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Tweak says, "You give love a band name"

Benjamin Wolffe (lone_wolffe) wrote in beyondthepages,
@ 2010-04-03 21:55:00

Entry tags:

!complete, 2023 09, ashley legard, benjamin wolffe

RP: Sleepless
Characters: Ben, Ashley
Time/Date: Shortly after 10 pm, September 3 2023
Location: The infirmary
Warnings/Rating: None
Summary: Ben can't sleep so he goes to the Infirmary
Status: Complete

Ben was sure that in a night or two he would just be exhausted enough to sleep through the night no matter what sort of dreams he had. The question was whether or not he wanted to tough it out. He usually kept a few potions on hand, but in the hustle and bustle of moving, it had been forgotten.

Now he'd had two nights of spotty sleep and while his thoughts had lately often drifted to silly reasons to visit Ashley, he didn't want to have an actual reason. It was embarrassing at best. She had even mentioned needing to help the children sometimes because of nightmares. So, clearly, his problem was childish and immature. He wondered how much of it had to do with Bellatrix coming back to life right in the middle of the great hall, but even knowing the trigger didn't make him feel any better about it.

Twice now he had started out of his room before changing his mind, but given that the third time was a charm, this time he made it out into the hallway. It wasn't even that late yet so he hoped she hadn't already gone to bed. Though maybe if she had, he would just leave and go back the next morning.

Managing not to completely talk himself out of this -- because he really did want to sleep -- he let himself into the Infirmary when he reached it, hazel eyes glancing around in search of Ashley.

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pages_of_ash
2010-04-04 05:43 am UTC (link)

Ashley had just settled into bed when she heard the charm trigger. She groaned inwardly and decided if it was a student she was going to ... be very upset. Unless they were genuinely injured.

Slipping her housecoat on, she started down the stairs from her room, ensuring it was belted before she pushed open the door. She was a little startled to see Ben, and a faint blush colored her cheeks. "Benjamin," she murmured as she regarded him.

Her brow furrowed and she wondered why he was here, her mind leaping to a thousand different possibilities before deciding not to get ahead of herself. "Is there something I can do for you?" she inquired, because that seemed to be the safest route.

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lone_wolffe
2010-04-04 06:34 am UTC (link)

Ben bit his lower lip when he saw how she was dressed. He felt guilty, but couldn't stop himself from wondering what she had on under her housecoat. Scratching the back of his neck, he opened his mouth and began with, "Sorry.

"I ... well, I've been having trouble sleeping," he admitted, furrowing his brow. He almost started rambling an explanation about how he usually had potions of his own, but didn't bring any, but managed not to as that seemed like too much information.

"I hope I didn't wake you," he added, sliding his hands into the pockets of his robes that he'd put on over his pajama pants and t-shirt.

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pages_of_ash
2010-04-04 06:54 am UTC (link)

"Non. I ... was just getting ready to go to bed, actually. I was going to read for a bit." She smiled at him before she slipped into healer mode. "Is it stress, or nightmares, or nerves?" It wasn't as though they didn't have plenty to be nerved about.

If she'd known him better (and if she hadn't known she'd be serious with her offer), she would have teasingly asked if he'd like a warm body to keep him company and help him sleep.

"Or I could offer you a backrub? If it is stress or nerves, it may relax you enough to sleep."

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lone_wolffe
2010-04-04 07:25 am UTC (link)

Benjamin was loathe to admit that it was nightmares. He hesitated long enough to hear her offer of a backrub and he flushed. Merlin, he didn't think he'd ever received such a tempting offer. It would, however, be wrong to fib and say it was stress just to take advantage of her.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he reluctantly admitted, "It's nightmares. I sort of wish it was stress or nerves now though," he added with a chuckle.

Oh god, had he really said that? Maybe he would wake up and find that this was a nightmare.

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pages_of_ash
2010-04-04 07:31 am UTC (link)

Ashley nodded. "Do you often use potions? Or is this a first time occurrence?" Though it didn't feel like it was. With Bellatrix newly returned ... Ashley couldn't deny that they all must be a little on edge.

She ducked her head slightly when he seemed inclined to accept her offer of a backrub, and she thought she might offer him one anyway. It would still help him fall asleep. "If you do use a potion, the lavender or the green one?" They were the two most common sorts, and he would know which.

While she waited for him to answer, she crossed to a cabinet and slipped a small jar from it - just in case.

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lone_wolffe
2010-04-04 07:53 am UTC (link)

He was unsure what her definition of often was, but it certainly wasn't a first time occurrence. After rubbing a hand down his jaw, he crossed his arms under his chest, realizing he often felt like he didn't know what to do with his hands when he was around her.

"I use them sometimes," he compromised with a half shrug and he had to smile a little when she asked which one by their colors, "The green one."

He supposed he'd been mostly silly since she wasn't at all acting like there was something wrong with him. For now, he wouldn't think too hard about the fact that she was a healer meant of course she wouldn't outwardly show how she felt about his issue.

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pages_of_ash
2010-04-04 08:00 am UTC (link)

Ashley crossed to the cabinet and shifted aside a couple of vials before withdrawing the one she was after. "They are 'ere, if you ever need one and I am not available," she offered. "Just leave me a note if there are less than two, so I know to make a few more."

She hesitated and warred a little with herself. Was it abusing her position to offer the backrub just because she wanted to touch him? Not that she'd admit that was the reason, but she knew it was. He'd already said it wasn't stress, then mentioned he wished it was.

Perhaps then, not as a healer but as a colleague? Then she wasn't crossing any lines. "If you ... change your mind in regard to my offer," she murmured, letting the implication dangle.

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lone_wolffe
2010-04-04 08:10 am UTC (link)

"Thank you," he replied to her explanation that he could just take some if she wasn't available. He wasn't sure it would ever come up, but maybe if she was busy with a student.

It was his turn to hesitate and he thought that technically, he hadn't turned down her offer in the first place. "I ... don't want to be a bother," he hedged, figuring he was already keeping her from sleeping or reading.

It seemed wrong to accept under somewhat false pretenses. He wouldn't be doing it to help himself fall asleep; he just wanted to know how her hands would feel against his back.

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pages_of_ash
2010-04-04 08:14 am UTC (link)

"I would not offer if it would be a bother," she assured him. "This, too, will 'elp you rest better," she assured him as she lifted the little jar. "It relaxes you, and if you do 'ave dreams, they will be softer. Pleasant."

She smiled and nodded to the door. "I will meet you in your quarters? I should probably not roam the 'all in my nightclothes." Because if she had the attention of the male student body under normal circumstances, rumors of her in a housecoat over a nightgown was bound to stir up another round of attention.

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lone_wolffe
2010-04-04 08:21 am UTC (link)

He glanced curiously at the little bottle as she spoke before returning his gaze to her. Deciding not to push his luck by protesting anymore, he nodded with a little chuckle and agreed, "All right. In my quarters."

With that settled, he turned to let himself back out into the hall and returned to his room. He left the door cracked open for her and took off his robes, draping them over the chair. Hazel eyes flicked about the room, as if he might have something embarrassing that needed to be put away, but no, everything appeared to be in decent order.

Sitting down on his bed, he berated his nerves and then changed positions to stretch out while he waited.

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pages_of_ash
2010-04-04 08:33 am UTC (link)

After she'd changed, Ashley wound her way to Ben's room. It simply made sense, didn't it, to do this in his room, in his bed, so he wouldn't be relaxed in the infirmary then have to trek all the way back to his room?

It did.

She rapped once on the half-open door before she let herself inside. "Bonjour," she said quietly as she closed the door behind herself. She chuckled softly when she saw he was still wearing a shirt.

After he'd removed it at her request, she crossed over to the bed. Finding a comfortable position to be in, braced against the bed, she stroked her fingers through the contents of the jar. "This is an 'erbal compound. It will relax you, and the scent of it will 'elp you sleep soundly," she explained quietly before she brushed her fingertips across his shoulders, smearing some of the paste along his skin.

His skin was warm, and while it wasn't as soft as hers perhaps, it did still feel ... very nice. Her lips parted as her eyes half closed and she tried to remind herself of her professionalism as she set about massaging the compound into his back.

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lone_wolffe
2010-04-04 08:44 am UTC (link)

He was very, very aware of the fact that he was only wearing pajama pants and he was more or less in bed with Ashley. A quick shiver tightened his back at the first brush of his fingers over his bare shoulders and he closed his eyes.

Making a vague noise of comprehension, he forced himself to relax -- which he thought was a little ironic. Slowly though, he felt the tension in his muscles relax and he seemed to sink more comfortably into his bed.

"It smells good," he replied with a thickness to his voice that couldn't only be attributed to his relaxation. It felt good, too. It felt better than he thought it should and his body was reacting predictably to having a gorgeous woman massage him. Luckily he was lying face down.

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pages_of_ash
2010-04-04 08:54 am UTC (link)

"I would not mind doing this whenever you needed it, Benjamin," she said softly but very, very sincerely. She liked the feel of his back, of his skin, beneath her fingertips far more than she thought she should.

She didn't understand this attraction, but surely this wasn't utterly unheard of? Love at first sight had to exist for a reason. She wasn't so naive as to believe that's what it was, exactly, but she felt something. She thought about him often. Perhaps it was only one sided, but ... she didn't believe that. She thought he thought about her, too.

Her hands roamed his back longer than necessary; everything useful had already been worked into his skin and she should leave him to sleep. Withdrawing her hands, she settled into a kneel beside his bed, gazing at him. "Don't forget to take your potion as well," she directed quietly.

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lone_wolffe
2010-04-04 06:08 pm UTC (link)

He was afraid he might be reading more into her tone than he should have been. There was just something about it that made his breath catch, especially when she said his name. It made him think she was feeling the same way about him that he was feeling about her, but he was still resisting that being possible.

When she stopped, his back immediately missed her touch. He turned his head to meet her gaze, "I won't forget," he promised quietly.

"Thank you again," he murmured, shifting his position enough that he could gently cup her cheek. He flushed at his boldness -- though it certainly was the least of his recent bold thoughts about her -- as he slowly withdrew his hand.

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pages_of_ash
2010-04-04 06:14 pm UTC (link)

She smiled softly to him, brushing her fingertips over his hair gently before she pressed up to her feet. She wondered how long she would continue to deny that there was something there. There had to be.

"Goodnight, Benjamin," she said softly, bluegrey gaze lingering on him. "I will see you soon," she assured him before she turned for the door. There was little reason to linger, after all; he'd come to her for a potion to sleep. He intended to sleep. She should go do the same.

She paused at the door briefly before she decided to keep any thoughts of proposals for a date to herself, at least for now. Perhaps ... soon, she might ask, if he did not. With a last glance to him, she wiggled her fingers in a wave before letting herself out.

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