Playing For The Other Team [REMAKE]

Chapter 10

After a quick shower and a handful of minutes in front of the mirror, Nathan finds Jonathan inspecting the shelves in his bedroom. They're filled with more stuff than books, and he wishes he had something more interesting than a few game guides and dusty vampire books.

Jonathan looks at him when he steps back into the room. "Really, Nathan?" he asks, looking back at the books with a teasing smile.

"I was like fourteen, and I thought it was cool," Nathan defends himself.

"Sure," Jonathan says. "Cool."

Blushing, Nathan clears his throat to divert attention from the cringy books on his shelves. "Are you ready to head out or what?" He doesn't know how it's possible, but he always manages to make a fool out of himself in front of Jonathan. Jonathan had even said it himself; Nathan wasn't the guy he seemed to be at school. Whether or not Jonathan actually thinks he's weird or not, Nathan can't help but feel embarrassed.

They make their way back downstairs and exit the house through the garage. Aaron's car is not as fancy as Jonathan thought, which is a bit of a relief. He almost relaxes when he sees it, any fear of messing it up subsiding to make room for excitement to ride in a cool car.

The car looks extraordinarily out of place on Jonathan's driveway, and Nathan's pretty sure that he spotted the neighbor peeking over the rickety fence to have a look.

Nathan sits in the kitchen and waits for Jonathan to shower, change, and pack his mother's things up in a bag. The kitchen is small but clean and homey, and there's just enough room for two people to move around without getting caught in one another.

What's more, the walls of the house are thin enough for Nathan to hear the shower running from down the hall, as well as Jonathan's' soft humming.

He distracts himself with his phone, scrolling through his newsfeed and messages. Oliver seems to have just woken up and has shared a picture of an impressive breakfast spread in the chat between the trio of friends. Josh shares an image of his - much more pitiful - half-eaten toast with too much butter on it. Nathan doesn't share any pictures, but watches the conversation between his friends and interjects when he needs to.

How did you get on with Wendy? Oliver asks, and Nathan sighs.

He quickly replies, Left early, and watches Josh's icon bounce around as he types a message of his own. Not interested in her. Never have been, Nathan adds.

Jonathan returns before Josh has sent his message, and Nathan quickly stuffs his phone back into his pocket. "You were quick," he comments when Jonathan steps into the kitchen.

"Not as quick as you," Jonathan says. "I'm ready to head out if you are."

Despite their differences, the two find that they also have similarities. Their talking shifts between lighthearted small talk and in-depth conversations, which leave them both thoughtfully silent before another topic comes to mind. And it just so happens that driving around town is a perfect time to chat.

They've danced around the more serious topics when Jonathan decides to bring their parents up. "You and your dad seem close."

Nathan nods slowly. "We only had each other for a while. It's been rocky, sure, but we make do," he says. "You and your mom seem to be close as well. Maybe even more than me and my dad."

"Well. She's the only family I've got. No dad, uncles, aunts or grandparents in sight," Jonathan says with a shrug. "I'm not saying that she's perfect, but she's been through it all, and she's still going. I mean, I turned out okay."

"No one is perfect," Nathan says. "But mothers can be pretty close, I guess."

Jonathan turns to him. "I uh... I haven't been keeping up since it's not my business, but I'm sorry about your mom. I heard it was an accident," he mumbles. "I noticed that there aren't any pictures of her in the house, not that I could see, anyway."