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

[whenshewasnice]

"That's not what I said," she replied, leaning a little bit closer, sliding her arms over his shoulder. Maybe her eyes looked a little bit darker than usual. Maybe not. "I said they shouldn't. Meaning it's inadvisable."

[pursuedthestars]

"And why's that?" Jim asked, lowering his voice and moving to slide his arm around her waist. "Jerks deserve love too."

[whenshewasnice]

"It's not about what I deserve." She deserved nice things. She just didn't deal with them very well. "It's about what they don't deserve. And I've been called cruel enough times."

[pursuedthestars]

"You're selling yourself short," Jim told her because it was true. He ran two fingers down the side of her neck, returning the touch she'd started a little earlier. "Put yourself first."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie sighed at the touch, tilting her head away, even closing her eyes for a second. "I put myself first when I broke up with my boyfriend. It took over four months for him to talk to me like a person again."

[pursuedthestars]

"That happens with breakups," Jim said like he was some sage expert on long relationships. He pushed some hair back behind her hair and traced her jaw with his thumb. "What did you expect would happen?"

[whenshewasnice]

"I don't know." Did it even matter anymore? Her eyes fluttered open again. She brushed her fingertips against the back of his neck, and sighed again. "Love rots your brain."

[pursuedthestars]

"He started talking to you again," Jim pointed out since her statement made it seem like there was talking going on, at least. "So, that's something."

Jim pressed his thumb against her chin and kept it there, eyes on her.

[whenshewasnice]

"Oh, there's sex too," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's all terribly unhealthy and I don't know what's going on there."

Especially now. But she was not keen on thinking too deeply about that. Since that was kind of how she'd ended up drinking with Europeans in the first place.

[pursuedthestars]

"Convenient source for sex, though," Jim said, half smiling and shrugging a shoulder. He tapped her chin once before letting his hand fall away. "Can't be too bad if you're getting that regularly."

Sex was fun. He enjoyed it.

[whenshewasnice]

"It's okay." A pause, as she reconsidered. Idly dragging a nail or two against the back of his neck since they were there. "No, it's actually great. But it's also a lot more complicated than that. Jealousy and power play make for potentially dangerous games."

And she was way chattier than usual.

[pursuedthestars]

"Danger's fun though," Jim murmured, giving her another slight smile. "Makes things more exciting. More fun."

[whenshewasnice]

"When you're not worried it might go too far," Natalie replied quietly. She pulled one hand back from behind his neck to trace the line of his jaw. "I'm not surprised you think that."

[pursuedthestars]

Jim shrugged and made no apologies for that. "I don't tend to worry during sex. It kind of ruins the mood."

[whenshewasnice]

"Lucky man." She glanced down at where her fingers brushed down his neck. And made a face. "I don't want to talk about my emotional trauma anymore."

[pursuedthestars]

"Whaddya wanna do instead?" Jim asked quietly.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie watched him quietly for a moment.

"Touch." A pause. "And I know I already am. It means I want to do more of it."

[pursuedthestars]

"So, touch me," Jim told her encouragingly. "However you want."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie half smiled at him. Then she leaned up and closer and kissed one corner of his mouth.

He'd said however. For the second, she chose gently.

[pursuedthestars]

"Nice," Jim murmured quietly, smiling under the kiss. "Very nice."

[whenshewasnice]

"Well," Natalie murmured back to him, moving to press another kiss on the other corner of his mouth, "then it fits your face."

See, because his face was very nice too.

[pursuedthestars]

"Very free with your compliments about my physical appearance today," he murmured, still quiet. He was still smiling under her attentive ways. "I could grow to like that."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie shifted and pressed her body closer to his. "You already like it. Ego snacks."

[pursuedthestars]

"True." Because it was. Her shifting closer meant he tightened his grip around her waist and kept smiling. "And you're so helpful in providing them. Thank you."

[whenshewasnice]

"I'm very helpful." She looked at him from the very close proximity, letting her gaze trail over his face. "Your eyes are practically luminescent, and your lips are... very kissable."

And there were traces of the brightly coloured drinks she'd had earlier still on her breath, but maybe they were mostly an excuse to say what she was thinking.