"No Kevin."

Gwen gritted her teeth, her hands planted firmly on her lap. It was the fifth time that Kevin asked that day and it was slowly getting on her nerves. She didn't know if he was being ridiculously ignorant and stupid or if he was ignorant, stupid and persistent. Usually after she made a rejection comment, he would leave it alone and move along with the subject. However, he was more insistent on this question more than he was before.

"Gwen, it's a financial seal to our relationship. What's so bad about it?" Kevin persisted. Gwen could feel his eyes on her and she turned her face to the window, away from him. She was feeling hot from all the pent up anger she was feeling. Financial? What's financial about that anyways? She failed to see his reason and she didn't want to see any of it.

How much more is he going to do this?

"Well?" Kevin pressed on.

"Look Kevin, I just don't want to do that. It's not something I want to engage in nor do I think that I'm ready for that. I'm happy with the way things are and I don't believe that there should be a "seal" on our relationship. Aren't you happy with the way things are?" Gwen peered over to his direction. She was earnest to see what his reaction would be.

Why would he ask that question if he wasn't happy with the way things were going? It just wasn't connecting in her head.

"Gwen, I'm happy as I can be since I'm with you. But we're in that stage where we're older and we're able to make other commitments other than what we've established. Don't you feel the same as I do?"

"No." Gwen's annoyance was peaking. She had been so patient with him and he had the nerve to say all of this? They were in a stage that meant they can illicit other commitments other than what they have made? As far as Gwen was concerned, everything was fine just the way it is. There was no need to amplify anything that's good on its own.

As the road signs were getting even more recognizable, Gwen perked up. They were nearing Ben's house and if anything, Gwen just wanted to get out of the car with that bumbling idiot.

"Drop me off Ben's house. He needs me to teach him some math."

"Oh really? This late at night?" Gwen could hear his mocking tone. They both know that Gwen didn't want to stick around any other than they have now. But Gwen knew he was going to drop her off.

"Yeah, drop me off in front of his house."

"Fine."

Once Ben's house came to view, Kevin pulled over. A silence swept over them and Gwen couldn't wait to just get out of the car and leave him.

But she knew he had something to say.

"Say it."

"Look Gwen, I didn't mean to offend you at all about our compromise. I just felt that maybe you felt the same and I was just trying to let you know that I'm okay with it. It's my sign of letting you know, if anything happens, I'm all go for it."

"It's not even that Kevin. You don't just go and ask a girl that repeatedly after her constant rejections. Obviously I don't feel the same way as you and I want to keep it close to me." A pause. "And even if you just wanted to let me know that you were okay with it, you don't have to repeat it. It gets old and annoying after a while."

"All right. I'm sorry Gwen, just don't be mad at me for that."

"I'm still annoyed with you, that's not going to go away." Gwen said at last. She really wasn't going to entirely forgive him. It was his fault to keep pressing the issue further when she already gave him her opinion.

"I'll take that chance. Teach Ben well, okay?" Kevin leaned over and kissed Gwen gently on her cheek.

Almost all at once, it felt as if Gwen's anger and annoyance washed away.

"Just don't do it again, all right? If I say no, no means no." Gwen said finally. She stepped out of the car and onto the sidewalk. With a slam of the door, she turned her back on Kevin.

"I love you Gwen!" Kevin called out from his car. Gwen paused in her steps. That was the first time Kevin has ever said 'I love you'. For all the time that they've been dating, those words never came out of his mouth. She turned slowly, looking over her shoulder.

"Man, if you guys are going to yell 'endearments' in front of my house, can you do it elsewhere? It's pretty late," a voice called out. Light poured from Ben's porch and out came the alien hero, clad in a beater and boxers.

Ben yawned noisily, sluggishly approaching Gwen.

"Come on guys! Even Romeo and Juliet had some class when they were telling each other how much they loved each other. Can't you guys go elsewhere, like the movies or the beach or anywhere else that's not my front yard?" Ben said, placing an arm around Gwen.

"Gross…You smell like chili fries!" Gwen said, turning her head to the side. She pushed Ben's arm off her shoulders and glanced back at Kevin.

"I'm going to go in now. Drive safely."

"All right. Good luck with blockhead over there."

"I resent that you know."

"Go inside Ben," Gwen said, rolling her eyes. With a shrug of his shoulders, he turned on his heel, heading in.

With one last wave, Kevin drove off, exhaust left in its wake.

"Hurry up Gwen! It's freezing!"

"You shouldn't have been walking around in a beater and your boxers then," Gwen retorted. She walked inside, closing the door behind her.

"Where's Aunt Sandra and Uncle Carl? Are they already asleep?" Gwen asked, taking a look at her watch. It wasn't that late, but it was nearing ten o'clock. Usually they would be in bed around this time.

"They went out to a company dinner/dance thing. If they're having fun, they won't be back until early morning," Ben said. He yawned again and went up the stairs.

"And you were what? Playing Sumo Slammers all this time?" Gwen followed him up the stairs, going straight into his room. She pushed the door open and was surprised that nothing was on. The lamp on the desk beside Ben's desk was on and the only light on upstairs. The bed was messy, as if Ben just got out of bed. The window was left slightly ajar, probably to let some fresh air in.

"Contrary to what you think, I was actually sleeping," Ben said, coming up behind her, pushing her aside. He plopped down on his bed, throwing his blanket on him.

"Care to tell me why you're not playing any video games," Gwen asked raising an eyebrow. She sat near him, staring at his darkened features. Sometimes, he acted like a little boy. He was usually cocky and overconfident whenever they go out, but when he's like this, Gwen couldn't help but think how cute her cousin was.

"You see Gwen, when I went to the next town last week; I kicked this alien's ass and saving this lady in the process. Now this lady had just finished shopping and was thankful that I saved her, so she gave me this blanket. At first I was a bit weirded out that she would give me a blanket of all things, but she said that it was a really nice blanket to keep warm in these times. And she was right. It's the best blanket ever and the only thing I really want to do is stay in bed all day."

Gwen rolled her eyes, letting out a few chuckles.

"What? You don't believe me? Take off your shoes and stockings and come in with me. You'll see what I mean," Ben said from under the covers.

"What? No."

"Go on! Do it!" Ben ushered her, nudging her back.

"It's not necessary for me to take off my stockings Ben. I can feel it fine. Furthermore, I can feel the blanket with my hand and see that you are right, it is a good blanket."

"It's not the same. Come on now!"

"Don't be weird Ben."

"If it makes you feel better I'll hide under the covers so you get to take off your stockings. Don't be bashful now, it's not like I'll do anything. Plus I've seen it all when we were ten," Ben said.

"Shut up Ben." Gwen said blushing. If she recalled the incident, it was when they were all traveling in the Rust Bucket with Grandpa. Gwen and Ben weren't still used to each other's cleansing hours and one time, Ben walked in on her when she was toweling herself dry.

She spent a whole week hitting Ben whenever she got the chance. And to this day, it made Gwen blush whenever Ben mentioned it. She wondered how he could say it so nonchalantly like that.

"It's not like anything else is different," Ben drawled.

"Well, I still want you to close your eyes. These stockings are pretty big on me, so they're hiked up all the way to my stomach." Gwen grabbed a pillow lying on the floor and through it on his face.

"Don't look," she warned.

"Yuck, cameff-toe…" Ben's muffled voice came through the pillow.

"Shut up!"

Gwen turned around shimmying out of her pencil skirt and slipped her hands up her shirt, grabbing the pantyhose and moving it down. She didn't know why she was doing this. Maybe it was because she knew Ben would be hysterically annoying and continue to pester her. It was okay though. It was okay though. Ben was someone she was comfortable with.

"Come here." Suddenly, Gwen felt an arm wrap around her stomach, pulling her down. As she made contact with the bed, the blanket spread over her, covering her completely.

"Ben, you creep!" Gwen said, pushing Ben with her forearms. She was in her underwear when he pulled her down, bare legs and all.

"All right! All right!" Ben said, chuckling a bit, removing his hands from her waist.

"Don't you have a little decency? I didn't put my skirt back on!"

"It's better that way! Sheesh Gwen, I thought you knew that you can't totally feel the quality of the fabric if you already have something in the way of feeling it wholly," Ben said.

"Just…relax," Ben muttered. Ben reached over and pulled the lamp's cord off. A comfortable silence fell over the two and Gwen could hear nothing but Ben breathing and the winds blowing outside. She snuggled into the blanket, her legs clashing with Ben's.

"Why are your legs so cold if you were under the blanket for so long," Gwen complained, drawing her legs closer to her body.

"I dunno. It happens."

A pause.

"Why'd you get Kevin to drop you off here if your house is just five minutes away by driving?" Ben asked, breaking the silence. Gwen pulled the blanket, tucking it under her neck. She looked at Ben, his eyes closed and facing the ceiling. It was weird, if she did this with Kevin, she'd feel self-conscious and wary of his advances towards her. He's always been mildly sexual towards her and Gwen always made a note to be decent and to avoid anything that could pertain to anything sexual with him.

Sometimes, it didn't feel safe with Kevin.

But that doesn't mean she would do this so nonchalantly, Gwen was always a conservative girl. It would take far much more than just being related to make her feel comfortable.

With Ben, it was all just different. It was easy to be with him.

"Kevin…Kevin was just being a jerk." Gwen couldn't find the right words to describe Kevin. She knew the words were scratching the back of her tongue, but she couldn't find the means to let them out. Jerk was just the right word without being too wordy or letting Ben know too much.

Gwen was even hesitant in letting Ben know anything anyways.

"Kevin's always a jerk, thought you would know that by now!" Ben said cheerily.

"It was different this time," Gwen said, her eyes downcast. She focused on Ben's beauty mark on his arm. She called it that because it was too big to be called a freckle and definitely not gross enough to be called a mole.

"Tell me about it?"

"You know how it's almost been a year since Kevin and I first started dating right?"

"Please, don't remind me." Gwen felt Ben squirm, his cold legs inching towards hers.

"Our anniversary is coming up and he brought up certain things that he wanted to discuss about with me. I told him I didn't agree to his opinions. I didn't want to nor did I want to discuss it any further because it was getting us nowhere."

"Judging by how cryptic you are and how many people are discussing "issues". I'm going take a hit that it's about sex, right?"

"Hmph. Yeah, you're right."

"He kept pressing for it?"

"Yeah."

"Gwen?"

"Yeah?"

"Your boyfriend's stupid." Gwen felt his gaze on her, light dancing in his eyes. She could faintly see his green eyes shining, so serious and so keen on her every movement.

"And Gwen?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't you think that my blanket would feel better if we weren't wearing any clothes?"

"Ben, you're an idiot."

ESTK: It's been so long since I updated my BWEN stuff, so I thought I should do a chapter update for one my stories and this happened to be the story I was most interested in updating. What's your criticism and comments? It's been so long since I've last updated that I forgot how to keep Gwen and Ben in character. Are they in character here? What do you think? o: Well, leave a review. I hope my old reviewers will come back with an addition of new people to come and read my work.

And for a last ending note, Ben here? The way he's acting isn't as innocent as you think I'm writing him. ;P