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Gwen ran as fast as her legs could carry her, drenched in sweat from pushing her body to the limit. In all the chaos during Ben's fight with Cash, it had completely slipped her mind that she'd left Kevin at the mannequin factory. So much time had passed since she promised to come back for him that it was now nighttime. She wished she were able to get to him sooner. Please be okay, she thought.
She came to a halt in front of the factory, panting heavily. Once her breathing had become steady, she opened the door and conjured a tiny ball of mana in her hand to illuminate the room. She spotted Kevin sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall, exactly where he was a few hours ago. Most of his body was still covered in the concrete and metal he absorbed during his battle with Cash, leaving only his face, left shoulder, left hand and right leg exposed.
He squinted, trying to focus on her amidst the overwhelming darkness of the room. "Gwen? Is that you?"
"Yeah." She approached him and knelt on the ground to meet his gaze. "Sorry I took so long to get here."
"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show."
She flinched, taken aback by his tone. Was he joking or was he being serious? "You needed me. You clearly don't have enough strength to walk home on your own, or you would've done it by now. I know I showed up late, but did you actually think I was gonna leave you here?"
"Wouldn't have blamed you if you did." He shrugged. "This kinda thing happened all the time in the Null Void. Didn't take long for me to realize that the only person I can really count on is myself."
Although he tried to hide it, she could see the pain in his eyes. She was morbidly curious to know what had shattered his faith in other people but decided now wasn't the time to pry. He would open up eventually, or so she hoped. "Haven't I proved myself trustworthy by now?"
On one hand, Gwen had shown him nothing but respect and kindness since he joined the Tennysons and even stood up for him when Ben doubted him. On the other hand, he wasn't 100% certain that her treatment of him was out of the goodness of her heart. For all he knew, she had ulterior motives, though he hoped he was wrong. There was something special about her and he didn't want to lose that. "I dunno."
She sighed. Although she was dissatisfied with his reply, it was likely as good of a response as she was going to get from him tonight. "Come on. Let's get you home." Kevin wobbled as Gwen helped him to his feet, trying to balance himself.
Gwen moved her hands to Kevin's waist, holding him in place. "Take it easy. Cash really did a number on you, huh?"
He shed his concrete and metal armor, reverting to human. "In my defense, I didn't know what I was up against. What happened to the jerk, anyway?"
"Ben kicked his butt and took the glove for safekeeping." She took his arm and put it around her shoulders to support his weight. "Can you walk?"
He took one small step forward, then another, and another, very slowly making his way towards the exit with Gwen by his side. "Looks like it." His entire body ached, but he pressed on, wincing in pain. "So, how're we doin' this? Jetray Airlines? Are we callin' a cab?"
"We'll walk," she replied. Kevin gave her an unbelieving look, which Gwen rivaled with a firm stare. "Ben's busy with homework, and with your clothes all torn up like that, we can't get into a cab, or we'll attract attention."
"Great," he muttered. Between his current condition and the distance from the factory to his apartment, there was a long walk ahead. He promised himself he'd go straight to bed when he got home. "I guess if I gotta be stuck walkin' with someone, I'm glad it's you."
"You're not so bad yourself," she joked.
At long last, they reached the factory's exit and stepped outside. Kevin stopped, mentally preparing himself for the journey. "You okay?" Gwen asked out of concern.
The dark-haired boy nodded. "Yeah, just need to psych myself up, that's all. I know I ain't good with words, but uh, thanks for comin' back for me."
She smiled politely. "That's what friends are for." She yearned for them to be more than that, and she knew Kevin wanted the same thing she did. If only he had the courage to make a move on her.