[He's fairly slow on the uptake, eyes widening just enough when the guy (Shiro) admits his worry aloud. Hawkeye's not sure why his insides decide to imitate jelly again, lukewarm, but he also refuses to acknowledge it beyond passing.

That had sounded entirely too much like what Beej would have said, which is what a decent person would have said, which is, Stateside, unremarkable. Right?] Huh. [But Hawkeye is looking easy, which is the important thing here. He's not white-knuckled or overly tense and when Shiro laughs, he cracks a grin again and this time it reaches his eyes.

Good kid.

Hawkeye waves Shiro away, or waves the pleasantries away, and fully dislodges himself from the hunk. He gestures to the open space between them and then to the space where the festival continues.] Yeah, yeah, I know. Just missed th'mud season but the laurels are lookin' good so it can't've been that bad. We've got a ways to go before winter, buddy, believe me, I'm from here, I know this place like the back-a my hand. Well, not-- here-here, but I know Maine. It's not as bad as everyone wants it to be. I love it here. [Which isn't what the guy had been talking about, he'd bet, but beggars can't be choosers.]