FIC: The Power of a Laugh
Title: The Power of a Laugh
Characters: Ben, Kevin, Omnitrix
Warnings: AU but nothing else really.
Summary: It's so beautiful when the boy smiles.
Notes: My prompt was "Cheesy Sitcom" and it's 701 words long. Remember once upon a time (say, last year) when I made a jazz FST and said I had a germ of an idea based on the Wall-E trailer? Here it is with a bit of inspiration from Black Cat as well. I blame this idea on the trailer for the movie Ben 10: Race Against Time where all those words to describe Ben were displayed...specifically the word "weapon".
Disclaimer: The entire Ben 10 universe belongs to Man of Action.
A woman picked up her trendy, coffee house cup and threw the contents in her date's face.
"Ahhhh!" he yelled, clawing at his skin as he tried desperately to wipe off the scalding hot coffee.
The woman stormed off.
Kevin leaned his head back and laughed. "Classic."
Ben tilted his head to one side. "I don't see why she did that."
Kevin stopped laughing, looking over at Ben. "He insulted her boobs by comparing them to another girl's he dated. So she hits him with the coffee. It's funny."
Ben gave him a strange look, the Omnitrix on his wrist beeping its own confusion.
"Look, it's a joke, okay?"
"Error," the Omnitrix spoke. "Joke previously defined as something said to induce laughter."
"Nothing was said that would cause such a reaction," Ben continued.
Kevin groaned and put a hand to his face. This had seemed like such a good idea, too.
The pair was currently sitting in the Rustbucket while Max was out getting God-knew-what for dinner. Gwen, who was with him, was hopefully steering him away from anything too disgusting.
"Just keep watching, Ben. You'll get it eventually."
Those green eyes gave him an analyzing look.
"Stop looking at me like that! It's creepy!"
"Why?"
Wow, how to describe that feeling in a way that wasn't too insulting so Max and Gwen wouldn't chew him out when Ben inevitably asked them to clarify what he'd said? Considering what Ben had been used for since his kidnapping five years ago, it was a lot like staring straight into the laser sight of the blaster about to blow your head off. And Kevin had seen first-hand what this particular weapon was capable of.
"It just is, okay? Watch the show."
Kevin forced his attention back to the television as Ben did, the other's eyes seeming to darken as he communicated directly with the Omnitrix. Kevin managed to suppress another shudder. Five years of never taking off the watch--Vilgax had never figured out how to remove it--had done things to the guy. Azmuth himself had been horrified at the unforeseen long-term effects coupled with the obvious conditioning Ben's former captor had done. He'd even insisted on removing the Omnitrix, but both his creation and its bearer had nearly gone berserk at the suggestion.
With a sigh, Kevin let himself get absorbed back in the sitcom. Aside from a few good jokes here and there, it really wasn't that interesting. He'd only stopped on it because one of the main characters was an alien trying to hide his identity from the rest of the world as he studied humans. He wondered if Ben could relate to it.
After a few minutes, he felt a presence close to him. He turned his head to stare straight into Ben's curious eyes not three inches from his own.
"Holy--!" Kevin flailed as he scooted backward and right off the edge of the booth. Predictably, pin wheeling his arms didn't convince gravity to give him a break, and he fell backwards. To add further injury, he smacked the back of his head on a cabinet. "Ow!"
He sat back up, rubbing his head and muttering obscenities. He glared up at Ben, opening his mouth to demand what that had been for.
Yet his angered face turned to one of shock as he watched the curious look on Ben's face melt away. The flat, analytical eyes started to sparkle a little as the edges of his lips turned upward. Then those eyes closed as Ben brought up a hand to cover his mouth and he started to shake.
But what really surprised Kevin was the laugh. Ben was laughing. And it seemed to transform the other teen into a glimpse of that little boy Max and Gwen had always told Kevin about with sad fondness. This wasn't the look of a living weapon; it was the look of a young man having fun.
Ben lowered his hand, still laughing, and Kevin was further amazed by that smile. So amazed, in fact, that he forgot his injured body and ego and smiled back.
That solidified it. Somehow, he was going to help the Tennysons get Ben back.
Characters: Ben, Kevin, Omnitrix
Warnings: AU but nothing else really.
Summary: It's so beautiful when the boy smiles.
Notes: My prompt was "Cheesy Sitcom" and it's 701 words long. Remember once upon a time (say, last year) when I made a jazz FST and said I had a germ of an idea based on the Wall-E trailer? Here it is with a bit of inspiration from Black Cat as well. I blame this idea on the trailer for the movie Ben 10: Race Against Time where all those words to describe Ben were displayed...specifically the word "weapon".
Disclaimer: The entire Ben 10 universe belongs to Man of Action.
A woman picked up her trendy, coffee house cup and threw the contents in her date's face.
"Ahhhh!" he yelled, clawing at his skin as he tried desperately to wipe off the scalding hot coffee.
The woman stormed off.
Kevin leaned his head back and laughed. "Classic."
Ben tilted his head to one side. "I don't see why she did that."
Kevin stopped laughing, looking over at Ben. "He insulted her boobs by comparing them to another girl's he dated. So she hits him with the coffee. It's funny."
Ben gave him a strange look, the Omnitrix on his wrist beeping its own confusion.
"Look, it's a joke, okay?"
"Error," the Omnitrix spoke. "Joke previously defined as something said to induce laughter."
"Nothing was said that would cause such a reaction," Ben continued.
Kevin groaned and put a hand to his face. This had seemed like such a good idea, too.
The pair was currently sitting in the Rustbucket while Max was out getting God-knew-what for dinner. Gwen, who was with him, was hopefully steering him away from anything too disgusting.
"Just keep watching, Ben. You'll get it eventually."
Those green eyes gave him an analyzing look.
"Stop looking at me like that! It's creepy!"
"Why?"
Wow, how to describe that feeling in a way that wasn't too insulting so Max and Gwen wouldn't chew him out when Ben inevitably asked them to clarify what he'd said? Considering what Ben had been used for since his kidnapping five years ago, it was a lot like staring straight into the laser sight of the blaster about to blow your head off. And Kevin had seen first-hand what this particular weapon was capable of.
"It just is, okay? Watch the show."
Kevin forced his attention back to the television as Ben did, the other's eyes seeming to darken as he communicated directly with the Omnitrix. Kevin managed to suppress another shudder. Five years of never taking off the watch--Vilgax had never figured out how to remove it--had done things to the guy. Azmuth himself had been horrified at the unforeseen long-term effects coupled with the obvious conditioning Ben's former captor had done. He'd even insisted on removing the Omnitrix, but both his creation and its bearer had nearly gone berserk at the suggestion.
With a sigh, Kevin let himself get absorbed back in the sitcom. Aside from a few good jokes here and there, it really wasn't that interesting. He'd only stopped on it because one of the main characters was an alien trying to hide his identity from the rest of the world as he studied humans. He wondered if Ben could relate to it.
After a few minutes, he felt a presence close to him. He turned his head to stare straight into Ben's curious eyes not three inches from his own.
"Holy--!" Kevin flailed as he scooted backward and right off the edge of the booth. Predictably, pin wheeling his arms didn't convince gravity to give him a break, and he fell backwards. To add further injury, he smacked the back of his head on a cabinet. "Ow!"
He sat back up, rubbing his head and muttering obscenities. He glared up at Ben, opening his mouth to demand what that had been for.
Yet his angered face turned to one of shock as he watched the curious look on Ben's face melt away. The flat, analytical eyes started to sparkle a little as the edges of his lips turned upward. Then those eyes closed as Ben brought up a hand to cover his mouth and he started to shake.
But what really surprised Kevin was the laugh. Ben was laughing. And it seemed to transform the other teen into a glimpse of that little boy Max and Gwen had always told Kevin about with sad fondness. This wasn't the look of a living weapon; it was the look of a young man having fun.
Ben lowered his hand, still laughing, and Kevin was further amazed by that smile. So amazed, in fact, that he forgot his injured body and ego and smiled back.
That solidified it. Somehow, he was going to help the Tennysons get Ben back.