Clearly not expecting to be the next object of desire for eight-legged Eli, Shannon tilted and overbalanced when the younger man drew him in. He grunted in surprise and turned toward Jasper with a scowl. "Not a word," he warned.

This was problematic; Shannon could tell even before touching the young man that he was drastically underheated to be normal or healthy. That much was glaringly obvious even to the blind man. However, he was not going to stand for Eli snuggling up to him just to sap off some of his boss's warmth. Working his way out of Eli's hold, Shannon moved back to the desk and picked up a candle: it was one of those high-quality scented things, good for calming frayed nerves and lasting for practically ever. Brushing the tips of his fingers over the wick, it lit up with a noticeable whoosh. By the time Shannon had moved back to the couch, the orange flame had grown into a larger than natural blue flame and he set it on the floor next to Eli's head.

"Eli," he said sternly, putting a hand to his face to command attention. "Listen to me. Do not touch the candle. It's here to keep you warm and nothing else. Do not reach for it. Do you understand me? No touching, or I'll take it away and you'll have nothing."