Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or any of its characters. However, I do own all those who is not a cast of Ben 10, so don't touch them. If you want to use them, my contact info is on my profile. Contact me and we'll see.
"It's not fair," Ben pouted. He was slouching on the kitchen table. "Why can't I get to keep the Master Code while Gwen gets to keep her spells?"
"Now, Ben," Max said from behind the wheels, "Hikari explained to you that after you clear the Master Code once, entering it again would make you a mindless drone every time you change into an alien. Unless of course, it's entered by someone else, which will make you their mindless drone."
"Still not fair,"
"But don't forget, the Omnitrix is designed to reprogram itself a new Master Code when one is used," Max reminded him, "Who knows, you might find it again someday,"
Ben's thoughts flew to when he met his future self, Ben 10,000. He wondered if he's really going to be like that someday.
"Aaah, so nice to get to move myself again," Gwen dropped herself onto the seat in front of Ben, drawing his stare. Noticing him, she raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"N-Nothing." Ben quickly looked away, slightly blushing. He had admitted to himself that he liked her, but admitting it to her was a whole different matter.
Gwen smiled, a slight blush creeping onto her own cheeks. She pointed down onto the table and whispered, "Um, Carminis Secunda Ménsa, Glácialis...Spúma Lactis...?"
A white, milky froth started to bubble on the table, drawing Ben's attention. The froth then rose and froze into some sort of a bubbly spike. "What are you doing?"
Gwen scratched her nose, "Maybe I should've tried something simpler. I was trying to make ice cream."
Ben looked at the rock hard block of cream. "Well, you made iced cream," he shrugged.
A moment passed before the children started to giggle, then finally laughing. Max sighed in relief. He loves hearing his grandchildren laugh. They really made his day.
BEN 10: Light Isn't Always Good
Chapter 7: Admission to You + EPILOGUE
"Alright, I'll go and get us dinner," Max said as he pulled over to a gas stop.
"You're gonna buy...normal food,...right?"
Max laughed at his grandson's question. Winking at him, "Depends on your definition of normal," he said before walking outside.
"Oh, no," Ben gulped. "Gwen, tell me you've mastered that ice cream spell."
Gwen chuckled as she looked up from her computer. "Creating sustenance is high level magic, Ben. I can't do something that hard yet."
Ben paled. He quickly went for the door and burst outside, "Grandpa, wait!"
Gwen followed him with her eyes before returning to her laptop. She gulped as she felt her heart started to race. 'Now's the chance. No one's around. Oh, I hope they have free Wi-Fi around here.' She tried opening a site, and it succeeded, albeit a little slow. 'Yes! Now, for that...information.'
Gwen started to surf the internet, unaware that her face was starting to blush. She was looking for information about something specific, and potentially embarrassing. 'Come oh, hurry up! They can be back any time.' Gwen thought nervously. She clicked a link and the page started to load. Slowly. And she had had quite a bit to drink for lunch, "Oh, geez,"
Gwen stood up 'I can't leave it alone, someone could see it. But I don't want to turn it off either...I'm so close.' She made a decision and went to the bathroom.
Just as she closed the door, Ben walked in. "Hey, Gwen. Pizza tonight! Ha, who's your hero?"
Ben looked around the empty RV. "Gwen?"
"Bathroom!" came Gwen's muffled reply.
"Why didn't you just use the one outside?" Ben asked as he walked to sit at the kitchen table. "You're wasting water and storage space."
Gwen didn't reply his question, instead she panicked, 'Oh, no! I didn't close my laptop. Oh, dear God, please don't let Ben see it. Please let him be not nosy just this once.'
But Gwen's wish didn't come true. She walked out of the bathroom and froze on her tracks. Ben was looking at her laptop screen. "I-It's not what you think!" she quickly exclaimed. "I...I'm just researching!"
Ben turned to her, his face blushing, "Why...are you researching cousin couples?"
Gwen looked down, avoiding his stare. She heard him get up and walked towards her. His feet came into her field of vision, and she looked away. He was standing in front of her. "I..." She didn't have the chance to continue. She jerked slightly as she felt Ben's hands on her shoulder. She was definitely blushing now. "Ben, I..." She turned to face him and choked.
Their faces were so close, they can feel each other's breaths.
"Gwen, I..." Ben started, but choked. He decided to restart, "When you were kidnapped...I...I realized that I..." Ben sighed, "I missed you,"
Gwen blushed, slightly surprised. "Same here," she admitted, raising her own hands and putting them on his shoulder. "I missed you too,"
"And, in that time," Ben continued, seemingly not listening, "I realized that I...I like you,"
Gwen smiled widely, "I like you too, Ben."
Ben raised both eyebrows. Blushing even more, he insisted, "I mean...like like."
Gwen chuckled. "I know what you mean," she smiled, "Same here," she repeated.
Ben felt like a huge boulder was lifted off his shoulder. The feeling of dread was replaced by the warmth of Gwen's hands. Becoming relaxed, he glanced at her laptop, "I guess now I know why you're researching...that."
Gwen blushed, "I wasn't...I mean, it's not like we're gonna..." Gwen looked into his eyes, "Will we?"
Ben gulped, "L-Let's worry about that later. Much later."
Gwen chuckled. She stopped in a choke as she felt Ben's hands dropped to her waist, pulling her.
"For now, we can start with..." Ben started, but didn't continue as his lips were occupied.
Gwen couldn't believe his boldness. She closed her eyes and savored the feeling. The warmth. The taste. The realization of Ben's lips on hers. Then came the panic. She pushed him away and turned around, puffing for breath.
"I...I'm sorry," Ben panicked, "I..."
"No, it's not your fault," Gwen said as she tried to regulate her breathing. She turned back to him and smiled. "I just...never imagined that you'd be my first kiss."
Ben's eyes widened, "Oh...I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." he sighed before looking away, "I know how it feels to have your first kiss taken away from you..."
"Yeah, I saw you and Hikari going at it," Gwen grinned.
Ben turned to her in an instant, "W-What?" he choked. If his face could get ever redder, it just did.
"I was eavesdropping," Gwen admitted, "Sorry,"
Ben looked down, avoiding her stare.
"But, for all its worth," Gwen continued as she moved closer, making her cousin look back up to her, "I'm glad you're my first and second kiss,"
Ben blinked. "Second?"
In less than a minute, Gwen had kissed her cousin twice. She held him close, savoring his touch on the back of her head. Her heart was beating rapidly, and her closeness to him allowed her to feel his heart beating as well.
Everything went smoothly, until...
"Uh-hum,"
EPILOGUE
Max was grinning ear to ear as drove through the night. Never once occurred in his mind that he'd catch his grandchildren in such a compromising situation. He knew they had grown to like each other, but he didn't think they've gone to the point of actually kissing each other.
A small chuckle escaped him as he remembered their faces when he walked in on them in the act. How they scrambled to find an excuse for their close proximity. How they fumbled to continue each other's words. How they failed miserably. And how they finally admitted that they were kissing.
He cherished their relieved look when he broke a smile.
He cherished their overjoyed look when he gave his approval.
But especially, he cherished their horrified look when he announced that he was going to give them 'the talk'.
Max glanced at his rear-view mirror. His precious grandchildren were sitting at the seat at the end of the RV, side by side, holding hands. He smiled as he saw Gwen laid her head on Ben's shoulder as they close their eyes, savoring each other's company.
Returning his eyes to the road, his thoughts wandered. Forty years before, he would've objected to the idea of cousins getting together. But now, forty years wiser, he almost surprised himself when he felt no objection at Ben and Gwen's budding relationship. He understood that there weren't really good enough reasons for cousins not to get together, thus he understand that to separate them would hurt everyone, even himself. Truly on the contrary, he saw this as an opportunity to tease them to his heart's content.
He chanced another glance and grinned slightly as he caught them kissing again. He resisted the urge of an 'I saw that!', instead opting to let them enjoy each other. He'll have a lot of chances to embarrass them later.
Max took a deep breath as he realized that for once, all three of them would finally, definitely agree on one thing.
This is going to be the best summer ever.
THE END
...for now.
Author's notes: Grinning as wide as Max was when I wrote the Epilogue, I finally finished this story. This final one is not as long as the other chapters because it was originally a part of Chapter 6. It was getting too long so I chopped this part off and raised it as a standalone chapter. Not much of a storyline, here; this chapter could stand on its own as a one-shot if the opening scene wasn't there.
However, I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter, especially the end. I had to rewrite it twice. At first it was too WAFFy, then it was too dry, and even now I don't think I've added enough WAFF in it. It's hard working without a Romance Muse, but I can't use that as an excuse. More about this on my blog.
I am, though, entirely, positively, especially pleased with the Epilogue. I finally have some Max scenes. He doesn't say much, but his thoughts are some of the best my Humor Muse had ever given me. Tell me what you think of it! Review, PM, blog comment, direct email, whatever. If you never reviewed any chapter, at least review the Epilogue.
Anyhoo, wow, I finished! Usually I never finish anything past 5 chapters. Getting reviews and corresponding with like-minded people really helps in writing. I'd like to thank KitsunexMaxwell for her utmost devotion in this story, as well as for being the one who can draw a lot of stuff from my messy head into concrete writing. I also would say thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. I try to reply to every signed review. If I miss any of you, I'm sorry. I'll definitely do it for the sequel.
...SEQUEL? (evil grin) Yes, a sequel is in consideration. You'll just have to wait and see.
This is StorymasterQ signing off. See you in the next story.
Cheers,
SQ