Status: Please let me know if you find any typos.
Batfleck Rising
Chapter 1
Ben Affleck sat alone in the living room of his posh Hollywood mansion. His handsome features were bathed in the soft blue glow of his laptop, which was placed on his lap. A warm cup of coffee was held in the man's left hand, while his right was navigating through website articles, each with bold headlines reading "Ben Affleck is the new Batman" in some form or another. But he didn't care about those. He scrolled down to the comments section of each article before moving on to another and repeating the process over and over again. On and on the activity went until the sun could be seen peaking out from beyond the window to Ben's left.
The creaking and groaning directly above the actor's head indicated that his beloved wife, Jennifer Garner, had awoken and was presumably heading to the master bathroom to freshen up for the day. A day that Ben finally realized had just started, and one that he did not plan on wasting by reading any more of the nasty comments left by enraged fanboys. He set the laptop on the clear-glass surface of the coffee table before him, and yawned whilst doing so. Then he got up and stretched before heading to the kitchen.
As Ben busied himself with breakfast, thoughts began to drift into his brain, nagging him and making it really difficult to enjoy the process he so loved. Cooking was a secret passion of his, but one that was being soured by a barrage of doubts and question marks swung backwards like clubs. Could I really be a good Batman? Is this really a role I want to play? Ben shook his head. Of course I want this! he thought to himself; the exclamation mark like a sword to beat back the clubs. I will do a great job. I've learned my lesson with Daredevil. They're going to eat their words.
"Honey?"
Ben jumped, his thoughts scattering. The egg he had just recently plucked from the carton fell from his hand and slid down the inside of the bowl before him.
Jennifer Garner appeared next to him, with her back against the counter, and her hand gently squeezing her husband's shoulder. She had an amused grin on her face. "Did I scare you?" she asked.
Ben turned to her, a sheepish half-smile creeping onto his ruggedly handsome features. "Scared?" he said. "No way."
"Liar," said Jennifer, as she turned around and observed Ben's attempts at cracking the egg. After a couple of fruitless attempts, she began to raise her eyebrow. Then finally, the shell broke, and collapsed inwards. A piece broke off and landed in the bowl.
Ben sighed and slowly turned towards his wife, appearing exasperated, and as if to say, "I give up."
She chuckled and said, "You'll get used to it."
Ben just smiled and looked down at the bowl. He plucked the piece out and stared at it with a dejected gaze before setting it on the counter.
"Here, let me try," Jennifer said, still chuckling. She picked up an egg from the carton and took Ben's place as he switched positions with her. He had his back against the counter; arms folded and eyes peering down at the bowl.
Jennifer cracked the egg on her first attempt. Ben looked skyward. Jennifer gave him a look and said, "You just gotta be delicate."
"Yeah," said Ben, after a brief spell. He gave her a quick peck on the cheeks and winked at her. "Delicate."
Jennifer shook her head in mock exasperation before turning back to the bowl. Without looking at Ben, she asked, "So, what are you doing up this early? And preparing breakfast, no less." She cracked two more eggs. "That personal chef we used to have must have really rubbed off on you."
"What can I say?" Ben replied, as he began playing with Jennifer's hair. "I got the cooking bug."
"I'm sure you have," Jennifer mused.
Ben grinned.
The two actors fell into silence for a while.
"Hey," said Ben. "I'm going to go check up on the kids."
Jennifer looked at him, her eyebrow raised. "But they're all still sleeping."
"I know," said Ben. "It'll be quick." He smiled and kissed her again, this time on the lips.
"Alright," Jennifer replied, appearing amused.
Ben stroked her hair and said, "Be right back." He then turned and left the kitchen.
The creaking and groaning directly above the actor's head indicated that his beloved wife, Jennifer Garner, had awoken and was presumably heading to the master bathroom to freshen up for the day. A day that Ben finally realized had just started, and one that he did not plan on wasting by reading any more of the nasty comments left by enraged fanboys. He set the laptop on the clear-glass surface of the coffee table before him, and yawned whilst doing so. Then he got up and stretched before heading to the kitchen.
As Ben busied himself with breakfast, thoughts began to drift into his brain, nagging him and making it really difficult to enjoy the process he so loved. Cooking was a secret passion of his, but one that was being soured by a barrage of doubts and question marks swung backwards like clubs. Could I really be a good Batman? Is this really a role I want to play? Ben shook his head. Of course I want this! he thought to himself; the exclamation mark like a sword to beat back the clubs. I will do a great job. I've learned my lesson with Daredevil. They're going to eat their words.
"Honey?"
Ben jumped, his thoughts scattering. The egg he had just recently plucked from the carton fell from his hand and slid down the inside of the bowl before him.
Jennifer Garner appeared next to him, with her back against the counter, and her hand gently squeezing her husband's shoulder. She had an amused grin on her face. "Did I scare you?" she asked.
Ben turned to her, a sheepish half-smile creeping onto his ruggedly handsome features. "Scared?" he said. "No way."
"Liar," said Jennifer, as she turned around and observed Ben's attempts at cracking the egg. After a couple of fruitless attempts, she began to raise her eyebrow. Then finally, the shell broke, and collapsed inwards. A piece broke off and landed in the bowl.
Ben sighed and slowly turned towards his wife, appearing exasperated, and as if to say, "I give up."
She chuckled and said, "You'll get used to it."
Ben just smiled and looked down at the bowl. He plucked the piece out and stared at it with a dejected gaze before setting it on the counter.
"Here, let me try," Jennifer said, still chuckling. She picked up an egg from the carton and took Ben's place as he switched positions with her. He had his back against the counter; arms folded and eyes peering down at the bowl.
Jennifer cracked the egg on her first attempt. Ben looked skyward. Jennifer gave him a look and said, "You just gotta be delicate."
"Yeah," said Ben, after a brief spell. He gave her a quick peck on the cheeks and winked at her. "Delicate."
Jennifer shook her head in mock exasperation before turning back to the bowl. Without looking at Ben, she asked, "So, what are you doing up this early? And preparing breakfast, no less." She cracked two more eggs. "That personal chef we used to have must have really rubbed off on you."
"What can I say?" Ben replied, as he began playing with Jennifer's hair. "I got the cooking bug."
"I'm sure you have," Jennifer mused.
Ben grinned.
The two actors fell into silence for a while.
"Hey," said Ben. "I'm going to go check up on the kids."
Jennifer looked at him, her eyebrow raised. "But they're all still sleeping."
"I know," said Ben. "It'll be quick." He smiled and kissed her again, this time on the lips.
"Alright," Jennifer replied, appearing amused.
Ben stroked her hair and said, "Be right back." He then turned and left the kitchen.