room 216 ; monday morning

[necroslacker]

Sometimes, Sam actually did sleep. Without classes to get him up, he'd fallen asleep early this morning and was still sleeping pretty soundly right now. That, of course, meant Sam's ghosts were out.

And no, these were not ghosts in a closet like skeletons in a closet. These were actual ghosts, visages of the dead floating around Sam's sleeping body, shrieking and moaning and keening. Sam's brow crinkled and he was tossing and turning a bit. Somewhere inside his sleeping mind, he knew what was happening but he hoped the ghosts would go away. What he once thought was a nightmare was now just a side effect of his powers.

The ghosts dipped lower, floating helplessly right above Sam's body. He curled up around a pillow and tried to block them out. The ghosts didn't go away. One screamed. Another whimpered.

Sam started looking a little restless.

[Door closed but post open! Seeing the ghosts is reserved for one person so anyone after her will just see Sam looking a little tired. And NFB on the ghosts, of course. Just looks like Sam's having a bad sleep.]

Comments

[whenshewasnice]

"Well," Natalie said, once she was sure they really were alone. And then she failed to follow it up with anything.

If he really paid attention, he could maybe see she was shaking, just the tiniest bit. She was good at keeping her body and mind in check, but, you know. Shock and surprise. She'd held it in when the ghosts had been there because there had been a task to focus on, but now? Not so much.

At least the emotional side wasn't bleeding out.

[necroslacker]

"I'm sorry," Sam said, pushing himself out of bed and reaching for her all in one smooth movement. "Natalie, I'm sorry that you saw that."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie allowed herself to be pulled in. It meant he was going to actually feel her shaking (it'd take a moment to get it under control), but then if this was going to be a part of their life, was there a point in hiding it?

She didn't say anything yet, though.

[necroslacker]

"Jesus, I'm sorry," he murmured into her hair. "I'll wear the pouch. I'll wear it, you won't have to see that again, I promise."

He wouldn't like it but he'd do it.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie wrapped her arms tightly around him and tried to breathe her way out of shaking.

"No," she muttered. "You shouldn't have to. You don't have."

Even as she said that, she knew he would sometimes have to, because she was going to ask him to.

[necroslacker]

"You're shaking, Natalie," Sam pointed out, trying to soothe her with his hands and a soft tone. "You want to live with me and that happens a lot and I'm not going to constantly scare you like this. I'm gonna wear it."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie sighed and leaned against him a little more heavily. 'Hold me closer, necromancer', indeed.

"Well," she said quietly, "it's your choice."

[necroslacker]

"I'm sorry," he said again and fell quiet. "I'm sorry, Natalie."

[whenshewasnice]

"I know," she sighed. At least the shaking seemed to be abating, if slowly. "Shh."

[necroslacker]

"Okay," he mumbled, going silent now. He was still holding her tightly but he'd closed his eyes to try and...not think about the fact that his powers could make her react this strongly.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie let the silence lengthen for a while, just feeling him around her and breathing in his scent.

Her words ended up being quiet as well. "Is it always like that?"

She was actually more curious for his sake.

[necroslacker]

"Sometimes it's...worse," he hedged very quietly. "That wasn't so bad."

Sad but true.

[whenshewasnice]

"Oh." Well, not the greatest thing to hear. But she'd deal. She wasn't backing away from anything. "Okay."

[necroslacker]

"Natalie," Sam said, sounding pained. He let go of her so he could lean his forehead against hers, breathe her in and close his eyes. "I'll wear the pouch when we sleep but -- but are you sure? I'm not doubting you, that's not what this is. I just know it's...scary."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie got her fingers into his shirt, to keep him close. Rather a more bordering-on-desperation approach to physical affection than her discrete little touches at his mother's house.

"I'm sure," she told him, quietly, nodding just slightly. "I'll learn to live with it."

[necroslacker]

"I haven't even learned to live with it," he whispered, exhaling quietly. "It's not something you learn to live with. You just...do your best."

[whenshewasnice]

"Well, then I'll do my best," she amended, giving his shirt a little tug. "We both will."

[necroslacker]

"They won't ever hurt you," Sam murmured like that might make things easier. "They can't."

[whenshewasnice]

Not easier, really. But it was nice to be reassured, especially when she relied so much on logic in her life. It was easier to push past the fear when there was some concrete knowledge to hold onto.

They could scare her, but that was all.

"Okay," she said, nodding again.

[necroslacker]

"But, you don't have to worry about that," Sam said, nodding determinedly. He pulled back and slowly pulled away from her so he could move to his desk. He'd buried the pouch somewhere in there and he needed to find it now.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie wrapped her arms around herself in a rare show of discomfort and uncertainty. Couldn't help it, she'd been shaken by the sight of ghosts.

And she frowned, lightly, because she knew what he as looking for.

[necroslacker]

Sam was shuffling paper around and tossing pieces of junk onto his desk while he looked for that pouch of herbs his mom had made him so long ago. He'd deal with the pain cutting himself off caused and he'd be fine. He'd done it before, he'd do it again.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie watched for a moment longer, then moved.

She came up to him, to wound her arms around him from behind and lean against his back. "Sam."

[necroslacker]

"I haven't found it yet," he murmured, a little preoccupied with that even if he registered her presence and warmth. "I know it's in here."

[whenshewasnice]

"Sam," Natalie repeated, and tried to pull him back a little bit.

She had a specific point here, yes.