[He's rotten at comfort, awkward and clumsy; he hugs too long, doesn't know what to say or do with his hands, doesn't read cues well. And, God, he's always so afraid in moments like this, that he'll overstep some boundary or do something wrong and wreck his friendship. So there's a measure of fear in it, doing that and saying that, but -
He's got to. The worst thing to do would be to back away like a coward. So even though his hug is awkward, and his words are meaningless, he has to try.]
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[He's rotten at comfort, awkward and clumsy; he hugs too long, doesn't know what to say or do with his hands, doesn't read cues well. And, God, he's always so afraid in moments like this, that he'll overstep some boundary or do something wrong and wreck his friendship. So there's a measure of fear in it, doing that and saying that, but -
He's got to. The worst thing to do would be to back away like a coward. So even though his hug is awkward, and his words are meaningless, he has to try.]
I'm sorry. It's awful. But it will be all right.