[Part of Abel agrees that it's probably true-- this isn't all that bad, really. He knows he's just mad that Hideki threw Cain a giant party and Abel couldn't do that. The other part is horrified that Angel has been subject to worse, apparently. He winces, trying not to imagine it and failing.]

[But as to what he and Cain were...]

Ah, you're right, we're partners. Military partners, the fighters we fly are a two-person setup, a Navigator and a Fighter. We trusted each other with our lives. [There's more to it than that, yes, but they haven't really defined anything so... what's he supposed to say? His sex life is nobody's business, and when that was removed from the equation he's left with trust and deep affection. Total honesty would lead to questions-- how they met, what their relationship was like, it could go as far as revealing what Project Thebes was and Cain's part in it. Someone who didn't know them wouldn't understand, they would think Cain was some kind of monster.]

[It's better to just keep it quiet. Fewer questions.]

Back on Earth, I was the son of an influential politician. I guess you could say my family was rich and connected, I could have had anything I wanted. [He glances over at Hideki pointedly.] I opted not to behave like that. And Cain getting mixed up with him is like watching him hang around some twisted version of me. I don't like it.