She nuzzled closer, taking in his warmth, her nose buried near his neck as she inhaled deeply. She wanted to stay like this, basking in a comfort she had never known.
Shin continued to pet her head, surprised by her sudden affection. She hugged him tightly, as if drawn to his presence, his warmth, and his scent.
He felt a bit uncomfortable, unsure of what to do. But her touch was not threatening, and he didn't want to hurt her emotionally by pushing her away.
For the first time, she chose to be close to someone on her own terms. It seemed she trusted him, and that trust made him feel quietly proud.
"What's with you today, Laverna? Are you feeling alright?"
Laverna tried to keep her emotions in check, swallowing hard against the lump forming in her throat. For years, she had held back her tears, never allowing herself the weakness of breaking down.
But now, with her face buried near Shin's neck and the gentle weight of his hand stroking her hair, the dam finally cracked. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks as memories of her stolen family flooded her mind.
She didn't want to cry, didn't want to seem fragile, but the grief clawed its way out of her no matter how tightly she held it in. Her body trembled slightly as she clung to him, her breath hitching.
Shin noticed her shaking and instinctively held her tighter, not saying a word but letting his embrace speak volumes. He continued to stroke her hair gently, grounding her in the present moment.
"I… I don't know why I'm feeling like this," she choked out, her voice cracked and small. "I didn't want to cry. I thought I could stay strong."
"You don't always have to be strong," Shin said softly, resting his chin lightly atop her head. "You've carried a lot on your own."
Her nightmares had haunted her nights and stalked her every step. But here, in this fleeting moment of peace, she clung to Shin not out of obligation, but necessity.
She needed him. For years, she had bottled her tears, believing that showing weakness would dishonor her fallen kin.
But now, as her composure slipped and emotions surged forward, she could no longer hold it in. Her memories, her pain, and her yearning for something better had become too much.
In Shin's arms, she found an anchor she never thought she needed. She pressed closer, not understanding why, but trusting that for once, this was where she belonged.
"I didn't mean to... I just..." she began, her voice muffled.
"You don't need to explain," he whispered, continuing to hold her close. "Let it out. You've earned this moment."
As she sobbed into him, her mind flashed with her past. The flames that devoured her home, the cries of her parents, and the darkness that swallowed her freedom came rushing back.
Yet through it all, she still stood. Barely, yes, but standing all the same.
Her tears stained his skin, but Shin never pulled away. Instead, he hugged her even more tightly, as though assuring her she wasn't alone anymore.
In her chaos of emotion, Laverna realized she was finally allowing herself to be vulnerable. She didn't understand why Shin's presence calmed her, only that it did.
She didn't know why she was feeling this way, but everything inside her had broken loose. And all she could do was cling to the one person who had stayed.
She cried for everything she had lost. And for the first time, she cried while holding someone who wouldn't let her fall.
A quiet moment passed as Shin continued to cradle her, letting her cry without judgment. She could feel the steady rhythm of his heart, as if telling her that he wasn't going anywhere.
As her sobs slowly subsided, Shin kept her close, his heart weighed with unspoken emotions. He looked toward the polished surface of a nearby cabinet and caught a glimpse of his reflection.
In that moment, he wanted to break too. He tried to scream out the pain of his past, of all he had lost and buried deep.
But he couldn't. Not now.
She needed someone strong.
So he buried those feelings, locking them behind the calm mask he wore. Not because he wasn't hurting, but because being strong for her gave him purpose.
Even if just for this moment, he would shoulder the pain for both of them. Because she was worth it.
In that quiet room, two broken souls held on to each other. One mourned the past, the other silently chose to be the rock that endured for them both.
And in that closeness, something unspoken passed between them. A promise of trust, of shared pain, and perhaps, the fragile beginnings of healing.
Laverna sat there, her head resting against Shin's shoulder. The tightness in her chest, the aching emptiness that had lived with her for so long, finally started to unravel, and she felt the tears coming despite every attempt to hold them back.
She had fought so hard to bury her grief, to lock away her memories of her family. For a month, she had kept her emotions sealed tight, but in this moment, with Shin's warmth surrounding her, they broke free, and she cried.
Shin didn't speak at first, letting her release the pain in silence. His arms wrapped around her tighter, holding her like she was the only thing that mattered, as if he could absorb her sorrow, sharing the weight of it.
"I don't know why I'm doing this," Laverna murmured, her voice thick with sobs. "I've never allowed myself to break down like this."
"You don't have to understand right now," Shin replied softly, his voice steady but with a hint of emotion that he fought to keep hidden. "Sometimes, you just need someone to hold you when it gets too much. Don't fight it."
She didn't respond, but her body relaxed against his, as if his words were the anchor she hadn't known she needed. His warmth was soothing, a balm to her raw emotions, and for the first time in a long while, she let herself feel something other than the cold emptiness that had consumed her for so long.
"I'm sorry, I… I don't know what's happening to me," she whispered, clinging to him as though he were the only thing keeping her from falling apart completely.
"Shhh, it's okay," Shin murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You're not alone anymore. You don't have to carry this burden by yourself. You have me."
Laverna closed her eyes, allowing herself to believe the words. She had spent so long alone, trapped in her own mind, but now, she wasn't alone. Shin was here, and maybe, just maybe, she could trust him.
Shin, too, was struggling with his own emotions. Looking into the mirror earlier, he had seen the reflection of a man who had wanted to break down, to shed the weight of the world. But as a man, he couldn't allow himself that luxury. Not while Laverna needed him.
For her sake, he would stay strong. For both of them.
Laverna shifted slightly in his arms, wiping her face with the back of her hand. She was trying to pull herself together, but the tenderness in her eyes betrayed her—she wasn't ready to face the world yet.
"Thank you," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know I needed this until now."
Shin nodded, his expression unreadable. "You don't have to thank me. Just know that I'm here for you. Always."