Chapter Text
"Ben? Are you even listening?"
Ben Tennyson snapped out of his daze before looking at his cousin, who was irritated with him if the way she was glaring at him was any indication.
Ever since their summer together, the two of them had gotten along far better. They even considered themselves close. But that didn't stop Ben from being too... Ben at times. Or at least that's how Gwen's mother put it.
"Sorry. What were we talking about?" Ben asked. He sounded like someone had suddenly woken him up in the middle of class.
Gwen sighed while rubbing her temples. Helping him with schoolwork took the patience of a saint. And even they would be running the risk of being driven insane.
Glancing over to the spot he was staring at, Gwen noticed that his gaze was directed at her dresser. And on a specific drawer rather than the window that was right above it.
"Are you that curious as to what my clothes look like?" Gwen said with a smirk, causing Ben to recoil. That seemed to get his attention.
"Um, first off. Ew. Second..." Ben sighed as he leaned back. "I don't know. I just feel off today."
"Off how? Besides..." Gwen trailed, pointing at his left hand. The skin where the Omnitrix used to be was a little paler than the rest of his arm.
"Yes, besides that. I don't know what it is. It's just a feeling," Ben said before his gaze traveled back to the same spot. Same dresser, same drawer.
Gwen knew what was in the drawer he was looking at. A bunch of her magic related stuff. She still practiced, but she hadn't actually needed to use her magic in a long time.
"You seem interested in that drawer," Gwen pointed out.
"I just keep looking at it cause it beats focusing on Algebra," Ben said, and Gwen couldn't help but roll her eyes at the blatant lie.
Getting to her feet, she saved the page of the Algebra book in her hands before walking over to the drawer that was somehow taking her cousin's attention.
"What are you doing?" Ben asked.
"Satisfying your curiosity," Gwen said before opening the drawer all the way out and carrying it over to their studying spot. "This is everything that's in it."
"That's all your magic stuff," Ben said, picking up the Keystone of Bezel.
He immediately dropped it back inside when he felt the artifact pulse in his hand. It was freaky, and... oddly comfortable.
"Yeah. Most of it is just a bunch of old junk," Gwen said before picking up the spellbook. "Besides this."
"Charmcaster's book. You still have it?" Ben asked.
"I like to keep my skills sharp. We may have a normal life, but it doesn't mean I don't want to be a good sorceress," Gwen said with a shrug.
"Most of this stuff looks like it doesn't work," Ben asked, picking the only other book. He examined it for a few seconds before dropping it back in.
"Mostly. The only stuff that gets any use are the books. And this," Gwen said before she launched a pink tendril into her closet and pulled out a staff. That trick was new to him.
"Isn't that the staff Hex had?" Ben asked.
"One of them. He kept finding a new one every time we fought him," Gwen said before standing it up and twirling it. Then she used it to rearrange the stuff in her closet back to the way it was before she took the staff out. "But this is the one he had when we found the Keystone of Bezel."
"Moments like that make normal feel overrated sometimes," Ben said as he stretched the tiredness out of his limbs.
"I kinda agree. But after aliens, bounty hunters, and all the insanity we had to deal with during the summer, I think normal is exactly what we need. Besides, there hasn't been anything crazier than bank robbers since you took off the watch," Gwen reminded him.
"I guess you're right. I just feel the need to do something, you know?" Ben said, picking up the Keystone again. Again, there was that strange pulse that he couldn't make heads or tails of. But instead of dropping it back in, he held onto it.
"You can't seriously be thinking about magic?" Gwen asked with a raised brow, noticing the way he was staring at the Stone.
"If you can pull a rabbit out of a hat, why can't I?" Ben said with a grin as he turned the Keystone over in his hands.
"You know it doesn't work like that, right?" Gwen said with a small smile.
"I know it doesn't. But it was a fun idea," Ben said before tossing her the Keystone. "You sure there's no more magic in that thing? It keeps doing something when I touch it."
Gwen easily caught it, immediately feeling it pulse in her hands. It almost felt like a heartbeat.
"Yeah, I felt it too," she said before putting it back down. "It feels... strangely comfortable."
"If that's the case, you could start wearing it like a necklace," Ben said.
"All I remember this thing being good for was creating a bunch of charms I don't want. No normal girl has a bunch of charms like that," Gwen said.
"No normal girl can grab something out of their closet with pink energy," Ben reminded her with a smirk.
"True. But the same reason I don't use stuff like this is the same reason you won't put the watch back on. Because I want a normal life where I attract unwanted attention just because I have something special. I want to avoid creating a life where it's nothing but you, me, and Grandpa Max dealing with alien after alien. I'll fight if I have to, but nothing more," Gwen told him firmly.
"You know, it used to be scary that you always say what I'm thinking. Now I'm starting to think it's just the magic," Ben said, making Gwen smirk.
"It's just how I feel. And after an entire summer with you, it doesn't take magic to figure out the mind of a doofus," she said, making Ben roll his eyes.
"I know this is weird coming from me, but can you be serious for a moment?" he asked, pushing the textbook away from him.
"Right. Something to do. Well, I know your middle school has a bunch of different clubs," Gwen said, mentally bouncing around ideas in her head. "Do you like sports?"
"Watching, yeah. Playing could be fun," Ben said with a shrug.
"We'll stick that in the 'maybe' column then. I'd suggest an academic club, but..." Gwen trailed as Ben rolled his neck in exasperation.
"You know me better than that. I hate doing my own schoolwork, much less competing with people way nerdier than me to do more of it," he said with a yawn.
"Yeah, I figured as much. There's always karate lessons," Gwen suggested lazily. Ben frowned thoughtfully at the suggestion.
"That I could work. I'd still be able to kick butt, but without lives being at stake. I'd probably be the best starter day one too," he said confidently.
"I don't doubt that. A lot of the kids who just start karate are out of shape, have the reflexes of slugs, and can't take a punch," Gwen said with a smirk, which earned her a glare. "So yeah. You'll definitely be the best. Quite the accomplishment, hero."
Ben flushed slightly. Ever since he took off the Omnitrix, he was hearing less "doofus" and more "hero." It made him feel all warm inside. Even though he...
"No. I'm not going to get into that," Ben thought, furiously shaking his head. Gwen noticed his furious head shaking before putting her hands on his shoulders to get him to look at her.
"You alright?" she asked in a concerned tone.
"I'm fine. Just... memories, you know?" Ben said, sounding quieter than Gwen was comfortable with. "That whole thing when the watch about to blow up... It was a big eye opener that this kind of life isn't all fun and games."
"You don't deserve to feel guilty, you know," Gwen said, holding his hands with her own. "I'm ok."
"If it wasn't for Gluto, you wouldn't have. You would've..." Ben cut himself off before tightening his fists.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I preferred it when you were being obnoxious," Gwen said with a sigh. "Let's try not talk about that. So what do you think you'll decide on doing?
"I'll ask mom to sign me up for karate tomorrow," Ben said before grabbing the staff that Gwen put down. He then twirled it with one hand, a grin donning his face when he managed to keep twirling it without dropping it.
"What is with you and touching everything?" Gwen asked in an exasperated tone that had held the smallest amount of fondness. She was mostly just glad they were able to drop the previous conversation as quickly as they did.
"I'm just twirling it. It's not like I'm going to break it," Ben said with a roll of the eyes. "I'd like to think I have a bit more finesse than that."
"Well, enough of your finesse..." Gwen trailed before using another tendril of mana to put the staff back in her closet. "...and back to some Algebra."
"Ugh. Fine. That's part of the reason I came over here in the first place," Ben said before picking up the algebra book.
"Part?" Gwen asked curiously.
"Other parts involve advice and the fact that I don't want to vomit just from hanging out with you anymore," Ben mentioned, making Gwen snort as she stood to her feet.
"Thanks," she said, making Ben smirk as she put her drawer back where it was. His gaze followed it again.
"What is with me doing that?" Ben thought furiously as he forced himself to focus on his homework.