Her immediate reaction was to move her face to the right to hide the scar, putting her hand upon it as casually as possible as if becoming thoughtful. It was too much of a reminder of her atrocities. “It’s so selfish to expect that, Jack,” she whispered, curling into herself a bit. “Especially because I’ve failed you so much…I’ve promised to be careful, to make you happy and promised myself I wouldn’t hurt you anymore.”
Her eyes stung with tears, blinking them away. “No amount of being sorry can make up for it. Sometimes I can’t even imagine why you would still want me despite what you’ve said. I thought you deserved better. I wanted to become braver and stronger for you, to help the supers and prove a human could do what they could…”
Looking up at him shyly from behind her lashes, she flushed and continued, “But it just didn’t feel worth it without you. I was so torn between what I wanted and what I thought was right..”
Taking a gulp of air, her shoulders hunched together as she gripped the edges of the couch. “S-Sorry…rambled…”
He’d been trying to give her her space, only allowing himself little gestures and touches. But seeing her like this now was more than Jack could bear. Before Katelynn could move away, he slid his arms around her and pulled her into a warm, gentle hug.
“And my life doesn’t feel right without you either,” he insisted. “It’s not because of the future we’ve heard about. Us married, with a family … I’d like that, yes, but I don’t need it to happen. Katelynn … I just want you. I want to be with you, however our future turns out.”
He reached up and cupped her cheek, covering the scar with his blue hand. “What happened wasn’t your fault. But if you still feel like you need to make up for it … well, isn’t living a life with love the best way to do that? You p-punishing yourself isn’t going to change anything. But if you live your life well, and m-make people happy and do good for the world …” He hated how he stuttered, hated the hitch in his voice, hated how hard it was to express what he was trying to tell her. But he had to say it.
“I’m not perfect, Katelynn. Nobody is. B-but I’ve already become so much better since I’ve known you, and I’ve seen how you have too. Maybe we can still get better, together.” He gazed into her eyes, so close that he could have kissed her if he’d dared. “I want to try, at least.”
A sharp, nearly silent gasp rose in her throat at how close he was, heart pounding hard in her rib cage. She could feel his heat, feel his breath against her skin and she found herself leaning in close. It was like a strong tug that moved her.
Yet she stopped herself and squeezed her lips together for a few seconds before speaking. “Together..?” To live happily the way the people who had perished weren’t allowed? Would that really make up for it? No, helping people – that was the real way. To always do good and help anyone who needed it. She could. She would.
Her hands rested upon his chest, tentatively grabbing the material of his shirt.
“Together,” Jack insisted. And, cautiously, still terrified that she would pull away from him again, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
Jack Maple 