All Hail the Shifter King
Title: Compelling Arguments
Word Count: 396
Note: Non-canon, from a previous version of the novel.
He looked up from his book when he heard her footsteps on the stairs, scrubbing his hand across his eyes to banish the lingering traces of his tears, and forced a smile when she appeared in the doorway.
"Hey," he said, "what's up?"
"I made some lunch," she told him, and leaned against the doorframe, watching him.
"Oh. I'm..." He bit his lip, hard enough to draw blood, as his eyes started to sting again. "I'm not very hungry," he said, ducking his head and turning slightly away from her so she couldn't see his face. It didn't work - he heard her sigh, followed by her footsteps padding across the room until she sat on the bed next to him.
"What are you reading?" she asked, leaning over his shoulder to try and peer at the coil-bound book in his hands. Clearing his throat nervously, he handed it over, and an amused laugh escaped her as she saw the cover. "The Adder's Rose," she read, shaking her head in disbelief. "Anatomical and behavioral evidence of sentient activity in vipera berus rosa... are you actually reading this?"
"You make some compelling arguments," he said, as if that explained everything.
"Oh yeah," she said, absently flipping through the pages. "Compelling arguments that got me laughed right out of my graduate program. And you know..." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "My thesis has gotten some pretty strong reactions out of people, but I can't say it's ever made anybody cry before."
"I..." He blinked, surprised, then abruptly looked down at his hands again. "It wasn't the thesis." He flinched when she tossed the book onto the beside table, then looped her arm around his shoulders. "You really shouldn't be up here," he murmured.
"Why not?"
"Jordan told me to stay away from you."
"And you've done a great job of that, I've noticed," she remarked, pursing her lips. "Eli, you're my friend, and while he's about as good at telling me what to do, last I checked Jordie wasn't my father." She scooted over on the bed and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Are you upset about what he said?"
"He also makes compelling arguments," Eli muttered.
"You saved my life, you know. Twice. Most monsters wouldn't do that."
"Obviously you don't know the monsters around here that well."
Word Count: 396
Note: Non-canon, from a previous version of the novel.
He looked up from his book when he heard her footsteps on the stairs, scrubbing his hand across his eyes to banish the lingering traces of his tears, and forced a smile when she appeared in the doorway.
"Hey," he said, "what's up?"
"I made some lunch," she told him, and leaned against the doorframe, watching him.
"Oh. I'm..." He bit his lip, hard enough to draw blood, as his eyes started to sting again. "I'm not very hungry," he said, ducking his head and turning slightly away from her so she couldn't see his face. It didn't work - he heard her sigh, followed by her footsteps padding across the room until she sat on the bed next to him.
"What are you reading?" she asked, leaning over his shoulder to try and peer at the coil-bound book in his hands. Clearing his throat nervously, he handed it over, and an amused laugh escaped her as she saw the cover. "The Adder's Rose," she read, shaking her head in disbelief. "Anatomical and behavioral evidence of sentient activity in vipera berus rosa... are you actually reading this?"
"You make some compelling arguments," he said, as if that explained everything.
"Oh yeah," she said, absently flipping through the pages. "Compelling arguments that got me laughed right out of my graduate program. And you know..." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "My thesis has gotten some pretty strong reactions out of people, but I can't say it's ever made anybody cry before."
"I..." He blinked, surprised, then abruptly looked down at his hands again. "It wasn't the thesis." He flinched when she tossed the book onto the beside table, then looped her arm around his shoulders. "You really shouldn't be up here," he murmured.
"Why not?"
"Jordan told me to stay away from you."
"And you've done a great job of that, I've noticed," she remarked, pursing her lips. "Eli, you're my friend, and while he's about as good at telling me what to do, last I checked Jordie wasn't my father." She scooted over on the bed and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Are you upset about what he said?"
"He also makes compelling arguments," Eli muttered.
"You saved my life, you know. Twice. Most monsters wouldn't do that."
"Obviously you don't know the monsters around here that well."