June 22, 2016

Hermosa Beach, CA; 11:43 am

It'd been a week and a half since the incident in Oregon. Gwen was bedridden for another two days before Max was comfortable with her standing on her own. It was another three before he let her leave the RV without supervision. By the time she returned to good health, Jeremiah was long gone leaving nothing behind in his old shack. Max wasn't surprised. He was lucky the man stayed as long as he had.

They spent the last few days exploring Hollywood and the Los Angeles area. It's been years since she was here, but she certainly didn't miss the crowds. Max certainly didn't miss the traffic.

They decided to hit the beach before heading to the next city. Ben was the first to leave the Rust Bucket wearing a pair of black and green swim trunks and a white t-shirt. The sky was clear, and the weather was warm, a perfect time to go for a dip in the ocean.

"It's not as crowded as I thought it'd be," Gwen spoke as she left the RV. She was wearing a thin hooded vest that covered below her waist.

"Not planning on swimming?" Ben asked.

"Thinking about it." She looked back towards the RV as Max walked out wearing his signature Hawaiian shirt and jeans. "Is it safe to assume that you won't be joining us?" Gwen asked the older man.

"Best leave the beach for the young. If you need me, I'll be doing some shopping." Max pointed to a nearby bait shop causing the cousins to gag.

The two made their way through the streets to the busy beachfront. Dozens of stores and restaurants lined the shore giving them plenty of things to do. Ben, however, ran towards the ocean. Throwing his shirt aside, he dove into the ocean. "FUCK! IT'S FREEZING!" He screamed.

"Of course, it is Doofus." Gwen couldn't hold back the laughter as she watched him shiver from the cold water. Ben splashed her in retaliation. "Hey, at least let me take my jacket off first!" She unzipped her hoodie, revealing her white bikini. Gwen caught him staring and promptly splashed him back. "Perv."

The two continued to play fight until they were completely soaked. They decided to sit on the sand while they caught their breath. Gwen reminisced about how they used to "fight" like this as kids. The painful memory drew her back to the boy sitting next to her. She looked him over, taking note of how much muscle he's gained. It's nothing like the bodybuilders she saw at the gym, but she can't deny that he's no longer the scrawny boy playing hero. A scream broke them out of their thoughts. Ben was already on his feet, running towards the commotion. Gwen was still recovering but managed to catch up to him after retrieving their discarded clothes.

A little girl was crying. Ben tried to calm her down, causing those around them to stare. Finally, Gwen asked, "do you want to see a magic trick?" The girl stopped screaming and nodded, tears still falling. Conjuring what little mana she could, she pulled the water from her hair and formed a small ice crystal in her palm.

The girl stared in awe. "Anna has powers just like Elsa!" Gwen was taken aback by the girl's proclamation. Ben broke out into a fit of laughter, imagining his cousin as a Disney princess.

"My name's Gwen, and this is Ben. What's your name?"

"Haley." The girl, no longer crying, grabbed the crystal. She started laughing when she felt how cold the ice was.

"Haley, do you know where your mother is?" At the mention of her mother, the little girl started to cry again. She screamed for her mother, causing passersby to stare again.

"Don't worry, Haley, me and Anna will help you look for your mom." Gwen glared at him but remained silent while the little girl cheered. "It's okay, Gwen. Just let it go." Gwen delivered a swift elbow into his ribs. "Worth it." He groaned.


The three spent the next hour looking for Haley's mother without any luck. Ben suggested taking a break when Haley's stomach began to growl. He left the two sitting on a bench while he bought them lunch. Haley took this time to question Gwen about her magic. She didn't want to reveal too much, but she also didn't want to crush the little girl's dreams, so she played along, stating that her sister had taught her. Haley was happy with that answer if her giant smile was an indication.

"Well, what do we have here?" A group of boys walked up to them. "Lookin' good, Red. Why not ditch the kid and hang out with us?" A few other boys made similar comments demanding her attention. She was about to take Haley away, not wanting to get her involved, but the little girl stood up to the older group.

"Leave Anna alone, you big jerks!" She screamed, causing the group to break out in laughter.

"Why not bring Elsa along, and we can have a real party." The vulgar comments continued. Gwen shielded Haley behind her, weighing her options. Before she could come to a decision, a smoothie crashed into the side of the first boy's head. "What the fuck!?"

"I suggest you get out of here before you end up with more than just strawberry stains." Ben confronted the group, not showing any fear. The boys left yelling obscenities about Gwen and her "boyfriend and snot-nosed kid." Ben handed out the hamburgers and drinks. "Man, I really wanted that smoothie too." Gwen shared hers, thankful for his help.


They continued their search after lunch. The crowds grew larger, making it harder for Haley to search for her mother. Ben suggested she sit on his shoulders so she could look over the crowd. The sun was beginning to set by the time they found Haley's mother.

"Thank you so much! I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't find her." The mother thanked the two, offering to give them money for their troubles. They both refused, stating they were just happy to have helped. Haley waved as they left. "Bye, Anna! Bye, Kristoff!"

"Kristoff!?" Ben gawked.

"Just let it go." Gwen teased. "It's getting late. We should probably head back to the Rust Bucket. I know grandpa wants us to be on the road bright and early." She started to make her way back to the RV but felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Um… I heard that the sunset was beautiful from the pier. I don't know if you're still into that kind of stuff, but I figured I'd ask." He rambled, unsure if he should have brought it up.

"I'd like that." Gwen gave him a reassuring smile. The two made their way to the pier's edge and watched the last remnants of light fall behind the horizon.


September 26, 2009

Bellwood Mall; 6:30 pm

"The mall will be closing in thirty minutes." The voice over the intercom spoke. Ben watched as Gwen panicked from the lack of time. She looked over her clothes again, unsure of which she wanted to keep and which to return to the rack. Lifting two dresses, she brought them to Ben.

"They're the same dress," Ben spoke flatly.

"No," Gwen refuted, "this one is turquoise, and this one is cyan." Ben looked between the two, unable to see the difference. "Uh, forget it!" She handed him a pile of clothes telling him to wait in line while she returned the others.

The line was long, and he could feel the looks of the other customers. He could hear a couple of adults comment on how they wished their boyfriends would wait in line for them. He didn't have to wait long since Gwen reappeared, though with a few more additions to the pile. The snickering of girls behind him almost caused Ben to run out of the store, but the young redhead kept him rooted to her side.

After an excruciating fifteen minutes, they were finally able to check out. The cashier rang up the items, and Ben couldn't believe how expensive the girl's clothes were. "Do you have a rewards number with us?" the cashier asked.

"Can I use my mother's number?" Ben groaned, having to sit through the interaction.

"Can I use my mother's number!?" Ben looked back to see the snickering girls. Their mocking tone was making his blood boil. He knew that Gwen could hear them, but she remained stoic as ever. He wanted nothing more than to walk over and tell those girls off, but that wouldn't do anything but cause Gwen more problems, so he shoved his hands in his pockets and kept his head down.

It was just past seven when they left the mall. Frank called and said he'd start heading over soon. Ben hoped they could walk back to Gwen's house but knew her parents would never allow it. Both of their parents lost it when they saw their state after D.C. It's a miracle that they didn't forbid Max from seeing his grandkids ever again. Though they probably won't see him until Thanksgiving at the earliest if their mothers have anything to say about it.

Even a month later, neither of their parents would want them to be left alone for too long. It was only Gwen's pestering that convinced her parents to leave them alone at the mall. If they knew that the shopping trip was a cover for the two to go on a date, they would have put a stop to it immediately. However, this "date" felt more like a cover so that she had someone to carry her bags while she shopped.

"What's wrong?" Gwen asked, noticing the grimace on her boyfriend's face.

"It's nothing…" Gwen wasn't going to take that for an answer. Grabbing his wrist, she dragged him across the street to the city park. "What are you doing?" His question fell on deaf ears leaving him to wonder where they were going. Once she felt as if they were far enough, Gwen let him go. She sat down on a nearby bench, patting the seat next to her. "Sit," she commanded.

The two sat in silence, staring into the dark forest. Ben looked over, noticing Gwen's fidgeting. "Let's head back." He suggested.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong." Her words sounded fierce, but he knew how uncomfortable she felt being in the woods at night.

"I just wish we got to do more couple stuff." He spoke, just above a whisper.

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked, confused. "We just spent all afternoon together. Did you not have fun on our date?"

"If I'm being honest, no." Her face became visibly hurt. "You know that I'm not really into shopping. Kinda felt like an errand boy." He watched her face as she mulled over his words. Eventually, a look of determination appeared, causing him to pull away. Gwen grabbed his hand before he could get up, interlacing their fingers together.

"I'm sorry," she spoke. "I figured you'd have fun just cause we were together. I'll make sure to consider your feelings next time."

"It's cool, really." He squeezed her hand, reassuring her that he wasn't upset with her. Gwen leaned in towards him, resting her head on his shoulder. The two sat in comfortable silence until Gwen spoke up.

"We still have some time before dad gets here. We can try kissing a little if you'd like." She turned her face away, but Ben would see it was a blushing mess. He placed his hand on her cheek, causing her to look back towards him. They looked deep into each other's eyes. Ben had been dying to kiss her but knew he had to take things slow after his rushed confession.

After everything that has happened since they got together, Gwen didn't want to screw up their first kiss as a couple. Waiting in anticipation, she closed her eyes and pursed her lips. Ben looked down at her and could help but think how beautiful she looked. He leaned in close, brushing his lips against hers.

The kiss itself only lasted a second, but their lips continued to tingle after he pulled away. Gwen opened her eyes and stared into his blushing face. "I wouldn't mind doing that again," she whispered to herself. Hearing this, Ben felt a fire in his chest. He pulled her back in for another much longer kiss. Gwen squeaked out in surprise but didn't push away. If anything, she leaned more into their soft exploration of this new sensation.

Ring!

The sound of Gwen's phone caused the two tweens to break apart. Frank had been searching all over the mall's parking lot. She knew that she would be in big trouble once they got back to her house, but she couldn't help but think about the new sensation she had just experienced. She reached for her cousin's hand. "I wouldn't be against you stopping by my room after everyone's gone to bed." Ben stared back at her in awe. "Just saying."


AN: Hey so this story is still not dead and I've decided that I will start cross posting this on AO3 with updated grammar and small changes. It is only up to chapter 12 as of the posting of this chapter but it won't be long before it's up to date. I plan to make AO3 my primary focus moving forward but I will continue to post chapters here as well. Please consider following me over there and thanks to everyone who's continuing to read this passion project of mine.