Elara tried to protest, but she was soft-spoken and not very assertive to begin with.
And with Rex's persistence and increasingly ridiculous excuses, she eventually gave in.
One time it was, "I accidentally took two trays thinking one was yours." Another time, "They had a deal going—buy one, get one free. It would be criminal not to share it, right?"
And when even that failed, he shamelessly added, "Come on, you'll hurt my feelings if you don't eat it."
At first, she would take only a bite or two, hesitant and clearly uncomfortable. But slowly, under his relentless persuasion, she began eating a bit more, her resistance crumbling a little each day. She still looked at him like she was unsure of his intentions, but she didn't push him away anymore. In fact, on rare occasions, he even saw her lips curve into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
Not that he was doing it for thanks or praise.
