Title: Alone Again
Characters/Pairing: Ben Tennyson/Reinrassig the Third
Summary: Reinrassig has an... interesting proposal for Ben.

Notes: Warnings for interspecies hanky-panky, tentacles, discussion of psuedo-mpreg, and made-up alien biology. Takes place several years post-Alien Force, but only really has explicit spoilers for the end of season 2.

In the years since the war with the Highbreed had ended, Ben Tennyson had visited their home planet of Augstaka on several occasions; helping out with a diplomatic mission or two, cracking down on rogue Highbreed that violently opposed their new way of life, and performing some general ass-kicking. So when he received an invitation from the Highbreed Supreme, Reinrassig the Third, he expected to be conscripted for more of the same. What he hadn't expected, not in a million years, was this.

"Come again?" Ben had to ask, because there was no way he'd just heard what he thought he had. Obviously his hearing had gone a little wonky or something, because what he thought Reiny had said was just plain crazy. Completely unbelievable. He shoved pinkie into one of his ears, wiggling it around in an attempt to dislodge the sound-altering earwax that must be in there. His green eyes flickered up to look askance of his Highbreed – dare he say it – friend.

Any hopes that he'd simply misheard Reinrassig were dashed when the Highbreed repeated clearly, "I asked if you would lend your genetic material to the creation of my first brood, Ben-Ben Tennyson."

Reinrassig stared calmly down at his human companion as Ben began to laugh nervously. Though Ben had sprouted up several inches – and packed on some muscle to boot – on his journey from mid-teens to young adulthood, the Highbreed still towered over him and at the moment that was kind of intimidating. Because it sounded an awful lot like his large alien friend was hitting on him.

"Okay, we must be having some sort of communication breakdown here," Ben said. "Because it sounds like you're asking me to, to have kids with you or something." He laughed again and attempted to get across a silent 'And that's just crazy, right? Right?' with a helpless shrug and questioning expression.

"It is indeed my request to produce offspring from our combined genomes," Reiny replied. "Which I believe is the same as 'having kids,' so it does not seem that we are having difficulty communicating." Perhaps in an attempt to be reassuring, he added, "But it is only a request, Ben-Ben Tennyson."

Ben's mouth fluttered open and closed several times as his brain locked up, trying to process just what Reiny was requesting of him. Finally he managed to spit out a protesting, "But we're both guys!" which was quickly followed by a squeaked, "Aren't we?"

Despite the fact that Ben had never figured out how to read Highbreed expressions, he was immediately struck with the impression that Reinrassig was looking at him like he was an idiot. Which he couldn't exactly blame Reiny for, given that his statement was based on the assumption that Highbreed were like humans, and they really probably weren't. At all.

Sounding a tad miffed, Reiny said, "The Highbreed are beyond such a limiting division of sexes. All fertile Highbreed may both sire and bear offspring. I am perfectly capable of gestating a brood created in part from your genetic contribution."

Brood. Offspring. Kids. Babies. Reiny was asking to have babies with him. Ben's first gut reaction was to say 'Uh, no', but he ignored that response as not being particularly useful, however appropriate it might be. His second reaction was to say 'Oh, hell no', which was even less helpful. Forcing his addled mind to come up with a reasonable and inoffensive reply, he finally managed to stutter out an incredibly eloquent, "Um, what, why?"

Reinrassig paused for a moment before answering, turning away from Ben and crossing his mismatched hands behind his back. He stared out the room's large window at the now-thriving Highbreed city beyond and spoke, "You have done my species a great boon, Ben-Ben Tennyson, by repairing our genetic damage and returning to us hope for the future." The fingers of his green hand twitched, perhaps in memory of the time it had been reattached and helped show him a new way of thinking. "With the new genetic code from the Omnitrix spread amongst our population we could survive as we once did for many, many generations, breeding solely amongst ourselves and shunning all others. It would be very easy to fall back into… old habits, instead of trying a new way."

Reiny half-turned to look back at Ben. "As the Supreme Commander of the Highbreed, I wish to set a good example for my people by producing my first brood with a mongr- hrm, an alien."

"That's… a good cause," Ben said, a bit weakly. "I guess." He was too frazzled at the moment to catch Reiny's near slip into old slurs. The Highbreed was getting better about that, though. "But um, why me? Does it have to be me? I mean know I'm pretty hot so I can see why someone might want me, but is there something special about me specifica-" Ben's mouth snapped shut as Reiny approached and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, cutting off his stream of nervous babbling. Ben idly noted that it was the hand he had repaired as Swampfire.

"You," Reinrassig began, voice filled with an oddly admiring tone that simultaneously swelled Ben's ego and left him feeling slightly uncomfortable. "You are the Plumber Benjamin Tennyson. Ben 10. Wielder of the Omnitrix." The Highbreed gave his shoulder a slight squeeze, whether in reassurance or something else, Ben wasn't sure. "You have saved my entire species from extinction and saved countless other beings and planets, even the galaxy, from destruction. You saved my own life on the planet Turrawaste, returned my hand to me, and were the first to show me that perhaps not all other species deserved to be destroyed, even if they are genetically inferior." Reiny received a frown from Ben for that, which he ignored beyond a vaguely apologetic 'hrm'. "What I am saying, Ben-Ben Tennyson, is that of all those who are not Highbreed you are the person I have come to trust and respect the most. This is why I ask you to sire my first brood."

Ben was flattered. How could he not be? Reiny had practically sung high praises of him, and he had always taken well to flattery. Or flattery easily turned him from a relatively humble young man into a terribly smug one, at least, but that was beside the point. The fact was that he was flattered enough that he completely missed that Reinrassig hadn't actually answered whether or not it had him for some reason. After all, why would Reiny want to settle for anyone else when he could be ask Ben freakin' Tennyson, saviour of the galaxy? Ben was the obvious choice.

Moving beyond his ego, Ben did have to admit that, in principle, his Highbreed friend did have a good cause at heart, or whatever it was Highbreed had. Maybe he was looking at this the wrong way, too; through the hormone-clouded goggles of a teenager that tried to make everything automatically about sex. Maybe there was a perfectly innocent and nonsexual way of resolving this matter that Reiny had meant from the start.

"So what do you need from me, a blood sample or something?" Ben asked, trying to sound cool and casual. Yeah, that would be it. Just a prick with a needle and he'd be home free to look back and laugh at this whole misunderstanding later.

Reinrassig snorted, and there was that feeling that the Highbreed was looking at him like he was stupid, again. Flattered ego; quickly deflating.

Crossing his arms, Reiny responded with a slightly disdainful, "I wish to produce offspring with you, not clone you."

Rapidly losing his casual air and the confidence that this matter could be dealt with simply and innocently, Ben struggled to keep his hopeful idea alive. "Oh, then you just need a sample of, um, reproductive material, right? Like, like in a cup or something?" His voice got progressively weaker as he spoke, his cheeks flushing red. "Because then I could just go, and, yeah, and then… give it to you…" He trailed off, his face doing a good impression of a ripe tomato. He was talking about masturbating into a cup. In order to give his alien friend a sperm sample. They weren't even particularly close friends! And Ben was talking about masturbating! This was embarrassing. This was beyond embarrassing, not to mention being incredibly weird because he was actually considering doing it! So that his alien, not-especially-close friend could use it to get pregnant or something.

Okay, okay, Ben really needed to calm down, because he was Ben Tennyson and he was totally used to weird situations involving aliens. He'd been in stranger situations before, right? He couldn't think of any at the moment, but he was pretty sure he must've been in some. He needed to calm down, because if jacking off into a cup was all it took, no matter how horribly embarrassing that was, he could manage it for a good cause. Probably.

Then Reiny had to go and burst his bubble again, by stating matter-of-factly, "While that would be a simpler solution, unfortunately Highbreed only become receptive to foreign genetic material during the act of mating."

Mating. Reiny was talking about mating, and that meant Ben's first impression had been right and this whole thing was about sex. This was totally not an appropriate topic for a conversation between friends! Especially when they weren't even close friends. Friends did not ask friends to have s- uh, mate with them. Okay, now Ben was perfectly justified in saying 'No' or 'Hell no' because having se- er, mating with an alien was not something normal people did. Not that Ben was exactly normal, and technically he was a second-generation result of a human mating with an alien – and there was an image of Grandpa Max and Grandma Verdona that he needed to bleach from his brain – but that was different. Because his grandparents were in love.

No wait, that couldn't be the reason why his grandparents' relationship was okay. That would mean that the main issue with him having sex- mating with Reiny would be that they weren't dating or something, instead of the problem being that Reiny was a big, only-kind-of-humanoid and apparently hermaphroditic alien. Ben was pretty sure that was why normal people would balk at the idea, and why he would be perfectly within his rights to do the same. Yes, good cause or not, it was definitely time for him follow his gut response and say 'Thanks for the offer, Reiny, but I'm going to have to pass. Seriously.'

Except that didn't seem to be what his instincts were pushing for anymore, and when he opened his mouth to refuse what actually came out was, "I'm too young to be a father."

Ben felt like slapping himself. Where had that even come from? That was the last issue he needed to think about, because he wasn't going to have sex with Reiny. There was no need to worry about fatherhood when he wasn't going to perform the acts needed to become a father in the first place. There was absolutely no way he was actually considering sleeping with Reiny. Reiny was a big, creepy alien! Ben had already acknowledged that this should be an issue. Not to mention that Reinrassig was a he, sort of. Grandma Verdona had at least been a she, though now that he thought about it, energy beings having gender was kind of weird… But getting back on topic, Reiny had also tried to kill him in the past. You couldn't have sex with people who had tried to kill you. Though they had both gotten over it and become friends. But there were plenty of reasons for Ben to say no, including being too young to be a father.

Seemingly oblivious to Ben's inner turmoil, Reinrassig informed him, "We do not follow the custom of 'fathers'. The care of offspring is solely the duty of a brood's bearer. The only duty of a brood-sire is to provide genetic material. I myself have sired several broods since you repaired our DNA, but it is unlikely that I would recognize any of those offspring as my own. I would gestate and raise our brood by myself."

Oh. Well that was a relief.

Except no, that shouldn't be a relief to Ben. That would only be a relief if he was actually considering taking Reiny up on his offer, which he wasn't. He wasn't. He really wasn't. He was not-

Somewhere at the back of his mind, a voice that sounded disturbingly like one Kevin E. Levin whispered, 'I think the lady protests too much.'

Crap. Crap crap crapcrapcrap.

Weakly, Ben asked, "Um, can I have some time to think?"

"Whatever you wish, Ben-Ben Tennyson," Reiny said, gesturing to the door.

As he left the room, Ben swore that the Highbreed Supreme Commander sounded a little smug.

x-X-x

Ben had been wandering through the Highbreed city for over an hour. His arms were tucked tight around his body because this planet was cold and he really needed to learn to dress warmer when he visited Augstaka.

It hadn't taken him all that time to come to a decision. In fact, he'd actually spent most of his wandering pointedly avoiding thinking about Reiny's offer, distracting himself by observing the city and its people. Not that it was hard to be distracted by his sightseeing.

The city had come a long way since he'd first visited Augstaka and saved Highbreed from extinction. It wasn't so much that it looked different, though the streets and buildings did look better tended than they once had. Mainly the city just felt different. It felt… hopeful. Refreshed. Alive, where at one time the feeling of death and stagnation had been almost tangible. It was a welcome change.

Even more welcome was the sight of the occasional non-Highbreed alien about the streets. They were diplomats, most likely, and possibly some traders. Reinrassig the Third was doing his best to cultivate alliances with other species, and make reparations for his race's violent death throws against the universe. It had still taken a long time for the Highbreed to accept the presence of other aliens on their planet, instead of just sending out their diplomats. Now, though, there was a remarkable lack of hostility compared to his early visits to the planet. Oh sure, some Highbreed still gave him and the other foreigners a wide berth, some even crossing the street rather than pass near 'lesser creatures', and he was sure some of them were shooting them dirty looks though their faces remained unreadable, but the majority reacted neutrally, not outwardly acknowledging their planetary guests in any fashion, positive or negative. There were few Highbreed who even nodded respectfully to him as they passed, recognizing him as the person who had prevented the death of their race. It was an encouraging improvement.

Best of all, though, were the children.

All around he could spot tiny Highbreed clustered about single adults, usually two or three to a parent. The smallest ones were cradled in their bearers' arms, fat and round with stubs for limbs, as though they had just started to grow them in. It looked like those little arms and legs would grow quickly, without giving their chubby bodies time to catch up, because the largest children were almost comically lanky, their limbs thin and disproportionately long. He kept expecting them to trip over their own skinny legs as they hurried to keep up with their parents' much longer strides, and as he watched, one of them did, toppling over into a pile of pointy knees and elbows. The Highbreed child didn't cry and was quickly hoisted back to his feet by his parent, who gently brushed him off and ushered him on his way. None of the children Ben saw reached higher than his waist, which was pretty small considering that the average adult Highbreed was nearly double his size. He had to admit the kids were kind of cute, if in an odd, alien sort of way.

That kind of brought him back to the issue at hand.

Ben sighed and leaned against a building, tugging his coat tighter around him. The fact of the matter was that there wasn't a whole lot left for him to think about. Sometime after he had gotten over the initial shock of Reiny's proposition and buried under a stream of denial, part of him had decided that he wanted to do this. Not necessarily have kids, but to… to have sex with Reiny. As uncomfortable as it was for him to admit that, it was the truth.

He didn't quite understand why he wanted to. It wasn't a matter of normal lust or anything, because he wasn't attracted to Reiny. Just thinking about the Highbreed didn't stir arousal in him like thinking about an attractive girl would – or guy, as he'd admitted to himself a long time ago. The draw was more like… curiosity turned sexual. Now that he wasn't doing his best to bar thoughts of sex with Reiny from his head, the idea of it ignited a strange excitement and sense of adventure deep in his belly that quickly shot straight to his groin. He had a growing urge to see what it would be like, for better or for worse.

No doubt that urge made him a complete freak, but then again, Ben really never had been exactly normal. Wanting to have sex with an alien was just another – rather large – mark on the list of 'Things That Make Ben Tennyson Weird'. Frankly, he blamed Grandpa Max for this, because the man had been involved with at least two aliens, and while Grandma Verdona could at least make herself look human, he still remembered Xylene, and Xylene had been some kind of three-eyed lizard woman. Sure she was more humanoid than Reiny, with the Highbreed's oddly proportioned limbs, lack of a real face, and a chest full of tentacles, but she was still distinctly alien. Grandpa Max liked to get it on with aliens – and there was the need to bleach his brain again – Ben was interested in getting it on with aliens, the whole thing was probably genetic. Hell, it might even go further back than Max, considering that one of his first cousins once removed had hooked up with an alien mud creature. Their family was so messed up.

He thought some of the blame might lie with the Omnitrix, too. He'd actually been other species, and it only seemed natural if that screwed with his desires. It wouldn't be weird for him to feel attracted to, say, a Kineceleran while he was a Kineceleran, right? Not to mention the couple of times that Ben had, well, experimented with the Omnitrix in ways that Asmuth would probably highly, highly disapprove of. But hey, he was a teenager! He had certain needs, and he had been really curious- Oh, wow. The more thought Ben put into this the less surprising it was that he wanted to do Reiny.

So that was it. There was no point in debating whether or not he should want to. He did want to and that was that. If he went back to Reiny he was going to say yes, they would have sex, and then Reiny would apparently have his kids. The important question now was whether or not he just plain should, regardless of what he wanted. He could always just leave now, jump a teleporter pod back home, send Reinrassig an apology, and forget the whole thing.

Ben had to admit that most of the reasons why he shouldn't were selfish. He worried about what people would think if – when? – people found out. Most of the universe didn't matter. Frankly, he didn't think anything could really ruin his reputation as Ben 10, saviour of the universe or whatever. Maybe some people would whisper behind his back, call him a freak, but he'd probably never shake a lot of those who practically worshipped the ground he walked on. The rest of the universe wasn't important, but what would his family think? The thought of his parents finding out made him feel sick to his stomach, his mind immediately seeking out worst-case scenarios of shame and disownment. What would Grandpa Max think? Or Gwen? And what about his other friends? He'd spent too much of his childhood without many friends to stand it if they all turned away from him in disgust.

That was all just doomsaying, though. He didn't know that anyone would find out, or that they'd react badly if they did. They were his friends and family, maybe they'd continue to accept him whole-heartedly, bizarre alien-lusting habits and all.

Which brought him to the other side of the argument: why should he go through with it?

"Ben 10?" someone spoke, breaking into his thoughts. Their voice was deep and masculine as seemed to be the norm for Highbreed.

"Huh?" Ben looked up at the Highbreed looming over him, an especially tall, thin one coloured in oranges, yellows, and reds. Behind each of the alien's legs hid a small Highbreed child with similar colouring, peering out at him in what could be curiosity or fear. He couldn't tell which from their odd non-faces. Blinking in surprise, he added, "Yes?"

Bowing his torso slightly, the Highbreed spoke, "I must thank you, Ben 10, for restoring our race." Turning his attention to his children, the Highbreed urged them forward with long arms. "My sons, it is because of the actions of this human that you are alive today. Even though he is not one of us, he is a hero and deserving of your respect."

Shuffling forward, the children stared up at Ben in what he was sure now was awe, even hero-worship. It was something he'd seen plenty of times, just as he'd been thanked for saving the universe by the representatives of scores of alien races, but somehow now, coming from a family of Highbreed of all creatures, the praise seemed especially poignant. Ben felt a warm swell of personal pride and placed his fists on his hips, posing slightly for the adoring kids.

Grinning brightly at them, he said, "Hey, it's what I do." Then, bending down slightly, he offered them a hand.

Glancing back to look askance of their parent, the Highbreed children received affirmation from him and immediately rushed forward to take Ben's hand, shaking it enthusiastically up and down. They were surprisingly strong for such small, gangly things. As quickly as the children had approached, they retreated back to their parent, now chattering excitedly to each other. Ben couldn't help but smile. It seemed that sometimes kids were just kids, no matter what species they came from.

As the adult Highbreed thanked him again and ushered his children along, Ben waved after them, the pair of children waving excitedly back. To think, Highbreed children excited to meet, to touch, a member of a 'genetically inferior' species. He didn't expect the old Highbreed to easily shake off prejudices that had been drilled into them for generations, but here was the beginning of a new generation, a generation that could never have existed without his help, and maybe for them it would be different.

Who was he to deny this new generation of Highbreed any good example of interspecies harmony?

His decision made, Ben turned back the way he'd come and went to give Reiny his answer.

x-X-x

"So, you sure you want to do this with me as, y'know, me?" Ben asked, shooting a teasing smirk at Reiny as the Highbreed led him to what Ben assumed was his bedroom. One hand hooked on his belt loops, he held up his other arm – with Omnitrix attached – and said flippantly, "I've got plenty of aliens in here that are more durable than a plain, old human like me. I wouldn't want your kids to be disadvantaged or anything."

"I am sure," Reiny said, sounding entirely serious. "Though your concern is appreciated, Highbreed offspring most resemble their brood-bearers. My genes will make up for any lack in yours."

Ben raised a dubious eyebrow, both at the slight against his genes and the fact that Reiny didn't seem to get that he'd been joking. "Uh-huh," he said, a tad sardonic. "Probably a good thing. I was a lot of trouble as a kid."

Reinrassig came to a sudden halt just through the doorway, turning to look back at Ben. Sounding honestly sorry, he said, "I apologise, Ben-Ben Tennyson. It was not my intention to insult you." He faced forward again, but didn't immediately resume walking. Instead he merely shifted his weight from foot to foot, clenched and unclenched his fists, and looked altogether… nervous. Ben watched the Highbreed's odd behaviour with his eyebrow cocked until Reiny finally turned back to face him, and said, "I must admit that I have not been entirely honest with you."

"Oh?" Ben's head tilted to one side in slight curiosity, but he edged past Reiny into the room beyond. He gave the room a brief glance – fairly clean and stark, not a lot of furniture, and dominated by something that was half-couch, half-bed – before shifting around to look at his companion face-to-face with a lop-sided smile. "What, you can't actually have babies and this was all just an elaborate plot to get me into bed?"

It was a joke, but then Reinrassig had never been great at understanding human humour, and the Highbreed stiffened, obviously upset by the apparent insinuation. "I would not lie to you about such things, Ben-Ben Tennyson! I have simply… omitted some of the truth as well."

"Okay," Ben said patiently. Frankly, at this point there probably wasn't anything Reiny could say to change his mind. He wanted to do this and he'd known that if he came back he was going to do it. Still, Reiny seemed stirred enough by what he wanted to say that Ben wasn't going to just tell him to shut up and put up. Not that he'd be that blunt, anyway, but the point stood.

"While the reasons I gave before for wanting you as my first brood's sire were true, there is another reason why I made the request." Reinrassig looked pointedly away from Ben. "During our time on Turrawuste I must admit that I became… fond of you, Ben-Ben Tennyson, and over the years that we have known each other since this fondness has only grown. As a result, the idea of mating with you is… pleasant." He released a huffed sigh. "As well, there is a procedure that could allow me to conceive a brood without proper mating, but it is not comfortable, and the success rate for conception is much lower." Glancing down at Ben, he waited for a response.

Well, Ben certainly hadn't expected that, but in retrospect it did fit Reiny's behaviour. He didn't find himself bothered by the fact that his alien friend was 'fond' of him, though he felt a momentary twinge of guilt, like he was taking advantage of Reiny's affection to sate his own curiosity. Then he remembered that there was a lot more riding on this than just plain old sex, and if they were both getting something fulfilling out of the experience it was all for the better. For that reason, he couldn't blame Reinrassig for preferring not to go through some sort of medical procedure to get knocked up instead of the more natural method.

So Ben just smiled softly and said, "Aw, Reiny, you have a crush on me?"

Reinrassig just stared at him. "I assure you I have enough self-control not to crush you," he said then added, almost teasingly. "Even if you are a delicate human."

Ben laughed at that. "It's just an expression, Reiny. It means… when you like someone, but as more than a friend." That wasn't really a good explanation. "Like, if you feel affection and attraction for them. I guess."

The Highbreed gave a ponderous grunt. "I suppose that is a somewhat appropriate term." He moved closer to Ben, holding out a clawed hand. "Then you still have no objections?"

"Not a one," Ben said, taking Reiny's hand with a smile. His expression quickly turned inquiring as he looked the alien up and down. "So… how does this work?"

"Hrm. Normally a prospective brood-sire becomes aroused and releases pheromones that induce a receptive state in the brood-bearer, so that he can absorb the offered genetic material," Reinrassig said, tugging Ben slightly closer by his hand. "However, you are no doubt incapable of producing the proper pheromones."

Ben frowned, letting go of Reiny's hand. "Wait, do you mean this isn't going to work? After all that?" That would certainly be anticlimactic.

"Not at all, Ben-Ben Tennyson." Ben let out an undignified squawk as Reiny reached out and scooped him up. Carrying the human to the bed-couch, Reinrassig settled down on it, arranging Ben to straddle his lap. He took hold of Ben's hands and guided them to rest over the creases of his abdomen that delineated wing-like flaps. "Some Highbreed have been found to be… imperfect. Either they cannot produce the appropriate pheromones or they are insensitive to them. These Highbreed discovered that the receptive state could simply be induced by physical stimulation."

"So you need a little foreplay to get in the mood, huh?" Ben said, smirking, even as he glanced curiously down at his hands. Heat soaked into Ben's palms from where they rested against Reinrassig's belly, and into his thighs and crotch wherever they came into contact with the Highbreed. Comparatively, Reiny's hands were cooler, but still noticeably warm even through the denim of Ben's jeans as the Highbreed looped his hands loosely about the human's hips. He was like a living heater! No wonder Highbreed liked the cold. They must overheat like crazy otherwise.

Tracing his fingers along the dips in Reinrassig's smooth carapace, Ben revelled in the warmth radiating from his alien companion. "You're hot," he said appreciatively, amused by the double meaning of it, though he knew Reiny wouldn't get the full implications.

"You are quite cool," Reiny replied, rumbling his approval of Ben's touch. "It is… stimulating."

Ben hummed cheerfully at being considered stimulating and went to work. His fingers stroked across Reiny's belly, dipping into the creases, caressing, probing, doing whatever he could to please his companion. But after a few minutes of getting no more reaction than some contented noises from Reiny and the occasional flex of clawed hands around his hips, Ben had to ask, "Uh, don't you guys have any, y'know, more sensitive areas?" He glanced over Reiny's smooth white body, his gaze coming to rest sceptically over the flaps on his abdomen. "Like, under here or something? Wouldn't that make this whole stimulating thing go faster?"

"Much more sensitive there," Reinrassig confirmed. "However, if I become aroused too quickly my body will react as a brood-sire rather than a bearer, which would defeat the purpose of this exercise. Mild stimulation is necessary at first, until I reach the receptive state." Slightly apologetic, he added, "This may take some time."

That seemed a bit odd to Ben, but he shrugged it off because, hey, alien biology. Apparently Reiny needed a lot of foreplay to get in the mood. Ben could deal with that. His hands returned to their exploration of Reiny, his attention focused on finding all the places that got the greatest reaction from Reiny and ruthlessly exploiting them.

This tryst might not be very exciting so far, at least not sexually, but Reinrassig's warmth was very pleasant, especially in the chill of Augstaka, and some of the low noises Ben managed to draw out of his companion sent little thrills shooting through him. His first time with an alien could certainly have turned out worse.

Letting out a pleased huff, Reinrassig shifted around to lie on his back, allowing Ben to drape himself over Reiny's front. Feeling lazy, Ben rested his head against the Highbreed's firm chest, continuing to caress his abdomen with one hand while the other one settled limply over Reiny's pec, idly tracing a red eyespot. A long white arm curled around his back, cradling him in place.

Ben took a deep breath, inhaling Reiny's scent. It had a strangely chemical quality to it, vaguely repellent and yet incredibly appealing in a way that reminded him of gasoline fumes or permanent makers. Weird. But good-weird. Beyond the scent, Ben became aware of another interesting bit of sensory information. Somewhere deep in his chest, Reiny was producing a deep, rhythmic rumbling that Ben could feel as much as he could hear. Voice full of laughter, Ben asked, "Reiny, are you purring?"

"Highbreed do not purr," Reinrassig said, attempting to sound affronted. The attempt was soundly defeated as his words trailed off into another pleased rumble.

"Riiight," Ben said, resisting the urge to chuckle. Extremely relaxed by the heat and pleasant vibrations Reiny was producing, he found himself drifting off into a state of near-sleep. Eventually, in his state of half-dreaming, Ben remembered that this was supposed to be a sexual encounter and he'd have to get off at some point, and so he lifted his hips slightly to wedge a hand underneath them, drowsily rubbing himself through his jeans. As he slowly began to work himself toward arousal, Ben was surprised when a much larger hand slid over the curve of his ass and curled between his legs, pushing his own hand out of the way.

Reiny's palm covered his crotch, oh-so-warm and kneading in time with Ben's caresses. Moaning, Ben's fingers tightened atop the Highbreed's hand, silently urging him to apply more pressure, while his other hand pressed more insistently into the creases of Reiny's chest. Arching into the warm touch, Ben found his pants were rapidly becoming too tight for comfort. He fumbled at his companion's hand, attempting to reach his fly and free his growing erection, but he was distracted from his goal by a particularly firm squeeze. Letting out a loud groan, Ben's hands clenched tightly, one around Reiny's hand, the other around the seam he was stroking.

Mind fuzzy with drowsiness and arousal, Ben was taken completely off-guard when Reinrassig cried out suddenly and arched off the bed, nearly sending the human tumbling from his perch. Accompanying the motion was a sharp change in Reiny's scent, the chemical aroma almost instantly replaced by something spicy and not quite unpleasant. One deep breath of it sent shocks of fire racing through Ben's veins. A second had his body humming with heat and pleasure. He was definitely hard now. So very hard.

Pheromones, some part of his mind rambled, despite the overload of sensation. Must be pheromones.

Trying to pull his thoughts together into something coherent, Ben managed to pant out, "D-does this… mean… you're ready?" He didn't really have enough sense left to listen to any answer Reiny might give, feeling so giddy and painfully aroused. Very painfully. It was like someone had supercharged his nerves, turning up his sense of touch by ten, and while that made the friction caused by most of his clothes feel very nice, it changed the tightness of his jeans from uncomfortable to excruciating. He moaned hoarsely, "Pants… gotta…"

With trembling hands he fumbled with the fastenings of his pants even as Reiny grasped his shoulders and pushed him into a sitting position. As soon as Ben was out of the way, the flaps covering Reinrassig's belly snapped open, exposing the softer flesh beneath. Meanwhile, a celebratory Ben finally managed to wrestle his jeans open, only to be startled as something snaked past his hands and through the gaping fly. Probing his boxers, it slipped inside to curl around his oversensitive erection. A short scream of pleasure ripped itself from Ben's throat and he fell forward to brace himself against Reiny's chest.

That was not one of Reiny's hands.

It took a few moments before Ben's head was clear enough to register just what was down his pants. It was something thick and purple that trailed back to the open portion of Reiny's abdomen- Oh. Ben was struck by an epiphany. Tentacle. It was a tentacle. He remembered when he'd first seen Reinrassig's tentacles, several years back on a desert planet, wriggling into the sand to probe for water. He'd thought simultaneously disgusting and intriguing. Now the interest was still there, but he was having a helluva time working up any disgust in favour of wishing that Reiny would just move the damn thing already. Ben jerked his hips forward, trying to coax Reiny into motion.

Reiny did move, just not in the way Ben wanted. Instead of paying attention to his erection, the Highbreed snaked out his other tentacle to wrap around one of Ben's wrists, tugging his hand down and toward his open belly in an attempt to prompt him into movement. Not one to deny a partner mutual pleasure, Ben managed to temporarily shift his attention from his erection to Reiny's soft abdomen. Ben's fingers danced over rubbery red nestled amongst coils of purple, drawing a shudder and moan from his companion. He'd kind of expected Reiny to be slimy on the inside, but at worst he was a tad moist. He was also hot. The red flesh was almost uncomfortably warm to Ben's touch and through it he could feel a strong pulse. It was so strange, so alien, yet strangely appealing.

The tentacle around his wrist gave another tug, more insistent. This time extra incentive was provided in the form of a scream-inducing pulse of the coils around his erection, leaving Ben both breathless and more than happy to comply. Ben ran his unbound hand down Reiny's abdomen, just the feel of soft skin beneath his hypersensitive fingertips sending small thrills of pleasure through him. At the same time the hand held captive by the tentacle tapped a random staccato in an attempt to titillate. From the noises Reiny was making and the approving stroke of a tentacle tip across the back of his hand, Ben was doing something right.

Ben produced his own set of interesting noises as each coil of the tentacle around his erection clenched in sequence, top to bottom then up again, over and over, while the tentacle tip stroked the slickening head of his cock. Adding to the mind-blowing stream of sensation, Reiny began to explore Ben's body with his hands, trailing his long fingers up the human's forearms to his shoulders and pushing under his jacket to knead them for a moment before continuing down his chest. When they reached his waist, Reiny's hands delved under Ben's t-shirt, stroking the bare skin beneath. A claw carefully teased one of his nipples, adding to the growing tidal wave of pleasure that was washing over him.

Concentrating on what his hands were doing was becoming increasingly difficult, leaving Ben to fumble clumsily at Reiny's chest, barely registering the increasing wetness of the skin beneath his fingertips. Uncoiling it from around Ben's wrist, Reinrassig slithered his tentacle up Ben's sleeve, teasing the inside of his arm. Having four limbs to touch with was totally an unfair advantage. Ben only had two!

"Reiny," he moaned, "I'm… unh, so close." Ben's hips jerked spasmodically and the tentacle curled around his length loosened to accommodate his thrusting. Sliding his hands down to cup Ben's ass, Reinrassig pulled the human's hips down until they pressed against his slickening belly. Continuing to tease Ben with his tentacles, Reiny slid the young man's pants and boxers further down his hips, kneading and stroking his bare thighs and rear. The movement of Ben's hips sped up, faster and faster, until finally he threw back his head and screamed in ecstasy. Semen spattered across Reiny's abdomen as Ben came, only to be quickly absorbed into the Highbreed's body.

Ben's trembling arms gave out and he dropped flat against Reiny's chest, taking a moment to rest and catch his breath. A lot of the hypersensitivity had faded upon orgasm but his skin still tingled pleasantly and he hummed contentedly as Reiny gently stroked his back and thighs. Basking in the afterglow, he knew this experience had definitely been worth the tough decision-making.

"That was good," he mumbled, his face pressed to the smooth carapace above Reiny's open abdomen. Eyes closing, Ben was half-asleep before he was jerked back to wakefulness by an insistent tug on his softened length by the tentacle that remained wrapped around it.

"Again," Reiny said gruffly, his tone offset by a soft stroke of Ben's hair.

"Again?" Ben repeated, surprised. Pushing himself up with his hands, he stared imploringly at his companion. As amazing as that had been, he really was tired and his limbs felt like jelly. He wasn't sure he had another go in him.

"Yes. I am not yet satisfied." The tentacle gave another tug.

Well, that was kind of a blow to Ben's male pride and sexual prowess. Not that he had actually amassed much sexual prowess yet, but the principle of the matter remained. No way was the great Ben Tennyson going to let a partner go unsatisfied! Just as soon as he had a couple minutes to rest, anyway.

"Um, okay," Ben said. "Just… give me a few minutes. Y'know, male refractory period…"

"I do not know," Reiny replied, sounding impatient though he continued to gently pet Ben's hair.

Ben had to grin at that, shifting into a full sitting position. "Don't worry about it."

Finding his jacket damp from laying against Reiny's belly, he shrugged it off and tossed it to the floor, finding himself more than warm enough despite the cool air between Reiny being a living heater and his recent physical exertion. That done, he went to work. Just because he couldn't get it up yet didn't mean that he couldn't give Reiny some attention while they waited.

Running his hands up Reiny's abdomen, he paused for a moment to look at one of his palms, his skin now slick with the fluid that was leaking from Reiny's skin. As he examined the fluid, he continued to trace idle designs across Reiny's heated flesh with his other hand, receiving appreciative rumbles. Rubbing his fingers together he found the liquid to be thin, but slicker than water, and almost oily. Not much like, well, what women produce, he thought, flushing slightly at the comparison, but probably still a good lubricant. With that in mind, he began to get his hands thoroughly covered with the stuff as he pleasured Reiny, and once his hands were appropriately slickened Ben grabbed the relatively dry base of each tentacle and stroked. His lubricated palms glided smoothly over the rubbery skin and he began to pump his arms. He was rewarded with a load groan from Reiny, the tentacles trembling in his grasp while their ends writhed and grasped desperately at whatever part of Ben they could reach. Ben allowed himself a smug smile.

Feeling curious, Ben decided to test the sensitivity of the tentacles, sliding one of his hands further up the muscular appendage, stroking it all the way to the tip. The tentacle writhed, almost escaping his hold, but he tightened his fist around it and, holding firm, began to tease the thin end of it with his thumb. Reiny bucked slightly in response, his claws digging into the bed, and Ben's grin widened. Maybe he wasn't the only one dealing with hypersensitive nerves.

"Sensitive, hm?" he teased, looking seductive.

"Y-yes," Reinrassig answered, his deep voice shaky.

Ben contemplated the captive tentacle, continuing to smooth his oily thumb over the tip and thoroughly enjoying the responses it elicited from Reiny. Who would have expected, the mighty Reinrassig the Third, Highbreed Supreme, quivering beneath the touch of a human. Such was the amazing skill of the great Ben Tennyson. Now, what could he do to make it better?

A bold idea flickered through his head, and despite Ben's swelling confidence a light blush stained his cheeks as he leaned forward and replaced his teasing thumb with his tongue. The resulting writhing jerked the tentacle from Ben's grasp, giving him time to consider the taste of it even as he chased the purple appendage down with his hand. Truth be told, Reiny – or at least that part of him – didn't taste like much of anything, though the tentacle had left a slight burning sensation on his tongue. It was like licking a cinnamon candy with all the flavour missing.

He finally caught the wayward tentacle and, drawing it back toward his face, Ben took the first couple inches of it into his mouth. He gently sucked the tip then twined his tongue around the tentacle, only to have it twine right back. Jerking back in surprise, Ben ignored a chuckle from Reiny and eyed the wiggling tentacle tip. He realised that this was probably going to feel more like making out than giving a blowjob, like he'd imagined. Considering that he had experience with making out but had never given a blowjob that was probably to his advantage. With a shrug, Ben moved back in, his tongue wrestling with the tip of Reiny's tentacle, while his other hand continued to work the base of the other one.

Caught up in pleasuring Reiny, it wasn't until the Highbreed began to pulse his free tentacle tip around Ben's partial erection that he even realised he was getting hard again. With this revelation, he released the tentacle in his mouth with a slurp and a pop and turned his attention to getting undressed. He quickly wrestled off his shoes and socks, tossing them to join his jacket, then continued to strip, trying to wriggle out of his pants and boxers. Reiny sped up the process, taking hold of the stubborn clothing and yanking both off the young man in one smooth motion. Flailing, Ben almost toppled over backwards, but found himself held in place as both of Reiny's tentacles wrapped around his chest.

With Ben steadied, the tentacles retreated and Reinrassig grasped the bottom of the human's t-shirt and dragged it up. Lifting his arms so that Reiny could pull the shirt over his head, Ben was left completely naked atop the Highbreed, save for the Omnitrix around his wrist. Before Ben could drop his arms back down, Reiny snaked his tentacles out to trail down the young man's sides from armpits to hips, forcing a burst of laughter from him.

"Haha, no don't!" Ben protested, dropping his arms and trying to suppress an incredibly unmanly fit of giggles. "That tickles!"

Instead of complying, Reiny gave his sides a second tentative probing and Ben slapped the tentacles away childishly. Attempting to look stern, he pointed a finger at Reiny and gave a firm, "No tickling."

"You cannot issue commands to me, Ben-Ben Tennyson," Reinrassig said, sounding amused. Before Ben could react, Reiny quickly caught both of his wrists in his green hand, the Highbreed's grip loose enough not to hurt, but still firm.

Ben blinked as his bound wrists and gave them a tug. When they weren't immediately released, he raised an eyebrow at Reiny in a silent 'What the hell?'

"Reiny," Ben started, looking unimpressed, but never got beyond that as Reiny attacked his sides with tentacles once more, reducing him to fits of laughter. The tentacles moved quickly from teasing his ticklish spots to exploring Ben's body, poking, prodding and stroking every inch of skin they could find. Anything he might have said was washed from his mind by the bombardment of sensation. He gasped, he laughed, he moaned, and made every sound in between as Reiny sought out and stimulated all his most sensitive places.

"Not fair," Ben said, breathless and practically whining. He tried again to tug his wrists free but Reiny's grip remained solid.

"No," Reinrassig agreed, sounding far too smug.

So much for the great Ben Tennyson conquering the mighty Highbreed warrior. He was far too mature to pout about it – especially since turnabout felt so good – but he did try to glare at Reiny. It was hard to maintain a good glare while being jerked off by an alien, though, and Ben's face went slack as one of Reiny's tentacles found its way back to his erection, his eyelids fluttering shut. Reinrassig lifted his other tentacle to loop loosely around Ben's neck and teased the human's lips with its tip. Giving in, Ben opened his mouth and took the tentacle in, engaging it in a battle with his tongue.

Ben refused to be completely submissive, and he gave Reiny a taste of his slight annoyance by biting down, his teeth pressing into the tentacle's rubbery skin harder than was necessarily polite. He nearly choked when Reiny responded with a tight squeeze of his erection.

Apparently Highbreed fought dirty.

While Ben continued to fellate the tentacle in his mouth, the other tentacle went questing, leaving several coils curled around the human's hard length. Reiny started by fondling his balls, making Ben moan around his fleshy gag, before moving onward, searching behind them and delving into the cleft of his ass. Ben squeaked as the thin tip of the tentacle delicately probed his anus and his jerked his hips slightly away from the strange sensation. When Reiny tried again, pushing with more force, Ben flinched and clamped his teeth down in defiance.

The tentacle between his legs withdrew while the other twitched out of Ben's mouth, allowing him to relax and let out a deep sigh. Voice filled with concern, Reinrassig asked, "Have I hurt you, Ben-Ben Tennyson?"

This time when Ben pulled at his wrists they were released, Reiny moving his hands to rest on the human's hips instead. Rubbing idly at one of his wrists – though it didn't hurt at all – Ben took a moment to cobble together his thoughts. "Um, no," he said. "Well, I guess it kind of hurt, but it was mostly just weird. Really weird."

Not necessarily weird in a bad way, though, and probably not a whole lot weirder than the fact that he was having sex with an alien in the first place. This whole tryst was largely driven by his curiosity and that same desire to experiment and experience new things was welling up in him again and, unlike banging Reiny, this was something he had actually considered before: Anal sex. He couldn't deny that he'd thought about trying it before, not necessarily with someone else, but just with his hands or something long and solid. He'd always shied away from going through with it though, worried about getting caught, or doing something wrong, or if it would hurt… But here he was, light-years away from home and in the middle of something that made anal sex look positively vanilla. What did he have to lose?

Cheeks flushing hotter with excitement, Ben said, "Try that again, just… use lube?" He glanced pointedly down at Reiny's exposed belly, sliding his hands over the slick skin. "And be careful."

"As you wish," Reiny said, purring at Ben's touch.

He slid his tentacle back from Ben to drag the tip across his midsection in a way that sent a thrill through Ben, realising that Reiny was basically pleasuring himself. He found the display bizarrely erotic. Apparently his perceptions of what was hot or not were warping already, and he couldn't really feel bothered by that. Quivering with a surprising amount of anticipation, Ben helped Reiny along, grabbing the tentacle with both hands and smoothing oily fluid over it. Once he deemed it lubricated enough, Ben tugged the tentacle toward his groin where Reiny took over, slithering it around his erection and back between his legs.

Ben braced himself and tried to relax as the tentacle tip prodded his entrance before slowly pushing in. Clenching his hands, Ben bit down on his lip and Reiny paused, as though waiting to see if he would protest. Ben took the moment of reprieve to readjust and relax again and with no objections forthcoming, Reiny continued. Very gradually, the tentacle worked its way inside the human, pushing in from thin point to thicker body. Ben could feel the tip gently probing him from within and it did feel kind of good, even if he did feel a bit painfully stretched at the same time. The pleasure from the tentacle simultaneously working his length was doing a pretty good job of covering that up, though.

Leaning forward, Ben rested his forearms against Reiny and lifted his hips higher into the air. He probably should've been reciprocating, but at the moment he was dealing with too much new sensation to make a concentrated effort at returning the favour to Reiny. The best he could manage was to rub his cheek against the base of one of the Highbreed's tentacles. The tentacle that remained draped around his neck shifted and began to tease his lips. Ben had parted his lips to take it into his mouth once more when the other tentacle pushed against something inside him that ripped a scream of pleasure from his throat.

"There!" he shouted. "Touch there!"

Reiny pressed against the area again, drawing a long moan and a hissed 'Yesss' from Ben. The pleasure coming from his lower body doubled and Ben couldn't help but think that this must be so much better with a prehensile tentacle than it could ever be with something like a cock. He could feel his second orgasm fast approaching and not wanting to keep all the pleasure to himself he wrapped his mouth around the teasing tentacle and began to suck.

Heat and pleasure built and Ben began to thrust his hips, slowly at first but quickly increasing in pace. The tentacle around his erection pulsed and kneaded, massaging his length to ecstasy. The tentacle in his ass rubbed and prodded and he could feel parts of it thickening and thinning inside him in some parody of thrusting, and it was all driving him completely mad. His breath quickened. Sweat dripped from his body, the heat trapped in his skin holding the cold of the room at bay. Blood pounded in his ears. His hips thrust faster, and he didn't think he had ever felt as good as he did now.

Then everything peaked, and with a final set of spasmodic jerks, Ben came a second time, his screaming muffled by the tentacle in his mouth. Hot semen spattered Reiny's soft belly and was quickly absorbed through his skin to add to his growing stash of Ben's genetic material. Reiny withdrew his tentacles from Ben's orifices and gently stroked them over the human's trembling body. Breathing heavily, it was all Ben could do to hold himself up instead of collapsing against Reiny. The Highbreed's hands slid up Ben's hips to clasp his waist, offering much needed support and guiding him down into a sitting position. Finally mustering up the strength to lift his head from its drooped position, Ben looked up to Reiny's face and gave him a shaky but extremely satisfied grin.

"Again," Reinrassig stated.

Ben's mouth dropped open in disbelief and for a moment he could only stare at Reiny, blinking dumbly. Then he gave a snort of amusement, followed by a chuckle, which quickly built into full out laughter. Ben threw back his head and laughed and laughed until his sides hurt. He knew Reiny was staring at him and the Highbreed probably though he'd gone crazy or something, but he just couldn't help it. This situation, this whole experience was just so strange and amazing, and any remaining tension flowed out of him as he laughed. Finally he settled down to the occasional snicker and embarrassing giggle, and Ben wiped a tear of laughter from the corner of his eye.

Smiling fondly down at Reinrassig, he said, "You're insatiable, you know that?" Before his companion could reply, Ben raised a hand and added, "Give me a few minutes to rest."

Then the fun would begin again.

x-X-x

Ben was sticky, sweaty, achy, tired to the bone, and loving every minute of it. Sighing contentedly, he lay splayed across Reiny's chest – its wing-like flaps now closed protectively around his sensitive innards – limp as a rag doll, with the warm afterglow of their coupling buzzing in his veins. One of Reiny's arms was wrapped around him, creeping him cradled against the Highbreed, while his other hand gently stroked Ben's damp hair. Affectionately, Ben nuzzled the hard flesh pressed beneath his nose then let one of his hands drift lazily down Reiny's side.

"So, are you all full of Highbreed babies now?" he mumbled tiredly, a wide, languid grin stretched across his face.

"If our species are compatible, then yes, I will have begun the process of gestating a brood by now," Reinrassig replied.

Ben's grin faded slowly, and he shifted around to pillow his chin on the back of one hand and stare Reiny in his face. His brow furrowing slightly, he asked, "Wait, what are the chances that we're compatible?"

Ben knew that humans and at least some aliens could interbreed – just look at Manny, Helen, Pierce, and Alan, not to mention his own immediate family – but he wasn't exactly sure how that worked. Was it just done the, uh, normal way or was some sort of alien technology involved? Either way, the Highbreed seemed kind of… really different from humans.

For a moment the thought that maybe this really was just an elaborate plot to get him into the sack flickered through his tired mind. He certainly wouldn't complain if it were.

Then Reiny shifted slightly, as though uncomfortable, and said, "It is actually very easy for my race to reproduce with others. Our genome readily intermingles with foreign genetic material." The Highbreed sounded embarrassed, and Ben was struck by the tremendous irony of it all, letting out a loud guffaw. He quickly covered the noise with a cough, not wanting to upset his companion, and Reiny began to speak again, "I believe it may have partly been the ease with which our bloodlines could be contamin- hrm, intermingled with those of other species that spawned the drive for genetic purity in my people."

That was a sobering thought, and an awkward silence stretched between the pair, though Reiny never ceased his affectionate stroking of Ben's hair. The human almost drifted off to sleep, before another thought roused him. Purposefully keeping his gaze averted from Reiny's face, Ben spoke, his voice overly casual, "I bet your kids'll be popular. Children of the great Ben Tennyson and all that?"

It was an elusive way of asking whether or not everyone would know that he'd fathered Reiny's brood, as much to trick himself out of feeling guilty for asking as to keep Reiny from thinking he was ashamed of their kids-to-be or by what they had done. He wasn't ashamed! Not really. Honestly, he couldn't care less about what most of the universe might think about him impregnating a Highbreed. He was Ben 10 after all. He could probably blow up a planet or two, and the intergalactic public would still love him.

But he was still nervous about what his family might think, and his friends.

"The identity of a child's sire generally does not become public knowledge, though all Highbreed lineages are recorded," Reinrassig said. "Even the children usually know nothing of their own sires unless they choose to look them up when they have reached maturity. It is… impolite to talk about such things."

One of Ben's eyebrows quirked up. The Highbreed sure had some odd cultural hang-ups.

Reiny continued, "As such, while I will make it clear that my brood's sire is not a Highbreed, they will not be known as the children of the great Ben Tennyson."

There was a touch of sarcasm on that great that made Ben childishly feel like sticking his tongue out at the Highbreed. Instead he just frowned slightly and asked, "So the kids won't know that I'm their father- er, sire?"

Ben wished his emotions would make up their mind. First he was feeling bothered by people finding out about him fathering Reiny's kids, and now he was worried about the kids not finding out? It was ridiculous. It was just that the idea of Reiny's children, their children, really, not knowing that he was one of their parents made him kind of uncomfortable.

Reiny ruffled his hair. "As you are not Highbreed and you have done me a great favour, I would not be bothered if you chose to tell my brood that you are their sire."

"Heh, maybe I will," Ben said, his lazy grin returning. "When they're born and older and everything." His smile turned slightly more seductive, and he looked up at Reiny with half-lidded eyes. "And don't worry about any favours, it was my pleasure. A lot of my pleasure."

"It was a very pleasing experience," Reiny agreed. "But we should rest now, Ben-Ben Tennyson."

Ben hummed in accord and closed his eyes, enjoying Reiny's encompassing warmth in the cool room. Silence fell between them again, but this time it was comfortable, content, affectionate… Ben's breathing evened out and deepened, Reiny's stroking hand stilled on the human's head and slackened, and it seemed that the pair had fallen asleep.

Then Ben perked up and asked, "So, what are you going to name them?"

Reinrassig grumbled.

x-X-x

Gwen was surprised to run into Ben upon his return home, given that she'd only seen him off to Augstaka that morning. Raising an eyebrow at him, she said, "That was awfully fast. You weren't even gone a whole day."

Ben just shrugged at her, a wide smile on his face.

"You're usually gone for at least a couple of days when you get called off-planet on Plumber business," Gwen continued, trying to fish for the story of Ben's oddly short trip. "There can't have been much for you to do, huh?"

Grinning wider, Ben said, "Hey, I'll have you know my trip to Augstaka was very productive. Reiny was very satisfied with my performance."

A few moments of silence stretched between the green-eyed cousins, Ben smiling almost expectantly, while Gwen only raised her eyebrow higher at the strangely vague description. Ben was such a show-off; he was usually quick to regale anyone who asked with tales of his heroic exploits.

The silence was broken when Ben snorted loudly then burst into wild laughter. Clapping his befuddled cousin on the shoulder, he wandered off, laughing to himself, leaving Gwen to wonder exactly she had just missed.

x-End-x

A/N: Haha, I'm kind of interested in seeing how long it takes for this story/account to get reported/baleeted. Maybe I'll magically repel anyone with itchy report fingers.