InsaneJournal

Melanie was a wreck. She couldn't think straight and hadn't been able to get out of bed for the weekend since hearing about the quake in Japan. She'd been there only a few weeks ago. Japan had had quakes before, but nothing like this. She'd been there during the one a few years ago which had terrified her. This left her immobile and she'd not even been there during it. Two of her friends had yet to contact her which kept her on edge.

With her knees drawn up to her chest she sat in bed flipping through the channels trying to find something that wasn't world news on her television set. Cartoons. Anything to keep her mind off of what a mess the world felt like it was falling into. It was a scary, scary time. Never had it seemed so many quakes hit back to back from one another in different places of the world.

She wanted to hide from all of it.

Triton worried for Mel. It couldn't be easy having to deal with something that hit so close to home. And then of course his damned father had opened his blasted mouth and made it worse.

He really, really wanted to punch his father some days.

He came to her door and let himself in, finding her in her room. He smiled at her and settled beside her, setting one arm around her. "I brought you some sour jellies." It wouldn't really help, not in the big scale of things, but he wanted to try.

She was so confused, tears already hitting her face the moment he'd put his arm around her. She hadn't even heard him come in.

For a moment she just let her head sink into his chest and cry. He had to think her ridiculous. After two years she'd already cried on him two out of the three times they'd seen each other. It was embarrassing.

She nodded at his present, the smallest of smiles hitting her face, but then the tears took over again. She didn't know what to do.

She hadn't even dressed in anything more than a tank and shorts. Not a stitch of make-up on her face.


"Shhh," his voice was gentle when she cried. He couldn't really relate. To him this was a standard thing. If she'd been hurt he'd be devastated, but he didn't know anyone on the foreign island and he'd grown up with his father throwing temper tantrums left and right.

All he could do was try and be there for her.

Sitting up straight she moved back from him, knees pressed into the mattress with her hands laying in between. She hadn't looked at him yet.

"I'm sorry," she managed to squeak out wiping away those tears rather frantically. She must look a mess.


He kept his hand on her back, trying to offer more comfort. "Don't be sorry, you're fine." He smiled to her, "I want to try and be here for you."


She shook her head feeling faint. Why couldn't she stop crying? She hung her head down hair falling against her cheeks to hide her face. Taking a moment to catch her breath she wiped her face again.

"You didn't have to come, I'll be okay," she said in a shaky voice. She didn't want to look like she was a weak girl, but all she'd ever given Celano was her weak side.


"I wanted to come." He glanced to her and settled his arms around her, "I know you try doing things on your own, and I respect that. But there's no shame in asking for help. What happened is a huge thing, you're allowed to be upset over it. I want to help, in some way."

She sniffed finally letting those brown eyes look to his. There was something about his presence that always seem to calm her. She wasn't sure why, but she felt protected, safe.

Wiping under her eyes she pulled her hair from her face snuggling a little closer. "I'm always crying around you," she said less panicked.

Tugging at the rim of her shorts kept her hands busy. "I'm worried is all," her voice soft.


He ran his hand along her hair, trying to offer comfort where he could. He smiled at her words, "it's alright. Next time I'll just come over when you smile." He sighed, "I understand that, so I can try and distract you a little."


She nodded abruptly letting her hand reach out to his where it had previously been coiled around the rim of her shorts. She settled a little more comfortably.

"Why do you care so much?" she whispered pulling her hair behind her ear with the other hand.

"Distractions are good," she sniffed.

He settled his hand around hers, brushing his fingers over hers. "Because I care about you. Therefor I'll always try and be here when you're upset." He nodded, "alright, how about a movie or something?"


He shouldn't be nice to her, he really had every reason to hate her for what she'd done. Yet, here he was as sweet as ever giving her every reason to remember why she really adored him.

She nodded in return pointing to the little wall of movies on her bookshelf.

She'd yet to ask him about his 'brother'. It hadn't crossed her mind again just yet.


He hoped she wouldn't. There were questions he couldn't quite answer, not without telling her everything and he didn't think she needed that right now. With a kiss to her temple he rose and picked out something cute and cartoony, easily putting it on before settling back down beside her."

It was the first little smile she was able to give him through red eyes curling her feet under a blanket and settling beside him. She warmed up next to his side, feeling like she couldn't get close enough. He was so warm, so strong.

It didn't matter that the movie played she wasn't really paying any attention after a while.

With a smile he set an easy arm around her shoulders. He didn't care if she paid attention to the movie or not, all he wanted was to be there for her.


After some time she slipped out from under his arm lounging in his lap, her back rested against his legs so she could look up at him, her hair splashed over his lap. She could only see those sweet features when the screen flashed brighter when switching from scene to scene.

He smiled at her and looked at her, seeing she was now blocking his view, and let his fingers toy over her cheek. Gently he brushed her hair from her face, just studying her. He had missed her, but he also didn't want to take advantage of her.


She didn't say a word just letting her eyes flutter closed to open again at his touch. She needed someone to be close to right now. She'd never hang it over his head as using her, but part of her needed him.

Her lips parted ever so slightly. She didn't want to embarrass herself again, but if he'd remembered anything he knew her looks. Her eyes were needy. Even if it was to feel his lips on her.

She was disheveled, her state of mind slightly off-kilter, but that didn't matter right now.

He leaned forward to offer her the kiss she needed. He would not take advantage when she was so clearly disheveled, but he could never deny her when she looked at him that way.

His kiss was gentle, almost slow, letting himself remember how it felt to just kiss her.


She closed her eyes feeling the warmth of his lips, nothing like her jolting movement the last time he'd been over. This kiss was softer, slower, like for the first time.

She moved more comfortably settling herself between his legs, hands on either leg relishing into that kiss. She could feel her heart beating hard against her chest.