FIC: Culture Clash
Title: Culture Clash
Characters: Ben, Gwen, Kevin, random Osmosian
Warnings: Car abuse.
Summary: "I apologize. I didn't realize you were engaged."
Notes: Re-read the ship manifesto, and my brain latched onto the "mangagement present" comment. I had to do this after that. So here's the story before I go to work!
Disclaimer: The entire Ben 10 universe belongs to Man of Action.
Unlike when he'd had to drive his mother's car while learning, Ben could easily relax in the DX Mark 10's driver's seat. He liked the overall feel of it to be honest. Everything was exactly where he wanted it to be, the cup holders were perfect for the biggest Mr. Smoothy cups, and it had plenty of amazing alien tech features that made his alien-fighting life easier.
Then again, it wasn't any surprise that the car was just about perfect in Ben's eyes. It had been built specifically for him by Kevin. And while he'd never baby the Mark 10 like Kevin did his "ride", Ben did take rather good care of it...though Kevin swore he abused it.
At the moment, however, he felt uncomfortable due to the dead silence inside the Mark 10. He had to swallow to keep from commanding the car to turn on the radio.
Gwen was mad at Kevin. (Typical.) Kevin was mad at him. (Though what he'd done this time escaped him.) And the Osmosian--Waeso--riding shotgun was clearly trying to think up some sort of small talk.
"This is quite a unique vehicle," Waeso said in that polite, refined tone of his.
"Should be. I made it," Kevin grouched from the backseat. A glance in the rearview mirror showed him glaring daggers at the back of Waeso's head.
"You made it?" Waeso half-turned in his seat to look back at Kevin, surprise all over his face.
"Yeah."
Waeso fell quiet for a moment...and why was he suddenly slumping? "And you gifted this to Ben Tennyson?"
Ben sighed a little. After the wake-up call with Overlord, he was really getting sick of the way people referred to him by his full name. It was getting more and more annoying with each passing day.
"Yeah, he did," Ben said, turning off on a side road.
Waeso slumped a little more. "I apologize."
"What for?" That was random.
"I didn't realize you were engaged."
Ben's foot hit the brakes in record time, the tires squealing and smoking in protest as their speed dropped from sixty to zero in less than ten seconds. Ben twisted to gape at his passenger.
"You what?"
Kevin looked equally shocked before he growled and grabbed Waeso around the neck from behind. "What was that?!"
Gwen stared for a moment before asking with a glacial calm that--for some reason--made Kevin squirm, "Waeso, what do you mean by that?"
Waeso struggled in Kevin's grip. "If your burly companion would release me please...!"
Kevin let go at a glare from Gwen, crossing his arms and glaring at the other Osmosian. "Talk."
Waeso rubbed at his neck before looking at the still-shocked Ben. "You were unaware of the implications of this gift?"
"Uh...no. It's a late birthday present," Ben said, his voice squeaking a little.
Waeso blinked before looking back at Kevin. "You didn't tell him?"
"Yeah, I did! It's a late birthday present!" the half-Osmosian snarled. His hand clenched into a fist.
Gwen put a hand to Kevin's chest, losing that calm and eyes starting to show understanding...and amusement. "Kevin's father died when he was young. And his mother was human."
Waeso's face was instantly horrified. "I meant no offense! Please forgive me!"
"I'll forgive you when you spit it out!" Kevin snapped.
"It's a tradition among our people--Osmosians--to handcraft items as an offer of engagement as opposed to using our powers to absorb then manipulate forms into what we desire. It's a sign of absolute devotion due to the time and thought of the gift." Waeso squirmed in embarrassment. "I assumed you knew, Kevin."
Ben threw the car into park, whirling just in time to help Gwen keep Kevin from strangling their guest.
-----------x----------
"Hey, Mom?"
"Yes, honey?"
Kevin fiddled with the glass he was drying. "I, uh, was wondering something."
"Go ahead."
"Did Dad give you anything when he asked you to marry him?"
The woman looked at her son before smiling. "As a matter of fact, he did. My parents thought he was odd since he didn't give me a ring."
"So, um, what was it?"
"My bike. I wanted to get more exercise when I had to go shopping, so your father made it for me. I love it since it's just the right size and can carry so much. You know how many groceries I have to buy. It's probably one of the best presents I've ever gotten, and--Kevin, what's wrong?!"
It took her several minutes to get her son to stop beating his head against the cabinets.
Characters: Ben, Gwen, Kevin, random Osmosian
Warnings: Car abuse.
Summary: "I apologize. I didn't realize you were engaged."
Notes: Re-read the ship manifesto, and my brain latched onto the "mangagement present" comment. I had to do this after that. So here's the story before I go to work!
Disclaimer: The entire Ben 10 universe belongs to Man of Action.
Unlike when he'd had to drive his mother's car while learning, Ben could easily relax in the DX Mark 10's driver's seat. He liked the overall feel of it to be honest. Everything was exactly where he wanted it to be, the cup holders were perfect for the biggest Mr. Smoothy cups, and it had plenty of amazing alien tech features that made his alien-fighting life easier.
Then again, it wasn't any surprise that the car was just about perfect in Ben's eyes. It had been built specifically for him by Kevin. And while he'd never baby the Mark 10 like Kevin did his "ride", Ben did take rather good care of it...though Kevin swore he abused it.
At the moment, however, he felt uncomfortable due to the dead silence inside the Mark 10. He had to swallow to keep from commanding the car to turn on the radio.
Gwen was mad at Kevin. (Typical.) Kevin was mad at him. (Though what he'd done this time escaped him.) And the Osmosian--Waeso--riding shotgun was clearly trying to think up some sort of small talk.
"This is quite a unique vehicle," Waeso said in that polite, refined tone of his.
"Should be. I made it," Kevin grouched from the backseat. A glance in the rearview mirror showed him glaring daggers at the back of Waeso's head.
"You made it?" Waeso half-turned in his seat to look back at Kevin, surprise all over his face.
"Yeah."
Waeso fell quiet for a moment...and why was he suddenly slumping? "And you gifted this to Ben Tennyson?"
Ben sighed a little. After the wake-up call with Overlord, he was really getting sick of the way people referred to him by his full name. It was getting more and more annoying with each passing day.
"Yeah, he did," Ben said, turning off on a side road.
Waeso slumped a little more. "I apologize."
"What for?" That was random.
"I didn't realize you were engaged."
Ben's foot hit the brakes in record time, the tires squealing and smoking in protest as their speed dropped from sixty to zero in less than ten seconds. Ben twisted to gape at his passenger.
"You what?"
Kevin looked equally shocked before he growled and grabbed Waeso around the neck from behind. "What was that?!"
Gwen stared for a moment before asking with a glacial calm that--for some reason--made Kevin squirm, "Waeso, what do you mean by that?"
Waeso struggled in Kevin's grip. "If your burly companion would release me please...!"
Kevin let go at a glare from Gwen, crossing his arms and glaring at the other Osmosian. "Talk."
Waeso rubbed at his neck before looking at the still-shocked Ben. "You were unaware of the implications of this gift?"
"Uh...no. It's a late birthday present," Ben said, his voice squeaking a little.
Waeso blinked before looking back at Kevin. "You didn't tell him?"
"Yeah, I did! It's a late birthday present!" the half-Osmosian snarled. His hand clenched into a fist.
Gwen put a hand to Kevin's chest, losing that calm and eyes starting to show understanding...and amusement. "Kevin's father died when he was young. And his mother was human."
Waeso's face was instantly horrified. "I meant no offense! Please forgive me!"
"I'll forgive you when you spit it out!" Kevin snapped.
"It's a tradition among our people--Osmosians--to handcraft items as an offer of engagement as opposed to using our powers to absorb then manipulate forms into what we desire. It's a sign of absolute devotion due to the time and thought of the gift." Waeso squirmed in embarrassment. "I assumed you knew, Kevin."
Ben threw the car into park, whirling just in time to help Gwen keep Kevin from strangling their guest.
-----------x----------
"Hey, Mom?"
"Yes, honey?"
Kevin fiddled with the glass he was drying. "I, uh, was wondering something."
"Go ahead."
"Did Dad give you anything when he asked you to marry him?"
The woman looked at her son before smiling. "As a matter of fact, he did. My parents thought he was odd since he didn't give me a ring."
"So, um, what was it?"
"My bike. I wanted to get more exercise when I had to go shopping, so your father made it for me. I love it since it's just the right size and can carry so much. You know how many groceries I have to buy. It's probably one of the best presents I've ever gotten, and--Kevin, what's wrong?!"
It took her several minutes to get her son to stop beating his head against the cabinets.