…Declan needed to laugh more. Even if it was a little bit at Aoba’s expense.

But it was…good, to hear Declan express that kind of faith in him. What reason did he even have to, really? But he did, anyway, and Aoba was not one to be ungrateful for it. Maybe he wanted nothing to do with war or the weapons thereof, but Declan had become someone important to him. Theirs was a friendship he would absolutely protect.

“Then that’s all settled,” Aoba said, relaxing enough for it to count. It then seemed important to plainly say, “I trust you too, Declan. Even if I ask questions or don’t like something, I’m still going to trust you.”