little man was so serious about it, too. Like he was giving that bear a full sleeve." It made Ben think of himself when he was younger. "I'm telling you, I've got an apprentice in him already. Give him fifteen years and he'll be stealing my clients, making the big bucks like Cousin Ben." When Mariah told him they loved having him around, his smile became a little more genuine. "Thanks, Mari." He looked over at the twins with a fond expression. "I love being around you guys, too. Before you guys came into the picture, it was just ma and Chris since granny Sue passed. It's really great having more family nearby." Before he could say anything else, Sera came running over in tears. Ben immediately focused his attention onto her. "Hey, hey, sweeties," he said softly, opening his arms so she could climb into them if she wanted. "Come here." He looked over at Schuy, who already looked devastated by what had happened. "Oh, buddy..." Ben sighed sympathetically. "I don't think your sister liked the tidal wave very much." As Schuy's own tears started, Ben couldn't help but smile a little despite the chaos. "Well... now I've got two sad beans." He glanced over at Mariah with an amused look as the crying echoed around the kiddie pool. "You kidding?" he called back with a laugh. "I'm not leaving you, cuz. Besides, this is part of the package of being here for family!" He gently rubbed Sera's back. "I signed up for pool days, snack negotiations, dinosaur roars, and the occasional emotional crisis over splash damage." Looking between the twins, he smiled. "I think we can recover from this little mishap though, my beans." Then, lowering his voice conspiratorially, he looked at Schuy first. "How about we help your sister feel better?" He looked back at Sera, lifting his voice back to normal tone. "I happen to know there's a cooler over there with popsicles that are excellent at fixing hurt feelings. What do we think?"

WHO: elena & @ben-deluca

Ben studied the menu with the intensity of someone making a life-altering decision, his arms folded across his chest. His tattoos proudly on display as he wore a black fitted shirt and grey shorts. "See, this is exactly why I can never come in here with something pre-planned," he said, shaking his head. "Everything sounds too fucking good." Ben was happy to support his hometown and stop this asshole trying to ruin the vibe of their tight community, which is why he had pretty much been living on drinks and food from the businesses all month long now. He glanced over at Elena as she described the s'mores sundae and let out a dramatic sigh. "Y’know, you make a very compelling argument.” Looking back at the menu, he rubbed his bearded chin thoughtfully. "Vanilla, hot fudge, toasted marshmallow, graham crackers..." He repeated slowly while nodding his head in agreement. "That does sound very cozy. But, I was lowkey thinking something with cookie dough like that Cookie Jar sundae. Cookie dough bites, oreo pieces, hot fudge, and sprinkles. Like my inner child is screaming.” He paused then dramatically exclaimed. “I know what to do, Lena. You get the s’mores, I’ll get the cookie jar, and we can share! Besides, isn’t that neighborly?”

Sera and Schuy had been begging Mariah to take them to the pool as soon as they drove by it when she was picking them up from daycare. After a few weeks of working very hard on her business, she was able to carve out an entire day where they could all enjoy a pool day together. Once Ben heard, he insisted on coming as well. Mariah was more than happy to allow it. He and his mom and stepfather had been so welcoming and accepting when she told them their family connection. She had been terrified the first time she met him and he said his last name to her, but after finding out more of his story, she knew that Ben was nothing like the family she almost married into.

Ben laughed as he returned Mariah's hug. "Hey now," he said, feigning offense. "There are some apple slices in the cooler. They just happen to be buried underneath some chips and cookies too.” He flashed her a cheeky grin before looking over at the twins, who were already back to splashing each other with enough enthusiasm to soak anyone within five feet. "They just have endless energy." Ben chuckled. "If I could bottle whatever keeps three-year-olds going, I'd never need coffee again." His smile softened as Mariah talked about the new business. "That's awesome, Mari.” He genuinely beamed at her. "I'm really proud of you. Starting your own business is a huge deal, and the fact you've already got contracts lined up? That's amazing. You deserve it. And if you need an extra set of hands moving furniture, hanging pictures, or pretending I know how to use power tools," he smirked and pointed at himself with his thumb, "I'm your guy." At her question, Ben shrugged and found another soft smile come across his face. "Oh, you know me. Shop's been keeping me busy, which I'm definitely not complaining y’know. I've had a lot of repeat clients lately, like somehow people keep trusting me to permanently doodle on them." He laughed loudly and decided to take a seat on the edge of the pool where the twins were playing with his feet in the cool water, motioning for Mariah to sit with him. "Outside of work, I've just been trying to make time for days like this." He nodded toward Schuy and Sera, who were now enthusiastically splashing the water like they were creating their own wave pool. "Getting to hang out with family, soak up some sunshine, and let those two wear themselves out? I'd call that a pretty perfect day, cuz.

WHO: Pan & Ben @ben-deluca

From the back room came Ben's voice, followed by the unmistakable sound of something clattering onto the floor. "I am not in Narnia!" he called back. "I'm trying to find my keys, and apparently they are lost in the void." Not even a second later, Ben emerged with one shoe untied, keys triumphantly held in the air. "Aha! Victory!" Grinning, he tossed an arm around Pan's shoulders as they headed for the door. "And relax, we're going to Mack's. You sounded one swear away from eating one of the tattoo chairs, and I don't wanna have to explain that to Cass."

Cass was rarely ever late, always being on time or even early had always been something she aimed for. But sometimes shit happens, especially when you add in a wild child and his best friend and Co-conspirators aka the family dog. Between Carter and Vandal there was sometimes mischief going on at the Landry household. That morning her dear son had decided he wanted to try to make breakfast for himself, his mother, and apparently his beloved dog. She walked into the shop much later than she had anticipated, but was glad she didn't have any clients on the schedule until that afternoon. "Hardy har har," she feigned a laugh, taking off her sunglasses, before hugging him back and putting the glasses in her bag. "Hard at work or hardly working?" She quipped back before going to her station and putting her bag away in one of the drawers. "Thankfully those crayons are in fact indestructible, because that boy is a menace I tell you," she inhaled and pinched the bridge of her nose, "between him and the dog, let's just say I don't think I need to do a deep cleaning of my kitchen for the next month." She hopped up on the counter and turned to Ben, "he decided to try to make breakfast this morning. And I don't just mean pouring himself a bowl of milk and cereal. I mean eggs and pancakes and the whole shebang. Except more batter got on the ceiling and the dog than in the pan."

Ben burst out laughing before Cass had even finished the story, one hand gripping the edge of the counter to steady himself. "Holy shit," Another laugh escaped him. "You're telling me your kid woke up today and basically thought, 'You know what this house needs? A full episode of MasterChef: Toddler Edition’.” He shook his head, grinning from ear to ear. "I can picture it now. Carter's got pancake batter all over his little face, Vandal's wearing eggs on his head like a big puffy wig, and you're standing there questioning every life choice that led to this exact moment." Ben laughed again before grabbing his coffee off the counter. Taking a sip, he leaned against the front counter. "Although…" he admitted with a crooked smile, "You've gotta give the little dude some credit. At least his heart was in the right place." His expression softened. "Trying to make breakfast for you? That's actually really fucking sweet." Ben pointed out with a grin, thinking that her kiddo had the best intentions for sure. “Maybe I can give him a lesson before he tries again, like starting with toast. Seems like that's the best way to spare your ceiling.”

Mandy had been working on a commission for one of her clients. Gatsby was curled up asleep at her feet with one of his plush toys, and he suddenly popped up hearing a noise at the door. She spun around with a laugh. "I wasn't going to say anything, but now that you mention it..." she pursed her lips, watching Gatsby run (hop?) on over towards Ben, she laughed again. "Well, if Gatsby says that you can stay, you can stay. Right, Goober?" she looked at her dog who wagged his nonexistent tail in approval. "But I see you brought gifts..." she watched him. "Boo, I was going to go for the fairy princess landscape type of thing," she said. "Well, it's summer, so what I usually do is fruit," she pointed to the setup with the end of her paintbrush. "But I implore you to get creative with it if you'd like," the blonde nodded. "Also, you are literally friends with me, you probably have glitter on you already," she smirked. "Think about it. How long have Stelly and I been together and days we're not even together they still find glitter somewhere on them."

Ben barely had enough time to set the pastry bag down before Gatsby came barreling—well, hopping—toward him. "There he is!" he exclaimed, crouching down to greet the little dog. "My favorite employee at the Color Wine. And definitely the one pulling the most weight around here." He rubbed behind Gatsby's ears, earning an enthusiastic wiggle that made him laugh. "See? I knew you'd vouch for me. You're the only one around here with impeccable judgment." Ben sat his coffee down and reached into the bag, pulling out a strawberry Danish. "Oh, did you want something? Cause I got all this for myself..." He joked before handing her the coffee he hadn't claimed by sipping already. His eyes drifted toward the setup she'd already started, taking in the bright fruits. "Ohhh…" he hummed. "Now this I can work with." Suddenly, the coffee and pastry were no longer a top priority to the artist. He snagged a blank canvas and plopped down beside her, immediately eyeing the paint colors like a kid in a candy store. He reached for a brush before pausing as she brought up glitter. Ben let out the most exaggerated sigh imaginable. "You know what? You're right." He inspected the sleeve of his black T-shirt with mock seriousness. "I've accepted that glitter is just part of my DNA now. I'll be finding it in my house until I'm eighty. One hug from you or Stelly and suddenly I'm sparkling like a disco ball."