"The stuff you were doing yesterday was of significantly more strategic interest than this and what you'll be doing for the foreseeable future, yes?"

Nod.

"And if the Enemy wanted to traumatize you Kib would be in worse shape or imminent danger."

"...probably." He squeezes Kib.

"And 'the Enemy is dead and there are competent Valar taking care of everything and all we need to do is recuperate and learn new science' is a setup that breaks if there is a sudden crisis demanding your work."

"Yeah, all right."

"Thank you. Now will you be inimitable at your husband, he missed you."

"...I'm sorry, did I ever imply I was going to be able to not? Because I'd already resigned myself to being completely unable to react appropriately to the possibility of Melkor messing with my head by controlling my urge to fling myself at my spouse and attempt to shower him with a fraction of the adoration he deserves."

Snuggle.

He beams at them. "Should we give you space?"

"You should set me up with something foreign and nerdy and mathy this place has that is not shaped like a thing the Enemy would want me doing. Which I can do without letting go of Kib."

"I will ask for that."

"Honey?"

Aydanci rather melts and adjusts the hug so he can run his hand up and down Kib's back. "Yes - it's me - I love you -"

"No. No, no - nonononononononono -"

"I - what'd I -"

"Honey," Kib sobs into his shoulder.

"Nothing has happened to me yet I will not go anywhere - Findekano, your grace, please help me figure out how to reassure him I am not about to be tortured by Melkor - actually just Findekáno sorry your grace nothing is required of you - who was it you were taking cues from on what would stress him out -"

"Alts, he has alts, different universes have the same people they might have yous too but we have no way to find them aside from 'Maitimos usually notice', they're him and they can help -" Ambela Kib is convinced his husband isn't being impersonated but then he leaped to 'therefore he's actually in Angband', any suggestions - "Kib, Kib, you observed that this was a character study, right, with a ridiculous amount of effort put into background details, the endgame obviously isn't 'suddenly Aydanci and we collapse the whole pretense' -"

Coming.

Kib's a little distracted by clinging to his husband in abject panic.

"He's not in any state to listen to you, where are they, can we get him to them now?"

"Yes, I asked, they're coming, but he's not going to be in a state to listen to other people either."

The door opens. "Akibel Mowar, you can cry on your husband after you have assessed the situation, until then it's just embarrassing, calm the fuck down."

Kib chokes and clenches his hands in Aydanci's shirt and manages a deep breath.