[UGH...Rina smiling is sure to do Varian in. And honestly, it's enough to finally get him to very carefully pull his hands free from hers, if only so he can lean in to pull her into a hug. It's gentle, but also firm enough that it's not just a normal hug. It's one that makes his whole chest feel full with emotion, and it's genuinely a little difficult to sort through the equal amounts of happiness and feelings of loss he's having to deal with all at the same time.

Maybe he'll get used to it eventually, but he doesn't...want that to be something he has to get used to.]

Thank you. I've never had someone make me feel the way you do.

[He draws back slightly with a smile of his own, crooked and goofy.]

I guess I just feel really lucky that I'm the one who gets to see you smile like that.