[None of which is the same as I'm okay - Alex is fairly sure that Ben would tell him if he was seriously injured, but at the same time, Ben's threshold for pain is way higher than most people's, and so Alex isn't sure that fine means the same thing for both of them.]
[Which is why it doesn't sink in right away, that very good. He scrutinizes Ben carefully as he speaks, checking him for signs of pain, and then - he really hears what Ben's just said.]
I - did?
[He's thrown entirely for a moment, eyes wide and confused and disbelieving. He's not a leader. He's not. He knows that. Despite what Ben's tried to show him, he just isn't.]
[But. Ben doesn't ever say things just to make someone else feel better.]
[ Spam ]
[Which is why it doesn't sink in right away, that very good. He scrutinizes Ben carefully as he speaks, checking him for signs of pain, and then - he really hears what Ben's just said.]
I - did?
[He's thrown entirely for a moment, eyes wide and confused and disbelieving. He's not a leader. He's not. He knows that. Despite what Ben's tried to show him, he just isn't.]
[But. Ben doesn't ever say things just to make someone else feel better.]
[Slowly, he nods.]
What could I have done better?