Standing near the doorway, Arc's stance softened when he felt Madison's hand on his arm. She had a way with him, an art that could swing him from one side of the emotional spectrum to the other with but a single touch of her hand. However she did it, he couldn't argue with it. He wanted to protest, to tell her that it was his fault and that he would accept no less than all of the responsibility for the damage to her body, but how could he when she so delicately touch him just to tell him that all was well?<br/><br/>"It was my inaction that caused this, my inability to help. It won't happen again, I promise." The vow was just as much for his own benefit as it was for her. He couldn't guarantee that he would keep her safe; that was unreasonable. But he could insure that he would never again allow her to fight alone. "You're more than capable of taking care of yourself, but from now on we help take care of each other." Arc spoke as he moved to the far wall, opening one of the overhead compartments and reaching inside.<br/><br/>The interior of the compartment was meticulously organized, overly so to most, in fact. What Arc grabbed was right in front, but it seemed to have a very specific place in the bin. Unscrewing the cap, he threw two pills deeply into the back of his throat and swallowed, making a face as he did so. Without his sleeping pills, he would be in for a very bad night. Madison had already witnessed one night without them, but he couldn't imagine what he would do if anything ever happened to them.<br/><br/>Sufficiently medicated, he turned back to Madison. As she moved toward the bed, Arc hesitated. Not out of fear or nervousness, but because he hadn't slept next to a human being, with the except of the cave, in years. Sure, it was easy enough then. Neither of them knew what the next moment would bring. They were in danger, and they were exhausted. It made sense then. But now Madison was beckoning him to go to bed with her, to share in that contact freely and by her own volition. It was exciting to Arc, and it was hard to hide the eagerness behind his eyes just to be near her again. He held no expectations, but just hoped that it would go well. He nodded, crossing the room and peeling off a layer of clothing before climbing in. He was still decent, but it felt nice to get the grimy clothes off and lay down in something clean.<br/><br/>"Goodnight, Madison," he whispered, but only after stealing a second kiss from her lips. He placed his arm gently around her, careful not to interfere with her comfort or her bruised torso. It was hard to hide the excitement growing on him physically; he tried to shift a little so as not to poke her with it or make her feel embarrassed or pressured. It was a natural response, Arc told himself, but still it was difficult to justify it, no matter what the circumstances were. His breathing was deep, though he kept it even for the most part. The only real benefit from it was for Madison, who would likely be able to feel the extra heat pouring from his entire body.