[ Sylvain's sleepy voice makes an otherwise labored sigh gentler than it would be. One part of her wants to keep joking, keep things at the level they've always come back to because anything serious felt like stepping into territory neither of them were equipped to handle.

The other part of her, the one that had been fretting the entire time he had been gone, wanted him to know that it was okay not to be okay. That, even if the first thing she had done when she had seen him was punch him, it had only been because anything else affectionate, anything real, seemed awkward in her mind.

Had that been because Claude and Petra were there? Was it because she knew that he and Claude had something going on? An initial glance says no, but she doesn't have the energy to dive deeper right now. ]

Memory loss definitely isn't one of the side effects of the tea so you have to be making that one up.

[ She leans back, head gently resting against his chest. Her fingers tenderly intertwine with his and a quiet, honest admission passes from her lips. ]

I missed you, Sylvain. I'm glad you're home.