Dropping By Glissade

[Derek Noble]

Derek looks at Erica, somewhat stunned. After a moment, he gives her a hug - careful to not squash her sandwich or get his on her - then pulls back, meeting her gaze with his.

Looking into her eyes, Derek says "Erica, I can't imagine why you'd think that about yourself, or that you have any less to offer than any of us. I certainly don't think that way about you, and if any of the others are treating you that way, you need to stop hanging with them.

"The reason I've been trying to contact Arthur and Nightfall and Atlas has nothing to do with my not trusting or valuing you. I was contacting them because Arthur was a party to the Pledge, and Nightfall and Atlas worked with Arthur and me to look into the matter in the first place. In fact, they were the ones who found Tim, and Tim was supposed to contact Nightfall with anything he found out, so I figured they'd want to know."

After a pause, he says, "Now, I'm not going to pretend I wouldn't like to have a big bruiser like Atlas or a skilled fighter like Nightfall backing us up as we look into something that might involve the Others, but that's just common sense and a recognition that they are better at some things than either you or me. That in no way suggests I don't value what you have to offer... and I mean those those things you have to offer in addition to your body and your beauty. You're more than a pretty girl I enjoy doing delightfully nasty things with in the bedroom, or the shower, or the living room couch, or bent over the kitchen table or wherever. As it happens, you're good at a lot of the same things I'm good at." Grinning, he adds "And once again, I am speaking about things other than the sex. I happen to think my strengths have served me pretty well, so there's no reason I wouldn't respect someone else who shares a lot of those strengths."

Taking one of her hands in his, Derek says, "So, let's go to the mall and do what we can to sort this out. But no more of you questioning whether you have any worth. Alright?"

[Donan]

Erica blinks, looking a little overwhelmed. "Um, well, I mostly meant, we could use some of the others, but they're not around, and, but, I, I didn't mean you didn't think much of me, I mean, that I thought you didn't think much of me, but, I just.." She goes a little red and rubs her ear. "But, thank you, I'll try, but, really should learn new ways to help, and, well.." She goes even more red and mumbles something very quietly. "I love you." She then tugs on his hand, hoping he didn't hear that and nods. "Yes, let's get on that adventure, find out which cat is playing with us this time." She grins at him.

[Derek Noble]

"Yes, let us," Derek says, allowing her to tug him toward his car.

He'd heard her statement. Three words, so simple, yet so profound. He doesn't repeat them, not only because of her obvious discomfort with having uttered them, but also because they are words he does not take lightly, and ones he's not sure he is capable of saying honestly, to anyone. He *likes* Erica quite a bit, but love is something he's not felt, in any form, since his durance. Much as Erica deserves it, and wants it, he's not certain he's even capable of truly feeling it. Desire is so, so much easier.

Turning the discussion to matters more comfortable for him to discuss, he grins and says, "And after that adventure, another one. Perhaps one involving something exquisitely brief and sheer and sexy that I just won't be able to resist tearing from your body."

Scene Ends; heading to the mall