OOM: Room 130

[watching_you]

As the sun sets, Veronica sits at the desk in her room, staring out the window at nothing. Though it's becoming darker in the room, she makes no move to turn on her lamp, despite the fact that soon it will be quite difficult to read the book spread open across her lap.

Truthfully, she hasn't even glanced at the book in over an hour.

Comments

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

The tartness is like water off a duck's back to Indy.

"Fine."

He lets out a half-snort, half-chortle.

"If you're gonna rely on Lilly's word and three movies for a value judgment on what you're missing out on, there's not much more I can do."

[watching_you]

"Actually, Lilly was always oddly tight-lipped about your relationship." She leans back, pulls her legs up onto her chair. "Come to think of it, we haven't had a decent girly conversation in general in a while.

"Besides, your movies were depressingly PG."

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

"Soooo... I'm just not your type?" he hazards.

He tries to keep the playful air intact, while also cultivating a look of pending grievance.

[watching_you]

Veronica lets out a short laugh. "I don't think I have a type."

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

"Just my luck."

Indy sighs melodramatically.

"But, hey... it's your loss."

[watching_you]

"I'll suffer through somehow, I'm sure."

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

Indy drops his head and chuckles.

"You should prob'ly cite the result of this conversation on your dating resume. Withstood the charming advances of Indiana Jones."

He gives her a sage nod.

"It's a pretty impressive feat, y'know."

[watching_you]

"Truly a testament to my tremendous willpower.

"And also the fact that you're, uh, too old for me."

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

Indy deflates and affects a thoroughly dejected look.

"As if the rejection itself wasn't bad enough. You had to twist the knife, didn't ya?"

[watching_you]

"I didn't say you were old," Veronica adds hastily, "I just said you were too old for me. Very different."

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

Indy peeks back at her, battling to keep his smirk under wraps.

"Good save."

[watching_you]

Veronica leans back again, and rolls her eyes.

"You know me. Good at thinking on my feet."

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

"Yep. Definitely not just a pretty face."

He smiles at her, and after a moment's consideration, he moves on, adopting a slightly more careful tone.

"On a less frivolous note, you, erm, had any more panic attacks since... that night?"

[watching_you]

"Ah." The look this earns him would be akin to peering over the tops of glasses, on someone else. "So now we're finally being honest about why you're here."

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

Indy frowns at her insightfulness this time.

"Well, shit. 'Scuse me for caring."

[watching_you]

"Heh."

Her laugh is very flat.

The shadows in the room, taking cue from the sun, are shifting: the last rays of light play across the couch, across Indy. With Veronica, on the other hand, it's gotten to the point that if she leans back enough - as she does now - her face is entirely in darkness.

"From where I'm sitting, it looks less like 'caring' and more like 'judging whether Vee has lost it'."

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

"Load of crap," Indy humphs and folds his arms defensively. He chooses not to mention that there's a fair amount of overlap in those two options.

"There must be real bad perspective from where you're sitting."

[watching_you]

Her silhouetted form just shrugs.

"If there's something wrong with the way I'm reading things, why are you so defensive all of a sudden?"

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

"'Cause I'm not assessing your mental stability. Is it so hard to believe that I care about you?"

[watching_you]

Veronica doesn't reply. Her expression, hidden as it is in shadow, is impossible to determine.

The only indication that she's even still paying attention rests in the motion of Veronica crossing her arms.

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

Indy sighs.

"That's real nice, Vee."

"Real nice."

[watching_you]

A half-shake of the head.

"I don't need anyone checking up on me, Indy. I can take care of myself."

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure you can," he replies.

His tone is sullen, but not quite deadpan.

"Sorry, I guess. Just forget I asked."

Her evasive and vaguely hostile reaction has been an answer of sorts anyway. Things still aren't right.

[watching_you]

"Fine."

They sit in the dark for a few breaths longer, then Veronica leans over to her desk and switches on the lamp. She picks up the book that she had been holding earlier and replaces it in her lap, flipping from page to page without really taking any stock of its contents.

Eventually she glances up without really looking at anything, her eyes staring past Indy.

"Have you - have you seen Logan in the bar at all recently?"

[henry-jones-jr.livejournal.com]

Indy doesn't like her detached gaze, but he's kinda relieved at the break in the silence. He shakes his head.

"No."

"Doesn't mean much though. S'not like I'm an ever-present downstairs."

He cocks his head slightly.

"Why? Thought you two were permanently over."