Integrity & Melancholy

Comfort in a man's arms

Malli lifts up her cup to her lips, steam covering her glasses as she blows on the hot tea in her hands. The couch dips right beside her. Looking over, Sebastian sat down and is now holding his own cut, just staring around, not quite sure what to say.

"I'm sorry about what I said to you this morning." Malli whispers out, her throat dry and raspy.

He glances at her, there was no sign of anger in them, just a bit of guilt.

"It's alright, I was overstepping, I shouldn't have said what i said." Malli puts her cup down on his coffee table and turns towards him.

"You didn't overstep. It was your opinion and instead of listening I just got mad at you."

Sebastian now puts down his cut as well, his arms on his knees and hands fumbling with each other.

"But that's what so great with you. You don't care what is said, you protect the people you care about. That's an honorable trait that you have. I respect that, I just hope that Chris does too." His eyes meet hers and for a second, Mallis body goes tingly before his words reach her brain. She looks down, a vile feeling rising in her and anger right with it.

"Who cares, she obviously doesn't see it the same as you. You were right anyways. It just keeps on being about her, and I'm just done going along with it." Her voice is steady but anyone who knew Malli could see that she was heartbroken over losing her friend.

"Maybe both of you just need to cool down a bit." Sebastian reasons. "It'll work out with you two."

"Why are you saying that?" Sebastians eyebrows hit the sky in confusion. "I mean, you don't like her, or me being friends with her, you said yourself that she isn't good for me. Why are you saying that it'll work out. Shouldn't you be happy about my bubble of delusion breaking?" She throws her hands onto her lap and stares at the wall, so much running through her that she doesn't even know where her head is at.

Sebastian sighs and reaches for one of Mallis hands, holding it in his own. His thumb slowly and carefully strokes the back of it as her searches for words to say.

"Sure, but you guys have been friends for such a long time. I hate to see you unhappy. And clearly this makes you unhappy, the whole situation. I don't want that for you." Malli stares intently at his face, her thoughts running wilde.

"So you think this'll work out? I mean, you weren't there. She said those things in such a tone that was just ice cold and mad. I've never seen her be so mad at me before. And the things I said. I don't even know how I could say that to her. I feel so awful. I'm not the kind of person to hurt someone." She carefully rants, looking at their intertwined hands.

Sebastian lifts her hand up and kisses her knuckles, staring into her eyes with certainty.

"Just wait and see. By monday you will both have calmed down and can talk it out. It'll be like nothing happened." The edges on Malli's mouth turn upwards as she looks at Sebastian. Seemingly he can make a positive out of any negative.

She falls into his arms and rests her head against his chest. His arms wrap around her body, a hand stroking through her hair in comfort.

Maybe this would really work out after all. At least she was hopefull.

*******

The sound of a door slamming rings in Chris' ears but her blood was boiling and her body shaking in anger. A loud door was the least of her problems.

Around the corner of the hallway her Dad walks out and stares at her.

"Chris! What have we said about slamming doors in this house?!" He yells at her, his pulse still up from the fight he had with her brother.