In case you couldn't tell from the word count, this is a relatively long story by one-shot standards. I was considering breaking it up into two chapters, but I didn't want to break the flow. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading it!

Kevin took another sip from the mug of coffee on his desk, struggling to stay awake. He looked down at the book before him, filled with an overwhelming number of math equations. With a groan, he slouched and lay his head on the desk in exhaustion.

Pursuing his GED was always something that he thought he'd have to deal with in the future rather than 'now'. Gwen suggested for him to take it as a way to make up for all the years of school he missed when he was trapped in the Null Void. At the time, he agreed to it without really knowing what he was in for. Before he knew it, he officially signed up to take the test and he started to doubt himself. Sure, Gwen was helping him study to the best of her ability and he actually understood what he was learning, but deep down, he felt that he was going to disappoint everyone who was rooting for him. With the test a mere week away, he had been pulling all-nighters to increase his chances of success, at the cost of the little sleep he usually had.

He closed his eyes, almost drifting off to sleep, before being interrupted by his phone ringing loudly. He grabbed it from the corner of the desk and answered the call groggily as he fixed his posture. "Hello?" A giggle came through the other side of the line. "Morning, sleepyhead."

He couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. Merely hearing her voice raised his spirits. "Morning, Gw- Wait, it's morning already?" With his phone still in hand, he begrudgingly left his seat and dragged his feet towards his bedroom window. He parted the curtains a tiny bit, allowing some natural light to fill the room. Taken by surprise, he recoiled like a vampire, instantly closing the curtains.

"Kevin?", Gwen asked, sounding slightly confused. "What... What time is it?" He was utterly clueless.

"You stayed up all night again, didn't you? I thought I told you to get some sleep after you dropped me off last night.", she said, her voice full of concern.

Kevin rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how to justify his actions. "I know, baby. I guess I just wanna do as much as I can to make sure I'll ace the test. It'll make me feel worth it for once, ya know? My mom's counting on me and I need to make her proud." He gave off a half-hearted self-deprecating chuckle.

"You know it's not healthy, right? Staying up all night? You need to sleep, Kevin. Studying for hours on end won't do you any good if you can barely stay awake. Sooner or later, the coffee will stop working its magic and you'll pass out. Why don't you skip work today and just sleep in?"

He could tell she was very concerned, and it made him feel bad for not taking her advice the night before. Under normal circumstances, she would never outright condone him skipping work. "Seriously, I'm wide awake. I'm fine." The fatigue in his voice was painfully apparent. He intended to ease her worries, but he feared he might have just proven her point.

"Suuuure.", she retorted.

There was a long bout of rather awkward silence between them, before Gwen spoke up again. "Hey, I know you're stressed out and all, but you'll do fine. I believe in you, Kevin. Besides, you know you don't need a GED to prove your worth, right? You're worth so much to me already. I'm sure your mom feels the same way." Kevin cleared his throat. "Yeah. Hey, I uh... I gotta get ready for work. Can we talk later?"

While he was telling the truth, he was also attempting to worm his way out of the conversation. He always had trouble expressing his feelings and felt uncomfortable whenever he needed to say something he didn't know how to put into words.

"Oh.", she replied in disappointment.

The sudden change in her tone of voice felt like a punch to Kevin's gut. She must have known he was trying to cut the conversation short. He wanted to apologize immediately, but no words escaped his lips. Fortunately for him, she didn't acknowledge his weak attempt to change the subject as her voice regained its enthusiasm. "Well, why don't you come over to my place after work? You could use a break."

"Uh, yeah, sure, why not? Don't think I'm doin' anythin' else tonight, anyway. Have fun at class." He was met with a hearty laugh from Gwen. "What? What's so funny?", he asked obliviously. "It's a Saturday.", she replied, laughing a bit more. Kevin rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. I gotta go. I love you."

"I love you too. Don't forget about tonight.", she reminded him in a soft but firm tone.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He hung up and placed his phone on the desk, rubbing the bridge of his nose in embarrassment. "Real nice, Levin."

12 hours came and went and, after work and a quick shower, Kevin found himself walking down the hallway leading up to Gwen's dorm room. He stopped as he reached his destination, firmly knocking on her door three times. "Hello? Gwen, it's me!" He stood there awkwardly for a minute or so before the door slowly parted.

Behind it stood a smiling Gwen, wearing not her usual clothes, but a strapless white dress that exposed her collarbones and reached down to her ankles. Her hair was also let down, flowing past her shoulders. A rose-like scent emanated from her as well, no doubt the work of that perfume she always used. Just when he thought she couldn't get any more gorgeous...

Kevin scanned her from top to bottom, mesmerized by the sight before him to the point that he froze. Before he got the chance to react, she pulled him inside, reaching behind him to close and lock the door. "W-What's goin' on?", he exclaimed. The joke was on him for thinking it was going to be a regular night.

Gwen put a finger to his mouth, shushing him. Tiptoeing to close the height gap between them, she kissed him tenderly on the lips, leaning into him while wrapping her arms around his neck. His heart fluttered and he felt a chill travel down his spine, as he always did whenever they kissed. Just as he got out of his self-induced trance, she teasingly pulled away, planting her feet on the ground.

"Surprise."

Kevin took his eyes off her for the first time since he arrived and noticed that something was off. Gwen's dorm room was designed in such a way that the living room, kitchen and dining room were combined, making up one big room. From where he was standing, Kevin saw that all the lights in the room were dimmed, and the small circular dining table (which Gwen hardly used due to her busy schedule) had food on it for what must have been the first time ever.

"Yeah, about that... what's so special about today? What's all this?", he said as he looked around. Gwen simply flashed him a wide grin, grabbing him by the arm and leading him to the dining table. She pulled out a chair for him, gesturing for him to sit down. He obeyed her request, pulling his chair closer to the table. A large plate with a large well-done steak on it and a glass of water were in front of him. Gwen had the exact same thing on the other end of the table. He put his hand above his plate, feeling hot air coming from it to indicate its freshness.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead out of fear, causing him to tug at his collar. "Okay, seriously. Is today a special day? Did I forget something?", he gulped, voice cracking. "'Cause I'm sorry if I did."

"You're so cute when you're scared." She hugged him from behind and sweetly trailed kisses up his neck. He moaned softly under his breath, his entire body shivering from the touch of her warm lips on his skin. Gwen loved seeing the effect she had on him. She knew the right buttons to push to make the whole 'bad boy' ruse fade away, leaving behind a bumbling, awkward mess. It was sweet.

"Can't a girl do something nice for the boy she loves?" She ended the trail of kisses by giving him a quick peck on the cheek, calming his nerves. Perhaps he wasn't in trouble after all. "Now, come on, eat." She took a seat opposite him. "I made it myself, believe it or not."

Okay, something was definitely up. They left Bellwood over a year ago and in all that time, Gwen never actually made her own food, certainly nothing that required as much time, effort and skill as a steak, in any case. Her life was too hectic for her to care to eat breakfast, so she usually only had two meals per day, for both of which she would either order takeout, microwave an easy meal or prepare something simple like spaghetti. It was something she wasn't particularly proud of, but the chaos of her day-to-day life didn't give her many opportunities to change things.

Kevin decided to ignore that, shifting his focus to the plate of food before him. He picked up the fork and knife next to it, digging in. He took his first bite, chewing slowly. Gwen nervously tapped her fingers against the edge of the table, awaiting a comment from him. "Well?"

He held out a finger, non-verbally telling her to be patient, and his head tilted upwards in an attempt to find the right words to say. As he intended, this got on her nerves. She groaned and furrowed her eyebrows, crossing her arms close to her chest. "Not getting any younger, you know." Kevin finally swallowed. "Just messin' with ya. It's great, baby. Where'd you learn to cook so good?" Gwen exhaled in relief, putting her hand to her chest. Kevin continued eating as she spoke, though this time at a much faster pace to make up for missing two meals. "I tried to perfect it for weeks. I know this is out-of-character for me, but I wanted to make something instead of just ordering takeout. I, uh... I had some help over the phone from Mom."

Kevin almost choked on his food, coughing. "Whoa, what's wrong?", Gwen asked inquisitively, nearly bolting out of her seat to see if he was okay. He took a gulp of water from the glass beside him to clear his throat, before putting the glass down. "You're tellin' me your mom helped you do something nice for me?" As far as he knew, Natalie Tennyson did not like him one bit and she made sure he knew of it every time he returned to Bellwood with Gwen, though given the fact that she talked in a monotonous tone to practically everyone, he was beginning to think she didn't like anyone at all.

Gwen rolled her eyes, her lips curling into a slight smile of satisfaction. "Over-exaggerating much? I told you she'd come around." He simply shrugged, not wanting the conversation to revolve around her mother any further. "Well, either way, this is amazing." Gwen blushed from the compliment. "Thanks, babe."

The two continued to eat in silence for a few minutes, before Gwen asked Kevin a question. "Can we talk?"

"Sure." He was so caught up on the great time he was having that he almost forgot that they had an unfinished conversation that morning. His shoulders sagged as the thought of having to talk about his feelings crept into his mind. "Oh. You mean talk talk. Is that why you did all this?"

"No!", she said defensively, putting her hands up. "I- I mean, no, not entirely, but I wanna help you. I've never seen you work on something this hard and I've never seen you neglect your health like this. I know you're letting something else bother you. You shouldn't keep things bottled up, Kevin. It's not good for you. You know I'm always here for you. If there's anything you need to talk about, whatever it is, I'm all ears."

Kevin exhaled in defeat, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew she was right, so he might as well attempt to make sense of what he was feeling. Even if he didn't want to, she'd find ways to pry it out of him. "I guess the only reason I need a GED in the first place is 'cause I didn't get to finish school. I ran away from home and then not long afterwards I met you guys and..." He closed his eyes and knitted his eyebrows as he subconsciously recalled his unpleasant memories of the Null Void, his breathing becoming ragged. Gwen reached for his hand with hers, squeezing it as a sign of support. She didn't need to hear this part. His facial expression told her what she needed to know.

He opened his eyes to see his hand being enveloped by hers. She smiled reassuringly at him. His breathing steadied and his body relaxed, though his eyes refused to meet her gaze. "By the time I got out, I was way too old for elementary school. I knew I couldn't just continue where I left off but I couldn't waltz into high school and pretend I knew stuff, either. I felt... dumb. I tried to make up for it with all the alien tech knowledge I had, but it just wasn't the same. It's not like I was foolin' anyone, anyway. You figured it out all by yourself."

He ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. "I guess I feel like I owe it to myself to ace the GED so that I'd feel normal for once, or maybe... acing it'll make me feel worth somethin'." He picked at his food absent-mindedly. He wasn't quite sure how he felt. Awkward? Uncomfortable? Ashamed? Probably all three.

Gwen leaned towards her boyfriend, as much as the table allowed her to. "Kevin, I'm so proud of you for just wanting to get your GED. You've come so far and I know you'll do great no matter what you think, but if you don't, it won't change a thing. You never needed formal education and you technically don't need a GED now either. Don't sacrifice your well-being for this. It's not worth it. I tried that before and it didn't work. It never does." He uttered an "Mhm" in return. Gwen searched his eyes, noticing how they seemed to look at everything else except her. "Babe, look at me."

"Gwen...", he said in a strained voice. "Look at me.", she repeated, her grip on his hand tightening, not enough to seem forceful, but enough that Kevin knew she was serious. He brought his eyes up to look at her, exposed and vulnerable.

"Listen to me. I can't begin to tell you how much you mean to me. You've always been there for me. You always manage to cheer me up whenever I'm feeling down. You've always protected me and no matter how good my powers get, I always feel safer when I'm with you. You're funny, observant, smart... and that's just the tip of the iceberg. You not having a GED could never and will never change how I feel or how anyone else feels about you, because you more than make up for it with all your qualities." With one hand still holding his, she gestured at the room with her other hand. "I love you so much and I'm a lucky girl for having you in my life. I would do all this and more a hundred times over just to make you happy."

He studied her demeanor. Her smile was genuine and her grip on his hand, while strong, was very affectionate. She really meant every word she said. She really loved him, just like she said she did. His lower lip quivered. "You did all this just to make me happy? Making dinner, wearing that dress... just for me?" He allowed a stray tear to escape his eye despite the voice in his head screaming at him to keep his cool.

The concept of any girl loving him (let alone Gwen of all people) still eluded him. For the longest time, he thought of himself as a freak who was destined to die alone and miserable. Then she came back into his life after a trying time and not only was she being nice to him, she was attracted to him and later came to love him. The most perfect girl in the universe loved a deadbeat monster like him. Even after seeing him do questionable things, she stood by him.

Common sense dictated that they would be incompatible. After all, the whole 'good girl/bad boy' thing always seemed like something out of a cheesy rom-com. It'd never work in real life. Fortunately for both of them, she decided to ignore common sense and take a chance because she saw him as something more. With her looks and smarts, she could have anyone she wanted, but she chose him, the messed-up ex-con. That in itself made him want to do better, to be better. He wanted to be the best version of himself for her sake.

Gwen immediately took note of the tear running down his face. "Aw, babe, come here." Her tone was gentle and inviting, drawing him into her. Intertwining her fingers with his, she inched her face so close to his that their lips just barely brushed. She kissed him softly and swiftly, then pulled away a little bit, putting on her classic smile that made him weak in the knees. "I'll never stop trying to make you happy, and if you need a reminder of how much you mean to me..."

She rose from her seat and made a break for her bedroom down the hall. Seconds later, she emerged with a thin cuboid item in her hand, wrapped in colorful wrapping paper. Judging by her beaming face, she was clearly excited to show it off. She placed the item on the table, giving Kevin a chance to look it over. "You're just full of surprises today, aren't ya?"

"Yes, yes I am." He tore the wrapping paper hastily and retrieved the gift within, leaving the remains of the wrapping paper on the table. It was a thin hand-crafted red book. On the front page was a full-sized photo of the two of them, with some text on the bottom in large letters that spelled out 'Reasons Why I Love You'. Flipping through the pages, he found that there were pictures of them on each one, with large text headlining each page, accompanied by a few paragraphs of handwritten text. He tilted his head upwards to face her, hoping that she would clear things up.

"It's a scrapbook!", she said excitedly, draping her arms over his shoulders from behind. "Whenever you're having a bad day or if you ever think you don't deserve me, which isn't true in the slightest, read it. It's full of pictures of us and reasons why I love you, just so you don't forget how much you mean to me, how much of an impact you've made on my life. Plus, it's a good way to look back on all the fun we've had together."

He put the book down. With her hands still over his shoulders, he interlaced her fingers with his. "Never knew you were the crafty type."

"I'm not, but I wanted to do something different instead of just buying you something. Do you like it, though?"

"You kiddin'? It's amazing. You're amazing." Gwen kissed him on the head. "Like I said, I'd do this again a hundred times over." She hugged him tightly, nearly squeezing the life out of him.

In a fit of ardor, Kevin jolted out of his seat, turned around and pulled her into a deep kiss, running his fingers down her luscious orange hair with his left hand and supporting her waist with his right hand. Holding the love of his life in his arms just felt right.

Although she was startled at first, she quickly matched his intensity, leaning into him snd aggressively squeezing the collar of his T-shirt with her right hand while holding the other to the left side of his chest, feeling his accelerated heartbeat.

Kevin moved his left hand to the back of Gwen's neck, steadily and delicately trailing his fingers down her back, eliciting a breathy moan from her. His dancing fingertips felt like fireworks on her skin. Their breaths quickened as they kissed even more heatedly, Gwen's body dipping slightly, supported by Kevin's arms. Soon after, he reluctantly separated from her, pulling her lip with his teeth. They gasped heavily for air, his nose touching hers.

"Sorry. I've been... wantin' to do that... all day.", he huffed, out of breath. With lidded eyes and a seductive smile, Gwen reached out to nibble Kevin's earlobe before lowering her voice to a near-whisper. "Don't apologize. We're far from done." They looked at each other longingly and only saw burning passion; some sort of hunger that needed to be satisfied.

Kevin grabbed Gwen by the hips, causing her to yelp, and lifted her body into the air, setting her down on the dining table. She hooked her legs around his waist, pulling him closer, then bit his lower lip teasingly as they kissed. It was slow at first, as they found a rhythm, gradually picking up speed and getting messier, a sense of urgency hanging over them despite the fact that they had all the time in the world. Right now, they were both very grateful that Gwen didn't have a roommate who could walk in on them.

In a frenzy, Gwen sneakily snaked her hands up his undershirt, letting them feel his toned body. Much to her dismay, it was short-lived as Kevin suddenly broke the kiss. Realizing she must have done something wrong, she let her hands return to her sides, hanging her head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to go too far."

"No, no! It's not that. It's just that..." His eyes darted to the ground. They had only recently been exploring the physical side of their relationship, kissing and becoming more 'touchy' with each other much more often. They knew their limits, they agreed not to go too far, but a lot could be done between simply kissing and... that. From what she could read from his face, he probably thought they were going too far, which was equal parts disappointing, surprising and endearing.

Then he looked her right in the eye with a smug smile. "I can't let you have all the fun." He immediately attacked the meeting point between her neck and right shoulder, ferociously sucking on her soft skin. She arched her head back and hummed, enjoying herself far too much to utter a full word.

She was usually very in-control of herself, but there was something about Kevin that made her completely flustered. She would never admit it, nor did she have to since she managed to retain her composure on the outside most of the time anyway. Yet, it was how she felt on the inside that bothered her. It seemed that she couldn't get enough of him. What was it about him? That soothing, raspy voice of his? His piercing black eyes? His, what did he call it, roguish charm? Or was it all of that and more?

With Kevin's complete attention still on her neck, Gwen slid her hands up his undershirt again. Her left hand reached for his back, while her right hand moved all over his torso, her fingers memorizing every inch of him. He brought his head up to face her and swirled his tongue over her jaw, kissing his way down her neck to her collarbones. Looking down, he saw that Gwen was very engrossed in his body. "You're really goin' to town, huh?"

"Can't handle it?" She looked at him with batted eyelids. "Nah. In fact, lemme help you." He raised his arms above his head and removed both of his shirts, dropping them on the floor. Gwen whistled, marveling at how chiseled he was. He smiled in return. The extra time he'd been spending at the gym seemed to have worked out in his favor.

Gwen planted short, quick kisses down his neck, reaching his chest. They had never gone this far before, so she was just making things up as she went. He let out a sharp breath, something like a cross between a sigh of relief and a laugh, assuring her that she was doing something right.

She figured it was time for her to get a bit more daring. After all, Kevin had the perfect body. She loved him for much more than his looks, but it didn't seem fair to him if she didn't show him that she still found him irresistible. She understood why almost every girl they bumped into on the streets couldn't take their eyes off him, and it made her all the more glad that she was the lucky girl who had him all to herself.

He carried her once more, gripping her hips a little more forcefully than before, as their lips joined. He headed towards the living room couch and sat down, with her straddling him. She pressed her chest against his, filling the space between their torsos. She sucked his bottom lip, then prodded it with her tongue, requesting access into the cavern that was his mouth.

Societal norms dictated that it was usually the guy's job to lead, but Kevin didn't let that bother him. On the contrary, he welcomed it. She very much deserved it. After all, she was the one who convinced him to join her and Ben in their quest to find their Grandpa Max and stop the Highbreed invasion. She was the one who brought to light their feelings for each other. She initiated their relationship by asking him out to that dance at her school, at which she wore the very same dress she was wearing now (or she would have, had it not been for a Big Chill-related problem). She even initiated their first ever kiss. Suffice it to say, if she hadn't done any of those things, they wouldn't be in the situation they were presently in. So what if she took the lead? He certainly had no qualms about taking a backseat.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he realized that Gwen's tongue was still poking his lip. He opened his mouth slightly, just enough for her tongue to slip in, and did the same to her mouth with his own tongue. Their tongues twisted and turned, taking their time to explore every nook and cranny there was to find, rubbing against each other's teeth and feeling the roof of each other's mouths.

Gwen angled her head for maximum pleasure, deepening the kiss even more than she thought possible. Her hands cupped his cheeks tightly, while his wrapped around her back, wanting to feel as much of her as he could. It was at that moment that, even though his eyes were completely shut, Kevin saw her body glow for a few seconds.

Their tongues wrestled sloppily as they began to feel a little dizzy due to the lack of air, each contact between their bodies being an outpouring of pure and raw emotion. They had some powerful kisses in the past, but this was by far the most intense. They felt closer to each other than they had ever been, both physically and emotionally. All they wanted to do was to hold each other, feel each other for as long as they could, sharing their body heat and unadulterated love. As long as they had each other, nothing could go wrong. Nobody else made them feel the same way they did for each other. Nobody else gave them the fullness that they craved.

Unfortunately, the need for air arose, and their lips slowly and reluctantly parted. Their eyes remained locked and their chests puffed rapidly as Kevin held Gwen's cheek with his hand, stroking it with his fingers. She blushed, relishing his touch. "I love you, Kevin Ethan Levin."

"I love you too, Gwendolyn Tennyson." He planted kisses on her forehead, nose, lips and cheeks in rapid succession, causing her to squeal in a way that Kevin thought was downright adorable. She slowly removed herself from his lap, moving to snuggle next to him on the couch. She nestled her head against his neck, placing her hands on his bare chest. One of his hands moved to wrap around her shoulders, while the other rested on her thigh.

He looked down to admire the beauty of his astonishingly stunning girlfriend. He loved the contrast of her soft skin against his harder, tougher body, and how her vibrant green eyes were so easily identifiable through her long, silky hair. Then there was the way she pressed her body so close to his, her chest moving up and down as she breathed. She felt safe and protected in his embrace and it showed. She looked so pure, so innocent, and the flavor of her lips were still fresh on his own. Just like that, he wanted to kiss her again.

She looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow, catching him off-guard. "Babe, are you... staring at me?", she asked, stifling a laugh. Her eyes were large, rich with youthful energy, making it impossible for him to lie to her even if he wanted to. He went wide-eyed, his cheeks flushed red. "Uh... heh. I guess I can't help it. You're just so... beautiful." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling sweetly. "You make me feel that way." Her own cheeks began to turn red. "You do know that I stare at you when you're not looking sometimes, right? You're... well, dreamy."

As if to accentuate her point, she idly drew circles on his chest with her fingers. "I'll say it again and again if I have to." He looked at his shirtless torso. "I don't think you need to." He sported his trademark smirk. "Taking my shirt off? What would your mom say if she knew what her goody two-shoes daughter was really like, hm?"

"Consider it our little secret.", she winked.

"As you wish, m'lady.", he joked. "So, earlier, while we were... y'know, kissin' and stuff, I saw you glowin'... literally."

"It was probably the Anodite in me acting up 'cause I was...", she breathed a sigh of contentment. "I'm just really, really happy. Being with you does that to me, you know. There's just something- maybe everything- about you that just... makes me feel like nothing matters when we're together. I don't have to live up to anyone's expectations. I can be whoever I wanna be without people breathing down my neck. You make me feel like I don't need to be perfect."

"If anything, I should be the happy one. You changed my life. If it wasn't for you, I don't know how screwed up I'd be today. You know I didn't have much goin' for me when we met that night the DNAliens and Forever Knights messed things up. You made me believe in hope again. You gave me something to live for. Heck, you are that something. I'm a better person because of you, and I can't tell you just how much I love you. Thanks, baby, for everything. You're the most wonderful girl a guy could ever ask for."

'Baby'.

Gwen never pegged herself as someone who would be easily swayed by pet names, but then Kevin began calling her 'baby' not long after they left Bellwood, and she quickly realized that her heart melted every time he said it, without fail. The way she saw it, he had basically claimed her as his own. She was his and he was hers, just the way she liked it.

"Aww, that's so sweet! And you keep saying you aren't good at expressing your thoughts." She lightly kissed the base of his neck. "When it comes to you, I can talk all day.", he replied confidently. They sat in silence for a few seconds, enjoying each other's company.

"Hey, do you ever wonder what our lives would be like if we never left Bellwood?", asked Gwen.

Moving away was a difficult yet exhilarating decision for both of them. For Gwen, it was a similar situation to her grandmother's offer to take her to Anodyne. Both cases opened up numerous possibilities. Going to Anodyne allowed her to hone her skills in using her Anodite powers, while going to an Ivy League college early meant she could learn interesting new things and gain some independence. Both cases gave her the opportunity to leave high school behind. It was beneath her and she never truly felt like she belonged there, anyway.

And then there were the downsides. In both cases, she was leaving her family, her friends... and Kevin. The initial plan was for Kevin to stay in Bellwood while she went off to college on her own. From the moment she told him about the news, they talked about whether they could do a long-distance relationship.

After giving it plenty of thought, Kevin decided that he couldn't bear to not see her every day, so he brought up the possibility of him moving away with her. The ugly truth was that he didn't have much going for him in Bellwood other than Gwen. Yes, Bellwood was his hometown and he was going to miss his mother and Ben (they were best friends, after all), but he was content with leaving them as long as he could be with the love of his life.

Understandably, it took some convincing. Both his mother and Gwen were thrilled that he was going with her, but it took the combined efforts of Kevin, his mother, Gwen and Max to convince Frank and Natalie to support their decision. They caved, under the condition that Gwen and Kevin wouldn't be living under the same roof, since they were both too young. As luck would have it, they weren't planning on doing so anyway, which was enough to win them over. That was that. They left Bellwood and their lives were never the same again.

"Sometimes, I kinda miss Bellwood, but things've been great since we left. We're not gettin' our butts kicked every day and we don't have to deal with Tennyson's weirdo fans swarmin' around us all the time, not to mention how much closer we've gotten. We've spent a lot of time together and done stuff we probably couldn't or wouldn't have done if we were still in Bellwood."

Gwen giggled. "Like make out?" Kevin smiled. "Oh ho, yeah, definitely, but there's also late-night car rides, stargazing, spillin' secrets... stuff that we probably wouldn't have had the time or privacy to do if we stayed. With all the time we've spent together, I feel like we've grown a lot. I mean, c'mon, I think we know more about each other than anyone else does. It's really been awesome."

"It really has. I'll admit, I was afraid to move away at first, but I don't regret it for a second and I'm glad you came along. I'm living the dream. I went to college early, I get to kick butt as my own person and not just a sidekick, I've made new friends and I have the greatest guy in the universe going through this journey with me. For the first time in forever, things couldn't get any better."

He chuckled. "I don't suppose you could tell the greatest guy in the universe how you planned this whole thing? Don't get me wrong, everything was pretty much perfect, but I'm curious. How long did it take you to do all this?"

"Oh, I had the idea to surprise you after you signed up to take the GED test. It was my way of telling you how proud I am of you for coming out of your comfort zone to take it, and I also just wanted to put a smile on your face. I knew that dance we had was really special and you liked seeing me in this dress, so I made it a point to find it when we went home so I could wear it today."

"What gave it away?", he asked. She put a finger to her chin, pretending to think. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you could barely keep your eyes off me while I was wearing it." Kevin brought one hand up from her back to play with her hair. "See, that's where you're wrong. I can barely keep my eyes off you no matter what you're wearing." Gwen lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Smooth."

"Last question. What if I hadn't shown up today?"

"Well, I would've probably surprised you at your place.", she replied. "Persistent, aren't we, Gwendolyn?", he smirked at his use of her full name. Gwen brought her head closer to his, their foreheads touching. "Don't act so surprised, silly. You know me. I'm not one to give up so easily."

They both knew just how persistent she was. He turned into a 'monster', as he called it, twice since they started dating and not for a second did she give up on turning him back to normal, even when everyone else was convinced there was no way to do it. She sacrificed countless hours of sleep and study time just to help him, even resorting to time travel. Where he (and so many other people) saw an ugly monster both inside and out, she saw a hero. Her hero. She was there for him at his lowest, when no one else was, and he knew that he'd do the same for her in a heartbeat.

His smile widened. "And I absolutely love you for that." He planted a gentle kiss on her nose. "You know you just raised the bar for yourself, right? I can't wait to see what you have in store for my birthday."

"Oh, no, mister, I expect you to outdo me for my birthday." He shook his head, laughing, then paused for a moment.

"I know I ain't good at, y'know, sappy stuff, but would you marry me?"

Gwen blinked in total disbelief. The next thing to come out of her mouth was nothing more than mere whimper. "What?"

His cheeks turned red out of embarrassment once more. "Gah, that came out wrong! I- I meant eventually. Four, five years from now, if I proposed, would you say yes? I know that came outta nowhere, and I get if you don't wanna answer that question yet. We still got a long way ahead, bu-"

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Kevin?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." Keeping her hands on his chest, her lips crashed down on his. As he closed his eyes, his hands moved to rest just below her neck, feeling her skin with his fingers. How many times had they kissed tonight? How long had it been since Kevin first arrived? Neither of them knew. Time seemed to stand still whenever they were together this way.

Gwen slowly broke the kiss, keeping her lips just inches away from his, their breaths meeting in the small space. Her eyes were filled with tears, blurring her vision. "Was... that a yes?", Kevin asked jokingly.

She wiped her tears away, bearing a grin that stretched from ear to ear. She held his chin with her right hand. "Yes. Yes! Yes times a million!" She cleared her throat, lowering her voice. "Four to five years from now."

Kevin nodded in reciprocation. "Four to five years from now. What do you suggest we do 'til then?" He yawned.

"Well, right now, looks like we should get you home. I don't know how much coffee you've had, but the effects seem to be wearing off.", she replied. Kevin pouted. "Aw, c'mon, really? I'm not a kid. I'm pretty sure I can... can...", he yawned again. "I think I'll be fine. Let's watch a movie or somethin', or- or we could-"

"Sorry, babe. You're really adorable when you pout, but I need you to go home and get a good night's sleep. I don't want you putting your health at risk. Besides, we can still hang out tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. We have all the time in the world, remember?"

"Okay, okay.", he mumbled noncommittally. He was far too tired to argue. "Good. I'll walk you downstairs.", Gwen replied. "Let me get changed and I'll be right back."

"But... But you look gorgeous in your dress.", he said, disappointed. Gwen wasn't sure if that was him or his exhaustion talking, but either way, he always managed to make her feel like a princess. "Would you like to explain to the other students walking around why I'm dressed like I'm about to go to a fancy ball?", she asked him rhetorically.

"No."

"Well, there you go." She lovingly nuzzled her nose against his, getting up to make her way to her bedroom. As she passed the dining table, she glanced at Kevin's shirts strewn on the floor. "You might wanna put those back on.", she suggested.

"Yeah, just gimme a minute.", he yawned. Gwen entered her bedroom, locking the door. With the couch now having extra space, Kevin spread himself over it, struggling to keep his eyes open as he stared at the ceiling. He had never felt this tired in an extremely long time. Caffeine crashes were the worst! Maybe he could just close his eyes for a few seconds. After all, Gwen was probably going to take five minutes to change. A five-minute nap sounded very tempting.

Gwen walked out of her room several minutes later, wearing a set of red pajamas. "Sorry I took so long. We can- Kevin?" She stopped in her tracks as she saw him lying on his side the couch, resting his head on his arms. His eyes were fully shut and he was snoring so softly, it was almost inaudible. His legs were slightly folded to fit the length of the couch.

She put her hand to her chest, feeling her heartstrings being pulled at the sight of him sleeping. She wanted to wake him from his slumber in the least bothersome way she could, but she simply couldn't. It didn't seem to right to force him to leave now, when he looked so serene and comfortable.

Taking extra care to make as little noise as humanly possible, she went back into her room and retrieved a pillow and a blanket. She spread the blanket over his muscular frame, then raised his head to slip the pillow under it, earning a groan from him. "Sorry, babe!", she whispered, then bent over to kiss him on the forehead. She lightly caressed his cheek. "Just go back to sleep, okay? I love you so much."

She walked back to her room, but waited before she entered, watching him as he slept. She thought about his premature marriage proposal. In spite of what she told him earlier, four to five years seemed like a considerably long time to wait. She already knew she wanted to be with him forever. Why couldn't time pass by more quickly?!

But then it hit her. They spent the last two years away from their family, living only five minutes away from each other, and they'd been seeing each other every day for even longer than that. They knew each other's secrets, fears, wants, survived many arguments and even came back from death.

In other words, apart from their living situations, they practically acted like they were married anyway! Four to five years to make it official seemed like no problem at all. What was the rush?

After all, they had all the time in the world.

I hope that was worth five months of my time. :P I revised certain scenes and lines several times to make this story the best I could. I must apologize if it's not up to par. My basic goal for this story was to show how Gwen and Kevin have grown over the course of their relationship so far, both as individuals and as a couple. The GED thing was something Ultimate Alien brought up that was never mentioned again, so I figured I'd put it to good use.

The main takeaway from the story is that Gwen and Kevin have kind of reached the point where they complete each other (hence the title).

All in all, it was pretty fun to write! Constructive criticism, comments and suggestions for future stories are most welcome.