White strand of hair [Hurt/Comfort - Älter werden (und alles was dazugehört) - für mich]

[peterhforalpha.livejournal.com]

Team: Drache

Challenge: Hurt/Comfort - “Älter werden (und alles was dazugehört)” (für mich)

Titel: White strand of hair

Fandom: Haven

Charaktere: Nathan, Duke

Wörter: 609 Wörter

Anmerkung: spielt am Ende von Folge 1x05 (ageing Trouble)

Sprache: Englisch

“What are you doing, Nathan?” Nathan asked himself. He was sitting in his car. Why wasn’t he driving away? Coming here was a bad idea anyway. He had turned around as soon as he had seen Duke. Duke was ok. He wanted to make sure that Duke was ok. That's why he’d come here. But now he was sitting here and he couldn’t make himself leave. Why?

Was Duke really ok?

He looked sad. He looked like he needed a friend.

But Nathan wasn’t that friend anymore. They hadn’t been friends for a long time. And Parker was inside. Duke would be fine.

With that Nathan turned the ignition and drove away.

*

He startled awake when he heard a knock at the window. “What?” He looked around.

There was Duke, looking at him questioningly. He signed him to lower the window so Nathan pulled them down.

“What are you doing here, Nate?”

Nathan just shrugged.

“Making sure I won’t take the next chick home, huh?”

Nathan rolled his eyes. He had no idea why he hadn’t driven home but drove to the Rouge instead. Apparently he had fallen asleep. It had to be the middle of the night now.

“Come on, I have a bottle of whiskey that’s calling my name. You’re welcome to share it with me.”

Nathan got out of the car. He couldn’t just drive off again. There was a reason why he’d come here. He wanted to know if Duke was ok. And not just physically. So he followed him inside, not saying a word. He never knew what to say. He just accepted the glass of whiskey and sat down next to Duke on the couch.

“I’ll tell you, man, never get old. I still feel stiff,” Duke complained loudly.

“But you’re ok? No symptoms remaining?”

“I’m back to my old self,” Duke said with his typical Duke grin.

“Except that white strand of hair,” Nathan said and pointed at Duke’s head.

“What?” Duke’s voice was almost a squeak. “Where?” He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to pull it down far enough so he could see it.

Nathan laughed softly. “You’re still very easy to mess with.”

Duke gently bumped against Nathan. “Not cool. I can really do without any white hair yet.”

“It didn’t look too bad though,” Nathan said with a grin.

Duke grinned broadly. “Detective Wuornos liked how I looked?”

Nathan shrugged and just silently sipped at his whiskey. He noticed Duke watching him and Nathan really didn’t like that.

“Are you ok?”

Nathan looked up, confused now. “Huh, why?”

“Because you came to the Gull earlier and now I find you here in front of the Rouge. You just don’t seem ok, that’s all.”

“I’m fine,” Nathan grumbled.

Duke looked at him again. It felt like ages and Nathan just stared at the glass of whiskey in his hand. “I’m ok, Nate,” Duke said softly after a while. “I know I wasn’t before but I am now.”

Nathan just nodded. Feelings were still not his favourite thing in the world.

“And thank you. For keeping me alive until Audrey solved that Trouble. I wasn’t very keen on dying.”

“Just did my job,” Nathan mumbled again. “Just my job.”

“Maybe. But I appreciate it anyway. Especially because you hate me.”

Nathan stared at his hands again. “Hate’s such a strong word.”

“I’m glad you don’t hate me,” Duke said and filled up both their glasses. “To not hating each other.” He raised it in the air.

Nathan smiled softly as he clinked his glass against Duke’s, first at the top, then at the bottom. “To not hating each other.”