bper
in
time_told_me
Chapter 10: Keep It A Mystery
Keep it a mystery, don't let it drift
It's like the ocean, it's nature's dark gift
A common addiction couldn't be like this
It's strangely compelling and I can't resist
Daylight's coming and shadows are gone
Keep it a mystery 'till night's coming on.
"Would having Greg House as a roommate be agreeable to you?" Dr. Buckley had asked while I was in our session. Being in the same room with House had become entirely embarrassing. I could hardly look at him without thinking of the absurd overreaction I'd had to our quick friendship and yet I couldn't stop thinking about him while we were apart. I obsessed over my folly and thought of nothing but how to make it up to him. I doubted that the relationship continuing as it had begun was the best route for us to take, but in my loneliness I wondered if it was a possibility. I was lonely and - without question - that was the reason I'd gotten so far ahead of myself. Why House had gone so far so quickly I couldn't rationalize. I suspected he was as lonely as I was. Perhaps more so.
Absent minded, I walked thoughtfully back to my room, but arrive at House's door with little recollection of the path I'd taken. I needed to see him, I assumed, or I never would've made it there. I knocked lightly on the opened door. House was seated on the edge of the bed.
"Come in," he called. He was fiddling with his iPod and didn't look up.
I went into his room, leaned against the wall with arms folded and waited.
When he glanced up a moment later, he looked shocked to see me but quickly tried to hide it. He removed the ear buds and raised an eyebrow. "To what do I owe the honor?" he asked with ironic amusement.
I rubbed my neck and looked down at the floor. 'What are you doing?' I kept thinking over and over. "I, umm...just discovered that I'm getting a new roommate." I looked up at him to study his reaction. "You are he."
He grinned. "You don't say?"
There he sat, evidently pleased with himself. He'd arranged it. Why? "I do," I said with a nod. "I'm not sure I understand it, though. You've got this nice private room. Check bounce?" I asked smartly.
He laughed. "I believe there were therapeutic reasons for the change. Although I'm sure Wilson will appreciate the smaller monthly tab."
"Therapeutic reasons," I repeated as I was compulsively prone to do. "She must've given you specifics about what the exercise is meant to accomplish," I suggested, shifting my weight.
"It's meant to prove to me that I'm not incapable of living with someone else without alienating them entirely. Since I mentioned you and I had become friends, she singled you out as the guinea pig for this experiment. Just as I'd hoped." He smiled uncertainly.
It was an interesting game he was playing if it was, indeed, a game. My work made it easy for me to deal with such situations, even with people as smart as he. I walked over to him and stood in front of him, prepared to interrogate him the same way I might any suspect. Crossing my arms, I put my hand over my mouth and considered what to ask. I pulled my hand down after a moment. "Now...why would you...want to room with me? After everything that's happened? After...after our last interaction?"
"Why wouldn't I?" he grinned, patting the space beside him on the bed.
"What do you stand to gain from this?" I asked directly. I was certain he'd appreciate a straightforward question. Instead of sitting, I backed up a few steps.
"You're the detective. What do you think?" he asked, posing a riddle.
I contemplated my next move. Whether the interrogation should continue, I wasn't certain. It was a game, no doubt, but against whom was he playing? I walked over to the bed and sat beside him. "I wasn't aware I was supposed to be observing you as a suspect," I replied.
"Purely a person of interest. A puzzle in my own right." He looked at me skeptically. "Don't tell me you only consider motives in your suspects. I don't believe it."
I nodded, content to acknowledge the truth in his observation. "Fine." I frowned. "I don't know what to think." I hoped the response was acceptable. It was the truth.
"You're as much a puzzle to me as I am to you. And I'm in desperate need of a puzzle right at the present moment, so you're it."
His answer annoyed me inexplicably. It wasn't what I wanted to hear. I was just a puzzle, a game. "And if I'm not that interested in putting together pieces of you?" I asked with a hint of disgust, impossible to hide.
"I am deeply interested in putting together the pieces of you. That will do for me just fine." He looked unrattled, calm, confident.
Deeply interested. Interesting in itself. I nodded. "Anything else that you, umm, want to put together?" I asked suggestively.
He nodded. "Yeah, but I wasn't counting on it." He treated me to another smile, more relaxed, and a stare that underscored his interest.
I managed to continue not to smile. I tilted my head to the side. "You should show me what you had in mind," I replied.
"I'm saving it for my roomie," he smirked. "I was told I should be more interested in pleasing the other person, more sensitive to his needs, if I want a successful roommate relationship. Does that sound right to you?" he asked, smiling broadly.
I shook my head. "Not really. I've found that you're quite interested in pleasing others and quite sensitive to needs." I shrugged. "I may have to go back to my room and think about this at least a few times before bed."
He laughed. "With any luck, I'll have a chance to practice my roommate-pleasing skills before bedtime. If the move is a definite thing...."
I smiled. "And why not practice now while you have a guinea pig, as you so succinctly put it?"
"I'm guessing that the deal would be off if they found us in a compromising position when they show up to move my stuff," he suggested regretfully.
I raised an eyebrow. "So you're moving in today?" I asked.
"Actually, I wasn't sure it was happening at all. Not definitely. But from what you said, it seems like it's a go."
I slid my hand over and put it on his thigh. "I look forward to not being bored tonight." I stood up and walked to the door. "You're already making progress," I said, turning around. "I don't feel the least bit alienated." I turned and left.
Halfway back to the room I started to wonder where the animosity had gone. It was nice to have him back, though. Whether or not it made sense.
It's like the ocean, it's nature's dark gift
A common addiction couldn't be like this
It's strangely compelling and I can't resist
Daylight's coming and shadows are gone
Keep it a mystery 'till night's coming on.
"Would having Greg House as a roommate be agreeable to you?" Dr. Buckley had asked while I was in our session. Being in the same room with House had become entirely embarrassing. I could hardly look at him without thinking of the absurd overreaction I'd had to our quick friendship and yet I couldn't stop thinking about him while we were apart. I obsessed over my folly and thought of nothing but how to make it up to him. I doubted that the relationship continuing as it had begun was the best route for us to take, but in my loneliness I wondered if it was a possibility. I was lonely and - without question - that was the reason I'd gotten so far ahead of myself. Why House had gone so far so quickly I couldn't rationalize. I suspected he was as lonely as I was. Perhaps more so.
Absent minded, I walked thoughtfully back to my room, but arrive at House's door with little recollection of the path I'd taken. I needed to see him, I assumed, or I never would've made it there. I knocked lightly on the opened door. House was seated on the edge of the bed.
"Come in," he called. He was fiddling with his iPod and didn't look up.
I went into his room, leaned against the wall with arms folded and waited.
When he glanced up a moment later, he looked shocked to see me but quickly tried to hide it. He removed the ear buds and raised an eyebrow. "To what do I owe the honor?" he asked with ironic amusement.
I rubbed my neck and looked down at the floor. 'What are you doing?' I kept thinking over and over. "I, umm...just discovered that I'm getting a new roommate." I looked up at him to study his reaction. "You are he."
He grinned. "You don't say?"
There he sat, evidently pleased with himself. He'd arranged it. Why? "I do," I said with a nod. "I'm not sure I understand it, though. You've got this nice private room. Check bounce?" I asked smartly.
He laughed. "I believe there were therapeutic reasons for the change. Although I'm sure Wilson will appreciate the smaller monthly tab."
"Therapeutic reasons," I repeated as I was compulsively prone to do. "She must've given you specifics about what the exercise is meant to accomplish," I suggested, shifting my weight.
"It's meant to prove to me that I'm not incapable of living with someone else without alienating them entirely. Since I mentioned you and I had become friends, she singled you out as the guinea pig for this experiment. Just as I'd hoped." He smiled uncertainly.
It was an interesting game he was playing if it was, indeed, a game. My work made it easy for me to deal with such situations, even with people as smart as he. I walked over to him and stood in front of him, prepared to interrogate him the same way I might any suspect. Crossing my arms, I put my hand over my mouth and considered what to ask. I pulled my hand down after a moment. "Now...why would you...want to room with me? After everything that's happened? After...after our last interaction?"
"Why wouldn't I?" he grinned, patting the space beside him on the bed.
"What do you stand to gain from this?" I asked directly. I was certain he'd appreciate a straightforward question. Instead of sitting, I backed up a few steps.
"You're the detective. What do you think?" he asked, posing a riddle.
I contemplated my next move. Whether the interrogation should continue, I wasn't certain. It was a game, no doubt, but against whom was he playing? I walked over to the bed and sat beside him. "I wasn't aware I was supposed to be observing you as a suspect," I replied.
"Purely a person of interest. A puzzle in my own right." He looked at me skeptically. "Don't tell me you only consider motives in your suspects. I don't believe it."
I nodded, content to acknowledge the truth in his observation. "Fine." I frowned. "I don't know what to think." I hoped the response was acceptable. It was the truth.
"You're as much a puzzle to me as I am to you. And I'm in desperate need of a puzzle right at the present moment, so you're it."
His answer annoyed me inexplicably. It wasn't what I wanted to hear. I was just a puzzle, a game. "And if I'm not that interested in putting together pieces of you?" I asked with a hint of disgust, impossible to hide.
"I am deeply interested in putting together the pieces of you. That will do for me just fine." He looked unrattled, calm, confident.
Deeply interested. Interesting in itself. I nodded. "Anything else that you, umm, want to put together?" I asked suggestively.
He nodded. "Yeah, but I wasn't counting on it." He treated me to another smile, more relaxed, and a stare that underscored his interest.
I managed to continue not to smile. I tilted my head to the side. "You should show me what you had in mind," I replied.
"I'm saving it for my roomie," he smirked. "I was told I should be more interested in pleasing the other person, more sensitive to his needs, if I want a successful roommate relationship. Does that sound right to you?" he asked, smiling broadly.
I shook my head. "Not really. I've found that you're quite interested in pleasing others and quite sensitive to needs." I shrugged. "I may have to go back to my room and think about this at least a few times before bed."
He laughed. "With any luck, I'll have a chance to practice my roommate-pleasing skills before bedtime. If the move is a definite thing...."
I smiled. "And why not practice now while you have a guinea pig, as you so succinctly put it?"
"I'm guessing that the deal would be off if they found us in a compromising position when they show up to move my stuff," he suggested regretfully.
I raised an eyebrow. "So you're moving in today?" I asked.
"Actually, I wasn't sure it was happening at all. Not definitely. But from what you said, it seems like it's a go."
I slid my hand over and put it on his thigh. "I look forward to not being bored tonight." I stood up and walked to the door. "You're already making progress," I said, turning around. "I don't feel the least bit alienated." I turned and left.
Halfway back to the room I started to wonder where the animosity had gone. It was nice to have him back, though. Whether or not it made sense.