Nate’s lease wasn’t up for another week, so they were crashing in his apartment for a few days before packing up and moving her stuff down to DC. Their stumbling attempts over beer notwithstanding, they hadn’t had any conversation about what they were doing after this. Nate had a job starting up in July and Brad had an internship at Lockheed.
He woke up the next morning with Nate sprawled over his chest, cheek pressed to his sternum. Brad never woke up this early, if he was awake at this hour, it was because he never went to bed to begin with. Yet for some reason, maybe born out of stress or worry, he was wide awake at 6 am. He looked down at Nate, the lack of tension in his face and just didn’t understand. Maybe, this didn’t mean as much to him. Wasn’t that a frightening thought.
Brad edged out from underneath Nate carefully, keeping an eye on him as he slung on a discarded pair of jeans and a hoodie and ducked outside for some fresh air.
Nate had given him a copy of his keys on the return from winter break. His flight hadn’t gotten in until 10 PM, so they’d met at the all night diner. Nate had shown up with a little box and a tan from St. Barth’s.
“I was just wondering,” Brad had asked, trying to distract from the fact that they’d already given each other Christmas presents, and yet Nate seemed to have something else for him, “how do you handle trans-atlantic flights?”
“I always get a window seat and when I feel the change coming on, I go to the bathroom, and when I come back, I say I’m switching with my brother, because his legs are cramped.” She shrugged. “Easy as pie. Now open the box.”
The key had been inside the box on a tacky tourist key ring. Nate wasn’t supposed to make copies of it, as per his lease, so Brad didn’t have to give it back at the end of the month when Nate handed his in. If this was it, if they ended it in a few weeks, he’d still have it, hanging on his key ring.
It was chilly this morning-still too early for summer heat to set in. He shrugged his shoulders and decided to duck into Starbucks for a coffee. He could just picture Nate’s look of horror at the thought.
“Hey, Brad,” a girl said from behind him while he waited for his drink.
He turned around and blinked for a moment, trying to summon together brain cells. He hadn’t seen Libby in forever, hadn’t even thought of her really, but now here she was, clearly fresh from her morning run, still in perfect shape, still gorgeous. “Hi,” he said, unsure if he was supposed to say anything else, ‘like how are you?’ or ‘hope you don’t mind that I never called you again.’
She smiled at his lack of response. “Not at your best in the morning?”
He tried to summon up any feelings of attraction to her, but there was nothing, just dull emptiness. He laughed. It didn’t make any sense. This whole thing never did. “Listen, Libby, I’ve got to run, but it was great to see you.”
She blinked at him, at a loss, and he breezed by her.
Nate was just starting to get up in bed when Brad let himself in. He set the untouched coffee down on the dresser as Nate rubbed at his face and yawned.
“Why are you up so early?” he asked, voice gravelly. Brad toed off his shoes and with very little preamble straddled Nate’s hips, pinning him to the bed. Nate smiled up at him, hair a mess, and an imprint from the pillow on his cheek. “Well, good morning.”
Brad snorted. “I don’t want to break up.”
Nate stared at him and sat up underneath him, hands coming up to hold Brad in place when he moved to get off. “What?”
Brad kissed him, tangling his fingers in Nate’s bed hair, noting the way Nate’s body supported his, the solidness of him under Brad’s nearly 200 pounds. He liked it. It had taken him a long time to realize he wasn’t giving it up. Brad didn’t know any better way to tell Nate that he’d thought Nate realized Brad would wanted him any way Nate would have him.
Nate pulled back, gripping Brad’s chin to stop him from pursuing another kiss. “I don’t want to break up either.”
*
The end! Woohoo, I managed to actually finish one of these!
This is awesome, a wonderful continuation of the previous story.
She spent considerable effort on the girl persona, he thought. It had never really occurred to him just how exhausting that must be.
God, I can only imagine.
“I think what you’re really asking is am I willing to keep making the change,” Nate said quietly.
Brad eyed her. “It would make things easier for you…”
But wait, now I'm confused. I thought the curse would be over when Nate met someone who could love him as both a man and a woman. It seems pretty clear that Brad does...so why isn't the curse broken?
It was a bittersweet shock to realize someday Nate would be able to do all those night owl things without having to worry about flipping back in front of somebody. And maybe, maybe it wouldn’t be with Brad.
Aww. It's sad but it's also very, very Brad.
Glad to see he finally pulls his head out of his ass and decides to actually make it explicit, though. Yay for being brave!
Nope, Brad has to let Nate fuck him up the butt. Whiiiiich, at this point in their relationship, Brad might be willing to do, but he likes 'Natalie' too much. Sorry, that wasn't clear. I don't know if that ever made it from my head onto the page.
I'm glad you liked it anyway, despite the confusion!
OH! I had an inkling it might be that. You referenced it in the original, but I thought it was half-joking, that the emotional connection was primary. So not you, just me being too ~feely~ about things.
Regardless, so great! I'm so glad you continued it.
Nate’s lease wasn’t up for another week, so they were crashing in his apartment for a few days before packing up and moving her stuff down to DC. Their stumbling attempts over beer notwithstanding, they hadn’t had any conversation about what they were doing after this. Nate had a job starting up in July and Brad had an internship at Lockheed.
He woke up the next morning with Nate sprawled over his chest, cheek pressed to his sternum. Brad never woke up this early, if he was awake at this hour, it was because he never went to bed to begin with. Yet for some reason, maybe born out of stress or worry, he was wide awake at 6 am. He looked down at Nate, the lack of tension in his face and just didn’t understand. Maybe, this didn’t mean as much to him. Wasn’t that a frightening thought.
Brad edged out from underneath Nate carefully, keeping an eye on him as he slung on a discarded pair of jeans and a hoodie and ducked outside for some fresh air.
Nate had given him a copy of his keys on the return from winter break. His flight hadn’t gotten in until 10 PM, so they’d met at the all night diner. Nate had shown up with a little box and a tan from St. Barth’s.
“I was just wondering,” Brad had asked, trying to distract from the fact that they’d already given each other Christmas presents, and yet Nate seemed to have something else for him, “how do you handle trans-atlantic flights?”
“I always get a window seat and when I feel the change coming on, I go to the bathroom, and when I come back, I say I’m switching with my brother, because his legs are cramped.” She shrugged. “Easy as pie. Now open the box.”
The key had been inside the box on a tacky tourist key ring. Nate wasn’t supposed to make copies of it, as per his lease, so Brad didn’t have to give it back at the end of the month when Nate handed his in. If this was it, if they ended it in a few weeks, he’d still have it, hanging on his key ring.
It was chilly this morning-still too early for summer heat to set in. He shrugged his shoulders and decided to duck into Starbucks for a coffee. He could just picture Nate’s look of horror at the thought.
“Hey, Brad,” a girl said from behind him while he waited for his drink.
He turned around and blinked for a moment, trying to summon together brain cells. He hadn’t seen Libby in forever, hadn’t even thought of her really, but now here she was, clearly fresh from her morning run, still in perfect shape, still gorgeous. “Hi,” he said, unsure if he was supposed to say anything else, ‘like how are you?’ or ‘hope you don’t mind that I never called you again.’
She smiled at his lack of response. “Not at your best in the morning?”
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He tried to summon up any feelings of attraction to her, but there was nothing, just dull emptiness. He laughed. It didn’t make any sense. This whole thing never did. “Listen, Libby, I’ve got to run, but it was great to see you.”
She blinked at him, at a loss, and he breezed by her.
Nate was just starting to get up in bed when Brad let himself in. He set the untouched coffee down on the dresser as Nate rubbed at his face and yawned.
“Why are you up so early?” he asked, voice gravelly. Brad toed off his shoes and with very little preamble straddled Nate’s hips, pinning him to the bed. Nate smiled up at him, hair a mess, and an imprint from the pillow on his cheek. “Well, good morning.”
Brad snorted. “I don’t want to break up.”
Nate stared at him and sat up underneath him, hands coming up to hold Brad in place when he moved to get off. “What?”
Brad kissed him, tangling his fingers in Nate’s bed hair, noting the way Nate’s body supported his, the solidness of him under Brad’s nearly 200 pounds. He liked it. It had taken him a long time to realize he wasn’t giving it up. Brad didn’t know any better way to tell Nate that he’d thought Nate realized Brad would wanted him any way Nate would have him.
Nate pulled back, gripping Brad’s chin to stop him from pursuing another kiss. “I don’t want to break up either.”
*
The end! Woohoo, I managed to actually finish one of these!
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She spent considerable effort on the girl persona, he thought. It had never really occurred to him just how exhausting that must be.
God, I can only imagine.
“I think what you’re really asking is am I willing to keep making the change,” Nate said quietly.
Brad eyed her. “It would make things easier for you…”
But wait, now I'm confused. I thought the curse would be over when Nate met someone who could love him as both a man and a woman. It seems pretty clear that Brad does...so why isn't the curse broken?
It was a bittersweet shock to realize someday Nate would be able to do all those night owl things without having to worry about flipping back in front of somebody. And maybe, maybe it wouldn’t be with Brad.
Aww. It's sad but it's also very, very Brad.
Glad to see he finally pulls his head out of his ass and decides to actually make it explicit, though. Yay for being brave!
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I'm glad you liked it anyway, despite the confusion!
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Regardless, so great! I'm so glad you continued it.
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