#jackes

Reader POV

"I can’t believe this is what you wanted to do for your birthday." Ben groans into his whiskey glass as he takes a long sip and flinches at the off-key rendition of 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' coming from the tipsy group of bridesmaids with matching bright pink boas on stage. The one in the front wearing a sash that says "Bride" in sparkly letters, sways precariously on a chunky teal heel while another steadies her with a claw-like hand with nails painted in shades of lavender.

Swan Song, the karaoke club that Annie and you had been coming to since you moved to NYC, is crowded for a Monday night. The familiar smell of stale smoke and the sour smell of alcohol mists out over the crowd, and a buzz of energy crackles in the air from people who wobble and bob their heads drunkenly to the music blasting from the giant eight foot tall speakers on both sides of the stage.

The two bartenders on the opposite side of the room listen to the orders shouted from patrons that lean over the bar to yell in their ears, before they craft multicolored drinks that bubble, boil, and glimmer in the fluorescent lights from the stage that dominates the front of the room. It's bathed in purple, pink, and blue strobe lights that pulse with the beat of the upbeat tune while shimmering lights flash out over the people sitting at the wooden tables jumbled together in the small room.

Swan Song was home.

It was the bar Annie and you went to together for the first birthday you spent in NYC. You'd gotten drunk on Endless Midnight Margaritas like Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock and sang a duet to "Angel Eyes." You were still a little fresh from your breakup with your ex, and after you found out he'd started dating another girl, that song seemed the most fitting.

And although the song changed from that first night Annie and you spent bathed in the pulsating glow of the strobe lights, the bar didn't. It was still a mish-mash of macabre and glitter. The walls and tables are still draped in black lace with vases of dead flowers on each table and the signature fluorescent swan in flight hangs proudly on the wall over the bar winking and sending the shimmering white light out into the room.

Well, the roses in the vase at your table had miraculously burst forth in deep red blooms, as had most of the flowers in the room as soon as you walked by, but you loved it here. It was weird and didn't try to hide what it was. All the drinks on the menu had something to do with the finality of death. From the Dead Man's Brew to the Haunting Hemlock Hue, the owner Jaz, had worked hard to make Swan Song deliciously unique.

"We do this every year Ben! It's fun!" You laugh beside him while taking a sip of your seltzer and bobbing your head along to the music.

It was a birthday tradition to spend the night drinking bottomless midnight margaritas and belt out ABBA classics while wearing matching bell bottom jean leotards that would make Donna and the Dynamos proud. Annie, Hughie, and you had done a Mamma Mia rewatch in preparation of your birthday two nights ago while Ben sat next to you on the couch and rolled his eyes.

He still wasn't sold on the whole ABBA thing, but you were making it your life's mission to convert him.

However, this birthday was just a little bit different than the others.

Despite your age today held a lot of firsts: your first birthday with Ben and your first birthday pregnant. Which meant that your jean leotard was tighter in some places than it had been last year, and you'd had to let it out. Also, the Lime- Slaughter Seltzer was an unfortunate substitute to the margaritas, but the little one wriggling and kicking in your stomach to the beat of the music was a welcome reminder of the life Ben and you were about to start together, one that you could spend curled up with him in the house he'd bought for you.

You smooth your left hand over your swelling belly with a faint smile noticing the way your engagement ring catches in the light of the bar. The twinkle of the vintage diamond is blinding, it's the same one Ben's mother wore. As if the hormones didn't make you cry enough when Ben proposed and bought you a house, the thought that it was his mother's ring made you cry so much that Ben thought that something was wrong. But you were just so happy you couldn't hold it in.

It had been a week since you moved into the house, one of the best weeks of your life. Ben had taken it off and when Butcher had asked him why he needed a whole week to move in, Ben had told him that one day wasn't enough time to christen every room in the house. Something that had made you blush to the roots of your hair and slap Ben on his muscular arm, while he tugged you into him and roamed his hands over your body as if you weren't standing in front of Butcher.

Your fiancé was practically a neanderthal and had a one track mind, but by now you found it charming- sometimes. His inability to have a single shred of shame had lead to a few embarrassing moments that you wished you could forget, but you couldn’t help it, especially now that you were pregnant. Before it had been difficult but manageable to resist Ben's charms, but now it was impossible.

It was like there was a giant neon sign hanging above your head that spelled out "horny" in multicolored lights, the same sign that only Ben was able to see for obvious reasons. Of course it did wonders for the plants that you'd hung inside the house, the ones that always seemed to be flowering and putting out so much fruit that you'd taken to giving some to your neighbors.

It might have also been an apology for the series of incidents that had happened outside and your elderly next door neighbors had been able to hear everything. The thought of what they heard still made your face flush so hot that you were sure you could make pancakes on your skin no problem.

Now you didn't worry so much about your neighbors. After they found out that you were pregnant and Ben and you were living together, they pretty much started ignoring you. Though you had found a few pamphlets shoved through the mail slot about the dangers of pre-martial sex.

I think it's a little late for that, don't you?

But despite Ben's comments to Butcher, the team, Jake, and his new girlfriend Nora, had been more than happy to help Ben and you move into your new home.

It took three days, all of which Ben made you sit in a chair in the air conditioning with a giant bottle of water and refused to let you lift a finger to help. Each time you tried to get up, Ben would miraculously appear like he'd been summoned from the depths of the sea and would strong arm you (gently) back into the chair while you watched everyone move in your stuff. You’d complained loudly that you weren't some invalid, you were just pregnant, but Ben didn't listen.

Shocker.

You smile and lean back in your chair, watching the group of women on stage dancing along to the tune of the song. The bride has begun to wobbles again on her heel, her face turning an unnatural green color before she bolts off stage in the direction of the bathroom.

Another one bites the dust.

Annie had vanished a few moments ago to sign the two of you up for your chosen tune of the night, fighting through the crowd of people pushing and shoving to get a chance at the sign up sheet.

Honestly, Annie going up there was purely for show. The owner, Jaz,  knew the two of you by name, in fact she'd mashed your and Annie's names together and named a margarita after you when she saw how often you came in. Jaz had waved to the two of you from behind the bar when you came in, and sent over a free round of the margaritas with your namesake to your table.

You’d eyed the bluish-green drink mournfully while sucking on a seltzer and trying not to regret the night Ben and you conceived the creature wriggling around happily in your stomach like a goldfish.

Ben grabs the seat of your chair, yanking it towards him while it screeches loudly across the concrete floor. He leans closer to you, knee brushing against your thigh, and his warm breath on the curve of your ear. "I can think of something else that's fun we could be doing to celebrate your birthday."

"Like bowling?" Your lips twitch into a knowing smile, not looking away from the stage. "Because when we're done here, there's a 24/7 bowling alley that has free pizza with each round of bowling purchased and it's so-"

Ben covers your mouth with his large hand. Your eyes snap to his. The wave of arousal that comes with the contact of Ben's rough skin against the soft flesh of your lips makes the gardenia in your hair grow another two blooms, sending the sweet smell wafting out from the delicate petals.

You watch the end of his lips pull into the familiar sinful smirk that does little to stop the wave of heat that travels through your body at Ben's touch.

Truth be told the moment you told your boyfriend that Annie was throwing you a birthday party at a Karaoke bar, he'd looked at you like you had three heads. And after you explained to him that it was in fact still something that existed and that it would be fun, he had spent the entire morning trying to convince you to spend your birthday in bed with him. It was difficult to leave the house, but it was a tradition and you wanted Ben to be apart of it.

"Petals, Why would you wanna be screaming out some song lyrics when you could be screaming my name instead?” Ben purrs moving his other hand down to your hip, softly stroking one finger along your waist.

“Ben-“ You mumble into his hand with a soft sigh, squirming in the seat.

The pleasurable feeling in the pit of your stomach whenever your fiancé teased you began to stir, sending a warm tingle down your spine.

Damn it. He won't win this.

"Come on sweetheart." He rumbles, pressing a kiss to the pulse point at your neck that makes you shudder and fist your hand around his knee beneath the table. "I wasn't done giving you your birthday present when you dragged me here." His hand travels down your side to your hip, pulling you up out of your chair and into his lap. You gasp as you fall into his strong muscular body, automatically bringing your hands up to grip his shoulders in surprise. "And I'd very much like to continue what I started." Ben removes the hand around your mouth so he can kiss you languidly, rolling his tongue into your mouth.

The scratch of his stubble against your cheeks, the warm feeling of his solid body beneath you, and the gentle but firm squeeze of his hands on your hips makes you melt into his chest. Sometimes it surprised you that after all this time, kissing Ben still felt the same way. You still had the prickle of goosebumps ghost over your arms, still felt your heart heat so hot it felt like it was going to burn through flesh and sinew, and still felt like the way you had the first time Ben kissed you at Vought tower, like two worlds were colliding and everything you were was crashing and molding together with everything he was.

"I think you gave me a few today-" You breath against his lips with a smile.

The memory of the many, many presents Ben had given you since you woke up this morning made your throat tighten. Ben was generous when it came to sex anyway, but this morning he had left you breathless and unable to feel your legs for most of the day.

By now Ben was getting more comfortable with the idea that you didn't want him to spend hundreds of dollars on a gift and you just wanted to spend time with him. But that hadn't stopped him from painting the nursery when you were asleep last night. You'd been trying to find the time to paint it all week, because you wanted to try and find a crib and shelves, but each time you tried something dragged you away.

Usually Ben.

But he'd done it without complaining, which was a surprise. There was still some of the sage colored paint flecked on his forearms and hands, and there was a paint smeared t-shirt and pair of jeans on the floor of your bathroom that Ben never picked up and you might have yelled at him about before he showed you what he'd done and you forgot all about being mad.

Well… only a little.

But it was such a sweet gesture, and the perfect birthday gift.

Ben's mouth twitches again into the mischievous smirk that you love so much as his hands tighten on your waist. “You complaining?”

“No, never.” You shake your head so enthusiastically, it makes Ben chuckle low under his breath, the rumble of his laugh vibrating up where your chest is pressed against yours.

“Then why don’t we go back to the house and you can spend your birthday the way God intended, in your birthday suit.”

You roll your eyes at him, but thread your fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck tugging lightly. It was getting a little bit long. Ben kept saying that he wanted to get it cut, but then never did.

Secretly you were hoping that he didn't. You liked to feel the strands fall through your fingertips when the two of you were watching a movie and Ben leaned towards you and let you gently stroke his hair while he groaned softly under his breath, or when you woke up before him in the morning and his hair fell forward into his sleeping face making him look years younger.

“Didn’t think you were religious type." You say with a smile of your own.

"Really? Huh. Guess I just like to worship you doll." Ben mumbles into your throat, sucking a mark into your neck next to the one that he left this morning.

"Ben-" His name comes out of your mouth in a breathy moan, that only makes Ben growl into your warm skin. Your fingers tighten in his hair.

Maybe I could let him win, just this once…

“Love is beautiful no?” Frenchie sighs from where he sits across the table from you throwing his arm around Kimiko and pulling her closer to his chest. She smiles as Frenchie presses a kiss into the top of her head.

“No. Not from where I’m sitting.” MM grouses from his chair across from Ben and you. His large arms are crossed over his chest, beer bottle untouched where it stands on the table, condensation pooling around the bottom.

"Me either." Hughie echoes, shifting uncomfortably.

“Lighten up mate. Could be worse. We could be watching a geriatric suck on his girlfriend's neck. Oh wait." Butcher snorts into his whiskey glass.

You aim a well placed kick at Butcher's ankle, that only makes him laugh harder.

 "What’s the worst that can happen? She gets pregnant?" Frenchie crows out a laugh at his own joke. "I think that ship has sailed."

"More like sunk." MM flexes his biceps.

Ben and him still had a long way to go before they could be friends. It was a difficult situation, but the fact that MM came tonight was progress. Maybe. There was still a lot of glaring going on, but that was to be expected and you didn't blame MM for that.

Ben narrows his eyes in MM's direction, but when he opens his mouth up to speak, you shut him up by placing a tentative kiss to the tip of his nose. Ben's gaze flashes to you, still heated, frown more pronounced.

"Ben-" You warn in a whisper.

"He started it." Ben grumbles.

"Ben." You say again, this time gently running your fingertips through the hair at the nape of his neck with a soft sigh.

"I fucking know." He rolls his eyes, but you feel his hand go protectively to your stomach. Ben's thumb strokes, once, twice, over the swelling curve more for himself than for you, but it made you smile and lean into his embrace.

Sometimes you would have what you liked to consider a "freak out" in which you'd suddenly remember that you were pregnant and engaged and also didn't know what the hell you were doing.

That last part was pretty normal for you, but the first two were not.

But it was moments like this where you were reminded that you weren't alone and Ben wasn't going anywhere. His constant watch and his constant reassuring appearance in your life proved that. You knew that he wasn’t going to leave you and you trusted him with everything you had.

You also trusted that your grandmother would show up and beat Ben into a pulp with a frying pain in a showdown that would rival the WWE if he ever, ever, broke your heart. Ben told you that when he asked her if he could marry you, she'd made a few threats that weren't worth repeating.

She'd called this morning to see if you'd gotten her gift, a hand quilted baby blanket made up in the dark greens and sage that you had chosen for your nursery. You hadn't needed to tell her what colors you were using, she'd "seen it" in her own special way.

Annie reappears, her blonde hair like a beacon in the dusky bar. "Okay we're up next. What did I miss?"

"You don't want to know." Hughie groans and sends his girlfriend a tight smile.

“Oh I think I can imagine.” Annie makes kissy noises and faces at you. “Guess they’re really trying for twins huh?”

Frenchie laughs, and this time it's enough to make MM crack a smile.

“Just because I’m pregnant  does not mean that I am incapable of making a tree full of angry squirrels chase you down the block.” You huff, pointing a finger at your best friend. “And need I mention why Ben had to call the power company last week when you two stayed over and we suddenly had to use our emergency generator?”

Hughie turns bright pink.

"Oh please. As if Hughie and I couldn't hear exactly what Ben and you were doing." She rolls her eyes.

"I don't know what you're referring to." You reply, suddenly becoming more interested in the next group of men all drunkenly singing 'Carry On My Wayward Son.'

"Don't be shy Petals." Ben replies squeezing your hips before throwing a pointed look at Hughie. "Maybe he'll learn something about making love to his girlfriend. Besides it's our house and I'm not gonna tell you to keep quiet, not when you make all those pretty sounds when I'm-"

"Ben!" You cover his mouth with your hand, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "Remember we had the conversation about things we don't say in front of other people?"

"Yes, but I don't fucking care." Ben shrugs, gently pulling your hand from his mouth. "Nobody's gonna shame me out of fucking my girl. Not when you're always so we-"

You cover his mouth again, eyes narrowed, cheeks flushed. "Ben, please."

I'd be mad if I wasn't so damn hormonal right now.

He doesn't look ashamed, and you don't expect him to be. In fact there's a triumphant gleam in his eyes that you're sure means that he knows you secretly love it.

"There are so many things I wish I didn't know." MM mutters under his breath.

"Me too mate." Butcher grunts, slapping him on the back.

Annie only rolls her eyes at Ben and makes a gagging noise. "What do you think about our competition?" Annie jerks her thumb in the direction of the men on stage finishing up.

One of them stumbles to the right of the stage and takes a flying leap off into the crowd to body surf, but lands in a loud thud on the wooden floor.

"No contest. We've got this." You give her a thumbs up.

Despite doing this before, you were just a little bit nervous. The haze of alcohol from the margaritas usually did wonders to soothe your nerves, but all the seltzer did was exacerbate the anxiety bubbling in the pit of your stomach like a witch's cauldron.

As Jaz comes up to announce Annie and your names, you slowly rise to your feet, feeling Ben's eyes on you. Annie takes a long sip from her margarita while you poke your straw around in the bottom of your seltzer as if hoping it'll miraculously turn to wine.

But as you turn your way to the stage, Ben's hand comes out in a flash, grabbing your wrist and pulling you back to him so suddenly you don't have time to register that Ben is kissing you.

"You've got this Petals." Ben breathes before he brings you back for a searing kiss. "Make me proud sweetheart. And after you fucking knock 'em dead I'll take you home and we can celebrate your birthday the old fashioned way." His hand runs down to give your ass an encouraging squeeze.

The nerves are gone, evaporated in the subtle scratch of Ben's beard and his encouraging words vibrating through your chest, and filling you with confidence.

Other people may have believed that Ben was just a dick with no care in the world, who couldn't love or care about someone else because he only cared about himself, but not you. He was your Ben. He was yours. You knew who he was deep down, saw all the pieces of him that he'd hidden away for years, the same pieces he'd tried to hide from you when you first met because he thought that it was what he had to do. Little by little you were proving to him that you loved him anyway, that love to you meant falling for someone and loving all the darkest parts.

And it was moments like this that only reinforced what you already knew about the man you'd fallen in love, that despite all his flaws, Ben loved you. That the same parts of yourself that you'd hidden away your whole life he accepted.

And yes, maybe Ben didn’t want to spend his day off in a karaoke bar drinking fruity drinks and listening to people ruin hit songs, but if it made you happy Ben would do it, because there was not one thing he wouldn't do for you.

Annie pulls you away from him towards the stage, and you're sure that you have a ridiculous smile on your face as the beginning notes to 'Super Trouper' start to blast from the speakers, but you can't find it in yourself to care or look away from the man who has your whole heart.

And after the song, when you blow out the birthday candles on the ridiculously large birthday cake covered in iced flowers and leaves with Ben's arms wrapped tightly around your waist and his head on your shoulder, while you feel the subtle kick of Ben and your love growing in your belly, and see the glint of the ring on your finger catch in the light, you can't find yourself thinking of anything to wish for, because you already have everything. Not when somewhere in the crowd there's Ben, cheering you on, and you wouldn't trade a single second of it for anything else.

A/N: See, just something cute and happy for Petals and Ben. After everything they deserve a nice break. 🥰

As always thank you so much for reading! Reblogs, Likes, and Comments are not required but are always appreciated. I love hearing what y'all think!

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