"Oh well, but that's different." His smile becomes a bit stronger at that, and he relaxes a little as they settle back into something that's almost normal. Not quite, but better than the strained silence that had grown between them. "I know I've got you to pull me back up then."

He stays very still when she touches him, hardly daring to breathe. "It's not... it's hardly strenuous. Lying back and doing nothing was driving me crazy."