WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE HE'S RAPING HIMSELF? WHAT DID YOU NEED THAT PIC FOR ANYWAY? IS THIS HOW GARY PLANS TO SEDUCE LOCKE? ON THAT COLD WINTERS NIGHT? AND WILL LOCKE GIVE HIM A LOOK OF LONGING, HOPING TO SEE MORE OF HIS HOT BODY, TO MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, PERHAPS (ELLIPSES) KISS IT? AND THEN TRAIL THOSE KISSES UP HIS FINE CHEST, UP HIS NECK - PAUSING FOR JUST A MOMENT TO SUCKLE THE VEIN THERE LIGHTLY AND SENDING HIM INTO ECSTACY - AND THEN ALONG HIS PERFECTLY-SCULPTED JAWLINE, PULLING AWAY JUST AS SHE REACHED HIS MOUTH. SHE STANDS THERE, STARING INTO GARY'S EYES LONGINGLY, UNAWARE THAT SHE HAD BACKED HIM INTO THE WALL WITH HER TENDER KISSES. LOCKE'S LIPS GHOST OVER GARY'S, AS SHE STUDIES HIM. HE LOOKS SHOCKED, HIS EYES VULNERABLE, AND SHE SEES WITHIN THEM A WANT - A LUST - THAT SHE HAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE. HER HEART IS POUNDING IN HER EARS NOW AS SHE EXAMINES HIS RED FACE, THE VEIN IN HIS NECK VISIBLY THROBBING. LOCKE PLACES A HAND LIGHTLY ATOP HIS CHEST, OVER HIS HEART, AND SHE CAN FEEL THAT IT IS BEATING IN RYTHYM WITH HER OWN. BUT SHE DOESN'T KISS HIM. SHE TURNS AWAY, HER HAND STILL PRESSED TO HIS CHEST AND HER EYES WIDE WITH SHOCK. THIS WAS ALL SO SUDDEN, THESE FEELINGS, AND ALL BROUGHT ABOUT BECAUSE HE WAS TAKING OFF HIS SHIRT - A SHIRT SHE HAD ORDERED HIM TO TAKE OFF, AS IT WAS SOAKED THROUGH, JUST LIKE HIS JACKET AND SCARF THAT WERE ALREADY DRYING BY THE FIREPLACE. SHE WAS THINKING ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT HAD HAPPENED THAT EVENING, EVER SINCE HE HAD KNOCKED ON HER DOOR; SINCE SHE HAD WILLINGLY LET HIM INTO HER HOME, SCREAMED AT HIM, SAVED HIM FROM HER POKEMON, SCREAMED AT HIM AGAIN, AND EVEN AFTER A THAT, HE HAD STILL TOLD HER THOSE THREE WORDS - THE WORDS SHE WANTED DESPERATELY TO HEAR FROM HIM, DESPITE HER HATRED TOWARD HIM, DESPITE ALL THE PAIN HE HAD CAUSED HER. WHY HAD SHE WANTED HIM TO SAY THAT? IT WAS STUPID OF HER, TO FEEL THIS WAY FOR HIM. BUT EVERY TIME SHE REMEMBERED THE MOMENT HE HAD PULLED HER INTO HIS ARMS, AND SPOKE ALL HIS HEART INTO HER EAR, HER HEART STILLED FOR A COUNT OF THREE - ONCE FOR WHEN HE TOLD HER HE THOUGHT OF HER, ONCE FOR WHEN HE TOLD HER HE LOVED HER, AND ONCE (ELLIPSES) FOR WHEN SHE HADN'T SAID ANYTHING IN RETURN. THAT LAST MISSING HEARTBEAT WAS STRICKEN WITH PAIN, RATHER THAN THE PLEASURABLE TRILLS OF THE PREVIOUS TWO. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HER? WHY WAS SHE FEELING THIS WAY? WAS SHE THAT DESPERATE THAT SHE LET HER HORMONES TAKE OVER FOR A MINUTE? WAS IT THEIR REACTION TO HIS SINCERE WORDS, HIS PAINED EYES THAT SEEKED HERS DESPERATELY FOR FORGIVENESS? OR WAS IT JUST A SPUR OF THE MOMENT ORDEAL, HER ACTIONS DRIVEN BY THE TORRENTIAL RAINS BEATING AGAINST THE ROOF AND THE DIM GLOW FROM THE FIREPLACE THAT SET THE ATMOSPHERE INTO SOMETHING MORE THAN ONE OLD FRIEND SHELTERING ANOTHER FROM THE STORM?
THE WHOLE TIME LOCKE WAS FIGHTING TO FIND AN EXPLANATION FOR HER ACTIONS, GARY HAD KEPT A STEADY GAZE ON HER. AND WHEN LOCKE FINALLY LET A TEAR TRAIL DOWN HER CHEEK, SHE WAS SURE SHE FELT GARY'S HEART STOP FOR THE SLIGHTEST MOMENT BEFORE RETURNING, BEATING EVEN FASTER. SHE CLENCHED HER EYES CLOSED, AND RELEASED THE PRESSURE SHE HAD BEEN HOLDING OVERTOP GARY'S CHEST - HIS HEART - BUT GARY SHOT HIS HAND UP FROM IT'S POSITION AGAINST THE WALL, GRASPING LOCKE'S WRIST IN THE LIGHTEST OF HOLDS. LOCKE TOOK IN A SHARP BREATH AT THE FEEL OF THE COLD METAL ON HER SKIN, BUT DIDN'T FIGHT IT. SHE JUST STOOD THERE, HER HEAD DOWN IN SHAME.
IT SEEMED LIKE A CENTURY OF AWKWARDLY-COMFORTABLE SILENCE BEFORE THE SILENCE BROKE. "I'M SORRY. I SHOULDN'T HAVE (ELLIPSES) I DIDN'T MEAN TO (ELLIPSES) I (ELLIPSES)"
LOCKE DIDN'T MEET GARY'S EYES, AFRAID OF WHAT SHE MIGHT SEE.
"PLEASE, DON'T (ELLIPSES) APOLOGIZE." LOCKE LET OUT A STUTTERING BREATH, HER TEARS STOPPING. "LOOK AT ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU, PLEASE."
LOCKE STILL STARED AT THE GROUND, FROZEN. SUDDENLY THERE WAS A CALLOUSED HAND UNDER HER CHIN, AND HER EYES POPPED OPEN AT THE SUDDEN JERK UP HER HEAD WAS FORCED TO DO. SHE GRINDED HER TEETH AS SHE KEPT HER GAZE FOCUSED ON THE FLOOR, WHICH HAD SUDDENLY BECOME DIFFICULT; WITH THE NEW ANGLE OF HER HEAD SHE COULD NO LONGER SEE THE FLOOR, GARY'S CHEST REPLACING THE VIEW. HER HEART SPED INSTANTLY ST THE SIGHT, AND SHE SILENTLY CURSED HERSELF AS SHE FLICKED HER EYES UP TO THE CEILING INSTEAD. THAT WAS LESS AWKWARD THAN STARING AT THE CHEST OF THE BOY - THE MAN - SHE HAD RAVAGED IN A HAZE OF LU--
SHE STOPPED HER TRAIN OF THOUGHTS BEFORE THE WORD COMPLETED ITSELF.
SHE COULD FEEL GARY'S EYES PIERCING HER EYES, BUT SHE STAYED STRONG.
STILL HOLDING HER CHIN IS HIS HAND, GARY SPOKE AGAIN. "LOCKE." HIS VOICE ALMOST BROKE, BARELY WAVERING. HE SPOKE HER NAME JUST ABOVE A WHISPER, AND HE SWORE HE COULD SEE THE SHIVER THAT RAN THROUGH HER.
SHE FINALLY LOOKED INTO HIS EYES, HOLDING BACK A SUDDEN SURGE OF TEARS. JUST LOOKING IN GARY'S EYES WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER, HE WAS ALWAYS GUARDED, HIS EYES GLAZED IN ICE. NO ONE COULD EVER READ HIM THROUGH HIS EYES - JUST AS HE HAD LIKED IT - BUT AFTER EVERYTHING HE HAD BEEN THROUGH, EVERYTHING HE AND LOCKE HAD BEEN THROUGH, TOGETHER, HIS EYES HAD BROKE. AND HE DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE. IN FACT, IT SEEMED LIKE HE WANTED PEOPLE TO READ HIM THROUGH HIS EYES. HE WANTED LOCKE TO READ HIM. HE WANTED LOCKE TO KNOW EVERYTHING; EVERY EMOTION THAT CROSSED THROUGH HIM HE WANTED LOCKE TO SEE IN HIS EYES.
THEY STARED INTO EACH OTHERS EYES, ENTRANCED BY THE OTHER, BEFORE GARY STARTED TO LEAN FORWARD. HE DROPPED HIS HAND FROM HER CHIN AND PLACED IT ABOVE HER BREAST, WHERE HER HEART POUNDED BENEATH HER SKIN, AND BROUGHT THE HAND HE STILL HELD BACK ON TOP OF HIS OWN HEART.
LOCKE TRIED TO LOOK AWAY, TO BREAK FROM HIS GAZE, BUT SOMETHING KEPT HER THERE. HER FACE WAS HEATING UP AS HER HEART SPED EXPONENTIALLY AS GARY'S LIPS CAME CLOSER AND CLOSER TOWARD HER OWN, NERVOUS AT THE THOUGHT OF GARY FEELING HER BODY'S REACTION, EVEN THOUGH SHE COULD FEEL HIS HEART DOING THE SAME.
HER HEART DROPPED WHEN GARY STOPPED RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER, HIS FOREHEAD RESTING ON HERS. SHE LICKED HER LIPS INSTINCTIVELY, THEN CURSED AT HERSELF FOR THE INVOLUNTARY ACTION. HER EYES WERE BURNING FROM BEING KEPT OPEN FOR SO LONG, BECAUSE SHE WAS AFRAID THAT IF SHE BLINKED SHE WOULD MISS SOMETHING.
"DON'T EVER SAY YOU'RE SORRY TO ME. YOU SHOULDN'T, NOT AFTER EVERYTHING I'VE DONE TO YOU." LOCKE COULD SEE THE STRUGGLE IN GARY'S EYES AS HE CONTINUED, HIS VOICE FINALLY CRACKING. "AND DON'T EVER LIE TO ME."
LOCKE WAS AT A LOSS FOR WORDS, HER MOUTH SLIGHTLY AJAR IN SURPRISE. HER EYES WELLED UP, THE CORNERS OF HER MOUTH TWITCHING UPWARDS, HER EYES TRAINED ON GARY'S.
AND THEN, HIS EYES DID THE MOST UNEXPECTED THING, LOCKE THOUGHT. THEY TRAILED DOWN THE LENGTH OF HER NOSE, SETTLING ON HER LIPS. LOCKE'S STOMACH FLUTTERED AS SHE TASTED HIS WARM BREATH AGAINST HER LIPS, AND GARY LOOKED BACK UP INTO LOCKE'S EYES, A WARY LOOK IN HIS EYES.