Chapter Text
Walking back towards the room that Claudia shared with Gigi, Ben slipped his jacket around her shoulders after he noticed her shiver slightly.
"I'm sorry again for the meal, it wasn't quite what I had in mind." Ben said.
"Its fine really, I had a really nice time." Claudia said, her heart beating quickly as Ben stood closely to her, wanting to hold him and never let him go.
Ben quivered at her touch on his bicep.
"I'm glad you enjoyed tonight." Ben said gently holding her face in his hands.
They moved closer to each other about to kiss. Their lips were millimetres away from each other.
"Stop necking and get in here" Gigi's voice grumbled from the now open window.
"Fucksake!!!" Claudia swore.
Claudia shot Gigi a glare that made Gigi put her head back inside the room mouthing, 'Sorry'
Ben resumed his previous pose before the interruption, drawing her mouth to his and kissing her gently.
Claudia handed Ben his jacket back and walked through the open door to her room.
Ben waved her off, and walking back to his room with the biggest grin on his face.
'Damn you got it bad, Ben' He told himself as he climbed into bed.
The next morning everything changed.
Ben knew some thing was wrong the moment he walked out of his room to go to breakfast.
The looks and whispers he got behind his back told him he was at the centre of it.
"Have you seen this?" Ant asked Claudia.
Claudia shook her head.
"You and that American head coach" Ant said.
"His name is Ben, Ant!!" Claudia said through gritted teeth.
"Ok, you and that Ben, front page." Ant put down the paper he was reading to show Claudia the photo's.
The photo's were of her and Ben kissing outside her room in the village. The second was of her and Ben sitting together on the beach eating fish and chips, the last photo was of Ben with his arm around Claudia as they sat talking, her head was on his shoulder.
The headline on the paper was:
"NEW LOVE FOR CLAUDIA?"
Claudia began to read the report.
"Claudia Black and the American head coach, Ben Browder have been snapped kissing while, sources say, out on a date. The head coach, who is leaving the post after the closing ceremony of the Sydney games, is reportedly still married."
Claudia's heart sank. The press knew. This was bad, very bad.
"Claude, I'm sorry" Ant began.
"This is not true, this bit about him still being married, their divorced and have been for almost five years." Claudia said her eye's stung with tears. "This is bullshit" Claudia stood and left.
Ben walked passed the newsstand and froze.
On the papers front page were three photo's of him and Claudia together, including one that showed them kissing.
"Shit" Ben swore.
He half ran to the meal hall. Claudia was coming out of it almost in tears.
"Claudia, I never arranged for that" He said.
"I know you didn't, it must have been that bastard James." She said in tears now.
Ben held her, he didn't care that half the hall was looking at them, she needed him and he was going to be there for her.
"Lets go some were more private." Ben said and Claudia nodded.
The closing ceremony was still over twelve hours away.
They had time.
Once in his room, they sat for several minutes while Claudia finished crying.
"If you don't want to see me, I understand" She began.
"No, I want to keep on seeing you, if you'll let me." Ben said, surprised, he sat looking at her.
"Is it true your leaving after today, the head coach job"
"Yeah it is. Want to do something different, just not sure what."
"Yeah, what could you do" Claudia had cheered up now and was smiling.
"That's better" Ben said looking at her.
"What is" Claudia sniffed.
"You, not in tears over some prick who didn't or ever will know how to treat a woman." Ben said.
"He wasn't all bad, not in the beginning...." Claudia stopped talking and looked at him for several moments. Before she stood up, and, walked over to Ben.
She was under him and it felt amazing.
Though the were only kissing, it still felt great. His t-shirt was off, and so was his tracksuit pants, leaving Ben with just his boxers on. Claudia was dressed in just her bra and pants.
The curtains were drawn and the door locked.
"You still want to" Ben felt a idiot for asking.
Claudia nodded and kissed him again this time with more passion.
Ben groaned as their hips began to move against each other.
Claudia was also moaning at the feeling.