Ben's lovely ghost

chapter 4

Happy Halloween! I originally wanted to post something else for this day, but I've been busy, so I hope this chapter works.

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It had been a day since Ghostfreak had brought Ben to the warehouse and had managed to heal most of his major wounds.

'The smaller ones should heal soon.' thought the Ectonurite.

Ben groaned as his eyes began to slowly open.

Ghostfreak floated over to Ben and sighed in relief to see him beginning to wake.

"Wha..? What happened?" groaned Ben holding his head.

"Vilgax hurt you. I patched you up." Ghostfreak explained as she lightly ran her hand over his head, through his hair.

"Really?..Thanks." grinned Ben before he looked around. "But where are we?"

"A small warehouse near where he attacked you." Ghostfreak explained.

"But, where are Gwen and Grandpa?"

Ghostfreak blushed here "Well... you see..."

Ghostfreak was too embarrassed and rushed through the explanation, letting Ben hear only small pieces of it.

Ben's eyes widened at her explanation and facepalmed "Great."

"I'm sorry." she apologized while looking away, figuring he would be furious at her.

"No no. It's okay." Ben sighed.

Ghostfreak smiled in relief, but thought of something. Now that her true self was known, maybe she should get a name that fit her.

"You know... I don't think 'Ghostfreak' suits me." Ghostfreak explained.

Ben rubbed his chin in thought as he figured 'Ghostfreak' would be way too offensive now that he knew who she was.

"I don't know..." Ben groaned as he tried to think of one.

Then the perfect name popped in his head. "I've got it! Spectra!" replied Ben with a smile.

Ghostfreak's eye widened before she gained a soft smile "That's perfect. Thank you."

Ben smiled back as he found her smile contagious and cute to look at.

"Erm... I... I'm curious... why did you want me to give you a new name? And why were you going by Ghostfreak? Don't... Don't you have you own name?" Ben asked cautiously.

"I... I don't remember..." the now re-named Spectra said sadly, her smile fading and instantly Ben felt sad inside from that smile being lost.

Ben surprised Spectra by getting up even from his injuries and enveloping her in a hug.

Spectra's visible eye widened before it closed smoothly and she hugged him back, snuggiling her head into the crook of his neck.

'Wow, she's actually pretty warm.' thought Ben who found himself holding even closer just to feel this warmth.

Spectra smiled wide into the hug. He was so warm... so nice... she got caught up in the moment and pulled back... before she leaned forward and kissed him... and it felt good... she wondered if he'd... 'No! Bad thoughts!' She old herself mentally. So she just started to enjoy the kiss.

Ben was shocked to see Spectra pressing her lips against his, but it felt really nice so he merely went with the flow and held her head there.

Spectra wrapped her long arms around Ben and held him close as her long tongue, similar to her tentacles, accidentally slipped into Ben's mouth making the young Hero to pull back, coughing a bit and looking confused.

"What was that?" Ben asked with a confused and weirded out face.

"That was my... er... tongue..." Spectra said as she let the long white and black stripped organ slip from her blacklips for a second "I... got a bit carried away... and accidentally tried to deepen the k... kiss we where having."

Ben was curious about that feeling as he saw Spectra's tongue. It wasn't necessarily bad, he was just caught off guard with it.

"W... Why did you kiss me?" Ben asked with a stutter, which he cursed himself for in that moment.

Now it was Spectra's turn to feel embarrassed as she looked away, but answered nonetheless. "W...W..Well, I just...thought that..." Spectra couldn't finish as she was way too embarrassed.

"Thought what? You can tell me." Ben encouraged.

Spectra could barely look him in the eyes, but knew he would just keep asking her if she didn't tell him. She sighed before turning towards him with a nervous look on her face.

"I... think I... have fallen in love you..." Spectra said as she blushed brightly.

Ben was stunned in silence at that. Sure he did find her rather cute after finding out about her real gender, and she did help him fight Vilgax and fix him up.

"Well, I wouldn't call it love, but I definitely like you, a lot." replied Ben.

Spectra flinched a bit at the start but at the end her black lips split into a wide smirk before she hugged Ben again.

Ben returned the hug and noticed a sound. Like voices. He listened closely and heard his grandpa and Gwen!

"Grandpa! Gwen!" Ben called to them.

Spectra instinctively tried to get out of Ben's grip and hide.

Ben noticed her attempt and hiding and held onto one of her hands. "Wait, You don't need to hide."

Spectra shook her head "I can't. It's better if I hide. If I watch you from the shadows, to protect you from there. And that way I can stay safe. In the darkness. Until I can be in the light with you." She fazed her hand through his grip and kissed him quickly before she flew away, turning invisible and hiding.

"Ben!" called Max as he and Gwen pushed away the wooden planks and ran to Ben before pulling him into a hug.

Ben was oblivious to the twos fussing as he looked out, at the spot where Spectra faded away...

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