Léan settled down to sleep, as well. He was blocking the front of the cave, so no one could possibly get in or out without disturbing him. It was a safety measure, in case Monty decided to push his luck.

Archie's nibble turned into a bit, so that he didn't have to automatically speak. Once he swallowed his mouthful, he shrugged, absently. "I don't feel well...and haven't, for a month or so..." He was still reluctant to talk about it with anyone. He doubted he would even talk about it with his own brother.

Emy soon fell asleep, despite the unease she felt. As long as Leandre was there, she felt safe.

Monty blinked slightly, chewing on some of his fish. "Really? Hmm....do you know why you feel unwell?"

Léan fell asleep after her, making sure he was completely blocking the cave entrance before doing so. He didn't want anything to happen, and he didn't feel like killing another merperson just yet. He'd injured, but never killed...

"Dunno..." Archie was obviously lying. He was a terrible liar. But, the reason for his not wanting to talk was becoming clearer and clearer as the topic was pushed--there was a clear distress and deep depression in his eyes.

((Gotta get off--going to a family thing. Be back on later! ^^))

Monty blinked slightly, then sighed. "Oh no...its one of those things...so...what happened exactly?" Though his words sounded uncaring and rough, anyone could tell he cared.

((okie pokie. ^^))

Archie pulled at his fingers, slightly, and scanned the ocean floor closely. "...I'm not ready to talk about it. It's too soon," he explained, softly.

Monty studied him for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Alright. I understand if you need space." He then sort of moved so he was laying on his back in the water. "Hmm....I wonder if I should eat anymore..."

Archie watched him for a few moments, and then laid back down on the top of the rock, sprawling out slightly and trying his best to relax. He hadn't been back to the settlement he'd been holing up in for weeks. He didn't think he wanted to go back, not after losing his mate.

Monty wondered more and more exactly what happened to him. But, he just took another fish and nibbled on it glancing at Archie every now and then.

Archie simply laid there, for quite a long time. He said nothing for over five minutes. Then, he bowed his head. He was silent for another few minutes, and then his shoulders began to shake.

He was crying.

Monty thought he'd gone to sleep, so he slowly moved to grab his spear, then saw that he was crying and cursed in his head. He moved slowly to him and gently touched his shoulder. "Whatever is wrong...please tell your brother...suffering alone isn't something thats meant for anyone."

Archie jumped, not expecting the touch, and his head shot up, his eyes meeting Monty's. Tears were streaming out of his eyes, running off into the water around him and brimming near his eyes. He was almost completely silent, save for some small whimpering noises.

He didn't answer him.

Monty couldn't take tears, it made him 'weak at the knees'. He sighed softly, his whole face turned sympathetic. His hand went to Archie's face, as if he were going to wipe away the tears, but it ended up stroking his cheek softly. "Whatever is making you feel like this....its got to be better to tell someone..."

"I don't...I-I...I d-don't...n-no...too s-soon..." Archie insisted, trembling and sounding like a small, scared child. He wouldn't be able to talk about it coherently while he was so upset, if he decided on talking about it at all.

Monty got a small pain in his chest when he saw the look in Archie's face and eyes, plus the way his body reacted. He gently reached to him and wrapped his arms around him in a sort of hug. "Its ok....you don't have to tell...I'm just saying it'd be easier in the long run."

"Too s-soon..." Archie repeated, gingerly leaning into the hug but shaking too much to properly respond to it. "Not n-now...l-later..." He need time to sort out his feelings, and lay his grief to rest.

Monty just held him, rubbing his back slightly. "Alright...its fine. You can tell when you think you're ready." He hated seeing people like this, but somehow Archie effected him the most.

Archie sniffed and then nodded, reaching up slowly to cling to his new-found friend. He didn't make friends often--probably because he was just so timid that it turned people off.

Monty didn't seem to miond comforting him one bit. It actually made him feel good that Archie trusted him enough to consider him a sort of friend. He held that high in importance, he wouldn't betray it.

It took Archie just a few more minutes to calm down, and for the tears to stop flowing. Once his heart started to beat normally again, he closed his eyes, not moving a muscle.

Monty smiled a little, pleased that he'd calmed down, but he knew that whatever was bothering him was still there. He wanted to know, to be able to help...it was so strange to him why he cared so much. After Archie calmed down for the most part, he looked down at him, wondering if he wanted to sleep or if he just wanted to be held. The latter would be sort of odd for him, but if it made him feel better, then he was all for it.

Archie seemed to want to be held, and possibly fall asleep while being held. He missed having someone to cuddle up to. Even when he hadn't had his mate, he would be staying with friends back in his settlement, and they would all curl up together for warmth, pack-style. He stayed still, and kept his eyes firmly shut.

Monty smiled a little when he figured it was the latter of the two. He moved slowly, trying not to disturb Archie and moved to rest in the small area he'd found. He sort of sat and just held Archie, waiting for him to fall asleep.

Archie curled up in a loose ball, sniffing a final time before falling silent. Now that he had contact with someone else, he quickly drifted off into a deep sleep, his breathing soft and synchronized.

Monty thought Archie looked so helpless when he was like this, it bothered him. Maybe he could change that....give him more of a backbone. Maybe he would stay after all.

((Should we skip forward, since three out of four are asleep?))