#::nathan

[amyinnile]

From Amy to Nathan (@monstersunderurbed)

A new electric razor with cologne and shaving/face creams and an aftershave. Hopefully appropriate everything considering, but still showing that she cares and remembers.

[amyinnile]

Location: Bake Sale Pop-Up Thread: Nate & Amy Thread: for @monstersunderurbed Status: Finished

Nate Navarro Nate didn’t have plans to show up that day. He had too much stuff to figure out with the festival and everything going on in town but the entire office decided to gather up and take the entire lunch break hour to visit the market and social pressure did its thing with him.

Nate walked around aimlessly for a bit, hoping the hour would go by quick so he could head back to work. He’d brought his own lunch, so buying something to eat hadn’t been on his plans, yet here he was, staring at a bunch of cakes, cupcakes and pastries that called his name the second he walked closer. Nate was nothing but a weak man, and with the excuse that he was helping out local businesses, he ended up with too many pastries in one hand, and a slice of chocolate cake in the other. He wasn’t sure how to start eating but he somehow found a way to stick a bite on his plastic fork and bring it to his mouth. Pulling it out was a whole other task, he found, as big group of people walked by him and made him almost lose his perfectly balanced slice had he not turned around. And yet, he almost wished he’d lost his cake the second his eyes met another set of very familiar ones. “Amy!,” he mumbled with the fork still in his mouth.

Amy Everly She thought she'd spied a familiar figure in the distance. After all, they've known each other for so long and Nate was hard to forget. She couldn't say that she was surprised - they were living in the same town again. The fact that they haven't run into each other more often in the past three years or so was somewhat of a miracle. Nate would face her emerald eyes set with a flat expression, for she had a bit more time than him to mentally prepare herself for bumping into each other. "Nathan. Charming as always."

Nate Navarro “In my defense…” he started, still with the fork in his mouth until he finally got free from the wave of crowd that was pushing behind him and was able to get it out. “In my defense, I couldn’t let a perfect slice of chocolate cake to waste,” he finally said as he moved out of the way. “Hey…uh… hi.” he grinned, though his eyes were clearly trying to find any sort of escape route.

Amy Everly Amy shook her head lightly and gave him a shrug. "I get it. Anything for a nice piece of cake." It was a little funny in a charming way, and that's exactly what she said wasn't it? But Nate didn't have to know that. "Hi. You have some, umm…" She pointed at his mouth, chocolate cake was tricky like that, it was brown and it got into everything, including in between the teeth that chewed it.

Nate Navarro “You get it.” Besides, she knew him better than he knew himself perhaps. He was weak for a sweet treat any time of the day. “Oh- oh no-“ Nate covered his mouth immediately, finding the nearest surface so he could drop all the stuff in his hands and find a tissue in his pocket to wipe his entire mouth and teeth with the tip of his tongue. “I… I mean, I would say I’m sorry for the first impression but we’re long past that, yes?”

Amy Everly Amy worked really hard to contain a giggle, pressing her red painted lips into a tight line. "Oh come on, no need to get awkward. I thought we're past that already?" Were they? She hoped they were. She'll decide whether she was later.

Nate Navarro “Come on, it’s okay. You can laugh.” He always enjoyed the sound of her laughter. He still remembered it, and he would very much like to hear it again. People found him odd and awkward, too serious sometimes. It was a breath of fresh air that people didn’t take him seriously all the time. “We are. Yes. Definitely,” he grinned, biting down on his bottom lip. “How are you? It’s been a while since I saw you around. Given, I don’t poke my head out of the office too much.”

Amy Everly She did not laugh, the moment was over and she'd managed to bite the giggle back, but she did smile widely at him, maybe even somewhat nostalgically. It made her glance down at the tips of her shoes for a moment. "Of course you don't. But then again, I'm no better. I was forced to take some PTO during this festival season though. Had too much piling up." They've always had their workaholic tendencies in common. "I'm well. Been back permanently in Ennora for four years now." She lowkey hoped he hadn't heard why she's been back. Because that would be a whole 'nother can of worms to open and she wasn't sure she was ready to discuss this with Nate of all people. "You? Office and work aside."

Nate Navarro “Forced? Is everything okay?” Nate wasn’t known for showing emotion with his voice, but he had a pair of very expressive eyes and he rarely was in control of the way his eyebrows arched whenever he spoke. He could only hope Amy didn’t see it as any sort of intrusion. “Four years? That’s a long time for not having ran into each other as much,” he added with a little chuckle. “Well… I've been back for a couple years, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m trying to take it easier than back in New York, you know?”

Amy Everly "Oh yeah, I just had a lot piled up and couldn't be allowed to pile up more without using some." Amy snorts, betting Nate would relate there. It was ridiculous overall and she knew he would probably agree. "I was… Ah…" She looked away, avoiding his expressive eyes. "I think I was depressed." An understatement. "Went back to our family home with the parents until I got my new place. Took me a year to settle in. The rest… Well, you know me and work." Amy went out very rarely, unless it was to bars for drinks at odd times when no one would catch her there. It was really all work, work, work. "I don't believe you." She said of his attempt to take it easy, smiling despite the bluntness. "Are you with the same company?"

Nate Navarro “Oh, heck. I’m so sorry to hear that, Amy.” He resisted the urge to place his hand on her shoulder. They had been together for such a long time, it almost came as a habit. Instead, he busied himself with another bite of cake, trying to keep the pressure of his gaze away from her. “I hear you, there. I got an apartment almost a whole year and a half after I moved back.” He nodded, in attempt to empathize. “I am trying! I said I was trying!” He chuckled and turned his body away from her, leaning back on the nearest surface. “Nope. I- well, I was let go from that company, actually,” Nate rubbed his brow. “I’m working at the city hall now.”

Amy Everly "It's fine, I worked it out, it was just a period." Amy waved a hand dismissively, making light of it all. It wasn't light in the least but still, she made it light. She frowned a little when Nate confessed he'd been experiencing some difficulties in all this time. "Let go? I hope you sued them." Because never would Amy think that Nate of all people would get fired or give anyone any reason to fire him. He was a diligent worker, impeccable even, and there must've been a serious issue on the employer's part there.

Nate Navarro “Hey, it happens to the best of us,” he said with a soft voice. He wasn’t good at talking about emotions but he didn’t want to seem completely detached either. It was not his place to know anymore, either way. “I did not sue. I didn’t want to go through the trouble… it was…” Nate sighed, taking a hand to his chest, right over his heart as he remembered the reason why it had all happened. “I had a situation… I was also forced into PTO, like you said- health issues. I just- they couldn’t have me gone for that long. It was for the best, really.”

Amy Everly Now Amy dropped all pretenses and reservations, instantly frowning and stepping in closer to Nate, perhaps a bit too close but heck if she minded that right now. "Nathan, for god's sake. What happened?" She hadn't heard any of it. But then again, she was occupied with her own issues, did not pry or keep much contact for her own peace of mind and did not actively sought to find out.

Nate Navarro Nate had not disclosed any of this to his family. He didn’t want people worrying about him, but he had spoken a bit faster than his brain could tell him to stop, and he could not take any of it back. “I had…” he paused for a second, trying to find a way to say things lightly, then exhaled long and heavy. “I had a little bit of a heart scare thing,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “but it’s fine. i’m fine now. everything’s under control.”

Amy Everly Amy released a breath she did not know she was holding when Nate finally revealed what had happened. "I knew it. I knew this would happen eventually." But telling him 'I told you so' would probably not help anything. She lost the right to tell him 'I told you so' years ago. "Do you do regular checkups?"

Nate Navarro “Everyone saw it coming but me, apparently. It’s a bit embarrassing.” Nate twisted his lips into a little bit of a smile that didn’t fully reach his eyes. “I do! Every six months or so… but- yeah, yes. So I saw myself forced to slow down.”

Amy Everly Suddenly, Amy's frown deepened, and knowing her, Nate's danger alarms would surely go off. She reaches out and pinches his upper arm, not too strongly but she was a surprisingly strong woman and her nails were almond shaped and pointy. She twists the pinched place a little and luckily Nate had the protection of his clothes to soothe the force. "You are incorrigible. And you should be embarrassed. Why didn't you…" What, call her? Right… Amy lost some of her steam and just ended up holding Nate by the biceps more gently. "Please, please keep up with your checkups." She says in a smaller voice.

Nate Navarro "I said it's fine–ouch!" The gesture caught him off guard, and perhaps he was reacting a bit dramatically, but he genuinely hadn't been expecting that from her! Or that it would be quite the twist that he could actually feel it all the way to his skin. "What was that even for?!" He exclaimed, putting his cake down to rub his arm. "Well, I am trying to correct it! That's why I came here!" Nate sighed. "Why didn't I– what? Call?" He scoffed. "I didn't call my parents either. Not even my brother knows it. It's– I actually don't think I've talked about it with anybody until now… I didn't want to worry anybody if it wasn't bad." He could only shrug, his hand lightly tapping hers so she would know the gesture didn't mean he wanted to shake her hand off of him. "And you were going through your own thing, see? It would have put things on your mind you didn't have to carry with anymore. It's under control, I promise."

Amy Everly "It took long enough to recover from to get your employer to let you go, Nate!" Amy stressed, somewhat more gently, feeling a little bad for lashing out at him. But then again, he deserved it! He was not unwell right now! At least she hoped he wasn't… They were done as a couple ages ago but even Amy was human, she could not help the concern. But he was right. She would be useless to him at that point. Hell, she was useless to herself back then. She watched him tap her hand, almost comfortingly, feeling helpless a little, letting that emotion go with a long sigh. "I really think you should at least let your family know, Nate." If he suddenly drops somewhere out of the blue, then the surprise for them would be all the greater… She stopped that train of thought right away though, not even wanting to think about it. She took her hand away, gripping the handles of her bag and fidgeting with them.

END.