Apparently he was all right when he was called upon to be strong, not if he was challenged to be weak. Charonite sat down beside her and swung his legs up on the bed, sitting stiffly back against the headboard. This didn't really work when they were both next to each other, her curled up and in on herself -- so he slouched down a little and very furtively, a little tentatively, curled his fingers around her own. And there they were, lying next to each other, and it would have been more of an event had her teeth not practically been chattering. Had she not been so afraid.

"I'm here," was all he said.

And at least when he promised that, he was.