room 216 ; saturday afternoon

[necroslacker]

A weekend spent in here and now was a good weekend as far as Sam was concerned. He hadn't even existed last weekend so, slow or not, this weekend was gonna be a good one. He'd spent the morning talking to people in Seattle and he'd even gotten a visit from Ashley. She'd been pretty scarce lately and when Sam had asked about it, she'd just given her head a shake and kept typing on her Blackberry.

Sam took that as meaning she'd just been busy and he needed to not worry. Or something. So, that's what he was doing right now. He was not worrying about anything. He'd gotten mail from his mom and Haley that morning (a care package containing cookies) and he was nibbling on those every so often while exchanging text messages with Ramon.

Poor Ramon was still adjusting to the whole were-bear thing and was bitching about Frank nearly peeing himself when he'd run into a transformed Ramon in the hall and hadn't expected it. Sam was just lucky that Brannoc and his family were around and were helping Ramon through since he wasn't really there right now.

Ramon forgave him and even started sending him stupid, joking text messages about them getting married and running away and living as husband and husband. It was just good to joke with his friend and, for a split second, the part of Sam that was constantly reminding him that he'd go evil one day disappeared.

It was just a second but still, it'd been nice.

[Door cracked, post open.]

Comments

[whenshewasnice]

"If there had been anything important, I think I would've reported that a little sooner." Or maybe not. But Natalie felt like she was maybe being judged on her economical distribution of information and words here. "But I've just been getting back into the normal swing of things."

[necroslacker]

Sam really just wanted to talk to her and she didn't seem to want to talk back and thus, he was running into walls that he was just kicking at and pouting.

"Yeah, I get that," he said because he did. "I'm just -- I dunno, I don't wanna sit here in silence but that's what it's getting to because I don't know what to talk about."

[whenshewasnice]

"What have you got against silence?" Natalie asked, even though she knew others weren't quite as predisposed to it as she was. "Or doing something other than talking?"

[necroslacker]

"I don't have anything against silence," Sam argued, shaking his head. "I was just hoping to talk to you since I haven't seen you in a few days. But if you wanna do the silent thing, we can. I can do quiet."

[whenshewasnice]

"I'm not the best at social chit chat, Sam." Which he obviously knew already. "I can't force talk out of myself if I have no particular topic at hand. There were hearths at the Perk, that's about the most interesting thing that's happened lately."

[necroslacker]

"And I said we could do the silent thing," Sam reminded her, raising his eyebrows. "It's fine with me. I get it, you're not a talker so we can just do the silent thing."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie was just being defensive. Which she didn't particularly like being, but it was an instinct.

"Doesn't help that you've wandered off," she noted, mildly, nodding in his direction. "Away."

[necroslacker]

"I'm like three feet away from you," Sam pointed out with a quiet snicker. "What doesn't that help? I'm not that far from you."

[whenshewasnice]

"A distance is a distance." For her, it was significant. She was a professional when it came to that sort of thing, after all. "It's pretty far for some things."

[necroslacker]

"I have to be close to you for us to sit in silence?" Sam wondered, tilting his head. He was curious as to what she'd say and if she'd reveal anything there.

[whenshewasnice]

"Physical distance cuts out the chance of anything physical," Natalie replied, leaving it simple like that.

[necroslacker]

"Ah." He nodded but didn't move just yet. "You could always ask me to come back over, you know. I probably would."

[whenshewasnice]

"Come back over."

Her tone suggested just the hint of an eyeroll that didn't happen.

[necroslacker]

"What's the magic word?" Sam asked even if he was already walking back towards the bed. "It's always nice to use the magic word."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie held off on replying for a beat, looking up at him.

And then she said, "Abracadbra."

Well, it was a magic word.

[necroslacker]

"Smartass," Sam said but dropped down beside her again. He leaned back on his hands and when quiet because, well, she wanted quiet or something.

[whenshewasnice]

Except Natalie had never actually said that. She glanced over at him. "So, we're probably waiting until the spring with that skateboarding thing, eh?"

It was random, but the thought came to her so she let it out.

[necroslacker]

"I'd almost completely forgot about that," Sam admitted, eyes widening a touch. "We can do it whenever. You're from Montreal though, I didn't think winter here was that tough for you. Like a brisk spring day."

[whenshewasnice]

"I didn't say the winter here was tough." It barely felt like winter, actually. "But skateboarding doesn't really feel like a winter sport."

[necroslacker]

"Skateboarding's a sport for whenever," Sam clarified, shrugging. "Me and Ramon, we'd go in the pouring rain if we wanted to. It's not really a seasonal sport. If there's clear streets, you can go."

[whenshewasnice]

"Montreal brain," Natalie retorted, tapping two fingers lightly against her temple. "You would not skateboard in Montreal in the winter."

Unless you had some weirdo powerup that made the board move even when you were ankle deep in snow.

[necroslacker]

"I don't think that'd even count as skateboarding," Sam agreed. "That's being stupid and standing in the snow on a board that won't move. So..."

He paused, looking thoughtful.

"...being stupid, yeah."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie looked briefly amused at something she probably wasn't going to share. "So, even if the winter isn't like that here, I think I'll still rather wait until after Christmas."

[necroslacker]

"Cool with me," Sam remarked, nodding. "It's not like I'm going anywhere or anything. My skateboard'll be around after Christmas and so will I."

He'd done his disappearing act for the year. Hopefully.

[whenshewasnice]

"You better be," Natalie replied, masking that very real wish in trademark mildness. She did not need him disappearing again. "I don't bother with people who keep vanishing."