"Huh." Hardly an elegant response, but Nathan wasn't certain what to do with the 'hugs were just hugs' claim, as even now, her actions confused him. But perhaps confusion wasn't entirely accurate – mostly, it unnerved him, not because of her, but because of what he felt about them. Slowly, the affection had been chipping away at the edges of the sizable grudge he was carrying and he didn't want that, because it was his protection. Peter might be the one to easily forgive, but Nathan wasn't made of stone and he had been weak when it came to her. The past had shown that all too well with his need to protect her from attack even after everything, not just in their own timeline, but her safety in this place as well.
He wasn't reassured by her determination of it being for those who 'deserved' it, as that meant a certain amount of faith in the ability to decide who did or did not. But he still hadn't gotten up, not even to pace, and a distant part of him sitting back and attempting to observe this said he was doing pretty damn well, all things considered.
"And times before this?" he asked, still neutral. "When we were all still at home?" He had to know.