Title: Understanding
Rating: T
Summary: Understanding is hard to come by when you're a superhero. AU, Ben 10,000 x Gwendolyn.

A/N: I was in a really sappy mood when I wrote this. You have been duly warned. :)

He came home exhausted. Fighting crime was a never-ending task and often a thankless job. He felt compelled to save the world, but it was a constant struggle to not feel hopeless and completely burnt out, like he had given everything he possibly could and that it still wasn't enough.

She was already asleep when he crawled into bed. She had a suite of rooms all her own at headquarters, but she had slept here every night for the past several years.

She stirred slightly but didn't wake up. He took her in his arms and held her close. Her presence was comforting. Being with her reminded him of what he was fighting for. She made it all worthwhile. When he felt like giving up, she wouldn't let him. She inspired him to keep going and gave him hope.

He often wondered why she had chosen him. Gwendolyn could have had any guy she wanted. She was stunningly beautiful, a black belt in karate and had magical powers.

Countless guys had chased after her. Even Kevin had fallen hard for her.

And yet, she had chosen him.

He found it amazing.

She knew him inside and out, the good and the bad. She knew all his secrets – that he had been terrified of clowns as a child, had slept with a teddy bear named Furry Freddy until he was 12, and was prone to athlete's foot. She knew that he liked to show off a little too much sometimes, was stubborn to a fault and could become obsessive when focused on his goals.

She knew all of his imperfections, his greatest fears and insecurities, and still she loved him. There were times when he was plagued by self-doubt and became convinced that there truly wasn't anything special about him, but she always believed in him.

He was humbled by her faith in him. In her eyes, he was always a hero.

She always reminded him that what truly mattered was how he used his powers for good.

He knew she was right. Many of the aliens they'd encountered who had tremendous powers often used them for their own selfish purposes. Vilgax had sought the Omnitrix for decades, wanting only to use it to dominate the universe.

It was always tempting to misuse great power. Certainly when he'd been younger and far less responsible, he'd gotten into mischief and used the Omnitrix for himself. But now he was older, wiser and absolutely determined to use his powers only for good.

She understood. She was the only one who really understood him and loved him as Ben Tennyson, not Ben 10,000. Dozens of women had thrown themselves at him because of his superhero powers, but they had only wanted to be with the hero and not really him.

He had loved her for what felt like forever, but it had not been easy to let her in. To do so meant admitting that he needed help, and that he needed her. He hadn't wanted to need anyone.

He had pushed her away for a long time. In a way, he'd been trying to protect her. He'd been afraid that the darkness that consumed him at times would destroy her too.

He'd wanted for her to be able to have a normal life, but she'd reminded him that she never could. She didn't want to. She wanted to be with him.

It had taken almost losing her to make him realize how much she meant to him. He never wanted to go through that again.

She was so good for him, and she made sure that he took care of himself. Because of her, he was a better person.

Even in his darkest hours, she was there. With her at his side, he was never lonely. He had her companionship and love.

He knew she would always love him, no matter what.

And he would always love her.

The End