acontritemess | Vampires Cause Problems Even When They're not Around

Vampires Cause Problems Even When They're not Around

[After what seemed like a lifetime, things had finally started settling down. People were starting to get back to their lives, he and Airy had taken a huge step in their relationship. Kelsey and Gus were reunited with their children, whom they'd all thought dead. A couple of them were assholes who left just because Gus hadn't been able to find them, but the ones who stayed behind seemed to be pretty cool.

And having Jake around had quickly become like having a little brother, which was also cool. The new wolves kept to themselves for the most part, though, and he was pretty sure he could count on one hand the number of words Gus' oldest son, Toby, had even spoken to him, but it was all good. He was pretty good at the stalker vibe. It worked for him.

Everything was going great until Airy decided to poke the elephant in the room. There'd been a lot of not-talking going on revolving around Luther and everything that had happened regarding him. Even after he'd left them, love before Toby and the others had found them, nothing had been discussed. They both just skirted the issue. It hadn't even come up in weeks, and Nathan had figured, hey, everything was finally in the clear. No such luck.

He probably shouldn't have shouted at her, but even as he stormed out of HQ in the middle of the night and tromped off to cool off somewhere, he couldn't abate his temper enough to care.

He opened the door to the first bar he noticed passing a little harder than he needed to and looked around. It wasn't a place he recognized, which was good, but he did recognize the big guy at the bar people were giving a wide berth. Toby...? Is this where he went at night?

Nathan, never one to follow a crowd, approached the bar instead, taking a seat on a barstool next to Toby, sliding into a Humphrey Bogart impression, even if he was paraphrasing.]

"Toby, of all the gin joints in all 'a New York, you had ta be a regular at this one."

[The joke hadn't cheered him up or made him any less mad. That was disappointing.]

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[Toby doesn't know Nathan particularly well, he knows that he's a good kid but that's really it. He smells Nathan first but he knows that's a weird thing to say. As Nathan sits Toby brings his beer to his lips and takes a long swing of the cool liquid. it's nice but it does very little to ease the tension in his shoulders.

He doesn't look over at Nathan when he speaks but instead nods his head and places his drink down on the counter.]

We found the same place for the same reason.

[It's close and easy to get too.]

What's wrong Nathan?

[Toby can feel the anger radiating from Nathan. He doesn't even have to smell the kid to know that something has riled him up. For a moment he thinks of Chase but pushes the thought away. He doesn't care if his brothers left but he feels the loss with Cat gone as well.]

Right at this moment? [He smirks, though it's obviously forced.] You ruined the joke.

[He breathes a sigh and ordered a beer, waiting for it to be delivered before he actually looks to him.]

You really wanna hear this? We could easily just be two guys sharing a beer at the bar, or not. I could just as easily go over there.

[Toby shrugs looking unconcerned with Nathan's joke. Clearly he doesn't get the reference.]

If you want.

[He looks over at Nathan, his eyebrow raising curiously. He's completely fine with sharing a beer and not talking but Nathan needs to calm down because he's making the atmosphere to tense. Toby comes to bars to relax.]

I don't have a preference Nathan.

[Nathan takes a deep breath and a long pull from his beer before he continues, having made a decision.]

It's Casablanca. It's a classic. [But it doesn't matter and he moves on.]

Airy wants to find Luther.

[Toby makes it clear with a single glance at Nathan that he has never seen that movie.]

And?

[He only knows a little bit about what has happened prior to his arrival. He knows what Jake had told him but Jake knew very little of Luther's part in that attack or the grand plan; from what Toby had gathered anyway.

He never asked for details himself, it isn't his business to ask but he'll listen to those who need to talk.]

[He sighs again, running a hand back through his hair and taking another drink of his beer.]

And, his stabbing us all in the back not withstanding, my fiance wants to track down her ex-boyfriend because he's "still her friend".

[Toby watches Nathan for a long moment taking in both the scent's and the tone seeping from each word. He can't completely understand human relationships but he can understand dominance and feeling as if someone else is encroaching.]

That sucks.

[He agrees in a gruff tone.]

Have you talked to Airy about it?

[Toby assumed so considering how angry Nathan was but he might be able to glean some helpful information about the situation.]

A few times, sure. [He takes another pull from his bottle.] It always turns into a shouting match. At this point, I just leave. I can't think straight when I'm pissed off.

[And that happens really easily. He has a volatile temper.]

[Toby watches him with an even stare before taking a long sip of his beer. He doesn't seem bothered talking about this though he wishes Nathan would calm down. He might just order more beer to help with that. That or buy the kid a shot.]

So you never resolve it.

[He concludes in a low voice.]

Why not talk to her. [He holds up a hand as if expecting Nathan to protest.] Talking doesn't mean getting angry and storming out.

[Nathan scoffs and finishes his beer. He'd planned on drinking the first one that fast, anyway. He wasn't a heavy drinker, though he did drink during social occasions. That is been a long time ago, though. Still, every once in a while, a beer was nice.]

How am I supposed to resolve it, huh? She's gonna do it anyway.

[Toby waves at the bartender to bring Nathan another drink before taking another sip of his own beer. He liked the taste and wasn't the sort to change his pace of drinking because of those drinking with him.]

Is she?

[He got the feeling this is an argument they've had a lot.]

How long has it been since she first mentioned finding him?

[He wants to wrap his head around the situation before he honestly tries to help out. He doesn't mind helping, Airy is family as far as Gus is concerned and that works for Toby. Plus it's obvious that these two like each other very much. He didn't understand the complications that humans put on their relationships.]

[Nathan accepted the new beer without complaint but started taking it slower on the second one. Talking was starting to get him to calm down, at least.]

A few months. [He was getting at something, but Nathan was still to angry to put two and two together.] Why?

Has she left yet?

[He posses the question as if the answer is obvious. Clearly, Airy cares more about Nathan than she does about finding her 'friend'.]

[Nathan clenches his jaw for a moment before shaking his head and taking another pull from his beer.]

No. And before you say anything, I get your point.

[Toby watches him for a moment and then takes another sip of beer. He lets silence linger in the air between them, giving Nathan time to sort through his thoughts and his anger.]

I wasn't going to say anything else.

[He knows the best way to teach someone something was to let them come to the conclusion on their own. Of course, Toby wouldn't really like being in Nathan's position but then werewolves were different. Skewing Toby's basis of comparison.

Toby continues in silence allowing Nathan the change to think out loud if he wishes t share his opinions.]

You know, that's not surprising.

[Nathan falls quiet for a while, not ignoring Toby, but getting lost in his own thoughts. He nurses his bear while he mulls over everything Luther ever did, and he knows he doesn't know half of it. Probably not even a quarter of it. She had a year of history with Luther, which was a year more than he had with her.

It didn't stop him from wanting to keep it from happening, but if the situation were reversed...he'd want closure. Maybe Toby was right.]

...okay. So. What do I do?

[Toby watches him think but says nothing. He really doesn't know the situation which means the advice he can give is very limited.]

Talk to her without getting angry.

[He states it as if it's easy.]

You'll be more comfortable when you understand the details.

[It sounds, to Toby anyway, that Nathan is hurt and unsure too. If either or both of them are to heal they need to talk.]

Talk to her without getting angry, he says. [Nathan shakes his head, running a hand back through his hair.]

You make it sound so easy.

[Not that Nathan was going to deny that Toby had a point. Maybe part of the reason he was so pissed about Luther was that he didn't understand.]

[Toby shrugs.]

I get that a lot.

[Often from his siblings. As little as Toby realizes about himself he’s still very wise having seen the world and experienced hardships from a young age.] But. [He exhales waving the bartender over to fill his beer.] I think you got this.

Want another drink?

Not surprised. [There was a tiny voice in his mind telling him to go home, to talk to Airy before it got too late, that having another drink after two was a bad idea.

He rarely listened to that voice. Why start now? He nods.]

Sure, one more. Thanks for the vote of confidence, though.

[Toby shrugs and then orders him another beer. He doesn't know how horrible Nathan's tolerance is. Even a normal human can have a few beers without getting completely drunk.]

If I didn't believe you were competent I wouldn't talk to you.

[This is only half true. Nathan is in an odd way connected to his pack which Toby feels tied too. So in that respect he'd be willing to help, if he was more of a hothead like Chase then he'd probably throw Nathan across the room and inform him that Airy could do better.

She is, after all, his sister and that's how he thinks of her; despite the fact that they rarely speak.]

[Nathan can't help but chuckle at that.] Well, that's good to know.

[And then, as he takes the beer, his brow furrows slightly and he looks over to the larger man.]

Wait. Is that why you don't talk to most people?

[Toby is looking at his drink, his expression rather calm and unexciting. At Nathan's question he turns, stares at him and then looks back towards his beer. With a soft exhale of breath he answers.]

Part of it.

[He raises his beer to his lips and takes a long gulp. He doesn't speak again until his glass is situational firmly on the bar counter.]

The other part, [He sighs softly hoping that Nathan can keep this information to himself.] is that I've killed family members of almost everyone who travels through that place.

[He can't call HQ home.]

[At Toby's confession, Nathan doesn't look at him. He takes a long pull of his beer before setting it down gently on he bar. He wasn't a moron. He understood what it had probably taken for an admission like that, and Toby's secret was safe with him.

Still, he couldn't imagine how hard that must make just walking down the hall most days. He could forgive Toby what he did, he had for the most part. He didn't know details, but he knew he'd been a hitman for Amadeus, and that didn't mean picking flowers.

Something bothered him, though, and finally he looked over to him.]

Airy's family. Was that you?

[It's one of the harder things he's admitted allowed and he found Nathan's follow up question far easier to talk about. His eyes stay on his drink and he takes a long sip before placing the glass back down.]

No. It couldn't be a wolf. More so, my father would have known my scent. That was the work of a vampire. I believe the man's name was James but I don't know for sure. Amadeus kept a lot of names and the number of people he had controlled secret.

[He takes another sip of his beer before turning to look at Nathan.]

If I had been given that order I would have. Would you hate me?

[Toby wouldn't blame Nathan if he says yes.]

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