[he wants to smile at that, little. Maybe he even does, a tiny bit, on the inside. But physically, and emotionally, he's far too numb and tired and drained to show much of anything at all]
Because ... [he swallows again, trying to articulate it] Because ... I dunno.
[she's going to hit him for this, probably, or at least scoff louder]
Because I'm, I dunno, a bloke.
[it's a stammered, badly-done way of saying he doesn't want to cry in front of her because he's a man and he ought to be stronger than that]
no subject
Because ... [he swallows again, trying to articulate it] Because ... I dunno.
[she's going to hit him for this, probably, or at least scoff louder]
Because I'm, I dunno, a bloke.
[it's a stammered, badly-done way of saying he doesn't want to cry in front of her because he's a man and he ought to be stronger than that]