"You? The kind of person who prefers adventure and intrigue? Heaven forfend." Dan laughs, swinging his feet. "I ain't happy at all that folks are dying, especially because it seems like they go real painful. But I finally got something to think about that ain't getting out of the rain or scavenging food, and ain't I lucky that it's something substantial and interesting."

He's been watching the way Aster watches him, and if the stakes weren't so high, he'd make the first move. He's ninety percent sure that Aster's attracted to him, but the uncertain ten percent is enough to keep Dan from being direct. It would be devastating to lose what he has now with Aster. He doesn't think it would break him, but maybe it would; maybe he's been made so brittle by life and the last few months especially that one good hard disappointment, one regression back to destitute poverty, would be enough to kill him.

So he doesn't address it with Aster. Instead he smudges some chocolate, on purpose, onto the corner of his mouth, hoping Aster will notice and smudge it away for him.

"I ain't keeping you up with my piano practice, am I?"