## - represents thoughts
CHAPTER 8: Afterthoughts
Tyger, almost in a daze, slowly walked back toward her room, trying very hard to make sense of what just happened. She had thought that Hank would be pleased with what she had accomplished. She felt that he was, though it was hard to tell through his pain and confusion. She didn't understand why she wanted so badly to please him. Maybe it was because she still had yet to thank him for the collar. She hadn't visited him in the infirmary. She tried, but she couldn't build up enough courage to face him. She was glad that she had finally bumped into him in the hallway, but the encounter had not gone as she had hoped.
She entered her room and flopped down onto her bed, feeling utterly frustrated and somewhat confused. When he touched her, it was like someone had applied a low electrical current to her skin. It felt tingly, and she flushed as she remembered the feeling. # What does it mean? It didn't seem like fear.# Rather than retreating or running away from his touch, she had found herself craving more.
And it made no sense!!!
Granted, no one had ever touched her with any gentleness like that before. Prior to her arrival at the school, she had believed that punching, kicking, and other forms of brutality were normal ways for people to treat her. The friendly shoulder pats and hugs that Ororo and Jubilee gave her had felt alien to her at first, but she had very quickly grown to enjoy the physical contact. But with Hank...it had felt different. Very different. And she liked that, too.
She growled in frustration.
#What am I if the first person who pets me reduces me to purring? Is that all I really am? Just a big, overgrown housecat? Just stroke me and I purr? Darnit.#
She got up, locked the door, and grabbed the discman off her desk. She had to forget about all this, and dancing until she dropped was the best way she knew how.
* * *
As Hank made himself a sandwich, he tried to pull his thoughts together. That woman made him crazy in every way possible. #Give me ten squads of sentinels rather than ten minutes with that inFURiating feline female!#
He munched his sandwich savagely.
#Stars and garters! Hmmm...mental note: coined expression completely inadequate to express current levels of emotional aggravation. Find more profound expression for times such as this.#
His sandwich reeled under the physical torture it was enduring.
#Yes, indeed. It seems that my earlier premise is coming true: my supply of common sense and self control seems to dwindle down to nothing whenever she is around, while at the same time, the occurrence of injuries upon my person increases.#
He sighed deeply, momentarily diverting his thoughts to the glass of milk that sat nearly quaking next to the plate that once contained a sandwich.
#But her fur was so soft...I can still feel it beneath my fingers....its silkiness seemed to beg to be stroked and its lustrous...#
He blinked and shook his head.
#What am I thinking?! What kind of perverted blue buffoon am I to be considering this? She is a houseguest, not a scantily clad housekeeper!#
He gulped down the milk and set the glass down roughly.
#Hank, my boy, whatever relief you need, you had better get it soon, he silently growled to himself.#
He placed the dishes in the sink and headed back to the lab, forcing himself to focus on the projects he had yet to finish. But his mind kept being drawn back to the glow in Tyger's eyes when he had touched her, and the almost subliminal feeling of joy he had felt when he did so. No matter how hard he tried, the thought just WOULD NOT go away.
* * *
CHAPTER 8: Afterthoughts
Tyger, almost in a daze, slowly walked back toward her room, trying very hard to make sense of what just happened. She had thought that Hank would be pleased with what she had accomplished. She felt that he was, though it was hard to tell through his pain and confusion. She didn't understand why she wanted so badly to please him. Maybe it was because she still had yet to thank him for the collar. She hadn't visited him in the infirmary. She tried, but she couldn't build up enough courage to face him. She was glad that she had finally bumped into him in the hallway, but the encounter had not gone as she had hoped.
She entered her room and flopped down onto her bed, feeling utterly frustrated and somewhat confused. When he touched her, it was like someone had applied a low electrical current to her skin. It felt tingly, and she flushed as she remembered the feeling. # What does it mean? It didn't seem like fear.# Rather than retreating or running away from his touch, she had found herself craving more.
And it made no sense!!!
Granted, no one had ever touched her with any gentleness like that before. Prior to her arrival at the school, she had believed that punching, kicking, and other forms of brutality were normal ways for people to treat her. The friendly shoulder pats and hugs that Ororo and Jubilee gave her had felt alien to her at first, but she had very quickly grown to enjoy the physical contact. But with Hank...it had felt different. Very different. And she liked that, too.
She growled in frustration.
#What am I if the first person who pets me reduces me to purring? Is that all I really am? Just a big, overgrown housecat? Just stroke me and I purr? Darnit.#
She got up, locked the door, and grabbed the discman off her desk. She had to forget about all this, and dancing until she dropped was the best way she knew how.
* * *
As Hank made himself a sandwich, he tried to pull his thoughts together. That woman made him crazy in every way possible. #Give me ten squads of sentinels rather than ten minutes with that inFURiating feline female!#
He munched his sandwich savagely.
#Stars and garters! Hmmm...mental note: coined expression completely inadequate to express current levels of emotional aggravation. Find more profound expression for times such as this.#
His sandwich reeled under the physical torture it was enduring.
#Yes, indeed. It seems that my earlier premise is coming true: my supply of common sense and self control seems to dwindle down to nothing whenever she is around, while at the same time, the occurrence of injuries upon my person increases.#
He sighed deeply, momentarily diverting his thoughts to the glass of milk that sat nearly quaking next to the plate that once contained a sandwich.
#But her fur was so soft...I can still feel it beneath my fingers....its silkiness seemed to beg to be stroked and its lustrous...#
He blinked and shook his head.
#What am I thinking?! What kind of perverted blue buffoon am I to be considering this? She is a houseguest, not a scantily clad housekeeper!#
He gulped down the milk and set the glass down roughly.
#Hank, my boy, whatever relief you need, you had better get it soon, he silently growled to himself.#
He placed the dishes in the sink and headed back to the lab, forcing himself to focus on the projects he had yet to finish. But his mind kept being drawn back to the glow in Tyger's eyes when he had touched her, and the almost subliminal feeling of joy he had felt when he did so. No matter how hard he tried, the thought just WOULD NOT go away.
* * *