Blue stiffened in his hold, still leery of even that tactile comfort, but she didn't jerk or shove him away. The words pressed into her skin were muffled, but she understood the truth of them regardless. Yet, it was so difficult not to fall headfirst into that trap; Blue felt herself teetering on its edge all the time, now.

The arms which held her were strong, familiar--Blue found herself clutching them with trembling hands, just for the support they offered. Omega's body was a solid warmth, a barrier between her and whatever madness lurked behind them. She shook with the effort not to give in to her sobs, trying not to appear as weak as she felt.

Blue shook her head, refusing to offer any excuses or explanations, any reasoning; none of those things mattered. What did matter was how badly she wanted him to hold her, to keep her together when she felt that at any moment she might fly completely apart.