And it's important, now. It's important that he lets her know. He certainly doesn't say it often enough, nowhere near as often as he should, and just as she'd drawn him back out of himself with that squeeze of his hand he chases hers across the table when she takes it back, clasping it in both of his own.

He's certain to take a moment to catch her eyes, make sure she's properly focused on him, his smile tweaking and growing into something stronger as he settles his own attention in completely on her.

"You're brilliant, Clara. In everything. You are brilliant."

He won't fail her. If there's one thing he won't allow himself to do, it's fail her. Now that she's here to keep him sane, now that he's shared how vital she is with a person who will hold her to it, it's his responsibility not to let her down.

With that message shared, he releases her and sits back... only to lift an empty cup off the tray sitting next to him and push it in her direction.

"And ready for tea!"