Fate Can Be Kind [Jon]

[Kenzie Karter]

Kenzie paced back and forth in her room anxiously, still thinking about the other day when Jon kissed her. It wasn't like it was a crime to kiss someone, but it still scared her to death. They had barely known one another for less than twenty-four hours and he kissed her. What was the deal with that? She had heard of love at first site, but goodness gracious that was a little fast for her liking. She had gone three days without going out to First Beach or seeing him at all. Now she wanted to know why, but didn't have his number to call or text. She would have to rely on running into him again at some point and proceed with the awkward conversation that she was certain was going to happen. But why did he have to kiss me? she thought. Everything was going perfectly until he kissed me...now I'm not sure of anything. There was a plain and simple truth that she could not deny and that was that she was attracted to Jon. And she was sure that there was something that was drawing him to her in that same way, but what?

After pacing for another half-hour, she sat down on her bed and took out her journal. Writing sometimes helped her to deal with her emotions. The pages of her journal were filled with intense emotions of loving Jerron, hating him, and being hurt by him. But, this entry was going to be different. She took out her favorite blue pen and began to write.

A few days ago, I met someone; a guy named Jonathan Whiteman. It was like any usual first meeting, with the exception that he seemed particularly drawn to me for some odd reason. However, I agreed to show him Forks the next morning since he is new to the area-bad idea on my part. At least...that's what I think. Everything started out great until I started to share some of my life with him and ended up telling the entire story of Jerron to Jon. He seemed almost...angry at the fact that Jerron hurt me the way he did. I cried in front of him, which was a very stupid move on my part. I hate letting others see me that emotional, especially when I only just met them. But I felt so safe in his arms that I just let everything go. I even showed him Mom and Dad's tree. That's when it went south. He kissed me. I got so scared that I ran away and now I'm not sure of anything. After Jerron broke my heart, I didn't ever think that I could open myself to someone else and now Jon...I just don't know. There is something different about him that I just can't name. What if...what if I could let him in? Open my heart to someone new? Would he even want a girl who has been through so much like I have? He deserves someone whole. I just don't know.

Kenzie shut her journal and put it back on the shelf it usually sat on before lying back down on her bed flat on her stomach. She wondered what Jon was doing right then and hoped that he didn't think she was crazy or something for running away like she did. Perhaps fate would be kind to her and bring him back her way so she could talk to him and set things right.

[Jonathan Whiteman]

   The teary glaze of that Sunday in the forest never lifted, even after Jon more or less recovered. What had the weather been like? Had anyone come over? How many days had passed? He couldn't answer any of it. He was utterly lifeless, merely existing. The inside of his fridge hadn't seen the sun since the morning before he'd gone to First Beach to meet her, and nobody would have heard reported sightings of a large gray wolf in the area for the past few days...

   Jonathan was fried. Burnt. Trashed. And there was nobody to blame but himself.

   He'd kissed her when she needed nothing more than a pair of ears. He'd dropped his self-control. He'd ruined all. The guilt had torn him apart. It was a wonder he wasn't bleeding from his wounds. What have I done. Heh, that phrase was almost his mantra now. A mantra he'd not let go of anytime soon.

   He suddenly realized he was sitting, curled into a ball, on the rocky sand of First Beach, but there was no pleasant wash of surprise. First Beach... where he'd met her and started this disaster course... These blissfully dull days had drained even this place of its charm. Jon didn't deserve the charm. He'd hurt Kenzie.

   Kenzie. Her name sent a shudder down his spine that had nothing to do with being a werewolf. He needed her like he needed air, and knowing that, if he never saw her again, his last memory of her would be one of pain...

   It was then that he realized what he needed, other than her happiness. He needed to have her make her separation from him official. To hear the words "go away, Jon." And he'd oblige without any sort of second thought... that she'd ever know of. If him never seeing her again would make her happy, then he'd do it. It was that simple.

   What wasn't simple? He'd have to put her through seeing him again. He'd have to see her. He didn't know if he could keep himself together for such a thing- no, that was a lie. He would be able to for her. If he phased, there was a chance he'd hurt her. He could keep it together.

   There was only one thing left to do now. Utterly absent-minded, he somehow found himself sitting in the driver's seat of his Civic, keys in the ignition, motor purring. ...this is it. His heart reacted to his impending heartbreak by throwing him wildly out of his daze, heart racing like never before. He was nearly hyperventilating as he put the car in reverse, but there was nothing to do but drive.

----------

   His heart was still threatening to crack his ribs as he pulled into her driveway. Never before had he thought her white house with emerald trim would look so foreboding, so omnipotent... His hands were shuddering, but it had nothing to do with the usual cause. He almost slammed his door shut with the wrath of his nerves as he got out. Breathe, he reminded himself... with a snap of burning nostalgia when he remembered the last time he'd given himself such a command. Before he could give himself a second chance at second thoughts, he was at her door, shocked that he'd already pressed (with a shuddering finger) the small doorbell button. ...this is it. He prayed his expression was remotely pleasant as he waited.

[Kenzie Karter]

Kenzie had been absentmindedly staring out her window, thinking about all that had happened that day. He had kissed her; that was a big deal in her mind. She hadn't planned on kissing anyone for a very long time because her heart still had not healed from all the damage Jerron had done. Who knew how long that would take? And for all she knew, she may never get over it which was a haunting thought in her mind because she wanted to get over him. Jerron was a part of her past that she could not ignore, but she could learn to deal with what happened, accept it as a lesson learned, and move on. But no matter what her head told her heart, there would still be a wound there, dug out by Jerron and his senseless, hateful behavior.

As she starred out her window, she heard the doorbell ring downstairs and since she was the only one home, she would have to answer it. Pushing aside her thoughts, she got off her bed and went downstairs to the front door, looking through the little peephole to see who was there. Her heart stopped and she slammed her back against the wall next to the door. There on her front porch, stood Jonathan; the one person in the world she wanted to avoid right then. Silently, she cursed when her heart finally restarted and began to race. What do I do? What do I do? she thought frantically. Okay, I can do this. He's probably just here to give me something I forgot in his car or something like that. Oh who am I kidding? He's probably here to tell me that I'm crazy or something to that affect.

Finally she calmed down enough to pull herself together again to open the door. When she opened the door, the look on Jon's face gave it all away. His eyes were forlorn and sad, which Kenzie did not really understand. How could he be so sad for having only known her for less than a few days? That was just incomprehensible to her. For a few moments, she kept her own eyes on the ground and held tight to the door frame to keep herself from falling over like some bumbling idiot. Finally, she mustered the courage to say something. "Um...hi," she managed to croak out. Wow Kenz, real original there, she thought at the same time.

[Jonathan Whiteman]

   Jonathan's heart was pounding so hard while he waited, half ready to take off, that he was almost surprised the windows of the house weren't rattling. What am I doing here?! I'm so stupid! She doesn't want to see me! Would it have been so hard to go pick up a phonebook?! There can't be that many Karters in there! he roared at himself in his head, so violently displaced from the numbness that had eaten at him the past few days. How stupid do you get, Jon! If she wanted to find you, she more or less knows where you live!

   But then he heard a soft, padded thump- like someone backed against a wall- from behind the door that made him freeze. Had she looked through the peephole and seen him, deliberately not answering the door? He wasn't worth her time, after all... this rejection would work more or less as the words he'd needed her to say... So this is it, he murmured tonelessly in his head.

   He almost began the turn back to the car when the door swung open. A dead sort of relief washed through him- yes, she had opened the door after all, but it didn't appear that she was too pleased that she'd done so. Seeing him obviously didn't make her happy. He'd make this quick.

   "Kenzie," he breathed back, just as toneless as his mind's voice, in reply. He shot down the ecstasy that naturally sprung up in him at her name- this was not an occasion where he needed any sort of happiness. As a sort of farewell, though, it wouldn't hurt to let it linger just a moment longer... "Kenzie, I am so, so sorry I kissed you." His near-monotone almost slurred the words together as he continued, looking pointedly at his feet. He could let the excitement of her name last, but he didn't deserve another glance at her eyes. "I won't make you put up with me much longer. I just need you to tell me you're sick of me or something. I know it's weird to ask that from you." The request almost hurt to ask, so he'd asked it quickly. Like a Band-Aid... please, just do this quick, Kenzie... like a Band-Aid... he begged.

[Kenzie Karter]

Kenzie froze at the sound of his voice; it was just as heartbreaking as the look on his face. Like, he felt all the guilt in the world heaved upon his shoulders. She could see it in his eyes that the last thing he wanted was to hurt her. His green eyes were dim compared to how they looked four days previously, when they first met. Kenzie's own heart was breaking for him, even more so when she heard him utter her name. It was as if it hurt for him to even look at her because of the guilt. Then she heard his request and that stung. She didn't want him to go, for some strange reason or another, despite the fact that she was terrified of being around any guy. Just hearing the possibility of him leaving and never seeing him again brought pain to her own heart. She couldn't see him leave, not like this, not this way.

She struggled to find her voice again, to find the words to tell him to stay. It was as if her voice had gone and hidden somewhere and was scared to come out. Say something, anything; before he leaves and you never see him again! her heart was screaming at her head, almost so loud that it made her ears ring. They were turning beat red anyways from all the silence between herself and Jon. "I...I don't want you to leave," she managed to squeak. "And please don't be sorry about kissing me; I just got scared and when I get scared, I run away. I know it wasn't fair to you, but that is just part of who I am." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke to him, hoping not to cry at the same time. Holding everything in, she opened the door a little wider and asked, "Would you like to come in?" Kenzie knew that this was opening herself up again, but somehow she knew that Jon wouldn't hurt her.

[Jonathan Whiteman]

   A horrible silence lingered. She doesn't want me, he murmured tonelessly in his head. No, it wasn't toneless- it was dead with the foreshadowing promise that losing her would utterly kill him for at least months to come. She'd never know it, of course. Kenzie would never know what she was doing to him...

   He could hear her struggling for words- words he knew he didn't want to hear. Apparently, she didn't want to say them or something. It was sweet that she'd cared for him enough at the time, he assumed, that she couldn't find a way to let him down easily. He knew he'd always find that inadvertent innocence of hers always so adorable. Well, more adorable than she always had been... The next guy to meet her had better appreciate Kenzie for the angel that she is.

   Wait. There was no way he'd just heard the words she'd said. She didn't want him to leave...? What...? He had to have been imagining things. His heartbeat, wary of her next words, began its work more strenuously. She wouldn't tell him to go further than away from her, would she...?

   His heartbeat began racing as she explained further, but this time it pounded with the cool touch of relief. Relief... and a touch of sober entertainment. A light grin touched at his features while a light snort hmphed from his nose, and he almost chuckled. Apologizing again, even for what I did. How Kenzie... His mental tone had gained embers of life in the wake of her forgiveness. "Apologizing again," he muttered under his breath. "Kenzie Karter-" her name sent a thrill through his soul, enhanced now that he more or less had her again- "if you apologize one more time for the stupid things guys do to you..." He trailed off, shaking his head slightly. Of course he had no threat to back that up. Even in jest, he couldn't threaten her.

   Silently, he then acquiesced to her request, stepping awkwardly in the front door of her house. On the inside, it was a charming place... but there was no time to notice the details. He turned and faced her, watching for her next move.

[Kenzie Karter]

Jon's threat to her was rather empty as he couldn't even finish it. There was just something between them that had a certain spark that ignited when they were near each other. There weren't words to explain it, just feelings and emotions that were running through her that she had never really felt before for someone she had only just met. A small smile crept across her lips as she turned to him once he was inside the house. Watching him stand there awkwardly in her living room made her want to giggle a little, but she held that back. "I'm really glad you decided to come over," she began. "I've been thinking about that day in the forest since I came home and I...I know that I kind of put us in an awkward situation."

Awkward doesn't even begin to cover it... she thought quickly. Slowly, she walked over to the couch and ran her hand along the back of it. She could feel the heat rising in her face and knew that she had to be blushing by then. Kenzie always knew her downfall would be that she blushed too much, giving away anything she was trying to hide. Biting her lip, she turned back around to face him again. "It's just that I don't know if I can..." she stumbled over her words, "If I can open my heart to someone when I was hurt so badly before. And you deserve someone better than a girl who has been damaged by a previous boyfriend." She sighed softly, looking down at the ground between herself and Jon. He deserves so much more than that.

Although, Kenzie could not deny the intense attraction that was growing within her heart by the minute. Every fiber of her being was telling her that they were meant to be together and she just did not understand how when they had spent so little time together. Her head was telling her "No" while her heart was screaming "Yes" at the same time. It was an epic battle going on inside of her; it was an exhausting war that she was losing either way. No matter what choice she made, either her head or her heart would lose. The only question now was whether she could handle letting her heart lose or her head. Her heart raced almost instantaneously, letting her know who was winning at the moment. But he wouldn't want me anyways, she thought back bitterly to her heart. Who would want someone that has had her heart broken like I have and is incapable of trusting another human soul?

This was the bitter battle raging inside of Kenzie; one of epic proportions. Jon obviously didn't care that she had run away scared. He was here now and that was the important thing, wasn't it?

[Jonathan Whiteman]

   "You put us in an awkward situation?" Jonathan couldn't hide the intense disbelief in his voice as his expression popped to vague shock, and he couldn't hide a rich laugh. She's just too much. Blaming herself for screwing up Sunday... "I didn't realize you kissed a girl who didn't want you on her," he explained quietly, awkwardly. The shame of the memory, though it seemed she wanted some sort of future with him, still stung at him like a swarm of angry bees at his heart, and he was surprised his expression didn't show it.

   Silently, he watched as she stepped over to the couch, pausing momentarily with a run of the hand to the back of it before turning back to him, a light blush lingering on her cheekbones. The beauty, the- innocence, again; everything about her was so innocent, and that was one of the most beautiful things about her- caught him off guard, and he felt himself blushing in its aftermath. And between her and her explanation, he was sure he'd have some medical problem from how much his heart swelled. She had it so, so wrong. He was sure- never, ever, ever before had he been so certain of a fact- that she was wrong. He didn't need anyone else- not now, not that he'd met her, and he didn't need anyone else because he felt like he'd been molded to finish her. But Kenzie- she deserved anyone who made her happier. He knew, for his sake, that he'd do his best to make sure nobody else could make her happier than how happy he made her. But if she wanted someone else, then it was none of his business, no matter how much he didn't like the idea.

   "I can't even begin to touch the part about me deserving better," he started awkwardly, stepping towards the couch. "No, wait. I can a little bit- just to say that you're wrong." The clarification was more definite, and he wasn't totally sure she'd miss the definite promise behind it. "You're more than I could ever ask for..." He was at the couch now, facing her. Had there always been that much of a height difference between them? "...in a friend," he added a touch more quietly. He had to add it, though the attraction that there was no way he could deny for her screamed for silence. He had to define where they were. Without definition, he'd lose himself all over again all because her eyes.

   Her eyes. They were what he saw now, and it seemed their skill had all but faded. He knew he was probably somewhere near blankly staring into them, but he beat himself down emotionally. He couldn't kiss her again. Not again. Just... not again, he begged in his head, a subtle shiver creeping up the lower regions of his spine in the painful memories of the past days. Nothing would tear at him more than to hurt her again. He knew he couldn't survive another encounter with that sort of pain.

[Kenzie Karter]

Kenzie's heart raced, then slowed. It was difficult to decifer which part was scarier, but she didn't care. Not only was it the worst feeling in the world, but the best at the same time. How can I keep putting myself through this? she begged in her mind. "No I didn't kiss someone, but I put myself into that situation," she qualified, taking some of the blame for what had happened that fateful morning as they had walked through the woods.

When her eyes met his again, she was lost in the green orbs before her. It was as if nothing had ever happened with Jerron; he didn't exist or if he did, it was in a totally different world that Kenzie was no longer a part of. Nothing could erase what happened to her, but with Jon it didn't seem like it hurt as much as it did before. When he stepped closer to her, the beating of her heart all but stopped. The space between them was growing close again. but she didn't mind it so much. Heat was rising in her cheeks and knew that she was turning as crimson as she felt. Hearing him speak brought such joy to her heart, much more than she had ever felt before. No matter how much that scared her, she knew that she could not be scared anymore. Right then she was standing on the edge of a cliff, scared to jump but knowing that Jon would be standing at the bottom to catch her no matter what. Then he uttered the words ...in a friend. No, she couldn't just have Jon as a friend. That just was not possible with how deeply she felt for him right then.

"Just a friend?" she asked timidly. That won't work Kenzie and you know it, her heart screamed wildly at her. And she knew it was true. Looking in his eyes, she knew that they could never be "just friends" or anything like that. There would always be something more from one of them. Behind his emerald orbs was something much deeper that she knew existed for her. There had to be...there was no other explanation for how much pain resonated there when he said "in a friend" to her. No one should have that much pain for a friend, even if they were close. Jon felt something deeper for her and she knew it. She decided to take a leap of faith and hope that he would catch her.

She reached forward on her tiptoes, putting one hand behind his head and kissed him softly and timidly.

[Jonathan Whiteman]

   Jon felt his forehead relax in utter shock as she spoke. No way, he murmured blankly in his head. No. Way. The voice was pulsing with life as his heart swelled again, now slamming in his chest. She did not just say 'just a friend?' Nuh uh. It was a good thing, he guessed, that he couldn't read her thoughts- otherwise, she'd hear blabbering not incomparable a fat kid walking into the Hershey factory. Even so, he could hear his own thoughts, but they sounded so far away- was he even thinking them himself?

   His heart, swollen and beating on his ribs like there was no tomorrow, almost exploded as her hand, cool on his skin, met the back of his head. This can't be happening! he yelled in his head, totally giddy. I'm going to wake up from this dream in a few seconds. Life's going to be back where it was. Kenzie doesn't trust you like this in the real world!

   Her face was nearing his now, and he was surprised he wasn't shaking from the incredibly active nerves flowing through him. Seriously... any second now... a small, messy bed in La Push will be all you see. Better enjoy this dream while it lasts. Time was passing at not even half its usual speed, and she was still nearing. He didn't think it was possible, but his pulse quickened further. Her beauty was even more captivating at this distance- how had he missed it that stupid Sunday? For real. Try blinking. You always wake up when you finally blink in your dreams. He blinked, and... she was still there.

   It clicked.

   She trusted him.

   Jon closed the remaining distance along with her, nodding his head forward to keep her from straining. There were no words for how heavenly it was to kiss her- to kiss her when she wanted a kiss, when she wanted a kiss from him. It was just... unexplainable, indescribable. He kissed her back with an equal amount of meekness, his burning lips pressed gently against her soft, cool ones as his hand found the small of her back. What was his name? Where was he from? Was he even breathing?

   Who the heck cares.

[Kenzie Karter]

There was no longer any distance between the two of them; Jon had closed it. It wasn't like Kenzie to just kiss someone out of the blue, but she had to know if it still felt the same as she had experienced before; if it had the same spark that frightened her away the first time. She was wrong...oh so wrong...it was better, if that were even possible. Everything between them clicked. It was as if she had been only half a soul, missing the other half that was Jon. Kissing him felt...right, like all the world had been set straight after being bent for so long. Jerron may have broken her heart, but Jon was beginning to mend it in small, but significant ways.

He had bent his head forward, but she was still on her tiptoes because he was so tall compared to her. However, she didn't mind. The moment his hand touched the small of her back, a million nerves were sent into shock. Her other hand found its way to the side of his face; his skin was blazing but she barely noticed as the heat in her own skin was rising. Fear, mixed with an intense sense of relief, washed through her like a flood.

It almost didn't seem real for her to be in this place and time. Just three days before she had been pushing him away, but now she welcomed his kiss happily. Her heart was set ablaze with new emotions and fears, but ones she was willing to face because of him. I can't keep hiding away from the world because of what Jerron did to me, her heart said. And I refuse to deny that there is something that could be there between Jon and I; something that could be wonderful if I just gave it a chance. Everything that is worth something only happened because someone took a risk.

When she broke their kiss a few moments later, she looked into his eyes innocently. In his eyes was a mixture of joy and relief mirroring her own. "I had to know...if I still felt the same as I did Sunday," she whispered. And everyday since... her mind added silently. Slowly her fingers grazed her lips where his own had just been and she looked away shyly, her cheeks crimsoning.

[Jonathan Whiteman]

   A light shiver utterly unrelated to lycanism shook its way up Jon's spine at the touch of Kenzie's hand. He felt his cheek burn beneath her ironically cool (though warming) fingers, the warmth slowly licking across his face as the kiss continued. His other hand found her cheek easily, lightly leaning against it like it had that day, his thumb rubbing gently along her cheekbone gently. Simply, perfection was in his grasp. He'd never let her go now that she wanted to stay.

   There was no way to describe how he felt then. Even thinking about it in the years later, as he so frequently did, Jon could never really find the words for his emotion of that moment. Maybe it was because there were so many at once- relief, intense affection, giddiness, dizziness, ecstasy, and excitement, to name a few. And, yet, that explanation never really did justice: his emotion was yet in the singular, and it burned with passion for her more intensely than any emotion Jon had ever known before.

   All far too soon, she had ended it. Eyes fluttering open with a silent gasp of air, it took him a moment to recover, both physically and mentally. Breathe, he muttered with a blissful mental chuckle, recalling for her reply's sake his own name. Whi... Whi-something. Jon Whi-something, he pondered, unable to hide the sober, electric humor from spreading itself in a small grin across his face as she explained.

   She felt this way on Sunday...? He could almost have gasped with the wave of elation that hit him with the realization. He'd worried so, so much over keeping her happy from a distance: for nothing. The effort he'd put behind it was all but wasted in the follow-up wave of relief that crashed into him. His expression, in spite of the torrents inside, though, remained calm, and he knew his eyes, though they may not have been as honest even moments earlier, were now showing every last ember of what she'd meant to him. Just the knowledge that the feeling was mutual... it, with each passing moment, seemed to be unlocking more love for her inside him than he even knew existed.

   "Sunday..." Jon murmured quietly back, breathing finally calming somewhat. "I'm so sorry I put you through such a horrible one." The painful memory of her tears tried to stab at him- but wait. Was there a way to make up for it? An idea finally struck him- one that, days ago, he could never have dreamed of. Because, days ago, he thought he was the only one who felt this way...

   "Let me make it up to you... Kenzie Karter," he murmured again, this time a bit more boldly, though still hushed, "I know this is a fast jump, but you're a jump worth taking." His heart was back up to its usual antics, trying to crack his ribs apart with his nerves- but it froze, totally stopped, as he quietly asked--

   "...will you be my girlfriend?"

[Kenzie Karter]

Kenzie smiled and looked back into his eyes. Those irresistible sparkling green pools that she got lost in every time they looked at one another. Though, she didn't mind getting lost in them anymore. Not now that she knew how he cared for her. "Now who's apologizing too much?" she asked sweetly. Moving her hands from his face to wrap around his neck, she still remaining on her tip-toes, which wasn't a problem as she had spent years practicing this art in dance. This was the closest she had been to another person in a year and she liked it. The physical contact between them was like setting a blaze to an open field, it spread quickly throughout her body in a tingling sensation. How he was able to do this to her was beyond her understanding, but she didn't mind.

Upon hearing him murmur her name, it sounded like music to her ears; music she never thought she would hear again. When he continued, her heart began to race again; she could practically feel it in her ears. I'm worth what jump? she asked mentally. What could he possibly... Then he said it. Uttering the words she was afraid of, but at the same time overjoyed to hear from his lips. He wants me, her heart cried. Without meaning to, her eyes began to water and she looked down for a moment to recompose herself before looking back up at him, with a smile and a small nod. "Yes," she half-whispered and began to smile. "Yes, I will be your girlfriend."

This was her biggest leap of faith that she had ever taken. Becoming Jon's girlfriend meant that she would be exposing her heart to him and praying that he wouldn't break it. Slowly she moved her hands from around his neck and rested them on his chest and gently pressed her forhead against his chin and closed her eyes. She sighed softly. This is really happening...I'm really here in his arms and he asked me to be his girlfriend. And I said 'yes'. I must be dreaming...this can't be real. Someone wake me up. When she opened her eyes, everything was still there and real. She didn't dream it all up. Fate had given her a second chance with Jon and had been kinder than the first time. Although her hands were trembling, she knew that part of it was happiness mixed with her fears. Jon had swept off her feet without her realizing it from the moment they had met and her heart skipped a beat every time he looked at her with those eyes of his.

Looking back up into his eyes she said, "I'm still scared, but I know that I trust you. You won't hurt me and I know that." Putting her faith in him was the first step and she did that whole-heartedly. Everything about their relationship felt different already than her previous one with Jerron. He had never been this concerned with her well-being, not this way. Jon just cared for her because he honestly cared; not for some exterior motive and she could sense that. How she could sense that, she had no idea, but she just could.

[Jonathan Whiteman]

   Jon's hand that originally lingered on her cheek slid lightly down her side to meet the other at the small of her back after she moved hers to meet behind his neck. The encounter on Sunday? Utterly pathetic and pale compared to today. Her body against his felt... inexpressibly more amazing now- now that he knew she wanted to be near him in the same way he wanted to be near her- and he was almost certain that his heart would bear some sort of physical evidence from all the swelling. She really wants me, he murmured emotionally but quietly in his head.

   And-- oh, how his heart was soaring when she agreed. He could have sprouted wings and burst into flight with his glee; but, instead, he settled for smiling widely as she gave a shy grin. "Thank you," he half-whispered while recovering, giving her a small squeeze with his arms- it wouldn't do him any good to squeeze the breath out of her, he realized with a surge of entertained joy. Ever since he'd become a werewolf, he'd always felt- though capable of any emotion- like such a lifeless... well, freak. And now, what was there to feel like a freak about? Kenzie liked him! She liked him for him! The urge to do a backflip struck him again, but, experienced now with this emotion, he resisted. Now was more than enough.

   He felt her hands slide down to his chest after closing his eyes in contented relief when her soft, cool forehead met his chin, and it surprised him that, even without her holding him, he still felt as if all eternity, were it like just then, would have been nothing short of perfection. He increased his hold on her a bit involuntarily when she did so, but half a humorless chuckle hmed from deep in his chest when she verbally underestimated how he felt for her. "I wouldn't dare to begin to think of considering it, baby," he murmured quietly in reply, his eyes sliding open to meet hers. He now saw the vulnerability in those unbelievably flawless eyes, the shades of cerulean and emerald both battling for the honor of dominating those sparkling orbs.

   Never. I am never hurting her ever again. She's just... Words failed him now. He couldn't hold himself back from the urge to kiss her, bringing up a hand to lightly slip his pointer finger beneath her chin to point her lips toward his. "I couldn't dare. You're too... perfect," he murmured softly before moving in, pressing his lips lightly against hers with a bit more nerve than before.

[Kenzie Karter]

Hearing Jon's words of reassurance, Kenzie knew that she was safe in his arms. When his finger met her chin and brought her eyes to his, she saw all the love in the world in them. No one could have made her as happy as she was right then. Her heart beat rapidly as his lips met hers again. Instead of shying away, she kissed him back; softly and timidly at first. After a couple of seconds, she felt more confident and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. This feeling that she had was definitely different than before; this time she was sure and certain of what Jon felt for her unlike her constant doubts with Jerron. There was just that something in his eyes that would have never made her doubt.

Their kiss intensified even further until Kenzie broke it to look into his eyes. Innocently, she bit her bottom lip and smiled. "You know...I've been so afraid to let anyone in for the longest time and then you happened." And Jon was the most wonderful thing that had walked into her life. "When you are near me, I don't feel hollow anymore. I feel...alive, like I'm breathing for the first time in a year." She sighed heavily and moved her hands from around his neck to his hands, holding them in her own tiny ones. Compared to him, she was so small, but she didn't mind at all. It made her feel only that much more safe. Jon would protect her from everything that came her way.

Somehow, she knew that this relationship was the real deal even if they had only just met and began. Her heart swelled with love for him, but she didn't want to just say "I love you" just yet. It was still a bit too soon for that in her mind, but she was definitely feeling it at the moment. I love you Jonathan Whiteman, for whatever reason you have captured my heart and I love you. If he could even hear one-tenth of what her heart held for him, he would probably keel over from the intensity.

Smiling, she let go of one of his hands and slowly let go of the other to go across the room, clicking a remote that was lying on the coffee table. Over the surround sound came "Do You" by Yiruma, one of her favorite composers. Walking back over to Jon, she took one of his hands and placed it on her hip before putting the other in her right hand, placing her left on his shoulder. "Dance with me," she said sweetly, looking into his eyes.