Title: The Wedding

Characters/Pairing(s): Ben/Kevin (mainly) A little Edwin/Gwen and perhaps other pairings hinted in future chapters.

Word count: 1672

Rating: T for now but probably M for future chapters.

Summary: Seven years after the DNA invasion, peace restored and love is in the air…

Note: I do not own Ben 10 or any of the characters.

Chapter 1

It had been seven years since the DNA Aliens attempted to invade Earth and destroy the human race and now peace has returned to the planet, for the moment. Thus allowing 23-year old Ben and Gwen Tennyson and 24-year old Kevin Levin to finally live normal or at least somewhat more normal lives. And what better way to start off those lives with a wedding, right?

It was a sunny morning on the big day and Ben was already up and getting ready. Ben had been living in his own apartment since he was 19, as much as his parents would had loved him to stay as long as he wanted at home. He found living alone wasn't as bad as he thought it would be but perhaps technically he was never really alone since his neighbor would visit and hung out with him often. Speaking of the devil, just as Ben had finished tying his tie there was a knock at the door. The young hero softly sighed, knowing full well who it was as he walked over to unlock and open the door for the person outside.
"I figured by now you would know how to do that, Kevin?" Ben smiled and looked at the older man, who sure enough, not only could he not get his own tie tied but just like a few years ago, he got his finger caught.
"Very funny, Tennyson. For your information I had it but… it always came out crooked." The ex-con tried not to pout like the first time it had happened and glanced away from the younger man who tried not to laugh.
"What would you do without me?" Ben chuckled softly as he started to untie the knot around the brute’s finger and just like seven years ago, tied the man’s tie. Kevin glanced down at him as Ben did what he did best [at least compared to the other and that didn’t involve any violence] but not so much as over the years Ben had grown quite some. The hero was now just a few inches shorter then his partner in alien fighting instead of stopping to the mutant’s chest like when they were teenagers. Kevin mentally had wished the other had stayed the same height, mainly because he enjoyed looking down at the other but for other reasons he wasn’t about to say, right now at least.

"There, all set and ready to go," said Ben as he stepped back to look at the other, making sure there were no other flaws with how the mutant looked. Kevin looked just as handsome as he did was 16, perhaps the only difference was that the mutant looked even more mature if that was possible but that could had just been because of the suit as Ben liked to think. The ex-con smiled and walked into the hero’s apartment as if it was his own, heading for mirror that hung on one of the walls to check himself out.
"Not bad…" He pushed one of the raven locks out of his eyes, glancing at Ben through the reflection since he had followed him.
"So you got a date for the big day, Benji?" He smirked to see that annoyed look on the younger’s face when he used his old nickname for him.

Ben crossed his arms and turned his back to the mutant,
"You know I don’t… I don’t see why you had to bring that up." He and Julie had broken up four years ago, mainly because he could never fully work out the whole hero business with her and he just could never feel at ease having her out there in the danger when she had no powers. Plus, ever since the Ship incident, it seemed like a fight after fight would come, that was the tell-tell sign of the end for most relationships. Kevin tried his best to hold back a grin as he turned around and looked at the other’s back.
"Well… how about I escort you?"

Ben’s eyes widened and he quickly turned around to face the elder, not believing what he had just asked.
"You're joking right? Don’t you think it would look a little sad if we went together for Gwen’s wedding?" The female of the trio had found herself a boyfriend after giving up on Kevin maturing enough to ask her out a few years ago and now that peace had returned to Earth she was finally tying the knot. It was hard to believe that even though Kevin was invited that he planned on going, most people would had thought he would probably just crash the wedding or make some kind of scene but he seemed perfectly cool about the whole thing. Ben had wondered if it was because he had a girl on the side during all these years but then why would he ask Ben to accompany him to the wedding?

The elder just shrugged,
"Why not? Beats going alone, right?" Ben stared at him for a while, eyebrow raised, he still wasn’t sure when to take the other seriously.
"Alright…" he sighed in defeat,
"But you'd better not make a scene and ruin Gwen’s day, Levin." He poked the brute in his hard chest with his index finger. The mutant put his hands up defensively,
"Wouldn’t dream of it, Tennyson. Ready to go?" The hero nodded then the two young men headed out together, taking Kevin’s car to the hotel where the wedding was being held.

Since people were coming from all over the country let alone other planets in some cases, everyone agreed it would be easier for everyone to hold the wedding at a hotel and give everyone that planned to stay for a while a room. The happy groom had no problem offering a free room for all the guests since he was the owner of that hotel. Yes, the groom was none other then Edwin Grand Smith, the same Edwin that the Tennyson cousins met when they were 10-years old. Edwin had met the hero trio during one of their outings and the sparks had flown when he and Gwen reunited. Even now Ben had always wondered why hadn't Kevin acted like he had when Mike Morningstar entered the picture when Edwin started taking Gwen out. Was he tired of the number of guys who were always flirting with her, even if some had no chance like Cooper? Or had he just given up, feeling it was a lost cause since they were too different or had he felt he just wasn’t good enough for her? Ben frowned a little and glanced over at the driver of the car, thinking that over the past few years Kevin has shown he was a good guy and was good enough for Gwen. Sure he wasn’t perfect but who was?

"Something on your mind, Tennyson?" The ex-con glanced at the other and could tell the hero was thinking about something before focusing his eyes back on the road. The younger quickly shifted in his seat and look out the window, watching the buildings and other cars go by.
"Er… I’m pretty sure it’s a bit late to talk about it…" he said, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling this really wasn’t the time to talk about Kevin and his cousin since, well, she was getting married that day after all. Kevin rolled his eyes and once he had a chance, parked the car in an empty parking lot, put the vehicle in park and turned in his seat to face the younger man and looking him straight in the eye.
"I won’t know if it’s too late if you don’t say anything, Tennyson. Now talk." The hero tried to break eye contact with those dark brown orbs but sighed heavily that for whatever reason, he couldn’t,
"It's just… I don’t get it, when we made this team you were all crazy about her and… well, don’t you regret it? Not… giving her a chance?" He frowned, studying the ex-con’s face in any sign of what the other was thinking but the brute was good when it came to hiding some of his emotions, especially those love related.

Kevin’s brows raised a little in surprise before furrowed down and leaning forward he stabbed his finger in Ben’s chest. "Is that what’s bothering you? You think I’m still crazy about your cousin and that I’m going to crash the wedding? Take out the groom and kidnap the bride? Is that what you think I’m planning, Ben?" He shook his head and sat back, looking at the stunned hero before staring out the window, crossing his arms.
"Don’t you think if I wanted her I could have taken her long ago?"

"Y-Yeah… but if you don’t like her in that way then…" Ben couldn’t finish the sentence since he didn’t understand. If Kevin didn’t like Gwen and didn’t have any other girl then whom was he waiting for? The ex-con glanced at Ben from the corner of his eye.
"… It’s complicated but maybe I’ll tell ya, just not right now or we're going to be late." The hero raised an eyebrow "Late? Oh! The wedding!" He slapped his own forehead, he couldn’t believe he could forget his own cousin’s wedding and he was thinking of Kevin of all people that made him nearly forget! Kevin chuckled over how cute Ben looked just then and put the car into drive, getting back onto the highway.
"Don’t get your panties tied in a knot, princess- I’ll get you to the wedding on time so you can catch the bouquet." He grinned and winked at the younger, enjoying the sigh of a light blush on the other’s cheeks.
"Just shut up and drive, Kevin." Ben rested his cheek in his hand and looked back out of the window, going back into his own little world and thoughts. Who was it that Kevin liked and why was it bothering him so much?