[To be fair, learning how to believe in someone like that was something that involved multiple parties. But looking back at it was what helped him to realize that with Iris, he had lived that lesson without even realizing it.

Phoenix chuckles fondly at her question, remaining cool in the face of the sudden closeness.]

Iris...

...It's a feeling that can't just go away or fade over time, no matter what happens. This is a belief that...

...well, I guess it kind of feels like it's etched into my heart. And I have no want to undo it. Because... Even now, even in a place like this, you've found your way back into my life. You're here for me, and you're rewarding my faith without even realizing it.

[He hesitates for a moment, keeping a warm smile, before he lets himself speak from his heart.]

It... It just makes it easy to see, all over again, why I care about you as much as I do.