[This is baggage that isn't really caused by him, but the connection's there. He physically recoils at the word 'father', because he knows that doesn't mean to her what it does to him, but it's close enough, it's too close. He doesn't want to make this about his issues, because she's what matters here, but emotions aren't that easily controlled.
Nothing he can say that would help anyway. He turns his head to the side, fingers tightening around his upper arm, holding himself as he often does.]
action;
Nothing he can say that would help anyway. He turns his head to the side, fingers tightening around his upper arm, holding himself as he often does.]