Satisfied that he hasn't disturbed her, he zeroes in on her heartbeat and manages to relax for much longer than his high strung nature would usually dictate he could. A

After much longer being still than he's probably ever accomplished before, he pulls back his face to stare at her from the next pillow, remaining close enough that their legs stay tangled. "Gorgeous," he murmurs softly, watching as tendrils of light slip into the room, catching on her light features and making her hair glisten like gold. He allows his eyes to roam along her pale throat and down over her freckled chest, his heart thumping louder all the while, blood rushing in his ears over the constant din of the reactor.

"I've never felt like this before," he confesses, frowning a little. It doesn't seem to concern him that she isn't awake to receive his words. In fact, it's a comfort that he can get them out now without interference. She's woken up parts of him he thought long dead, and like with all things he wants to know above all else, what it means.