It's so much less than he really wants -- but it's good that they're having this conversation now rather than in the past. It's almost good -- almost -- that their initial separation was so sudden, and that he was forced to adjust without knowing if he'd ever even see her again. Had he really thought it was possible they might be be something more to each other than they are now, this would have been torture rather than incomplete comfort.

"That's what I like to hear," he grins cheekily. "But you might find he disagrees."