Salty
Finnel didn't know how long she could keep on smiling, pretending that nothing was wrong. Even though she practiced smiling even when she hurt inside for so long, her other personas were perceptive of her true emotions. Then again, they were facets of herself, separate personalities that she created in order to cope with an unstable mind. The memories of darkness, humiliation, and loneliness…they would always be a part of her. She would never escape from her depressingly persistent bad luck. Finnel was destined to remain in misfortune, and eventually, she will be all alone again.
"Finnel," a voice said, causing her to turn around in surprise. "What're you doing out here all by yourself? Everyone was wondering where you were; we were all worried."
Finnel stared at Aoto for a moment, before she mustered up the brightest smile that she can manage. "Hey, I'm fine! I mean, I was just out taking a walk, there's no need for anyone to worry-"
A hand gently caressed her cheek. "You're crying."
Finnel wiped a hand across her eyes and found that she had been crying, to her surprise. She was so stupid for breaking down like this-she should be used to this by now. Someone like her didn't deserve happiness; she was a bad girl, and bad girls deserved to be punished. She wanted to tell Aoto that she didn't deserve her friends, that she didn't deserve him, but she couldn't voice any of these thoughts and she simply wrapped her arms around Aoto's steady shoulders, trying to hold her tears in. Yet when Aoto returned her embrace, she found the tears flowing freely.
Finnel sobbed lightly into Aoto's chest. He must've thought of her as a big crybaby; clumsy Finnel must've looked stupid breaking down out of nowhere. Yet somehow…Aoto seemed to soothe her fears with a word or a touch. He lightly tilted her chin so that she was directly looking into his eyes…before he planted sweet kisses on her cheeks. He showered her face in kisses, tracing the paths where the tears have fallen, kissing them all away.
"Aoto…" Finnel said softly, resting a hand against Aoto's chest gently. "Thank you."
Aoto planted a soft kiss on her lips, before he pulled back gently. "You haven't let me all the way in yet, Finnel. If you're afraid that I'll hate you for knowing the real you, then you're dead wrong. I'm here for you…okay?"
Finnel nodded. "Yeah. I know. I just…"
"Ssh…" Aoto whispered, before he kissed her again, soft and sweet. Finnel felt the stirrings of emotions that she never felt before-it came through her in a powerful rush, something almost cathartic. She closed her eyes, melting into the kiss. Even if she was a bad girl who deserved her terrible misfortune…she should at least be allowed this one small chance of happiness.