[ even in Eudio, he very rarely gets hugs and it shows in the way he tenses — not hostile, but startled, like wild animal's flight instinct going off. it's only for a moment before he relaxes himself, leaning into the embrace.
he's too worried that this could become even more of a mess, if that horrible desperation surges back up like it has before, leaking through cracks in his defences and making him want to cling and beg. it's happened with both Hiccup and Katniss but he needs to make it stop. it isn't— good. so instead of putting an arm around Laura, he just clutches the hem of her shirt with the tips of his fingers, like a child. ]
Thanks, Laura. It's, uh — [ he laughs again, trying to get away from the serious mood of all this. ] It's the best birthday I've ever had! Haha...
[ it's the only one he's ever had. that's the joke. it's funny. ]
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he's too worried that this could become even more of a mess, if that horrible desperation surges back up like it has before, leaking through cracks in his defences and making him want to cling and beg. it's happened with both Hiccup and Katniss but he needs to make it stop. it isn't— good. so instead of putting an arm around Laura, he just clutches the hem of her shirt with the tips of his fingers, like a child. ]
Thanks, Laura. It's, uh — [ he laughs again, trying to get away from the serious mood of all this. ] It's the best birthday I've ever had! Haha...
[ it's the only one he's ever had. that's the joke. it's funny. ]