That Lux hadn't flinched away at his touch was a good sign to Troy. He had always wanted to be supportive in any way he felt that he could be, and he could feel how she was leaning into him. It made him relax slightly, glad that he hadn't messed things up by touching her. Seeing her struggle to find words was almost as painful for him to watch as it had been to hear the things that she'd rambled off about. At her admittance that she didn't want him to see her break down, Troy's face softened even more. "You are not weak. That you've come through what you have with any shred of your sanity intact, however fragile though it feels to you, is the measure of your strength." Troy squeezed Lux's shoulder for emphasis, hoping that she would understand that what he was saying was the truth. "And you are not useless. If you need to break down, you can trust me. I won't judge you for feeling what you're feeling." God knows that his own sister broke down around him enough, and he never ever thought anything less of her.
Troy was not prepared for what she said, and he took it the wrong way, thinking that she only meant that she didn't understand what he was saying. Taking a breath, Troy smiled down at her sweetly. "Well, it means that I care about you. I always have." The corner of his mouth quirked slightly as nerves hit him again and he felt as if he didn't get it out now, he never would. And he couldn't spend another minute without letting her know. "I've had a thing for you for as long as I can remember, but it really hit me when you-- in January." Even Troy had a hard time speaking about her attack out loud, seeing as it reminded him how close he'd come to losing her. "I...I realized I didn't ever want to lose you. That your life means more to me than if you were just a friend in my eyes." Did she understand? Troy felt that she should be able to see it, how he'd always reacted to her teasing. "It feels selfish to say this right now, but...Lux...I want to be with you. You're the most beautiful, wonderful person I know." He paused a moment, feeling his mouth going dry with nerves. "Do you understand?"