His open door policy was one Perry had enacted when they'd first agreed upon the arrangement that had since become routine: Kozak's free use of a private shower in exchange for his attendance at one meal per day, to dispense with the need for more formal "meetings". It was an unspoken fact that his inmate could depend on-- so long as their agreement was in place, there was no pretense under which Perry could refuse his admittance.

... Except one, circumstances being what they were. Freddy couldn't have arrived on the barge at a better time, so far as Perry was concerned. Purely physical though the 'relationship' may have been, it did wonders for his mood to have an outlet for stress-relief from time to time (or regularly, as the case may have been) and the last flood had even provided a roundabout point of reference for something that was beginning to resemble a friendship as much as some superficial fling. Then again, what wasn't Grease capable of?

At any rate, flood or no flood, Perry found himself in a decent enough mood as he set the table, expecting nothing more from this particular evening than any of the several previous. Kozak had a knack for avoiding topics until he was ready to broach them, and Perry had long since decided the best way to go about dealing with that was to simply wait it out and let him get around to things in his own time.

Perry gave him a look. He'd added Kozak to the Special Access Filter on his comm shortly after discovering what its purpose actually was and hadn't been given much cause to think about it after that, and while he hadn't ever explicitly mentioned it, the fact that Kozak's dog-like senses weren't barred from his cabin when the door was closed would have clued him in some time ago. On some level, his assumption only made sense.

"I do that, not the filter," he corrected, setting his own plate down and taking his usual seat at the table.

As for the door being locked, he knew Kozak couldn't failed to have noticed the lingering smell of recent cigarette smoke, distinct as it was from the faded, settled-in odor of cigarettes long past that had come with the cabin as a whole. Luckily, there was a polite way of confirming those suspicions. "I had someone over. Why, did you need something?"

It had been some time since 'are we really having this conversation' had felt like an appropriate reaction to Kozak, but this instance marked a triumphant return to that list. Where incredulity and the start of a short temper might once have taken the reigns, though, Perry's good humor endured.

"And you haven't made a habit of knocking before you let yourself in for a while now," he answered, without missing a beat. "Next time I'll leave it unlocked and you can walk in on whatever wild animal sex is happening on the couch, how about that?"

"A monastery?" Perry cut in, only mildly amused by Kozak's obvious discomfort. For his part, he didn't seem at all concerned. "Necessary, no, I don't think it would cause the universe to collapse on itself if I abstained."

It seemed for a moment like he might leave it at that, but he only paused to take a bite from his own plate before continuing. "Not that it's any of your business," he pointed with his fork, "what I do behind closed doors, whatever that may be, but it's just sex. You don't have to look so scandalized."

'Common where you're from' earned Kozak a look just short of a does your brain even try to filter the things that come out of your mouth? branded stare, but Perry refrained from comment, especially considering the way Kozak came to an abrupt halt as that sentence continued. Whatever truth or untruth there was to the Hollywood Lifestyle, particularly for him, sparing the argument for the sake of watching the other internalize the conversation and come to his own conclusions seemed better worth the both of their time.

The conclusion he came to, however, wasn't anything near to what Perry might have expected. "A schedule?" he repeated, careful to keep the incredulity from his tone.

"All right. Here's your schedule: after dinner I don't ever want to see you until the following day. Except, of course, in case of emergencies."

Perry shook his head, dispelling the absolute seriousness with which that statement had been made. "I don't set my watch by my libido, Kozak, but lucky for you I do live with someone I'm even less inclined to share my sexcapades with, back home. I've picked up some discretion."

Perry's immediate response of 'what the hell gave you that idea?' only managed to be withheld by virtue of an intense and lifelong aversion to having what he already knew explained to him. His expression unreadable, he looked at Kozak for a moment before turning his attention back to their meal, outwardly as indifferent as if it were any other topic of insignificance.

"No," he assured, plainly. "We're not."

...then he was shit out of luck, given that Perry was content to let him suffer the awkward silence for having brought up the subject in the first place. Still he maintained an outward affect of complete impassiveness, utterly nonchalant as he continued his meal without disruption.

It was only after he'd stretched the silence close to unbearably long that Perry paused to take a drink and then fold his arms along the edge of the table, giving Kozak a brief look of appraisal. "You've really never been interested in anyone? In high school, or whatever?"