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An AU in which Ben and Jacob are retired military dads, and Hope is their baby. :3
Also, yes, Jacob is having a full-on "never speak to me, my husband, or my daughter ever again" moment. He's an overprotective dad and we love him for that.
(Sorry for not uploading anything for day 1, I was sick, and it kind of snuck up on me)
Read it on AO3: All That's Dead and Gone - Turtle_The_Bean - Criminal Case (Video Game) [Archive of Our Own]
If you're wondering why there was no content for this week yesterday, it's not because it was art on Tumblr this time. I was sick over the past week so it just kinda creeped up on me.
Anyways, enjoy!
(See the end of the work for more notes.)
Work Text:
Ben always enjoyed the nighttime. When he was working for the military, it was the only time he would get away from others, but now, it was a time for him to relax with some chamomile tea while looking at the stars. It was peaceful, being alone with his own thoughts and a cup of tea beneath the stars. A nice way to unwind after a busy day.
However, tonight was not going to be as peaceful and relaxing as it was supposed to be.
It started off normal enough. He made his tea and was just about to take it outside when he heard knocking at the door. He wasnât expecting any visitors, especially this late at night, so he peeked through the peephole. His best friend, Jacob Arrow, was standing outside, covered in blood. Frightened by this sudden interruption of his usual routine, he put his tea down on a nearby table and helped his friend into his house.
âJake, Jesus, what happened to you?â Ben asked as his friend almost collapsed in his arms.
âIâŚI havenât a clue.â Jacob panted, clutching his head with one hand and his chest with the other. Between the whole ordeal that he just escaped from and running all the way to Benâs house, he felt dizzy, more than likely due to the hyperventilation.
âWell, before you explain, let me sit you down and fix you a cup of tea. Iâll tend to your wounds as well.â
Jacob sat himself down on the couch while Ben returned to the kitchen to make some tea for his friend. He made oolong tea, seeing as times like this would typically call for oneâs favourite tea, and grabbed the first aid kit from a drawer before heading into the living room.
He first got Jacob to remove his hand from his face, revealing a deep wound underneath. It looked like it would scar, but the military made both of them used to scars. He stitched up the wound before putting a bandage on it. He then moved on to the other wounds, which were scattered around his body.
âThanks for this.â Jacob sighed solemnly, taking a sip of his oolong tea to distract himself from the mental and physical pain.
âNo problem. I mean, what are friends for?â Ben chuckled, fixing a wound on his waist, âAnyways, you mind explaining to me what happened to you?â
âIâm trying to figure that out myself. Some deranged lunatic attacked me and Lily. ItâŚit was a weird experience.â
âIsâŚis Lily okay?â Ben realised Jacobâs wife wasnât with them. But she survived, right?
âIâŚI think she died. After I killed the guy who was attacking us, I went to make sure she was okay andâŚshe was cold. She lost so much blood, and I didnât get to her in time.â
Ben stopped himself in the midst of tending to Jacobâs wounds. He saw that his friend was crying and immediately put his first aid kit away to comfort him. Both of them wished it wasnât real, but the tears rolling down Jacobâs face confirmed it. Lily was dead, and it was all because of some random person who had broken into their house.
While Jacob had killed the perpetrator, Ben still wanted to know who it was. After all, there were plenty of people who hated the military.
âAre you able to describe the guy who did this? Anything might help.â He restarted tending to his friendâs injuries. His new plan was to finish with these injuries and let Jacob sleep while he looked up the person who attacked him.
âCall me crazy, and trust me, I feel like it, butâŚI think it was a vampire.â  Jacob answered, voice hoarse from crying.
Ben chuckled awkwardly before realising Jacob was being completely serious. He was joking, though, right? Maybe he was hallucinating from sleep deprivation? Something was definitely up here.
âWhat do you mean?â Ben finished the last of his friendâs injuries so that he could look him in the eyes.
âWhen he attacked Lily, he bit her in the neck. Now, Iâve seen people bleed out on the battlefield, but she bled out much faster than normal. That alone wouldnât be enough to prove it, but then there was when I tried to kill him that confirmed it. He seemedâŚuntouchable when I shot at him like the bullets were just going through him. It wasnât until I cut his head off with an axe that I was able to stop him.â
He wasnât joking. That definitely sounded like the vampires you would hear about in fiction. Watching your wife die to one was probably the worst way to find out theyâre real, making Ben feel even worse for Jacob.
He wasnât sure how else to react. Hell, he hadnât even really seen Jacob cry before. The closest he got to that was his wedding day, but that was a completely different circumstance. Marrying your wife is different to watching her die right in front of you, and nobody should experience it, especially with how recent their wedding was.
âI feel like I need something stronger than tea. Do you want a beer?â Ben got up off the couch and walked over to his fridge to get himself a drink.
âNo, right now, I think I just want to sleep.â
âDo you at least want another cup of tea to get you to sleep?â
âNah, I havenât even drunk half of this cup. Besides, IâŚI think I have an idea of what Iâm going to do.â
âReally? You already killed the guy. What else can you do besides defend yourself in court when they realise you killed him in self-defence?â
âYou remember that guy from the army who was always a bitâŚcuckoo? He wasnât that much older than us, if I remember right.â
âFalcon? What about- Oh yeah, he used to say things like werewolves were real, didnât he? Yeah, I think I see where youâre going with this.â
âHe said he was going to hunt them down after he was discharged. Iâm going to find him and see if he can teach me how to defend myself and others against these people. I donât want anyone to end up like LilyâŚor me.â
Ben always admired Jacobâs bravery and determination to protect everyone around him, especially those he loved and cared about. Seeing this still shining through despite what happened that night gave him hope for his friendâs future. Sure, he had some learning to do, but Ben was certain heâd get there.
âHey,â Ben took Jacobâs hands in his, âJake, Iâm not much of a fighter, but remember, if you ever need someone to help you with your wounds, especially in battle, then you can just call me. Iâll always be there for you, no matter what.â
âThanks, you have no clue how much that means to me, especially right now.â Jacob rested his head on Benâs chest, falling asleep there. Ben prayed his racing heart wouldnât wake him up but soon drifted off into a slumber of his own.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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TW: Gore, injury, and blood. Plus a mild sexual joke.
Read it on AO3: Awkward Awakening - Turtle_The_Bean - Criminal Case (Video Game) [Archive of Our Own]
The first thing Jacob noticed as he woke up was the itchy feeling on his hand. He looked down to see an IV connected to his hand, which was also connected to a bag of what was presumably blood. He couldnât quite remember what happened, but apparently, he had lost enough blood to need a transfusion. He did feel a bit lightheaded from the blood loss but overall didnât feel any different.
He heard the door to his bedroom fling open as Ben stood there, seemingly panicked over whatever had just happened. He gave a smile, but it was when Ben hugged him that he finally started to realise what had really happened to him. He went to return the hug and realised that he couldnât feel his left hand on the back of his shirt. In fact, he couldnât feel any part of his left arm.
He looked over at his left arm. It wasnât there.
The memories started slowly coming back to him. He was fighting a werewolf that had attacked him while he was out getting some firewood. He remembered teeth sinking into his arm before the excruciating pain as his shoulder was ripped straight out of its socket. He mustâve passed out sometime afterwards because he couldnât quite remember his arm being completely ripped off.
âJake, are you-â Ben started before being cut off.
âWolfsbane. Do we have any?â Jacob asked, concerned about the effects of being bitten by the werewolf.
âYesâŚwhy?â
âRub some on me; I need to test something.â
âThatâs a bit of a weird ask, but okay.â Ben picked up some of the wolfsbane from their stash and rubbed it on Jacobâs leg.
While he was prepared for a burning sensation on his leg, Jacob was thankful it didnât happen. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he hadnât been turned.
Still, he was now left with one arm. It would most certainly make hunting a lot more difficult, not to mention trying to explain this to people who would be nosy enough to ask him. Ben would have to take over a lot of the chores around the RV, even driving. His stomach churned at the thought of how his life would change because of this injury.
âFuck me.â He sighed, unable to say much else without breaking down. He needed to stay strong, especially in front of his best friend.
âI would if I could,â Ben muttered under his breath.
âWhat?â
âWhat?â
âAnyways, uh,â Jacob had to pretend like he didnât just hear what Ben had mumbled, âWhatâŚwhat do we do now?â
âI know you. You arenât going to give up on hunting, are you?â
âNoâŚnot when people like that are out there. The ones that donât want to live peacefully amongst humans and instead turn to violence. That was our deal with Aculus, even if Falcon didnât agree with it.â
âSpeaking of other people, why donât weâŚI donât knowâŚrecruit a team? Iâm sure we arenât the only ones who have lost something or someone because of violent supernatural creatures. I mean, thereâs the Harper family. Why donât we talk to them about forming some form of alliance?â
âNo, the Harper familyâs methods are unethical, and they donât consider the number of supernatural creatures who just wish to live peacefully. Iâm not associating with any of them.â
âYeah, thatâs true. However, Iâd like to think that maybe future generations that come from families like that will be more accepting of supernatural creatures. Actually, I met their daughterâŚGwen, I think her name is, and she didnât seem to hold the same beliefs as her parents. That could just be an act, though.â
âWell, maybe one day weâll sit down and talk with her about it, but weâre going to need more than just one person.â
âHey, weâll get there when we get there.â
Jacob sighed. He hated waiting around for something to happen. It was the main reason why he and Ben had started travelling the country, even occasionally taking brief visits across the borders to Mexico and Canada.
It felt as though he had lost more than his arm. He felt like he had lost control of his life. He kept thinking about the things he wouldnât be able to do or at least be limited in doing. He didnât know how to drive with one arm. He didnât know how to fish with one arm. He didnât know how to handle a saw, a chisel, or any other DIY tools with only one arm.
Would they really get back to how things were?
God, that was one thing he wished that could happen. He wished he could go back to ten years ago. He wished Lily was still alive and by his side. He wished he still had a job as an army weapons expert before his grief started to rule his life.
However, there were things he was grateful for in this current life. He had grown closer to Ben. They were close in the military, but between his help during his times of grief and living together in an RV travelling the country for the past decade or so, their bond had definitely gotten stronger. Hell, he would even say he loved Ben just like he loved Lily.
Oh god, he would say he loved Ben just like he loved Lily.
The realisation hit him like a truck. Over all these years that he had known Ben, he slowly developed feelings for him. It wasnât a platonic kind of love that he had previously, nor the familial one he had for his parents. It was the same romantic love that he had felt years ago when he had first met Lily.
âHey Ben,â He decided to distract himself by joking around with his friend, âWhat was that you said after I said fuck me?â
âOh, come on, Jake, do you really want me to repeat it?â Ben chuckled, though a little nervous.
âYeah, come on, it canât be that bad.â
âAlright, fine. I said that I would if I could.â
Jacobâs brain stopped working after that sentence. That was definitely a way to find out his feelings were mutual. Â Now, he was faced with a choice â swallow his pride and admit his feelings or keep quiet and let his feelings simmer as Ben wallowed in his embarrassment over what he had said.
Screw it; he wasnât going to let his best friend feel awkward around him for God knows how long.
âI love you too.â He said suddenly as though the words had just slipped out of his mouth.
âWhat?â Benâs face reddened as he stared at Jacob with wide, bewildered eyes.
âI saidâŚI love you too.â
Ben smiled, making Jacob question his own actions until both their lips met. All the embarrassment and anxiety melted into the pure bliss of the moment.
After the kiss, Jacob felt his eyelids grow heavy as he fell back asleep, a smile still remaining on his face.
(Totally didn't forget to upload this here before being dragged into the outside world lol)
Read it on AO3: Dance with your Pride - Turtle_The_Bean - Criminal Case (Video Game) [Archive of Our Own]
The floor at the wedding reception seemed to vibrate under Jacobâs feet as he stood there, tapping his glass of wine. He wasnât ever much of a party person, but seeing everyone so happy gave him a reason to stay past the dinner and the speeches. Come to think of it; he hadnât actually been at a wedding since his own. That was over twenty-five years ago now, and, sadly, his wife couldnât be with him to dance with him at this one.
He wanted to relive some of those memories. He wanted to dance with someone tonight, but he wasnât quite sure who.
Scratch that; he knew who he wanted to dance with, but he wasnât sure how to ask him. He didnât even know how he would dance with him. Was there a difference in dancing with a man? Especially when he only had one arm now. Would that make a difference as well?
Not to mention, there was the tension. He knew the team had forgiven him on the surface, but he wondered how much of that was just a mask to keep the peace. He wondered if he deserved to continue being their leader, he wondered if he deserved to be officiating Zander and Priyaâs wedding that day, but, most importantly, he wondered if he deserved to ask Ben to dance with him.
âChief,â A sudden calling from Priya beside him snapped Jacob out of his thoughts, âAre you okay?â
âIâm fine, justâŚtired, thatâs all. Long flight and everything.â He responded, trying to compose himself.
âAre you sure? Why donât you go back to the hotel then?â
âNo, no, I-Iâm not that tired. Iâll just sit down at my table again.â
âOkay, if you need anything, just let me know.â
He thanked Priya and sat down at the table he was assigned to earlier that evening. It was empty now, with all the other guests either up dancing or huddled over at the bar ordering drinks. It probably looked sad, just an old man sitting at a table alone, but he somewhat enjoyed the peace it brought him.
His mind wandered back to Ben. He still had so much to say, especially tonight, but his guilt was holding him back. It was as though it was chaining him to his chair, forcing him to stay in place. He wished he could go back in time and slap the hell out of his past self, but despite this being a world where demons, vampires, werewolves, and the like existed, this wasnât a world where time travel did.
âTeeth!â He heard, right before Gwen crashed into his table.
âYou alright there, Gwen?â He asked, trying to hold back his laughter at her obviously drunken state.
âWhy are you shitting there like a loon-sher, Teeth?â
âIâm just tired and thinking about stuff.â
âOh, whatcha thinking âbout? Ish it a giirrl you wanna dansh with?â
âN-no, itâs not. I mean, it is someone I want to dance with, but itâs not a girl.â
âOoh, you wanna dansh with a guy. I can be your wish-man if you want me to, Teeth.â
âAbsolutely not. Not in the state youâre in.â He chuckled, imagining the sheer embarrassment of having a drunken Gwen ask Ben to dance with him. It was probably worse than him doing it himself.
âFine, Iâll be your hype-man. Who ish he?â
Jacob was about to say something when he breathed a sigh of relief. Hope was (somewhat aggressively) walking over to them.
âGwen! I told you to go back to our hotel room, not to harass the chief.â Hope gave Gwen a slap on the back of the head.
âI wasnât hash-assing him, Hopie. I was hyping him up because he wants to ash someone to dansh with him,â Gwen explained, flopping from the table onto Hopeâs shoulder.
âReally,â Hope raised an eyebrow, âWho would that be?â
âDoesnât matter, Iâm going to do it.â Jacob took a deep breath and stood up. Screw it; if he was going to enjoy this night, it wasnât going to be looking after a drunk Gwen or sitting around moping. He was going to have a good night and there was nothing going to stop him.
âWHOO! TEETH EDDO! GO KISS HIS ASS!â Gwen cheered loudly, hyping up the embarrassed man as he started walking away from the girls.
âYep, weâre going back to the hotel.â Hope sighed, dragging Gwen out of the room, mostly to avoid embarrassing the chief even further.
Jacob wasnât quite sure if that helped him or not. Sure, the reduced noise level made it easier for him to focus, but now he could hear his breathing getting heavier while his heart started racing. He wondered if Ben could hear them, too, making his anxiety even worse.
Benâs appearance wasnât helping his heart rate at all. His suit was fairly tight on his body, showing off his muscles easily, especially without his jacket. Sure, it wasnât too different from his usual outfit, but there was just something about him in a suit that made Jacobâs brain go haywire.
âBen?â He called, almost unconsciously. He was so focused on how handsome he found him that he completely forgot where he was.
âOh, Jake, sorry I didnât see you there.â Benâs voice made Jacobâs blushing face deepen in shade.
âYeah, I, uh, just wanted to check in on you.â
âAw, thatâs sweet, but I know you. Come on, whatâs up?â
âDammit, how can you always see right through me?â Jacob chuckled, embarrassed.
âItâs called knowing you for over twenty-five years. Now, what are you hiding? What did you do this time? Anything like what you did at your wedding?â
âOh god no, never anything like that ever again, especially not at someone elseâs wedding. No, IâŚI wanted to ask you if you wanted to dance with me. I know this is pretty sudden, and you probably havenât forgiven me for what I did a few months ago, butâŚIâve wanted to ask you something like this for a while now.â
A few moments of silence passed between them. Jacob started reconsidering everything. He started wondering if he just made the person closest to him uncomfortable, maybe even made him hate him, like this was the last straw after everything that happened over the past year or so.
âAlright,â Ben gave him a smile, âLetâs dance.â
âW-wait, what? Just like that?â Jacob smiled back, hands trembling nervously.
âYeah, I mean, why not?â
âBecause of everything that has happened. I mean, a few months ago, I left you alone with everyone just because the demon queen was disguised as Lily.â
âYou acted out of grief, Jake. Iâm not saying Iâve forgiven you for that, but I donât think that matters right now. So, yes, Iâll dance with you.â
âIâŚwhy? Why would you dance with me? Why would you dance with someone you canât forgive? Someone who canât be forgiven?â
âJake,â Ben put his hands on Jacobâs shoulders and pulled him closer, âIâve been in love with you for years since we met, but I kept it secret because of how much you loved Lily. Iâm not sure if Iâll ever be able to forgive you for the way you left us behind, but deep down, that hasnât changed how I feel about you.â
Jacob stepped back a little, shocked at all of this. He never knew Ben felt that way, and for over twenty-five years, no less. The guilt over his actions got worse, knowing that not only did he leave behind the people he was supposed to lead but also someone who truly loved him, unlike the person he was willing to blindly follow because of who she looked like.
âIâŚâ His eyes welled with tears, âIâm sorry for everything Iâve done.â
âHey,â Ben moved one of his hands to Jacobâs face to wipe off the tears, âLike I said, that doesnât matter right now. For now, letâs dance.â
âYeahâŚâ Jacob nodded, being pulled closer to Ben as the two started moving in sync with each other and the music.
He tried to lose his thoughts in the music and movement, trying to distract himself from everything, but nothing seemed to work. He tried looking into Benâs eyes, but he was disgusted at his own reflection. He turned his attention to his surroundings, seeing Priya giving him a thumbs-up of support. To him, it felt disingenuous because of his actions.
Did he really deserve to be dancing with Ben after everything he did? After abandoning him all of a sudden? If he were in Benâs position, he wouldnât even want to look at him.
So why was he dancing with him right now?
The guilt caught up to him eventually and he let go of Ben. He left the room, trying to catch his breath as he stumbled out onto the balcony. He flopped his body onto the railing and buried his face in his hands. He couldnât believe he would be so selfish and not consider how Ben felt about everything. He hated himself for his actions, praying he could turn back time and take back everything he did.
âJake?â Ben called, alerting Jacob to his presence on the balcony.
âIâm sorry, IâŚI guess the guilt is catching up with me. I donât understand why you would want to dance with me after I just abandoned you. I donât know how you werenât embarrassed even just to be seen with me.â
âJake,â Ben took his friendâs hands and sat him down, âIâve been waiting for you to swallow your pride and ask me to dance for years. I wasnât even thinking about what happened and honestly, I donât care. All I want is for us to be together, even if itâs not romantically.â
Jacob gulped as tears welled in his eyes. He still didnât feel like he deserved forgiveness, especially from him of all people, but if Ben didnât care, then why should he? Why shouldnât he just swallow his pride and move on?
âYâknow, I think it was the crowding that also got you.â Ben got off his chair and took out his phone. He started playing a song â one he knew was an old favourite of Jacobâs â and extended a hand to him.
Jacob accepted his hand and got up from his chair. He pulled Ben closer, and the two started dancing again.
Maybe he didnât deserve it, but maybe that didnât matter in that moment. Both could be true, just like the love they both felt in that moment.