"Thank you," she responded with a small but genuine smile, though he couldn't see it with her face turned and nose pressed against his side. Even if he managed to turn most conversations into rants or insults, Mabelle found him much easier to talk with than anyone. His demanding presence and refusal to allow her to retreat and ignore him should have been exhausting for her to be around, but somehow she found it more comforting. It was enough of a push to express herself more openly than she ever cared to with others, and he rarely seemed too put of by her anymore... at least not for the same reasons other people would be. Luckily most of the people she encountered that evening were more than willing to do most of the talking, and the alcohol made it easy enough to tune them out.
His slight stumble was enough to force her eyes open again, glancing first at him to make sure nothing was the matter and then their surroundings, recognizing that they were close to his place. "I think we already proved it's blood," Mabelle reminded him, finding a comfortable spot to rest her hand against his back.