Work Text:
Calm.
It was a calm day in the city. Benoit and Elle decided to go shopping, having nothing else to do. Plus Elle ran out of a few snacks she liked. As they exited the shop, Elle noticed an older woman was having trouble putting some groceries in her car so she immediately went up to her and helped her. Benoit did the same, a light smile on his face as he talked with the old woman. He had a certain kind of charm that made him appealing to the generation older than him. Perhaps it was his Southern accent or his kind nature that made him that way.
The old woman smiled graciously. “Thank you so much, sweetie! You two look so adorable. With the matching outfits and all. Such a cute father and daughter.” She nodded as Benoit closed her trunk.
Elle glanced from Benoit’s clothes to her own as the old woman drove away. Benoit wore one of Ezra's sweaters since it was a bit chilly outside–it was a cream color–and a pair of nice, breezy pants–those were in a light blue color. Elle had a cream tank top paired with a light blue button up and some matching jeans. Huh, so they were matching. It didn't happen on purpose. Coincidental really. Elle looked back up at Benoit only to see him struggling with trying not to cry. She furrowed her eyebrows before she wrapped an arm around him in a hug.
"She-she thought I was your father. Like your… your biological father." Benoit said shakily, wrapping his arms around Elle. "Heavens, I-" Then the tears started to flow like a dam breaking.
The young woman let out a small laugh. Benoit was crying into her shoulder just because some old woman mistook–or maybe rightfully so–him for Elle's biological father. It wasn't the worst thing to have made Benoit cry. She understood though. He was happy. So indescribably happy that the only way he could express it was through tears. Benoit hugged Elle tightly, pulling her close as he rested his chin on top of her head. He never wanted to let go of her after just finding her but Elle was a grown woman. She'd move out eventually. He just hoped it wouldn't be too far from home.
Benoit might have made it a habit of adopting, or rather making friends, with every lesbian he came across but actually having a child was so much different than that. He spent most of his time at home with Elle. He'd accompany her to the store, like today, or he'd watch movies with her or maybe Elle would come to his office or he'd even go out to dinner with her. As a treat. It was usually on Fridays and she made a habit of eating the fries off his plate if he just so happened to order some.
"Do you wanna take a walk around to calm down?" Elle asked softly as Benoit finally let go of her. A fond smile made its way into her face. She already accepted that Benoit was her father long before their vacation on that Greek island abruptly ended. Benoit did too but perhaps actually being called her father was a little surreal for him.
Benoit took a breath and shook his head, quickly wiping his tears. "A walk sounds appealin' right now. M' fine now though." He sniffled a little as he tried his best to recollect himself.
"Sure, dad." Elle chuckled, a smug look in her eyes as she intertwined their hands as they started to walk together.
For maybe the first time during the year, Elle thought the air was fairly clear. It didn't have that same… feeling of pollution it usually had. It wouldn't last long, she knew that. So she'd enjoy it for as long as it was possible to do so. Benoit was somewhat regretting wearing a sweater but at least it was light enough that he wasn't completely suffering in the sun. As soon as they came home later that evening, Ezra called Elle. Seemingly right on time. While Ezra was on the other side of the pond, he had tons of practice timing his calls just right. Like he had a secret super power or something regarding making calls just at the right time.
“Hey sweetheart.” Ezra hummed adoringly. Just the sound of his voice made Benoit’s heart flutter. Elle smiled knowingly at Benoit before she turned her attention back to her father’s voice. “So you two went on a little excursion into the city?” He asked in a slightly teasing tone. This confused the pair. Elle didn’t tell Ezra about them going to the city and neither did Benoit. They would have remembered if they did. Elle and Benoit looked at each other, confusion evident on both their features. “This will be the only time I ask you to ever do this but I’d like you to go to turn on Fox news right now.”
Elle narrowed her eyes before she turned on the TV and navigated her way to the channel. What awaited her made her bust out laughing while Benoit looked horrified. Fox News got the story wrong yet again. Tucker Carlson disgraced their TV as he talked about pictures captured of the father and daughter walking down the street. The headline that scrolled across the screen was ‘Celebrity Daughter Elle Wayne Has a Sugar Daddy?’ That had to be one of the most absurd things Tucker Carlson has ever talked about and he’s talked about M&M’s not being sexy enough for his taste.
It wasn’t news that Ezra and Benoit were together. Their debut as a couple in the public eye was the Oscars.
Well, they didn’t really kiss on camera… All the public really knew was that Ezra and Benoit were very comfortable with each other. Everything else was speculation. Sometimes that speculation happened to be right but Ezra quite liked seeing all the theories on what their relationship was so he decided not to clear any of it up for his own enjoyment.
“I’m not even that wealthy, I don’t understand…” Benoit shivered, disgusted they would even think of something like that. Sure, he loved Elle but not in that way.
Elle had to cover her mouth to keep her from laughing any harder as she scrolled through Twitter to see what they were saying about them. Most of them were just like ‘honestly, slay’ or ‘clearly, they don’t know what a gay dad and a bisexual daughter looks like.’ Well, true.
“At least the queers got us.” Elle joked as she showed Benoit a couple of the tweets she saw.
Ezra let out a laugh at Elle’s comment. “They always do, sweetheart. I just find it incredibly appalling they would not only think Benoit was straight but also that he’d go for younger people to begin with.” He hummed softly, a laugh escaped him by the end of his sentence.
“You’re ten years younger than me, darlin’.” Benoit pursed his lips.
“That’s different than thirty, honey.” Ezra countered, a smile twinging his words.
Elle shook her head at the two men. She found it appalling that no one could tell just how hopeless in love these two men were with each other. It was so obvious to her. But then again, she lived with them so she was around them constantly. She wasn’t an outsider. Elle saw each good morning kiss, welcome home kiss, adoring look, or even just a simple shared smile.
The public didn’t see that. Perhaps they were due something like that. Elle knew Ezra’s fans–queer fans–were salivating for a new gay relationship to be obsessed with.