meta: To Be Needed

[bonnefois]

Look at how much stress Scout puts on the word "need." The mere fact that Miss Pauling needs them for something is so important to Scout, he shrugs off the potential danger in the later panel, because he's too giddy with the thought of being useful to her, of being her right hand man. To a character like Scout to not prioritize himself, and instead prioritize her shows a lot.

This was a guy whose every subject was I, me, mine. Fandom theorizes that he cares about his family a lot due to a couple of scenes, we assume he cares somewhat for his fellow mercenaries because of a few other scenes, but self-centeredness has always been one of Scout's defining characteristics.

He's always the number one, his topic always goes back to himself.

Until the day it seems like he won't be able to cheat death forever. Because when it comes down to it, she's his one call, his one hope, his one.

Miss Pauling isn't just a girl, but the girl. His last regret, his bucket list, the one he'd be willing to push himself for, suffering humiliation and shaping himself into someone more kind, more loyal, more gentlemanly, simply because she inspires him to be a better person, and Scout, who believes himself to be the hottest and most awesome guy around around--or so he keeps claiming--thinks that he isn't good enough for her.

She's a girl who can by the sheer memory of her make him turn down anyone else, simply because they weren't her, a girl who can make a described "pick up artist" greet women with "Ladies, I'm taken."

And when he does this, he is never grudging, never regretful, because he knows that a moment with her is worth more to him than years with any other woman. Because he'd be willing to wait as long as it takes, celibate, until she's in a place where she can be with him.

And the thought that she could need him, even in a non-romantic way makes him be willing to fight the world, to never give up, and fight every battle possible for her.