Ansel sat himself down in an overstuffed armchair when Cassio explained that he wished to talk about Lucio and not the incident that occurred in the kitchen and the resulting cosmetic damage to the cottage. His dark brows furrowed together as he sat and listened to Cassio's gentle question, shrugging his shoulders lightly in response. "I've known him for a few months," he answered truthfully, although somewhat misleadingly. "But you're correct in assuming our official relationship is rather recent." Ansel had no intention of telling Cassio just<i>how</i>recent, but it seemed that drawing out a timeline wasn't the young man's primary concern.<br/><br/>The professor listened carefully, his eyes boring into Cassio intensely, perhaps more so than he would have intended, but nothing the young man was saying was particularly shocking to Ansel. Being a licensed psychiatrist, Ansel had come to find that most people, if not all of them, carried some kind of emotional baggage with them, whether it be mild or--as seemed to be the case with Lucio--severe. He had already suffered from Lucio's night terrors, and it hadn't scared him away from wanting to share his bed with the young man, and Lucio's willingness to toss a hot skillet at another person's head certainly hinted at his attachment issues, as Cassio put it. Ansel had already decided he needed to work on cooling Lucio's temper, but it was effort the older man was willing to put in.<br/><br/>The information about Lucio's many attempts at suicide were more concerning, however. Ansel sat back in his chair and brought a hand up to his beard, stroking it absentmindedly as he considered Cassio's words. Though the information was troubling, once again, Ansel didn't find himself surprised. Victims of rape were prone to PTSD, panic attacks, suicide attempts, and a slew of other mental conditions that affected their quality of life. Not only had Lucio been raped, it had occurred at an incredibly young age by a trusted family friend. Had the man not died of his own accord, there was no telling how their sick relationship would have developed or where Lucio would be now. The fact that he was managing to live his life somewhat successfully on his own was impressive enough, but Ansel knew that for individuals in similar situations, each day could be a struggle, and smallest thing could trigger a reaction that could lead to catastrophe.<br/><br/>He looked up when Cassio came to him and took his large his into his own smaller, more delicate ones. All of the Bane boys were slight, with the possible exception of Griffith who at least had a more athletic musculature than his brothers. But none of them came anything close to Ansel's thick build. He could understand why Lucio would prefer someone twice his size, like Ansel, instead of another svelte man who would probably remind him too much of himself.<br/><br/>"I appreciate everything you've told me, Cassio," Ansel replied simply before taking a deep, long breath. "I realize you know nothing about me, and I suppose this is as good a time as any to share some details in the hopes that they'll comfort you. I'm a licensed psychiatrist, Cassio. I specialize in abnormal psychology and had my own practice before I started teaching. I've dealt with people like your brother for over fifteen years and I've never once encountered someone whom I considered 'too much.' Admittedly, I've never dated anyone with as many concerns as your brother, but I don't want you to think that it intimidates me, nor do I want you thinking that I'm with Lucio as some kind of twisted desire to 'fix' him.<br/><br/>"I already knew about the night terrors. Lucio had one while we were in bed the other night. He thrashed so violently he injured me and then fell to the floor, screaming bloody murder. I had to scramble off of the bed and hold him to calm him down, but he settled eventually." Ansel licked at his lips slowly and lowered his gaze, his hands still touching Cassio's as he thought. "He told me about some of the horrific experiences he's had to endure, and I can see they've taken a significant toll on him, even if he tries to play them off as nothing. The suicide attempts are disturbing, but I don't intend to let them deter me from trying to make your brother happy. I realize relationships don't fix everything, and there are going to be days where nothing I do will help, but if he needs someone to be there for him, I'm more than willing to be that person.<br/><br/>"Your brother will want for nothing, Cassio," Ansel said gently, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "No one has ever made me feel the way he has. I'd be devastated if anything happened to him."