He moves his opposite hand to cover hers where it lays on his arm, and his fingers curl just a little too hard into her. It does hurt to hear this because he knows it's the truth. All of it. Part of him is still terrified, even now, that he's not worthy of this love she's holding for him. Part of him worries he hasn't done enough to earn it. As if this was ever something that needed to be earned? That's the prisoner in him talking.

"I was..." he takes a steadying breath. "I was desperate. Sometimes I still feel desperate. But you never ask more from me than I want to give. You never let me make myself less for your sake. So I'm really trying to believe I'm... everything you see in me."

His eyes meet hers and there's determination written into the deep furrows of his brow. "I want to be someone who can be just as good at supporting you as you are at supporting me. I... I want you to feel like you can share it all with me. Hold nothing back. Just like this."