[Spike listens to Sparkling with a sad but calm kind of softness on his face, the corner of his mouth still pulled into a smile but still, still it doesn't reach his eyes.

He watches those petals start to grey, but he isn't too sure yet what's happening. The conversation seems to be helping Sparkling regardless, so Spike presses on. ]

Well, I can tell you what'd happen.

[He pats Sparkling's hand again.]

You'd get sad, then mean... Start trying to convince yourself you're not either of those things. Close yourself off to the world and make sure not to let it in anymore, get used to being lonely... Convince yourself being lonely in the first place is better than having something and losing it.

[He sighs, still gently rubbing Sparkling's hand with his own.]

And I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound very Sparkling to me.

Can't have that, now.