That Summer || Nate Ruess

your eyes look like coming home

Rory's POV

"Why do you do this to yourself?"

I gave the tiniest shrug.

No one seemed to understand. I didn't want people to ask me why I did this, to tell me I should stop. I just wanted someone to hug me, and tell me it will be alright.

But of course, Nattie just kind of stood there awkwardly, rubbing his neck and biting his lip.

My god, I wish Nate was here.

And yes, maybe that was selfish to think because Nattie was here, comforting me, like this, and he was taking care of me, but I didn't want him to save me.

I wanted to save myself, with Nate beside me.

I wanted to know that if I woke up in the morning and felt that same crushing pressure he would be there, and I could know I was safe.

I wanted him to just notice me, notice I never actually hated him, noticed that all these years, I never looked at him the same way he looked at me.

"Rory?"

I looked up sharply as Nattie waved my hand in front of my face.

"Wha?"

He shrugged. "I'm really sorry... but... I need to go?"

I took in a shaky breath. "Yeah. Right."

The door shut and I collapsed on my bed, taking deep breaths as I will myself to calm down.

Just as I was regaining some semblance of serenity the door opened.

Nate's voice swearing rather explicitely rose.

"Fucking keys. Why the fuck is the floor stained? Can't even have like, a clean floor for more than like five minutes. Gonna die in a dirty house."

I giggled.

"Rory?" he called.  "You here?"

I smiled into space. "Yeah..."

He opened the door, smiling at me. "What did you do today?"

Oh nothing, just reached a life realization.

"Nothing," I said evasively. 

He laughed at me. "Okay then. Sure."

I stuck my tongue out at him.

He laughed at me some more.

"Pizza?"

"Sure," I grumbled, trudging out to meet him. "Hey, how'd your thing with Ellie go?"

He shrugged. "Eh."

I fought back a trupmhiant smile.

"Huh, badly?" I asked, trying to sound disapponinted.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Nah... It was good I guess. I just kinda wished she was someone else?"

Well my heart deflated a bit.

"Oh," I said, biting my lip. "Yeah..."

He shot me a probing look but I glanced away.

"Pizza will be here soon," he said, looking a little confused.

"'Kay," I said, hopping down from my chair.

Nate's POV

Strange that she was being that way.

Trying not to be hurt by it, I leaned against the kitchen counter.

Ugh, Ellie.

It was hard to break things off with her, not that we were really a thing, but how was I supposed to say 'Sorry but I think I kind of like your best friend even though she hates me'?

Eh.

I sighed, running a hand a through my hair. "Rory?"

She poked her head out from her room. "Yeah?"

"How long till Ellie leaves?"

"Like, two days?"

I nodded. I could last that long. "Okay, thanks."

She nodded and disappeared. I headed down the hallway, glancing in Rory's room as I passed. She was sprawled upside down, red  headphones in and reading something on her phone.

I smiled to myself before slowly turning away and heading towards my room.

*

Rory's POV 

"You have to come visit me!" Ellie informed me as the a mechanical voice announced the plan was leaving over the loud speakers.

"Okay," I agreed. "Have a safe flight!"

"Bye!"

We hugged one last time before Nate and I hung back, attempting to get out of the crowd of people and back outside to New York.

"Well, she's gone," Nate said, sounding strangely cheerful about that, considering that they had the thing that they did.

"Catch a cab?" He asked me, leaning over the sidewalk, his trench coat sweeping around him and looking alarmingly like Sherlock.

"Sure," I agreed.

He waved his arm spastically, I rolled my eyes and a yellow taxi pulled up next to us.

He held the door open for me and I slid in, the plastic seat of the city car.

"So," he turned. 'I think we should go out for dinner since pizza is getting kind of repetive."

I shrugged. "Yeah, alright." I brightened. "Could I get some friends?"

Cough Alex and Max cough.

He bit his lip. "Wouldn't it be better if it was just us?"

I glanced over at him slowly. "Okay...?"

We awkwardly avoided talking to each other after that.

 a/n

hi guys. picture of Rory on the side c:

please commeeennnnnttt!! <3 xxx