"I don't want to fight your battles for you, Alex." Michael's eyes were brimming with tears he didn't want to let fall, and he was repeating himself, but he didn't know what else to say. "People learn to fight every day without going to war."

He tried to think of something else to say that wasn't totally pathetic, but he couldn't, and the tears that had been blurring his vision fell. His throat was so tight he didn't think he'd get any words out, but eventually, they came.

"Please don't leave me."