[Sephiroth hums, finding himself leaning into the plane of Angeal's open palm. His eyes drift shut for a moment, simply savoring this blessing. He seldom allowed himself to even humor something like this until now-- that he could be beheld and loved in such a way.

He's trying not to dwell too much on the almosts and what-ifs, but he still feels a profound ache in his chest that things got so nearly irreparably bad.]

You're here now. [A breath; finally, he opens his eyes.] But... you were the one in danger of being lost to me - to all of us - forever, and I... would have been lost without you.

[If only he really knew how true that was.]

I only wish that I had seen it sooner. I wish... that I had seen many things sooner.

[But he manages a smile, bittersweet though it is. His hand falls away from Angeal's arm, wandering instead - curiously - to the center of his chest. He lays his palm flat against the other man's sternum, letting his fingers slowly spread out. It's strange: he's never done this before, has never dared to do this before, and yet... Somehow it feels so familiar, like he's done it a thousand times.

He maps out Angeal's heartbeat with his fingertips, almost entranced. If it weren't for the subject matter, he might be willing to get lost in it entirely.]

--Promise me that we'll not hide the truth from each other again. No matter how painful. No matter how frightening.