I have so many Thoughts about Robert and his relationship with his dad.
For the longest time and probably in the cannon Robert thought he was an Annoying Child. Needy, whining, didn't understand the pressure his dad was under. As an adult he thinks he was a bit of a spoiled brat. Sure, his dad wasn't around but he got basically whatever he wanted, got to spend time in the home office tinkering because his dad didn't use it anymore.
It's only after he spends more time with kids in a casual setting, not saving them from burning buildings or flipped cars, does he realize he was just a normal kid. He was visiting Flambae's family when he watched Flambae play with his little nieces and nephews, and he realized just how small he had been. For the longest time he had thought of his child self as a badly behaved adult.
He looked at a 6-year-old clinging to her mother's sleeve, and he thought about how he had been left home alone for the first time at that age. He saw a 9-year-old playing pretend with a new toy and thought about how his father old gifted him tools or parts for his birthday ever since he turned 8. He saw an angsty 14-year-old sitting on her phone in the corner and thought about how his father started training him on how to operate the Mecha, telling him that he had a responsibility to his city.
He finally breaks when he sees one of Flambae's cousins with her new baby, swaddled and cooed over and loved. He has to go outside and get some air because fuck his mother didn't live long enough to love him like that.
Flambae notices that his plus one has disappeared! He finds him hiding out on the patio, the rain keeping most of the party contained inside. He almost starts complaining about Robert being so boring and hiding from the fun until he sees that he's crying.
Robert, being Robert tries to collect himself. He apologizes and turns away from Chad, so he doesn't have to see it, wiping his tears away too roughly. Chad, being Chad follows him and pulls him into an almost too warm hug and tells him off for being emotionally constipated. He asks what's wrong and Robert just tells him he was thinking about his dad.
Chad understands what he means. he has heard parts of Robert's depressing ass childhood. He holds him and lays on the pet names until Robert calms down.
Just Robert realizing that he wasn't the problem. That it was his Dad's job to protect him and look after him, and that he failed at it over and over again.
