[That is legitimately the first time anyone has ever said something like that about him outside of his family. He blinks, not sure how to respond.]

Th-thanks, Mary... I'd be really sad if I'd never met you, too. I don't, um, I mean, I've never really had a friend like you before. [...] And I'm not talking about you not being human. That doesn't matter to me.

[He's not sure that she'll believe him. He knows he's bad at this, and on top of her entry fee, the odds are really stacked against them. So he sits up again and gently pulls her into a hug. He presses his nose into her shoulder and squeezes her tightly, hoping that maybe she'll be able to feel some fraction of the intense affection he feels for her in this moment.]