Steven feels his eyes prickle with tears at the comment, at the way that Strange is just dismissing him - only to realize that's playing into exactly what Strange is accusing him of, which only serves to make him feel flustered and humiliated. He balls his hands into fists.

"I'm not Childermass or Lambert," he says, turning to look at Strange despite his embarrassment. "And... and if they decided they were upset at you because you talked to them like that, it would be completely fair! You're doing it again and... you're not even really sorry, are you?"

He feels betrayed all over again. He's honestly never really had someone critique his emotions before. It feels exceedingly harsh.