Todd realized a few minutes too late that she'd been crying.

He didn't understand, why should she be upset? He'd not lashed out at her, in fact the lack of a queen in the near future meant she'd still have a home on the hive. She should be happy, or relieved at least. But as his senses cleared and he picked up on her own, he found that that was not the case.

You are my friend.

Instead of jerking away or even tensing at the touch, he closed his eyes, and accepted it.