His body shook with sobs, and he clung to Jiho as if she were his lifeline. Each tear that fell seemed to carry a piece of the fear and anguish he'd been holding inside.
Jiho could feel his tears soaking through the fabric of her undershirt beneath the armor, the hot, wet evidence of his pain. She stroked his back gently, her touch soothing and constant despite the barrier of her armor. Her fingers traced comforting patterns, offering silent reassurances with each pass. She felt his grip on her tighten, his desperation palpable.
Mer Chu's sobs grew louder, his breath hitching in his throat as he cried. His face was buried against the cool, unyielding surface of her armor. The emotional release he had been denying himself for days was overwhelming, leaving him feeling both vulnerable and strangely lighter. He hadn't realized how much he needed this moment, to let go of the facade of strength he had been maintaining.
