Just a Quick Note: I don't own any of the characters, worlds, or universes mentioned here (aside from a few original characters). They all belong to their respective creators and companies.

This is a work of fiction created simply for fun and maybe a bit of inspiration. No offense or infringement intended.

***

Gwen knew.

She understood what that kiss would mean between them. It wouldn't be as straightforward as she might have hoped. It was only going to complicate their current relationship. However, Gwen was none the wiser.

Her emotions and the tension-filled mood overruled any thoughts of backpedaling, even if she wanted to. From the moment she had started her friendship with Joe Petersen, she wouldn't have expected herself to feel attracted to him. Was it during their senior year, after graduation, or when they got into the same university?

Anyway, all that didn't matter. What mattered was the present. Her heart pounded in anticipation; her mouth watering in excitement. She had given consent and wanted him to soothe her aching heart.

Joe gazed down at her sensually parted wet lips. Joe focused on her unsteady breathing—sensing her hidden excitement—as their breaths mingled with their noses just inches apart. He could hear her increased heart rate and smell both her anxiety and arousal.

'How will her lips taste?' Joe thought in anticipation as he guided his thumb to her wet lips. Gwen's body tensed, her breath quickening, and labored with each movement of his thumb. Joe was amused by her reaction as he traced the contours of her wonderful pink lips. A dark gleam flashed in Gwen's eyes, momentary exposing her impatience and frustration. She bit on his thumb, making his heart nearly skip a beat.

Joe read through the lines and smiled. His fingers tangled her soft hair as he dived in to complete the adjoining of their lips. An indescribable electric shock traveled down her spine. The kiss was electrifying; his mouth was soft, warm, and hard.

Joe lost himself in her as their tongues intertwined. She was intoxicating, and he couldn't get enough as his hand slid to her waist. He didn't go any further out of consideration of what she had been through.

'Is this what it feels to live in heaven?' Gwen thought wondrously, her eyes fluttering close to better experience the delectable sensations. Joe wasn't just sending her to cloud nine, he brought the heavens directly to her.

Gwen roughly combed through his unbelievably soft bed hair as they savored the kiss. She hadn't expected his mouth to be that therapeutic as it slowly erased some of her fears. She felt safe and protected in his arms. She wanted more, but she knew it was dangerous.

Time slowly passed and Gwen began feeling breathless and gently pushed at his chest. Joe sensed her discomfort and disengaged from the kiss, leaving her gasping for breath with her skin flushed.

For a brief moment, they looked at each other. Both of them had an understanding at that moment. The relationship between them wasn't going to be ever the same. They had crossed a weak barrier that stood between them. Could they still be considered friends? Yeah, they were still best friends, however, the situation had become slightly messier.

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'Well, there's no room for regret. I did it out of my own volition. Ugh... I don't know anymore.' Gwen briefly closed her eyes, her brows knitted together.

Joe had different thoughts. He had foreseen such a situation for a long time. It was an inevitability between two attractive young adults. Now he just had to go with the flow. What they had shared was beyond simple physical magnetism. Or maybe it was him just overthinking things? Gwen was clearly not like the other girls he had previously interacted with.

Was she maybe special to him more than the other girls? Joe sighed internally and calmed his mind. Their current relationship couldn't just be defined by a single kiss, for Christ's sake. It was vague at best.

"How did it feel?"Joe asked gently, absent-mindedly playing with her hair. It was kind of weird asking how Gwen felt from the kiss. He was aware of her enjoyment, but still asked her nonetheless to break the awkward silence.

Gwen's eyes widened, surprised by his simple yet encompassing question.

'How did I feel?' Gwen didn't have a concrete answer to that. Some feelings just couldn't effectively be put into words.

"I-I... It was incredible. I guess It's hard to explain how I felt," Gwen stammered, looking up at him.

Joe chuckled slightly and suddenly hugged her even closer. "Yeah, I think so too."

Not wanting to discuss the kiss any further, Joe tactically chose another topic. He asked, "Now that you've woken up, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Um, I can eat anything you cook," Gwen declared in an anticipatory tone. "Just don't cook anything nasty and poisonous," she added while chuckling.

Gulugulu!

It was then that her stomach grumbled in protest, the pangs of hunger catching up to her. She had barely eaten anything solid last night.

After that sound, Gwen looked up in embarrassment, only to be met by Joe's mirthful gaze.

"It seems your stomach would cherish even my poisonous food," he commented before climbing off the bed while still in his boxers.

"Guess I better get to it," Joe said, cracking his neck before leaving the room.

Gwen arched her brows, her mouth slowly widening in astonishment. She then immediately tugged the blanket over her blushing face. She wished she hadn't seen whatever she saw.

"Does he have no shame, that bastard?" She silently cursed.

***

After breakfast, Gwen was amazed at Joe's cooking skills. The moist chicken breast salad he made left her completely satisfied. Now it seemed she got another reason to stick close to him, fearing that someone else might steal her divine chef.

The thought sounded hilarious even to herself.

Just how many forms of therapeutic treatments had Joe subjected to her? She wasn't in the right state of mind to count. The gesture behind his actions was what she cared for.

Joe had been there for her all along and Gwen didn't know how to express her gratitude. It wouldn't be enough. But despite all that, she understood she would ultimately have to face her fears alone. They couldn't be conquered within days as she was in the process of healing. Just remembering about that terrible ordeal made her blame herself for being weak. Angry at herself for failing to instantly see through the ploy of the seven men. But who could she blame when the bait had been something she couldn't ignore with her huge sense of justice?

As the two closely sat on the couch while the TV played in the background, Joe noticed her clench her fists in frustration.

'She still has a lot in her mind, it seems. I want to ask her a few questions about how the situation culminated. However... I should wait for her to tell me whenever she feels comfortable.' He pondered before placing his hand on her clenched one. He then gently squeezed her hand.

After a few minutes of silence, Gwen nervously exhaled as if she had arrived at a resolution.

"I had just clocked out from the lab..." She abruptly began narrating how the previous night's situation had escalated.

Joe attentively listened as he contemplated, 'By now, Minerva should already have ID'd those men and whoever they are connected to in the underworld. I hope the hired clean-up professional did a good work.'

Anyway, after a few minutes, Gwen finished sharing the information. It had taken a lot to recount all that stuff she didn't wish to remember. But she had to face it for her own and Joe's sake.

"You've gone through a lot, Gwen," Joe murmured, softly rubbing her shoulders. If there was something he had come to learn, it was that Gwen had a strong sense of justice. The young woman she had tried to impulsively save from the criminals had merely been a trap to lure her. And that led to her being cornered.

Joe slightly furrowed his brows. 'If I had been in her situation, what would I've done? I don't think I would have endangered my own life. And that's what separates her from me.'

'I'm merely tarnished with no heroic qualities while she's pure, stupid, and selfless. We're polar opposites and that's why I have to protect her.'

"Joe," Gwen suddenly called him.

"Hmm," Joe shook off his thoughts and murmured a reply.

"Teach me how to fight," Gwen said abruptly, her voice resolute, firm, and full of conviction. "I-I want to be capable of protecting myself."

"That night you showed me anything's possible."

In dramatic fashion, she slowly gazed up at him and said, "I want to be strong enough to take care of myself…to never feel that powerless again."

'This girl...' Joe squinted his eyes with interest, finding her willpower something worthy of investing in. From her powerful gaze, It seems she didn't plan on letting him refuse.

***

[Word Count 1480]