love made me crazy || ben & roni

[Veronica Park]

Classes done for the day...no further work for the evening at the Wizengamot...and her husband should be done with his shift at the hospital any minute now. Roni smiled to herself as she put the finishing touches on their dinner and set the table so that everything would be ready when he got home. Setting two plates of japchae (Ben's mother's recipe) on the table and then pouring two glasses of pinot noir, Roni sighed and nodded in approval.

She'd really gotten the hang of this whole being a wife thing. Though she knew that Ben would have been fine with takeout or stove top ramen. But...she had something she wanted to talk to him about tonight. And while she knew he generally said yes to anything she wanted...

This was kind of a big ask.

So as she heard the doorknob turning, she grinned and moved to greet him. God's she couldn't wait until they had their own home and could just apparate in and out. But that would be a hard task to manage living in an apartment building full of college students.

Smiling up at her husband, Roni leaned in to kiss him.

"How was work?"

[Ben Park]

of all the things in his life that he had done, there were two things he was exceptionally proud of - Roni, her absolute tenacity and drive. The way she was unabashedly herself at all times. The fact that she could make Ben laugh even when he was in the most sour of moods. The other was becoming a healer and helping young witches and wizards into the world. First it had been for his brother Erin snd his fiancee, Willie, and now he was happily assisting on his brother Evan and his fiancee's baby boy. He was happy to be an uncle, he really was, and if anyone asked if he'd like to be a dad, he'd say yes in a heartbeat.

There were things they were waiting for, though, and that was okay.

When Ben got off work, he managed his way back to Roni’s little flat and set his bag beside the door, as he usually did. The room smelled amazingly of his…mum's? Japchae? The table was set with wine and two plates and it looked…really romantic and sweet. A part of Ben just wamted to collapse on the couch with her, but he would do anything for Roni and it looked as good as it smelled. Oh, how he loved his wife.

Speaking of his amazingly adorable wife, she stepped up to kiss him and placed a kiss on his lips as she asked about work. ”I got to see Mochi again today. Evan's probably irritated I get to see the baby as often as he does,” Ben chuckled. Other than that, it was a pretty typical day of appointments. Ben pulled her close into a hug. ”What about you, grandma?” he asked, affectionately. Roni was a few years his senior and he loved giving her grief. ”How were your classes?”

[Veronica Park]

Dinner time was always her favorite time of the day. Roni usually beat Ben home so she was able to usually set something up for him to come home to. She had never pictured herself as a housewife or really the homemaking type...but she rather loved it. It was fun for her and it gave her a sense of pride to do these things for her husband.

As Ben talked a bit about Evan and Lexa's little boy and their appointment today, Roni smiled widely. She loved being an auntie...but...she wanted something a little more. So as Ben pulled her to him, Roni smiled and rested her head on his chest. Erin was such and amazing father...Evan was going to be an amazing father...

Ben would be such an amazing father...

What about you, grandma?

He asked about her classes and Roni felt her nose scrunch as she laughed and looked up at him.

"Really well...hard to believe it'll all be over after this semester."

All the more reason to maybe start now. It would be nice for the first wave of babies to be close in age.

Pulling Ben toward the table, she grinned and grabbed the glasses of wine, handing him one before winking teasingly.

"I made dinner...you must be hungry...come sit."

[Ben Park]

Yes, Ben had come to love dinner time, too. It was an easy, comfortable start to the end of his day and he got to spend it with his beautiful wife. He of course had no expectations of her to cook for him or do anything housewifely, but it seemed she possibly…enjoyed it? It didn't matter - if he came home and food wasn't cooked, he'd make dinner for them. If the dishes weren't done, he'd do them.

”What're you going to do with all your free time, Mrs. Park?” he asked her, teasingly, as she pulled him toward the table, seemingly eager to start dinner. She handed him a glass of wine and he watched her, skeptically, as she winked and beckoned him to sit. Still watching her, he did take a seat, but not before pulling out a chair for her to sit, first. ”Tonight feels a little different, are you alright?” always perceptive, those Parks.

[Veronica Park]

So Roni really didn't have much of a poker face. The only time she was ever able to maintain that level of composure was at work. But when it came to her personal life...and especially with Ben, she had never been able to hide when something was on her mind.

So she really wasn't surprised as Ben called her out. In addition to her lack of poker face, he was just annoyingly observant. But she'd grown to love that about him over the years. She was certain that between the two of them, their child would be the most perfect, brilliant, talented child. Taking a sip of her wine, Roni held Ben's eye contact with a small smile playing at her lips.

"I'm perfectly fine. I promise," she started, setting her glass aside and picking up her chopsticks. "But there was something I wanted to maybe talk about..."

She paused, letting him sweat a bit as she took a few bites of her dinner. But after a minute, she smiled and reached for Ben's hand.

"You work with people who are about to have babies every day...then you help those babies come into the world and even after that, you're their pediatrician...Erin and Willie have the girls. Evan and Lexa have little Mochi on the way...but...do you ever maybe think of having a kid of our own someday?"

She watched him curiously...hoping he was not only receptive to the notion, but maybe as ready as she was to start their own family. They were the only couple actually married at this point...and initially, Roni had wanted to wait until after she had cleared the bar exam. But lately...she just wanted to get started. She wanted to be a mom. She wanted a little Ben Jr (or whatever Ben would want to name a boy) or a little Sally Park.

[Ben Park]

Roni claimed to be fine, but Ben could see right through it, watching her sip at her wine and pick up her chopsticks. There was something she wanted to talk about, and Ben looked at her with a raised brow as she started to eat, Ben picking up his own chopsticks.

And then she started. He listened, turning his food over on his plate and slowly a smile pulled at his lips. He thought about this everyday, and he knew Roni wanted to take the bar first, but things must have changed. He gave his wife's hand a squeeze.

”Veronica,” Ben, probably one of the few people who still called her that, ”I can't wait to start a family with you. I wasn't going to bring anything up until you were good and ready, but…” the obvious was that she probably was. ”They'll be the smartest, most talented little Park of the lot,” he teased with a wink.

[Veronica Park]

The way the smile pulled at Ben's lips, Roni knew the answer before he even said anything.

Veronica...

The more he spoke, the more Roni melted until she was absolutely putty in his hands. At his comment about their child being the smartest and most talented, Roni smiled widely...thrilled that they were on the same page. Leaning in, she kissed her husband feverishly, her hand resting on the side of his neck as she did.

Part of her wanted to say to hell with dinner and just get started right now. But she didn't want to seem too excited. Even if she knew that her husband knew her better than anyone on the planet and would see right through her. She didn't know what she had done to deserve Ben and his affections. But she was grateful. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect man for herself.

[Ben Park]

Well forget about dinner! Ben hardly had to answer her before she had her hand on his neck, kissing him with what seemed to be everything she had in her. It seemed his answer made her even more eager and even if she acted as though she weren't, Ben could indeed see right through her. So instead of going back to his dinner, he pulled her close to him so that she was sitting on his lap, his hsnd moving from her waist to her face, tucking hair behind her ear before kissing her again. ”You just give me the word.”

[Veronica Park]

The way he kissed her back just spurred Roni on even more. And as she found herself in his lap, she had practically all but forgotten dinner. His hand moved from her waist to her face and as he tucked her hair back, she bit down lightly on her lip. Gods, she loved him.

You just give me the word.

She couldn't help the pleasant shudder at his words and she smiled as she nodded.

"Consider the word spoken."

And with that, she dove back in, her arms snaking around his neck as her lips collided with his. He would be the perfect father to their children...she had no doubts.

[Ben Park]

Ben should have known he wouldn’t need to get the okay from Veronica - he could see it in her actions. The way she put her arms around his neck and dove in like the first time they’d gotten together. His hands moved to her back, running up her spine gently before scooping her up, bringing her over to the sofa so they could…snog…y’know…not at the dinner table.

It wasn’t like they were inactive - they were just really busy people, what with Ben’s medical schedule (he was apparently quite the respected and desired healer in his department) and Veronica’s studies and working at the Wizengamot. There wasn’t usually too much time between, but enough that it just made everything feel like the first time. Or perhaps, it wasn’t even the busy schedules so much as how compatible they were, how well they meshed together. Ben loved her with everything he had, and he showed that in everything he did. So between the kisses, he whispered a very purposeful, ”I love you,” into her ear as everything faded out.

[Veronica Park]

When the light came back to the room, Roni laid curled up to Ben's chest on the couch. It never mattered how many times they did it...it always felt as intense as the first time. Their chemistry was just that in tune.

But there was something keenly different about this time. This time, there had been no safety precautions. They hadn't done anything to try and prevent a pregnancy. Quite the opposite. It had been their first time actively trying for a baby. Her eyes flicked to the calendar on the wall and she smiled softly as she noted the date in early September. One of these days, she would tell their child that they had decided it was time to meet them on this very day.

Looking up to her husband, Roni smiled softly before kissing him sweetly.

"I love you," she whispered gently, her fingers drawing absent minded circles on his chest as she watched him.