xp_logs | Nathan and Bridge, Friday afternoon (Reply)

Nathan has a few minutes alone with his best man upon the Pack's arrival at Muir.

"Nerves?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"You're sure?"

"GW!" Nathan glared a bit pugnacious at his best man, who was grinning like a loon at him. "You could have warned me, you know," he muttered, his eyes narrowing.

"About?" GW said, pretending to examine Nathan's wedding outfit, which was hanging all but alone in the closet of the bedroom Nathan had grudgingly taken. Moira's old hag of a grandmother had oh-so-sweetly asked him where he was planning to stay the night, "as spending the night before one's wedding with one's bride is so terribly inappropriate, Nathan, dear." It had taken a sheer act of will not to innocently inquire after the propriety of having knocked the bride up six months prior to the wedding. Well, that and Moira kicking him under the table.

"That you were going to show up and give me a hard time," Nathan mock-growled, sitting down on the bed with a wince. Stairs were still not his friends, and shepherding the Pack up here from the dock to their rooms had involved rather a lot of stairs. "I could have prepared. Practiced my intimidating faces in the mirror and all."

"Except they never worked on me in the first place," GW said amiably, reaching out to smoothe an imaginary wrinkle from the sleeve of Nathan's jacket. "We're going to look like idiots tomorrow, you realize."

"Speak for yourself. I think the kilts are quite attractive."

"Lien threatened to withhold sex if I didn't wear one, you know."

"I figured she would."

GW groaned, shaking his head at Nathan. "Traitor. Just because you're henpecked doesn't mean you have to conspire in making me so, too." But there was too much mirth in his voice, and Nathan didn't buy the complaint for a minute. "And black men really shouldn't wear kilts, you know. It's just damned odd."

"This is," Nathan pointed out with a perfectly straight face, "about the least traditional big wedding I can imagine. Between the pregnant bride and the nature of the guest list, I doubt anyone would look twice at you."

"There is that." GW went over to the window, peering out. He was clearly a bit restless, but Nathan knew that it had as much to do with travel as anything else. "So you're feeling okay?" he asked suddenly, glancing back over his shoulder at Nathan. "You look tired, still."

"I am tired," Nathan confessed freely, "and my back is killing me, but I'm getting used to that." He raised an eyebrow at his friend. "You don't look any too fresh yourself," he observed. "Unless the black circles under your eyes are a fashion statement."

"Something like that. It's been a long few weeks," GW said with a sigh, turning from the window and coming over to sprawl on his back on the bed. "Don't get me wrong - I think the set-up in Tunis is good, and about as secure as we're going to get. Best thing to do is just stay under the radar. We couldn't pull off an outright disappearance without separating, and even though there are risks in staying together... well, I put it to a vote. Let's just say there wasn't much disagreement."

"I know. But it would have been nice if none of it had been necessary in the first place," Nathan said quietly, looking down at him. "Believe me, I feel the same way." He paused. "Dom really doing as well as she seems, or are her acting skills just improving further?"

"Not sure," GW said with another, even heavier sigh. "She hasn't been acting out about it, whatever she's thinking - and you'd know that better than me. I almost wish she would. At least I'd know how to react to that." He scowled. "She's just too damned quiet these days. It's unnatural."

Nathan laughed quietly. "She's growing up, GW. That's not a bad thing."

"No, I know." GW yawned widely, then let out a rueful laugh. "Damn. You're not the only one who needs a nap."

"Who said I needed a nap?" Nathan asked a touch indignantly. "Don't start with the mother-hen crap..."

"Well, you are getting old," GW pointed out. "Old and decrepit..."

Nathan brandished one of the pillows in warning, then set it down with another laugh. "Come on. You can nap later. If I know you, and I do, you haven't eaten anything." GW opened his mouth to protest, but Nathan shook his head. "No," he said sternly. "I'm not having the best man pass out in the middle of the rehearsal."

"God forbid," GW said, hauling himself upright with another groan. "Given that the groom tends to do enough falling over for the whole bridal party."

"Oh, shut up."