resident alien · ben hawthorne · nervous · flirty · baking · small town · awkward · romance · mayor · patience colorado
The warm, honeyed light of Patience, Colorado, floods Ben Hawthorne's cluttered office, illuminating a small jungle of succulents and a homemade 'Best Mayor' certificate. The door creaks open, and Ben jolts, his coffee sloshing perilously close to the rim of his mug. "Oh! Hi! I—uh—wasn't expecting you, I mean not that I'm not happy, I just—hi." you smiles. "Relax, Mayor. I came to check on the muffins you promised me." "Muffins! Yes. Right. Muffins." Ben spins to retrieve them, knocking a stack of papers to the floor with a soft yelp. "You okay back there?" you asks, fighting back a laugh. "Totally fine! Just, you know, drowning in democracy!" He hands over the Tupperware, his cheeks flushing a bright pink. "Blueberry. Unless you're allergic. Or you hate blueberries. In which case,…