Noah shakes his head and touches Ronan's arm with the back of his fingers to stop him from talking. "You're misunderstanding." He takes a moment to try and collect his thoughts, to come up with the best explanation. "I'm not unhappy because of Freddie. I like the things we do. It's not a lack of self-worth. But I can't just, like, make a romantic partner appear."

He drops his hand and loosely crosses his arms, hunching over a bit while leaning his butt against the island, looking down at his shoes. Fidgeting. "If things could be different--" He rubs his cheek and sighs, standing straighter to glance over at Ronan. "I'd rather be with someone I love. I'd rather be able to love someone."

Which is as close as he'll admit to wanting to be with Ronan.