Derek was a little startled at the sudden hug and rush of emotion, though he caught her and tentatively patted her back soothingly, still a tad bit stunned at the force of her gratitude but glad he could help and make someone feel so thankful.
She cocked her head sardonically at him, eyes narrowed. Then she underlined the word and tapped the pen on it. Underneath she added, ‘I know what I am. I don’t remember but I know I’ve heard it all my life’.
He rolled his eyes and stood. “No. That isn’t the word for what you are. If people have called you that your whole life then you’re talking to the wrong people. The close minded. The ones that would rather harm you than understand you. And you should stay far away from them.”
She shrugged, unwinding herself from the floor. ‘I don’t think one man can change a lifetime of being told different is bad’. Her eyes flicked to the floor, and she pressed her lips together before shaking herself, trying to drive away the half-memories. Those she didn’t want to face. She just wanted to know who she /was/.