The Book of Lost Things
He acted as if a date of his had excused herself to the facilities, leaving him, as dates do, with nothing to occupy his time but smoke and appear bored, preferably attractively bored. His eyes stormed with thought, a peculiar gleam losing itself in the glaze as conclusions tangled within his mind. Most likely consisting of complications, Gwen surmised, noting the taut knit of his brows. Tech deals, mixed feelings, or pleasures. Exactly the things that keep a person busy, alive… She decided, however, that the clear danger that had presented itself in the form of a five-subject exam prioritized over whatever his other troubles might have been.
Considering the circumstances of his edified life, he was astounded with Gwen's suggestion of a G.E.D. That following night, she had lent him a selection of her private books. Pages had been carefully marked with scrap paper, annotations considerately scrawled within crisp margins. The faintest hint of coffee greeted him, an ugly stain invading the corner of numerous pages, providing evidence of the scent. She must have been up all night…
Brushing his fingers along the glossy, thick binding of the textbooks, he closed his eyes to savor the touch and allow those foreign words to roll off his tongue. "Thank you, Gwen."
"They may be slightly outdated, but the information—"
"No."
Gwen's lips sealed like an envelope, as if his sudden flare had the tongue of confinement.
"I didn't mean it like that…" His gaze devoured her presence, like taking a moment in a museum on fire to appreciate a captivating portrait, "Thanks for believing, for all of this." He took a bookmark between his fingers, awed that she had taken such careful time for him. This wasn't just about intellectual development in his eyes. To her, in all sincerity, he wondered what his value was.
Trained on her, his eyes still swam with slight swirls of lifting fog. Hunger gushed there, desire captivating her gaze. Not of lust, but a peculiar gleam pertaining to that of a neglected orphan's pleading eyes. Abandonment, a crave for acknowledgment.
"Kevin…" His name lingered on her pursed lips.
Then, it happened; an occurrence that happens invisibly. Her quizzical visage morphed into that of understanding. The haze over his vision sharpened.
"You're worth everything, Kevin. Absolutely everything…" Shivering, she closed her eyes as familiar fingers cupped her cheek. "Don't you dare doubt yourself. You're going to pass the exam."
"Because I've missed out on about six years of school?"
The warmth that came with his words felt delightfully odd against her pricked skin. "No," she opened her eyes, only to drown in the depths of his. He was dangerously close… His vulnerable stare set off visceral thrills she couldn't tame… "Because I purely believe in you, and you want this. You're the most goddamn stubborn man I have ever met."
You could call it caring. You could even call it love.
A/N: Set after "It's Not Easy Being Gwen." I haven't really been following the show, so I'm not entirely sure if the whole G.E.D. thing with Kevin had been picked up, yet. Anyways, I think I'll start to post more fanfics. Feedback is welcome.