"Yeah."

He squeezes Idaia again.

"I'm not even desperately in love with you and I don't hate you for it, so she should be fine, if you were worried."

"I was until I saw her and then I wasn't, at all. She's - I don't know what she'll say but I know she'll love me."

"I expect there will be hugs. Imliss hugged your brothers kind of a lot while the story was being told."

"How's she doing."

"...Decompressing."

"Okay. We'll come say hi to everybody. At some point."

"Don't worry about when. In addition to pausing time while the door's closed time does not always pass at the same rates between different parts of Milliways."

"Weird. And good to know."

"Yeah." She glances at her alt. "I'd want to hug her if she was awake, but it's not worth interrupting her sleep over. Convey the sentiment when she does wake up?"

"For sure. Thank you for finding her."

"You're very much welcome."

"And for our wedding rings."

If she is careful she can hug him without disturbing sleepyalt. She does this.

Hug. "Tell your me hi."

"I will," she says, and then leaves the room.

And he watches Idaia until she wakes and listens to her dreams.

And when she wakes she notices he's there-flinches away from the thought, expecting to realize she was imagining it--realizes she isn't--remembers yesterday--and opens her eyes and beams at him.

Your magic alt made us some food.

I am not yet hungry enough to make eating more appealing than kissing you.

Well in that case.

Oh, yes. She cannot really cling much tighter but she can adjust her grip from "generalized sleepy limpet-like cuddling" to "making out, hands in hair" for sure.

Love you love you we're safe forever we're okay forever -

She is not so much doing words right now but she can do a general rush of affirmation and love and desire.