Zerxus opens his mouth, before cutting himself off again - this time with a slight, ruefully pained smile.

Then, internally but obviously, he counts to ten. When he speaks, it comes out soft and strained. "You're right, that closing your heart is a bad idea." He sinks down himself, then, until he's kneeling across from Steve.

"But - you can't get too attached, either. You need to leave everything here behind. And you can't - you can't trust anyone, including me."