A/N: This chapter contains a few slight spoilers for the movie Alien.

We sat and watched more television and slurped down more mountains of ice cream with extra whipped cream and what was left of the cherries. The film Alien came on and we were just in time for the chest-bursting scene, which kind of put a damper on my appetite. It didn't make a dent in Greg's. He ate every bit and even licked the bowl clean. How he managed to put all that away and not make himself sick remains unexplained. Then he performed the little trick where he tied a knot in a cherry stem with his tongue. That was more than a bit interesting. I nearly dropped my bowl when he showed me that, his self-satisfied smirk in plain sight. I finished my ice cream and ended up so stuffed that I had to sit for another fifteen minutes and let it all settle before I could stand up and take the dishes into the kitchen.

I shuffled back into the living room, feeling like I weighed about four hundred pounds and declared with a barely stifled yawn, "It's been a really long day. I'm going to bed."

"No, you're not," Greg said, his eyes glinting and voice lackadaisical. "The movie isn't over yet."

"I already know how it ends."

"I don't care. Get your ass back over here."

"I'm tired...,"

"And when I give a rat's ass you'll be the first to know. Now get over here."

It was either go back to the sofa or listen to him bitch about my going to bed and leaving him by his poor little self for the next week, so I shuffled back over. The movie had about another forty-five minutes left. Greg was playing another one of his delightful power games. The deck was stacked against me, as per usual. Fine. It wasn't like that was anything new. I could live with it. But I was going to bed when the movie was over whether he liked it or not.

I flopped back down next to him and leaned into his shoulder. "We've seen this movie a million times," I said tersely.

"This is the Director's Cut," Greg pointed out. "It's only been around a few years, so we haven't seen this version a million times yet."

"Is that why you're keeping me out here, depriving me of sleep? For a few restored movie scenes?"

"I wasn't, but now that you mention it..."

I turned back to the movie and silently grumbled to myself, wondering why the huge meal hadn't put him to sleep yet.

After a few minutes of watching the seven-foot-tall beastie make mincemeat out of the humans, Greg suddenly spoke up: "I enjoy being around you. Is that so terrible?" he said.

"It is if you have to keep me awake," I answered, a bit stunned. I looked over at him. He didn't move, his eyes were glued to the TV, on a movie he could recite by heart, newer version or not.

"Quit your bitching already and just watch the movie," he said, still not looking in my direction. "Wouldn't it be cool to have two jaws?"

"That would mean an extra set of teeth to brush," I deadpanned.

"How come the alien doesn't eat the cat?"

"Hairballs," I answered, as if it were the absolute truth. "The monster dies. The end. Roll credits. Can I go to bed now, or are we going to watch the second unit director's uncensored third revision cut after this?"

"You've gotten by just fine on less sleep, Jimmy."

"Just because I can get by doesn't mean I should."

"Truer words have never been spoken," he said cryptically, as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. The heavy meal was finally starting to weigh him down, I could see his eyelids begin to droop. "If it makes any difference, you're the person I've always seen," he added.

"What do you see in me?" I was surprised at his statement and really wanted to know.

"All those things you said about me apply to you as well." He sounded serious. Or maybe it was just a particularly twisted mind game he dreamed up on the spot.

"I'm not a musician." I reminded my friend.

"Well...everything except that."

Smiling, I said, "Those things I said about you earlier, are you starting to believe they're true?"

"You believe them, and that's enough for now."

I laughed quietly and said, "You said I was crazy for believing that you are funny and interesting."

"It was only a few hours ago. I remember."

"You also said I needed to get my eyes examined."

"I remember that too."

"So...," I began slowly, "am I still the same blind, crazy person I was at dinner? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Yeah," he answered and smiled back. "But I still love you anyway."