Ben 10: To Be Loved

Four days had passed since the incident with Gwen in the woods. She, his Grandpa Max, and himself had since started their summer-long road trip and were enjoying the sights so far. At the present, his grandpa was at the wheel and shuffling the map with a free hand; Gwen was passed out and pleasantly dreaming on her lower bunk in the back of the Rustbucket. Ben sat at the small table, his arms crossed and propping up his head as he gazed idly out the window––he hadn't a clue where they were, and honestly he didn't care. His mind was too busy mulling over the events prior to their departure.

Gwen had leaned in to kiss him––not for real, but to distract him long enough for payback on the prank he'd played on her earlier. Yes, he knew it was a trick now… but he still leaned in to kiss her. Why? That wasn't right, she was his cousin for Christ sake! It was wrong, those thoughts that hit him at that exact moment four days ago, wasn't it? Maybe… They got along so well now, after spending more time together since that fateful summer. He knew he cared for her, and he was pretty sure Gwen felt the same way about him. Hopefully… Possibly… If not, why would she even try pulling a stunt like that? Did she know he'd movie in for the kiss or what!?

Arrrgh! This is gonna give me a headache!

Ben brought his arms up from the table and rubbed his temples. That's it, I'm just gonna have to talk it out with her, I'm already going crazy, and it hasn't even been a week yet… I've gotta find out. I've just gotta know.

***

Ben's heart beat so hard that he was sure it'd break through his ribcage. Gwen stirred in the back, she arched her back and stretched out her limbs, and sat up. She rubbed her eyes, he attention went towards the window.

"How long have I been out?" Gwen asked Ben.

"Couple hours. Grandpa stopped to fill up, I was just about to wake you." Ben replied, stood up, and gave his own legs a good stretch.

"Aww, isn't that sweet of you?" Gwen walked over and gave a quick hug from behind.

"Yuck." Ben playfully chided. "I figured we could look at some of the cheesy horror movies they've got for sale in the store and get some snacks… Besides, I needed to talk to you about something."

Gwen sat down in the seat opposite of him at the table, surprisingly enthused. "Sure, what's up?" Her eyes were fixed on his, and her smile was wide––almost knowing.

Crap! He hadn't expected her to give him her full attention right now, so close to each other––face to face. Ben shifted uneasily in his seat, it suddenly felt cramped and hot inside the Rustbucket, his voice caught in his throat. Over the hours on the road, he'd rehearsed a thousand times over what he wanted to tell her, and now his mind drew a complete blank––go figure. He felt his cheeks grow warm suddenly, he looked away from his cousin, there was no way he could tell her right now. He felt more vulnerable than he'd anticipated.

Gwen could tell something was wrong immediately, Ben was never at a loss for words unless she backed him into a corner during one of their arguments. His face had grown the same shade of red as her grandpa's shirt, and now he couldn't even look at her. She slid a comforting hand across the small table and rested it over Ben's––he'd absent mindedly placed it there while searching his thoughts––and gave it a reassuring squeeze. His eyes turned up and met hers, and his lips curled upwards into a weak smile, and to Gwen's surprise, his finger wrapped lightly around hers.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Gwen spoke softly, almost whispering. The frailty in her voice even caught her off guard.

Ben nodded slightly. "I know that." His voice came out soft and cracked as well. "It's just what I have to say, I… I'm afraid if I do that, it'll––"

"Afraid?" Gwen said incredulously, cutting her cousin short. "Fighting all sorts of aliens and saving the world several times at the age of ten, and you're afraid to tell me something?"

"But I'm afraid I could lose you!" Ben put emphasis on the last word. "I always felt in control of those situations, and felt so sure of myself that I didn't think of what or who could be lost if the battles turned against me… I'm not a kid anymore and I've actually taken into account what could––"

"Just spill it, you nerd. We don't have all day." Gwen's impatience got the better of her.

Ben was taken aback at his cousin's second interruption, but he looked her dead in the eyes and sighed. "Fine," he paused, "Gwen, I love you."