OUT OF THIS WORLD .. ben tennyson x reader

vii. Bounty

"Why do you still have that pie?"

"It looked good, so I took it. Not everything needs a reason, Gwen."

"So you stole some poor old person's pie because it looked tasty?"

"First of all, they probably weren't in their right mind when they made it, and second of all, yes."

"I hope it's made out of their goo."

Ben bumps Gwen with his hip when he walks through the door. He rushes to the Rustbucket to set it down on the counter, hurrying back before Grandpa can say it's rude to do an Irish Goodbye.

"I hate to see you all leave so soon!" A whine leaves Vera's throat while she throws her arms around Max's neck. When she's done with him, she moves onto Ben and takes his cheek between her index finger and thumb before squeezing. "Promise you'll be safe! You all call me when you can!— Oh! And start eating more! I don't like how skinny you've all gotten."

Gwen manages to swerve out of Vera's pinching range by pulling her in for a hug. "Well, you have us for a few more minutes," she hums, pulling far enough away so she won't get pinched. "Or, at least, however long it takes for [name] to get off the phone."

"I do hope she's okay." Vera raises her hand and rubs her knuckle against her lip. "She looked in a real rush when it came in."

Ben suppresses the urge to tell her that she was probably to her girlfriend, or boyfriend, or something. He'd seen the contact pop up before she hastily answered and left the dining room. It was something like Love followed by a light blue heart and diamond emoji.

He hadn't realized she had a significant other. If anything, she seemed more like the type to have flings and leave broken hearts in her wake.

He'd be willing to bet money she was if the way she scammed a few boys out of their money a few towns back was anything to go by.

Max takes a deep breath that doesn't quite come out as a sigh. Wringing a hand around his neck, his lips thin while tapping a finger against the wrinkles of it. "Would one of you mind checking in on her? I don't wanna be late to head out."

Shooting his hand up, Ben already starts slipping past his family and back into the house. "I will," he offers, skirting his way around furniture until he reaches the back door.

Whatever language [name] is speaking, Ben doesn't understand even as it gets more audible the closer he gets.

She's holding the phone close to her ear like the wind (even though there was none) would blow it away. Her voice is a harsh whisper, accented words coming out more like hisses than anything.

"— Look," she sighs, pinching the ends of her locs, "you know I don't mean to yell at you. It's just—"

The voice that grumbles through the other end is one that Ben can't help but be jealous of.

[name] huffs out a laugh at whatever he says, stroking at the loc now. "Yeah, yeah," she starts speaking in the other language again, "but, uhm, yeah. I— I'll, uhm.. I'll see you then."

She takes a sharp intake of breath that the other voice questions. She shakes her head, hums, and picks at the skin of her lip. "Mhn, it's whatever. See you, bye."