[Akira laughs too, already preparing to say it sounds like his idea of a great time before Ryoko shuts him down preemptively.]

It's way too embarrassing to have her do it now, but it almost always helped a lot when I was little.

[And then, in a brazen act of either a lack of self-awareness or simple disregard of it:]

If your head starts to hurt again, you can ask me to help out anytime.

[Though there's that bashful tone again, so maybe not a complete lack of awareness, as he combs his fingers through her hair.]