Benedict Cumberbatch: Life With Ben

Chapter Fifty Seven: Smaug Is Alive

"No one treats my fiancée like that!" Ben hissed to himself as he drove through the dead of night. The roads were long and the air was thick. Hitting the wheel, the veins in his head pulsing and his nostrils flared. Smaug was alive. "You hurt my Princess, I hurt you!" His tone sinister and his lip curled. "Breathe Benedict, breathe..." Benedict gasped, trying to calm down. It didn't work. Mumford & Sons sang through the car speakers and tickled Ben's ear lobes, but that angered him more.

Speeding down the motorway, he soon arrived at the university. The stars lit the sky, as Ben was faced with a silhouette of an ancient building. Oxford. The glass windows had lights shinning through from the dorms, exposing figures to the world. Ben's heart raced, feeling the anger inside of him he sat in the car, glaring up to the lights, trying to see Bromleigh. As he sat, a man approached the car. Lean and mean, like a fighting machine. His bony knuckles knocked on the car window slowly, just like Father Death. Ben jumped, as he left his gaze, his head bolting towards the figure. "Open the window." The figure said, in a fragile but dangerous tone. Ben quickly undid the window and looked up at the man stood before him. Dressed in a black suit, his eyes were sucked into his sockets and his hair was thinned but combed over. "What are you doing in my grounds?" He asked, looking down his nose and the anger my man in the car. "Sorry, but I'm here to talk to a student about my fiancée, one of your students." Ben replied, in an extremely off tone. "Oh? Who could they be, Sir?" The man asked. "Bromleigh Fielding and Claudia Digby. Bromleigh has hurt Claudia and forced Claudia to hurt herself." The man nods and requested for Benedict to join him inside. Benedict agreed and got out of the car, grasping his phone.

"So, Sir, explain please. How did Miss Fielding make Miss Digby hurt herself?" The man, recognised as Mr Gold, snarled, not believing Benedict's complaint. Benedict gulped before telling him everything he knew, "Claudia has always had an issue with self harm. I've known her for three, nearly four years, and she used to hurt herself then. She's never got proper help so I helped her. She has scars on her wrists and her thighs and Miss Fielding had found out. The thing is though, Mr Gold, Bromleigh accused me of hurting her. Claudia got angry and shouted at her, explaining I never hurt her, what is the truth. Bromleigh knew this but wanted to see Claudia suffer. She forced her to cut, she made her do what she used to! Claudia refused at first, causing her to get beaten. Sir, I adore Claudia, and to know, I've let her be in the care of you and your staff sickens me. No one picked up on what's been going on. No one should suffer what she suffered. I wish to talk to Miss Fielding, for I wish for her to hear what Claudia has been through. To see the finishing results. Did you know, Claudia was attacked earlier this year? We had a break in at home, and the thugs took her and attacked her. Did you not notice her absence? Did you not pick up on her well being once she returned. I know this isn't putting me in the greatest of lights, but I beat myself up inside my head repeatedly, day in day out, wanting to turn back the clocks and save her from this. A family friend saved her from the attack at home. Not me! Not her fiancé. I've failed her time in time out and to know this time I didn't stop it kills me, but what kills me more is that no one stopped it! No one helped Claudia! She was surrounded by people who, for some reason, hate her! They abused her, in your grounds, Mr Gold! I'm not one for being passive aggressive, but I believe, now, now I need to be!" Ben protested. Despite his anger showing slowly, and gradually growing, he was furious. You could see it in his eyes as the were sugar coated in tears and the veins ready to burst. His fists clenched, either side of his phone, that laid on the table. Mr Gold said nothing. He allowed the atmosphere to thicken. He allowed the tension to rise. He allowed Benedict to nearly cry. He watched the man sat before him nearly crumble and break. He allowed this to happen. Benedict wasn't having this. He wanted to bring this cow to justice. "Mr Gold, if this was your partner, friend or even your daughter or grand daughter, you wouldn't want her hurt, then why let my fiancée to get hurt?!" Ben snapped, getting angrier and pushing on the table slightly as he spoke. "Mr Cumberbatch, I am a head master. I am responsible for over 3000 students. I cannot monitor them individually!" Mr Gold snapped back, glaring into Ben's soul, killing the innocent unicorns fluttering around inside him. Turning them into dust, destroying them painfully. Ben glared back, but the mind powers of Mr Gold were strong. "Mr Gold," Ben winced slightly, "That is your job. You are responsible for over 3000 students if you like it or not! If you don't, you shouldn't be a head master. Claudia has worked in the education field before, and constantly reminds me of how a proper teacher is supposed to act. You have not reached any of the criteria. Now if you excuse me, it is nearly midnight, and my fiancée is at home alone with our baby daughter. I bet you didn't know she was pregnant, nor a mother! I am an actor, and I can tell when someone is being a genuine arsehole or when someone is acting. You, my dear sir, are acting! I know you are a nice fella really, now prove it! Do something even if that means getting Bromleigh to write a letter of apology to Claudia! Now, if you do not mind, I shall be excused once again." Ben finished, trying hard not to look smug. He shook Mr Gold's hand and left the grounds. Mr Gold sat confused to what he had just been faced with. His face grew sour, as if he had just been sucking on a lemon. As the door shut, his figure slumped into his chair.

Arriving home at 3 in the morning, Ben had purchase a bunch of red roses and placed them in a vase on my bedside cupboard as I slept, snuggled into the duvet, holding Colin Furth close to my body. Ben watched me, smiling gently before slipping into the sheets once stripped into his boxers. His arms wrapped around me, and his lips pressed against my forehead. He felt successful and proud of his rant at Mr Gold. He didn't approve of some of the words he used but he got his point across. He glanced down at my wrists and then back at my face. His eyes were full of love and the anger was dripped from his body. He closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep, holding on to me as he rested his head on mine.