@hcsuffered - Continued from here
-
Mark was certainly a curious soul. Damien was keenly aware of how he tried to push others away, or put up a wall to keep a distance between himself and anyone else, but he had noticed something else. Mark was not the vindictive type. The distance seemed more like a defensive measure than anything else. After all, Mark had plenty of reasons to stop talking to Damien, and possibly several more to justify why rejecting Damien's offer would be entirely reasonable.
But, the offer was instead mulled over, and ultimately accepted. That, if anything, was a positive development.
Leaning to the left to partially rest his weight on the desk, Damien chuckled. "I am sure you know that such a 'requirement' for friendship is not something that is necessary outside of school. Many people are unable to speak with their friends regularly, and it does not - and should not - hinder their friendship. I do not think it necessary for people to meet a 'quota' in order to be in my 'good books'."
"There isn't a deadline for starting. However, though I wouldn't necessarily require your services tomorrow, I think it might be a good opportunity for you and Barnum to get to know one another. Saying that, if you would rather postpone it to another time, that is alright. I do not want you to feel pressured into it."













