#natethreads

Nate should be used to getting shot at by now. It came with the territory, they couldn't hide out in their lil car all the time anymore, the place needed more from them than driving away from places or away from the cops. And a dream job as street racer wasn't in the cards anymore either.

They blinked back tears as Selena walked in. They gritted their teeth together, didn't feel the need to explain, they had already taken their shirt off, held a piece of cloth against the wound in their shoulder, they'd made sure there was an exit wound before coming in. They didn't want anyone tracing the bullet. Even though they felt the chances were small anyone would even offer. "Hi," they said, then took the cloth away for a moment. "This thing." The words, like a poet he was.

Nate ran away from problems by keeping busy. It helped that he had four jobs, though the smuggling part he wouldn't put on any cv if asked. That was just something he did on the side. Yet, despite the huge amount of hours he spend working (seventy on a good week), there was little money coming in, and certainly still too many hours left that required to be filled with things.

And also very little things he could do without money.

Which resulted in him shovelling snow on a few of the side streets, for free mostly, though if people were to give him money, he wouldn't say no to it. He was listening to music blasting from his headphones that were conveniently around his neck, and surveying the street once a while in case the people who lived in this building tried to get his attention. He spotted someone entering the street without looking where they were going, and dropped the spade, before running at them yelling: "Watch out for the snow!" Pointing at the huge mountain in the middle of the sidewalk.

Nate always managed to be everywhere, even when there was nowhere to be, when he wasn’t so sure if he was allowed to be somewhere because he hadn’t gotten an invitation. But that never mattered, not in the case of funerals, weddings, and so forth. Because someone he knew would get invited, and Nate would be requested to ‘aid’. Not that they ever did more than drive people places, or stand by in case something would happen so they could drive them other places, but it was nice to be included regardless. 

As the funeral was led to an end, Nate felt the ball of nervous energy, but still caught on doing the right thing, taking care of community. New people: old people; strangers; familiar faces. It didn’t really matter to them. They’d latch on to someone and if they needed them, they’d keep latching on. 

They gave the cup of steaming hot coffee to Elspeth as the bag of cinnamon bread dangled from their teeth, firmly biting down on it to keep it from dropping to the snow. “Dere’u’o,” he muttered, the bag making it impossible to talk. They grabbed it as the coffee was taken from them and opened the bag with their mouth, holding that one out to Elspeth as well. 

Nate didn’t necessarily do pity, but they understood that sometimes people needed company. And Elspeth seemed to need company, though they hadn’t yet dared to ask them about the depth of their grief. “Coffee, pastries, and bitter Alaskan cold, best way to start off the last month of the year!”

Nate saw the best in people, even when they technically knew others were criminals, they still thought they couldn't be evil people. Evil people didn't exist. There were people who did good things and people who did bad things. And some people who did so much good that they were famous for it, and people who did so much bad that people didn't like talking about them. But those were the exceptions.

They saw good in Ximena too, they actually thought she was good, no questions asked. She could be sharpening a knife behind his back and he wouldn't be surprised one bit.

And he was in a pretty good mood, despite what would follow later that night.

"Oh, do you want to get milkshakes? I'm hungry. I could use the sugar. Unless you're doing better things? I'm not taking up all your time right? Sorry... if I am... that is."

Nate was not someone who slowed down. The way he barged into the cafe should say as much, the way he blurted out his coffee order also. He probably shouldn't be having any coffee, he was almost vibrating. No, he was vibrating.

Soon as he got the mug, he almost spilled half of it already, just a few drops though, on the plate underneath it. He was sure that that was why it was there in the first place.

He walked to the first empty seat he could find, no matter that there was someone else sitting already. The coffee mug clattered as he set it down, and then he tipped it over as he sat down, half of it pouring over the table as he reached out to save it.

"Ah." He looked at the other person there and smiled. "I swear I'm more put together than this." Lies.

Nate pushed the phone back into their pocket, eager to get out, aware that having a place to stick around at as he waited was better than standing outside in the cold. Or drawing attention to himself. He could get out of here in mere minutes, pick up the car, and be at the spot without losing any time.

The place was empty though, a few patrons, but it seemed like the bartenders had very little to do. He was going to stand out anyway. So if he left... he better do it slowly. Like a regular human being.

"Do you serve coffee?" they asked, smiling at the bartender, familiar face, though right now they were so jittery that they wouldn't even recognise their own mom.

Nate sat on the table, looking at what Frankie was doing, his eyes following every moment. They weren't that interested in... chemistry or something, but they enjoyed it when Frankie spoke about it. And when they could ask questions and were shut down like, only half of the time. A huge win for them.

They had to wait somewhere until they were needed to drive anyone anywhere - or pick them up. The call could come at any time. Or it would not at all. No wander they slept so badly.

"What's that?" they asked, as they pointed somewhere, shifting the table and finding it wobbling under them. They balanced themselfs and the table made a sound as it firmly cemented itself in its place again. Very bad tables. "Sorry."

Nate took out his phone again, which... still dead. He didn't know why he even tried, but he couldn't stop at least attempting to use it. He got up from the couch when he heard footsteps, and ran to the kitchen to make himself and Benji some hot water, for coffee or for tea.

"Hey!" he said quickly, as he made a wave. His hand movements were frantic as he asked whether Benji wanted coffee or tea. He felt like he'd perfected his own skill at ASL, he used it with Benji and with a few deaf people in the community. It made him an important asset to whichever job he got.

"Do you have phone problems too?" he signed, before getting himself some instant coffee out. "I figured it would come back already, but nope." He shook his head anxiously and sat down. "I've been thinking about going on a road trip, maybe for a week, you know, get away form this place."