Ahhhhh this was so perfect! I could totally see this happening between the two of them.

Also the significance of this line:

Ellie watches him anxiously. “You okay?”

He scratches the back of his neck. “You still alive?” he asks, after a moment.

“Uh, yeah,” Ellie says. “Yeah, pretty sure.”

He smiles a little. “I’m okay.”

Didn't hit me until just a second after I read it. It's so sweet and subtle. Now I'm even more excited for the sequel, this was wonderful.