oh, hard agree right there. i'm thinking his parents sent him to a military academy after that, to try and set him straight but he ends up running off to try and make his own way in the world without all those rules and structures dragging him down. i'm thinking he tries a bit of a nomadic lifestyle for a while before landing in new york, has been living just outside the city for a couple years, he could have been one of her lyft fares at first and because he's an idiot that can't not use his powers she catches him manipulate his lighter and that starts a beautiful friendship? and oh, i can imagine him trying to poke at that exterior to try and bring the chaos out