[86] Modern Problems

Chapter 86: Modern Problems

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She pulled back slightly to look at him. "Am I? Because it sounds like you've been collecting quite the fan club lately."

To her surprise, Ben didn't look embarrassed or offended that she’d asked something like that. If anything, he looked guilty.

"I should have been more upfront with you," he said, running a hand through his hair. "About... everything. This isn't me confessing because I got caught, Jess. I've been thinking about this conversation for weeks. You deserve to know who I really am, not just the parts I think you want to see. I could have kept quiet, kept things simple, but that's not fair to you. And honestly, it's not fair to me either."

Jessica felt her heart sink. Here it came – the gentle letdown, the 'it's not you, it's me' speech. She might not have experience with romance, but she wasn't clueless. He'd just gloss over this and maybe even start avoiding her after this. She braced herself.

Instead, Ben looked around at the families strolling by, the kids chasing each other, and the elderly couple now pointedly watching them from a nearby bench.

"We should probably talk somewhere more private. This isn't exactly a park conversation."

Jessica nodded, relief flickering across her face. Even a few seconds of time relieved her. She wasn't ready to hear those words from him. "Agreed. My place or some hotel?"

"How about somewhere with a view?" Ben suggested, a small smile playing on his lips. He tapped the Omnitrix. "I think Stinkfly could get us there faster than a cab."

"Stinkfly? That's the disgusting bug one, right? You said it smells bad." Jessica wrinkled her nose. "Hard pass."

Ben laughed. "What, you don't like being carried by a giant insect with four eyes and slime glands?"

"Or," Jessica cut him off, a wicked glint in her eye, "we could skip the light show and do it my way."

Before Ben could fully process her words, she looped an arm securely around his waist, pulling him against her side. A startled grunt escaped him, not a yelp of fear, but the sound of surprise quickly followed by a low chuckle as she launched them into the air.

"You know I could have transformed, right?" he called out over the rush of wind, his voice laced with amusement as he instinctively wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Could've saved you the effort."

"Where's the fun in that?" she shot back, banking sharply between two skyscrapers. "Besides, my way has a better view."

His laugh was carried away by the wind.

The city blurred beneath them, a show of lights and shadows. She didn’t know that from his spot, he felt the solid strength in her grip, saw the fierce concentration on her face, and felt a surge of admiration. This was the Jessica Jones he knew. Powerful, decisive, and completely in control. So in his heart, he hoped she’d take this talk well.

She landed them gracefully on the flat roof of an old Art Deco building, the landing barely making a sound. He found his footing instantly, not a hint of dizziness.

The city spread out before them, bathed in the golden light of late afternoon, the Hudson River a ribbon of fire in the distance.

"Showing off your new flight, huh?" he said, and in response, there was only an odd smile tugging at her lips. He walked to the edge of the roof, leaning against the low wall. "Nice choice, though. I've always liked this view."

She agreed. "Same. Figured we could use some perspective for this conversation."

The city spread out before them, bathed in the golden light of late afternoon, the Hudson River a ribbon of fire in the distance.

“Yeah.”

That’s quite a short reply. He must be processing what to say. Jessica took a deep breath of the city air, feeling strangely calm despite what she knew was coming. "Alright, Tennyson. Let's hear it."

He remained quiet for a moment longer. His eyes grew serious as he said, "I like you, Jessica. A lot.”

“....” That was night to hear, but she heard a ‘but’ coming.

“More than I probably should, given everything. But I'm not…" He paused, searching for words. "I'm not built for conventional relationships. That sounds crazy, I know. But it is what it is."

He added, "Look, I've tried to figure this out since the watch came into my life. It's not normal, after all. But maybe it's because I've literally been multiple beings… multiple forms… experienced the world through so many different eyes. Or maybe I was always like this, a hateful man who could never be satisfied with a single girl, and the Omnitrix just made it impossible to ignore. But it's just how I am."

"...So what does that mean?" she asked, hating how small her voice sounded.

"It means that my feelings for you are real. Intense. But they don't... they don't negate what I might feel for someone else." He met her eyes, unflinching.

“I see.”

"I didn't want to lie to you about this. But I've delayed this conversation for so long because… you know…”

He meant that, if the talk didn't go well, they'd probably stop talking. Forever.

Jessica's heart hammered. No. Not him too. She didn't know how she'd deal with Ben leaving her too. Just like her parents, dying to leave her alone in this damned world.

She absorbed this, turning it over in her mind. Part of her wanted to be angry, to walk away from the complication. But poor Jessica, how could she be angry at Ben? He'd run to save her when she thought everything was going to end.

So her larger part, the part that had seen the world's strangeness firsthand, understood that he wasn't lying. He did like her, indeed.

"So you're non-monogamous," she said slowly. "That care for multiple people at once. What a surprise from Ben Tennyson, capable of transforming into ten different forms.”

Ben smiled at her joke, a hint of relief in his eyes that she understood enough to be joking. "Jessica. I don't expect you to be okay with that. I wouldn't blame you if you walked away right now. That's… well, it's not what I'd prefer, but I'm ready to accept it.”

"And if I don't?" The question surprised even her. She knew she wasn't like normal girls, having lost her parents, becoming an orphan, and when she got adopted, her new mother turned out to be a bitch. Her desire to be loved was different. So maybe that was why she was already saying something so crazy?

"...Then we figure it out. Day by day." He took her hand again. "I care about you, Jess. That's not going to change because of anything else that happens. Even if you do leave. If you're ever in trouble. Click that SOS. I'll be here before you know it.”

Jessica felt something settle in her chest – not acceptance, no, that was difficult to do when she loved him so much. But she did understand. Ben wasn't a bad man. She knew that. But at the same time, maybe Ben Tennyson wasn't a good boyfriend. Not a conventional one, anyway.

She'd always known Ben was different. From the moment he'd shown her his transformations, from the moment he'd risked everything to save her from Killgrave, murdering him instantly

She'd known he operated on a different level than most people. Maybe it was the effect of having multiple forms, as he just said? That could be it. So why should his heart be any different?

"I... You know, I don't mind," she said finally, looking up at his eyes. "I mean, I do, but I don't. If that makes any sense."

Jessica surprised herself with the admission.

It might make her look weak, but she knew he wouldn't judge her. But this wasn't her rolling over or settling. It was her acknowledging a simple truth. That her life had long ago left "normal" in the rearview mirror.

She'd survived abandonment, abuse, Kilgrave's control, and countless battles. Conventional expectations? Those were for people who hadn't seen what she'd seen, hadn't lived what she'd lived. And the man standing before her, for all his faults, had run through hell to save her when no one else could. If the price of keeping him in her life was accepting his complicated heart, maybe that was a deal worth making.

Plus…

There was always the chance she'd seduce him just enough to make him forget about the others, so that she can run away with him and build a family in some distant third world country.

He didn't need to know that yet.

He smiled. "It makes sense. I'm glad you're so easy to talk to."

"Now that just makes you sound like you were manipulating me,” she scoffed but a smile formed on her lips. “But listen, I can't promise I won't get jealous," she warned. "I'm only human, after all."

"Only human?" Ben asked, adoration in his eyes. "Jessica Jones, you're strong. I hang out with people who can bench-press buildings and yet you stand out among them.”

The compliment warmed her more than it should have. She leaned forward, giving into his arms as he held her waist. She rested her forehead against his chest. "I thought I was a weirdo. Turns out you're more "

"We’re both weird, yeah…”

"Yes, I guess," she added with a wry smile. “Normal is overrated. I've never been good at following the rules anyway." She reached up to touch his face, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw. "But I'm setting some ground rules. No lying. No hiding things. And when you're with me, you're with me. Deal?"

“I want to make a silly joke, but you might throw me off the building.” Ben caught her hand, kissing her palm. "Deal."

Jessica laughed loudly despite how fucked this situation was.

Or was it?

Maybe it wasn't a weird situation. Given the whole world was weird, why did she have to follow “modern rules?” Fuck that. She'd not let her man go just because the normal rules said so.

Because this bastard had already become one of the most important people in her life. The universe had a strange sense of humor.

"So," Ben said, his tone lightening, "about this Black Cat..."

"No. Later," Jessica decided, pulling him closer. "Right now, I think we should give that old man something else to complain about."

Ben's smile was everything she needed in that moment, warm and real and focused entirely on her. As their lips met again, Jessica felt the last of her doubts fade.

She loved him, she wanted him, so she was going to have him. Simple problems, simple solutions.

****

Jessica felt the city hum beneath her, alive with distant horns and the faint roar of traffic, but up here on the highest rooftop, it all faded to a dull pulse.

Ben's smile lit something fierce inside her, that cocky grin pulling her in like gravity. She didn't wait. She grabbed his collar and yanked him close, crashing her mouth against his.

His lips met hers with equal hunger, no hesitation, just raw need. She tasted coffee on his tongue, bitter and sharp, as it tangled with hers in a messy duel. Her hands roved up his back, nails digging into fabric, pulling him flush against her body. He growled low in his throat, the sound vibrating through her chest, and it sent heat pooling between her legs.

"Jess," he murmured against her mouth, voice rough as gravel. One hand cupped her jaw, tilting her head to deepen the kiss, while the other slid down her side, gripping her hip hard enough to bruise. She didn't mind and welcomed it, actually. Pushed back, nipping his bottom lip until he hissed.

"Shut up and just kiss me," she shot back, words muffled as she claimed his mouth again. Their tongues battled, slick and urgent, breaths mingling in hot gasps.

She felt his heart hammering against her chest, matching her own frantic rhythm. His free hand tangled in her hair, yanking just enough to sting, exposing her neck. He dove in, teeth grazing her pulse point, sucking hard. This bastard couldn’t be satisfied with one woman, now look at him acting so hungry for her. It made her wet. It turned her on.

A moan escaped her, unbidden and needy. The sting shot straight to her core, making her thighs clench. She arched into him, grinding against the growing hardness pressing into her stomach. "Harder," she demanded, voice breathy. He obliged, biting down, marking her skin as his hands roamed lower, squeezing her ass through her jeans.

The world narrowed to sensation, his mouth on her neck, hot and insistent. His fingers digging into her flesh, the rough scrape of stubble against her skin.

She shoved him back against the low wall, hands fumbling with his shirt buttons. Fabric tore as she ripped it open, exposing toned muscle that flexed under her touch. She raked her nails down his chest, leaving red trails, and he groaned, eyes darkening with lust.

"Fuck, Jess," he rasped, spinning them so her back hit the wall. He pinned her wrists above her head with one hand, the other diving under her shirt, shoving her bra aside to palm her breast. His thumb circled her nipple, pinching until she gasped, pleasure spiking sharp and electric.

She broke free, shoving him down onto the sun-warmed concrete. Straddling his hips, she ground against him, feeling his cock strain through denim. "You like that?" she taunted, rolling her hips slow and deliberate. He bucked up, meeting her rhythm, hands gripping her thighs hard enough to leave fingerprints.

"Don’t you know the answer already?" he growled, sitting up to capture her mouth again. The kiss turned feral. Teeth clashing, lips bruising. She bit his shoulder, tasting salt and skin, while he yanked her shirt over her head, tossing it aside. Cool air hit her bare skin, but his hands were fire, roaming everywhere, possessive and rough.

He flipped them suddenly, pinning her beneath him. Jeans came off in a frenzy of zippers and tugs, discarded like afterthoughts. His mouth trailed fire down her body, nipping her collarbone, sucking her breasts until she arched off the ground, then lower, teasing her inner thighs with scrapes of teeth.

"Ben," she panted, fingers twisting in his hair. "I’m ready..."

He rose over her, eyes locked on hers, dark with want. She felt him at her entrance, thick and insistent, pressing just enough to tease. Then, with a single, powerful thrust, he buried himself inside her.

Her world exploded, with pleasure so intense her vision blurred, eyes rolling back as he filled her completely, stretching her in the best way. She cried out, nails scoring his back, lost in the overwhelming rush as everything else faded to black.

Yeah, no.

She couldn’t give up on that Tennyson cock.

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