"Okay." Sparkle lowered his hand again and blew out a breath and looked back Atton's way. "Okay. Thank you."

He was quiet for a few more moments, and then he added, a little more quietly, "My whole fucking life has been about being lied to by people who want to make me feel better about everything actually being hopeless bullshit. I just don't want you to be one of those people too."