Ben Reilly (theotherparker) wrote in thedoorway, @ 2013-05-09 22:09:00 |
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Current mood: | amused |
Who: Ben Reilly and Gwen Stacy
When: back dated like whoa - Wednesday, May 1
Where: little cafe near NYU
What: Helping to study turns into a tangent on photography.
Rating: PG?
One second, Gwen had flashcards being put up in her face, helping her to pull out every necessary detail of what she’d studied in her brain and then the next second... she was staring at her partner flipping through her textbook with absolute fascination that it was like he forgot she was even there, and that included the flashcards. It wasn’t that she necessarily needed the textbook anyway because she’d read the chapter (and apparently gotten sleep deprived enough to write in it). But suddenly, watching Ben totally engrossed in her book was more interesting than studying. Hey, she may have been top of her class in high school but that didn’t mean she wasn’t a typical girl. “Ben,” she started, tapping her pen on the page of her notebook. She waited until he looked up at her before she added, “I have half a mind to ask if you want to keep the book after this semester.” Ben couldn’t help the smile on his face as he looked up. He definitely liked the way she said his name. Or, well, her just saying his name. He felt warm inside at the sound of it. A bit more solid. Chuckling, he ducked his head, eyes back on the book page. “Sorry. I forget how much I actually like this sometimes,” he admitted. Sure he helped Desiree with her homework and Spider-Man-ing ended up having more science moments then you’d think, but it’d been awhile since he’d been in academia. It just wasn’t an option since he came back. Trainer had offered, which would have been so awkward later considering, but fake references that’d last for more than a few months would be hard. And of course there was always the issue of running into people who knew Peter in those circles and no one needed that added stress. He’d lost himself back in the reading without realizing it when he heard the familiar sound of a camera shutter. His head snapping up, he narrowed his eyes at how Gwen was holding her phone. “What’dya just do?” he asked curiously. Gwen couldn’t help it. When he got reabsorbed in that book, she’d turned her attention back to the outline she had typed up for herself, but three minutes later she was glancing back at him. Still engrossed. And she thought that he looked absolutely adorable enough to be in a snapshot. “I took a picture,” she said, tilting her head sideways and giving him an innocent smile. “I’m thinking of captioning it with something that someone had once called me via text. What was it again? Oh, yeah. ‘Neeeeeeeerd.’” Gwen turned her phone around and held it out to show him the picture. Ben leaned forward to get a better look at phone. He tilted his head to the side as he studied the image before the corner of his lips quirked up. “Not bad. I think you’ll need more Es though. And at least 5 Rs. Geez, get me some of my old glasses and you’d have textbook nerd there.” He chuckled. “Ha, textbook. Ok. Show me how you did that. I haven’t gotten to that function yet in my phone.” “Really?” Gwen would have expected anyone to find the camera feature first and take about a dozen pictures with them. Maybe not everyone was like her. The first time she got her iPhone, the camera was all she was crazy about. Studies momentarily forgotten, Gwen stood up, pushing her chair around the table until it was right next to him, then sat down, taking his phone in her hand. “It’s simple. You go... here, and then just hold it up and tap this button on the screen. Smile!” Holding up the phone, she leaned in closer, giving Ben a demonstration as she took a shot of them together. “You’ve been here for how long and you had yet to use the camera feature on this? I’m surprised you didn’t inspect everything, even cracking it open, the minute you got it.” Ben shook his head. “Hey, I had tv shows and books and movies to catch up on. Plus, not the right tools to take this apart,” he joked as he pulled his own phone out. “I think they frown on you breaking your phone the first day too. And geez, you know how many functions this has? Between the texting, reading the network, and kicking Pete’s butt at Word with Friends, there’s not time for much else.” He frowned slightly as he swiped open his phone. “And actually never thought of it much. I haven’t done the photography thing in a long time.” A camera cost money. So did developing the film and prints. Plus, selling photos had been Peter’s thing. And taking them for himself... Well, that created ties to where he was, left a possible paper trail. He gave her a slightly skeptical look. “Ok, so, cool and all, but how do you do you play with the focus and shutter speed and apertures?” “And how many of them did you catch up on? Did you manage to read all of Harry Potter? Because if you haven’t, I’m going to be disappointed. Or will be if you haven’t even picked up the first book.” Gwen had sat back in the chair, swiping through her phone to get to one of the photo apps to show off when he spoke again. He was into photography too. Interesting coincidence. “Unfortunately, all you get with a camera in a phone is auto-focus. If you’re looking for all of that, well. You might get some bit of it in a point-and-shoot.” Gwen shook her head as she looked down at her phone. “I’d love a fancy DSLR, but damn if I could afford it,” she mumbled, mostly to herself. Before she remembered that she probably should not be thinking of her issues when she was out with this guy. Not that she’d have a hard time forgetting about it because Ben helped with that. A lot. “Is photography your hobby? You should get yourself one. There are pretty good deals around here.” “Well, I’d hate to disappoint. Starting to level out on the catch-up, but man, did I burn through a lot when I was stuck in that hospital bed. ‘Bout the only good thing about bed rest, so yes, I have. Wingradium leviosa and all that.” He flourished his hand as if he had a wand before swiping through the icons on his phone, tilting his head slightly at her mumbled words. He shrugged as he opened up what looked like the same app Gwen had opened. “Was. Really, it’s been years. Guess I never really had anything worthwhile to take pictures of. Plus, you know, the whole not having a camera thing.” Grinning, he leaned back in his chair, tilting the phone back and forth before getting a good angle and snapping a picture of Gwen. He turned the phone back around to show her. “I don’t know. Still think I should waste money on that camera?” When he aimed to take a picture, Gwen tilted her head and smiled. “But, if you had one...” she said, taking his phone out of his hands to look at the picture. “Hmm. Yeah, not bad. My hair actually looks nice for once. But, yeah, if you really wanted one and managed to get it, imagine what awesome pictures you could take.” She refrained from mentioning that she knew someone who could help him with that. She’d already seen how that certain someone was interacting with him on the network already. Instead, she held out Ben’s phone, and puckered up her lips as she took a picture. Before she gave the phone back, a thought made her pause. He probably wouldn’t get himself a camera, but if it was a gift... Oh, hell, really, Gwen? They were down to a one-parent income and she was thinking of spending money on something like that and not even spoiling herself with it? “Not that I know that much but I’m pretty sure you’d be able to find a good deal and not call it a waste of money.” "Man, I don't even know what I'd do with a camera now," Ben puffed out as he watched Gwen. "You know, other than the obvious for fun. Which haven't done in even longer really. It was all work, work, work for awhile." Which was probably saying too much considering everything. But all that simple stuff always just seemed to spill out when he was with her... He rolled his eyes as he took his phone back. "You are being to hard on yourself. Your hair always looks great. I'll keep snapping candids until you believe me. But first..." He leaned back in towards Gwen, holding the phone out at arms length to snap a picture. "Payback! Ok, this is nice and cool and easier to control than a timer or a photo booth." “You know what they say about all work and no--,” was all she got out when Ben was suddenly moving closer and taking another picture. She barely had time to even smile for a camera. Gwen laughed and shook her head. “You have time now, don’t you? More than you ever had back home? It’s what I see from a lot of other refugees that come here, so... unless working at Sam’s is taking up a lot of your time.” Gwen picked up her phone again and took a quick random picture of him as she talked. “And speaking of, I do know this place nearby that has a cool photobooth.” "Makes Ben a dull boy," Ben said with a grin. "Yup! Actually know that reference." He tilted his head to the side as he thought. "Yeah, I suppose I do. But it’s weird in a way though that I don’t feel like I got tons more free-time though. Just that everything’s more... low-key, y’know?” He shrugged. “But then I’ve got a lot of catch-up to do. So maybe that’s just me.” He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Photobooth? They still got those around? Really? We’re talking ‘bout the same sort of thing, right? Small box with a curtain and a camera inside? You pay to get four pictures where you hope everyone’s in the frame? That sort of photobooth?” “You seem to have caught up on pop culture very well. So, job well done on that. And... yes. Photobooth. All the works. Of course they also have different kinds now, one that’s bigger and can fit more people because you’re all standing and you get to use props such as hats, chalkboards shaped like speech bubbles, and moustaches on sticks. But the one I’m talking about is the small box with a curtain bit. And you get two copies of the strip. Those are never going to go out of style, so of course they’d have them in style.” Gwen leaned back against the chair, her shoulder touching his, as she surfed through the browser on her phone until she got to the picture of the location in question to show him. “See? It’s right outside this trendy little restaurant. Since it’s not the weekend, the chances of that thing being occupied work well in our favor.” “Hey! That one I knew already! I’m not that old,” Ben said with a laugh as he leaned in to look at the picture. “Yup. That is a real photo booth.” He brightened as he turned his head to smile at Gwen. “Wanna go? You need a study break anyways. Nothing better to do on a study break than make funny faces in a box.” “Hey, I didn’t mean to imply you’re old,” she laughed. Turning her own head to look at him, it was a pleasant surprise to see him... close. Very close. Close enough that she could have closed the space easily. Instead of that, she returned his smile, and hoped the blush wasn’t that visible. Shame that the window seat they had in the cafe didn’t have the sun shining directly on them. “Is that how you take your study breaks? Making funny faces? Because, sure, why not? If doing that during breaks means effective studying afterwards, I’m willing to give it a shot.” Oh, and that smile. It wouldn’t take much to just lean his head forward to rest against hers, but that was probably a bad idea. Even so... Ben bobbed his head slightly, his forehead brushing against Gwen’s hair before he leaned back and pushed himself out of his chair. “Sure, something like that,” he said with a laugh as he gathered up the books and flashcards. “Funny faces. Just plain fun. As long as fun is in it, you’ll be good.” Gwen’s heart skipped a beat when he moved in closer for that split second. And then he was getting up. Had they just shared a moment? “And what’s in it for you is that you get to take photobooth pictures,” she said, straightening up as well and starting to close her notebooks. “For which, I really don’t blame you! They’re hilarious fun.” Opening her bag, she stood up and starting putting away anything she had brought with her in it. The textbook though, that had been in hand. And that was what she pointed at when she glanced up at Ben. “I assume you’re going to hold onto that.” Ben laughed as he held his hands out to the side. “That’s it. You’ve seen right through me. I only agreed to study with you in a nefarious plot to get to use a photo booth,” he teased. “I have more sessions plotted out until I know all the photo booths in New York and then I shall take over the city.” He tilted his head to the side. “Which I don’t think anyone has done yet actually...” Blinking in surprise, he glanced down at the book. “Don’t you need it for studying?” “You really should learn to keep your dastardly plots to yourself if you really want to become a villain,” Gwen said, with a laugh, hoisting her bag over her shoulder. “Actually, I was just using it as a reference. I made an outline of the chapters I needed so I wouldn’t really need the book for studying.” She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him then. “And something tells me that someone would find a lot more joy in reading the rest of the chapter at this moment.” “But the whole point of villainy is monologuing! You can’t be a good villain without monologuing,” Ben said before shaking his head. “Not that I’d ever get into that line of work. I’d make a horrible villain. Doing evil deeds and then apologizing left and right. It’d be a mess.” Ducking his head, he ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, yeah. Neeeeeeeerd. And who’d just stop at the rest of the chapter? There’s a whole book here that needs finishing. So. Um... yeah. If you don’t need it, I guess I wouldn’t mind. But only if you really don’t need it. I can get it back to you quick if you realize you need something from it.” Gwen circled around the table, picking up her empty tea cup to toss out, and then moved over to his side. "If I do, I'll let you know but it wouldn't be anything I can't find via Google or the school's online journals." With her free hand, she took hold of his hand to pull him in the direction of the door. "Come on, lets go make funny faces in a small box." |