Disclaimer: Yeah. Still not Ridley Pearson.

A/N: Wilbeck: Because Whilby is painfully predictable and lacks hot, unexpected, on-the-edge-of-your-seat passion.

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A Wordless Question
A Kingdom Keepers ONESHOT

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He tries not to care. Really, he does. But watching the girl of your dreams mack around with some bespectacled loser is as painful as getting smacked over the head with something heavy. Like a considerably large rock.

A sensation Maybeck is quite familiar with, actually.

Terry's eyes slid from Philby and Willa in the next booth over and fell onto Jess, who grimaced sympathetically at him. Apart from her, none of the table's other occupants knew about his unfortunate crush on the spunky brunette currently holding hands with afore mentioned bespectacled loser.

Maybeck's brow furrowed angrily as he stabbed his spoon venomously into his big glop of chocolate ice-cream.

"What's eating you, Donnie?" Charlene asked, lifting her eyebrows. Her question drew Willa's attention over to them, and Philby's as well, causing a hot flash of irritation to snake through Maybeck's abdomen.

"Nothin'," he replied boorishly, making it clear he had no wish to pursue the subject of his fury with the blonde. She shot him a cool glare and turned back to eavesdrop on Amanda and Finn's conversation.

"Donnie…" Jess began, frowning in concern at him.

He shook his head in disgust and pushed his chair back from the table as he stood up. "I'm just gonna go," he told her, pointedly not looking in Willa and Philby's direction.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she asked uncertainly, halfway standing up from her chair.

"Nah," he said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets as he pushed his way out of the Frozen Marble and onto the sidewalk. Behind him, something stopped the door from swinging shut, and upon glancing over his shoulder he saw that Willa had stuck her shoe out to keep it from closing on her face.

"Where are you off to?" she asked, staying framed in the doorway as she blinked up at him.

He shrugged, his expression neutral as he met her gaze. "Home."

"Mind walking me home? I've gotta go, and Philby's staying behind to talk to Finn."

"Yeah, whatever," Maybeck said roughly as he turned away and started walking.

Unfazed, Willa fell into step beside him, letting the door swing shut. After a few minutes of silence she said curiously, "You okay?"

"No."

She looked sideways up at his face. He had never realized how much taller he was than her. "What's wrong?"

"Everything."

"Trouble at home? School? What?"

"I'm having girl issues."

Willa smirked teasingly. "You? I don't believe that."

He rolled his eyes, clenching his fists inside of his pockets as they rounded the block. "The girl I'm talking about…" he shook his head bitterly, changing his mind. "Forget it. Doesn't matter."

Willa shrugged. "Alright."

This typical display of unconcern pissed him off.

"For Godfrey's sake, Will!" he snapped, slapping a hand to his forehead in his frustration. She raised her eyebrows and stared at him. Couldn't she see what she was doing to him? Or was it only him, Maybeck, who could hear the frantic pounding of his heart against his ribs? He felt it alright, but it was deafening in his ears, too, and it was a wonder she couldn't hear it.

"What is with you?" she demanded peevishly. "You've been acting weird for a while."

"What is with me?" he snarled, his voice rising as his steps quickened.

"Yeah! What's your problem?" Willa snapped, struggling to keep up with his longer strides.

"You're my problem!" he exploded, coming to a halt and nearly causing her to collide with him. "You, and Philbo back there!" he gestured wildly back down the sidewalk, in the direction of the ice-cream shop. Furious that he actually had to admit that, but having no idea what to do now other than glare down at Willa's shocked face, he waited for her to speak, or move, or do something.

She blinked. Only blinked. Then she looked away and started walking again, leaving Maybeck standing there on the sidewalk fuming.

After taking a few steps, she paused and looked back at him.

"We have a few more blocks," she told him coolly.

What?

He couldn't believe it. He stared at her.

"That's it?" he demanded, stumbling towards her—stumbling, because his muscles were bunched up angrily.

"What do you want me to say?" she hissed, glaring pointedly ahead as she deposited her clenched fists into the pockets of her jacket. "I mean, honestly, Terry! Philby's my first real boyfriend, and you—my best friend—decide completely out of the blue to have a cow over it!"

This time Maybeck felt a flash of hurt. Is that how she saw him, then? As a best friend? A brother?

Well, that sucked.

When he didn't respond and merely gawked furiously at her, she sighed, "We're all friends, aren't we? Why are you so against me and Philby?"

Gee. Maybe because he's a dweeb, you're hot, and you should be with ME.

But Maybeck didn't say that.

Well, maybe he should have said that instead of doing something incredibly stupid. Like, oh, suddenly—without warning—seizing her by the belt loops of her jeans and pulling him to her and slamming his lips against hers.

Maybe then she wouldn't have slapped him and stalked away.

Maybe then he'd still be her best friend.

But hey, Maybeck wasn't feeling entirely smart at the moment. He was thoroughly winded by the highly anticipated act of passion that had just occurred, and the fact that Willa let it last for a solid twelve seconds had him jogging after her and grabbing her gently by the arm.

"Wait," he croaked weakly, pulling her back to face him.

Inexplicably she had tears in her eyes. Why she was crying, he didn't know, but he had a pretty good idea it was because of what he had just done.

Did he regret it?

HECK. NO.

And he'd gladly do it again. And he told her so.

"I did that wrong," he murmured, and this time his kiss was gentle, questioning.

He was the one who pulled back a blissful few seconds later. "Think about it," he said casually, releasing her and stepping back, his hands once again finding their way to his pockets. He shrugged, and with the action became the effortlessly cool Terry Maybeck again as he allowed himself a small smirk of satisfaction.

"You…you—" Willa blustered, trying to look angry but unable to hide the breathless wonder in her voice. Finally, she pursed her lips, her eyes fixed pointedly on his left shoulder. She cleared her throat with difficulty, then, before he could stop her, she turned on heel and ran down the sidewalk in the direction they had been going.

Maybeck headed the other way, a breathless grin of his own gracing his features.

Their lives were already complicated. He might as well contribute to the insanity.

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E/N: Super awkward having people read over your shoulder while you write… REVIEW! And sorry for the suckish ending :P People are rushing me -_-