The way I see it, Mookie tried the awkward person who speaks to machines, saw that it doesn't match with what he wants to do with the comic and changed it.
I tend to be more forgiving toward changed that happened in the early experimental phase of the comic, although there is no argument that it could have and should have been done in a better way.
I think he first fell for her when she was a glowing light that half destroyed his ship. Oh I remember the first time my love tried to kill me, young romance...
I also didn't see anything beyond friendship from Danica's side.
Then again, I also thought the same way about Adora's feeling toward Catra in She-Ra, and Apparently I was the only guy in the world thinking that, so I might not be the best judge of character...