Chapter Text
It’s been three months. He hopes it won’t take four years more. He is hoping like a rabbit on one leg when Mr. Whisker meows in front of the entrance door.
- What’s going on, Buddy?"
Someone is opening the door, so Nate grabs the gun Pablo has given him and points it to the head coming through the door.
- Oh, I’m hurt. But I don’t know what’s hurting more, my baby brother pointing a gun at me, or my baby brother pointing a gun at me with the safety on! Victor, you should do something about that, it’s criminal. We cannot keep him around if he cannot know how to shoot!"
- Leave it to me!"
Victor grabs the gun, pushes something that clicks, then says he can now kill Sam if he wants. Victor wears a gentle smirk on his lips when he passes by Nate and catches his cat to cradle it gently.
- Daddy is back! Sorry babe."
Nate wonders to whom those words are addressed, since one of his hand cups Nate's neck when the man kisses the nose of his cat. Nate blinks when Victor’s eyes rise to his face.
- How are you?"
- Alive."
- I see that. Knee?"
- Pain in the ass."
The reunion is cold, since Nate doesn’t know what to say or to do. He wants to punch the man. He wants to kiss him. He wants to yell. Furthermore, he wants to cry… He has a headache while everything clashes in his head. In the end, he cries. Victor puts the cat back on the floor and grabs Nate into his arms. When Nate breathes in, he feels safe for the first time in the last four whole years. There is no more pain. No more agony. No more loneliness. His arms close themselves around Victor, and he wants to stay here until his dying breath.
- So, touching! But if you start to go all lovey-dovey, please, do that far away from my eyes!"
- Fuck you, Sam!"
- I knew you would fall for his princess-in-distress’ side."
- I’m no princess, fuckhead!"
- Speech, boy!"
- As if I will listen to you, Sam! You left me behind!"
- And now you know why I did it. I got my hands dirty, kid. I had to take lives. Not only that, but I had to kill and be the bad guy. I faced death multiple times because of that. I couldn’t drag you into it. The cute, honorable thief who loots only on the wealthy, and only to survive. The cute little bartender, too childish and too innocent to even kill someone! You would have died following me! So, it’s for the best we cross paths again, only today.
- You were there?"
- I had an eye on you. Always. And when I couldn’t be there anymore, he was my eyes."
- But he said…"
- I needed him to believe I was dead. That way, he was safe and would be back in America for you in any case someone wanted you any harm."
- You played us?"
- Sorry, babe! But me and cute Victor, here, have some bad taste in girls. His ex was an angel compared to mine."
- Braddock wasn’t an angel!"
- She was. I won her heart before she put that bullet into my head."
- You’re crazy!"
- That’s the Drake’s story!"
- I’m not a Drake, Sam. Don't bring me into your craziness!"
- You are! Since you fuck my bro!"
- I don’t… we…"
- Aye, aye, I leave you two alone. I’ll work on my Spanish with the bartender. She’s a cutie!"
- And she has a gun!"
- I know! She pointed it at my balls last time. With the safety off. Learn your lesson, little bro!"
With that, Sam is out. He doesn’t know if it’s because of the stress, but Nate is laughing while crying. Whatever! The more important part is the fact Victor doesn’t let him go. When the man brings him into the room, he hopes for more, but Victor gently puts a digit on his lips.
- Why?"
- I’m dead. That’s why. I need a night of sleep."
- I just want a kiss."
- I need to take a final decision on that part, Nate. I don’t want to raise your hope. I may like you as a friend, but always I pictured you as my adopted son. Furthermore, I wanted you to find a good girl. Get married, have kids… Things like that!"
- Cassie."
- What?"
- If I have a girl one day, I want to name her Cassie."
- That’s a cute name."
- Why can’t I have that kid with you?"
- I have twice your age, kid!"
- I don’t mind!"
- I mind!"
- Which women will accept me as a lover and the father of their child, if I’m always seeking adventure with you?"
- You still have the chance to keep a normal life."
- But I don’t want it! When everything turned like hell and into chaos, I felt at my place. The same when I felt from that plane. That very day, I felt like myself for the first time in my life. My life isn’t with a family, a wife and all. My life is made about treasure hunts, gold, and crazy adventures with you, and Sam, maybe."
- Gold changes people."
- But I don’t care about gold! I just want my family around me. I just want the thrill with the people I am worthy of. Am I?"
- You definitely are, Nate."
- Then, should I have a kiss?"
- As you wish. But I’m not into men, so a kiss will have to suffice until I choose what to do with you."
- Only a kiss. Yeah."
Nate closes his eyes when the man next to him groans while rolling on his side. This could be a kiss like in the movie, but it’s not, as Victor just brushes his lips against Nate’s. Gosh! Whatever, it’s a dream come true. And that’s the first step. Nate can accept just a romantic life with Sully, even if he cannot touch another man. Adventures, adrenalin rushes and Sully’s presence is all he needs!
He is seated on Victor’s lap, looking at some TV show he doesn’t understand because the actors are speaking too fast for him to understand a thing. In the kitchen, Sam’s girlfriend is yelling at him because he just says to her, that he has to leave for a month or more in search of a new treasure lost in the far north of Thailand. She swears to kill him if he goes, but even if he swears, he won’t, they will take the first flight to Thailand right at eight o’clock tomorrow. Nate chuckles because he doesn’t have to go through that ordeal. Sully will tag along. It’s not a love story like in the movie, since they don’t have sex, but they intertwine their fingers in front of the couple making love on the screen, and Sully closes his lips on Nate’s neck, right on the pulse.
- You will do as I say?"
- I will."
- Even if I order you to run and leave me behind?"
- I will!"
- And I will come back, Nate. As long as I breathe, I have you."
- I love you, Sully."
- I know, kid. I still hope that one day, you will want to stay at her side."
- The only person I want is you. She was only useful for the moment. She wants me to stay at her side. She wants my love, and I cannot love anyone more than you. I can’t!"
- I’m sorry, kid."
- I’m not!"
- I’ll be soon an old man."
- My old man!"
- Are you sure?"
- I’m twenty-seven, Sully! I know what I want, you know?! I’m no kid anymore."
- You’re still the same impetuous youngster as the day we met."
- Aye, and you are the same damn sexy and elegant man. Just… Can you cut that out?! For god’s sake!"
- I like it."
- I don’t! It annoys my perfect skin!"
- Poor baby. Learn to shave yourself, and maybe I’ll do the same!"
- Ok!"
They chuckle next to each other, then they kiss, and this time, like all the other time, since these last three years, they kiss like in a movie. Nate wants to straddle those hips and tries his luck again. Maybe one day Victor will accept more. He seems to be less difficult to convince over the years. He doesn’t escape Nate’s digits anymore. Furthermore, he doesn’t say no when Nate drops on the floor and opens his fly. Nate wants to prove himself in front of Victor, but someone shoots a swear.
- Goddammit! Please! Can’t you put some warning before I stumble on that?! Fuck, I need to bleach my eyes right now, cause I just saw my brother giving a head to my best friend. I’ll need therapy for that!"
- Almost!"
- Almost what?"
- Almost give a head! You screw all my efforts, dickhead!"
- You call me dickhead? I’m not the one wetting my panties about them."
- I’m not!"
- Sure, you are! You know, we still have the trackers on your phone! Gosh, you look at kinky porn, little bro. With lots of cocks!"
- You should complain to the other person in the room! I’m just a guy, I need to get laid!"
- Do you want me to get in touch with Elena? You need a girl, Nate!"
- I don’t want her. Fuck you, and Victor too! I just want to get fucked by the man I love. Is it too much to ask?"
Sam laughs to his face, and someone is echoing the sound from behind him. It’s Victor, so Nate turns a dark glare to the man.
- What’s so funny, Old man?"
- Still the same impetuous brat. And I should spank that ass just for the sake of it!"
- I’m still waiting for it!"
Nate bites his lips because when he thought about a spanking session, he didn’t picture it like that! It was a kinky one, but there is no kink when Sully smacks his ass like that with a sadistic smile. Nate pouts, but suddenly a hand grabs his ass cheeks and someone is opening his legs without a sound. Well, maybe there won’t be any penetration, but maybe… and he thinks maybe, sex can be negotiated!
- Get out, Sam!"
- I’m off! I don’t want to see that!"
- Now, kid. Show me you really want that. Show me you’re no kid anymore!"
He isn’t! Challenge accepted!