"It was just one that Lorica had lying around at home."

"... Huh, sorry. I wonder why Lorica had a book about me lying around."

"You were friends and stuff, right?"

"Yeah."

"I bet that explains everything that needs explaining."

"I guess."

He can go back to reading.

It's relaxing. She's read some Dickens but not this specific one before so most of her commentary is about comparing and contrasting and guessing that things might be foreshadowing.

At some point Lucien's body remembers they are cuddling naked and starts poking into May's back about this.

What if May were the big spoon.

Well the process of setting that up involves her moving and he is going to involuntary make a sound about this, apparently.

That's okay. It is super normal to be horny about guiding.

Well this time it is apparently not going away.

"... Is this supposed to last a week."

"Yeah. I'll be done first but I can stay with you after that and it'll still help, just not as much. Unless you mean your erection which you should still seek medical attention for if it lasts more than four hours or so I hear."

"Um."

"And I'm going to make you be around me the whole time?"

"You're not making me."

"Can't you be around Lorica's dad without me being there?"

"Yes and that was better than nothing, but he's not an esper, let alone a compatible esper, we're really compatible."

"And that means...?"

"That it doesn't solve backlash to hang out with him. And it does to hang out with you. And then after I'm done awakening I guess I might want more breaks but I don't want you to have to sit through it totally unguided, that would suck."

Lucien thinks on this for a moment.

"And. It's worth it even though I'm being. Um. Like this?"

"Yes. It feels as nice for me as it does for you and I like you and I understand that you are not in your right mind."

"It feels as nice for you as it does for me??????"

"...I guess it's possible the compatibility is asymmetrical but that could as easily be in either direction!"

"I am confident it is the nicest feeling thing I have ever felt. By a lot."

"Yes. It's one of the big perks of being an esper right up there with peak human health and magical powers."