Room 222 | Sunday Morning

[pursuedthestars]

Jim hadn't wasted any time in getting back to his room. Hey, he would almost welcome Jackson's presence after all that time without privacy. He didn't mind the bouncy castles but man, the novelty wore off quick and he didn't like rolling over in the middle of the night and ending up splayed against the side of a castle with plastic up his nose.

He'd brought Natalie the snake back first, setting her up on his bed so she could slither around and do her snake thing before going back and getting the rest of his stuff. He'd dropped all that on the floor beside his bed and stretched before flopping down beside Natalie.

Who was still a snake.

"You ever gonna change back?" he asked idly, not expecting a response. He got none. Jim sighed and tucked an arm under his head. Snakes were not great conversation partners.

[Door is open, post is open]

Comments

[whenshewasnice]

"But still," she sighed, pressing her cheek against the crook of his neck. "Of course, you left all my things at the castles, didn't you?"

[pursuedthestars]

"I was gonna get it later," Jim protested. "I can't really just go inviting myself into your castle if there were other people still in there. I was waiting till they cleared out."

[whenshewasnice]

"Uh huh." She sounded amused, but not necessarily like she didn't believe him. "Well, guess I'll have to make the trek later myself."

[pursuedthestars]

"I'm sure it'll all be there later for you," Jim said, shrugging. "Not too many thieves around here."

[whenshewasnice]

"Or people dumb enough to steal from me," Natalie supplied, mumbling the words against his neck. "So, no rush."

[pursuedthestars]

"Well, I wasn't going anywhere," he said, chuckling. "And since you're kind of on top of me, I guess that's a good thing."

[whenshewasnice]

"I've been on top of you earlier this week too."

Or wait, didn't snake slitherings count for him?

[pursuedthestars]

"You're right but you were a little easier to move when you were a snake," Jim told her. "Not that I want to move you."

[whenshewasnice]

"I'm naked and mostly on top of you," Natalie agreed. "I'd be surprised if you wanted to move me."

And then a thought occurred to her.

"Please tell me the door is closed."

[pursuedthestars]

Jim glanced over at his open door.

"Oops."

Thankfully, it was early.

[whenshewasnice]

"Ugh." Natalie rolled off him to tug a blanket around herself. "Dammit, Jim."

But said mildly.

[pursuedthestars]

"Uh, I didn't exactly expect you to suddenly turn back human," Jim said, raising an eyebrow and getting up so he could head towards the door. "I'm not psychic."

[whenshewasnice]

"I get to be grumpy," Natalie informed him as she wrapped herself up in the blanket. For now, anyway. "Snakes have a hard time expressing emotion. I'm embracing mine."

[pursuedthestars]

"And I get to react to your grumpiness because I spent most of the week taking care of you," he said, kicking the door closed. "Your nakedness is safe now."

[whenshewasnice]

"Wasn't even that grumpy," she retorted, stretching back against the bed. Stretching was nice and human. So was idle arguing. "But thanks."

[pursuedthestars]

"Make yourself at home," he said, shaking his head. "Sit back and relax even more than you did during your time as a snake."

[whenshewasnice]

"Who says I relaxed when I was a snake?"

She had, kind of. In that there was a certain level of acceptance that had to go with being stuck in animal form and unable to do anything useful.

[pursuedthestars]

"I'm pretty sure you relaxed more than you were active the entire time you were a snake," Jim pointed out. "Correct me if I'm wrong."

[whenshewasnice]

"Not doing anything isn't the same as relaxing," she pointed out in turn. "Just means that there isn't anything to do. I figured chewing a hole into your castle would've been bad form."

[pursuedthestars]

"I would have laughed," he said, coming back and sitting down beside her. "And maybe I would have gotten a chance to come back to the dorms early."

[whenshewasnice]

"Well, I also didn't want to get squished by a collapsing castle." She stretched her arms out above her head, blanket sliding a bit further down as she did. "There's also that."

[pursuedthestars]

"I'm sure you would have found your way out of there," Jim told her, stretching out and sighing. "You're resourceful."

[whenshewasnice]

"But I didn't want to put myself in that situation," she replied, glancing over at him. "Resourceful, but also sensible."

[pursuedthestars]

"How complimentary of yourself," Jim told her, chuckling. "Well, welcome back. I'm glad you're back to being you."

[whenshewasnice]

"And yet you're keeping your distance," Natalie replied lightly.

Less to actually accuse him of anything and more to invite him to get even closer to her. In her own way.