OUT OF THIS WORLD .. ben tennyson x reader

xi. concerns

When Ben and Gwen arrive at Grandpa's new room, a quiet muttering stops them in their tracks. Gwen almost knocks Ben into the doorway, but he catches himself just in time.

They can figure that it's [name] talking upon poking an ear and an eye inside. She has a hand buried between her locs, each licking at her fingers anxiously while the other held onto Grandpa Max's. He gives her a weak twitch and her locs stop moving for a moment, only to start again after she gives a squeeze back.

If Ben can't quite make out what it is that she's saying, he doubts Gwen can either. [name]'s back was to the door and she spoke in a low voice, but he could vaguely make out something about a good idea and traveling.

Grandpa crosses his arms with something like a stern expression on his face, but he doesn't let go of her hand. "I think you mean Bluetooth," he says, switching his hold on her hand, "and I'm sure the kids would rather eat frog's foot and donkey bladder before they see you leave early—" That gets a gag out of [name] before they both laugh. "— I don't think you understand how excited they both are to have someone so interested in both their interests that isn't me."

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, Grandaddy," there goes that name again. Ben doesn't know how he feels about it, but regardless, she speaks louder and pulls her hands into her lap. "I don't know what I'd do with myself if I was the one who—"

Grandpa Max scoffs and cuts her off. "Stop it. You know I hate it when people talk like that." The stern look on his face switches to instead be in his voice, something softer fixing itself in his eyes. "I didn't ask you to come along because I thought you'd be a danger. I asked—"

"— That was before Ben got the Omnitrix!—" [name] cuts herself off when she catches the way her voice raised. She even stood up halfway into her outburst, one hand grabbing the locs close to her scalp while the other balls into a fist at her hip.

(Had [name] been referring to it when she said Omnitrix? He remembers that being thrown around during the mines, but it's still a weird— alien— word.)

The hand in her hair yanks her hair, hard, and she lets out a loud hiss.

"I'm sorry," she whimpers, "but still."

Just as Grandpa opens his mouth to respond, Gwen takes Ben's shoulder and pulls him away when he tries to lean in closer. "I think we should stop eavesdropping, don't you?" She doesn't move from where she stood behind him, but she does try to pull him away from the door. "It's really juicy, but it also sounds like some sensitive stuff."

"Sensitive stuff about me," he huffs in return, shrugging her off. "Now hush!"

Gwen forces her face to smooth when she feels an oncoming frown. Rather than giving him one hundred and one reasons to stop listening, she hooks her hands beneath his arms and begins to drag him away.

The little muscle he gained over the few weeks since Summer began did nothing when it came to fighting against Gwen. He's kicking his legs out and trying to claw his nails into the wall to stop her from pulling him away any further, but all that gets her to do is put him in a headlock.

They both stop when a nurse comes down the hall pushing a cart along, the rattling of pills and plastic wrapping jostling along with it.

Ben trips the moment Gwen takes her hands off him, almost falling face first had he not stuck his hands out. He can hear the way the nurse stops to look at the scene before Gwen pipes up.