Note: This story takes place sometime during Ultimate Alien.
The rhythmic thudding of the rain against the windows of Kevin's car served as the perfect background noise for Gwen. She had her eyes closed and arms folded at her chest, awake enough to be vaguely aware of her surroundings yet drowsy enough to get some rest. It was like walking a tightrope.
Kevin's voice, monotonous from exhaustion, ended the tug of war between the two extremes and whisked her fully back to reality. "Almost here."
She blinked, and the blurry shapes outside the window morphed into the trees and lampposts that dotted her street. Finally. The downpour had caused a build-up of traffic on the way home, stretching what should have been a 30-minute drive into an hour-long one. After the physically demanding mission they'd been on, she was desperate to fall into a deep sleep as soon as she got home.
The car rolled to a stop in front of the house and Kevin pressed a button to unlock the passenger door. Gwen unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over to pat his cheek. Judging by the heavy bags under his eyes and how quiet he'd been on the journey back, the poor thing must have been as tired as her. "Drive safe." She pecked him on the lips. "And get some sleep."
He managed a slight smile, which she returned. "You too. Night."
"Night, Kev." She exited the car, conjuring a mana dome to protect herself from the rain. Kevin watched her trudge through the puddles along the walkway to her front door.
As always, he waited for her to enter, but she paused, her hand hovering over the doorknob. Before he could check if she'd accidentally left something behind, she turned around and made a beeline for the car. He quickly lowered the window so she could peer her head in. "My parents are out of town for the weekend," she revealed. "You can sleep here. Save yourself the trouble of driving home in this rain."
He raised his hands to politely decline. "I don't wanna impose."
She scoffed at the ridiculousness of that notion. "You're not imposing if I'm inviting you in!"
"I don't have any spare clothes."
She waved away his concern. "You can borrow some of Ken's."
He remained silent while he contemplated the decision. Her jaw tightened; a sign she was growing more impatient. He didn't even know why he was putting so much thought into it. Between making the trip home in the dreary weather and getting comfy and warm inside with Gwen, there was no competition at all.
"I can't say no to you."
Having showered and changed into her pajamas, Gwen gazed out the window of her room, watching the rain steadily fall on the grass. It wasn't going to ease up anytime soon, for which she was strangely thankful. Anywhere else, it would have been an inconvenience. In the comfort of her home, though, the pitter-patter soothed her and the wet sheen blanketing the world outside mesmerized her.
A series of hesitant knocks on the door caught her attention. "Come in!" she called out.
Kevin entered the room, dressed in a long-sleeved red T-shirt and grey pants. He carried a bottle of body wash which Gwen had lent him. After putting it back in the bathroom, he walked up to her and hugged her from behind, wrapping his arms around her middle. She pointed at the streaks of lightning flashing across the sky. "It's beautiful."
The sound of roaring thunder followed. Slightly shaken, Kevin curled into Gwen, his chin resting on her head. "Maybe, but I'm glad we're on this side of the glass," he said in a shaky voice. It occurred to her that all he'd been through as a child had likely led to him developing an aversion to sudden noises. She rubbed his arm to soothe him, allowing him to hold her for as long as he needed.
A loud yawn involuntarily slipped out of her lips, cutting the comfortable silence between them. Letting out a chuckle, he kissed the top of her head. "Somebody's sleepy!"
"You really wanna play that card, Mr. Eyebags-For-Days?" she fired back with a scoff.
Failing to come up with a retort, he released her. "Yeah, nah, ya got me there."
"Seriously, though, I wish we weren't so tired," she groaned, turning around. "This is our first sleepover and we're gonna spend it actually sleeping instead of doing something fun." It was at that moment she realized they were hitting a milestone as a couple. They'd cuddled in bed before. They'd even slept in each other's presence, like during camping trips with Grandpa Max. But sleeping together in the same bed with no one else around? That was new.
"I dunno, sleeping with my favorite person sounds pretty fun to me." The multiple meanings of his phrasing set in, sending a rush of heat to his cheeks. "Uh, I mean actually sleeping, not— not the other thing. Besides, there's always next time, right?"
She dangled her arms over his shoulder and smiled up at him. "I'll hold you to that."
"You can count on it," he promised, leaning so their noses touched.
"So... bedtime?"
"Bedtime," he agreed before climbing into bed. Good thing, too. At this point, keeping his eyes open was a struggle.
Gwen climbed in next to him and, after throwing the blanket over them both, hit the light switch with a small mana blast, plunging the room into darkness. She shifted so her back pressed against him, and in turn, he looped his arms around her waist and locked one leg over hers, effectively trapping her in his embrace. She was glad she'd used the bathroom when she had the chance. Tangled with her favorite person, though, she couldn't complain too much. Being close like this was one of the fun parts of sleeping with someone, after all. Inevitably, they'd drift away from each other at some point in the night, but falling asleep together was more important than staying asleep together.
It barely took five minutes for exhaustion to get the better of them, lulling them to sleep, accompanied by the tapping of the rain and the booming thunder.