Just because you lovely devoted readers demanded it, here's a new set of drabbles. Enjoy!
Male Bonding
Kevin had to admit, when Carl first called him that morning to pass by to help him, Frank and Max fix the Rust Bucket, he was scared. Alone with the male members of his fiancé's family...possibly to threaten him with bodily harm; it made him more scared than he ever felt before...more scared than the years spent in the Null Void. Ben had to encourage him to spend time with his future in-laws – more along the lines of threatening to withhold sex for a long time, which forced Kevin to take a quick shower and drive over to Carl's place.
Kevin had to admit that he was enjoying the time spent with his future in-laws; fixing the Rust Bucket, drinking beers, telling dirty jokes, watching the World Cup...it was a good day.
At least until the conversation turned towards stories about fatherhood...
"I'm telling you – Sandra's mood swings had me scared shitless! One time I bought some pickles with cauliflower and Sandra threw that jar at my head and started yelling that she wanted sweet pickles! I swear, if I hadn't ducked, my face would've been covered with shards of glass and cuts stinging from the pickle liquid..." Carl laughed.
"That's nothing..." Frank interjected. "Both times when Lily was pregnant, she was always crying how I don't love her and that I was checking out younger women in front of her. She was crying over everything...basically during both pregnancies, she made me feel guilty over everything!"
"That explains your frequent visits and phone calls here..." Carl said.
"Pure child's play..." Max chuckled. "Try being married to an alien who can throw energy bolts for just breathing. Some of my most dangerous Plumber missions were safer than being around Verdona while she was pregnant with the two of you."
Frank and Carl could only laugh at their father. Hearing these stories only scared Kevin to the point where he was afraid of returning home.
"Ah, don't be scared." Carl said to his future son-in-law. "Ben is more level-headed than his mother."
"Maybe so, but he does have his grandmother's temper! If I fuck up, he wouldn't blink to use the Ultimatrix on me..."Kevin muttered. "I'm beginning to think that facing Vilgax and Aggregor would be less life-threatening than facing Ben pregnant."
Max laughed. "Talking just like a future father..." He patted Kevin on the back.
"The pregnancy mood swings may be hell, with contending a few months of verbal and occasional-physical abuse and all; but the second you hold your first-born baby in your arms, it's worth it." Carl said, coaxing Kevin.
"I guess so. It's getting kinda late, I better head back home." Kevin said, getting up from his seat.
"Aren't the women over there now, going over the plans for the wedding with Ben?" Frank asked.
"Yeah." Kevin answered.
"Sit back down." The older men said at the same time.
"Shouldn't I be helping Ben with the plans? It's my wedding too." Kevin said.
"Lesson number one about weddings," Frank said. "If your female relatives plan on helping, forget about having any say in anything because everything you say is wrong."
"That's right." Carl said. "When it comes to weddings, women hijack everything! Men are basically lower life-forms where everything we do or say is stupid."
"But Ben's a guy," Kevin interjected. "He would have some say with the planning."
The older men laughed again. "Ben is just there to look pretty and they can pamper and coo at the baby fetus." Carl said. "Trust me whatever he says he likes for the wedding will be ignored and the opposite will be done."
Kevin felt sorry for Ben and his predicament. Hopefully his mother would help Ben get his way with the wedding plans.
Wedding Plans
Ben was beginning to wish that he should have gone with Kevin to spend time with his father. Instead he found himself trapped with the women of the family, forced to look through several bridal magazines and wedding books. Every time he tried to say something, Sandra, Lily and Verdona would ignore him. The only ones who helped him to voice his opinions were Gwen and Serena. If it hadn't been for Serena's help, he wouldn't have gotten his way for a blue and green color scheme for the wedding.
"Azaleas would look lovely at the reception hall..." Lily said while looking through a gardening magazine.
"Roses are more traditional..." Verdona said.
"I don't know... geraniums might look better..." Sandra interjected. "Oh! How about we serve fish at the reception? Fish seems more elegant..." Ben let out a low groan.
"How're you holding up?" Serena whispered to her future son-in law, setting down a clothing catalogue.
"Hell." Ben muttered, getting up from his seat and heading to the back yard. Figured his female relatives wouldn't realise that the left the room.
Shortly after Ben reached the yard, Gwen followed him. "You know, I've learned one thing from this experience of yours." Gwen said.
"Oh? And what's that?" Ben asked.
"Avoid this headache and just elope." Gwen said seriously. "Like, seeing firsthand what vultures our mothers and grandmother can be with planning a wedding...eloping is starting to look good! I think the only one concerned about your well-being is Serena." Ben suddenly had a devious look in his eyes. "Oh God! I just gave you a bad idea!" Gwen exclaimed. Whenever Ben had that look, nothing good could ever happen...
Ben walked into the living room, staring down Sandra, Lily and Verdona.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" Sandra asked.
Ben gave his mother a deadpanned expression. "What's wrong? This wedding is supposed to be the happiest day of my life with Kevin, and your constant disregard to what we want has made this the most frustrating thing in my life!"
"Ben, you need to relax..." Lily stated calmly to her nephew. "You shouldn't get yourself upset in your condition..."
"That's right." Verdona agreed. "With your being pregnant, you shouldn't be over exhausting yourself."
"What's pissing me off right now are you three, ignoring what I want!" Ben screeched. "As far as I'm concerned, Kevin and I will simply go to a courthouse and get it done there to save ourselves from this headache!"
Sandra, Lily and Verdona sat speechless. Serena and Gwen had to stifle their laughter. It seems as though Ben decided to let his hormones get the best of him. "First of all, the wedding will be in three weeks..." Ben said.
"But, we need to plan this properly, it will take another month of..." Sandra interjected.
"I said the wedding will be in three weeks!" Ben screeched. "The longer it takes to plan, the easier it will take the paparazzi to stalk me and Kevin and ruin everything! Plus I am not going to look fat in my wedding pictures!"
"Ben, you're pregnant...not fat..." Verdona said.
"Wedding in three weeks and that's final!" Ben stared down his grandmother who decided to shut up immediately. "Gwen, you contact our friends and tell them to meet here the day of the wedding and you and Grandma can teleport everyone to Grandpa's private lake. Flowers are too girly, so no flowers...I'll call one of the Magisters of the Plumbers to perform the ceremony along with Azmuth; he'd be insulted if I got married and didn't invite him. We're serving chicken parmesan at the reception; for guests who are vegetarian, we'll substitute the chicken with eggplant." Ben said, with finality in his voice. He walked pass Serena who was holding another clothing catalogue in her hands. He took the catalogue and quickly flipped through the pages, until he came across a page with a linen suit in off-white. "Kevin and I will wear this style suit in light blue with a white cotton shirt, as well as the male members of the wedding party. Gwen, since your maid of honour..." Gwen slightly squealed at being named maid of honour at her cousin's wedding... "You'll be wearing this dress in mint green." Ben tossed the pages of the catalogue until he reached a picture of a knee-length sleeveless linen dress, where the skirt part flared out by the hips. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm tired and will be lying down for awhile. I don't care what you do, but you're not staying here." Ben walked down the hallway and went inside his bedroom.
"My God..." Lily whispered.
"Were we like that when we were pregnant?" Sandra pondered.
"I think we owe the men a huge apology for our behaviour while pregnant." Verdona said. As she got up to leave, Lily and Sandra left with her.
"Wow." Serena whispered.
"He planned an entire wedding in five minutes..." Gwen said, amazed at Ben's planning process while admiring the picture of her dress for the wedding. "If I ever get married, Ben's planning it!"
Author's Notes: I got the idea for the drabbles from my male cousins' experiences from planning their weddings. Their sisters would hijack everything, practically leaving the brides out of the planning process of their weddings! This has happened twice...One cousin decided to elope to avoid this problem; I think he was the smart one...
Sorry for uploading these drabbles kinda late; I was distracted with planning the decorations for a summer festival and watching World Cup. Since the summer festival is finally over, I should be able to write the rest of the drabbles with less difficulty.
Until next time! ;D
