[Really... It's hard not to smile when he feels Elliot freezing like that. And he makes a mental note that if this is how Elliot reacts to hugging, maybe he should do it again sometime, just for the hell of it.

He was, however, not sure Elliot would actually hug back, so that's a... pleasant surprise. It's comforting, as long as he stops thinking about... anything else.

It doesn't matter right now.]