michaelgambons

[michaelgambons]

SCULLY + MULDER | THE X-FILES SEASON 1

[michaelgambons]

Baseline Romantic

Chapter 7

Warnings: poor mental health, hospitals, cuteness overloads

Y/N woke up late on the Sunday morning, and spent a couple of minutes scrolling through twitter before groaning slightly and getting up.

Voices were coming from the kitchen, she could recognise Ben’s, but the other voice was unfamiliar.

Y/N detoured away from the kitchen to the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. She didn’t know who was in the kitchen, but she sure as hell didn’t want to meet them looking quite as messy as she did right now.

Entering the kitchen a few minutes later, face washed and hair tied back, Y/N saw Ben with his back to her, busy with the toaster, in his joggers. At the table was a young, tall, blonde haired girl, who was wearing one of Ben’s sweaters.

‘Hi!’ Y/N said brightly as she came in.

Ben swung round, and smiled at her brightly, looking almost relieved to see her.

‘Hey, Y/N. This is Bella’ he said, gesturing at the blonde girl sat at the table.

‘Nice to meet you Bella! Is there any chance of some toast Ben? I won’t intrude for too long, I’m meeting Charlie at 2’

As Ben turned round to the toaster, you sat down at the table.

‘I’m sure I recognise you from somewhere’ Bella said. Thinking she was referring to Ben, you didn’t glance up from your phone.

‘Y/N, isn’t it? Yeah I’m sure I recognise you from somewhere’

‘Me? Sorry, I’m so used to people asking Ben that. Um, maybe, I’m on the news quite a bit - I’m a political commentator’

‘That’s it! We always have News24 on in the background at work- I must have spotted you then!’

You smile vaguely at her, with limited desire to prolong the discussion. ‘Where do you work Bella?’

‘I do PR. That’s actually how we met last night’ she giggled slightly and turned to Ben, who smiles vaguely at her, before quickly turning away. ‘I did the PR for the event we were both at’

‘Oh nice’ Y/N said vaguely.

‘I’m just going to hop into the shower, will you be ok Bella? Help yourself to any food while I’m gone’ Ben said, already out the door.

Bella smiled at him as he leaves, resembling a hungry chiwawa.

‘So, I can imagine Ben brings loads of girls back here’ Bella said turning back to Y/N. Feeling slightly annoyed to be being talked to again (did this girl not understand mornings?) Y/N said ‘only about as many as I bring back myself’. She winked at Bella, who looked taken aback.

You mock checking the time. ‘Oh shit, I need to dash. Really lovely to meet you Bella’

‘Yeah, you too! Hopefully I’ll see you again’ Bella called after you.

You smiled to yourself as you went back to your bedroom. You knew the likelihood of that was next to nothing.

—————-

After making sure that Bella had left, you drifted into the living room and sunk into a sofa. Ben sulked in after you, towel slung around his waist and droplets of water falling down his chest.

After lockdown had ended, it had been agreed that Ben would move in permanently with you and Catherine. You were more than happy with that. You loved having Ben around, loved the domestic fluffiness of it all. Only, with Ben moving in had also come the trickle of women who fell out of his bedroom.

‘A blonde named Bella who works in PR. Really Ben? You’re becoming some sort of seedy playboy- are you sure you’re not batman by night?’

Ben laughed, but looked slightly embarrassed.

‘I hope we didn’t keep you awake last night. Bella was really loud’ he says.

You snort. ‘No don’t worry, I was out like a light; fucking shattered. My new pills are knocking me out like clockwork. Anyway, just loud makes a welcome change to that squeaky one a few weeks back’

Ben laughs. ‘Christ, what was her name?’

You shrug at him. ‘If you can’t remember I’m certainly not going to. She could definitely remember yours though’. She imitated Ben’s squeaky one night stand ‘ooooh Ben, yeah just there- eeeek!’

Ben chucked a cushion at her. ‘Shut up, you’re triggering too many memories’ he laughs.

‘All I’m saying is I think you need a better vetting process’ Y/N said as she left the room, pausing to ruffle Ben’s hair as she left.

Y/N sat back on her bed. Absentmindedly her hand crept towards her panties, and slid beneath her waistband. It wasn’t a coincidence that the first thing that came to mind was Ben’s glistening post shower abs. She imagined that instead of going back to her room, she had instead gone over to him, and stared him straight in the eye as she pulled his towel away from him. Sinking down on her knees she had engulfed his dick with her mouth, and looking up, had seen him staring down at her, eyelids fluttering. She was still picturing his face as she came, quickly, brutally, writhing in her bed, his name on her lips.

This wasn’t the first time she’d got off to Ben whilst they’d lived together. In many ways it was quite useful having such a cache of material wondering around the house she could select from. She’d got quite good at telling herself she was just physically attracted to Ben. She loved Ben as a friend and a small part of her wanted to spend the night with him again. That wasn’t so unusual. Friends slept together all the time. Maybe if she could sleep with him again she could stop thinking about him. You laughed at yourself the first time it occurred to you. It was ridiculous and stupid and so unlikely to help. And it wasn’t as if she would ever act on it. He clearly wasn’t interested.

—————

That evening, it was just you and Ben in the house, Catherine was away staying at a yoga retreat in the Peak District. You’d been feeling increasingly unwell as the night progressed, and at 9:30 had muttered your excuses and headed to bed. As you were stood brushing your teeth, you suddenly felt incredibly light headed and before you had had the chance to sit down or steady yourself, you had fallen to the floor.

You came to a minute or so later, Ben peering over you looking concerned. As you opened your eyes his face flooded with relief. As you raised your head off the ground you realised he had placed you in the recovery position.

‘What happened?’ You asked, groggily, putting your face in your hands.

‘I’m not too sure. I just heard this crash from the bathroom, and shouted to see if you were ok. When you didn’t reply I came to check on you, and found you on the floor. You can’t have been out for very long- have you hurt yourself at all?’ He asked.

‘I don’t think so. I feel awful though, like I’m going to faint again’

‘Ok, I’m going to help you get into the living room,’ Ben said.

He gently lifted you to your feet, and as you steadied yourself, wiped a strand of hair out of your eyes. He cupped your face with his hands and your eyes met, yours glassy from your faint and his wide, full of concern.

Established on the sofa, you felt much better. Ben insisted however, on calling 101, much to your derision.

‘I’m calling them whether you like it or not, Y/N. Whether you speak to them or not is your choice, but I want to make sure you’re ok’

————

‘This is all such an overreaction’ you complained as Ben bundled you in his sweatshirt and helped you on with your jacket. ‘I fainted! It happens to people all the time. I don’t need to go to the hospital’

‘You heard what the woman said. She was worried it was a reaction to your medication. Come on, our Uber is here’ Ben said, offering you his hand to lead you out the door.

You held onto his hand the entire short journey to the hospital. You couldn’t quite place why, but it was comforting, warm, and he didn’t seem to resist. Once inside, checked in and sat on cold, hard backed plastic chairs, Ben had made sure you were settled before heading off to find a vending machine. He returned a few minutes later with a Diet Coke for himself and a bottle of water for you.

‘I thought caffeine was probably a bad idea until you’ve seen the doctor’ he said, registering your displeasure as you looked at the water bottle he had handed you.

You rested your head on his shoulder, and must have dozed off because the next thing you knew he was nudging you awake.

‘Come on, Y/N, they’ve just called us’ he whispered gently, helping you to your feet.

In the consultants office, you both sat down, and you handed your coat to Ben.

‘Y/N Y/L/N, right? And this must be your partner-‘

‘Flatmate’ both you and Ben said in unison

‘Sorry, flatmate. What’s been the matter today Y/N?’

You briefly explained the evenings events, looking to Ben occasionally for him to fill in any blanks you couldn’t remember.

‘The 101 lady thought it might be a reaction to some of the medication I’m on. I’ve just upped my dose of Zoloft, and she wondered if that could be it’

‘Do you mind me asking what you’re on that for?’ The doctor asked.

‘You name it, I’ve got it!’ You said brightly. ‘I’m on the Zoloft for my PTSD and depression, and until recently I was on beta blockers for my anxiety, but they were interacting with my asthma medication too much so my doctor took me off them and upped my Zoloft dose’

‘So you’re now on 150 a day?’ The doctor said, flicking through his notes.

You nodded.

‘I reckon that’s what it is, if I’m honest’ he said, turning to you. ‘That’s a big dose, and while it’s clearly what you need, it’s likely to have a few side effects with it. Fainting, or feeling light headed is quite common. If it doesn’t subside in a couple of days, I’d go back to your doctor, but for the meantime I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

You and Ben were silent in the Uber home. You were exhausted from the nights events, and still not feeling very well. Ben was staring out of the window, seemingly lost in thought.

‘Are you ok?’ You finally asked, as you took your coat off, glad to be home at last. ‘You’ve been quiet for the past 5 minutes which is completely out of character’.

‘Yeah I’m fine. Just glad you’re ok, it was quite a shock coming in and finding you like that... I didn’t realise just how bad your mental health was either. I know we’ve talked about it in the past, but you’ve always been quite blasé about it’

‘Yeah. I guess I don’t feel like there’s much to talk about. I just try and get on with it. No point burdening your friends with it unless you need to’ you said.

‘It wouldn’t be a burden though, not at all. I don’t want you to feel you can’t talk to me about things. I mean, I tell you all sorts of random shit, it’s definitely my turn to listen to you’

You yawn widely.

‘You must be fucking knackered’ Ben said. ‘Get into bed and I’ll bring you some tea’.

As you headed to bed he shouted after you ‘Do you want a hot water bottle too? It’s really cold tonight!’

You smiled slightly to yourself at his fussiness before you responded.

#ben hardy #ben hardy imagines #ben hardy x reader

[michaelgambons]

Baseline Romantic

Chapter 6

Sorry for the delay! I don’t really have an excuse apart from life getting in the way

You were sprawled over your sofa in jogging bottoms, hair pulled into a lazy bun on top of your head.

‘Another episode?’ You asked Catherine as you moved towards the remote.

She grunted from where she was sat on the floor, paintbrush clutched between her teeth as she frowned at the picture she was working on in front of her.

The opening theme of Queer Eye had just begun as Y/N’s phone begun to vibrate. Glancing down, she saw Ben’s name next to a ‘😜’- his favourite-, and a picture of the two of you, drunk, sticking your tongues out at the camera. She wondered why he was calling her at 10:30 on a Thursday night.

‘Hiya!’ Y/N said brightly, squirming off the sofa and going into the kitchen so she could talk to him without disturbing Catherine.

Ben’s voice on the other side of the phone sounded glum. He didn’t say anything for a moment, and Y/N could hear him breathing deeply down the phone.

‘What’s wrong babe?’ Y/N asked, starting to become concerned.

‘Me and Lilly have broken up’ Ben’s voice sounded croaky.

‘What! Oh no, I thought you guys seemed so happy last time I saw you. I’m so sorry Ben’ Y/N replied.

Admittedly, Y/N hasn’t seen Ben and Lilly for a while, not since the COVID-19 lockdown had begun over a month ago. Lilly and Ben has decided to move in together to Lilly’s flat in Notting Hill to isolate together, and when Y/N last spoke to them as part of a group zoom call, they seemed perfectly fine.

‘Where are you now?’ Y/N asked.

‘I’m just back in my flat’ Ben replied. ‘I’m sorry to call this late, I just needed someone to speak to, and I didn’t know who else to call...’

‘Why don’t me and Cat drive over and we can have a chat at the end of your driveway? I don’t like the idea of you being alone right now.’

‘No, honestly it’s ok. I’ll be fine’

‘Don’t be silly Ben. This is a really fucked up time for all of us, never mind if you’ve just broken up with someone. We’ll grab our coats and head over’

‘But-‘

‘No buts. We’ll be there in 30 mins. Go, make yourself a cup of tea, put something mindless on the teli and we’ll be there before you know it’

‘Thank you, Y/N’ Ben said.

Putting the phone down and going back into the the living room; you explained what was going on to Catherine.

‘So the poor baby is just by himself?’ Catherine had cried, getting to her feet.

When they arrived at Ben’s flat half an hour later, Ben was already waiting for them on his doorstep. His hair was even more ruffled than normal, and his normally confident posture was slouched. Getting out the car, it was all you could do not to run over to him and give him a cuddle.

————-

2 hours later, Ben was cuddled up next to you on your sofa, clutching a bag of minstrels. Almost as soon as you had seen him on his driveway you had decided he wasn’t staying at his alone that evening. Bag packed, Ben had been shepherded into your car and driven back to yours, stopping off at a 24hour M&S for supplies on the way.

As the episode of queer eye finished, you heard him sigh slightly and placed his head on your lap. You ruffle his hair slightly as you breathed him in. ‘You ok?’ you asked, looking down at him.

He hummed something positive into your lap.

‘Don’t get too comfortable’ you said. ‘I’ve got to be up early for the Today show’. He grunted encouragingly, but snuggled further into you. He looked very cute, angelic even. You had no desire to move.

——


Ben had fitted in quickly to isolating with Catherine and you. Catherine would get up first, and do some yoga and drink a large, freshly made smoothie. A couple of hours later you would tumble out of bed, chronically running late, and scamper to drink a strong black coffee before your day of meetings started. By 10am you and Catherine would be sat at the dining room table, that day’s work spread over the table. Ben would appear soon afterwards, and carve a space for himself at the table. Scrambled eggs, Ben’s piesta de resistance, followed shortly afterwards, and by the early afternoon, you pulled on your coats and headed off for your daily allocated walk. The paparazzi had yet to figure out where Ben was, and you were all greatfull for this. It meant that you could risk trudging out of the house in sweatpants without it being splashed across the daily mail the next day.

The three of you had become each other’s confidants. Whatever you were feeling, you only wanted to feel it with the two others. And whilst lockdown could, at times, be close to unbearable, in many ways you didn’t want this time to end.

In the evenings, after work, the three of you spent most of the evening trying to decide what film to watch. Ben loved old school Scorsese, Catherine loved musicals, and you loved anything Wes Anderson touched- the Indier the better. An eclectic mix, which, this Tuesday, had led to you watching When Harry Met Sally.

~ No man can be friends with a woman he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her ~

‘Do you guys think that’s true? That a guy and girl can’t be friends without sex getting in the way?’ Catherine asked.

Ben and yourself were sitting on the couch opposite, your feet on his lap. As Catherine said this, you felt him tense slightly beneath you. It had been almost a year since the two of you had slept together, and since your phone call the next day, the two of you had never discussed it again.

‘I don’t know’, you replied. ‘I guess it depends on a range of things. How close the two of them are, how attracted to each other they are...’ You felt Ben shift awkwardly beneath you.

‘I mean, you both are beautiful but I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to sleep with either of you. Apart from that time I climbed into bed with you Y/N after I’d drunk that bottle of champagne’ Catherine said. ‘What do you think Ben?’ she asked.

Ben paused slightly before he began ‘I dunno... I think like Y/N said, it depends. I think that strong platonic friendship can sometimes be confused for romantic love. I’ve definitely done that in the past’

After the film finished, you all trialed to bed. Lying in bed, you thought about Ben’s reply. Who has he confused platonic friendship for love for? Surely it wasn’t you. Ben hadn’t loved you. He’d just been horny, like you. It was something that just had happened in the moment, and would never happen again. You doubted whether Ben even found you attractive; you weren’t sleek enough to compete with most of the women he could be with.

But who else could he have been talking about? You’d never heard him talk about anyone else like that. It must have been before you knew him, you thought as you drifted of to sleep.

#ben hardy smutt #ben hardy x reader #ben hardy imagines #ben hardy

[michaelgambons]

Baseline Romantic

Chapter 5

Warnings- mild alcohol use

Y/N smoothed her bottle green dress down as she stared into her mirror, and took a deep breath in. She straightened herself up, pushing back her shoulders and pulling in her tummy.

It had been coming up for 2 months since Y/N and Dan had broken up, and in that time Y/N had undergone a severe remodelling. She’d finally got back into going to the gym regularly, as her slim yet curved figure attested to. She was finally eating regular, healthy meals as overseen by Catherine, who she had moved back in with. Y/N had even splashed out on a posh haircut, and her curls trickled down her back. She looked good. She felt good. And she was going to smash this event.

Ultimately it had been nothing to do with Ben, or even Y/N, that had led to the end of her relationship with Dan. Coming home from work one day, Y/N had been greeted by a tear streaked Dan, who, whilst noisily sobbing into her shoulder, had told her he had met someone else. She was a fellow food bank volunteer, and they were going to Calais, they didn’t know how long for, to cook for refugees.

As he told Y/N, instead of feeling any sense of hurt or anger that she would usually associate with being cheated on and then dumped, she felt relief coursing through her. Ever since that evening with Ben, a month previously, Y/N had struggled to meet Dan’s eye. Each night, as he ran his hand up her leg, pressing himself into her, kissing her neck, she had been repulsed by his touch. Her excuses had been running dry, too, she knew she needed to tell him. But she couldn’t. And this meant she didn’t need to.

Y/N glanced at her watch- she were already running late and her evening had yet to begin. As she dashed out the door, Catherine hollered after her: ‘and remember, we said we’d get to the bar by 9:30, so try not to get too caught up in your poncy work drinks’.

Y/N made her way on the Northern Line to Westminster. Flashing her parliamentary pass at the stern looking security personal who flanked the doors, she made her way through the carpeted corridors, aged prime ministers and civil servants staring sternly down at her. Y/N always felt completely out of place here, the complete opposite to all the people who, to this day, still controlled these corridors. As she reached the door she was looking for, she was greeted by a buzz of conversation coming out of it. Y/N took a deep breath and entered. No matter how many times she had been to events like this, she still found them truly painful. Quickly accepting a glass of wine from a smiling server, Y/N craned over the sea of heads which surrounded her, looking for a familiar face.

‘Y/N!’ Came an excited cry from her right hand side. Finally recognising a face, Y/N downed her glass of wine, feeling it settle uneasily on her empty stomach, and headed over. This was going to be a long two hours.

————

Ed hailed a cab for Y/N, and she fell into it slightly as he closed the door and waved her off. Y/N’s 4 large glasses of wine on a stomach of mediocre microwaved party food had given her a definite buzz. She glanced at your watch, 9:15. Hopefully more than enough time to make it to the bar in Soho Ben had booked out for his welcome home party.

Ben had spent that last couple of months in Belfast, shooting a new film. This would be the first time Y/N had seen him since the August Bank Holiday, and she wasn’t sure how she was going to react. She had tried to banish that night from her head, to convince herself that, if anything, it was cool for her to be able to sleep with her fit mates and then carry on as before. Causal sex was in right now, and Y/N was riding on its coattails.

She knew he had been seeing someone he was working with (‘Lilly?’ Y/N thought foggily to herself, struggling to remember), but hadn’t gleaned much information from him about her, apart from the fact that she lived in Notting Hill (‘mate that’s bad news, never trust anyone from North London’ she had told him at the time). You had texted occasionally whilst he’d been there, mainly to send each other memes. The usual phone calls that you made to each other, drunk in kebab shops warbling about your evenings, had stopped. She noticed this slight decrease, but been a bit too busy to do anything about it.

Ben was still just her friend. Admittedly her very good looking, charming friend- but still nothing more than a friend Y/N thought to herself as the taxi sped across London. It’s not like she was pining after him still, or anything like that. The fact that his face still drifted to her mind each time she reached for her vibrator meant nothing. He was the last good fuck she’d had, naturally her mind would go there.

Paying the driver, Y/N hopped out of the taxi and made her way into the bar. It was a typically Ben sort of place, she thought as she looked around as the steward at the door checked her name on the guest list. Classically, but moodily decorated in dark colours, dimly lit, with a slightly musky smell about the place.

After handing her bulky coat in, she headed over to the bar, and ordered herself a large glass of red. As she was waiting for it to be served, she heard her name being shouted, and before she could get the chance to turn round, was engulfed in a bear hug. She recognised who it was straight away, feeling his muscles tense through his suit behind her, and smelling his aftershave.

‘Ben!’ She yelped, forcing her joviality. ‘So good to see you mate!’

Extricating herself from his hug, she turned to him. He was beaming widely, pint in hand, and already looked slightly dischevelled. He was wearing all black, with neatly fitted black trousers and black blazer, under which he was wearing a slightly sheer black shirt, through which she could just make out the outline of his muscles. He ran his hand through his hair, messing it up even more than it already was, and yet somehow managing to look even better for it.

‘Wow!’ he took a step back in mock awe. ‘You look incredible! No Dan is clearly suiting you well!’

‘No thanks to you mate’ she winked back.

Colour rose slightly in Ben’s cheeks, but whether it was the alcohol or the comment, Y/N was unsure.

‘You must meet Lilly, Y/N, you’ll love her’ Ben said, snapping back to reality. ‘Hang on, I’ll go and find her. She wanted me to let her know as soon as you got here- she can’t wait to meet you’

He jogged across the bar in search of Lilly, while Y/N turned back to add a tequila shot to her order. Seeing Ben had flummoxed her more than she had anticipated it would.

‘Y/N! This is Lilly!’

Clutching her red, head still reeling from her shot, she turned round to meet a very pretty brunette, who was being led towards her by Ben.

‘I’m so excited to meet you!’ She reached forward to draw Y/N into a warm hug. ‘Ben’s told me so much about you!’

Y/N smiled brightly at her. ‘He clearly hasn’t told you that much otherwise you wouldn’t be so excited to meet me’ she laughed, taking a swig of her wine.

Ben and Lilly both laughed. Y/N wasn’t too sure she had been joking.

—————

Y/N took a deep breath as she stepped outside, inhaling the crisp, cold air. Heart of Glass echoed out of the bar, whose dance-floor was bursting with writhing bodies. Lighting up, she had just taken her first drag of her cigarette as she heard the door open again.

‘I was hoping I’d find you out here!’ Lilly said brightly.

‘Everything ok?’ She asked, forcing a wide smile. She didn’t dislike Lilly, far from it. She was bright, bubbly, and looked up at Y/N like a puppy as you had chatted earlier, with Ben’s arm wrapped around her waist. At her worst, she was over- familiar, but that made a welcome change from so may of Ben’s colleagues who she had met who had been so stand- offish. No, she couldn’t quite put her finger on why she wasn’t happy to see her out here. 

‘I just wanted to take the opportunity to get to know you a bit better. Ben doesn’t stop talking about you- ‘ she paused. ‘I really like Ben, I guess, so I really want you to like me too’. She looked embarrassed at this, and looked up to see her reaction. Seeing the warm smile on her face though, Lilies relaxes into a nervous laugh. ‘I’m sorry, I know how silly that sounds, desperate even’ she giggles.

‘No, not at all. I mean, it’s better than the opposite, isn’t it? How horrible it would be if you made no effort with his friends...’ Y/N laughed, more for her own benefit that Lilly’s.

‘I’m not going to lie, I was a bit worried about meeting you’ Lilly said, smiling slightly as she relaxed. ‘I mean, you’re so cool- I was stalking your Twitter last night, and... sorry, that’s weird isn’t it?’ she sighed.

‘Everyone does it!’ Y/N laughed. ‘How would you know what to talk to people about otherwise? I once stalked a guy so hard before our first date that I knew *exactly* what to wear and talk about. We were together 4 years after that. Let’s hope the same holds for our friendship’ she smiled brightly at Lilly, leaning forward to clink your wine glasses. As Lilly chatted away, you realised how alike you looked to her.

Chapter 6 now out!

https://michaelgambons.tumblr.com/post/629362591472435200/baseline-romantic

#ben hardy #ben hardy imagines #ben hardy smutt #ben hardy x reader

[michaelgambons]

Baseline Romantic

Chapter 4

‘Shit’ she said, sitting up abruptly, the alarm temporarily forgotten.

The last night comes flooding back to her. She turned to look at Ben, still fast asleep next to her, mouth slightly ajar. He looks ridiculously good, blonde hair falling slightly over his forehead, long eyelashes fluttering slightly.

What on Earth had she been thinking? Nausea rose in her as she realised the implications of what she’d done. Not only had she slept with one of her best friends, who she was sure would normally have no interest in sleeping with her had they both not been so blackout drunk, but it had been really good sex. The best Y/N had had in ages. And then there was Dan, Y/N groaned slightly as she remembered. What on earth would she tell him? Should she tell him? What did she want? Did she want Ben?

She brushed that thought from her mind. Dan. That’s what she needed to sort first.

She swung her legs out of bed, nausea mounting. Her taxi to the station was arriving in 30 minutes, and she looked and smelt like she’d spent the weekend at a brewery.

———-

Established on the train packed full of morning commuters, Y/N opened her laptop and tried to concentrate on preparing for her meeting, but her mind couldn’t settle. Guilt overcame her; she can’t believe she’s just cheated on Dan. She would *never* cheat. It wasn’t her, she was loyal to a fault. And yet, she remembers Ben from the previous night, as she had slid his jeans down him, revealing his ridiculously pert bum, his face above hers as he pushed into her, his blonde slick with sweat. She didn’t know sex could be that good. Even though it’s an ungodly hour of the day, Y/N felt a familiar feeling aching through her body, making her shift awkwardly in her chair.

Snapped back into reality by a commuter squeezing past her, Y/N turns once again to her laptop. Her daydreams would have to wait until later. The policy document wouldn’t write itself.

———

Y/N slumped into her chair, grunting slightly as she checked the time in the bottom of her computer screen. 16:45. Just 15 minutes to go. She checked her phone for the hundredth time that day. Nothing from Dan, but 3 missed calls from Ben.

She should have replied to him, they needed to talk it out. To try and rescue their friendship before it was too late. But whenever Y/N had plucked up the courage to call him back throughout the day, something else had got in the way.

‘You look very sorry for yourself today Y/N’ Megan says, laughing as she gazed over her computer at you. ‘Good weekend?’

Y/N glanced around before she answered. She had to get this off her chest, she needed to talk to someone about it. And who better to talk to than Megan, who knew no one involved and could tell no one?

Y/N take a deep breath. ‘Mate’, she whispered, ‘I really fucked up. Big time’

Megan laughed at Y/N before realising that she wasn’t joking. Concern clouded her face. ‘What happened?’ she asks. ‘Actually’ she said , looking at her watch, ‘tell me over a pint. I’m buying.’

—————

‘Which one’s Ben again?’ Megan asked, frowning slightly, taking a sip of her pint.

They’re huddled at the back of a bursting pub full of loud businessmen in slick suits, cradling their pints.

‘The actor one’ Y/N responded. ‘Blonde hair-‘

Megan interrupted ‘-killer cheekbones? I know which one you mean. He’s fucking gorgeous. What about him anyway?’

Megan sits for a second after Y/B finished telling her story. Her silence is deafening.

‘Have you spoken to Dan yet?’ Megan asked

‘No’, Y/N responds, ‘I feel sick even thinking about it.’

‘Stop me if I’m wrong though, Y/N, but it doesn’t sound like you really want to be with Dan at the moment. No one cheats’ (Y/N recoiled slightly at the use of the phrase, still unused to hearing it directed at her) ‘because they’re happy in their relationship. It doesn’t come out of nowhere’.

Y/N sighed slightly. ‘I know. I know, it’s just... it’s easy. It’s familiar. And who knows... if I leave Dan when will I next meet someone I like? Or who likes me back? It’s such a leap into the unknown’

Megan stared at Y/N incredulously. ‘Are you seriously telling me Y/N, that you’re staying with this bloke because you’re worried you’ll never meet anyone else? Did the last weekend happen in a parallel fucking universe? You can get anyone you set your mind to. Clearly’ she said, gesturing at you, ‘you can do better than Dan’.

Y/N hummed slightly into her pint, unconvinced.

‘Anyway’ Megan says, smirking, ‘if you’re not interested in dating Ben, can you give me his number?’

—————

Y/N had finally plucked up the courage to return Ben’s calls the day after she got back from Peterborough. Sat on a park bench in her lunch break, sushi balanced on her lap, she had taken a deep breath in before tapping on his name to call him.

‘Y/N- hey!’ Ben answered on the third ring. ‘I thought you were never going to call me back’

‘I’m so sorry, it’s just been so hectic since I got back!’ Y/N lied pathetically

A silence fell between them. Neither knew how to bring up what had happened the previous night.

‘So...’ Ben started,

‘I don’t...’ Y/N started simultaneously

They laughed, which broke some of the tension. ‘You go’ Ben said.

‘I’m so sorry about last night, Ben. I don’t know what I was thinking. It was a huge mistake, I was just completely wrecked. Ive been really worried it’s going to spoil our friendship ’

There was a slight pause before Ben replied. ‘Yeah... absolutely’ he said. Y/N couldn’t help but notice that some of his bounce from earlier had faded. ‘Don’t worry about us’ he continued softly. ‘I was just worried about you!’ He paused before continuing, ‘have you told Dan?’.

‘No’ Y/N replied, ‘not yet. I haven’t really decided what I’m going to do yet. I mean it’s not like I’m in love with you or anything, it was just a drunk mistake!’ she laughed, but Ben was silent.

‘Yeah... sure. Whatever you’re most comfortable with Y/N. I haven’t told anyone, by the way, I assumed you wouldn’t want anyone to know.’

‘I’m so sorry Ben, I feel like I’ve put you in a terrible position’ Y/N replied.

‘Hey! Honestly don’t worry about it. Don’t give it a second thought’. ‘Let’s leave it there, unless there’s anything else you wanted to say. Have you heard about the new Fleetwood Mac Blues album that’s coming out? Wanna come round and listen to it together when it does?’.

Y/N put the phone down 10 minutes later, feeling relieved.

Chapter 5 now out!

https://michaelgambons.tumblr.com/post/622841467806826496/baseline-romantic

#ben hardy #ben hardy imagines #ben hardy smutt #ben hardy x reader

[michaelgambons]

Baseline Romantic

Chapter 3

Warnings- alcohol use, sexual content, cheating, you will hopefully wet your knickers etc...

Aha!’ came the muffled cry of Charlie from the cellar. ‘I knew it was down here somewhere’.

He came back into the kitchen holding a bedraggled cardboard box which had several mismatched bottles poking out of the top of it.

‘So when Mum went through that period of being a Buddhist a couple of years ago she chucked out all the contents of her alcohol cabinet. I guessed at the time she didn’t have the heart to throw it all away though, and here we are!’

‘I feel like I’m fucking 16 again’ said Catherine with a laugh as she and Y/N reached into the box to see what was in it

‘We’ve got some cherry tequila...’ Y/N said pulling a face.

‘And some... was this once wine?’ Catherine said, unscrewing the bottle and sniffing it. She grimaced ‘whatever it once was, it’s vinegar now’.

‘I think we need to try them all!’ Dominic said, busying himself getting glasses out of the cupboard.

‘No we really don’t’ Y/N laughed. ‘I have a departmental meeting at 9:45 with the Head of Policy, I don’t want to go in smelling like a Wetherspoons!’

‘I didn’t say you had a choice in the matter’ Dominic smirked, placing a glass with an unknown substance in front of her. ‘Right! You’ve all got to guess what this is. Whoever gets it wrong has to take an extra shot of it.’

The table groaned in unison, but quickly had begun to pick up their glasses, swilling the liquid about and smelling it. While they did this, Y/N had taken one look at the shot and downed it in one.

‘Creme de menthe!’ She announced to the shocked table.

Mouth slightly agape, Dominic looked at the bottle he had poured the drinks from.

‘How the fuck did you guess that, Y/N? I thought I’d picked a hard one to start you off with!’

‘Experience lads’ Y/N smirked at the table, winking, before moving to the head of the table to choose their next drink.

Departmental meeting or not, she was going to make the most of her last evening away. Dan hated her drinking (‘waste of money’) although he would never say so in public. Smoking was out of the question too (‘do you know that cigarette butts are more or less toxic waste?’). She didn’t know when she’s next get the chance to indulge.

————

Sensible, adult bedtimes came and went without the group glancing at their watches, but at 1am Cleo rubbed her eyes and slurred that she was off to bed. A chorus of boo’s followed, but she was quickly followed by the rest of the group.

Not that Ben and Y/N had noticed. They were now sharing the remainder of a historic bottle of Sherry (‘I taste like my Gran smelt’ Ben had giggled) whilst signing loudly to Late Night Feelings which was blaring on the portable speaker next to them.

The album ground to a halt and the two lapsed into silence, Y/N humming tunelessly to herself.

‘More sherry ma’am?’ Ben asked, laughing.

‘Fuck it, top me up’ Y/N answered. She had long passed the tipsy stage and was now definitely drunk. The light from the fire was dancing across Ben’s face as he spoke, making his cheekbones look even more prominent and his lips even pinker than usual. As he continued to speak he turned so his profile was facing Y/N and ran his hand through his hair. Y/N knew she should probably pay attention to what he was talking about, and had she been sober she would have done, but instead her eyes travelled done his jumper clad torso to his legs, which were bulging slightly in his tight jeans.

It had taken Y/N a few years to realise just how good looking Ben was. When she had first met him, he had a full head of fluffy blonde hair and spent most of his time in joggers. Then, he resembled more of cute, fluffy bear than a sex symbol. That view had changed on a group holiday to Greece, when Ben had whipped of his polo shirt and dived into the pool. His ridiculously sculptured chest had gleamed in the bright sun as he re-emerged from the pool. Since then, increasingly groomed haircuts and tailored clothes had followed. But it was normal to find your friends good looking, Y/N had thought. It wasn’t as if she was going to do anything with that thought.

‘Y/N?’

You snapped out of your daydream.

‘Yes sorry, my mind... wondered’

‘It looked like it did! I was saying I was in an interview the other day and a journalist explained to me these things called Thirst Tweets. I’d never heard about them before- apparently they are tweets where people describe the raunchy things they’d like to do to you. So weird isn’t it? These people who have never met you fantasying over you like that.’

‘I can’t say I really blame them’ Y/N said laughing. ‘Have you caught sight of yourself recently? You’re looking ridiculous good’.

Ben blushed slightly but looked sheepishly pleased with himself.

‘You think?’ He asked innocently

‘Don’t be so ruddy bashful Ben’ you said. ‘We’re not in Downton fucking Abbey. You must know you look good’.

‘I guess yeah... I’m not trying to dig for complements, don’t get me wrong, but whenever you go online you might see 10 comments saying nice things about you, but at least 1 comment talking about how strange you look, or how bad an actor you are. And that 1 comment really sticks with you...’ he trailed off slightly, looking into the fire. ‘Anyway,’ he said. ‘I thought you liked dark haired guys?’

‘Right now all I want to do is forget about dark haired guys, one in particular.’ Y/N groaned. Y/N and Dan has spoken briefly on the phone earlier, before he had had to rush off for his shift at the local food bank. Miraculously you hadn’t argued, but the conversation had been cold and stilted. You couldn’t shake his words from the previous day out of your head.

Ben grunted sympathetically. ‘How long have you two been together now? Must be coming up for 3 years, right?’

‘Pretty much yeah. And you know (Y/N paused briefly, considering whether or not to continue. Eventually the sherry took charge and she threw caution to the wind) in all that time, he’s only made me cum once. And I’m pretty sure that was by accident’

Taken by surprise, Ben choked on his drink. Laughing you pat him on his back while he caught his breath.

‘Only once?’ He exclaimed eventually. ‘How it that even possible?’

Y/N shrugged her shoulders. ‘He doesn’t believe in foreplay. Like, fanatically doesn’t believe in it. And he’s really... quick... and then just rolls over and either goes to sleep or picks up whatever he was reading’.

‘That’s not very redistribute’ smirked Ben, laughing. ‘You must be quite... um...’ he raised his eyebrows and looked at you pointedly.

You catch on to what he’s trying to say. ‘Like you wouldn’t believe. There’s only so much you can achieve with your vibrator...’ you gaze into the fire, at the point, very aware of the adrenaline that’s suddenly coursing through your body. Why on earth had you just told him that? He must think you’re completely desperate. He wouldn’t have been wrong.

When you look up, however, Ben is staring at you, slightly pink in the ears. A definite tension has fallen between the two of you. Ben gulps down the rest of his Sherry and squirms awkwardly in his seat. Suddenly very aware of your posture, you sit up sharply in your chair and exhale the breath you realise you’ve been holding in for the past minute or so.

‘Stop me if I’m speaking completely out of turn Y/N. But you deserve someone who fucking worships you. Look at you! You’re fucking beautiful, successful, funny... If I was with you I would...’ he catches himself and looks away, blushing, he’s said too much.

‘You would what?’ Y/N presses. Their initial friendly banter had been replaced with something else, something electric, but also something completely inappropriate, that she should put a stop to immediately, before they both regretted it. But she was so frustrated, so bored, so chronically unappreciated, so drunk- she wanted to see where this would go.

‘I would... I’d literally... get on my knees and... go down on you whenever you wanted. Because that’s what you deserve’ Ben whispered, his eyes coming up to meet your own. You gaze into his, slightly unsure what to do next.

Suddenly, before you had a chance to do anything, to decide what you wanted, Ben had closed the space between the two of you. His hand was running through your hair and his lips were pressed against yours.

The kiss took the breath away from you. His lips were soft, but firm and you moaned slightly as you kissed him back. Sharp breaths sliced through the air as neither of you broke off from each other.

Just as quickly as it started though, Ben had got up and backed away from you.

‘I’m so sorry Y/N, I don’t know what I was thinking. That was so uncalled for, and you’ve got a boyfriend, and you’re one of my best friends- I... I’m sorry’ he ended faintly, his face covered by his hands.

You turn round to face him, before standing up and approaching him.

‘Don’t be silly Ben, I’d been hoping you would do that’ you looked up at him, and ran your hands through his curly hair, before stretching up on your tip toes to reach his lips.

This kiss was different to the first, slower, but somehow more urgent. Ben ran his hands over your hips, hesitating slightly before moving them down and cupping your bum. As you opened your mouth to moan at this you felt his tongue meeting yours.

‘Are you sure about this Y/N? You’re not too drunk?’ He said, breaking away again.

You nodded, looking him straight in the eye.

————

You crashed into the back of your bedroom door, still locked to Ben’s lips, with your hands running through his hair. Your back was pressed up against the door handle, and you groan as you felt the handle invade the small of your back. Giggling slightly at the noise you must have been making, you turn to open the door into your room, and Ben follows you inside.

You flick the light on and the room is engulfed in a soft warm glow, before you turn round to wrap your arms around Ben’s neck and draw him back in for a kiss.

Suddenly, you feel him lifting you up, supporting your legs with his arms wrapping beneath them and you wrap your legs around his waist to help him support your weight. He moves you backwards toward the bed until it hits the back of his legs and you both tumble onto it, laughing as you turn to face him.

He grins at you. ‘I seem to remember promising to get down on my knees whenever requested’.

He pulls your sweatshirt up and trials kisses down your chest before starting to unbutton your jeans. You lift your hips up to allow him to pull them and your panties down- you’ve never been more relieved to have brought your razor with you.

He kisses your thighs, gripping the delicate skin lightly with his teeth in a way you know will leave a mark the next day. You moan slightly, and grab his head, pushing you closer to your clit, impatient for more friction from how much he has teased you. His hands spread your legs wider as his tongue tantalisingly trailed outside of your folds.

As soon as his tongue touches your clit, a groan slipped through your lips, and Ben reached up to cover your mouth with his hand. You felt your hips buck upward and your back arch in his direction while your fingers dug into the sides of the bed. He sets up a steady rhythm, and, guided by your hand on his head, quickly ascertains where his tongue is needed the most. You’re glad he doesn’t waste time shifting patterns and places- what you need now is a continuous, accelerating rhythm. A moan released from your lips as you watch his blonde hair move between your legs.

You feel his own moan in response reverberate against your clit. Your hips are bucking as you feel yourself coming closer and closer, and you push Ben’s head closer to you, trying to build up as much friction as possible.

As suddenly as he started, however, you felt Ben draw away, and his mouth meets yours once again. You can taste yourself on his lips, and you moan into it, leaning up to kiss him, squirming slightly beneath him, becoming desperate for the friction to resume.

Sensing your urgency, Ben tugs your sweatshirt off over your head and in turn, you run your hands up his chest, revelling in the chiselled chest as opposed to Dan’s slight beer belly.

Dan.

You try to clear him from your mind. You know what you’re doing is wrong, so wrong. However awful Dan could be, he loved you, and had done nothing to deserve this.

Or had he? The months of building resentment between the two of you, his selfishness, his disinterest had surely led to this. Ben was right, she did deserve better. This was so, so much better.

You are jogged back into reality as Ben unhooked your bar. You unbuckle his trousers and feel how hard he is as you do so. As soon as you slide his boxers down his legs, you realise what you’ve been missing out on. You can hardly get your full hand around him, and as you stroke him your fingers fail to meet in the middle.

He groans into your neck and you flip him from his side onto his back and climb on top of him. He looks taken aback as he watches you position yourself on top of him, but reaches up to grab hold of your breasts and firmly massages your nipple.

With that, you grasp hold of him, and sink down on him. In union you both gasp as he fills you up, you tight from the years of dissatisfaction. You throw your head back, back arched as you get used to this new sensation.

Ben grasps hold of your hips and you feel his nails dig into your skin as you start to rock backwards and forwards gently, getting used to his size. The more you get used to him though, the more confident your movements get and you grasp his hips firmly in between your thighs, lifting yourself up and down onto him creating a quick rhythm.

Ben then starts to move himself, lifting himself up to correspond with your own movements. His hand reaches down to play with your clit and you yelp in excitement and surprise, making him reach up to cover your mouth with his hand once again, aware of your neighbours.

Ben leans up and pulls you down, putting himself on top of you, pulling your legs up and holding them by his shoulders. This new position allows him to go even deeper than before, and you purr as he enters you. Your view from down here is fantastic. Ben’s chiselled body is gleaming with sweat above you, his brow furrowed with concentration, his lips pouted slightly in a perpetual moan, a strand of blonde hair cascading onto his forehead. That sight alone is enough to make you cum, but the steady, forceful rhythm he has set is another thing entirely.

You honestly don’t think you’ve ever been this turned on. Never have you been this attracted to the person you have slept with, combined with them being so naturally talented and reciprocating of your needs. Why on earth didn’t you do this sooner?

Before your brain has a chance to fully form this thought, Ben has lowered your legs from his shoulders and moved you onto your front. You loved being moved by him, loved having someone else make the decisions that you had yet to even internally register that you wanted.

As you lay on your front, Ben slides into you again from behind, his chest pressing against your back. This new position brings with it new feelings of pleasure. You feel so full, and you let your hand wonder up to your clit, only to meet his own already there. Expertly he rubs you whilst keeping up his demanding pace. In between your own moans you can hear his, and the slight sloppiness and franticness that is starting to characterise his own movements tells you he is close to cumming. He tightens his hold on your clit, and that along with his own frantic pace sends you crashing over the edge, biting into your pillow to stop yourself from screaming his name out. Ben, not having anything to bite into, groans your name into your shoulder as you feel him cum inside of you.

‘Shit’ he pants, as you both try to catch your breaths, Ben still lying on top of you. ‘I should have known you would have been that good’.

Chapter 4 out now!

https://michaelgambons.tumblr.com/post/622165873126457344/baseline-romantic

#ben hardy #ben hardy imagines #ben hardy smutt #ben hardy x reader

[michaelgambons]

Baseline Romantic

Chapter 2

*warning- mild drug use*

Be prepared for a slowwwww burn champs, but bare with!

The next morning, Y/N woke up and for a few, blissful moments, had no memory of the night before. Lying in the soft cotton sheets with the sunlight streaming in through curtains, the world seemed perfect. And then Y/N’s hangover hit, and with it, the memories of the night before.

Suspecting the worst, Y/N grabbed her phone that had been charging next to her and opened Instagram, quickly finding Ben’s story from the previous night. There she was, glass of wine in hand, rapping along tunelessly as she danced her way around the room. At least she had managed to remember all the words, she thought glumly to herself. She groaned slightly and rolled onto her side, hoping for a couple more minutes sleep, but was distracted by the smell of bacon which was wafting up the stairs.

Following her nose, Y/N headed downstairs. A welcome site met her in the kitchen. Charlie was stood over a large frying pan in which bacon was sizzling away. Catherine and Ben were sat at the large wooden kitchen table, coffee in hand, and both looked up to greet her as she came into the room.

Y/N sank into the chair next to them at the table and groaned, putting her head in her arms.

Ben sniggered at her. ‘Coffee?’ he asked.

‘Yes... please’ Y/N responded.

As Ben got up to make the coffee, Y/N raised her head up from her arms and asked with a laugh ‘How many people have seen that story from last night Ben?’.

‘About 10,000 last I checked, and lots of panicked teenage girls messaging me asking if you’re my girlfriend’ he laughed.

‘Oh for god’s sake’ Y/N sighed. ‘They clearly don’t know you at all, otherwise they’d know you didn’t have girlfriends, just anonymous skinny models that tumble out of your bedroom on a regular basis’ Y/N and Catherine snigger, whilst Ben feigns shock.

‘Excuse me Y/N they are not anonymous! I always make sure to ask what their name is, you can’t blame me if I forget it 2 minutes later’.

The group laughed and Ben handed Y/N her coffee. He’s wearing a pair of tightly fitting workout leggings, which accentuate his legs and bum, making them look ridiculous toned. Y/N follows his bum around the kitchen with her eyes before breaking off to focus instead on her coffee, and curse him internally for wearing such distracting clothing.

————

Y/N dropped her phone on the bed beside her and wiped away the tears that had formed in the corner of her eyes. She sat for a moment, trying to compose herself before she headed back downstairs to join the others.

Heading back downstairs, she was distracted by the sound of music emanating from one of the bedrooms. Sticking her head round the door, she saw Dominic and Ben sitting together, Dominic on the bed, guitar in hand and Ben squatting on the floor, beating out a rhythm on a small wooden box he was sat on.

Grinning they look up to see her, but their expression changed when they see her face, still puffy and pink from crying.

‘Oh god, what’s happened?’ Dominic asked, patting the bed next to him for Y/N to sit down.

Sitting down, Y/N nestled her head into the crux of his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her. Much as she tried to stop it, a stream of tears erupted again.

‘Dan just called’ Y/N started, ‘He spent the first 15 minutes telling me about the protest he went on yesterday, without properly acknowledging I was on the phone to him- it was such a monologue. When I started to tell him about my weekend, he grunted along for about 30 seconds before interrupting to talk about a new range of free trade fava beans he’d found in the shop this morning. I got really cross and asked him why he couldn’t be bothered to ask about my weekend when I had sat listening to him talk about his, and we ended up having the same argument again as yesterday about me coming here. It ended with him saying I clearly wasn’t committed to- and I’m not joking, I wish I was- seizing the means of production, and he wasn’t sure if he could be with someone who had such flaky political views’

Y/N wiped her eyes and looked up at the two boys, who were gaping at her in disbelief.

She laughed, ‘I know, it’s such a niche argument to have’.

‘He interrupted you to tell you about Fair Trade Fava Beans?’ said Ben, disbelievingly.

Y/N nodded, and then broke into a laugh. The ridiculousness of the argument had struck her.

The two boys broke into laughter with her.

‘That bloke is mad if you ask me’ said Dominic. ‘He’s incapable of casual conversation. Do you remember that time he had a go at me in the M1 Service Station because I got a Starbucks? It wasn’t even as if I’d chosen to get Starbucks, there was no where else and I’d been driving for the last 5 hours!’

‘Oh my god yes! I’d forgotten that!’ said Y/N. ‘That was an awkward drive...’

They all laughed. Ben stood up.

‘Shall we go for a walk before dinner? Might be good to get some fresh air’ he said, looking at Y/N.

She nodded, getting to her feet.

—————-

A few minutes later, clad in wellies and as many jumpers as Y/N could find, her and Ben set out for your walk, bidding goodbye to Dominic who was staying behind to help prepare dinner.

You trudged along in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. The air was warm but the ground was damp in the aftermath of the rain you had had, and leaves squelch under your boots. You talked casually about work, Boris Johnson (‘I’d love to spend the day with him just to figure out his bullshit’ Ben laughs) and music, before an incoming text message interrupts your conversation.

Y/N glanced down at her phone. It’s the fifth text in 30 minutes from Dan, apologising and asking her to call him when she got a chance. Y/N sighed and put her phone back in her pocket.

‘Dan?’ Ben says, nodding towards her pocket.

‘Yeah,’ Y/N replies. ‘I’m just giving myself a bit of time to calm down before I reply’.

‘Good idea,’ Ben nodded. He paused slightly before he continued ‘You do know you deserve better than this, right? I don’t want to sound patronising, and I know it’s none of my business, but... I care about you... a lot, and I hate seeing you like this. You’re so ridiculously clever and kind and...’

‘Alright you soppy idiot calm down’ Y/N interrupts him, giggling. ‘I get the picture. I’m a big girl though, I’ll figure this out’

Ben wrapped his arm around Y/N’s shoulders, and they fell into a pace beside each other.

‘Sorry’ he said. ‘We should be getting back, dinner will be ready soon’

————-

Y/N groaned in pleasure as she pushed her plate away from her. ‘Cleo, that was delicious’ she said. She accepted the spliff Charlie passed her and happily inhaled.

The group were sat outside in the fading sun, the embers of their bbq providing a smokey haze over them. They were all silent for a moment, full and content from the meal they had just had.

‘You know what I’ve always wondered?’ Cleo said, ‘In Harry Potter, how is Harry quite so rich? He’s basically the bourgeoisie and no one ever talks about it.’

The group laugh.

‘That’s the least of your worries mate!’ Dominic laughs, ‘I’ve always wondered how Igor Karkaroff got made Headmaster of Durmstrong when he was a convicted Death Eater. Can you imagine the Ofsted inspections?’ He imitates an Ofsted inspector- ‘So you’ve got fantastic OWL’s Mr Karkarof, but a number of your students have also become Death Eaters under your care...’

‘Did you ever try out for Harry Potter Ben?’ Charlie asked.

‘No, I didn’t’ Ben laughs. ‘Fucking wish I had though, I’d never have to work again. At the time I still didn’t realise I wanted to be an actor, otherwise I probably would have done’.

Charlie laughed. ‘You wouldn’t have had to do Eastenders for so long if that had been the case’.

He started singing the Eastenders theme song and the group join in, all in different keys and in different time- but it’s enough to make Ben’s ears go bright red.

‘Alright, alright’ he says, smiling. ‘I definitely paid my dues with that one. Whenever I catch it nowadays the illusion is totally lost though. All I can ‘see’ are the cameramen recording the scenes and all the sound men-‘

‘No great loss mate’ Y/N sniggers.

—————

As Y/N lay in bed that night, moonlight lighting up a strip on her bed, her mind wandered. She only had one more day with the group before she had to head back to London, to the flat and Dan. She was dreading it, and had spent the day trying not to dwell on it too much. Being here, with her friends, with so few responsibilities had made her realise just how stressed she had been over the past few months.

Chapter 3 now out!

#ben hardy x reader #ben hardy imagines #ben hardy smutt #ben hardy

[michaelgambons]

This is my first ever Drabble/imagine/ fanfic (whatever you want to call it!) so please bare with! It’s set in the UK, so if you encounter any unfamiliar language, places or references, please shoot me a message!

This chapter is intended to set the scene and introduce the characters, but it will get more exciting soon!

Baseline Romantic

Chapter 1

It was pouring with rain as the train pulled into the station. Grimacing slightly against the cold wind that was coming in from the gap in the train door, Y/N turned the collar of her coat up and picked up her bag, ready to hop off the train and made a dash for the nearest cover.

Once off the train and under shelter, Y/N paused slightly before heading for the exit. She bowed her head slightly against the rain, but it still managed to trickle down her neck and a shiver ran through her. It wasn’t just the cold and the wet that was making her shiver, though. As much as she was excited to see her friends, the idea of spending a long weekend socialising was enough to make her take a deep breath to steady herself.

For the last 10 years, without fail, Y/N and her friends had gathered in Charlie’s mum’s house on the outskirts of Peterborough for the August bank holiday. The tradition had been borne out of the boredom of the university summer holidays, during which, when stuck at home, too broke to travel, too lazy to work and keen to return to the freedom of university, they had spent the remainder of their student finance on train fares to spend the long weekend together. Charlie’s mum’s house was perfect for the piss up that ensued; it was in the middle of nowhere so they could play music as loud as they wanted, as late as they wanted, and, crucially, Charlie’s mum spent most of the year living at her boyfriend’s in Surrey. The weekends had become the stuff of legend.

As she stepped out of the station and glanced around for a lift, a horn sounded. Looking around for its source, she spotted a battered Land Rover parked a few meters away, whose driver and passenger were waving furiously at her, grins splashed across their faces. Y/N’s face broke into a wide smile as she ran across the car park to join them.

———

Half an hour later, nestled in front of a roaring fire, gin and tonic grasped in her hand, Y/N had finally started to warm up. She sighed deeply to herself, closing her eyes and allowing herself to relax into the deep sofa, but a sudden roar of laughter brought her back to the room.

‘I’m so glad you managed to come, Y/N’ Catherine said. ‘I can’t believe you were going to put your *job* ahead of spending time with your friends’ she continued with a laugh.

Y/N smiles vaguely. ‘Mate me too’ she replied. ‘Honestly though, it was touch and go right until yesterday! If the shite weather hadn’t meant that the trip had to be cancelled, you wouldn’t have been graced with my company at all’

‘What trip was this?’ Dominic asked, putting down his beer.

‘Urghhh, don’t get me started’ Y/N said. ‘It was the most stereotypical thing ever. I was taking some MP’s on a ruddy fishing trip to talk to them about protecting freshwater rivers’.

She looked round and saw everyone staring at her, unsure whether to take her seriously or not.

‘I’m not joking!’ She said, laughing. ‘It’s as ridiculous as it sounds- I would have had to have worn fucking fishing trousers. Believe me, I’m much happier, and warmer, to be here.’

‘No Dan?’ Misha asked.

Y/N grimaced internally. She was hoping she could have had at least one G&T before she had to answer that question. She didn’t need reminding of the massive argument they had had just before she’d left. Her boyfriend Dan hated these gatherings; hated the fact that they pushed him out of his comfort zone by having to spend the weekend with people who weren’t constantly plotting the next Bolshevik revolution, like he was.

‘I just don’t understand why you like these people, Y/N. They’re all so painfully middle class and you just spend the weekend drinking overpriced wine and eating twattish Waitrose food’ he had shouted as she had packed.

‘You’re being ridiculous Dan’ she had yelled back. ‘These people are as left wing and educated as they come. Just because they don’t sing Red Flag to themselves every morning doesn’t mean that they’re as vapid as you seem to think they are.’

They hadn’t managed to resolve the argument before she’d had to leave for her train. There was, ultimately, no resolution to it. Dan had taken a dislike to her friends ever since he’d met them, two bank holidays ago. He’d spent the evening on the same sofa as she was now sat on, preaching about the Marxist benefits of agriculture. Happy to entertain this for the initial hour, Y/N and her friends had happily joined in. When, 2 hours later, he showed no sign of wanting to change the subject, they had all gradually excused themselves to bed.

‘Ignorant Tories’ Dan had muttered to Y/N as they got ready for bed.

Back in the present, Y/N took a gulp of her drink before she replied.

‘He had some protest I think? He says hello though!’ she said, trying to sound bubbly and casual as she lied through her teeth.

No one seemed to question this though, and the conversation gradually drifted back to what they were going to have for dinner. Catherine, however, caught her eye from across the room, and motioned her outside.

When Y/N joined Catherine outside, she’s shivering under her coat, cigarette in hand, glancing up at the sky and grimacing at the black cloud that is looming over them.

‘So’ Catherine says. ‘Why is Dan really not here? I didn’t believe a minute of that protest bullshit’.

Y/N might have realised that, if anyone was going to see past her feeble excuse, it would be Catherine. Catherine who had lived with her on and off for the last 10 years. The only one of her friends Dan liked and simultaneously the friend of hers who liked Dan the least.

She’d just finished telling Catherine the story, when the backdoor opened again and Ben came into the garden. He stopped as soon as he saw their serious expressions though and gestured back to the door.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt- just wanted a cig. I’ll come back...’

He turned to leave, but Y/N shouted after him.

‘Don’t be ridiculous Ben, it’s not a state secret. Just Dan being a shit’ Y/N said.

Ben smiles sympathetically as he comes over to the two of them. He lights a cigarette and runs his hand through his shocking blonde hair.

‘Actually Ben, you could be useful. Y/N tell Ben the same thing you told me.’ Catherine said.

Five minutes later, Ben had been fully debriefed. Both girls turned to him to see his reaction; he took a drag of his cigarette, brow furrowed.

‘He’s being a complete fucking idiot’. He says, bluntly. ‘Totally disrespectful. You don’t always have to like your partners friends, but you should always make an effort. That’s what being in a relationship is for fucks sake’

Both girls snigger and smile into their cigarettes, opinions confirmed.

‘Catherine?’ Charlie shouts from the kitchen. ‘What am I doing with these courgettes?’

Catherine sighs and stubbs our her cigarette, before walking back into the kitchen, leaving Y/N with Ben.

Ben was the only member of the group who wasn’t part of the original university crew. He had first come to their August break 5 years ago; Dom’s out of work actor flatmate from London who was going through a bad breakup and was in dire need of wine, company and good food. No one else had joined the group before or since, but Ben had slotted in perfectly, and remained a permanent fixture. He was undoubtedly one of Y/N favourite members of the group; down to earth, thoughtful, but with a cruel sense of humour which complemented Y/N’s well. The two could spend hours snorting with laughter at jokes their friends failed to understand.

‘Mate we need to have a SERIOUS chat about your last year’ Y/N said, turning to Ben. ‘We haven’t caught up properly since before Christmas, and you’ve been to the Oscars since then for god’s sake! What was it like?’

Ben snorts into his wine. ‘I’m sorry to disappoint but it was actually very underwhelming. Fucking long and you can’t go out for food or a cigarette’.

‘That is so disappointing. I’ve been rehearing my Oscar acceptance speech since I was at least 10 with a shampoo bottle- don’t tell me it’s not all what it’s cracked up to be’ Y/N pouted.

Ben laughed. ‘What on earth are you winning this Oscar for? Have you switched careers while I was in LA?’

‘Best Documentary’. Y/A answers firmly and quickly. ‘An expose of a corrupt politician where I go undercover as his campaign manager whilst hooked up to a wire. Critics would praise my bravery and unique take on the issue’. She grinned at Ben, who is laughing at her.

‘Dan really doesn’t know what he’s missing’ Ben laughed.

The smile fades off Y/N’s face. Ben immediately realises his mistake and tries to change the subject, but it’s too late.

‘I’m sorry Y/N I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s none of my business. I just... he’s... you deserve better’ he finishes faintly.

‘Dinner!’ Comes a shout from the kitchen, before Y/N is able to reply.

————

Two hours and several glasses of wine later, Y/N finally had finally forgotten about Dan for the moment. She was warm, well fed, tipsy and in good company.

‘And that’ Misha shouts, voice confident with the gin he’s been drinking since lunchtime, ‘is how I ended up as Robert Mugabe’s private pilot’

Everyone around the table roars with laughter. Y/N catches the eye of Ben who is sitting across her on the table. Y/N looks away quickly. She doesn’t want Ben to think she’s staring at him- but it’s hard not to when you’re sat opposite someone as ridiculously pretty as him. Instead she reaches for the wine bottle to refill her glass. When she next looks up, however, she swears she catches Ben quickly looking away from her. She shakes her head slightly to clear it of the wine fog that’s descended on her.

Y/N catches sight of her reflection in the back of her wine glass. Of course Ben wasn’t staring at her. Her curly hair was all over the place after the day’s travel, and her make up had faded and smudged under eyes. Whilst far from unattractive, she’s no where near as polished as the skin thin models he was undoubtedly fucking over in LA. And anyway, she had Dan to think of.

Brushing the thought from her mind, Y/N turned to Cleo who was sat next to her and joined in the conversation she and Charlie were engaged in. Out of the corner of her eye though, she kept Ben in her peripheral vision.

—————

‘Y/N I’ve got a banger lined up for you in a second’ said Dominic with a cheeky grin. He was controlling the music they are listening to in the living room, which they’ve retreated to now dinner had been cleared away.

‘Oh no, what have you got lined up? Cleo moaned.

‘It’s either Baseline Junkie or Rocky Racoon if it’s for Y/N’ Charlie said laughing.

Hearing this, Y/N sat up in her chair, which she had previously been slumped in, letting the conversation wash over her, content but tired by the days events.

~ Hey turn the base off, turn the base off

Big dirty stinking base, dirty stinking base ~

Y/N leaps out of her chair. The group collectively moans and laughs as they watch Y/N sing and dance along to the song- completely out of rhythm but with a huge smile over her face.

She turns to each member of the group in turn, signing a line of the song to them. As she reaches Ben, she realises he is recording her sing, grinning into his camera. Slightly taken aback for a moment at the fact that this would undoubtedly be posted to his million + followers on instragram, instead of stopping, Y/N redoubles her efforts at performing the song into his camera.

As the song comes to an end, she bows into his camera as a round of applause rings out.

She suspects she’ll regret that in the morning

Chapter 2 now out!

————-

#ben hardy #ben hardy smutt #ben hardy imagines #ben hardy x reader

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Jan De Vliegher - Terras, 2005

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Sharon Tate (1968)

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FLORENCE PUGH for THE LAST MAGAZINE (photographed by Paola Kudachi)

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Blur by Koh Hasebe, 1993 Tokyo

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