[the thing is rachel is still that light in his life. she always will be.
his life is so dark, so senseless without her, and then when she entered it again, it's like he could think clearly again. it wasn't a guardian-ward thing, it was... a noah-rachel thing. it's how they always have been with each other. noah remembers too, holding her hand when they were young, when they were both human after her father had died. her mother wasn't around, but he'd stay with her as much as possible. he'd have rachel stay over their house too so she wouldn't be alone.
his eyes burn at what she says. when she says it back to him. nothing can change that, nothing can take that away. it fills him with this... with something so, so strong. and impossible to describe. emotion wraps around his throat tightly, but he nods at what she says.] I know you're not.
And I know... why I need to work on it. [and not just for her, but-- but for himself too. it's been hard for a really long time, but he needs to learn to take care of himself.
and he will. he doesn't want to end up in that terrible, low place again like she didn't want to end up in that terrible low, place again. and neither of them will, they've been there, they've seen how horrible it is and felt it. they won't... let themselves.