"don't you need me? i think i'm falling for you"

Song recommendations: for him. by Troye Sivan (not the version featuring Allday), Fallingforyou by The 1975, Desperate Measures by Marianas Trench, About Love by MARINA, I Found Love by Owl City, Favorite Record by Fall Out Boy, and Fall For You by Secondhand Serenade.

This chapter is short in length, but big for the story!

Öyleyse iki mezar kaz, çünkü öldüğünde,
yemin ederim yanından ayrılmayacağım.

Beni cehenneme sürükleyebilirsin,
Bu senin elini tutabildiğim anlamına gelirse.

Rook took his time the next morning. He let his alarm play all the way through, listening to the song loop itself repeatedly as he nuzzled back under his covers. He stretched out, cracked his back, rolled around and made a mess of his sheets. It was just nice to be able to move again, without being in pain or having to worry about breathing correctly or ripping out his saline drip.

It was Thursday, again. Rook had plans, sort of. He knew what he wanted to do, it was just a matter of getting up and making it all happen.

Ben wanted to go somewhere with lots of snow, and Rook wanted to be far, far away from the city. This could be a day for them, then. Something that they both wanted to do.

He got out of bed after dozing for another hour. Rook didn't mean to fall asleep, he just sort of found himself in that intermediary stage while he was relaxing. Being relaxed had been starting to grow unfamiliar. But he felt at peace, like things were finally starting to make sense. If Rook didn't think too hard, then everything was perfectly fine.

He got up to shower, getting dressed in his Proto-Armor with a lack of other options. Rook did what he'd done for the past few days now: finished his morning routine, went to get the day off from Magister Tennyson, and then drove the Proto-TRUK to the twenty-four-seven supermarket at the edge of downtown Bellwood.

That time, Rook had a longer list of things he wanted to purchase. He grabbed a bag of chocolate chips, two sandwiches from the deli, a container of mixed fruit, two water bottles, and two desserts that could be eaten without silverware. Then he selected a simple, woven basket that had caught his eye and placed all of the food inside of it, along with a bundle of paper plates.

After that, he went to get a new outfit. Given that Ben wanted to go somewhere snowy, Rook picked out heavier clothing than he had the previous days. Simple and stylish. Or, at least, he hoped. Rook didn't have a good eye for human fashion, but he thought that earthy colors looked good with his fur so he went for beiges and browns and mossy greens. His pants ended up being grey, just to break up the monotony. He frowned as he looked over the outfit. It was nice, and Rook liked it, but he wondered if it was too plain. Ben never seemed to put much effort into his clothing, but his look was so iconic and exciting anyway. All the bright greens, the way it looked with his eyes…

Rook decided after a few minutes of staring into space that it was good enough. It wasn't like Rook was trying to impress anyone, was he? He shook the thought away and went to go make his purchases.

The same woman he'd selected the last few times was at the check-out and she gave him a polite smile when she saw his purchases. "Going on a picnic date? I'd suggest one of those bundles of roses to really impress her," she said with an eyebrow wiggle.

Beneath his fur, Rook colored faintly. "Ah, no. It is not like that, I was simply…" He trailed off. The flower stand that she'd indicated was the same one that Rook had picked from before. He eyed the white roses thoughtfully. No. Not those. Rook stalked over and ignored the roses to grab a bouquet of sunflowers. He brought them back over to the woman at the check out and did his best to pretend that he wasn't flustered. "Roses would be… inappropriate for the occasion," he offered weakly as an explanation.

"Say no more." The woman waved him off as she rang up Rook's purchase. "They're gorgeous. I'm sure she'll love them."

Yes. Ben would probably love sunflowers — they reminded Rook of his smile.

With the food tucked away into the picnic basket and Rook changed into his new outfit, he headed over to the Tennyson household. It was a little early for him, but that was alright. He grabbed the bag of chocolate chips and his bouquet and went to knock on the door.

Sandra was the one to answer. "Oh, Rook. Good morning." She stepped by to let him into the house, eyeing his outfit and the bundle of sunflowers. "You're early; and not dressed for work. Ben is still in the shower."

"I know." Rook could hear the pipes running. "I wanted to make Ben breakfast. We have the day off, so I thought that we could take our time." He gestured to the kitchen with the bag of chocolate chips. "May I use your kitchen?"

"Um, I suppose." Sandra seemed more surprised than offended by the offer. She raised an eyebrow. "And the flowers are because…?" She prompted.

Rook didn't have a real answer for that. He shrugged with one shoulder. "They reminded me of Ben. I thought that he might like them." That was about all there was to it. It was a spontaneous purchase, made only because of the comments of the cashier.

A date, huh?

There was a sly look on Sandra's face. She chuckled. "Well, in that case... I was going to make myself a smoothie, but I think I'll shower first. The kitchen is yours, Rook. Make sure to clean up when you're done." Stepping closer to him, she set an affectionate hand on Rook's shoulder. "Thank you for making him happy."

"Mrs. Tennyson?" Rook tilted his head in confusion. He didn't get an answer. Sandra pulled away before he could ask what she meant, and while Rook was still trying to decide if it mattered or not, she had disappeared down the hallway and back into her bedroom.

So Rook had a few minutes to get everything ready before Ben got out of the shower, then. He shook off his thoughts. Whatever Sandra meant, it wasn't important. Rook had a task in mind and he intended to complete it with full marks.

He shrugged out of his heavy winter coat and set it on the coat rack before continuing into the kitchen. Rook set the sunflowers down on the counter, to give to Ben later. The chocolate chips were dropped on the counter while Rook gathered the rest of his ingredients. Before he did anything after that, he rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands. It was a critical step, after all.

What was that saying? Third time's the charm.

Rook had a good grasp of the recipe now. He mixed the right amounts in the right order, eggs and flour and baking powder. Everything got whisked together and Rook added the chocolate chips while the waffle iron was heating up.

By the time Ben left the bathroom, his hair damp and unstyled, Rook was pulling his third successful waffle out of the iron and adding in the next one. He couldn't help the grin that came to his face when Ben stopped at the kitchen threshold, staring at him with a surprised smile.

'See that, Ben?' Rook asked with his eyes. 'I can learn. I am improving, Maybe I am not so hopeless at being a good friend after all.'

His subconscious message went right over Ben's head, because of course it did. But Ben was grinning when he crossed the room and reached for the plate of waffles so Rook didn't mind too much. "Wow, dude, thanks! How'd you know that I have a weakness for waffles?"

The same way that Rook knew Ben had a weakness for dying children. He said nothing, just willed his smile to be impossibly wider. "I have gotten us the day off of work. There is something that I wanted to show you, Ben," he said, avoiding the question.

Ben didn't seem to mind. He took a bite of his waffles and indicated Rook's outfit, gesturing with his empty fork. "Let me guess: it's somewhere cold?"

"An astute observation." Rook started to clean up, then he remembered the flowers he had bought. "Oh, and I got you something else while I was at the store." He wiped his hands off on a towel and crossed the room to where he'd left the sunflowers.

"The store?" Ben raised an eyebrow. "I should've known that chocolate chips were too good to be true while mom's in charge of the groceries. But why did you…?" He trailed off as Rook presented the bouquet to him. He blinked owlishly. "Oh."

"These are for you." That was probably obvious, but Rook was starting to get nervous. Ben wasn't reacting. Before, he'd taken the roses without issue. But now he just looked… Uncomfortable? Uncertain? Confused, maybe. "Do you not like sunflowers?" Rook asked anxiously. "I admit that they are not the most elegant flower, but—"

"No, they're nice," Ben assured him. He set the plate of waffles down and took the sunflowers with both hands. They flattered him differently than white roses — made his face softer, somehow. Yellow complimented his eyes. Ben smoothed over the petals with two fingers absent-mindedly as he gravitated toward a cabinet. "Hold on, just let me put them in a vase. Then we can talk about what you have planned today. Is there a time crunch?"

"It is nothing like that. It is not something I needed to schedule." Rook tracked his movements idly. He thought about Ben tripping, or dropping the vase and cutting himself. Did sunflowers have thorns? Nothing in the kitchen was likely to hurt Ben, but then again, Rook had never anticipated that a burning building would be a match for the Hero of Heroes, either.

He watched Ben put the vase, filled with cold water, on the table and arrange the sunflowers in it. "There. Uh, you gonna eat too?" Ben pointed at the waffle iron. "Because that's starting to smell like it's burning."

Rook bit down on a curse and went to go get his food. He only had enough batter for two waffles after that, which was fine. He did, in fact, manage to burn that one. Two was plenty to tide him over until lunch. Staring at Ben distracted him far too easily, evidently.

Once they were done with breakfast, Sandra and Carl finally left the bedroom, both of them dressed for work. Rook thanked them for the use of their kitchen while Ben was grabbing heavier clothing, then he led Ben out the door. There was a weird sort of tension hanging between them. He didn't understand it, but Rook was pretty sure that it had something to do with Ben blushing when his mother pointed out the sunflowers. Maybe he was violating some sort of human social convention? That would explain why Ben was embarrassed.

He didn't want to talk about it, though. That was the point of dragging Ben out to the middle of nowhere: no other people, no pressure, no expectations. Just each other. It would be cathartic.

The Proto-TRUK converted from a truck to an airship as Rook guided them down the street. He took to the air just in time to avoid knocking against someone's house and Ben laughed, hands pressed against the passenger window like a kid experiencing flight for the first time.

"Woah, you weren't kidding. You planned something out of town?" Ben turned that dazzling smile onto Rook, and it was a good thing that they were airborne else the TRUK probably would have hit something. "What's the occasion? Is my birthday a week sooner than I thought it was?"

Ah, and there it was again. Rook's smile tightened. "There is no special occasion. I do not need a reason to want to do something nice for you," he said patiently. It wasn't Ben's fault for assuming the worst: Rook had never given him a reason not to.

Ben had that look on his face again — the one he'd gotten when Rook handed him those sunflowers. Rook still didn't know what it meant. "Uh, no. I guess you don't," Ben agreed slowly. He didn't seem too happy about it. "So, where are we going? Anywhere I'd know?"

His attempt to change the topic was as obvious as the forced enthusiasm in his voice, but Rook didn't call him out on it. It was better than Ben broken beneath a pile of rubble, or pinned beneath Rook's clawing hands, or spilling out his stomach over a toilet bowl.

As far as the days went, this was one of the better ones. Rook intended to keep it that way.

"I hope not," Rook said jokingly, "or else that would ruin the surprise."

They kept up a steady conversation while Rook flew. Luckily, they didn't have to go far and the Proto-TRUK was fast. Rook had only needed to spend a few minutes browsing a world map to find an ideal location.

He landed at the outskirts of a snowy forest. Evergreens lined the horizon as far as the eye could see, mountains rising in the other direction. Near them, there was a lake, frozen solid for half of the year. As far north as they were, spring didn't look any less like a winter wonderland. Rook had wanted a place with no chance of the ice breaking, because…

"Holy shit! Dude, look at all of this!" Ben turned his face up toward the sky, where little flakes of snow fell on his nose despite there being no obvious clouds. "Hey, do you think that ice is stable enough for us to skate on?"

...Because of course Ben would want to skate on it.

"In your shoes?" Rook asked with mock skepticism. "That seems rather like an unnecessary risk to me. There is plenty of entertainment to be found away from the lake." He bent down and cupped some snow in his hands while Ben's back was turned. It was freshly fallen, enough to stick without being hard as ice when he packed it together.

"Oh, really? Like what?" Ben turned toward him just in time to get a snowball to the face. When he wiped the snow out of his eyes, all he got was a good look at Rook's shit-eating grin. And just like Rook knew it would, a challenge erased all of the lingering tension and awkwardness. Ben's smile was downright evil and it sent a pulse of heat through Rook's gut. "You are a dead man," Ben promised, and he was quick to dart away.

"Using the Omnitrix is an automatic forfeit!" Rook called after him, kneeling down to prepare ammunition.

"What's that? Scared to lose?" In just a few seconds, Ben had somehow managed to find cover in the middle of a snowy field. Rook craned his head this way and that, but Ben's voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere. "Fine! I'll handicap myself, but it's not like it matters. You picked the wrong guy to start a snowball fight with."

Something wet and cold splattered against the back of Rook's head. He shivered, smiling despite himself. "A snowball fight? Oh, no. This is a snowball war."

An hour later, and Rook was cold, soaking wet, and having more fun than he had in a long time. He couldn't tell who was winning, or how to determine such anyway, but he didn't think it mattered. They were just having stupid fun. And it felt good. Like coming home, almost. Rook had nearly forgotten what it felt like, to not have a job to do or a partner to protect or a world to save.

It didn't have to be anything more than himself and Ben, playing in the snow.

'Is this not perfect?' Rook wanted to ask. 'You do not need the Omnitrix, I do not need my armor or weapons. We can just be Ben and Rook, together. This could be our every day.'

But he kept his mouth shut. And eventually, it ended with Rook tackling Ben into the snow. They were both panting and breathing hard, Rook's arms wrapped around Ben's midsection and the snow doing a horrible job of cushioning them. He sort of wanted to stay there, curled up with his head resting on Ben's stomach and nothing but each other for warmth.

Still, Rook obliged when Ben nudged him off. "Okay, okay," he panted, hair damp with melted snow. It was a good thing that he hadn't styled it that morning. "If we're gonna keep rolling around in the snow, I'm gonna need a minute to heat up. Some of us aren't covered in fur to keep frostbite away, you know."

Rook took a moment to verify that Ben was joking (his fingers were red but, thankfully, not turning black and blue) before huffing out a laugh. "And who's fault is that?" He prodded Ben beneath the ribs. "If the cold air is such a hindrance, perhaps you should evolve to be better suited for this weather instead of expecting me to cater to your whims," Rook shot back.

Ben was more resourceful than he often got credit for, though. Rook got a faceful of snow and, while he was busy wiping it away, Ben squirmed free and got to his feet. "Evolution might help my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandkids, Rook, but it doesn't help me now. And right now, I'm cold. So get in the Proto-TRUK and turn the heater on before I use Heatblast and this whole area thaws," he threatened with a grin.

Well, with an ultimatum like that, Rook's hands were tied. He got up and went the short distance back over to the TRUK. It was peppered with clumps of snow where their snowballs had hit. The Proto-TRUK made for good cover, as always. Funny. Rook was accomplished in hand-to-hand combat and he was very good at adapting to and using his surroundings as an advantage. But he had never used his fighting abilities for fun. He'd never considered it before.

Another difference between himself and Ben: Ben fought because it was fun. Or, at least, he did initially. Somewhere along the way, though, they had both become adrenaline junkies. Rook wasn't sure what he would do with himself if he wasn't a Plumber, and he was certain that Ben couldn't imagine a future where he wasn't a hero.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Rook turned the TRUK on and cranked up the heater before getting back out and going around the back. "Here," he said, gesturing for Ben to follow him. "I bought us food to eat. We can sit in there back where there is more space."

That got him a funny look, but Ben complied. Nestled in the back of the Proto-TRUK, sitting on the floor between alien weaponry and Plumber technology, Rook pulled out the picnic basket he had prepared. He should have brought the flowers with him — they would have tied the atmosphere together, despite the chilly weather.

When he set it between them, Ben frowned. He opened his mouth, then shut it. Rook could see his thoughts whirring as Ben backtracked and reworded what he wanted to say.

Finally, Ben said, "Rook, this has all been great, but… you know I have a girlfriend."

Confused, Rook nonetheless nodded. "Yes, I am aware. I have met Ester before." He opened the basket and pulled out the sandwiches he'd purchased earlier that day. "I have a girlfriend as well. We have so much in common," Rook remarked dryly. "Which sandwich would you prefer? I also packed a dessert."

He wasn't sure what the point of this conversation thread was. Rook was aware of both their relationship statuses. He waited for Ben to say something more, perhaps explain himself, but it never came.

Ben just shook his head and sighed. "Whatever you say, dude," he muttered. "I'll take the turkey one."

They ate in silence after that. Rook thought that it was a little awkward, but he wasn't sure why and he didn't see the need to pry. He kept thinking about it, though. What could the problem here be? Rook was missing something.

Maybe the picnic-theme reminded Ben of Ester. They hadn't been on a date in a while, had they? Rook made a mental note to set up something for Ben and Ester tomorrow. He didn't think too hard about the unhappy twist in his gut. If that was what Ben wanted to do, then Rook could handle a day spent away from him.

Or, at the very least, a day spent stalking Ben at a distance. Just to make sure that he didn't get hurt or run off to try and stop any fires. What Ben didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

After they finished and the trash was shoved back into the basket, Rook and Ben headed back out into the snow. The lingering tension dissipated quickly. It had begun to snow harder than before, dark clouds gathering above them. Sunlight filtered through cracks in the overcast sky and, from Rook's perspective, fell perfectly on Ben while he was trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue.

Rook's heart was doing flips. It was hard to breathe. He felt himself smiling without meaning to and had to look away. "Did you want to skate?" Rook asked over his shoulder, making his way toward the lake.

He heard Ben's footsteps crunching against the freshly fallen snow as he caught up. "Sure. I've been skating a few times." Ben didn't even think to question if the lake was solid enough for skating or not. Of course he didn't.

Well, at any rate, the TRUK had a heater and plenty of blankets packed tightly next to the first aid kit. And Ben had the Omnitrix. If one of them fell through the ice, Rook wasn't worried about any long-lasting consequences. Except, perhaps, a mild cold.

"I have not, but I am very good at balancing. I do not imagine that ice skating will be difficult," Rook boasted. Regardless, he let Ben be the first one to step onto the ice. Pushing off of the bank with his tennis shoes, Ben stumbled before quickly righting himself. Rook was grinning. His facial muscles were starting to hurt. "Shall we make this interesting?"

"Hm…" Ben pretended to think about it, as if he didn't have a competitive streak a mile long. He folded his arms behind his back and skated by Rook. "Not that it'll be a difficult win for me, but sure. Knock yourself out." Ben said with a cocky grin. "First one to hit the ice loses."

"Very well," Rook said seriously. He took his first step out onto the ice. "But you should know that, at the Plumber Academy, I was a master in—"

He stuck his second foot onto the ice. Rook stayed upright for all of three seconds before his leg shook and his foot came out from under him. No noise escaped his mouth. Rook sank into a perfect split with his eyes blown wide, too shocked to react.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Then there was laughter. Ben was laughing so hard that he had to double over and clutch his sides. His face was red from the cold. There were flakes of snow in his hair, in his eyelashes. With the snowy forest as the backdrop and the sun illuminating the ice behind him, Ben looked ethereal. He was beautiful. He looked so happy.

And Rook froze. He felt his heart stutter and his body heat up beneath his fur. All Rook could do was stare. Then, very softly, he breathed out a simple, "Oh."

Oh, fuck.

Through his laughter, Ben managed to gasp out, "Looks like you lost, dude! Holy shit." He wheezed. "We didn't even get to the terms for the winner!"

On that, Rook had to disagree. Outwardly, he smiled softly at Ben and nodded. Inside, though, Rook was thousands of miles away. Somewhere locked in his fantasies where it would be okay to pull Ben into him and press their lips together.

He was in love with Ben Tennyson. Rook was utterly unsurprised.

A/N: Pfft. I forgot to post this two months ago. Whoops.