DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ben 10...
Chapter 1:
The morning light was still soft as it filtered through the web of palm leaves; lighting up the mauve and pink waves with sparkles. Gradually, the entire sea began to glitter with reflected light – it was like a mirror broken into bits and shining…
As Ben sat with his feet submerged in the cool water, feeling it get heated gradually under the touch of the morning sun, he couldn't control a sigh that escaped his lips. He couldn't help thinking of Gwen…the girl who wouldn't let him use her laptop…the girl whom he still now used to call a geek…the girl he had hated once-upon-a-time…the girl he had fallen in love with…
He lay down on the sand, letting the warmth creep into him, caress him, soothe him, reassure him…that everything was going to be all right again… As he stared up at the bright morning sky – now a vibrant hue of cerulean with fleeting flecks of clouds – a deluge of memories flooded his vision. Familiar faces began to dance their way in front of him… Grandpa… Gwen… Grandpa… Gwen…Gwen…Gwen……
"Ben!" called a female voice – a highly familiar one – a voice that could be no one else's except……
"Ben!" called Gwen, coming and sitting down beside him, "What're you doin' here?"
"Why – can't I come to the beach?" said Ben gruffly. Infact, a bit too gruffly than he had intended to sound.
"I didn't…like…want to…uh…yeah…" muttered Gwen, sounding offended and hurt.
Hearing the hurt in her voice, Ben quickly sat up straight. He hadn't meant to hurt Gwen. How could he hurt Gwen – when he… when he… LOVED her like hell?
"I'm – I'm sorry -- " he mumbled, looking down purposely to avoid her gaze. Damn Kevin! All this had happened just because of him! If he hadn't snatched Gwen away from him, all this would never have happened!! He wanted to lash the living shit out of Kevin -- he hated him THAT much… But he had to refrain from doing all this just because of Gwen. As much as he could presume, Gwen was in love with Kevin. Goddammit!! How could someone fall for such a freak like Kevin? Especially someone like GWEN? He wanted to show Kevin – and show it to him practically – that he did not deserve Gwen. He wanted to make him wish that he had never been born……
But no, all he could do was behave 'amicably' with him – amicably with his 'once-an-enemy-forever-an-enemy-… And all this for Gwen. His actions might hurt Gwen – and he couldn't even dream of hurting her. Even at the stake of keeping Kevin alive, and watching him partake of something, or rather someone – who had always been his…
"Hey there, Ben!" called Kevin, coming up to join them. Intentionally, he sat beside Gwen, and put his arms around her, pulling her closer to him in the process.
Ben looked away. But out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gwen flinching. Why was she flinching? Didn't she like Kevin's company? Was she…. Nah! Gwen LIKED Kevin. That was evident to one and all. Gwen was flinching because of HIM – he was like an interferer among two lovers. They probably didn't even need him…
He stood up stiffly, and began walking away, with an air of detachment and oblivion around him.
"Hey! Where you goin'?" asked Gwen, apparently surprised by Ben's sudden conduct.
Ben turned back, and looked at her darkly. "Believe me Gwen – you'll be better off without me…"
With not a single word more, he turned away, and began walking away – away from the beach... away from Kevin... and away from Gwen...
A/N: I know, you'll probably be tellin' that this was TOO short compared to my other fics... Well, as I said earlier, school's re-opened, and I'm struggling to cope up with all that studies and homework pressure, in addition to goin' for tuitions, attendin' all those music and swimming classes AND writin' this... So I hope you'll forgive me... And yeah, don't forget to review!!
