He’s still finding his way back to the man he used to be. He’s accepted he won’t— can’t— ever be the same, but if he could hold onto a few pieces of who he used to be? Maybe that would be enough.

“So you were worried,” he points out, an eyebrow half-raised in question and amusement twisting his mouth at the edges. It’s… sweet. And kind of cute.

“You don’t have to rush off if you don’t want to,” he shrugs a little. A little extra company might be nice.