That was enough to throw his guard off. A simple smile, some easy affection and Chris was staring at Cole in heavy confusion. It had been a long time since anyone had spared him even a smile and not since Bianca had anyone been so gentle. It took a moment for him to realize that it meant his head was momentarily free and he shook it hard to dislodge Cole's hand. This was a cheap trick and like hell he was going to be taken in by something so cheesy.

His mind did another flop, only this time it didn't stop. It was like sitting through a dream, not quite lucid but enough to examine his own thoughts even if he didn't understand them. His reluctance began to melt away despite everything else about the situation still keeping him tense and alert. What harm was talking going to do, anyway? "It does," he said slowly. Something kept ticking in the back of his mind as he spoke, something he couldn't reach. It just kept slipping out of his fingers no matter how hard he tried to grasp it. "Leo's not worth it, and I'm just—I'm trying to save the future, and all they can do is moan about how they miss Leo and how he'd let them live their own lives."