Work Text:
Ben Tennyson, wielder of the Ultimatrix, looked out the window of the Rust Bucket 3 in hopes of getting some kind of indication as to where he was. Unfortunately for him, all he could see were clouds. "How much longer 'til we get back to Bellwood?" he called out. After the night he'd had, he was eager to return home and rest.
"'Nother hour or so," Kevin mumbled from the pilot's seat, keeping his gaze on the dark sky ahead.
Gwen stood up from her seat, stretching her arms. She walked to the front of the cockpit to check up on her boyfriend. "What's on your mind?"
"Whaddya mean?" he replied.
Gwen put a hand on her hip, unimpressed by his attempt at playing coy. "You're brooding."
At this point, Kevin saw no reason to hide anything. Gwen knew him far too well. He pressed a button on the dashboard to put the ship on autopilot, then turned to face Gwen. "Okay, fine. I didn't really wanna talk about it, but isn't it a little weird how Ben 10,000 didn't say anything about what I'm like in the future?"
"Paradox did tell him not to say too much," Ben argued from his seat.
Ignoring the fact that Ben decided to join their conversation unprompted, Kevin continued. "Uh-huh... but he still spilled the beans 'bout you two. You guys are both gonna be President. Who knows what'll happen to me?"
Kevin was normally the type of person who took things one day at a time. He barely ever showed concern about what would happen a week into the future, let alone 30 years. His current behavior was certainly something Gwen wasn't used to, but she was determined to help him feel better. "What are you worried about specifically?" she asked.
The boy pondered for a moment. "That's the thing. I don't know. Maybe Ben didn't say anythin' about me 'cause we're not friends in the future, and if we ain't friends, are you and I even still together?"
Ben left his seat to join Gwen and Kevin. "Never thought you'd be one to overthink."
"I'm not overthinking!" Kevin defended himself. "I'm just... thinking. I mean, when the future version of your best friend comes to the present but doesn't even give you a hint about what your future self is like... there has to be a reason for that, right? What if I'm dead in the future? What if I went crazy again and Ben 10,000 had to kill me?"
Sensing a subtle tinge of fear in his voice, Gwen knelt on the ground to meet Kevin's eyes. "We won't let that happen. You know that." She gave his hand a gentle, loving squeeze.
"What if there's no other choice?"
"There's always another choice," Ben replied. Though he had never told anyone, he felt a great deal of regret for being dead set on killing Kevin when he was mutated after absorbing the Ultimatrix. He may have been dangerous, but he was still Ben's best friend. Ben promised himself he'd look for another solution if something similar ever happened again. "Besides, I don't think you're dead in the future. Ben 10,000 probably would've had some kind of reaction to seeing you again if you were."
Kevin put a hand on his forehead, exhaling sharply. "I dunno, the whole thing seems fishy."
"Honestly, I'd say not knowing what's gonna happen makes you lucky," said Ben.
The Osmosian gave him an incredulous look. It seemed as if Ben wasn't paying attention to anything he said. "How so?"
"Gwen and I have our paths carved out for us, but you don't." He pointed at Kevin to emphasize his point. "Your future can be whatever you want it to be. You could be a full-time Plumber or maybe a mechanic or something."
"Well, there is one thing for certain," Gwen began, a smile spreading across her face. "If I'm gonna be President, you're gonna be the First Gentleman."
"Don't you have to be married to the President to..." Kevin trailed off, letting his own words sink in. "Oh, hey, we might be married in the future!"
"Will be," she corrected him.
"That's 30 years in the future, Gwen. Really, who knows if—"
Gwen quickly interrupted her cousin, glaring daggers at him. She'd only been dating Kevin for about a year, but after everything they'd been through, she couldn't imagine a future where they weren't still together. "Will. Be."
"Okay, whatever." Ben shrugged. "Point is, Kev, you shouldn't let what-ifs and maybes weigh you down."
"Can't promise anything, but... I'll try." Kevin forced a smile, appreciative of his best friend's advice. This caught Gwen's attention, and she nudged him lightly. "See what happens when we talk things out?"
Ben smirked, pleased with himself. "You're welcome, Kevin."
"I didn't say thanks."
"You didn't have to."