At first, with that reaction, Gladio was instantly worried that maybe, even as a joke, the suggestion had crossed a line, and he was feeling a little torn, between a frustration for having gotten it wrong and a firm belief in that he'd rather be able to be open and honest with Nell about anything and everything, especially when it came to something that, now that he'd said it, now that it was out there in the open air, really did seem...well, logical. It would make sense and be kind of nice, actually, but he also knew he had no right to just impose on her space like that, especially when he knew how important having that space for herself was to Nell...

So he took that moment of blank consideration with a sort of ready patience, preparing himself for whatever can of worms he may have just inadvertently opened, and then blinked when she finally did speak. And by the time she said it again to confirm he'd heard it correctly, he just grinned back.

"Maybe," he echoed, "I should."

And maybe he should also just take a moment to set those kittens back down on the floor so that he could wrap it around Nell instead and give her that long-overdue kiss.

They could work out the details and if they were really serious about it later. Right now, he just needed this.