"You do plenty," Claude murmurs. "I might not ask for help and advice from you the way you do from me, but that doesn't mean you don't do anything for me. Loving and accepting me...it doesn't seem like much, but it's something I didn't get at home from almost anyone, sunshine. That's rare and valuable to me - more than anything."
He kisses Felix's temple. "And, well, let's face it...the people and problems that weigh on me the most aren't here, so I don't need to ask for help with them. And I've been through so much less than you or Sylvain or Dimitri, or even Grant. So much less loss and tragedy. I've had my hardships, sure, and I didn't necessarily come out unscathed, but I'm a lot less scathed than any of you. It doesn't mean you don't have anything to offer me; it just means there's not a lot of things I need help with here. And help isn't what it's all about, is it? You guys don't love me just because I help you out, do you?"
He hates the thread of genuine uncertainty that creeps through him as he voices that question. It should merely be an illustrative question he already knows the answer to, but...
At the mention of the battle at Gronder, Claude laughs softly, almost sadly. "The Alliance really shouldn't have lost anyone. And who we did lose was more or less on my head, for fighting so hard to try to get through to Dimitri when he was in no state to be reasoned with. I'm surprised you're counting that as a success."
no subject
He kisses Felix's temple. "And, well, let's face it...the people and problems that weigh on me the most aren't here, so I don't need to ask for help with them. And I've been through so much less than you or Sylvain or Dimitri, or even Grant. So much less loss and tragedy. I've had my hardships, sure, and I didn't necessarily come out unscathed, but I'm a lot less scathed than any of you. It doesn't mean you don't have anything to offer me; it just means there's not a lot of things I need help with here. And help isn't what it's all about, is it? You guys don't love me just because I help you out, do you?"
He hates the thread of genuine uncertainty that creeps through him as he voices that question. It should merely be an illustrative question he already knows the answer to, but...
At the mention of the battle at Gronder, Claude laughs softly, almost sadly. "The Alliance really shouldn't have lost anyone. And who we did lose was more or less on my head, for fighting so hard to try to get through to Dimitri when he was in no state to be reasoned with. I'm surprised you're counting that as a success."