#ben barnes appreciation week

[cyberball]

cair paraval

caspian x reader / no pronouns used / not rq

warnings: a couple swears, physical touch (as in not 18+ but still), mention of the word 'dress' but you can interpret that as any type of dress really

summary: you decide to reminisce on a select few memories of the beach at cair paraval in your room, one morning.

genre: yes it is fluffy but there's some slow burn/yearning thing going on, allusion to a modern!au in narnia, although u can assume it’s the same

notes: cyberball comeback! *crickets* anyway this is my highest word count thus far. ben barnes is actually fatal cuz now I'm obsessed with a character from my CHILDHOOD who I completely forgot even existed. alas, here we are, because caspian is a very very close second to Leo valdez, and I'm head over heels for that man. all this is to say, this will probably not be the last caspian fic and who knows, maybe I'll figure sth out for peter n ed as well!!! anyway enjoy i hope u like it

11:03 | 2896 words

11:45 AM

The spring breeze brushes against your face, and your eyes close in appreciation. From your balcony, the beach of Cair Paraval looks stunning; clear blue waters and a high tide to match. You let your thoughts linger on all the nights you’ve spent on said beach with a certain king of Narnia. You almost get up to try to find him, but you sit back down, realizing he must be busy. Your memories will have to sustain you for now.

4:23 AM – 1 month ago

Caspian’s hand came up to brush his hair out of his face for what seemed like the hundredth time that night – the sea breeze was relentless. You silently laughed at his efforts, as he leaned back into you, having given up on trying to tame his hair. His tall frame had somehow managed to sit snugly in between your legs, Caspian’s head resting on your chest. You were leaning against an enormous oak tree, the leaves swaying in tandem with the wind.

“Get up, you big goof,” you said, rolling your nightshirt’s sleeves up, determined to help him with his hair. He looked back at you for just a second before obeying your command. You loved his hair either way but you could tell it was annoying him right about now.

“What, you don’t like the unruly look my hair has taken on?” He asked, sitting up properly. You shook your head in amusement and looked away under his glance, pretending to look around for the clip you always kept on you, in case a predicament like this arose.

You gathered a little of his hair and tied it in place with the clip, letting a few pieces in the front fall out. The half-up-half-down look was his and your favorite.

He rested his head back onto your shoulder, looking ahead, the two of you still sitting. You had a ritual wherein you took one night each week to watch the sunrise. Now, even as the sun slowly woke up, the Narnian night sky glittered with tens of stars, and you wished you could look into his eyes. The black always reflected the light perfectly.

You two had been dating for about 2 weeks now. Caspian was your best friend and the person you trusted the most. Back when all you could think of on nights like these was your imagination of what it would feel like to have his lips against yours, looking into his eyes was a gesture far too intimate for two friends to share.

But now that it was a reality, you moved him off your shoulder and moved forward, so now you were facing him. On instinct, he picked you up by your thighs and placed you on his lap. Giggling, you took his stubble-covered face in your hands. After staring into your eyes for a length of time most people would find uncomfortable, he looked up at the sky. And there it was; the sky condensed into his eyes. He looked back up at you, and you couldn’t help but kiss him. You wondered how you ever lived without knowing the taste of his lips.

5:09 PM – 3 months ago

The sun filtered through your hair as you managed to push through it. It was setting, and the horizon looked particularly capturing today; pink and orange clouds shielding its light. Speaking of the sun, unbeknownst to you, yours had come up behind the spot you had claimed on the sand. Placing a kiss on your head – and consequently making butterflies fly around in your stomach – Caspian took the place next to you, as he often did.

More often, he’d only made rare appearances in your solitude, as the mantle of being king had taken its toll on his free time. You had found yourself reminiscing on the time when every other free second you both had, you would spend with each other. You would train together as well, and while that hadn’t necessarily stopped, he had significantly less time to do so. So you missed it, and you missed the close contact, where you could pass off the hitched breaths and stuttering glances as something other than what they were.

Caspian was your best friend. Nothing more, although you found yourself coveting the same. You don’t quite remember when it changed; when the way you looked at him turned from friendly appreciation to lingering on his smile. You felt that maybe he felt the same when he’d make you laugh and then drink in your reaction; when you showed him a new dress and his gaze lingered on you for far more time than was needed to look at the dress; when, a few days ago, you were playing with his hair, as you often did, and he unabashedly stared at your lips; and even now, when he kissed your head and instinctually rested his hand on yours. His thumb caressed your palm, and you had to physically restrain yourself from melting onto the beach.

At least then you could be washed away with the sea. You could feel his gaze on you. “What, idiot?” You asked him, not turning to look at him, a playful smile playing on your lips. “That’s no way to address your king,” he replied smoothly with a smirk of his own. You wanted to wipe it right off his stupid, pretty face.

As happy as you were with his presence next to you, you didn’t forget how your getaways to the beach were much frequent just you now instead of you both. “Sorry, Your Majesty,” you muttered sarcastically. You winced as his face fell at your tone, immediately regretting your words, knowing how he literally had no time for anything other than his duties. You couldn’t be mad at him for that. He beat you to the apology, “I am sorry. I know I have seen you less and less these past few weeks, and it’s not an excuse, merely a reason, but my work as king has taken up most if not all my time. Regardless, I could have made time for you. Aslan knows you’re much more important to me than anything else,” he spoke the last words under his breath, but you caught them.

You both had talked about this before – how much you meant to each other – but every time he brought it up, your heart beat just a little bit faster. “Cas, don’t be sorry. I know you’re busy and it’s selfish of me to be mad at you for that. I’m sorry,” you replied, looking away. “You’re not being selfish. You’re the least selfish person I know. You’ve done nothing wrong here,” he said softly, pushing your hair behind your ears. A hue of red dusted your cheeks at the gesture and you smiled up at him, “It’s okay, Cas,” you assured him and noticed his eyes crinkling at the nickname, “Just promise to meet me whenever you can,” you said, playing with his fingers. “Yes, I know, I will use all my free time on you. You don’t have to tell me twice,” he says, a glint in his eyes. You laughed amusedly, “You’re a good king, you know,” and he searched your eyes for any sign of a lie. He didn’t find it, even behind your teasing tone. “Just because I dedicated my free time to you?” he questioned and you pretended to think, “Hmm… yes.” Laughing

, you rested your head on his shoulder. You were happy to have him, even if your affections could only be as intimate as best friends.

2:58 AM – 2 months ago

You had just made a particularly hilarious joke, and Caspian had been laughing about it for what seemed like ages. “My god, calm down,” you managed to say through your own laughter, and he silently brought his forehead down to your shoulder, his own shoulders shaking from laughter.

After finally calming down, he said, “Never do that again,” a smile still brilliant on his face, despite the dim moonlight filtering through the clouds. “What, never make you laugh again?” you grinned, sucking your teeth, “sounds like a challenge to me. I’m too funny,” you joked, running your hand through your hair. Out of the corner of your eyes, you saw Caspian roll his eyes at you, and you wordlessly shoved him for it.

“That cloud looks like your hair in the morning,” you pointed out, gesturing to a cloud by the sea line. Caspian looked at you with an unamused face, “Ha-ha. Very funny,” he replied deadpan, but a grin eventually broke out on his face.

A long, comfortable silence stretched out between the two of you. You carefully rested your head on his shoulder and tried to take this for what it was: two friends enjoying each other’s company, and not letting your thoughts wander to a hope where maybe, someday, you could be more than that. Because it could never be. Caspian did a great job of reminding you of the fact when he piped up, “Today was sort of terrible,” and in response, you looked up at him through your lashes, beckoning him to continue. “The court is back at it with the marriage proposals and potential alliances,” he explained, and your heart dropped.

Oh. “Any of the potential matches interest you?” you questioned, silently hoping the answer was no. Regardless, you braced yourself for the impact, but he replied, very softly, might one add, “No,” and ran a hand through his hair. “Really?” you asked in an unamused tone, “none of them?” you were a tad bit eager to know his true feelings. So he pointed it out, “Desperate, are we? Why do you want to see me married off so quickly?” he asked, a smirk playing on his annoyingly pretty face. There was a sort of desperation in his eyes that you didn’t quite catch, however.

“Of course not, Your Highness,” you teased, “Curse me for wanting to see my king happy,” and rolled your eyes. “And anyway, it’s quite the opposite,” you muttered under your breath, sure that he wouldn’t hear it, but he did.

Fuck. He understood what you meant by it as well; he always did, and now he looked at you with something newfound in his eyes. Shit.

Silence. Why wasn’t he saying anything?

“That is the last thing that would make me happy,” he finally spoke, and you silently sent up a prayer to whichever god let him ignore whatever you had said.

“And what would?” you asked, a teasing tone in your voice, but you both knew you genuinely wanted to know. Were you a possibility?

He didn’t reply. You chuckled softly and slightly shoved him, “What? I asked you something,” you said, still giggling. Your laughter had brought a smile to his face and you wanted to evaporate.

He took one of your hands and started absentmindedly playing with your fingers, as he often did. “I just… it’s a little funny to me how many times I’ve asked you that same question and you’ve not responded,” he confessed, black eyes staring you down, and then moving away when you hesitated in responding. “We tell each other everything,” a pause, “Right?” he asked, and hundreds of unsaid feelings poured into the small gap between you two, which he was slowly but surely closing. All the while his hands were still on yours, and you wondered if this was it. The day you finally get to call him yours, or the day you part ways.

“Caspian…” was all you managed, a little choked. Had his face always been so close to yours? You swore you could feel the beat of his eyelashes on your face, which was no doubt painted deep red right about now. It didn’t matter, because so was his.

You never knew eyes could speak like this – albeit, Caspian’s had always been able to, but never to this degree – begging, desperation, and hope, all in just two pupils. You literally were choked now; words had left you. You always told him, in matters of romance, you would never be able to make the first move. He had always laughed at that, the irony of you being such a bold and fearless person, yet being afraid of showing vulnerability like this. Although he himself could never chide you about that; both of you knew his stubbornness, especially in affairs of the heart.

He was not a daft man. A little oblivious, sure, but he knew the way you looked at him. You hadn’t tried to hide it either; in some masochistic way, even though you had your doubts about his feelings, you still wore yours on your face. You regretted it sometimes, when if he ended up listening to his court one day, then you would feel like a fool for putting your heart out on the line.

But so had he. Later on, you would realize that you were much more oblivious than him. He had half the decency to never completely assume that you were interested in him romantically, but he knew you. And you knew him.

So it made sense now to you. His lingering glances, especially those on your lips; the forehead kisses, which he had started a long time ago before you thought of him this way – however, they had grown much more frequent and much less chaste; and, oh. The words he said to you just a couple of days ago, lounging in his bed, your head in his lap, when you had joked about him being in love with you, “I’m not going to deny it.” You knew when he was joking. This was not such an instance, even though, immediately after, he tried to play it off as such. You knew it. Why hadn’t you said something?

Your name fell from his lips now, once more, a silent plea.

His lips ghosted over yours once more. You closed your eyes briefly, as you did when in a predicament, and exhaled hard.

Caspian sent up a prayer to whichever god would take it and made to connect your lips. You met him halfway.

You remember the first kiss like the back of your hand. You just about whimpered when his taste reached your tongue; the taste of the chocolate you both had snuck just a few minutes earlier was fresh on his lips. His rather large hands steadied you by your waist, and you still felt like crumbling by his touch.

A few seconds later, you pulled away reluctantly, out of breath. His eyes slowly fluttered open and his face was redder than you had ever seen it. You grinned and pecked his lips once more, and he felt your smile on him. It wasn’t a feeling he thought he’d ever experience.

Giddy, he mirrored your smile and kissed you harder than the last time.

“I knew you had a thing for me,” you said, right after he pulled away, breathless and smiling. “I’m not going to deny it,” he gloated, and you rested your forehead on his shoulder, laughing.

You were going to deal with the court some other day. It was just you and him right now.

11:56 AM – Present time

“Enjoying the weather, my love?” Caspian’s voice sounds out as his arms wrap around your torso. You slightly crane your head to look at him, shamelessly staring at his frame; simple white button-up, black pants. A rather handsome look on him.

“Your pick-up lines have always been terrible,” you remark, turning your head back around, a smirk on your face.

“And yet you were just checking me out,” he shoots back, resting his chin on the top of your head. You roll your eyes in response. “Checkmate?” he teases.

“Whatever. You can hardly blame me when you look this good,” you respond smoothly, turning around to face him while raising a hand to play with the ends of his hair.

“Have you seen yourself?” he says comfortably. His hands are resting easy on your hips and his gaze is on you, focused like you hung the stars in the sky. He always looks at you like this.

You shake your head, silently laughing, and crane your head to look out at the waters. It’s true that no one loves the sea quite like Caspian does, but that’s the very reason you appreciate it. His eyes light up when he talks of his adventures and voyages. Interestingly enough, there have only been two instances when the joie de vivre shines in his eyes; once when he thinks of the sea, and twice when he thinks of you. You’ve noticed it. The thought gets you giddy each time.

There’s a comfortable silence between the two of you. He places a kiss on your head and leans down to kiss your lips. Every time he does, it feels like the first time. Your eyes flutter close, and you notice something more in the way his lips move against yours. A message.

And then you realize.

Three words.

He pulls away, exhaling softly. A pause.

“I love you,” he says, your name on his lips like it always belonged there.

You waste no time. “I love you too, Caspian,” and he grins.

You mean it. And Aslan knows he means it too.

tagging: @noorie101 @padfootagain (one of my fav cas writers <3) — if u wanna be tagged please send in an ask!

[daenerysbeauty]

i went to ben barnes sept 22 london concert and here's some highlights:

sang his ep, some unreleased songs, "jealous guy" by john lennon, "river" by bishop briggs, and "you got a friend in me"

for "you got a friend in me" he brought his dad out to play guitar. his mom was also in the audience.

anna popplewell, freddy carter, and jessie mei li came out to support him and were just chilling in the audience ( though unfortunately i didn't realize this until after ).

this man is a dork who showed us the "lumos" trick to get your phone to light up. bonus, beforehand he asked us if we liked harry potter and the way you could feel the audience get excited but also nervous cause we know he knows he's fancast sirius black lol.

while talking between songs he mentioned he'd sing more than just his own songs, someone in the audience asked why, and he said "cause i've only got 5 songs and you're here for two hours" 😂

was very sweet talking about his original music and how he wanted to create positive messages about love and loving yourself and appreciating life's moments

seemed so grateful and looked like he was tearing up at a few moments

was incredibly sweet with his bandmates. he mentioned everyone by name multiple times and gave them time to solo perform. he thanked them all at least once. kevin burke opened for the concert and talked about having publicly come out as bi earlier that week and said that ben had known for awhile and supported him. we love a bi king and an ally!

ben was just so genuine!! like not only incredibly talented but he seemed so sweet and down to earth and thrilled to be there.

HE SAW ME! he -saw- me! i know he saw me because i was relatively close to the stage ( few "rows" back ) and when he was closing and singing across the stage, i lifted up my hands in a heart symbol, and like a minute later when he finished the song he made a heart symbol at the audience and i was the -only- one who had done that so i -know- he saw me do it and then did it to the audience. 💗

[pinchofhoney]

my own worst enemy

gif is not mine, credit to the owner

ben barnes x celebrity!reader

word count: 3.1k

warning: mental illnes (depression), mention of drinking alcohol, language, angst, comfort

summary: Sometimes all you need is to lie in silence as your person holds you together. Especially when the world is once again flooded with gray and you see nothing on the horizon to herald a uncloud.

requested by: @wolfmoonmusic​

a/n: the moment i read this request, the idea immediately began to sprout in my head. i hope i succeeded in the challenge even if the mentioned topic is not easy. i was a little bit guided by my own emotions transferring them to the reader, so i hope it came out authentically. i borrowed the title from this robert pettersson song. every like and reblog is very much appreciated!!<33 the next thing i’d like to post will be a little valentine's surprise, so stay tuned!!

english is not my first language, excuse me for any mistakes

“Still no answer?”

“No” Ben replied, nervously walking around his trailer, when the call was again switched to voicemail. He was in Yorkshire, England working on his new film The Critic and a cell phone at the moment was the only medium to contact you as you stayed in your apartment in Los Angeles. But why was he desperately trying to reach you in the first place, having previously asked for a break during the shoot?

One of your best friends was the reason why.

Amita Suman called him.

You two met in the first year of London acting and drama school – Academy of Live and Recorded Arts. On the very first day of class, you felt a certain thread of communication between you and from then on you were almost inseparable. For this reason, she knew everything about you, or at least the great majority. She even knew more than your boyfriend, which in most cases was a huge advantage. Sometimes, however, it was the complete opposite, and the fact that Amita knew Ben very well didn't improve the situation at all. And this was also the case this time.

This was one of those weeks.

Weeks? It was one of those months.

Months in which, despite systematically taking medication, you again felt as if you deserved nothing and no one. You have been heavily overstimulated in recent months, which has only made things worse for you. As a result of taking a job with Pedro Pascal on the newly announced HBO series, My Dentist's Murder Trial, you've been working more than sleeping. As a newly prosperous actress, new to the world of movies in a serious way, you wanted to please every producer who offered you a job. You wanted to be the best version of yourself, the one who doesn't let others down and who can be trusted because no matter the project, she gives one hundred per cent of herself. That's the way you were raised, and despite being told over and over again in therapy that the world won't collapse if you allow yourself some rest, you haven't been able to change that.

But usually you were able to handle it. Years of strict treatment from your mother have allowed you to master adopting a fake mask to perfection, but it never reflected well on you.

This was also the same this time.

After long hours on set, you were sick of everything. But it wasn't the usual exhaustion that affects every adult having a hard day at work. You felt like isolating yourself from everyone. You didn't answer the phone or reply to any messages, unless they were related to your dream job, for which you had worked for a long time and which had recently turned into a nightmare. Every day, when you got home, you locked the door of your place and, without turning on any light, immediately headed for the kitchen. More and more often, you took larger doses of medication than you should have, and also reached for alcohol immediately afterwards, thinking that this was the only thing that would keep your thoughts occupied and allow you to get up again the next day and make it to the set on time.

Earlier this month, Ben flew to England, where he was supposed to start work on a new film. Given your recent condition, it was very much to your advantage that he was over eight thousand kilometres away from you. He knew about your problems, but still, you didn't like to show that something was wrong. This was also closely related to your childhood, when your mother would marginalise and belittle your problems, telling you to go to your room and stop ‘complaining’.

Still, when Ben was in the city and you could meet him at your spare time, you felt better. Much better. He was one of the two people you let into your chaos.

The other person was Amita.

The evening before Ben's flight to his homeland, you were on a date. You managed to get back from work sooner that day, as you only had a script reading scheduled with the rest of the cast. Your relationship was no secret, however, you valued your privacy. Occasionally, you added photos of you together to your social media profiles, but these often didn't portray you as a couple. You didn't like it when you were only mentioned when talking about Ben. You didn't go to the London School of Acting for so long that now your name was only mentioned when Barnes' name is brought up.

Unfortunately, the large majority of people didn't seem to share your perspective on your relationship, and the biggest problem was Ben's fans. You knew how much they meant to him and how much they mean to him. After all, it was also thanks to them that his career had flourished so much. But you were hurt by the comments you received from them, and they came every time you appeared in the media together. There have been times when you've been forced to turn off the ability to comment on your photos on Instagram because the amount of negative comments was starting to weigh you down. The profiles from which these comments were coming usually had a picture of Ben in the profile picture, and the name was either about Ben or about any of his characters. You didn't understand why the people who should theoretically be enjoying his happiness were dragging you down.

Ben, on the other hand, did not read any comments. He didn't bother with them. Sometimes he wasn't even the one to add posts to his social media – he had people for that. For this reason, he was not fully aware of what you were facing. When you mentioned to him that, again, benbarnswife claims that you two are not a good match he would only tell you not to pay attention to it, because, after all, it doesn't really matter anyway.

But for you it meant a lot.

You were sitting in your apartment, and the only source of light was a standing lamp in the corner of the living room. You were sitting on the couch with your dog's head on your thigh. In one hand you held a glass half-full of wine, while in the other you held your phone, where you read the comments under a photo of Ben, you added a few days ago. The photo was taken on the day before his flight, while walking through one of the larger bookstores in the city.

forbarnes lmaooooo she added his photo without her on itttttt she knows she’s ugly & fat juliebvrnes she really think she deserves him 🤣 biIlyrss0 he looks so done with her 💀 inlovewithdarkling SO IN LOVE WITH THIS!!!! bennn__ my husband barneswife kys<33333 lmao

You locked your phone screen and tossed it to the side, which scared your dog. You took a big sip of wine and, wiping your mouth with the sleeve of Ben's sweatshirt you were wearing, got up from the couch.

“I’m done of this shit, Rocky…” you said to your dog and dragging your feet walked to the kitchen to fill your glass with drink.

This was the first time you stopped answering calls even from your best friend. You just watched as the number of missed calls and unread messages from Amita had been growing for three days. Normally, she would have barged into your apartment after the first few rejected calls, regardless of whether you were inside or not. She had extra keys. Unfortunately, she was also several hundred kilometers away from you, busy with her work.

After pouring wine into your glass, you turned off all the lights and headed straight to the bathroom, where you began filling the tub with warm water. You needed a rest, and the alcohol seemed to have stopped working. So you reached for the traditional ways of relaxation – a bath in hot water full of foam. You took off your clothes, tossing Ben's sweatshirt into the washing machine, and looked in the mirror stretched on the wall in front of you. You ran your hand over your stomach, then looked into your tired face. You had the thought that you had lost a few pounds recently, but you couldn't find that one reason for your weight loss. A return of bad mood? Constant work-related stress? Maybe something else you didn't even realize? You sighed and took a check-up look at the water level in the bathtub. You reached for a brush and combed your hair, then tied it into a messy bun on top of your head.

You slowly entered the bathtub and after just a moment turned off the tap, deciding that there was already enough water. You dipped down to your chin and breathed deeply. You tilted your head back slightly, closing your eyes. It was pleasant, you felt the warmth of the water wrap around your entire body, and your tense muscles began to relax.

You didn't even notice when the alcohol in your veins combined with the temperature of the water made you feel breathless. Nor did you register the moment you lost consciousness.

When you opened your eyes again you were completely underwater. Panicked, you immediately wanted to take a breath in, which only caused pain in your respiratory tract. Without any hesitation, you emerged from the water and, pushing away the hair stuck to your face, you started coughing, leaning out of the tub.

When you felt all the water leave your throat and windpipe leading to your lungs, you began to take nervous gulps of air. Confused, you looked around the still-foggy bathroom. You didn't know what had really happened, or how long you had been under that water. You didn't even know if what had just happened was even possible. After all, it was not once said that people drowned after falling asleep while bathing. You were very lucky.

Helping yourself with trembling hands, you lifted yourself out of the tub. You reached for your towel and, wrapping yourself in it, sat down on the bathroom rug, beginning to cry hysterically. You were terrified by the situation, and the fact that no one was by your side didn't make you feel any better at all. When you finally calmed down, you felt that the temperature in the room decreased and goosebumps began to appear on your skin. You got up from the floor and quickly put on your pajamas. After what had happened, you felt as if all the alcohol had evaporated from your body. You opened the bathtub drain so that the water could flow out of it, and on your still shaking legs you left the bathroom.

“Rocky?” you called out to your dog with a weak voice. Fortunately, he heard you well and after just a moment you saw a young dalmatian walking towards you. “Come on, it's bedtime, baby” you pet the dog's head and went with him to the bedroom. When Ben wasn't with you for the night, Rocky was happy to take his place, occupying the great majority of the bed in the meantime. You didn't mind though, you liked to feel someone's presence at night, even if it was just your dog.

The next day you didn't show up at the location where you were supposed to shoot the next few scenes. That night you didn't sleep at all. Not only did you not have the strength to do anything, but the headache caused by an excess of wine and antidepressants made its presence known. First thing in the morning you called the producer, saying that you were feeling terrible and that you must have caught some kind of illness. He wasn't happy, but what else could he do? After all, he wouldn't forcibly drag you out of the apartment, and anyway he had no reason to be angry, because you had never failed him before.

You spent the whole day in bed. You had no appetite, so despite the audible burbling in your stomach and the accompanying feeling of hunger, you didn't eat anything. The only times you left the bedroom were your trips to the toilet, or quick walks with Rocky.

Late in the evening you heard someone banging on the door. It started out as knocking on the door and waiting patiently for an answer, but it quickly turned into a nervous pulling on the handle. Your dog reacted immediately. After just a few knocks he was at the door, barking. You weren't expecting any visitors, mainly because the only two people who could pay you a visit were in another state, or even – country. Reluctantly, you rose from the bed, realizing that the intruder on the other side of the door was not going to let go.

“I'm coming!” you called out to calm the unannounced visitor. You sighed deeply as you walked through the apartment and saw all the mess inside.

You finally turned the key in the lock, and to your eyes was seen none other than your boyfriend, who at that very moment should have been in Yorkshire. Seeing him, you only furrowed your eyebrows, not knowing what he was doing here. Did you miss some message? Possibly. You took a few steps back the moment the man, with concern painted on his face, entered the apartment. Being already inside, he closed the door behind him and immediately took you into his arms.

“Ben? What are you doing here?” you muttered into the fabric of his coat which he was wearing, embracing him with your arms after a while.

“I was so worried…” he said, stroking your hair as if he didn't believe you were safe and sound.

“W-why?” you asked confused. What could he be worried about? After all, no one knew about the events of the previous night. You didn't let anyone know about them, and your dog, of course, couldn't pass on the information.

Ben pulled away from you at arm's length. All the while holding you by the shoulders he looked at you carefully. “Amita said she has had no contact with you for three days. She told me that things haven't been very good with you lately… Why didn't you say anything?”

“I-” you didn't know what to answer him. You saw concern in his dark eyes. On top of that, he held you as if he was about to lose you forever.

You haven't even noticed that Rocky is persistently trying to get your attention. He loved Ben and didn't understand why the man was ignoring him.

“I didn't want to worry you…” you finally stutter out.

“Worry me? Love, I tried to reach you yesterday. You don't even know how it worried me. What's happening with you?”

“What are you even doing here?” you answered with a question to a question, not wanting to tell him about what you've been going through lately. “You should-”

“Don't change the topic” he said more harshly than he intended. However, he quickly recanted and muttered an apology under his breath. He took your hand and led you to the living room, where you both sat on the couch. He didn't even take off the coat he came in. “I arrived on the first plane I could”

Hearing his words made you even more stunned. What did he meant, he got away from the set? You saw him looking around the interior of the apartment, he must have noticed the chaos inside already at the entrance. After all, he had never seen anything like this at your place before.

“Is this one of those episodes?” he asked, unsure of the words he was choosing.

“I've been feeling worse lately” you finally started. Ben slipped his outerwear off his shoulders and threw it over the back of the couch, then focused all his attention on you again. “I don't know if it's the medications that stopped working or if I'm just exhausted from everything… I didn't want to worry you, I've always handled things on my own. It would be fine eventually”

“Eventually? Y/N, who am I to you?”

“What?” you asked, being surprised by the question Ben put to you.

“Just answer – who am I to you?”

“You-you know you’re the most important person in my life”

“Am I? Because lately I don't feel that way at all. How many times did you call me during this month while I was in England? Zero, Y/N, not even on-”

“O-okay, if you are going to get angry with me then just get out of here” you interrupted him, getting up from your seat. Tears began to gather in your eyes. Ben's words made you feel worse instead of feeling better around him. You stood in front of him, looking at him the whole time, fighting with yourself not to cry.

“No. No, I’m sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that, sorry” he replied, also getting up from the couch. “My point is that I would like you to be honest with me. That you wouldn't be afraid to tell me how you feel. I am here for you, Y/N. Even being thousands of miles away, you can count on me, love” he grabbed your hands, taking a step closer to you.

“It's not that easy, Ben…” you replied, slightly hanging your head and sticking your eyes on your hands.

“I know. I know, love” he let go of one of your hands and lifted your chin with his thumb so you could look at him. With his other thumb, he began to smooth the skin on your hand. “Just try to do it, okay?” he asked while looking straight into your eyes. You felt like running away with your eyes to the side, as the weight of his dark gaze began to make you shy. You swallowed your saliva, then nodded in agreement with his words.

“I am glad you are safe. Amita had such a frightened voice on the phone that I began to think of only black scenarios myself” he snorted a quiet laugh, resting his forehead on the one belonging to you.

“I'm sorry, I will never worry you again. I promise…” you promised, remembering the fear that accompanied you yesterday. No matter how bad you felt, you needed both Amita and Ben, because they were the only ones who could help you, in case you didn't have the strength to fight on your own.

[msclaritea]

The Bhaghra had the best lines in Shadow and Bone.

"What is infinite? The universe and the greed of men."

"You've had me stuck in this hellhole for weeks and I still look better than you."

"Suffering is as cheap as clay and twice as common."

"Stupid boy."

Is there a season 3? There needs to be one because I don't get Nina being kept apart from her beloved Slab of fur.

Inej and Kaz are driving me nuts. I love it.

I like the world building in Shadow and Bone. It's such a strong self-contained world where you can't even tell what year it is, not even by the costumes, which are pretty cool.

And when I say fashion..

I mean FASHION. I want everything Inej wears.

The action on Shadow and Bone is also freaking awesome. Great fights; epic battles, like Kaz going it alone or the Crows when they confront Sankta Neyar. Ben Barnes is even more deliciously evil. I also appreciate that the show keeps gore to a lower level. It made the Season 2 finale that much more jaw dropping.

So many questions. Will Inej find her brother? How does the new King hide his taint? Will the Sun Summoner have an evil villain arc? Definitely needs to be a third season.

[lady-alicents]

barnes-bens ⇨︎ lady-alicents

Changing to celebrate Alicent Hightower appreciation week Gonna back soon to Bens url after sab will air

Tracking #userrins for now

[that-bwitch]

Day 2: Six favourite quotes

[madamrogersstorytelling]

Day 1: Seven favorite fanfics

I started to read fanfiction about Ben only a short while ago - I can tell it was exactly the moment I fell in love with him, everything about him; his personality, his looks, his performances, the way he just is who he is. There is something extremely inspiring in him, and I totally understand the amount of fanfiction I found while scrolling through Tumblr looking for something to read. I found a lot of good writings.

Ever since I’ve read lots of fics, most of them during nights before sleeping. I’m laying on my bed in darkness reading Ben Barnes fanfiction on Tumblr - what else could I wish for? All those people writig those fics have made me smile and cry and laugh and everything in between and it’s the best thing about being a part of a fandom.

It was nearly impossible to list only seven, and this order may not be exactly accurate. I’m going to say something about every fic so that people know why it is on my list.

1. A Recipe For Love by @padfootagain 

Caspian X/Reader, 12 chapters

“Your life was quiet, working in the Royal Kitchens and craving for a chance to become a cook. But your whole world changes when your eyes meet the King’s gaze…”

I instantly fell in love with this one. There was something magical in the first chapter that I read the second right after it and actually stayed up a bit too late. But I didn’t mind. The story goes on smoothly and with a comfortable pace, the character of the reader is relatable, and Caspian is charming as always. Carole has the talent to write Caspian; her Caspian is in character and in humanly way full of flaws and she shows him as the man he is when he doesn’t have his crown. That’s what I liked in this one: Caspian is written as the man he truly is, the man who knows and carries the weight of his responsibilities as the king of Narnia. But, at the same time, as a man who wants nothing more than to be with a girl he loves.

2. Lioness by @padfootagain

Caspian X/Reader, 6 chapters

“Caspian quickly understands that you are stronger than you look. But as his feelings grow for you, a threat spreads across Narnia as well, and your life is soon at stake. Will he be fast enough to save you? “

This caught my interest after I had finished all Carole’s one shots about Caspian. I could’ve put any of those to this list, I loved them all. What I liked about this one was how strong the character of the reader is. She knows how to use a sword and is not afraid to use it but she isn’t a cold character. As someone who would like to be someone who fights and takes care of herself (in short: I wouldn’t like to be a lady, a princess or anything like that, no. I’d rather be an outlaw, for instance. Quite a hard choice but I wouldn’t be able to live my life as a princess. Or then again, I could be the one who learns to fight and take care of herself. My dream is to be a Ranger of the North), I could relate to the character quite well and was able to imagine myself in her place. This series was exciting, it got me when bad things started to happen but I wasn’t able to stop smiling. And I cried during the last chapter. It was far too beautiful.

3. The Flue In the Summer by @padfootagain

Ben Barnes/Reader, a one shot

“When you come home sick, Ben is here to make sure that you will soon feel better.”

I’m the one who gets sick once during every winter, spring and fall, sometimes even summer. I catch a cold far too easily. (Hell, I think I’m going to be sick soon, my nose is weird...) So this was fun to read haha! Can I call Ben already to get ready for nursing me? I’d need someone like him to take care of me when I’m sick. This one shot is totally the cutest and fluffiest thing ever! When someone is in desperate need for fluff, this should be their go to fic because fluff guaranteed!

4. What's The Coffee For Today? by @that-bwitch​

Ben Barnes/Reader, a one shot

I’m a romantic even if I don’t always sound or seem like one. I like pretty things, happy things. And this was both. I also love coffee shops more than anything; if I lived in the city, I probably wouldn't do anything else, you'd meet me there every day. I've always dreamed of writing in a coffee shop but have never actually found one that was quiet enough. This, I could hear all the sounds and smell the coffee when I read this, I heard Ben's voice and saw his face. I imagined my favorite coffee shop here. But I love the ending. It left a long-lasting smile to my face. I surely will change my attitude towards coffee now haha!

5. Song For Tomorrows by @padfootagain

Ryan Brenner/Reader, a one shot

“Ryan is ready to stay for you, but this is Dangerous for your heart, and you prefer to let him go. But reading the song he wrote for you most definitely affects you.”

Ryan has a special place in my heart (I’ll probably write about this for another day). Finding fanfiction of him made me more than happy. This is actually the first fic I ever read about Ben Barnes and I can say, there is no turning back. There is everything a fic needs to have to make me cry. This is beautiful, this is sad, this is touching... I simply love this piece.

6. Show Me by @banditthewriter

Billy Russo/Reader, a one shot, contains smut

There was something in this one that caught me. It was probably this softer Billy. I love to see this side of him in fanfiction. In this one it is quite visible, he is willing to focus on the character of the reader, not himself. If I had a man like Billy, he would totally destroy me for everyone else. I’d be a goner. And definitely this softer side of him - although, I think I’d somehow get along with that one we see in The Punisher. I get along with strande kind of people. But yes, there is something in this piece, something about Billy in this one. I love him in this.

7. Scary Love by @hxbbit​

Billy Russo/Reader, 5 chapters, contains smut

This was one of the first Billy Russo fanfics I read. I feel like he is quite in character in this (it’s still hard for me to accept the fact that Billy is completely bad, even being a psychopath he is). I think there can still be a soft side of him, he has just hidden it under many layers of armor. And being one of the first ones, this makes me feel like I get the feeling back, the feeling I had about this character when I read this fic. I’m not gonna lie: I love Billy Russo, even though I probably should hate him. He is far too psychological and has an interesting backstory. All of that is visible in this story. This is also very beautiful in a quite tragic way.

—

I’ve read so many good fics that all of them should’ve gotten a mention. Had to leave so many good ones out of the list but there they still are, in my heart and I go back to them quite often. Thank you, writers, for your amazing fics! Continue writing, it’s visible that you’re enjoying it. Lots of love, everyone ❤️

Happy Ben Barnes week!

@benbarnesweek

[crowleying]

Day 4: my four favourite photoshoots

Once again it was hard to choose but here it is

Scotsman Magazine

No idea where this comes from

Salvatore Ferragamo Uomo

Hunger TV: The Rise and Rise of Ben Barnes

[fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-liar]

FUCK IT'S APPARENTLY COMMUNITY APPRECIATION WEEK AND NO ONE TOLD ME?????

[softtdaisy]

hi! congrats on ur milestone! could you write andrew x reader based on cate’s brother by maisie peters make it like extra fluffy??? pls and thank u very much

_cate's brother (or ben's brother actually)

andrew garfield x reader

based on: cate's brother by maisie peters

words: 973

a/n: i'm obssesed with this song!! it was so cool to be able to write a story about it. i imagined ben and andrew being around their twenties (and yes part of my brain kept mistaking andrew's brother ben for ben barnes but that's ok)💛

Join my 600 followers celebration 💛

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“[y/n] did you meet my brother?”

Since you started college, you’ve become best friends with Ben Garfield. You were both pretty close in age and had the same interest in movies and music. And also studying the same thing: meaning you would spend a lot of time together at the library for your work. It was cool to have a best-friend in a city where you knew nobody. You knew you could rely on him.

You heard him talk multiple times about his baby brother, Andrew. From what you knew, Andrew was passionate about acting and dreamt of becoming an actor. Ben told you he started playing some role on stage and that one day, you’ll have to hear the name Garfield all the time. You said you didn’t mind. Even though you were curious to see who Andrew was. 

Then it was Halloween and you were back home. You couldn’t miss the opportunity to organize a huge party for your favorite holiday. Your parents leave you the house for the week-end, meaning you could invite as many people as you wanted. And you did: high school friends, college friends… you wanted it to be huge. Some invited their own friends, colleagues or loved ones.

And Ben brought Andrew.

You turned around when you heard your best friend’s voice. And were now facing him, dressep up in a doctor costume. While his brother was wearing a Spider-man suit with the mask off. And thank god he didn’t have it. You could appreciate his beautiful face. If beautiful was a person, it would be Andrew.

“No I didn’t.” You finally replied, moving towards them. You kissed Ben’s cheek to greet him and did the same with Andrew, who put his hand on your back. “Nice to meet you, dear future movie star.” Andrew rolled his eyes and nudged Ben while laughing.

“I’ve only heard good things about you too if it can reassure you.” From the look he gave you, you knew he was telling the truth. You couldn’t stop looking at how messy his hair looked and how you wanted to brush it yourself. “Do you mind if I go smoking? Ben didn’t let me do so until I met you.”

The two brothers started arguing which made you laugh. If you appreciated Ben a lot, you knew you could love Andrew with your whole heart.

When they finished discussing his smoking decision, you decided to follow him outside. You talked about life, about passion and dream. Being around someone so passionate encouraged you to the most crazy thing. Like kissing Andrew’s lips you kept looking at when he was bringing his cigarette to them. They looked so pink, so juicy and sweet. 

He noticed how you kept looking at him. And when heard your friend calling your name, he took the opportunity to kiss you before you left. “In case I don’t see you again tonight.” 

Andrew was right, you didn’t get to see him much that night. But you saw him a lot the following weeks. As soon as he met you, he couldn’t stop thinking about you.

He came to Ben’s place only to come and see you every day. He would bring you breakfast when he knew you had the time and come to have lunch with you between your classes. He asked you to help him learn his script when he got casted in a new play. 

“Are you gonna last forever?” You had to ask him as the other character. And for a moment, everything stopped. Andrew looked at you, grinning. Was it a real question you were asking yourself? Yes. 

You never wanted this to end. You loved having Andrew around. You loved hearing him arguing with Ben about almost everything. You loved seeing them loving each other so much. 

You loved how he was always holding your hand in the most natural way. How he would kiss you every second if it was possible. 

You didn’t want Andrew to leave. But you knew that as more days passed, it would be harder to say goodbye if he decided he had enough. 

The night of his premiere, you went to see him with Ben. And when the character asked Andrew the same question, he gave her the same answer he gave you that day. “I’ll do my best for this to last forever my love.” But before he pronounced these words, he looked for you in the room. Making sure you would hear his answer one more time.

You greeted him with a bouquet of yellow flowers at the end of the show. He accepted him and hugged you tighter than he ever did. “I did it thanks to you!” He kept saying, as if Andrew wasn’t talented enough to succeed alone. 

When Ben wasn’t looking, Andrew kissed you. You loved how he did it without overthinking it. You missed his lips so bad these last days. But he immediately noticed your expression: a confused one. 

“I meant it.” He said, giving you another kiss. “I love spending these moments with you. I don’t want it to stop. I won’t let you down, I promise.” You could feel how honest he was but you couldn’t resist asking how you were supposed to trust him. You wanted to, of course you would love to start a beautiful relationship with Andrew. But you have been heartbroken too many times…

Andrew took your hand “Well. You already know my family which is a big step for me. But I can kiss you again in front of all my fans.” You laughed at his ego trip but let him kiss you again. And this time you heard Ben’s whistle and applauded from other people.

And that’s the story of how you started dating your best friend’s brother, Andrew Garfield. 

[breadbrobin]

batfam as things my friends have said ~ pt. 2

—

villain of the week, to dick: you have nice skin

dick:

steph:

votw: where did you get it? walmart?

dick, offended: i’m not that cheap!

steph, whacking them over the head: ITS GUCCI BITCH!

—

cass: sorry i had to start again my balloon popped

dick: are you cereal?

cass, deadpan: no i’m milk

—

steph, in the middle of a conversation: is that a cat??

tim: no it’s a chicken. anyway—

—

jason: dude your arms are really long look at that shit

dick: yeah i’m like an orangutan

—

talking about tumblr:

damian: that’s where all the cringey people are

tim: THE GAYS??!?

—

cass: my bread... my bread...

babs: what happened to your bread?

cass: it fell on the ground...

—

steph: ben barnes — what a man, but i’d bitch slap the darkling in a heartbeat

cass: agreed

cass: i don’t even like men and i can tell he’s hot

steph: exactly you can appreciate the art without wanting to fuck the painting

cass: that is a truly unique expression

steph: thank you :)

—

tim: i’m getting paid $5 for this

jason: ok but will $5 be enough to pay for your medical bills after i’m done with you?

—

tim, stopping talking halfway through a sentence: jesus christ what am i even on?

steph: i’m not sure what you’re on but can i have some?

tim: sure i think it’s called perfectionism and sleep deprivation

steph:

duke:

tim: it’s very addictive so be careful

duke: you are a menace to your own health and safety

tim: yeah i know :(

—

(credits to @piratejedi8175 quote book)

[luckycheesefoodie321]

Reading Shadow and Bone (the first book) just confirmed for me that I’m a Malina shipper…

As someone who jumped into the series after watching the first season of the show, this first book is very slow paced.

It’s clear that the show combined a few elements across different books and the spin offs, which is fair enough and worked well but I did get a touched bored bc the whole middle of the book was just Alina training and being moody.

In the show, they threw Alina and the Darkling together A LOT more than the book, which makes him more sympathetic (also he’s played by Ben Barnes so my natural love of him warred with my overall dislike of Darklina)… which again not a bad thing and I already clued in he wasn’t all that he said he was, so it wasn’t a shock that he turned on her at the end… but he was also was very immediately into Alina from the get-go… in the book I was more convinced that the Darkling was the bad guy and was manipulating her because they were literally barely around each other and the kiss was abrupt and out of nowhere. He mostly seemed disappointed Alina wasn’t naturally inclined towards him and sympathetic of him from the beginning, but he seduced her and tried to reach out to her bc he was a tired near-immortal who wanted companionship in the ensuing centuries and Alina would be that for him (which they did allude to in the show)…

But the Malina moments felt just as potent, even if they portrayed it slightly differently and I was IN. TO. IT.

In the show we get to see Mal and his trials and he’s a lot more affectionate, like he’s already become aware of his feelings for her even if he had yet to accept them, until she got taken away.

In the book, because it’s from Alina’s POV, she doesn’t see any of it, even if there were hints of his real feelings in the beginning when he has a quiet moment with her in the middle of the night and tells her it’s always been them against the world. But when it’s just her, alone, dealing with the trials of the Little Palace (which were so much more expanded upon in the book - it went a touch too long but it really did a much better job of portraying her feelings and what she went through than the show did. I WANT MORE BOTKIN DAMMIT) you don’t have that moment in the show where you know Mal loves her and when she succumbs to her feelings for the Darkling bc she thinks Mal doesn’t care and you’re like “nooo Alina he’s coming for you!”

Instead he meets her for the first time, they get in a bitter argument that reeks of petty jealousy and underlying hurt and unrequited love but they’re both oblivious. Then Alina runs away and Mal appears to save her and has gone so far to defect from the Army and you’re almost not expecting it.

And then after weeks of silence and trekking, he can’t help but softening up and slipping into their familiar rhythm and intimacy, despite his anger and confusion and then he bursts out with all his feelings and his confession was so powerful I loved it. (Not to mention the freaking letter!!!)

And I’m so glad they kissed in this book. I was so mad they didn’t in the show but also I kinda understood it.

Anyway here’s some of my fave Mal moments!

Like: I know he kinda rolled over in his sleep to cuddle her and she let it happen, BUT WHEN DID THEY ESTABLISH SNUGGLING AS PART OF THEIR SLEEPING ROUTINE???? LIKE HE JUST NATURALLY RESUMES SNUGGLING HER

SO THIS READS LIKE HE KNEW ABOUT HER FEELINGS. that last line is so potent. Him just being struck by how much he missed her and unconsciously looking for her and realising she wasn’t there (´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`)

I do adore their dynamic. I always appreciate a friends to lovers. And him at some point realising that he’d had a read on her romantic feelings for him but bc he was ignorant of his own, he went off to be with other girls, and then when she was gone, he started kicking himself for wasting so much time and letting her go. That’s the kind of romantic angst I appreciate.

“SHE’S EVERYTHING YOU DUMB SON OF A BITCH”

I do like the True North imagery they put in the show but would’ve loved this slipped in there too!!

ANYWAY. CAN’T WAIT TO MEET MY CHAOS CHILDREN THE CROWS!!

[padfootagain]

Grumpy

Hi everyone! I'm back with a very cute little drabble for Christmas! We're one week away from Christmas, and I'll try to post a few of those little drabbles before the 25th!

This is a very cute, grumpy Ben with a cold! I hope you like this!

A little comment is greatly appreciated, if you have a second to spare!

Pairing: Ben Barnes x Reader

Word Count : 1672

Ben was grumpy.

It wasn't in his nature, and it wasn't in his character at all. He was a rather shy, goofy and quite adorable man with a mischievous sense of humour most of the time. There were only a few instances that brought him to a more bitter state of mind: the remnants of a hangover in the early morning, being stuck in traffic for a long time, and being sick.

And now, Ben was sick.

Nothing dramatic, but a seasonal cold that would have disappeared in a few days. But for the moment, Ben was in the dark phase of the disease.

A runny nose, a sore throat that was sometimes scratched with a rough cough, fever and a migraine that made him feel like someone was piercing his skull with needles. He had no energy for anything and was stuck in his bed, under a pile of blankets and pillows you had brought for him.

And it would have been bearable, had you been there with him to distract him from his miserable state, give him cuddles and bring him regular doses of his favourite tea. But you were at work, and he had to survive four more hours without you. And the more time he spent on his own, the grumpier he became.

It was snowing outside upon London, large snowflakes brightening the days of children and turning the old city into something a little enchanted, a little magical. Low clouds almost as white as the snowflakes they released hovered lazily above the tall buildings and worn-out stones, businessmen hurrying under the cold weather while the more innocent kinds carved faces for snowmen and threw snowballs at their friends. Cars of those reckless enough to try to drive through the city under this weather honked loudly, punctuating the rhythm of the city that never slowed down, especially at the approach of the holidays. And Ben would have loved the spectacle it offered, had he moved to his window to glimpse at the outside world. He would have dragged a chair by the window, and enjoyed a warm cup of coffee while watching peacefully as the snowflakes fell in his garden. Or perhaps, had you been there, he would have enjoyed looking at strangers running down the slippery street, imagining with you crazy lives for these people he didn't know. You would have found an astronaut in their midst for sure, you always did, for some reason. Ben's theory was that it was because of how much you loved the stars.

But again, you were not there, he was alone in your shared home with a buzzing brain that was slowly turning into jelly, and sore limbs, and a nose that wouldn't allow him to breathe. And now, the snow annoyed him, the cold weather the cause of his pain, after all.

He checked the time again, and heaved a desperate sigh as he counted – with much difficulty – how many more hours he had to survive through without you. He had never cursed your job more than now, as he grumpily mumbled a string of curses under his breath, wrapping himself even more in his blankets until the only part of him still visible was his forehead and messy dark hair.

He counted the minutes till you'd be back to fall back to sleep, and he spent most of his afternoon tossing around, somewhere between sleep and reality, in a daze that wasn't peaceful and didn't bring to his tired frame any rest. He reached for a book after a couple of hours, but the words written on the page required from him way too much concentration and his migraine got worse after only a couple of pages, so he discarded the item once again. He checked the time one more time.

He had two hours left.

He made an almost-unbearable effort to extract himself from the covers and finally head for the shower, figuring that some warm water would help.

And it did. The shower gave him enough energy to carry his set of pillows and blankets to the sofa instead, moving his mess to the living-room so he could watch some stupid things on the TV.

He spent most of the rest of his time alone watching some old episodes of Columbo, keeping an eye on the time while he waited for you, hoping you wouldn't be delayed by the snow on your way home, his mood darkening some more at the mere thought.

And when you finally walked in your shared home, Ben couldn't refrain a relieved sigh.

He waited for the sound of your keys to drop on the little bowl by the door, for the sound of the shuffling of fabric as you took off your scarf, beanie, gloves and coat, and finally the thud sound of your shoes being kicked off. Finally, the muffled thumping of your footsteps on the wooden floor echoed through the hall, and you appeared by his side, your hair a little wet because of the snow, but you still seemed warm and cosy in your warm jumper.

"How are you feeling, baby?" you asked in a soft voice, tilting your head in wonder, and Ben swore that he had never seen anything cuter in his life.

He let out a groan, pouting dramatically.

"I feel awful," he mumbled, letting out a grumpy growl and holding his cover closer to him.

You sat down by his side on the sofa, and rested the back of your hand against his forehead.

"You still have fever, babe," you told him in the softest voice you could muster, your fingers sliding from his forehead to his hair, soothingly travelling through the dark strands. "Have you taken a shower?"

He nodded, before sneezing very loudly, the noise echoing throughout the room, and letting out a frustrated groan.

"I hate being like this," he pouted.

"I know, love. But you need to rest to get better, that's all we can do. I'm gonna make you some tea with honey, it'll help, okay?"

You were about to get up when he quickly grabbed your wrist, pulling you back to your seat gently. The quick gesture seemed to exhaust him even more, but he didn't mind, for once.

"No, stay. You'll do that later."

"It would be good for you…"

"No, please. Please stay with me. I've waited for you all day. Just… stay."

His eyes were watery because of his cold, and his nose all red, and his cheeks flushed with fever, and he was poutier than ever, buried under three blankets. There was simply no way for you to say no to him.

And it was unsaid, right now, but it wasn't hard to read in his eyes that he meant to add I love you to his plea.

So, you settled properly in the sofa, opening your arms for him to snuggle into your side.

He heaved a sigh, finally relaxing, as he tucked his head in the crook of your neck.

"I hope you don't get sick holding me like that," Ben mumbled into your skin, his voice muffled and barely audible, but you were so used to his voice by now that it wasn't hard for you to decipher what he was whispering.

You smiled a tender smile, that he couldn't see and that you barely noticed yourself as it formed across your lips, but it didn't matter. It wasn't aimed at anyone in particular anyway. It was just how he made you feel all the time.

"Well, if I do catch your cold, you'll have to nurse me back to health too, then," you replied, making him chuckle, his first laughter of the day.

"That's a deal. Besides, I'm gonna be a little selfish here, but I need you too much now to really care if you get sick or not."

It was your time to laugh, and your heart was filled with love as you did so, the bright sound illuminating the whole room.

"Well, you're feeling very bad, so, I won't hold that selfish act against you," you reassured him, and Ben closed his eyes as you started running your fingers in his dishevelled hair again.

"Thanks. Because I really do feel awful."

You hummed, focusing on the TV before you, but only for a moment, as Ben spoke again. He had missed your voice too much during the day, after all. And if having you in his arms was already working wonders on his mood, still, he wanted you all to himself, and you seemed to give way too much interest to the crime show on TV.

"How was your day, baby?" he asked in a hoarse voice, before he would be shaken by a cough.

"It was okay, a bit long," you admitted as Ben settled back into your arms.

"Tell me everything that happened, please?" he asked, looking up at you with puppy eyes, and you could only let out a fond chuckle as you kissed his forehead and proceeded to tell him everything about your day at work.

"Well, Marjorie broke the coffee machine this morning, which was undoubtedly a good odd for the rest of the day!"

You went on for a long time, sometimes slowing down to a stop when Ben's eyes remained closed for a while, and you thought he had fallen asleep, but he kept on asking you to continue then, his eyes still closed, so you did. He did fall asleep though, once you had finished your story and settled back in a comfortable silence with him nestled in your arms. You didn't mind, despite your position growing a little uncomfortable after a while. You watched TV while Ben caught up on some most needed sleep, a soft snore coming out of him once in a while making you smile fondly at him.

Yes, Ben was grumpy when he was sick. But then again, sometimes, he wasn't that grumpy, even if sick, for as long as he had you.

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[that-bwitch]

Ben Barnes Week

Day 1: Seven favourite fanfics

I doubt that 7 is enough for me to fit a huge, huge number of stories I've read, but I'll try to do it. And yes, Sirius is Ben's character. I think at this point we can all agree, right?

1. A Recipe For Love by @padfootagain (Caspian)

I finished reading it not long ago and thought that now is a perfect opportunity to say how FREAKING MUCH I love this fic!!! It's the first Caspian fic that I started reading and oh my God did I like it. Carole's characterization of Caspian is definitely my favourite, and if you haven't read it, what are you even doing with your life???

2. Mornings Like These... by @marvelcapsicle (Logan)

Gotta appreciate this smutty piece! I'm being honest, I reread it sometimes and it's just such a pleasure, if you're into smut, go and check this fic out!

3. An Honest Man by @banditthewriter (Billy)

Definitely one of my absolute favourites among soft!Billy stories!

4. Little Less Chaos by @banditthewriter (Billy)

This one is by Bandit too and I gotta say, this fic is just too damn relatable, and that's why I love it so much! And also - if you love some Billy goodness and aren't following Bandit, tell me, why? Go and do it!

5. Embers by @snarledblack (Sirius)

I believe it's the first Sirius fanfic I started reading on tumblr and it's breathtaking, what more can I say? Sirius' characterization is on point 👌

6. Sunlights and Flashes by @padfootagain (Ben)

Carole strikes again, this time with the man himself! This is the first Ben fic I've ever read, and the first Carole's fic I've ever read, funnily. It's very cute, Ben is a sweetheart, what more can I say?

7. Targets by @padfootagain (Billy)

Somehow (magic, totally) Carole produces so much amazing content that I just can't not include it in here. This Billy story is awesome and very in character, which I appreciate.

By the way, tonight I'll be doing a so-called Drabble Evening in honor of the first day of Ben's week, so stay tuned 😉

[madamrogersstorytelling]

Day 2: Six favorite quotes

Like I said in yesterday’s post, Ben is an extremely inspiring person. When I find an interesting new person, I always search for quotes from the internet. And Ben wasn’t an exception. I spent some time looking for things he has said and appreciating his wise and relatable words. Some of them actually are very relatable, I’ve written them in my notebook and I sometimes look at them when sadness and despair take a hold of me.

I love the moment I find a person who quickly becomes an inspiration to me. Ben has become one of them. He did that pretty quickly, actually. I’m a sad soul, I always rely on quotes and tend to find strenght from things people have said or done. I’m more than proud to say that Ben is my daily inspiration alongside with Chris Evans. These two men are my heroes.

I gathered here those quotes from Ben I simply love or find inspiring. And in the process of collecting these, I laughed so hard I still have tears in my eyes. This man really makes me happy... [sigh] Also, this order is not accurate in any way, I cannot choose my favorite quote. 

1. ”I think escapism is very important, certainly in my life. I love nothing more than escaping into the world of a film or a novel. To be involved in creating that for other people is a privilege.”

As an escapist everyone knows is inside her own head for most of the time, this one really speaks to me in spiritual way. I can agree. I’ve done a couple of theater projects and nothing is more pleasing than being able to create something for people to watch and feel with us on the stage. I’ve always read books, since the day I learned how to. Before that my mom read to me. I’ve written stories for over a half of my life. Escapism is my way of surviving, my way of life.

2. ”Never agree to say or do anything that isn't you.”

When I saw this for the first time, it really made me think; about myself, what I do and say and think. And I took this close to my heart immediately. I will keep it there, too.

3. ”Sometimes success comes in ways you don’t expect.”

He says so much in short sentences. I can almost see the look on his face when he says this. This is one of those I keep dear to me, especially nowadays.

4. ”One of the most important things is finding someone who understands your sense of humour. I also think they should be a friend first and should be independent and have their own interests.”

This caught my eye. As someone who really has no interest in love life at all (and has anything like that only in her dreams and stories, mostly with fictional people) but certainly has nothing against the idea of love itself, this speaks to me. This is exactly what I’ve been trying to say to people who question my choices. They are pretty much horrified when they find out about me and my lack of interest.

5.”Would I take an adrifter? Into - into my mouth? No. Into my... Into my mou... House! House! Good luck doing anything else!”

This earns a mention! It’s just so hilarious, seems like he was thinking about something else and that word just slipped between his lips. And then he bursted out laughing. His laugh could cure everything. This is actually from an interview he did with Katherine Heigl for Jackie & Ryan, you can find it here if you haven’t seen it yet. I totally recommend it. It will brighten your day up in mere seconds.

6. "I thought: 'Oh, a new breed of rose, how exciting! It's gonna be like massive and purple...' It's just this like a medium sized, red rose which smelled like a rose... And it was a rose. It was not a Prince Caspian rose, it was a rose. Aaaahhhh wowww wowww, thank you, that's amazing! No... I had a really nice day there, I didn't wanna be so cruel. I had a very nice time there."

I’m still laughing at this one. So much actually that my eyes become wet when I even think about his face when he said this. He is so funny and cute! You can find this one here, it’s totally worth watching, he is a sweet and a bit shy boy here. What a lovely human being. He is my spirit animal.

__________

To sum up: this man is full of wise and cute words. And the way he speaks is the cutest. You know, when he stutters? He has this perfect balance when playing a character and then he is himself and he stutters. What a cutie! Oh no...

Happy Ben Barnes week!

@benbarnesweek

[crowleying]

Day 3: my five favourite Red Carpet outfits

It was hard to choose because he is perfect with anything but here it is.

BAFTA in Los Angeles

I love Ben at BAFTA,that’s just too much for my weak heart

Premiere of CBS Film “The Words”

Los Angeles Premiere of Pacific Rim

UK premiere of “Killing Bono”

HBO’s Westworld Season 2 Premiere