[It's incredibly telling, and incredibly worrying. Fern can feel his metaphorical heart aching when Varian doesn't return the hug - things had been going so well, and now they're back to this. Stupid powers, stupid city, stupid world.]

I'm positive.

[As rough as it is being set on fire and then shoved into a canal, he doesn't feel like he's about to fall apart. Even if he did there's no way he'd be telling Varian right now, he doesn't want him to fall apart, too.]

It's okay. It's not your fault, you've - you've been doing really great, and this world is just a huge greaseball for foisting this on you when you didn't even want it.

[He sighs a little, relief flooding him when the hug is returned.]

This is just a little bump in the road. You'll get better at the fire thing, and... and in the meantime we'll just be more careful. And not let things get that, uh. Heated up.

[He winces, that might not be the best choice of words.]