Tbh uncle Pan has reason in many things, he's no longer an adolescent or a young man, he's in his 36 and is valid his worries, but if he is such an "adult" why keep playing with a adolescent feelings, just think about it, the red hair (I never remember names Srry) show his true feelings when he realized he had them, if you don't want those feelings and you just want to play then why keep the boy beside you? I think the uncle have true feelings for the red hair but he doesn't want to accept them just for the rage of age and in time he thinks the boy is going to leave him for that.
Idk it's just what I think about the situation.
(also Srry is there any mistakes, I'm not really good writing English)
That's a weapon of mass destruction, it can't be legal