Disclaimer: Never owned Ben 10, but it would be cool to.
A/N: So this is just where I felt like I should begin: A clash of personalities.
Chapter One
Why I was there I didn't even know, but I was. This seemed to be a constant: A search and confrontation with DNAliens or some other extraterrestrial leads to Kevin fixing his Camero from previous destruction, myself sitting beside him, bored out of my mind, and Ben taking off to get smoothies.
The silence between us wasn't doing my mind any favors. I kept debating with myself on whether or not to ask him, but after so many minutes of my solitary analysis, I couldn't hold my tongue back. "Why did you do that, Kevin," I asked him, eyebrows knitted. The question had been burning inside me for the last hour or so. I couldn't resist. I needed an answer, and not just a "because I wanted to" one.
"What?" He pulled himself from under the sports car so he could look at me, and he did like there was lettuce growing out of my ears.
I took my eyes off of him and sideways glanced at a pile of alien technology that was nestled in the corner of Kevin's garage.
He followed my gaze and replied, "Swipe their equipment?" His eyes returned to me. "Why not?"
He said it so matter-of-factly, like me asking why he stole something from someone else was superfluous. "Hmmm, let me think…oh yeah. It's illegal," my eyes narrowed, and he simply chuckled.
"So I'm not going to get arrested for swiping tech that the authorities don't know exists from aliens that they also don't know exist. Come on Gwen. What's the problem?"
"The problem?" before I took notice I was on my feet, my voice rising with each word, "The problem is that it's WRONG, Kevin!"
"Whoa, whoa, calm down," he said jumping up. He wiped a grease mark from his forehead onto his shirt and continued, "Look, Gwen, if you don't remember the…things that I took that stuff from managed to terrorize a neighborhood, ruin my car's transmission, and slam you into a wall a few hours ago. They're lucky I didn't kill 'em."
Part of me wanted to know if it was his car's demise that he wanted to kill them for or attacking me, but a bigger part of me was more concerned with the fact that he just didn't care that he had broken the law. Of course Kevin was an ex convict, but he was on the good side now. He changed
Well…kind of.
"Why do you all of a sudden care anyhow?" he continued. "You haven't asked me why I… well…do what I do before."
"That doesn't mean I never cared," I pressed, stepping closer to him. "I just never bothered to ask you."
"You never bother to ask," his eyebrows rose. " Gwen, you always have to put your two sense into everything."
"No I don't!" my voice cracked.
"Yes you do!" he replied, laughter escaping him again. I crossed my arms across my chest and scowled. How did he always manage to turn everything around on me. "Come to think of it," he continued, "Even though you've never asked me why I break the law, you always in one way or another make it clear that you are against it."
"Kevin, a lot of people don't agree with things that go against the constitution and such."
"Only crazy people," he replied and began rummaging through a toolbox.
"No the only crazy people are the ones breaking the law. Like you," I scolded then added quickly, "And I do not always put my "two sense" in."
"Oh you don't, huh?" He removed his attention from the item in the toolbox and looked back in my direction.
"That's right."
"Really, Gwen?"
"Yes, really, Kevin."
"Bull shit, Tennyson. You're always pulling some kind of stunt…like this," he propped his left arm on his hip, cocking his right leg to the side. He flipped back his raven hair and did a very bad impression of a girl, "Kevin."
"Do I want to know?" came a voice from the garage door. Ben was standing, slushies in hand. He also was sporting a very confused look.
"Uhhhhh…..I can explain," was all that Kevin could say. His face was beet red from embarrassment.
"Some things are better left unsaid," Ben replied. He placed two slushies on a table and retreated from the garage. "I'll see you guys later."
After a few moments of silence, I couldn't help myself, "Well you managed to make a fool of yourself for the like…millionth time this week."
"See that's what I'm talking about," he groaned and slammed his toolbox shut. "You always do that."
"Okay we've established that I'm not perfect," I snapped back and stormed into Kevin's living room.
"Oh no, no, no you aren't ending this talk like that," he called at me.
"Try me." He followed my suit and glared at me as I plopped down on a sofa.
"For your information, Tennyson, you are perfect. We can't all be saints like you."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not a saint, Kevin. You just don't try."
"I don't see the point in it." He sat down beside me. The agitation he had seconds before seemed to be gone into oblivion.
"Why?" I questioned.
"Why do you want to know?" His eyed twinkled as he flashed me a shy smile. My stomach tightened.
"Be-Because I want to make sense of what goes on in that deranged head of yours," I sputtered out. "You're hard to read, you know."
"Really?" he asked in disbelief. "I thought you had me all figured out. Considering that you assume I moon over you and all."
"Don't dance around the subject, Kevin." I really didn't want him to bring that into the conversation.
"Okay, Okay." He stared off into space for a moment or two, as if he was trying to pick the exact words to say. "Well, I guess that I don't see the point in trying to be goody-goody because no one else is. Why should I go out of my way to make sure I don't cross the line when it doesn't matter? Other people still will. Why deprive myself of a little fun?"
"Because you can stand out, you shouldn't conform to what others do?"
"If you haven't noticed, Gwen, I kind of stand out for other reasons. Being able to absorb matter does that to you."
"That doesn't mean you shouldn't try."
"And I repeat we can't all be perfect like you."
"I'm not perfect."
"Yes you are." This he muttered. I'm not sure if he intended me to even here it, but I did either way. For some reason I found myself smiling. It just made me feel…well, warm when he said it. Part of me wanted to still protest against the statement, but I couldn't pull myself to do it.
"What?" he asked me when he noticed the bright grin etched upon my face.
"Oh nothing."
"Um, okay, well let me drive you home."
After a very awkward car ride and a short farewell, I found myself in my room alone. My mind began to race as it always seemed to do so, but this particular night I didn't think about aliens, my powers, or school. I thought about Kevin, and that strange warm feeling that he somehow managed to cast over me.
A/N: Please review. Am any good at this? I want to keep them in character, so I hope I'm executing that. Let me know if not. I want honest reviews.