Day #1 of my seven day drabble challenge.
Books.
1/10/13

Stein was used to being alone. He was used to eating alone, working alone, watching tv alone, reading alone, thinking alone. He was content with it and it never crossed his mind that he may enjoy the company of another.

Ana was used to being alone as well, and the two of them found that they enjoyed the other's mere presence. On most days Stein would be working on his computer, and without a word his daughter would come in to the room, carrying with her a blanket, a book and two cups of tea. She'd place one next to her father before settling in her favorite chair, wrapping her blanket around herself and sighing happily. Sometimes she would bring down a little notebook and she would write in it for a while before she opened her reading book.

They would sit, the only sounds were Stein's fingers across the keyboard and the turning pages of Ana's book. He would wait a while and then turn, looking at his daughter.

She had only been living with him for a few weeks, but he finally understood Spirit and his need to be close to Maka. The situations were vastly different, Maka had grown up with her father and was now in her teenage years pushing him further away. Ana was the opposite though, she was a secret until she showed up on his front step in that blue sundress. Yet, she welcomed him into her life so fluidly, she didn't blame him for her misfortunes. She flipped a page, her green eyes glued to the words in front of her. Absentmindedly she reached down and stroked Doku's ears, the large dog was laying by her side and his tail thumped against the floor.

He sipped the tea she had brought him, a ghost of a smile on his face as he realized she remembered that green tea was his favorite. He turned the screw in his head, still thinking. She seemed to blame her mother for everything more than him, every time she spoke of her mother she had nothing positive to say. But it was hard to tell because he never heard resentment in her voice.

Ana reached for her tea and saw him staring at her, she smiled brightly at him. "Do you want anything from the kitchen? I made cookies."

"I'm all set." He paused. "Actually-"

"I'll bring you a cookie, Dad."

Ana extracted herself from the confines of her blanket carefully marking her place in the book before slipping her feet into her favorite fuzzy slippers. Stein had bought them for her when she complained that the floors in his house were too cold one morning as she was making breakfast. She wore a baggy sweatshirt that Stein had a feeling came from the closet of a boy she had long forgotten and christmas leggings, even though the holiday had passed. She only smiled when he asked, saying that she liked the reindeer and having them on her leggings put her in a cheery mood.

"Thanks." He turned back to his computer, and began to type again.

She returned, placing a napkin with two cookies on it by his side. She stood lingering for a moment, reading the lesson plan over his shoulder before returning to her chair and once again nesting in the blanket.

They sat in silence again, content with each other's company the only sounds were the clicking of the computer keys, the occasional thump of Doku's tail on the floor, the munching of chocolate chip cookies and Ana flipping the pages of her book.

I don't know why, but I'm intrigued with the idea of Stein having a daughter.
Up next: Morning