"I didn't mean romantically, I meant, just, in general, you're protective in general. I'm guessing that's a new thing."

She chuckled, not really surprised he'd missed the point. Peris tended to be very linear in their thinking. Start to goal, with no meandering to consider the nuances. He'd been looking for advice on romantic matters, so that was what he'd assumed. Perfectly understandable, after all.

"And, for the record, being protective has nothing to do with their ability to protect themselves. You're protective of people, romantically, physically, emotionally, because you care about them. And I'm guessing you must care for Lucy quite a bit, don't you?"