“Katelynn, we have to be honest here…” Jack said softly, and rolled up one of his arms to show his thin arms. He grasped his forearm. “I’m not strong… n-not physically. A-And I’m terrified of confrontation a-and fighting. I faint at the s-sight of blood. I’m… I’m not strong, not as strong as I wish I was but. But I want to be so much better…”
She pressed a hand to his arm, lightly running her fingers across the skin. “You don’t need muscles to be strong Jack..strength comes from the heart..” She placed a hand over his chest delicately. “And the mind..” And reached up to caress his forehead before looking at him straight in the eyes.
“You have both. You have strength where it’s needed. The fact that you want to help me..you’re showing your strength. I’m not strong either. I’m a little weakling but I also want to help. I want to do it to protect you just as I’m sure you want to protect me. We can do it together. We can, because we have love. I’m probably being idealistic..but it’s true! Why can’t it be? We’re not fighting. I know that much. I’m only going to go in disguise to learn their secrets. The most I’m doing is learning self defense to keep myself safe and run. That’s it.”
He shut his eyes as her hand caressed his arm and head, forcing himself to keep listening to her through the doubts fogging up his mind. What could he really do, besides paint? He had no fighting skills. Not even self defense. Maybe he could take that but what good was it against villains like those who lurked around town? It was insane. Suicidal. Yet he was forcing himself to want to help.
Deep, deep down… he wanted to run. He wanted to scream and hide and claw at his head in disgrace at his cowardice.
But he didn’t.
“I… I could… d-do that too…” he mumbled. “Take… do what… you’re doing…”
Jack Maple 