New body, technically my first time--physically--she reminds him, gasping.

Okay. I'll be patient - we don't have to at all if you're not ready -

No, I am, I want this, just--be gentle.

Never gonna hurt you again.

Oh, dearheart.

Enemy's gone, I can totally promise that.

I believe you, I love you, I love you so much, I'm so glad we get another chance.

He loves her too! He has the excuse of being careful to be very demonstrative about this!

If he's trying to reduce her to an incoherent puddle of delight, this won't be hard.

That is among his objectives!

He is very successful at it, among other objectives.

His neighbors might knock on the wall angrily at some point but they don't have enough context to appreciate the situation, so he does not give a fuck.

They can turn their radios up or whatever, it's not like it's the middle of the night and they're keeping anyone up.

He could do this for Years. Empirically! At some point it'll be night and the neighbors' annoyance will be justified and he still will not give a fuck.

Well, at some point she's going to have to sleep, but she's a college student, all-nighters are a thing, the neighbors are going to have some valid complaints, what the fuck ever, worth it.

He will at least say things to her and make pleased noises at her over osanwe. And they are married and she can feel everything he feels, and - that's a mixed bag, but the joy's not very complicated -

(And that's its own kind of burning relief, isn't it, baring her soul to him again after all this time with her brain locked up alone in its little bone box, being able to feel someone again would have been a miracle even if it wasn't him but it is--)

Oh, Idaia. 

Do you want - do you want me - 

Yes, yes, yes--

The neighbors have a legitimate grievance all night. In the morning he skips works. I should probably just quit.

Oh, I assumed that was going to happen when we started discussing whether to live in Canada or California.

Perhaps better to say I should tell them I've quit.

You do that. D'you need t'borrow my phone?

Yeah, actually. Don't have one. Nelyo'd bother me.

Pff.

She reaches over the side of the bed, grabs her phone out of her bag, and hands it to him.