[He breathes, and it's shakier than he'd like, still cursing himself for letting her see weakness for the one person he never had to. He's doing this. He's making it worse on the both of them for leaning back on his fake self, kicking his own heart when he's already down.

But still, she makes herself close, whispers to him as he shakes, quick pieces of tangible affection in hands and heads pressed together. He hasn't felt like a kid in so long, because his childhood felt too blurry for 10 years.

Of course, if anyone would come to chase away the fog, it would be her.]

Yeah, trust me, I know how fucked up it is, like, if you needed to remind me of anything it wasn't that.

[He heaves another breath, too heavy against the inside of his chest, letting himself go a little more limp in her arms. He's out of fight to give. Out of barriers to break.]

I just... I don't know, Lup, I don't remember how to talk to people, it's not... it's not you, it's just everything.

[It's everything he is, too scattered, and he just hasn't had time to pick up the pieces between every other catastrophe. He's glad, all of a sudden, that he's not looking at her, and just presses himself a little closer, blinking a few tears from the edge of his vision as he prepares to be more vulnerable than he's been in recent memory.]

I thought you might think I wasn't me anymore. That I wasn't the person you knew.