"I know." It had faded quickly, when she'd first knocked on his door, but the fear hasn't gone away yet. There has to be something primal to that, to being hunted and the way it gets hooks into your brainstem.

"And taking your time to adjust is totally fine. I think it'd be weird if you didn't, honestly. Like, talk about culture shock." Pepper bumps him gently with her shoulder, a bit less involved than a hug as far as showing affection. "You're strong, Gene. Really strong. You've been through a ton of awful things and you're still able to keep moving. I'm seriously proud of you."