Whew! Got it!

Ben glared at Kevin. The jerk had gotten himself hurt. Again. And, as per usual, Ben had to stitch him up since he didn't want Gwen to know.

"You really need to stop doing this," Ben said while tying the knot of the string off.

"I know, I know!" Kevin hissed. "But, I was so sure I'd get them this time."

"Kevin, the DNAliens aren't something you can take on yourself."

"I know that, Ben."

"Then why do you keep going after them by yourself without me or Gwen?"

"I don't want to put Gwen in any more danger than necessary. And if you knew, she'd come to you and make you come to me with her."

"She knew the risks when I put the Omnitrix on again."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"You mean I never told you?"

"Clearly."

"Oh. Well, about five years ago, after coming back home from the vacation, I was able to get the Omnitrix off. But when the DNAliens started showing up again, I put it back on. It updated to what you know, and here we are."

"That doesn't answer my question about what you meant when you said Gwen knew the risks."

"I told her to stay behind, but you know how she is."

Kevin nodded. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the big wounds around Ben's face, right bicep, mid-torso, and left hip.

"What happened to you?" Kevin demanded.

"It's nothing," Ben said, gasping in pain when Kevin ran a hand over the cuts on his face.

"Who did this?"

"No one."

"You mean you did this?"

"NO! No, I'd never do this to myself. Besides, do I look like I could?"

"Good point."

Kevin ran his hand down to the gash on his right bicep.

"What happened?" Kevin asked softly.

"Same as you," Ben said with a slight laugh.

"I need to clean them and stitch the ones on your arm, stomach, and hip."

Kevin gently ran his hand over Ben's wounded torso. Ben's face went pale, a couple of shades lighter than white. "Y-you do?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Ben's face went completely white at Kevin's words. Seeing this, Kevin's eyes softened.

"You're a bit scared, aren't you," it wasn't a question.

"A bit?" Ben repeated. "Kevin, it's a needle and string in my skin! I know I've had stitches before, but-!"

Ben closed his mouth quickly.

"But?" Kevin prompted.

"The last time I got stitches was from after getting attacked from you all those years ago. The other time was after Vilgax attacked when I was 10."

Kevin gently brushed Ben's left hip to judge the amount of damage there.

"Do you trust me?" Kevin asked.

"Yes," Ben said after a moment, his voice shaky.

"Do you trust me enough to know that I won't hurt you?"

"Yes."

Kevin patted a spot next to him on the workbench. "Come here."

Ben nodded and sat next to Kevin. The older male slid off of the table and picked up a clean needle and thread.

"I don't want you to look at it," Kevin said when Ben's face almost went gray. "I want you to look at me, and me alone. Can you do that?"

Ben nodded, his eyes still looking at the pin. Kevin growled and forced Ben's chin up away from the needle.

"Benjamin! Don't look at it!" Kevin yelled.

Ben flinched slightly, but he didn't move his eyes to the needle again.

It took a couple of hours (most of it spent trying to get Ben to stop looking at the needle and thread), but Kevin got the gashes stitched up. Ben's face was covered in sweat, tear-tracks, and snot from crying, but Kevin wasn't going to make fun of him for it.

"Th-thank you, Kevin," Ben said, his voice cracking.

"Nah, it was no biggie," Kevin said while trying to sound nonchalant about it. But if he was honest with himself, Ben had actually scared him. The way he was acting terrified him to no end.

Ben snuggled closer to Kevin's side and he froze. Ben never did that. Never!

"Don' tell Gwen," Ben slurred, "but I don' wanna move."

Kevin chuckled and picked the petite brunette up and walked him inside his house. He tucked him in the covers before laying on top of them. He smiled softly when Ben curled up tighter around the ruffian.

"C'n you stay here w'th me t'night?" Ben asked while losing consciousness.

The last thing he heard before he fell asleep was Kevin's voice.

"Yeah. I'll stay. Just for tonight."

Aw, I dunno about you, but I think I did pretty well.

~*MegaMon2580*~