He wasn't seeing Ben for anything other than who he was - now they just had literally thousands of years to add onto that day by day exploration. It was as simple as that. Neither did Raylan take Ben's outpour of vulnerable honesty for granted.

.. But on some things, Raylan's control was poor.

"Maybe they think it's elder abuse." He pulls back a fraction so he can smile down into Ben's face. The smile is soft and warm, but after he's sure Ben knows he's joking, it all slips towards something more serious.

"I trust you to know what you want. What you can handle. I'm not scared of hurtin' you. Not like I am with women. I trust that you can make smart decisions, even if maybe some'a my questions didn't suggest that. Just lookin' for what holes we can plug if we put our heads together.. And I suppose that's all moot now, but don't think that I'm gonna worry a fraction less now. Hurt is still hurt."