He closes his scarred hand over his, strong and sure. He's never been able to refuse someone clutching him and needing to be saved, and he can't let Kaworu fall into an abyssal sky. He pulls Kaworu to him in a swift but gentle movement, enveloping him with his other arm like a blanket on a cold day. (It's the height of summer.) He cradles his head where the softest hairs meet the nape of his neck.

"You don't need to be worthy or deserving. I don't think that's how love works. You're a person, Kaworu-kun. You're my person," he says fiercely. "So I have to protect the good I see in you. Don't throw it away. I don't want to fight you. I want to be with you too."