Author's Note: Bold type indicates RAT Ben and Gwen.
Chapter Four: Love is Confusing
In another part of the Multiverse, far away from our beloved pair, a boy could not understand something. He and Gwen survived being attacked by a deranged Chronosapien who took Ben's body for a joyride, not unlike Ghostfreak. Ben shuttered at the darkness that still clung to him from Eon. The Tennyson boy had other things to think on, better things. One of the thoughts that occupied Ben's mind was a question: What does "I love you." really mean? Ben's mind slipped back to that terrible moment. Eon was going to use his body to hurt Gwen! Ben softly began to cry as the feeling of helplessness revisited him. He remembered thinking, The last thing I'll see is Gwen dying as this freak takes over completely! Then, Ben heard Gwen cry out, "I love you, you annoying Doofus! Do you hear me?! I LOVE YOU!" Straight out of a cliché romance, Ben was able to fight when he heard her say that. It took almost being erased from existence, but Ben finally realized how much Gwen meant to him. He only wondered: What did Gwen intend when she said those words? If he went by what he remembered from that day and soon after, she loved him like a boyfriend. Her emotions in the statement lended themselves to that conclusion along with the fact that she herself downplayed the words. Then, there was the other side of the reaction. After that little bit of nerves, the statement seemed to fade away and disappear without resolution. Ben sighed in aggravation. Deductive reasoning ended in a hung jury. Ben groaned at what that meant. "I have to ask her." He said quietly as his cheeks burned red.
When Ben got to school, he groaned. There were JT and Cash waiting for him. Ben smiled as an idea popped in his head. He took a running start and jumped clear over JT and Cash's "roadblock" and landed in a roll. Then, he calmly walked to class as JT and Cash stared in shock at Ben's agility. "I wonder if Wildmutt taught him that." JT mumbled. Ben chuckled softly to himself as he thought, In a way, he did, JT. The bullies were a little deterred by that because they wondered if Ben was also friends with that red four-armed dude, the fast one, or the crystal guy. They all wore the same symbol, and JT happened to notice Ben's watch looked like the symbols. After the magic show, JT was certain Ben was in some strange club with those heroes. "Maybe we shouldn't mess with Tennyson anymore, Cash. His friends might find out and send us into a black hole." Cash shivered. Self-preservation was keen instinct in bullies, and Cash was no exception. "Yeah, JT. I think you're right."
In class with Ben, the boy was unusually attentive to his teacher. Ben would not dare let himself look away from the teacher because he knew if he let his mind wander as usual, he would wind up staring at Gwen. Gwen noticed this shift in behavior and stopped him as he walked out of the class because she was a little worried about her Doofus. Yes, she came to terms with her feelings. Almost losing the one you are unsure of loving has a way of doing that. She didn't know if she had the courage to tell him so. Fighting monsters and aliens was much easier than romantic feelings for both Ben and Gwen, but neither knew of the internal struggles going on in their respective minds. "Ben…" she began. "What's wrong?" She wanted to touch his shoulder, but she didn't because of nerves. Ben laughed off her concern. "Nothing's wrong, Dweeb." Ben said with a cocky smirk, not bothering to turn from his locker and acknowledge her in full. Gwen's face settled into a soft glare. "Ben, you actually paid attention in class today!" She placed a hand on his shoulder and spun the boy around from his locker. "Now, tell me." Her voice softened. "What's wrong?" Her green eyes snared him. Damn it! Ben growled, silently cursing the almost bewitching power in Gwen's gaze. "I need to know," he said as he maintained the lock on her face. "What did you mean when you told me you loved me?" Gwen blushed but did not look away. Instead, she thought, Screw it! Then, she closed the difference between their lips and kissed him gently. Part of her expected him to shriek in terror and run from her. She was surprised when Ben pushed back against her lips gently. When they broke, Gwen grinned shyly at Ben. "That is what I meant, Doofus." Ben almost passed out as his mind tried to process.
Gwen smiled as she woke up from her trip to the RAT Timeline. Finally, I visited a Timeline where Ben and I don't shut each other out due to pressure. The redhead thought as she got up and stretched. In between sleep and fully awake, the spell sent her one last image. The picture made tears of joy slide down Gwen's cheeks. There, in Gwendolyn's arms were a red headed boy and a brown haired girl as Benjamin looked at the children with a smile on his gentle face, arrogance gone, replaced with pride in his family. Does Ben want kids one day? She thought as she went to find her beloved and talk to him.
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