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What are you worried about?

[It's calm, though, there's nothing pointed behind it.]

I'm worried you'll be hurt like that again. Not in exactly the same way, of course, but I... really don't like to see you hurting. I don't want anything to happen to you.

I promise I'm all right. I...

[...He doesn't know how to finish that, exactly; just...give him a moment to try again.]

Did what Spencer was saying bother you?

Of course. I... don't like the idea that you're worried about that. Maybe you don't actually believe it, but hearing it... It troubles me.

...It's something I try not to think about very much.

Albert...

[His grip tightens on Wesker's hands again before he decides to let go entirely and move to latch on, if Wesker will let him.]

I'm sorry. It's... really difficult, ja? But I'm going to be right here, and I meant every word I said to Spencer. I'll repeat it as many times as you need to hear it.

[And maybe... maybe it'll help a little.]

[...Oh. Oh, he'll...right, okay. It takes him a moment to realize what Jaeger is doing, but he'll shift to pull him a little closer once he has.]

You don't have to worry about me. I'll be all right; I have difficulties from time to time, but it isn't anything to be concerned about.

[...]

Sometimes I have doubts about things. Whether there really is a place in the world for someone like me. It's something that I've always questioned, not...just recently.

[He settles easily once Wesker's pulled him closer, though his grip is tight.]

I know you'll be all right. You always are. But I can still worry about you a little bit, ja?

...There's always a place for you in the world. I don't think the world is a cruel enough place to reject anyone outright like that, but even if it was, you'd always have a place with the people who care for you.

...It's something I'm still working on accepting, I think.

[Another of those things, then.]

It's okay, I'll repeat it as many times as you need to hear it.

[He leans in to nuzzle Wesker.]

At the very least, you'll always have a place with us.

...I've never been like the rest of you.

[He'll return the nuzzling, though; it doesn't seem desperate at all.]

It's something I've always been aware of, that I'm not like most people. Seeing what my past life was like often makes me wonder if that's why - if I'm just inherently flawed, or otherwise so fundamentally broken that there's no sense in trying.

It isn't something that's constantly on my mind, but it is there. I know you've been trying to encourage me to not think of it like that, but it's difficult to ignore.

[He's quiet for a moment, but he doesn't stop with the nuzzling. It is desperate on his end, though.]

...There are some things you can have a really hard time letting go of, so I get that. I really do wish you could see things the same way I do, though.

Just because you're different doesn't mean you're flawed. Everyone's different in their own way; that's what makes us all so fascinating. Yes, some of the differences are extreme, and maybe they're even differences that are worrying or frightening. That doesn't make anyone inherently broken.

I just... I really don't believe people can start out broken. They can be broken, yes, sometimes very early on, even. But I don't believe...

[He trails off there, not really sure how to continue.]

[He lets Jaeger continue to nuzzle him, though he shifts a little where he's sitting to start running his hand through Jaeger's hair, the motion gentle and repetitive.]

I know this sort of thing upsets you; I shouldn't dwell on it.

[He's quiet for a moment, though. Gathering thoughts.]

I don't hate myself like I used to, you know. I don't think that I deserve less than anyone else, and I... It's taken a long time, but I don't believe that I deserve to die for how I am, and who I used to be.

You've helped me so.much with that. I don't think I've really thanked you properly for it.

[He leans into the hair-playing for a moment before he returns to nuzzling Wesker. It takes him a moment to respond, but he's definitely calmed down some.]

I'm really happy to hear all of that. It... It really does mean so much to me that I can help you, in any way. Even if it's something small, it makes me happy.

So this... I... I'm not really sure I know what to say to this. I'm really glad that you don't feel you deserve to die any longer, that's... It's very important to me.

[His grip has gone really tight again.]

I admit that part of it is that I don't want to do that to you. That sort of thing would affect you as well, obviously; I don't want to leave you like that.

I know. I... I wouldn't know what to do if you...

[He trails off there, then decides he doesn't want to continue.]

I'm glad that's not something you want, even if it is in part because of how it would affect me.

It doesn't mean any less because it's partially due to you. If anything, that makes it more important to me.

[He keeps playing with Jaeger's hair, softly.]

You aren't going to lose me. I've promised you that before, and I meant it.

[Admittedly, the fact that Zee's apparently been taken out permanently is a little nerve-wracking, but he's fairly sure his own abilities can make up for it without relying on Retrospec to revive him.]

I know. You wouldn't have said it if you didn't mean it.

[He settles a bit, the last of the tension leaving him.]

I really appreciate it. I always want to be right here with you.

I'll be here for as long as I can.

[This is comfortable, okay... Not ideal, because still, made of rocks, but he likes the proximity today at least.]

...You do have my apologies for making you shoot at me. I know that was difficult for you.

[He nuzzles Wesker again.]

I was certain you could heal from it if I missed, but I was really worried about trying to remove the device like that... It was... ja, it was difficult.

It worked out, though. I'm glad I was able to help, even if it was nerve-wracking at the time.

[This is comfortable, even though you're made of rocks. He doesn't ever want to move, okay.]

...I just wanted it off. I didn't care how you did it at the moment, honestly...

Well, that's certainly understandable... I'm just glad it didn't seriously hurt you to remove it like that.

It takes a good amount more than that to harm me, you know that.

[It's light, though, and he tousles Jaeger's hair a little as he says it.]

...I'm fairly sure that large man from the manor found that out the hard way, honestly. That one was actually unpleasant.

[He looks a little sheepish at that.]

Don Whitehorse did not deserve anything I put him through. I recently remembered that my actions caused his death - albeit in an overly-complicated and roundabout way - so I suppose that's why he was there and all of that happened.

[That was such a goddamn mess.]

I see...

[He's quiet for a moment, though he doesn't stop playing with Jaeger's hair.]

The discussion I had with your past life was surprisingly civil. I'm sure it wasn't pleasant for you, however.

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