[For a second Dio thinks "actually, yeah, I guess I should have known that after you were all surprised I didn't know that one thing before, about your opinion of me". Then Helena actually goes for it. And Dio has not been hugged a lot. If Helena had not already suspected that fact from his professed life history and touch-starved approach to pact-sealing handshakes, she will see it in the instant when his pupils constrict as she approaches. And yet, she is at least the third person to hug him today; so Dio has some practice schooling the tension out of his expression.] Helena...
[His heart still pounds when her torso presses against his chest - but Helena is the first person Dio actually wants to hug. He curls his arm around to push his hand between her shoulder blades; and his other hand pats her head, her long hair - though this disturbs the bandage a little bit, and he awkwardly pats it some more to get the position back in place. What Dio warmly whispers right before they separate is:]
no subject
[His heart still pounds when her torso presses against his chest - but Helena is the first person Dio actually wants to hug. He curls his arm around to push his hand between her shoulder blades; and his other hand pats her head, her long hair - though this disturbs the bandage a little bit, and he awkwardly pats it some more to get the position back in place. What Dio warmly whispers right before they separate is:]
You're seriously... something else...