Ben Barnes x Female Reader: Good Night, Barnes
A/N: This is the first time ever that I write a Ben Barnes anything. I kind of struggled with it, trying to make it perfect for the birthday girl.Â
Happy Brittday my sweet, lovely @benbarnesescape! I am so glad to have such a beautiful, exceptionally caring, sassy and determined friend! I hope you are having the time of your life right now! You definitely deserved it!Â
When you come back from your camping trip, smelling like fire and burned marshmallows, this will be waiting here for you!Â
I hope you will enjoy it, Britt. As do all of you, beautiful human beings.
Lots of love, M.
Warnings: This is my first oneshot ever, so it turned out pretty long. Itâs angsty and fluffy and completely out of control - just what birthdays normally should be like :) There is also a couple of swear words... Just thought Iâd let you know. And my English, which is really not that great...
Letâs get this show on the road!
These four words are probably worse than cancer. The way their tiny little letters choke you, wrapping their curves around your neck the moment they finally get out in the open. Â The way they make your eyes water, the truth in them blinding you with neon-bright accusations. I told you so is what is said, you didnâtâ listen is what is meant. As you step into the cold night âs air, leaving the expensive champagne, the fake laughter, and your best friend behind, you are spending your last effort on biting back tears.
Em, your wifey, had told you so. It was a fucked up idea, had been from the very start. You should not have let him get you into this. Especially not on the night of your fucking birthday.
But boy, did Barnes look good in that Tom Ford suit.
Could you really blame that Kourtney-bitch for getting a little too much to drink and throwing herself at him when he was wearing that suit?
Sheâs just a friend, my ass, you clutched your fists at the thought.
With a hurricane of sensations, cursing through your body, you approached the busy road in several steps, throwing one of your hands into the air.
âTaxi!â you shouted louder than you intended, relief flowing through your veins when you saw a black cab stop right in front of you.
You didnât remember how you got into the car, neither could you recall what that cab driver Yousouf had told you about his wife and five kids. You probably wouldnât remember even if police threatened to send you to prison, should you not give them the information. You needed to get away. From this place, from this party, from these people... From Kourtney flirting with Ben right before your eyes, and him smiling at her, feeling her hand touch his... Her mouth slamming against his own.
All the consumed alcohol making you feel dizzy, you stretched your legs in the back seat of the taxi, trying so hard not to choke on your tears.
Ben Barnes, a fantastic actor, your best friend, the only man you have ever loved... Had shown you he did not give a flying fuck about you. On the night of your birthday.
Whatever, you thought, wiping tears off your cheeks discreetly. She can have him. I didnât see much future for us anyway.
Neither did he, apparently.
When you arrived to your loft, your house phone squeaked miserably, trying to get your attention. The light on the device shone bright red, which meant it was saturated with messages. You didnât have to be a bloody genius to know that Ben had probably tried to reach you here, after you refused every single one of his calls on your cell.
Slamming the door shut, you turned around and leaned against it, feeling the coolness of the wood with your exposed back. You closed your eyes, trying to focus â you were tipsy. The sane, calm and cool you would never leave Ben during that fancy-ass Hollywood party. Even after what you saw. The sane, calm and cool you would ignore the sharp pang of pain in your chest, down your last shot of tequila and go home with that hot-looking Winter Soldier guy. Sebastian Stan, was it?
But you werenât your usual sane, calm and cool self tonight. You were a selfish, possessive, put-it-where-your-mouth-is, tough and bitchy woman â and it felt good. Actually, it felt great. You had the right to be a temperamental pain in his ass for once, not the other way around.
The minimalist clock on the opposite wall was showing three am. Whatever storm of messages and rounds of explanations were hanging over your head, they all could wait until tomorrow. What you wanted now was to sleep your catastrophic birthday off and learn your lesson. You were going to be so much smarter next year. You had it all under control now.
Yet images flashing before your eyes just wouldnât leave you alone. His lips, parted in a soft smile, as Kourney covers his hand with hers. The way he throws his head back, laughing, as she says something stupid. The memories from hours ago pierced your body like electricity, striking deep, down to the bones.
When someone knocked on the door, you first thought it was blood pumping in your temples. When you felt the wood vibrate against your naked back, you turned around and threw the door open, too tired to think.
The moment your eyes met, you felt your legs failing you, your head spinning and your heart, your disappointed, torn heart shrinking into a tiniest nubbin, causing you to endure unbearable pain.
So much for having it all under control.
You felt your thighs stiffen, as your lower belly muscles twitched. You had never noticed before how tall he actually was â Ben stood in front of you, in flesh, his toned chest before your eyes, hidden by the soft cotton of his neatly pressed shirt, his tie hanging around his bare neck with a throbbing vein, urging for your touch, the forbidden spot of this perfect, beautiful body of a destroyer, a traitor you knew you could never forgive.
He just stood there, your sweet killer, and it was excruciating to watch him bite his lower lip nervously, probably subconsciously⊠You didnât want him here. He made his choice. He may have fucked Kourtney, for all you knew. And frankly speaking, you didnât know how to deal with this mind-numbing thought, your heart shrinking into a thumbnail, your body nearly convulsing under the guilty stare of his bottomless, pitch black eyesâŠ
You stared at him, your heart wildly pounding in agony, exploding.
Biting your lip, with tears flooding your eyes, you raised your trembling hand so sharply, he could not have blocked it even if he wanted. With a loud slap, your palm landed on his face.
He looked lost and hurt, as he gasped, his head cocked to a side, his cheek burning red. He slowly brought one of his long-fingered hands to his jaw and rubbed it, facing you again.
âWhat was that for?...â he whispered, aghast, probably realizing how much rage you invested in that blow. âY/N, talk to me. Please,â he nearly pleaded, watching you lower your gaze, your put-it-where-your-mouth-is attitude suddenly gone.
âThereâs nothing to talk about,â you murmured, still avoiding his eyes, you voice lifeless. âIâm done here. Good night, Barnesâ.
His black eyes sparkling, he watched you as you tried to close the door right in front of him. He hadnât yet realized, that was it, you meant what you said â all he knew you werenât being fair. His head was splitting in two from the chaotic thoughts his brain was still trying to process â you didnât even give him a chance to learn what happened and to explain himself!... He came all the way here to apologize for something he wasnât sure he did, to tell you how he feels about you, and here you were, slapping him across his face, done and wishing him good night!
He wasnât having it. He did not wait all these years for you to show him you cared, so you could just kick him out in the middle of the night.Â
Suddenly, Benâs judgment became clouded. From that very moment he lost control of what happens next. He wasnât a responsible sweet best friend anymore. His cheek burned in pain, pushing him to the limit. He wasnât going to let you get away with this. Â
As you pushed the door to slam it in his face, he sharply hit it with his hand, blocking it, his rib cage crunching at the blows of his rapid heartbeats. You swore under your breath, stepping back, as the door bounced back in your direction and smashed against the wall. Before the loud bang broke the silence, reigning in the house, you heard Ben swear in pain. With your eyes widening, you saw him step inside as he closed the door behind him with his uninjured hand.
All you could do was gape at him, surprised by the mask of badly controlled temper, plastered on his face. You took a couple of steps back, just to be sure. You knew that look. That look was not that of your friend. The last time you saw this raging fire, burning in his eyes, he beat the crap out of the guy who referred to you as âbitchâ in a bar.
Clenching your sweaty hands together, you kept on stepping back, wondering what was going to happen next. Te thought of getting punched frightened you nearly to death, when the idea of his lips on yours seemed so outrageous.Â
He was approaching you silently, his breath even, like a wildcat, ready to attack.
You felt your insides twist clockwise.Â
How dared Ben-fucking-Barnes step into your apartment, when you made it clear he wasnât welcome? He really did have some nerve, entering your haven, your world, after doing what he did â and on your birthday!...
You stopped, rooting into the floor, your eyes blazing. He halted too, keeping a relatively narrow distance between the two of you.
âYou better leave now, Ben, because if you wonât, IâllâŠâ you warned, your cheeks painted rage-red.Â
âYouâll slap me again?â he offered, his tone rigid and nothing like it used to be when you two were friends. âGo ahead, Y/N,â he was now provoking you, his eyebrows furrowed. âAt least this time Iâll deserve it.â
You stared at him in disbelief, nearly choking on a wave of anger, rising in your chest. This was just about as much as you could take. You did feel guilty for slapping him, especially now, watching his cheek still burn, your handprint visible on the irritated skin. But you knew better than anyone he deserved it. You two have stopped being friends a long time ago: you werenât the only one who noticed his lingering stares, the way he touched your body, brushing his hands accidentally against yours, giving you temple kisses... You werenât going to play his fucking game, and a nice whack seemed a good way of showing it.
The way he spoke to you, like he didnât know what he did wrong, made you want to kick the crap out of him for behaving the way he did. For making you fall for him, and then leaving you out in the cold.
âBravo!â you ran your fingers through your hair, brushing the loose strands out of your face so that Barnes could see the disgust, written on your face. âYou're a great actor, Barnes. I, personally, would have given you a fuck you trophy for your outstanding performance tonight!...â he frowned at you in confusion, but that only made your voice grow firmer. âSimply because thereâs a fine line between great actors and lousy liars, and the second category members never get an Oscar!...â before even giving your next move a proper thought, you felt your legs carry you back to the door. Tearing it open, you motioned for Ben to get the fuck out of your loft, your haven, your world. âJust like I said, Ben,â you narrowed your eyes at him, noticing him knitting his eyebrows together, feeling the fear rise in your chest yet again. âGood nightâ.Â
Ben was now looking at you, uncomprehending. You were being sarcastic of course, knowing full well that there wasnât going to be any sort of goodness in his life if he stepped out that door. But it wasnât only him you were hurting â that he could take. He saw you hurting yourself â you didnât want him to go, he could tell from the way you tucked strands of hair behind your ears, from the way your lips trembled, from the way you leaned against the door, as if you werenât able to stand on your wobbly legsâŠ
Instead of walking out, he slowly headed in your direction. You felt your skin shiver under his intense glare. You didnât move. He soon stood right in front of you, his body nearly pinning yours to the door, his arm pressed against the cold wood next to your aching headâŠ
âGood night?...â he repeated, his voice steady. âDo you really want me to show you how good your night could have been, if you werenât trying to throw me out this very second?...â
You swallowed frantically, suddenly conscious of his closeness. You felt his words strike your core, as his breath touched your face, so hot and possessing. You slowly looked up, your neck stiff and sore, too fragile for your suddenly leaden, heavy head.
You felt his long, delicate fingers leave a lingering sensation of his touch along your jaw. He caressed your cheekbones, his eyes never quitting yours. His breath hitched as he saw you bite your lip absentmindedly. God, he missed you. He wanted you. His beautiful, flawless Y/N. Wanted to sense the scent of your skin, to feel the warmth of your naked body against hisâŠ
You both stood there, completely mesmerized by each other, lost in the moment.Â
And then a small high-pitched voice rang in your head, reminding you the events from the party you left so quickly.
Get your shit together, you internally screamed, grasping his hand and tearing it off your face. If he was hoping to score twice tonight, he should have known better than coming here, out of all places.Â
âOh, smooth Barnes,â you scolded at him. âSo fucking smooth. So what, Iâm on your hit list tonight, too?â you commanded yourself not to cry, but hidden tears rang in your voice like tiny alarms.Â
Ben stared at you in confusion, feigning ignorance.
âSo snogging Kourtney wasnât enough, huh? That bad boy in your pants needs more?â you spit it in his face, your mouth going dry.
Benâs eyes grew spectacularly wide at your straightforward question, his jaw dropping to the level of his knees. He stared at you in awe of confusion and disbelief.
âMe?!...â he barely managed, âKourtney?!... Snogging?.. What?!â he gazed at you open-mouthed, still shocked. âHow could you⊠Do you really think we could actually?...â Benâs bewilderment was so sincere, you caught yourself doubting what you thought you saw. You kept your facial expression unreadable, still watching him closely. âWow,â he sounded hurt now, his right hand rubbing his chest. âThatâs⊠well⊠Is this how bad you think of me? I came there with you, and you were the only person I counted on leaving with tonight,â his eyes finally met yours, his words knocking you off your feet.
You felt the weight of guilt settle on your chest, your feelings all over the place. You knew what you saw. She kissed him. You saw them.
âBut I...â you bit your lip and stared down at your feet. âI saw you, Ben, I...â you looked back up, mumbling, all of your confidence gone. âYou kissed her, I saw you both?â
âWhen?â he spoke softly now, clutching his hands behind his back, in an attempt to stop them from rubbing small circles on your cheeks.Â
âRight before I left... It was dark, I know, but I swear it was you... You were the only one wearing this hideous pink tie...â you buried your fingers in your hair, tearing it hard.Â
Did you just slap Ben-fucking-Barnes across his face for nothing? You closed your eyes, already knowing the truth. There was one another guy at the party wearing this kind of tie... The tie was the reason you noticed him in the first place.Â
âI wasnât,â Ben voiced your thoughts. âSebastian Stan was wearing one, too.â
You felt the rush of warmth and tenderness towards this tall, delightfully attractive man, as you dared to face him again. Before you could whisper as much as a word of apology for everything youâd done for the past three hours, you felt Ben wrap his arms around your waist, crashing his unnaturally hot lips into your mouth, his hands traveling down your back. Closing your eyes again, you ran your fingers through his lush mane of hair, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. Ben tasted like all those things you loved so much, all whipped in a lavish frenzy â your favorite red oranges, marshmallows, glazed in chocolate, apple pies and strawberry... Meanwhile, his hands explored your fired-up body, worshipping your curves, your shoulder blades⊠You buried your face in his collarbone, your lips ghosting over his Adamâs apple, your hands scratching his back with your nails. He pushed his hips against yours, his hands cupping your full breasts softly, but demandingly...Â
Kissing you passionately, Ben could feel his cock twitch, ready. But he needed to know you knew what you meant for him, that he would die before calling you his friend again...
âI love you, Y/N,â he whispered in your ear. âI always have. Youâre everything I have ever wanted, and I have no idea how my feelings managed to escape your attention...â he cupped your cheeks in his hands, staring in your eyes, making sure his message was received. âI want you to be mine.â
You could feel your face enlighten with a blissful smile, as you gently bit his neck, hearing him chuckle softly.
âI have always been yoursâŠâ you murmured, your grip around his neck tightening, âAnd I always will beâŠâÂ
With his heart beating wildly, he lifted you up from the ground.Â
âHappy birthday, my love,â he whispered to you before gently biting your lower lip. âItâs time I gave you my present, donât you think?â
Ben Barnes was a man of his word â it was about time heâd shown you how good your birthday night could get, now that you were his...