[ It is obvious, but at the same time, it doesn't really make much sense to Jack. While he'd like to think that Rhys had fully divorced the idea of his future self from the person before him, he's not so naive as to think it's that simple. So instead, that leaves the weird paradox that Rhys feels safe around someone (more or less) that had tried to kill him once. Jack knows he certainly wouldn't, and that's why he'd asked. Though considering Rhys's answer, he's fairly sure that even if he were more specific about why he was asking, he wouldn't get a satisfying answer.

So he lets it go. Maybe he shouldn't, because asking those kinds of questions about those weird paradoxes might make it more apparent what Rhys would do later. But in some things, in people, Jack sometimes preferred ignorance.

He breathes out a laugh of his own at the joke, though he can't help the twinge in his chest that comes from someone earnestly calling him a hero. That's what he's wanted... Pretty much his whole life, he thinks. He glances to Rhys, and seeing that his eyes are closed, Jack's smile turns into more of a grin, though it carries in his tone. ]

See, now that is what I like to hear. Can we do this more often? I dig the- [ He pitches his voice up mockingly, though it's not at Rhys so much as a general joke ] "Oh, Jack, my hero" thing.

[ He shrugs, but closes his own eyes too. ]

Well, tomorrow. I'm tired as hell because of my personal alarm clock here, so. Sleep time, cupcake.