Ships. In entertainment, and especially, in fandom, we live and die by them. Which is why every Friday, we’ll be focusing on a couple, analyzing why we ship them, and overall, just proclaiming our eternal love for those couples that make us say:
I will go down with this ship; the Leslie x Ben ship from Parks and Recreation if we’re being exact.
Ben Brought Leslie Waffles
This was the moment where I knew these two were endgame. He could’ve brought her anything. I mean, he brought her homemade soup. Which is all sorts of nice. But he knew that she loved waffles and brought it as a backup. Jokes on Ben, the waffles were the real MVP of it all and she took them easily and eagerly.
This was the start of a long line of events where Ben was there for Leslie. He listened to her, got to know her, and didn’t judge her for the way that she did things. Sure, sometimes there was a little side eye, especially when it came to Lil’ Sebastian, but Ben always was there for Leslie when it mattered and that’s why they’re my OTP to end all OTP’s.
The Way They Smooch Each Other
The way these two kissed left us feeling like we were watching two people so clearly in love. In fact, it felt intimate in a way where I was like, “Maybe I shouldn’t be watching this.” Not because it turned crazy sexual or something. This is not that type of show. But I felt like I was watching something private because of how they melted into each other. How they embraced each other. How they gave each other their all.
This feeling never left us when it comes to Leslie and Ben. The smooches kept coming in their relationship. Grand and sweeping smooches that swept Leslie right off her feet and into the arms of the man that she loved. When he proposed, when they got married, or when they were just conquering the world, day by day, their smooches were epic.
The Way They Encouraged Each Other
No matter what was happening in their lives, these two had the others backs. Sure, it might’ve gotten a little hard here and there, but when it came to supporting the others dreams, oh they were there, to the moon and back. And I appreciate them and love them for that. Why? Because they set the standard for what it is to support your partner as they continue to grow.
Both Leslie and Ben went for things in their lives that initially seemed impossible. Leslie wanted to run for City Council and then head of Parks and Rec in her area. Ben was pegged for running for State Senator. All big and sweeping moves that helped each other grow as public servants and as people. And each step of the way, these two had each other, no matter what.
The Fact That We Saw Them Build a Life Together
Too often we get couples who get married and then…that’s it. Shows over. Adventure over. But that wasn’t so for Leslie and Ben. When they got married it was just the beginning of their journey. If anything it set them on a new adventure with its own set of challenges that they took on, day by day. And it makes me love them even more because of it.
Not only that, we got to see them as a family. And I’m not just talking about the kids. That I could’ve done with more of, if I’m being honest with myself. What I mean about them being family is that we saw them come together as an even stronger team after their wedding, when their careers changed, or when they found out they were having kids.
Together forever, the Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt story.
