[ Sam doesn't flinch on the outside, but there's definitely a faint feeling of it through the mental link. Maybe if Shiro had actually managed joking, it wouldn't have touched on what's already a little bit of a raw spot for him - but it does, and Sam runs a hand over the back of his neck. ]

Sorry, man. It's kind of a new thing for me, I don't really know what I'm doing yet. [ It's a quiet admission, but Sam doesn't dwell on it. ] You don't gotta worry, I'm not gonna do anything without asking, all right?

[ With that, he starts out in the direction of the empty bedrooms. ]