It's that last part that manages to actually get him to look up from the cards and at Tidus. Not that the implied teasing about him being a baby somehow the way younger one here is getting to him, no-- apparently he hadn't caught onto the fact yet that that was discussed at the council meeting. Huh.

As usually though, there's only one short outwardly serious moment of consideration before he returns to his usual dumb cheery ways.

"Well, then the joke's on them, because I already have someone looking out for me here." Under certain circumstances he might have been a lot more embarrassed about admitting that, but things just feel so comfortable in that regard by now that he doesn't mind admitting it.

Besides, it gives him the chance to give Tidus a teasing grin. "So who's going to be your government assigned babysitter then, huh?"