“Missed you.” Who: Bahamut(Ben), Yuna What: Siblings spending some time catching up. When: A saturday before all the things went crazy. 6/22 or so? Where: Her place, driving around, a park. Ratings/Warnings: PG, no triggers I can think of. Status: Complete!
Ben came to meet Yuna in his own car, bearing coffee and pastries from Baxter’s. It was high time he and his sister had a proper chance to catch up. Now that Lulu had left town, he felt like he needed to be even more on the ball, making sure he spent time with the ones who were still close enough to visit.
Lulu's absence had shot the wind out of Yuna's sails a bit, to be sure. She understood the need to get away from all of this, though, and was mainly glad that she still had Ben around.
She was ready for him when he pulled up, hopping out of the door of her apartment building with an extra bounce in her step and a grin on her face. It didn't take long before she was waving at him through the car window, "Come on out of there, I want a hug!"
Ben strode got out of the car as quickly as he could without spilling the drinks. “Hey.” He set the drink tray and the food on the hood of the car, and held out his arms to Yuna. “Missed you.”
Coffee was far too precious to be wasted with spilling, so Yuna waited patiently for him to take care while getting out of the car. Then she smushed herself into a hug with him, squeezing him tightly, "It feels like it's been forever. I know it hasn't, that's just silly, but it does."
He hugged her just as tightly in return, lifting the slender young woman off her feet for a moment before setting her carefully back down. “Need to be better about not going so long in between,” he agreed, handing her one of the coffees. “Just so you don’t think I’ve crawled into a hole and died.”
"I'd never think that, only because... it'd be such a horrible thought." Yuna wrinkled her nose a bit at the thought, then shook it out of her head, with a literal headshake. The coffee was received with a grin, and she took a long sip, "It's very good. But yes, we really should do this more often. It's not just your fault, I need to be less busy."
Ben just shrugged. He supposed they could both stand to make visiting family more of a priority now that they were all grown up. “Shall we take this party inside, then?”
"Maybe we could take this party to the park or something," Yuna replied. She took another sip of her coffee and motioned to his car, "You can impress me with your driving skills and we can take in this gorgeous day."
“Well, in that case...” Ben handed Yuna the bag of pastries, and then moved to open the passenger door. “Your carriage awaits you.”
Yuna took the pastries carefully in hand, giggling a bit at Ben and his chivalry before getting into his car. She settled in and buckled up, then tucked the pastries onto her lap and retrieved her coffee, "Am I going to turn into a pumpkin when the clock strikes twelve?"
“Oh, no,” Ben said, coming around to the driver’s side and starting the engine. “You’re old enough now, the witching hour for you is three AM.” He smirked. “And being the responsible coachman that I am, I will do everything in my power to see you safely home before then.”
"That's probably good, considering how early the both of us probably need to be up tomorrow." Yuna replied, with a bit of a giggle. She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes a bit, just happy to be in Ben's presence and out of her tiny little apartment.
"So... what have you been up to? Do you have any girls in your life?"
"Only my sisters," Ben said, shrugging his shoulders as he navigated toward the park. "Lulu seemed to have this idea that she ought to try and set me up with someone, but that was before the trouble started with Nikola." He sighed. Even if he didnt know details, he knew when his sister was stressed and making dubious choices. "I hope this trip gives them a chance to sort things out."
"I hope so, too... But I also hope that you can find someone to be in your life with you besides us," Yuna teased. She glanced over at him and then poked him lightly on the arm, careful not to disturb him too much while driving, "Aren't you lonely?"
Ben just shrugged some more, and shook his head. “I’m around people all day, every day, almost,” he said, “I don’t have time to get lonely, let alone go on dates. Besides...the dream stuff complicates things. And I know all of that just sounds like one excuse after another, but I’ve always been content, just like I am.”
"I guess it's hard, too, to watch someone else so unhappy in a relationship and think about wanting one, yourself..." Yuna trailed off, sounding a bit more thoughtful. She wasn't just speaking for him anymore, but also herself. Lulu's situation was painful to witness, she couldn't imagine it in the first person view.
She shook her head, "No, I suppose we're both too busy for that kind of thing anyway. I'll have to live vicariously through someone else. Rikku, maybe."
Ben flashed her a grin, glancing over briefly as he checked his blindspot. “She is very vivacious, isn’t she?” He chuckled to himself, remembering Rikku’s visits. It was like she was on a permanent sugar rush, sometimes. But that was good. She’d balanced out their seriousness quite well. “I’m a confirmed bachelor by now, but you’re still young. Maybe you’ll meet a handsome surgeon in medical school.”
"I don't know if I'm even going to medical school. That feels like some far off dream right now," Yuna replied, wrinkling her nose, "I only just got out of nursing school as it is. It seems so silly. I probably should have just decided to be a doctor from the beginning."
“True.” Ben sighed as he pulled into the parking area and shut off the engine. “It’s nice to have a change of pace every now and then.”
"I don't think I can do enough with Nursing, though. What do you think, am I too old to go through another eight years of school?" That was assuming she could even afford that. She couldn't count on Ben to help her out every time.
Most of her heart was already on moving forward in whatever way she could, no matter what Ben replied with, but his approval really mattered to her.
“No, of course not,” Ben said, turning to look her full in the face. “Look at Doctor Magius, at your clinic. He’s got multiple degrees, he’s studied several branches of medicine, and he has numerous hobbies on the side. Obviously he has continued his education even while manning a successful practice, and he’s nurturing the healing arts in everyone around him. If that is where your heart lies, then you will find a way.”
He leaned over, and kissed her on the forehead, brushing her hair back from her face. “And I will be there to support and cheer you on, no matter what.”
Her face lit up, and softened a bit. It had been drawn with worry before, something he'd probably instantly understood, since he'd known her for most of her life now. It was amazing, really.
"You always know just what to say to me, you know? I... really appreciate that. I feel like sometimes the only reason I made it this far was because of you and Lu. When you say you'll support me I really feel like I could do anything. Take on the entire world, even."
“Just take your time,” he said, “You’ll find your own pace, in time.” He smiled. “And of course you could take on the world--let’s just hope you don’t have to.” But even if she did, she wouldn’t have to do it alone.
"Even if I don't get there until I'm old and gray... it would be worth it, I think," Yuna agreed. She pulled a pastry out of the bag and then handed it over to him so that he could select one, too, "Let's sit on the hood and watch the day go by. I hope I don't have to take on the world, either. I'd much rather just sit and enjoy it."