#2: Love

I had lots of fun doing this, and yes, it is Karen and Hal (: Love Hal. Hope Karen comes back, though something tells me I'm not going to get my wish :(

Their 'story' was a bit of cliché, they knew. Boy and Girl fall in love just as the world was ending. Two teenagers who had known nothing about each other before they came. Two teenagers who probably wouldn't have wanted to know about each other. He was a jock, someone she wouldn't have been able to stand if things were normal. She was a rebel, someone he probably wouldn't have noticed if things were normal.

In another time, they might have hated each other.

But things weren't normal the very first time they met. They were on the run. They were being attacked. High school labels seemed so… unimportant at that point.

That being said, it hadn't been 'love at first sight'. It started off as a mentor-student relationship.

"Teach me how to ride."

"Excuse me?"

"I want to be a scout." He had blurted. "I want to help."

She knew how to survive and he wanted to learn. She was trained and he needed training. It was as simple as that. Every night, she would teach him what she knew. It wasn't hard, he was a natural. In a week, he was just as capable as her, maybe better.

When their meetings didn't stop, they knew their relationship had grown. Now it was more of a subtle friendship, a companionship. It made sense. After all, they were the same age. It was only natural for them to have common interests. He talked, she listened. She talked, he listened. It was a simplistic relationship that both secretly needed, craved.

"Do you miss them?"

"What?"

"I miss my mom, and Ben." He swallowed. He wouldn't have ever been able to say that in front of his dad, and definitely not Matt. No, they needed him to be strong. But she, she didn't judge. She understood.

"I know. We'll get him back." He looked her in the eye and knew she meant it.

"Do you?" He trusted her. He wanted her to trust him.

"What?"

"Miss them?" He pressed. Talking about it helped. Even if he didn't do it often, he knew it did.

She sighed. "I guess." She looked in his eyes and knew he understood that yes she did, more than she could possibly say.

"I'm sorry." About everything.

"Me too."

That was the first time they kissed. Their friendship had turned into a relationship.

There was no doubt that they loved each other. No, both of them knew that. She could be jealous sometimes, but she knew that they had a connection that the other girls couldn't possibly have. He trusted her with his life. She trusted him with her life. Those kinds of bonds were hard to break.

At first, it was great, but it wasn't long until they realized that love came with other, more complicated things, like pain, worry, fright. Things they couldn't deal with at such an age.

When she was taken by the skitters, he had felt all those things. It had felt like part of him was missing. They had only met for a few months, but the connection they shared was more than anything he had felt in all of his seventeen years. He couldn't focus, he couldn't function. The only thing he could do was to bury her memories into the very back of his mind, in hopes that he could forget, just for that moment.

When they had gotten her back, there was joy, laughter, happy tears, but the emotions he had felt before didn't disappear. There was the constant worry and fright that something bad would happen. The worry turned into pressure. Pressure to make sure she was okay. The pressure turned to guilt. Though she was back, he couldn't help but think of how close he had gone to losing her.

Those feelings were feelings he had been quite accustomed to, even before she became such a large part of his life. He felt that way about his dad, Matt, Ben, the entire Mass, in fact. It was then when he realized that though he loved her, he couldn't. Not with the war going on. Not with his family to protect. He couldn't be distracted. He couldn't.

"We have to stop." The four words crushed her heart.

"Kissing?" Jokes couldn't fix this, but she could damn well try to.

"This. This…thing we have. It's got to stop."

Silence.

"Why?" The single word crushed his heart.

"I-I can't deal with everything at the same time. Not with the war going on. My family-they need me. I can't be worrying about you and worrying about them at the same time. I'll mess up. I'll-"

"Okay. It's okay. I get it."

"I still love you."

"I know."

"But I have to try not to. Not now. I can't- I'm sorry."

"Don't."

She had left in a hurry, embarrassed, hurt, and confused. Clutching the necklace he had given her the day she had been rescued, she cried herself to sleep. He, on the other hand, stayed wide awake on the roof of the school that night. That was usually where they met. To talk, kiss, comfort, cry. It rained. He stayed. At least that way, no one could see him cry.

The next day, she confronted him by half-assaulting him, then dragging him into a room.

"You gave me this."

"…Yeah."

"You love me."

That was answered by a nod.

She took his hand and placed the necklace inside. "I get it. We're seventeen. You've got a family to worry about. You don't have the time or the energy to think about things like…love. Am I right?"

Again, answered by a speechless nod.

She continued, "Take this back." He opened his mouth to argue, but was cut off. "No, I'm not angry. Like I said, I get it. I-I love you. And you love me. And it's not the right timing, I know. That's why we can't-do this. That's why I have to give this back."

He looked like he wanted to say something, but let her continue.

"But-one day, maybe, if the fighting stops, and everyone settles down- and if we still feel the same way-"she spoke softly, not knowing if she should continue.

"Then I'll give you back this necklace." He continued for her, smiling.

"And we can start over", she finished.

In another time, they might have been together. Might have been a couple, lovers.

In this time, even though he foolishly tried to not, they loved each other.

How was it? I know its kind of weird and its not how I planned it in my head, but this is how it turned out so hopefully it wasn't too bad. Anyways, review! Next up is Light. Aiyaiyai, no idea what I could do for that...hmmm...