There were so many things that hadn't happened yet for Charles, and to see Alex like this was a shock for him as well. He was definitely older, and there was a hardness in his eyes that hadn't been there before. There were definitely questions to be asked, but gently. And slowly.
"Younger?" he supposed. "Yes, we'd gone to stop the war. The last thing I remember is being on the beach."
He was nearly certain that Alex remembered far more than that.
"And I think it would be a perfect time to ask for beer," he said with a small smile. "I think the conversations we'll be having nearly require it."