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Ben wasn’t the jealous type, he could be a little protective, sure when he and Leslie went to a bar and sleazy guys would be eyeing her he’d place his hand on her back and guide her away from any trouble, but jealous? Nope, he wasn’t that kind of guy.
They had spoken openly about their past relationships and he chuckled when he went into maybe a little too much detail about Cindy Eckhert and Leslie scrunched her nose up angrily, but when she spoke of her exes he never felt jealous of them.
He was still terrified of Dave and any mention of the cop usually had Ben breaking out in hives, he and Leslie still kept in touch and apparently he was engaged and still living in San Diego, he wasn’t a threat to as long as he stayed there, there was this guy called Justin that Leslie had mentioned but apparently things didn’t end too well for them, he now lived in Dubai according to Ann.
But there was one guy, one name that made Ben’s blood bubble slightly and his knuckles clench.
Mark Brendanawicz.
Mark wasn’t Leslie’s ex, he was a hook up, but he was a hook up that left a hold over her, she was interested in him for a long time, years even, longer than any of her previous boyfriends. She even admitted being jealous when he and Ann got together.
That was another thing he didn’t like about him, he was clearly slowly making his way around Leslie and her friends and they all still thought he was this great guy.
When they were choosing designs for the Pawnee Commons Leslie had pulled a copy of Mark’s design up saying how wonderful it was, Ben quickly turned it down because of two reasons, he was already in love with Wreston St James’ design and two because he really fucking hated Mark.
He hadn’t even met him; he just knew he hated him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a mild September evening in Pawnee, Leslie and Ben were getting ready for a gala being held in Indianapolis, it was to celebrate the local cities and honouring their planners. Leslie and Ben had been invited and she was wearing a long fitted red dress while Ben dressed in his tux.
“You look beautiful” He commented as she twirled in front of him.
“Thank you” Leslie replied bashfully, before leaning into one of the nearby cribs and lifting Wesley out, “What do you think Wes? Does Mommy look pretty?”
Wesley clapped his hands excitedly and cackled adorably, that was something he most definitely inherited from Leslie.
Leslie brought Wesley over to Ben and the nine month old reached out and patted Ben’s stubbly cheek, Ben grinned and winced slightly as Wesley hit him maybe a little too hard.
“Hey” He grunted to the infant as Leslie handed him to Ben, “Don’t you think Daddy looks handsome too?”
Wesley was too busy tugging at Ben’s bowtie to take any notice.
“I think that’s a yes” Leslie chuckled as she looked down at their other two children “Sonia and Stephen are still out” she noted as she rubbed the top of Sonia’s hair, her long blonde hair was growing in quickly.
“Well I hope they wake up soon so that your Mom can tire them out” Ben said as he shifted Wesley from trying to undo the bowtie he spent ages working on to get right, “That means we will hopefully sleep through the night, I can’t even think of alcohol without feeling tipsy”.
“Me too” Leslie said, “We’re responsible adults now with kids, as much as we want to we can’t get too sloppy drunk”.
“Hmm I think I prefer having the kids to getting sloppy drunk,” Ben said.
“Same” Leslie said as she walked back over to Ben and rubbed Wesley’s head, “But one night off would be fun”.
Ben nodded in agreement as the doorbell rang downstairs, he quickly passed Wesley back over to Leslie, “Oh that will be your Mom” He said as he dashed downstairs to let her in.
A night off from parenting would be fun, but Ben really wouldn’t trade those moments with his kids for any alcoholic drink in the world.
The cab drove them to a fancy hotel in Indianapolis, they walked up the marble stairs to an elegant ballroom, there were representatives from Pawnee, former Eagleton, Snerling, Bloomington, Muncie and a handful of other towns nearby, waiters flocked around the room with trays filled of champagne, a smiley ginger haired waiter greeted the couple and offered them two glasses from his tray, Ben took two and handed one to Leslie.
“To an evening off” He toasted, raising his glass up.
Leslie giggled, “To being irresponsible parents”.
They clinked their champagne flutes and sipped the sparkling liquid; Leslie immediately linked her arm onto Ben’s as she scoped the room.
“Wow, it’s a good turn out” She commented as she turned back to Ben, “Lots of important people-.”
“Leslie Knope?”
Leslie turned around upon hearing her name and she gasped, it was the sort of gasp that made Ben feel a little anxious and the champagne bubbled uneasily in his stomach.
“Oh my god” she cried out, tugging her arm away from Ben’s and darted over to a man not too far away from them, he immediately pulled her into a long warm hug and Ben scurried towards them anxiously.
“I can’t believe it, I haven’t seen you in years” Leslie cried out as she pulled away, she soon realised Ben had shuffled next to her and she rested a hand on his shoulder.
“Oh I’m sorry, Mark this is Ben Wyatt my husband, Ben this is Mark Brendanawicz”.
‘Oh no’ Ben thought, he could feel his chest tightening and his knuckles clenching, he had to pry them apart because Mark was offering his hand to Ben.
“Hey” Mark greeted as he shook Ben’s hand, perhaps a little too hard for Ben’s liking, “Where have I seen you before?”
“Ben was one of the state auditors that came to Pawnee when the government was shut down” Leslie explained, leaning her head on Ben’s shoulder slightly.
“Oh that’s right” Mark said, pointing at Ben, “So this is the guy you compared to Idi Amin?”
Ben blushed furiously as Leslie cackled loudly, he found himself puffing his chest out to try and intimidate Mark, “Yeah well she married me and then I got her super pregnant with triplets, I put three babies in her, three” He said quickly, glaring sternly at Mark.
Mark looked a little surprised, “You have kids?” He asked, “Wow Knope you really settled down”.
Leslie grinned, obviously very unaware that Ben was growing very uncomfortable by the minute, “Yep, three nine month olds, they’re so beautiful but tiring, we were just saying about how nice it is to have a night off”.
Mark nodded in agreement and jerked his champagne glass towards Leslie’s, “Your glass is empty, do you want another one? We should catch up”.
Ben glanced at Leslie’s empty glass, crap when did that happen? Leslie was nodding happily and stepped forward to stand next to Mark, “Sure that sounds good” She agreed and followed him to find a waiter.
Ben swore under his breath as he trailed after them. Seriously what did he have to do to scare him off? Grab her and start dry humping her in front of him? Pee on her to mark his territory?
Nope, he most definitely wasn’t going to pee on her, but he did need another drink.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ben watched all night as Leslie giggled and chatted happily to Mark, she kept reaching out and rubbing his arm and touching his shoulder, Ben felt his cheeks growing hot and his glare intensifying on Mark. He didn’t seem to notice Ben at all; he was too busy staring at Leslie, staring at his wife. This guy who she had been hung up on for six years was now looking at her like she was a goddess, it wasn’t fair, she was his goddess dang it!
He wasn’t listening to their conversation, he was too busy hypothetically killing Mark over and over in his head, he felt like a lion refusing to let another male near his lioness and ready to kill if he stepped a little out of line.
Ben glanced at his watch, it was nearly 11pm, their cab would be arriving soon to take them back to their family, he had a feeling he would have to pry Leslie away from Mark and bundle her into a taxi.
It also didn’t help that she was swaying slightly on the spot, crap she was drunk.
“Leslie” He said, placing a hand on her shoulder, making her turn to face him, “Babe, the cab’s going to be waiting outside”.
“Oh” Leslie pouted, “Can you tell it to come back in like an hour? I feel like we’ve still got so much to talk about” She reached out blindly and accidentally ran her hand down Mark’s chest, she giggled and hiccupped “Whoops!”
The straw that broke the camel’s back.
“Yeah” Mark agreed, taking Leslie’s hand to stabilise her, “I’ve only just got this one back”.
Ben’s eyes widened in pure anger, “Well I’m sorry Mark but unlike you we have a family to get back to”.
Mark gawped at Ben, if he had thought of Ben as this Idi Amin character then Ben was going to act Idi Amin-ish damn it!
Leslie glared at Ben a little startled and turned back to Mark, “Um…we should probably go? But you have my number, don’t be a stranger!”
“I won’t” Mark said, pulling her into a hug and kissing her cheek, “It was so good to see you again, Leslie”.
Ben couldn’t drag her away fast enough.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Their cab ride back to Pawnee was silent; Ben was still feeling the testosterone running through his body, keeping that angry ‘you are mine’ mantra in his head. Leslie was sulking next to him, fumbling with the hem of her dress.
They climbed out and Ben immediately took off to their room, Leslie scowled and went to thank her mother for looking after their babies, all who were asleep for the night thankfully.
Ben was yanking his bowtie off when Leslie joined him in their bedroom, “That was kind of rude” She told him, quietly closing the door, if their triple cherries weren’t fast asleep in the room next door she would have totally slammed it.
“What?”
“Back at the gala” She growled, “With Mark, you were being so rude to him!”
“Well why do you think?” Ben snapped turning to face her, “He’s an ass and he was all over you”.
Leslie was taken aback; she studied Ben’s face carefully. She had never seen him like this; he was flushed with anger, his lip curled and trembling, his arms flexed and the small muscles on this bulging out slightly.
Leslie pursed her lips and giggled, “Oh Ben” She said shaking her head, “This is so adorable, you’re jealous”.
“Jealous?” Ben spluttered, “Me? What? Jealous? No. No way. I don’t get jealous”.
“Then why are you getting so hung up about Mark?” She asked, reaching out and massaging his arms gently.
“Because he was terrible to you, and Ann for that matter. I don’t like him” Ben stammered out, his confidence dying.
Leslie grinned at him, “You are too cute when you get jealous” She said, pressing her lips against his briefly, “He’s nothing compared to what I have now, I have three beautiful babies who are going to grow up to be smart and amazing and I have a wonderful, protective if not a little jealous, Husband”.
Ben scowled at her, ok maybe he was a little jealous, “I didn’t like the way he was looking at you” He told her, “It was like I’ve been there and done that”.
Leslie rested her hands on Ben’s shoulder and pressed her body against his, “He’s an old friend, nothing more,” She told him.
Ben sighed and softened, his hands resting on her hips, “Alright, I believe you, It just…he’s that guy that made you crazy for years, can you blame me for being a little possessive?”
Leslie shook her head, “To be honest if Cindy Eckhert was there tonight I would have probably jumped your bones in front of her just to prove a point”.
Ben chuckled loudly and reached round to unzip her dress, “I had the same thought earlier” He admitted.
Leslie bit her bottom lip, “Oh City Manager Ben Wyatt” She purred, “You’re so bad”.
“You were the naughty one tonight” He growled, pushing her back onto the bed and yanking her panties down, “But you are all mine”.
There was still some testosterone pulsing through him and Ben felt his cock harden in record time as he pushed his lips firmly against Leslie’s, his tongue snaking in and claiming dominance of hers.
Ben released her and dragged his tongue along the swell of her breasts, “Mine” He grunted as he licked and sucked at a nipple, “Mine” He said again as he gave the same attention to the other.
He pulled his pants off and angled himself to Leslie’s centre and thrust deep into her, making her yelp out passionately, she was pretty soaked and Ben slid straight in.
“And this is definitely mine” Ben growled low in his throat as he started to thrust in and out of her, Leslie gripping his back and trying to muffle her moans into a pillow nearby to stop them from waking the triplets up.
They both came pretty quickly, it was probably thanks to the alcohol for getting them so heated, Ben collapsed down next to Leslie breathing heavily and she grinned as she ran a hand through his sweaty hair.
Jealous Ben was too cute, and pretty sexy too, maybe she should meet up with her exes more often.