[ Will listens thoughtfully, his thoughts under a fairly blank mask as he rolls them around in his head. Eventually, he breaks into a tired smirk. ]

You're probably attributing more of a selfless motivation to me than is fully accurate. It's not about roles or duty or 'what I should do.' It's about fear...what I could've lost, out of carelessness on my part.

I have lost almost everyone I've connected with, on any level. You know that. And it's not- not that I can't let it happen again. It's more that I don't deserve to. That I wanted you here, and I could've done more to ensure that.

I got...worried, that I'd never see you again. And because of my past experiences, that worry bloomed into a panic and I started getting irrational.