Lucky to Have Him
I'm back with another Gwevin story! This story takes place after the episode, War of the Worlds: Part 2, so fairly early on in Gwen and Kevin's relationship. I listened a lot to Aly & AJ's new album (a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out and then into the sun) while writing this story. The song Pretty Places definitely feels like a Gwevin song to me and the title of this story is inspired by my favorite song on the album, Lucky to Get Him. Anyways, the album is amazing, so make sure to check it out.
A quick shout out to Kevin Levin is my life, thanks for always encouraging me to write! Good luck with your semester!
Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10 and characters.
As Gwen returns home from the auto show with Kevin, exhaustion is the simplest way to describe how she is feeling. She's physically exhausted after successfully stopping the war with the Highbreed and DNAliens. But she's also emotionally exhausted, it has been a stressful and scary day.
She's not entirely sure how to explain what had happened to her on the Highbreed control tower, but transforming into her Anodite form for the first time was like nothing she had ever experienced before. And to be quite honest, she wasn't sure she ever wanted to experience it again. In that moment, she had felt the strongest she had ever been in her entire life. Her mind had never been clearer and she was confident she could have stopped the entire Highbreed invasion all by herself. But as soon as Kevin had convinced her to turn back, she felt foolish for thinking such things. She had the power to destroy them all, there was still no doubt about that, but she didn't know how to properly and safely use her powers. Worse of all, she didn't know if she could trust herself to use those powers responsibly. She had never drunk alcohol or taken drugs before, but she wondered if going Anodite is what being drunk or high felt like. The feeling that she could conquer anything without any faults or trouble. But she knew that feeling and lack of awareness came with dire consequences.
Thinking about what could have happened if Kevin hadn't been there to help her wouldn't solve anything. And if she is being honest, she's too tired to plan out what she could do to prepare herself for the next time she accidentally, or willingly, went full Anodite.
Her body has been on autopilot since Kevin accompanied her back home. As luck would have it, he had found a new car at the auto show. It's nothing compared to his old car but she knows he'll be able to not only fix it up but also upgrade it into a better version of his old one. They had driven back to Bellwood in his new car and he had dropped her off at home before heading back to his place.
Now, she stands in her bedroom, lost in her thoughts instead of getting ready for bed. Luckily, her parents were already in bed when she came back home. They thought she had been at a friend's house studying so they weren't worried about her coming home later than usual.
Trying hard to bury all her fears inside of her, Gwen busies herself with getting ready for bed. As quietly as she can, as to not wake her parents, she takes a shower to get rid of all the dirt and DNAlien slime on her body. She takes the time to check herself for any serious cuts or bruises that need tending and she's surprised to see there aren't many. She then makes her way back to her bedroom where she changes into the comfiest pair of pajamas that she owns. Looking over at the clock on her bedside table, she notices that it's already close to midnight. She's suddenly incredibly grateful to realize she had no school tomorrow as she climbs into bed.
Gwen then rolls onto her left side and closes her eyes, willing sleep to take over her.
Freedom. Flying around in a weightless body made of pure mana is freeing and powerful. She's never experienced anything like it. She doesn't care where she is or what time of day it is, Gwen only cares about flying. This is living life to the max, she never stops to enjoy it but as an Anodite, she can do just that and no one can tell her otherwise.
As she flies through the sky, blissfully unaware of her surroundings, Gwen hesitates for only a second before deciding to test out her limits. She's used to throwing balls of energy during a fight, but as she shoots one in front of her, she realizes how easy it is to do. She strangely remembers it taking a lot of energy and concentration. She shoots another ball of pure mana and is disappointed by how easy it was. She rapidly fires several balls of pink mana from her hands, not knowing when to stop because she doesn't feel exhausted or depleted. Once again it's too easy, not like how she remembers. At this realization, she decides that maybe she needs to absorb more energy to feel the same kind of exhaustion she feels after a battle fighting aliens with Ben and Kevin.
Gwen quickly scans the ground she's flying over. Up ahead she spots a park filled with trees. She can easily absorb them for more mana. She arrives at her intended location much faster than she would have expected, or should she say, what she's used to in her non-Anodite form. She keeps forgetting how much stronger she is now.
As she raises her hands above her head, she focuses on the mana, the life force, flowing inside of each tree. They are brimming with energy and she hungrily absorbs it all. She feels the energy enter through her head. Where in her weak human body there used to be hair, she now feels tentacles of sorts stretching out through the air in a star shape to grab as much energy as possible. As the mana enters her body she feels that same high she felt when she was fighting the Highbreeds on their control tower. Nothing but pure confidence, strength, and happiness. She can't help but laugh as she feels herself getting stronger. Why had she been so afraid of going full Anodite? Her grandmother had been right all along.
Gwen remembers seeing her grandmother Verdona do the same thing she is doing now and she can't explain how she had felt terrified watching her do so. She had been missing out. Being stuck in a human body is limiting and she deserves to live life to her fullest potential. If she took the time to learn how to properly control her Anodite powers, she could help Ben with more ease. Come to think of it, he would be the one helping her, if it ever even came down to that. She's positive she could take care of any threat to Bellwood or her family and friends all by herself.
But to do that, she needs more mana. Taking the energy from the trees wasn't going to be enough, it would run out eventually. Gwen concentrates harder, scanning the park she's in for more energy, something stronger than simple trees. Luckily she quickly finds what she is looking for and immediately focuses all her energy on absorbing that mana. Her eyes are closed in concentration, a smile forming on her face. Whatever she's found is filled with a lot more energy compared to the trees because she immediately feels a surge of power and she can't stop herself from absorbing it. But why should she stop?
"Gwen, please," a hoarse voice suddenly pleads with her.
Gwen opens her eyes in horror as she recognizes the voice that she's just heard. Somehow, both Kevin and Ben are lying on the floor near the trees. If she hadn't just heard Ben talk, she would have thought they were both dead. They look lifeless lying on the ground, as pink mana flows out of their bodies and into hers.
"You're hurting us, you have to stop," Ben begs, barely managing to keep his head raised to look up in her direction as she floats above them.
"I didn't see you, how did you get here?" Gwen replies as panic rises in her throat. She thought the park to be empty, with only trees, grass, and other elements of nature within it.
"Please Gwen, you've got to shut it down," Kevin says, looking at her with the same expression he did the last time she had gone full Anodite.
Horrified by her actions, Gwen closes her eyes as she tries to stop the absorption of mana. She wills the tentacles to stop reaching out for more energy. But her powers seem to have a mind of their own as they, instead, stretch out further and try to find even more energy.
"Hurry!" Ben exclaims, pain lacing his voice.
"I'm trying, but it's not working!" Gwen yells, her eyes opening in a panic. "I can't do it."
"I don't want to die," Ben whimpers, his eyes closing and his skin turning paler by the second.
"I don't want the power anymore, this was a mistake," Gwen cries, her hands clawing at her tentacles, urging them to stop reaching out for power, but they are stronger than she is.
"Then why did you do it?" Kevin asks, his voice barely above a whisper. Gwen glances down at him. Kevin is looking at her, his gaze full of disappointment and fear.
"No!" Gwen yells, as she watches the last flow of mana exit both Ben and Kevin's bodies.
Gwen wakes up in a panic, gasping for air, as the images of her nightmare still dance around her head. She's not sure the thought of Kevin and Ben's lifeless bodies lying underneath her as she absorbs all the mana out of them will ever leave her brain.
She can feel her heart racing as if it's trying to beat out of her chest. Her body is covered in sweat and suddenly everything feels too hot. She throws her blankets off of her body and sits up. But it's not enough, she still feels uncomfortable and unnerved sitting in her bed. She quickly gets up and walks to her window, opening it to let some fresh air in.
It seems to help. The cool air of the night hits her body, making her shiver. The uncomfortable sweat she had been feeling moments ago when she had woken up has already disappeared.
It was only a nightmare. That's the only thing she can tell herself as she tries to calm her breathing. It was only a nightmare. It doesn't mean that this will ever happen to her.
Logically, she knows everything she had thought in her dream wasn't true. She still stands by the fact that she doesn't want to become a real Anodite like her grandma Verdona desperately wants her to be. But this fact doesn't appease the reality that she didn't fully know how to control her powers. What was to say she won't one day lose control of her powers and hurt those who matter the most to her. She had been lucky to have Kevin by her side tonight when she had transformed. Concentrating on his voice had helped ground her and prompted her to change back.
"Kevin," she whispers aloud. Would he be awake right now? She turns around and glances at the alarm clock on her bedside table. It reads that it's now 3:32 AM. He was most definitely asleep, especially after the exhausting day they had both lived yesterday. She shouldn't bother him. He had already helped her enough yesterday. She would just need to handle this by herself.
It was definitely out of the question to wake her parents up like she used to do when she was younger. They would help calm her down after a nightmare by getting her a glass of water and reading her a story. She doesn't want her parents to find out about her nightmare, she doesn't even know how to explain it to them. They know she has Anodite powers, but they can't know she isn't able to fully control them. Her mom, especially, would freak out and stop her from ever using them again. Natalie doesn't need another reason to hate her dad's side of the family.
Her parents can't help her, but their methods will maybe still be able to do the trick. She slightly closes her bedroom window, leaving only an inch open to allow her room to air out. Gwen then quietly exits her room and makes her way to the bathroom. She grabs the spare cup her mom always kept on the bathroom counter for emergencies and fills it with cold water from the tap. She takes a sip and only realizes how thirsty she was once she's drained the entire cup. Gwen fills it up again before walking back to her bedroom, making sure to not make any noise as she tiptoes in front of her parents' closed bedroom door.
She slowly closes the door behind her. Gwen then grabs a book from her bookshelf. She doesn't often read for pleasure anymore, she's too busy studying or saving the world. But she does have a book series that she's read several times in the past, it's her comfort novel. She makes her way back to her bed, book in hand, and re-arranges her pillows so she can sit up and read for a bit. She also turns on her lamp which rests on her bedside table beside her alarm clock. Hopefully, this will do the trick and help her calm down enough to try to go back to sleep.
As she cracks the book open and starts the first chapter, she tries to chase all thoughts about her nightmare out of her head. As much as she wants to enjoy her story, she can't stop images of Ben and Kevin lying dead on the floor from flashing in her head. She tries to concentrate instead on the words written on the pages in front of her, but the sentences don't make sense. She's so lost in her thoughts and fears that she realizes she's been trying to read the same page for several minutes now.
Gwen closes the book in frustration and tosses it to the edge of her bed. She's too anxious to read. She draws her legs towards her and wraps her arms around them. She tries to control her breathing once again because, despite her best efforts, her heart has started racing again.
Why is she even afraid to go back to sleep? It was just a nightmare. There is no guarantee that she will dream of losing control again. But a small part of her, a voice inside her head, makes her afraid of the small chance that scenario is exactly what could happen.
Gwen sighs in frustration, trying not to cry. Crying would only make everything feel more real and she would not be able to calm herself if she let the feeling of panic take control. Determined to change her thoughts, she reaches for her phone on her bedside table. Scrolling through her social media feeds should do the trick. She rarely logs on, so she'll have plenty of pictures and posts by her friends and family to look at. That should be guaranteed to change her thoughts and put her to sleep.
But instead of pressing the social media app on the top right corner of her screen as she planned on doing, she finds herself instead pressing on the small icon shaped like a phone. Before she can either fully realize what she's doing or stop herself, Gwen presses Kevin's name, his contact saved as one of her favorites in her cellphone.
Gwen inhales sharply as she hears the first ring come out of the speakers on her phone. Is she actually doing this? What does she expect Kevin to be able to do? He probably won't even hear his phone ring, who's to say he keeps his ringer on during the night. And who's to say he'll even want to help her, she's the one waking him up in the middle of the night with the childish excuse of being too afraid to fall back asleep after a nightmare.
What was she thinking calling him? She is suddenly embarrassed by the fact that her first instinct was to call Kevin for help.
"Gwen?" Kevin's groggy voice says.
At the sound of her name, Gwen exhales sharply, realizing that she actually bothered Kevin and woke him up. God what was she doing, she had to apologize.
"Gwen?" Kevin says a bit more seriously this time. If she's not mistaken, he sounds worried? She really messed up by calling him and she feels bad. "What time is it? Is everything alright?"
Gwen feels herself open her mouth to tell Kevin that she's fine. She wants to tell him that this was a mistake, that she had accidentally called him, and that he should just go back to sleep. But no words come out of her mouth.
"What's going on?" Kevin asks again, the grogginess and confusion in his voice from moments ago now completely gone. She can hear muffled noises in the background of the call, he must be getting out of bed.
"I'm sorry," Gwen finally manages to spit out. "This was a mistake."
"What is? Just tell me what's going on," Kevin's voice is commanding but not at all angry. On the contrary, it's once again grounding and she feels able to finally, albeit somewhat properly, explain to him what's going on.
"I just..." she exhales, trying to sound calmer than she feels. "I had a nightmare, I'm okay. I just panicked and called you by mistake."
She expects him to reply and tell her it's okay and that he's going to go back to sleep now. But he doesn't. Kevin's voice doesn't fill her ear and she can't hear him moving around anymore. Did he hang up on her in frustration after realizing there wasn't an actual emergency?
"Kevin?" she asks quietly, the confusion she feels betraying her. She cringes at how sad she sounds.
"Yeah, I'm still here," Kevin immediately replies, and as he does, the muffled noises in the background start back up again.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called you. You can go back to sleep," the teen says honestly, hoping Kevin won't be too mad at her foolishness.
"Are you going to be able to go back to sleep?" Kevin's question takes her by surprise.
"Eventually," Gwen answers honestly. But once again, her voice betrays her and she knows she sounds unsure about her reply.
"What was your dream about?" she hears him ask her.
She knows Kevin won't judge her for what she dreamed of, but she finds herself too scared to even mention what it was about. Panic starts to grip her once again at the simple thought of reliving her dream, even if it's just by telling Kevin about it.
"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," Kevin reassures her as she fails to answer his question.
"Thanks," she replies quietly, grateful that he's not pushing her past her limits.
"Give me 10 minutes and I'll call you right back okay?" Kevin gently instructs as the sounds in the background that were once muffled are now becoming louder.
"You don't have to Kevin," Gwen replies, instantly feeling regret for waking him up and making him feel like he needs to take care of her.
"I promise I'll call you back in 10 minutes," Kevin repeats, ignoring her protests.
"Okay," Gwen hears herself say, caving in to her fear and the need to be comforted after her nightmare.
"Okay," Kevin confirms, satisfied that she's agreed.
Gwen hears the line go dead as Kevin hangs up. She places her phone down on the bed. She buries her face in her hands. She was a mess. She's never once experienced a situation like this. She feels panicked yet it feels silly to be this worked up about a dream. She tries to control her breathing once again as she waits for Kevin to call her back.
The sound of her phone ringing pierces the silence that has enveloped her room. Has it already been 10 minutes since she's last spoken with Kevin? Too focused on her breathing and lost in her thoughts and worries, she hadn't noticed the passage of time.
Coming to her senses, she quickly answers the phone before the shrill ringtone has a chance to wake up her parents.
"Hey," Gwen answers.
"Hey," Kevin replies, sounding a bit out of breath. "Where are you right now?"
"In my room. Why?" Curiosity has gotten the better of her as she gets up off her bed and makes her way to her bedroom window. When she had called, the last thing she expected was for Kevin to drive to her house in the middle of the night. Sure enough, she notices his car parked in front of her house. Kevin is currently standing on the grass in her front yard, staring up at her bedroom window.
"How does that fairytale go again? Something about telling down your crazy long hair?" Kevin jokes as he makes eye contact with her now that she's at her window.
"You're going to scale the walls of my house to come see me?" Gwen asks, unable to hide the surprise and slight amusement in her voice.
"Well I thought it would be easier if you just used some of your mana to help me up but I'm sure I could manage to climb it by myself. But I can't guarantee I won't make a lot of noise and wake up your parents by doing that."
Gwen laughs softly to herself at his antics. But she is immediately hit by a wave of guilt. She must have sounded incredibly nervous and out of it earlier for Kevin to drive all the way here to physically check that she's okay.
"You don't have to come up here, I'll be okay," Gwen tries to reason with him.
"It's fine," Kevin replies nonchalantly. "Just help me up okay? It's getting cold out here and I didn't remember to bring a jacket."
"Okay." She only agrees to it because she knows how stubborn he is and she doubts he'll leave before he sees with his own eyes that she's okay. Hopefully, she can convince him quickly that she is and doesn't waste any more of his time.
"Okay," Kevin confirms before hanging up. Gwen watches as Kevin places his phone in his pockets before completely opening her window and extending her arm outside. Before she can summon the mana to create stairs for Kevin to climb up, a voice in the back of her head makes her question if it's even safe to do this after her lack of control during the fight with the Highbreeds. It's an action she's done countless times before, it doesn't require much strength or mana but she suddenly can't help but doubt herself. What if turning into an Anodite has unleashed something in her and she won't be able to control herself and do simple spells like she used to?
She can see Kevin below, patiently waiting for her to help him up. If she waits any longer, he'll definitely know that something is wrong with her, he's seen her perform this kind of spell countless times before without any trouble.
Needing to convince him that she's okay, she takes a deep breath and tries her hardest to ignore the voice in her head. Gwen focuses all her concentration on the mana and to her surprise, manages to create a set of stairs that lead from the grass to her bedroom window.
Kevin doesn't waste any time and climbs the stairs. She releases a breath she didn't know she was holding when Kevin makes it safely into her bedroom. She managed to use her powers without any difficulties.
But what about the next time? What happens when I use a more difficult spell, one that requires more mana? The voice in her head is back.
"Should I leave the window open or close it?" Kevin whispers, obviously trying to be as quiet as possible to avoid waking up her parents. They wouldn't be pleased to see a boy, even less so a boy named Kevin Levin, sneaking into her bedroom in the middle of the night.
"Leave it open, but just a bit, please," Gwen replies, trying to ignore the voice terrorizing her mind.
The young redhead watches as Kevin closes the window, following her instructions. He then turns back around to face her and an awkward silence envelops the bedroom. Although still incredibly anxious and shaken by her nightmare, she is currently more preoccupied with apologizing to Kevin for bothering him and Kevin himself seems unsure how to approach the situation to see if she's okay.
The two stare at each other silently for a couple of seconds before simultaneously deciding to speak up.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"I'm sorry I bothered you."
They both pause as soon as they register each other's voices overlapping. For some reason, Gwen feels her cheeks heat up in embarrassment, even if the situation shouldn't be embarrassing. She chalks it up to her emotions being out of whack since experiencing going full Anodite for the first time.
"You go first," Kevin says.
"I'm sorry I bothered you in the middle of the night," Gwen repeats, aware she's already said this to him when he had first arrived. But she feels the need to apologize once again, to let him know none of this was her intention. "You didn't need to come here just for me, I would have been okay."
"You didn't sound okay," Kevin answers honestly. "I know you said you didn't want to talk about it earlier, but is there anything I can do to help?"
Gwen doesn't miss how he once again expertly ignores her apologies. Deep down she knows it isn't because he doesn't accept them because. He's not angry with her. He's more worried than anything else.
"It was just a nightmare, there's not much you can do," Gwen admits softly. She walks the short distance back to her bed and takes a seat. Physically her body is just as exhausted as it was when Kevin dropped her off at home a couple of hours ago. But her mind is racing and she doesn't feel mentally able to fall asleep just yet.
Kevin doesn't follow her, he remains rooted near her window. Gwen realizes that Kevin hasn't often been in her room, she's not even sure if the two have ever been alone in here. Ben is normally around, as per usual.
"You can sit down if you want," Gwen offers, motioning towards her bed.
"Thanks," the black-haired teen replies. He takes a seat at the end of her bed, careful to move her bunched-up sheets out of the way to not dirty them.
Once again, silence falls upon them, but not because of awkwardness. Her eyes travel to the floor, she is suddenly interested in the pattern of her floorboards, it's currently easier than saying anything. Gwen trusts Kevin enough to know he won't judge her or make fun of her recent dream and the fears that have been polluting her mind since the battle, but she just doesn't know how to explain it all.
"I'm not sure I had much of a plan when I drove here," Kevin suddenly admits, breaking the silence. Gwen is surprised that he's taken the lead in most of their conversations tonight. She's normally the one doing all the talking or forcing him to talk about his feelings.
"Honestly, you just sounded like you needed help," he continues before pausing as he tries to perfectly word how he's feeling. He's never been good at articulating his emotions and thoughts, but for Gwen, he wants to try his best to do just that. "You keep apologizing, but you didn't force me to do anything I didn't want to do. I was just... I guess I was just surprised at first that you called me. It means a lot that you trust me enough to come to me for help."
Gwen looks up from the floor, her eyes finding Kevin in the pale light cast by the lamp. She is touched by his honesty and vulnerability, a side of himself he used to rarely show. She's come to notice he's been allowing her to see it more and more these past few weeks. The least she can do is offer him that same honesty.
"Of course I trust you, Kevin," Gwen admits before taking a deep breath. It's now her turn to be brave. "I had a nightmare about losing control of my powers. I dreamt I was in my Anodite form again and I started absorbing all this mana and I suddenly couldn't stop myself." Her words come out in between shaky breaths.
"Kinda like what happened earlier?" Kevin asks concerned.
"Worse. I dreamt I started absorbing your and Ben's life force," she whispers, the fear she felt when she had woken up coming back at full force. "You guys were begging me to stop, I wanted to but I couldn't. I watched you both die. I killed you!" Tears are now running down her face and she is unable to stop them.
Kevin moves closer towards her, hesitating for only a second before enveloping her in his arms. "It was just a dream," he says, trying to reassure her.
"What if it wasn't?" She finally voices the question that's been haunting her out loud. "What if I lose control of my powers and I actually do end up hurting someone?"
"I'm scared of that too," Kevin admits quietly. Embraced in his hug, she can't see his face, but she can feel his sadness as he tells her this. "I'm afraid that one day I'll turn back into the evil monster I was when I was a kid and hurt someone."
"Does that fear ever go away? Or get easier to deal with?" Gwen asks.
"I hear it in the back of my head sometimes, but not as much as I used to."
She hears the tone of his voice change, a bit of hope coming back. Despite wanting to stay safely wrapped in his arms, she gently pulls away from Kevin's embrace.
"What made it go away?" she can't help herself from asking even though she's worried this is too much of a personal question for him.
"You," he answers without hesitation, his eyes locked on hers.
"Me?"
Gwen is genuinely shocked by Kevin's confession. Sure they're friends, maybe even a bit more. Since they had gone to her school dance together, Gwen had noticed that their relationship had changed, it had become more honest and serious, slowly crossing the line past more than just friends. She had noticed this yet hadn't realized how much she meant to him. But then the words he had spoken to her to convince her to change back from her Anodite form played back in her head. He had told her he couldn't lose her. He depended on her in more ways than just as a friend or teammate. And based on the events of tonight, so did she.
"Yeah, you," Kevin continues after a moment of silence, dragging Gwen out of her train of thoughts. "I don't know when I noticed it, but the nightmares got less frequent when we started working together... When you gave me a second chance."
"You deserved a second chance, and you've been working hard ever since. I know you've changed." Gwen reassures him, but the message hidden behind his words isn't lost on her. Without meaning too, she had managed to help him fight his inner demons. And Kevin had come to her house tonight, either sensing or hoping, that he could somehow help with hers.
Their faces are now inches away from each other. Not knowing why, Gwen's eyes flicker from Kevin's lips back to his eyes. Kevin notices this and hesitates for only a second before closing the gap between them, his lips gently meeting hers. Gwen immediately responds, deepening the kiss. The kiss, which has most definitely been months in the making, is fueled by the sudden realization of what they mean to each other. They only break apart when the need for air becomes too persistent.
The pair start blushing as they slowly pull away from each other. The reality of their actions finally setting in. Kevin smiles bashfully at her.
"That was..." Kevin fails to formulate his thoughts into a full sentence.
"Yeah," Gwen agrees, knowing what he means.
"Look, I don't have the answers to your question. I can't promise you that parts of your nightmare won't come true, it's the same deal for me." As he is speaking, his hands are uncharacteristically nervously wringing themselves. "But I can promise you that I'll be here for you if you need me."
"Thank you, Kevin," Gwen replies, returning his smile. She isn't sure what else to say, she is feeling overwhelmed with emotions after kissing Kevin. But it's a vastly different feeling of being overwhelmed compared to when she had woken up earlier in a panic.
She reaches down and gently grabs one of Kevin's hands. He squeezes it in response. Despite herself, she feels a yawn coming over her and she can't stop it from escaping.
"Should I be insulted that my kiss is putting you to sleep?" Kevin jokes as he notices her yawn.
Gwen snorts at his comment, ever the charmer. "I guess I'm finally calming down."
"Then my mission is accomplished," he smirks playfully at her. "But seriously, you should go to sleep, we can talk more tomorrow," he suggests. He waits for her to confirm before standing up.
"Okay," Gwen agrees. She wants to stay up and talk with Kevin, figure out where they stand after this kiss. But Kevin is right, something she rarely admits, she needs the rest. There will be time, later on, to talk about them.
Kevin finally stands up from her bed, gently letting go of her hand. He grabs the bunched-up blankets he had moved out of the way earlier and passes them to Gwen, unsure if she wants to use them all.
"Thanks," she replies, grabbing them from him. She begins to untangle them.
She notices Kevin start to walk away and make his way towards her bedroom window.
"Wait," she calls out, turning around to face him. "Can you stay, just until I fall asleep?" She wonders if this is too much to ask of him. But before she can doubt herself any longer, Kevin answers.
"Yeah, I'll be right here," he says as he sits down on the ledge of her window. "Don't worry, this Prince charming can climb down without your magical hair."
She giggles softly at his cheesy joke. "Thank you."
"Anytime."
Gwen climbs into bed once her sheets are neatly arranged. She looks over one last time at Kevin and offers him a smile, hoping, for now, that this is enough to convey how grateful she is feeling.
"Sweet dreams," Kevin whispers as she turns off the lamp on her bedside table.
As she settles into a comfortable position and sleep slowly washes over her, she can't help but think about how lucky she is to have Kevin in her life.
I feel like I've read a lot of stories where Kevin is having nightmares and Gwen is the one to console him (I'm even guilty of writing them myself :P). I thought it would be fun to see the same scenario but with the roles reversed. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!
