Final answer:
Without specific context, David appears to be deep in thought, summoning courage while feeling a soft veil of fear regarding an 'upcoming battle', which may be a metaphorical reference to personal or romantic challenges related to Patrick's feelings.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to a description given by a character named David in response to Alexis's comment about Patrick's feelings. Without context from a specific text or show, it's challenging to provide a detailed answer. However, based on the information provided, we can infer that David is contemplating a situation with complexity and a mixture of emotions.
The reference to David's deep in thought expression and the courage combined with a soft veil of fear suggests an internal conflict or hesitation about an 'upcoming battle' which could be literal or metaphorical. We could interpret this as David needing to muster the courage to acknowledge Patrick’s feelings, possibly indicating a romantic or personal storyline if we are discussing a narrative from a show or book.