"Oh now," he says, pushing himself up to stand, tone still as fierce as it was a moment ago. "That's putting words into my mouth, and you know it."

"Their existence does not support a ridiculous concept. Don't you dare, I would never in my life say something like that. But I'll tell you what you can do, you can keep bloody well telling them that you're not going to be that man. And no, they might not believe you for a long time, I'm not saying that will be easy to face. But —oh Christ Erik, just prove them wrong!" That last part is said in a mixture of exasperation and utter frustration, his own gestures accompanying his words, and substituting the desire to go over there and shake the other man (he knows, at least, that that would be an extremely bad idea).