Monday morning came and Ben sat in his office alone and miserable. Leslie had brought him a coffee but he let it sit and get cold so he couldn't drink it any more. April wasn't there yet. He tried not to dwell on it but he kept finding himself switching his gaze absentmindedly between her desk and the entrance to the office.

"Ben Wyatt!" It was Chris, the only person who still addressed him by his full name. How many years had they known each other, now?

"Hmm?"

"How was your weekend?"

Shitty. "Wonderful, and yours?"

"Absolutely splendid. I ran an extra ten miles on Saturday and on my way met a very lovely dutch woman who offered to sell me some homemade banana bread."

Ben tried to look interested. He nodded.

"Unfortunately I had to decline. Banana bread can be very high in sugars. Plus, accepting homemade items from strangers is usually not a good idea."

"Agreed. So, what did you come in here for?"

"I was wondering if you'd made plans for lunch today."

Lunch with Chris? Gay.

"Sort of just a friendly luncheon at the restaurant across the street. Inviting everyone from Parks and Rec. Hope you can join!"

"Oh, I'm not sure. I might be busy." He lied, shuffling papers on his desk. Spending time and bonding with these people, not his favorite thing.

"Ben, if I may object, I think it would highly benefit you to come to lunch today."

"And why's that?"

"Well, you seem a bit distant lately. I hope there's nothing wrong."

"Nope. I'm just always like that." Ben stared down Chris, hoping he'd leave.

"Hopefully you take it into consideration. It would literally mean the world to me!" Chris left, a spark in his step and a smile stretched across his face. Little fucker. Literally. Did he have to say it like that?

Within the next hour, it was nearly eleven o'clock, April finally showed up to work. How she managed to come in so late without getting in any trouble was beyond him. What she was doing all morning was also beyond him, though he had a few guesses. None of that upset Ben, April had her own life - she could come to work when she wanted, it wasn't his place to beat her down. Though what did upset him was perhaps what shouldn't have upset him at all. It was the person April came into the office with, or rather the person she rode piggy back giggling with on her way into work.

Andy, the big buffoon, held April on his back and darted into the room nearly knocking over several stacks of alphabetically organized paper work. April was giggling and screaming and kicking her feet and flailing her arms and shouting "Andy - ahh! - let me down!"

They'd arisen a lot of commotion in the office. Everyone had stopped working and Leslie had even come out of her office to smile and marvel at the young couple and ask what was going on.

"Leslie, there's lava on the floor. April can't touch the ground or her feet will burn." Was he fucking serious? Ben had entered the scene of commotion by then and leaned against the wall, arms crossed against his chest, trying his best not to glare at Andy.

"Is that why you're late? 'Cause the lava slowed you down?"

"Sort of. Why do you care?" Ben looked over at April who's eyes screamed Leave me the fuck alone, I don't want to deal with you now.

Leslie simply stood and marveled at them. Ben could read her mind. Ben figured she was thinking how she wished she were in a relationship like that. Not in one with a man who hated his existence and fucked their twenty-one year old co-worker.

"April Ludgate!" came Chris's chipper voice from across the room. April sighed loudly. She wasn't a fan of Chris. She waved at Andy and he left to go his job. To shine shoes, what a career.

Leslie caught Ben's eyes and said "Ben, I need to discuss the Park plans with you. Can you come into my office?" He sighed. Did he have to? April glared at him as Chris got closer but he followed Leslie into her office.

They stood behind the door, an area where they could not be seen, and kissed quickly. "Are you going to Chris' lunch?" Leslie said, walking over to her desk, still smiling - beaming - at Ben.

"Mmmm, not sure. Probably not," he was trying to focus in on the voices outside the door. Chris was asking April to join them for lunch. There was no way she'd want to go - but then again, free food.

Leslie said something that Ben didn't hear. April said, "Ew no. That restaurant is gross. I'll stay here with Andy, thank you."

"Ben?" Leslie said, Ben's gaze was focused on a stain on the carpet. "Ben, are you alright?"

"Sorry, I-I uh missed what you said."

"I said you should go! We can pretend we're on a date. We never get to go on dates."

"Yeah, a date with all our closest friends watching over us. That probably won't fly, Leslie. I've got a lot to catch up on, you go ahead. Plus, I already made myself a sandwich." He stood awkwardly near her door, waiting for her to respond. She looked disappointed. He decided there was only one more thing he could say to erase all suspicion, "I'll make it up to you tonight." And he left.

Lunchtime came and Chris lead everyone out, Ron pushing his way to the front of the crowd not wanting to miss out on any free food. The office became empty except for Ben and April; him at one side, her at the other. The stared at each other for a moment, not sure what to do. Should they fuck? Should they apologize? Should they ignore each other? Should they arrange some sort of fucking schedule that worked around times when Andy was out of the house?

Ben sent her an email. "Copy room?"

He watched her receive the email, open it, take it in and quickly type back an appropriate response.

"Ew no it's gross in there." Because the toilet seat wasn't gross at all. "Stop being a pussy and come over here and talk to me."

He followed her orders and swiftly stood and walked to her desk. He tried to act as if nothing unusual was happening, just in case someone like Andy was watching.

"You bruised my back asshole," she said to him as he approached her desk.

"Sorry?"

"When you fucked me in the shower and kept slamming me against the wall even though I told you to stop, remember that? Now I have bruises. I could report you for rape or something."

"Except I didn't rape you. You were more than willing."

"I wouldn't say more than willing." Ben didn't have an answer. She was probably right, he had sort of sprung himself at her. But she went along with it. She had dug her nails into his back when he'd tried to put her down. He hadn't inspected his shoulders since Saturday - he'd wondered if there were marks that Leslie would notice. "So why didn't you go to lunch with everyone else? I thought you were a kiss ass?"

"I have work to catch up on-"

"Then why are you harassing me?" April interrupted. Ben - again - did not have an answer. He wasn't harassing her. And couldn't she see he'd stayed behind for her? He never had alone time with her and that's all he's wanted these past few days. On Sunday they didn't speak once except when she threw the empty cereal box at him and told him to throw it away.

"I'm sorry! I-I'll leave you alone. If that's what you want then fine, I'll never talk to you again." He was being over-dramatic and he knew it. She rolled her eyes.

"Shut up," she leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "Let's fuck on Leslie's desk."

Ben's eyes widened. "What!" he nearly screamed. Leslie's desk? Leslie, his girlfriend's, desk. No. No way. April didn't even know they were dating - why would she say that?

"Fine, your desk."

"No-no! April, it's all out and in the-the open. People could see and walk by and see u-us. What the fuck is wrong - w-what is wrong with you?"

"Fine." She looked around trying to find a secluded section of the office. No one was around. Even the the halls seemed empty. It was lunchtime, nearly everyone was gone. Where was Andy? "But we're not doing it in the copy room. That's gross."

"How is that more gross than fucking on someone's desk?"

She shrugged. "Can we do it on Leslie's desk? Please, please, please, please?" She started doing this weird whining thing. She was almost begging him. So she did like it.

"You're fucked up." April didn't respond. "Where's Andy?"

"Shining shoes. He won't bother me."

"Go lock the doors and close the blinds. I'll meet you in Leslie's office." April rushed to the door and Ben walked into Leslie's office. Had he seriously just agreed to this? He looked at her desk and began to move stuff to the side. It was completely cluttered, just like her entire office and her house. The bad part was she'd notice if something were out of place. She's say something like

Ben did you move something in my office?

Yeah, I was just looking for something... uh umm... that thing... the paper with the stuff and the ... yeah, I needed to see it. That would go over well.

April walked in, holding her panties in her hand. A blue lace thong. She dropped it to the ground. Mental note: don't forget to pick that up. Ben hastily pushed more stuff to the side. It would end up looking like someone had ransacked Leslie's office. April sat on the desk and pulled her skirt up. Ben stared at her for a moment and she got impatient.

"Are you gonna fuck me or stare at me?"

"R-right." He felt his hands shaking. The door was wide open and he could see into the entire vacant Parks Department. Someone would walk in. Someone would catch them. He undid his belt and pants as fast as he could with fingers tembling and pulled April forward to slide himself into her. He held onto the back of her neck with one hand and thigh with the other, trying not to make eye contact as she tilted her head back, moaning with pleasure. With every noise Ben heard, be it a car driving by or a door slam down the hall or footsteps from the floor above, he froze.

"You suck!" April shouted at him and began rocking her hips against his as fast as she could whenever he'd stop. She pulled on his hair and he dug his nails into her shoulders for retaliation. His nails weren't near as long and sharp as hers but she cried out softly in pain and hooked her feet around his back and began kicking him. He pushed her onto her back and crawlded up onto the desk, kissing her neck and face and biting her ear. She squealed; a sound that Ben couldn't distinguish between pain or pleasure and decided to consider it a fair mix of both. He fucked her harder; he was so turned on by her pain it was almost sickening. She screamed loudly when she came making Ben cum shortly afterwards. He fall onto her panting, sweat lining his brow as he slowed his thrusts to an eventual hault. He fell back into Leslie's chair and April stood up and straightened her skirt. Ben noticed a wet spot in the center of Leslie's desk. Shit. He'd have clean this mess up. April leaned down onto Ben and kissed him.

"See you at home loser." He watched her walked slowly from the room and sit back at her desk, her ass looked amazing and he remembered the blue thong sitting in the doorway and how she planned on going the rest of the day without panties. He picked the thong up first, stuffing it in his pocket. He'd get her back for that. Stick it in her desk drawer one morning or in the tub of ice cream in the freezer at home that she absent mindly snacked at whenever she had the chance. That was a good one, he'd do that.

He grabbed a few napkins and some Clorox bleach and sprayed down the spot on Leslie's desk where they'd fucked. She'd wonder why it smelled like bleach. Cleaning crew come by. He took the papers that he'd shoved to the side and pushed them in an unorganized pile in the center. She wouldn't notice, it looked like the same mess it had before.

Ben tried to ignore April when he left the office.

"You've got something in your pocket," she said. A bit of blue lace was visible. He pushed it back in further, leaving a distinguishable bulge in his pocket.

"Ew, you're gonna carry my underwear around with you? That's disgusting."

He smirked at her and she looked down trying to suppress the grin spreading across her face. She went back to eating her yogurt, licking her lips after each bite. Ben unlocked the doors and opened the blinds and within the next few minutes the Parks workers returned, laughing and chatting loudly. Leslie popped up to his desk and suddenly the weight of April's thong became heavy in his pocket.

"How was lunch?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"Oh it was great! We'll talk after work, okay, I've got some stuff to get back to." She began to walk out but Ben quickly called her name, his heart was racing, scared he'd let something slip.

I fucked April on your desk. "I was in your office to try to find that uhh... um the report you printed out the other day. I just needed the serial number for the budget report. Sorry, if anything on your desk is messed up."

"Oh," she smiled, "No problem." Ben was sweating profusely and his hand began to fidget with the lacy lingerie in his pocket. She left and a few seconds later he heard her shout to April.

"Did the cleaning crew come in here? It stinks like bleach."

No, Ben did it to get the dried cum off your desk. "Yeah, they said it smelled like old pizza." Leslie had a week old half eaten pizza in her office, Ben was proud of April for noticing.

The afternoon flew by with ease and Ben only became sort of hard whenever he thought about the piece of fabric in his pocket. Him and April made eye contact on their way out of the office and didn't talk even though her eyes screamed "you better fuck me when we get home." Too bad it'd be impossible with Andy home. Ben didn't go straight home, he'd promised Leslie he'd spend time with her that evening and he had to do it to erase any suspicion.

Afterwards she tried to talk him into staying the night but he argued it'd look too strange if he showed up at work the next day with her and in his same clothes. And Andy and April would be curious. They had some dinner, watched some TV, had boring sex and Ben left.

At home he found April alone on the couch, munching on ice cream, staring with blank eyes at the TV screen. He'd suddenly remembered the thong in his pocket. Thank god it was still there and hadn't fallen out at Leslie's. He'd have to explain everything. Ugh, that'd be awful. Ben joined April on the couch.

"Where's Andy?"

"Asleep. Fat ass get's tired really early. Where were you?"

"Out. With friends." His voice became nervous, the way it always did when he lied.

"You're seeing someone aren't you?"

"No."

"That makes since. Lie to the girl who's having an affair with you. Want some ice cream?" He'd wished he'd had the opportunity to put her panties in the ice cream. Maybe he'd tie them in a bow around a beer bottle in the fridge. Andy might see that, though.

April licked her spoon clean and handed it to him. He got his first good look at her as the TV became brighter and illuminated the dark room. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail and she wore her glasses which he liked but rarely saw. Her pajama shorts were riding up and he could see her entire thigh. Her tank top was a size too small and she didn't wear a bra. His eyes lingered on her youthful, perky breasts. Ben loosened his tie, unbuttoned the first few buttons on his shirts and slouched into the couch. Her hand found it's way to his crotch and she began running her fingers across it.

"Not now April." He'd just screwed Leslie. He wasn't really in the mood.

"Fine," she said, pretending like she didn't care. He wanted to, he really did. Maybe he would, maybe he'd just jump on her that instant and fuck her while her husband snored in the other room. He'd ignore the fact that he'd just done it. He could get it up for April. Her mind was much more impatient then his, though. While he contemplated his next move, April grasped his hand in hers and placed it in her lap. She didn't have to say anything, she gave him a look that said Just do it, please, god, do it!

Her slid his hand down her pants, she still wasn't wearing panties, and felt his fingers in her warm flesh. She was already wet and moaned softly at the presence of his fingers. Ben grinned, he liked it like this. One hand fingering April, the other feeding himself ice cream. He felt good, like he didn't have to preform to please her. She arched her back and closed her eyes and when she came she let out a soft, delicate cry that was so beautiful that Ben didn't want it to end. She leaned over, kissed him, thanked him and trotted off to bed. To lie next to Andy.

Ben was left feeling almost shocked. That moment they just had, however brief it seemed to be, felt almost intimate. Their sex before had been quick and rushed and sloppy and rough. This was different though. This was like them hanging out, having fun. Him pleasing her, eating ice cream, watching TV. It felt almost coupley. He'd never done that sort of thing with Leslie. He'd never even thought of it and she'd never hinted that she'd wanted it. This horrible thought entered his head about how easy it'd be for him to leave Leslie and how if April could leave Andy just as easily he almost wouldn't hesitate to grab her, hit the road and leave Pawnee behind forever. It'd never happen but all he could do was dream that it could.