A/N: Happy Veteran's Day. Thank you to all the troops around the world who care about us enough to risk their lives every day to keep their countries safe. They've earned our love and respect through all they've done for us.
This piece is dedicated to soldiers everywhere who are willing to fight for the people they love and for those they don't even know.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Black Beads
Cold winds whipped through his raven-colored hair as he watched the gravestone with a grave face. The air's icy sting brought tears to his eyes. It was because of the cold, of course it was. It was just the wind. It had to be the wind.
His shirt wasn't enough to keep away the cold. It was near winter and he still hadn't donned a heavier jacket. The wicked winds pricked through the fabric and stabbed with needle-pricks at his pale skin.
A girl with fiery hair appeared at his side. She took his hands and intertwined their fingers. Her eyes were glassy and tired. After hours of searching, she was glad she'd finally managed to track him down after a few hours worth of searching. "Are you alright?" she questioned, words getting stolen quickly by a rushing breeze that blew a few strands of crimson into her face and across her emerald eyes.
He was silent for a long moment, fingers twined around the chain of black beads in his pocket. He rolled them through his fingers, across his palm, through each other, getting the strand tangled up over and over again. "Fine." He had to put on a brave face. It was what he did every day. And if she ever, ever saw him cry, she would never respect him the same. He had to be brave.
It was every day that he had to put on a brave face. From his childhood. His father would walk out the door and tell his son he'd be home that night. Sometimes he didn't come home. It was those nights that would've killed Kevin had he not received the call that Devin was working over time. The boy was lucky he always got that call. He knew his father put his life on the line every day out in the field, watching out for the people he had sworn to protect.
The teenage years were hard just the same. Kevin would deal with the daily torture of knowing that sun, the sun that his father had risked his life for, would always shine. The sun killed his father. He would forever hate the sun.
Yet he'd saved it himself. Because he was saving humanity as he knew it. Humanity, the only thing that was keeping Gwen with him. It was the only thing that kept him sane. His humanity.
"Are you sure?" She squeezed his hand gently, feeling tears burning her own eyes. She knew where he was but seeing the place brought a rush of terrible emotions. Hurt. Concern. Fear. Loneliness. She could only expect that those were the things that carried him through a single day. Every thought of the man buried beneath their feet would be filled with this pain. She hated this feeling, this agonizing pain.
No, they weren't tears. It was the wind. It had to be the wind. "Yeah." His voice was shaky still. He hated himself for it. "I'm fine." He retracted the black beads from his pocket and held them tight in his calloused hand, feeling the smooth wood against his cold, dry hands. Kevin had to swallow hard and remember to be brave. Fear was no longer his friend.
Gwen's jade orbs read over the name a few more times, gaze never leaving the gravestone. Devin Levin. She couldn't believe all that this man had given her. He'd given her the sun and her own life. He'd given her Kevin. He'd given her a life, given her hope, given her more than she could've ever dreamed of. She only wished there was a way for her to show her gratitude. She owed him so much…
His hand pulled away from hers, and Kevin crouched down at the grave, a faint, sad smile on his thin lips. It was the wind, he would swear by it. "I miss you, Dad." His other hand rose to his lips and he kissed the black beads and the wooden cross attached. And he dropped the dark rosary on his father's grave.
These were tears that stung her eyes and dripped down her porcelain cheeks. True tears. An ache lingered in her chest as she watched her boyfriend rise back to his feet, never looking at her, just taking deep breaths, trying to keep his cool. She could see right through the façade although she would never confess to knowing of his weaknesses.
Now his fingers twined with hers, clinging on tight. He knew he was shaking; he just needed someone to hold onto. Gwen was there. She was willing to carry his burden. "Come on." Kevin knew when to pull himself away. He'd spent a few hours there, thanking his father, sending silent prayers up to the good Lord, and telling his dad all about everything he was missing. He still wouldn't stop wishing that his father was alive, but in his sacrifice, Kevin had gained the life he never would've dreamed he could ever have.
She was holding onto him just as tight, knowing he needed her. She didn't look back when they turned to leave. She didn't speak when she heard him unleash a nearly silent sob. She didn't comment when he handed her the keys to the car. She didn't mind when he rested his head on her shoulder as she drove him home. She was the loyal girl who would take care of him all the way until he died. She was willing to go that extra mile. They were both fighting their own battles.
Gwen continued to drive, the silence within the car only being penetrated by Kevin's quiet crying. He held onto her tightly, his fingers over hers on the wheel, knuckles white. He only needed to hold on. He just needed someone to hold onto.
His father died a savior. His father saved the world. His father did more than most men would do in their entire lives. Kevin only wished he could live up to something as great as that.
He just held on.
A/N: Thank you to the men and women who fight to keep us safe. This is for you. We're always thinking about you and want everyone to come home safe and sound.
~Sky