Aoba definitely heard the smile and a touch of something else, but after a blink of his own he decided that Ghost could only mean their friendship. It seemed to be the first of any real depth that Declan had ever made, so it made sense for his construct companion to approve.

Ghost's words made a surprising amount of sense, too, in a way that actually made Aoba feel somewhat better about just carrying weapons without being willing to use them. It made it a shared responsibility. Teamwork.

"I said I'd carry them, okay?" he repeated himself one more time, though his own touch of relief seemed to run counter to a greater level of distress on Declan's side. Huh. "Unless... you think I might run off with a weapon when you need it?"

Another thought to reflect on: if he had Declan's weapons, running away from his side wouldn't be an option. Not in Aoba's mind, anyway.

"I won't, I mean. If they're your weapons more than mine, I'm going to be right at your side."