Dragons, Dystopians, and Denial

Jerica tensed, but those had been the terms. And she was impressed that he'd managed to pull it off. She smiled and returned the embrace. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, a weight that she hadn't even noticed before seeming to fall off her shoulders.

She'd never admit it. To anyone. But hugs were kind of nice.

Especially from people she was sure weren't going to try to stab her in the process.

"You did good, kid," she muttered, words muffled by the way her face was pressed against his chest.

Elias pulled Jerica in snugly, relishing the hug. It has been so long since he was able to give a hug and have them appreciate it. Even in his drunken state, he was pulled into sobriety enough to enjoy it.

He smiled and closed his eyes for a moment, stretching to perch his chin on top of her head. He let one hand slowly rub against her back.

"I'll let you get away with you calling me kid if you admit I give nice hugs," he taunted.

"Or I could just push you into the fire." She threatened, not quite meaning it, but also not sure that it was less likely than her admitting she liked a hug. Still, she didn't pull away.

Elias laughed, patting her back. "You're pretty stubborn, you know that?" he said, loosening his grip around her, but not pulling back until she pulled back first.

"Okay, so tell me what six plus six is, and if you don't answer correctly, it means I give great hugs."

Jerica loosened her grasp but waited to see if he was going to pull away. But then. He had to go and run his mouth.

She took a step forward and pushed him with her. "Fire it is."

Elias smirked.

"Are you really wrestling with me? And would rather do that than to admit I give nice hugs?"

“I don’t like hugs,” she said, still making no move to pull away from the embrace. “But since it seems to be hurting your little man pride, your hugs are okay I guess...kid.”

She finally stepped away from him with a smirk. “And if we were wrestling you’d know it. I’d take your ass downnn.”

Elias scoffed, but he still victorious grinned as Jerica finally pulled away.

"I'll take that as a victory," he announced, plopping back on the ground. "And also, I don't doubt that."

He peered over to the food cooking over the fire, ignoring his now very sore body. The alcohol made it easy to dull the pain.

"Is the food ready yet? I'm starving."

Jerica grabbed one of the spoons and more poked at the pot than actually stirred it. “Yeah, yeah.”

She walked to the saddlebags and pulled out some bowls and spoons and served the food then handed on of the bowls off to Elias. “Here you go, Good Hugger Man.”

Elias graciously took the bowl and sat back a lot more casually than he normally did, leaning against the tree.

"Thanks, Princess Sassypants," he said, then spooned the food in his mouth.

Jerica laughed, propping herself against another tree as she settled down with her bowl. It was so perplexing how little he cared. And yet it was so, so refreshing. No one else had the guts to act like he was around her. Grabbing her hand, hugging her, sassing her. Is this what it felt like to have friends?

She took a bite and grimaced. “Bleh. This is so watery. Cooking drunk is another thing I can’t do, not just math. Two things.”

Elias continued to scarf down his food, perhaps a little too quickly. He shrugged when Jerica seemed to downplay her cooking skills.

"I think it's fine," he said with his mouth full, the broth almost escaping and dripping down his lips. He swallowed. "Beats eating tasteless slop that I'm used to."

He smirked. "And meat."

Jerica laughed again, shaking her head, but didn’t bother arguing that she could actually make tasty food with meat. Then at least the soup tasted good. This was just watery vegetables. But, then, she’d never particularly liked vegetables to begin with. She just knew she was going to be sick of meat by the time they made it through the forest.

“Well, I’m glad you like it.” She ate a few more bites and then said, “I’ll take first watch tonight. Give you a chance to sleep off some of that rum.”

Elias almost laughed. "As if," he said between bites. With the speed he was eating, it was as if he hadn't eaten in days. "Like hell I'm going to sleep feeling like this."

He took a second to look up and grin at her, a piece of carrot stuck on his teeth.

"Why don't you, um, tell me a story or something? This time without saying a novel?"

Jerica blinked at him, wondering if this is what the mother of children felt like when they wouldn't just go to sleep. Still, it was nice to have company. She smirked at him. "Why would I tell you another story when the only part of the last story I told you was my fingernail?"