14: I've Never Heard Any Complaints

Warning: Adult language

"Good evening, Miss Hudson." Nate said as he grinned when Gabriella answered the door. His eyes greedily took in the sight of Gabriella in the dress she wore. He knew right then and there that 'going easy on her' might be more than he could manage tonight.

"Likewise, Mr. Hamilton." she responded and wondered what kind of mood he was in from the look he gave her. She'd wondered if perhaps she was overdressed for the occasion; she didn't know where they were going or what they were going to do. She'd wanted to be prepared for anything since she had no idea what Nate might do on a date.

"Ready?" Nate asked, wishing for his own peace of mind that she'd chosen something else to wear that perhaps covered more of her legs but enjoying it all the same.

"I guess so. Where are we going, might I ask?" she asked, wondering if she should go change.

"Well, I'm assuming you'd like to eat something first, right?" he asked with his eyebrows raised. He motioned with his hand for her to proceed out the front door in front of him.

"I thought we'd keep it simple tonight, if you don't mind." he said as the two of them started walking down the sidewalk together.

As they left her driveway, Gabriella said out of the blue. "Oh, that reminds me." She was thinking of the two of them on the sidewalk in the middle of the day last week. "How was it you were out in the sun that day?" she asked, knowing he knew she referred to last Saturday.

"I can... for short periods of time. It also made it easier we were standing in the shade of the school's gymnasium." he answered as he reached down to possess her hand.

"Why do you have to do that? Hold my hand that is." she asked and clarified, unable to let herself look at him to gauge his reaction to what she said.

"I don't have to. I want to. Is it really a big deal?" he answered and asked a question of his own as he squeezed her hand gently. She'd tried to pull it free.

"I'm just... not used to it." she answered as she mentally almost berated herself, reminding herself that this was a date. She'd not been on many. She'd not wanted much to do with the dating scene.

Nate stared at her and watched her fidget next to him as much as she was able. Oh, this must stop now. He stopped and Gabriella faced him, wondering why he stopped.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Gabriella, I like holding your hand. I'd like to do alot more than just hold your hand, but I promised I'd go easy on you." and I'm an idiot for coming up with that, "Right now I'm wondering what exactly that means, but I'd like to think that holding your hand qualifies." Because if something that simple doesn't then I'm throwing out the whole idea, period.


"Sorry." I wish I wasn't so nervous.

"Don't be." he said in answer to what she said as well as what she thought before bringing her hand to his lips. After he kissed it, his eyes snapped up to hers because she'd meekly tried to pull her hand away again. He then placed his other hand on top of it before taking it with that one and walking a little further down the lot with her.

"See?" he asked. "There you go again." he said after she tried to sneak her hand free. He paused a moment as he considered what he would say next. "Gabby, if this is too much then I'm going to be tempted to forego the whole 'easy on you' bullshit to show you how tame this really is." he said as he mentally laughed at himself. He still couldn't believe it was he that up with the whole mess. He chuckled quietly as he imagined the lines they were drawing.

Thinking he was laughing at her, Gabby responded, "No, that's okay. Let's just go to dinner, okay?" She really felt like they needed a subject change.

"Okay." Nate answered with a glint in his eye. He dropped their hands at their sides before running his thumb along the lines of her palm.

Gabriella felt shocked that something as simple as what his thumb was doing could affect her on not only her hand, but all up her arm and onward. She tried to pull her hand free again.

Nate laughed aloud this time. "This is almost like a challenge. Or a game. 'How long can Nate keep Gabby's hand?'."

"You have to let go sometime." she said and watched him warily.

He grinned. "Why?"

"Well, for starters, I have to eat."

"I could hold the other hand." He cut his eyes in her direction as he continued, "Or I could feed you."

Why the hell does that sound erotic? Gabby thought to herself before remembering to control her thoughts.

He jumped in front of her suddenly and pulled her hand a little behind him, forcing her to move closer. "You spend way too much energy trying to keep your thoughts under control. Why?"

"You know why."

"I wanna hear you say it." he said as his other arm worked its way around her waist.

"I thought you said you were gonna go easy on me." she said in warning as he pulled her closer.

"I am." he said plainly.

"I could show you what would not be going easy on you, if you'd like." he said, grinning. He brought her hand behind his back and grabbed her shoulder to keep her from leaning any further away.

You must think of yourself as Don Juan or something.

He laughed outright now at her thought. "Even at sixteen I could make girls swoon. Any time you want a demonstration all you have to do ask."

"Swooning is not always a compliment." she narrowed her eyes at him, working very hard not to take any of his bait.

"I've never heard any complaints."

My, my, what an ego!

He laughed again and said, "It's hard not to build one after a while."

Gabriella suddenly felt small as she thought of her complete lack of experience, compared to him especially. He let go of her hand and moved that arm around her waist, keeping her against him. His smile slowly faded.

What? No! That's not what I wanted at all, damn it!

Nathaniel knew in that moment he'd fallen in love with her. He didn't like how she 'felt small' compared to him. She shouldn't feel anything of the sort. He didn't want to let her. He reached a hand up to hold her cheek. She watched him with a slightly worried look that bothered him. As his thumb traced along her cheekbone, she brought her hand up to his. He couldn't help but catch the irony of the moment. She's holding my hand. Even if it is to try and keep me from holding her face. 

I'm going to kiss her now whether she's ready for me to or not.

"This isn't exactly what I'd call 'going easy on me'." Gabriella interrupted his intentions momentarily.

He smiled a little down at her and said, "I just can't help it, I'm afraid."

Gabby's mind flew from thought to thought. Can't help it... afraid... no control... no choices... vision! She fought to get free. Nate grudgingly let her go, and she took a step or two back from him. She stared at him with a look of fear.

"I... I can't do this! I have to go." she turned and fled back in the direction of her house, moving surprisingly fast for a woman in heels.

Damn! Nate thought as he went after her at as fast a speed as he could manage and have it look normal for a human.

He caught up with her in her driveway. "No, Gabriella!" he spoke low into her ear as his arms circled around her waist from behind. "Forget the damn vision! We're out tonight because we want to be and not because we're supposed to be!"        

"But, Nathaniel, I'm afraid! What with me in possession of the dress and how I'm starting to feel about you..."

 

"How are you starting to feel about me?" he interrupted quickly, extremely curious but also wanting to change the subject. He wanted to know what she'd say.

Gabriella sighed exasperatedly and pulled at his arms around her with no effect. "I can't put it into words." she said quickly, speaking the truth. Her breathing was rapid as panic started setting in when her thoughts returned to why she shouldn't be out with him tonight.

He obstinately retained the subject as he said, "I'm the same, Gabriella. I'm drawn to you like a moth to the flame." He remembered his dream from the other night and his arms tightened around her reflexively, daring reality to make him catch fire.

Aggravated that her mind refused to leave the thought of the vision he said almost harshly, "Vision be damned, Gabriella. I'd want you anyway." She stopped struggling and he nuzzled his face into her hair. When he found her ear, he kissed it tenderly.

"Let's go to dinner." he said quietly into her ear.

"I'm not hungry."

"Fake it. Humor me."

"Nate..." she whined like a child.

"That or I really could stop going easy on you." he mumbled into her shoulder after having had run his mouth and nose across the back of her shoulders. He placed light kisses on her shoulder and brought his hand up to run it back down her arm. He could hear Gabriella's heart quicken. His other arm worked its way up to her other shoulder, his intent to turn her around.

"I'll go to dinner." she said quickly while successfully freeing herself once more from his embrace.

"Pity." he said disconsolately. She stepped forward and turned around to face him.

He smiled to himself as he heard her sigh exasperatedly when he grabbed her hand before they made their way back onto the sidewalk.

While at the restaurant, Gabby was amazed Nathaniel ate. When she asked him about it, he explained he could eat it, but it did nothing for him.

"I find it interesting that the taste of food is mostly disgusting, but not so for alcoholic beverages." he said as he thought of a few other things he'd like to taste that had entirely to do with her. Once again, he was glad she couldn't read his mind.

When they'd finished eating, Gabriella asked, "So what now?"

"I thought I'd teach you how to dance." he said with a grin.

"Oh." she replied, feeling a little embarrassed.

"What? You don't need to look embarrassed; not many people know how to these days." he said reassuringly and took her hand again before she could stop him.

"Alright, I guess the easiest for you might be the foxtrot." he said as he brought her around in front of him. The two of them had sneaked into a room in the community center designed specifically for dance lessons.

"The foxtrot?" she asked with a ridiculous grin spreading across her face. She couldn't help but think of how she thought the dance was old fashioned.

"Not as old fashioned as the waltz or others." he said, his eyebrows raised.

"Well, those are more like classic standards."

He smiled a crooked smile at her and asked, "Would you prefer to learn to waltz first then?"

She shrugged. She figured any dance would be just as hard as the next.

"Waltzing is my favorite anyway. Good choice. We'll start with that." he said as he gladly took her in his arms.

Gabby began to wonder if he was purposefully making her make mistakes so that they would collide or brush up against each other "unexpectedly". Nathaniel would would smile down at her if she looked at him accusingly.

"Are you doing that on purpose?" she finally asked.

"Doing what precisely?" he asked, knowing fully what she meant.

"Well, either you're not a good teacher and I'm making several errors because of it, or you're messing up on purpose." she stated, almost glaring at him.

His dancing became smoother all of a sudden. "Hm, one: I am an excellent teacher in many things so that's out. Two: why would you suppose I'm messing up on purpose? Why do such a thing when I'm trying to teach you?" he grinned and waited to see which answer floating around in her head she'd end up choosing.

She blushed, but looked him square in the eye as she said, "Because I think you enjoy making me bump into you."

Happy she chose that one, he suddenly dipped her low. After she made a shocked, squeaking sound, he said, "Of course I do, Miss Hudson. You've already got the hang of it, by the way, so I thought I'd have a little fun."

"And purposefully make me mess up." she snapped her head up to look at him.

"Yep." he grinned down as he adjusted his hold of her.

"Making you a poor teacher." she said, wondering when he would let her up.

"On the contrary, it makes me a great teacher if I test you and see how you handle it. However, I recommend not calling out to your dance partner that they are making mistakes." he grinned down at her mildly irritated expression. Then his face became more serious as he continued to look at her.

There she was. In his arms. In essence, completely at his mercy. As far as he was concerned, the rules were a little grey on whether or not he should take advantage of the situation.

Holding her in just one arm now, he reached up to touch her face. Her heart rate increased as he lightly ran his thumb across her cheekbone.

"Aren't you going to let me up?" she asked somewhat impatiently/somewhat nervously.

"Maybe. Maybe not just yet." he answered, determined to kiss her now.

Gabriella's phone rang loudly on the floor where she left it. She turned her head in its direction.

Nathaniel inwardly groaned in frustration. Bothersome things! Submitting to her silent plea, he grudgingly let her up.

Gabriella ran over to answer her phone, disturbed by the past few minutes. Nathaniel watched forlornly as she quickly bent to retrieve the phone.

"Hello? ... Yes, this is she. ... Um..." Gabriella suddenly cried out and her phone slipped out of her hand.

Nathaniel caught it before it hit the ground and spoke into it, telling the person on the other end of the line they were on their way.

Then he wrapped his arms protectively around Gabby as she wept bitterly into his shoulder, repeatedly saying the word no.

13: The Odd Couple

Warning: adult language

Nathaniel came home in good spirits. He'd been right. Gabriella did want a relationship as long as the damn vision wasn't central in her thoughts. Hopefully, she'd remain of the opinion that they're starting this without feeling like they have to, but that they want to.

Feeling for himself through her how he'd made her feel did much to placate his ego. She wasn't as ambivalent as he'd worried she was. She was just very good at hiding how she felt, even from herself. It was that fucking vision getting in the way again! If he could just keep her from worrying about it...

He sat down on one of the mostly-decorative-and-never-really-used chairs in his front yard and watched as a fish jumped in the pond in front of him. He pondered Gabriella and how her mind worked. Right now she was taking a very hot shower, trying to gather her wits. Nathaniel slowly grinned to himself, happy at last about the connection between the two of them because it gave him a further insight into her feelings than he'd ever had for anyone. She likes me.

'Go easy on you'? What was I thinking? Where the hell did that come from? Nathaniel sat and mentally debated what had made him say that to her. I guess because I worried and sensed she wasn't ready for that level of intensity. Holy crap! How innocent can a girl be?

Helen. 

He thought about his first love for the second time tonight, which was odd because he tried not to think of her at all if he could. Thoughts of her just brought too much pain. If I fall in love with Gabby does that mean I've dishonored your memory? You certainly didn't keep from falling in love again when you thought me dead. The expected and familiar pain returned as he thought of her with her husband. In a small way, he felt happy she found happiness again, but on the other hand, the jealousy of the man buried next to her ate at him.

Nathaniel had had enough of sitting still, and he got up to saddle Reggie. They both needed a good, long run. He didn't feel up to dealing with Desi's attitude tonight.

Reggie was thrilled to be out, and the pair of them flew across the landscape. If it weren't for the white of Nate's tux shirt, the pair would be invisible in the dark night. Nate focused on the pounding of Reggie's hooves as they sped along. It felt nice to just ride and leave the stress behind him.

After a short space of time, he began to realize the direction he'd mindlessly drove Reg. He found himself up behind Gabriella's house.

She had fallen asleep.

He suddenly felt anxious at the thought of her living alone. He knew that her living alone was nothing new or uncommon, but now it bothered him.

'Used to be you didn't have to lock your front door, things were so safe.' Gabriella's words ran through Nate's mind. Good lord, Gabriella, please lock your front door!

It wasn't locked the other day when I just ran in he thought somberly.

Reggie fidgeted underneath him, and Nathaniel turned him back in the direction of home, the thrill of a stress-free ride gone.

No sooner had he dismounted when Gus unfortunately reappeared.

"Hello, Gus. I thought you'd left." he said with a touch of annoyance in his voice.

"I do hate to dash your hopes, Nathaniel, but I was merely on an extended hunting trip." Augustus looked Nathaniel up and down and said, "My, my! Aren't we spiffy tonight!"

Nate rolled his eyes and gestured to what Gus was wearing, "I never thought I'd see you in plaid, Gus."

"Do not start calling me that." Gus's voice rang with authority. "I only tolerate it from the girl to make her more comfortable." 

"You've failed miserably at that, by the way. She's terrified of you."

"No thanks to you! Why didn't you try to help me convince her to work on her gift? It is for her own benefit as well."

"Cut the crap, August! You don't give a damn about whether or not anything is for anyone's benefit but your own!" Nate snapped.

"She's astounding, Nate! Think of the marvelous ways she could use her gift to improve her life! My mistake was in asking her to think of an obviously terrifying moment. I should have asked her to merely predict the weather!"

"She doesn't like to use her gift! She's never had a good vision. Never! She doesn't think of it as a gift but a curse."

Nate stood his ground as a fury built in his maker's eyes. When Gus spoke his voice was laced with rage, "Like I explained to her, I believe only the ones that have been forced upon her are bad. If she focused on something more mundane she could get a different result. But we may never know that, will we, Nathaniel? Because you will not try and help me convince her!"

"She wants you to leave her alone." Nate said, purposefully keeping the vision of Gus that Gabby had had out of his mind.

"How charming." Gus said and smiled.

Nate worked on adjusting to his maker's mood swing. He guessed the rage was still there, and he remained cautious.

Gus continued, "She thinks she can stay away from me, does she? I don't see how that's possible." He flicked at one of the lapels of Nate's jacket. "Obviously, the romance has started! It is only a matter of time and I will have a new granddaughter!" Gus happily pictured the three of them making a happy little "family". He was certain that eventually he'd be able to convince either Nate or Gabby to agree with his idea of what they could do with Gabby's gift.

"If that's what you have planned for her then I'd sooner let her die!" Nate backed up a step.

"Lie."

"Well, I should! Leave her alone, Augustus, please! She's not going to be some little future-predicting slave!" Nate begged his maker, worrying over what he saw of Gus's plans in his mind. I should stay away from her.. for her own good.

"You will not be able to." Gus answered Nate's thought. Gus had never had a problem hearing other vampires, except for when it came to Gabriella's thoughts coming through Nate. "It will happen and you know it. There is no chaos, Nathaniel. I am sure she knows this by now." His voice sounded cold.

"She's said something along those lines, yes."

"What did she see in that vision that made the two of you look at me like that?" Gus asked the question that had been burning in his mind for days.

"No." Nathaniel said, stubbornly refusing even to think it.

"Tell me, Nathaniel. What did she see that was obviously about me? Do I wind up doing something? Obviously I do from the fear in her eyes. What is it? Why can't I know my part to play ahead of time as well?"

Nate couldn't help but think it when he'd said 'part to play', and he was furious about being tricked.

"Why haven't you even thought about it yet?" Gus asked much to Nate's surprise.

Nate breathed a sigh of relief. "You can't even see her visions when I think about them?" he asked incredulously, his sense of relief compiling upon itself by leaps and bounds.

Gus, however, was anything but thrilled. "So it would seem. I wonder why that is? This same block she has on me? Or, is it all vampires period, except you of course.. for some reason." He paused for a moment to consider how he might work around the problem. "Well, we will just have to see what we can do about this."

Upon entering the house, Gus made himself at home in one of the armchairs.

"I want you to leave." Nathaniel asked as politely as he could manage.

"Absolutely not." Gus's answer came quickly.

"You released me, August!" Nate said, referring to the fact that makers have the option of maintaining a high level of control over their progeny until they are released from that bond. "Why can't you just go away and leave me be!" Nate left his calm pose and paced the room in agitation.

"Yes, and it is a real pity I did that too. If I would have only known... But no, I am staying." Gus sat back and grinned at Nate wickedly, knowing full well he couldn't order him away.

Nathaniel groaned and flopped down on the couch. "Augh! Must you torture me the rest of my existence?"

"Yes, Nathaniel," August said sarcastically. "that is my sole purpose in life - to make yours miserable."

"She will never be what you want her to be. And I'll never make her. That is if any of this happens." Nate said when he'd popped his head back up.

"I wish you would make up your mind on whether or not you believe it. It is irritating."

"Oh, good." Nate spat back at him. "Whatever I can do to make myself more irritating, be sure to pass it along."

"I am not leaving, Nathaniel. I have a part to play and I am going to be sure to stick around and play it. It is only a matter of time. I am patient."

"It's of no consequence. She'll never be what you want her to be. You're wasting your time." Nate practically pleaded.

"We shall see then, shall we?" Gus responded, oozing optimism. 

Nate had never wanted to kill anyone more than he did now. Gus merely laughed in response to his anger.

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I finally got to get some good use out of Nate's almost-level-ten riding ability that I had him work on the entire time after I had Gus change him. Also, I'm happy I got Reggie in that 'yes-a-horse's-hooves-all-leave-the-ground-at-the-same-time-in-a-gallop' shot. :)

I'm not as pleased as I'd hoped I'd be with the increased graphics settings. It's only very moderately better. However, my birthday is in a few weeks, and I'm getting (supposedly) a new graphics-monster computer that hubby is going to build for me. Then the stress will be transferring everybody and everything to the new puter.