"You've already exceeded my wildest expectations," Balthier promises her, leaning his head against hers and savoring the gentle touch at his cheek. This is all right, the kind of touch he should have with her. When she moves her head to look at him again, he gives her a weak smile, finger-combing her hair away from her face. He's still too raw for anything as joyous as laughter, but when she gives him that very sweet offer in the form of an order, he exhales a little heavier, his eyes a little brighter. He's not sure he deserves it the way she seems to think he does, but it sounds wonderful, and it's clear doing so will make her happy, and that's the part of their dynamic he feels comfortable easing back into.

"Of course," he says, and no, he doesn't quite catch that she means something more than right now, but he bends his head all the same. It's probably not something he could accept from anyone else. Her fingers reach his scalp and his eyelids flutter shut, hands tightening where they still loosely hold her. Heavy, calming breathing gives way to small sounds of peaceful pleasure as she works the shampoo in, more of the tension of their evening falling off of him.

"You take excellent care of me," he whispers, echoing a thing he's said to her in much happier sexual exchanges, and very much meaning it for everything today too. "As always, I will stay until you are finished with me." Because he wants her to know that nothing has changed between them, as far as he's concerned, and if she still wants him, he's not going to deny her that.