"I can't say I ever wished that," Greg explained. "But sometimes I wondered why we did if you couldn't stay with me. It just felt like some cruel trick that life was playing on me, taking away the only person that I had ever been in love with. When I was with you, I was the happiest I'd ever been, and every time you left me, it was like you tore my whole world apart again." He was quiet for a moment, and then realized how that probably sounded, and stopped that train of thought. "I don't mean to sound like an asshole, and I know now why you did what you did. I don't blame you for it, because I know you were doing the best you could to keep me safe. You've always put your heart and soul into that, even when it hurt you. I just didn't know how to explain to you what I was feeling, and I started thinking I was just going crazy and maybe I should get over it. In the end, though, even with all of that pain, I think in the end, it made what we have now even more beautiful to me." He never tired of being near Xavier, even when things were hard... perhaps especially when things were hard, because he needed his lover more than ever in those times.

Greg was listening quietly. He would never not listen when his mate was speaking, because their connection was that special and treasured to him that anything Xavier felt the need to talk about was important to Greg. "Baby, you can't blame yourself, though. There's only so much you can do in a situation, and you've done the very best you can with the knowledge you've had at any given time." He shifted to lean over Xavier, one hand on either side of his mate to hold him up as he met Xavier's gaze. "And speaking of knowledge... Are you upset that I didn't tell you about... everything? From before?"