room 227 ; sunday night

[necroslacker]

After his uncomfortable conversation with Natalie earlier, Sam had retreated to his room and he had showered. It'd felt good, something he'd definitely needed and it did help some tension dissolve. Some, not all.

He hadn't stayed in the room long before he'd left again to get some food. He'd completely bypassed the island's offerings and gone to the mainland to find something new and vegetarian. He'd come back with a few bags and was now eating a salad at his desk. It was late so he had a set of headphones on while he played a few records to give him something to do besides think.

Thinking was just...bad. And he was already brooding so he didn't need to add to it.

[Door closed, post open of course]

Comments

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie had spent a good long while in the rec room since he'd gone. And afterwards, she'd finally made her way into town, to the arcade for the faintest reminder of home.

When she came in, she was still humming the piece she'd been playing earlier.

[necroslacker]

Sam, of course, didn't hear her. His eyes were on his desk and his food and his mind was elsewhere. He wasn't observant like she was, noticing changes in light and the like.

[whenshewasnice]

Of course not. Natalie let him be, for the moment, and drifted to her own desk, setting her phone down there along with her keys.

Somehow she appreciated the quiet, even though she'd just been at the arcade for the specific reason of wanting familiar noise.

[necroslacker]

Eventually, he did become aware of another presence in the room but he didn't really acknowledge it. He could pretend to be busy with his dinner and his music and his thoughts even if he wasn't that busy at all. He could be still and quiet when he wanted to be.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie let him pretend.

For a little while, at least. After a moment of straightening some things on her desk, she wandered over to where he was seated, and stopped right behind his back where she could put her hands on his shoulders.

[necroslacker]

Thankfully, Sam didn't startle. Sure, he hadn't expected her to do that but he didn't jump or anything like that. He wasn't sure what she was going for here so he stayed still though he did stop eating for the moment.

[whenshewasnice]

She wasn't going for anything in particular, really. Just a touch to signal that she was there, and to hopefully avoid him misreading her again when it came to whether he was wanted around or not.

She gave his shoulders a little squeeze.

[necroslacker]

Sam eventually moved to turn his music off. He pulled the headphones off as well and sat back a little. He was still quiet though but the whole thing of stopping his charade of ignoring her was some acknowledgement.

[whenshewasnice]

Acknowledgement was good. It meant Natalie could make another move too.

Nothing big. Just leaning forwards a little, to kiss the top of his head.

[necroslacker]

"Hi," Sam said, deciding he could be the one to break the silence since she'd done a lot up to then. "You want some food? I got a lot."

It was vegetarian mostly but it was still good.

[whenshewasnice]

"Grabbed a snack in town," Natalie murmured, before straightening up again. "But sure. I can eat."

[necroslacker]

"If you're not hungry, you don't have to eat," he told her quietly but pulled his bag of moddable food closer to her. "I'll keep it for tomorrow."

[whenshewasnice]

"I'm not a child," she replied lightly, reaching past his shoulder for the bag. "I'm aware I don't have to eat if I don't want to."

[necroslacker]

"I wasn't implying you were a child," Sam sighed, shaking his head. "Just that you didn't have to eat if you really weren't hungry."

[whenshewasnice]

"Implying I'd do that sounds like implying I'm a child," Natalie retorted as she peered into the bag. "And you know me better than that."

She didn't do things just to please someone.

[necroslacker]

"And you know me better than to think I'd imply that," Sam responded but shook his head. "But, go ahead, think what you think. I'm not gonna be able to change your mind."

[whenshewasnice]

"No, you probably won't." She had no problem admitting that. "Why'd you say that, then?"

If not to imply she was a child. Out of politeness, was her guess.

[necroslacker]

"Doesn't matter," Sam mumbled, standing up and shaking his head. He tossed his headphones back onto his desk and rubbed his forehead. "It doesn't change your mind so it really doesn't matter why I said it, does it?"

No point, really.

[whenshewasnice]

"If you say so."

She fell into silence after that, getting herself a little something to eat from the bag.

[necroslacker]

And he did. He gave a little shrug and moved past her, heading over to the bed so he could pick up some dirty clothes and toss them into the hamper. He dropped down onto the bed before curling up on his side and staying quiet.

Again.

[whenshewasnice]

This could have gone a lot better, even Natalie could have admitted that much. As he moved away from her, she sat down in his chair to eat.

"Well isn't this stupid."

[necroslacker]

"If you say so."

At least he'd said anything? He'd gone right back into brooding after her comments about what he'd been implying and wondered if he'd just stay there the rest of the night.

[whenshewasnice]

"I do," Natalie replied, picking at the food. There wasn't annoyance in her tone but then again, there wasn't much of anything else, either. "Why are you brooding?"

[necroslacker]

"Because I'm annoyed."

That was honest, at least.

[whenshewasnice]

"Annoyed at what?"

She'd decided to take an analytical approach to this, yeah. Break it down into manageable chunks and maybe they'd get over it.