Another one-shot for me, yay! Hope you guys enjoy this.
Disclaimer: I don't own ER or anything about it…I don't I say!
The light in the kitchen was on and Ray paused for a moment as Neela looked at him over her shoulder…glared at him to be more precise. The death grip she had on the knife in her hand did nothing to ease his growing discomfort.
"Is it safe to ask why you're looking at me like that while holding a knife?" he asked lightly, hoping that she would loosen up a little. Instead she began to hack viciously at a tomato, he felt rather sorry for it. She continued to mutilate the poor vegetable and he sighed, "All right Neela, what did I do?"
"Oh, I don't know. It could have to do with the fact that someone promised that they would stop someplace and bring something home to eat. Oh, and the fact that I gave them money do so, because I had to work a double shift and wanted to come home to actual food," she threw the chunks of tomato into a bowl containing shredded lettuce and irregularly chopped carrots. Placing the knife down she turned to face him, "Well Ray?"
He shifted uncomfortably, "I may have forgotten, but come on there's plenty of stuff to eat around here."
Letting out a frustrated cry she whirled around to face the sink, he could be so bloody infuriating. "No there isn't, because a certain person also forgot to go shopping!" Recently Ray had been fairly good about pulling his weight but it seemed to be slipping…and she was greatly annoyed by it. In fact she was more than annoyed…she was furious…all she had wanted was food and he couldn't even remember to get that. Now she was hungry, and tired, and frustrated…God she hated him.
She looked around for something else to cut up…it was a great stress reliever really...hmm, throwing something at her roommate might work just as well. Grabbing a carrot out of the salad bowl she hurled it at him, and then another and another…it seemed that hitting him with random vegetables was quite addicting.
"What the hell!" Ray ducked another incoming object. "That's it, I've had it!"
Seeing that Ray had finally gotten fed up with the indignity of it all, Neela started to run from the kitchen then stopped. No way was she backing down. "Really? That makes two of us," she snapped.
"What?" Ray was approaching her slowly.
"I've had it with you Ray! I come home bloody starving and tired and all I want is food and there isn't any because you told me you'd get something and you didn't!" Her voice was rising and he stopped his approach. Glaring at him she crossed the area between them and shoved him slightly as she walked past him. "Had it Ray!" she yelled without looking back at him.
Maybe she was over reacting and maybe she wasn't, she couldn't decide. A starving, sleep deprived, frustrated Neela was not something anyone wanted to come in contact with. Suddenly she realized that she hadn't eaten the salad she had just made, that was why she was still hungry. She couldn't go back though, not after she had just made her grand exit. This sucked…living with Ray sucked…bloody bastard…
"Neela…"
Just keep walking…just keep walking…just keep walking walking walking…must not give in.
"I'm sorry for forgetting all right?"
Not listening…not listening…not listening…what the!
A sudden dead weight had attached itself to her leg; she looked down and rolled her eyes. "Pleeeeease Neela, pleeeaseee?" Ray sprawled on his stomach clinging to her ankle like a petulant four year old throwing a tantrum.
"Please what?" she tried to move forward but only succeeded in stumbling a little.
"I'm sorry…" Ray had decided that right now the best thing to do was get Neela to forgive him…then he would get his revenge for her attack on him with rabbit food.
"NO!" Her tone clearly implicating that she was ready to explode. Ray, however, remained oblivious. She wasn't giving into him and his…ugh…he was still clinging to her…she had to admit that it was a bit cute, if not extremely immature.
"Pleease?" he whimpered.
"Stop acting so immature!" she snapped, but it was to no avail…he didn't budge.
"Neelaaa…"
"GET OFF!"
"Fine," with sudden seeming resignation he released her and stood, heading towards with room. Before he entered he looked straight at her, "This isn't over roomie."
Neela stood shaking her head; she simply could not understand him. Heading back towards her salad she poked at it…it was a disaster. A very pitiful disaster. No way was she eating it.
Huffing she stormed through the living room, he was so unbearable sometimes…it was a wonder she managed to tolerate him. Tripping over his guitar which was idly leaning against the couch, she cursed him loudly, cutting it short when she heard a loud thunk. Groaning she sat up to survey the damage. It had fallen against the corner of the table and now lay forlornly on the floor. Holding her breath she turned it over and closed her eyes…this was not good.
There was a rather obvious chunk of paint missing…maybe he wouldn't notice. Oh what was she thinking, of course he would notice. This was what he got for ruining her salad. What could she do? Maybe she could put it back on the floor, go to her room, and pretend it had been like that all along. Yes, that's exactly what she would do. Ray would never know the truth.
Turning up her music she sprawled out on her bed, pointedly ignoring her stomachs plea for food. She was too nervous to eat. Ray loved his guitars…uh oh…she heard his door open…heard him walking… "NEELA!" She winced. Well, looked like he had found it. She was so dead.
Nervously she made her way to where Ray was standing, guitar held protectively. "What…happened…" he was madder than she had expected, he was practically fuming.
She had two choices. Lie or tell the truth…or turn and run, so three choices really. "Er…" Great, that was all that she could manage. "I erm…" Still nothing. "I don't know," she finally replied. When had she taken to lying? Hmm…maybe when Ray looked like he wanted to kill her.
"Yes. You. Do." Uh oh, he was talking one word at a time.
"No, really…it was like that…" More lies, she was going to get it.
"NO IT WASN'T!" He finally exploded, "Do you have any idea how much it'll cost to get this fixed!" he began stalking around the room. "I can't believe you would do something like this…this…I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" he whirled around to face her. "Did you do this because I forgot about the food?"
Meekly she shook her head, how could he even think that? But she wasn't about to say anything. The roles it seemed at reversed. If the situation hadn't been so bad she would have laughed…first she had been yelling at him and now he was yelling at her…what a night.
"What did you do?" he hissed.
"Nothing!"
"Then why is there a giant chunk of paint missing! It's going to cost over a hundred to fix it!"
Guiltily she looked at the floor, she hadn't quite expected it to cost that much. "I didn't mean it," she said at last.
"I don't care if you meant it or not, GET OUT!"
Her head snapped up, "What?"
"I said get out! God Neela, I can't believe you'd do something like this!"
"I didn't mean it!"
"I don't care!"
"FINE! It's clear you care about your bloody guitar more than me!" she spat and without looking back strode out the door.
Guys and their guitars, honestly, who knew someone could be so attached to an inanimate object? All right, so maybe it would cost a lot to repair it…but it wasn't like she had meant to do it. She continued walking without any idea of where she was actually headed. When he said get out did he mean forever? As in he was kicking her out? It was his apartment after all…surely he didn't mean that…then again he really did seem to like his guitar more than he liked her. No, that was ridiculous, he was just mad that was all. He'd get over it. Or not.
After a half hour of pointless wandering, Neela's feet finally led her to the door of a bar. What could it hurt? It wasn't normally the thing she would go for, but hey, she had just been kicked out by her roommate. She entered and sat down, motioning for the bartender. And after an hour of pointless sitting and drinking, Neela finally left. Granted she did feel a little better but there was still a feeling of guilt…and she was still a little scared of what Ray would be like when she got back. Maybe she didn't have to go back…maybe she could go somewhere else…there had to be someplace she could go. What was she thinking? She had to go back, this was childish. This whole night had been a giant, disastrous, anger fest.
Cautiously she pushed open the door and was greeted by silence, she was creeping back to her room when…shit…Ray.
She opened her mouth to say something but he beat her to it, "Listen Neela, I uh, I think I may have over reacted a little." She didn't say anything and he continued, "I guess I should apologize. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that…and I especially shouldn't have told you to leave. I was…worried about you…and I apologize," he grimaced slightly.
"And I shouldn't have lied to you…I was mad and knocked it over by accident," she muttered. "I'll pay for it if you want."
"Nah, I think it looks kind of distinguished now…like a battle scar."
Raising one eyebrow she gave him a look of disbelief, "A battle scar. You have got to be joking."
"Or maybe I'm just too lazy to take it to get it fixed," he said with a hint of a smile. "Hey, I uh…got you something…to you know…apologize."
Did she want to know? For some reason Ray getting her something seemed a bit scary. He motioned to the table and for the first time that night she smiled…and then she laughed. Food! Lots of food! Good looking food! Pizza…and real salad…no sad looking salad.
"I got it while you were out, thought that you might still be hungry…"
Mmm…it was calling to her, beckoning for her…but there was something she had to do first. "You know Ray, I am really sorry…really really sorry. For the guitar and for throwing things at you…you know."
"It's all right; I think we've both apologized enough for one night."
"Me too…" The pull of the savory smells emanating from the table was tempting but for some reason Ray seemed even more tempting than that.
"You know…what you said…it wasn't true…"
"What?" Now she was confused.
"About me caring more about my guitar…" he reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder. "I care about you Neela…I care about you a whole lot more than my guitar."
She was about to make a snide comment but before she could say anything Ray's lips were covering hers. Needless to say that took her by surprise, staggering backwards she stared at him. Had that really just happened? No way…no…she didn't want this…did she?
"Sorry…" he looked apprehensive.
"No more apologies, remember?" What was she doing? Bad…bad…bad…bad…
Cautiously he reached out to her and this time she didn't pull away...maybe not so bad. He kissed her again…and this time she kissed him back. She really wasn't that hungry after all…
For those of you who're reading Steal My Pain…this is the guitar incident that's mentioned in the Prologue…I couldn't resist writing it :-) Please review!