He has a point. It does seem like a pretty normal thing to ask. "I just thought maybe you had another reason to ask. You sounded..." Eager? Excited? Interested? He's not really sure any of those words are what he's looking for, but he's never been that great with vocabulary. "Do you fight with swords, too?" That would offer an easy explanation. Who wouldn't be interested when you find someone who shares an interest with you?

Regardless, he can't help but grin at the perceived compliment. "Swords are pretty cool," he says. "I've always wanted to learn how to use them." The grin turns slightly wry. "Then I guess it became something I had to learn, at least if I wanted to walk to school by myself. Dad wouldn't let me until I could defend myself. Too many wolves and monsters." He loves his Dad, he really does, but teenage boys just shouldn't have to have their Dads walk them to school.