It wasn't absurd to James to hear that Sirius missed him when he was right here; he had missed Sirius for years, and yet, had never missed him quite as much as he had since Sirius had shown up. It was completely maddening to have him here and not here at the same time, to look at him and see none of the camaraderie returned. Now at least the longing for it was reciprocated, and that was a start, even if it was painful.
"I'm right here, Sirius," he said, hands still on Sirius's shoulders even after his friend had pulled away. He managed a smile, though it was admittedly teary; he felt the tracks the teardrops had left on his cheeks, but made no move to wipe them away. "You don't have to miss me anymore. I'm not going anywhere." He squeezed one of Sirius's shoulders, in a way that he hoped was reassuring. "We'll get it back, everything that we had. Even with who we are now. It's not gone."