Beer, Boxing Gloves and Bitter Banter
hey, my dudes. I have been going to college for a while working toward a degree in creative writing. I have written a chunk of mcl fanfics but haven’t ever had the guts to share anything. However, this whole schtick with Nath changing so hardcore has hurt me FOR REAL LIKE WHAT EVEN and I can’t seem to manage to rid emotions without writing them. It’s probably terrible but thought I should share anyway. It felt like I was sort of hiding, not posting anything I’ve written all these years. So, you know, enjoy, or don’t, read it, or don’t. *shrug*
It was the two year anniversary of her parents accident. Figures that something like Nathaniel showing up in her apartment building would happen to punctuate on the occasion. No amount of meditation would make the memories and her emotions stop from bubbling up to the surface. It wasn’t until Castiel called to invite her out when she decided it was time to try another coping mechanism. She turned down the invitation, with the excuse that she had schoolwork.
She was five beers in, punching the hell out of an overweight sand bag an hour later. Her accumulation of Fall Out Boy and Panic! angry songs served as a soundtrack to her emotions. No amount of punches drowned out the teasing words of Nathaniel. Or his new attitude. If he thinks he can drag me back into his apartment that easy he’s got another thing coming.
How many other girls has he shacked up with since we broke up?
Her heart wrenched at the idea. It’s been four years, Kait, of course he’s moved on. You should have moved on too, by now.
Her thoughts flashed back to when he was toying with Kim’s hair.
She grunted, slamming her fists deeper into the punching bag. He didn’t have to be a dickhead about everything.
What the hell was that about anyway? Haven’t seen each other for four years and that entitles him to be an asshole? Weren’t we friends?
His smug, scarred face invaded her thoughts again and she felt tears glazing her vision.
“Dammit.” she swore in frustration, spinning around and landing a solid kick in the punching bag.
Sweat dripped from her brow, her chest heaving as she threw out a series of punches. She pushed the golden asshole out of her mind, which she quickly realized was a terrible idea, as the second she did he was replaced with the memory of her parents. The boating accident. The hospital. Her parents funeral. Their gravestones. Staying with her aunt and taking online classes for two years to avoid the questions.
“Shit!” she slurred, stepping back and crouching down, her face down at the floor.
She felt her tears finally give way when she heard the bell at the door jingle.
“What did the punching bag to do you?” she heard a man’s voice mumble as they turned off the music.
“Do you mind?” Kait snapped, glancing up to find the one person she didn’t want to see, gold hair and all.
“Damn, Kait,” Nath added, glancing over her for a moment. “Since when have you had tatts?”
Kait raised a brow and scoffed, flinging her tee shirt over her shoulder and reaching for her sports bag.
“You know, I was wondering how all these empty bottles got here,” she shortly replied.
“Don’t you know it’s stupid to work out when you’re drunk?”
“Yeah, thanks for the advice,” she replied sarcastically, her head fogging over just a bit. Perhaps maybe she did have a few too many tonight. “What does it matter to you anyway?”
“…It doesn’t.” He shrugged, folding his arms over her chest.
Kait rolled her eyes and slung her bag over her shoulder, quickly grabbing her phone from the speaker. Her face still stung from the tears that she’d quickly rubbed away before he saw, hopefully.
“I don’t see how any of this is your business.”
“Kaity-cat, come on. Everybody knows how shitty a liar you are.”
“You don’t get to call me that. It’s been four years. What the hell makes you think you can call me that?”
His jaw stiffened, and she could see a brief glimpse of his old self. “I don’t.”
Kait turned to grab the door, eager to get out of there as fast as she could. Eager to get away from the hurt and anger that apparently seemed to emanate from him.
She stopped, fighting to keep her cool. “What?”
“You still haven’t told me why you were crying.”
“Oh, stop acting like you give a shit!” she spat. “What makes you think you get to know what goes on in my life anymore?”
Nathaniel stood there with his face unreadable. “Alexy was looking for you. Seemed worried that you might do something stupid, obviously enough to ask if I’d seen you. What’s going on?”
Kait glared at him, chewing at her bottom lip, not saying anything and rubbing at the scar on her arm. It still burned like new when she thought of the accident. Nathaniel paused for a moment before realization slowly dawned on his face.
“Wait. That boating accident that was all over the new a few years ago… that was your family, wasn’t it? I wondered.”
Kait jumped in her skin, as if he’d slapped her with the words. “Doesn’t matter.”
“For god’s sake, Kait, could you not bare your teeth at me for two seconds?” he asked. He spun her around to face him, her arms folded across her chest.
Her tears were running down her face, though her eyes spelled out clearly her contempt toward him.
“Kait” he said, and he gave her a face that made her worry that he’d try to comfort her.
She didn’t need his pity. She turned away from him again. “I’ve got to go.”
“Come on, Kaity, don’t be like this. Where’s the upbeat, thoughtful girl I used to know?” he asked, his voice still in a mocking tone, though his eyes showed concern for a split second.
She turned around and noticed he was close enough to smell him. Kate turned her face away, suddenly aware of how much alcohol would likely be on her breath
“Where’s the sweet student representative?” she replied, willing her voice to sound unfeeling, though she slurred.
He looked hurt for a brief moment, before his expression hardened. “He left when you did.”
“Clearly.” she sharply replied, pulling the door open.
“Kaity,” he gave me a tone that sounded both like one of warning and concern. “What happened to make you like this?”
“I grew up, Nathaniel.” Both of them stared at each other in silence. Hearing his full name roll off her tongue seemed weirdly impersonal, but she didn’t care.
Nathaniel’s hand shot up to toy with one of the earrings at the ridge of his ear.
“Well. It’s been real.” She took a step outside, shutting the door firmly behind her, careful to avoid eye contact with him through the windows of the gym.
2087
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