(side story)

warning: contains sexual hints between cousins

EVENLY ASLEEP

There was nothing but the murmur from the AC's mouth. No snoring. Ben knew then that his uncle was out late again, and by late he meant like at 2 in the morning. Much of what was registering didn't make sense. Then again, nothing rarely does whenever he wakes up at inordinate hours of his body clock.

Grumbling, scratching and yawning, he at least realized he was parched. He threw a pair of lazy legs to the floor, and then, not finding it a big deal that there was someone of the opposite sex in the same van, lumbered to the fridge with only a pair of boxers on.

A stream of light spread in the pitch black insides of the van before he could reach his destination. Someone else has beaten him to the fridge, and has started chugging down a nice cold pitcher of water. Ben squinted and saw that someone wearing a white tanktop and... probably nothing else? He couldn't tell - from the waist down there was only a pair of creamy legs that descended forever.

"Gwen?" he thoughtlessly called out, immediately associating such a nice view with his cousin.

The girl ceased the brazen manner, and turned to look at the boy who still had a large portion of his brain turned off and laying asleep back on his pillow.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a garble.

"Um, thirsty, obviously, so I was drinking." she said like it was a painfully obvious fact.

"Mhm..." the boy responded.

"You?"

"Thirsty too... need those legs..." his brain recoiled, and then spent two seconds rewriting the statement like it can be backspaced, "Scratch that - need that water."

"Riiiight." the skeptical girl started pulling down whatever top clothing she had as his half-lidded eyes were crawling up and down her thighs. She handed Ben the pitcher.

"Here."

"Thanks, pretty."

Did he just call her pretty?

Gwen watched him gulped down the entire pitcher. Barely entering teenage years and puberty was already showing some generosity with his slim yet structured build, and those baby cheeks on his face. Luckily for the entire universe he seemed too oblivious with his bodily progress and still goes doing reckless stuff with only other people's welfare in mind. What a dork, she thought.

It made her smile - he's growing up to be a good man, if only to return the drowsy compliment he thoughtlessly threw at her a while back.

"Ahhh..." Ben exhaled loudly after leaving nothing in the pitcher but a few cubes of ice. Gwen chuckled at him.

Ben, still clearly half (or three-quarters) asleep, stared at his amused cousin, still standing there, the yellow light from fridge framing her slender form, and with the limited supply of neurons his brain had, licked his lips and slurred, "Damn, cuz - You. Are. HOT!"

Gwen shook her head and didn't bother fighting the blush. As drunken as his state of mind was, it didn't make him any less lovable, which means his flirtatious approach, instinctive as they are, could tickle any girl's heart. She pulled the pitcher from his hand and turned his shoulders around.

"Yeah. yeah, I know I am. Now let's get you back to bed."

"You should go back to be bed too." Ben said still in a slur, tumbling around as Gwen pushes him from behind.

"I will."

"Want to sleep together?" he asked, innocently, and Gwen knew it was coming from a decent place.

"Maybe next time." she said, grinning at the memory of their childhood when they did use to sleep together and wake up in a tangled heap of sheets and bitten limbs.

They managed to reach his part of the van after much effort, and Gwen had to carry a good part of him just to put him in place. Finally he was laying down, a pillow embraced to his chest and his head immersed in another.

"God, you're a handful." she complained in an overtly affectionately way, stroking his brown hair and making him hum in contentment.

"And you're reeealy sexy." he said. With eyes closed and edging closer into the subconscious, he continued the string of unprocessed thoughts, "And smart, and pretty, and funny, and amazing at everything. I love you so much. Let's do stuff together, forever, 'kay?" he finished the statement with a snuggle in his pillow and a huge yawn.

"Sure, why not?" Gwen answered softly, still stroking his head.

"Excuse me... I'm going to dream about you now." his fading voice concluded.

"Yeah, you go do that." Gwen whispered, a wide smile on her face. She leaned down and placed a firm kiss on his cheek. "I love you too, you little dork."

The end.

To that special someone who PM'd me. I've been trying to come up with something, no dice. All I have are these short, momentary ideas I can put in one shots which I doubt will be good enough. Sorry. After my class paper I'll think of something bigger, and take you up on that thing you told me. Thanks again.