Drabble
He was curious, he knew, and he usually let himself get away with it. But this was a sensitive issue; he couldn't just try it and get rid of it when he didn't feel like it. Besides, he was only on this stupid long-term mission because he'd made a promise. If there was one thing he didn't do, it was break promises. Even along black market alien trades, he was honest about his intentions and never broke a deal unless it was already broken.
This was not a deal to be brokered or a promise of protection. This was Gwen Tennyson, the girl who was currently nipping at the bit to get him to date her. And he had no idea why she wanted him to. Of course he was attracted; she was a beautiful woman now. He hadn't thought she would be the one advancing the relationship.
Kevin was actually quite sure that she would find him repulsive, which was why he hadn't bothered hiding his neutrality towards her. "Other side." Ben was a brat sometimes still, but they could get along if they could find a safe subject or were working against a common enemy. Besides, Ben's school life, soccer, and girlfriend kept him away for a while when he didn't need a car ride. Kevin swore that kid needed to get a driver's license. And a car, there was no way he was driving his baby.
Gwen should've had a busy life too. She was a smart kid, had martial arts classes twice a week, and practiced her spells all the time. But somehow, there was always time to bug him. "Aren't you done with the rust-bucket yet?"
No, he was done with it, just felt like improving it. It was something to work on. His car was already perfect; the rust-bucket was something to do while the cousins were at school. "Are you just using it as an excuse to avoid asking me out?" No. Yes. Not really. He never intended on asking her out, where she came up with that idea was a mystery to him.
Didn't she know that a guy can oogle a girl all he wants and not ask her out? Seriously, didn't she notice any of the admirers that she must have? Speaking of – "Yea, we'd love to see your place." – that bastard. He knew enough of those guys from the punks his mother dated; plenty of his kind to spare, and so many of them he wanted to kill. At first he wasn't jealous, he could see that Gwen was trying to prove a point. Then he touched her.
That guy just had to touch her. Energy source, my ass. What happened to her powers? What did he do to her? She wouldn't have it. If she hadn't been so blind to him, she would've seen what Kevin saw too. Bastard screwed with her head. That made him angry and amazingly jealous that she'd cozied up to him so quick.
Then again, she'd hugged him – out of grief – the day of the transaction. Maybe she was… No, Gwendolyn Tennyson was not a whore; she was a strong woman who knew what she wanted.
"When are you going to ask me out?"
"Never."
It was true. She got furious and stormed off, but she probably figured that Kevin was being Kevin. He was, but not what she thought of as him. He wasn't "good" deep down, and he knew that. That's why he wouldn't date her; there's no way that the relationship would keep, and when it failed, it would end in anger and tears. Because he was sure he would make her cry, and he never wanted to see that.
"Ask me out." "No." "Please?" "No." "Why?" "I'll hurt you." "How do you know?"
"I hurt everyone." It was true. He hurt his father because of his powers – "Daddy!" – and he hurt his mother by hurting her husband, and he couldn't stay in school because he couldn't stop being a bad kid. It wasn't his fault; he was no good at being good. Gwen should know, she was reminded of it everyday.
He hurt Ben because he couldn't have a real friend like a normal kid. Freaks couldn't have friends. He hurt Gwen because she wasn't close to him, because he couldn't let her.
He hurt countless millions by dealing weapons, drugs, alien technology, and by dealing himself out as an assassin and simultaneous body guard. Because he was only good at being bad.
"Where'd your padlock go?" "What?" "The padlock you-" "I'm using it." "For what?"
"Nothing special." His heart. Because Freaks shouldn't have hearts, they'd get hurt. So he locked it up, threw away the key, and hoped he could live that way.
"Can I have the key?" "What?" "So that I can figure out-" "No." "C'mon, Kevin!"
"I threw it away already." She'd looked so confused…
"What did you throw away, Kevin?" She wasn't asking about the key, it was what the padlock was attached to. Whether or not he wanted her to, Gwen eventually made a connection. "I don't think you really threw it away."
"Then how would I have lost it?" After all, it's attached most of the time.
"You didn't." "I don't remember where I threw it." He was getting off topic on purpose, and she knew it. She also wouldn't let him get away with it. A small warm hand gripped the cloth over his physical, beating heart as if to prove a point. He looked down at her, disappointed. Surely, she didn't think that just because it felt like it was still in his chest that-
With a single tug to boost her up, her lips touched his. She kissed him, and there wasn't an instant that he didn't immediately kiss back. His arms around her hips; hers wrapped around his neck. When they needed air, they didn't contemplate moving away but kissed again. God, it felt like an eternity to him, she made it last forever.
Gwen's hands slipped lower, smoothly complimenting his muscled physique. Kevin's pulled her closer, groping at her ass and thigh. Between kisses, there was a pause just long enough for him to think. "You shouldn't have done that."
"Why not?"
"I won't be able to let you go…"
"What if I don't want you to?"
"I'm sorry." She kissed him again. And he apologized. Between every kiss, he apologized, and she ignored it. Somewhere in her mind, she must've known that he wouldn't stick around that long. It didn't matter. She got what she wanted anyway.
The day that Kevin left because he couldn't stand how much he loved her, he left her the padlock.
Gwen wore it around her neck until she would meet him again. But she still didn't plan on giving it back.