while it certainly helps that the MC is humanity at its best, I think for me the most interesting concept here is queer time. While Asterion has lived for ~3000 years he has spent almost all of this time seeing being treated and believing himself to be less than human, with absolutely no opportunity for a romantic relationship. When interrogated by Jean MC understands his relationship with Asterion well he is on the ball considerate and its clear he understands how to have a romantic relationship. Asterion on the other hand is just learning to admit that he does have feelings for the MC the blunt "he wants" being the description of how he feels in a game that does not shy away from long metaphorical descriptions is the same as that used to describe how Khenbish feels near the end of his growth which is literally a story about coming out. so we help Asterion come out from the closet a little bit and he is now following the ideas of queer time he is like a child everything is new to him, and so there relationship progresses at his pace where he is the young one and so their relationship forms the pattern of young love with stupid nicknames and blushing while holding hands at the movies. MC is ready to F*ck at chapter 15, the first kiss doesn't happen until chapter 18.