"But..." His face echos hers with a look of pain when she draws away. "What if I want to change for you? I want to become my own person so you won't have to worry about me. I know you... feel like you have to protect me. I don't want it to be like that forever." He stayed with Erik because he needed protection. He can see now that there's more to love than that.

He shakes his head faintly. "You don't have to tell me everything. Not all at once. I just... I want you to know I'll accept you no matter what. I'm not as"--he lets out a small self-deprecating laugh--"naive as everyone seems to think, you know? I can tell there are things in your past you aren't proud of. Things you don't really want me to know about. No matter what, I'm not going to look at you like you're a monster. That's all I really want you to know."