Would That Be So Bad?

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/51571996.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: Ben 10 Series
Relationship: Kevin Levin/Ben Tennyson
Characters: Ben Tennyson, Kevin Levin, Gwen Tennyson
Additional Tags: Gwen is Kevin’s beard, and also she’s a lesbian and his best friend, Fluff,
There was never any Gwevin in this they’ve always been platonic,
they’re just guys being dudes
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2023-11-13 Words: 4,516 Chapters: 1/1
 Would That Be So Bad?
by Phineasflynns

Summary

Ben has thought for years that Kevin and Gwen are dating, and Kevin has let him think it
because it was easier than confronting the truth. And where has that gotten him? Living two
hours away with his gay best friend that everyone in Bellwood thinks is his girlfriend, pining
hopelessly for her cousin.

Gwen isn’t wrong; it’s pretty pathetic.

Notes

Sometimes the urge to write Bevin slaps me out of nowhere, so alas here I am. I truly am the
same creature I was when I was sixteen
“You’re kinda pathetic, really,” Gwen giggles as she reclaims her seat on Kevin’s lap, and he
scoffs as his eyes roll skyward.

“Thank you for that.”

“Well come on Kev, it’s been how long?” Gwen asks rhetorically. He doesn’t need to answer,
they’re both well aware of how long he’s been hiding from his own feelings.

He sourly looks away, and Gwen sighs and gently pats his shoulder as she slumps into his
chest. The couch is jostled roughly as one of Gwen’s college buddies flops roughly down
next to them, and Kevin lifts his hand in a halfhearted greeting to the pink haired woman.

“What’re you guys doing tomorrow night?” she asks curiously, and Gwen shrugs her
shoulders, shifting slightly so her back can lean against the arm of the couch and her legs
stretch across Kevin and Sam’s laps.

Sam isn’t phased by the motion and lightly pinches Gwen’s calf, giggling when Gwen
squawks.

“Ben was going to come up,” Gwen answers when it seems Kevin isn’t going to. “But he
bailed. Said he had plans with Rook.”

Kevin huffs through his nose, and Sam’s grin widens.

“Don’t like that much, do ya Levin?”

“He can hang out with whoever he wants,” Kevin answers tersely, and Sam giggles.

“Maybe he’d hang out with you, if you weren’t using his cousin as a beard.”
“I ain’t using her as a beard!” Kevin snaps. “If Ben wants to assume we’re dating that’s on
him.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s a stretch,” Gwen argues lightly. “Especially when you did nothing to
discourage it.”

“Who’s sitting in who’s lap,” is all Kevin says, and Gwen shrugs.

“Pretty sure casual intimacy is allowed between friends,” she replies, and Kevin sighs.

“Yeah. Lemme up, I’m gonna go get a drink.”

Gwen obediently stands and flops back into his spot once he’s stood up, and Kevin shoots her
a playful scowl before turning to head for the kitchen. She may not be entirely wrong; he’d
done nothing to discourage Ben’s assumptions because he’d been terrified of Ben realizing
where his affections truly laid.

And really, where had that gotten him? Living with his gay best friend, effectively using her
as his beard to her cousin- the one he’s actually in love with. Gwen isn’t wrong; he’s pretty
pathetic. But Ben isn’t interested in him like that, and their relationship has been through
enough without adding unrequited love to it- he thinks multiple attempted homicides is
enough.

The crowd parts easily for him as he slips through them, but instead of going to the kitchen
like he’d initially planned Kevin keeps walking, straight to the front door. He doesn’t stop
until he’s outside, leaning up against the side of his car.

Gwen is right. Though, if he’s honest, she usually is. Even when the three of them were
working together she’d almost always been right- especially when she was calling him and
Ben out on their bullshit.
And unexpectedly, Sam is right too. It’s not so much that Ben has plans with Rook that
bothers him, though; it’s that Ben bailed on plans with them to hang out with Rook. He
doesn’t blame him really, Rook is a pretty cool dude- but that’s another reason it bothers
Kevin.

He sighs softly.

“Oh my god,” Gwen sighs from behind him, and Kevin almost jumps out of his skin. “Just
text him.”

“Jesus Gwen,” he snaps back with no real heat to it. “Could you mind your business for five
seconds?”

“You know I can’t,” she grins, and Kevin sighs long and loud. “How many times do I have to
tell you he likes you before you believe me?”

“Another time or two couldn’t hurt,” he sighs as he turns to face her.

Gwen’s expression is sympathetic, and she gently touches Kevin’s arm as she takes a seat on
the hood of his car.

“What do you have to lose? For real. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“It ruins everything and he stops talking to me.”

Gwen can’t help it; she snorts. When Kevin’s eyes narrow more laughter bubbles in her chest,
and she giggles delightedly as she swings her hand out to punch his arm.

“Dude. He forgave you for trying to kill him- multiple times! I don’t think confessing your
gay feelings will be the thing that makes him walk away if he forgave attempted murder.”
“There’s that,” he agrees reluctantly as he takes a seat next to her.

Gwen leans slightly closer so their shoulders bump together, and she waits until Kevin turns
his head to look at her before she speaks again.

“I know you’re emotionally constipated Kev, but I’m telling you he likes you too.”

“I don’t see it,” he argues, and her lips pull into a grin.

“Because he loves me,” she says fondly, and Kevin groans. “And he wouldn’t ever do that to
me. And you’ve happily let him think we’re a couple, and I’ve let you because I know you
thought it was for the best.”

“But?” he prompts, and she arches a brow.

“But it’s time to talk to him,” Gwen insists. “Two years is enough, don’t you think?”

“With our past… how could he ever feel the same?” Kevin dares to whisper. “How could he
trust me?”

“Because you’ve proven to him that you deserve his trust,” she answers honestly. Gwen
pauses for a moment, searching his eyes. “You’re not that same kid we met in an arcade in
New York. Far from it. How come everyone can see that but you?”

“Sometimes it feels like that’s all I’ll ever be,” he admits, and Gwen frowns.

“You’re so much more than that,” she promises him gently. “I see it, Ben sees it. You just
need to let yourself see it,” she stands and takes a backward step away from the car. “Text
him, Kev. I’m serious.”
“Yeah, yeah.”

“If you don’t, I’ll do it for you,” she warns, and he scoffs as he pulls his phone out of his
pocket.

“Alright, I’m goin already!”

Gwen giggles and sticks her tongue out at him, and then turns to scurry back into the
building.

“Let me know when you get to Bellwood safely!” she calls over her shoulder.

“I ain’t goin to Bellwood!” he calls after her, and she doesn’t bother answering.

Kevin: sup?

Ben: sumo slammers. You?

Kevin: at some lame party with Gwen

Ben: Gwen? At a college party?

Kevin: I know man, been there

Kevin: what’re you and Rook doing tomorrow?

Ben: dunno. Probably just chili fries and smoothies

Kevin: rude

Ben: lol

Kevin: why didn’t you just bring him here?

Ben: didn’t wanna intrude

Kevin: whatever that means

Ben: you and Gwen

Kevin: what about it

Ben: I always come up on your free weekends. Figured it was time to get a life and stop
interrupting yours

Kevin grimaces. Gwen is right. Again.

Damnit.

Kevin: not interrupting

Ben: you know what I mean

He wishes he didn’t. And now he’s left with a choice; does he tell Ben the truth over text?
Would Ben even believe him if so?

Kevin: nah

Ben: lol

Kevin: visit whenever you want man

Kevin watches in silence as the bubbles to indicate Ben is typing pop up and disappear, over
and over, until finally a simple message pops up.

Ben: yeah. Night Kev

Somehow, impossibly, Kevin gets the distinct impression that he’s done something wrong. He
wars with himself for a moment that feels like an eternity, and then with an aggravated huff
he gets off his car and stomps around to the drivers door.

Kevin: I’m fuckin going to Bellwood

Gwen: told you so :*

Gwen: go get him

Kevin doesn’t bother replying, tossing his phone on the passenger seat as he peels out of the
parking lot.
The drive to Bellwood is a long and torturous near two hours, but eventually he finds himself
passing the sign indicating city limits. He slows his car to a cruising speed and heads straight
for Ben’s house- with a quick detour to Mr Smoothy on the way. When he parks his car out
front he reaches for his phone, stomach in nervous knots.

There’s a text from Ben, from half an hour ago.

Ben: I think we need to talk

And god, if that doesn’t immediately make Kevin nauseous, but he does his best to shove it
down and pushes his keys into his pocket as he reaches for the smoothies.

With the smoothies balanced in one arm and his phone in the other, Kevin taps a quick reply.

Kevin: doesn’t sound good

Kevin: if you dump me I’m keeping your smoothie

Ben: huh? Smoothie?

Kevin grins to himself as he circles to the back of Ben’s house and lightly raps his knuckles
on Ben’s window. He hears a faint thud, and then the curtains are being drawn back and he
gets to watch hope blossom into sheer joy in beautiful green.

“Kevin?” Ben gasps as he pushes the window open, and Kevin laughs.

“Knock knock?”

“What’re you doing here?”

“Bringing you a smoothie,” he replies easily, tipping his head toward the cups cradled in his
arms. “Unless you’re dumpin’ me, then I’m keeping it.”

Ben snickers softly and holds his hand out, and Kevin doesn’t need the help -they both know
it- but he takes the offered hand anyways. Once he’s inside Ben leans out the window to pull
the panes shut, and Kevin is holding out a smoothie for him when he turns back around.

Ben takes it eagerly and beelines to his bed while Kevin, more slowly, heads for the desk
chair next to it.

“Can I dump you now?” Ben asks once he’s a foot or two away, and Kevin shoots him a
playful scowl.

“Fuck you.”

Ben laughs, soft and warm, green eyes sparkling with unconcealed delight as he sips his
smoothie through giggles. It strikes Kevin straight in the chest, piercing him through with
longing. This is why he’s here; because he can’t stop thinking about the brunette sat across
from him.

He hasn’t been able to for years.

“So what’re you really doing here, man?” Ben asks after their laughter has died down, and
Kevin leans back in the desk chair and shrugs.

“Visiting you,” he replies honestly.

Ben pauses, straw more than halfway to his lips, and there’s something in his eyes that Kevin
doesn’t recognize when he answers.
“You drove all this way just to bring me a smoothie?”

“Well yeah,” Kevin shrugs, a pink flush spreading over his cheeks as he averts his gaze. “I
mean, really it was just to see you. The smoothie is a bonus.”

Ben smiles, something so achingly fond and soft that it almost hurts. He ducks his head and
his fingers toy with the straw in his smoothie.

“Thanks, Kev.”

“Don’t mention it.”

The evening feels like it’s flying by after that- though that’s likely partially due to Kevin’s
late arrival. Eventually, long after smoothies have been finished and discarded and a bag of
chips has been shared between them, Ben turns the tv off and scoots back to the top of his
bed as darkness falls over them. He flops back into the pillows and squints over at Kevin by
the light of his phone- and Kevin knows it’s time for him to leave.

And then Ben gently pats the bed next to him in invitation.

Huh?

“Take your shoes off first,” Ben dares to whisper in the quiet between them, and Kevin
swallows.

For a minute, it seems like too much- there’s no way he can get into that bed; how will he
survive the night? But really, he’d be a fool to turn it down.

Slowly, Kevin toes his boots off and then stands. He hesitates for a second at the edge of the
bed -gives Ben time to change his mind- but when no protest comes he lifts the covers and
awkwardly climbs beneath them. His head falls into the pillow, a scant few inches between
their faces, and Ben giggles breathlessly.

Kevin’s lips part so he can tease him, but he can barely think around the pounding of his
heart, so after a moment he just lets his mouth close.

“Cat got your tongue?”

“Something like that,” Kevin sighs. “Can I ask you somethin?”

“Depends what it is,” Ben replies honestly, and Kevin weighs his words for a minute. “The
longer you take the worse I think it is.”

“You and Rook,” he says, and Ben’s eyes widen in surprise. “Is there somethin’ there?”

Ben’s mouth opens, but almost just as quickly it closes. He seems to debate for a minute, and
then he sighs.

“No,” he says honestly. “He’s just a friend.”

“Oh,” Kevin says, indescribably relieved by that answer.

“Would that really be so bad?” Ben asks quietly, and Kevin isn’t sure what he’s really asking.
He hesitates, unsure what he’s answering. “Liking a boy?”

“No,” Kevin replies instantly, and he feels it in the mattress when Ben relaxes at his response.
Kevin scoffs. “‘Course not, Ben.”

“Okay,” he whispers into the darkness.

Maybe that confession from Ben is what gives him the courage to voice his own confession-
or at least part of it.

“Gwen and I aren’t a couple.”

“Huh?” Ben blurts, eyes wide in shock. “Did you guys break up? What happened-?”

“Ben,” Kevin interrupts, gently covering the brunettes mouth with his hand. “Gwen and I
were never a couple.”

Ben’s brows furrow, and Kevin’s hand falls away, dropping onto the bed.

“But… I thought…”

“I know what you thought,” Kevin sighs. “A lot of people thought it. But it ain’t true.”

Ben is quiet for a moment, tossing that information around in his head. Eventually, he meets
Kevin’s gaze again.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Or anyone?” he asks, and Kevin is pretty sure he can hear a faint
note of hurt in Ben’s voice.

He sighs again, tentatively meeting Ben’s gaze.

“Because I had feelings for-“ he falters, nerves becoming a little too much. He swallows. “-
for a boy. And I didn’t want anyone to notice. Gwen figured it out, and offered to cover for
me. We get along well, and knew people would jump to conclusions.”
“A boy?” Ben echoes, and Kevin nods once. Ben swallows, gaze flicking away as his fingers
toy nervously with a loose string in his sheets. “Who… who’s the boy? Do I know him?”

“Yeah,” Kevin replies honestly. “I’d say so.”

“It’s not Cash, is it?” Ben asks, only half serious as his nose wrinkles in transparent disgust.

Kevin laughs, high and loud, the tense atmosphere alleviated with Ben’s lame joke, and he
lightly shoves Ben’s shoulder.

“Gross! No, man, it’s not Cash.”

“Mmm, JT?”

“Fuck you, I’ve got taste!” Kevin squawks, and Ben giggles when he gets beat over the head
with a pillow.

Shoving it off his head and into Kevin’s face instead, he asks;

“Alan?”

“If you guess Manny next we’re gonna have a problem.”

Ben snickers and lets Kevin push the pillow off his face and toss it toward their knees. He lets
them lapse back into silence for a moment as he thinks.

“Cooper?”
“Gross.”

“Rude!”

“Dude he’s way younger than me, and obsessed with your cousin.”

“Okay, fair,” Ben agrees. He purses his lips, then pops them loudly. “Can I have a hint?”

“A hint?” Kevin echoes, and Ben shrugs.

“Yeah, like, what do they look like? Or something they like, or the first letter of their name?”

And Kevin doesn’t know what to say that isn’t wildly incriminating. He swallows.

“He likes soccer,” he says hesitantly, and something flashes through Ben’s eyes.

“Jacob!”

“Nah, he’s into that Edwin dude.”

Ben snorts on a laugh, eyes glimmering with laughter.

“Edward?” he corrects, and Kevin grunts noncommittally. “Hmm… Jesse? Scott? Kyle?”

“Nope,” Kevin replies, and Ben huffs a breath.

“Gimmie another hint.”

Kevin has to think for a long moment; the obvious ones like hair colour and eye colour are
out of the question unless he wants Ben to piece it together- and he’s not sure he does.

“He’s shorter than me,” he finally answers, and Ben scoffs.

“That’s like half the population you Sasquatch,” he squawks, and Kevin snickers.

“Hey man, a hint is a hint.”

And the game continues, names falling ceaselessly from Ben’s lips, and somehow he never
thinks to guess himself. And at some point, Kevin decides he wants him to.

“- it better not be the kid with braces that works at Mister Smoothie, cuz he’s a jerk.”

“No, not him,” Kevin grins, eyes soft as he watches Ben.

The brunette is only being half serious with his guesses now, focusing more on making Kevin
laugh than actually figuring out who the crush is, and Kevin figures maybe Ben thinks he
doesn’t want it to be guessed.

“Alright, give me another hint,” he requests, and Kevin’s eyes dance playfully.

“Not bored yet?”

“Not until I know his name,” Ben replies stubbornly, sticking his tongue out at his laughing
friend. “Hint.”
“He has brown hair,” he says, and something flashes through Ben’s eyes, but it’s gone before
Kevin can identify it.

“Brown hair,” he muses. “Travis? Jeremy? Gavin?”

“Nope.”

“Jesus, I’m running out of guys,” Ben huffs, and Kevin chuckles. “Ethan? Adrien? Lucas?”

“Nope.”

Ben groans, high and loud, and Kevin’s grin widens.

“One more,” Ben requests after a moment, and Kevin arches a brow. “If I can’t guess it after
this one then I give up.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Scouts honour. Make it a good hint though.”

Kevin ponders for a minute, and then smirks.

“His shoe size-“

“Oh fuck right off!” Ben interrupts, roughly shoving Kevin’s shoulder, and Kevin can barely
hear Ben’s laughter over his own.
“His eyes,” he says as he comes down from his laughter, and Ben refocuses his attention on
Kevin. “They’re green.”

Ben -startling them both- lurches up so his elbows are propping him up on the bed, eyes wide
and locked immovably on Kevin’s face.

“What?”

Anxiety does it’s best to close Kevin’s throat, but he forces himself to keep his smile in place,
though he knows it must appear strained.

“His eyes are green,” he repeats.

“What’s his name?” Ben demands, and Kevin can’t quite keep up the smile anymore.

“I think you know.”

“You’re fucking with me,” Ben says, voice strained, and Kevin’s expression turns pinched.

“Would that really be so bad?” he asks, and something shifts in Ben’s expression.

“No,” he answers quietly as he slumps back onto the bed. “More like too good to be true.”

And that gets Kevin’s attention. He arches a brow, and Ben doesn’t shy away from him when
Kevin dares to scoot half an inch closer- in fact he’s pretty sure Ben copies him.

“What do you mean?”

“I- he-“ Ben‘s voice trembles with nerves, and he roughly clears his throat. “I’ve liked you
for a long time.”

The train of thought in Kevin’s head screeches to a stop- he thinks he might’ve stopped
breathing. His eyes are wide and his hand trembles where it rests on the bed, and after a
moment that stretches for an eternity Ben reaches out and gently covers Kevin’s hand with
his own.

“No shit?”

He almost kicks himself for the stupid response- but it breaks the tense atmosphere. Ben
snorts and dissolves into giggles, and Kevin can’t fight the laughter bubbling in his chest at
the sound.

“No shit,” he says when their giggles have subsided.

“After everything?”

Something softens in Ben’s eyes and he gently squeezes Kevin’s hand.

“You’re not that little kid anymore,” he says firmly, and Kevin nods but doesn’t reply.
“You’ve grown a lot, Kevin. One day I hope you’ll see that.”

“I tried to kill you,” he says bluntly, and Ben’s smile doesn’t waver.

“I tried to kill you too.”

It strikes him to the core. He’d almost completely forgotten about that- though that’s largely
in part of his effort to repress everything that had happened when he was mutated.
“Oh yeah,” he mutters, and Ben snorts.

“We’re both jerks. But I trust you, Kev. And if you flip out and try to kill me again, I’ll just
kick your ass again.”

Kevin snorts and turns his hand slightly so that Ben’s fingers curl around the side of his palm.
He squeezes gently, and Ben’s smile turns soft and sappy.

“Gee, thanks,” Kevin drawls sarcastically, and Ben’s fond smile doesn’t waver.

“So, where does this leave us?” Ben asks after a moment, and Kevin’s grip on his fingers
tightens ever so slightly.

“I’d like to take you out on a date,” he answers softly, and Ben nods before Kevin can even
properly ask. “Guess that’s a yes.”

“Chili fries?”

“And smoothies, I think,” Kevin grins, and Ben’s eyes sparkle at him as his grin widens.

“Careful Kev, talkin like that could make a boy fall in love with you.”

Kevin’s eyes shimmer with mischief as he leans slightly closer, arching a dark brow.

“Would that really be so bad?”

“Not at all,” Ben breathes back, and to Kevin’s surprise he’s the one that makes the first
move.

His lips are gentle against Kevin’s, hardly a ghost of a touch, waiting to see if it’s okay- and
Kevin doesn’t make him wait longer than the second it takes for his brain to reboot. When the
kiss breaks Ben laughs a soft and sheepish sound.

“Breakfast in the morning? I make a mean pancake.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Kevin scoffs, and Ben grins as he’s drawn into the ruffians chest.
“This okay?”

“Absolutely,” Ben sighs as his arm slides around Kevin’s waist and his head rests
comfortably in the crook of his neck. “Night Kev.”

“Night, Ben.”

“I’m glad you came tonight.”

Kevin’s smile widens and he squeezes Ben the slightest bit tighter.

“Me too.”

Kevin is the first to wake up, which doesn’t surprise him in the slightest; Ben is notorious for
sleeping in. This morning though, Kevin really doesn’t mind. At some point in the night
they’d rolled over, and Ben’s arm is still around him and his face is still buried in Kevin’s
neck, but now his leg is thrown clumsily over both of Kevin’s as well.

Kevin hums a soft, ghost of a laugh and reaches out for his phone, just barely managing to
grab it off the desk without jostling Ben. He has four missed texts from Gwen, and he quickly
clicks the notification.
Gwen: I’m assuming you made it since you didn’t text, jerk

Gwen: tell me you told him

Gwen: you better have told him

Gwen: I’m only going to forgive you for making me worry if you told him the truth

Kevin cringes; he does feel a little bad making her worry all night just because he’d forgotten
to text when he arrived at Ben’s.

Kevin: I lived bitch

Gwen: asshole

Gwen: good

Gwen: did you tell him? Tell me now so I know if I’m killing you when you get home

Kevin: I told him

Gwen: WHAT

Gwen: LIKE REALLY

Gwen: FOR REAL?

Gwen: YOU TOLD HIM? THE TRUTH?

Kevin: I told him the truth

Gwen: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kevin: lol

He feels a faint buzz and then Ben huffs a sleep warmed giggle against his skin and his heart
flutters in his chest.

“Guess that’s her texting me to confirm,” he mumbles as he flails his hand out in search of
his phone.

“Were you being nosy?” Kevin squawks in mock offence, and Ben grins cheekily.

“Not being nosy if you’re texting an inch from my face.”

He finally locates his phone and drags it up, resting it on Kevin’s chest and quickly unlocking
it. He was right; there’s a notification from Gwen.

Gwen: BEN !!!!!!!!!!

Ben: lol
Gwen: !!!!!!!!!!!

Ben tips his head slightly so he can squint up at Kevin, smile soft and affectionate, and Kevin
has to fight the urge to kiss him.

Gwen: TELL ME EVERYTHING

“Mind if I snap a picture?” Ben asks, and Kevin shrugs.

“Not if I get a copy too.”

“Done.”

Ben: I was trying to sleep

He snaps a quick photo of the two of them and sends it to Gwen, and then tosses his phone
back onto the bed. It vibrates three times in rapid succession, and then Kevin’s buzzes.

“I think you broke her,” Kevin chuckles, and Ben fails to hide his smile.

“She’s just happy for me,” he says honestly, snuggling back down into Kevin’s arms. “She’s
known about my feelings for a long time.”

Kevin squawks and unlocks his phone.

Gwen: Be good to him Kevin!

Kevin: you knew this whole time!?

Gwen: I literally told you a million times that he liked you

Kevin: blocked

He sets his phone aside and looks down at the brunette peering sleepily up at him, and with a
soft hum he leans in and steals a soft kiss.

“I seem to remember I was promised pancakes,” he murmurs when he pulls back, and Ben
groans in protest and pulls the blanket up over his head.

“I’m sleeping,” he mumbles into the fabric, and Kevin chuckles.

“Guess your claims were false then,” he teases lightly. “Clearly your pancakes aren’t
anything to write home about.”

Ben’s head snaps up out of the blankets immediately, beautiful green eyes narrowed at Kevin.

“Kitchen. Now. I’m gonna make you eat your words.”

“Hopefully they’re pancake flavoured.”

Kevin follows Ben happily down the hall to the kitchen, their fingers linked together between
them, and Ben yawns loudly as he releases Kevin’s hand to dig into the fridge.

“Where are your folks?”

“Work,” he answers absentmindedly as he bustles around the kitchen.

Kevin takes a seat at the island counter, and conversation flows easily as Ben mixes up the
batter and begins scooping the pancakes into a pan. It’s clearly something he does a lot;
there’s a confidence when he moves that Kevin himself has never had in the kitchen.

Within what is probably only fifteen minutes, Ben is placing a stack of pancakes in front of
him on the counter and planting a kiss on his cheek. Kevin’s cheeks flush pink, and his
stomach growls loud and obnoxious as he stares down at the chocolate chip pancakes.

Ben watches as he cuts them and takes a bite- and he was right. They’re fuckin awesome. He
says as much around the bite, and Ben lights up from the inside out as he circles back around
the island to grab his own plate. He settles next to Kevin at the counter, and Kevin swallows
another mouthful of pancake.

“Careful Benji,” he says lightly, and Ben peeks up at him, eyes curious and cheek stuffed
with pancake. “Pancakes this good could make a boy fall in love with you.”

Ben’s eyes shimmer with amusement, and a kind of affection that makes Kevin ache from the
inside out.

“Would that really be so bad?” Ben asks around his mouthful, and Kevin’s grin widens.

“Hell no,” he chuckles, and the next kiss he steals is sticky with syrup and chocolate.

He doesn’t regret it.

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