Troy hurt for her, he really did. But there didn't seem to be any short solution for what Lux had gone through and what she was dealing with. Just on a whim, Troy sensed out through the connection to Lux he had with her hand, using that other sense of his that his mastery granted him. But even his skill to accelerate healing was only for the physical wounds, and those had long since closed over, formed scars. There was nothing he had power over, at least not in that way. But maybe, eventually, Lux would listen to him, see that she wasn't just some broken creature without worth. "I wish there was something I could do to cheer you up. You won't feel this way forever, and I'll be here for you every step of the way. You know that, don't you?" It had still been a shock when Lux had distanced herself from everyone, and Troy was just glad that she'd allowed him this close.
"It's been my biggest fear, since my parents split." Lux and Simon both knew about Troy's familial issues, had seen it when they were growing up. "Will you please do me a favor?" His voice was heavy with a begging note that he had never heard himself use. "Will you stop assuming that whatever it is you aren't telling me will change my opinion about you? Please?" And then Troy had finally done something to make Lux stop speaking, at least for a moment. Are kisses really that much of a shock to her? He looked at her face, how beautiful and fragile it looked, especially with the blush that colored her cheeks. And then she was crying, and Troy bit down on his lip, hard. He hadn't meant to make her cry! Without thinking, Troy was just reacting, and his hands let go of her hand to brush some of the tears away. "Shhhh, Lux. Please don't cry." No, that wasn't right, he didn't want her to hold back what she was feeling. "Or, cry if you have to, but don't be sad. I swear to you, there isn't anything you could tell me about you that would make me want you any less."
Lux's hand on his cheek was the only thing keeping Troy from getting more upset than he already was. What good would he do her if he lost it, too? When she asked him to look at her, really look, he did. He wiped all trace of sadness and emotion off his face, taking in the scars that she bared to him. He let her finish what she was saying, and when she did, he placed one warm fingertip against her lips. "Shhh," was all he murmured before he took her face in his hands, turning it gently to the side so he was looking directly at the scars. He leaned in the rest of the way between them, moving slowly, giving her time to move away, to escape if she wanted to. Once it seemed as though she wouldn't pull away, Troy placed soft, light kisses on the cheek that was scarred. He pulled back a little, his eyes searching her face. "I see you." And scars and all, Troy only saw Lux, and that she was hurting, and that he wanted to make the hurting stop. "I know you think you're going to hurt me, but I promise you, I'm much stronger than I look. You won't break me, promise."