Everything {Nate Jacobs)

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15. Nate Jacobs

He stared at her intently, his knuckles turning white at the sight of in a little black dress.

"You're pretty." He never understood how she was able to look so elegant yet sexy.

He watched her apply lipstick and brush her hair back, into a low bun.

"Thank you, you're very pretty yourself."

"I'm manly." He smiled, furrowing his brows at her red knuckles.

It looked as if she had hurt herself or punched a wall.

But Athena was always so calm and collected, so he really doubted it.

"Why are you hands red." She rose a brow and gestures to her palms.

"They're look fine to me?"

"Your knuckles."

"I was boxing." She shrugged.

"You box now?"

"Only for like four months or so." He didn't understand why that made him so angry with himself.

He hated how he felt like he knew nothing about her, he didn't want her to feel like a stranger at all, he wanted to know all of her, and he did physically at least, but also mentally and emotionally.

"You should stop overthinking." She gave him a toothy smile and he smiled at the lipstick on her teeth, making her look wild.

"Baby, you have lipstick on your teeth."

And then he thought about what she just told him. And it amazed him how much she still knew so much about him.

"I'm ready."

"Yeah?"

*

He helped her get down his truck, and watched her pull her dress down.

"You look great." His voice was low and he fixed himself a bit.

"You look better."

"Never that." He mumbled grabbing her hand and intertwining them.

His eyes widened at his action but he shrugged it off after seeing her unbothered reaction.

"Nate, what's up?" Mkay greeted once they entered the house, he was sitting with their friend group except Cassie was by his side.

"Hey." Nate nodded. He watched McKay greet Athena, who seemed to have turned shy.

"Hi."

"You're Nate's girlfriend right?" Nate's eyes widened and his cheeks turned red.

"Chris, not now." Nate said, McKay busted a grin and shoved a beer in Nate's arms.

"Here you go bro."

"If it gets too suffocating we can go outside or to McKay's room, okay?" He whispered next to her, hugging her body with his.

"I'm okay I promise, you should socialize, I'm going to find Lexi."

"Howard?" She nodded and unwrapped herself off of him.

He watched her walk away and get mixed into the crowd.

"You're whipped." MkKay grinned.

"You're not?"

MkKay turned to Cassie and nodded, "Fuck yeah, I am."

*

Nate frowned, it had been an hour since he had seen her and he couldn't find her anywhere.

He glanced at MkKay who had been smiling drunkenly at Cassie, and looked around.

Not finding her downstairs, he went upstairs opening every room not caring if there were people sleeping with each other until he reached the last room, opening it he looked around, the stench of weed hitting his nose.

People were sitting in chairs, sofas, and beds, then he spotted the familiar girl he had been looking for, coughing her lungs out sitting next to Fez?

"Yo ma be careful." Fez had his hand on her thigh and his other helping her hold a blunt to her lips.

Nate slammed the door loudly catching hers and everybody in the rooms attention. She got off the couch confused.

"I think, I think I have to go?"

"Are you dating him or sum?" Fez's asked, his eyes bloodshot red.

"I don't think so, I really have to go! It was nice meeting you, Fez!" She jolted out the door, grabbing Nate's football jacket which she had brought in case she got cold.

"N-nate?" She called out. Opening and closing random room doors, she frowned finding him sitting on a bed, alone.

She had not done anything bad.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty fucking great." He sighed holding up a bottle of liquor.

"You're drunk?" She asked closing the room door and leaning against the wall.

"I think that's a pretty fucking stupid question to ask." He frowned at himself instantly regretting the words come out of his mouth.

"Well, why are you being mean?" She questioned frowning at him, fumbling with her hands.

"I don't know go ask your boyfriend."

"Well I kind of am already?" She paused. "Not saying you are but you know what I mean right?"

"I'm not your boyfriend, Athena." He muttered.

"I know sorry, it was a joke. I think I'm going to go." Her eyes felt watery and she felt herself become self conscious.

"I'm your ride."

"I think I'll manage, thank you." She stormed off slamming the door shut, leaving him alone.

*

He sighed nervously debating whether to knock on her door or not.

He felt selfish and tongue-tied, pacing for a bit he knocked, his anxiety crumbling any left of confidence in him. He didn't feel do good.

"Nate?" It was Athena, who opened the door, her hair into two buns, she was dressed in pajamas and slippers.

"Um I- I don't kn-"

"Do you want to come to my room, dads in the living room a-"

"Yeah, sure." He stepped in, quickly greeting her dad and following her.

He knew her room, he liked her room. It felt so comforting to him.

"I'm sorry, I was being a dick for no reason, I just felt so weird."

"What?" She asked confused.

"What?"

"Why did you feel weird?" She questioned glaring at him slightly.

"I- I don't know maybe because you were having fun with Fez and not me? I'm not sure."

"So you were jealous?"

"I think so, yeah."

"So you like me?"

"No?"

"Oh okay, wanna watch a movie?" The disappointment in her eyes was noticeable for him, to start wondering.

Maybe she would be his after all, again at least.

"What movie do you want to watch?" She questioned looking everywhere but at him.

And so he placed his hands on her face and pressed her his lips to hers.