Summary: Ty and Sweets talk discuss Nat when the two take a break from the serpent community present wrapping.
Nat laughed and rolled her eyes at the exuberance of her fellow serpents. Never being one to wrap things very well, she had been placed at the bag table, where she still managed to rip up the tissue paper in the most frustrating of ways. Finally, FP and Tall Boy took pity on the girl and bad her move to writing all the tags. Thankful for something she couldn’t screw up, she made her way over, taking no notice in her actions being observed. She gave a brief nod to Ty, and a flirtatious wink over in Pea’s direction, but that was the end of it.
For her, at least; the boys had only just started. Ty nodded for the silent giant to join him at the bar, ordering a drink for them both. Once he was accompanied, he turned to see her crouched at a table, using her uncharacteristically neat handwriting to give Holiday cheer throughout the Southside. Both boys drank from their bottles taking in every inch of her, smiling when she punched Ratchet in the ribs when he came to make fun of her.
“She’s amazing, isn’t she?” Ty muttered, trying to see a difference in how Sweet Pea looked at her. Where he tried to find lust, he did, but there was more to it than that, there was a respect and slight fear of her that threw him off.
“Brilliant, one could say.” The other boy agreed, turning the bottle in his hands before continuing. “Not that I don’t like a free beer, but why did you call me over?”
“To tell you something that Nat can never know,” Ty Sighed, running a hand down his face as he looked to her and back to her boyfriend.
“Dude, if you’re about to tell me you’re in love with her, I already knew that.” He shrugged, not seeming offended or threatened by it. It was the second thing that pissed Ty off. “Figured that was why you tended to avoid me.”
“I don’t avoid you I avoid wishing I was you.” Came the correction without thought. “Before she got with you, I was there for everything, ya know? Her ups her downs, her father’s imprisonment. Her mom skipped out on her and JD when they were kids, forcing her brother to give up a lot of shit to take care of her. Always blamed herself for it, it’s why she hides behind that attitude of hers.”
“I’m not replacing you if that’s what you’re worried about.” Sweet Pea turned away, leaning his arms against the bar. “She cares about you too much.”
“Is that Jealousy I hear?” Hope flew through Ty quickly, falling as soon as a laugh sounded next to him. Damn it, was this guy arrogant.
“Jealous? No, but I respect the people she has her in life, I’m not about to rip her away from it to be with me.”
Ty’s jaw clenched, hating how much he could understand and appreciate the thought. The two sat in silence for a minute, finishing their beers as they took in their surroundings. Fangs and Toni were introducing Jones to the event, FP and Tallboy were talking at the other end of the bar in hushed tones, and Harley was trying to put a bow on Dax’s head only for him to deftly steal it from her hand and capture her lips with his. There wasn’t a lot to be happy about in the Southside, but this was something the serpents took pride in, helping each other through tough times and still providing some happiness so that fewer kids ended up like them.
And there, right on the outskirts of it, but entangled in battle, sat Nat. Ratchet and JD had become quite the destraction for her labeling job, but she didn’t seem to mind. Instead they were tossing the pen back and forth to each other, grunting as she made moves to get them to drop it. The brothers turned Guardians only laughed though, tossing the pen over to Fangs who pocketed it with a laugh. This caused her to stop holding back, and just got into a straight out sparring match with the two. Though no one moved from their stations, Ty was positive that there were bets being placed around the place.
He turned once again, to Sweet Pea, deciding to finally comment on what he’d said. “Good: Because loving her is like loving the stars.”
Sweet Pea let out a huff, tearing his eyes away from his amazonian viper. “Now he speaks in riddles.”
“Look, I still don’t like you, but it’s christmas, so I’m feeling generous.” He explained seriously. “The burns brighter the farther away you are, but as you get close? You’ll see how dark and empty she really is.”
They watched as she stood victorious over one of the men only to be tossed over her brother’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes, beating at his back the whole time. Smiles found their way onto both boys faces. After drink, Sweets put his beer down and faced his girls right hand.
“There’s a reason I call her Spitfire, my friend.” He clapped at Ty’s shoulder, heading back to his station.
Ty sat there, watching the taller man scrunch over the table to wrap a few presents. He was called away a few moments after by FP, but he still found himself staring at the empty space. Downing his drink, Ty decided to stop being lazy and went to join his friends.
