Is it implausible fluff? Perhaps. Enjoy it anyway. :)

...

They both jumped, startled from the intimate cocoon they'd created together.

"Is the pie done already?" Juliet frowned, looking for a clock.

"No," Ben sighed. "I set the timer for just a few minutes so I could check on it." He rose reluctantly to go turn it off.

"Bad plan, Ben," Juliet deadpanned. Then she sighed, acknowledging the loss of the moment, and followed him into the kitchen. She stood in front of the sink and leaned her back against the countertop, watching as Ben grabbed a mitt and used it to open the oven door. At once, the mouth-watering smell of caramelized brown sugar and warm pecans wafted into the air.

"If that tastes half as good as it smells," Juliet sighed. "I might not be able to share."

Ben laughed as he reset the timer.

"I might like to see that," he grinned, his eyes resting on her slender waistline. "I mean, where would you put it all?"

"My hips," she groaned, rolling her eyes. "How much longer?" she inclined her head towards the stove.

"Another ten minutes, give or take," he replied.

"Good," she nodded. "May I use your bathroom?"

"Of course," he gestured down the hall.

Behind the safety of the closed bathroom door, Juliet reminded herself to breathe. So much had happened this evening, and she needed a moment to process alone without Ben's eyes on her.

She used the toilet, washed her hands, then braced them on the counter and looked up at her reflection in the mirror. Ben almost kissed me, she thought, watching a swift, secret smile pass across her face in the mirror. She felt giddy.

Taking a few breaths to calm herself, Juliet smoothed her hair, and took in her surroundings. Ben's bathroom was as neat as the rest of his house. The towels were crisply folded and evenly draped over their bars. There wasn't a single smudge on the mirror, not a hair in the sink…how did anyone manage to be so clean? Had he scoured the whole house before her arrival?

Juliet thought guiltily of her own house. When she'd arrived, it had been just as spotless as Ben's, and while she certainly hadn't trashed the place by any means, it was definitely a bit more 'lived in' now. She scoffed and shook her head. She'd have to be sure to straighten up a bit if Ben ever came over-the thought of him in her bathroom made her cringe with embarrassment.

Smoothing her hair down again, she left the bathroom and rejoined Ben in the kitchen. He was just taking the pie out of the oven. The entire house smelled like heaven.

"There you are!" he called over his shoulder. "Just in time."

Juliet moved to stand beside him, and they looked down at the pecan pie together.

"Wow Ben, this is a masterpiece of epicurean engineering," she grinned. Ben glanced down at the floor, his expression sheepish.

"Oh please…" he scoffed, but she cut him off.

"I'm serious!" she whispered in mock reverent tones, nudging him with her shoulder, enjoying his bashful response "Not a pecan out of place, perfectly caramelized on the top, crust golden brown…I'm not sure if I should eat it or worship it!"

"Oh, enough already!" Ben snorted. He was blushing furiously as he pulled open a drawer and pulled dessert forks out for both of them. "Put these on the table."

Juliet complied, watching him as he went to the freezer and pulled out a carton of vanilla ice cream and two small plates. He set them next to the pie.

"Seriously? You've chilled the dessert plates?"

Ben didn't answer, but Juliet could see he was shaking his head at her as he donned an oven mitt to cut the still-warm pie. He put a slice on each of the dessert plates, along with a scoop of ice cream. He put the ice cream carton back in the freezer, and then brought their dessert over to the table.

"I don't know about this Ben," she was still teasing him. "Usually I eat my ice cream straight out of the carton…"

"If you continue to mock me," he intoned, standing next to her, holding her plate. "Then you won't have any dessert at all."

"No!" she cried clutching at his forearm in false panic, trying not to laugh. "I promise I'll be good!"

He set her plate in front of her, and took his seat with his own plate in front of him.

"Be careful, it's still hot," he warned her. His face was stern, but his eyes were full of amusement. Juliet loaded her fork with a bite of pie and a dollop of ice cream and took her first bite, aware that Ben was watching her every move. The flavor was bliss, pure bliss. She closed her eyes and shook her head in appreciation.

"How is it?" Ben asked smugly.

"Divine," she sighed. "Too good for words. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he sighed.

They ate quietly, but their gazes kept meeting and then breaking away, like shy teenagers. Juliet wondered if he would try to kiss her again this evening, or if maybe she'd have a chance to kiss him, short of just leaping over the table and attacking his face…not that she thought he'd mind.

Suddenly, she was nervous. Her stomach was churning, and her heart felt like to was trying to break through her ribs. She looked down at her plate, embarrassed by her sudden shyness, hoping Ben wasn't reading her mind…though he probably was.

"We should do these dishes after dessert," she muttered.

"What? Why?" Ben was baffled.

"Well," she smiled weakly at him. "I didn't sing for my supper, and you've seen how poorly I play the piano, but dishes…dishes I at least can do."

She ate her last bite of pie and stood, collecting her plate and fork, and carried them to the sink where the rest of the dishes were soaking. She slid her dishes in, then when back to the table to offer to collect Ben's.

He silently handed them up to her, and she pretended not to notice his too intense gaze. She could see his mind working behind those eyes, see him trying to figure out what had her acting so spooked all of a sudden. She felt guilty for a moment, wishing she could tell him, but unsure of how to say it all without revealing what a head case she was.

She went back to the sink with his plate and slid it in to soak with the others. She heard Ben get up and move about behind her, but she kept her eyes focused on the task at hand. Ben suddenly appeared next to her, holding their two wine glasses, which he must had retrieved from the top of the piano. There was a swallow or two of wine left in each of them. Ben handed her the glass with the lipstick prints at the top, then proceeded to drink the remainders of his glass, motioning for her to do the same. She did and set the glass on the sideboard. She'd wash it last, since it was too delicate to be in the sink with the other, heavier dishes. Ben set his glass next to hers and said nothing as he watched her rinse out the sponge and pour a stripe of detergent across the top of it. Without a word, he reaching into a nearby drawer and pulled out a fresh dishtowel. He ran the material through his hands and looked at her expectantly.

She started with their dinner plates, scrubbed, rinsed them, and handed them to Ben to dry. Ben buffed the plates with his towel, and then flung the towel casually over his shoulder as he went to put the plates back into their proper cabinets. Somewhere along the way, he rolled up his sleeves a bit more securely, and Juliet couldn't help but notice the he had nice, solid-looking forearms.

She handed him the dripping clean serving plate with a small smile, which he reciprocated, deftly manipulating the heavy dish in his hands, towel swirling across its surface. He put the dish away, then came back to stand next to her at the sink.

"Juliet," he finally spoke, his voice soft and coaxing. "Is something on your mind?"

She braced her hands on the counter and sighed.

"Yes," she replied resignedly. "But it's silly."

"Silly?" he leaned against the counter, mimicking her body language. "How so?"

"It's just that…" she started to say, but made the mistake of looking over at those too-intense blue eyes and lost her nerve. She picked up the sponge and started to clean a fork a bit too vigorously.

"It's just that…" Ben prodded.

"Your bathroom is really clean," she blurted, gesturing down the hallway with the half-cleaned fork.

"My bathroom…what?"

"Yes, you heard me," she barreled on, scrubbing at the fork again in a vain attempt to deal with her anxiety and avoid his gaze. "Your bathroom is freakishly clean, and so is the rest of your house, and you cook exceptionally well, play the piano like a virtuoso, and you notice things, like, not just things about me, but about everything…nothing seems to get by you," she was babbling now, and she couldn't seem to stop. She rinsed the now very clean fork and handed it to him. He took it automatically, seeming uncertain of what else to do. "So, I can't help wondering when is he going to figure it out?"

"Figure what out?" Ben asked calmly.

"That I'm a mess!" she muttered at him. He looked shocked for a moment, but then a small smile began to creep across his face.

"Oh, is that all?" he chuckled, infuriating her.

"Don't you dare laugh at me! I'm serious!

"Really?" Ben looked amused. He was finding her breakdown amusing.

She nodded over to the refrigerator and pointed at it accusingly. "I was serious when I told you that I eat my ice cream straight from the carton! And I use the same spoon for it over and over again, and I don't even wash it! Sometimes, I don't even rinse it! I keep it right next to the fridge, like a ritual or something…"

Oh, she had really lost it now, but he was just standing there, not saying a word, listening attentively, which only drove her need to shock him to greater heights.

"Sometimes I let the ice cream sit out for too long until it's practically soup, and then I put it back in the freezer, and it gets those yucky ice crystals all over it, and the texture gets all grainy, but I'll eat it anyway!" she hissed. Under her glare, Ben's composure finally cracked, but instead of yelling at her or making a cutting remark, he simply started laughing.

"Oh, that's disgusting!" he snorted, his expression tight with repressed mirth. "I mean, really, Juliet, for shame!"

He turned back to the sink, picking up the sponge she'd dropped in there, and proceeded to start scrubbing another fork. His lack of a response gave Juliet a chance to calm down for a minute. She walked over to him and leaned forward, putting her elbows on the counter and her head in her hands.

"I'm serious, Ben. I'm afraid...so afraid…of disappointing everyone…especially you, especially now that I'm…I mean, we're…" she trailed off and looked up at him pleadingly. He caught her eye and looked down at her not unkindly.

"One step at a time," he said softly. "You've put the whole world on your shoulders here, Juliet, and you don't have to carry the burden alone. You're one of us now…let us in, let us help you. We're a family here, and we welcome you to be a part of it…and as far as disappointing me…" He dried his hands briefly on the dishtowel, then used one to cup her face gently. "That's nothing you need to worry about. You're assuming you are the only one here with concerns. I'm a single dad...I have a teenage daughter," he chuckled. "Believe me, my life is far from perfect. Now," he handed her the dishtowel. "Let's switch. I'll wash: you dry. It'll give you a chance to see where I keep the ice cream bowls…you know, in case you ever feel like using them," he quipped. She laughed and stood up, taking a deep breath.

"I didn't mean to loose it like that. I'm sorry," she apologized, bumping him affectionately with her shoulder. He handed her one of their dessert plates. "Thank you for being so…calm."

"It's fine," he replied with a small smile. "I only ask that in the future, you do the same for me."

"Oh? Are you planning on having a meltdown at some point soon?" she laughed as she put the plate away.

"One never knows," he sighed, continuing to wash.

Juliet continued to dry, asking Ben occasionally for directions to the proper cupboard as she put things away. With her fears allayed, she was suddenly able to focus on how adorable she found Ben when he was elbow deep in dirty dishwater. He seemed to feel her eyes on him, looking up and catching her gaze on purpose, making her blush and look away, both thrilled and ashamed for being caught staring.

Finally, he grabbed their last two wineglasses and put them in the sink. She heard him make a small grunt of dismay as she was putting the baking tray away under the oven.

"What's wrong?" she called to him over her shoulder.

"Nothing, would you mind rolling up my sleeve for me?"

"Sure," Juliet smiled and moved to his side. This was a common problem she'd faced many a time while doing the dishes by hand on this island. In one hand, Ben was holding a soapy, wet wineglass, his other hand was held up above the waterline, still holding the sponge, sleeve dangling at the wrist.

She slid one arm between his elbow and ribcage, the other on the opposite side of his straightened arm. She was aware that she was standing just a bit closer to him than she needed to be, but she didn't care. Slowly, she peeled back his sleeve and folded it by increments up the length of his arm. She heard a hitch in his breathing, and saw the hand that held the wineglass twitch in response to her ministrations.

"Above or below the elbow?" she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Um, above," Ben stuttered, seeming uncertain of how to deal with her blatant flirtation. She complied, turning his sleeve up and over his elbow, making sure to brush her fingers over it as she did so. Next to her, Ben twitched ever-so-slightly. She smiled and looked into his face.

His expression was openly adoring.

"Thank you," he murmured, his eyes moving down her face to focus on her mouth. His expression took on the look she'd seen earlier in the lab. Oh please…please, please, please…

She reached up and slid one of her hands along the side of his face, cupping his jawline, smoothing the pad of her thumb over his cheekbone. His eyes closed blissfully, but he didn't move, as though he was afraid she'd stop if he did. He was still holding the wineglass and the sponge. She slid her other hand up the back of his neck and into his hair. It was soft under her fingers, and the hissing sound he made as he exhaled let her know that she was doing something right. She swirled her fingers through the softness, and slowly, ever so slowly, began to pull his face towards hers.

She'd barely registered the feel of his lips against hers when she heard the snapping sound.

Jumping back, she looked at Ben's face in horror, trying to see what had happened. His eyes were still closed, but his expression was one of pain, rather than one of joy. Her gaze trailed down his arms, where in one hand, he was still holding a sponge, but in the other, holding the remains of a shattered wineglass.

"Oh Ben!" she cried, cupping his hand, gently trying to pry it open. "What happened?" She pulled the trashcan out from under the sink and held his hand over it.

"I…um…squeezed it a bit too hard, I'm afraid," he chuckled ruefully. He opened his hand and allowed a few bits of glass to drop into the trash. Juliet turned his hand over, palm up, and was horrified to see a thin stream of blood dripping from the meaty base of his thumb. A chunk of glass was embedded in his flesh.

"Oh, this is going to need stitches," she shook her head, suddenly becoming a doctor. "We're going to have to go to the infirmary."

Ben nodded, but said nothing.

She reached into the same drawer she'd seen Ben pull a fresh dishtowel from earlier, and grabbed another one to wrap his hand in. She made sure it was a darker color so that his blood wouldn't make a noticeable stain.

"Hold on," he said. Juliet watched, horrified, as he deftly pulled the shard of glass from his hand.

"Wait, stop!" she touched his arm, but he was too quick for her.

"It's all right," he said numbly, walking over to the trash and dropping the glass in. "It wasn't in there too deeply."

She sighed and shook her head at him, reaching over and wrapping his hand more securely in the towel. Without the glass to block the flow, the wound was bleeding freely.

"Let's go," she said. "Keep applying pressure."

Together, they walked out of the house, into the dark, and made their way along the lighted path to the infirmary building. They didn't speak, but Ben was holding his hand tightly, his lips pursed into a thin line. Juliet walked hesitantly beside him, feeling guilty and concerned all at once. She shouldn't have tried kiss him while he was holding that fragile glass. That had been foolish.

She looked over at Ben, searching his face for some insight into what he was thinking. He was looking at the ground, lost in thought or shock…she couldn't tell. She wanted to say something, to apologize, or something, but it didn't seem like a good time.

They reached the infirmary quickly, and Juliet ushered Ben inside.

"Rinse out the cut as best as you can," she said, directing him towards the sink. "Make sure there's no more glass in it."

"Of course," Ben went straight to the sink and followed her instructions. Juliet went to the supply shelf and found a sterile suture kit. While Ben was still rinsing, she set up a small station, draping a clean towel over the counter and bringing over a lab light. Running back to the supply shelf, she grabbed a syringe of lidocaine, rubber gloves, and a few extra sterile towels. She heard the running water stop and turned to see how Ben was getting along.

"Come over here," she said, motioning to her station and sliding her hands into the gloves.

"It's still bleeding," Ben said, cradling his hand. He sat down on a stool and laid his arm across the counter for her inspection.

"I'll bet. There are a lot of capillaries in that section of your hand," she gently patted the blood away with the extra towels and examined his wound under the bright lamp. "This doesn't look too deep, though." She reached for the lidocaine and prepped the needle. "You might want to look away for this part," she said, looking up at him as she bent over his hand.

"It's all right," he sighed. "Just do what you need to do."

Juliet carefully, precisely injected the numbing agent into Ben's bleeding hand. He didn't even flinch.

"How does that feel?" she asked. "Are you numb?"

He nodded, but said nothing.

"Okay…here we go."

She threaded the curved suturing needle and used a pair of tweezers to manipulate it into making several tiny stitches along Ben's sliced incision, pausing occasionally to wipe away the blood with a gauze pad. Five stitches later, she tied a knot and cut the thread. There was still a bit of bleeding around the cut, so she applied pressure on top of the stitches with another gauze pad while simultaneously holding Ben's hand.

"I'm really sorry about this," she said, looking up from his hand to study his face.

"There's nothing to apologize for," he replied evenly. "This was clearly an accident."

"But still," she reached out with her free hand and sandwiched his injured one between her own. "I didn't think…I mean, I didn't want our date to end like this, exactly."

"Oh? How did you see it ending?" Ben queried, raising an eyebrow. Juliet blushed, but couldn't formulate a proper response, so she simply proceeded to adhere a bandage over Ben's stitches.

"The lidocaine is going to wear off in a few hours," she told him, standing and disposing of the remnants of her suture kit. She left the room for a moment to dig around in the pharmacy and came back with a bottle of painkillers. "Take these if you need them."

"I'll do that," Ben said, watching her carefully. "Do you think it will hurt much?"

"Given the location, I'd have to say yes," Juliet replied, still not meeting his eyes. "That part of your hand is especially vulnerable…it's nearly impossible to use your thumb without affecting it. Again, read the label and take two if you're in pain."

"Thank you, Juliet; I will." Ben replied. He opened is mouth as if to say something more, but seemed to decide against it and simply took the bottle she was proffering.

"Come on," she sighed. "I'll walk you back."

They strolled along the path towards Ben's house in complete silence. Ben walked next to her, and he didn't seem to be in a hurry to go back, but his expression was inscrutable. Juliet glanced at him repeatedly, wishing he'd tell her what he was thinking, but he pretended not to notice her heavy glances.

"Does your hand hurt?" she finally asked.

"No," he replied, looking straight ahead.

"Are you sure?" she wheedled.

"Yes."

"Because if it does," she went on, pretending not to notice his terse one-word answers. "I won't think any less of you for taking a dose of the pills I gave you…I made sure they were the good kind."

"Oh?" he scoffed, which Juliet took as a good sign.

"Oh yeah," she raised her eyebrows at him and nodded knowingly. "The good stuff."

She heard him chuckle under his breath and watched him shake his head in mock disapproval.

"Thank you," he muttered with a touch of ire.

"Oh," she grinned. "You are most welcome."

Ben's uninjured right hand was hanging somewhat stiffly at his side, and Juliet, now that crisis seemed to be past and mindful of the tantalizing almost kiss she and Ben had nearly shared not so long before, decidedly to boldly go and slip her left hand into that right one. And so she did—sliding her fingers down his wrist, over his palm, and lacing her fingers with his, squeezing lightly.

Ben stopped suddenly, and Juliet stumbled slightly in an effort to stop with him. She gripped his hand tighter, and he pulled her back towards him reflexively.

"What are you doing?" he asked, staring at their linked hands as she straightened. His eyes were suspicious, but he didn't let go.

"Well Ben," she sighed with a measure of exaggerated patience. "I was attempting to hold your hand, if that's okay with you."

"Well yes, Juliet," he snapped back in annoyance. "That part I managed to comprehend, but what I don't understand is why you're doing it."

"Well, I," she stuttered, taken aback. "I was just…I mean, do you not want me to hold your hand?"

"Oh, of course I do," he sighed as though she were a very silly girl. "But I didn't think you would want to, considering the fact that I just bled copiously all over the both of us, and you had to sew pieces of my flesh back together. A bit of a mood killer, wouldn't you agree?" he sent a swift, searching glance over her face and looked away.

She grinned and squeezed his hand reassuringly, pulling herself a little closer to him. Ben looked back at her, startled.

"It was maybe a little bit of a mood killer," she smiled. "Probably a whole lot more for you than for me," she sent a significant glance at his injured hand, then looked back to his face and smiled. "But it's going to make for a really excellent first date story," she chuckled peevishly, and was relieved to see him smile in response. She playfully pulled him a little bit further along the path to a slightly more secluded location, almost giggling. Ben's expression was curious, then surprised as Juliet pulled him to her and slid her arms around his waist.

"And just think," she murmured into his ear as Ben's arms hesitantly wrapped themselves around her shoulders. "Of what Tom's face will look like when we tell him that after I stitched you up, we made out on the pathway behind his house…"

"We what?" he started, but she cut him off and gently brushed her mouth against his with slow deliberation.

"Juliet…" he gasped and she did it again until he gripped her shoulders and started to kiss her back, desperately, with an aching sweetness that gave her goose bumps in the cooling night air. They broke apart for a moment to breathe before Ben wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her slender form back against him, clutching her as though he were afraid she would disappear. She rested her chin on his shoulder and her hands found purchase on his shoulder blades. She leaned in and just allowed herself to be held.

"You should be warned…I'm not very experienced with this sort of thing," he whispered into her ear, the darkness and seclusion making his admission safe to speak aloud.

"Could've fooled me," she whispered running her thumbs back and forth over his shoulders and neck. "But don't worry, you'll learn."

As she spoke, she slid her hand up the back of his neck and into his hairline. He sighed blissfully and repeated the gesture on her, sliding one hand into her hair and then another through its silken weight. He pressed his lips gently to the sensitive spot on her neck and Juliet gasped, then giggled in embarrassment at how loud it was in the quiet night, suddenly aware that anyone could potentially come along the path and see them.

Ben chuckled with her and pulled back in acknowledgement of the need for them to move along. He took her hand, brought it to his lips briefly and then didn't let go as he started down the path once more. Juliet followed him, sending secret messages conveyed by the squeezing of his hand and receiving them back in return.

They were both very pleased with themselves when they arrived back to Ben's house and stood facing one another on the porch.

"Would you like to come back inside?" he asked he hopefully and without a hint of the suggestiveness that would usually accompany such a suggestion. "There's still practically a whole pecan pie in there."

Juliet laughed and shook her head regretfully. "I'm afraid I'll have to pass for now," she sighed. "But, should you feel at all inclined to bring a piece to the lab for me…at maybe around 12:30?" she hinted. "I'd be more than happy to oblige you."

"Very well," he nodded, looking pleased. "I'll see you then."

"Okay," she nodded. There was a pause. "Well, um, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

"I hope your hand feels better tomorrow."

"Oh," Ben looked down as though he'd completely forgotten his hand. "Thank you."

"Yeah…well…" she leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Goodnight."

As though he suddenly realized why she was lingering, Ben whispered, "goodnight" before leaning in and giving Juliet a kiss that much more than a peck on the lips. His mouth moved against hers slowly, and then a little more insistently. Juliet answered his efforts enthusiastically, and when she moved her lips to plant a kiss to the side of his throat, Ben made a strangled sound she'd never heard before and was shocked when he backed her up against the nearest post holding up the roof over his porch.

"Ben!" she gasped in surprise.

"Too much?" he looked up at her, suddenly uneasy.

"No," she shook her head and grinned at him wickedly. Ben started to grin in return, but she kissed him before he could complete it. With her back to the post, the slight difference in their heights was negligible, and Ben used it to his full advantage, allowing his hands to roam down her sides, over her hips, and back up. Juliet explored his chest and stomach with her hands, finding to her delight that, while Ben had the illusion of being slight, he was solid and wiry under his starched shirt. She was about to explore further when a soft ahem caused them to jump away from each other somewhat guiltily.

Alex surveyed the scene before her, her expression a mix of amusement and annoyance. She looked over at her father as she strolled up the steps and to the front door of the house.

"I'm home," she casually called out to him as she passed by. "Goodnight dad," she smirked as she went inside and closed the door behind her.

Ben and Juliet exchanged an awkward glance, then both laughed and blushed in embarrassment.

"I guess we should call it a night," she sighed.

"Until tomorrow?" he asked, taking her hand. She nodded, and he planted a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Goodnight, Juliet."

"Goodnight, Ben."