[ Man... Man this this nice. Matt gives a contented sigh, taking the moment to stare into Shiro's eyes. He'd always thought there was something kind of soft about them, but it turns they're pretty easy to get lost in, too. ]

That's part of it, but I always already building up some strength in the prison camps. They... work you pretty hard. Training helped. Having to deal with bounty hunters helped more. I guess I've been getting a lot of hands on experience.

[ Honestly, the combat classes at the Garrison were the one and only aspect of his education he hadn't taken very seriously. He's always preferred cleverness and diplomacy. But out here, he'd finally learned that none of those things were mutually exclusive, and being able to hold own his own was an extremely useful tool that he needed to keep up with. He's glad he finally learned.

He frowns a little when Shiro squeezes his hip. He can claim he's not doing anything, but he has a hard time believing he could be this oblivious. ]

Are you serious? You're driving me crazy. In a good way, I mean.