Lea fought the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose to ward off a headache. "Xion, you're not some stray puppy I found on the street and took in," he said. "You're one of my best friends. You don't have to do anything to justify your existence to me, ever. It's enough that you're you. That's literally all I need."

"So no, you're not useless and have never been useless. The people who told you you were were horrible and liars and you know for a fact that they were both of those things. I just wish that I could teach you how to let go of all the terrible, wrong things they said about you instead of holding onto them and believing them."