Author's Note: Just a little experience I'd like to share... As you may all know, this is my very first time making and posting my own fanfic here at FF. When I opened my mailbox, I got reviews for my first chapter. Now what I'm just trying to say is, WHOAH! I didn't know it felt GOOD to have people read and admire my works... so... thanks! This chapter is dedicated to my two very first reviewers MintyChinchilla and NimeLee
Thanks, you guys! It really means a lot (^_^)
Word Count: I'm quite sure it's more than my previous chapter, probably about 4000 or more (mushy-ness takes too much words x_x)
As warned in the previous chapter, this chap is gonna be mushy (bleaugh! x_x) Now then, on with the show...
.
Chapter 2: Mushy Romance
Kevin woke up in his bed. Looking at the clock, it read 11:30am. "Almost noon huh? Wait. How did I get here? The last thing I remember… I was in the garage… watching Ben… wash my car… then after that……………… is pretty much blank…"
*Knock Knock* "Kevin? Are you up yet?" Ben slowly opened the door, carrying a tray with a bowl of chicken soup, some crackers, a spoon, and a glass of water.
"Oh. Hey Benjy. Uh…" Kevin looked away, lightly scratching his head. He soon noticed what Ben was wearing. "Is that my…?"
Ben's face lit up, seemingly having remembered something. "Oh right! I've been meaning to tell you that I kinda took the liberty of borrowing one of your shirts and shorts. I was cleaning the showers when… the shower went screwy and accidentally soaked my black shirt and even my pants! So I had to hang them to dry for a while… I ah… hope you don't mind…" Ben gave a pleading puppy dog look.
Kevin stared at Ben, a recent hobby he seems to have developed for the young brunette. His black shirt was too big for Ben, hanging loosely by the boy's shoulders, revealing a well-tanned neck and shoulder region. The shirt was so big, it covered all the way down to Ben's area just below his inguinal region. Just below the edge of the shirt, Kevin could see the white shorts, a bit baggy for Ben but still covered his knees.
"… Kevin…?" Ben was starting to get uncomfortable under Kevin's gaze.
"Yeah?" Kevin stopped examining the boy's features and looked at his face.
"You… don't mind… do you?"
"Oh. Not at all Benjy, not at all" Kevin smirked. "Just one question though, did you borrow some of my boxers too?"
"Wh- What!?!? Of course not!! My boxers are still dry you know! And besides, who would borrow another guy's underwear!?"
"Oh, okay then. Just a thought I had" Kevin chuckled, clearly amused at the boy's violated expression.
"Hmph" Ben pouted. "But don't worry Kev, I'll make sure to return your clothes nice and clean"
"Hm… nah. You can keep 'em. Besides," Kevin once again allowed his eyes to roam at the younger's body. "You look good in them anyways". At this, Ben had a mad blush creeping at his cheeks, to which the elder failed to notice.
Ben still felt a bit awkward around Kevin since that 'garage' incident, though he easily dismissed it by taking a deep breath and once again blaming it all on his condition. He set the tray down by Kevin's bedside table. "So… uh… how're you feeling?"
"Huh? Well ahh… much better actually. Hey Ben, uh… what happened?" Kevin turned to look at Ben.
A little confused by the question, Ben only tilted his head to the side as a response.
"I mean, how did I get here? The last thing I remember was you washing my car… then… I blacked out… (I guess I shouldn't tell him I blacked out coz o' watching him all hot and wet…)" Kevin looked away once more, blushing from this thought, hiding it from Ben.
Ben was a bit stunned. "You mean you… don't remember anything?"
"No, not really… Why? Did something happen?" Kevin turned to face Ben with a confused, yet somehow worried look. "Don't tell me I did something freaky like rape him or something!?"
Ben was at a loss for words. In his mind, the scene with Kevin at the garage replayed once more, making a mad blush creep up his face again which he so easily hid by turning his back at Kevin and saying "Well… Uh… Nothing happened really… err… just that… uh…"
"Just what Tennyson?" Kevin was a bit worried to confirm what he might have done.
"Uhh…" Ben had to think fast, then turned to face Kevin. "Gwen went out for a bit! Yeah, that's it! When you fainted, uh… Me and Gwen brought you here. Then she left to get some groceries. She said something about buying stuff for lunch!" Ben mentally congratulated himself for getting out of that tight spot. "Phew"
"Oh. Okay then…" Kevin lay back down in bed.
"Oh yeah, Gwen made chicken soup before she left. She told me to make sure you have some before she gets back… so… here…" Ben motioned for the tray and carefully placed it near Kevin. He pulled a small chair and sat next to Kevin's bed.
"Thanks for the meal Benjy, but I can eat on my own"
"Oh. Right. Well. Enjoy your meal then" As Ben stood up to get out of the room, Kevin suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Wait. I mean, you're done with your chores right? I could use the company" Kevin said this while avoiding eye contact with Ben. Ben just blushed a bit and sat down once again.
"Okay then… so uhh… what's up?"
Kevin was silent for a while, occasionally drinking his soup or munching on a cracker. Ben just fidgeted a bit and decided to read some magazines lying around.
"Hey Ben…" Kevin started.
"Hm?" Ben responded. Eyes still on the magazine.
"I never really got to thank you guys… for all this…"
Ben looked at Kevin smiled. "Don't worry about it. It's the least I could do to you for saving my life, or rather, my health" Ben laughed.
"Hehe… Well, I meant… for everything Ben. Not just coz of you guys taking care of me and all, but, I really wanted to thank you for everything… since the first day we met… 'til you and I became… friends" Kevin looked away, lightly scratching his cheek.
"Hey c'mon, it's cool. Life became fun and a whole lot more interesting when I met you too" Ben sat back on the chair, remembering the good old days.
"I dunno if you knew about this, but back when I was a kid, I was kind of a social outcast at school; as Gwen would say it, a 'dweeb'. I didn't really have that much friends before. Heck, before that summer with Grandpa Max and Gwen, life was really boring for me!"
Kevin just listened on to the brunette's story.
"If I hadn't gone with Grandpa Max and Gwen that summer, I wouldn't have found the omnitrix. And if I hadn't gotten the omnitrix, well… I guess mean and nasty aliens like Vilgax wouldn't be after me" Ben lightly chuckled.
"But then again, great things happened to me because of the omnitrix… things like I kinda learned how to stand on my own two feet, protecting others, and… I… uhm… if it weren't for the omnitrix… I… wouldn't have… met… you… as well" At this, Ben looked at his own shoes, Kevin staring wide eyed and blushing at Ben. "I uhh… guess what I'm trying to say is… I'm glad I met you Kev, and I'm really happy that we became friends… again I guess" Ben laughed.
"Putting aside all those times you tried to… kill me back then, I… like hanging out with you. You were my first real friend. Not a relative, but a genuine friend. Someone I could hang-out with, someone who likes sumo slammers like me, and… someone who understands me"
Ben just couldn't look at Kevin now. He can hardly even believe he was opening up to Kevin, Kevin of all people!
Kevin blushed at what he heard. "Ben… likes me? NO! He can't! He likes Julie!" Kevin was saddened at this little conclusion of his.
Ben noticed Kevin had finished eating. "I uhh… guess you're done eating now huh? Or would you like seconds? Here, let me get them for you…"
So he stood up and gathered the dishes from Kevin's lap and set them back on the tray. Kevin was a bit startled from this. Ben stood straight beside Kevin's bed.
"Hey Kev, thanks for listening. Thanks for everything" Ben smiled then turned to exit the room.
Kevin was still busy organizing thoughts in his head. Part of him claimed he should just tell Ben how he really feels about him, while another part is telling the other part to shut up and keep it all in, rather than make a fool of himself. As Ben was reaching for the door knob, his mind came to a final decision…
"Ben! Wait!" he quickly got out of bed and grabbed Ben's left shoulder.
Ben was a bit startled, but faced Kevin anyway, with a confused look.
"Huh?"
"I… Well… There's something… Something I've been meaning to tell you…"
"… Um… What is it…?" For some strange reason, Ben was feeling his heart pound in his chest again.
"Ben… I… I always… wanted to tell you… that I… L-" Ding Dong! (don't cha just hate it when that happens XD)
.
------------------------------
.
"I hope the guys don't get mad or anything. And I really hope they're in the mood for Chinese too!" Gwen thought to herself, while carrying various grocery bags, take-out meals, and some drinks.
*Ding Dong* Gwen rang the bell a third time. "What's keeping Ben so long?"
.
------------------------------
.
Ruined by the bell… Kevin mentally cursed the offending musical contraption for ruining his heart-to-heart moment with Ben.
"I… I'm gonna go… get the door now…" Ben tried to excuse himself, though he really wanted to know what Kevin had to say.
"Ahh… right… you do that… I'll be uh… in the kitchen…"
"You… sure you don't wanna continue what you were gonna say?"
"I… Well… I just thought… Just maybe… You-…" *Ding Dong!* (is it me, or is that bell really getting annoying)
"… Nevermind Ben. It wasn't important anyway. You better get the door before Gwen decides to go 'mana' on it".
Ben just smiled at Kevin, and without a word, left the room to answer the door.
Kevin felt like beating himself up. Why couldn't he tell the person he desired the most his feelings? He faced countless DNAliens, even aliens that were just plain mean, strong, and/or scary ever since he was a kid! What was he so afraid of?
Kevin dismissed the thoughts plaguing his mind and decided to keep his feelings to himself. Maybe someday, he would have the guts to tell Ben how he truly feels about him. Kevin headed for the kitchen, where he told Ben he would be.
.
------------------------------
.
"About time you opened up! I was beginning to worry what happened to you guys! I thought maybe you were both attacked by DNAliens! What were you doing anyway?" Oh yeah, Gwen was fumed, and the groceries she's holding ain't helping her mood either.
"Kevin was asleep. And I… fell asleep on the couch. I guess I got tired from the chores and from waiting, so I decided to take a little nap" Ben lied, though he congratulated himself once more for that out-of-the-blue excuse.
"I see. So Kevin's still asleep then?" Gwen noticed Ben's wardrobe. "Is that Kevin's shirt?"
"Nah. He just woke up. He's probably in the kitchen right now. And yes, this is Kevin's shirt. Long story short, I got my clothes wet and Kevin let me borrow these for a while"
"Oh, you had another 'accident' then" Gwen smirked and rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I need to speak with both of you… coz I ahh… have some good news… and some bad news"
"Whoopee (sarcasm). Here, let me help you with the groceries" Without another word, Ben led Gwen into the kitchen.
.
------------------------------
.
True enough, Kevin was there, drinking a glass of water.
"Nice to see you up and about again Kev. You feeling any better?"
"Yep. Still a bit woozy but Benjy here makes one heck of a good babysitter" Kevin smirked.
"Yeah, and little Kevy-wevy here has been a good wittle baby now, hasn't he?" Ben chuckled. Kevin shot him a glare. "So what's the news Gwen?"
"Well, the bad news is that I was held up in line at the groceries, so I had to order take-out instead 'coz I wouldn't have enough time to make you guys a nice home-cooked meal. I hope you guys don't mind Chinese?" Gwen started. "And the good news, is that I got you guys some smoothies and chili fries"
"Sweet!" Ben happily took his smoothie and chili fries. "Wait, I just realized something…"
"Well that's something new" Kevin smirked.
Ben just shot Kevin a glare and continued. "Since you ordered take-out, that means, you don't have any chores! You don't even have to wash any dishes! That's not fair" Ben pouted.
Gwen just giggled. "Alright, alright Ben. I'll do the laundries. You did a pretty good job with the living room and the bathroom anyway"
"And his car!" (Insert sudden flashback of garage incident here, which made Ben blush, shut up, and drop the topic)
The gang decided to eat lunch together, storing the chili fries and the smoothies in the fridge for snacks later. They occasionally talked about anything while at the table- missions, school activities, places to hang-out, or even just joking around with each other (mainly Kevin and Ben bickering, Gwen just laughing at the two).
After lunch, Gwen decided to clean the table and the kitchen then start working on the laundry afterwards; Kevin gratefully thanked the cousins for all the things they're doing for him, and then decided to take a shower; and Ben, with nothing else to do, decided to kick back and watch some TV shows.
.
------------------------------
.
After a while of channel surfing (since he really didn't find anything interesting on TV), Ben fell asleep on the couch, with the remote in one hand and the TV on some lame samurai romance movie. Gwen had just finished cleaning the kitchen and was currently talking to someone on her cell phone. Kevin had just finished his shower, and with just a towel on, was headed for his room, until he caught sight of Ben sleeping on the couch.
Ben was having one of those sumo slammer dreams of his; himself as the main hero in a samurai costume, Kevin in a ninja suit, and of course Ishiyama (you know, the fat guy protagonist of the game).
.
Dreamworld:
The group had just barely won a 3 on 30 battle. Ishiyama had fallen, while Ben and Kevin were down to their last lives. The pair was currently enjoying their victory, shouting 'Woo!'s and "Oh yeah!'s to the world. Until Ben noticed Kevin being silent and was just staring at him, smiling, then slowly walking towards him.
"Great job Ben. I knew you could do it"
"Thanks Kev. Couldn't have done it without you… and Ishiyama, though we lost him in that last fight" Ben gave a wide smile.
"He'll be proud of you for winning the game… just like I am of you…" Kevin stopped in front of Ben, smirking.
Ben felt he needed a little more 'private space' and tried to move back a bit. "Uhh… thanks Kev"
Ben moved back bit by bit, Kevin still advancing and smirking, until Ben hit a wall and realized he couldn't back off anymore. Kevin immediately put his hands on each side of Ben's face. He watched Ben's eyes intently as he lowered his own face.
"K..Ke-… Kevin…" Ben stuttered and blushed. "Wh-what're you… d-doing?". This was getting a little too close for comfort.
"Shh… do me a favor Benjy… and just… Shush…" After those words left Kevin's mouth, he connected their lips. Ben's eyes widened in shock. He definitely wasn't expecting that one… okay so, not really, he secretly DID see that coming.
Ben soon relaxed into the kiss and closed his eyes and Kevin doing the same afterwards. He didn't know why, but the kiss felt so right, so real.
.
Reality: (Reverse time a bit, you know, so it fits well with what Ben's dreaming about XD)
Kevin looked at the sleeping figure lying on the couch. So serene, so peaceful; Ben looked like an angel sleeping on a white puffy cloud.
"K..Ke-… Kevin…" Ben mumbled in his sleep and blushed a little.
"No way… is Ben… dreaming about me? … And whats with the blush…?" Kevin couldn't believe his luck. Ben Tennyson- the person he so desired to be with- was having a dream, about HIM!
Kevin kneeled down beside Ben's face, trying to listen more about what the younger boy was mumbling about. When he saw Ben lightly pucker his lips, "He… he's dreaming of… kissing?" Kevin blushed at that thought. Ben's lips looked so inviting, tempting Kevin to kiss them.
"I shouldn't… Ben's sleeping… but he looks so… but I shouldn't! Though he DID mention my name and… ARRGHH!" Kevin scratched his head, annoyed. "AAHH!! Screw this!" Kevin cleared all his thoughts, leaned down… and kissed Ben… square on the lips.
.
Dreamworld:
The kiss was simple, yet amazingly sweet. Neither wanted to pull back. When Kevin pulled back, he smiled lovingly at Ben, whom he still held in his arms
"Ben… I always wanted to let you know… that I…-" THRUST!
Kevin looked down, and right in the middle of his chest was a blade pierced right through him.
Ben stared in shock, unable to speak. He trailed with his eyes as to where the blade suddenly came from. An enemy lying on the ground, barely alive, seems to have barely pierced Kevin with a sword and not reach Ben. The enemy quickly drew back the sword, and Kevin (barely breathing) used the last of his strength to pull out his own sword and slice through the enemy, immediately killing it for good, vanishing into thin air.
"K… Kevin…" Ben finally found some words to say, tears forming in his green eyes. Kevin was kneeling on the ground, and eventually fell down on his back, panting. Ben rushed to him and carefully put Kevin's head on his lap.
"B-… Ben… y-you… you're not… h-hurt… are you?" Kevin said weakly, though smiled lovingly at Ben, a little blood escaping his lips.
"Forget me! What about you?! Don't die on me Kevin! Don't you dare!" Tears were now freely flowing from Ben's eyes.
"D-don't mind me… Benjy" Kevin winced. "Take this as… a form… of p-payback…"
"Payback?! What the hell are you talking about!? You know what, just…" Ben was now panicking. "Don't speak anymore! You need to conserve your energy!" Ben exclaimed. "We *sobs* made it this far Kevin… don't go… please…" Ben cried his heart out.
"Payback… f-for forgiving me… for making me…y-your friend…" Kevin's eyesight was now beginning to fail him. "Benjy… I… Love you…" Kevin took a deep breath; it was really becoming more difficult to talk now. Kevin closed his eyes, and softly spoke "Always have… always will…"
And just like that, Kevin's body went limp in Ben's hands. A small smile was still planted on his lips, happy to have stayed in his beloved's arms until his end.
"Kevin… No… please… *sobs* don't go… we finally made it to the end…" Ben hugged Kevin's lifeless form. "Kevin… I… I love you… very much…"
.
Reality: (this time, dont reverse the time, this next scene is actually what happens after Ben wakes up ^_^)
Ben woke up in tears. He slowly opened his eyes. Suddenly realizing he was hugging something… or rather… someone… naked? (He could feel skin under his touch)
Startled, Ben pulled back and stared wide-eyed from whatever it was he was hugging. Sitting just beside him, half-naked in just a towel, and smiling (not a smirk, a genuine loving smile), was none other than Kevin Levin.
Kevin leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on Ben's lips, making Ben shut his eyes. When Kevin pulled back, Ben unconsciously followed his lips to Kevin's, and after realizing this, pulled back and blushed.
Kevin licked his lips, as if savoring the taste.
"I Love you too Benjy"
.
.
.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Pukes inside a barf bag then cleans himself up* I can't believe I just wrote mush. BLEAUGH!
Anyway... so like, whoah... I killed Kevin (O.o) *dodges various fruits, vegetables, and weaponry aimed at him by Kevin fans* but hey, I made up for it by making that mushy yet romantic scene now, didn't I? (^_^)
The next chapter is gonna be the last... probably... most likely. Future warnings though: STRICTLY RATED M!!! So all you kiddies reading this fic, I suggest you end here. Lemons (and probably some teasing devices XD) are gonna be on the next chapter.
Lastly, reviews are much appreciated. Thanks much! (^_^)