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thecoreypatrick · 1 year ago

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Rumours

When Patty had asked Natalie to lunch, she just expected some nice girl talk. Maybe some discussion about work, but certainly not drama. Especially from the city’s most successful detective.

“All the time, Patty. I’m telling you they flirt and banter all the time. It’s starting to get ridiculous, nearly insufferable. And of course if you ask them about it they’re “just friends”. Just friends my ass Patty, they’re gonna get together. I just hope it’s soon so I don’t lose the bet.”

Patty laughs at Natalie’s ridiculous rant.

“Well why don’t you tell them that? Clearly they’re oblivious. Amanda and Ben may be detectives, but that doesn’t mean they’re sleuths of love.” She commented.

Natalie rolled her eyes at Patty’s cheesiness.

“I’m just saying-” she started, biting into her snack.

Patty looked at her, waiting patiently for her to finish.

“They’d totally fuck.” Natalie said through a mouthful of muffin. Patty misheard her, shock coating her face.

“Wait, what did you say? They’ve slept together?!” She whispered.

Natalie was taken aback, “wait what? N-”

“Natalie, Tyler’s asking for you.” Silas interrupted, “Something about ballistics? Hi Patty.” Silas smiled.

Natalie waved goodbye to Patty, “Sorry, duty calls. Thanks for lunch Patty.”

Patty smiled and waved her fingers goodbye. Little did they know, they’d had an onlooker to their discussion. As Natalie left with Silas, a receptionist from the table over leaned to Patty from her seat.

“Not to be nosy… but did I hear that right?” She asked.

“Hear which right sweetie?” Patty responded. The young woman looked around to see who was listening, “Ben and Amanda, are they really a couple?”

Now, Patty was a professional woman. A COMPOSED, professional woman. She worked the hard 25/8 and was married to the most infuriating police chief of all time. She considered herself to have many virtues, many personality traits to be proud of. But the tendency to gossip? Maybe that could be her one vice.

“Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say ‘couple’,” Patty confessed, “but certainly from what I’ve heard there’s something there.”

“Oh my gosh,” the woman said scooting her chair closer to Patty, “I’ve seen it too. They consistently sit at lunch together; always in the gym together; their quiet banter at meetings… but I had no idea they were sleeping together!” She quietly exclaimed. Patty smirked devilishly, “don’t forget, their living quarters are on the same floor!”

The young woman jovely gasped, she began to say something else when her wrist watch blared an alarm. “Ugh, breaks over. But thanks for the gossip Mrs. Preston, I swear the secret is safe with me!” She cleared up her things before toddling off, Patty chuckling as she directed her attention back to her salad.

As the young woman left the tables and headed towards the elevator, she pulled out her phone. Dialing quickly she made a call, “Hey, Alicia? You’re not going to believe this.”

Ben sat in Tyler’s lab, anxiously waiting for this fix to be over. “You know, your fidgeting is actually preventing me from finishing. So maybe if you calmed down about your lovebug you would get to see her sooner.” Tyler snarked.

“What? I don’t have a lovebug. That’s not even the right way to use it.”

“Whatever,” Johnson grumbled, “Amanda is busy with Barton anyways for gun certification, she’ll probably go for lunch the same time you do.”

“I didn’t say anything about Amanda,” Ben grumbled.

Tyler laughed, “You didn’t need to. I’m not an idiot, and even if I was I’m not blind Braxton.”

This wasn’t the first time Ben had heard talk like this. Amanda and Ben were constantly having to defend their relationship to everyone in the compound. It had started back when Amanda and Ben both joined the squad, they bonded over being newbies in an already-set hierarchy. And from that, blossomed talk of a ‘spark’ apparently everyone had noticed but Amanda. Us, Ben corrected himself, everyone but us.

Ben rolled his eyes, “We’re just friends. I’ve told you countless times Johnson.”

“Oh ho ho, that’s not what I’ve been hearing. I’m pretty sure the jig is up Braxton, or whatever you old timers say.” Tyler retorted.

Ben was confused, “what do you mean?”

Tyler looked at him, unimpressed but amused by Braxton’s innocence. “Have you not heard what everyone’s been saying?”

Ben was starting to get annoyed, was there some inside joke he wasn’t a part of? This couldn’t have been different from the normal; nothing had developed in his and Amanda’s relationship, nothing he was aware of anyway. The hell had ‘everyone been saying’?

“Tyler I genuinely have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Johnson continued tinkering on Ben’s gun as he spoke, “everyone’s been talking about your little sex-capades with our lovely Amanda. And from what I’ve heard you’ve been having quite the time. And on company property! All my lovely work tainted.”

Tyler’s tone was teasing, but Ben didn’t find it very funny. If anyone had been talking this poorly about Amanda he was going to snap.

“Johnson you better not be joking about this, I swear to God.”

Tyler finished on Ben’s gun, “As funny as I am, this I’m not joking about. You and Anderson have been a pretty hot topic. And if you haven’t heard about the stories yet you will eventually.”

“Stories?! The hell are the stories?”

“Whoa cool it kettle, you’ll boil over” Tyler poked, “look, go talk to Silas. That’s who I heard it from.”

Ben frowned, “Silas? He started this?”

“God no, he’s to dumb to be that creative,” Tyler laughed, “I think he heard it from some Detectives. Maybe receptionist Alicia? I’m not sure, I’m not one to gossip.”

Ben rolled his eyes and hopped off the lab table. He needed to find Silas, or at least someone who could actually give him answers about what the hell was going on.

“Damn it!” Amanda yelled. Another shot too far to the right, she was never going to perfect this. Clint chuckled from the sidelines as she set up another clip, “Okay, okay. That’s enough for today. You’re going to drive yourself crazy.”

Amanda grumbled, setting her weapon and holster in Clint’s outstretched palm. “I just want to get this down, I keep messing up.”

“You’re not going to perfect it in one day Amanda, you killed it today. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Clint patted her shoulder in comfort, she was such a perfectionist. You had to be in this line of work, but even Natalie couldn’t perfect a shot in one day. Not that Clint would ever tell anyone, of course. Natalie would kill him.

“Thanks Clint. I appreciate your help.” Amanda started to pack up her things and leave, “you wanna go for lunch? Ben should have a table for us by now.”

Clint smiled to himself, of course Ben would have a table. Clueless dork.

“I’ll have to pass, I’m working with Bruce today.”

“No worries about lunch then, I’ll catch you later?”

Clint nodded and waved as she excited the range. Amanda started to text Ben as she was leaving, before she collided into her favorite little rookie.

“Oh, hey Pete. Didn’t expect to see you here today.”

Peter beamed brightly at her, eager for some social interaction. “Hey Amanda, is Mr. Johnson in there? I’ve been meaning to talk to him, walkies aren’t working and I can’t seem to figure it out.”

Amanda smiled at him, she always loved hearing about Peter’s and Tyler’s mentor-apprentice relationship. Like a kid asking for help on a science project.

“No, he’s not in there. I think he’s in the lab. I’ll walk you down.”

“Oh okay, thanks Amanda.”

They began their walk down the hallway before Peter piped up again, “Oh, and by the way. I’m really happy to hear about you and Detective Braxton! You always seemed like a good match. Though he’s always seemed really grumpy to me, but if that’s what you’re into-”

Amanda laughed and stopped Peter’s rambling, “Sorry to burst your bubble kid, but Ben and I are just friends.”

Peter made a face of confusion, “But- that’s not what Detective Hill was saying.”

Amanda stopped and motioned for Peter to stop as well, “Pete, what are you talking about?”

Peter made a calculating face, as if he was working out an equation. “Well,” he started, “Detective Hill said that she had been talking to Detective Braxton, and she said that he had heard from Mrs. Jane in analytics that-”

“Pete, cut to the point buddy.”

Peter nodded then continued, “Well apparently everyone has said you two are together now, officially. Because you’ve been um, been intimate.”

Peter hushed at the last statement, recognizing the talk as inappropriate.

Amanda was speechless, confused as to this all came about. Where was all of this coming from?

She placed a hand on Peter’s shoulder, a slight hardness in her eye and a bit firmer in her touch. She then smiled at Peter, Peter gulped.

“Pete, you’re my favorite. And because of this, you are going to tell me everything you know. Now, let’s walk.”

Silas sat perched in his barstool of the lounge. “What to do,” he thought aloud, “what to do?”

Does he tell Ben first, or Amanda first? Silas loved to get a rise out of people, all in good fun of course. Now Amanda could either get overly flustered or overly aggressive. Ben, he knows, will be overly aggressive straight away. But it sure is worth the freakout he’ll deliver. Silas then heard footsteps rapidly pacing down the corridor, apparently the decision had been made for him.

“Wilson.”

Silas smirked as he turned in his stool, “Braxton!” Silas greeted.

Ben was furious, his glare burning holes in all he looked at, “Start talking.”

Silas faked bewilderment, “About what pal?”

Ben near growled, “You know damn well what about. Where the hell do you get off spreading bullshit about Amanda and I?’

Silas shook his head, “I haven't been spreading shit. I only told Johnson, if he tells anyone that is his prerogative.”

Ben rolled his eyes, “Damn it Wilson, take this seriously. This shit is embarrassing. Amanda and I have no idea what’s going on: you could at least be decent and tell me what’s going on.”

Silas sighed, this wasn’t fun anymore. Silas meant all his talk to Johnson in good fun, but when he sees this upsetting the man as much as it does, he nearly feels guilty.

“Alright, I’ll tell you what’s been said. Do you want the grapevine? Or the details?”

“Details first. Grapevine after, so I know who to kill.”

Amanda was steaming. For the past half hour she had been storming through the compound, where the hell was Ben?

Everyone’s eyes had been on her no matter where she went, she wasn’t taking this shit anymore.

The conclusion she had come to, was that regardless of this whole stupid game of telephone, it must’ve come from either her or Ben. And it sure as hell wasn’t her.

Amanda stormed into the elevator, Alicia said the last she saw of Silas was when he was heading to the lounge. And if Silas was there; so was Ben.

She felt her anger pent up in her fists, mad heat radiating off her so hot she would have melted the elevator shaft.

As the elevator arrived at her level she had to restrain herself from barrelling through the doors.

“Braxton! WILSON!”

“Oh no, someone’s not happy.” Silas jokes. Ben groaned internally, after what he’d just been told he could not face Amanda.

“Think I can escape?” He asked. Silas shook his head, “Not unless you can run faster than she can.”

Amanda stomped to the boys, grabbing Ben’s arm and pulling him towards the adjoining hallway.

“We need to talk. Now.”

Ben was much stronger than Amanda, but he didn’t dare pull away from her grasp. Not when she was this furious. He hadn’t seen her this angry since she found out he went on a call without a bullet-proof vest.

She released him and poked a finger into his chest, “Start talking.” She crossed her arms over her chest, demanding explanation.

Ben sighed and rubbed his eyes, “Okay so, from what I’ve heard-

“-I don’t give a damn what you heard. What did you say?”

“What?” He blurted.

“What did you say!? You clearly told someone something that made them think we were together.”

“Seriously? You think I would do that?!”

“No! Of course not! But I haven’t told anyone anything, and nothing has ever changed in the way people have talked about us since today. I didn’t say anything to anyone. So you must’ve accidentally Ben. So think about it! What the hell have you said to someone today?!”

Ben groaned as he leaned his head back, “Amanda, I haven’t seen anyone all day except you this morning, and then Johnson for my gun. And he is the one that told me what’s been going on, so that doesn’t make any sense.”

Amanda was taken aback, “But Peter said that Hill said that-”

“Fuck Amanda, don’t worry about the grapevine. It doesn’t matter anymore, things have already gotten so out of hand.”

Amanda was embarrassed that she so eagerly jumped on this bandwagon of gossip, going so far as to accuse her best friend. A small frown appeared on her lip as her face turned downcast.

Ben saw the change, immediately feeling bad for his own outburst. He reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders to comfort her, “Doll, I promise I didn’t say anything to anyone. And I know you wouldn’t either. It’s just some stupid game of telephone.”

Amanda smiled sadly, appreciating how easily he calmed her.

“So you didn’t say anything?”

He released her arms, content now that she wasn’t upset anymore. “No, of course not Amanda.”

Amanda breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back against the wall. She let her head rest as well, thinking how things could have gotten so out of hand.

“People have always thought we’re together. This can’t really be that bad right?”

Ben didn’t make a response, which worried Amanda.

“Right, Ben?”

Ben was tense and avoided her gaze, looking everywhere but her. This couldn’t be good.

“Braxton. It’s not that bad right?” She practically begged.

Ben grimaced, he didn’t like when she used his last name. “Honestly Amanda, it’s pretty bad.”

“Oh god,” she cried, “what have you heard?”

He cringed, “look I don’t really want to say. So please don’t make me.” He turned away from her, embarrassed they were even having this conversation.

“Braxton you tell me right now.” She demanded.

He couldn’t keep it from her, especially with her this mad. “They’re telling stories about us that haven’t happened. It’s not just rumours of this or that, it’s like- it’s like ‘people have walked in on us’ kind of thing.”

“What?! Are you kidding me?”

“No, I’m not Amanda.” He was just as annoyed as she was, and he was ashamed to be talking to any girl like this. Let alone Amanda.

Ben mirrored Amanda’s position, leaning back against the other hall wall.

“What are the stories?”

“Pardon?” He must have misheard her, surely she’s not actually asking for detail.

“I said, what are the stories?”

“Amanda come on, I don’t want to talk about stuff like this. It’s inappro-”

“Ben please, it’s me.” She pleaded, “Can you please just do this for me?”

He gazed at her features. She was so distraught, eyes asking for honesty and lip turned down in a subtle pout. Ben couldn’t say no to her.

“Alright, well…” he started, “Silas told me that one of them-”

“There’s more than one?!” she groaned.

Ben looked at her in defeat, “Doll you know if I could’ve stopped them I would’ve.”

“I know, I know… I’m sorry.” She muttered, “Continue.”

He started again, “There’s one about us... in Tyler’s lab. Someone said they’d walked in on us, trying to see how strong I ‘really was’.”

“Oh god…”

“Yeah, I’d had you hoisted up with my one arm while I was… you know…”

Amanda gestured for him to elaborate. He sighed, “-you know, fingering you with the other.”

Amanda blushed as she looked to the ground. She could picture it. Her hands over his shoulders as he held her up, head rolled back as she moaned his name.

She cleared her throat, ridding the thoughts from her mind. “Okay, well that’s not that bad.”

Ben nodded, eager to minimize the awkwardness. “Yeah, could be worse.”

“What are the others?”

“Doll please, I-”

“Oh stop, we’ve gotten this far just tell me the worst of it.”

“Okay fine. Silas also said there’s one about us in the gym. I had you bent over the bench press, spanking you as I fucked you-” Ben stopped himself for a moment, surprised at how vulgar his language had gotten.” -fucked you from behind. Saying stuff like, “you like that baby, am I fucking you good?””

Amanda choked out a laugh, “oh.”

Now that was an imagine to ponder, Ben gripping her hips tightly. Hands roaming over her backside, whispering in her ear the worst things.

“Crazy, the uh, imagination of everyone huh?” She stuttered. She looked down to the ground, feeling the heat in her cheeks worsen. This didn’t go unnoticed by Ben. Could this, possibly, be turning her on? Ben took in her stance; the fidgeting, the avoiding eye contact, the red in her cheeks. He could practically hear her heart pounding from the other side of the hallway. Or was that his own?

Poke the bear Ben, he thought. There’s only one way to find out…

He didn’t need her encouragement to begin the next story, “Another one I heard is that recruits have walked in on us in the showers. We were both completely soaking wet, fucking hard. I had your legs wrapped around my waist and my hands were pinning your arms above your head. You were screaming like crazy, practically begging me for more. They said I nearly tore the tile off the wall from how hard we were going.”

Ben’s dripping wet body pressed against hers, rutting his hips into her at a ridiculous pace. Her moans echoing in the shower as she raked her nails across his back. A deep groan escaping his chest, as he quickly grabs her wrists and pins them above her, never losing his pace. “Keep it up doll, and you’ll get punished for that.”

She was zoning out, thinking unspeakable things of the man only 5 feet away from her.

Ben knew now, he could feel the tension building up in both of them. Ben felt himself breathing harder, felt the excitement in his skin. Are you picturing it now, he thought.

Ben stepped closer to her, “Another is that a receptionist walked in on us after a meeting, I’d picked you right up as soon as everyone walked out, couldn’t keep my hands off you for more than a second. I’d torn off your blouse and marked the hell out of you, just completely covering you in marks. Didn’t even stop when she walked in, they said.”

“Oh god, Ben” she moans, as he works away at her collarbones. His hands harsh on her waist as she pulls at his blonde locks. His stubble scrapes over her skin as he bites and sucks across her chest. “Careful baby,” he says, “don’t want someone to hear…”

Amanda snaps back to reality, when she realizes Ben has settled himself right in front of her. Ben licks his bottom lip, watching Amanda. Those pretty lips, he thinks. Those eyes.

“Imagine that? Being so caught up in each other we don’t even stop…”

Amanda can feel her chest pounding, her breath nearly catching in her throat.

“Even now, people probably think I’ve just pulled you away... because I can’t keep my hands off you for a goddamn second.”

She felt his hands hovering her hips, gingerly setting them there as he pulled her to him. He was trying to be careful, so damn careful as to not to break the moment.

“I could just… pin you against this wall, effortlessly. Take you slow, just so I can get a damn good look at you. So I could just feel you.”

The look in his eyes was sinful, intense. It wasn’t a story anymore, he was telling her exactly what he wanted to do.

She slowly wrapped her hands around his biceps, biting her lip gently.

Ben nearly moans, the sight is boarderline erotic. You’ll be the end of me, he thinks.

“You really think that’s what they’re saying?” She whispers, low and sultry, “or is that what you want, Ben?”

Ben bowed his head, lips directly by her ear, “what do you think?”

“Braxton!”

The two startled, and turned towards the voice. Silas was coming down the hallway, completely oblivious. “Tyler’s looking for you, something about clearing up the rumour-...”

Silas slowly halted in his step, taking in the situation. A smile creeps to his face, and he puckers his lips to stifle a smile, “Am I-uh, interrupting something?”

Amanda and Ben turned back to each other, separating themselves quickly. They struggled to find words to explain themselves, avoiding eye contact with each other.

“No Silas, you’re not.” Amanda stammers. “Um, I’ve gotta go find Natalie. Just gonna-uh talk to her about some things.”

Amanda looks between the two men, then hustles past Silas trying to act as composed as she can.

Once she’s out of sight, Ben scowls at Silas.

“Are you kidding me Wilson?”

Silas howls with laughter, hands over his chest. Ben groans, “you idiot! You have the worst damn timing!”

Silas continues to laugh and tries speaking through tears, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I just can’t believe it took you stupid drama to make a damn move. So much for just rumours.”

Silas continues his beltering down the hall with Ben mumbling, “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you” as he follows.

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