A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I hope that this being my longest chapter to date makes up for it.
When Rook opened his eyes, he took a deep breath. He had to mentally prepare himself to get out of bed. If Alien X had worked this time, then this was it. There wouldn't be a do-over today. This was going to be his last Thursday — at least until next week, anyway.
Rook grabbed his Plumber badge and opened up his calendar, flicking through the upcoming months with faint awe. It had been so long since he thought about the future. It was difficult even now to get his hopes up. What if Rook awoke in the morning and it was still Thursday?
It was comforting to remind himself that he still had Ben. Even if this didn't work, he would always have that.
It took him a few moments to psyche himself up, but eventually, Rook pulled himself out of bed and went through his morning routine. This time, he didn't mind so much the idea of going to the store. If this day was actually going to stick, then he could invest in a few casual outfits.
With his armor on, his fur and his teeth brushed, and the Proto-Tool safely holstered over his shoulder, the first thing that Rook did was go to the gym. Again, he set the gravity settings on the weight benches to zero. When that was done, he headed for Magister Tennyson's room — thankfully, it was late enough that Rook could hear movement from the other side of the door, meaning that he wouldn't be waking anyone up.
He knocked and Magister Tennyson answered, still bleary-eyed but dressed for the day. "Good morning, sir." Rook decided to just cut to the chase. "I apologize for the short notice, but I would like to ask for the day off for myself and for Ben."
Max took a few seconds to process and formulate an answer. The early hour was clearly doing him no favors. "That's fine by me, Rook," he said, muffling a yawn. "Unless there's a world-threatening emergency, you and Ben can have the day off."
He started to shut the door, when Rook spoke up. "Actually, Magister, on second thought…" Rook smiled to himself. "Can I ask for the next two weeks off? For both of us?"
That time, the pause was due to Magister Tennyson's disbelief rather than his tiredness. He blinked, scrutinizing Rook like he was trying to tell if this was a joke or if he was dreaming. Never, not once, had Rook ever asked for a day off, let alone a whole week. He knew that he had the vacation days saved up for it, though, and so did Ben. For someone that spent so much time appearing to be lazy, Ben didn't seem to understand the concept of down time.
"Sure," Max said slowly. "I'll put in the papers for you and assign someone else to your patrol route for the next two weeks." He stared a moment longer but, when Rook didn't say anything more, went to close his door.
"And, Magister?" Rook stopped him one last time with a smile on his face. "I think that, for the sake of safety, it would be worth looking into upgrading the weight sets in the gym so that they automatically revert to normal gravity settings when not in use. That way there is not an unfortunate accident if someone forgets to reset it."
Another pause. Max looked like he was about to ask if there was an accident, but if there was, he would have heard about it. He must have decided that whatever prompted Rook's safety concerns wasn't worth asking about, because he nodded slowly. "I'll see what I can do," he said, and he shut his bedroom door before Rook could say anything else.
With his mission accomplished, Rook turned away and headed for the cafeteria. It was still early to be eating but Rook wasn't in a rush. He wasn't too pressed about making friends until he knew for sure that time wasn't going to loop again, but while he was waiting to pick Ben up, he could think of at least one or two things that might pass the time.
For starters, he had breakfast. It was important to start the day with a good meal, of course. Rook was pretty sure that he had read that somewhere while skimming through cookbooks a few days ago.
He ate, and the food was tasteless in his haste to swallow it all. Rook stayed seated in the cafeteria while he waited, bouncing his leg up and down restlessly under the table. He eyed the clock hanging over the doors, watching it tick down second by agonizing second. Had time always passed so slowly?
Finally, long after the rest of the group had arrived, paying Rook no mind, the person that he was waiting to see entered the room — as soon as James entered, Rook was on his feet. He intercepted the human by gently grabbing his elbow, a technique that he had learned after months of working with Ben. The first time that he had grabbed Ben too hard to stop him, Rook had popped a joint and been convinced that he'd broken something until Ben exasperatedly talked him down. He was very good at working with humans now.
"James, I need to borrow you for a moment. It won't take long," Rook assured him once they were alone in a different hallway.
There was a confused but polite smile on James' face. Clearly, he didn't recognize Rook. It was a little disheartening, but Rook chose not to focus on that — the positive side was that he was about to make a friend. "Uh, sure. Sorry, do I know you? I'm bad with faces," he said apologetically.
Rook resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Human politeness could be so grating. Instead of just admitting that he didn't know who Rook was and what was happening, James was going about this conversation in the most round-about way possible to avoid the slim chance of hurting the feelings of someone that he didn't even know.
It was cute when Ben did it. Not so much from other humans.
"I am Rook Blonko. We have never met, but I am friends with Karizma," Rook said. It was a bit of a white-lie: Rook considered her a friend, though she didn't know him anymore.
"Oh, you're friends with Karma?" James relaxed. "Does she need something?"
"She has a crush on you," Rook told him bluntly. No sense in beating around the bush. While James' jaw dropped, Rook continued, "I suspect that you feel the same way, at least on some level, so I am telling you now so that she may avoid the anxiousness associated with telling you herself. Regardless of whether you reciprocate or not, I think it would benefit your friendship in the long run to give her an answer one way or the other."
"I do!" James blurted out, red-faced. "I mean, I— I do have feelings for her! I've had the most embarrassing crush for years! How did you know that I—?" He shook his head. "Never mind. I need to go talk to her. Is she in the cafeteria?" When Rook nodded, James grinned. "Awesome! Thank you so much, Rook, I'll talk to you later!" He was already running off before he'd finished, waving at Rook over his shoulder. Rook waved back, amused.
If only it was as easy as telling Ben how he felt and winning his heart on the spot.
To himself, Rook shook his head. No sense dwelling on what he couldn't have. The real thing was waiting for him, and Rook had quite the day planned. Today was not about arcades or snowball fights — today was about fixing mistakes. It would be Rook's last opportunity to do so if everything went as Ben planned.
With his work at the base done, Rook went to the garage and climbed into the Proto-TRUK. He was still a little early to pick Ben up, but that was fine — he could stop and get smoothies on the way.
At seven-fifteen, Rook was exactly on time to pick Ben up, two smoothies nestled in his cup holders. He'd gotten himself a strawberry one and, for Ben, told the worker to "surprise" him. The concoction was undoubtedly putrid.
"Catch," Ben said as he opened the passenger side door. He tossed Rook the apple he was holding as he buckled himself in, just like he had done every other day. "Mom's on a fruit juice cleanse this week. You have no idea what I had to go through to wrestle that away from her without having to send it through the blender first."
Hearing those familiar words from Ben made Rook smile, feeling bittersweet about it all. If using Alien X had worked this time, then "his" Ben was now dead and the time loop had been erased. A part of Rook missed it, though not enough to want to go back.
With a smooth flick of his wrist, Rook chucked the apple he had caught out of the driver side window. It splattered in the middle of the road, not unlike how Rook had been crushed beneath an oncoming car once. He ignored Ben's confused (and mildly amused) expression to say, "I have already taken the liberty of getting us smoothies, if you do not mind. I asked Magister Tennyson to give us the day off, so rather than go on patrol, I would like to go to the store."
"Uh, sure?" Ben absorbed all of that information surprisingly well, merely arching an eyebrow as Rook put the TRUK into drive and headed in the opposite direction of their patrol route. He grabbed his smoothie and hummed appreciatively as he sucked it down. "What do you need from the store? Something you can only get in Undertown?"
Rook shook his head. "No, we are not going to Undertown. I want to go to a human store. Do not worry," he assured Ben. "Many of them take intergalactic credit."
"They do?" Ben's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "Since when? Ugh, I wish I'd known that sooner! I could have been buying my own food while my mom was jumping between fad diets!"
When Rook laughed, Ben joined in, which only made Rook laugh harder. He kept himself from saying anything, but gazed fondly at Ben while his eyes were scrunched up, and all he could think was, "I missed you." Rook was tired of the stress and high emotions for both of them. This was what he loved most about being with Ben — just existing together, no strings attached.
They made small talk about Ben's upcoming birthday plans with Gwendolyn before arriving at the store. It was the same one that Rook had been using throughout the entire loop, so he had an easy time leading Ben towards the men's clothing section.
"I want to get a normal outfit," Rook explained, picking up a sweater. There was an ugly embroidered snowman on it, and the material brushed uncomfortably against his fur, so he folded the sweater back up and returned it to the shelf. "Once I have a few outfits picked out, I also want to take a picture together. This store has a photo center in the back. While we are here, I might as well get a picture of us to put into the frame that you got me."
"I got you a frame?" Ben thought for a moment, then his expression lit up. "Oh, right! I remember that." He rubbed the back of his neck, adorably pink in the face. "You kept that? It was supposed to be a gag gift, Rook. Looking back, I'm actually kind of embarrassed about it. I really should have gotten you a more thoughtful gift."
"Do not be ridiculous. You saw the frame and you thought of me. That makes it a perfect gift," Rook insisted. "Besides. I love anything that you give me." Whether it was a paper airplane or a strawberry smoothie or just kind words and a hand on his shoulder. Rook wouldn't want to give up those things for anything.
Ben gave him an odd look, then shrugged. "If you say so. Sure, I guess we can take a picture when we're done shopping. Uh, here." He grabbed a white shirt from a hanger, with sleeves that were supposed to reach to the forearms but only made it as far as Rook's elbows when Ben held it against his chest for comparison. "Can't go wrong with an undershirt," Ben said. "Anything else you have planned for this day off, or are we going to spend the day shopping?"
"I have other plans," Rook assured him with a secretive little smile. "They are a surprise, though. All I will tell you is that we need to be finished by ten o'clock."
"Sounds fun! I love surprises," Ben said. He lowered the shirt that he was holding with a thoughtful frown. "You sure you don't want to wait until Gwen is in town to do this? She has more of an eye for fashion than I do."
Rook shook his head. "No, I do not care if the outfits are fashionable or not. I simply want something casual to wear and I enjoy spending as much time with you as possible."
A pink flush crept its way across Ben's face. "Yeah?" He swallowed and then visibly shook off his embarrassment. "I like spending time with you, too, Rook. You have fur, so we probably shouldn't be looking at sweaters. I know it's winter, but come on, let's see if they have any short sleeves."
They did, in fact, have short sleeves, and after letting Ben drag him around most of the men's clothing section, Rook dumped an arm full of clothes onto the checkout counter. He had mostly long pants, since his legs were very long by human standards already, and a few long sleeves that Ben said would look good if he layered them. Mostly, though, Rook had short and mid-length sleeves — his favorite was a graphic tee that was far too big for him that said "BEN 10'S #1 FAN" in obnoxious bubble font with an arrow pointing up at his face. The best part was that the shirt was neon green with black text, so it would be pretty much impossible to go unnoticed in a crowd. Ben had playfully groaned and rolled his eyes when he saw it, but Rook planned on wearing it immediately. And if Ben really didn't like it, then Rook would delegate it to a sleep shirt. Personally, Rook thought that it was the height of fashion.
"We can probably get my mom to tailor some of this stuff to fit you better," Ben was saying as their purchases were being rung up. "She's not a professional, I mean, but she could at least get the hem of the shirts to fit your waist, and probably tighten the sleeves, too."
"Oh! Pardon me, Ben," Rook said suddenly. "I just remembered something else that I wanted to purchase. Please give me a moment."
He left a befuddled Ben at the checkout and rushed over to the flower stand at the end of the checkout rows. Rook quickly spotted the label for the flower that Ben suggested — forget-me-nots. Despite himself, Rook smiled. Ben's sense of humor had taken an adjustment period, but Rook appreciated the irony and the word play. This flower was probably supposed to be used to accent a bouquet, like baby's-breath, but Rook didn't think that Ben would care.
He hurried over as the woman behind the checkout had finished ringing them up. "These as well, please," Rook said as he handed them to her.
The woman had a knowing look in her eyes. In hindsight, it was clear why she and Sandra both looked so smug whenever Rook would buy flowers. "For that special someone, hm?" She asked cheekily, scanning Rook's purchase.
It took everything in him not to glance at Ben. "Yes. I think they make a lovely choice for a gift," Rook said.
"You have a good eye," the woman complimented as she rang up the total. "I'm sure she'll love them."
Well, Rook certainly hoped that Ben liked them — he had been the one to suggest them, after all.
With his clothes in a bag grasped in one hand and his bouquet clutched in the other, Rook led the way back out to the Proto-TRUK. He could tell that Ben was curious about the flowers, but so far, he hadn't asked, probably incorrectly assuming that they were for Rayona.
"Do you mind waiting out here while I get changed in the back of the TRUK?" Rook asked. "I want to get out of my armor as soon as possible."
"Sure, dude. Go ahead." Ben shrugged one shoulder. "Might as well see how they fit while we're still here, since you didn't use the changing rooms."
Why would he bother? Rook already knew that they wouldn't fit him correctly. "I will be fast," he promised, climbing into the back of the TRUK and setting his bag down. The flowers were set aside as well, just with more care.
Rook knew exactly what he wanted to wear. He selected his Ben 10 graphic tee and a pair of jeans, smiling to himself. It was the exact opposite of professional, and they didn't fit right to his proportions at all, but Rook felt better with his armor and bodysuit stripped off and his hands bare. He looked down at himself and giggled. Brallada, this was so stupid. He loved it.
As soon as he stepped out of the TRUK, flowers in hand, Ben groaned. "Dude, seriously?" He mock-gagged, hiding his eyes behind his hand. "That shirt is an eye-sore. At least put on a jacket or something so you aren't walking around looking like a lime."
"You wear bright green clothes with the number ten on them all the time," Rook shot back, hands on his hips. "I do not see how this is any worse."
"Those are two completely different things!" Ben protested. "I offset the green with black or white. It's a brand, Rook, not a crime against people with eyes."
"It must be in style for someone, otherwise they wouldn't sell it," Rook countered triumphantly.
Despite himself, Ben smiled, hiding a chuckle with his hand. "In style for middle school boys, maybe…"
The fact that he got Ben to laugh was a win as far as Rook was concerned, and he was grinning hard enough to hurt as he climbed into the driver's seat of the Proto-TRUK. The bundle of forget-me-nots were set in the cup holder. "We can discuss the merits of my fashion faux pas, as it were, at a later time. We have somewhere else to be right now, Ben."
"Oh, yeah?" At this point in the day, Ben was responding to Rook's unusually good mood with humor of his own. "And where might that be?"
"It is a surprise." Rook felt bold enough to punctuate his statement with a wink.
Before turning back to the wheel, he got a glimpse at Ben's reaction: confused, mostly, with a pink tint to his face that was either because he was flustered or because it was cold outside. Clearly, Rook was going to need to step up his flirting game. He was certain that Ben would figure out what was going on before the day ended, though. He wasn't as stupid as he liked to let people believe.
They rode in a companionable silence, with Ben humming along to a song in his head while tapping rhythmically on the dashboard. He had his other arm propped up on the window sill, cupping his chin while he gazed at the passing scenery. Rook spent more time looking at Ben than at the road, admittedly. He was still marveling at the novelty of all of this — not necessarily the relief of potentially being free of the time loop, but rather at all of the stars that had to align and all of the coincidences that needed to happen and all of the tiny pieces to click into place for Rook to end up where he was.
Out of infinite opportunities, Rook had to imagine that there were trillions and trillions of outcomes in which he never met Ben at all. And if Professor Paradox was to be believed, rarely did Rook recognize what a gift he had been handed. No more. He wasn't going to let Ben go another day without knowing that he was loved.
After a short drive downtown, Rook pulled over and parked outside of the pharmaceutical building that was still a half hour short of having a hole blown in the side of it. It had been a while since he last saw their suspect, but Rook didn't doubt his ability to pick out one of Fistrick's thugs in a crowd.
"What are we doing here?" Ben wondered as he stepped out of the TRUK, looking around. "I'm pretty sure that places like this can't give you medicine directly. You need to go to a pharmacy."
"Not to worry. We are not here as customers, we are here as security," Rook said.
He started walking without waiting for Ben to answer, following the sidewalk around the back of the building. That was where they'd suspected the attacker had infiltrated the building and, sure enough, Rook almost immediately spotted a young man who clearly didn't belong, loitering near the back door. He was wearing an ill-fitting lab coat over clothes that clearly weren't part of the approved work uniform, with a lumpy black backpack over one shoulder. There were no visible tattoos on him, and he didn't look nearly as muscled as Fistrick, lending some credence to Rook's theory that this young man hadn't even been around long enough to earn being called a "thug."
Thankfully, Rook didn't look anything like a Plumber at the moment. When the young man noticed Rook and Ben, he merely turned his head away, keeping them in the corner of his vision while still looking casual. About as "casual" as someone who clearly didn't work here loitering around near the exit could be, anyway.
"Excuse me?" Rook called as he walked over — Ben followed, confused but silent. "Perhaps you can help me with something. See, I have it on good authority that there will be an attack on this building in no less than thirty minutes, with the aim of stealing experimental performance enhancers." He paused for suspense, watching the expression of the young man flicker through a mix of surprise, fear, and anger. "You would not happen to know anything about that, would you?"
"Rook," Ben hissed, tugging hard on his elbow, "you can't just walk up to a stranger and accuse him of being here to commit a crime. What are you doing?"
He could tell that Ben didn't mean just this particular incident. Rook had been behaving oddly today — in comparison to how Ben remembered him, anyway — and he knew it. But as unsubtle as his methods were, Rook was convinced that this encounter could end without them coming to blows or even needing to perform an arrest.
"It was a simple question. I could have asked anyone," Rook defended himself. "Besides, no crime is presently being committed, so technically, no one in the immediate area has done anything wrong." He looked at his suspect while he said that last bit, so that the young man knew exactly what Rook was talking about.
The implication wasn't missed, and the young man bared his teeth, looking torn between running and swinging his fist. "Nothing that you can prove, Redspot," he spat.
Ben snorted on a laugh, using his hand to cover it. "Sorry, I just— So, Rook is right? You're here to steal some experimental pills?" He asked. The young man didn't reply, but Ben didn't wait for a response before asking, point-blank, "Why?"
Whatever the man had been expecting Ben to say, it wasn't that. He stared for a second, then blinked, visibly caught off guard. "What? What do you mean why? Isn't this sort of mark pretty on-brand for the boss?"
That was as good as a confession that he was working for Fistrick, and technically, Rook had full legal grounds to arrest the man for premeditated arson. Or, at the very least, theft.
But the thought never even seemed to occur to Ben, who stepped around Rook and closer to a potentially armed suspect. Rook tensed, despite knowing that Ben could more than handle himself against an ordinary human. The idea that he ought to be concerned for his physical well-being never even occurred to Ben, though. As usual.
"Yeah, no, you're right about that," Ben said, making casual conversation as if he was chatting up his neighbor instead of a strange man with a bomb. "I just mean, like… Why are you working for Fistrick. Not to brag, but I've beaten up plenty of his thugs." Ben flashed the Omnitrix with a smile, not seeming to notice the dawning sense of horror on their perp's face. "I don't recognize you, though, so you're a new recruit, aren't you?" Hesitantly, and visibly intimidated now, the man nodded. "I thought so. I guess what I mean is… You barely look like you're older than me. Don't you have better things to be doing with your life? Like going to college, or finding a girlfriend, or maybe a job that doesn't have so much risk involved? Or… Literally anything else?" Ben waved his hand flippantly. "I mean, you could be a graffiti artist living out of your parents' basement! Why Fistrick, dude?"
Being called "dude" by the Wielder of the Omnitrix seemed to break the last of the man's composure. "It's— It's complicated. You wouldn't understand," he said, hesitant, as if trying to convince himself more than Ben.
"I don't know. You'd be surprised," Ben said. When he didn't get a response, he tried again with, "If you don't want to talk, that's fine. Mind if I take a stab at it anyway, though?" Again, Ben continued without waiting for an answer. "You felt alone and isolated. Fistrick and his other lackeys have something more important than big muscles — friendship. They make you feel seen. It's worth it to do stuff like this just because he asked you to as long as you get to go back to a group that makes you feel respected." He paused. "Am I close?"
There was a pause. The man looked at Ben with surprise and, slowly, turned to face Ben more fully. "...Yeah. How did you know all of that?"
"I've been there," Ben said with a shrug, as if admitting such a vulnerable thing to a stranger was easy. "Instead of chasing people like Fistrick, though, you should probably seek friendship from people who won't get you put in jail."
The man snorted. "Oh, hell, why didn't I ever think of that? Of course I've tried looking. These guys are the only ones that get it."
What there was to "get," Rook couldn't say, but he didn't say anything. Ben had been handling this situation on his own so far and Rook wanted to see how he would stick the landing.
"Don't be ridiculous," Ben sighed. "There's more than a handful of people in the world that you can relate to, you're just not looking hard enough, or in the right places. Trust me. You should have some more self-respect, dude. You don't need to join up with the first gang that gives you the time of day. Then again, you might make some friends in prison. Which is definitely where you're going if you blow up a building."
At first, Rook wasn't sure if that was the right thing to say or not, but before he could interject, the young man laughed. It was a sad, quiet chuckle, his head hanging. "What am I even doing?" He muttered, and he shrugged the inconspicuous backpack off of his shoulder before dumping it into Ben's arms. Just like that, he walked off without another word.
Once the man was out of eye-sight, Ben set the backpack down and unzipped it. Rook tensed all over again at the reminder that Ben was holding a bomb, but the assorted pieces inside were clearly inactive. It was enough for several home-made pipe bombs.
"Huh. Not Fistrick's usual style," Ben mused. "Must be some sort of initiation for the new guy." He zipped the backpack up again and set it over his shoulder, straightening back up. "We should probably get this back to base and let Grandpa Max know that Fiskrick is recruiting."
Rook could only stare. He had his eyes locked on the back of Ben's head, trying to coax the reverent expression off of his face before Ben turned back around. When he finally managed it, Rook cleared his throat and said, "What you said to him, about being seen… That was clearly very personal to you. Where did that come from?"
Ben smiled over his shoulder. "What? My file doesn't have the story about how I met Kevin?"
It didn't. Rook opened his mouth, but just as quickly closed it. He stared at Ben as if seeing him for the first time all over again.
Sometimes, the fact that Ben lived a life before him blindsided Rook. It shouldn't have been surprising, because obviously Ben didn't manifest out of existence just for Rook to meet him, but it wasn't something that Rook often thought about. Ben had enemies and friends and fond memories, all of which Rook had nothing to do with. His heart squeezed with longing. If Rook could do it all over again, he'd want to be part of it. It was crushing to know that there were things that Rook would never know about Ben — things out of reach only because of the march of time. Because Rook hadn't gotten here sooner. He wanted to watch Ben grow, and to be right by his side every step of the way.
And although those childish first steps were long in the past, Ben hadn't yet learned everything. Rook supposed that he was going to have to content himself with being there for every new experience.
"So," Ben said, interrupting Rook's pining. "How did you know that guy would be here?"
Ah. Right. Rook probably should have prepared a cover story for this — he'd been so focused on what he needed to do to keep disaster from happening today that he hadn't stopped to think about how it would look to Ben.
"Um, well…" Rook scratched his chin thoughtfully but, coming up blank, settled for an awkward smile. "... It's a secret?"
"Yeah, okay." Ben rolled his eyes, arms crossed. "That was cute when we were at the store looking for clothes, but that guy had a bomb. You came here like you knew exactly what we were looking for. How?" Rook opened his mouth— "And don't say that Grandpa Max told you," Ben cut in, "because you said when you picked me up that we've got the day off, so it doesn't make any sense for him to give you a mission debriefing." —and then Rook promptly closed his mouth.
After a moment, Rook hazarded, "...Would you believe that it was a lucky guess?"
Ben didn't need to answer — his flat stare said plenty even without words.
"Why does it matter?" Rook was blatantly trying to get out of this conversation now, and he had to fight not to squirm under Ben's scrutiny. "I have just been enjoying spending time with you, Ben."
"And that's another thing," Ben said, frustrated. "What is with you today? You're so… mellow, and happy. Why? Is it your birthday or something? A Revonnah holiday that no one told me about? You've been dragging me all over the place since I woke up. I think I have the right to know what's going on. Are you an imposter with a really good ID mask?"
Coming to blows because Rook was too happy hadn't been how Rook hoped this day would go. It made him feel worse about how he used to be. Having fun was, apparently, a red flag for Ben.
There was always the option of telling Ben the truth, but Rook didn't want to re-open that wound again. He wanted to pretend that this was the only Thursday of the week and — aliens and superpowers intergalactic justice aside — Rook wanted to just be normal with Ben.
"Alright. I know how this sounds, but…" Rook sighed — he didn't want to lie to Ben. "I believe that I have been having prophetic dreams of sorts." Technically, that wasn't a lie. Rook had, at one point, believed that he was experiencing prophetic dreams.
"Dreams?" Ben arched an eyebrow. "That seems more like Gwen's territory than yours."
Rook shrugged. "I do not understand it, either. But, thus far, the things I thought I had dreamt about have come true. There is another disaster that I would like to prevent," he admitted, "but I do not believe that I will need your help for the second thing, as nicely as you handled this one."
That got a little smile out of Ben. "Thanks. Was that your whole plan? Just walk up, start talking, and see what happens?"
"Well—" Rook coughed awkwardly. "Yes. In a manner of speaking. It worked, did it not?"
Admittedly, he hadn't planned the day out too thoroughly. Rook would have been happy to arrested the bomber before any crime had been committed, since they had the evidence that this was premeditated. But Ben didn't seem too concerned about letting their suspect leave, so Rook didn't worry about it. They had faced plenty of more difficult things than a misguided youth with access to ammonium nitrate and fuel oil.
"I guess it's a good thing that I'm so charismatic and charming," Ben said sarcastically, grinning in a way that he reserved only for the cameras.
It was sort of cute, but mostly, Rook felt saddened. Even when they were alone together, Ben couldn't stop playing a role, could he?
It wasn't Rook's place to delegate how Ben ought to behave, though, so he settled for a soft smile. "Yes," he agreed, completely without sarcasm. "The Plumbers would be lost without you. So would I."
Ben stared, his mouth hanging slightly open. He didn't seem to know what to say. There was normally a script to their interactions, but Rook wasn't playing his part anymore. It was difficult to take Ben by surprise most of the time, so Rook did his best to memorize the expression before it was hidden behind a mask again.
Sure enough, it only took a few seconds for Ben to recover. "Thanks, Rook. I'm glad someone finally noticed all of the heavy lifting I'm doing around here," he said in the same tone as before, trying desperately to stay on-script for what was now a one-man show. "Anyway, you said that there was something else you wanted to prevent. Are you going to fill me in on the details, or is this one another "surprise"?"
"This one is not a surprise. It is just boring," Rook told him with a tight smile.
It was hard to imagine the burning building and Ben's broken body with the word "boring," but Rook told himself that it didn't matter. The building wasn't going to burn today, and Ben would be fine.
He had to be fine.
"There is a building that is going to catch fire approximately an hour from now," continued Rook as he walked back to the Proto-TRUK. Ben followed, his face already scrunched in concentration like it always was in mid-battle when he was trying to come up with a strategy. "I am not yet sure about the bureaucracy surrounding getting a section of the local power grid turned off, but as soon as I figure out who to talk to for something like this, I will have that taken care of. It will be a localized blackout, but it should only last for a few hours. Long enough for this wind to die down, anyway." As if to punctuate Rook's statement, a gust of chilling wind blew by them, making him shiver. Funny — every time Rook remembered this day, he always thought of the heat of flames, not the biting wind.
"Good thing Mom made me wear a jacket," Ben commented, drawing his jacket tighter around himself before shoving his hands into his pockets. Neither of them was wearing gloves, and Rook had the ridiculous thought that he should offer to warm up Ben's hands, since his were covered in fur. Before Rook could figure out how to word such a request in a way that wasn't weird (a hopeless task), Ben continued, "And have you thought at all about how you're going to convince the guys in charge to shut off power? I think you're going to need something a little better than a "prophetic dream" for most normal people."
Rook paused mid-step. "... I had not thought that far ahead," he admitted sheepishly.
Ben snickered. "Yeah, I had a hunch that you didn't. But don't worry," he said proudly, clapping a hand on Rook's back. "Luckily for you, I'm something of a celebrity around here. I think I've got enough credibility to get away with saying "just trust me on this one," you know?"
As a matter of fact, Rook did not know. He didn't think that Ben being a celebrity automatically gave him credibility, although the superpowered-hero status probably did. Rook might have pointed something out to that effect, except that Ben's hand was still on his upper back, right between his shoulders, and warmth leached through his shoulder and fur and skin directly to his heart. For a moment, Rook closed his eyes and enjoyed it, the longing in his chest so acute that it made him ache.
Then Ben's touch fell away as he continued walking, not seeming to notice Rook's lovelorn-stare as he said, "Well, after we're done saving the day, we should have time to get lunch. Maybe see a movie or something?" Ben mulled over his options while Rook caught up with him. "Shit, I haven't had a day off in so long. We could play a video game. Or maybe go play soccer with the Kineceleran kids in Undertown?" It was touching that Ben kept including Rook in his afternoon plans. Rook was grinning, right up until Ben shot him a smirk and added, "Or we could always get a picture printed out like we were supposed to do back at the store."
Rook nearly slapped himself. "I cannot believe that I completely forgot when I was the one who suggested it," he groaned. He knew that it wasn't a big deal, really. If all went to plan, then Rook could always get a picture taken tomorrow. But that was the thing — what if it wasn't? What if Rook woke up tomorrow and the perfect day that he'd crafted dissolved into nothing, relegated only to his own memories?
It was probably stupid, but a part of Rook felt like he needed that picture — to be the staple that kept all of this from unraveling when he closed his eyes.
"Don't worry about it." Ben shrugged. "We can always get it after we eat lunch. We've got time."
By then, they had arrived at the Proto-TRUK, and Rook didn't feel like pressing the issue. Especially when he had no good reason to be upset about it. He nodded. "You are right," Rook agreed without feeling. "Plenty of time."
They both climbed into their respective seats and, as Rook started the engine, the small bundle of forget-me-nots that he'd purchased glared accusatorily from his cup holder. He was still waiting for the right time to give them to Ben. Not now, that was for sure. He would have to wait for the right moment to come to him — it might even end up being a good photo-opportunity.
Shutting off the power for the local grid wasn't as complicated as Rook feared it would be. As it turned out, it was as easy as looking up which company provided the electricity in their area and checking their website.
"Southern California Edison is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California," Rook explained to Ben as he read the fruits of his research off of his Plumber badge. "Last year, in response to the Califorian wildfires, they made a statement that they aim to replace three-thousand-and-four-hundred miles of overhead lines with insulated wire by 2025 to reduce the risk of them sparking."
Ben snorted. "Well, they had the right idea. They were just a little slow, I guess. Does it say anything useful?"
"Yes." Rook nodded, eyes glued to the screen. "Sometimes, SCE will shut off power to certain areas due to inclimate weather in order to reduce the risk of wildfires."
"That's great!" Ben paused. "They don't happen to have, like, a tip-line or anything, do they?"
"No, it seems to be a decision that is made by the higher-ups," replied Rook. He lowered his badge and started the TRUK, the location of the local substation loaded into his GPS.
"Great." With a sigh, Ben slouched down lower in his seat to wait out the drive. "Well, I can be pretty convincing. I'm sure that their customers would rather take a few hours without power over their homes being burned down."
In the end, it did take a lot of convincing (apparently, "Because I said so," wasn't a good enough reason, even coming from a world-famous hero), but their efforts paid off. It was nearing noon and there were no reports of a fire anywhere on the Plumber scanners — and Rook ought to know, because he double and triple checked. That meant that Rook officially had the full day just to spend with Ben.
He could have looked up good ideas for a first date, but it felt dishonest to trick Ben into something with romantic connotations. Still, Rook did want to spend time together, and he wanted a nice location to give Ben those flowers and explain his feelings. Unlike repeating what had happened in the time loop, Rook never got tired of telling Ben that he loved him.
The decision was made for him when, as soon as they returned to the Proto-TRUK, Ben buckled himself in and loudly proclaimed, "Man, saving the day really works up an appetite. I'm starving. What do you say we hit up Burger Shack for burgers, Rook?" Seeing the hesitation on Rook's face, Ben added in a sing-song tone, "They have a limited time meatball sub special."
"In that case, it is a date," Rook said, and for once, he wished that the literal meaning of a human phrase was applicable. At the sight of Ben's responding smile, though, Rook couldn't bring himself to be disappointed.
Twenty minutes later, and the sun was at its apex in the sky, unbothered by smoke or clouds. It was a pristine, normal day outside of the Burger Shack window, and Rook got comfortable in the cheap, plastic chairs while the wind whipped outside and the restaurant's heaters groaned in the background. The air was thick with the smell of onions and fryer oil — after so long spent on Earth, Rook had come to find it comforting.
He pretended to care about the view outside of the window while, in reality, glancing repeatedly at Ben while he waited in line to order for them. A part of Rook was still waiting for the moment where everything went wrong. There would be an explosion or the roof would inexplicably cave in, and Rook would be right back in that burning street — Ben buried beneath the rubble, his hair matted with blood, his rib cage caved in around a heart that no longer beat. Everything was going so wonderfully. Rook was scared to trust it. If he let himself hope only to wake up on a Thursday again, Rook wasn't sure what he would do.
"So, we have the whole day off, huh?" Ben asked as he set the tray of food on the table and took his seat. Rook was startled out of his thoughts, but Ben didn't seem to notice, popping a couple of fries into his mouth. "Man, I haven't had the day off in so long that I don't know where to begin. I guess I've got some games that I've been meaning to play through, but I don't really feel like hanging around at home."
If there was one thing that Rook liked about meatball subs, it was that the nature of eating them meant that table manners were temporarily pardoned. He dug into his sub like he hadn't eaten in two weeks which, honestly, was how Rook felt. For the first time in a long time, food had flavor again, and he almost wanted to cry. The sun was shining in through the window, Ben had ketchup in the corner of his mouth, and there was the steady hum of machinery and other customers as background noise. It was all so blessedly normal. It felt like Rook had been asleep for a long time and he'd finally woken up. Like he'd been seeing everything in black and white only for someone to come along and introduce him to color.
Like he'd been trapped his whole life in a bubble and it had finally popped.
"Did I forget to mention? We have the next two weeks off as well," Rook told him. "That way you can celebrate Christmas as well as your birthday without being bothered." It took several seconds of silence for Rook to realize that something was wrong. He looked up from his sandwich to meet Ben's stare, frowning curiously. "Is something the matter? I apologize if I overstepped any boundaries by asking on your behalf, Ben, and you can always talk to Magister Tennyson about returning to patrol if it bothers you."
"No." Ben shook his head. "It's not that. I mean—" He frowned, dipping one of his french fries into ketchup and dabbing at a napkin idly with it. "I could use the time off, I guess. I don't know, I've just… Never really thought of hero-ing as a job before, and it's weird to just clock in and out and tell them that I don't feel like showing up today. An afternoon off is one thing, but two weeks?" He frowned at the table top. "What am I going to do with myself for two weeks? I haven't had that much free time since I took the Omnitrix off…"
Rook smiled affectionately, reaching across the table to grab Ben's free hand. "Ben," he said softly, "the point of time off is to relax, and you are never going to relax if you are stressing yourself out over how to do so correctly. You are overthinking it."
He had never been one for pet names, but in that moment, it took everything in Rook not to say "darling" or "love." Two weeks ago, it would have scared him, how easily it came. Affection was constantly poised on the tip of his tongue and it took far more effort not to voice any of those thoughts than it did to profess his love — over and over and over again. Ben just made everything easy. Loving Rayona had never been so effortless.
"Oh." Ben finally put the fry that he'd been playing with into his mouth, though made no effort to remove the other one from Rook's grasp. He chewed and swallowed. "...I guess I am. I've never done this before. Usually, Gwen was the one forcing me to take it easy." He gave Rook a sheepish smile. "You don't mind if I cut that vacation time short, do you?"
"Of course not," Rook said immediately. "I am happy to play video games with you and to patrol with you, Ben. We can return to work at any point if you like."
Ben blinked. "Rook, that's nice, but you don't have to do that for me. You can enjoy your time off. I can handle things on my own for a few days." There was a tinge of annoyance in his voice, like he thought that Rook's offer was implying that Ben couldn't handle the mundane on his own.
Rook wondered why Ben was always assuming the worst in people who cared, and always extending the benefit of the doubt to people who had done nothing but hurt him. There had to be a story there, but Rook didn't ask. He didn't want to dredge up the past. He just wanted to fix the future.
"I know you can. You have misunderstood my offer." Rook clasped Ben's hand between both of his own, leaning in just a fraction. "I want to be with you, Ben. I do not care if we are "hanging out" or working. I would follow you anywhere."
He never got sick of the effect that his words had on Ben. While Rook smiled, content, Ben's face burned, and he squirmed in his seat. His hand twitched, like he was suddenly hyper-aware of Rook holding onto him and didn't want to seem rude by yanking away. Rook let go of Ben's hand, and Ben retracted it so quickly that a bystander might have thought he'd just touched a hot stove.
"What's gotten into you today, Rook?" Ben asked, looking more flustered by the second. "This isn't like you. You're being so…" His face scrunched up as he looked for the right word. "...nice to me. To an extreme degree. Are you sure you've been having "prophetic dreams" and didn't just slip and hit your head in the shower this morning?"
Rook's smile grew tight at the edges. That was a little harsh, but not at all unsubstantiated. He had to resist the urge to sigh. Maybe if he could finally spend Friday with Ben, Rook would finally be able to wake up in a world where Ben was not surprised to be loved. His surprise was more heartbreaking every time.
"Nothing is wrong with me, Ben. I promise," Rook said, returning to his meatball sub. It didn't taste as good as it had a minute ago. "I have not been brainwashed or replaced, and I have not suffered any recent blunt-force trauma to the head. I simply spent a while thinking about my life and what is important to me. You are important to me," he confessed, hoping that being direct would help Ben understand. "I do not see the point in pretending that you are not. Does it bother you?"
Ben's blush crawled across his face, turning him red from the tip of his nose to the tops of his ears. "N-No, that's not what I was— You're just acting like— I thought you might, um…" He trailed off, sinking down marginally in his seat. "...Nevermind. I'm glad you're happier. Let's just finish eating so we can figure out what to do next in the TRUK."
"We could visit Undertown. I remember you mentioning that you wanted to do some shopping for Gwendolyn's birthday gift." Rook was already mostly done with his sandwich, anyway. He had a large mouth and sharp teeth — human food did not take long for him to swallow.
Thankfully, his change of topic made Ben perk up, forgetting whatever had made him so flustered. "That's true! Last time I visited Ester, I noticed this wicked magic booth that— Hey, wait." He frowned. "How did you know? I'm pretty sure that I never told you about that."
Shit. Rook froze for a second, then bought himself time by shoving the last of the meatball sub into his mouth. He cleaned his face and hands with napkins at the table, taking his time to chew thoroughly before answering. All the while, Ben's glare grew more and more suspicious.
When Rook finally swallowed, it was painful. "I, um…" He drummed his fingers on the tabletop. "I… dreamt it…?"
Ben looked less convinced than ever of Rook's cover story, and his voice was thick with sarcasm when he said, "Well, it sure is convenient that the powers-that-be who gave you prophecy dreams included my shopping list."
There was an awkward lull. It was clear that Ben didn't believe Rook's excuse, but by the same token, Ben was not a nosy person. This was something that Rook clearly didn't want to talk about, and he wasn't hurting anyone with his secret knowledge, so there was no reason for Ben to push other than personal curiosity.
So, of course, Ben dropped it. He sighed and took a bite out of his burger. "Whatever. Let me finish up and we'll head over to Undertown. I need to find something for Kevin's Christmas present, too. Do you know any good stalls for car parts?" He asked, clearly trying hard not to let Rook's dishonesty bother him.
Rook hoped that Ben could tell how much he appreciated the discretion, and nodded. "Yes," he said, leaning over to snag one of Ben's fries. "I know where we can find some high-level automobile adaptations. After we get done shopping, Ben, there is something that I want to tell you."
The promise of an explanation "later" made Ben relax. Rook wasn't planning on talking about the time loop or the events of the day, though.
He had their whole shopping trip to figure out where he wanted to tell Ben — for the true first time — that Rook loved him.
Once they'd both finished eating, Rook drove them to Undertown. He hadn't been there for the express purpose of shopping in a while, and he enjoyed browsing through what the vendors had with Ben. Now that he wasn't in his armor, Rook noticed that the vendors were more relaxed and friendlier towards him… Although they were a lot more brazzen about trying to scam him, so maybe he'd have to take the good with the bad.
Shopping made him realize that he didn't have a gift to get Ben for his birthday, or any gifts for his friends on Christmas. Ben hand-waved Rook's concerns, saying that he'd only been on Earth for less than a year and no one would expect him to dive right-in to the gift-buying customs, but then he was strangely tight-lipped when Rook asked if anyone had purchased a present for him, which made Rook fret all over again.
The problem with buying a gift for Ben, even at an alien market, was that Ben didn't want anything. He was not the type of person who cared about material possessions, and every time Rook tried to subtly ask for his opinion on something, Ben would shrug and reply with some variation of, "I don't care either way."
It was maddening.
Even more frustrating was that Ben apparently had no problems buying gifts for others. Ten minutes in, he already had a gift for both Gwendolyn's birthday and for Christmas, as well as buying something for Kevin under Rook's advice. The rest of the hour that they spent in Undertown was Rook searching for (and failing to find) a suitable gift for Ben. In between stalls, he tried to think of where he could take Ben to confess to him, but nothing was coming to mind. As his time ticked down, Rook grew more and more impatient, though he tried not to let his agitation show. He wanted this to be perfect.
On their way out of Undertown, they were interrupted by a cry of, "Ben!"
Rook found himself automatically reaching for the Proto-Tool that he didn't have on him, cursing his luck — people shouting out Ben's name was never a good thing. Ben barely even reacted, until a black-and-blue blur crashed into his leg, sending him stumbling into Rook. He set a hand on Ben's elbow to help steady him, and they both peered down at the culprit of that shout: one of the Kineceleran children, obviously. Rook didn't know this one's name.
Apparently, though, Ben did. "ML-E! Playing by yourself today?" He asked playfully.
"I was playing with E-N, but he's a sore loser." ML-E flicked up her visor to make a displeased expression, then snapped it right back down, as if ready to take off running any second now. "Are you off of work? Are you here to see Ester? Do you want me to take a message to her?" She asked excitedly.
"Uh, sure." Ben thought for a moment. "Tell Ester that I've got two weeks off and I'm totally looking forward to spending time with her tomorrow."
Ben had barely even finished when ML-E was racing off again, kicking up dust and rattling the stalls that she passed on her way. Rook stared after her, perplexed.
"I do not understand," he said at last. "Would it not be simpler to text Ester yourself?" The fact that Ben hadn't immediately jumped at the opportunity of two weeks off to spend with his girlfriend probably said everything that needed to be said about their relationship.
"Well, yeah, but this is more fun," Ben said with a grin. "The kids love to run, and T8-M isn't going to complain if her daughter comes home tired. I bet the other parents probably feel the same."
He'd already known that Ben was a thoughtful person but, again, Rook found himself momentarily stunned by just how deeply Ben's care ran. He knew all of these kids' names and had spoken to their parents. He wasn't just nice to kids for as long as they stuck around and forgot about them when they weren't around; he cared. There was a surge of domesticity in Rook's chest, not unlike what he'd felt on Revonnah.
Rook opened his mouth to say something stupid like, "I want to start a family with you," but was saved from the embarrassment when ML-E skidded to a stop in front of them.
"Ester said that she's busy tomorrow, but she's looking forward to the rest of your break!" She said, flipping her visor up. "She's got plenty of date ideas, so you don't need to worry about planning."
"Oh, really?" Ben's smile turned strained. "That's great news. Thanks for playing messenger, ML-E." He took a tayden out of his pocket and handed it to ML-E, whose face lit up in delight. "Say hi to your mom for me, yeah?"
"Sure! Thanks, Ben!" ML-E chirped happily. She wrapped his leg in a brief hug before taking off, her laughter audible through her visor.
Ben kept walking as if they hadn't been interrupted in the first place. Keeping pace, Rook couldn't help but voice the question burning at the back of his mind. "Is something wrong? Your mood shifted dramatically when ML-E brought back Ester's message."
"Hm?" Ben blinked. "Oh, that. It's nothing," he said with a dismissively flick of his wrist, then pointedly shook his other hand, which was holding a cloth bag that had his purchases in it. "Do you want to keep shopping? We can if you want to, but after visiting a hundred stalls and coming up empty, I think you should just cut your losses."
Any other day, Rook would have taken the hint and let it drop. Not this time, though. He set his hand on Ben's shoulder to stop him. "You do not have to talk to me, Ben, but if you want to, I am always willing to listen," he said. "I suspect that you are not as happy with Ester as you pretend to be."
"I'm not pretending," Ben snapped, whirling on him. "Of course I'm happy with Ester. She's my girlfriend. And she's nice and funny and good at soccer and confident—"
Rook arched an eyebrow. "But…?" He pressed.
With a sigh, Ben deflated. "But…" He hedged, shoulders slumping and his feet dragging as he started walking again. "But the more time I spend with Ester, the more I start to think that I'd be happier if we were friends," he confessed. "It's not even that I don't love her romantically, because I definitely know what that feels like, and I do. I just don't think that we work in a relationship. She's clingy, and… touchy." Ben made a face. "And she takes it personally when I don't want to spend time with her. Like Julie did." He hunched in on himself, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. "I've got two weeks off and she wants to spend as much time as possible together, which is… fine, I guess, but if I want to do something alone then she thinks I'm upset with her or I don't want to spend time with her at all. I don't think I'm cut out for dating, Rook," Ben sighed. "I mean, the same problem two relationships in a row? Maybe I'd be better off single."
The fact that Ben had only had a grand total of two relationships weakened his argument somewhat, but Rook could see how such a thing would be discouraging. He racked his brain for something supportive to say.
"You know what they say," Rook replied at last. "Third time's the charm." And, deciding "fuck it," he winked. Maybe twice in one day was over doing it, but the effect was immediate.
Ben nearly stopped walking, tripping mid-step and stumbling to catch himself. His face was pink, but after his initial surprise, he laughed. "Rook! You just used a human phrase correctly! We should get smoothies to celebrate."
It was obvious by the way Ben was avoiding eye contact that he understood the implications of Rook's flirtation and didn't want to talk about it. So Rook didn't push it. He nodded. "We should have plenty of time to get smoothies and then return to your home for dinner."
"At least that means I'll have some real food in my stomach tonight," Ben joked, and Rook laughed along with him, feeling the tension between them ease.
Whatever else, they were best friends first. Rook's feelings didn't have to change anything if Ben didn't want that.
It wasn't until they were leaving Mr Smoothy's with drinks in hand that Rook remembered the one thing that he kept forgetting to do. He had a reminder so violent that he nearly tripped over the curb and face-planted in the parking lot.
"Ben!" He whisper-hissed, grabbing Ben by the arm in his urgency. "We never took a photo together! Do you know what time the photo section of the store closes?"
"Uh, I'd assume they close at five?" Ben guessed. "Don't worry, we can still get it."
"How?" Rook gestured wildly with his smoothie cup. "I have not even thought of the perfect backdrop, and even if I had, we do not have enough time to get there and back before five o'clock."
With a snort of laughter, Ben pulled his phone out of his pocket with his free hand. "Backdrop? You're thinking too hard about this, Rook. Look, c'mere." Without waiting for Rook to lower himself, Ben slung the arm holding his smoothie cup around Rook's shoulders, yanking him so close that their cheeks brushed. "Say cheese!" Ben said, snapping a picture.
As Rook blinked away the flash, he started to protest, but quieted himself when Ben shoved his phone into Rook's face for him to see the photo. It wasn't perfect, but it was exactly the kind of photo that Rook wanted for his frame. It was spontaneous and fun, and while Rook looked befuddled, Ben's grin was wide enough to split his face. The background was the street behind them, but Ben was right — that part didn't matter. The photo of them together was the important part.
"I can order it on their website now," Ben said, already scrolling through the options on his phone. "Then we can pick it up and head over to my place for dinner. What do you think?"
Rook bit his lip, thinking hard. Now that the picture had been taken, he felt sort of silly for being so stressed about the whole thing. He sighed. "We might as well pick it up tomorrow. If I carry it around with me, it is likely to get creased or misplaced."
"Well, I mean…" Ben hedged. "If you're so eager to get it framed, we can just swing by your place and put the picture away while you drop off your clothes and grab some pajamas. I mean, you did sort of invite yourself over to my place for dinner," he said with a smile, "so you might as well go ahead and spend the night."
Had he invited himself? Rook blushed in embarrassment. "I… I did not mean to…" He started trying to backtrack, but Ben didn't look upset. He looked sort of hopeful, actually. It reminded Rook of the child-like eagerness that Ben had displayed the last time he'd asked Rook to stay the night.
He could never deny Ben of anything. And, frankly, Rook didn't think he would be able to sleep alone. Not tonight. Even if the fear of waking up alone tomorrow made him feel like he couldn't breathe.
"I would love to," Rook settled on. "We should get going if we are going to make it to the store before their photo center closes for the evening."
"What are you waiting for, then?" Ben asked as he opened the driver's side door. Rather than go around, he flung himself into the passenger's seat, sprawled haphazardly in a way that almost certainly violated road safety laws. "Pedal to the medal, Rook!" He declared, gesturing dramatically with his smoothie cup and nearly spilling it all over Rook's upholstery in the process.
It was a good thing that Ben had moved away, because if he'd been in arms' reach, Rook would have kissed him.
Despite Ben's urging, Rook did not, in fact, "put the pedal to the medal." He drove at the exact speed limit, and they arrived at the store with only a few minutes to spare. The disgruntled employee at the photo center didn't seem pleased to have a customer right before closing time, so Rook did his best to make the purchase as quick as possible and left. He had the glossy photo in a small envelope to keep it from getting torn or dented on the drive back to the base.
By the time they got back to the Plumber base, their smoothies were empty. Rook tossed the empty cups into the closest bin as he and Ben left the garage. It was a bit of a bizarre feeling, keeping up mundane conversation with Ben while his thoughts raced and his heart pounded. Everything around Rook was so normal, but he felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff. He had wanted this for so long. Of course, putting a photo into a frame wouldn't fix anything, especially if Alien X had failed and tomorrow was going to be Thursday again anyway, but doing this made Rook feel better. Like it was a good omen. He had the forget-me-nots he'd purchased for Ben with him, too. Rook felt like he was going to need them.
"Wow, I figured that you weren't one to decorate, but I didn't expect this place to be so empty," Ben remarked as they stepped into Rook's room. From Ben's perspective, this was his first time here. He glanced around, but it was a small room — there wasn't much to see.
"I have thought about decorating," Rook said as he crossed to his nightstand. The picture frame was right where he'd left it that morning, and still just as empty. "But I do not know what I would decorate with. Posters, perhaps? Or maybe figurines on the shelves, like what you have?"
"Your bookshelf looks kinda full for that, dude." Ben scrunched up his face thoughtfully. "Hang on, do you even watch TV? It's going to be hard to buy merchandise for you if you're not a fan of anything," he said.
It was a good thing that Ben had forgotten that Rook wasn't supposed to know what his bedroom looked like — that slip-up probably would have been difficult to wave off.
Rook smiled. "I know one thing that I am a fan of." He gestured to his shirt.
Ben mock-gagged, raising one hand to block his view of Rook's shirt. "And just when I'd nearly managed to forget that you paid money for that abomination. Thanks for reminding me."
After he stopped laughing, Rook handed Ben the envelope with their photo in it. "Can you hold this while I put my clothes away?" He waited for Ben to take it, then moved towards his modest dresser with his purchases in hand.
It was as Rook had finished folding everything and putting them away that he heard the sound of something tearing. Startled, he turned to look over his shoulder, and found Ben sitting on the edge of his bed with the envelope torn open. Rook opened his mouth to protest, only to close it again as he watched Ben put their picture into the frame and then tighten the back of it.
"What do you think?" Ben asked with a grin, holding the frame up. "I definitely got my good side, don't you think?"
The frame was still as glittery and pink and hideous as Rook remembered. The letters "BFF" seemed to gleam in the fluorescent lights. They both looked so happy in the picture. Rook felt his chest squeeze and his throat close up. He blinked them away.
"Every side is your good side," Rook replied, his voice thick with emotion.
The smile slipped off of Ben's face. He set the photo down on Rook's nightstand, next to the alarm clock that he hadn't set for over two weeks now, and got to his feet. "Rook, are you okay?" Ben paused. "Sorry, um, did you want to put the picture in? I know that this was important to you for some reason, I just… got bored and started to fiddle," he said apologetically.
It was sweet that Ben was trying to be understanding and accommodating while still having very little idea of why Rook was acting the way that he was.
Rook shook his head. "No. The picture is fine. I actually like it better this way," he admitted.
And he did. It felt right, somehow, to have Ben slide that picture into place. It was a perfect fit, too, not like the photo strip they'd gotten at the arcade that stuck out of the frame. Rook wasn't one for good omens or karma or religion, but he almost felt like everything was going to turn out okay.
It felt like he'd been Atlas, with the weight of the world on his shoulders, and Ben had just lifted it away.
Ben still looked concerned. "If everything is fine, why are you crying?"
Was he? Rook reached up to feel beneath his eye, and was mildly surprised when his fingers came away damp. He scrubbed the moisture away, knowing that it would make his fur look bushy.
"That is a good question," Rook murmured. Why was he crying? Nothing was wrong. This day had been perfect, actually, to the point that Rook was half-convinced that he had dreamt it all.
Then he glanced at Ben, still waiting patiently for a reply, and Rook had his answer.
With a soft laugh and a shake of his head, Rook said, "Because I love you."
That was the crux of it. It meant everything to Rook that tomorrow might actually be Friday, but more than that, he was grateful for the time loop. As miserable and terrible as it had been at points, Rook loved himself, and he loved Ben, and he loved that they'd get the chance to grow old together — even just as friends, if that was what Ben wanted.
"When you say "love"..." Ben trailed off, looking like he already knew the answer. "You don't mean as friends, do you?"
"Of course I do," Rook interjected. "I love you as my best friend, Ben… And more," he acknowledged. "I love you however you want to be loved. Be it as a friend, a brother, a co-worker, or something more intimate." He smiled and shrugged, taking a step closer. In his hands, Rook held the bundle of forget-me-nots, which Ben took impulsively when Rook handed them to him. "I just want to love you."
And what he didn't say was: "I love you when you're stuck to my side the whole ride to the hospital, I love you when you're laughing at my video game failures, I love you when you've just gotten done throwing up, when you're so frustrated that you're crying, when you're shying away from the cameras, when you're glaring down my father, when there's snow in your hair and when there are Christmas lights reflecting in your eyes and when you're drooling in your sleep."
Not because it wasn't true, but because Rook didn't want to dredge up memories that Ben didn't have. He wanted to create new ones. He wanted more moments together and a new reason to love Ben every single day. Rook wanted to lock their fingers and lean their foreheads together with equal reasons in their hearts; equally endless reasons to keep falling in love every morning.
There was a second where Rook worried that he'd made a mistake. Ben stood frozen, expression unreadable. When he finally spoke, all he said was, "Say it again."
Gladly.
"Ben." Rook took both of Ben's hands into his, entwining their fingers without his gloves in the way and marveling at the sensation. The flower stems got a little crushed in the process, but Rook didn't care. The intimacy was making his heart pound. "I love you. More than I have ever loved anyone or anything. I know that you do not return my feelings, but as long as you are happy, I do not care. I want to be a part of your life, in whatever capacity you will allow me to be."
For the first time in a long time, Rook had no idea what to expect. He held his breath as Ben stared at him, scrutinizing him carefully. Ben started to speak, then paused and reconsidered. Finally, he shook his head and gave a helpless little laugh. "Rook. Kiss me."
Somehow, even though he'd had no expectations, Ben had managed to completely blow them out of the water. But what else was new? His face burned beneath his fur and Rook choked. "What? Are you— Are you sure?"
"I wouldn't tell you to do it if I wasn't sure!" Ben grinned at him, anxiously squeezing Rook's hands tighter. "How am I supposed to know whether or not I like something if I never try it? C'mon, Rook, do it. I know you want to. Kiss me before I change my mi—"
Letting go of Ben's hands, Rook cupped each side of his face and kissed him. It wasn't like pushing their mouths together to give him CPR, or hesitantly brushing his lips to someone who was too shocked to respond. This one was a proper kiss, Ben's lips moving against his and his hands pulling Rook closer, not pushing him away.
The rushed crush of their lips relaxed and Rook's hands did as well, his thumbs stroking along Ben's cheeks and jaw before he slid one into Ben's hair. It was just as soft as he imagined. Ben kept his hands on Rook's wrists, as if prepared to push him away at any moment, but he shuffled a little closer and tilted his head back to get a better angle and Rook just about melted into him.
When they did eventually break apart, it was at the same time. Rook was breathing heavily, although other than a flush to his face, Ben was mostly unaffected. Right. He'd had plenty of practice with kissing before, whereas Rook's relationship with Rayona had never been very physical, mostly due to distance.
"Well?" Rook asked, breathless, still cradling Ben's head. He was trying to prolong pulling away for as long as possible.
Ben arched an eyebrow, amused. "Well, I'm not magically in love with you, if that's what you're asking." He paused. "But I think that I could be." Stepping out of Rook's embrace, Ben fussed his hair back into place and his face returned to its normal color. "I'll have to think about it. I've been thinking about breaking up with Ester for a while, so that's not the real conflict. I guess that, uh…" He faltered, then gave a small smile. "I guess you'll just have to try to win me over and see what happens from there."
It was far, far better than anything Rook could have ever hoped for. His heart leapt up into his throat, and the sudden thought that this might all be erased in the morning was cutting and painful.
He forced himself not to think about it. Thinking about it wouldn't change a thing. Rook refused to ruin what was left of his evening by getting bog-downed with his stresses and worries.
"Ben…" Rook leaned their foreheads together, letting out a breathless chuckle. "I have been wanting to kiss you all day. Can I do it again?"
"Maybe some other time." Ben pulled away, but even as Rook's heart sank, Ben reached down to tangle their fingers together again. He gave a little tug, and smiled over his shoulder in a way that took Rook's breath away. Ben gestured playfully with his flowers. "Come on. Grab a bag and some pajamas. If we don't hurry up, we'll be late for dinner."
Unfortunately, Rook did have to let go of Ben's hand in order to grab a bag and stuff some clothes into it. He didn't try to take hold of Ben's hand again when they left his room, and Ben didn't try to take his, either. Maybe it was Rook's imagination, though, but he could have sworn that Ben was walking closer to him than he usually did. Their shoulders brushed a few times on the way to the TRUK, their pinkies brushing, and neither of them tried to add to the space between them.
The drive to Ben's home was quiet, but not awkward. Rook hadn't said all that needed to be said, of course, but he was content with this new level of intimacy to his friendship with Ben. He hoped that it would last into the next morning this time.
Rook wasn't very involved during dinner, either. He sat next to Ben and ate what Sandra had prepared without really tasting it. He did enjoy the atmosphere of the Tennyson household's dinner, though. It was so much different from how his family ate. Conversation was loose and boisterous, with the three of them often interrupting each other or going off on tangents. It was warm and comfortable. Rook thought that he could get used to it. He wished that his own parents could be more casual.
To Ben's credit, he did try to stay awake by getting Rook to play a Sumo Slammers video game with him, but much like the last time they had slept in Ben's room together, as soon as the lights were off and the blankets were spread out, Ben was pretty much swaying on his feet. It was as cute as it was concerning.
"You know, Ben, human adolescents your age need, on average, ten hours of sleep a night," Rook said conversationally.
They had their backs turned to each other while they changed into pajamas. Normally, Rook just slept in boxers, but he'd brought a shirt and a pair of shorts to sleep in this time, thinking that it would be less uncomfortable for Ben. While Rook waited for Ben to finish getting dressed, his eyes strayed over to the small flower vase on Ben's nightstand. The forget-me-nots had been placed there earlier (though, not without some teasing from Sandra).
A photo and some flowers... Rook hoped that they were both there in the morning.
Ben hummed in vague acknowledgement. "I'm not good at guessing, Rook," he teased. "If you're trying to tell me something, you're just going to have to come out and say it."
There was a pause while Rook made sure that he couldn't hear fabric shuffling anymore. When he was sure that Ben was dressed, he turned around, arms folded over his chest. Rook narrowed his eyes. "Fine. You ought to get some sleep. You look exhausted."
Facing him, Ben rolled his eyes. "Wow. Catch me, I'm swooning. You don't talk to all the girls like this, do you, Rook?" He laid down on the pile of blankets they'd placed on the floor, muffling a yawn.
After a moment of hesitation, Rook took a seat next to Ben, far enough away that Rook would have to lean over to touch him. "In human culture," he said slowly, "is this… weird? For us to be sleeping next to each other?"
"Uh…" Ben turned a little pink. "I think that varies a lot from person to person. But I don't think it's weird." He paused. "Why? Is it weird for Revonnahganders?"
Rook nodded. "Yes. 'Weird,' in this case, being substituted for the far more apt term: 'indecent.'"
The last time that he had slept next to Ben, Rook hadn't been in love with him. At least, not knowingly. It was different now: at least, for Rook it was. The intimacy here meant far more to him than a kiss did.
"Oh." His arms folded over his stomach, Ben stared straight up at the ceiling. Maybe it was easier to discuss these things if he didn't have to look at Rook directly. "If it bothers you, I can put a pillow wall between us or something."
"No. You are misunderstanding me." Rook laid down on his side, unabashedly staring at Ben. "Historically, Revonnahganders have been hunters and carnivores that lived a nomadic life-style, traveling in small, tight-knit packs. I have only ever slept near my siblings." Gradually, Ben turned his head to stare back at Rook, his expression unreadable. Rook continued, "I know that the same is not true of your species, but it means everything to me that you trust me enough to fall asleep next to me. It means even more that I can fall asleep next to you without the faintest hint of hesitation. When I say that I love you, I also mean that I trust you with my life."
The blush on Ben's face darkened. He twisted onto his side to face Rook, his hand on the blankets between them. It took everything in Rook not to take hold of it. "Thanks for telling me that, Rook," Ben said at last. "I trust you with my life, too."
Fuck it. Rook reached his hand over and set it over Ben's. A sharp thrill ran through him when Ben, rather than pull away, turned his hand palm-up beneath Rook's and interlocked their fingers together. Rook longed to be closer so badly that he could taste it, and despite that, he had never felt so at peace with another person.
"When I am with you," Rook murmured, like it was a secret, "I find that I am not scared anymore."
The first time that he had fallen asleep next to Ben, on the floor of Kevin's workshop, Rook had been terrified. He wasn't anymore. His breathing was calm and even, his pulse sure and strong. As much as it would hurt to wake up on Thursday again, Rook had made his peace with that possibility. No matter what happened in the morning, he would never stop loving Ben. He didn't think that he was capable of it.
Ben smiled, closing his eyes. "You're such a sap, Rook," he said, which was Ben's way of saying, "Me, too."
After that, neither of them spoke. Rook watched Ben sleep until his breathing evened out and his body relaxed into deep sleep. He gave Ben's hand (his Omnitrix hand) a small squeeze.
"Eternity doesn't seem so scary when you have someone to spend it with," Rook whispered to no one. He shifted a little closer to Ben and, with their hands still entwined, gradually fell asleep.
A/N: Fun fact! Forget-me-nots are poisonous. Interpret that however you like.
Ben retaliates against Rook's graphic tee by getting a custom shirt that says "ROOK BLONKO'S #1 FAN." It's not as catchy, I admit, but what's the point in going out in public if your boyfriend isn't embarrassed to be seen with you?
There is one chapter left, everyone! This is the moment we've all been waiting for — did using Alien X work, or is Rook about to wake up on Thursday again? We'll find out whenever I finish writing it.
Please, please, please, feel free to pester me about this fic on my Tumblr! Leave comments about your favorite line, or a piece of dialogue that made you laugh, or just button mashes and heart emojis. Feedback of all sorts is what is pushing me through to finish this fic. Blow up my inbox and DMs to get this fic done. Send me screenshots of you gushing about this fic with your friends. Do a five-minute doodle on a post-it-note of a scene you really liked. Anything at all! I want to get the last chapter before the end of March, but I can't do that without the amazing support of my lovely readers.
Until I see you guys with the last chapter, stay awesome!