Fragile

Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 characters but I do, however, use them for my own entertainment.

It had been a week since the day of the 'accident' and Ben was beginning to question whether girls were insane or just plain crazy. Nothing had changed in the past week. Gwen still insulted him with her dry wit and sarcasm. She still got immeasurably anger at him for the small things and still argued with him on a daily basis. He was beginning to wonder if those kisses meant anything to her but Ben was preoccupied with fighting with her to remember.

"Hey Dweeb, hurry up in there! I need to use the bathroom!" Gwen shouted in front of the bathroom door, Ben was so busy focus on his thoughts he forgot that he was brushing his teeth.

"Alright already!" Ben finished brushing his teeth and opened the door to be greeted with Gwen's tongue sticking out right at him "Can't a guy get some privacy around here?"

"I'm a girl, I outrank you when it comes to things like the bathroom besides," she had a smug grin on her face "You're a slob you don't even use the bathroom all that much."

"It's called being manly!" Ben protested. Gwen simply ignored him as she went into the bathroom literally kicking Ben out of the doorway and slamming the door shut.

"Girls," Ben rolled his eyes rubbing his butt, for a girl she hits hard.

"I heard that!"

"We're out of milk," Gwen stated as she opened the fridge "Grandpa! I'm going out to get some milk, do you want anything from the store?"

"Oh, I could use some salamander gizzards for lunch tomorrow!"

"Eggs and ham it is," Gwen remarked "What about you Doofus?"

"If you're buying it, you might poison it with your magic or something," Ben imitated gagging by holding his throat with his hands and pulling his tongue out.

"I'm going to ignore that and buy some ice-cream," she huffed walking out the door.

Gwen was angry when she came home. She burst through the front door startling Ben who blinked in surprise; she didn't even give them a sideways glance before she stomped straight for the bedroom. Ben turned to Max who looked just as confused as he did. The two heard a crash in the room and saw Gwen grabbing her pillow and slamming it against the bed before she plopped down on it. From what Ben could tell she was angry about something that must have happened along the way to or from the grocery store.

"Gwen?"

"Go away, Ben!" Yep, she was definitely angry and for once it wasn't Ben's fault. He relished the moment briefly until he looked over to Gwen who had been sulking.

"Gwen, what happened?" He hated himself for asking, but something was bothering her and he rather not have all that aggression turned on him.

"Leave me alone!" She almost shouted getting up from the bed and slamming the door shut.

"Good grief," Ben tried to open the door, but it was locked. He eyed the door. Did she really think locking the door would keep me out? Ben raised his arm, the Omnitrix could easily whip out an alien that could slip or bust through the door. Before Ben could turn the dial, Gwen shouted from behind the door.

"And don't you dare think about using the Omnitrix!"

Ben groaned and gave himself a face palm, "Fine. Then talk."

"I don't want to talk about it!"

"Well, I don't want to sit outside the door to our room and wonder why you're mad," Ben sat against the door "So just talk to me."

"I can't talk about it," Gwen lowered her voice "It's…I don't know what it is but I don't want to talk about it!"

"Come on Gwen, it can't be that bad," Ben heard her get off the bed and walk to the door, pressing her back against it like he did.

"It is," Gwen wasn't angry anymore "It's not something someone can talk easily about."

"Gwen, what happened?" Ben asked worriedly "If it's something that serious then-"

"Ben just forget about it, ok?" Ben's eyes widened momentarily by the light sound he had been hearing. Gwen was crying, she had been crying the whole time. Ben's concern grew and grew until he couldn't take it anymore.

"Gwen I'm coming in whether you like it or not!" Ben grabbed the dial and spun it until it landed on Four Arms, before he could slam it down the door opened and Ben's heart froze. Gwen grabbed his raised hand and pulled him in the room, locking it. Ben didn't know what to say, Gwen's hair was a mess she had bruises all over her body. She had light bruises on her face, someone hit her and bruises over her wrist said that someone had pinned her or held her down. Her clothes were dirty and ruffled and there was one stain of blood along the sleeve of her blue shirt. Ben was petrified; he was afraid of asking her what happened.

"Gwen, what-" Before Ben could finish his sentence Gwen wrapped her arms around his shoulders, she buried her face in his neck as she sobbed lightly. Ben embraced her tightly.

"I got mugged," Gwen said through her sniffles "They came up behind me and dragged me into an alley, they roughed me up a bit and took the groceries…but I got them all with a few of my spells. Ben I was so scared, I panicked…I...I…"

"It's ok Gwen," Ben strengthened his grip on her, he felt angry. Angry wasn't strong enough of a word, he felt so much hate at that moment that if he ever saw the guys that did this he wasn't sure if they would ever be able to stand up again. If he had been there none of this would have happened, she would have been safe. He gritted his teeth and held back from taking out his frustration out on Gwen by squeezing her too tightly. His shoulders by now were soaked with her tears; Ben after looking at her for a moment lost every bit of anger that was in his body. Focusing on Gwen was the best thing to do right now. He patted and brushed her short red hair calmly.

He had always been scared of losing Gwen, especially when that Clown freak drained all her happiness away. This little turn of events made Ben realize that even though Gwen was his cousin and that she had her magic and fighting skills she was still a girl. She was emotional and fragile.

Max who had his ear pressed against the door smiled as he walked outside. He wasn't about to let the men who mugged his granddaughter get away with only a few bruises. He knew Ben would do the same but he was a little busy at the moment. Finding a few guys groaning on the floor shouldn't be too hard.

A few minutes had passed and the two had moved to the bed. Gwen had her head on Ben's lap as he continued to brush her hair. The two just sat in the silence, not saying anything because there was nothing to be said. Ben had to make sure that something like this never happened again. She got away with a few bruises this time but what about the next? What if she went out and never came back one day? Ben shuddered at the thought.

"Gwen, to be honest I can't imagine my life without you. If Gwen wasn't here to laugh and make fun of Ben, to set him straight when he is doing something wrong, to be the voice of reason to counter his rash thinking, to worry about him when he doesn't care about what happens to himself. Without Gwen, Ben really can't be Ben can he?" Gwen looked at Ben in disbelief. He actually said something profound with a serious face.

"So for that reason, I'm going to protect you even if you complain and whine I'll always be here to look out for you." Gwen slowly began to blush; she had never seen Ben like this before it was positively…attractive "We will have to set up a compromise though, I know that you don't like hanging around me so-"

"Where'd you get that idea?"

"Well we still fight even though we kissed and stuff."

"Oh," Gwen look disheartened "Ben, I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about?" Ben asked cocking his head to the side.

"You know…for the past week I've been insulting and fighting with you."

"You've always been like that."

"Well yeah but we kissed and I thought that meant that…I don't know that we were supposed to be all romantic towards each other because we are…a…" Gwen broke off, blushing slightly.

"What?"

"Well we are a couple aren't we?" Gwen sheepishly asked averting Ben's gaze.

"Um," Ben thought for a moment, they liked each other they kissed so that meant they were boyfriend and girlfriend right? "...I guess we are."

"It's just that I don't know a lot about this couples thing," Gwen confessed "I don't know how I'm supposed to act when I'm around you so I just act the same…" Then it hit Ben, he didn't know how to act either he just went with what he knew, so Gwen must have been the same. What did couples do? They just enjoy what both of them like, and simply enjoy each other's company. Ben had to admit, he liked fighting with Gwen he didn't know why maybe because it was Gwen and couples fight with each other anyway right? Ben and Gwen were special; they fought a lot more than normal couples.

"I really thought you would hate me for it…"

"Gwen I could never hate you, in fact I lo-"Ben stopped, realizing what he was about to say. She was special to him, he cared deeply for her and he didn't know what his life would be like without her. He steeled his will and tried again "I lo-" but he failed.

"I'm waiting," Gwen smirked as she looked up into Ben's flushed face. Oh how she loved teasing and making fun of Ben.

"Don't make me say it please?" Gwen shot Ben a small glare "Alright, alright…I lo- I…really really like you ok?" Ben looked away his face fully red. Why was this so embarrassing?

"Fine I'm satisfied with that for now," With that she smiled sweetly, she turned his head and planted a kiss on lips "I really like you too Ben." The two just stared into each other's eyes before Ben broke the silence.

"So um are we going to kiss a lot more from now on?" Ben smiled excitedly; he really enjoyed kissing and hoped there would be much more in the future.

"God, Ben, you're so-"

"Romantic?"

"Frustrating!"

So you have wished it so it has been made. Enjoy~