Eric's Apartment [evening. Of course it's evening. It's *always* evening with Eric]

[texted3times]

After time drinking, watching Tiny mutter to himself, and making light chitchat with Jaina, it was time to get the entire story out of her--or at least as much as she was willing to tell him.

"After you," he said, opening his door (he didn't lock because really. If you tried to rob Eric, you deserved what you got) and ushering her in.

Comments

[texted3times]

"You're human," Eric said, and for once there wasn't his underlying "and therefore inferior" tone.

[solo_sword]

She did appreciate that lack of underlayment right now. "Sorry to unload on you like this."

[texted3times]

Eric waved it off. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know."

[solo_sword]

"It doesn't sound like it came as much of a surprise to you," she said.

[texted3times]

"Sometimes you just can't reason with people," Eric said. "But he was family, so I didn't want to say anything."

[solo_sword]

"You could have," she told him. "I knew this was coming for a while."

[texted3times]

"People get touchy about family."

And by "people", Eric meant "Eric."

[solo_sword]

She did have to concede that one. "True... I did throw a guy into a wall for talking bad about him."

[texted3times]

Eric had to grin at that. "Really?"

[solo_sword]

"Really. While I was still in the military, too," she added. "I mean, he was right, and I did it because I was just figuring out what was going on, but... I'm still not sorry."

[texted3times]

"I wouldn't be either," Eric assured her.

Well, if that would be reassuring at all.

[solo_sword]

"Somehow I figured as much," she said with a little lopsided grin up at him.

[texted3times]

Eric grinned back, then leaned in and gave her a soft, friendly sort of kiss.

As friends do!

(Okay, vampires had some strange ways of greeting people, and Eric would totally fall back on that if this went over badly.)

[solo_sword]

(This was a girl who'd spent a year hiveminded to a species who greeted each other with forearm rubs and occasional mating rituals, not that she did the last thing. Just almost did that last thing.)

She let him kiss her, but didn't try to take it anywhere else. "This is a thing friends do?" she checked.

[texted3times]

(If they didn't refer to each other as brother and sister during said rituals, Eric still won. If that was winning.)

"It is when friends look like they need it," Eric said, nodding and pulling back.

Eric was quite an accommodating friend that way!

[solo_sword]

"Maybe I did," she admitted. This was really more physical contact/comfort than she'd had since... well, the last time she slept with him.

[texted3times]

"See?" Eric looked very pleased with himself. "I'm smart and stunningly attractive. That's a rare combination."

[solo_sword]

"Don't forget good with people," she added.

[texted3times]

"Tasty, tasty people," Eric replied, nodding.

[solo_sword]

And that would be Jaina trying not to show that she was giggling, because gross, but for some reason she couldn't not laugh.

[texted3times]

Eric grinned at her. "Not as tasty as fairies, but still."

[solo_sword]

"Not sure I needed that part," she told him.

[texted3times]

"I love to educate," Eric lied.

[solo_sword]

"You love to see if you can weird me out," she said, resting her head against his shoulder. She should really get less comfortable at some point.

[texted3times]

"That too," Eric agreed.