[even that wordless reply is hesitant, because he doesn't want to break his concentration. he knows how irritated he, himself, gets when people interrupt him while he's reading. he's learned the art of watching other people read without staring, without making them feel like they're under a microscope - how to gauge their general reaction without hovering. it came easier than the conversation did, sometimes, mostly because he'd spent the majority of his life before the writing in silent observation, anyway.
he waits, patiently, for Claude to give it back, and sips at his own coffee.]
no subject
[even that wordless reply is hesitant, because he doesn't want to break his concentration. he knows how irritated he, himself, gets when people interrupt him while he's reading. he's learned the art of watching other people read without staring, without making them feel like they're under a microscope - how to gauge their general reaction without hovering. it came easier than the conversation did, sometimes, mostly because he'd spent the majority of his life before the writing in silent observation, anyway.
he waits, patiently, for Claude to give it back, and sips at his own coffee.]