DT Serum, Primary Testing In Progress

Lex stirred, waking again at the movement and sound.  "S'going on?" he mumbled.

"Kid's doing homework." Ashton told him. "Something with numbers."

"Huh?  I thought he drew or something," Tithenor said, peering over blearily.

Ashton shrugged. "Maybe he has multiple talents? Need anything? Water?"

"Water would be good, please," Lex agreed, still watching Paul.

Ashton nodded and went to get Lex some water. Paul meanwhile erased all the work for one problem... for the third time since Lex started to watch him. He was stumped.

"What are you doing?" Lex finally asked Paul directly.

"Math homework." Paul said glumly. He tried to work on the problem again. "It's really hard ones this time."

"All math is the same until you start writing it out like a story.  They call those proofs," Lex told him.  "A nightmare.  Up until then, you rule the numbers, or numbers rule you.  Let's see it."

Paul still looked confused, but scooted closer to Lex and showed him the problem.

Lex turned enough to look at it.  After reading through the first problem, he told Paul the answer.  "Do you know how I got that?"

Paul shook his head. "No."

Lex thought a moment.  "Pick a number.  One number.  Close your eyes and visualize it.  What color is it?"

Paul did as Lex said. "Blue!"

Lex nodded.  "Good.  Next number.  What color is that one?"

"Green?" Paul said. He wasn't sure where Lex was going with this.

"Good job," Lex said calmly.  "Keep going.  Find the rest of the colors, then mix your colors to make the picture."

Paul nodded. After a while of staring at the numbers, he wrote one down for an answer and looked at Lex. He looked uncertain if that was right or not.

Lex nodded.  "Just like that."

Paul smiled and did a couple more before he asked Lex if those were right too.

Each on Lex approved.  The one time Paul was wrong, it was a simple mistake the older man brushed off as though it didn't matter.

Paul smiled happily once his homework was done. "Thank you, mister!" He said happily. He hadn't heard Lex's name yet, but it didn't matter to the little guy. He was happy, and had decided that Lex was all right.

Ashton had returned a while with Lex's water and just shook his head in incertitude.

(I applaud you!  I had to look up incertitude.)

"Les.  No mister, just Lex," Lex answered, holding out his good hand to shake.  "Thanks, Ashton."

( I did a thing! Yaaaayyyyyy!!)

Paul shook his hand. "I'm Paul!" he beamed. "It's nice to meet you, Lex!"

Ashton nodded. "No problem."

"Yep.  Where's the other one?" Lex asked, taking a drink.