Oh, Koumyou. Forget just squeezing him; Devero wraps both arms around the priest and crushes the slender body against his broad chest in a hug. "Neither of us is going to let that happen again, okay? Once w-was-- was enough."

His fervent grip loosens and he nods. "All the time in the world, my Sanzo, and no one to tell us how to spend it. If-- we're going to do this--" Which still seems sort of fragile and incredible, right now. "We'll do it to our own schedule and no one else's."