A/N: After watching 'Vendetta' (which was amazing), this idea drifted into my head. It's Gwevin and despite being an aftermath to the episode, it's nowhere near as dark. If anyone's curious, the diner in this oneshot is based off a diner I used to go to all the time though I haven't been there in a while. The name of the diner was altered.
Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10 or the quote at the beginning of this chapter. I also don't own Coke or Mel's. I do own this oneshot.
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"We find what we expect to find and we receive what we ask for."
-Elbert Hubbard
59. No Way Out
"We're here." Kevin's voice interrupted the uncomfortable silence that had grown between the two since they had left Gwen's house.
"I noticed." Gwen smiled at him, but he was already halfway out of the car. She sighed, hoped that things wouldn't be awkward for the entire dinner, and then followed after Kevin.
They approached a small diner. The name of the diner, The Original Melvin's, was illuminated in cursive letters that glowed neon pink in the falling darkness. The interior of the diner was brightly lit, turning it into a beacon of light.
Kevin opened the door for her, eliciting an automatic "Thank you" from the girl. There was no returning answer from him as they stepped into the diner. Light jazz was playing in the background from an old-fashioned jukebox.
A cheerful waitress greeted them and escorted them to a booth with red vinyl seats. She handed them each a menu before heading off to treat other customers.
Gwen stared at the menu without really looking at the words. Tonight was supposed to be about having a good time with one another. Instead they were sitting across from each other, not making eye contact or speaking. And it was all because of the elephant in the room. She had asked him out to a public place to avoid it, but it seemed to be hunting after them.
"Would you like to order now?" The waitress was back several minutes later, pen poised to jot down their orders.
"I'll take a Coke and a Melvin burger with fries." Kevin ordered first.
The waitress jot down the order quickly before turning to look at Gwen. "What would you like, miss?"
Gwen blinked. With her thoughts occupied on the proverbial elephant, she hadn't had time to decide what to eat. To save herself the embarrassment, she quickly responded, "I'll take the same thing."
"That's cute. Ordering the same thing as each other." The waitress noted before taking their menus and departing. The comment made Gwen blush and she wished that she had taken the time to order something different.
Now with the menu gone, there really was no excuse not to look at one another. Still, Gwen kept her eyes firmly placed a few inches to Kevin's right side. Time seemed to have slowed down as they sat awkwardly. Finally she snuck a glance at him, jumping when she saw that he was staring at her.
He smirked. "What? Forgot I was here?"
"No, it's just… nothing." Gwen did not want to bring it up, not right now while they were sitting at a diner with other people around them. Then again, she had avoided talking about it on the ride over and there had been no other people there. Face it, you just don't want to hear a confirmation of what you know. A voice in the back of her head spoke to her.
"Damn it!" Some people sitting nearby cast glances their way before resuming their own dinners, whispering something about arguing couples. Kevin leaned closer to Gwen and rapidly began to speak, "We're supposed to be having a good time together, but instead we're avoiding talking to each other. Just-"
"Your drinks are here," interrupted the waitress. Kevin promptly shut up and leaned back. The waitress placed two glasses of Coke on to the table along with two closed straws before hurrying off.
Gwen watched her go, pulling her drink closer to herself and ripping open the packaging of the straw. She took a sip and waited for Kevin to continue.
"Look, I'm just saying that you should say whatever you want to say about it and then we can have a good time like we're supposed to."
Gwen looked at Kevin with interest. Was he really giving her permission to ask the question that had been haunting her mind, even if she knew the answer? He was staring back at her intently, his straw still lying untouched in its packaging.
"Did you kill Ragnarok?" It was surprising what a relief it was to get the question off her mind. Now instead of lurking through her mind, it hung in the air between them.
"Yeah, I let him die." Now it was Kevin's turn to stare away from her, his eyes fixated on his glass of Coke. He tore out his straw and slipped it into the soda, instantly gulping some down.
Gwen got ready to burst into a lecture on how good guys didn't let villains die, even if the villain in question had murdered a loved one, but… Kevin was right; tonight was supposed to be about fun, not dealing with the consequences of the boy's actions. Tomorrow was another day and they could always talk about it then.
"Okay." Gwen said calmly. Kevin glanced up from his drink. She smiled at him to show that she wouldn't be hounding him about it. "We can talk about it later. Let's just focus on each other for now." Kevin smiled back at her.
Despite the fact that they would have a lengthy conversation about Ragnarok the next day, the remainder of the date had easygoing conversation, with burgers every bit as greasy and delicious as expected and a kiss to end the night.
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A/N: 'No Way Out' as in Gwen had to ask the question at some point. There's no way out of it. I liked it though I hope that the ending wasn't too sappy. Expect the next oneshot to either be about Benlie or Mytrax (it's a strange pairing, but I like it) though neither one will be for a while. I've got another fanfiction that's been rather neglected lately as well as some original writing.
Twilight Phantom Dragon