Going to yap about something i already did on twitter but !!! i felt like i have to put it here too......let my brainrot consume me.....
A lot of people have mention how i never draw Espio smiling when he is with Faith: "why is he not smiling?" "Not even in their anniversary he smiles". Is he even happy with her?
And first, THAT'S WRONG!!!! there is proof he does smile with her and he has a great time with his gf! And second, being more introspective about my comfort character:
Espio have no clue how to react to affection, he is not good at love at all. I mean, we've seen in canon that he is kind of awkward with affection (The IDW annual with Silver) and i always see him as someone who is not exactly the best at understanding his own feelings when it comes to love, nor does he care about love or finding a partner, he might get frustrated because it interferes with his "ninja training"or something like that.
"So that mean he doesn't like Faith?" Oh he surely does!!! he likes her very much. But he is frustrated with himself AND with her. Because they're polar opposites, and it drives him INSANE that he likes someone LIKE HER, it makes him feel undignified, pathetic even. She is NOT his type, at all. Faith is carefree, reckless, more of a "i'll do things my own way and i don't care about your opinion" kind of gal, she acts before thinking, an absolute nightmare for Espio. She lives for the spotlight and she loves the attention, and well... a ninja lives in the shadows :3c
That woman is tiring, reaaally tiring. And faith KNOWS. She likes teasing him, and getting him either mad or flustered. She LOVES humbling him because let's be honest, he probably thinks he is greater and smarter than her (and faith might be blonde but not dumb, just crazy if anything.)
In another aspect, Espio does admire how perseverant, fearless and loyal Faith is, he ended up falling for her thanks to that in a way. Once she considers someone a friend, she feels the need to protect them, and while she trust them in their abilities, she can risk her own life for them. And while Espio find that somehow reckless, is still extremely honorable for him!!!!! and slowly he went from "UGH I HATE THAT WOMAN SHE IS SO ANNOYING" to "U-Ugh... i hate that woman.... she is so annoying..." (In denial)