"Be polite, beloved. They're the best money can buy... that aren't exclusive to anyone else, at least." He gives a weak smile, stroking his fingers through her hair.

"Of course you have, I'm exceptional. But I've missed you as well." He holds her as tightly as he can manage. "I was so certain I was going to die. I felt everything slipping away. My lungs were going to burst every time I went under, and I felt like I was being hit by a car every time a wave hit me."

The corners of his mouth stretch into a rictus grin, revealing a missing tooth, courtesy of a blow to the face during the shipwreck. "I was meant to survive, Reiko. I understand that now."