[ He'd expected the answer would be yes, but that doesn't make it any less awful, seeing Peter hugging himself like that, the body language of someone unconsciously trying to comfort themselves. He recognizes it; the silence, the not making eye contact. This had happened. Peter had died. And all of a sudden it's not just referencing Lord of the Rings they've got in common. They have this, and Ben wishes it weren't true, for Peter's sake.

Ben covers his mouth with his hand, when Peter talks about how his death had taken longer because of his powers. Been drawn out. Ben can picture it, and it's not a pretty sight. Being aware while that was happening to you, seeing it and feeling it? He can't imagine experiencing it, and he's glad he can't.

But apart from this one small gesture, Ben's reaction is deliberately muted. Not unemotional, but contained. ]

I'm sorry you had to go through that.

[ He'd been naive the first time he met Peter, assuming he was from some brighter universe. That a cheerful, bright guy like him had probably had all the good parts from being a masked hero but no accompanying awfulness. But here he is, talking about how he'd died painfully because of his powers. How this psycho alien had talked about killing billions of creatures painlessly and then just gone ahead and done it. And it sounds like Peter's companions had died, too. So grief for them and for himself, and the failure to stop this alien guy... well it's a lot. ]

I- died, too. Not like that. But it... wasn't painless, or instant for me, either. So- so- I get how seeing that just now... I mean, that's fucked up.

[ Honestly if Ben had seen something that reminded him of his death even half as directly as that scene in there must have reminded Peter? He would be losing his shit way, way more than Peter is. And because he can see the way Peter seems to be tamping down on all that, he offers, quietly: ]

It's okay to not be okay about it. I'm not gonna judge.

[ A brief pause and then, with complete earnestness: ]

I'm here for you.