seattle ; tuesday afternoon

[necroslacker]

It hadn't taken Sam long to fall right back into being a slacker when he'd gotten back to Seattle. Even with Ramon and Frank and Brid and his mom around, he'd still found time to do nothing at all.

Today, he was holed up in his room, laying around in a pair of shorts and a worn t-shirt that he probably should get rid of but couldn't bring himself to do. There was music playing but it was at low levels and Sam himself was just staring at the ceiling, wondering if maybe he should get a job or something.

That would require...work though. And he didn't wanna do that.

[NFB but open for phone calls/texts/visits/etc]

Comments

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie had considered calling him last night. Hell, she'd even considered coming to visit. She'd done neither, just like upon returning to her room, soaked and tired, she hadn't rearranged it back to the way it had been, just to spite Jace.

She'd just fallen into bed and slept. Until now, in fact.

And now that she was feeling stable and balanced again, she was calling him.

[necroslacker]

Sam grabbed blindly for the phone on his nightstand and put it to his ear. "Hello, you've reached Sam, resident slacker and your voice at the other end of the line today."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie a very small smile of amusement at that greeting. "Hi," she said. "Resident slacker, eh?"

[necroslacker]

"Seems appropriate considering I'm not doing a darn thing right now," Sam said, shrugging. "Hey. How's it going?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Fine." That wasn't entirely a lie. "Just woke up."

[necroslacker]

"You just woke up?" Sam asked, glancing at his watch. "What has you sleeping in so late, Natalie? That's a little unusual."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie sighed. "I don't have classes today, and there was a fire drill in the middle of last night. Thought I'd indulge in sleeping in."

[necroslacker]

"Fire drill?" Sam asked, frowning. "Sorry to hear you lost sleep over that. Should've called. I wasn't sleeping last night. I could have entertained you."

[whenshewasnice]

"I was going to. Then I decided not to." She'd been feeling a little irritated (or a lot, really) and human interaction had not worked out so well for her. "And I didn't take my phone outside, anyway."

[necroslacker]

"Why'd you decide not to?" Sam asked curiously. "Fire drill end before you could? Or just the matter of the phone?"

[whenshewasnice]

"I wasn't feeling social." That was part of it. "Had a less than pleasant conversation with Jace in the rain."

[necroslacker]

"Jace? I thought you were thick as thieves," Sam said, frowning again. "What was the conversation about?"

[whenshewasnice]

"You."

She said that with the mild weariness of someone who'd accepted this was the main topic of all their disagreements, yes. And if not Sam specifically, then all he stood for in her life.

[necroslacker]

"...I don't even know the guy," Sam said, frowning again. "Me? What about me?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Jace thinks I'm wasting my time with you," Natalie drawled. "Apparently that extends to trips to recover from pointless fire drills in the rain."

[necroslacker]

"Wasting your time?" Sam repeated, frowning even harder. "That doesn't even make sense. Why would he think that? He doesn't even know me or our relationship."

[whenshewasnice]

"He doesn't have to," Natalie replied, sinking further back against her pillows. "It's not specific to you. It's any relationship."

[necroslacker]

"Hmm." Sam sighed quietly. "Did he really upset you?"

[whenshewasnice]

"He's been saying the same thing for months." A pause. "But I was tired and drenched."

So yeah, he had upset her. It had already mostly faded, though.

[necroslacker]

"I'm sorry you've been dealing with that for so long," Sam said, rubbing a hand over his face. "You're not wasting your time with me. I promise."

[whenshewasnice]

"I know," she told him quietly. "And I'm used to it. Peter's the same, he just has different reasons."

[necroslacker]

"Jesus, these people don't even know me," Sam groused, frowning. "That sucks."

[whenshewasnice]

"I know," Natalie said, again. "But they'd both say these things to your face too, so just be glad they don't know you."

[necroslacker]

"I'm not afraid of them, Natalie," Sam said, shaking his head. "I should come and visit just so they can say all this to my face. Maybe it'd make them feel better. They're really big, talking about me like this behind my back and all."

[whenshewasnice]

Sigh. "I don't think they give a crap about you," Natalie volunteered. "It's more about me. And their own issues."

Which were varied and complex.