A/N: Alright, so this is my first attempt at BenxRook. This is also my first ever attempt at writing Rook. Please drop some constructive criticism for a review and lemme know if I should attempt more of this pairing (: Set during "Hot Stretch"

Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or any associated characters.

What it Feels Like

Wow.

It wasn't at all what Ben expected it to feel like. The whole sensation of falling in love within a matter of seconds. He knew he liked Julie right away. Elena was a matter of adoration alongside respect. But this was a first- not love at first sight, but love within a heartbeat.

He'd been so used to being the domineering force in a team dynamic, in his relationships, just in general, but feeling Rook take charge and wrap his arm around Ben and tuck him tightly into his chest, that well-muscled, finely chiseled chest... It was the best he'd felt in a long time.

Within an instant, he felt safe. The weight of the world was off his shoulders, the universe could keep spinning if he relaxed even just for a moment. Rook could keep him safe. Rook could save the day just the same. Rook was strong, too.

What a feeling...

Ben didn't believe he could love another species, didn't think he could ever care for another male (not quite a man, exactly), and it certainly came as a shock when his heart did a quick flip and his stomach dropped just as Rook's other arm shot the grappling hook into the rafters of Undertown to get them on the same playing field as the miraculously stretching girl. A jolt raced through them both as the hook met its mark and dragged them both up into the open air, hauling two forms into the air and holding them together through aerodynamics and gravity and the forces of nature that pinned them even closer together, Ben's face tucked into Rook's chest, Rook's arm tightening around Ben's abdomen.

And the most amazing thing happened. Ben could hear Rook's heartbeat; the sweet sound of life in a furry blue body, beating, throbbing, pumping blood through his veins, a living thing that Ben could love, something in existence. Something solid. Rook wouldn't leave. He was right there, home at last. The sound of his partner's heartbeat made his own breathing stagger as if the wind had just been knocked out of him. That heartbeat was what poured life into Rook. That sound meant he was there and that he was close enough to touch. And Ben certainly wanted to touch, wrap his arms around Rook, hold him close, and listen to that heartbeat for hours on end.

He thought he loved Julie. He was sure he'd loved Elena. But this feeling was new, instantaneous, and far more dangerous. His heart thundered in his chest, pounding like a war drum as adrenaline rushed through his system, setting his whole body ablaze with heat and energy.

This is what it feels like. Hot. Painful. Sudden. Scary. Uplifting.

Ben was absolutely convinced he'd just fallen in love with Rook for no reason whatsoever. But he had no regrets, no arguments, no concerns. In that moment, he pushed it into the back of his mind and returned to the chase, his eyes on the girl with the pink hair, his body on fire for his partner.

It was exactly as Rook believed it would feel like.

For many years, he had dreamed of working with Ben Tennyson. He wanted to spend hours with the universal hero and learn what he could and talk with him about life and learn what he liked, what he did not like, and everything in between.

Rook could not believe all of his dreams had come true.

But there was one he kept hidden from his family, one he had only told himself in the dead of night as his siblings slept and all lights were darkened. He told it to his secret heart, whispering it under his breath and praying that his heart may live under the weight of such a dream.

"I want to be Ben Tennyson's lover."

He had never met the boy and had never heard much beyond his exploits and adventures, yet Rook had seen the teenager's picture once and his heart had finally found the North it would point to. He would find a way to get to Earth, to become Ben Tennyson's partner, to hopefully fall harder for him.

And now there was this moment.

This moment of absolute perfection: his arm was wrapped around Ben's abdomen and the hero was pressed tightly up against him. Rook felt his chest cradling Ben's head as the grappling hook took them soaring through the air, matching Rook's soaring heart. Absolute contentment washed through him, filling his thoughts and limbs with pure bliss.

What a dream to have, what a way for it to come true...

What a feeling...

Rook had to release Ben as soon as they hit the top of the pipelines that ran above Undertown, and he found that he hated letting go. If he had his way, he would have held onto Ben all day and all night, keeping the young boy safe and warm, shielding his tender heart.

His heart battered his ribcage. Adrenaline flowed from his head to his toes. He now only wanted to find a good time to confess his feelings to his partner, gently saying how he wanted to be of love and joy and passion with the teen hero. He wanted to tell Ben how he felt, more than he wanted anything else in the world.

But the mission came first. He ran, ran, ran, his strength being poured into chasing down the nuclear energy device while his chest ached with words he wanted to tell his partner. Tell him about this feeling.

What a feeling...

Wow.

A/N: Leave a review and lemme know your thoughts (: Thanks for reading!

~Sky