If he hadn't had certain experiences, it would be so much easier to see this for what it is. Just a simple one-sided crush from Robby, a boy so unused to kindness that the scraps of it he's thrown could easily lead to feelings like that. A youthful whim. Maybe still a little hard to understand for Daniel when he doesn't necessarily see himself as unattractive, but not as attractive either, certainly not to a kid decades younger than him, or when said kid knew very well just how married he is.
But the baggage makes it so much harder. No matter how old the experience is at this point, it colours everything.
Daniel's hands, lying on the table, start to fret, fingers squeezing and pull at other fingers just to have something to do. One might expect him to touch his wedding ring, to worry about that, but they don't even get near that - it's just general nervous fretting accompanying the feelings that always come up whenever he thinks back to that time, the past and present now mingling.
"No, I.. I know that feelings often don't make sense."
He tries smiling a little, wanting to reassure Robby, since - even in the middle of his own emotional turmoil - Daniel can tell this isn't easy for him. And of course it isn't-- who'd have an easy time admitting to this, especially knowing that Daniel wants to be family?
The smile is still a little uneasy though.
"But most kids your age.. They don't get crushes on people my age," Daniel says, slowly and carefully, like it's hard for him to even pick the right words here. For so many reasons. Partially because he's never put his own experience into words - ever - but also because he wants to be careful here, to not thread straight onto Robby's heart. "No matter how nice they are."
After all, mister Miyagi was always so kind to him, basically a surrogate father, but Daniel never had even the faintest hint of a feeling like the ones Robby is putting on the table right now for the man.
So..
"Usually it happens when the older person is," he pauses, visibly swallows, his gaze threatening to drop, but that's right where his Omen is still peeking out from Robby's lap over the edge of the table, so Daniel quickly looks back up at Robby's face instead.
(How can an Omen guilt you with just one stare..)
"When they are-- leading the younger person on. When they're being manipulative." God, this is so hard. "And I don't want to ever have done anything like that to you."
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But the baggage makes it so much harder. No matter how old the experience is at this point, it colours everything.
Daniel's hands, lying on the table, start to fret, fingers squeezing and pull at other fingers just to have something to do. One might expect him to touch his wedding ring, to worry about that, but they don't even get near that - it's just general nervous fretting accompanying the feelings that always come up whenever he thinks back to that time, the past and present now mingling.
"No, I.. I know that feelings often don't make sense."
He tries smiling a little, wanting to reassure Robby, since - even in the middle of his own emotional turmoil - Daniel can tell this isn't easy for him. And of course it isn't-- who'd have an easy time admitting to this, especially knowing that Daniel wants to be family?
The smile is still a little uneasy though.
"But most kids your age.. They don't get crushes on people my age," Daniel says, slowly and carefully, like it's hard for him to even pick the right words here. For so many reasons. Partially because he's never put his own experience into words - ever - but also because he wants to be careful here, to not thread straight onto Robby's heart. "No matter how nice they are."
After all, mister Miyagi was always so kind to him, basically a surrogate father, but Daniel never had even the faintest hint of a feeling like the ones Robby is putting on the table right now for the man.
So..
"Usually it happens when the older person is," he pauses, visibly swallows, his gaze threatening to drop, but that's right where his Omen is still peeking out from Robby's lap over the edge of the table, so Daniel quickly looks back up at Robby's face instead.
(How can an Omen guilt you with just one stare..)
"When they are-- leading the younger person on. When they're being manipulative." God, this is so hard. "And I don't want to ever have done anything like that to you."