From the Journal of Sarah Jane

Simon uncovers the plate for the main dish, looking up at Luke. "After you."

He thinks he's doing a bad job covering up how nervous he is--though the truth's quite the opposite. He's holding that cover rather steadily.

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"Thanks," Luke says, not quite looking Simon in the face for reasons he can't quite work out himself. He takes a healthy portion. He's a growing boy, don'tchaknow.

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Sarah Jane smiles warmly as she watches them. She sighs ever so much, reaching for the green beans to serve herself a portion.

"I know I should have told you sooner, Luke, but truth is, I really didn't know how. Simon's a wonderful man. He's been looking forward to meeting you."

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"I have," he insists. "I've heard nothing but wonderful things about you."

Simon's an old pro at fake smiles that look genuine, but he can't quite seem to hide the falter in his expression when he notices Luke's failure to look him in the face. When he tries to broaden his grin, it only comes out looking slightly pained.

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He's read about self-deprecating jokes. They're used to insert a bit of humour into a conversation at the speaker's own expense. It looked good to him, especially since his disastrous attempt at humour at another's expense, and Simon just gave him a good line.

"Are you sure you heard right?" he says in his joke voice. The one that somehow manages to skewer any chance of a laugh with its careful tone.

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"Of course he heard right," Sarah replies, smiling at her son. "There's nothing but good things to say about you."

Beat.

"Or you, for that matter," she adds in, looking at Simon this time.

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"So you say."

How's that for self-depreciation?

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But it's not funny. Luke could give lectures on how to make it funny, which would be funny considering the source.

Incidently, he doesn't not believe there are nothing but good things to say about himself. "I can't knit," he volunteers, because that is knowledge pertaining to a lack of skill, which can't be a good thing to say about him.

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Sarah Jane looks startled at his announcement. "I never knew you were interested, Luke."

For the record? She has absolutely no idea how to knit either.

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"Neither can I. I'm also a complete failure at advanced mathematics."

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Earnestly, "I read that it's good for your blood pressure."

He is very good at advanced mathematics, but he's learned that saying so would be bragging.

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"Is that so?" Sarah grins a little. "Well. It would certainly explain why Aunt Lavinia would knit a lot when I was younger."

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"I thought he meant advanced mathematics was good for the blood pressure," he says with a smirk.

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There's a little face scrunch as he says, "No."

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Sarah shakes her head. "I can't imagine it would."

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"It might, if you like mathematics."

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"I do," he tells Simon, face lighting up.

{Of course I never re-post tags because of the icon, don't be silly.}

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Sarah Jane beams with rather motherly pride as she takes a sip of her wine. "He's quite brilliant at it too."

[oh, of course! *never does it either, really*]

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"That's a very good skill to have," he says obviously. "Do you intend on becoming a mathematician someday?"

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"I like math, and I'm good at it," he restates, searching for a fault in his reasoning. "Doesn't that make me a mathematician already?"

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"In a way it does," Sarah Jane replies in an attempt to reassure Luke. "What Simon means, Luke, is that you can do it someday as a career. If you want to, that is."

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"A very noble career, too. Mathematicians are among the ones who contribute most to humanity." And Skinner is all about contributing to the greater good.

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With just a touch of worry, "Isn't what I am now good enough?"

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