He hadn't seen her stubborn side much while they were together, but her mentioning it rang true to him as he watched her. No doubt she had used it a lot in the past, and he wonder what it would take for her to be stubborn around him. Perhaps she had used that stubbornness when he wasn't around, trying to improve his stay while he waited for extraction. "Stubborn punk," he murmured, surprising himself with the old nickname.

He wasn't being harmed, so he considered that she was out for his well-being. She hadn't taken him to task for escaping either aside from to tell him not to do it again. His fingers caressed up her cheek, smoothing up until he could tuck a strand of her hair back behind her ear. "You aren't, not with me. You're guarding," he said simply. "Why are you sorry?"

At her question, he looked at her, slipping his metal hand down the side of her face to catch the edge of her jaw, tipping her face towards his own. "I will go if they order it. My wants are not important... no, they are a sign of malfunction." He paused, drew a breath and added, "I want to be close to you."