I think he did have feelings for Shell's dad,
my problem, the biggest is that he said "I will stay with you", while he never said he love him, he promise he will stay with him!! TO SOMEONE THAT TRY TO KILL HIMSELF!!! you know how much important this little promise is to someone that didn't have anything to live for anymore!?
what he never fulfill! he was busy playing with the girl he full in love with or playing "house" with him. how is playing "house" with him is support him?!! if he really care about him, he would run with him or hide him! while making him help with his search that will get Hampty in trouble. even if he didn't know, in a way he wasn't there when he's the one who save him!. he just wasn't cause he just didn't care enough.
again, if Hampty won't have love him he won't have help him and take big risks for his "love" research.
Pain did expressed his love in his own way, if he didn't love him then he just have use him, rape him and tie him up and torture him. what he never did and hesitant to touch him. Ellie just let Pain do whatever, since he didn't really mind I think. and Shell seen him hugging him, not in force but in a gentle manner.
Smh..so if you were to tell someone that you'll stay by their side when stopping them from killing themselves that automatically means you need to love them?? You can't have a friendship with them?? Or fall in love with someone else? what a joke..Did you skip over the frames that showed Ellie and Humpty hanging out together? Enjoying whatever free time they had together?? I didn't know that being close friends with someone equals playing house..who said the research would've gotten them in trouble?? You don't think Shell's dad would've stopped him from doing so if it was going to put him in harm's way?? Also the girl didn't come along until AFTER Humpty went "missing"..you do remember that he was undergoing treatment for like half a year i believe??.and they live in separate residences, what was Ellie supposed to spend the night over at Brutal's home every night in order to stay true to his promise to stay by his side. Do you understand what you're insinuating?? Ellie is an honest daresay naive person, why would he automatically assume that Shell's father, or that Humpty loved him by their actions?? Considering Ellie is an art and Shell's Father is a Lord, in that world they couldn't be together and Shell's dad made sure not to give him any hints that he had any feelings for Ellie. Just because HUmpty and Ellie were close why would Ellie believe that Humpty loved him..friends can't help each other?? friends can't be close with each other?? friends can't be by each other's side?? Ellie never left Humpty alone, he gave him something to look forward too, and didn't abandon him. We don't know how Ellie was during the time Humpty was being experimented on..for all you know he could've searched for him day in and day out at Brutal's estate and met the daughter then..people get so caught up in their "ships" they see what they want too forgetting whatever they want to about the story.
I don't understand what the problem people have with Ellie is...he was fortunate enough to have a Master that appreciated his high intellect and passion for learning enough to not abuse him like other vampires did their Arts..he never made a love confession to Humpty or use him, he said he would be by his side and he was, as a good friend and support..3rd he's just being himself and b/c he's not miserable or wants to believe in good things that's a bad thing??..and lastly the Shell's dad nor Humpty ever expressed their love for Ellie, he loved them both just not romantically, not that it wasn't possible, but they were important to him in other way..and it's really saddening b/c i do think it'll turn out that he was betrayed, i don't think Brutal did it on his own...gosh that was a lot my bad lol