To see her smiling like this again was a better cure than any spell she could ever hope to conjure, completed by a declaration that always made his heart beat a little faster. Although it wasn’t, for sure, the most suitable spot for confessions of any kind, Ace couldn’t care less, feeling right at home as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

Which also happened to be one of her ticklish spots, he remembered, before pulling back ever so slightly. “And you're still the most stubborn person I've ever known.” His siblings were noteworthy contenders for the title, but Tear had somehow managed to secure a category of her own during the time they had spent together. “... That's a relief,” he sighed contently, wishing there was still enough strength left in him to embrace her properly, as she was being his pillar of support even now. “I don't want you to hold back when you're with me. Imagine that, not being able to call me an idiot any longer… how odd would that be?”

Reflecting upon the point he was even trying to make, he squeezed the hand in his. “I love you, too, Mystearica, and that's how I know nothing has been lost. Nothing that can't be rebuilt eventually."

He had constructed a greenhouse, once. Surely, a new apartment couldn't be that more difficult.

"We're gonna save this world."