Work Text:
The moonlight cast a dim glow over the entire beach. A contented sigh escaped Gwen's lips as she shut her eyes, relishing the cool breeze pressing on her skin and the sound of the water splashing against the shore. She lay on a large picnic blanket, just a few inches away from Kevin. In other words, there was too great a distance between them for her liking.
"You doin' good?" he asked, turning to face her.
"Mmm, well..." she opened her eyes, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "It's a little chilly."
Kevin wrapped both his arms around her body, pulling her as close to him as humanly possible to share body heat. "Better?"
"Much." She leaned her head on his chest, the steady beat of his heart piercing her eardrums. There was no threat in sight (and even if there was, she could hold her own), but she felt considerably safer in his arms. Her smile quickly faded as she realized that, in a mere week, moments like this were going to be rare. She promised herself she'd forget about it, just for tonight, but the nagging feeling at the back of her head refused to leave. Reality was hitting hard. "I'm gonna miss this. I'm gonna miss you."
Kevin kissed the top of her head. "I know. I... I'll miss you, too." As much as he knew that she was going away for a good reason, he hated the idea. Still, there was nothing he could do to change things. Gwen was leaving, whether he liked it or not, and he had to make peace with that. It was for her future.
The girl lifted her head, staring deeply into his obsidian orbs. Ever since she told him about the news, he had been nothing but supportive, but she knew deep down that it was going to be tough for him to adjust to life without her. "Maybe I can turn down the offer. I'll stay in Bellwood, and we can—"
"No, Gwen." Kevin squeezed her hand. "I never got to finish school, but even I know that an opportunity like this ain't easy to come by. You need to go to Friedkin. You need to leave Bellwood. Even if it means leavin' me."
She idly drew circles on his chest with one finger. "Do you think we'll be okay?"
Kevin didn't answer her question directly. "We— We'll find a way to make it work. We have to. I'll call you every night. I'll even come visit on weekends."
She heaved a sigh, sitting up. "But it won't be the same. I'll miss not being able to hug you when I'm having a bad day. I'll miss not having you in the room when I'm studying." She huffed in frustration. "I wish I could just take you with me."
Kevin sat up, eyes widening as an idea formed in his head. "Well, what's stoppin' you?"
Gwen shook her head, stroking his cheek with the back of her hand. "Kevin, you have a life here. I couldn't possibly expect you to drop everything and follow me."
"Do I? I mean, Tennyson's my buddy and all, and I'm grateful for my mom, but..." He put his hands on her shoulders. "You're the biggest thing in Bellwood I got goin' for me."
Curious on why he suddenly changed his mind, Gwen's dropped her hand from his cheek. "What happened to making the long-distance thing work?"
"Screw that," he said with a smile on his face. "If I have to move away to be with you, I will. It'd be a win-win situation, Gwen! You'd get to go to college, and we wouldn't be miles apart."
"Are you absolutely sure?" Gwen was still concerned.
Kevin nodded resolutely. "I don't wanna be away from you, Gwen."
"Me neither. It's just... if you're serious about this, we need to talk to my parents." She was already dreading their reaction. They definitely weren't going to take it well. "Look, can we talk about this tomorrow? Right now, I don't wanna think. I just wanna be with you."
"Yeah, okay." He pulled her into a tight hug, his arms holding her close. She relished his touch, wanting nothing more than for the moment to last forever.