@rayofsunshinc (cont. from here)
"Actually, that would be… nice. If you're sure you wouldn't mind." Having a mentor seemed better than floundering away on his own in the dark, and he'd already trusted Dan enough to let him this far into his mind. In for a penny, in for a pound was Ben's logic. He wasn't positive he could ever hurt someone with the ability, but he did know that it could hurt him if he wasn't careful. The noise of other people's minds and feelings could be overwhelming at times.
"Oh--" A surprised chuckle slipped out. He still wasn't used to that. "Don't worry about it. I think we're both in a position to sorta have to let the little things slide. Bill's my friend. Best friend, maybe. He was kind of our leader in Derry. His little brother was one of the first to disappear. At the end, the fight against IT was more mental than physical. It's hard to explain, but we all kind of… linked, with Bill's mind taking the lead. I don't think we would have won without him." The fondness was evident in his voice when he spoke about him without any mind reading required. They'd all loved Bill, and each other, fiercely. Still did. "I think that's what caused all this. It was never this strong before."
Dan's love for his friends was just as evident, and it made him smile to see it. "That's awfully deep for five. I don't think I could have wrapped my head around it at that age. I'm having enough trouble now."
