Lithuania hugged Antarctica tightly as she cried into his shirt.
Somehow, he knew she'd been alone longer than she was letting on. She'd been alone for several centuries, alone in a place no one had ever even heard of until very recently. She was the very last person who even might deserve that. He couldn't tell her it was alright. It would never be alright.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, stroking her hair.
"It's not your fault," she murmured, her tears slowly subsiding. "I've learned to live with it. It's really not that bad."
He realized that he was still hugging her, and made as though to release her.
She tightened her grip on him.
"Don't," she pleaded. "Please."
He wrapped his arms back around her. Really, he hadn't wanted to stop. He liked holding her.
She looked up into his eyes with a bit of a sad expression.
"You wanted to let go?" she asked quietly.
"N-no!" he stuttered. "I wanted to keep hugging you, but I didn't think you wanted me to."
"I do, though," she said quietly.