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starrystarrybabe · 5 years

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Oh, How the Mighty Fall [In Love] CHAPTER ELEVEN (Ben Hardy x OC)

Lily Anne Mercury is brought in to help with Bohemian Rhapsody at the request of her Uncle Bri and Uncle Rog, and along the way, she might meet someone to share her life with. The only problem with this is that while their friends and the world can see that they’re perfect for each other, they’re going to be fully blind to this for a while.

DISCLAIMER: I’m fully aware that it would’ve been physically impossible for Jim and Freddie to have a child even with this method during the time they were alive, but the idea of Freddie as a dad and the idea of how his child would turn out to be was just too sweet for me to not write.

So sorry for the long ass wait! I went through a rut and real life became too much, and I finally got the chance to continue today. I got to school two weeks ago, so a lot is happening.

CHAPTER ONE, CHAPTER TWO, CHAPTER THREE, CHAPTER FOUR, CHAPTER FIVE, CHAPTER SIX, CHAPTER SEVEN, CHAPTER EIGHT, CHAPTER NINE, CHAPTER TEN

Triggers: none that I noticed

FACECLAIMS:

Kelly Gale as Lily Anne Mercury

Sira P. Kante as Ezichi Adebayo

Erika Linder as Bronwyn Ryan-Hughes

Bree Kish as Madigan Ryan-Hughes

Sonakshi Sinha as Anusha Laghari

Lily has been feeling exceptionally nauseous and moody these past few days, and now she knows why since it is typical for the second month of pregnancy to be the time morning sickness, food aversion, and a host of other unsavory symptoms to arrive. This particular morning, she awakens from her slumber and runs to her en suite bathroom, vomiting up last night’s Indian food. She groans as Katie opens the door and comes inside.

“I guess I should say congratulations, Lily,” Katie says, getting her a glass of water.

Lily groans and gargles before weakly spitting into the toilet and flushing it. She presses her cheek to the cold toilet seat and smiles at her assistant. “Thank you, Katie. I appreciate it.”

“Can I get you anything to eat before today’s rehearsal? Any tea? You shouldn’t drink coffee while pregnant.”

Lily sits up slowly and sighs. “I’ll take a chocolate croissant and an earl grey tea with two sugars. Buy yourself something to eat as well, love. Whatever you want, it’s on me.”

“But--”

Lily waves dismissively. “I know, I know. You’re not a charity case, my dear. Just let me treat you this once, please. It’s the last day of the tour and you’ve been a trooper.”

Katie sighs. “Of course, Lily. I’ll be right back with your breakfast.”

When Katie leaves, Lily gets out of the bathroom and flops into bed, curling up under the plush comforter. Her phone buzzes, and she picks it up to see that Ben is trying to FaceTime her. She presses the accept button and smiles weakly at him.

“Hello, love. How are you?” He asks, looking concerned. “You look pale.”

She sighs, moving to a more comfortable position. “I had my first bout of morning sickness just five minutes ago. It was disgusting.”

Ben nods, looking down before meeting her eyes again. “But… doesn’t morning sickness mean the child is healthy?”

She nods, smiling. “Yep. Little Baby Jones is developing as he or she should.”

Ben smiles, letting out a little laugh. “Little Baby Jones?”

She grins. “Do you like that? The band came up with it and I thought it sounded lovely.”

Ben nods, running a hand through his hair. “Little Baby Jones. I love it.”

Ryan Reynolds comes up behind Ben and grins into the camera. “Hi. Sorry to intrude, but congratulations, you two!”

Ben is on set for reshoots today, just for a few scenes with Ryan.

Lily grins. “Thank you, Ryan. How’s Blake’s pregnancy going?”

Ryan shrugs. “Just like the last two. She’s a bit mad at me right now because the kid won’t stop kicking, but she’ll get over it.”

Ben laughs and looks to Lily. “Surely you won’t blame me for when Little Baby Jones kicks.” He looks fearful. “Right?”

Lily purses her lips. “I’ll be very hormonal. Don’t hold your breath, Hardy.”

Ben nods and Ryan claps him on the shoulder. “It’ll be alright. Just change all the diapers the first week after she gives birth and she won’t be angry anymore.”

Lily smiles. “I like that idea! Very clever, Ryan.” She smiles at Ben. “I’ll let you two go now. Break a leg!”

Ben smiles at her when Ryan leaves to go to his trailer. “I love you, Lil. See you tonight.”

She smiles back at him. “I love you too, Ben. I can’t wait to get home.”

Lily yawns, exhausted as she exits the car and walks back to her home. She holds her travel pillow in one hand and has her backpack in the other, and shuffles through the door to see a fresh vase of roses and lilies with a handmade sign in Ben’s handwriting, saying “Welcome home, Lily!” She smiles sleepily and crouches down as Reykja and Frankie jump on her to kiss her, wearing new collars that have bow ties on them. She scratches their heads as the security detail puts her suitcases in the foyer, and closes her eyes, holding the pups in her arms, moving to sit on the ground.

“I missed you too, babies. Mama has gifts for both of you, don’t worry.” She kisses the pups and smiles.

The security detail leaves and locks the door behind them, and she hears a welcome voice as she opens her eyes.

“Do you like their bow ties? I thought you’d appreciate it,” Ben says, leaning against the wall of the foyer wearing gray sweats and a loose blue sweater.

Lily looks up at him, nodding. “I do appreciate it. They’re ready for the Met Gala.”

Ben laughs and helps her up before hugging her tightly. Lily breathes in the scent of his cologne, her face pressed up against his sweater, and relishes in his warmth. His hand travels to her back, fingers splayed against the oversized sweater that was once his, and he closes his eyes.

“I missed you,” he says quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Same here,” she replies. “It’s lonely at night without you next to me. You’re my favorite pillow.”

He smiles, looking down at her. “I just washed the sheets and am ready to be a human pillow.”

She looks up with a tired smile. “How’d I ever get so lucky?”

He gives her a peck before pulling away from her to bring up her backpack. “You earned me, and I earned you, somehow.”

She scoffs. “You would be a gift to anyone, Ben. I’m the lucky one in this relationship.”

Ben looks at her and raises a brow. “What did I say about you putting yourself down?”

She purses her lips. “That I shouldn’t do it and you love me?”

He kisses her forehead. “That’s right.”

They go upstairs to their bedroom, and Ben smiles as Lily flops face-first onto the bed, the dogs jumping up to lick her face. He shoos the dogs away, and helps her roll onto her back, positioning her to lay on her pillow. Frankie and Reykja sniff the air before moving to lick Lily’s stomach, and she smiles at the sight.

“They know,” she says, scratching their heads. “You two will have a little sibling to protect. Isn’t that exciting?”

The pups snuggle into her stomach protectively, and Lily smiles at Ben, who moves them to the foot of the bed in order to cover her with the duvet and curl up around her, one hand resting on her stomach. She places her own hand over his and closes her eyes.

“When should we tell everyone the news?” Ben asks, kissing her shoulder.

Lily shrugs. “I think at the party in two days. It would be a good surprise for everyone, and we wouldn’t have to make the announcement more than twice.”

Ben nods, holding her closer. “We should visit my parents to tell them about the baby.”

She turns around, fear in her eyes. “I’ve only ever FaceTimed with you and your parents, and the first time I meet them you’re just going to drop the ball that I’m pregnant?”

Ben nods slowly. “I mean, is there any other way to do it at this point? We shouldn’t wait any longer.”

She sighs, closing her eyes. “What if they don't like me and think I tried to trap you in a relationship with this child?”

Ben shakes his head, kissing her forehead. “They don’t think that, Lily. They trust my judgment, and if I thought we weren’t going to stay together for a good long time, I would have asked you to reconsider if you wanted the baby or not.”

She raises a brow. “A good long time? Is that your way of saying forever?”

Ben takes a moment before nodding. “I guess so. I really hope you feel the same way because you’re never getting rid of me.”

She smiles and pulls him down for a kiss. “You’re the best annoyance I could ever have.”

He kisses her and laughs, curling up next to her contently.

Lily twists the ring on her finger nervously as Ben drives them over to his parents’ house two hours away in Bournemouth. They’re thirty minutes away, and Lily has bought onesies for her baby’s grandparents to tell them the news.

Ben looks over at his nervous girlfriend and puts a hand on hers, prompting her to look over at him. She holds his hand, and he brings it to his mouth, kissing it gently.

“Everything will be okay, love. I promise you that they will be happy and supportive,” he reassures her.

She smiles at him weakly. “I hope so. I want your parents to like me. I know they’ll like their grandchild, because Little Baby Jones is half you. I’m not worried about that. Hopefully them liking the baby will make them like me, since I’m making the baby.”

Ben lets out a little laugh. “You’re overthinking it, love.”

She sighs deeply and nods. “I know. Sorry.”

Ben smiles and as they hit a red light, leans over to kiss her cheek. “They’ll love you. Don’t worry about a thing.”

She smiles at Ben as he begins driving again. “How are you feeling about all this?”

Ben takes a deep breath. “I’m excited. My mum can’t wait to meet you, and my dad is happy that I found someone who loves me just as much as I love them. They already like you. I think they’ll be shocked and happy about Little Baby Jones, but ultimately, supportive.”

She nods. “Even if they aren’t, I’m betting on Roger crying tomorrow when he finds out, and that will fill me with joy.”

Ben lets out a huff of laughter. “We’re videoing their reactions, right? I feel like we should.”

She nods. “Definitely. We should make home videos for Little Baby Jones. Freddie did it for me while he was still alive. Jim kept it up, but his camera work was shoddier than Freddie’s.”

Ben smiles, imagining his child grow up, and being able to show them videos of themselves as a baby. It’s so cute he almost cries. He kisses Lily’s hand.

“We should look for good cameras online and get one as soon as possible,” he tells her, and she grins at him, kissing his cheek.

Ben rings the doorbell with one hand and holds Lily’s hand in the other, squeezing it as he hears his mother run towards the door, calling out to his father to turn off the television and greet his son. The door opens and Lily is faced with a short woman with blonde hair and Ben’s eyes, and a smile that could light up a dark room. She gasps as she sees Lily and brings her in for a hug, and Lily is surprised, but reciprocates the gesture.

“Oh, Lily! It’s so nice to meet you in person!” She pulls away, pushing some hair out of Lily’s face. “I’ve heard so much about you from Ben. You’re even more beautiful than he described you to be.”

Lily smiles at a flushed Ben whose eyes are very interested in the ground and turns back to Ben’s mom. “I certainly hope he only told you the good things about me. The tabloids will tell you the rest.”

Ben’s mom turns to her son and pulls him down, kissing his cheek. “Oh, he adores you, Lily. He’s never been so excited to tell me that he got a girlfriend.”

Lily grins, and watches as Ben hugs his mom. The woman waves them inside, and as Lily enters the humble home, her boyfriend is embraced by his father, who has the exact same nose as him, and even though he’s turning gray, she can still see some brown curls.

After hugging his son, Ben’s dad turns his attention to Lily and smiles. “Finally Ben brings you over! He’s been talking about you for months.” He hugs Lily and pats her on the back.

“I’m sorry it took this long to meet you! It’s just been hectic for me, work-wise,” Lily replies, smiling at the man.

Ben’s dad nods. “You just got back from a huge tour, didn’t you?”

Lily nods. “Yep! A huge North American tour. It was exhausting but amazing.”

Ben’s mom leads them to the dinner table and they sit down to eat a homecooked meal.

After a hearty dinner and a wonderful conversation that has brought Ben’s parents and Lily closer together, Ben squeezes Lily’s hand. She looks over at him and raises a brow.

“Do you want to give them their gifts now?” He asks.

She nods, and watches as he hands over the presents to his confused parents.

Ben’s mom frowns. “What is this? You didn’t have to bring us presents.”

Ben gestures to the bags. “Open it and you’ll see.”

The parents open the bags at the same time and pull out the onesies, going quiet in shock. Ben’s mom looks like she’s about to cry, and his dad’s jaw has dropped and won’t come back up.

Lily takes a deep breath. “The reason this visit was on such short notice is that I wanted you two to meet me before our relationship progressed and the press found out I’m pregnant. I realize everything has moved very fast, but I promise you that my feelings for your son will not fizzle out. We spent so long waiting for the right time to confess that we wasted ten months on useless pining, and even though this baby came rather quickly--”

“Was it planned?” Ben’s mom asks, looking at Lily.

Ben shakes his head. “Not at all. You know I wouldn’t decide to have a child with someone just a few months into dating them. We were careful, but this happened, and we decided that we should keep the baby.”

His mom smiles, wiping away tears. “How far along are you?”

Lily smiles at her. “I’m about two months along. I don’t know exactly how old Little Baby Jones is, but based on my symptoms and the timing of things, that’s my guess.”

Ben’s dad clears his throat and wipes away tears. “I’ll need to see if they make baby-sized rugby jerseys.”

Ben looks over at his parents. “You’re not mad or shocked?”

Ben’s mom shakes her head. “Oh, we’re shocked, alright. But mad? Love, you found the perfect woman for you and now you’re making a family with her. How could we possibly be mad about that?”

Ben’s dad looks over at Lily and smiles. “You’re an amazing person, Lily. It is an honor to have you become a part of our family.”

Lily smiles and nods. “I’m glad that I can be a part of it.”

Ben’s mom gasps. “Oh!”

Ben turns to face his mother. “What is it, mum?”

She grins. “The baby will be here for Christmas! Oh my lord, my little grandbaby will be able to be a part of the Christmas celebration!”

Ben’s dad nods and looks at the young couple across from him. “If you two feel up to driving over for Christmas, please do. The whole extended family will be here, and they’ve been waiting for Ben to settle down with a nice woman and have a child. We all have. Little did we know that we’d be sharing the grandparent title with Freddie Mercury.”

Lily laughs. “We’re going to tell Brian and Roger and the rest of the BoRhap cast tomorrow about the baby. My bandmates already know because they helped me get the tests on the road.” She grins. “I was planning on having Brian and Roger also be grandparents for this baby.”

Ben’s dad leans back, smiling and holding the onesie. “Never thought I’d meet Queen, and now they’re gonna be part of my family.”

Ben’s mom smiles fondly at Ben and Lily. “This is amazing news, you two. Congratulations. You’ll be amazing parents.” She bashfully looks down. “However, if you need a weekend off, we will gladly take the little one and babysit them for you two.”

Ben lets out a laugh and wraps an arm around Lily’s shoulders. “We’ll be sure to take you up on that offer.”

On the car ride home, Lily smiles and holds Ben’s hand, her other on her stomach. She’s so happy that his parents like her, and even happier that they cannot wait to meet their grandchild.

The next day, Lily sets up a camera in a houseplant, and Ben makes sure all the gift bags are properly labeled and prepared. They’re getting food delivered since they’re all too tired to even think about cooking, and the Taylors and Mays are joining the band and the BoRhap boys for the get-together.

Lily is wearing a loose top with a pair of jeans, and looks at herself in the mirror, her bump barely visible. She can still tell it’s there, though. Ben walks in the room and sees her examining herself and smiles at her.

“You’re barely showing, Lily,” he says.

She sighs, looking in the mirror. “I know, but with the rumors I need to be extra cautious. People will already be suspicious and this looks like a bit more than bloating.”

He walks over and places his hand on her stomach, kissing her forehead. “It’ll all be okay. We’ll be fine.”

She closes her eyes and leans into his touch, smiling. “Thanks, Ben.”

Ben pulls her into a hug. “You’re welcome, Lil.”

The party is in full swing, and Lily smiles as Ben comes back into the room with a bottle of beer, sitting next to her on the loveseat and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Joe sits with Anusha across from them, and Gwil is next to Lucy on another couch. Rami is making himself and her cocktails. Bron and Madi are picking up the food they’ve ordered, and Roger and Brian and their respective wives have just arrived.

They’re discussing the tour and the funny shenanigans that went on during their time on the bus, and when Roger pitches in with stories of Freddie and himself taking care of a drunken Brian during their early tour days. Brian immediately turns red, but Lily and the band prompt Roger to talk more, and they are all enthralled by the stories the older man has to articulate.

Of course, when Bron gets into the shenanigans Room 301 got into on tour, she pointedly avoids telling them the best one.

After a filling dinner and wonderful conversation, Lily looks over at Ben and he passes out the gift bags to everyone. She smiles as her friends and family examine the bags.

“As thanks to all of you for being such good companions, Ben and I bought these gifts for you. I think you’ll love them, and I’m very excited for you all to see what they are.” She looks at Ben before pressing her lips together. “You can open them now if you want.”

As the gift bags are opened, the reactions begin to make their appearance.

Joe’s face is reminiscent of a child’s at Christmas. He pulls out the onesie and gasps, a smile spreading across his face. Anusha pulls her onesie out and her jaw drops as she looks at Lily, who’s leaning back in the loveseat, a smile on her face.

“I knew it!” Joe exclaims, standing up and laughing.

Anusha is still staring at her friend. “You really wanted to lock him down in this relationship, didn’t you, Lily?”

Lily laughs and looks over to see Gwil, Rami, and Lucy digesting the information. Lucy looks over at her and a smile spreads across her face before she hugs her tightly, letting out a squeal.

Rami is still speechless, but Gwil gets up and hugs Ben tightly.

“Congratulations, Ben. Congratulations to both of you! This is amazing, really. Unexpected, but wonderful!” Gwil hugs Lily as well, and she smiles.

Rami nods, smiling. “This is a great gift, guys. I’m so glad I get to be a part of your baby’s life.”

Lily squeezes Ben’s hand, and he speaks up.

“I know this is kind of sudden, but we’re really happy about it. I can’t wait to be a father. I feel even better about this because I know Little Baby Jones will have a wonderful support system.”

Lily looks at Roger and Brian, who are still looking at their onesies in awe. Roger’s fingers shake, and Sarina holds his hand. Anita is wiping away tears.

Brian smiles and nods approvingly. “Little Baby Jones can come to the animal sanctuary as often as they’d like.”

Anita nods. “We will gladly babysit.”

Sarina rubs Roger’s back, tears in her eyes. “We have more than enough children to keep the baby occupied if you need a break.”

Roger finally speaks up, letting out a laugh. “Fucking finally!”

Ben blinks, confused. “Huh?”

Roger huffs. “I have five kids. Five. A few of them are older than Lily. Do they have kids of their own? Of course not!” He shakes his head. “I’ve been waiting for my first grandchild for years now, and for the child to come from you and Lily— who finally got her shit together and admitted that she liked you—“

“Blame me like that again and you won’t be Little Baby Jones’ grandfather,” Lily threatens, raising a brow.

Roger raises his hands in surrender. “All I want to say is that I’m very excited to have a new child to corrupt. Especially since you two are such a good couple and I’ve wanted you two to date from the day you met.”

Lily hugs Roger and after they part, he hugs Ben tightly, whispering something to him that makes him smile.

Brian hugs Lily, sobbing into her shoulder. She comforts him, smiling. Anita comforts her husband as he pulls away, rubbing his eyes. Lily squeezes Brian’s hand.

“I-I’m so happy. Pardon the tears, please. It’s just... you deserve this, both of you. A child is the best gift you could possibly receive. You two will be amazing parents, I know it.”

Lily smiles as Ben comes up to her and wraps an arm around her shoulders.

Roger speaks up, grinning. “Enough tears! We need to celebrate! Where’s the champagne?”

Lily laughs and sits back on the couch when Ben goes to find the champagne. She leans into Roger, smiling.

“I’m so proud of you, love,” he whispers to her, kissing her forehead. “You chose a good man.”

She smiles up at him. “I couldn’t have done that without you.”

He ruffles her hair as Ben, Ezichi, and Gwil come back with champagne glasses and sparkling seltzer for Lily.

After they toast, Joe gasps and everyone turns to face him.

“What’s up, mate?” Ben asks.

Joe grins. “Can you imagine how cute that kid is gonna be? I don’t think we properly spent time thinking about how gorgeous a baby with Ben’s eyes and Lily’s hair would be.”

Lily nods. “That’s what I want. A tan baby with dark hair and green eyes.”

A few hours later, they’re looking at pictures of babies on Pinterest and grinning.

“Lily, Little Baby Jones could be a model!” Anusha exclaims.

Lily leans against Ben’s chest, smiling as their friends gush over the child yet to come.

Later that night, Lily posts a picture of her ultrasound on Instagram with the caption, “Little Baby Jones, coming December 2020!”

She wakes up to enthusiastic comments and a phone call from her Aunt Kash. She sits up in bed and smiles as Ben holds onto her in sleep, one hand firmly on her stomach. The pups sleep at her feet, guarding her unborn baby from any harm.

“Hello?” She whispers. “We need to be quiet, Auntie. Ben is still sleeping, as are the pups.”

Ben shifts in his sleep, cuddling further into Lily. She places one hand onto his head, running her hands through the curls growing out from the haircut he’s just had.

Kashmira lets out a little laugh. “I’ll try, but it will be hard. I’m just so happy, Lily! You deserve this and will be an amazing parent.”

Lily smiles. “Thank you, Auntie. I’m excited. Ben will be a great dad, I just know it.”

Ben lets out a little puff of air and groans, adjusting himself to be even further on top of Lily.

Kash lets out a shaky breath and Lily can tell she’s smiling. “I’m just so happy. We need to get together and go shopping for the baby. You’re going to be the best mother, and that child will be— there’s no way you’ll produce an ugly child, not with yours and Ben’s genetics.”

“He is quite the beauty, isn’t he?” Lily says, smiling down at her man.

“Quite. I’ll let you get back to him, but I just wanted to tell you that I’m so happy and proud.”

“Alright. Thank you for calling, Auntie. Come over soon and we can have dinner,” Lily says, smiling.

“Of course! We’ll set a date. I love you.”

“Love you too. Bye.”

Lily hangs up and puts down her phone, looking down at Ben, who opens his eyes and blinks sleepily, yawning and nuzzling into her stomach.

“Mm... who was that?” He mumbles, eyes shut.

“My Aunt Kash. She was congratulating us on Little Baby Jones,” Lily says, running a hand through his hair.

He smiles up at Lily, eyes heavy. “I have a name for the baby.”

She raises a brow. “What is it?”

Ben rolls over and yawns again. “Taylor May.”

Lily nods, smiling gently. “Brian and Roger would love that.”

Ben looks up at Lily. “Would you?”

Lily thinks for a moment. “Taylor May Jones. That’s a solid name. Not to effeminate. Not too masculine. I like it. Taylor would also work for a boy. I think we should keep it in consideration.”

Ben smiles and nods. “Alright. I’m okay with that.”

Lily leans back against her pillows. “You want a girl, don’t you?”

Ben closes his eyes. “I’d be perfectly happy with either.”

She lets out a little laugh as he dozes off again.

He definitely wants a girl.

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#starry writes #ben hardy x reader #ben hardy #joe mazzello #gwilym lee #lucy boynton #rami malek #borhap fics

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starrystarrybabe · 5 years

Text

Oh, How the Mighty Fall [In Love] CHAPTER SEVEN (Ben Hardy x OC)

CHAPTER ONE, CHAPTER TWO, CHAPTER THREE, CHAPTER FOUR, CHAPTER FIVE, CHAPTER SIX

Hello everyone! I apologize for the long ass wait time. Emotionally and mentally, I’m not doing the best rn, and it’s really kicking my ass. I tried my hardest on this chapter, and I hope y’all like it!

-- casey

TRIGGERS: mentions of alcoholism? Honestly nothing is really that spicy in this installment of the story

FACECLAIMS:

Kelly Gale as Lily Anne Mercury

Sira P. Kante as Ezichi Adebayo

Erika Linder as Bronwyn Ryan-Hughes

Bree Kish as Madigan Ryan-Hughes

“Can you believe this shit? I’m not invited to the Golden Globes because I wasn’t ‘close enough to the project!’” Lily Anne scoffs, pacing in the studio as she rants to Zichi. “That’s complete and utter horseshit and we all know it. I was there almost every day we weren’t on tour! Fuck the Golden Globes!”

Ezichi sips her tea, frowning in confusion. “You’re Freddie’s daughter. You helped in every step of the project. You’re dedicated to keeping his memory alive. Why wouldn’t you be invited to an event celebrating a movie that created a whole new generation of Queen fans to help in those efforts?”

Lily Anne nods furiously, flailing her arms in distress. “Exactly! I don’t get it.”

Zichi nods. “It makes no sense. I’m going as Gwil’s plus one, but if you really want to be there, I would give up my spot for you.”

Lily Anne shakes her head. “No, please don’t do that. You and Gwil deserve to have a nice night out and some rocking sex in a hotel bed. I won’t take that away from you.”

Ezichi blushes at Lily’s comment. “Really, Lily. My sex life is fine without hotel rooms. I don’t need to go.”

She raises a brow. “Just fine? That’s upsetting, I thought Gwil would do better than fine.”

Ezichi rolls her eyes before putting down her cup. “Lily, tell Ben and Joe that you’re not invited to the Globes.”

Lily frowns. “Why?”

Ezichi grins. “If Gwil got a plus one, I’m sure that the same invitation went out to Ben and Joe. Either of them could bring you.”

She perks up and kisses Zichi’s forehead, cupping her cheeks. “Ezichi Adebayo, you absolute genius of a woman. I love you to the moon and back.”

She takes out her phone as Ezichi grins.

Lily Anne: IM SENDING OUT AN SOS TO EVERYONE

Lily Anne: I HAVE NOT BEEN INVITED TO THE GOLDEN GLOBES

Lily Anne: I NEED TO BE SOMEONE’S PLUS ONE

Dinosaur Boy: why didn’t they invite you???

Lily Anne: i wasn’t “close enough to the project”

Benjamin Jones: that’s absolute bullshit!

Benjamin Jones: fuckin wankers

Lily Anne: i know, right? anyways, if one of you lovely men could take me as a plus one, i’d fucking love that.

---

“Hello?” Joe picks up his phone, leaning back on his couch.

“Hey. It’s Ben. I need a favor,” his friend frantically asks.

“Sure thing, Benny. What do you need?” Joe asks, perking up.

“Ask Lily to be your plus one,” he says.

“But-- but she loves you, not me! She’d like it more if you brought her,” Joe says, frowning.

Ben lets out a whine of distress. “Please, Joe. I’ll get too nervous, and fuck something up, and I can’t afford to lose this-- I can’t afford to lose her.”

Joe nods slowly, biting his lip. “Okay. I get what you’re saying--”

“--then do this one favor for me, please!” Ben interrupts, stressed out.

“I will! Just promise me one thing,” Joe says.

“What is it? I’ll do literally anything to repay you for this,” Ben asks.

“You ask her to the Oscars,” Joe responds.

Ben fumbles with his words for a minute before sighing heavily. “Sure. I’ll do that.”

Joe grins. “Good. I’ll ask her later today, okay?”

“Okay. Thank you so much, buddy,” Ben says, sounding much more relaxed.

“You’re welcome, Ben,” Joe says. “Remember, you’re asking her to the Oscars!”

“Don’t worry, I will!” Ben insists.

“Alright. I’ll see you soon, Ben.”

“Thanks, mate. Bye.”

When Ben hangs up, he sees Frankie looking at him with a distinctly unimpressed expression.

“You wouldn’t understand, Frankie.”

The dog huffs and walks out of the room.

---

Lily Anne is reclining in her oversized bathtub, enjoying a bath bomb and a face mask. Reykja sits on the bath mat, chewing on her bone, and Lily Anne has her eyes closed and is listening to royalty-free spa music she downloaded online onto her phone. She’s very zen at the moment. Suddenly her phone rings, and she frowns, opening one eye in annoyance. This is her free time. How dare someone interrupt it.

She looks at the phone and sees that Joe is calling, and picks up. “Lily Anne Mercury, speaking. You’ve interrupted my bath time, so this better be worth it, Dinosaur Boy.”

Joe gasps. “Oh, no! I’m so sorry, Lily. I can call later, but I think you’d want to hear this.”

She nods and leans back. “Alright. What’s going on?”

“Ben asked me to do something,” he says.

Lily Anne perks up, smiling. “Oh?”

“Don’t get too happy. He asked me to ask you to the Golden Globes.”

She sighs and leans back in the tub. “Oh… why isn’t he asking me?”

“He got scared, alright? I know I’m not him, and you’d rather be with him, but would you like to go to the Golden Globes with me? You don’t need to be by my side the entire time, just on the red carpet. Once that’s over, feel free to do whatever--” Joe begins ranting, and it’s the most considerate rant Lily Anne has ever heard.

“I’d love to go to the Golden Globes with you, Joe,” Lily says, smiling fondly.

“Great! It’s a date then,” Joe responds.

“What color is your bow tie? I can try to match it, if you’d like,” Lily asks, petting her pup lazily with one hand.

“I was thinking just doing a black one. Wear whatever you want. You’ll look good in anything.”

Lily laughs. “You’re too kind, darling. I’ll try not to overdress.”

Joe lets out a breath of laughter. “Alright. I’ll see you soon, Lily. Get back to your bath.”

“Have a nice night, Joe,” she responds before hanging up and letting out a deep sigh.

She looks down as Reykja blinks up at her curiously.

“I really thought Ben was going to ask me, didn’t you, girl?”

The dog lets out a yip of agreement.

“It’s alright, though. I’ll be fine, love. There’s always other events.”

1991

“Darling, must you do this?” Freddie asks from the tub filled with bubbles, looking over at Jim. “She’s still so young.”

Jim raises a brow and looks over at Freddie. “I found a knot in her hair yesterday that looked like it could be a bird’s nest, Freddie. It’s time.”

Freddie takes time to release a bone-shaking cough and leans back in the tub. “It’s such a shame, though. Her curls are immaculate!”

Jim sighs. “She’ll still have the curls afterward. If anything they’ll be more pronounced since her hair will be shorter.”

Lily Anne’s hair has gotten out of control, lately. It is past her butt, and the Indian genetics she has makes it very thick. Nobody in their right mind would be alright with spending over an hour detangling a two-year-old’s hair every day.

Freddie frowns. “Oh, alright. Just make sure she looks cute.”

Jim grins and kisses the little girl propped up on the bathroom counter. “She’s half you. Of course she’ll look cute. She’ll be beautiful no matter what haircut she has.”

Lily Anne coos, waving her little hands around. Her parents grin at her, and Freddie looks on with a happy gaze. He’s so lucky to be able to see her grow at least this much, though he knows that his time in this world is coming to its close.

“Ready for the cut, flower?” Jim asks. “It won’t hurt, sweetie.”

Lily blows a spit bubble and as Jim cuts her wet curls, she makes her mouth into an ‘o’ shape and watches in the mirror. She giggles and takes a handful of her hair, giving it a gentle tug. Jim pries her fingers away and quickly finishes the job, and Lily grins, looking at her shoulder-length curls.

Jim turns the girl towards Freddie and grins.

“You look amazing, darling girl!” Freddie coos hoarsely, smiling at his baby girl.

“You really should trust me more, love. I told you she’d look wonderful no matter what haircut she has,” Jim chuckles, kissing Lily’s cheek.

Preparing for the Golden Globes

Lily Anne smiles as her ends are trimmed, watching in the mirror. “My dad gave me my first haircut, you know. He was a barber before becoming the gardener at Garden Lodge,” she says, smiling wistfully.

The hair stylist smiles, trimming a little bit more off her ends. “That’s so sweet! Did he always cut your hair?”

She laughs. “Yes, until I began dying my hair in college and doing crazy punk hairstyles by myself. He seemed horrified but didn’t complain. He even bought me a hair straightener that wouldn’t fry it nearly as much as the cheap one I had.”

The stylist nods. “I remember when you would come out with crazy hair colors and choppy bangs and I really loved it.”

She grins. “Thank you, darling. That’s so sweet!”

The rest of the time passes and by the end of it, Lily’s hair is in a half bun, with the rest of it gently curled. Then, the makeup artist comes in and does a fairly natural look on her, but with an intense smokey eye. When she looks in the mirror, she smiles.

“Oh, it’s perfect, darling! Thank you so much!”

The artist smiles and shrugs. “You were a wonderful canvas. Thank you for the opportunity, Miss Mercury.”

She scoffs. “Call me Lily. I will be calling you the next time I’m in Los Angeles. Consider yourself booked for the Oscars, love.”

The makeup artist leaves and Lily changes into her dress, which is a stunning custom McQueen mermaid gown, emerald green with Swarovski crystals adorning the entire thing in place of embroidery. It dips low and creates a lot of cleavage, and the crystals are in the shape of Freddie’s face. Her assistant helps her put on her crystal choker and hoops, and she smiles as she looks in the mirror. Finally, her Louboutins are put on, and she hears a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” She asks.

“Your hot date,” Joe replies.

She picks up her matching clutch and opens the door, revealing Joe in a nicely tailored suit. He looks her over, in awe.

“Wow, Lily… I’m the one with the hot date,” he says, looking at the dress. “That’s Freddie’s face! Holy shit!”

She shakes her head. “The suit fits you perfectly, Mr. Mazzello. You look absolutely dashing. How are you still single?”

Joe shrugs. “I dunno. Must be my personality, I guess.”

Lily scoffs and shakes her head. “I’ll have none of that self-depricating nonsense tonight. Now, let’s get to the car, shall we?”

Joe holds out his arm for her and she takes it, smiling as they walk downstairs to the car, where Gwil and Ezichi are waiting. Allen, his daughter, Ben, Rami, and Lucy have already left for the event.

They enter the car and Gwil looks at Lily’s dress, nodding in approval. “You look very nice tonight, Lily. I love the dress.”

She grins. “Why thank you, Gwil! The suit is fabulous. Did Ezichi have the final say?”

Ezichi kisses Gwil’s cheek and nods. “Of course I did, and didn’t I do well?”

Joe nods. “Hell yeah, you did. You didn’t do too badly yourself, Zichi. That’s a wonderful pantsuit.”

Ezichi is wearing a white and black harlequin wide leg pantsuit with small diamonds on the edges of it, and she looks stunning.

Ezichi grins. “Thank you, Joe. It might be hard to piss in, but at least I look great.”

Gwil wraps an arm around his girlfriend. “You look magnificent, Zichi.”

Ezichi leans into her boyfriend and Lily lets out a fake vomit noise with Joe.

“Disgusting,” Lily says.

“Find a room,” Joe adds.

“If you wanted to fuck that badly, you shouldn’t have chosen a pantsuit,” Lily comments.

The pair blushes and Lily and Joe crack up, leaning back in their seats.

---

When they’re escorted to the red carpet, Ben is waiting for Joe to arrive, and when he sees Lily Anne--

Wow. She looks gorgeous.

Instant regret fills his head, and thoughts swirl as she approaches in her green gown.

‘Why didn’t you ask you, you bloody idiot? She’s stunning, and she could be on your arm right now if you had the fucking balls to ask her to the event. You’re an idiot, a right idiot, and you blew it.’

He’s forced out of his thoughts when she comes up to him, smiling. “No plus one, Ben?”

Ben refocuses on her. “A-ah, no. No plus one. My mum couldn’t come with me, and I didn’t want to ask anyone on Tinder.” He lets out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.

She shrugs. “Oh, well. It’s a shame.” She thinks for a moment before smiling. “You know what? I can be both yours and Joe’s plus one. I’m alright with being shared for the night.”

Joe comes up to Ben and gives him a hug. “Looking good, buddy.”

Ben grins at Joe. “Better than Cardy B?”

Joe laughs and nods. “Much better than Cardy B.”

Lily grins, taking both boys’ arms. “It’s showtime, boys. Let’s show them all how wonderful we are.”

The trio walks down the red carpet, and their names are screamed by the masses. Cameras flash, and Lily helps them navigate with practiced poise. She’s been doing this since she was a child, and the spotlight is where she belongs. They split up once it gets to the photos, and she puts on a smile, showing off her custom gown.

After some group photo ops, Lily goes off with Zichi and Lucy, and the girls enter the building.

Lucy smiles at Lily as they stop by the bar, and squeezes her hand. “What was your favorite cocktail when you drank?”

Lily looks at Lucy and smiles. “I loved Moscow mules.”

Lucy nods and looks to the bartender. “Can you make a vodka tonic and a virgin Moscow mule, please?” The bartender nods, and Lucy turns back to Lily. “You look upset. Is it because Ben didn’t ask you to the event?”

She lets out a deep sigh and Zichi rubs her back. “He loves you, Lily. It’s just because he’s nervous.”

Lily shakes her head. “Everyone is saying that, but… I need to hear it from him before I fully let myself believe it. I mean, him loving me would be a dream come true. I’ve never experienced my dreams going according to plan. Most times they backfire. I can’t risk losing this one. If I do… I’ll never find anyone I love as much as I love him.”

The bartender passes them their drinks, and Lily Anne tries hers. It tastes… delicious. Her face lights up.

“Excuse me, darling? I must have the recipe for this drink. It’s amazing, and to do it without alcohol is impressive.”

The bartender nods and writes down the recipe on a napkin, grinning. “I’m glad you like it! Here you go. Enjoy.”

She takes the napkin and places it in her clutch, grinning.

Lucy smiles. “Did that make tonight a little better?”

Lily nods, and Zichi hugs her friend. “You deserve nice things, Lily. One of those nice things can be Ben.”

Lily smiles and when she pulls away, she smirks. “One of your nice things can be rocking hotel sex. You don’t have to clean the sheets the next day, so go wild!”

Ezichi coughs, keeling over at Lily’s words. Lucy laughs, leaning against the bar. Lily sips her drink, pleased with herself.

When Brian and Roger enter and see the scene, immediately they tense up as they see a drink in Lily’s hand.

“That better be bloody virgin, Lily,” Roger says, raising a brow.

She nods and smiles, holding out her drink for him to try. “100% virgin, unlike us.”

He sips the drink and nods before handing it back to her. “Not bad. I like it. What’s got Zichi so red?”

She smirks. “I told her that she deserves good hotel sex.”

Roger scoffs and nods. “Hell yeah, she does! The best part is that you don’t have to wash the sheets afterward!”

Lily grins. “That’s what I said.”

Ezichi grimaces. “He’s corrupted you.”

Roger grins and kisses Lily’s forehead, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and jostling her. “Been doing that since day one.”

Brian speaks up, rubbing Ezichi’s back. “We’re going to take our seats with Rami, but we’ll see you later. Hopefully, we win something,” he says, crossing his fingers.

Lily nods and hugs her uncle. “Of course you will. Freddie’s energy was central in the movie, and he thrived despite the odds. This movie will too.”

Brian kisses the top of her head and smiles. “Send some good energy to us, alright?”

She nods. “Of course we will. You go sit down.”

Rami is walking by and comes over, kissing Lucy. She smiles and as he leaves, he yells, “Let's do this shit!”

Brian and Roger join the younger man and Lily laughs.

“He’s so strange and wonderful,” Lucy says, placing her hand on her cheek.

Lily nods. “I agree. Let’s go to our seats.”

The girls head off to get to their seats.

—-

Ben leans back on the couch, nursing a glass of sparkling water. Joe comes over to join him, holding a vodka tonic.

“Not drinking yet, Ben?” He asks, sitting next to his friend.

Ben shakes his head. “Nah. I don’t want Lily to be the only sober one and have to take care of us both. I’d feel bad if she had to do that.”

Joe presses his lips together. “You regret not asking her, don’t you?”

Ben nods, closing his eyes. “She looks… so beautiful. To think I could’ve had her on my arm but I chickened out makes me feel like an idiot.”

Joe nods. “She looks amazing. You know what? Don’t be sad.” He slaps Ben’s thigh. “She can sit in between us. You’ll get to have time with her alone later, alright?”

Ben rubs his thigh. “Sure. Thanks, mate. I really appreciate it.”

Lily walks in with Zichi and Lucy, and Gwil wraps an arm around his girlfriend, leading her over to the couch, where she promptly leans her head on his chest. Lucy sits next to Rami’s mother.

Joe and Ben part and pat the seat in between them, and Lily sits in between the pair, smiling.

Joe stands up and looks over the crowd. “I’m going to get a refill. Does anyone want anything?”

The group gives Joe their orders, and he walks over to the bar. Lily Anne leans back, squeezing Ben’s hand.

“How’d the red carpet stuff go?” she asks him, smiling.

“Good,” he says, smiling. “The interviews went well.”

She smiles and nods. “Great! That’s wonderful, Ben! Interviewers can be shitty and ask dumb questions, so I’m glad yours were good.”

He laughs and shakes his head. “One of them implied that Roger in the 70’s wasn’t beautiful, so I replied and said that he was wrong, and if I was around, I may have turned.”

She snorts, covering her mouth. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate that answer.”

Joe comes back and hands people their drinks. He takes his seat and sips his own, watching as the T.V. turns on the awards show starting. The crowd quiets, and Lily smiles. Her parents are watching fondly from above.

---

The anticipation in the room is palpable when the announcer opens the envelope containing the name of the winner. Lily squeezes Ben and Joe’s hands and prays a silent prayer that Rami wins.

When his name is announced, they stand and scream, hugging each other and laughing. There is no sweeter feeling than a well-earned victory. She launches herself into Ben’s arms, and the sound of his laughter fills her with joy. She looks up at him, and their noses touch, and she freezes up because if she just leaned in a few inches closer she’d be kissing him, and he’s looking down at her and panicking--

Joe comes up behind her and turns the affair into a group hug, and she’s snapped out of her thoughts, laughing once more. When they sit down, she takes a deep breath and looks at Ben, who’s staring straight ahead with a wide eyed look on his face.

Oh, God. That could’ve been fucked up so quickly.

When she turns back to the screen to watch Rami’s acceptance speech, she feels Ben’s eyes on her and blushes.

The second win garners a similar reaction, but this time, Lily hugs Joe, just to avoid making a mistake with Ben. Lord knows that this time, she might not have been able to restrain herself.

---

The afterparty is hosted in Roger’s suite, and after being so kind as to ask permission to drink from Lily, she tells Ben that he can drink however much he wants. He promptly downs four shots of vodka without blinking, and Lily is shocked. The alcohol will hit hard and she knows it. However, she’s curious to see what the alcohol does to Ben.

Apparently, he becomes a frat boy. He’s with Joe, who’s honestly just a sillier version of himself under the influence of alcohol, and they walk over to where she’s sitting.

“Are you from Tennessee?” Ben asks her, grinning.

“I’m from London, you know that, Ben,” she says, raising one unimpressed brow.

“‘Cause you’re the only ten I see,” he continues, laughing at his own joke.

She snorts and sips her sparkling water, shaking her head. “Those four shots hit you hard, didn’t they, Ben?”

“Okay, okay. Let’s try another one.” He laughs, running a hand through his hair, and Lily Anne is so confused as to why she isn’t completely turned off by this behavior. “I hope you know CPR.”

“I’m certified,” Lily Anne replies, nodding matter of factly.

“Because you’re taking my breath away!” Ben finishes, a grin only growing on his face.

Joe is leaning on Ben, laughing heartily. Lily purses her lips, sighing.

“Still not impressed?” Ben asks, pouting. “Fine. One more.” He holds out his arm to her. “Feel my shirt.”

“This is your jacket, Ben,” she states, looking up at him.

He shakes his arm, whining. “Just feel it, okay?”

She sighs and feels the jacket material before looking up to see a smirk on his face.

He leans down and grins, his breath smelling like alcohol. “It’s boyfriend material.”

She rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “That was great, Ben.”

Ben giggles and looks at Joe with excitement in his eyes. “Mate, she likes me! Your lines worked!”

Lily laughs. She likes Ben, but not because of some cheesy pick up lines. Joe grins and hugs Ben, and she watches them tackle each other happily.

“I think someone had pizza delivered. Why don’t you two get some?” Lily comments, smiling.

The two boys grin at each other and stumble through the crowd towards the kitchen for food.

When they leave, Lucy sits down next to her, and holds her free hand. “Are you having fun, Lily?”

She nods, smiling. “Of course I am! I love seeing all my friends happy.”

Lucy grins. “Oh, that’s wonderful!” She leans in, her smile widening. “I saw Ben and Joe coming over here. What happened?”

She rolls her eyes. “Ben tried to use some pick up lines Joe taught him on me. They were exceptionally bad.”

She laughs, and sips her champagne. “He really does like you, Lily.”

She nods, rubbing her temples. “I know. We nearly kissed earlier, but stopped before it happened.”

Lucy gasps. “Oh my god, when? How did I miss it? Why did you stop?”

Lily sighs. “When Rami won, we hugged, our noses touched, and I froze up, panicking. I don’t want to ruin anything between him and I, so we both didn’t go any closer.”

Lucy squeals. “But that would’ve been so cute!”

Lily raises a brow. “It wouldn’t have been cute once I found out that he doesn’t love me as deeply as I love him.”

Lucy nods, pursing her lips. “I understand why you’re scared. You don’t want to lose a good thing. I get it. But one of these days, you’ll need to confess.”

Lily nods. “I know. I’ll do it eventually.”

Lucy shrugs. “Who knows? It could lead to something beautiful.”

She smiles and squeezes Lucy’s hand. “You should probably find Rami. He’s a mess navigating a party without you.”

Lucy smiles. “I should. Take what I said into consideration though, alright?”

Lily nods. “Alright. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Lucy leaves to find her man, and Lily sits back, watching as everyone enjoys themselves.

---

After frat boy Ben comes clingy Ben. Joe brings him over, and Lily raises a brow.

“I surely hope you’re not here for more bad pick up lines,” she says.

Joe shakes his head. “Nah. He just started whining and wanted to see you, so I brought him over before he could start crying.”

Ben whines into Joe’s shoulder, mumbling incoherently.

Lily nods. “I think we should take him back to his hotel room. He seems a little too far gone.”

Joe nods in agreement. “Yeah. I’m going to stay a little longer and make sure everyone gets back safely, but if you don’t mind taking him back, I’d appreciate it.”

She smiles and nods. “I’ll manage him.” She stands up and lets Joe drape Ben onto her.

Joe smiles and looks at Ben. “You’re with Lily now. Are you happy?”

Ben nuzzles into Lily and nods, mumbling, “Yay. Finally.”

Joe lets out a little laugh. “I’m going to go now. Get back safe, alright?”

She smiles and nods. “Of course. Come along, Ben. Let’s get you home.”

Ben looks up at her and blinks, confused. “Home is in London.” He gasps, eyes wide. “We’re not in London, are we?”

She shakes her head. “No, darling. We’re in Los Angeles. I meant home as in your hotel room.”

Ben blinks, pouting slightly. “I wanna go home.”

She nods, placing a hand on his cheek. “We’re going home tomorrow, lovie.”

He whines, shaking his head. “No, like-- like my room.”

She sighs and supports his waist as he follows her out of the suite and down the hallway. He begins to ramble, and she simply entertains his commentary.

“You look real pretty tonight, Lily.”

“Thank you, Ben. You looked very pretty as well.”

“My stylist chose the suit. I like it.”

“I like it too, Ben.”

“Who chose your outfit?”

“I helped design it with the head fashion stylist at Alexander McQueen.”

“Wow. You did good.”

“I know, love.”

“Can you design something for me?”

“I can do that, Ben.”

Ben squeals happily and buries his head in her shoulder, squeezing her waist tightly. “Yay!”

They get to the elevator and walk in, and Lily presses the button, keeping Ben’s hands away from the console as he reaches for it. He whines and shakes his head, and as the bell dings and they get to the lobby, a chauffer for the BoRhap cast sees them and helps them into the car, where Ben promptly lays his head down in Lily’s lap. He mumbles something as she straps him in and she looks down at him.

“What did you say, darling?”

“Touch my hair.”

She frowns. “Why?”

He looks up at her with pleading eyes. “It feels good.”

She sighs and obliges, running her hands through his hair, and within five minutes of the ride, he’s snoring into her lap. It feels comfortable and soft and she takes a picture of him, smiling. She’s saving that to her hidden files in her camera roll.

When they get to the hotel ten minutes later, she shakes Ben awake, and he lets out a confused noise, lifting his head.

“It’s time to get up, love.”

“We’re home?”

“Mhm. We’re home.”

The driver helps her get Ben out of the car, and he leans heavily on her as they walk inside and to the elevator. They get to Ben’s floor and she takes the key card from his pocket, helping him inside. He flops onto his bed, and she sighs heavily.

“Ben.”

A tired groan.

“Take off your jacket, at least.”

“You do it.”

“Turn over, and I will.”

Ben slowly obliges, and Lily walks over, unbuttoning the jacket. She heaves him up to take it off, and he looks at her, smiling. She looks down at him and raises a brow.

“What’s that look for, Ben?”

“Thanks, Lil.”

She smiles and helps him back down, squeezing his hand. “Of course. It’s no problem, darling. You’d do the same for me.”

She hangs up the jacket and looks back to see Ben failing to unlace his shoes. She leans down and helps him, and when he curls up on the bed, she covers him with a hotel blanket. Immediately, she hears snores, and leaves the room, heading back for her own.

---

Ben wakes up and blinks, confused. He has no idea how he got here, and no idea how he managed to take off and hang his suit jacket and untie his shoe laces. He drank far too much last night, and doesn’t remember much after eating pizza with Joe.

When he sits up, he groans from a pounding headache, and lays back down. He reaches for his phone on the bedside table and groggily tells Siri to call Joe. After putting the phone on speaker phone mode, and a few rings, Joe answers him.

“How much do you hurt?” he asks.

“More than I ever have in my life. Will you tell me what happened?” Ben asks, rubbing his eyes.

“You took some shots, drank some more, hit on Lily with bad pick up lines I gave you, and almost cried when I wouldn’t bring you immediately to her, but ultimately, she brought you back.”

He frowns and groans, burying his face in his hands. “Oh, God… First I almost kiss her, then I hit on her, then she drags my ass back?”

Joe chokes on the water he’s drinking. “You almost did what?!”

“When Rami won, she hugged me, our noses touched, and shit-- I almost leaned in, but I panicked, and then she panicked, and then you made it a group hug.”

Joe lets out a groan. “Why’d I third wheel that? Jesus, Ben, I’m so sorry.”

Ben frowns. “What? You want me to have kissed her?”

Joe scoffs. “Of fucking course I want you to kiss her! You two are soulmates! I want you to get married and have babies!”

Ben shakes his head. “Get the fuck out of here with that crap, mate. I can’t think about things like that.”

Someone opens the hotel room door, and the smell of breakfast wafts into the room. Ben groans and opens one eye, and when he sees Lily walking in with a tray of eggs, salsa, and buttered toast, he blinks, confused.

“Lily? What’s all this?” he asks, slowly sitting up in bed.

“Hangover food. I had a feeling you’d need it.” She holds out a water bottle and two advil. “Take these first.”

Joe greets Lily. “Hi, Lily! How did getting Ben home go?”

She shrugs. “It was fine. He was a bit heavy to carry, but I managed.”

Joe laughs. “Well, I’m gonna let you go now, buddy. Enjoy your meal.”

Joe hangs up, and Ben blushes, unable to meet Lily’s gaze once he’s taken the advil and downed some water. “How’d you get in?”

She holds up his keycard. “I took this from you, because I knew you’d need the meal and I’d need a way to get in.”

He nods, and looks at the meal. “Why salsa?”

She smiles. “Put it in with the eggs. The spice helps immensely. Don’t worry. I told them to give you mild.”

He nods, and does as she says. He bites his lip, leaning back in bed. “Lily, I am so sorry for what I did when I was drunk. How bad were the pick up lines?”

Lily winces. “Pretty bad, mate. I’ll spare you the details.”

He groans, and takes a bite of the food. In a moment, he feels… almost better? He looks up at Lily as if she’s God.

“That already helped. How do you know such good hangover food?”

She looks down at him, and with a straight face, says, “I was an alcoholic, Benjamin.”

Ben covers his mouth, his face flushing bright red. “Oh, shit. I’m so sorry. I absolutely forgot about that.”

Lily smiles gently and ruffles his hair fondly. “It’s alright, Ben. I take no offense.”

He continues eating, and looks absolutely miserable. She sits in a chair in the corner of the room and checks her emails. After a few minutes of silence, Ben speaks up.

“When do we leave the hotel?”

Lily looks at the itinerary and shrugs. “At six tonight. It’s currently eleven a.m., so you have plenty of time to recover and pack.”

Ben nods, slowly chewing his toast. “Okay. Good. If I were to get in a car right now, this meal would go to waste.”

She laughs and nods, rubbing the back of her neck. “I can’t say that’s never happened to me. Taking a bath always helped me with the nausea, so when you’re ready to get up, try that.”

Ben smiles at her and swallows. “Thanks, Lil.”

She smiles back at him. “Don’t mention it.” Her phone buzzes and she looks down at it. “Business call. I have to go, but if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask, alright?”

He nods, and watches as she leaves the room.

Maybe if after all he did to be a nuisance while drunk didn’t drive her away, she truly is his soulmate.

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