Author's Note: In honor of Valentine's Day coming up, I have written a sickeningly sweet story; this is what happens when you're single for too long. Haha so fair warning: there will be a lot of mush and chick flick moments. Be prepared. If you enjoy that sort of thing, I hope you like this story! This will be a five chapter fic. Also, please check out my other Parks and Recreation stories!

Disclaimer: I do not own Parks and Recreation in any way; I'm just a simple fan

Chapter One: Ann

"You're going to PROPOSE?" Ann squealed excitedly and she pulled him into a tight hug. Ben returned the heartfelt gesture, secretly relieved that the brunette was happy for him. He knew that she approved of his relationship with Leslie but it was still nice to see that Ann was so enthusiastic about his plan. Ben and Leslie had been dating for close to two years and he knew that she was the one. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

"This is so exciting!" she exclaimed. "Oh she's gonna say yes, and then you'll get married, and then you'll have kids and be the cutest family ever!" Seeing his amused expression she apologized and tried to compose herself.

"That's actually why I want to talk to you," he confided. "Do you mind if I come in? I was hoping you could help me with some proposal ideas." Originally Ben was going to talk to Ann while they were at City Hall but he eventually decided that he would rather have such a personal conversation in private.

"Oh of course," Ann replied and waved him inside.

"Do you want coffee? I just made some." Ben nodded and Ann went into the kitchen and poured them each a cup. He thanked her and then the pair sat down at the dining table.

"I'm sorry; I know that this is probably the last thing that you want to talk about on a Sunday morning," he said apologetically.

"Don't be stupid!" She scolded. "I'm happy to help! This is such great news! So you want to talk about the proposal? Do you have any idea of how you want to do it?"

"I'm not sure," Ben admitted. "I always thought proposing would be easy but it's actually pretty nerve wracking. Everything I come up with seems wrong somehow." He had been agonizing over the issue for about three weeks; he wanted something both romantic and unique. Ben finally realized that he needed help and who better to go to than his girlfriend's best friend?

"Do you have the ring yet?" Ann inquired. He nodded, pulled out a small black box, and showed her the engagement ring. It was a half carat emerald cut diamond flanked by a small diamonds on each side set on a 14K yellow gold band. The three stones twinkled in the morning light as if lit by an internal fire.

"Wow, it's beautiful, Ben," she sighed appreciatively and he smiled at her reaction. Ben had always thought the ring was pretty but he hadn't been sure if Leslie would like it as well. Seeing Ann's positive reaction was certainly reassuring.

"Thanks," he replied. "It was my grandmother's. She gave it to me before she passed away and told me to find the love of my life." Ben could still remember her exact words: Benjamin, when you find your soul mate, give her this ring. Oh don't shake your head at me. Believe me, you'll find a woman who will be the love of your life. Be happy and never let her go.

"She'll absolutely love it," Ann said approvingly.

"I hope so but first I need to figure out how to ask her," Ben said. "God, I hope she says yes." Ann chuckled slightly at the comment but when she saw his troubled expression she stopped.

"Are you actually worried that she'll say no?" she questioned incredulously. Ben didn't respond and instead took a small sip of coffee.

"Ben?"

"A little," he finally confessed. It had been a fear preying on his mind for the past couple of weeks. He knew that Leslie loved him but she was the type of woman who could get any guy. She was sweet, gorgeous, successful, and vivacious. What would she want with a guy who liked comic books and could quote both Star Wars and Star Trek? Logically, Ben knew that he was being ludicrous. Leslie LIKED those things about him. In fact, she was probably a bigger nerd than he was. She constantly talked about Harry Potter and was secretly obsessed with anime. But for some reason he couldn't get rid of his unease. Maybe it was the fact that their relationship was almost going too smoothly. Ben kept expecting something to go horribly wrong. Sure they had small squabbles, normal arguments, but in general they very happy together. There was no intense drama, screaming matches, or smashed objects. They happily drank coffee and read the paper in the morning and fell asleep in each other's arms at night.

"She'll say yes," the nurse assured him and lightly squeezed his hand. Ben smiled at her gratefully. It was moments like these that made him realize why his girlfriend was best friends with Ann. She had a way of comforting and calming someone down without being insincere or condescending.

"It's just sort of overwhelming," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "You know, marriage and everything. I definitely want Leslie to be my wife but this is all so new to me. This is the first and only time that I've ever thought about marriage." He had had various girlfriends but those relationships were nothing like the one he had with Leslie. Ben had never imagined forming a future with any of them. Leslie was a completely different matter. He could spend every single day of the rest of his life with this crazy, wonderful woman and still not get enough. Ben had seen her at her best and worst and had loved each and every minute of it. He knew what she looked like in her Hello Kitty pajamas and when she had tears from laughter streaming down her face. Ben knew how she liked her coffee and which songs made her sad. Every little detail he learned about her became a precious secret, something he jealously guarded and kept close to his heart. He didn't want anyone else to know the Leslie he knew.

"But this is just as new to Leslie as it is to you," she reminded him. "Look, I've been Leslie's best friend for a couple of years and I've seen some of her other relationships. And I'm telling her, I've never seen her so in love. You guys are perfect for each other; you have nothing to worry about."

"I'm just so nervous," Ben admitted. "I guess not knowing how to propose is sort of making me freak out even more."

"Yeah, I think once you come up with a plan you'll feel much better. Why don't you take her out to dinner?" Ann suggested. "You know, someplace nice and romantic. I know that she's been dying to try that new Italian restaurant that opened on Grover Street."

"I thought about it," he admitted. It had actually been the first plan that he had considered. He knew that a lot of people proposed over a special meal and Ben saw the appeal….But it just wasn't right.

"It's just… it seems too ordinary. This is Leslie Knope; she deserves something special." The brunette studied him for a moment and then smiled sadly. Ben was confused by her sudden change in attitude; she had been so thrilled for them only a couple of minutes ago.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"I've known for a while that this was coming," Ann confessed softly. "It's so obvious from the way you two look at each other. You guys are practically married anyway; I figured that you would make it official sooner or later. And I'm happy for you guys, I really am. It's just kind of sad that I'm losing my best friend." Ben looked at her quizzically, slightly thrown off by the statement.

"What are you talking about? You know that you guys are always going to be best friends." He knew that Leslie thought of Ann as a sister; nothing would change that.

"It's just…it's going to be different now. You're not just gonna be a boyfriend now; you'll be a husband." She said the last word as if it explained everything and in a way it did. Marriage would certainly change not only Ben and Leslie's relationship but also the blonde's relationship with Ann. For a moment he wasn't sure how to respond.

"Whatever happens, you guys will always be close. C'mon, this is Leslie we're talking about. She's not going to abandon you just because we get married," he finally said.

"I know, I know; I'm just being an idiot. Sorry," Ann apologized. "This is a happy occasion." She shook her head, as if trying to dislodge the unhappy thoughts from her head. She gave him a small smile and took a long draught of her coffee.

"Okay, I'm alright. Let's talk more about proposal ideas….Maybe something in a park? Or in the lot behind my house?"

"Hmm, that's not a bad idea," he commented. He glanced at his watch and gave a start.

"Oh crap, I'm going to be late! I'm supposed to meet Leslie at ten thirty!" Ben exclaimed. He hurriedly drained his cup of coffee and hastily threw on his jacket.

"Thanks for all of your help, I really appreciate it," Ben said quickly.

"Of course," Ann replied. "Keep me updated!" He promised that he would and then left.

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