Hatsu gave a slight laugh at Sam's joke. "Maybe," he said, "You could probably snap my spine in a hug." He pulled up his knees and crossed his arms over them, resting his chin on his forearms and staring out at the tinted white walls. "But there's more than one way to love a person, you know. Maybe I shouldn't be lecturing about it, since I've avoided the idea my whole life, but I always imagined that love wouldn't just be a physical thing. People hug and kiss, but love is mainly a thing of the heart. You can grasp a person by what they say, hold them in your thoughts, and touch them with your words. But then, you can show emotional love to a person on an physical level: wiping away a tear, holding a hand-- physically gentle things that back literal tons of emotional weight behind them." He turned to Sam, "So, for instance,<span style="font-style: italic">I</span>wouldn't be afraid to love you because no matter the physical gap the strengths of our hearts are equal."<br/><br/>The boy turned to gaze forward again, "As for me, if I live through all this I don't know what I might do. I can't picture myself settling down in a job, I'm not sure I could really settle anywhere." He looked up now, "Maybe I could just wander. There are lots of places I haven't been, and it might be fun to see them. If you'd like something like that, you'd be free to come with me, Sam," he said, looking at her and giving a soft smile.