[ It's an odd realization to think that most in a man's life hadn't pushed to see beyond the surface. He had always been there for others. He was the one called in the middle of the night for anything and everything. He was the one that was a steady rock, the responsible one to do it all, but never the one that anyone questioned how steady he would always be.

No one has ever spoken of ensuring he doesn't just put on a face and keep going. Or even seemed to notice too deeply that he did. Only one other did on any level and that's hard for him to face now as well, but it also means the world to him. ]

I will do my best, Charles. I'm not good at it and I know why isn't great, but I can make an effort to be better about it. Because I do feel like... like you're the first person who's wanted me to be open about things. So how can I not try and give you that?

[ It feels like a melancholy admission, but at the same time it feels so important to him, because Charles isn't willing to just accept the smile and the acceptable mask. ]