James never had to try so hard to be a cold hearted bastard; he just seemed to be naturally born that way or he wanted to make it appear as so. Tonight, Vesper could tell he was trying very hard to keep a similar facade in place. It was a bit gentler than the one she'd encountered on the train when they first met, but nevertheless it was distance he craved and distance he sought to maintain from her. Again, Vesper couldn't blame him for his reaction. Besides watching her die, she'd betrayed him for another man's insured safety; a man she loved too. The former banker was surprised he wanted to see her at all, really. The pain her presence caused had to be nearly unbearable and yet, he tortured himself with her nearness. Why? No human sought out pain, but James never seemed to be able to escape it. It was his currency of choice. He dealt in it everyday in the name of Queen and country, but they weren't home anymore and such things didn't count as reasons anymore. He had choice here; he didn't have to deal with her. So, how come he had?
"Thank you", she replied with a half smile, accepting the glass of wine- a strange choice for him for sure-and took a small sip. He took one too and Vesper knew he was as at a loss for words as she was right now. How they had managed to get this far was amazing to her, actually. How she left things didn't leave room for a decent "welcome back" and she knew it. Death made it hard to ever have to plan to see someone again, but apparently on this island, she'd seen it was quite common. Life and death were fluid here. The rules of their world, of their reality, didn't count here.
He was speaking and Vesper pulled herself back from her pondering of her new reality. A faint smile formed on her lips at his awkward statement. It was a good start, better than anything she could ever come up with at this moment. There was really nothing one could say that would ever make this moment seem less hard or complicated and Vesper knew it. They were doing the best they could with a situation neither expected to be in again. It was amazing they had made it this far; Vesper was finding it hard not break down just a little because despite her behavior at the end, she truly did love James and she was sure death had made little to no impact on those feelings. The proof was in the gaze, look, she gave him. Despite it all, she found she missed him. "I know. Quite a while. I thought I'd never see you again, James. We both know death has a way of making things rather permanent."