"how are you feeling, by the way? need anything?"

"no, i'm fine."

"are you just saying that to be polite? you don't have to worry about that. when someone offers you something, they actually like it when you accept, you know."

"i really am fine."

"i'll get you some water."

"i said i'm fine-"

it was too late, bill had already sprung up from his seat to get him a glass. he was quick - before he knew it, the drink was placed on the coaster next to him. it was in a nice, clear glass, and he had even put ice in it.

"i want to be a good host, you know?"

"thank you," he said, taking a sip. maybe he had been a bit thirsty, actually.

"is the chair comfortable?"

"...it's the same chair you're sitting in."

"sure, but is it comfortable for you? are you comfortable?"

"you really don't need to be this concerned for me," jim responded, adjusting in his seat. thinking about it made him realize he had been leaning forward.

"well, i know how you can be! you hardly ever think about what you want and how you're feeling. but you're a guest right now. i'm supposed to make sure you're comfortable."

"i guess so..."

"and you're supposed to be comfortable."

it was an odd statement.

actually, the entire situation was odd. he had gotten fairly used to bill's almost overly friendly personality, but there were still times when being around him felt like being in a cartoon, or something. he couldn't follow his usual social scripts with him. with all his mental energy being spent on following along with what bill was doing and figuring out how to even react to it, he didn't have as much room to think the way he usually did.

"so, how comfortable are you right now?" his tone was noticeably gentler.

"i mean, i don't know, i don't know how you really quantify something like that."

"could you be more comfortable?"

"well, sure, but that's not..."

"then how can i make you more comfortable?"

this was not a normal situation. this was not the sort of interaction you have visiting a friend's house. the fixation on this particular idea was ridiculous. "i don't think i need to be more comfortable."

"how about just a little more?"

"the- the comfort that a guest is supposed to feel, it's not like... i mean, there's a certain baseline level of comfort that people want to have in a social interaction, but anything more than that will be less about the interaction and more-"

"people like it when you accept what they offer, jim."

and he was offering comfort.

what did that even mean?

"i-" it took a second to even formulate a response. "alright, sure, i'll get more comfortable, i guess..."

"you're supposed to be comfortable right now."

"right..."

it felt strange to lean back and relax some of his muscles, particularly in this context. bill was being so insistent on it. if it were anyone else, it would have made him much less comfortable.

"there you go... how is that?"

"it's... fine," he said, noticing his own voice become quieter. his breathing was slowing, too.

"you feel comfortable?"

"i do... surprisingly comfortable, actually..."

"that's good."

"were there... any particular activities you had planned, or..."

"oh, don't worry about that. right now i just want you to relax."

somehow, he could feel himself release just a bit more tension, but the confusion didn't leave his face. "you didn't just have me come over to sit in a chair..."

"is that really that weird? a lot of the time when people hang out together, they just sit and talk, right?"

"that's not..."

"we're sitting and talking right now, aren't we? we're hanging out. you're the guest, and i'm just making sure you're comfortable. do you need anything right now?"

"i don't know what else i could possibly need..."

"i'm offering."

it took him a little too long to respond. it felt like his mind completely blanked out, completely absorbed in the task of finding something, anything, to ask for.

"keep talking," he said, surprising himself with his own answer.

"oh, of course. it's important to entertain guests, too, right?"

"right..."

"and you're supposed to be entertained."

"i'm at least... interested." interested in what? he wasn't sure what he was saying.

"well, let me tell you a little more about being a guest. it's important for you to be comfortable, and it's good for you to accept when i offer something to you. it's good to ask for things, too. anything you want. i don't mind it. i like to know how you're feeling. how are you feeling right now?"

"i feel relaxed, maybe kind of strange, but..."

"you feel strange? what's strange?"

upon being asked, he could suddenly recognize it. "i'm too relaxed."

"there's no such thing."

there's no such thing.

"i feel like i'm... something is... i'm falling into something."

"that's alright. you can fall."

"...can i?"

"of course! it's relaxing, isn't it? you're supposed to be comfortable."

"i'm supposed to be comfortable."

"and you're getting more and more comfortable right now, just like i want you to. just close your eyes..."

it was too late to question it.