The moment Dwight spoke up in retaliation Frank's breath caught in his throat. He could feel his own mind growing loud, demands to fall back into his old ways. Should he lash out like always? Just let it all go? He can't fix him… It almost feels like he… Was he wanting to?
Or was his own mind making him think that Dwight was giving up on him and wanting to cut it all off.
The mask hid his expression. His only form of hiding any form of weakness. But his breathing wasn't calm, it was easy to see that the usual scared leader's words struck something in him. Deep breaths as if to try and stay calm.
"…" He can't find his words in that moment. His jaw tensing as he felt sick. But he forces himself to move now, stepping closer, seeing as Dwight seemed to grow more fearful. He stopped, feeling a pain growing in him. "I…." What? What was he wanting to fucking say in that moment?
Of course he gives a shit about him. So much that he…
"I just… don't want you to.." Fuck, he hates how he can hear his voice break in that moment. He moves to be on his knees now, his head lowering as he moved his hands to take the mask off. But he couldn't look up to him. He was… scared. Scared on how he might look at him to see just how his words hit him. But he can see the tears that hit his mask.
He's so pathetic right now…
He closed his eyes, taking a breath.
"Please… I don't want you to walk out on me… not…. n-not like the rest." Please not like the others that gave him some sense of hope only to have it crushed. "Don't… don't give up on me like the rest… please, Dwight." Not when there seemed to be peace in this hellscape. Not when it felt like he can rest easy, to not feel like he had to be a certain way.
"I… it feels like if you walk out of here… that would be it. That I won't get to see you again aside from in trials… that you… y-you'd never want to bother with me again." He finally makes himself look up to him. He wasn't used to being so vulnerable, but he can't stay behind that mask. Not if it meant he'd lose that good, that bit of hope, that light that came into his life….
"Don't say… you can't fix me when it felt like there was a chance. When you put that bit of hope in me when you showed that you gave a damn… I don't… want to go back to how things were."