xp_logs | Jay & Nathan log

Nathan finds a half awake Jay in the kitchen. He finds out Jay isn't into morning confrontations.

Whatever the long nights had for him, he was certain to be home for breakfast the next morning. Except recently, he kept falling asleep at four in the morning and waking up at ten. It was really throwing him off on sleeping habits and completely missing the delights of an early morning meal. Rolling into the kitchen around eleven seemed even lazier than usual, donning very little clothing as possible. Barefoot, topless with baggy jeans barely hanging onto his hips like a cliff-hanger, sleepy eyed Jay shuffled over to the fridge knowing very well he wouldn't find anything appealing within but inspected the contents anyways. It was a habitual ritual that went down generations of the Guthries and who was he to break it?

"Guthrie," came a very dry voice from the doorway. Nathan was standing there, cleanly-shaven, wide awake, and wearing one of the suits Moira had forced him to buy. He even had a briefcase in one hand, but the professional look didn't quite distract from the slightly ominous"
nature of the narrow-eyed look he was giving Jay.

He startled and cleared his throat, pulling his wings back. "Ya scared me halfta death. Make noise or somethin'," he said and grabbed for the milk. Closing the fridge, he gave Nathan a second glance, noticing the stare for the first time. He didn't like it. Made him wonder if Nathan was doing a lot more than staring, more like probing. Sex with Nathan came to mind and he grimaced inwardly before turning his back, fetching cereal and a bowl. Somehow, the image wouldn't leave him. Gross.

It had been a long time since their last unpleasant discussion in the kitchen, but Jay hadn't gotten any better at disciplining his thoughts. Thankfully, Nathan had gotten better about disciplining himself, and what he chose to acknowledge. Still, it was hard not to give the boy an incredulous look for the persistent mental image. That said something a little alarming about how his mind worked.

"Uh-huh. Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" he asked, coming into the kitchen and setting his briefcase on the table before he flopped into a chair. A brief scan established there was no one in the process of heading towards the kitchen, but he kept an 'ear' out, just in case.
While he might want to hold this discussion in public so that there was no question that he'd been attempting to be intimidating afterwards, he didn't necessarily want it eavesdropped upon. "I have a question for you. Do you want to see Kevin leave the mansion for good?"

He felt Nathan's stare on his back and in his paranoia, he felt Nathan was reading his mind which only prompted the images to be stronger. Making face as he poured the cereal, at least Nathan couldn't see that and Jay tried to think of something else - anything else. Pink ponies, rainbows, that sexy bartender he worked with, those sensual thighs creeping up into the core of.. Nathan, ugh. The box of cereal got abruptly set down and Jay ran a hand over his face, brushing his bangs from his eyes. They only fell back in place.

At the mention of one particular name, all thoughts were obliterated and Jay picked up the milk, pouring it into the bowl. "Course not," he said and left it there. Around anyone else, Jay was talkative. Around Nathan, he was tight lipped and ready to leave the room if not for
manners keeping him in place.

"Okay. Then I'm confused as to why he felt he needed to leave the mansion to assure your safety."

"Wha?" Jay turned around with the bowl in hand, but set it down. "Wha're ya on about?"

"Can I ask you a question? You do know about Kevin's manifestation, yes?" Oddly, it didn't sound much like a question. "That he was rather tragically responsible for the death of someone very dear to him."

"Yeh." It was difficult to even breech this topic with Nathan. He felt like he was being grilled, under a spotlight even if his interrogator was sitting down in a chair. "Who? " he asked, genuinely surprised Nathan knew."Kev's never talked 'bout it."

Nathan gave him a look so flat that someone facing him in the field would have probably turned around and run in the other direction. "Funny thing. That mummifying one's father by accident when he was trying to comfort you shouldn't be an easy thing to discuss."

"Fuck you," Jay quipped. "Hows am Ah sppose ta know shit 'bout that if he don' say a word." This piece of news was shocking as much as it was angering. Kevin didn't say a word to him. Not one word about who it was. Given, he had never asked. Their relationship hadn't worked like that.

It was somehow reassuring to know that Jay hadn't apparently grown up a bit in his time away from the mansion. Said something about the constancy of the universe. "You knew he caused someone's death," Nathan said steadily. "You knew he was convicted of involuntary
manslaughter for it. Does it matter that it was his father? All that does is make it even harder for Kevin. He killed someone he loved. Someone who loved him, who was only trying to help him when he was afraid."

Jay picked up the bowl, grabbed a spoon and bristled his wings at Nathan. "Ah didn' know shit 'bout who it was, but thanks to you, now Ah know it all. Thanks."

Nathan's eyebrows went up. "You're not seriously making this about you and how he didn't tell you," he said sharply.

"No. Ah'm makin' it how it ain't none of mah godamn business now - like he likes to say - an' Ah'm bein' a good exboyfriend an' doin' jus' that. Why you all over me Nate?"

Nathan threw his hands up. "You're right," he said shortly, getting up and retrieving his briefcase. "None of my business, as long as you're planning to stop pushing his buttons. I don't fancy defending him against any more criminal charges."

"Ah ain't pushin' his buttons," he said defensively. "An' whaddya talkin' 'bout?" Leave it to Nate to come in, condemning him but not come right out and say it. This was confusing as hell.

Nathan's eyes narrowed. "Think very hard, Guthrie," he said, and while his voice was even, it was almost too level. "Remember what I said at the start of the conversation, and put the pieces together. Or, you know, stretch yourself, and put yourself in his shoes for a
moment. Revaluate whatever the hell happened between the two of you in that light."

"Don' treat me like Ah'm stupid," he quipped, genuinely offended. "So use yer damn mind readin' skills like yer gonna do anyways an' read mah mind. Ah was tryin' ta be his friend. Tha's it. So leave it ta 'im ta blow it all outta proportion an' usin' me as an excuse ta leave the mansion. Ah ain't done nuttin' wrong. So get the hell off mah back." Jay took his bowl of cereal and started down the hallway towards the recroom.

Nathan's jaw tightened and he rolled his eyes, just briefly, at Jay's retreating back. The irritation was replaced almost immediately by gnawing worry, however, and he sank back into the chair after a moment, staring at the smooth, featureless metal of the fridge door.
He'd done all he could, making Jay aware. This wasn't something he could actually get involved in, and not just because he was Jay's least favourite type of mutant ever. He could only hope that Jay would keep his distance.