I was stirred awake by an insistent shaking, and through the fog of sleep, I saw Gwen standing over me, calling my name.
"Wake up, Ben! Wake up!"
I startled awake, suddenly alert. Had someone found us and come to take us out? Then I saw the confusion on Gwen's face and realized I might be overthinking.
"What happened?" I asked tentatively.
Gwen blinked, then said, "Nothing, Ben. You weren't waking up and it was already afternoon. I thought something was wrong, but... thank God."
It took me a moment to realize that the stress of the past couple of weeks, combined with the entire transmigration ordeal, must have been weighing on me. But after Gwen agreed to my proposal and decided to stay in this world with me, all those worries seemed to vanish.
I must have had the mother of all sleeps, I thought, amused.
A soft smile surfaced on my face as I looked at Gwen again. She was wearing black shorts that fit snugly against her thick thighs, accentuating her shape. She wore a tight sports bra that strained to hold her sizable bust.
Blood rushed to my head, but I calmed myself and got out from under the sheets.
"Judging by your look, you don't seem to have woken up much earlier," I said.
Gwen smiled pleasantly. "How perceptive of you. You're right. I woke up only an hour ago."
"Did you have breakfast yet?"
"Ben, it's noon. You know we don't call it breakfast, we call it lunch."
"Yeah, yeah," I waved dismissively. "So, did you?"
"No." Gwen shook her head. "That's another reason I woke you up. Let's eat together."
I excused myself for a quick trip to the bathroom, then we both gathered at the dining table.
I sipped my juice absently, finding it bland. I wondered if I should try carrot or cucumber flavor next time.
"So, Ben," Gwen said, nudging me, "have you thought about what we want to do here exactly?"
The question stopped me dead in my tracks, though I swallowed the remaining juice in my mouth. What did I want? What did we want?
If it were the old Ben, no doubt it would be about saving the world and being a hero. But me? Nah. Ben had done enough for both of us already.
"We could enjoy ourselves," I offered.
Gwen arched her brows, surprised.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "I mean, I thought you would say something like, 'This world needs our help, Gwen. So let's help them.' I was already half in agreement without you even bringing it up."
I paused, stunned. There was nothing surprising about Gwen guessing "my" thoughts, but her ready admission to a self-sacrificial choice caught me off guard. I didn't hate the heroism to balk at the idea, but I understood life. Mine hadn't been easy in my past life, but here? Here I could make a difference. With the Omnitrix, I could live the life I had always wanted.
For a moment, I let her words settle in my mind, then spoke.
"I'll be honest with you, Gwen. The truth is, when you cast that spell and we ended up here, I lost part of my memories," I said. Technically true. "That's part of the reason I asked if we should stay behind."
I expected Gwen to scold me, but instead she went silent. She stared at me, mouth slightly open, her expression readable yet incomprehensible.
"What?!" she finally exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me before? Oh Ben, we could have fixed it earlier. Why didn't you?"
I was overwhelmed by her concern, especially since the fault wasn't exactly hers. Well, not entirely.
"Gwen, it's alright," I said, rubbing her arm gently. "I don't mind losing some non-essential memories. I'm just glad to be with you."
Gwen pursed her lips, though her eyes carried her feelings clearly.
"The reason I want us to stay in this world, Gwen, is because we've given enough. For over a decade, we fought for the world, the universe, everything. Don't we deserve to rest? To live a little? To be ourselves, instead of heroes carrying the weight of everything on our shoulders?"
"But your memories—"
"Shh," I said, putting a finger to her lips. "This isn't about me, Gwen. I already told you, I don't care about losing a small part of my memories if it means being here with you. We can always return home, but this, Gwen, this is our chance to live for ourselves."
Gwen blinked.
"For us, Gwen," I whispered softly, so close I could feel the heat of her lips. Just a little more and we might have kissed. But I pulled back and let my words settle.
I caught a faint blush on her face and returned to eating.
The Marvel Universe was something I understood, at least in essence. Good old-fashioned hero versus villain. I didn't mind being a hero here, but I didn't want Gwen to think I was still the same old Ben.
Though we were in our early twenties, Gwen knew me well, and my nature hadn't changed much over the past decade. I wanted to set a precedent this time, to avoid any misconceptions or misunderstandings.
After we finished eating, Gwen gathered the dishes and carried them to the sink. I sat back, watching her tight butt in the shorts. How wonderful it would be to sink my hands into those cheeks.
Smiling to myself, I picked up the remaining dishes and joined her at the sink. As I placed them down, my hip brushed against hers. Gwen didn't seem to mind, and I stepped away shortly after.
We had both finished growing. I was taller, more muscular, and more handsome now. Gwen had developed a toned physique of her own, with defined abs and a sculpted figure. Her most striking features were her big breasts and bubble butt, which drew my eyes despite my best efforts.
I let my imagination wander for a moment, picturing her in a costume like the heroines of this world. The word PAWG kept coming to mind.
Letting her continue with the chores, I finally turned my attention to the most powerful weapon in the universe strapped to my wrist.