stormandwind | INBOX: lastvoyages

"I haven't dented your ego yet," Tris agrees. "But back to the original question, Erskine."

"My ego might be fine but what about my trust? How can I learn how to trust people if I can't see what it's like to be trusted?" The fact he can say that with a straight face speaks to his acting ability. And the fact that he's far from what could be called a good person. "Still, despite my trials I have come to present you with a gift, on this day that means so much to us both."

"If I were genuinely concerned about that, we'd be having a different conversation." Erskine knows Tris well enough to know exactly which ways he can trust her. She's been as straightforward with him as she's capable of.

The mention of a gift doesn't do much to allay her mild suspicions. She does know what day it is, of course. A year ago this time, Erskine stopped speaking to her and went to ground. "What sort of gift?"

He beams as he whisks the cover off with a dramatic flourish. Underneath there's a bowl of porridge. With two eggs sitting as eyes over a smiling bacon mouth.

"Double breakfast!"

For all those skipped meals.

Of all the things that could have been in that bowl, Tris isn't sure why she's so surprised it's porridge. "Erskine, why is the porridge smiling?"

"Because it's happy to see you. Why else would it be smiling?" Really, Tris, this is just obvious.

"Generally I don't appreciate my breakfast looking at me at all."

She'll eat it, probably, she just has to ask, "What made you decide porridge was the appropriate way to commemorate the occasion?"

"So you're saying that it's a good thing I didn't go for a whole suckling pig."

He grins at her. "I felt it was only right to make you a meal after all you've done for me. But also I make breakfast every day so I figured leftovers from that count." He's the most thoughtful. "I also made you a coupon."

He flicks it over to her hand with a touch of air. Redeemable for one completely honest answer.

"How in the world would I eat an entire suckling pig?" She pauses, then adds, "How out-of-the-world either." It's always best to be careful with semantics around Erskine.

The coupon gets him an actual smile, if a small one, and she tucks it carefully into a pocket. "I'll have to consider the best use for that."

"I never said you should eat it alone. Sharing is a virtue. Though there's also refrigeration if you really wanted to have it all to yourself. Or you might be transformed into a werewolf or something, I bet you could eat an entire suckling pig then." The list of possibilities isn't endless but he could probably go on for quite a while.

"I hope you always do." He raises his eyebrow slightly but his grin undercuts any attempt he might pretend to make of serious judgment.

"Lark and I discussed werewolf transformation once. I'd prefer to avoid it." No thank you, Erskine. It took Tris long enough to get comfortable in her own skin. She doesn't want to go through that again.

"It would certainly be an interesting experience." He grins at her. "But you're pretty amazing as you are, so it would be a shame to mess that up."

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