[Normally, Darin knows when a hug is coming. He's adept enough at reading a room to know when someone's emotions have boiled over to the point where a hug needs to be shared.]
[Darin was not expecting this hug. Not in the slightest.]
[He barely manages to lift his cane out of the way before Cecelia collides with him and a soft 'oof' escapes him before he has any other sort of response to what's happening.]
[For as long as he'd known her, Cecelia was so prickly. He couldn't necessarily blame her; from what she'd admitted to him about her upbringing and those around her, it was plain as day as to why she always had her defenses up. Maybe it was because those defenses seemed so alarmingly familiar to Darin that he couldn't help but want to break them down. But what he'd do after they were finally broken down was a mystery to him. To be honest, he never thought he'd make it this far on account of his penchant to do or say something particularly stupid that was sure to set her off.]
[But here she was hugging him and sniffling into his chest and...well, for the first time since he's been in this world, he felt like he'd really done something amazing. Something so inherently good that he just felt warm knowing he brought someone he cared for so much happiness.]
[He never wanted to let go of this feeling.]
[He lowers his arms and drapes then around Cece's back and just lets her get her emotions out of her system the healthy way.]
no subject
[Darin was not expecting this hug. Not in the slightest.]
[He barely manages to lift his cane out of the way before Cecelia collides with him and a soft 'oof' escapes him before he has any other sort of response to what's happening.]
[For as long as he'd known her, Cecelia was so prickly. He couldn't necessarily blame her; from what she'd admitted to him about her upbringing and those around her, it was plain as day as to why she always had her defenses up. Maybe it was because those defenses seemed so alarmingly familiar to Darin that he couldn't help but want to break them down. But what he'd do after they were finally broken down was a mystery to him. To be honest, he never thought he'd make it this far on account of his penchant to do or say something particularly stupid that was sure to set her off.]
[But here she was hugging him and sniffling into his chest and...well, for the first time since he's been in this world, he felt like he'd really done something amazing. Something so inherently good that he just felt warm knowing he brought someone he cared for so much happiness.]
[He never wanted to let go of this feeling.]
[He lowers his arms and drapes then around Cece's back and just lets her get her emotions out of her system the healthy way.]
[Nothing more need to be said right now.]