Peony opened his mouth and tried to reply to that. He really did. And yet he found himself throwing his head back and letting out a bout of explosive laughter instead of the verbal quip he'd intended.

"I'm not going to lie," he started brightly, straightening up after such an undignified display. Not that he cared how it had appeared, but his stomach muscles had begun to cramp. "I've missed you, Jade. It's great to see you again." Though he kept his response lighthearted, Peony was truly, deeply glad to be bantering with the other man once again.