"What are you talking about?" he lifts himself off Shino, long legs sliding off him to dangle off the side of the bed. The hours of work seem to be catching up to him, even if it's nothing compared to his usual schedule at the factory. It takes him longer to spring back into action now, and all nighters are harder to battle through.

"You're the only reason the rest of us made it out alive."

As much as torment had eaten at Yamagi for days at end for letting Shino go to his death. As hard as he'd cried himself to sleep when the dusts had settled, voice gone the next morning.

As much as he'd wished they had died together, the rest be damned.

"It took a lot out of me not to fight you on what you've set your mind to do. Don't cheapen what the two of us have done."

His fingers twitch and flex against the sheets, loosened and wrinkled somewhat by their weight. He'd only spied Shino cry in secret before, strength unraveling into vulnerable exhaustion.

"But if scolding's what you're looking for, luckily I've always years of practice."