Title: One Week
Rating: PG
Pairing: Gwen/Kevin
Warnings: none
Spoilers: Absolute Power, but nothing beyond that
Disclaimer: Ben 10 is the property of Man of Action and Cartoon Network.
A/N: Just a little thing. I felt like Ben and Max got really harsh, really quick on Kevin after "Forge of Creation", especially given the circumstances. This is me trying to rationalize. Thanks to jin_fenghuang for the beta!
Summary: Coda to Absolute Power. Everyone else is over it, except Gwen. You'd think people didn't try to kill her boyfriend every day.
"Phone's ringin'," Kevin said.
He stretched across Gwen's bed, legs hooked over the edge, reaching up to the corner where her pink phone was buzzing off the nightstand. Between him and Ben, they'd repaired all the damage done to the Tennyson's house – non-crazy superpowers for the win - and in return Gwen's parents had decided to be cool about them wrecking it in the first place. Kevin bet their insurance adjusters were pretty happy about it too, actually.
Wasn't much girly stuff in her room, or much in the way of decoration. Just a bookcase or two and her computer, but then, Kevin didn't figure she needed much other stuff. Maybe someplace to put her taekwondo medals, or saving-the-universe medals if she had any. Had to, right? Total Tennyson thing.
Very different thing from the Levin thing. Although, hey, he had his nicest arrest warrant tacked up above his bed.
Gwen's parents hadn't said much on that front. The whole "dating an inter-galactic space criminal" thing, which had been sprung on them pretty last second, so he was figuring on laying low until that was dealt with. Just, like, low in Gwen's bedroom. Or something. Anyway, he'd be sure to leave sneaky-like.
"Let it ring," Gwen returned, voice flat with anger.
Kevin blinked turning his head to angle a look at her. She sat at her computer, back stiff and eyes fixed forward as she read. Probably something for school, studying ahead. Or catching up. Kevin frowned, pondering whether it was even the school year still. Man, it was really hard to tell when you spent half your time abroad as a psycho-villain.
"Could be Ben," he said carefully. He wasn't blind. Ever since Cooper had healed him, Gwen had been really distant and cold toward Ben – no matter how many smoothies he brought by. Kevin knew there was something up there, although he didn't exactly know what.
"Pretty much my point."
"You're mad at him."
Gwen gave a drawn out sigh – that kind that meant she thought he was being slow. Usually it got him a disappointed look and a head shake, 'cause Gwen never took those slow moments as a sign that he was dumb. 'Course not. She just figured he was doing it on purpose, to annoy her. Which he was, most of the time, but this wasn't one of those times. He just didn't get it.
"Oh, come on! It's been a week!"
She turned slowly, giving him a look that was a mixture of true surprise and horrified disbelief. One hand wrapped around the back of her chair, holding on like she thought she might fall over.
"That's your argument? No reason to be upset that Ben tried to kill you – 'it's been a week'!"
"Well, yeah." Kevin scratched at his cheek, staring up at her ceiling. No, he was pretty sure this was the kind of conversation you had sitting up. It was nice, though, using his own real muscles to sit up instead of the strange amalgamations of powers he'd stolen from Aggregor and the Ultimatrix. He suppressed a little smile at the feeling – oh hells yeah, still got that six pack – and tried to give Gwen a more serious look. "Worked for us, didn't it? A week ago I was trying to kill you, and you're over that."
Gwen slashed a hand through the air, glaring at him.
"That's different. You weren't yourself. The power absorption made you crazy. Ben doesn't have that excuse."
"Crazy doesn't make folks less dead," he replied grimly. "I'm lucky Coop's machine worked as well as it did."
"You're avoiding the subject," Gwen started, before cutting herself off abruptly. She stood, arms at her side and fingertips aglow. Despite himself, Kevin edged back just a little. "And that's another thing! Cooper's machine restored the Plumber's kids and the aliens, but Ben didn't want to even try it. He was all set to leave the aliens dead, just because he got stupid enough to think he understood Paradox!"
Kevin shrugged uncomfortably. Yeah, it was true enough, but he didn't exactly feel ready to fling blame at the guy responsible for him livin' and breathin', as well as walking and talking like an actual person.
"How was he supposed to know that, though? He thought he was doin' what was right. That's all."
"No, that's not all. How can you be okay with this? He tried to kill you – and after you saved the universe! You knew what was going to happen to you, you made the ultimate sacrifice, and then the 'great' Ben Tennyson tries to kill you and take the credit! I mean, what the hell, 'hero'?"
"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on there," Kevin said. He stood, holding up his hands to wave away her words. They rang in his ears far too much like his own words to Ben – that Ben always got what he wanted, the fame and the glory, while Kevin got nothing but suffering. Which he'd been saying because he was crazy. Not because he was resentful, or because it was true. Of course not. "Where is this coming from?"
Gwen wrapped her arms around herself, looking away from him.
"You knew what was going to happen," she whispered.
He nodded, adding when she didn't look, "I did."
"And you couldn't have, you know, mentioned it to me first?"
"We were kinda on the clock, if I remember right," he said, approaching her slowly. She nodded, and he took that last step to pull her close, hugging her.
Gwen laid her head on his shoulder, fingertips digging into his shirt.
"I really don't like this crap you two have been pulling lately," she said, quietly enough that it almost covered the uneven emotion of her voice. Frustration and pain and fear that all of this was getting away from her. "You with your stupid sacrifice and Ben with his stupid…"
"Stupidity?"
"I was going to say 'Ben-ness."
"Same thing."
"Anyway, you two need to stop it."
"'Kay," Kevin said agreeably. "No more live-altering sacrifices without checking with you first."
Gwen nodded into his shoulder, like she was receiving nothing more than simple courtesy. She remained unhappily tense and quiet, and Kevin began to wonder exactly what it would take to fix it. Kissing, sadly, was off the table. Not like he hadn't tried, but it hadn't worked, and he was still trying not to take that as a blow to his ego.
An idea came to him, and he licked his lips, testing the words out in his head.
"Would it help if I told you it was a plan?" he asked. It wasn't, but didn't making a plan seem like a good idea? Just in case. He made a note to talk to Ben about it. Somewhere Gwen wasn't.
Gwen pressed her hands to his chest, pushing away just a bit to look up at him, a frown creasing her face.
"If what was a plan?" There was a cautioning note of steel in her voice. Kevin ignored it.
"Killing me. Total failsafe. Me and Ben talked about it before. If I ever had to absorb that much power, it was Ben's job to put me down."
Gwen's expression flattened. For a second, Kevin thought he saw her eyes flare a little bit pink. Okay, so not making things better. Good to know.
"First, don't use that phrase. I have had more than enough of people I care about talking about you that way. And secondly, exactly why would it make me feel better to think you guys planned your death?"
"Um. It takes out the spontaneity?"
"Which is…"
"Better?"
"Yeah, no. It's not. In fact, that's even worse."
"Er, well, then does it help that we didn't plan it?" he backpedaled nervously.
Gwen narrowed her eyes at him, but otherwise ignored his statement, powering onward, "You know what the worst thing about all of this was? It was the way everyone – Ben, the Plumbers, Grandpa Max – they all acted like they thought it was inevitable you'd go bad again. Like nothing had ever been real. They'd just been biding their time, waiting until they had to 'put you down' again."
"I'm sure that's not…"
"No, actually, it is. That's exactly what Grandpa said. Ben, too. And it wasn't even because he thought it was right. He thought it was his future to kill you. What the hell kind of lame future would that be?"
"Not one I'd want to be in," Kevin said. "Ha, do you see what I did there?"
Gwen raised an eyebrow at him.
"Not now."
He pressed his lips together in frustration, resisting the urge to throw his hands up in the air.
"Well, then when? When are you planning on getting over this? Never?"
"No, not never! I just… I don't know!"
Kevin thrust out an arm, pointing to Gwen's still buzzing phone.
"'Cause we've got stuff on the line – literally. Ben might be in trouble right now, and I know you're pretty pissed right now, and I know he kinda sucks, but I figured you were better than this. It's not like you to hold a grudge."
She crossed her arms, glowering at him.
"It is too."
Kevin wiped a hand across his face, pulling at the skin.
"You know, whatever. You can be mad at Ben for as long as you like. But I'm going to go over there and answer that. World might need saving again."
He managed just half a turn before her small hand on his arm stopped him, pulling him back around to face her. She offered a small smile, leaning up on her toes.
"You know, that's exactly why I love you," she said, kissing him.
"Mmph," he replied, wrapping his arms around her waist to agree. Enthusiastically. He was pretty awesome, wasn't he?
"It's also why Ben shouldn't have tried to kill you," she added, pulling away.
Kevin rolled his eyes at her.
"Seriously? How long is this going to take?"
She shrugged one shoulder, a glimmer of her old humor in her eyes.
"Give me another week?"
Kevin made for the phone, but before he could grab it, Gwen dodged around him, snapping it up. He crossed his arms, watching expectantly as she answered. Ben's voice was tinny, but distinct over the phone.
"Gwen! Where are you? Need a little help here!"
"We're on our way, dweeb," she said, eyes meeting Kevin's. She covered the mouthpiece, excusing herself in a hush, "What? It's the best I've got for him right now."