He stood there, frozen in time. The flakes fell in slow motion as she wrapped her arms around another.

"Merry Christmas, Ben."

It had gotten warmer as the day wore on. Kevin trudged through piles of snow in the empty backstreets, scavenging for food. So far, he hadn't been having very good luck. Shuddering, he glanced up at the white sky. It almost hurt his eyes to look. It seemed so bright; pure, even.

Sighing, he plopped down on a small pile of bricks. Even for him, the weather was still pretty cold. He lit up a large flame in his hand and moved it closer to his body. "Mm, that's better..."

Not thinking of anything in particular, his stomach grumbled. With a groan, he got back up and started looking around again. Nothing. Kevin couldn't remember the last time he ate. Had to have been around.. a week ago? Maybe more? In frustration, he kicked over a trash can.

To his disgust, rats and a bunch of creepy-crawlies scutteled out. Gross. He moved away and gave up looking for his next meal, settling for just taking a walk. Minutes passed by. He hadn't seen anything too interesting, apart from a group of kids playing hocky on the ice. Smirking, an idea popped into his head. Well, well, well. Maybe this day isn't going to be a complete waste after all. He stepped out from the shadows and lunged towards the boys.

"Hey! It's a monster!" a frightened voice called out. Most of the children turned and ran off. Only a few slow, scared stragglers were left behind. Kevin smirked and lifted one up by the ankle.

"Hm, I wonder... Do little humans taste like chicken?" he taunted, exposing his razor-like teeth. A little squeel came from his victim, who fainted a second later. Those who were still there quickly fled. Chuckling, Kevin dropped the boy into a large drift of snow and continued walking. A second later, he was sprawled on the ice, head stuck in another pile.

He growled, forcing his head out. "What's with all this damned ice everywhere?" Trying to get back to his feet, he slipped again, landing this time on his behind. He let out a sigh. Seems like Mother Nature had it in for him, too.

Eventually, he managed to keep his balance for more than a moment and walked on. He was closer to other people now; he could hear their laughs, could almost see those smiles etched onto their rosy faces. Peering from around a corner, that's exactly what he saw. Happy holiday shoppers all throughout the streets, going about their business. It was Christmas Eve, and the streets were full of people hoping to catch last-minute sales. His gaze shifted over to a rather loud couple. One picked the other up, spinning around in circles. Scoffing, Kevin forced himself to look away.

That's so stupid... But...

"They seem so happy..."

He couldn't remember the last time he had smiled. No one had ever held him like that. In his entire life, he didn't have anyone's smile directed towards him. Not once. Not a single time. Absolutely seething, he thought of tearing the exuberant couple apart. But for some strange reason, he felt so weary. Deciding to look around for food in a much less crowded area, something caught his eye: a flash of bright red hair.

Blinking, he raked the jumbled streets with his eyes, searching for it again, hoping to catch just another glimpse. To his satisfaction, he saw Gwen emerge from the midst of the fray. Her hair blew around her shoulders in the breeze - had it gotten longer?

She was definitely better dressed for the weather than he was. Her boots were almost long enough to reach her knees, covered in fur. She even donned a hat with small cat ears poking out. He tilted his head to the side, staring at them curiously. To him, they seemed strange.

All bundled up in her sweater and scarf, she sat herself down on a bench, not too far from Kevin's location. He was shocked to see her again under such normal circumstances. Their last two encounters had been anything but normal, including a fire and a prison break. Desperately wanting to get closer and talk to her, he realized that he probably hadn't left a very good first impression.

Ngh... I feel like some creepy voyer.

He dismissed the thought and went back to observing her. She was holding a small cup of hot cocoa between her hands. Kevin definitely thought the color of her gloves suited her - a soft, pleasant shade of purple. It made a nice contrast to her eyes. He tried to avoid looking at those; he'd start to get that weird, fuzzy feeling again. Letting his gaze drift, he noticed her knee bouncing up and down. She was anxious, her expression tight with worry.

Kevin was busy trying to understand why she looked so upset when someone else came out from the crowd. Gwen saw the boy approaching and her face instantly lit up. She looked just like the bulbs that hung across storefront windows.

"There you are, doofus! I've been looking all over for you!" She sounded a little angry, setting her mug down and getting up.

The boy let out a nervous laugh. Kevin couldn't really tell who it was from this angle - he had a jacket on with the hood pulled up. But when he spoke, he knew just who this "doofus" was.

"Eheh, sorry I'm late... I took a little detour."

Gwen shot a glare at him, but her giggles killed its affect. "Oh yeah, like what?"

Ben did a weird kind of pose, flexing. Kevin thought he looked like an idiot. "You know, awesome hero stuff."

Smirking, hands on her hips, she pointed to his pockets, which were filled with cards. "Don't you mean tricking a bunch of kids into giving you their Sumo Slammers collections?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Uh.. something like that, maybe."

She punched his arm lightly. "Come on. We should start heading back to the hotel. It's gunna get dark soon," she sighed.

"Yeah... Guess you're right. What floor again?"

Letting out a little sigh, she answered, "Sixth. The rooms way down at the end."

"..I knew that."

"Sure you did."

The two walked started back towards the direction they had come from. Out of curiosity, Kevin began to follow, making sure to stay under the cover of the shadows. It was pretty tough work, mind you. For one, they were making their way through a bustling crowd of shoppers. And two, he had to keep darting in and out of different alleyways just to make sure he was still following them. After the sun had long disappeared, the pair stopped near a tall building.

"Wait, Ben."

Kevin stepped out one more time to make sure he was tracking the right two people. Thankfully, he darted back just in time before either of them saw him. Heart thudding loudly in his ears, he could have sworn she caught a glimpse of him. 'Look out, behind you!' That's what she was about to say, right?

Frozen in place, he couldn't wrap his mind around what happened next. Gwen moved forward and hugged him tightly, lips pressed against his cheek. "Merry Christmas, Ben."

He was taken aback by his cousin's sudden shown of affection, but chuckled and slid his arms around her waist. "Merry Christmas, Gwen." The two stood there in comfortable silence, holding each other. Her face was buried in the crook of his neck.

Crouched there, in the alley, he watched. Jealousy and hatred bubbled up inside him, threatening to overflow. Kevin couldn't tear his eyes away. This feeling was strange; a mixture of rage and despair were welling up in the pit of his stomach. It felt like his entire body was on fire, but covered in ice at the same time. But at the same time, he couldn't feel a thing, and he didn't know what to do.

After a minute or so, he turned his head away. He couldn't bare to see anymore. Then, he started walking. Just walking, not knowing how to think or feel. A few miles later, he reached a crumbled structure - he had been calling this 'home' for the past few days. Kevin's mind was at an utter standstill; it's like everything had stopped working, and autopilot had turned on.

Lying down on an assortment of rags, he ran a hand through his hair. Every nerve and muscle and fiber - completely numb. He became aware of how cold it really was. But after starting up a large fire, his insides couldn't feel its warmth. He couldn't even cry. It's like his tears had frozen over, too.

So this is what it feels like to be empty.

In the days that followed, he tried distracting himself. He sat there, alone in the dark. Time flew by as he worked on knots, tightening cords. Yes, very soon, she would awake. However, the stars and the sky passed - he could feel himself slipping off into a light slumber. A muffled whimper roused him from his daze shortly after.

The moon was high enough in the sky to shine over his work. In front of Kevin lay a woman, bound and gagged, eyes covered with a dark ribbon. She started struggling against her bindings, yet to no avail. He had made sure to tie them extra tight; he couldn't risk another escapee.

In his eyes, she was absolutely stunning. A slender frame, short. Red hair, just like hers. But a few inches too long. Kevin sat her up against the stone wall and held up a pair of scissors, the pale moonlight gleaming off of the blades. He slid them lightly against the woman's cheek, and she froze. A soft growl slipped from his lips. "Don't move, or I'll mess up... And if I mess up, I might just end up slitting your throat." She gave a short, shaky nod and tried to subdue her terror.

Kevin wasn't what you'd call a hair stylist. Although he tried his best to be careful, he was extremely clumsy. His large hands made the task even more difficult. But soon enough, he got her hair around to what looked like an approppriate length. "There, now that's much better..."

He let out a sigh, looking her up and down. Just hours before, he had snatched this little fairy from the streets. She should be grateful; walking alone, at that hour? He thought it lucky that she had been taken by him instead of some rapist lurking in the streets. Heh. She should thank me for saving her worthless 'chastity.' That is, if she hasn't already whored it away.

From a distance, in the faint light of dusk, she had greatly resembled Gwen. Even up close.. this was good enough. Just a few touch-ups here and there would suffice. When he was finally satisfied with her hair, he moved closer. The girl felt this and let out a high-pitched squeal, trying to inch back. Kevin growled in annoyance and forced her back into place.

"Now, just stay fucking still. Don't ruin this for me."

The girl complied, her tiny body shaking in fear. He pressed a hand to her cheek, staring into her face, heart racing. His expressions softened a bit. It felt like it was beating a million beats a minute. This could be the one... With his other hand, he hastily threw away her gag, started to remove her blindfold, saw her eyes; big eyes, glowing up at him in the darkness-

Kevin glared into them, anger flaring. Not the deep green pools he had been expecting, but a hateful, solid blue. Even the features and shapes of her face were wrong, wrong, wrong. It wasn't the same, not at all. Those frightened orbs were full of tears, trickling down pale cheeks. Without a second thought, he raised his diamond-encrusted arm. Her eyes widened and a

That had been the fourth one this week. The sun was already starting to rise, streaming through a large hole in the ceiling. Snow from the previous night covered the floor, white and fluffy. As he stared up at the sea of clouds above, a red substance dripped into the powdery piles below.

Another day gone, another sleepless night. He had grown bored of searching for playmates, and forced himself to go for a walk. Anything else than sitting in that thing he called a house; lonely, alone.

As fate would have it, he wound up in the same place he had been a week before - the hotel. That numbing feeling crept up his chest, but he tried to ignore it. As he moved around to the back of the building, he grew nervous.

"Man... Am I really doing this?" He looked up at the large building. "..If I end up at the wrong room, I'll leave," he gambled with himself. As he started climbing, a sinking feeling told him that this was a completely pointless act; he was just wasting time. But another part was excited, knowing that he would find it. Even if it took all night.

Surprisingly enough, it didn't - even though it felt like it did. The air was cold and the wind was blowing fiercely. Snow attacked him from all sides, trying to knock him down. After what seemed like hours, Kevin reached the right floor. He prayed he hadn't lost count and ended up higher than he needed to be. That would've made him blow a gasket. But when he looked around and spotted a large number six on the wall, he relaxed. "Woo... Finally." He still clung on to something for dear life - he had no clue what it was; the blizzard obstructed his sight. But he hoped against hope that it wouldn't break any time soon. His wings were frozen solid, so he would be expecting a pretty brutal fall.

Then, he saw her. Just a few feet in front of him. Due to this little surprise, he lost his footing in the blink of an eye. Somehow, he managed to hang on. Something made a discouraging creaking sound, but he didn't pay it much mind. Swinging his legs over the balcony, he let go, making hard contact with its floor. It wasn't a very graceful stunt, but it served its purpose. He was safe and sound, right in front of his kryptonite.

Fortunately for him, she hadn't noticed. Gwen was hunched over in her chair, head in her arms. He just stood there like an idiot, hair whipped around from the winds, freezing cold, staring into her room. Kevin noticed a book next to her on the desk. Romeo and Juliet, huh? Well, what a coincidence... Slowly, he moved up close against the glass, looking around. No one else. Good. It's just me and you, Gwen. Nn... Finally... They hadn't been this close since he had been captured. On an impulse, he slid open the screen door.

She shifted a bit in her chair, and his heart skipped a beat. He didn't move from the spot, but watched intently. After awhile, she settled down again. A nightmare, perhaps?

Hesitant footsteps, silent breaths. Kevin didn't bother closing screen behind him, fearing the noise would wake her. She was shivering. He cocked his head to one side, thinking. "Well..." he muttered to himself. He cautiously moved towards her. Now, he was right by her side. He was wonderfully close, seeing every one of her beautiful details.

Yes, it seemed like her hair had gotten longer...

He urged himself forward. Gently, Kevin scooped her up into his arms. He shuffled over to her bed, using a lower arm to move the sheets back. Tucking her in, he sat on the floor, staring into all four of his hands. In the small room, he felt so out of place. Sure, there was plenty of room, but it suited her a lot more. She was at least one-third his size, after all.

He dared to whisper, hoping that it wouldn't wake her from her peaceful slumber. The words just spilled out.

"You really are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, Gwen. Even your name makes me feel.. weird. No one else has ever been able to do that to me, you know. I'm so hideous - I don't even deserve to think of someone as radiant as you. The two of us are complete opposites. I'm like a demon, you're like an angel..." he paused and sighed in furstration, shaking his head. "No, no, that's not it... Uh... Let me think..."

He sat there in silence, glancing outside. His tone turned sad. "I can't even find words to describe you. You've done so many things to me... I don't know what to do anymore. I hate everything, and everyone. I especially hate you. No, something even worse than hate," he growled, moving his fist over to the left side of his chest. "You make.. this act weird. My heart. I thought I didn't even have one of those," he laughed softly, staring up at the ceiling. "It's weird, I know... I'm not the best at explaining things. If you could hear me, this would probably sound like a big, jumbled mess. The ramblings of a freak."

Bitterness laced each of his words like icing. "It's not fair. You have so many people who love you. Why can't I be one of those people? And.. why can't anyone love me?" Kevin looked over at her again, a desperate look appearing on his face. "Would..." He moved closer. "Gwen..." Pressing his lips to her ear, his voice shook.

"Would you be able to love a monster like me?"

Silence pressed on. He stared into her face, searching for some kind of answer. Nervously, he took her hand in one of his own, playing with each of her fingers. She had such small hands...

Gwen rolled onto her side, facing his direction. She must be dreaming... I wonder what a person like her sees at night. Her frightful dreams must be filled with ugly creatures of the dark... As mine are filled with beautiful creatures of the light. In a way, we are one in the same. One day, I know you'll realise that.

Kevin inhaled slowly. He leaned back in, hand cupping her cheek. He wished she was awake; he wanted to lose himself in those eyes again. "Those people who love you don't know just how lucky they are..." His hand twitched, shaking.

"I want what they have."

The next morning, Gwen let out a gasp and sat upright in bed. She was staring down at her shaky, clammy hands. She couldn't move, like she had been frozen out in the snow. When she tried to remember her nightmare, it only slipped further and further away from her. After a few minutes, she gave up altogether. But it must have been important to scare her like this...

Sighing, she looked around the room. She was a bit groggy, dizziness blurring her vision. When her eyes had adjusted, she noticed that her curtains were moving. Gwen watched as they fluttered around the door, swaying from the outside breeze. She gingerly swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up.

She walked out onto her balcony, wiping the white dust away from the metal railing. She gripped it tightly, watching the clouds. Closing her eyes, she tried to think. Why had her door been open? Did a robber sneak in? Did that scary nightmare actually happen? Another sigh. She walked back inside, rubbing her arms that were covered in goosebumps. The air in her room was pretty chilly, and she shuddered.

"Quit trying to scare yourself, Gwendolyn... You probably just fell asleep with the door open." She didn't really think about how she gotten from the desk into bed; it hadn't crossed her mind.

Closing the door and fixing the curtains, she didn't notice the book missing from her desk.

I wanted to thank everyone for the reviews! :3 You have no idea how much they inspire me to keep writing. For the first time, I actually think it's, well, good. ;w; So, I write for your sake. (Mine, too. ewe I love it.) So, enough sappy sap talk. I'll post the next chapter tomorrow or the day after. Godetevi, i miei lettori incantevoli.