<div style="text-align: justify;">That shared hug had, indeed, made everything better. It was funny how a simple gesture, something anyone could do, meant so much coming from the right person. But it did. It made Mariya more confused, and at the same time, it made her feel safe in her old friend’s arms.<br/><br/>After the initial hesitation, Mariya was happy that she had decided on that hug. It felt right, and it might make sure Vitali felt that he could trust her. At least that was what she hoped.<br/><br/>Having Vitali’s chin rest on her shoulder felt nice. She enjoyed the feeling of closeness it brought her, and it made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. More than she had ever expected it to. Feeling a little more relaxed, Mariya raised one hand to Vitali’s neck and started caressing him there, very softly.<br/><br/>“I didn’t know you wanted this as much as I did”, Mariya replied quietly to Vitali’s question. When he continued, she felt her heart skip a beat. Was he really saying that? Really, or just as a hypothesis? Not that it didn’t make her happy, but… it felt so surprising. After taking a moment to find her voice again, Mariya managed to look at her friend’s eyes and ask a question of her own. “Do you?”. Two simple words, but the answer to which could change everything.<br/><br/>Still feeling a little confused, Mariya heard Vitali’s next question. It took her a while to reply - not because she was hesitating, but because she was a little unsure about what to say. “I think… I want whatever you want”. After these words, Mariya laughed a little. “I’m sorry, this… is just so unexpected that I am still a little out of my own normal thought pattern. I think finding a private place for us would be nice right now. I think we have a lot to talk about… or to just… not talk, but be with each other for now?”.</div>