On his knees, Jake fell slack at Alexis's words. The poor thing had been here so long and yet he was telling Jake not to lose hope. Jake, the one that hadn't gone through some horrifying metamorphosis. Jake, the one that healed almost immediately after being cut or burned, the one that could wander almost free. He had to manage a smile in return, though. Alexis was the one looking out for him right now and he felt like he should help Alexis in some way. He pulled the young man's arms up and around his neck, and pulled him into a gentle hug. How long had it been since Alexis had gotten an actual hug? Had he been taken from his parents, and the last hug he got was when he was ten years old, before heading off to school? Maybe he'd struggled out of his parents' embrace with an embarrassed whine and hurried off with his head down, hoping his friends hadn't seen.

He felt that anguish bubble up and he bit back another cry. Funny---Jake hadn't cried in a long time. Years. Now he just couldn't seem to stop.