Ben 10 Fan Fiction ❯ Never let you go... ❯ anything BUT platonic ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
I must say I am slightly disheartened by the lack of reviews for my last chapter…Oh well, I got some, and that's all that matters.
“I'm not sure what happened between you and Ben, but I'm glad he's back to normal.” Max said to Gwen as Ben nearly teleported to the arcade. Gwen frowned.
“He's not…He's hiding something, I can tell…I know Ben better than you would think. He's hiding something, and it's hurting him…I just hope he tells me what it is so I can help him.” Gwen said softly. Max noted a small amount of loving tenderness and worry on her face as she watched Ben playing game after game.
“Gwen, you don't have to do this alone. I care about Ben just as much as you do. Now, why are you looking at him like that? What could Ben have possibly said to make you worry so much?” Gwen realized her blunder and wiped her face clean of emotion.
“Grandpa…could you ever see Ben going insane with power? He asked me , if he ever went insane with power…he didn't want me to hold back…He told me to destroy him…he made me promise not to let him kill anyone. I…I don't think I could do it, Grandpa…” Gwen whispered.
“I think I should talk to him about it. I'll go get him, then maybe the two of us can convince him to tell us.” Max got up to go get Ben.
“Wait! Grandpa, I don't know if Ben wanted you to know. He trusted me with this. I don't know if I was supposed to tell you.”
“Nonsense! Why would he not want me to know? He trusts me, too. Beside, he didn't tell you not to tell me, did he?” Gwen shook her head. “See? You have nothing to worry about.” Max went into the arcade to get Ben. He found him over by the newest Sumo Slammer game. “Hey, Ben. Gwen and I want to talk to you about something.”
“Awww, man! Can it wait? I just started playing!” Ben whined.
“Now, Ben, Gwen seemed very worried about you.” Max admonished.
“She shouldn't be. I'm fine.” Ben said as he hit the game's buttons furiously.
“She seems to think you're hiding something. All she wants is to make sure you okay.”
“Gwen's imagining things. Like I said, I'm fine.”
“…She told me what you said.” Max said hesitantly.
This got Ben's attention. He stiffened. “What did she tell you?”
“Ben, she's worried about you…”
“What did she tell you?” Ben asked again.
“…everything…”
“…she wasn't supposed to tell you…I wanted to deal with my problems alone. You weren't supposed to be brought into this…” Suddenly there was a loud explosion and screams where heard. One, in particular, stood out above all others. “Gwen…Gwen!” Ben and Max ran out of the arcade and saw none other than Vilgax, holding Gwen by the neck.
“Tennyson…How nice of you to join us. I have come for the Omnitrix. Give it to me, or I'll break her neck!”
“Don't listen to him, Ben! Go hero and kick his butt!” Gwen looked at Ben's face and was surprised at what she saw. For a few moments, a look of intense fear adorned his face, which switched to pure hatred, and then a sort of calm rage. Unbeknown to all, what Ben was seeing was totally different from what everyone else saw. There was no Vilgax, no mall, and no Max. Just Ben, the Omnitrix, a sobbing Gwen, a Vilgax sized Way Big, and that song.
“Hands off…” Max heard Ben say. There was flash of green light, and XLR8 sped toward Vilgax, unaware that everyone had seen him transform. For Ben, there was nothing…Nothing but Gwen, being crushed by Way Big. There was another green flash, and Fourarms slammed into Vilgax like a runaway train, making him drop Gwen. “Hands OFF, Bastard!” Fourarms yelled as he mercilessly pummeled Vilgax. Vilgax pushed him off and threw him at a wall. There was another flash, and Wildvine wrapped one of his vines around a nearby pillar and used the momentum to swing around until he was flying back at Vilgax. Wildvine became Cannonbolt and barreled into Vilgax.
“You are becoming a nuisance.” Vilgax got out before multiple fireballs found his face. Heatblast flew up, turned into Diamondhead, and brought a sharp arm down, intent on cutting Vilgax in two. Vilgax made the mistake of blocking with his arm. The result was Vilgax nearly losing his arm entirely. “You will pay for that, Tennyson!” Vilgax yelled angrily as he held his badly bleeding arm. Ben, however, didn't seem to hear him.
“…Next time…I won't miss…” Diamondhead muttered, and charged Vilgax again. Vilgax powered up his good arm and brought it up to punch Diamondhead, only to end up punching a very sharp pointy arm. It wasn't a pretty sight. Diamondhead slammed his fist into Vilgax's face, knocking him to the ground. Diamondhead brought up his sharpened arm, ready to finish the job.
“Ben, no! Stop!” Gwen yelled as she ran over to Diamondhead. Diamondhead froze, and Vilgax took his chance to escape.
“Next time, you won't get off so easily, Tennyson!” He said as he left.
“Ben, Vilgax is gone! It's all right now!” Gwen said as she reached Diamondhead. “Vilgax? No, I was fighting…” Diamondhead grabbed his head. Deep within Ben's mind, something stirred. `Gwen?' It whispered. There was a red flash and Ben changed back. “Gwen? Gwen! You're okay!” Ben pulled Gwen into a bone-crushing hug. “I-I was so scared…I thought I was going to lose you…” Ben whispered softly as tears streamed down his face.
“Ben…It's alright…I'm fine…Just calm down…you're making a scene.” Gwen murmured, wanting him to let her go, but, at the same time, hoping he would continue to hold her close.
“Gwen…what happened?...I remember hearing an explosion, and you screamed…then nothing… I think I lost consciousness…What? What's wrong?”
“You mean…you don't remember anything? Nothing at all?” Gwen asked.
Suddenly there was the sound of clapping as people came out of shock. “That was amazing, kid! You sure taught that tentacle-faced freak not to mess with you of your girlfriend!” “How'd you do that?” “Who cares? That was awesome!” “I feel sorry for anyone unlucky enough to hit on your girl!” These were just a few comments made, yet most seemed to think they were a couple, a fact which made Gwen blush furiously. She opened her mouth to refute their claims, but her blush seemed to cause more comments. “Awww, that's so cute! She's blushing!” “Don't be embarrassed, girl! He's cute!” “I bet you have to beat the other girls off with a stick!” “I'd date him.”
“But we aren't-Ben, tell them!” Gwen looked down at Ben for support, only to find that he had fallen asleep in her arms, breathing softly. Gwen decided to wake him up, but all rational thought left her mind as Ben snuggled up closer and breathed deeply. Gwen shuddered involuntarily.
“Gwen…you smell nice…” A loving smile crept onto Gwen's face as Ben murmured in his sleep. “You're so soft…”
“Awww, he fell asleep on her…” “That look indicates anything but a platonic relationship.” “Not so adamant now, are you?” “He just blew your argument out of the water without even knowing it.” “Young love…so pure and innocent…”
Nearby, Max was observing Gwen closely. She seemed to be in her own little world as she held a sleeping Ben in her arms and smiled softly at her cousin. Like the crowd (now taking pictures of the “cute couple”) stated, the look Gwen was giving Ben was so very not platonic. Wait, pictures?! “Gwen! We need to leave before someone less friendly shows up!” They left the scene in a hurry.
Back at the Rustbucket…
“So, Gwen…Mind telling me what that was all about?” Max asked.
“I really have no idea, Grandpa. Ben said he couldn't remember anything about the fight…” Gwen said as she sat on the bottom bunk were they had laid Ben. Gwen had taken the opportunity to carry Ben back to the Rustbucket.
“I wasn't talking about that. What I want to know is what that look was.”
“W-what look? I don't know what you mean.” Gwen inwardly cursed herself for stuttering.
“Gwen, your parents wanted you two to become closer, but I don't think this is what they had in mind. I know what that look meant, but what I want to know, is when, why, and how.”
“I don't know what you mean…” Gwen said shakily.
“Gwen…What am I going to tell your parents? I need to tell them something… Now, when did it happen? How long have you two been together?” Max asked gently.
Gwen looked at Ben, who was still sleeping peacefully. “Can we talk up front…Ben…He doesn't know…and I don't want him to…”Gwen requested in a defeated tone. Max nodded, looking slightly surprised. Gwen got up to leave, but was halted when a still sleeping Ben grabbed her hand.
“No…Gwen…don't go…don't leave me…” Ben mumbled in such a heartbroken voice that Gwen sat down immediately and pulled him into her arms, ever so gently.
“I guess here's fine…” Gwen whispered.
“So…You two aren't together? And Ben doesn't know?” Max asked quietly.
“No…I don't know if he feels the same way or not…but...something is wrong with him…He's never acted like he did earlier…He was really going to kill Vilgax…but his eyes…he wasn't seeing Vilgax…he was seeing something else, something that he hated with every fiber of his being…he was so happy when he saw I was okay…but I don't think he feels the same way I do, but if he does, it's not as far along. If the two of us are separated, maybe…” Gwen knew her next words would break her heart. “Maybe…he won't ever feel that way about me…” Gwen tried not to cry, she really did…but the tears still came. “I'm sorry Grandpa…It wasn't supposed to happen…I mean, how sick am I, falling for my own cousin…” Gwen cried softly.
“It's okay, Gwen…It happens more often than you would think…” Max said comfortingly. “I'm not judging you…If you two fall in love…then who am I to stand in your way? Now, onto other matters…”
My writing has revealed to me a part of me rarely exposed to the world...As I write scenes of fluff for Ben and Gwen, I feel it...The gaping hole...waiting for something, anything, to fill it. Lonely...the feeling of hopeless longing...waiting, hoping that someday, somehow, someone could love a person like me...Antisocial, sarcastic, uncool, selfish, low self-esteem, unromantic, pessimistic...the list goes on and on...I suppose some would add sick and twisted too...very rarely do I feel lonely...But when it hits...It hits hard...anyway, that enough emo for now…