Chapter 19: Title Match

May, 2000

Paul was good. The boy was the tallest in the class and knew how to use his reach. He was strong, too. Ben had seen the boy help the Sensei move two punching bags at once without breaking a sweat.

He was good, but he wasn't fast. Gwen was. She ducked under his arms and swept his legs right out from under him.

"Point. Victory." the Sensei said when Paul hit the ground, and the crowd behind Ben cheered. Well, the Tennyson family, with an assist from Gwen's friend Michelle, cheered while everyone else in the audience politely clapped.

But the Tennyson family was a crowd of its own today. Ben's blue belt was so new that it was still shiny, but he had earned it just in time to take part in the tournament. Today was going to be the first time he got to spar with Gwen officially, and no one in the family wanted to miss that.

Their dads were already calling it, 'the title fight.'

Paul stood with Gwen's help and the two bowed. Sensei walked up to the two and spent a moment talking to both, and then gave them a moment alone.

Paul shook his head and said something that made Gwen laugh. Ben watched her put her hand on his arm, and for just a second he felt sick. And then mad. He didn't understand it, Paul had always been a cool guy, but for just a second he wanted to kick the boy's ass.

Ben shook his head and fought the feeling down to just glare by the time Paul came over. The other four guys who were all kneeling in the line next to Ben all gave Paul encouraging words or high fives as he passed by. If Paul noticed that Ben didn't he didn't seem to mind. He just knelt down next to Ben and shook his head. "Man, she's quick. You aren't going to hold back on her just because she's family, are you?"

"As if," Ben said with a snort as he stood. He'd been looking forward to this since he started last year. He'd surprised Gwen – and himself – by going up the belts so quickly. He knew it was mostly due to Gwen's help. He knew it, but he wasn't about to admit it to her.

She was standing over by a table that was set up away from the sparring mat and was wiping her face with a towel, but her eyes were on him. Not that that was anything unusual, lately she was always watching him. If it was anyone else, it would be creepy. "Good fight," he said as he touched her arm.

"Thanks," she said and grinned at him. Grinned and blushed just a little bit. He didn't remember her being so easy to make blush before. It used to take a really, really good insult or a very, very bad joke, but now it was like all he had to do was talk to her to get her started. It should have taken all of the fun out of it, but somehow it didn't. Instead he just looked at her grin and couldn't help grinning right back.

He did his best to get his mouth back under control and watched as she took a drink from her water bottle. No, he watched her lips and remembered that they tasted like strawberries when he... No. New Years Bad.

Its Gwen, he told himself over and over again. Bossy, know it all Gwen. His cousin. It was beyond sick. He told himself that over and over again every time he was with her lately, but he never listened.

Now he understood why his teachers were always so frustrated with him.

"You wanna wait?" He asked the moment she saw him looking.

She shook her head and ran her hand through her damp hair. "Scared?"

"Please. Get ready to taste mat."

"In your dreams, Freak."

"Dummy."

Ben heard the Sensei sigh behind him and the insults stopped. "Shall we begin?"

Ben nodded to the Sensei and whispered, "Dweeb," to Gwen as he went to get into position.

"Doofus," Gwen whispered back as she dropped the towel and drink back into her bag. A moment later they stood facing each other on the mat.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, Sensei."

"Each fall is a point. The first to get to three points wins," the old Japanese man said for the umpteenth time that day.

"Yes, Sensei," they said together before they put in their mouth guards. The two bowed to the old man, and then to each other.

"Begin."

They approached each other, both on guard and ready. When Ben had first started sparring he spent his time trying to watch his opponents feet and hands and missed almost everything. It only took him a few times to realize that he had to watch his opponents eyes. After that he did much, much better.

Except against Gwen, because looking into her eyes was almost as distracting as her lips.

Weirdsick.

And then he was on the ground, and his arm hurt from the twist she'd used to flip him over.

"Point."

And his mind was clear. It was amazing. Gwen gave him a look that was mix of confused and disappointed as he got up. "Lucky," he mouthed at her.

She shook her head and mouthed back, "Good." The disappointed look went away.

"Begin."

This time he kept his eye on the ball. He threw a couple of chops at her and saw her tense. She brought her foot up in a high kick that had left his head ringing more than once. It was her favorite kick. One that he was ready for.

Her eyes were huge when he caught her leg and pinned it to his side. She hopped in place for a moment and he could see the next kick coming. He punched out at her and caught her right in the chest. Her arms pinwheeled as she fell back. She almost caught herself when he gave her pinned leg a shove.

"Point."

She gave him a look as he helped her to her feet, but before she let go she gave his hand a tight squeeze.

Top of the world.

"Begin."

This time he lead with a series of kicks at her. High and low. On the last her arms moved, ready to catch his leg in the same hold he'd used on her. So he pulled back. He expected her to pull back too, but she kept her arm swinging at him and her punch caught him right in the stomach. The blow knocked the breath right out of him, and when her high kick came again he couldn't move quick enough to get out of the way, much less catch it.

"Point."

He laid there for a moment to catch his breath and spent the time glaring at her feet. It really would be less embarrassing if she had not paint her toe nails before the tournament, he thought. Somehow pink made everything worse.

She came over to help him up, but he pushed himself to his feet before she could. One more point. No fair.

Ben didn't want much. He just wanted to beat her, just once, in a tournament. That was all he wanted. All he needed. She could beat him every other time as long as he got one. He could hold that one win over her head forever.

Just one.

He saw her grinning at him and knew that she knew what he was thinking. 'Dream on,' she mouthed.

He didn't say a thing. He glared at her and let out a hot breath.

"Begin."

Ben was moving almost before Sensei finished the word. He charged across the mat at her. There were no kicks this time. He was never one for kicking. Instead he threw punches and chops at her as quick as he could.

She either dodged or slapped away each one. He glared at her, but she didn't even look worried. Instead the disappointed look was back. He let out an angry sounding grunt and attacked a little more recklessly. She shook her head and he knew that she was already giving herself the win.

Good.

She took a step back, and didn't even notice it when he wrapped his foot around hers and kicked it out from under her. She slipped backward and fell to the floor, but caught herself on her hands. So he dropped down on her stomach to pin her to the ground while he brought his hand up in a fist.

"Point."

Ben grinned down at her and she glared back. "Get off of me, Doofus," she mumbled through the mouth guard as she slapped his thighs.

He did. He held his hand out for her, but this time she was the one who refused the hand up. They looked at the Sensei, and he gave Ben a very small nod.

Second best day ever.

One more point.

He could do one more point.

Everyone talked about his temper. He had one, sure. But everyone exaggerated his and ignored Gwen's. And he could tell just by looking at her that he'd gotten under her skin.

This time she was the one who barely waited. Her kicks and punches were much more precise than his had been, but he kept backing away so he was barely in her reach. He watched her face get redder and redder. They'd both fought three times before now, but none of their matches had lasted this long, and he had had a break while she hadn't. Her face glistened with sweat and she was breathing hard.

He had her.

He couldn't believe it.

She punched at him, and he slapped it aside. She turned the move into a kick that he ducked. He had her. He twisted around so he could sweep her legs out from under her with his tail and then finish her with a roundhouse kick.

It took him a heartbeat to remember, and the second's confusion as all she needed. He hadn't even turned around all the way when she kicked his legs out from under him. He landed hard.

"Point. Match."

Ben looked up at the ceiling again. It looked exactly the same as it had so many times before. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. He slapped the mat. He had been so close.

Just one.

He forced himself to his feet and bowed to the Master and Gwen out of habit, but didn't pay any attention to either.

Stupid.

"Benjamin."

Ben jumped, he hadn't even heard the Sensei approach. The happy look he'd gotten before was gone. "You fought well. I had almost thought you'd learned to control your anger. There is no shame in being second best, but there is in acting like a child about it. Apologize."

It took him a moment to catch on. A moment and a glance over at Gwen, who was glaring at him, her expression a mix of hurt and anger and the look killed him. He took a breath and bowed again, "I'm sorry, Gwen, Sensei."

Gwen bowed back, but he could tell that she didn't believe him. He wanted to go over and, well not apologize, not exactly. Or even explain. He didn't know what he wanted say, and before he could figure it out the rest of the family was there.

"Terrific match, Ben," Grandpa Max said as he ruffled Ben's hair right after he'd gotten done saying the same to Gwen. Ben had been so happy to see his Grandpa today. He and Gwen had both worried that something would come up this summer and that they would have to call it off again. He'd been so happy, but now he just wanted the man to go away for a second so he could talk to Gwen. "Thanks Grandpa."

Not that Gwen wanted to talk to him. She gave him one last look before she turned her back on him and went to talk to her friend. To make things worse, Michelle looked over at Ben and just shook her head before she turned away. That was just what he needed.

He knew that Gwen thought that Michelle was cool enough, but Ben never liked her. Every time she saw him she gave him the weirdest looks. Especially if she saw him talking to Gwen. It made his skin itch.

It must have been because of her stupid idea that he was Gwen's... The idea was so dumb that he was itchy right now just thinking about it.

"It's a shame you guys didn't have a referee around when you were seven," Ben's dad said, as always. It was an old joke. Ben pretended to laugh and tried not to think about how easy it would be to bolt for the Rust Bucket, which was waiting just outside for their next summer trip to begin.

Not that that was an option. No, everyone crowded together and made for the exist at the same time. Ben tried very hard not to notice it when his father slipped Gwen's a twenty. Sure, Dad was laughing as he did it, but that didn't make him feel any better.

And then it was time for the goodbyes. "Do you have everything?" His mother asked for the tenth time.

"Yes."

"Clothes, your toothbrush, books..."

"Mom, how many times do I have to say it?" He rolled his eyes. "Its summer, I'm not going to be reading."

"Ben..."

"Gwen has enough books for the both of them, Sandra," Grandpa Max said as he made his way over from the group of Gwen, who was surrounded by her parents and her friend.

"I bet she does," Dad laughed. "Try to remember to call us every now and then, Ben."

"Mom. Dad, knock it off," Ben protested as both of his parents gave him hugs. "People can see us!" Not that they listened. It only took a few more minutes of struggle before he managed to pull himself free. It was a relief to be inside the Rust Bucket again. It was like coming home.

And he was finally alone.

For now. He could see Gwen fighting to get away from her parents, too. She must have had some kind of sixth sense to know that he was watching her, because she turned and looked right at him. She still had the same stomach churning mix of anger and confusion on her face that she'd had after the match.

Just a minute ago he couldn't wait to talk to her, but now he felt stupid enough already. He didn't need her to tell her just how stupid he was. There was only one thing he could do. He grabbed some clothes and hid in the only place of the Rust Bucket he could. He stayed in the bathroom even as he felt the Rust Bucket start to move. He stayed for a good half an hour. He didn't feel any less embarrassed when he finally decided it was safe to leave, but he hoped that Gwen would have gotten over it.

She didn't, of course.

He opened the door and she was was leaning against the pantry door right across the aisle from the bathroom with her arms crossed. She had not even bothered to get changed. "Did you think I would let you win?" She asked as soon as the door was open, and her voice was a confusing mix of angry and hurt and embarrassed and just a little bit guilty.

"What? No." No. That was the last thing he wanted. He couldn't believe that she even thought that. Her letting him win would be way worse than her beating him. When he did win, he wanted bragging rights. Couldn't have that if he cheated. This wasn't like a video game, where if he won by using a cheat code it was her fault for not knowing it, too.

Her expression changed as she finally settled on an emotion. Too bad for him that the one she chose was angry, because she glared at him. "Sure you didn't. That's why you're hiding in the bathroom."

"I wasn't hiding. I wanted to get cleaned up for the trip."

"Since when?"

"I'm not a slob, you know."

She sniffed and asked again, "Since when?" He just kind of shrugged. She ran a hand through her hair and looked away. "So how long are you going to be mad that I beat you?"

"I'm not."

She cocked her head to her side and squinted at him. "Then why were you hiding?"

"Can't you just let it go?" The flat look she gave him was enough of an answer. He sighed. "It was stupid."

"What?"

"At the end of our match, when I – it was stupid."

"When you tried that spin kick?" She nodded as her eyes lit up with confused understanding. "I was ready for it, and you knew it. What were you thinking?" There wasn't any mocking in her voice. Just honest curiosity.

Of course she couldn't be happy with him just admitting that he'd done something stupid. No, she had to make him spell it out. And she had to be nice about it. If she'd been even the slightest bit mocking about the question, he could have stormed away. She had him trapped, so he bit the bullet. "I forgot I didn't have a tail, all right?"

"Well, not since the doctors cut it off," Gwen said as her lips curled into a smile.

"I'm serious. I was going to use it to sweep your feet out from under you and finish with the spin kick. I just lost track of which me I was for a second."

Gwen gave him his least favorite look. Worried on this side of scared. She ran her hand through her hair again and looked down at the one the Omnitrix on his arm. "Maybe..."

He hid the watch behind his back. "It was just a mistake."

"We should tell..."

Ben shook his head. "Its nothing to worry about."

"If it ever is... You'll tell me, right?" He wanted to lie. He used to be able to lie to her. Instead he just nodded. "Promise?"

He rolled his eyes. "Promise."

She nodded and squeezed his arm. Just like that, the tension was gone. "It was a good fight."

"I almost had you."

"No, you didn't."

"So did."

Gwen ran her hand through her hair and bit her lip. "It was close," she allowed with a grin.

A grin that he returned. Damn it. "Next time," he promised. "Next time I'll get you."

"No, you won't," she said in the exact same teasing sing song tone she'd used right before...

And he froze and felt his face burn. They never talked about what had happened at New Years. Ever. Not even by accident. Sometimes he thought he had imagined it. Others that it meant nothing to her. That she thought it had been just a game. But he knew that if she really thought that she would have teased him without mercy for the last five months. Just like he should have been doing. Both of them being quiet was new.

He didn't like the quiet. He missed being able to talk to her about everything. Just the thought of New Years made his eyes go to her lips. He could still taste her lip gloss, still felt her lips on his sometimes. All the time.

It was like going crazy. The only time it felt any better was when he was with her, and karate and heroing wasn't enough. So one Friday after karate he'd invited her over to his house. And she'd grinned. He'd never seen her smile like that.

And hanging out with her, just being in the same room with her as they played games or watched movies, helped. For a while.

So the next week he did the same thing. By the fourth week he didn't even have to ask. She just showed up to karate with a gym bag. And then dad had thrown that weird fit of his about her coming over and Ben had panicked and gotten mad because he thought he wouldn't get to see her anymore.

He'd gotten mad, but it was Gwen that slammed the door.

They both raged for a while after that. When they finally calmed down Gwen invited him over to her house for however many Fridays it took for Dad to get over himself. Thank God Uncle Frank and Aunt Lili were cooler about him being at their house.

They hung out as much as they could, and the whole time Ben waited for things would go back to normal. It didn't. Instead the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to spend time with her. Once he realized that, he figured that summer would do the trick. That seeing her every day would finally snap him back to normal. He hoped it would anyway, because he was running out of ways to pretend that it was only a game.

But at least he wasn't the only one who was suffering. Or that remembered New Years Eve.

That was if the blush that spread up from the base of her neck until it vanished into her red hair meant anything. She turned away and fumbled at the pile of clothes and towels that she had waiting on the kitchen counter next to her and he never even saw. "I'm going to get ready," she said in a rush as she tried to push passed him.

It lasted until her hand touched his chest, and then they both froze again and they somehow managed to get redder.

And then they spun around each other in something that looked like an odd dance. It was only after she'd closed the door that his mind cleared enough to ask, "Ready for what?" She didn't answer, she didn't make a sound, no matter how many times he asked. So he went up front to ask Grandpa Max.

"I made reservations for dinner tonight," Grandpa Max said as he drove. "I was trying to figure out a good way to start this year's trip. Maybe make up for..." His voice faded for a second. "And Gwen suggested we go out somewhere fancy to celebrate your first karate tournament." He paused and looked over at Ben. "You know you should be proud that you've made it so far. I am. The fact that you are the second best in the class isn't anything to be..."

"I'm not mad at her, Grandpa."

"Good," Grandpa Max said, but there was a bit of doubt in his voice. "Anyway, its a great place, even if we do have to get dressed up. They make some of the best steaks I've ever tasted that weren't home made. I thought your mother was going to tell you. I asked her to make sure that you packed something nice to wear."

"Dressed up?" Ben groaned. He didn't remember Mom saying anything when they were packing last night, but he had been so excited for today that he just sort of nodded while she talked.

Grandpa Max sighed. "Please?"

Ben groaned again and dragged his feet to the bedroom in the back to get changed. They could make him wear fancy pants and a shirt, but that was as far as he was willing to go. He didn't even bother to tuck his shirt in. It looked good enough as far as he was concerned. If some snooty waiter didn't like it, tough. He came out and sank into the kitchen booth to watch some TV while he waited. Grandpa parked the Rust Bucket, then went back and got changed himself. He sat down across for Ben just as Gwen got out of the bathroom and went to the bedroom.

Ben couldn't believe that his Grandfather was wearing an actual tie. From the way he kept playing with it, neither did Grandpa Max.

"We're a bit early, but I'm sure we can get a table," Grandpa Max said as he looked at the clock.

Saying it was early was an understatement. Ben would have just gotten home from school if it was a normal day, but he could hear his stomach growling over the lack of lunch so he wasn't going to complain. This time, anyway.

This time turned into an hour ago. Ben was banging his his head against the side of the Rust Bucket as he tried to ignore the angry monster his stomach had become. "What's taking her so long?"

"We're going to be late," Grandpa Max said in a mutter as he looked at the clock again.

"And for once it isn't my fault." No one liked the truth, Ben decided when Grandpa Max gave him a look.

"I'm going to check on her," Grandpa said.

Ben made a face. Grandpa Max would waste ten more minutes trying to coax the Dweeb out and he was hungry now. "Leave it to the master." He shoved himself up and ran to the back. Grandpa Max must have been dying of hunger too, because he sat back down. Ben went back and banged on the bedroom door. "Hey, Dweeb! Some of us are starving!"

"I'll be out in a second, Doofus!"

"Ben," Grandpa Max said in warning.

"I've got this, Grandpa," Ben called over his shoulder. He grabbed the knob and gave it a quick shake. As usual, the lock slipped out of place.

"Ben!" Gwen shouted in horror as he slid the door open.

"Its been over an hour, if you aren't dressed yet..." He said as he opened the door and froze. She was dressed, thank God. In a powder blue dress that came down to her knees and left her arms and shoulders bare except for a couple of small straps. She was also standing in front of Grandpa Max's mirror with a small box and a huge pile of crumpled up and stained tissues in front of her. Her mouth moved in silent horror as she stared at him.

He looked at her, and her face looked... wrong. One cheek was redder than the other and her eyes seemed to be different shapes. It took him only a second to see that she'd drawn something black around her eyes, but the two sides didn't match. He asked the first question that popped into his head, the first and most obvious. "Are you putting on makeup?"

"No!" It was her worst lie ever, but at least it broke her out of her shock. She threw something at him that looked like a pencil that clattered off somewhere in the room instead of coming anywhere near him. When he still didn't move she shook her head and stomped her foot as she screamed, "Get out!"

Ben wanted to. He really did, but he froze instead. Even after he heard Grandpa Max shout the same thing as he got up. He couldn't move anything, not even his eyes as he stared at her. Finally he managed to force out the only word that was in his head. "Why?"

She startled like he had slapped her."Why? Why what? Why bother?"

He just nodded.

"Because for once I wanted to look nice." Her face crumpled and her shoulders slumped as she looked at the floor. "I know that you think that that's an impossible task, but just for tonight I wanted to look pretty." She shook her head and shoved the box into the small trashcan sitting next to the dresser. "I know its stupid."

"Yeah," Ben agreed. Her shoulders shook once as she finally looked away. He should stop right there. He should turn and let Grandpa take care of this so they can go and eat. That's what he wanted to do. But he looked at her and couldn't. He rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Yeah, its stupid. Because you always look pretty."

It was true. It was also one of the things he knew without a doubt that he should not ever say or even think. There were a lot of things that fit on that list lately.

Some of the black stuff was running down her cheeks when she looked at him again, but there wasn't any hurt or embarrassment in her eyes anymore. Instead she just sort of blinked and gave him a shy smile.

Ben looked at her and he could hear his heart pounding in his ears as his eyes went to her redder than normal lips. Then he turned and walked away. He had to. He heard Grandpa Max say something as he passed by, but Ben didn't hear the words and had no idea if they were meant for him or Gwen. And then the door slid shut and Ben was alone.

Ben stood in the middle of the aisle and tried to think. The thinking lead him into the bathroom, where for the first time in his life he looked in a mirror to do more than to see if there was something on his face. He looked at himself and saw his messed up hair and his untucked shirt. He looked like he always did. Like he always wanted to.

And it bothered him because it wasn't good enough.

"So when did the Plumbers teach you how to clean up that mess?" Gwen asked over her shoulder as she opened the bedroom door. Her face was cleaned off and somehow Grandpa Max had her laughing again.

"It wasn't the Plumbers," Grandpa Max said as he followed her. Unlike her, he wasn't smiling at all. "I have a very evil sister."

"Aunt Vera?"

"The devil herself."

"Aunt Vera?" Gwen repeated with a laugh as she turned. And froze. "Ben?"

Ben felt his stomach go to lead as he stood in the aisle in front of her. He felt like an idiot with his hair combed and shirt tucked in. He didn't even know why he was doing it. He tried to say something, anything, but his mouth wouldn't work.

Her eyes locked onto his and there was an odd doubt in her eyes as she rubbed at her bare arms. "Did you mean it? That I look... nice?"

He should say no. He should laugh, run his hand through his hair until he looked like himself again and go back to normal. Instead he nodded.

And she smiled.

And he finally found his voice. "What about me?"

She looked him up and down and cocked her head to the side. "Hideous," she finally said, but her eyes sparkled.

And he smiled back.