[ there is a somber cloud that passes over lance's expression. it doesn't make his smile any less sincere, but it dims it, somewhat. more of a bittersweet thing now. ]

...Thanks, man. So do you. [ he doesn't think there's anything he's more sure of. ]

And I'm gonna keep trying to make sure I deserve it.

[ even now, when he tries to think about it, he's still not sure how it all sort of just... fell into place as it did. but he thinks, perhaps, all along, it had always been something like that, true feelings and concern bubbling around the edges of misguided resentment and rivalry. he'd just been a little too dumb and insecure to notice.

he sighs at that, and the motion is like a ripple through his entire body. shaking it off. ]

When all this blows over, and Alisaie's feeling better, [ when, not if, ] let's the four of us go have fun somewhere together. What do you say?