"I would never hit you. Not unless you got like mind controlled or something? Maybe I've just watched too many movies."

Anyway! Not the point. "You don't seem like a coward to me. And even if you were, flight is a totally valid part of 'fight or flight'. It's my first instinct too, to be honest. There's nothing wrong with wanting to survive." As for wanting to stand between him and danger...

"... I want to protect people, though. If I have these powers I want to use them for good. To stand up for people who can't stand up for themselves. I don't mind getting hurt since I can heal. Maybe that's bad because I'm just... used to being hurt... but I never claimed to be like... good at healthy coping strategies or something?"