Noct knows there's a lot he can handle, somewhere in his heart he knows that, but that he needs to has always been the thing that grinds against him. He wants to help others. He wants to do good things for them. But he has been through too much already to be quite as prepared as others to sacrifice himself for it. Something that will, someday, become a tragic sticking point in a very long lecture from Bahamut.

"Whiplash.... yeah." He smiles ever so faintly, actually looking up at his shield finally. There's an edge of appreciation in his eyes, in the rueful twist of his lips.

"And maybe stop... this." He gestures vaguely between them even as he does his best to drag himself back a step. Time to process and to stop breaking down on everyone. He still feels bad for losing his shit on Iggy in the first place.