Author's Note: This is another 15minuteficlets word challenge. I would have used this one for another fandom, but in that other fandom, I'm doing a mini-series, and this word just didn't fit at the time, aheh. So I applied it to this for a bit of senseless fun. The word was 'vitriol', believe it or not…
Green eyes scanned the various objects that filled the desk's surface, his head nodding every now and again in response to something she was saying on the topic. His curiosity towards chemistry had only been a farce, if anything; he'd been bored and restless, and fighting an uncontrollable urge to see her. In the end, he'd just had to give in to that urge, and so, he'd feigned interest in the topic to spend time with her. If she knew it was an act, she wasn't letting on… besides, she enjoyed talking about it; he could tell. Her eyes sparkled with knowledge and excitement, and when he looked to her briefly, he saw the faint smile on her lips. It made him smile as well, until he realised he had heard only a few sparse words of whatever she had been explaining.
"Tom?"
He looked to her, raising his brows in an inquiring 'yes?' motion.
"Did you understand all of that?"
Hesitating, he nodded after a moment, knowing he'd regret it later, if not very soon.
"So," she began, almost like a quizzing teacher Tom remembered all too well from school in Missouri, "what exactly is vitriol?"
Crap… why'd she have to ask me that?
Looking over the table's objects again, he ransacked his brain, searching frantically for anything that might help. He grasped at scraps of information he'd taken in, scanning over them mentally for any usefulness. Finally, though he wasn't certain of it, he thought he located something of importance. "Sulfuric acid?"
Mina's smile was like a weight being lifted from Tom's shoulders, and it certainly helped to make him feel less of an idiot if nothing else. "Very good, Tom. For a moment there, I thought you weren't paying attention."
A nervous laugh found its way free of Tom's mouth, and he almost clamped his hands over it for letting the sound out at all. Clearing his throat, he looked to her. "You know me…"
"Yes…" She chuckled softly, a delicate sound, before going on once more about the subject.
Internally, Tom breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe she was humouring him, but at least she wasn't mocking him. And he'd managed to get himself out of that little corner; one which he'd back himself into, no less.
Guess you should pay attention then, huh? Listening to his thoughts, he turned his attention to Mina afterwards, trying to take in everything she was sharing… but there was just so much of it, and after a while, he found it made his head cloud with confusion, and the slightest of aches. He blinked, and shook his head discreetly, trying again. Gah… why does it have to be so complicated?
"Are you all right, Tom?"
"Just a bit of a headache; it's nothing," he told her in response to her query, touched by the concern he heard there. "Thanks."
"Are you sure? We could stop if you like."
He appreciated the thought, but… he'd come to her… he'd asked to hear about this when he'd found her working at her desk. Maybe he'd interrupted something important; who knew? Either way, he felt back for ducking out now, and he even promised himself that he'd pay attention from now on. It was going to be hard, but life wasn't easy after all.
And besides… he did want to spend more time with Mina. What better way was there to do it then by learning about something she loved so much?
It would be like asking Jekyll about medicine; Nemo about his vessel; Skinner about… women, and alcohol…
Okay, so maybe Skinner's areas of expertise aren't as educational as everyone else's.
After all, he'd be pleasantly surprised if anyone asked him about marksmanship and firearms, mainly because it would interesting to share his knowledge.
So he couldn't leave now, could he? He'd dumped himself into the situation, and he'd see it through, dammit… even if it killed him.
Which could very well be the case at this rate, y'know…
"I'm sure." He smiled at her, youthful and acknowledging.
"All right." She smiled back, beautiful and intelligent. "Shall we continue then?"
Tom nodded, settling himself in the chair once again, as comfortably as possible, and genuinely paid attention as she started to talk again.
Fin