Room 222 | Saturday Night

[pursuedthestars]

Jim was almost sad to figure out whatever craziness had been in the phones yesterday had stopped. It'd been pretty fun to get some insane calls from people he'd probably never talked to about things he'd never talked to them about. He'd be saving those for times when he needed a laugh.

Tonight, he had his door open for no other reason than to see who might be around on a Saturday night. It was kind of sad he was around on a Saturday night but he figured one night in wouldn't kill him. Besides, sometimes the dorms could be entertaining.

Jim was sitting on his desk chair, legs stretched out in front of him and book open in one hand. It wasn't anything special but it passed the time until he thought of something better to do. He liked reading for pleasure, anyway.

Shh. Don't tell.

[Door & post are open]

Comments

[pursuedthestars]

"And you wouldn't care either," Jim told her, crossing his arms. "But, you know what, get over it, Natalie. It was a goddamn joke that wasn't true by any stretch of the imagination. If it makes you feel better about yourself to stand there and lecture me on how bad of a human being I am, go for it. I'm just gonna read while you're doing that though."

He picked his book back up.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie pushed away from the door and stalked into the room. Her step wasn't wobbly, but her movements were less precise than usual. More loose. Affected by the alcohol in her system enough to make her extreme control crack a little.

"No, it doesn't make me feel any better."

Okay, not what she'd meant to say, whatever.

[pursuedthestars]

"Then, why are you doing it?" Jim asked, raising an eyebrow but keeping his eyes on the book. He knew she'd come in but he wasn't going to give her petulance any attention right now. "Just that bored?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Just that frustrated." She stopped by his desk, arms folded. "And you're an easy target because I feel like crap every time I talk to you, anyway. Rainclouds and all."

[pursuedthestars]

"Oh, well thanks," Jim said, taking his turn to roll his eyes at her now. "Why don't you just turn around and leave so you can stop feeling like crap around me? I've got better things to do then listen to this, Natalie."

Like...read this enchanting novel that he was already mostly bored with.

[whenshewasnice]

"Like what?"

Well, since he'd claimed to have better things to do.

[pursuedthestars]

"Like read," he answered succinctly.

[whenshewasnice]

"I doubt that's any better," Natalie retorted.

Not feeling very clever at the moment.

[pursuedthestars]

"You doubt that reading is better than listening to you go on and on about how awful I am and how I should grow up and leave you alone?" Jim asked, raising an eyebrow. "Then, you have a super high opinion of yourself. I'll take the reading."

[whenshewasnice]

"I do have a high opinion of myself," Natalie replied, watching him. Blinking, though. Occasionally. "I also have many low opinions of myself. And some days, I barely have an opinion at all."

[pursuedthestars]

"That's very deep," Jim told her, turning a page and skimming the words quickly. "Very philosophical. Is there something I can help you with or are you seriously just here because you need an outlet for your frustration?"

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie shrugged. Both shoulders, not very graceful. "Well, it's worked before," she said. "Well. Half worked. You may be a jerk but at least you're really pretty."

[pursuedthestars]

Jim did look up at that. He was starting to get the feeling that she wasn't completely in control of her words tonight. He didn't think she'd just up and tell him that on any other day.

"Thank you," he said, raising an eyebrow again. "You're a jerk too, you know."

[whenshewasnice]

"I know." Another thing she might not always admit so easily. She pursed her lips a bit, and shrugged again. "But a pretty one."

Well, she knew she was.

[pursuedthestars]

"Yeah," Jim agreed with a nod. "Yeah, you're really nice to look at."

If only they didn't talk to each other!

"How can I help you with your frustration, Natalie?"

[whenshewasnice]

"You can put your book away."

She brushed her bangs away from her eyes, then carded her fingers through her hair.

"Not that I think you want to help me, but if you're getting something out of it, you won't care. And neither do I."

[pursuedthestars]

Jim closed his book and dropped it on his desk before crossing his arms. He didn't stand up.

"If our positions were reversed, I'd doubt you'd be caring about helping me either," Jim pointed out, tilting his head so he could get a better look at her. "We're both jerks, after all."

[whenshewasnice]

"Sometimes all I feel like doing is helping people."

She drawled her words. Didn't mean there wasn't truth in them.

"But does it matter?"

[pursuedthestars]

"And I've got a few people who could tell you about the crap I do for them," Jim countered. He'd taken a portal to the other side of the country just to give someone cereal!

"But right now?" He shrugged and shook his head. "Probably doesn't matter, no."

[whenshewasnice]

"And I don't care."

She reached out to touch his hair. Because she felt like it. Because she wanted to.

[pursuedthestars]

"What do you care about?" Jim asked, keeping up the conversation while she got her hand in his hair.

[whenshewasnice]

"Not much," Natalie said, as she brushed her fingers through his hair. "European expats who insist on buying me drinks for looking a bit Danish." She just watched her fingers. "Unloading my considerable emotional burdens. Getting touched."

Sigh.

"These are a few of the few things I care about."

[pursuedthestars]

"I think most people would agree with you on the getting touched part," Jim told her, keeping still while she did what she was doing. "I know I care about it especially when it's a nice sort of touching."

Like she was doing right now.

[whenshewasnice]

"Well I'm sure you get it on a regular basis," she noted idly, absently. Her hand moved further down, brushing lightly over is ear.

[pursuedthestars]

"Mm. Maybe," he sighed, closing his eyes for a second before he opened them again. "But, I bet you do too. We're pretty jerks, aren't we?"