Chapter Text
As you attempt to lull yourself to sleep laying next to Ben's sleeping form you can't help but reminisce on the events that lead you to him.
If someone had told you that he would become the love of your life or at the very least your boyfriend, the first time you had run into Ben you'd have laughed in their face. Well maybe not at that exact moment but putting things in perspective you were 11 years old and running away from a giant mutated frog. You had more pressing issues than your future love life.
But first, some context.
Your first meeting started with you sprinting for your life. You're running, unabashedly, away from the maniac calling himself doctor Animo. You take a sharp right and run into a short boy, around your age, with brown hair knocking you both to the ground in the process.
Pushing you off of him, he exclaimed "Watch it! Can't you see I'm trying to save your life?" This causes some confusion, but for now, your focus is on untangling yourself. He manages to extract himself first, standing he holds out his hand in a way of apology waiting to help pull you up. Taking his hand you note the slight pink flush of his cheeks as you allow him to pull you up.
You rise, grumbling insults under your breath, despite him helping you up. More irritated with the mild inconvenience than the boy himself, you apologized "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to run into you."
"Don't mention it."
Gently pulling your hand out of his you attempt to continue your sprint away from the elephant-sized frog, only for its disgustingly long tongue to snatch you by your waist lifting you off of the ground. Startled, he cries out reaching out to grab your hand only for you to slip through the brunette's fingers.
"Put her down, she has nothing to do with this!" the boy shouts at Animo.
"Give me your watch Tennyson and your little girlfriend might survive," Animo demands.
"He is not my boyfriend, I don't even know him! Put me down!" You protest vehemently, shouting and thrashing, but it only serves to annoy the frog causing it to shake you around until you fall limp.
After the world stops spinning you have a clear view of a red-headed girl, around your age, and an old man in a Hawaiian shirt standing next to where the boy used to be. In his place is a tall guy made of some kind of blue-green crystal. Despite the boy's obvious disappearance, Animo continued to spew threats, "You don't scare me, Tennyson, you won't win this fight" though this time they seemed to be directed toward the crystal man. You quickly recognize the crystal man as a hero you'd seen on the news before who goes by the name of Diamond Head. He jumps up, a bridge of the same crystal forming beneath him gliding towards you. Animo forces the frog to jump out of his path. Goosebumps sprout on your skin from the breeze caused by the narrow miss.
Like a petulant child, Animo throws a tantrum: "Since you won't cooperate, let's see how you feel after I take your girlfriend sightseeing."
The frog jumps through the window, breaking it. Defensively you put your arms up to protect your face as pieces of glass rain down giving you a number of cuts. Taking your arms from their protective stance you can see the ground approach rapidly, your stomach drops, and your breath gets caught in your throat before you let out a blood-curdling scream. You curse your past self for not having the forethought to run down the stairs.
Ripping your gaze away from the ground you watch Diamond Head slide down the path as he creates it. He catches up as the frog touches down only for his second attempt at saving you to be foiled. The frog lands on the top of the closest building and you watch the shock bloom on Diamond Head's face. An aged RV pulls up next to him.
"Get in doofus!" is shouted right before an arm yanks him into the vehicle. The frog carries you, hopping from building to building. Diamond Head leans out of the car shooting crystal at it. The wind whistles past your ear. The only indicator of the piece of crystal cutting off a piece of your hair. The crystal lodges in the building behind you.
"Who are you aiming for?" you scream into the wind, "Stop playing around and get me down from here!"
The frog stops on the ledge of the building, "If you wanted to get down all you had to do was ask." Animo says directly before the frog drops you.
You smell a distinct more than earthly smell as your descent is stopped by the hard crystal of Diamond Head's arms. He looks down at you, and you see a flash of anger as he inspects your wounds.
"It's not a big deal, they don't even hurt,"
He glides towards the speeding RV. He enters the car and drops you off with the red head and the old man before riding off and leaving you.
You turn to question her immediately, "Would someone please explain what's going on? And where did that brown-haired boy go, is he safe?"
"I'm Gwen, that's my grandpa Max, and the dweeb is my cousin, Ben, he can turn into different aliens."
This information takes your mind off of the brunette you saw earlier. Before you have the chance to question her again, the fight catches your attention. Ben kicks the frog successfully knocking off the helmet which looks like a pasta strainer with two antennae attached, off of Animo's head. Animo lunges to catch it, but Ben reaches it in time to kick it further away. Animo commands the frog to dive. But It hits the ground before he can reach it. It breaks as it hits the ground releasing light and some strange aura as the frog shrinks to what seems to be its previous size. As he walks toward where the vehicle is you realize that you've parked. A loud beep is sounded and Diamond Head transforms back into Ben in a flash of red light.
"Oh my god! You have superpowers, that is SO cool." you can't help but exclaim. Though you regret internally ever opening your mouth, as his entire being brightens and he poses with his fists on his hips. A clear indication of his ego increasing exponentially.
"They are pretty awesome," he agrees easily. "You were pretty impressive too, you seemed chill about the kidnapping. Not something I'd expect from a girl." Despite the sexist dig, you fall into an easy conversation with the boy about Sumo Slammers. Gwen pulls you away from Ben in the name of first aid. Causing your setup to change. Ben is sitting comfortably on the floor of the RV, you sit across from him with Gwen sitting behind you.
"Wow Ben, you did a terrible job, look at all the cuts and scrapes she has."
Before you can stop the two cousins from arguing he retorts, "I didn't see you jump out of a building to save her."
"I'm fine guys, there's no need to fight. And as a bonus, I got to meet you." The atmosphere shifts immediately.
He sticks his tongue out of his mouth gagging, "that's so gross"
The sound of police sirens cuts your conversation short. Gwen looks up at her grandfather, hope shining in her eyes, "Grampa Max, do we have to go?"
"I'm sorry kids, we have to leave. Ben, do you have anything to say to this nice young lady? She did go on a tour of the city 100 feet in the air" prompts Max.
He doesn't quite get the hint, instead opting to say, "I'm glad you got to sightsee. You're not half bad, see ya around."
Gwen opts to hug you, "We have to see each other again, I need another girl to talk to. Believe it or not Ben is not good conversation.," letting you go. After leaving the car you wave as you watch them drive away. It wasn't until you turned to leave did you realize you never told them your name.
Laying back into your pillows you realize how tame your first meeting was. You were surprised to find that your first meeting was one of the less eventful of the many. Of course, at the time, you didn't know how trouble followed him everywhere.