Alize smiled tentatively back. She was still awkward with moments like this, but she was slowly getting used to them, and she could tell Hakuba was just as awkward about them as she was. Plus they were rare enough that she knew to appreciate them when she could.

"Welcome, bro," she replied quietly, using the slang term as she'd picked it up in New York. She slid her arms around him in a gentle hug, mindful of his injuries, and felt a bit of the fear and edginess that had been following her since the kidnapping melt away. They were back and alive. Things were going to be okay.