[sylvanSpider]

Aren stood there for a moment, feeling the tension of the moment's awkwardness weighing heavy on his shoulders. He, like the boy it seemed, were both painfully shy and averse to anyone except for their brothers. The main difference between the two was that Aren's older brother was dead. “If you don't wanna, I understand. Not everyone sees the merit to reading these days so I get it, but it's a skill I can offer in exchange for Ian takin' me out to collect samples.”

For the briefest of moments, Aren was ready to pack up and turn tail when Tristan showed a bit of interest in what he had to offer. He gave the younger brother a warm smile and held out the small stack of books under his arm,[b] “Most of these aren't comics, though I do have one issue in here. These are books that were made for kids to help with reading. The story won't be as good, but it'll help with your letters. He sat down, back propped up against the wall and set the books down, patting the spot next to him. From the stack of books, he pulled out one that was thin, had paper covers, and was embedded safely in a plastic sleeve. “I did bring up one comic though. This was my brother's as a kid. The title says Adventures of the X-Men. Have you heard of the X-Men?”