He knew it was a mistake from the start. He wasn’t good at expressing his feelings. He initially saw it as convenient, a benefit. He never expected to feel anything, not like this. He remembers meeting you, when Price introduced you to the Task Force. He thought you were a distraction, a nuisance. He believed the team was fine without you. He soon realized how wrong he was. On that first mission, he saw how efficient you were. That’s probably where it started, his affection, or respect. In the following months, he found himself drawn to you. He’d observe you, find your presence calming. He made excuses to be near you. He wasn’t blind to how you felt, and he wanted to return those feelings, but he’s not built that way. He should have stopped it before it became intimate, but those nights… He tried to detach himself, finding reasons to stay away, but couldn’t always do so. It came to a head one night when you confronted him, leading to a heated argument. He regretted hurting you but reasoned it was for the best.