[ the comment makes Reno look down at his e-mag, clutched in his other hand, and then up at Thancred, who is wearing— ]

You found your gunblade. [ another layer of strangeness. in the last place they'd been, weapons had been few and far between, improvised from knives and croquet mallets and electrical tape; that the both of them found their own weapons, either in the train or in the wreckage afterwards, is an odd portent of what might be coming for them.

but that's not the point, right now. right now, the point is getting themselves into the hall and then closing the door behind them, firmly, before they limp toward the office Thancred identifies. ]

I sure as fuck—wanna be safe and secure—right now. [ the twinge of his ribs has Reno's words hitching oddly, but there's less smoke in here and it's easier to breathe, which helps a little. he lets go of Thancred's arm, but stays close as they make their way across the empty lobby and into the set of rooms labeled Safety and Security Office.

only once that door has been closed, too, Reno turns to look at Thancred. to really take him in, the head to toe of him, dressed in his usual body armor, wielding his gunblade, battered to hell and back, grimy with soot, scrapes and bruises aplenty and yet still somehow the most beautiful fucking thing Reno has ever seen. he steps closer, his knee protesting the weight he puts on it, and reaches up with his right hand to cup Thancred's jaw. ]

What the fuck, [ he says. ] I'm gonna hug you, but real gentle, okay, 'cause my rib's fucking—broken, probably.