"You're not... wrong." He knows he has self-confidence issues. He knows he feels unworthy of anything positive. "But I can take a lot so why shouldn't I deal with a lot?"

His gaze turns distant and he just stares at his fingers gripping the sheet. "It's not like... it's not like I... I..." No, he can't keep the front up. Not around his boyfriend. "... I hate feeling weak. And he makes me feel weak, every single time. Emotionally, mentally, physically... I swore that I'd never be too weak to defend people who needed it again, but... but look at me. I'm... I'm weak around him."

He starts to cry a little bit, tears falling down his cheeks onto the fabric beneath them. "I... if I can't be strong enough to help people then there's no point in me being around."