Devero reaches out, hooking his arm under Koumyou's and interlacing their fingers. "Thank you, love," he says softly. "With you on my team, we'd get them set right in no time."

If it happens. That's a distant 'if' indeed, much less pressing than the question of how Devero feels about his role in what happened.

He has to look away from Koumyou. "I--" He swallows. "I'll try not to."