OUT OF THIS WORLD .. ben tennyson x reader

ix. Kick Back

While Ben was used to staying in hotels for family reunions or the once-in-a-blue-moon field trips, they'd always been basic Mariott or Hilton level.

After dealing with the megawatts, he can't quite say he'd rather stay in a bed as plush as the memory foam sneakers he wore and that's possibly infested with bedbugs, the one that felt like heaven on Earth, or the one that quite literally defied gravity.

(He regrets joking about it as soon as he thinks it. He'd rather give up the watch and his spot on the soccer club's team than miss out on an opportunity like this.)

"We've totally gotta use the spa before we go!" Gwen's tugging [name] alongside her while they make their way to the elevator. "All the stuff Mr. Shapeshifter brings with him has gotta get us some sort of discount, right?"

Shaking her head and hitching Gwen's overnight bag further up her shoulder, [name] lets out an airy laugh. "I wish. If it doesn't I'll pay for it."

There's a spark in Gwen's eyes that's quickly dimmed when Max makes a noise that's between disapproving and amused. "Don't get used to it, girls," he says, pressing the elevator's button. "We're only here for the night."

Ben's head cocks back when he does a double take of the lobby. Were his eyes playing tricks, or was it some sort of Sumo Slammers-themed party? It takes a lot to not just drop his bag there and walk over to see if his suspicions are true. "We can still go out though, right? There wasn't any.. family-bonding plus [name] you wanted to do?"

"No," Max answers after thinking it over, stepping into the elevator, and looking at the key handed to him. He squints to read the numbers printed on the card before pressing the corresponding floor once everyone's in. "But is it so bad to stay with your dear old Grandpa for a few hours?"

When both cousins refuse to say anything, [name] roots her tongue around her mouth before answering. "They have the rest of your life to stay with you," she starts, ignoring the shocked looks of the two. "Remember the places you got to go when you were in the Navy?"

The look Max gives [name] is saying "be careful," even if he acknowledges that she was right. "Air Force," he corrects with a smile, expression soft despite whatever slip-up she might've had.

He cuts her off when she opens her mouth. "And it's not the same thing."

***

"Change of plans."

Gwen tries her best to keep her face from sneering. She didn't want the wrinkles on her face to make the cucumbers fall from her eyes. "What plans? We never made plans with you."

"Our plans for tonight, duh." Ben settles himself in an empty chair on [name]'s side, kicking his feet onto the empty tub in front of it. "We're going to a party."

[name] tilts her head at him, fingers twitching from the way the masseuse pulled at them curiously. "If it's the one here, no we're not. It's VIP only."

"You can't pay for it?"

"I asked and the bouncer kept telling me to leave."

"Well, I don't know about you [name], but I'm probably gonna fall asleep as soon as we're done here," Gwen yawns as the attendant comes to finish her facial. "This is the best I've felt all year."

Ben scoffs and waves away the worker who comes to him. "Boo, Gwen. We're in New York! How many times are you gonna get an experience like this?"

[name] sucks her tongue and leans as close as she can to him without disturbing the masseuse. "And when are you gonna experience having hands that don't look like you let a dog eat them before putting them in a wood chipper? There's a first time for everything."