[With that, Athrun's breathing eased. He gave a solemn nod.]

I know you don't. That's something that I appreciate about you...and that Kira loves in you.

Yeah. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. It'll hurt...but it'll save him a greater heartbreak in the long run.

[Well, now that he was calming down, he had one more thing to say.]

And I'm sorry for getting that worked up. It's just that the first thing I saw was Kira's face in such a situation...and it sent me into full defense mode. I trust you and your ability to make good decisions, and I hope I didn't come across as undermining that.

[Though hopefully the strongest emotion he conveyed was the level of care he possessed for his best friend's happiness.]