It's only a glance here and there, only a few seconds, because he's sick of staring at dead faces and she has more life than anyone he knows. It doesn't mean anything; he's just looking for a distraction.
It's only the occasional touch that becomes too common. The hand on her back, the assistance to step down or stand up, because he'd never let her fall. It doesn't mean anything; he just likes to help.
He blocks it out when Jells kisses her. Turns away, because he doesn't want to pry. It doesn't mean anything; he's just resting his eyes.
It's only a few beers after a closed case, loud music and bright lights. The sidelong glances and flushed cheeks aren't why he brought her here. He just wanted someone to drink with, because they saved the world tonight and deserved more than dark apartments. It doesn't mean anything; he just didn't want to be alone.
"It's only a key", he tells her. Just in case of emergencies, just in case she ever needs it, because with their jobs you never knew. It wasn't a request or a promise or anything like that, it was just a flimsy piece of steel. It didn't mean anything; he was just being responsible.
He brings her coffee in the morning, something warm for her to hold because he knows her bed is empty. When Kevin asks he tells him that it's only coffee. It doesn't mean anything; he's just being a friend.
It's only instinct, that makes him beat Jells up, maybe even testosterone. Because a man like that had no right to cheat on Beckett. So when he goes to work with scabbed knuckles he tells them it was just a fight. He tells himself it didn't mean anything; he just had her back.
It takes him a while, but Kevin eventually realizes that, despite his partners denial, it's not "just" anything, but it is only a matter of time.
