Room 227, Sunday Afternoon

[whenshewasnice]

While Natalie was pretty sure there was weirdness afoot on the island, she hadn't bothered to even pay enough attention to figure out what it was. Fandom was wacky. She was content just knowing that.

Besides, finals week was coming up. This meant she was spending this Sunday going through her notes and checking everything was in order. There were a few textbooks and notebooks strewn around her on the bed, though there was more order to it than it might have seemed. (Of course there was order. This was Natalie.) Currently, her attention was on her American History notes.

It was her least favourite subject this time, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to be doing her best in the final.

[ooc: Open door/post, entertain me while I pretend to be awake.]

Comments

[whenshewasnice]

"Okay." The last thing she wanted right now was to get dumped. "Good."

She was a great conversationalist.

[necroslacker]

Sam scratched his cheek and glanced at her. "So."

He still didn't know if they'd decided on anything.

"What's that mean? For you and me?"

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie looked, up, finally.

"That we're not breaking up." That much was probably obvious. "That... I don't know, I guess we're going to try going long distance."

[necroslacker]

"Okay," Sam exhaled, feeling a little more relieved now. "Good."

He was taking on her mantle of great conversationalist now.

[whenshewasnice]

"Good," Natalie agreed with a little nod.

Then she went back to eating her salad. Or at least poking at it.

[necroslacker]

This still felt...weird. Sam didn't know why. He put his salad on his desk and ran his fingers through his hair. He glanced at Natalie and tried to figure out what might be off.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie actually knew why something might have been a little off here. She just wasn't too inclined to share. Actually, she was trying to repress that feeling entirely.

So she was focusing on the salad. She was getting to keep her boyfriend. That was great.

Right?

[necroslacker]

"I can't figure out what's wrong right now," Sam admitted, standing up and coming closer to her. "I want to be with you. I don't want to break up. What's wrong?"

[whenshewasnice]

"I didn't say there's anything wrong," Natalie pointed out, looking up at him. She looked sincere enough, at least.

[necroslacker]

"You don't have to, I can feel it," Sam pointed out, stopping by the edge of the bed. "What's wrong? You really wanna do this, right? With me?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Yes."

But she hadn't wanted to do it with someone else in the past, and therein lay some insecurity.

[necroslacker]

"So do I," Sam told her, tucking his hands in his pockets. "What're you feeling right now?"

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie pushed her bangs away from her eyes. "You can't tell?"

With the way she was keeping it all down? Probably not.

[necroslacker]

"I can't," Sam said, shrugging. "You're pretty off limits to me right now."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie probably shouldn't have found that as reassuring as she did. But being able to keep her feelings to herself was a blessing.

She watched him for a moment, then said, "I love you." Another pause. The 'but' was only implied. "I've said no to long distance before."

[necroslacker]

"I love you too."

That was easy to say.

"You said yes this time."

The question of 'why' was unasked.

[whenshewasnice]

"Because I love you."

More than she had the other guy, at least.

[necroslacker]

"So, why aren't you happier?" Sam asked, sitting down beside her. "This is a good thing."

[whenshewasnice]

"I'm happy," Natalie said, turning her head towards him. And it was pretty accurate, she just happened to be insecure as well.

She could practically hear Jace mocking her already.

"It'll just be a little weird."

[necroslacker]

"But, I can visit. And you can visit. And we can talk," Sam said quietly, reaching for one of her hands. "It'll be something we have to adapt to, sure, but...don't you think it's better than adapting to the alternative?"

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie took his hand, and even laced her fingers with his.

"Much better," she said, even though her tone was mild. "I've just gotten used to being able to --" She gave his hand a squeeze. "-- do this."

[necroslacker]

"And we won't have to stop," he said, bringing her hand up to his lips so he could kiss her knuckles. "We'll just have to work a little harder at it. Isn't this -- "

He gave her hand an answering squeeze.

" -- worth working hard for?"

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie hoped it was. She was just pretty sure using that wording wasn't going to go over well, so she said nothing.

She just squeezed his fingers with hers and didn't let go.

[necroslacker]

Even if she didn't say it, Sam had the very slightest of inklings that she was thinking it. Or that she was unsure and maybe a little doubtful.

He kept his fingers laced with hers but looked away from her, down at his lap where he could hide any further reactions he had.

[whenshewasnice]

Hoping was the best Natalie could do, sadly, and she didn't feel like lying to him and saying something else.

But she did shift a little closer to lean against his side. Something had to give a little.