Re: Sonrisa: Sam A & Cris M
Cris had kept his stuff to himself mosta his life, if he could manage it. Whatever he had going on, he just tried to deal with, however he could—even if it was nailheads, or taking a bat to somebody's car to, finally, actually say 'no.' He hadn't talked to Sofia 'bout it, not really. There were moments, but mosta them were her. Juana, Elena, all the same way. Pilar was the only one and it was only 'cause she said he had to, 'cause she was helping—and maybe it had something to do with that, that the guy didn't divulge his crises, but he didn't expect Sam to soothe him or support him the way she wished she could. Sometimes he wanted it, but he figured everybody did. Sometimes he wanted to be able to lie his head on her lap and cry, without her doing much outsidea being there, running her fingers through his hair.—Which, yeah, he got was pathetic.—But, mosta the time, Cris just wanted to be there for her, to give and take, and, normally, they did a pretty good job.
It was just when things got hairy that it fell apart. And the guy knew Sam couldn't do nothing about how she reacted, nothing besides go talk to her shrink in the Capital, 'cause it was PTSD, it was trauma, it was a lotta things compounding—but he didn't expect her to change, not overnight, and not for him.—He was used to his role too, huh? Soothing, taking carea somebody, and it helped calm him too, focusing outward. Like now, him saying all those things in Spanish strung like popcorn on a string, and Sam's head to his chest. He kept rocking. Her fingers painted his hair.
She said she hated him and he kissed the toppa her head, so fond, his tears still falling into raucous blonde. "I know. Mocosa. I know it's scary." He shifted a bit. He sniffled too. "Do you wanna...—maybe for a bit, you can stay with me?" He said it like a question, uncertain, fingers around her shoulder, holding her to him. He was quick to make sure she knew—"You don't gotta. Pero—pero, I'd like it, if you did. If—if you wanted to." He felt like he was sixteen. It was ridiculous, his heart going too fast for something so mundane. "Then, if you're home, with me, you'll have me right downstairs, huh? If you want me. Or need me."