Porco has already started to doubt If love had even existed in the first place, or if the term was truly just a white lie.

Perhaps love was only meant for those who share the same blood - not for those who don’t relate together so closely through shared genetics and ancestors. Maybe the only love that existed was platonic love for family - never romantic ones.

Ever since he’s known how his brother had talked bad about him to the officers to keep him safe - from the largely calloused hands of titans - he’d been convinced that truly, he’d never speak of love once more, because he believes that it’s all fake, that loving someone to that extent, till you’d have risked your own life was pure foolish - especially knowing that Marco was his brother, related by blood. and to think, lovers risk their lives for each other? that’s absurd.

not to mention how painful it is to see love fall apart. even if he’s not a firm believer, hell, he doesn’t even know if he’s even a believer at all - it does tug his heart slightly seeing a marriage or relationship deteriorating.

he can’t imagine having to go through all that, for somebody who was once a stranger to him.

he also cant imagine the fact that his viewpoint of love is actually starting to shift. albeit very slowly, he could feel the way he’s starting to soften at the mention and thought of love. and he can’t help but wonder, who was making his opinion shift directions?

when he found himself in your care, who was scolding him for reckless behavior, pointing at him for his injuries on a recent mission (despite it being able to heal rather quickly due to his titan abilities), he still finds himself standing in front of you, listening intently on what you were telling him off about.

and when it hit him, the sudden realization that he was slowly starting to fall into the pit of love himself, that he’s made a exception for you - it came at him like a brick block straight to his face.

“with all due respect - I’m perfectly fine,” he tries to argue, trying to shrug it off ignorantly - but he can’t help the way his heart thumps a little faster at the thought of you actually caring for him.

“it’ll heal quickly. it’s not a big deal.”