[ If he was completely honest? Aventurine was wondering those very same things as his companion here, especially when he considered he didn't really recognize his surroundings. This didn't look like anything in Penacony or the IPC's... so perhaps it was the Astral Express if his dear friend was here with him.

Part of him had figured the young man here would hate him for how he'd acted recently, and then there was him being pulled closer.

There was a face buried in his shoulder, causing his eyes to widen a little. No harsh words, cold eyes or sharp-edged tones. After everything that had transpired, the other was just happy he was alright? It had been years since someone had cared this much about him and there was a sincerity about it all that said how real this feeling was. Caelus had pushed him away before and now this... it was like a complete turnaround, rendering the sharp-tongued gambler temporarily speechless. ]

Heh. Given my treatment of you and what I said I was intending to do... I would have thought you'd be happy about such a thing happening to me.

[ Some of his usual confidence lacked in his tone, not fully the usual muster he could pull off at any time. Maybe it was just because he was tired, sore and coming back from something that truly should have killed him.

For now, there was a part of him that quietly enjoyed those fingers loosely curled into his hair. He wanted to voice it, but that would show desperation or a deeper vulnerability than he wanted to embrace at this moment. ]