All Your Sorrows Crumble In My Arms

Matt slung an arm around my waist in his sleep, grunting a tiny bit. I smiled and snuggled under his arm, into his pillow. His breath fanned over my face and hair, providing a comforting rhthym to make me fall into a peaceful sleep. His hand sliding across my stomach woke me, but I didn't move. Why? Because he was talking quietly into my ear.

"You're so beauitful to me, Daniellea. Why can't anyone see that? You're so many things that no one takes the time to notice and for some reason you've let me be the guy who gets to hold you. I want to be good for you and I want to take away your pain, but I don't know if I can or if I deserve you." After this he fell quiet, kissing the skin right beneath my ear, moving my hair out of the way to do so.

I let out a sleepy sigh, turning into him. He kissed my forehead, "Did I wake you?"

"No." I lied, "I just woke up. What time is it?"

"Too early to be awake. Wanna go back to sleep?" He let out a yawn.

I nodded but reached out and ran my finger over his bottom lip, "When did you get it pierced?"

He smiled against my fingers and moved my hand just a bit to talk, "Day before yesterday. I got a tattoo too."

"Can I see?" I asked, my eyes lighting up. He rolled over onto his back and lifted his shirt to show me a tattoo across his chst. I smiled, "That's great! Does it hurt?"

"Umhum. In fact," He reached over to his bedside table for a box, "Can you help me for a moment?"

I nodded, "Sure." I sat up on the bed and opened the box to see neosporin, lotion, guaze and tape. I spread lotion into the skin around the tattoo, neosporin across the inked skin and covered it. As soon as I ddi and the stuff was put awa, Matt grinned at me, "You should get one."

"Hell yeah." I laughed, nodding.

"Right here." His hand caresed my hip right where the baggy jogging pants he'd tossed to me the night before fell. I shivered.

He smiled, letting his fingers trip up my side, over my ribs, and around to my back. Finally, he settled in on my the back of my neck, "Daniellea, I'm going to kiss you."

"Okay." Why didn't he just do it?

"You're not afraid?" His voice was imploring, begging me to say no, so I did. And I wasn't. well . . .maybe just a bit because I'd never been kised before, not more than Matt's teasing sweet pecks. What if I did it wrong?

His lips caressed mine, prodding me to lean into him, guiding me. Honestly, I forgot about being nervous or scared because I couldn't do anything but feel and taste. His lip ring was cold but his mouth was warm, wet, and sweet as he ran his tongue along the seam of my mouth. His fingers on my skin caused it to tingle and urged me to lift my fingers to his normally gelled-stiff hair, which proved to be soft. I could go on kissing him forever.

*** Matt's POV***

I could have kissed Daniellea forever. I knew she'd never been kissed before and that she was scared, despite what she said. I tried my hardest to be gentle as I caressed her face and neck, seeking entrance with my tongue. She tasted of Dr. Pepper chapstick and wonderment. I rolled a bit so that she was laying slightly under me, drawing back to peck her lips gently. Her eyes, a stormy grey color, fluttered open to meet mine. I smiled at her, "Ummm. Are you sure that was your first kiss?"

She blushed and lightly hit my shoulder, "Yes."

I frowned, "But I thought you experimented with girls?"

"I did. But there was no kissing involved, above the waist anyway."

I laughed and kissed her cheek as my phone rang. I groaned, "It's too early for phone calls."

Despite that, I grabbed it up, "Yeah?"

"Don't you 'yeah' me! Let me talk to my daughter, now." Daniellea's mom did not seem happy.

I handed her the telephone, "It's your mom."

She rolled her eyes, "Great, just bloody perfect."

I stifled a laugh because she was cute and watched her arguing with her mom. Her lips tightened and she gritted her teeth, "No, he's not, Mom . . .whatever . . .later, I plan on going back to sleep . . .yeah, bye." As soon as she hung up, she turned to me, "We'd better make the best of today."

"Why is that?" I stroked the side of her face.

She gave me an impish grin, "Because she's never going to let me out of the house again."

I laughed, "Can't your dad do anything about it?"

"Pssh, no. My mom would be worse if he said anything, just to spite him. He hates her, she hates him. And Rodney hates us all." She shrugged.

Just the mention of her brother made my blood boil. She saw that and tried to soothe me. Her small kisses and the feel of her hand rubbing my shoulder did more than that. It lulled me back to sleep.

Hours later, I pulled up to the curb two streets away from her house, "Johnny said your mom left, but it's better safe than sorry."

She nodded, flicking her cigarette out, "This is so stupid. She's stupid."

I didn't want to disrespect her mom so I just shrugged, "Come on. Johnny will shit a brick if we don't get there soon. Especially with you having been sick."

She smiled, "That kid is something else. Yeah, let's go."

We met around the front of my car and I didn't hesitate to slip myhand into hers. She no longer tried to pull away, but readjusted our grip a bit. getting into Johnny'ws without being seen by her mom-if she was home-proved to be easier than I'd thought it to be. Apparently if you walked around to Johnny's backyard the hudge was talle enough for even Jimmy, who was taller than most, to go without being noticed.

Johnny greeted Daniellea with a hug, a tight one that had her squealing. I felt a surge of jealousy and glared at him over her head. He smirked and kissed her cheek defiantly. Was the kid blind or just stupid/ I could crush him without even noticing it, like stepping on gum, and he still kisses her? I had to grin though when she immediately came to snuggle against my side. Johnny looked at me, "Did you finally ask?"

"No." I shook my head, widening my eyes at him. No, of course I hadn't mustered up the courage to ask her out. I almost had this morning but then the phone rang.

He rolled his eyes, "Come here, hun, there's something you should see."

"What?" She followed him to his window.

He opened the blinds and she gasped. i went over to stand behind her and could almost feel her anger. Her room was destroyed, her mattress off of her bed and the drawers out of her desk. She pulled Johnny's blinds back down and turned into my chest. I rubbed her back, "Johnny, who-?"

"Her mom and her brother. I got Rodney's attention this morning and asked why. Apparently, he told his mom she was doing drugs and you're the cause." He answered, leaning against his windowsill.

Daniellea cursed but it was muffled by my shirt, "I hate him. I hate her. I wish they'd both die and go to hell."

I plucked Johnny's phone off the charger, "Call your dad, let him know what happened. Maybe he'll let you stay with him for a while."

"Good idea." She smiled tremulously and leaned into me as she dialed. A few moments later, a tear coursed its way down her cheek. she sniffled and wiped it away, "No, no, I understand . . . yeah, tell Anna I love her too . . . sure, see you guys this summer. bye, Dad."

She looked up at me, "I guess he forgot to mentiont hat he and Anna are moving to Paris next week."

"Aw, baby." I tugged her head down to my chest, "I'm so sorry."

She sniffled and shrugged, "Whatever, I don't care anymore."

Liar. I sighed into her hair, "Well, do you wan tto confront your mom when she gets home? Johnny, Zacky, Brian, and I will go with-prove to her we're not druge addicts." That, of course, meant leaving out Jimmy since he was a druggie.

"She won't listen. Rodney's opinion is all that matters." She shook herhead, moving away.

"But we could try. Come on, Daniellea, we're loveable. She won't be able to resist." Johnny made a face at her, making her laugh.

"Alright, alright. Let's call up dumb and dumber." She handed me the phone and plopped down on Johnny's bed.

The guys were more than happy to come set Mrs. Nordstrom straight-if it would do any good.

Notes