It was natural to just lean into Leslie, hand moving around to the small of her back to pull her in snug against him. Getting completely lost in the familiarity, the comfort, the base pleasure in having her near again, even if she wasn't as up to date as him, it was a simple enough thing to just get lost in. Leslie was exceptionally easy to lose himself in.
At least until she pulled away, panicking.
"Hey, hey no," with a gentle grip on her wrists, Ben tugged her hands down from her face and the tears on her cheeks, kneeling in front of her to take both hands in his. It was probably too much all at once, and he could get that really, but it wasn't as if he'd ever blame her at all. "It's okay, I really don't think it's possible to ever hate you." She did have a point; he wasn't he Ben she was dating and she wasn't the Leslie he'd married, not yet at least.
It didn't make them different people, not at all.
"I'm married, I'm married to you, to the you that you are now and who you become. Just because it's a year or two before it happens for you doesn't mean you're a different person." Not really, not at all. She was still the Leslie he fell in love with, still the enthusiastic park worker, the ambitious politician, the insane hoarder of all things that might be useful. She was fun, sweet, kind Leslie who became his closest friend and dear co-worker and helped him be better. "But whatever you want to do here is what we do."
He thought he could handle a mostly laid back platonic friendship with her again. Maybe.