[She probably could have held onto him all day, as a physical reminder that not all those from Fódlan who have become as dear as a true family to her have gone where she will never see them again. (Lorenz, at this time, can be counted among them, though he might not live in the same house. She can’t know that in a matter of months, he will also leave.)]
[She could certainly hugged him for less than a minute, letting the old voices of shame and doubt lead her to letting go early with apologies for forcing such a thing on him. (The thought certainly crosses her mind as her instincts interpret his surprise as a sign that he is letting her do this reluctantly. But as kind as she is sure Hubert is, she is also confident that he would tell her if this is beyond what he’s willing to do.)]
[But she balances out a compromise between her need for comfort and her reluctance to bother anyone instead. Some minutes pass quietly without her grip slackening at all, but eventually, her hug slowly loosens until she lets go and sits up again, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes.]
Thank you.
[She’s repeating herself, but she isn’t really sure what to say right now. After a moment, she thinks back to the way he worded his question.]
You gave me what I needed. I’ll...try to be okay now.
[Not that things are okay, but she will try to be as close as she is able to manage.]
no subject
[She could certainly hugged him for less than a minute, letting the old voices of shame and doubt lead her to letting go early with apologies for forcing such a thing on him. (The thought certainly crosses her mind as her instincts interpret his surprise as a sign that he is letting her do this reluctantly. But as kind as she is sure Hubert is, she is also confident that he would tell her if this is beyond what he’s willing to do.)]
[But she balances out a compromise between her need for comfort and her reluctance to bother anyone instead. Some minutes pass quietly without her grip slackening at all, but eventually, her hug slowly loosens until she lets go and sits up again, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes.]
Thank you.
[She’s repeating herself, but she isn’t really sure what to say right now. After a moment, she thinks back to the way he worded his question.]
You gave me what I needed. I’ll...try to be okay now.
[Not that things are okay, but she will try to be as close as she is able to manage.]