"That'd be great!" At this, the half-elf stands, offering his hand to his companion, beaming brightly. "Let's go?"
He's not... sure what he's doing. Interacting with Romeo is a lot stranger than he thought it might be at first, seeing as he is just so young. Esteban wants to hover; wants to make sure he's kept safe and sound-- and 'Dians, that makes him sound like his own mother. Hovering that intently over him would be hurtful; Esteban knows it first hand.
Which isn't... a bad thing now that he thinks about it. It's his problem to be troubled by this, and help Romeo grow up as best he can offer; as a safe retreat the child can use if there is a need, but a soft encouragement if all Romeo wants is to stand on his own feet. And to be fair, he honestly doubts his small companion doesn't have a half-dozen adults already watching from the sidelines, ready to step in if there's any trouble at all; he does have that gentle and helpful personality to help. Esteban will just be one more among them.
"What do you think will happen next?" he asks amicably as they start on their way, keeping the child's hand in his own but ready to let go if he draws back. It's a strangely accurate reflection of his own thoughts.
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timeasmymeasure
Sorry; lots of introspections.
Date: 2022-03-01 10:31 am (UTC)He's not... sure what he's doing. Interacting with Romeo is a lot stranger than he thought it might be at first, seeing as he is just so young. Esteban wants to hover; wants to make sure he's kept safe and sound-- and 'Dians, that makes him sound like his own mother. Hovering that intently over him would be hurtful; Esteban knows it first hand.
But he can't pretend Romeo is an adult either, the way he would if the child was just a liiiiittle older. Sure, he's protective over other teenagers, such as Kitty, or Danny, even if their interactions are few and far between, but his fear is lessened, somewhat, with the few added years they have to their age. So he's stuck in this odd step in between being tyrannically protective, and such blasé carelessness that he feels like it's a balancing act.
Which isn't... a bad thing now that he thinks about it. It's his problem to be troubled by this, and help Romeo grow up as best he can offer; as a safe retreat the child can use if there is a need, but a soft encouragement if all Romeo wants is to stand on his own feet. And to be fair, he honestly doubts his small companion doesn't have a half-dozen adults already watching from the sidelines, ready to step in if there's any trouble at all; he does have that gentle and helpful personality to help. Esteban will just be one more among them.
"What do you think will happen next?" he asks amicably as they start on their way, keeping the child's hand in his own but ready to let go if he draws back. It's a strangely accurate reflection of his own thoughts.