And here's chapter fourteen for you all!
Silence
"True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable."
~Dave Tyson Gentry
She knew that look. The one currently in Alek's eyes was one she'd had many times since Da died. Still, she hesitated. Instead of stepping forward, she hung back, watching him with sad eyes as he bit back the tears.
He sat on his bed, head buried in his hands. Their conversation had started off normal, discussing normal things one was supposed to when traveling to Japan in the midst of a war. But somehow or another, the topic had gotten to his parents. And in front of her eyes, he'd broken down. Collapsed, just as she did before their adventures in Istanbul.
Deryn noted the shattered look in his eyes and stood in front of him, staring helplessly. He'd managed to comfort her, so why couldn't she do the same? But each time she tried to reach forward, something stopped her.
It wasn't appropriate for a Darwinist to comfort a Clanker, let alone touch him.
It wasn't appropriate for a commoner to comfort a prince, let alone touch him.
It wasn't appropriate for a girl to comfort a boy, let alone touch him.
It especially wasn't appropriate for a liar to comfort a friend she was practically betraying, let alone touch him.
Let alone even be his friend.
Let alone be allowed to watch him in a moment of true weakness.
But what did that matter? Silencing the voices in her head, Deryn countered that she didn't have to deserve to be his friend. It wasn't a position you applied for: it was something you became through shared experiences.
Stuff the voices.
Moving, Deryn sat down on the bed beside Alek and placed her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and gave her a watery smile, his eyes leaking ever so slightly. Deryn smiled back, and gave him a sort of one-armed hug.
They sat there for a while, neither saying a word. The situation wasn't awkward without conversation; rather, no word really needed to be said.
The silence wasn't overbearing, but comfortable.
The sort of situation you could only reach with true friends.
…
And there you go! I feel as if I've got some writer's block at the moment. It took me forever to come up with a new chapter, and it's pretty short. Sorry about that. ^^;
Pony: Haha, yes, indeed they are. *shakes fist at own brother* And thank you so much! I'm glad you like my stories a lot, and I hope that I continue to live up to your expectations! ;D
Julia456: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it, and those two lines as well! Haha, I guess it does correspond to the first book pretty well. Thanks! ;D
Holly Marie Fowl: Whew, that's a relief. At least I'm not the only one. xP And, haha, I really have no idea where the bird thing came from. Like I said at the end note (somewhere in there, it was longer than normal) the story took a completely different direction that what I was originally planning. Anyways, I'm glad you liked it!
Frogster: Thanks! Yeah, it was fun writing 'Dylan's' little philosophical bent. ;D
Rue-the-Marauder: Oh, very creative. I always try to make sure that Deryn's style is sufficiently Deryn. ;D And thanks! *rubs ear* Ouch, I think I heard the fangirl scream from here. xP
LittleKittyShaoMao: Thanks! I'm glad I managed to pull off the right effect with Deryn, and I'm glad you liked the story! As for Alek, I think I'm starting to like writing in his point-of-view just a squick more than Deryn's, simply because he doesn't know that she's a girl yet.
See you all in chapter fifteen! (Since exams are over, the rate should be picking up a bit again.)