✨ Oneshots ✨

You And I - Hardzello (platonic)

Kind of related to the "An Actor's Life For Me" chapters, where Ben and Joe have their own daughters. Honestly, at this point, I'm starting to think this idea should be a whole book, haha.

 Thanks again to @86_b4by for believing in this and giving ideas! 

Sophie is still 4, nearly 5, and Evelyn is 3. 

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2021

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Today was an average day, a weekend, actually. Joe, Sophie, Ben and Evelyn—who was Sophie's best friend now— were going to the beach since the weather had been good.

"Are you excited to see them, Soph?" Joe was packing a bag with everything they'd use in the sand and water.

The little girl was also packing, deciding which sunglasses she wanted. "I'm always  excited to see them, Daddy!" She had the ability to talk and be doing something else simultaneously.

"All right, then." Joe smiled.

"Oh, let's bring some buckets and shovels for making sandcastles!" Sophie grabbed the items.

--

Meanwhile, where Ben was, he'd been getting ready too. Evelyn was wandering around the room and thinking about what to do.

"We bring biscuits?" She held up a box of chocolate biscuits - cookies - that she'd manage to reach.

"How'd you get that, Ev?" Ben looked over, baffled.

"I climb." Evelyn responded with a cheeky grin.

"Usually, I'd say 'no,' you know that. But since it's a special occasion, yes, we'll bring some as a snack." Ben grinned too.

-

Joe and Ben drove to the beach, in separate cars, and when they arrived, both girls cheered in eagerness.

As Evelyn climbed out, Sophie ran over and tackled her into a hug, which almost knocked the younger girl over but didn't. "Evelyn!" Sophie yelled joyously.

"Woah, be careful, Sophie!" Joe warned, amazed that the toddler didn't fall over. He turned to his fellow actor, "your daughter has incredible balance." 

"Yeah, she does toddler gymnastics and climbs on top of every  piece of furniture despite if I'm looking or not." Ben let out a hearty laugh.

-

Soon, they went into the sand, placing beach towels and applying sun protection.

"Lyn! Wanna build castles?" Sophie asked with a smile. Only she got to call her friend Lyn instead of Evelyn.

"Yeah! I wike castles." Evelyn agreed in her adorable little kid accent.

"Sure, let's do it! However you like." Sophie giggled, and both girls went to build a sandcastle.

"So, she's been keeping you busy, huh?" Ben asked nicely.

"Yeah, but she goes to school a few days a week, for half-days. So I get some time to do work and all that." Joe nodded.

-

Evelyn put some seashells on the castle, while Sophie made a moat and bridge. The younger girl added some rocks as well. It looked rather good, glistening in the sunlight.

"Dad! Look!" Sophie called out, even though her father wasn't too far away.

"Wow! You two did a great job!" Joe called back.

"It looks really lovely!" Ben added.

-

"Why don't you come help, Ben and Daddy?" Sophie offers.

"It looks great already! But sure!" Ben walked over, Joe following.

"Make it taller!" Evelyn says, showing how tall she wanted the sand to pile up to.

Ben said he would and he did, careful not to break the creation.

-

"¡Quiero tomar una foto! Es muy hermoso!" Sophie declared.

Evelyn looked at Sophie, confused. She didn't understand any Spanish.

"Sure, we can take a picture of it! It is  very pretty!" Joe said and got his phone out.

"I speak Spanish sometimes. I learn it at school." Sophie explained to her friend.

"Oh." Evelyn shrugged, still confused.

-

"Say cheese!" said Joe as he took a picture of the girls and the sandcastle.

"Cheeeese!" They smile widely.

"Perfect!" Joe put his phone back in his pocket.

A few minutes later, they were sitting on the beach towel in the shade, talking about things.

-

"Daddy, I hungry." Evelyn stated, looking at the ocean.

"Ok, Ev. Here you go." Ben handed her a chocolate biscuit, and Sophie asked politely for one too, so he also gave her one.

"Thank you!" Sophie and Evelyn started to eat.

"I brought some fruit as well." Joe offers, taking a bite of an apple.

"Oh, that sounds good. These biscuits are mostly designed for toddlers, anyway. But they taste good." Ben comments.

Joe raised an eyebrow, "that means you've tried some?" He teased with a smirk.

"Well, yeah! Wouldn't want to give her anything I won't eat. Nothing gross." Ben playfully hits Joe's arm.

-

"Cheeky daddy." Evelyn says, picking up on the playfulness. 

Ben tickled her under her arms, which made her squeal happily because she was ticklish.

Joe and Ben had some varied fruits, and eventually Evelyn and Sophie had some as well.

"Sophie! Teach me Spanish, pwease?" The youngest child requests.

"Okay, Lyn! I'll teach you a few words." Sophie made eye contact. 

-

"Una manzana." Sophie points at an apple.

"Una.. Manzana." Evelyn repeats. "Apple!" 

"Yes! Muy bien. Muy bien means 'very well'!" Sophie praised.

The two of them went on, learning different words for a while.

"That's so cute." Ben says calmly, liking the fact that his kid was learning new things.

"It is. I think those two are secretly separated-at-birth sisters." Joe agrees.

"Maybe." The younger man hums.

-

Evelyn soon got sleepy, it being late afternoon now. She stopped talking and just leaned herself on whoever's lap was closest—which happened to be Joe's.

Ben took a picture of the scene, "payback." He said, remembering when Sophie had fallen asleep on him.

Joe had barely noticed, because he'd been chatting to his own daughter. Then he laughed gently. "Yeah."

The four of them all enjoyed the beach for some more time, which gave Evelyn a good hour nap. Then they said goodbyes and went back to the apartments.

-

Sophie was in another conversation with Joe, always a chatterbox of a kid. She sat on the sofa, saying how much fun it was of a day, and that she already missed Ben and Evelyn.

"Well, you'll get to see them again sometime. They live all the way in England, you know."

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Word count: 900