“It’s not y-your fault Hot Flash is, is a woman who delights in the misery of others.” Jack said quietly. “It’s w-who she is, it’s what she does… I-I just don’t know why she and the other Doom Syndicate members f-focus on you so intently… if, if I could I’d take all their attention from you, s-so they bother me instead.” he reached and touched her hands, looking at her painfully.
“I’m used t-to being bullied and beaten a-and hurt so it’d be n-nothing new to me. If it would o-only mean they’d leave you alone…”
She shook her head so violently, a cry ripping from her throat. “NO! NO Jack! I won’t let that happen! Ever! You hear me? I won’t let them hurt you! How could you even..suggest something like that? No! To even think of you like that..it hurts..!”
Beaten? She didn’t even want to imagine him with a papercut let alone hurt in front of her. It shook her, her body trembles increasing.
“All I do is cause you pain..”
“No you don’t,” he said as his arms wrapped around her tightly, pulling her in, caressing her hair and kissing her forehead and cheeks though carefully with that bruised one. “You don’t cause me pain. You’ve done so much for me, Katelynn I love you so much and I just want to look after you but all these people come after you I wish I could be with you all the time just to try and give you a chance to, to get away or, or something…! Please, d-don’t cry any more. Please…”
Jack Maple 