A/N: I KNOW, I have been bad at the FF lately, mainly because I have a g'd thesis that perpetually kicks my ass. But I'm working (SLOWLY) on updating my stories; currently on deck is a new chapter of All I Want Is You. But enough about that-I wrote this b/c I needed to write SOMETHING, and because the Drew/Kelly storyline is one of the few things on SmackDown that I'm actually interested in right now. This is my first time writing either Drew McIntyre or K-Squared, so hopefully y'all won't slam me too bad. Anyways, enjoy! PEACE!


Never Hurt You

"The truth is you're the weak, and I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin'...I'm tryin' real hard to be the shepherd." -Pulp Fiction

"Save me now/I need you to save me now/'Cause I'm breaking down..."-TRUSTcompany

Kelly Kelly crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself as she strode down the narrow hallway. The blond Diva's countenance was pensive, her pale blue eyes fixed blankly on an unseen point in space. Most people would have mistaken her expression for one of utter cluelessness; only her closest friends would have recognized that she was in fact deep in thought, her mind trapped on the endless circular track of an idea.

More than that...an idea that was troubling her.

I'm just a kid from a faraway land...looking to get to know you better...

The former exhibitionist paused, blowing air through her full lips in a soft sigh. She had long ago accepted her place within the WWE hierarchy; had grown used to the fact that she would always be the bright and bubbly Diva that everyone loved, but no one respected. To the men on the roster, she was simple and sweet; the kind of adorable naivete that you either want to protect...or take advantage of.

Men...like Drew McIntyre.

C'mon, Drew, I'm not naive...

Kelly wasn't naive; she knew exactly what type of guy she attracted; had the emotional scars etched across her heart to prove it. Mike...Miz...Randy-they had all been the same: cold, arrogant, manipulative. She had opened herself up to them-and in return, they had hurt her, used her...and deserted her.

It was because of them that the blond Diva now had caution stretched across her bruised and fragile soul like a callus; because of them that she recoiled from romantic relationships and why she always left alone. Caring for someone was dangerous-even with the nicest of guys, there was always a chance that he would break your heart.

And Drew...was far from being a nice guy.

I know what you are...and I've seen what you do in the ring...

Cold, arrogant, manipulative...the Chosen One was all of these things. Like when he had used his good standing with Vince McMahon to steal the Intercontinental Championship and suspend Matt Hardy. Or a few weeks ago, when he had attacked Trent Baretta backstage, furious over his upset loss to the former tag team wrestler...

I'm just the man that gets things done...It's the way I'm built.

If she had any common sense, she would stay as far away from Drew McIntyre as she possibly could. Drew wouldn't change; she could tell just by looking at him that he was the sort of man who couldn't change-

And yet...why was there still some part of her that wanted to give him a chance?

Why had he rescued her from an attack by LayCool a while back, when not even Beth or Kaitlyn had run out to her aid? And why, even at his most enraged, did she see something in his eyes that almost resembled sincerity when he told her that he was sorry?

Kelly lowered her gaze, peering off to the side as another snippet of conversation between her and the Scottish Superstar flickered back into her consciousness.

The accented lilt of Drew's voice...

There's one thing you should know about me...

Her own, playful and apprehensive at the same time...

And what's that?...

The probing intensity of his blue eyes as they bore into hers...

I would never hurt you...

Why did the Chosen One care? More importantly...why did she?

A wordless growl of anger floated around the corner up ahead, cutting across the former exhibitionist's thoughts and jarring her back to the present. Kelly immediately shrank to one side of the hall, wondering for an instant if she had stumbled into the midst of an argument. However, after a moment or two, the blond Diva quickly realized the muttered epithets emanating from around the corner were coming from a single person.

Not only that...but a person, a man, that she knew.

Kelly carefully sidled up to the corner, steeling herself momentarily before peeking around its edge. Nevertheless, the former exhibitionist still felt something inside her lurch uncertainly as her gaze fell onto the tall imposing figure of Drew McIntyre.

The Chosen One was obviously incensed, his handsome features twisted with fury, his muscular frame tense with unreleased aggression. He paced back and forth across the narrow breadth of the corridor, running his hands through his long brown hair as he snarled curses under his breath.

Part of Kelly wanted to run. She had seen this look on the Scottish Superstar's face before, and it usually ended with individuals being slammed headfirst into steel steps. But in spite of herself, the blond Diva remained where she was. Drew's rage was terrifying, but at the same time, there was something different about it this time, something she had never seen before. It was as though, instead of being mad at someone else...he was mad at himself.

The former exhibitionist wasn't even aware that she had stepped around the corner into the hallway until she saw Drew's head snap sharply to the side, his eyes fastening onto her. Instantly, both of them froze. The Chosen One sucked a breath sharply through his teeth, and from where she stood, Kelly could see the anger draining from his countenance.

For what felt like an eternity, no one spoke. Finally, the Scottish Superstar straightened up, finger-combing his brown locks back from his face. "Kelly..." His voice was low, but full of breathless composure, as though he was struggling with everything that he had to keep himself together. His eyes never left hers. "I didn't know...you were there."

To this, the blond Diva said nothing; only glanced to the side, biting her lip. She shifted uncomfortably, her mind scrambling for an appropriate response. Unconsciously, she took a step forward, closing the distance between her and Drew. "I saw...your match tonight." Instantly, she felt embarrassment wash over her, making her cheeks burn, and she wanted to kick herself for sounding so inane.

A bitter smile flashed across Drew's features, so quickly that Kelly wondered if she had imagined it. "I know. I saw you there at ringside." Their eyes met a second time, bringing with it another wave of silence. This time, the Scottish Superstar was the one to break it, his blue irises studying the textured surface of the wall as he averted his gaze. "I didn't hurt him."

His lilting Scottish burr was flat, almost petulant...and yet, there was a note of real raw emotion in it, something that hovered just between eagerness and desperation. Just hearing it, Kelly felt that strange lurching sensation in the pit of her stomach once again, and she took another step forward. "I know."

"I wanted to, you know," Drew's focus was still on the wall; it was as though, all of a sudden, he could no longer bear to look at her. Clenching his hand into a fist, he abruptly swung it toward the wall and Kelly flinched. But there was no force behind the Chosen One's blow, and his knuckles merely brushed harmlessly against the cinderblock surface. "But I didn't."

Kelly hesitantly took another step. Drew was still talking, but from the distraction that had crept into his tone, the blond Diva wasn't sure whether he was speaking to her to himself. "I'm tryin'. It's so hard, but I'm tryin'..." He paused, a hint of unsureness creeping into his voice. "...because...it's what you asked me to do."

Another step; now she was almost at his side. She was so close that she could have reached out and touched him, but the former exhibitionist made no move to do so. Instead, she only nodded. "I know..." she murmured again, wondering vaguely if this was what a broken record really sounded like.

"So what more do I have to do?" Faster than she could see, the Scottish Superstar whirled again, his blue eyes boring into hers. For a second, Kelly thought that he was going to reach out and shake her, but the Chosen One merely stared at her, his irises burning with pain and need. The look in his gaze was almost too much to bear, but it wasn't the want that scared her so much as the control-as though he was holding himself back; as though even she, the one person he had promised he would never hurt, still needed to be protected from him. The words were pouring out of Drew now, his accent even thicker than usual. "I know that I'm not a good guy, all right? I know I'm not. But I'm tryin', Kelly, I'm tryin' so hard. What more do I have to do?" It was almost an accusation this time. "What more do I have to do to convince you that I care?"

For a moment, their eyes held, the intensity in Drew's blue depths nearly scorching her to the core...and then the Chosen One fell silent, ducking his head and breaking eye contact.

Kelly couldn't speak at first; words were temporarily beyond her. For the first time, Drew's aggressive ferocity had collided head-on with his proposed feelings for her, resulting in an unleashed maelstrom of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her.

Maybe this was stupid; crazy, even. Maybe Drew was just playing her. Maybe he was just as bad as all the others, and once he had her heart, would rip it up and crush it beneath the sole of his wrestling boot. But in the next instant, the blond Diva didn't care because she was no longer thinking; she was reacting.

Closing the short gap between them, Kelly reached up and grabbed the back of Drew's neck, pulling him down into a kiss. The Chosen One immediately stiffened, but only for a moment before he pulled her to him, returning the kiss.

As their kissing intensified, as their bodies press closer together, the former exhibitionist heard the faint echo of their last conversation in her ears, the soft whisper of his single promise to her...

I would never hurt you...

And as Drew lifted her up into his arms, Kelly knew then that he would always mean it.