A/N: wow. Tonight's episode was just… I mean, that was harsh. Kind of cold there at the end… very powerful. Scared me. It did.
Disclaimer: I own no part of Ben 10.
He had defense mechanisms. They were what he loved, what he used. They were all he had to take care of himself in the world.
Defense was an instinct; it was natural for someone like him to push things away, guarding every inner thought and inner pain for something more. He had to keep himself protected from the pain that he knew would come. He had to keep himself safe. From anything and everything.
"Whatever."
His natural response to what he didn't want to hear. It was what he used to get out of a conversation. It was what he had when he needed when he couldn't get someone to drop the subject.
The world always remained hidden on his tongue to ward off anyone who managed to get to close to his break point or his inner walls and shields.
No one had managed to get within them yet. No one.
"I don't care."
To push away anyone who knew of his pain or at least who was coming close, he used those three little words. To show that he had no emotions, had no fear, had nothing more than the slightest of thoughts. He passed as an idiot to keep himself safe.
Protection was what he needed. It was his safety, his comfort. He liked having something to block out everything else with. It was his shelter, his safe haven. Saying what he thought was dangerous. If his thoughts got out, no one would dare look his way or trust him again.
His life was dangerous. His life was Hell. His life was everything that he hadn't wanted it to turn out to be.
Just hoping for a decent life had jinxed it.
Something about the Tennysons had changed him, made him put down his guard for a while. It had made him become human. Or at least it had made him seem more human.
He had transformed from a monster to someone with emotions. He had become someone with some potential and some hope and a little bit of kindness blossoming in his soul. He had become a changed man.
"I love you."
Those were the three words that had let Gwen in past Kevin's defense mechanisms.
A/N: I just needed an emotional shot with tonight's episode. Short, but I think it got the point across. Please review.
~Sky