[By the time Ben steps in and scoops the ferret up off his back, Klaus is bent at a ninety degree angle, and laughing. When he stands up, he sees Ben holding her against his chest while she plays with the strings on his hoodie, and Klaus' expression softens. He knows, probably better than anyone, that Ben gets antsy around small animals, and why. All the sordid history that followed the bad luck Hargreeves kids. The ones with the powers they didn't want, who were a danger to others. A danger to themselves.]

I think she likes you too.

[It's careful and a little gentle, but Klaus doesn't hesitate to come over and scoop her up into his hands, pulling her back against his chest, where she puts her little front paws against his collarbone and starts sniffling at his ear and nibbling on the lobe. That makes him giggle a bit, and he tilts his head to the side, nose wrinkling. It might be nice to see Ben holding an animal like that, but he's not going to force him to do it if he doesn't want to.]

Seriously. She's got a thing for my ear...

[When Ben digs into his pack and pulls out a couple little bits of jerky, Klaus walks over, still smiling and scritching gently at the nape of the little ferret's neck, and accepts the shreds of meat. It's easy to tell Ben likes her too. Maybe he's nervous around her, but he likes her. So after he feeds her one of the bits, he pushes the other one into Ben's hand.]

She likes it. Here you give her one too, she already likes you, that'll just, you know, cement things.