"So when were you going to tell me about the new roommate?" I asked Damien
as I sat down to lunch.
Sherlock just gave me a look and continued eating.
"Stop being a jerk and tell me what you know about him," I demanded.
"You met him?" Sherlock said blandly.
"Yes I did, and he was very nice."
Damien looked at me suspiciously as he chewed. A rather stormy look was forming on his face.
"He's a freak of nature," he said, "don't trust him and don't like him."
I was shocked. Damien was hard to get along with sometimes and could be unwittingly rude, but it wasn't like him to be downright mean. Surely this wasn't just because I was showing a slight interest in another guy was it? I flushed a little, thinking it might be. It was a little flattering in it's own way.
"Why don't you like him?" I asked, "and how do you know him anyway? And if you don't like him why are you rooming with him?"
"He's my stepbrother."
I nearly fell out of my seat. My first feeling was shock to know the relation between Sherlock and Micah, the second was a slight pang of disappointment that his reaction had nothing to do with me, he just didn't like his stepbrother. I suddenly felt embarrassed that I would consider that as an option at all. Why would he care who I liked or disliked?
"Why didn't he get a different dorm?" I said, "it might have made things less tense."
"Mum didn't want that," Damien glowered, "she thought we should be looking out for each other. That's a joke."
"Why don't you like him?"
I was starting to tread on dangerous territory and I knew it. Sherlock wasn't an open person and this was starting to get personal. Damien blinked before saying anything.
"Ever just resent someone because they were who they were?" he asked.
"I guess."
"Micah's good at everything he tries. He's smart, he's social and he can make people like him. He likes the attention. Why do you think he looks the way he does? It seems like in my family everyone sort of gave up on me in favor of him. Mum even. I can't really blame them, I was a mess with drugs at that point. I never really was an easy keeper."
Under that rather standoffish exterior, Damien was a very insecure person. His armor was rather hard to get through, and it rarely ever came down.
"I'm sure it wasn't that way," I said, "you just think it is."
Damien grunted.
"Yeah, whatever. I'm going to the library," he said as he got up.
"Are you sure you're being fair to him?" I asked.
"As fair as I want to be," he said, "he doesn't pretend to understand me and I don't pretend to understand him."
He eyed me.
"And don't get any ideas about how you're magically going to reunite us. We weren't friends to begin with. Don't think he likes me anymore than I like him. It's just the way it is."
I watched him leave. To me that last statement was like the throwing down of a gauntlet. Those two would have a relationship if it was the last thing any of us did. And knowing Damien it could well be.
Sherlock just gave me a look and continued eating.
"Stop being a jerk and tell me what you know about him," I demanded.
"You met him?" Sherlock said blandly.
"Yes I did, and he was very nice."
Damien looked at me suspiciously as he chewed. A rather stormy look was forming on his face.
"He's a freak of nature," he said, "don't trust him and don't like him."
I was shocked. Damien was hard to get along with sometimes and could be unwittingly rude, but it wasn't like him to be downright mean. Surely this wasn't just because I was showing a slight interest in another guy was it? I flushed a little, thinking it might be. It was a little flattering in it's own way.
"Why don't you like him?" I asked, "and how do you know him anyway? And if you don't like him why are you rooming with him?"
"He's my stepbrother."
I nearly fell out of my seat. My first feeling was shock to know the relation between Sherlock and Micah, the second was a slight pang of disappointment that his reaction had nothing to do with me, he just didn't like his stepbrother. I suddenly felt embarrassed that I would consider that as an option at all. Why would he care who I liked or disliked?
"Why didn't he get a different dorm?" I said, "it might have made things less tense."
"Mum didn't want that," Damien glowered, "she thought we should be looking out for each other. That's a joke."
"Why don't you like him?"
I was starting to tread on dangerous territory and I knew it. Sherlock wasn't an open person and this was starting to get personal. Damien blinked before saying anything.
"Ever just resent someone because they were who they were?" he asked.
"I guess."
"Micah's good at everything he tries. He's smart, he's social and he can make people like him. He likes the attention. Why do you think he looks the way he does? It seems like in my family everyone sort of gave up on me in favor of him. Mum even. I can't really blame them, I was a mess with drugs at that point. I never really was an easy keeper."
Under that rather standoffish exterior, Damien was a very insecure person. His armor was rather hard to get through, and it rarely ever came down.
"I'm sure it wasn't that way," I said, "you just think it is."
Damien grunted.
"Yeah, whatever. I'm going to the library," he said as he got up.
"Are you sure you're being fair to him?" I asked.
"As fair as I want to be," he said, "he doesn't pretend to understand me and I don't pretend to understand him."
He eyed me.
"And don't get any ideas about how you're magically going to reunite us. We weren't friends to begin with. Don't think he likes me anymore than I like him. It's just the way it is."
I watched him leave. To me that last statement was like the throwing down of a gauntlet. Those two would have a relationship if it was the last thing any of us did. And knowing Damien it could well be.