"Yeah," he said casually, like it's the most normal thing in the world. For him, it kind of is. "She's been here since the last group showed up. We both thought you'd be the first one in, but..."

He didn't really have a follow-up for that. Snow had been here longer than anyone, which was both frustrating and unsurprising at the same time. There was a lot that he needed to fill Lightning in on, but he wasn't entirely sure where to start. At the very least, though, he would assuage her concern for Serah.

"Don't worry, Sis," he went on. "I've been--"

And that's where he stopped himself. No, that wasn't the right line anymore. I've been taking care of her. He had to snap himself out of that line of thinking. He wasn't her handler, or her provider, or her guardian; he was her boyfriend. They were partners. It bothered him that he had to actively remind himself of that.

"We've been looking out for each other." Yeah. That sounded better.