i want us all to sit and think more about the "he was jean’s misplaced forever partner, an unfulfilled promise jean had stopped believing in years ago" quote. those words are in jean's pov. are jean's thoughts. he lived for years thinking mournfully of nathaniel, of what he could have had. imagine him meeting neil for the first time and watch him talk to riko without holding back, without fear. i know that maybe he believed that neil would have suffer in the nest because of his bratty attitude but i also know that one part of him was selfish enough to imagine a life where nathaniel was his shield in the nest, of nathaniel talking back to riko because of him, of nathaniel protecting him, of nathaniel making his life more bearable.
little does he know that if only neil were in the nest he would have never left jean behind.