[ it sure doesn't feel good, "real" or not... but Aerith's words are oddly reassuring. it's the first time he's more or less broken down in front of someone about this - his other attempts at talking about it had been cop-outs that hadn't revealed the extent of how much he was hurting, but she's now seen the closest he's come to a breaking point.

he knows everything she's saying already, but it's hard to believe until he has the confirmation from someone else. he sighs, but the smile that accompanies it is an indicator that she's helping. ]

Quit making so much sense. How's a guy supposed to be depressed when you're talking like that?

[ he meets her eyes with a brighter, more joking grin. he's not quite back to his carefree self, but he's definitely starting to shake off the shock and its resulting funk. it'll take a little more time than this, but he can at least put on a good face for the person trying to help out. ]

Geez... I'm usually the one giving the sunny outlooks and pep talks, so this is pretty weird!