"I know," Will says, quietly. "And if it's not them, it'll be someone else. Even if we're not here, we stick our noses into trouble too much to not have someone who wants to shut us up."

He pulls back far enough to rest his forehead against Malcolm's and look into his eyes. "But we are survivors. We both are. We made it all the way to the Barge and we'll make it off the Barge, too. And if I can do my best to make sure you don't get hurt, you can do the same for me."

There's something else, too. But it would be absolutely unfair and manipulative to bring it up now. He's just glad he can recognize that. It'll just have to sit at the back of his mind until the panic and anxiety are gone, on both their ends. It does happen occasionally.