He had seen shades of Marc before when he wasn't trying to actively take the metaphorical driver's seat. Like the time he was talking to Layla, trying to explain the situation involving the man and almost revealing his secrets that were meant to protect her from harm. It humanized him, just as it was doing in the moment with Billy, showing a little more to be concerned about when Steven wasn't being pestered into doing things he didn't want to do.

The teen's voice forced him to refocus, blinking as he commiserated and tried to offer as much as he could. And Steven sat there, jaw clicking as he let his gaze drop onto a worn patch on the ground.

"...Have you ever had the chance of returning?" Out of ten million, Marc's questions were a good place to start. "Back to your world?" He looked up again, searching for something, anything to assuage the fear he had in the back of his mind. "Has anyone else ever done the same?"