DISCLAIMER: Again with this... I do not own the characters or anything else *screams*

Several days have passed. Things have returned to a sense of normalcy…normal as far as being teenage hero alien stoppers was concerned. Yet, all that changed when Gwen opened her front door to find Kevin standing on the other side.

"Kevin? What brings you around?" she asked opening the door further while stepping back to allow him inside. Even sitting on the couch in the living room, he remained as silent as the moment she opened the door.

Methodically his glare shifted from the floor to her eyes. "If I ask you something, do you promise to keep it between us only?" he asked with a tone as flat as the table top; although she questioned his actions, she sensed there was something troubling him.

"Of course. You've got my word of secrecy. Now, what's on your mind?" she smiled as both leaned back on the couch. This was met with another wave of awkward silence, now she wondered if he should or even could talk about it.

"Your cousin Ben…" the raven haired teen started softly "…does he like me?"

"Kevin. Of course he likes you; we're all friends, we work as a fluidly smooth team…I think he trusts you as much as you trust him. So yes, he does like you. What makes you ask that?" hearing this, Kevin closed his eyes and sighed. "Kev…is there something I should know?"

"I…I think…I think I'm attracted to him" everything came to a complete standstill. Both wanting to say something but neither daring to. Gwen blinked rapidly.

"Did I just hear you say that you are attracted to him?" Another round of awkward silence. "Well, it's disgusting, but…"

"But?"

"…but in a way it makes sense. He's a very aesthetic person, and I know for a fact that there's chemistry between you two"

"I want to tell him everything, but I don't want to…Gwen, what do I do?"

_X_

Ben sat on the sill his open window staring up to stars dotting the night sky as though millions of tiny lights were strung up in a pitch black room. At almost a straight diagonal line a crescent moon seemed to hang lower than normal. In the background noise, an owl hooted before flying off. Looking down to a notebook in his lap and a pen in hand, Ben sighed wondering if he it were normal or if he was finally cracking from the pressures of life.

What's not to like about him? He's tall, strong, a go get 'em kind of guy that's got my back when I need him… his thoughts lurked in the darkest recesses of his mind …and he'd kill me if he know what I thought about him…

A subtle knock at the door. Looking over, he found Gwen walking into his space.

"Hey Ben" was all she muttered sitting on the corner of his bed. "So, um, yeah, what do you think about Kevin?" this was met with a very confused glare from her cousin closing the notebook.

"Well…sometimes he can be a real jackass, but other times, there's an innocent child-like quality about him. There are times when I just want to punch that smug look off his face, yet sometimes I just want to hug him for no apparent reason at all"

"Would you say that you're attracted to him?" hearing this, Ben slipped off the sill and landed square on his rear end with a defined 'thump' then a grunt - the notebook hitting the ground sprung open to a page of all his thoughts about the elder.

"What!" he chuckled nervously "Kevin? Attractive? Just because he's got flowing black hair that I love so much doesn't mean…" Ben abruptly stopped while feeling a heat flash over his cheeks. Gwen - without saying a single word - let a devious grin creep across her face.

Jackpot; we have a winner she thought staring at the brunet and the reddish pink crest of his cheeks flowing almost as far as to his ears.

"Gwen! I'm begging you…" Ben stammered lacing his fingers together while walking on his knees to Gwen "…please, please, please don't tell him I said that, I mean, you know…I value my life and physical well being"

"Don't worry Ben, I'm not going to tell him anything…"

_X_

The car ride remained silent; a thick tension hung between Kevin driving, Ben in the front seat and Gwen in the back. After what seemed an eternity, Gwen finally broke the silent state.

"So, Kevin, wasn't there something you wanted to tell Ben?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about"

"Of course you do, remember what we discussed…about…"

"I have nothing to say!"

Another round of silence fell upon them. Gwen gave thought to the idea of grabbing the boys heads and knocking some sense into them; Kevin wanted to stop the car and leave her standing on the side of the road; Ben simply glanced between his cousin and friend.

"Kev, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Yup"

"Just say what you need to already so we can get this over with!" a shrill grunting chirp came from the back.

"Just mind your damn business…"

"Kevin, what's going on, is there something I should know?" the brunet only added to the verbal confusion.

"Tell him Kevin, go ahead, do it"

"Kevin?"

"I LOVE YOU BEN!" Kevin shouted slamming his hand against the wheel. The hum of the engine was the only sound. Gwen tried hard to stifle the giggles; Kevin tightening his jaw while keeping focus on the road; Ben stared at him with large round eyes and a gaping jaw. Everything was in the open now.

"You…you what?" Ben stammered finally coming back to reality enough to draw a lone breath.

"I said I love you, Ben" Kevin tightened his grip on the wheel.

It was a sudden transition as the car skid to a halt on the side of the road. Kevin slid the gear selector into park before turning to meet Ben face to face. "I can't explain it. Every time I see you I can't help but feel this weird feeling in my guts, it's kind of like an urge to ralph but that's not quite the feeling. You've got me in a trance that I can't break free from"

Before Kevin or Gwen knew it, Ben leaned I locking lips with the elder. Several moments passed as they remained as such - Gwen doing everything humanly possible to keep from screaming her lungs out.

"It's okay, I love you too…" Ben blushed - his entire face turning crimson red as he broke off.