I'll Face Down The World With You [Fic Excerpt]
She sighed softly, her hands moving to wrap around her shoulders in a protective hug. "I don't really like being touched," she offered quietly, her tone filled with uncertainty at how much she should divulge. "I don't do well with sudden, unexpected contact. It's too…" she trailed off, her words feeling weak.
"Much?" He offered, his eyes watching her the entire time with a weight that she knew well.
"Yes. It's too much pressure, it's too hot. It hurts."
She watched his eyebrows raise questioningly. "It hurts?" He asked genuinely, and the tone left Mel relaxing under the reassurance of not being judged. It was the sole reason she continued with raw honesty.
"Yes. It's like–" blonde eyebrows furrowed in thought, "–it's like touching the top of the stove. Instantly its hot, it hurts, and all your body can process is that it hurts, that something needs to be done to stop it, but even after running the burn under cool water, it lingers and stings. That's what unexpected touch feels like, and those are the neutral ones."
"I…I didn't realize," he replied after some time, looking at her with a kindness that felt heavy.
She looked away, staring at the wall across from them. "It's difficult to explain," she said quietly, rubbing her hands along her biceps.
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