239/240, Tuesday night

[can_be_more]

After returning from flight club, feeling a little better about some things, Aeryn wanders back to her room. She's assuming her roommates are probably at that party in town, but Aeryn isn't really in a party mood and knows John's going to want to talk, and she doesn't want it to be public.

She sits on her bed with a book she swiped off somebody's locker, up for another English lesson.


((Door's open, should you feel like stopping by. I'm bored for the time being.))

Comments

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

*knocks on the door*

Hey, anyone not being crazy and partying tonight?

[can_be_more]

"Just me, I think," Aeryn says, holding her finger in the book to keep her place, not that she'd really notice. "You're going to the party?"

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Nope, just killin' some time before I go check on Anders in the gym. *waves*

How're you doing? I heard people were being kinda stupid to you on Sunday.

[can_be_more]

Aeryn waves it off, closing the book and setting it on the bed next to her. "So the Rubik's Cube story is making its way through the student body?"

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Well, Anders told me, since he was there and all. *nods*

*walks over and sits down next to Aeryn* I won't tell anybody, if you don't want me to.

[can_be_more]

She shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. Besides, it already made the radio. Frelling pirate. It was a game," she shrugs.

"I was surprised to see Anders without you, actually," she says, changing the subject.

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, I did have other plans at the time... they kinda fell through, though, and I lost track of him, so... oops. *shrugs*

How's things with you and Pudgy?

[can_be_more]

"He's not pudgy," Aeryn says automatically, and sighs. "About normal, for us."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Sighing and saying "about normal" doesn't sound so good to me.

*chews her lower lip for a second* You want to talk about it?

[can_be_more]

"Not particularly, which is why he's having such a problem." She frowns. "Tell me something. The incessant need to talk things to death... Is that a human deficiency, a male deficiency, or a John Crichton deficiency?"

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

*thinks for a second*

Well, I don't think it's a people problem... but other than Anders, yeah, all the guys around here seem to talk too much sometimes.

[can_be_more]

"Human males, then. I should take a survey," she says, leaning against the wall. "I don't understand it. And if you don't want to talk, they take it personally."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well... boys are kinda dumb. They screw up a lot.

Then again, so do us girls, you know?

[can_be_more]

Aeryn nods. She knows that for certain.

She pauses to take a phone call, looking a little apprehensive when she hangs up. "He's coming over."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

You want me to go? Cause I can totally do that, if you want me to. Or if you want me to stick around. That'd work to.

[can_be_more]

"It's okay. He and I need to do this alone, I think," she says. "Thanks."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Alright. Let me know how it goes. *smiles, waves, and hurries out*

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John knocks on the door, shoving his hands in his pockets to stop his fidgeting.

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From her spot on her bed, Aeryn greets him with "Hey."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John steps inside and leans against the wall nearest the door. "Hey. How was your day?"

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"Could have been much worse," she says. "Yours?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Long." John kicks his heel against the wall. "Very long. So..."

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Aeryn shakes her head. "You can come inside, you know."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John pushes away from the wall and wanders over to her bed. He stops when he's standing in front of her. "I don't know where to start," he says helplessly.

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Aeryn scoots forward on the bed, crossing her legs under her. "What needs to be said?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John nods and just decides to dump it all. "We...have trouble communicating. I like to talk, you don't like to talk. And that's okay. The only thing I'd like to ask is that, if I do something that upsets you, could you tell me? When you bottle it up, that worries me more then if you simply said something."

[can_be_more]

"And what if saying something worries me more than trying to kill a punching bag?" she asks.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John laughs nervously. "Good point, I guess. I mean, do we have that many problems? That I send you to the punching bag that often?"

[can_be_more]

Aeryn rolls her eyes. "If you were always the problem, I would just hit you and you'd know- undoubtedly- that you were the problem."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John breaths a quiet sigh of relief. "Well, that's a relief, at least. Can I ask, and this isn't a slight or anything like that, are you afraid of saying something to me about me?"

[can_be_more]

No," she says. "For instance, I'm not afraid when I say you have to stop making my problems your problems. And before you say that my problems are your problems," she says quickly, "I deal with things my way. If it has to do with you, you'll hear it. Probably loudly."

She pauses. "You were being an idiot on Sunday, though."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John nods slowly. "Okay. I can...try to do that. I'm used to taking on other people's problems. And I can't turn that off about me. I'll wanna try to help you but I can try to let you deal with it."

John winces. "Uh yeah, I kind of got that. I forget, sometimes, that you don't know half of what I'm talking about."

No idea if you got the comment to the deleted post so reposting.

[can_be_more]

Aeryn shrugs. "I think everyone does. I look like everyone else, so they assume I fit in. I deal with it."

Think we're good now. *g*

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"But I shouldn't do that," John says. "I know you best of all, I should know better and I got carried away. You're the best kind of different," John says softly.

[can_be_more]

Aeryn smiles.

"So," she says. "While we're dealing with things. That phone call from the other day."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Oh, that. Well, the original thing? I was, uh, going to go see Professor Drusilla to attempt to get some kind of endorsement for our Journalism project." But John holds up a hand to stop a protest. "But, I didn't. We got someone else."

John looks away this time. "Aeryn, my father's coming for Parent's Weekend."

[can_be_more]

"Oh." She pauses. She should have figured, really. "That's fine. It'll give me time to get some things done over the weekend."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John shakes his head almost violently. "No, I want him to meet you. I've told him about you already and I want him to meet you." He looks up at her, tired and confused. "I need you."


I've gotta be going to bed shortly so, okay for John to just crawl onto Aeryn's bed and fall asleep?

[can_be_more]

Aeryn's more than a little surprised by both John's reaction and the fact that he's said anything about her. She nods, not exactly sure how to react. "All right. I can do that."


Yeah, that's fine. Awww.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John seems to visibly relax and he finally sits next to her on her bed. He kisses her cheek softly. "Good. Good. I'll...deal with it all better if I know you're there."

He leans back until he's half on, half off the bed. "I don't like sleeping alone anymore," he mumbles. "This bed smells like you. Think your roommates will mind if I fall asleep here?"

He's already yawning.

[can_be_more]

"I'm the one with the pulse rifles. They'd better not," she says, and moves to make more room for him.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Did we talk okay?" He's almost asleep now. "I love you." He reaches for one of her hands.

[can_be_more]

"We did," she says, and kisses him lightly. "I love you, too."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Good," he says and curls up before falling asleep on her bed.

[can_be_more]

Aeryn herself doesn't get to sleep for a while.