Zel had closed his eyes as he rested against the wall. He found he was getting tired and was just beginning to worry that he'd fall asleep there when he heard a slight sound. Well with Larea, a slight sound could be very important, so he opened his eyes. He really didn't know what to think about the sight that greeted him.<br/><br/>Larea had gotten out of bed and was practically diving at him. She soon wrapped her arms around him in a hug and put her head against his shoulder. For a moment, Zel was still basically shocked. He realized just what was happening and felt the blood rush to his face. Was this a thanks for the paper? He'd had no idea it would mean so much to her.<br/><br/>Somehow, the situation wasn't very awkward. Zel could understand that this was simply a friendly thank you hug, and that took a great deal of the embarrassment out of it. He relaxed and the blush faded from his cheeks, a slight, gently smile appearing on his face. The stone man took his arms and wrapped them gently around the girl, accepting the thank you hug, and sort of giving one of his own. He was grateful to Larea for the gesture. Somehow, this simple human contact that he'd never really had made him feel a bit less like a monster. For some reason, he felt words would be small here compared to the gestures they'd both given. Zel stayed silent.