#bhminis

“skin to skin is important,” he touts, raising a brow at you. it’s true—you both know so—but you mostly know that he just does this to have an excuse to walk around without a shirt on. not that you mind.

his hips hold on to a little bit of that stubborn sympathy weight, soft to the touch when you rest your hands above the waistband of his shorts. the baby is cooing happily, her little head up and moving around the best it can. she can’t fully hold her own head up, so mostly she’s just stretching, but he’s got a secure hand on the back of her neck to ensure that she doesn’t hurt herself. you’re content just to watch. he had always run a little cooler. he slept like a furnace, but when the boy was up and moving, he was cool and easy. the heat didn’t bother him in the way it did you, and he took every bit of advantage of that.

especially with the baby. she likes spending time in the sling anyway, a stretchy swaddle wrapped tight to keep her pressed against her dad’s chest, but she especially thrives in them when it gets hot like this.

you’re trying to get a little bit of work done at the kitchen table when he walks in, one hand on her back and the other swinging around his empty water bottle on his way to refill it. it had always amazed you how quickly he had taken to being a father, and it only continued to confuse you how natural he looked doing so, like he was made to have a baby wrapped to him.

“getting anything done, babe?” he asks casually, twisting the lid off of his bottle and glancing over at you.

with a smile, you stood. “not really. especially not with you two in here distracting me.”

your girl gurgles and ben chuckles, settling his bottle down and opening an inviting arm to you. you settle a hand against the cool skin between his shoulder blades before you leaned in to kiss him, quickly followed by one on your daughter’s head.

i think ben would totally be the type to have baby fever but not really bring it up to you, and it’s pretty lowkey so he gets away with not bringing it up all the time.

so y’all go visit your family for a holiday or something and your sister doesn’t think she’s gonna make it bc. hello. new baby. but you get there and she’s already there and this little boy is so precious. he’s got you wrapped around his finger immediately and you spend a good part of the day with him sleeping against your chest. it’s honestly kind of hot and you’re def sweating through your shirt a tiny bit but you don’t even care bc he’s just such a sweetheart

ben’s eyes are on you constantly. they kind of have been since the two of you got married, but this is different. something dances between that usual stare, and you raise a curious brow across the room that he shakes off, smiling smally.

when the rest of the family filters off to the backyard, you hold off, sitting on the couch and nodding ben over. he complied without complaint, sitting beside you and wrapping an arm around your waist, his other hand reaching for the baby. one fingertip traces the boys chubby cheek as ben says, “you’re really good with him.”

you smile down at the boy, brushing his fine hair back with your hand. “nah, he’s just good. so sweet.”

ben shakes his head. he still holds your nephews hand when he looks up at you. “he’s kind of cute, yeah?”

playfully, you return, “not as cute as ours will be.”

his heart pounds, soaring at the thought. “you think?”

“i know.”

he considers his words carefully, squeezing you softly. “i wouldn’t mind...y’know. finding out for sure. if you don’t think it’s too soon.”

it’s annoying how attractive he is. it’s even more annoying that he knows it.

for the most part, you try to stay away from ben. it isn't that you don’t like him, you just don’t really...know him. at all. your mutual friends had been bringing him around for several months and neither of you had bothered to bridge that gap. in all honesty, you're intimidated by ben. he’s handsome, he’s well-liked, he’s funny. he seems like the kind of guy you would have to do a lot to impress and you don't have the mental energy to even bother trying, so you just stay away from him.

except tonight.

everywhere you look, there ben is. most nights the group of you go out, you both end up on the fringe of the crowd on opposite sides of the room, but tonight you’re mingling and it feels like ben isn’t farther that five feet from you all night. you don’t particularly mind. at the very least, it makes you feel safe that there’s someone you know within reaching distance, so you don't say anything, just keeping him in the corner of your eye while you engage in conversation.

when you go to get a refill for your drink, you feel a hesitant presence at your side. there he stands, a nervous smile on his face and you nod in acknowledgment. “hey,” you greet over the music. “you having fun?”

“i, uh...” he clears his throat. “yeah. i guess. are you?”

you shrug, tapping the bar. “s’loud. i'm kind of getting a headache.”

if he has any chance, he thinks this is it, so he straightens a little and says, “you wanna go? i was just about to head out.”

with a quiet laugh, you glance over at him. “you don’t have to, ben.”

“no!” he exclaims. you raise a brow. “i...i want to.”

so low that he almost misses it, you say, “okay.”

you follow him out of the crowded bar, his keys hanging from his knuckle. you don’t know him that well, but you can tell that he’s nervous, too, and it soothes you slightly; you weren’t sure you could handle another hot, cocky guy who knew he was too handsome to even be in your vicinity.

when you slip into his car, he breathes out in relief, allowing the engine to purr to life. the two of you are quiet, save for your directions to your place, and ben is beating himself up. he doesn't even know what to say. well, he knows the gist of it. rather, he doesn’t know how to say it, and that’s almost worse.

the ride is silent and when he parks in front of your building, you turn to thank him, but he sighs heavily. “i really...think you’re great,” he says.

for half a second, you don't even know how to respond. “oh. thank you, ben. that’s really sweet. i think you’re great, too.”

“i’ve been trying to think of a way to ask you out for at least a month now but i keep chickening out,” ben finally admits.

your mouth falls open and he chuckles, turning to look out the windshield. “me?”

“well, yeah.”

you purse your lips to keep the pleased grin off your face. “oh. well...” you trail off, trying to find your train of thought. “well, i'd say yes to pretty much anything, so there’s that.”

shyly, ben smiles at you. “yeah?”

“yeah.”